Part Two.
Bide-a-wee
Guest House
10:45pm
"Yeah Can I help you." She looked up at the newcomer and was surprised at the young man in front of her; usually it was businessmen or old men that came into the house at this time of the year.
Looking at him up and down his demeanour was that of a tired and dusty young man, his smile simply showing he meant no harm to her at all, he looked her up and down and she smiled, nice to get the response even if nothing came from it.
"Do you have any rooms available?"
"Uhh, yeah single bed or double bed."
"Single please."
"That's room 6 up the stairs, breakfasts at seven till eight."
"That's okay I've got breakfast sorted out at the diner."
"The diner?" She looked at him closely, "Holy crap, you were the guy who helped my little sister."
"Huh?"
"At the diner, Rachel's my sister she called me a few hours ago, said that some guy helped her take care of Boston and his goons. It was you."
"Anyone would have done it; I was just there at the time."
"Not around here they don't, she said to tell her if anyone sees you, you wanna call her?"
"It's a bit forward I've only known her a few hours."
"Anyone who did what you did will get to be quite popular around here, fine I'll call her let you know what she says."
"Okay, uhh, I kinda need the key for the room."
"Oh, sorry." The woman smiled back, he could see the familial resemblance between the redheaded Rachel and this raven haired…
"What's you name."
"Katherine, here's your key."
"Thank you." He turned away and up the proffered stairs up to the second landing, he could feel the eyes of the young woman on his back as he left, opening the door in front he could here the young woman pick up the phone and dial.
"Rachel, it's Kat, yeah he's here and he looks fine, No not that way butt pain…"
He smiled and closed the door, stripping off is jacket he removed the three hand guns from their positions around his body, the forth weapon, a large knife taken from the other of the two bruisers.
He looked through the few bits he took from the three men, he had left their wallets with them but taken anything else he could think that would be of use, separating the stuff he looked over it.
Two Semi automatic handguns with six clips apiece, one revolver with a box of ammunition taken from the car, a single large flick knife easily hidden from view if he needed to, two more smaller knives from the same guy and over six thousand dollars in large bills from the wallets of the three men.
"Well first thing's first." Xander said to himself, he separated the money into six separate piles and put them into different places in his luggage and about his person, two into his clothe and four into his duffle bag. The knives were all but useless to him though considering his nightlife and he decided sometime soon he'd drop them into the nearest lake.
The guns were a different story however; even though he had been taken over by that soldier that one time he was by no means a crack shot the soldier had been and even though he tried to remember the entire experience he had with guns he wasn't sure what to do with them.
Although he had proved that these had use against the bloodsuckers but only to the extent he had the right ammo or the chance to get the drop on them and god knows if he would be able to get the damn things again. The Berettas were useful but again he'd need the right ammo and as his soldier skills were dying on him so he had way of getting them.
Tucking both semi autos into their rig he wound them up and hid them in his coat the revolver going into the innermost pocket where his anti vamp gear usually went, the knives were secreted into his luggage and one ready to be secreted into a boot when he left in the morning.
He was dog tired but had to be careful, he did good tonight but he knew that once those guys got back to their boss that things could come to a head, changing his mind he pulled one of the semis from his gear and tucked it underneath his pillow safety locked and ammunition separate. He knew he was capable of a two second lock and load even from a dead sleep but he wasn't taking chances not with an unfamiliar firearm, it was one of those strange skills he still had even if he wasn't that good with the gun.
Flipping open his wallet he stashed one thousand dollars in it alongside the few hundred he had inside the pocket, he never had all his money in his wallet at any time but he felt better about having what he did have and had no guilt about where he got it from.
Laying down he started to doze, within seconds he was completely asleep, the long day having almost exhausted him.
Bide-a-wee
Guest House
22nd August 1999
4pm.
A hefty knock on the door awoke Xander from his dreams, the graduation battle the foremost on his mind led to a lot of trouble even when spark out in bed, the latest dreams had been the worst when his plan had failed and the explosion didn't come. The interruption awakening him was a godsend for him.
"Yeah, yeah hang on." He said drowsily.
"Xander?"
"Hey Rachel" He said as he opened the door, "Everything alright?"
"I think so, I hadn't heard from you so I decided to come and see you, how do you feel."
"Tired, but good, bit hungry."
"Ok then come on, you still have a full grill to eat."
"What's the time?"
"Bout Four in the afternoon."
"Four O'Clock?" He exclaimed.
