Five hours later Colleen and Face stepped into their spacious hotel room in London's West End theater district.
"This is beautiful, Face." Colleen stated with a grin as she dropped her suitcase on the bed and crossed over to the large window that looked over the Themes River.
Face set down his own suitcase and walked over so he was standing behind her. He gently drew Colleen into his arms so she was leaning against him. "I thought you might like it."
Colleen turned around so she was facing him. "I love you." She whispered as she leaned over to kiss him.
When they finally broke apart Face rested his head on hers as he looked out the window. "It's nearly six p.m., London time, want to grab something to eat?"
Colleen nodded. "The jet lag has made me hungry. What else do you have planned for tonight?"
Face pulled back slightly so he could pull a thin envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "You up for a night of theater?"
*******
As Face and Colleen sat in a small Chinese restaurant a few blocks from the theater Face couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this relaxed. With the team being forced on the run fifteen years ago and now working for Stockwell they were constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"So what's the play about?" Colleen asked snapping Face away from his thoughts.
"It's one of those audience participation solve the mystery type things." Peck replied.
"Supposed to be very good."
"Sounds fun." Colleen said as she reached across the table to squeeze his hand.
The waitress arrived with the main course. "I've included two forks along with the chopsticks just in case." The black haired woman stated.
"Thanks." Face replied. "Can you bring the check?"
"Of course, Sir." The waitress affirmed before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
As the waitress went to the register she couldn't believe the storm of emotions that were swirling inside of her. She knew that there had always been a chance that the infamous A-team had escaped the firing squad. But she hadn't been prepared for the anger that emerged when she saw Templeton again.
Her beautiful Templeton with another woman. After he had promised to give her the world he had the nerve to jump into bed with this little chick?
The register beeped regaining the waitress's attention. She plucked out the check and started back toward Templeton's table. Just as before he barely glanced at her as she laid the check down. But that would change. Now that she knew he was here in London she would make sure that Templeton Peck would never leave her arms again.
******
"How are we supposed to find this thing at night?" Frankie muttered as he, B.A and Murdock ventured out of the hotel and into the still bustling streets of Amsterdam. "For all we know the disk is back in the
States. Where we should be."
"At least we have a lead." B.A. replied as he squinted at the address on a small piece of yellow paper. "That's more than we had this morning."
"Which way are we headed, munchacho?" Murdock asked as the three got into the rental car.
"East." Baracus replied as he got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
********
For Colleen the two-hour play flew by. It seemed they had just barely taken their seats and looked over the program when the actors came out to take their final bow to a standing ovation.
Face and Colleen stood and waited their turn to merge with the other theater patrons on their way to the exit.
"Tired?" Peck asked with a tender smile as Colleen rested her head on his shoulder.
Brown nodded as she smothered a yawn. "I guess the jetlag finally caught up with me." She raised her head to meet his gaze. "I did have fun tonight, thank you, Face."
"Your welcome." Face replied softly as he leaned in to kiss her quickly.
As they broke apart the line started to move and Face and Colleen soon found themselves outside on the sidewalk looking for a cab.
A cab finally pulled up to the sidewalk and Face and Colleen got in. Neither of them noticed a dark haired woman sitting in the driver's seat of a brown car parked a few cars back.
******
"Are you sure you wrote down the right address?" Murdock asked twenty
minutes later as he peered out the car window.
"Yes." B.A. growled fighting to keep his temper in check.
"This is a house." Murdock protested as they looked at the small thatch roofed one story cottage.
"Murdock's right." Frankie replied as he leaned forward. "It can't be a house....the bad guy always stashes it in a museum or a warehouse."
B.A. sighed as he yanked the car keys out of the ignition and opened the door. "You two fools have been watching too many old movies."
Frankie and Murdock exchanged a nervous glance before following B.A. out of the car.
******
Once back at the hotel Face and Colleen ordered a light snack of fruit and cheese from room service.
"Admit it." Colleen stated with a giggle. "You wrote the chef off as a suspect."
"No I didn't." Face argued remembering the plot of the play. "He was the most obvious suspect."
"Which is why you wrote him off after the first act." Colleen replied as she moved into his embrace as they stood by the window. "I saw the look on your face when they revealed who the killer was."
"That look was because I was surprised they chose the obvious route." Face replied with a grin.
A knock on the door announced the arrival of room service. Colleen sat on the bed as Face went to answer the door.
The waiter rolled the cart into the center of the room. Face tipped the waiter and closed the door behind him.
"So which would you like to start with?" Face asked without turning around. "A strawberry or a slice of...."
Peck trailed off as he turned around and saw Colleen was sound asleep.
Face shook his head as he replaced the fruit onto the tray. He walked over to the wall by the door and hit the light switch turning off the lights. Kicking off his shoes Face quickly got into bed.
"I love you." Templeton whispered as he wrapped his arms around Colleen pulling her close.
**********
"B.A. don't touch that!" Murdock exclaimed as he rushed across the house's den to where Baracus was standing by the bookcase.
B.A. glared at the pilot. "It's a book, fool, not a bomb."
Murdock shook his head. "But the hollow book is always attached to a bomb or a secret passage."
B.A. just shook his head as he plucked out the thick volume.
Frankie did a double take as the book stopped halfway, attached to a thin wire.
B.A. froze as his eyes traced the wire but he couldn't see beyond where it disappeared behind the shelf.
"Don't just stand there." B.A. barked fighting to keep his hand steady on the book. "Find out what it's attached to!"
Murdock and Frankie instantly crouched down.
"Now this is a sloppy wiring job." Santana muttered as he moved books out of the way.
"Can you see where it goes?" Murdock asked quietly as he continued to take books off the shelves.
"Yeah." Frankie replied with a chuckle. "B.A. you can relax and put the book back and you might want to step back."
"Why?" Baracus asked warily as he replaced the book and stepped back.
Just then the wire tripped the mechanism and the bookcase swung outwards nearly toppling B.A. in the process.
Murdock laughed. "He did tell you to stand back."
"A simple watch out for the bookcase would've worked too." B.A. grumbled as he stepped into the passageway behind the bookcase. "You two fools comin'?"
