CHAPTER NINE
Michael knocked on Stockwell's office door and waited, he wondered what the General wanted to see him for, the briefing wasn't supposed to be for another couple of hours at the next shift changeover.
A voice from within told him to enter and he obeyed. Stepping inside the office he was once again blown away by just how big it was. Stockwell never did things by half's.
He approached the desk with uneasiness; Stockwell was standing at the large window that ran the full width of the wall with his back to Michael.
'You wanted to see me Sir?'
Stockwell turned around and favoured Michael with a complacent smile. 'Yes, sit down son. There's been a slight change in plan.' He laughed lightly. 'There's no need to look so worried, you haven't done anything wrong. On the contrary I've been very impressed with your work. You have a natural talent for shadowing.'
Michael didn't allow Stockwell to see just how this comment unnerved him. 'Thank you Sir.' He said graciously trying not to fidget.
'Now, I want to see just how well you perform, I'm eagerly awaiting tomorrow, I'm sure you will surpass yourself and show us your true talents. But, as I said before there has been a change of plans. Joseph will not be accompanying you tomorrow, you will be undertaking the mission alone, his presence is no longer required here.'
Michael felt a chill go down his spine at the words, Stockwell had overheard their conversation. As he suspected he was being monitored closely night and day. He hoped that whatever he decided to do with Joseph wasn't too harsh. He liked the guy and had thought of him as a friend. Apparently Stockwell didn't felt the same way.
Michael was finding this more and more commonplace. If Stockwell felt in anyway threatened or found out that one of his agents had been a little too free and easy with the information he gave away then he would simply make that agent disappear as if he had never been. Michael was constantly on his guard not to offend the general in any way. No matter what Joseph might think, as far as Stockwell was concerned, Michael was as expendable as the rest of them.
'I hope this doesn't cause a problem for you Michael, I would hate to find that your services are no longer of use to me.' His eyes met Michael's and the youth could see the threat in them. Do things his way or not at all. And not at all would not mean going home, not at all would mean being buried six foot deep somewhere where no one would ever find him again.
***
'What do you mean you know where Mike is?' Emily asked, the hope on her face was almost too much for Murdock to bear. He pulled his daughter into a hug.
'I know where he is.' There was a hint of a laugh in his voice.
'Now Murdock just slow down.' Hannibal said worriedly. 'We've looked all over, followed every lead and nothing. What makes you so sure that you've found him now?'
'Fool's crazy.' BA muttered. 'He's really lost it this time.'
'No!' Murdock protested, the force of his words making Emily flinch. 'This isn't about me being crazy, I'm not imagining this. I know where he is!'
Nick chewed thoughtfully on a thumbnail and looked at his father. 'But.I thought you said he didn't want to be found and that if he didn't want to be found then you couldn't find him. So if Mike doesn't want to be found how do you think you've found him?' He stopped thoroughly confused now.
Emily looked up at her father as confused as everyone else.
'He found a way of communicating with me. Stockwell's been monitoring him, his calls, his letter, everything. But he got a friend to slip a letter through.' He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. 'He sent me this; he's here in California guys. I know it.'
BA still looked doubtful as did Face. Hannibal held out his hand for the letter and Murdock gave it to him.
'No, I don't buy it.' Nick said. 'This could just be Stockwell yanking on your chain. You said yourself that you guys hated each other. Stockwell's got one up on you and he'd never pass up this chance to lord it over you and make you go on a wild goose chase.'
Murdock shot a look at his son. 'You want your brother back or not Nick?'
'Hey! I didn't say that! I just don't get why Mike would write now, a year later.'
Murdock looked towards his friends for help but BA's face showed only reservations and Face, leaning over Hannibal's shoulder to read the letter, was shaking his head.
'Can we at least look?'
'Murdock, I'm agreeing with Nick here, why would he write and he makes no mention of where he is. We've had things like this before, now I understand why you're so keen to do this but.he's gone. You have to face up to that sooner or later.'
'I don't believe this! You're not prepared to do this for me, for Mike? Does it matter how I know?' 'Yes.' Hannibal said handing him back the letter. 'And until you can give me a good reason why we should go chasing after him again then I'm not prepared for anymore heartbreak. For you, Kelly or the kids.'