"Kat says you've been asleep for about sixteen hours or so, we wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine, any trouble with Boston's people."
"Not yet," she turned away as Xander stripped off a T-shirt and put on a button-down black shirt he had recently purchased in LA, the glimpse she got involved all kinds of scars and wounds that had been perfectly patched up with no sign he even felt them, Rachel wondered just what this young man used to do to get those kinds of scars.
"You can turn back now." He said as he approached her, "Ready to go."
"Sure." She smiled back.
"You found him then." Kat said as they walked down the stairs, she looked different to the way she had the night before, her raven hair now piled on top of her hair and wearing small thin glasses as she read through some paperwork.
"Thanks for the room; I didn't expect to spend so long asleep."
"Forget it, you helped save my sister from those assholes. You welcome to stay as long as you like free of charge."
"I can't do that."
"You can and you will." Kat's red lips came up into a smirk, "We don't have many heroes around here but those who do. Well they deserve their own reward." She punctuated that with a slight lick of her lips.
"Kat, leave him alone. Come on Xander." She pushed him forward out of door poking her tongue out at her older sister who just laughed back, outside Xander looked surprised, terrified and downright horny.
"Forget her Xander she's a tease with most people that pass her way, now she knows she won't grab you with the sexy geek she'll try others.
"Like, like what?" He gulped.
"Valley girl, Cheerleader, Hard case, probably a sexy teacher knowing her."
"Great as if it wasn't bad enough before." He muttered.
"How so?" She asked him
Damn, musta said that too loud. he thought, outwards he said "Never mind, it's not important." She decided not to continue on just raised a sculpted eyebrow in his direction and followed him to the diner.
They approached the diner and Xander opened the door allowing Rachel in first, he followed her inside, the place wasn't busy but there were a few other people around, each minding their own business and not even noticing the newcomer as he walked in which suited the young Scooby down to the ground.
"Well sit down and we'll get your food done, oh Xander this is Miguel he's one of the other workers here, Mig this is Xander he's a friend."
"Ahh the infamous knight in shining armour huh?" Miguel Shook Xander's hand, "You've made quite an impression on the sisters, hell the entire town if it comes to that. No-one thought anyone would stand up to Boston like that, thanks."
"No problem, I was here, they annoyed me I got rid of them."
"Remind me not to annoy you too much, ok compadre." Miguel Smiled and took off taking a pot of coffee to the tables in the diner.
"So you're the kid who stopped Boston huh. " Another voice spoke up from Xander's right, looking over he noticed a man in a business suit reading a copy of the New York Times. Xander merely let an eyebrow rise not even attempting to answer the man. "Do you have any idea how much shit you are in now kid, Boston was Hess' best and last night you beat him up and then let him go? Well Hess was not happy and had all three of those men killed, congratulations you not only put a price on your head and the lovely lady that works here but you've also had those three men killed."
"If the guy's that much of a fuck up that he has incompetents like Boston on his payroll then I guess he deserves what he gets and what has this to do with you exactly? Planning on taking the bounty or simply to get in good with this German psycho?"
"Yes." The man brought up another handgun from his side and fired it towards the young man, or at least that's what he thought he was going to do, as it turned out for the poor schmuck a gun from another hand was currently pointed directly at the suit's genitalia with the safety off and the hammer cocked.
"I don't think that will be necessary sir." A silver haired man had sat behind the suit and out of sight had brought a weapon up, "Put the gun down nice and easy and lay your hands on the counter."
"You don't know who you are dealing with here, Hess runs this town and no kid or fucked up old man will stop him from getting his revenge."
"So Hess had his people killed just for failing to rape a woman and get their arses killed by a kid."
"You fail you die it's that simple."
"It's that stupid, mistakes happen, no matter what people want it's the way of the world and if this Nazi screwball thinks otherwise well he's more of a fruit loop than I first realised." The Silver Haired man said.
"Let him go."
"Kid?"
"Let him go, if he tries anything again he knows I'll kill him or that he's dead anyway as he failed to kill me. So either he'll run or he'll die. Isn't that right?"
The suit merely swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he realised he was a marked man, if Hess didn't kill him then this kid or the silver man would instead. As the gun was removed from his body he stood up and picked up his bag and coat leaving quickly and quietly.
Noting he had left his own gun on the counter the Silver Haired man picked it up and pocketed it, the other three men in the room stood from their positions and watched the retreat of the suit into his car and kept watching as it sped off out of town.