"You really think the disk's in there?" Frankie asked as he gingerly stepped into the corridor.
"No but it'll lead to the disk." Murdock replied.
"Another insight from the Great Murdock?" Frankie asked with a grin.
Murdock shook his head. "Nope a great dane......Scooby Doo."
*********
After a leisurely breakfast courtesy of room service Face and Colleen left the hotel and hopped a double decker bus for some sight seeing.
They spent the morning going through the Tower of London and Windsor castle. They stopped for a quick lunch at a busy pub before going to an art show along the bank of the Themes.
"Spot anything you like?" Face asked as they walked along.
Colleen shook her head. "Not yet they're all lovely. But most are too large for my apartment."
"They're some small oil paintings in that tent." Templeton replied as he stopped and pointed to a blue tent a few feet away.
Colleen glanced back at him. "I'll take a quick look and be right back."
Face laughed. "We're on vacation, remember? No time clock."
"I keep forgetting." Colleen replied with a grin as she leaned in to kiss him quickly.
Face shook his head in amusement as he watched Colleen enter the tent. The blond man turned and moved toward the edge of the crowd to look out at the river.
Face had barely gone a few feet when he felt the all too familiar pressure of a gun barrel being pressed into the small of his back.
Peck stiffened and started to raise his hands kicking himself for not being more aware.
"Don't move." A some how familiar female voice replied. "I have friends in the crowd. If you move or try to alert anyone your lady friend is dead. And before you say it no this isn't a robbery."
"What do you want?" Face asked fighting to keep his voice even.
"Just your lovely company, Face." The woman replied urging him back into the crowd.
Face winced inwardly.....she knew who he was.....definitely not a good thing.
*******
"How can it not be the right disk?" Hannnibal demanded as he pressed the phone receiver closer to his ear. They had sent the disk back to Stockwell last night via express over night courier.
"I didn't think you were hard of hearing, Colonel." Stockwell replied curtly as he tossed the useless computer disk into the trashcan. "The disk is empty."
"How do I know you weren't yanking our chain all along?" Hannibal asked.
"Why would I waste my time and money to send you on a wild goose chase?" Stockwell replied angrily. "Find the disk or our deal is off the table, permanently."
Hannibal hung up the phone just as Murdock approached him from the opposite side of the hotel room. "We followed the trail, Colonel. That had to be the disk."
"According to Stockwell it wasn't." Smith replied as he glanced at Frankie and B.A. who were guarding the rouge CIA agent. "Now we have to
get the right information from our new friend here."
*********
Colleen stepped out of the tent twenty minutes later carrying a medium sized oil painting of a beach sunset.
"Sorry I took so long.....you know me couldn't decide on just one......"Colleen trailed off as she realized Face wasn't anywhere nearby.
"Face?" Colleen called anxiously as she weaved through the crowd fighting to keep her worry at bay. He probably just got bored and went to get something to eat.
After searching for a half-hour Colleen's P.I. instincts were screaming at her that something was very wrong. Face would never have left for this long without letting her know.
Colleen wanted to search the area longer but knew she had no choice but to go back to the hotel. That's where Face would contact her if he could.
With a heavy heart Colleen placed the nearly forgotten painting under one arm and walked to the sidewalk to hail a cab.
*********
As he walked along with a gun still pressed in his back Face was doing two things. Racking his memory and formulating an escape plan.
The one glance he had gotten of the woman who was holding him hostage.....it was the waitress from the night before that much was obvious. But Face knew her from somewhere before he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Turn right." The woman ordered shoving Peck forward a few steps.
Face glanced at the three goons who flanked her as he reluctantly walked into the small alley next to a meat market.
"Before you kill me can I ask why you're doing this?" Face asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Didn't I already say I wasn't going to kill you?" The woman replied a little too smugly for Face's taste.
"Then you can put the gun away." Templeton urged hoping that the three goons blocking the alleyway were the only one's she had. That would mean Colleen was safe.
"I'm not that dumb, darling." His kidnapper replied as she followed her gaze to her men. "And if you're wondering about your precious lady friend more of my men are watching her. So don't even think of playing hero."
Templeton's blue eyes narrowed sharply. "You have me there's no need to threaten her."
********
"I know you, Templeton Peck, even if you don't remember me." The woman replied as she moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "A threat against you won't work to keep you in line.....you need a little more persuasion to keep you from escaping."
"Do you see me going anywhere?" Face countered as he guesstimated the distance between him and the mouth of the alley....too far.
The woman smiled as she pushed him toward a door at the end of the alley. "And until you agree to my terms you won't be going anywhere.....especially back to your precious lady love."
*********
"B.A. put the man down." Hannibal ordered as he approached Baracus who had Peters pressed against the wall in a chokehold.
B.A. cast Hannibal a brief glance over his shoulder. "I thought we wanted answers from this clown, Hannibal?"
"We do, but I'm going to let Murdock take a crack at our friend here." Smith replied as he sat down on the arm of the sofa.
B.A. caught Hannibal's hidden meaning and grinned as he stepped away from the rouge CIA agent.
Peters's backed up against the wall as he looked warily from Barcus's now grinning form to Murdock's approaching one and back again.
"They don't call him Howling Mad Murdock for nothing." Frankie added as he leaned against the wall near the window.
"Howling Mad?" Peters repeated weakly as Murdock stopped next to B.A.
Smith nodded. "Thinks he's back in 'Nam fighting. No matter what we do we can't snap him out of it."
Murdock instantly went into character as he dropped into a crouch next to Peter's. "They're all around us, Colonel!"
Peters opened his mouth to say something but Murdock tackled the agent and causing them to land near the window.
"Fire in the hole!" Murdock yelled as he covered his head with his hands to protect it from falling debris.
Peters glared at Smith. "Get this crazy idiot off of me and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
*********
By five o'clock Colleen had called every hospital in London and within a hundred miles of the city. None of them had any John Doe's listed or any patients that fit Face's description. The police hadn't been very helpful either but they had promised to have the night shift keep an eye out in the area Face disappeared.
