Chapter eight is done!!!
1.1.1.1 PART EIGHT â€" Time to trust.
Murdock collapsed down onto the bed after being escorted to his room from the main entrance.
"Ah, home sweet home."
He sighed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. It had taken a week to get all the loose ends from the job sorted, and with Face unable to do anything, it had taken them longer. Murdock was to spend the rest of the week (it was a Tuesday) at the VA, then they were travelling up to Crystal Lake on Saturday. They were going to go straight up there but Murdock had persuaded them that he wanted to go back to the VA first, though he didn't give them a reason. He wanted to talk to Kate first, get things sorted, and he was also hoping that she had some free time so that she could come with them. Murdock could tell that she was in need of a vacation.
1pm came and there was no sign of Kate. Murdock figured that she'd been held up. He gave her till quarter past, then he rang her. There was no answer, at home or in her car. When the answer phone kicked in he left a short message for her to ring because he was worried. He knows that it's silly and she's probably just held up but he knows that something just doesn't feel right.
When 1.30 came round and he still hadn't heard anything from her, he tried ringing her again, but there was still no answer. He had a strange, nervous feeling at the pit of his stomach and after pacing for a while he picks up the phone and rings Face's 'borrowed' apartment. Hannibal picks up. Murdock asks him if they'll go and check up on Kate for him. Hannibal reassures him that she's probably fine but Murdock says that he just knows that something isn't right. Hannibal, knowing that Murdock and Kate have a special bond, tells Murdock that they would. Murdock thanks them.
The van pulls up outside her house and Hannibal, Face and BA casually get out and stroll up to the door. Hannibal lighting a cigar. He reaches the door and rings the bell.
"This is gonna be a waste of time."
"Yeah, well, you've got to humour Murdock sometimes. Especially when it comes to Kate."
Face answers him. They stood for a few moments but don't hear any noise form the house.
"Well, her car is here so she can't be far."
Hannibal said, strolling up the path a little way with BA. Face decided to knock and was stunned when the door slid open before he could tap it again. He looked over at Hannibal who was glancing down the road.
"Uh, Hannibal...looks like Murdock was right."
Hannibal turned and looked at the door. Then both him and Face pulled out their guns. Face carefully pushed the door open further and immediately noticed the mess. Papers everywhere, coats, shoes, draws pulled out with their contents over the floor, furniture tipped over â€" the place had been ransacked.
"My God...Kate..."
Face whispered. They snuck through the hall, Hannibal gesturing for BA to go upstairs and Face to go through to the kitchen. Hannibal was heading for the living room. BA had only reached the third step when they heard a noise coming from the kitchen. He stopped and they followed Face towards the kitchen. They listened and heard someone rummaging though something. Face carefully pushed the door opened slowly â€" all three of them with their guns raised. It creaked, and as the door swung open they saw someone swing around pulling out a gun. It was Kate. Relief washed over her face when she recognised them and her legs stared to give way. Face reached for her while the others put their guns away. Face lifted a fallen chair and sat her down. She slumped down into it.
"Thanks..."
She put the gun down and pulled the medical kit awkwardly towards her.
"Are you okay?"
Face lifted her chin and took a look at the cut on her forehead.
"What happened? Why didn't you answer the door?"
Hannibal questioned, looking around at the mess.
"You rang? Must have been what woke me â€" they knocked me out."
"They caught you good."
Face stated, placing a gauze on her forehead.
"I know. Almost as good as you."
She partly joked, Face gave her a small laughing grin. She picked up a syringe from the kit and as she filled it she explained what she remembered.
"I got home from the VA when I heard someone in the house. They got me from behind â€" a group of men. They dragged me in here, asked me questions while they ransacked the place. They knocked me out when they couldn't get their answers."
"What were they looking for?"
"Who knows. They kept asking me something...I can't remember...my head hurts. I think it was something to do with a codekey."
"Codekey?"
Hannibal asked confused.
"God knows what they meant."
"Here, let me do that."
Face said as she tried to inject herself with a syringe to ease the pain. He took it from her and injected it into her forearm.
"Thank you."
Hannibal thought for a moment, chewing on the end of his cigar.
"Right, Face I want you to break Murdock out. We're getting out of here. Kate, you're coming with us."
"What-?"
"I want you to call your partner. Tell him what's happened. They've already killed two of your work colleagues."
"Three..."
She said quietly. Hannibal gave her a look then carried on.
"They've come for you once, they'll come again. We're taking you to a safe place until this is sorted out."
"Hannibal, I can take care of myself. I don't need to go into hiding."
"I don't care. I'm not leaving you here alone."
Kate looked into his eyes and saw something there that she hadn't seen for a years â€" well, since her dad. It was fatherly concern.
"Hannibal," she said calmly. "I'm not the young, naïve girl I was back in 'Nam. I've grown up."