"Well that was simple." Silver said.
"Thanks for the help." Xander Said, "I wasn't quite expecting a bounty hunter at this point."
"No problem it seems that you may have cleared up a job we were hired for before we even got here."
"Hired for?" The wheels could almost be seen turning in Xander's mind as he took in the words; he was unable to quite figure out what they meant. "Sorry what do you mean?"
"People pay for our services by way of money or goods, and we do what we can to stop people that are hurting others.
"So you're kind of like what? Mercenaries?"
"Kind of, we got into this about twenty odd years ago after some problems with the military, we prefer soldiers of fortune."
"And you're here to stop Hess' from continuing his campaign against this town."
"We've done it before."
"I'm sure you have."
"So your mercs and on the run from the government, what the hell did you do to get stuck with what?"
"Back in Vietnam we robbed a bank in Hanoi under orders from our CO, he was killed and we were arrested for looting."
"Tough Break." Xandeer took a draught of his coffee. "So what are you doing here?"
"As we said from time to time we are hired to stop people like Hess from preying on those who can't help themselves, we're a form of soldier for hire and basically if no one else can help we are the last chance for most people."
"If no one else can help and if you can find them." Xander murmured a long forgotten urban legend making its way into his head and awakening his memories about a gang or mercenaries who only work doing the right thing. The wheels spun in his mind as the memories came up clearly; spinning in place the shock on his face was noticeable as was the excitement.
"Oh my god." Xander Said. "Maybe you can hire the A-Team, shit you guys are the A-Team."
"Well that was quick." A tall sandy haired man looked at Xander, "Usually takes a while before anyone knows who we are."
"Are you joking?" Xander asked, "I grew up listening to stories about you guys, every kid wanted to be you when I was a kid, Hannibal Smith, Face Peck, Howling Mad Murdock and BA Baracas the great A-Team imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit."
"Ok now I'm impressed." The Sandy haired man- Face if Xander was right said, "It's been a while since anyone really knew what we did, especially after all these years. So you're Xander right?"
"Uhh yeah."
"Nice work last night, you worked those guys well, better than most we've seen."
"Thanks."
"I got to ask why you did that, you could have walked away last night and no one would have known differently."
"Yes someone would."
"You?" Asked Hannibal
"Me, if I had left Rachel would have been raped and possibly killed, others would have been hurt by that including her sister and others would have been even more scared about paying Hess to leave them alone. I couldn't let that happen and I sure as hell won't walk away from something like this."
"That's something rare these days especially in kids your age."
"I've been forced to grow up fast Colonel Smith; if I wasn't going to let a friend's Ex-boyfriend in to kill her while she's in a hospital bed I'm not going to let three bruisers attack an unarmed and defenceless woman."
"I like this kid." A gruff voice said from the rear as Sgt BA Baracas approached, "You look after the innocent kid and that's something to be proud about."
"Thank you."
"Now kid, we need you to keep out of sight for the next day." Hannibal said, "We're taking this to Hess tomorrow night and we want him to think that you are either gone or now too scared to go out at night."
"Why?"
"Because you could get hurt, don't think we want to keep you out but we've been doing this a long time Xander and as such we know our team better than anyone could and we know that you aren't ready to do this kind of thing. Not yet, just let us take care of this ok."
Unlike back in Sunnydale he knew that these men were right, his own long stored knowledge of the A-Team and their exploits meant he didn't disagree with them this time, he knew when he was beaten and this was one of those times.
"Alright, I'll keep out of sight but I'm not leaving town until I know everything's been sorted out."
"Agreed, good luck kid and enjoy your meal."
"Thanks, good luck guys."
With that, The A-Team left the diner and off to their job, inside the diner Xander turned back to the counter and a smiling Rachel.
"I thought I was the only person who remembered those guys from when I was growing up."
"Believe me this isn't the weirdest coincidence I've seen but it's got to be the coolest one yet."
"Well foods gonna be a few minutes, want a drink?"
"Coffee please even after all that I'm still half asleep."
"You get a gun pulled on you and meet an infamous group of mercs and you are still half asleep, you ain't normal Xander."
"Never said I was Rachel, Never said I was.
Outside Bide-a-wee Guest House
6pm.
After a few hours of eating and chatting with Rachel the six o'clock rush came into the diner for food and drink, deciding that his newly found friend needed some time to herself Xander returned to his room at the guest house, however as he had only been awake a few hours and now fortified by several cups of damned strong coffee- a type that could be used to strip paint from walls, he was bored.
