CHAPTER EIGHT

Murdock slammed his fist against the door, BA had tried to break it down but it wouldn't budge. The windows were all barred, there was no way in.

'Maria's 'vette is over there, Nick must have persuaded her to come along. That means Emily is probably with them too.'

'Murdock.we'll get in.' Hannibal said, looking over the house.

BA turned and went back to the van; he opened the rear doors and ripped up the bit of carpeting that had been nailed over where their weapons locker used to be. He opened it and started pulling out guns.

Face and Murdock stared at him in amazement. 'But.I thought we got rid of all the guns.'

'Well we didn't know when we might need them again.' Hannibal said, a gleam in his eye, he was starting to get on the Jazz again and it had been too long since he'd got this kind of Jazz.

Murdock's face also broke into a grin. 'Colonel.you're on the Jazz, aren't ya?'

Hannibal just took a gun and grinned.

Face made a noise of hesitation. 'I...I don't know Hannibal, bursting in there guns blazing, is that the right way to go?'

'He's got our kids!' Murdock exclaimed, checking the chamber on his gun. 'I'm not just gonna stand around out here!'

BA grunted in affirmation. 'No way man, he's gonna pay.'

'He tried to take Mike once; I can't let him do the same again.'

Hannibal nodded. 'He won't Captain.'

Face realised that this was the first time in a very long time that they'd addressed each other by their ranks.

'Let's move out.' Hannibal said. 'Murdock take point, Face left flank, I'll take right flank and BA you take rear guard.'

All nodded their agreement and they spread out, heading for the back. Each slipping into their old roles as if they'd never stopped being the A-Team. Murdock, vaulted the fence, narrowly missing the barbed wire at the top and sure he was gonna regret this in the morning. He wasn't as young as he used to be, jumping a fence is easy enough at 36 but at 54 it's a lot more difficult.

Hannibal, Face and BA were right behind him. And Murdock waited until he heard their feet hit the ground. Then he was on the move again. Ahead he could see the guards on the back door.

He motioned to the guys to come closer and he spoke in a low whisper. 'Two there, there's another three as well.'

Hannibal nodded, easily spotting the guards. 'BA?' He asked.

BA nodded. 'I can take them.'

'Ok, go!' Hannibal sprang up from a crouch and ran the guards, as he created this diversion, Face and Murdock sprang on the other three. BA waded in, punching and throwing people every which way.

Suddenly a guard behind him gave a yell and collapsed to the ground. BA spun round and saw Brandon on the doorstep. He nodded to his father.

Nick ran out, jumping on the back of a guard who was hitting his father. Murdock recovered and hit the guard in the nose. Nick slid off the guy's back and stepped out the way as he crumpled to the ground. He grinned at his father. 'Hey Dad.'

Johnny executed a round house kick in the lead guard's face and sent him sprawling. Two more guards came running out and BA and Brandon instantly went back to back, circling round, gauging the guard's responses.

Maria and Danny leapt into the fray and Emily ducked under one guard's swinging fist and kneed him making him scream with pain. She grabbed hold of his hair and smashed his face into her knee. As he dropped to the ground, Emily saw blood pouring from his nose. 'Oh god, I'm so sorry.' She gasped. 'I didn't mean to hit you that hard.' She knelt down beside him and checked that he was still breathing, terrified that she'd killed him. Satisfied that he was ok, she stood again, sure now that she really wasn't cut out for all this fighting stuff.

They all stood there panting, the guards were on the ground unconscious and the A-Team looked around at their kids.

'Ok.' Murdock said. 'Does no-one listen to me anymore? Cos I seem to remember saying that you, you and you were to stay behind.' Here he pointed at Nick, Emily and Maria in turn.

The three shuffled their feet and avoided his angry glance. Face was also looking at his daughter with an expression of annoyance.

But Murdock's anger vanished in an instant as he saw that Michael wasn't with them. 'Where's Mikey?' There was urgency in his tone.