"I know. But I don't care."
He replied just as calmly.
"What if they find us? What if they...I don't want you getting involved...you don't need to..."
She trailed off. Hannibal paused for a second before answering, knowing that she'd forgotten them, who they were.
"You've got to trust us, Kate. Where's your belief gone? You'll be safe with us."
It hit the spot and Kate sighed. She knew that if she stayed behind, then Steve and Captain Peterson would just send her to a safe house â€" and with someone on the inside they would find out. She had to start putting her trust back into others. She'd be safer with the Team, somewhere that others wouldn't know.
"Okay...okay."
**********************
Murdock was pacing back and forth, frantically awaiting news from the Team. He kept glancing over at the phone, then pacing again, looking out the window, and pacing again. As he turned away from the phone for about the 100th time it rang. He swung round and grabbed it.
"Kate?"
"Murdock, it's me."
Came Face's voice.
"Face, where's Kate? Is she all right?"
"Calm down, she's fine now. But you were right."
"What happened?"
He demanded.
"We found her in the kitchen. She'd been knocked out by a group of guys, they'd ransacked the place."
"But she's okay? Right?"
"Just a mild concussion, she just needs rest. Can you get out of there? We're taking her with us. She's just calling her boss to tell him what happened and that she's going to a safe place."
"Sure thing, Muchacho."
"We'll be outside the back entrance in about 15 minutes."
"Got it. See you soon."
And Murdock hung up. He took a breath in slight relief, then started to gather some things up.
Face put the phone down and turned to see Kate enter the living room with a holdall.
"Okay?"
She nodded.
"Captain Peterson thinks it's a good idea. I said I'd keep him informed as to how I am and if I come up with any information. Steve knows my beeper number if he needs to contact me."
Face nodded.
"Ready? Hannibal and BA are waiting in the van."
Kate nodded again and looked around at the mess. Face moved to her, placing an arm around her shoulders and turning her around.
"Come on." He said gently and she let him lead her out. "We've just got to pick Murdock up, then we'll be off."
He pulled open the door to the van and stood back to let her in. She took Murdock's seat and then they were off.
They pulled up outside the VA to see Murdock running full tilt towards the van in a straight jacket. There are numerous people running after him â€" orderlies, nurses, doctors. Face pulls open the door and Murdock dives headfirst into the back. The tires screech, smoking and the van shoots off down the road before the orderlies are anywhere near them.
Murdock turns around as Face pulls the door shut, then he helps Murdock to sit. Kate watches in stunned silence as Face starts undoing the straight jacket.
"Cheers Muchacho. That was close."
"What went wrong?"
Face asked, it wasn't often that Murdock was placed in a straight jacket.
"They caught me the first time. Ran round a corner straight into an orderly. I managed to get away after they put this damn thing on. You'd think they'd know by now that a straight jacket won't stop me from getting out."
He shrugged himself out of the jacket and threw it into the back. Immediately he turned to face Kate who was staring at him.
"You okay, Chiquita?"
He asked worriedly.
"Yeah, just tired."
She half laughed at the scene that had just played out infront of her. She suddenly realised that she understood his condition. When he'd lost his mind in 'Nam it had scared her. She'd seen it happen to so many other soldiers, they'd just lost it completely and had become violent, and she knew now that that was what had scared her about Murdock when he had shouted at her to get out. She could see the same thing happening to him which is why she left so abruptly. She didn't think she could handle seeing him the same way. But she knew now that his crazy had been a good kind of crazy. It was more of a child-like reaction than of a violent man, and she finally felt at ease with it.
"You're crazy you know that? Escaping in a straight jacket!"
She said humorously.
"I know it. How'd you know it!"
He smiled, knowing that the uneasiness in their actions was dissipating. Then he turned to face Hannibal.
"So, Colonel. Where we going?"
"Crystal Lake. We were planning on heading up there for a vacation anyway so we already have supplies. Plus whoever it is after Kate won't connect that place to her, she had nothing to do with it."
"Good idea, Colonel."
Murdock said.
"Crystal Lake?"
Kate questioned. Murdock turned back to her.
"Oh, it's beautiful up there. Especially in the Summer and it's still warm enough to go to. Plus it's isolated, we'll be perfectly safe up there."
"That's what you said last time, fool!"
BA said from the front seat.
"Last time?"
Face replied to her question.
"We uh, had a spot of bother up there a while ago. The local sheriff called the Military in when she recognised me. But that's fine now. We helped them with a small problem they had so she owes us."
"Oh."
"You'd better get some sleep, Kate." Hannibal said from the front seat. "It's quite a trip and with the concussion I'm sure you're tired."
"Yep, you gotta follow your own orders."
Face smiled. Kate smiled back and settled back down in the seat.
Well...? Good? Bad? Terrible? Please R and R.