However he had realised a few minutes into the boredom that he still had that car downstairs to look through, grabbing the keys from the bedside table he dropped down the stairs and outside into the small car park where the Lexus now stood. No-one had been near it and everything was the same as when he left.
However his paranoia now fully aroused he checked the underneath of the car as well as the engine and ignition, you could never be sure with these people. Satisfied he was alright he started to methodically strip the car of anything that could be moved.
The Back seats were searched, the glove box, any nook and crannies in the front part of the car, and satisfied he had gone through the lot Xander carried on until he reached the boot of the car. Opening up the lid he was at once surprised and not so as he looked over the equipment inside, closing the lid he scrambled in the back of the car for one of the black plastic bags he had nabbed from the guest house.
A few minutes of insane scrabbling had two bags full of booty from the car and two more bags that were left in the car alongside them, checking the boot was now empty he grabbed the bags and made his way back to his room. Inside he emptied the bags onto the bed and stared at the contents.
"This isn't right." He said to himself as he looked over the equipment, a half dozen mobile phones, six boxes of ammunition for the weapons they men had had on them, two shotguns- military types unless he was mistaken, other blunt and sharp weapons obviously for use on innocents, his stomach had turned at the crusted blood on one particularly large metal baton much like the police use.
Looking further through he found what could only be described as 'Fugitive kits' containing fake Ids and papers for the car, as well as small amounts of money and credit cards. These people were ready to run if they had to and knew how to run and stay hidden from anyone looking for them; those would come in useful if and when Xander needed them.
However the second of the two black bags was the most worrying of all, Explosives, Composition Form Four – C4 to most people and highly illegal in the hand of civilians no matter who they were, the amount of damage just a single cube would have done to a place like the diner was incalculable, it would have destroyed the diner, the living quarters upstairs and the shops on either side.
The bastards were willing to destroy anything that got in their way and with this amount of explosive; they would have been able to level half the town.
"Son of a bitch." Xander said, repacking the explosives he pushed the bag under his bed, the detonators found with them wrapped up in a thick towel and shut away in the cupboard across the room, he would deal with them later.
Picking up the mobiles he looked them over, as far as he could tell they were you basic common-or-garden phones found just about anywhere, he tried one of the phones and found it was connected. Checking each in turn each seemed to be active and ready for use.
"Untraceable Phones, clever bastards." He said to himself, the phones would be used once or twice and then thrown away in order to make sure they can't be traced by the feds or anyone else.
Putting that phone aside he lifted up the last of the four bags and the one that hadn't been opened yet, pulling the zip it opened up to the sight of one hundred thousand dollars in US currency. He was no expert but Xander could tell these were genuine, they were well used and in no particular order. Smiling he tucked it back under the bad and thought about what to do with the rest of his new found equipment."
First thing, is to dump the explosives, burning them should be good or just dumping them in the deepest lake I can find he mused, Keep the IDs and just change the pictures- shouldn't be too hard, weapons I'll keep for now as well as the money and the phones.
Looking at the keys in his hand he wondered about the car, if it was true and Boston was dead then the car he could keep. Claim it as salvage or something; he should be able to persuade the local town offices to change the rights to his name in short order.
Not bad, a new car, money and a means to defend myself all in one night. Plus four vamps using a gun, not too bad if I do say so. Satisfied he left his room and returned downstairs to see his erstwhile landlady, as her sister had guessed the young woman was now dressed in a miniskirt and tight top, hair in pigtails and no sign of the glasses he had seen on her.
Valley Girl, two down, three to go. he thought to himself, as if it's not bad enough at home
"Hey Kat."
"Hello Xander." She giggled… an honest to god giggle coming from the mouth of a twenty three year old woman was not something he had seen before, his brain freezing slightly as the combination of her dress sense and the 'Innocent' act sent all his blood rushing south.
"Uhh, yeah."
"What's up?"
"Got a slight problem and I need to know if there are any good sized lakes around here?"
"Why you want to get wet and wild?" She grinned sultrily.
I am in hell, or heaven depending on your view. he shook his head to clear it. "Not quite, look you know I took that car from Boston."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, well there's some stuff in the back I've got to get rid of before the cops see it."
"Like what?" her manner went from playful to stern in about a second
"Better you don't know, trust me on that."