Colleen set the phone aside and rested her face in her hands closing her eyes. She couldn't think the worst, not yet. She had been around the team too long not to know that there was always a plan. Face would contact her when he could.
Colleen glanced up, what if he was in some situation where he couldn't? Making up her mind Colleen reached for the phone to call Hannibal but her hand froze halfway.
The team was on that recovery mission, and Murdock hadn't told her where they were going. But more than likely they flew so they wouldn't have the van. Which meant they wouldn't have the portable phone.
It was only then that Colleen remembered Stockwell's number, which she kept in her wallet. Face had given it to her a few months back when she first joined the team, just in case she ever got separated from them.
Colleen quickly retrieved her purse and removed the blue business card. She didn't want to tip Stockwell to the situation but she wanted her message to Hannibal to sound urgent enough to get them to come to London.
"This is Colleen Brown I need to speak with General Hunt Stockwell."
******
Face sat on the floor of a small windowless room in the rear of a bookstore. His captor had made sure to tie his feet and hands and gag him before she left. Not that he would try to escape right now.....not with the threat against Colleen hanging in the air.
Face closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. He could only hope that Colleen hadn't been hurt. After nearly losing her in the boat explosion Face had rarely let Colleen out of his sight. This vacation was supposed to be just for them....a thank you to her for putting up with the craziness that his life had turned into.
Now she was being threatened and he was tied up, locked in a dark room by a crazy woman helpless to protect the one woman he had ever truly loved.
Face began to work at the ropes that bound his hands.....if there was just some way he could get word to Hannibal or Murdock. They'd watch over Colleen until he could find out who this crazy woman was and what she wanted.
********
After getting the correct location of the disk from the ex-CIA agent Hannibal and the others returned to the hotel.
"Guess that wraps up this one." Frankie commented with a grin as he slipped the disk into a protective plastic covering. "Peters is in jail and we've got the disk....should've looked in the windmill in the first place."
B.A. glared at him slightly. 'Why? We didn't know it was there."
"But it was on the same property as the house we checked earlier."
Frankie replied with a grin. "Bad guys never hide things in houses....too obvious."
"It's only obvious that you've been hanging around the crazy fool too long. You're talkin' like him." Baracaus commented with a shake of his head as he started to gather their things.
Smith glanced up as Murdock moved away from the desk where he had been calling the front desk to check on messages. "Anything from the home front, Murdock?"
The pilot nodded as he leaned back against the desk a worried expression on his face. "Yeah."
"What?" Hannibal asked not liking the look on his friend's face.
"There was a message from Stockwell passing along a message from Colleen." Murdock replied gaining the others attention.
"About Face?" Frankie asked with concern as he joined them B.A. close on his heels.
Murdock nodded then shook his head. "Maybe, not sure but she is in trouble."
"How do you know, Murdock?" Hannibal asked gently. "What was the message?"
" 'Can't dance in the moonlight.' " Murdock replied quietly before pushing himself away from the desk and grabbing his coat from a nearby chair.
********
Frankie shook his head in amazement as the plane made it's way to London. Face would never believe in a million years that they hadn't had to drug B.A. to get him on the plane. B.A. had squeezed his eyes shut and strapped himself into the seat next to Frankie but he hadn't protested, not a word. Not even when Murdock took the pilot's seat.
That in itself showed how much a part of the team Colleen had become. Frankie could only hope that they were in time to be of any help.
********
Seven o'clock came and went and the room service meal that Colleen had
ordered for dinner sat untouched on the foot of the bed. The brown haired woman stood and walked over to the window and stared out at the beautiful city lights of London.
She hadn't had any luck finding Face at any of the local hospitals. Colleen wasn't sure if that was good news or bad. Part of her had been hoping against hope that he was there. Not that she wanted him hurt but at least that would be better than this awful not knowing.
Colleen rubbed a weary hand along the back of her neck. Hannibal had called an hour ago to assure her that they were on their way. But she knew it'd still be at least another hour before they got here from Amsterdam.
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of the hotel and look for Face. He was still in the city she could feel it.
But Colleen knew from her experience with the team that it was better to stay put and wait for Hannibal and the others. There was so much of this mess that she didn't have the answers to. They had no idea who had taken Face and if it was more than one person.
********
"Now here's the fun part." The woman crowed as she entered the room and flipped on the light. "What do I do with you first? Mental torture? Physical torture? Just plain pain?"
Face met her gaze. "Who are you?" He demanded hoping that rational direct questions would shake her out of whatever delusional state she had fallen into. He'd been around Murdock long enough to get good at it.
The woman knelt next to him and traced a hand along his left cheek and down to his chin. "I guess I shouldn't really be surprised that you don't remember me, Facey. You are such a ladykiller after all. Does your current lady friend know about your reputation?"
"I know you were our waitress at the restaurant, but who are you?" Face replied quietly.
The woman looked at him for a long moment and Face could've swore that he saw a cloud of sadness flicker across her eyes before she stood.
"Perhaps hunger will jog your memory." The woman stated as she turned and left the room.
********
As soon as Colleen let the team into the hotel suite and closed the door Murdock instantly enveloped his friend in a hug.
"How ya doin' Munchacho?" The pilot whispered.
Colleen shook her head and buried her face into Murdock's chest allowing herself to cry. The whole ordeal was starting to take it's toll.
"I let him down." Colleen stated quietly.
"No, you didn't Bonns." Murdock replied as he pulled back so he could see her face. "There's no way you could've seen this coming."
"I'm trained for this, Murdock." Colleen replied bitterly as she untangled herself from her friend's embrace. She glanced at the living room part of the suite to see the others had began to turn it into a makeshift command post.
Murdock lightly touched her shoulder gently ushering her toward the others. "So is Face and he's been doing this much longer than you."
"Fool's right, Colleen." B.A. stated as he sat on the sofa next to Hannibal. "We'll find the Faceman."
Colleen smiled at the group as she wiped away her tears. She knelt next to Frankie and looked at the various maps spread out on the coffee table. "So what's the plan, Hannibal?"
"First are foremost we need to figure out who has Face."
********
Face's captor turned to one of her henchmen as they stood in the main room of the bookstore. "The woman still at the hotel?"