1.1.1.1 PART EIGHT â€" Time to trust.
Murdock collapsed down onto the bed after being escorted to his room from the main entrance.
"Ah, home sweet home."
He sighed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. It had taken a week to get all the loose ends from the job sorted, and with Face unable to do anything, it had taken them longer. Murdock was to spend the rest of the week (it was a Tuesday) at the VA, then they were travelling up to Crystal Lake on Saturday. They were going to go straight up there but Murdock had persuaded them that he wanted to go back to the VA first, though he didn't give them a reason. He wanted to talk to Kate first, get things sorted, and he was also hoping that she had some free time so that she could come with them. Murdock could tell that she was in need of a vacation.
1pm came and there was no sign of Kate. Murdock figured that she'd been held up. He gave her till quarter past, then he rang her. There was no answer, at home or in her car. When the answer phone kicked in he left a short message for her to ring because he was worried. He knows that it's silly and she's probably just held up but he knows that something just doesn't feel right.
When 1.30 came round and he still hadn't heard anything from her, he tried ringing her again, but there was still no answer. He had a strange, nervous feeling at the pit of his stomach and after pacing for a while he picks up the phone and rings Face's 'borrowed' apartment. Hannibal picks up. Murdock asks him if they'll go and check up on Kate for him. Hannibal reassures him that she's probably fine but Murdock says that he just knows that something isn't right. Hannibal, knowing that Murdock and Kate have a special bond, tells Murdock that they would. Murdock thanks them.
The van pulls up outside her house and Hannibal, Face and BA casually get out and stroll up to the door. Hannibal lighting a cigar. He reaches the door and rings the bell.
"This is gonna be a waste of time."
"Yeah, well, you've got to humour Murdock sometimes. Especially when it comes to Kate."
Face answers him. They stood for a few moments but don't hear any noise form the house.
"Well, her car is here so she can't be far."
Hannibal said, strolling up the path a little way with BA. Face decided to knock and was stunned when the door slid open before he could tap it again. He looked over at Hannibal who was glancing down the road.
"Uh, Hannibal...looks like Murdock was right."
Hannibal turned and looked at the door. Then both him and Face pulled out their guns. Face carefully pushed the door open further and immediately noticed the mess. Papers everywhere, coats, shoes, draws pulled out with their contents over the floor, furniture tipped over â€" the place had been ransacked.
"My God...Kate..."
Face whispered. They snuck through the hall, Hannibal gesturing for BA to go upstairs and Face to go through to the kitchen. Hannibal was heading for the living room. BA had only reached the third step when they heard a noise coming from the kitchen. He stopped and they followed Face towards the kitchen. They listened and heard someone rummaging though something. Face carefully pushed the door opened slowly â€" all three of them with their guns raised. It creaked, and as the door swung open they saw someone swing around pulling out a gun. It was Kate. Relief washed over her face when she recognised them and her legs stared to give way. Face reached for her while the others put their guns away. Face lifted a fallen chair and sat her down. She slumped down into it.
"Thanks..."
She put the gun down and pulled the medical kit awkwardly towards her.
"Are you okay?"
Face lifted her chin and took a look at the cut on her forehead.
"What happened? Why didn't you answer the door?"
Hannibal questioned, looking around at the mess.
"You rang? Must have been what woke me â€" they knocked me out."
"They caught you good."
Face stated, placing a gauze on her forehead.
"I know. Almost as good as you."
She partly joked, Face gave her a small laughing grin. She picked up a syringe from the kit and as she filled it she explained what she remembered.
"I got home from the VA when I heard someone in the house. They got me from behind â€" a group of men. They dragged me in here, asked me questions while they ransacked the place. They knocked me out when they couldn't get their answers."
"What were they looking for?"
"Who knows. They kept asking me something...I can't remember...my head hurts. I think it was something to do with a codekey."
"Codekey?"
Hannibal asked confused.
"God knows what they meant."
"Here, let me do that."
Face said as she tried to inject herself with a syringe to ease the pain. He took it from her and injected it into her forearm.
"Thank you."
Hannibal thought for a moment, chewing on the end of his cigar.
"Right, Face I want you to break Murdock out. We're getting out of here. Kate, you're coming with us."
"What-?"
"I want you to call your partner. Tell him what's happened. They've already killed two of your work colleagues."
"Three..."
She said quietly. Hannibal gave her a look then carried on.
"They've come for you once, they'll come again. We're taking you to a safe place until this is sorted out."
"Hannibal, I can take care of myself. I don't need to go into hiding."
"I don't care. I'm not leaving you here alone."
Kate looked into his eyes and saw something there that she hadn't seen for a years â€" well, since her dad. It was fatherly concern.
"Hannibal," she said calmly. "I'm not the young, naïve girl I was back in 'Nam. I've grown up."