"Ok there's a small lake, bout six hundred metres deep fifteen miles due east anything you need to dump should be okay there."
"Thanks Kat, I'm heading out in that case, tell Rachel to keep her head down when she closes up and not to leave the house in the night time no matter what, the same goes for you."
"Things are that bad?"
"You don't know the half of it."
Lake Aldrin
Fifteen Miles outside of town
8pm
A final splash came from close to the centre of the lake as the third and final black plastic bag was thrown in and rapidly sank to the bottom, both combat shotguns and the C4 had been securely wrapped up and weighed down even more with rocks and subsequently sealed with generous amounts of Duct Tape borrowed from the Diner.
The rest of the equipment now sat in a combination of hiding places in the car and in his luggage back at the guest house alongside his newly acquired clothes and other necessities. Some food would be good but he could get that from the shops before he left town.
Satisfied that the most illegal of his recent acquisitions were now well away from anyone who could use the stuff, Xander sat back in the car and looked through a map that was in the car- with the actions of The A-Team he wouldn't be needed for much longer around here and so he would be moving on.
Looking at the map he decided that with the money he now had and the car itself, that his road trip would be much different to his original designs. Tapping the page with a finger he grinned.
"Florida, here I come."
Rachel's Diner
Next Day
11am
Xander had finally finished a third plate of six pancakes in the one sitting, he pushed his plate away finally full of the thick slices of batter. He groaned out loud in appreciation of Rachel's cooking.
"Someone likes."
"Someone likes indeed." Xander replied.
"Damn not Even BA eats that much." Came another voice from behind.
"Lt Peck, take a seat."
"Face, Call me Face."
"Ok, Face."
"I've seen BA pack away enough food to sink a warship but nothing like that."
"Always been able to eat a lot, just have a healthy metabolism."
"You must have a blast furnace in there."
"Not the first to say that."
"We set it up last night, Hess will be in town in a few hours and we'll drop him, I know you're only a kid but do you want in."
"You're joking right?"
"Not in the slightest Xander, you started this; it's only fair that you see it through to the end."
"I'm in."
"Sure you don't want to think about this."
"Face, like you said I started this, I need to see it all the way through if only to make sure they can't hurt Rachel and Katherine again and they need to know what goes around comes around."
"2pm at the Graveyard."
Xander looked at the aging soldier, his eyebrows up close to his hairline.
"You guys followed me didn't you?"
"Uhh yeah, whatever it is that you did to Boston's people they know about it and it gives us the psychological advantage over his people, it also means that they can't tell who or what we are or how many people we have out there."
"Five of us against his entire gang?"
"Actually three, Murdock's going to be raiding his base of operation and we want you to go with him."
"Hang on, I thought you wanted me to be there at the end."
"Kid, we're profession soldiers remember, besides if we can't stop him here today at least he'll be crippled by losses at his base, destroy everything you can and loot anything worth taking. Murdock's good at this but obviously we need him on a leash."
"Dammit, look Lt, I know I'm not a real soldier or even slightly trained but I want to be there to stop this guy."
"This isn't your fight kid."
"Never stopped me before."
"Please kid, just let us do this you've already started it rolling, taking out his infrastructure is just one of those things we can do to stop this happening again around here. We've failed a few times because someone has managed to resurrect the same thing again and again; we learnt that the hard way."
"Damn, you never hear about the missions you guys failed."
"There been a few, the ones we succeeded in outnumber the losses by a hell of a margin, but those we failed we can never return to, too many people died because of us, that's why we need you to do this, so even if they escape they have nothing to come back to."
"Okay, I'll do it, just make sure Hess goes down."
"Oh he will."
"You found his Headquarters?"
"Yeah, it's just outside the town limits."
Old Mining Encampment
Outside of town
Three hours later.
Face had been right, with the A-Team In town the entirety of Hess' group had been dispatched into town to take them down and more than likely him as well, Xander had been waiting for his contact for almost half an hour and there was still no sign of the Insane soldier.
Time was ticking away as he waited, knowing he had little time he decided to go ahead with the raid alone, he knew it was foolish but no-one ever accused him of being smart as his teachers would point out. However the fact that the old encampment was empty he could get across and into the main concourse easily.
Running inside he saw that while most of the buildings were derelict three were well kept, two smaller buildings that must have worked as barracks or other living space for the goons while one very large building was even better kept and was big enough for Hess' needs.