Murdock sighed and nodded. 'Fair enough. You want a reason; I'll give you a reason. Stockwell's got him doing the job that I was supposed to do.'
'What job? Hannibal, he's lost it.' BA's brow was furrowed, he didn't like the way Murdock was talking and he liked the effect it was having on Nick and Em even less.
'How the hell do you guys think you got your pardons in the first place? Because you'd been good little boys and went to bed at the right time and did as Daddy told you?'
Hannibal regarded him carefully and then looked at Nick. He made a motion with his head. Nick nodded.
'Come on Em, let's go get a drink.' He took his sister by the arm and led her away.
Murdock sat down on the steps to the plane and closed his eyes. 'He made me an offer. Do this job for him and you'd get your pardons.'
'What job and why didn't you tell us this before?' Face asked, joining BA in thinking that Murdock had finally gone crazy on them again.
'I had to kill this guy but I didn't do it. I faked it and he gave you your pardons and by the time he found out it was too late. Why do you think he kidnapped Michael in the first place after he was born? Huh? To get back at me, to take what he termed as his 'payment' but we got Mikey back and he just waited then. He knew one day that one of my kids was sure to come around looking for answers. I tried to keep them out of it; I thought if they knew nothing about our past then they'd be safe. A right royal mess I made of that. I drove Mike away. But, guys,' Here he looked up at them. 'I do know where he is and I can get him back.'
Hannibal was quiet, thinking. BA and Face were stunned into silence. There was not a sound from any of them for a long time until finally Hannibal spoke.
'Well Captain, I don't understand why you didn't tell us this before. But whatever the reasons you seem sure you know where Michael is. I think it's time we moved out don't you guys?' He looked at them.
Face nodded. 'Yeah, I'm up for it.'
BA thought for a moment. 'So long as we don't have to fly.' Murdock, unable to help himself, he jumped up and hugged him.
'Thanks big guy!' Behind him there was a squeal of brakes and a black van came to a stop. Three guys and a girl jumped out. They stood there and regarded their parents calmly. Johnny stepped forward.
'When do we leave?'
Hannibal grinned at his son and turned to Murdock. 'Well, guess we've got company. What do you say?'
'How's right now?' Murdock asked. 'And Brandon, get your van off my tarmac.' He grinned and Brandon saluted.
'Ain't your tarmac sucker.' BA protested.
'It's part mine.' Murdock shot back as Nicky and Emily came running up.
'When do we go?' Nick asked excitedly echoing Johnny's words.
'Now.' Murdock said. 'And we'll talk later about keeping family business within the family.'
'They are family.'
Murdock smiled and actually hugged Nick. 'Take good care of your Mom while we're gone Emily.'
'Sorry Dad, I'm along for the ride. Wild horses couldn't keep me away.'
'Emily, I don't want you there.'
'Maria's going!' Her eyes gleamed and Murdock sensed that for once she was going to argue the point.
'I don't care; she's older than you are.'
'I'm going Dad. He's my brother.'
Murdock smiled at her. 'Yes and you're my daughter and you will do exactly what I tell you. Now go get in the car, I'll drop you off on the way.'
Emily leaned over and kissed his cheek. 'Love you Daddy.' Then she got in the van. Murdock just stood there his mouth open.
'Emily!' But Brandon's van was already on the move and his protests went unheard. 'Kelly's gonna kill me for this.' He muttered before following BA and the others.
*** 'Nick stop staring at me.' Emily protested. 'Geez, I can make my own decisions. So, I stood up to Dad for once, big deal.'
'You.you always do as you're told, always.'
'Em, are you sure you want to come along, you know how you hate violence and there could be plenty of that.' Danny said.
'Which means you'll need someone to look out for you.' Emily wasn't budging; she missed her older brother terribly and had hated it every time she'd seen her father go off in search of him without her. This time was going to be different, this time they were going to find him and she was going to be there.
***
'She.she.'
'Murdock, so she didn't do what you told her to do, you knew it was going to happen sometime.' Face patted his shoulder comfortingly.
'But she always does what I tell her to do, always! And the next thing I know she'll be dating and bringing boys home and going out places and I won't know where.'
'They've all got to grow up sometime Captain.' Hannibal said from the front.
'I know, I know but does she have to do it so fast? She's still my little girl.' Murdock sniffed and then pulled himself together; he could worry about Emily growing up later. First he had a son to find.
