CHAPTER EIGHT

The next day Karen gave her evidence.Katie was present in the courtroom but Murdock wasn't there. He'd left the courtroom on hearing that there was a witness who could possibly clear the team's names.

Laskow got to his feet and Katie wondered if her mother was in for the kind of grilling that she'd received.

'Mrs Anderson.your husband was well acquainted with the accused, is that correct?'

'Yes, that's right.' Karen looked much calmer and far more composed than Katie had been. She felt herself starting to relax.

'How did he know them?'

Karen proceeded to tell the prosecution much of what Katie had already told the court. How Tony had known Murdock and through him the team but Katie felt something like fear run down her spine. Laskow seemed to have a different agenda today.

'What was your impression of Captain Murdock?'

Katie felt herself start with surprise. She had not been expecting that nor had her mother she realised. To her credit, Karen's expression never changed and she didn't show that this line of questioning was unexpected.

Throughout the cross-examination Laskow again and again brought the line of questioning round to Karen's impression of Murdock as well of what she had thought of the team. By the time she'd finished giving evidence Katie's bad feeling was much worse.

Her fears were confirmed after the court adjourned for lunch; Murdock still wasn't back and as Katie took her seat near to the guys she saw Laskow approach them. He made polite conversation and then he got to the point.Katie nearly couldn't breathe; he wanted them to give up Murdock, to say that he could have killed Morrison.

Her head was spinning as the judge and jury took their seats once more and she heard Benny say that Murdock had found the witness.the witness that would help set the team free. This was it.a home run but.she saw Hannibal's lips move and understood. If they put this guy on the stand and he cleared their names that would leave the way free for Laskow to try and convict Murdock and there was no way that he would walk away a free man. He was as good as dead. Laskow would win the jury round; making them think that when Murdock had gone crazy he had killed Morrison and no-one would be able to prove otherwise.

In the middle of all these confused thoughts, Hannibal got to his feet and addressed the court. He, Face and BA confessed to the murder of Colonel Morrison but she knew they hadn't done it. She knew they were innocent. Three for one.they'd just saved Murdock, giving up their own lives for his.

***

She stumbled out into blinding daylight.Karen grabbed her arm. 'Katie.'

'They didn't do it! Laskow was going to try and make them think Murdock did it! They did it for him.they saved his life.' She was nearly hysterical.

'Katie!' Her mother tried to pull her back but Katie was already making her way over to the building where the team were being housed when they weren't locked up below.

The guards stopped her but finally she managed to convince them to speak to Benny. He came out and with a feeling of humiliation she pleaded with him. 'Please.I need to speak to them. Just a few minutes.please.'

Benny noted the distressed look on her face and decided to let her in. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere with the team now.they'd made their minds up and he halfway knew why they were suddenly saying they'd murdered the Colonel.

He let her in and left her with the guys. She stared at them for a long moment before she spoke. 'I know you didn't do it.'

'What makes you so sure Kid?' Hannibal asked and Face nodded in agreement. BA said nothing.

'Because.I believe what you said Hannibal.I believe that none of you would kill a human being in cold blood. As you said.that's what you do in a war to an enemy. I know why you gave yourselves up though.you're trying to save Murdock.' Her voice cracked.

'Katie.' Face didn't know what to say.he just let the sentence hang in the air.

'Thank you.' She whispered. 'You are all so stupid but thank you.'

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. 'Stupid?'

'That's what he'd say. He's only one and you're three and.'

BA reached over and squeezed her shoulder. 'Little mama.'

'No.you've just given up your lives for him and you know it.'

'Can't see someone go down for somethin' they didn't do mama.' She smiled thinly at BA and nodded. 'I won't tell him.not unless I have to. If he asks me why you guys said you were guilty I won't lie to him, I won't let him think that you really did it. Not that he would anyway but.'

'Just in case someone tries to make him think we did.'

'Yeah.' She was about to say something else but there was a knock at the door. The door opened a crack and a guard motioned to Katie.

'Ma'am.I'm sorry but she was pretty insistent.' Megan was standing beside the soldier.

'Mommy.'

'Megan.' With a sigh Katie picked her up. 'I thought I told you to stay with Clarice.'

'She's boring.'

'Ok.c'mon I want you to meet some people.' To the solider she said, 'Thank you, it's ok, she'll be fine in here with me.'

The guard did not look happy about it.she didn't blame him; he probably thought she was a bad mother for letting her child meet three men on trial for murder.

When Face saw Megan he suddenly found it very hard to breathe. He swallowed several times before he found his voice. 'Who.. who is this?' But he already knew.the eyes and the shape of her mouth when she smiled told him all he needed to know. From the looks on Hannibal and BA's faces it was evident that they also knew that this was Murdock's daughter.

'This is Megan. Honey.this is BA, Face and Hannibal.'