Opening the door he noticed the inside was very different to the outside, instead of the barn-like structure the inside was a cornucopia of modern equipment and clean living spaces and odds on were the other barracks were the same. The perfect camouflage to make people overlook you, hiding in plain sight.
Looking round the bottom floor, the areas where vehicles were kept were empty, unsurprising considering everyone had gone into town, forgoing the rest he climbed the stairs to Hess' quarters.
These quarters were well furnished and nicely made up to look like a high rise apartment in a large city, expensive computer and communications suites took up one corner while entertainment centres took up another in front of a long leather couch.
"Damn this guy can't have bought all this just from ripping off this one town." Xander said to himself, looking around he found a well stocked kitchen and bar in the next room while the third room was obviously Hess' own bedroom, the forth room however was the Jackpot.
An unsecured door was hanging open at the very rear of the room, pulling it open he was unsurprised to see the room as a combination armoury and safe room, the rows of weapons were impressive and well kept while the ammunition was kept dry and covered and away from the guns, lastly there was a large safe in the very middle.
"What the hell are these guys? This is no normal protection racket, this stuff is expensive." He asked himself, "Looking through the equipment and paperwork he tried to get a hand on whatever it was that was going on here, nothing came up but the room was quickly searched.
"Not again." He said as he found twenty more blocks of C4 and several bundles of other explosives in the bottommost weapons bins. "Well looks like I'll be able to stop these guys here, he grabbed the C4 and the equivalent numbers of detonators for the explosives.
Trying the safe he found it open, obviously something had been taken out and it had been left open for one reason or another, opening up the safe he found more documents much like those he had found in the car, files on buildings and other properties and a very large pile of money.
Looking over the documents the young man found that the town was only one of six surrounding areas in the state that was being preyed upon by Hess' group of mercs and ner do wells. Hundred of businesses and wealthy homes were being bullied into payments by the Germanic psycho.
There was enough here to put Hess and his people away for good if they weren't already taken out by the guys back in the town, grabbing a kit bag from the floor he put the files in the very bottom followed by the documents and the money, without this lot Hess would be crippled.
Grabbing another bag he moves some of the paperwork into the bag as well as a few bundles of the cash, last to go in was the high explosives and more ammo for his own guns, he wouldn't be able to get the ammo any other time unless he was lucky so he grabbed what he could and put it into the bags, looking on the shelf he noticed something that took his fancy and dropped it in. The Detonators he kept in his pocket away from the explosives.
Taking a last quick look around he closed the door up to the point he had opened it from and left the room, with no assistance coming he decided to do the only thing he could do in the process of leaving, which also happened to be one of his favourite ways to stop the enemy.
Blow the Shit Outta everything in sight..
For an hour Xander went from one building to another and back again tying the explosives to detonators and setting the entire lot to go off from a signal from a remote control.
Finally checking the last charge and setting it's detonator Xander quickly ran from the building to his car and sped off into the night the signal sent.
The three buildings exploded simultaneously as all the blocks of C4 detonated, the buildings still holding fuel or ammunition for their weapons and vehicles going up a second time as secondary explosions let off rounds of ammunition and some of the explosives secreted inside those buildings.
The Main building went up with more fury than the others as an underground fuel tank was ruptured by the destruction of the upper section allowing the pressurised tanks to spill out across the entire compound feeding the fire itself and exploding as the mixture of air and liquid petroleum in the tank met.
"Ok that was nasty." Xander laughed as the entire encampment went up ducking as hidden ammunition dumps and old condemned building went up with them, "Shit I shoulda checked for hidden caches." He ducked as yet another cache went up with an explosion that rivalled the main ones at the base of operation. "Jesus what was in there TNT?"
Speeding off he was unaware of the hidden cameras that had recorded everything that had happened and transmitted it to a secure location in downtown LA.
Town Centre
One hour later.
The entire town had gathered outside the main precinct as the last of Hess' men were rounded up and carted off into the jail cells of the police station, each had been tied up and gagged much like Boston and his people had been the day before making sure none could escape.
Xander's newly acquired car sped into town close to the black van that had been hidden out of sight of Hess' lookouts around the corner from the town centre, turning around he drove into the main street towards the congregation.
"Hey it's Xander." Kat shouted to his sister from the other side of the group of people, Rachel turned to look at the tall brunet and smiled at him waving to the car as it parked up. Four more pairs of eyes watched as the black Lexus pulled up their erstwhile 'assistant' in the front.
"Guys, keep and eye out here."
"Sure Hannibal."