The red haired henchman nodded. "Yeah, and she has company."
The woman smirked. "So the famous A-team has arrived, huh? This will make it more difficult to get to her but not impossible. Leave Miller and McGarry with me. Take the rest to the hotel but wait till after midnight."
"Yes, Ma'am." The man acknowledged as he moved toward the door pulling out a walkie-talkie.
The woman glanced back at the room where Face was. Once his lady love was out of Face's life he'd be hers forever. And she'd have the reward for the rest of the A-team not bad at all.
*********
Frankie ducked as the pen Colleen threw at the window bounced off and nearly beaned him in the head.
"Sorry, Frankie." Colleen said sheepishly. She had thrown the pen out of pure frustration. It was eleven o'clock and they still had no leads on Face's whereabouts.
"No problem." Santana replied with a grin. "I'm used to dodging stuff."
Hannibal placed a gentle hand on Colleen's shoulder. "We've gone on less in the past, Colleen. We'll find Face."
Colleen nodded as she slumped back against the sofa. "I know....it's just that he did all this for me.... and now...."
Hannibal smiled. "Face takes care of the people he loves no matter what. We'll figure this out just like always and Face will come home."
"What can I do?" Colleen asked anxious to be doing something, anything to help Face.
Hannibal glanced at the others and saw that the jetlag was starting to take it's toll. "Let's get some sleep. We'll retrace your steps in the morning. Murdock, take the first watch, then Frankie."
"You got it." Murdock replied with a concerned glance at Colleen. He pulled a chair over to the hallway near the door and sat down his feet propped against the opposite wall.
The others said their good nights and found places to sleep. B.A. took the floor, Hannibal the sofa and Frankie a chair by the window.
Colleen got ready for bed with an empty heart. She crawled into bed and hugged the comforter closer around her. Colleen prayed that wherever Face was that he was warm and unhurt.
*********
Face didn't even bother to look at the door as it opened. Whatever knots the woman had used to tie him up they were good. Really good. Face hadn't been able to work his hands free. It looked like he was going to have to talk his way out of this one. Face just hoped that he could remember who this psycho was. For his sake as well as Colleen's.
"So did you get any enlightenment while I was gone?" The woman asked as she knelt in front of him.
"San Diego." Face replied taking a wild guess. In the years right after the team went underground Face had spent a good deal of whatever off time he had in San Diego. He had never had a night without a date. Face was guessing that this woman was from that time of his life. He didn't remember much of those hard partying days let alone who the women were.
His captor's face lit up and she rocked back on her heels. "Very good, golden boy earns a star. Too bad it's too little too late."
Cold dread raced up Face's spine. Was the rest of the team here yet? Were they protecting Colleen?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Face demanded.
The woman grinned as she leaned forward to kiss Face but he jerked away glaring.
"By dawn your precious lady love will be no more."
Face's mind scrambled desperately trying to come up with a way to protect Colleen but nothing came.
"You have me." Face pleaded. "You have no reason to hurt her."
The woman stood but not before she ran a longing hand across Face's chest.
"Oh but I do, Facey. She has your heart." She replied as she left the room.
Face desperately glanced at his surroundings. There had to be something here he could use. Losing Colleen once had nearly destroyed him. There was no way in hell Face was going to let history repeat itself.
********
Around two a.m. B.A. was jerked out of a sound sleep. He glanced around the hotel room and saw the others were still asleep. B.A. was about to settle back into sleep when he noticed what was out of place. The Fool wasn't by the door and Frankie was snoring in the chair by the window. Murdock hadn't woken Frankie up for watch.
Cursing under his breath B.A. lumbered to his feet and crept into the other room. He found one of the lights on a low setting. Colleen was sprawled on the bed a tea cup on the nightstand.
B.A. was about to chalk it up to his imagination when he saw Murdock's still form near the closet.
"Hannibal!" B.A. shouted as he scrambled toward the pilot flipping on the overhead light along the way. This whole thing felt bad. The Fool never left his post.
Frankie and Hannibal ran into the room weapons drawn.
"Check Colleen!" Baracus ordered as he felt for Murdock's pulse. It was then that he saw the broken tea cup by the pilot's outstretched hand.
"They've been drugged, Hannibal!"
"Damn!" Smith swore as he gently turned Colleen over. Frankie had grabbed the phone and was calling for an ambulance.
"C'mon, kid." Hannibal whispered as he searched for Colleen's pulse.
"Stay with us." He glanced over his shoulder at B.A. as he found Colleen's weak pulse. "How's Murdock?"
"He's alive." B.A. replied crisply. "Pulse is strong. How's Colleen?"
"Not good." Hannibal stated grimly as he crawled off the bed. Hannibal looked over at Frankie who had hung up the phone.
"Ambulance is on it's way." Santana replied his dark eyes filled with worry.
Hannibal nodded solemnly as he looked at Colleen and Murdock's still forms. Usually the team avoided hospitals relying on Stockwell's medical team. But there was no choice this time. Stockwell was an ocean away.
B.A. caught his commanding officer's gaze. "Next hotel we stay at, Hannibal, no room service."
Nobody smiled.
***********
Murdock came to on the way to the hospital. The Paramedics assured Hannibal that the drug hadn't had time to take a negative affect on Murdock's system.... something to be said for tolerance and Murdock's years of being in and out of asylums.
Once at the hospital Frankie, B.A. and Hannibal commandeered the closest waiting room. Thirty minutes later Murdock, under much protest by the doctors, was wheeled into the waiting room having been given a clean bill of health.
"Any word?" Murdock asked anxiously as he stepped wearily out of the wheelchair. B.A. took Murdock's left arm and helped him over to the sofa.
Smith shook his head sadly. "All we know is that she ingested more of whatever the drug was then you did. Docs haven't said anything yet."
Murdock buried his face in his hands. "My fault....should've known...."
"They got past all of us, fool." B.A. tried to assure him as he placed an awkward hand on the pilot's shoulder.
"She couldn't sleep." Murdock stated in a hitched voice. "Said tea would help her....so we ordered room service....didn't think to check it...."
Hannibal shook his head. "We all underestimated the threat to Colleen."