Nick swallowed hard, wondering how to tell his father that he'd really screwed things up this time. 'He.uh, he's still in there.'

'Why didn't he come with you? Did you find him?'

Emily looked at her father. 'He didn't want to come with us.'

The look of hurt was stingingly clear on Murdock's face. He turned round and wiped at his face. 'He.he what?'

'We tried to get him to come with us but he wanted to stay.' Danny said, nervous now.

Murdock shook his head and strode for the back door. 'Murdock!' Face called and he and the others ran to catch up with him.

*** Michael turned as the door the Stockwell's office slammed open and the A- Team entered. Murdock's face was furious and the same emotion was mirrored in the faces of his friends.

'Michael.' Murdock snapped at his son.

Michael laid down the pen with which he'd just signed the contract and rose to his feet. Stockwell remained seated a self-satisfied sneer about his features.

'I'm sorry Dad.' He took a step backwards, nearer to Stockwell.

'Come on Mikey lets go home.'

Michael shook his head and remained where he was.

'I'm sorry Captain but I'm afraid Michael won't be going anywhere with you. He's now in my employ.'

The look of shock on Murdock's face was apparent. 'What?' He asked, staring beseechingly at his son.

'I just signed the contract; I work for General Stockwell now. I can't come home, I've got quarters here, I'll be fine.'

Murdock blinked, he felt as if he was in some surreal nightmare. The other guys had tensed beside him.

'Stockwell stop playing games.' Hannibal said now very worried.

'See for yourself.' Stockwell tossed the contract across the table.

Murdock kept his gaze on his son. 'Michael, you don't have to do this, you can come home, now, with me. We can find a way around this.' His hand gestured in the air. 'I know you're angry and confused right now but we can work this out. Please.'

Michael looked at him and right there he wanted nothing more than to go home and make peace with his father. But Stockwell's words rang in his ears. 'I'm sorry.'

'Now if you don't mind I have business to attend to.' Stockwell pressed a button the desk and two guards entered the room.

BA growled under his breath but Hannibal raised his hand motioning for him to leave it. Face took Murdock's arm.

'Come on.' Murdock didn't reply just let himself be walked out the door by Face, his eyes never leaving Michael's.

***

June 2002 - One Year Later

'Nick hand me that wrench will you?' Murdock asked, half of him buried in the inner workings of his plane.

Nick rummaged around and pulled out a wrench and handed it to his father. 'Any word?' He asked quietly.

Murdock paused in what he was doing and pulled himself out of the belly of the plane. 'No, no word.' At first there had been postcards, nothing written on them except his name. Michael had let his family know that he was safe and each postcard showed a new location. Murdock wasn't sure he could stand to think what kind of work Stockwell would have Michael doing in those sort of places.

To begin with the Team had followed the lead that each postcard had produced. But soon enough they realised it was a futile effort. Michael had vanished into Stockwell's world and unless he wanted to be found then he was going to stay there.

***

The Californian air was warm as Michael stood watching the last remnants of the sun sink beneath the horizon. The sea was calm and the air filled with the sounds of people moving about in the street below his apartment.

He was very close to home now, closer than he had been in a whole year. He stood on the balcony his gaze fixed on the window of an apartment across the street much like his own.

For twelve months he'd been tracking one man, living and breathing his very existence as if it were his own. He knew the man's routine inside out; Michael would never get to meet him but knew him as intimately as if he were his closest friend.

The assignment that Stockwell had set for him had been demanding, he'd had to learn a great deal and in a very short space of time. Often his thoughts would stray to his family and friends and he would wonder what they were doing. That life seemed strange and dreamlike to him now. He felt as if he'd spent a lifetime as an agent.

The door behind him opened and another young man entered. Joseph Marshall was shorter than Michael but only just, his hair was jet black and his eyes piercing blue. He was only a year or so older than Michael and had been recruited by Stockwell at thirteen. On meeting him, his way with women had instantly reminded Michael of Danny.

'Here ya go.' Joseph said, handing Michael a cup of coffee. 'How's he doing over there?'