Hannibal Smith walked up towards the car, the driver merely looked at the man with a look of indifference on his face, his hands on the wheel well away from any of the weapons he might have been carrying. That in itself was the only thing that made Hannibal go any further, at least the kid didn't want to kill him, or at least not yet.
"I really don't like being misled Colonel Smith, and downright lies can annoy me although I will use them if necessary."
"Sorry Kid but we ended up needing Murdock here in the end, so we couldn't send him."
"And you figured that out when? Before I left, after I left or after I'd been waiting TWO FUCKING HOURS."
"Look kid."
"One the Name is Xander, not 'kid' and two, I really don't want to hear it. You did your job and I did mine that's it, just do what you need to stop Hess' getting off and then leave because if you don't I will." Xander grabbed the largest and heaviest of the bags. "This is all the info on Hess' people, his organisation and who he's hitting, there's also fake papers and what looks like several months worth of the money collected from these people- make sure they get it."
"I…"
"Sorry Rachel, but looks like I'll be leaving in the morning." He turned the car around and returned to the Guest house, the eyes of the A-Team and the sisters following him.
Back at the guest house Xander left his car and returned to his room, checking his 'tells' there was no sign that anyone had been through anything in his room, that much was certain. Satisfied he dropped the second bag on his bed and pulled out the items, not much was there just the stuff he thought would be useful in the long run.
More ammunition and clips, an adjustable back rig for the guns, another few sets of fake IDs and most interesting of all a single full automatic Beretta pistol much like the others he had but with a much longer magazine and built in silencer. The masterwork pistol was highly modified and much more balanced than the common weapons he carried; stripping it he found a combination of upgrades that explained the weight and power of the gun.
The weapon's firing chambers had been set for single shot and three round bursts instead of the usual automatic, although he could see where the gun could be retuned for full automatic within seconds. A longer barrel and heftier grip gave the gun a hell of a control in combat. A final change in the gun showed him that the gun ejected upwards instead of to the side, he didn't know why that would be any use but decided to leave it as it was.
Reassembling the gun he realised that although he had the ammunition he only had the single extended magazine for the weapon, folding it up tightly in an old T-Shirt he put the modified firearm in the very bottom of the bag alongside two boxes of ammunition and one of the other pistols and the knives, again all wrapped up in old clothing.
Grabbing one of the 'special' boxes he had grabbed he found a decent cleaning kit designed for the Berettas and could be used to clean the revolver as well, settling down he let himself zone out as his hands methodically took the guns apart and cleaned them without conscious thought.
Dammit, all I wanted was a nice quiet vacation away from everything and what happens I end up in a fight, threaten people with vampires and then blow up an entire criminal operation. Fun but I just want some time off is that too much to bloody ask?
Next Morning.
9am
The first view he saw as he left the guest house were the two girls he had met while in town, both were looking slightly down, both sitting on the bonnet of his new car, shaking his head he moved into view and allowed them to see him.
Rachel was the first up and slammed into him, hugging him like a crazy woman her sister close on her heels onto the other side. Used to it due to the fact he had two close friends, both of whom used to do this to him on a frequent basis allowed him to hold both slight girls in his arms.
"Wow, been here three days and already got the two most gorgeous women in my arms. Must be doing something right."
Both women slapped him on the chest "Goof."
A flashback to his girls back home brought a smile to his face as he mentioned it wasn't the first time he had been called so and that he wasn't complaining in the slightest about being hugged.
"Do you have to leave." Rachel asked
"Yeah, I need to get gone, I still want to see all fifty states before I get home in September."
"Thank you for saving my life and for everything you did for everyone."
"I didn't do much, just helped out when I could."
"Well everyone in town knows what you did, they wanted to thank you somehow but didn't know what to do."
"No need."
"There is a need, the A-Team may have stopped Hess but you did start it by stopping Boston, if you hadn't nothing would have happened like it did yesterday. So the town decided that after paying off the Team that we would give you what was left." She held up a hefty zipped up bag.
"No way." He shook his head, "I'm not taking the town's money and you people were unfairly taken advantage of, it belongs to the town and not me."
"Most of the town took back their money but a few decided to contribute to this anyway, most of it we think was Hess' anyway."
"Then keep it, you people should have it."
"Please Xander…"
"I can't its not mine, take it and donate it to something the town can use or something ok."
"Ok." She smiled, "Thank you."
"That's what I'm here for." He smiled back.