"This is beautiful, Face." Colleen stated with a grin as she dropped her suitcase on the bed and crossed over to the large window that looked over the Themes River.
Face set down his own suitcase and walked over so he was standing behind her. He gently drew Colleen into his arms so she was leaning against him. "I thought you might like it."
Colleen turned around so she was facing him. "I love you." She whispered as she leaned over to kiss him.
When they finally broke apart Face rested his head on hers as he looked out the window. "It's nearly six p.m., London time, want to grab something to eat?"
Colleen nodded. "The jet lag has made me hungry. What else do you have planned for tonight?"
Face pulled back slightly so he could pull a thin envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "You up for a night of theater?"
*******
As Face and Colleen sat in a small Chinese restaurant a few blocks from the theater Face couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this relaxed. With the team being forced on the run fifteen years ago and now working for Stockwell they were constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"So what's the play about?" Colleen asked snapping Face away from his thoughts.
"It's one of those audience participation solve the mystery type things." Peck replied.
"Supposed to be very good."
"Sounds fun." Colleen said as she reached across the table to squeeze his hand.
The waitress arrived with the main course. "I've included two forks along with the chopsticks just in case." The black haired woman stated.
"Thanks." Face replied. "Can you bring the check?"
"Of course, Sir." The waitress affirmed before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
As the waitress went to the register she couldn't believe the storm of emotions that were swirling inside of her. She knew that there had always been a chance that the infamous A-team had escaped the firing squad. But she hadn't been prepared for the anger that emerged when she saw Templeton again.
Her beautiful Templeton with another woman. After he had promised to give her the world he had the nerve to jump into bed with this little chick?
The register beeped regaining the waitress's attention. She plucked out the check and started back toward Templeton's table. Just as before he barely glanced at her as she laid the check down. But that would change. Now that she knew he was here in London she would make sure that Templeton Peck would never leave her arms again.
******
"How are we supposed to find this thing at night?" Frankie muttered as he, B.A and Murdock ventured out of the hotel and into the still bustling streets of Amsterdam. "For all we know the disk is back in the
States. Where we should be."
"At least we have a lead." B.A. replied as he squinted at the address on a small piece of yellow paper. "That's more than we had this morning."
"Which way are we headed, munchacho?" Murdock asked as the three got into the rental car.
"East." Baracus replied as he got into the driver's seat and started the engine.
********
For Colleen the two-hour play flew by. It seemed they had just barely taken their seats and looked over the program when the actors came out to take their final bow to a standing ovation.
Face and Colleen stood and waited their turn to merge with the other theater patrons on their way to the exit.
"Tired?" Peck asked with a tender smile as Colleen rested her head on his shoulder.
Brown nodded as she smothered a yawn. "I guess the jetlag finally caught up with me." She raised her head to meet his gaze. "I did have fun tonight, thank you, Face."
"Your welcome." Face replied softly as he leaned in to kiss her quickly.
As they broke apart the line started to move and Face and Colleen soon found themselves outside on the sidewalk looking for a cab.
A cab finally pulled up to the sidewalk and Face and Colleen got in. Neither of them noticed a dark haired woman sitting in the driver's seat of a brown car parked a few cars back.
******
"Are you sure you wrote down the right address?" Murdock asked twenty
minutes later as he peered out the car window.
"Yes." B.A. growled fighting to keep his temper in check.
"This is a house." Murdock protested as they looked at the small thatch roofed one story cottage.
"Murdock's right." Frankie replied as he leaned forward. "It can't be a house....the bad guy always stashes it in a museum or a warehouse."
B.A. sighed as he yanked the car keys out of the ignition and opened the door. "You two fools have been watching too many old movies."
Frankie and Murdock exchanged a nervous glance before following B.A. out of the car.
******
Once back at the hotel Face and Colleen ordered a light snack of fruit and cheese from room service.
"Admit it." Colleen stated with a giggle. "You wrote the chef off as a suspect."
"No I didn't." Face argued remembering the plot of the play. "He was the most obvious suspect."
"Which is why you wrote him off after the first act." Colleen replied as she moved into his embrace as they stood by the window. "I saw the look on your face when they revealed who the killer was."
"That look was because I was surprised they chose the obvious route." Face replied with a grin.
A knock on the door announced the arrival of room service. Colleen sat on the bed as Face went to answer the door.
The waiter rolled the cart into the center of the room. Face tipped the waiter and closed the door behind him.
"So which would you like to start with?" Face asked without turning around. "A strawberry or a slice of...."
Peck trailed off as he turned around and saw Colleen was sound asleep.
Face shook his head as he replaced the fruit onto the tray. He walked over to the wall by the door and hit the light switch turning off the lights. Kicking off his shoes Face quickly got into bed.
"I love you." Templeton whispered as he wrapped his arms around Colleen pulling her close.
**********
"B.A. don't touch that!" Murdock exclaimed as he rushed across the house's den to where Baracus was standing by the bookcase.
B.A. glared at the pilot. "It's a book, fool, not a bomb."
Murdock shook his head. "But the hollow book is always attached to a bomb or a secret passage."
B.A. just shook his head as he plucked out the thick volume.
Frankie did a double take as the book stopped halfway, attached to a thin wire.
B.A. froze as his eyes traced the wire but he couldn't see beyond where it disappeared behind the shelf.
"Don't just stand there." B.A. barked fighting to keep his hand steady on the book. "Find out what it's attached to!"
Murdock and Frankie instantly crouched down.
"Now this is a sloppy wiring job." Santana muttered as he moved books out of the way.
"Can you see where it goes?" Murdock asked quietly as he continued to take books off the shelves.
"Yeah." Frankie replied with a chuckle. "B.A. you can relax and put the book back and you might want to step back."
"Why?" Baracus asked warily as he replaced the book and stepped back.
Just then the wire tripped the mechanism and the bookcase swung outwards nearly toppling B.A. in the process.
Murdock laughed. "He did tell you to stand back."
"A simple watch out for the bookcase would've worked too." B.A. grumbled as he stepped into the passageway behind the bookcase. "You two fools comin'?"