"I know. But I don't care."
He replied just as calmly.
"What if they find us? What if they...I don't want you getting involved...you don't need to..."
She trailed off. Hannibal paused for a second before answering, knowing that she'd forgotten them, who they were.
"You've got to trust us, Kate. Where's your belief gone? You'll be safe with us."
It hit the spot and Kate sighed. She knew that if she stayed behind, then Steve and Captain Peterson would just send her to a safe house â€" and with someone on the inside they would find out. She had to start putting her trust back into others. She'd be safer with the Team, somewhere that others wouldn't know.
"Okay...okay."
**********************
Murdock was pacing back and forth, frantically awaiting news from the Team. He kept glancing over at the phone, then pacing again, looking out the window, and pacing again. As he turned away from the phone for about the 100th time it rang. He swung round and grabbed it.
"Kate?"
"Murdock, it's me."
Came Face's voice.
"Face, where's Kate? Is she all right?"
"Calm down, she's fine now. But you were right."
"What happened?"
He demanded.
"We found her in the kitchen. She'd been knocked out by a group of guys, they'd ransacked the place."
"But she's okay? Right?"
"Just a mild concussion, she just needs rest. Can you get out of there? We're taking her with us. She's just calling her boss to tell him what happened and that she's going to a safe place."
"Sure thing, Muchacho."
"We'll be outside the back entrance in about 15 minutes."
"Got it. See you soon."
And Murdock hung up. He took a breath in slight relief, then started to gather some things up.
Face put the phone down and turned to see Kate enter the living room with a holdall.
"Okay?"
She nodded.
"Captain Peterson thinks it's a good idea. I said I'd keep him informed as to how I am and if I come up with any information. Steve knows my beeper number if he needs to contact me."
Face nodded.
"Ready? Hannibal and BA are waiting in the van."
Kate nodded again and looked around at the mess. Face moved to her, placing an arm around her shoulders and turning her around.
"Come on." He said gently and she let him lead her out. "We've just got to pick Murdock up, then we'll be off."
He pulled open the door to the van and stood back to let her in. She took Murdock's seat and then they were off.
They pulled up outside the VA to see Murdock running full tilt towards the van in a straight jacket. There are numerous people running after him â€" orderlies, nurses, doctors. Face pulls open the door and Murdock dives headfirst into the back. The tires screech, smoking and the van shoots off down the road before the orderlies are anywhere near them.
Murdock turns around as Face pulls the door shut, then he helps Murdock to sit. Kate watches in stunned silence as Face starts undoing the straight jacket.
"Cheers Muchacho. That was close."
"What went wrong?"
Face asked, it wasn't often that Murdock was placed in a straight jacket.
"They caught me the first time. Ran round a corner straight into an orderly. I managed to get away after they put this damn thing on. You'd think they'd know by now that a straight jacket won't stop me from getting out."
He shrugged himself out of the jacket and threw it into the back. Immediately he turned to face Kate who was staring at him.
"You okay, Chiquita?"
He asked worriedly.
"Yeah, just tired."
She half laughed at the scene that had just played out infront of her. She suddenly realised that she understood his condition. When he'd lost his mind in 'Nam it had scared her. She'd seen it happen to so many other soldiers, they'd just lost it completely and had become violent, and she knew now that that was what had scared her about Murdock when he had shouted at her to get out. She could see the same thing happening to him which is why she left so abruptly. She didn't think she could handle seeing him the same way. But she knew now that his crazy had been a good kind of crazy. It was more of a child-like reaction than of a violent man, and she finally felt at ease with it.
"You're crazy you know that? Escaping in a straight jacket!"
She said humorously.
"I know it. How'd you know it!"
He smiled, knowing that the uneasiness in their actions was dissipating. Then he turned to face Hannibal.
"So, Colonel. Where we going?"
"Crystal Lake. We were planning on heading up there for a vacation anyway so we already have supplies. Plus whoever it is after Kate won't connect that place to her, she had nothing to do with it."
"Good idea, Colonel."
Murdock said.
"Crystal Lake?"
Kate questioned. Murdock turned back to her.
"Oh, it's beautiful up there. Especially in the Summer and it's still warm enough to go to. Plus it's isolated, we'll be perfectly safe up there."
"That's what you said last time, fool!"
BA said from the front seat.
"Last time?"
Face replied to her question.
"We uh, had a spot of bother up there a while ago. The local sheriff called the Military in when she recognised me. But that's fine now. We helped them with a small problem they had so she owes us."
"Oh."
"You'd better get some sleep, Kate." Hannibal said from the front seat. "It's quite a trip and with the concussion I'm sure you're tired."
"Yep, you gotta follow your own orders."
Face smiled. Kate smiled back and settled back down in the seat.
Well...? Good? Bad? Terrible? Please R and R.