Michael knocked on Stockwell's office door and waited, he wondered what the General wanted to see him for, the briefing wasn't supposed to be for another couple of hours at the next shift changeover.
A voice from within told him to enter and he obeyed. Stepping inside the office he was once again blown away by just how big it was. Stockwell never did things by half's.
He approached the desk with uneasiness; Stockwell was standing at the large window that ran the full width of the wall with his back to Michael.
'You wanted to see me Sir?'
Stockwell turned around and favoured Michael with a complacent smile. 'Yes, sit down son. There's been a slight change in plan.' He laughed lightly. 'There's no need to look so worried, you haven't done anything wrong. On the contrary I've been very impressed with your work. You have a natural talent for shadowing.'
Michael didn't allow Stockwell to see just how this comment unnerved him. 'Thank you Sir.' He said graciously trying not to fidget.
'Now, I want to see just how well you perform, I'm eagerly awaiting tomorrow, I'm sure you will surpass yourself and show us your true talents. But, as I said before there has been a change of plans. Joseph will not be accompanying you tomorrow, you will be undertaking the mission alone, his presence is no longer required here.'
Michael felt a chill go down his spine at the words, Stockwell had overheard their conversation. As he suspected he was being monitored closely night and day. He hoped that whatever he decided to do with Joseph wasn't too harsh. He liked the guy and had thought of him as a friend. Apparently Stockwell didn't felt the same way.
Michael was finding this more and more commonplace. If Stockwell felt in anyway threatened or found out that one of his agents had been a little too free and easy with the information he gave away then he would simply make that agent disappear as if he had never been. Michael was constantly on his guard not to offend the general in any way. No matter what Joseph might think, as far as Stockwell was concerned, Michael was as expendable as the rest of them.
'I hope this doesn't cause a problem for you Michael, I would hate to find that your services are no longer of use to me.' His eyes met Michael's and the youth could see the threat in them. Do things his way or not at all. And not at all would not mean going home, not at all would mean being buried six foot deep somewhere where no one would ever find him again.
***
'What do you mean you know where Mike is?' Emily asked, the hope on her face was almost too much for Murdock to bear. He pulled his daughter into a hug.
'I know where he is.' There was a hint of a laugh in his voice.
'Now Murdock just slow down.' Hannibal said worriedly. 'We've looked all over, followed every lead and nothing. What makes you so sure that you've found him now?'
'Fool's crazy.' BA muttered. 'He's really lost it this time.'
'No!' Murdock protested, the force of his words making Emily flinch. 'This isn't about me being crazy, I'm not imagining this. I know where he is!'
Nick chewed thoughtfully on a thumbnail and looked at his father. 'But.I thought you said he didn't want to be found and that if he didn't want to be found then you couldn't find him. So if Mike doesn't want to be found how do you think you've found him?' He stopped thoroughly confused now.
Emily looked up at her father as confused as everyone else.
'He found a way of communicating with me. Stockwell's been monitoring him, his calls, his letter, everything. But he got a friend to slip a letter through.' He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. 'He sent me this; he's here in California guys. I know it.'
BA still looked doubtful as did Face. Hannibal held out his hand for the letter and Murdock gave it to him.
'No, I don't buy it.' Nick said. 'This could just be Stockwell yanking on your chain. You said yourself that you guys hated each other. Stockwell's got one up on you and he'd never pass up this chance to lord it over you and make you go on a wild goose chase.'
Murdock shot a look at his son. 'You want your brother back or not Nick?'
'Hey! I didn't say that! I just don't get why Mike would write now, a year later.'
Murdock looked towards his friends for help but BA's face showed only reservations and Face, leaning over Hannibal's shoulder to read the letter, was shaking his head.
'Can we at least look?'
'Murdock, I'm agreeing with Nick here, why would he write and he makes no mention of where he is. We've had things like this before, now I understand why you're so keen to do this but.he's gone. You have to face up to that sooner or later.'
'I don't believe this! You're not prepared to do this for me, for Mike? Does it matter how I know?' 'Yes.' Hannibal said handing him back the letter. 'And until you can give me a good reason why we should go chasing after him again then I'm not prepared for anymore heartbreak. For you, Kelly or the kids.'
Murdock sighed and nodded. 'Fair enough. You want a reason; I'll give you a reason. Stockwell's got him doing the job that I was supposed to do.'