"You really think the disk's in there?" Frankie asked as he gingerly stepped into the corridor.
"No but it'll lead to the disk." Murdock replied.
"Another insight from the Great Murdock?" Frankie asked with a grin.
Murdock shook his head. "Nope a great dane......Scooby Doo."
*********
After a leisurely breakfast courtesy of room service Face and Colleen left the hotel and hopped a double decker bus for some sight seeing.
They spent the morning going through the Tower of London and Windsor castle. They stopped for a quick lunch at a busy pub before going to an art show along the bank of the Themes.
"Spot anything you like?" Face asked as they walked along.
Colleen shook her head. "Not yet they're all lovely. But most are too large for my apartment."
"They're some small oil paintings in that tent." Templeton replied as he stopped and pointed to a blue tent a few feet away.
Colleen glanced back at him. "I'll take a quick look and be right back."
Face laughed. "We're on vacation, remember? No time clock."
"I keep forgetting." Colleen replied with a grin as she leaned in to kiss him quickly.
Face shook his head in amusement as he watched Colleen enter the tent. The blond man turned and moved toward the edge of the crowd to look out at the river.
Face had barely gone a few feet when he felt the all too familiar pressure of a gun barrel being pressed into the small of his back.
Peck stiffened and started to raise his hands kicking himself for not being more aware.
"Don't move." A some how familiar female voice replied. "I have friends in the crowd. If you move or try to alert anyone your lady friend is dead. And before you say it no this isn't a robbery."
"What do you want?" Face asked fighting to keep his voice even.
"Just your lovely company, Face." The woman replied urging him back into the crowd.
Face winced inwardly.....she knew who he was.....definitely not a good thing.
*******
"How can it not be the right disk?" Hannnibal demanded as he pressed the phone receiver closer to his ear. They had sent the disk back to Stockwell last night via express over night courier.
"I didn't think you were hard of hearing, Colonel." Stockwell replied curtly as he tossed the useless computer disk into the trashcan. "The disk is empty."
"How do I know you weren't yanking our chain all along?" Hannibal asked.
"Why would I waste my time and money to send you on a wild goose chase?" Stockwell replied angrily. "Find the disk or our deal is off the table, permanently."
Hannibal hung up the phone just as Murdock approached him from the opposite side of the hotel room. "We followed the trail, Colonel. That had to be the disk."
"According to Stockwell it wasn't." Smith replied as he glanced at Frankie and B.A. who were guarding the rouge CIA agent. "Now we have to
get the right information from our new friend here."
*********
Colleen stepped out of the tent twenty minutes later carrying a medium sized oil painting of a beach sunset.
"Sorry I took so long.....you know me couldn't decide on just one......"Colleen trailed off as she realized Face wasn't anywhere nearby.
"Face?" Colleen called anxiously as she weaved through the crowd fighting to keep her worry at bay. He probably just got bored and went to get something to eat.
After searching for a half-hour Colleen's P.I. instincts were screaming at her that something was very wrong. Face would never have left for this long without letting her know.
Colleen wanted to search the area longer but knew she had no choice but to go back to the hotel. That's where Face would contact her if he could.
With a heavy heart Colleen placed the nearly forgotten painting under one arm and walked to the sidewalk to hail a cab.
*********
As he walked along with a gun still pressed in his back Face was doing two things. Racking his memory and formulating an escape plan.
The one glance he had gotten of the woman who was holding him hostage.....it was the waitress from the night before that much was obvious. But Face knew her from somewhere before he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Turn right." The woman ordered shoving Peck forward a few steps.
Face glanced at the three goons who flanked her as he reluctantly walked into the small alley next to a meat market.
"Before you kill me can I ask why you're doing this?" Face asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Didn't I already say I wasn't going to kill you?" The woman replied a little too smugly for Face's taste.
"Then you can put the gun away." Templeton urged hoping that the three goons blocking the alleyway were the only one's she had. That would mean Colleen was safe.
"I'm not that dumb, darling." His kidnapper replied as she followed her gaze to her men. "And if you're wondering about your precious lady friend more of my men are watching her. So don't even think of playing hero."
Templeton's blue eyes narrowed sharply. "You have me there's no need to threaten her."
********
"I know you, Templeton Peck, even if you don't remember me." The woman replied as she moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "A threat against you won't work to keep you in line.....you need a little more persuasion to keep you from escaping."
"Do you see me going anywhere?" Face countered as he guesstimated the distance between him and the mouth of the alley....too far.
The woman smiled as she pushed him toward a door at the end of the alley. "And until you agree to my terms you won't be going anywhere.....especially back to your precious lady love."
*********
"B.A. put the man down." Hannibal ordered as he approached Baracus who had Peters pressed against the wall in a chokehold.
B.A. cast Hannibal a brief glance over his shoulder. "I thought we wanted answers from this clown, Hannibal?"
"We do, but I'm going to let Murdock take a crack at our friend here." Smith replied as he sat down on the arm of the sofa.
B.A. caught Hannibal's hidden meaning and grinned as he stepped away from the rouge CIA agent.
Peters's backed up against the wall as he looked warily from Barcus's now grinning form to Murdock's approaching one and back again.
"They don't call him Howling Mad Murdock for nothing." Frankie added as he leaned against the wall near the window.
"Howling Mad?" Peters repeated weakly as Murdock stopped next to B.A.
Smith nodded. "Thinks he's back in 'Nam fighting. No matter what we do we can't snap him out of it."
Murdock instantly went into character as he dropped into a crouch next to Peter's. "They're all around us, Colonel!"
Peters opened his mouth to say something but Murdock tackled the agent and causing them to land near the window.
"Fire in the hole!" Murdock yelled as he covered his head with his hands to protect it from falling debris.
Peters glared at Smith. "Get this crazy idiot off of me and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
*********
By five o'clock Colleen had called every hospital in London and within a hundred miles of the city. None of them had any John Doe's listed or any patients that fit Face's description. The police hadn't been very helpful either but they had promised to have the night shift keep an eye out in the area Face disappeared.
Colleen set the phone aside and rested her face in her hands closing her eyes. She couldn't think the worst, not yet. She had been around the team too long not to know that there was always a plan. Face would contact her when he could.