Michael gave a wry smile. 'Oh very well, you should see the blond he's with.'

Joseph's eyes lit up and he crossed to the laptop which gave them audio and visual contact through the bug that Michael had planted in the target's apartment.

'Just spoke to the General.' Michael said as Joseph tilted his head in a failed attempt to get a better look at the woman. 'Hey, man you listening?'

'What?' Joseph asked, tearing his eyes away from the screen.

'I said I spoke to the General. We're moving in on him tomorrow. He's gonna brief us tonight.'

Joseph nodded and joined Michael on the balcony. 'How you feeling? This is your first isn't it?'

Michael just shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. 'Haven't really thought about it. I just follow orders Joseph you know that.'

The other man rocked back on his heels and gave a low laugh. 'That's right, the General's golden boy.'

'I wouldn't say that, he just made me an offer I couldn't refuse and now he's keeping an extra special eye on me to make sure I come up with the goods.'

Joseph laughed quietly. 'He makes everyone an offer they can't refuse Mikey, that's how he gets his men. Blackmail. He has this knack for knowing our darkest secrets and then using them to get what he wants. What'd he get you with?'

Michael looked out at the setting sun and said quietly, 'My father.'

'Oh.'

Michael looked at him. 'You sound surprised.'

'No, not really, I figure he'll stoop to any level but still, that's pretty rough. What about your father? If you don't mind me asking.'

Michael sighed and then looked at him. 'You seem pretty keen to share today.'

Joseph's face was expressionless. 'Keeps my mind off what I know I've got to do tomorrow.'

'Yeah, I guess it does.' Michael was silent for a moment. 'He threatened to put my father away, my dad used to work for him a long time ago; I'm doing the job he never finished.'

Joseph's expression was one of shock. 'You mean.your dad is the guy who lied about killing this guy? He was the one who was given the original assignment of assassinating him?'

'Yeah.'

'Jesus Christ. You know that Stockwell hates your dad with a passion don't you? He gets a nasty look in his eye whenever his or his friend's names are mentioned.'

'So he's still a talking point then.'

Joseph laughed. 'Are you kidding me, everyone here knows how the General managed to get hold of the A-Team in the late eighties, right before they got their pardons. Your father and Stockwell never got along, they hated each other.'

Michael didn't reply to that, he wished Joseph would just change the subject, things were hard enough as it was without being reminded how he'd been the last to know about his father's past. He wondered how his father would feel if he knew what it was that Michael was going to be doing tomorrow, if he knew that he was about to take a human life in cold blood.

*** BA growled at Murdock. 'What'd you bring me down here for fool? Better not be putting me on a plane!'

Murdock shushed BA and looked round at the group assembled before him. 'No, I didn't get ya down here to fly.'

'Then what?' The large man demanded. He hated being at the airfield, brought back too many memories of times when he'd been doped by the team and then put on a plane. He was edgy; they'd better not try anything.

'If you'll just shut up you mean mudsucker I'll tell you!' Murdock argued, getting impatient. 'This is important, now shut up I don't want to duct tape you to get you to be quiet.'

'I'll duct tape you sucker!' BA moved menacingly towards the pilot.

Hannibal put a hand on BA's shoulder and Brandon put a hand on his chest. 'Take it easy BA.'

'Yeah Dad, you're not gonna be flying anywhere, I wouldn't let them do that.'

BA growled. 'Well get on with it then.'

'I will as soon as Nick gets back. He's vanished. Em, did you see where he went?'

Emily looked round. 'No, he just.' Her voice was drowned out by the roar of engines as an aeroplane passed overhead. BA began to look even more uneasy.

The plane looped the loop, did a nose dive and then pulled back up, looped again and then went into a 180 degree roll. Murdock was captivated, he stared at the plane. 'Who is that?' He looked at the group and decided he'd better find Nick. 'Wait here, I'll go get Nick. Nobody move.' He ran off over the tarmac towards the main building. Nick might have gone to get a coffee.