'Hi.' Megan beamed brightly at them and then stared at BA. 'Why are you wearing those Mister?' She pointed at the shackles, which bound his wrists and ankles.

'Well.' He crouched down to her height as much as the chains would allow him.

'Megan.don't be rude.'

'It's ok Mama.' BA looked up at Katie with a smile, somehow she felt more comfortable with his reaction to Megan than she did about that of Face and Hannibal. Somehow, she sensed something that was almost anger directed towards her.

'Is she.?' Face asked without finishing the question.

'Yes.' Katie said. 'And no, he doesn't know.'

Megan looked at all three men. 'Do you know my Daddy?' She asked in a quiet voice. Katie's heart nearly broke in two. Face was still staring at Megan; she knew he was listing in his head every single thing he could find that resembled Murdock in her face and manner.

Hannibal was quiet and he stared thoughtfully at Megan.Katie was suddenly afraid that he would tell her who her father was. This wasn't the right time; she didn't even know why Megan had taken it into her head to ask about her father. It was so unlike her.she'd had no idea that it was a question that bothered her child.

BA was talking to Megan in his usual gentle way.Face still seemed shell- shocked. Katie suddenly wondered if this had been a good idea but she wanted them to know, that he wouldn't be alone. He would have family now and she would make sure he was ok.

Her eyes met Hannibal's and a moment passed between them. It was only a few seconds but in that passage of time something important happened. His eyes told her that he knew, he knew what she was thinking and he knew that Murdock would not be alone and somehow.she had just said goodbye to John 'Hannibal' Smith, notorious leader of the A-Team, soon to be put to death for a life he had not taken.

***

Katie walked back into the courtroom feeling subdued, Megan was safely in the care of Clarice or as she had dubbed her 'Boring Lady'. She took her seat and watched as the guys were filed in. They were hardly sat down for five minutes when Murdock burst in, at least she thought it was Murdock but he was clothed all in black and his face was covered in grime.

Her heart suddenly turned over.he'd found Qui Et and it was all for nothing, she hated the desperate look she saw on his face, she wanted nothing more than to run to him and put her arms around him.

He didn't look at her as he bargained for Qui Et to take the stand, the judge granted the request and Murdock went over to stand near the team. He shook their hands and stood, listening as Qui Et gave his evidence.

The look on his face as the man began talking nearly ripped Katie in half, his angry shout as he realised that what Qui Et was saying was lies made her bury her head in her hands. Part of her wanted Qui Et to give evidence that would prove the team innocent but if he did that then she would lose Murdock.

Oh Murdock, she thought. I'm so sorry and I'll tell you, when this is all over, I will tell you. But even as she thought it she knew she couldn't, for his sake and Megan's, she could never tell him.

They filed out as the jury decided on the verdict; Katie didn't think it would be long. She sat on one of the hard, narrow chairs outside the courtroom and tried not to think about it.

He sat down next to her. 'That wasn't what he told me.'

'I know.' She whispered, she didn't add that she knew how devastated he was. Instead, she reached over and took Murdock's hand. 'However this works out, if there's anything I can do, anything at all, just say and I'll be there in an instant.'

He looked very much like a scared little boy then and she pulled him to her. They sat there for a long moment just holding each other, both thinking and remembering that it had been three years since they'd been this close.

'Thank you.' His voice was muffled as he buried his face in her hair. Breathing in the scent of her and trying not to think about how much he missed her. That could wait.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he let go of Katie and turned. 'The jury have arrived at a verdict.' Benny's eyes looked sad and Murdock noticed that Katie's eyes held that same look. Something had happened. He saw a look pass between the two and with a feeling of stark premonition he knew that his efforts had been for nothing, there would be no salvation for his friends. There could be only one verdict.

***

The courtroom felt unnaturally cold as Katie sat down, Murdock took up his place beside Hannibal's shoulder and looking at the jury Katie knew what the verdict would be. She had known what it must be anyway but part of her had been hoping that somehow it would turn out right.

The verdict was given and she could feel the agony and helplessness that washed over Murdock as those words were spoken. A prison sentence would have been bearable but a death sentence, she knew that was too much for him to take.

He stood in stunned silence as the MP's took the guys away, she saw his helpless eyes meet Hannibal's and saw the colonel's expression; it was unnaturally calm. His eyes shifted to her and she knew that he telling her that she had better keep her promise. She nodded once and then Hannibal was gone and she knew it would be the last time she saw him.

Then she was moving and her head was buried against Murdock's chest, hot tears streaming down her cheeks and he was holding her so tight he was nearly crushing the life out of her. They remained that way for a very long time until he was roughly pulled away from her by the orderlies from the VA, her fingers touched his briefly and then she was standing alone in the courtroom where 12 men and women had made the gravest mistake of their lives.