Colleen glanced up, what if he was in some situation where he couldn't? Making up her mind Colleen reached for the phone to call Hannibal but her hand froze halfway.
The team was on that recovery mission, and Murdock hadn't told her where they were going. But more than likely they flew so they wouldn't have the van. Which meant they wouldn't have the portable phone.
It was only then that Colleen remembered Stockwell's number, which she kept in her wallet. Face had given it to her a few months back when she first joined the team, just in case she ever got separated from them.
Colleen quickly retrieved her purse and removed the blue business card. She didn't want to tip Stockwell to the situation but she wanted her message to Hannibal to sound urgent enough to get them to come to London.
"This is Colleen Brown I need to speak with General Hunt Stockwell."
******
Face sat on the floor of a small windowless room in the rear of a bookstore. His captor had made sure to tie his feet and hands and gag him before she left. Not that he would try to escape right now.....not with the threat against Colleen hanging in the air.
Face closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. He could only hope that Colleen hadn't been hurt. After nearly losing her in the boat explosion Face had rarely let Colleen out of his sight. This vacation was supposed to be just for them....a thank you to her for putting up with the craziness that his life had turned into.
Now she was being threatened and he was tied up, locked in a dark room by a crazy woman helpless to protect the one woman he had ever truly loved.
Face began to work at the ropes that bound his hands.....if there was just some way he could get word to Hannibal or Murdock. They'd watch over Colleen until he could find out who this crazy woman was and what she wanted.
********
After getting the correct location of the disk from the ex-CIA agent Hannibal and the others returned to the hotel.
"Guess that wraps up this one." Frankie commented with a grin as he slipped the disk into a protective plastic covering. "Peters is in jail and we've got the disk....should've looked in the windmill in the first place."
B.A. glared at him slightly. 'Why? We didn't know it was there."
"But it was on the same property as the house we checked earlier."
Frankie replied with a grin. "Bad guys never hide things in houses....too obvious."
"It's only obvious that you've been hanging around the crazy fool too long. You're talkin' like him." Baracaus commented with a shake of his head as he started to gather their things.
Smith glanced up as Murdock moved away from the desk where he had been calling the front desk to check on messages. "Anything from the home front, Murdock?"
The pilot nodded as he leaned back against the desk a worried expression on his face. "Yeah."
"What?" Hannibal asked not liking the look on his friend's face.
"There was a message from Stockwell passing along a message from Colleen." Murdock replied gaining the others attention.
"About Face?" Frankie asked with concern as he joined them B.A. close on his heels.
Murdock nodded then shook his head. "Maybe, not sure but she is in trouble."
"How do you know, Murdock?" Hannibal asked gently. "What was the message?"
" 'Can't dance in the moonlight.' " Murdock replied quietly before pushing himself away from the desk and grabbing his coat from a nearby chair.
********
Frankie shook his head in amazement as the plane made it's way to London. Face would never believe in a million years that they hadn't had to drug B.A. to get him on the plane. B.A. had squeezed his eyes shut and strapped himself into the seat next to Frankie but he hadn't protested, not a word. Not even when Murdock took the pilot's seat.
That in itself showed how much a part of the team Colleen had become. Frankie could only hope that they were in time to be of any help.
********
Seven o'clock came and went and the room service meal that Colleen had
ordered for dinner sat untouched on the foot of the bed. The brown haired woman stood and walked over to the window and stared out at the beautiful city lights of London.
She hadn't had any luck finding Face at any of the local hospitals. Colleen wasn't sure if that was good news or bad. Part of her had been hoping against hope that he was there. Not that she wanted him hurt but at least that would be better than this awful not knowing.
Colleen rubbed a weary hand along the back of her neck. Hannibal had called an hour ago to assure her that they were on their way. But she knew it'd still be at least another hour before they got here from Amsterdam.
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of the hotel and look for Face. He was still in the city she could feel it.
But Colleen knew from her experience with the team that it was better to stay put and wait for Hannibal and the others. There was so much of this mess that she didn't have the answers to. They had no idea who had taken Face and if it was more than one person.
********
"Now here's the fun part." The woman crowed as she entered the room and flipped on the light. "What do I do with you first? Mental torture? Physical torture? Just plain pain?"
Face met her gaze. "Who are you?" He demanded hoping that rational direct questions would shake her out of whatever delusional state she had fallen into. He'd been around Murdock long enough to get good at it.
The woman knelt next to him and traced a hand along his left cheek and down to his chin. "I guess I shouldn't really be surprised that you don't remember me, Facey. You are such a ladykiller after all. Does your current lady friend know about your reputation?"
"I know you were our waitress at the restaurant, but who are you?" Face replied quietly.
The woman looked at him for a long moment and Face could've swore that he saw a cloud of sadness flicker across her eyes before she stood.
"Perhaps hunger will jog your memory." The woman stated as she turned and left the room.
********
As soon as Colleen let the team into the hotel suite and closed the door Murdock instantly enveloped his friend in a hug.
"How ya doin' Munchacho?" The pilot whispered.
Colleen shook her head and buried her face into Murdock's chest allowing herself to cry. The whole ordeal was starting to take it's toll.
"I let him down." Colleen stated quietly.
"No, you didn't Bonns." Murdock replied as he pulled back so he could see her face. "There's no way you could've seen this coming."
"I'm trained for this, Murdock." Colleen replied bitterly as she untangled herself from her friend's embrace. She glanced at the living room part of the suite to see the others had began to turn it into a makeshift command post.
Murdock lightly touched her shoulder gently ushering her toward the others. "So is Face and he's been doing this much longer than you."
"Fool's right, Colleen." B.A. stated as he sat on the sofa next to Hannibal. "We'll find the Faceman."
Colleen smiled at the group as she wiped away her tears. She knelt next to Frankie and looked at the various maps spread out on the coffee table. "So what's the plan, Hannibal?"
"First are foremost we need to figure out who has Face."
********
Face's captor turned to one of her henchmen as they stood in the main room of the bookstore. "The woman still at the hotel?"