As he opened the door the busy sounds of pilots talking to each other filled his ears. He searched round and didn't find his son. 'Hey Jonesy.' He called to his friend. 'You seen Nicky?'

Jonesy smirked and pointed out the window to the airfield. 'Try out there.'

'No I looked he's not there.'

Jonesy just smirked again. 'Come on man, you must have seen him by now, everyone else has. Always gotta show off that boy of yours.'

Murdock frowned not understanding and then he looked back out at the airfield where the plane was still looping and diving. He frowned. 'No, you're not serious, he's not.'

Jonesy just grinned. 'Good isn't he.'

'My Nick? Flying? He hates flying.'

'Well not anymore. Wanted it to be a surprise for you, judging from the look on your face it certainly is.'

'You can say that again.' Murdock murmured, looking back out at the plane. A grin spread across his face. 'He is good.'

'Yeah you wanna be careful, I've only seen one person that good and that was.' Jonesy stopped himself just in time.

'Michael.' Murdock finished for him and was reminded why he'd come looking for Nicky in the first place. 'I'll catch ya later Jonesy.'

Jonesy waved him off laughing. Murdock ran up the steps to the control tower and approached one of the girls. 'Hey Marcia, my boy's up there, think I could have a word?'

Marcia smiled. 'Sure Captain, he's pretty impressive for a guy who hates to fly. Say how old is he again.'

Murdock laughed. 'Way too young for you girl.' He took the mic and spoke into it. 'Control to.' He paused and looked back at Marcia.

'951.' She said. Murdock grinned and patted her shoulder in thanks.

'Control to 951 come in.'

An ear-splitting howl answered him and Murdock's grin widened.

'951 receiving loud and clear. You should take a look at these clouds girlies; they are booo-ti-ful! Hey that one looks like a sheep!'

Murdock chuckled. 'Nicholas Murdock, what do you think you're doing?'

There was a stunned silence on the other end. 'Dad?' Nick asked.

'That's me. Now come on son, you're showing me up out there.'

'I.uh.I.'

'Yeah, yeah. You sound like you're enjoying yourself. Thank heavens for that, I was beginning to think you were BA's kid instead of mine the noises you always made about flying.'

'Well.I was wrong.this is fantastic.' Nick whooped again.

Murdock shook his head. 'Ok well you can explain yourself down on the ground Nick; I need you down here now.' A worried look crossed his face. 'You do know how to land don't you?'

A laugh came over the microphone. 'Yes, Dad I know how to land. Jonesy ain't that bad a teacher.'

Murdock grinned again reminding himself to have words with Jonesy. 'I'm gonna hand ya over to Marcia now kid, she'll talk you in. Go careful out there, no daredevil tricks, I've got a reputation to uphold.'

'You got it Captain.'

Still laughing Murdock handed the microphone back to Marcia and walked out of the control room. He headed back out onto the field keeping a careful eye on Nick's plane as he did. He didn't relax until he saw the plane land and taxi down the runway. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding as soon as the plane rolled to stop and then shook his head. Nick had executed a near perfect landing; Murdock was pleasantly surprised; Nick was as good if not better than Michael and Michael had been damn good.

He jogged back to the group. 'Did you find him Dad?'

'I found him Em, you'll never guess where.'

Emily shrugged and Murdock pointed out to the plane which had just landed. Emily's eyes widened and she gasped.

'No way.'

'Yes way.' Murdock said nodding. 'That was him up there.'

'Flying? Nick? Are you sure?'

Murdock chuckled. 'Perfectly.'

BA growled. 'He was my last hope for someone normal.'

Murdock just grinned and shrugged. 'What can I say, he's my boy.'

Nick came running up, he ruffled his sister's hair and took Murdock's cap right off his head and plonked it on his. Murdock instantly took it off his son's head and put it back in its rightful place, on his own head. Nick retaliated and took it back. Murdock decided to let it go, he didn't have time to play games, he had important news.

He took a deep breath. 'I think I know where Mike is.'

There was stunned silence as the group took in his words.