'What job? Hannibal, he's lost it.' BA's brow was furrowed, he didn't like the way Murdock was talking and he liked the effect it was having on Nick and Em even less.
'How the hell do you guys think you got your pardons in the first place? Because you'd been good little boys and went to bed at the right time and did as Daddy told you?'
Hannibal regarded him carefully and then looked at Nick. He made a motion with his head. Nick nodded.
'Come on Em, let's go get a drink.' He took his sister by the arm and led her away.
Murdock sat down on the steps to the plane and closed his eyes. 'He made me an offer. Do this job for him and you'd get your pardons.'
'What job and why didn't you tell us this before?' Face asked, joining BA in thinking that Murdock had finally gone crazy on them again.
'I had to kill this guy but I didn't do it. I faked it and he gave you your pardons and by the time he found out it was too late. Why do you think he kidnapped Michael in the first place after he was born? Huh? To get back at me, to take what he termed as his 'payment' but we got Mikey back and he just waited then. He knew one day that one of my kids was sure to come around looking for answers. I tried to keep them out of it; I thought if they knew nothing about our past then they'd be safe. A right royal mess I made of that. I drove Mike away. But, guys,' Here he looked up at them. 'I do know where he is and I can get him back.'
Hannibal was quiet, thinking. BA and Face were stunned into silence. There was not a sound from any of them for a long time until finally Hannibal spoke.
'Well Captain, I don't understand why you didn't tell us this before. But whatever the reasons you seem sure you know where Michael is. I think it's time we moved out don't you guys?' He looked at them.
Face nodded. 'Yeah, I'm up for it.'
BA thought for a moment. 'So long as we don't have to fly.' Murdock, unable to help himself, he jumped up and hugged him.
'Thanks big guy!' Behind him there was a squeal of brakes and a black van came to a stop. Three guys and a girl jumped out. They stood there and regarded their parents calmly. Johnny stepped forward.
'When do we leave?'
Hannibal grinned at his son and turned to Murdock. 'Well, guess we've got company. What do you say?'
'How's right now?' Murdock asked. 'And Brandon, get your van off my tarmac.' He grinned and Brandon saluted.
'Ain't your tarmac sucker.' BA protested.
'It's part mine.' Murdock shot back as Nicky and Emily came running up.
'When do we go?' Nick asked excitedly echoing Johnny's words.
'Now.' Murdock said. 'And we'll talk later about keeping family business within the family.'
'They are family.'
Murdock smiled and actually hugged Nick. 'Take good care of your Mom while we're gone Emily.'
'Sorry Dad, I'm along for the ride. Wild horses couldn't keep me away.'
'Emily, I don't want you there.'
'Maria's going!' Her eyes gleamed and Murdock sensed that for once she was going to argue the point.
'I don't care; she's older than you are.'
'I'm going Dad. He's my brother.'
Murdock smiled at her. 'Yes and you're my daughter and you will do exactly what I tell you. Now go get in the car, I'll drop you off on the way.'
Emily leaned over and kissed his cheek. 'Love you Daddy.' Then she got in the van. Murdock just stood there his mouth open.
'Emily!' But Brandon's van was already on the move and his protests went unheard. 'Kelly's gonna kill me for this.' He muttered before following BA and the others.
*** 'Nick stop staring at me.' Emily protested. 'Geez, I can make my own decisions. So, I stood up to Dad for once, big deal.'
'You.you always do as you're told, always.'
'Em, are you sure you want to come along, you know how you hate violence and there could be plenty of that.' Danny said.
'Which means you'll need someone to look out for you.' Emily wasn't budging; she missed her older brother terribly and had hated it every time she'd seen her father go off in search of him without her. This time was going to be different, this time they were going to find him and she was going to be there.
***
'She.she.'
'Murdock, so she didn't do what you told her to do, you knew it was going to happen sometime.' Face patted his shoulder comfortingly.
'But she always does what I tell her to do, always! And the next thing I know she'll be dating and bringing boys home and going out places and I won't know where.'
'They've all got to grow up sometime Captain.' Hannibal said from the front.
'I know, I know but does she have to do it so fast? She's still my little girl.' Murdock sniffed and then pulled himself together; he could worry about Emily growing up later. First he had a son to find.