The red haired henchman nodded. "Yeah, and she has company."
The woman smirked. "So the famous A-team has arrived, huh? This will make it more difficult to get to her but not impossible. Leave Miller and McGarry with me. Take the rest to the hotel but wait till after midnight."
"Yes, Ma'am." The man acknowledged as he moved toward the door pulling out a walkie-talkie.
The woman glanced back at the room where Face was. Once his lady love was out of Face's life he'd be hers forever. And she'd have the reward for the rest of the A-team not bad at all.
*********
Frankie ducked as the pen Colleen threw at the window bounced off and nearly beaned him in the head.
"Sorry, Frankie." Colleen said sheepishly. She had thrown the pen out of pure frustration. It was eleven o'clock and they still had no leads on Face's whereabouts.
"No problem." Santana replied with a grin. "I'm used to dodging stuff."
Hannibal placed a gentle hand on Colleen's shoulder. "We've gone on less in the past, Colleen. We'll find Face."
Colleen nodded as she slumped back against the sofa. "I know....it's just that he did all this for me.... and now...."
Hannibal smiled. "Face takes care of the people he loves no matter what. We'll figure this out just like always and Face will come home."
"What can I do?" Colleen asked anxious to be doing something, anything to help Face.
Hannibal glanced at the others and saw that the jetlag was starting to take it's toll. "Let's get some sleep. We'll retrace your steps in the morning. Murdock, take the first watch, then Frankie."
"You got it." Murdock replied with a concerned glance at Colleen. He pulled a chair over to the hallway near the door and sat down his feet propped against the opposite wall.
The others said their good nights and found places to sleep. B.A. took the floor, Hannibal the sofa and Frankie a chair by the window.
Colleen got ready for bed with an empty heart. She crawled into bed and hugged the comforter closer around her. Colleen prayed that wherever Face was that he was warm and unhurt.
*********
Face didn't even bother to look at the door as it opened. Whatever knots the woman had used to tie him up they were good. Really good. Face hadn't been able to work his hands free. It looked like he was going to have to talk his way out of this one. Face just hoped that he could remember who this psycho was. For his sake as well as Colleen's.
"So did you get any enlightenment while I was gone?" The woman asked as she knelt in front of him.
"San Diego." Face replied taking a wild guess. In the years right after the team went underground Face had spent a good deal of whatever off time he had in San Diego. He had never had a night without a date. Face was guessing that this woman was from that time of his life. He didn't remember much of those hard partying days let alone who the women were.
His captor's face lit up and she rocked back on her heels. "Very good, golden boy earns a star. Too bad it's too little too late."
Cold dread raced up Face's spine. Was the rest of the team here yet? Were they protecting Colleen?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Face demanded.
The woman grinned as she leaned forward to kiss Face but he jerked away glaring.
"By dawn your precious lady love will be no more."
Face's mind scrambled desperately trying to come up with a way to protect Colleen but nothing came.
"You have me." Face pleaded. "You have no reason to hurt her."
The woman stood but not before she ran a longing hand across Face's chest.
"Oh but I do, Facey. She has your heart." She replied as she left the room.
Face desperately glanced at his surroundings. There had to be something here he could use. Losing Colleen once had nearly destroyed him. There was no way in hell Face was going to let history repeat itself.
********
Around two a.m. B.A. was jerked out of a sound sleep. He glanced around the hotel room and saw the others were still asleep. B.A. was about to settle back into sleep when he noticed what was out of place. The Fool wasn't by the door and Frankie was snoring in the chair by the window. Murdock hadn't woken Frankie up for watch.
Cursing under his breath B.A. lumbered to his feet and crept into the other room. He found one of the lights on a low setting. Colleen was sprawled on the bed a tea cup on the nightstand.
B.A. was about to chalk it up to his imagination when he saw Murdock's still form near the closet.
"Hannibal!" B.A. shouted as he scrambled toward the pilot flipping on the overhead light along the way. This whole thing felt bad. The Fool never left his post.
Frankie and Hannibal ran into the room weapons drawn.
"Check Colleen!" Baracus ordered as he felt for Murdock's pulse. It was then that he saw the broken tea cup by the pilot's outstretched hand.
"They've been drugged, Hannibal!"
"Damn!" Smith swore as he gently turned Colleen over. Frankie had grabbed the phone and was calling for an ambulance.
"C'mon, kid." Hannibal whispered as he searched for Colleen's pulse.
"Stay with us." He glanced over his shoulder at B.A. as he found Colleen's weak pulse. "How's Murdock?"
"He's alive." B.A. replied crisply. "Pulse is strong. How's Colleen?"
"Not good." Hannibal stated grimly as he crawled off the bed. Hannibal looked over at Frankie who had hung up the phone.
"Ambulance is on it's way." Santana replied his dark eyes filled with worry.
Hannibal nodded solemnly as he looked at Colleen and Murdock's still forms. Usually the team avoided hospitals relying on Stockwell's medical team. But there was no choice this time. Stockwell was an ocean away.
B.A. caught his commanding officer's gaze. "Next hotel we stay at, Hannibal, no room service."
Nobody smiled.
***********
Murdock came to on the way to the hospital. The Paramedics assured Hannibal that the drug hadn't had time to take a negative affect on Murdock's system.... something to be said for tolerance and Murdock's years of being in and out of asylums.
Once at the hospital Frankie, B.A. and Hannibal commandeered the closest waiting room. Thirty minutes later Murdock, under much protest by the doctors, was wheeled into the waiting room having been given a clean bill of health.
"Any word?" Murdock asked anxiously as he stepped wearily out of the wheelchair. B.A. took Murdock's left arm and helped him over to the sofa.
Smith shook his head sadly. "All we know is that she ingested more of whatever the drug was then you did. Docs haven't said anything yet."
Murdock buried his face in his hands. "My fault....should've known...."
"They got past all of us, fool." B.A. tried to assure him as he placed an awkward hand on the pilot's shoulder.
"She couldn't sleep." Murdock stated in a hitched voice. "Said tea would help her....so we ordered room service....didn't think to check it...."
Hannibal shook his head. "We all underestimated the threat to Colleen."
