XVIII
"Come on, BA get whatever you need and let's get going." Face said as he carried a bag out to the van.
BA came trudging out of his room, carrying a holdall and grumbled as he walked through the front door.
Murdock sat as he watched the men moving about. He had nothing here to pack and didn't want to go back to his apartment to get anything.
Face came back to the door, looking in at the pilot. "You okay?"
Murdock smiled and nodded his head.
"Come out when you're ready." Face said as he went back to the van.
Murdock sighed and picked up his jacket that lay on the back of the couch. He didn't much fancy a road trip, or whatever this was supposed to be, but he had little choice than to go with the others.
He'd kind of got used to just being alone a lot of the time and now things were changing.
Face had sounded pretty pleased with himself when he'd told Murdock and BA about the deals he'd done with Stockwell and although BA was pleased and Murdock had appeared to be pleased, it was far from the truth.
Murdock loved the time he spent with the team, but he needed his own time too. Strangely enough it kept him sane.
He was always partly convinced that's why he'd cracked in Nam, never able to get enough time alone. Especially the camps.
Everyone assumed that he cracked in camps because of the treatment, the starvation and questioning, but as bad as that was it was his inability to ever be alone that drove him to the brink.
And because he was quieter, they all spoke to him more and more, thinking he was scared or something.
Eventually, withdrawing into himself and blocking the real world out was the only way he could find the alone time he desired.
Of course, it backfired. He couldn't get out of the habit of doing it.
So, how was he supposed to get his much needed alone time when he was with the Face and BA 24 hours a day?
"C'mon, man." BA said, reappearing at the door.
"I'm comin'." Murdock said.
He noticed, not for the first time, that BA had stopped calling him fool.
Just wouldn't be appropriate, would it?
BA hadn't said much to Face's plan's for vacation.
The plan was pretty non-specific, but Face said a rough plan with no set boundaries would work better for them.
BA couldn't tell how Murdock felt about things as he'd stayed pretty quiet the last few days, but he knew that it all felt very uncomfortable to him.
Here they were out, supposed to be enjoying themselves, when Hannibal was in a nut house, Frankie was in hospital and two women were dead.
BA knew Face was just as lost as himself and Murdock, but obviously he was trying to bring them back together, this just didn't seem to be the right way to do it.
Not that BA had the answers himself.
Things were messy and complicated and it would take a long time to sort through everything.
Problem was, no one was speaking about it.
Face hoped this was the best thing to do.
He was following Stockwell's instructions, taking the guys away from their normal surroundings and give them the chance to adjust without other issues pressuring them, but doing that, what Stockwell asked, just seemed wrong.
He wasn't sure how he felt being the one to take orders from Stockwell and having to dish them out to BA and Murdock.
Of course, he'd given them orders before but never for long, just temporarily. Until Hannibal got back.
In many ways it was the same now.
He just had a feeling that Hannibal would never get back.
The three of them sat at the diner, awaiting their meals to be brought to them.
It was quiet inside, only one waitress cleaning tables and someone in the kitchen they couldn't see.
Face wanted to talk to them. He hoped he'd be able to discuss things in a motel when they were resting, but he was getting apprehensive. Things were too quiet and he wanted to make sure they were all at the same place in terms of what they needed to do.
"Look guys, I've been thinking a lot about what we're going to do and I thought now would be a good time to go through it all. I know it's going to be strange at first without Hannibal, but I think like all those other times when he's not been there, we'll be okay."
He got little response from the others so decided to continue.
"I think everything will be hard for a while. We'll have to adjust to being a man down. I'm not sure what's going to happen with Frankie, but possibly with two men down that will use up a big part of our resources on missions. We'll all have to double the amount of work we're doing. Of course, we will have Stockwell to fall back on, he'll be able to offer any help we may need."
"Is that what he said?" Murdock asked.
"Well no, but I think he's being pretty fair, with what he's doing for us and Hannibal."
Murdock let out a half snort, half laugh.
"What?" Face said.
"Stockwell and fair don't usually go together in a sentence."
"Oh, come on, Murdock, you weren't in there."
"No, but if I had been I wouldn't have fallen for any of his bullshit."
"That's what you think? That I was suckered in?" Face said, shocked.
"Yeah. That's what I think."
"Decision making isn't up to you." Face replied hotly.
"No, that's Stockwell's department, isn't it?" Murdock snapped back.
"Well you should know. You're the one with a history with the guy."
Murdock stood up abruptly.
For a split second, BA thought things would turn physical but the pilot turned and left the diner.
Face kept his eyes on Murdock and after a minute or two, he got up too. "Be right back." he said to BA.
BA sighed as he watched Face go over to where Murdock stood outside and watched as the two continued their dispute.
He wouldn't interfere, unless things got out of hand
"Murdock, what the hell's your problem?"
Murdock didn't look round to Face, he just kept his back to him, knew it would frustrate him. "You. Your my problem."
"So tell me then."
Murdock turned to look at Face now. "You wanna know? Fine, it's the way you're already kissing up to Stockwell. Hannibal never let us be led by him and here you are ready to do whatever he says. You're talking about all the ways he's gonna help us and a few months back you walked on us because of him. I don't understand you."
"Okay, you wanna know why I'm listening to him? It's because I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make these decisions. I've never given orders and the thing that scares me the most is I'll get you or BA killed because I don't know how to lead you. That's why I'm listening to Stockwell."
Murdock started walking, away from the diner and Face.
Face watched. Didn't follow, just watched.
The pilot walked up to where the road ran past the diner and stopped, looking out past the few cars that traveled down the road.
Face felt a tinge of disappointment within himself.
This was really the first test he'd had as leader and it hadn't gone well.
He should have left Murdock to cool off, not followed him. He'd just managed to push him further away.
And BA had witnessed the whole thing.
Resigned to the fact that he'd get no further with Murdock right now, we returned back to the diner.
Murdock could feel his eyes still on him. He knew he'd left and gone back to join BA, but he knew he was still being watched.
He'd over-reacted, knew that most of what had come out of his mouth was frustration with the situation, not with Face.
He'd make sure that Face knew that later on. Knew that having an argument with him the last thing Face needed right now.
Murdock felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as a police car pulled into the dusty car park.
Although it was rare these days for them to have the MP's or police after them, there was always the risk.
Knowing that if they were recognised they may have to move out quickly, Murdock began to make his way back to the diner, hoping he looked casual.
The police car pulled up in front of the diner and Murdock watched as Face and BA looked the opposite way, hoping to avoid detection.
By the time Murdock reached the diner, the two police officers were getting out of their car. They smiled at Murdock, letting him go ahead of them. He returned the smile with a small nod of his head.
He wondered if he'd be able to distract them long enough for BA and Face to slip out to the van.
"Hey pal, you got a light?" One of the officers asked, tapping Murdock on the shoulder.
"Er, yeah." He stopped before he made his way inside. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the lighter. "Here you go." Murdock said.
"You're a lifesaver." He said, reaching for his cigarettes.
Instead he pulled out a gun.
"Now don't move a muscle, or you're dead. Cuff 'im."
"Wh-what are you doing?" Murdock asked fear gripping him.
"You dumb shit. You think you can just kill innocent women. Your mugs all over the news, pal and you're just standing around waiting for us to pick you up."
"I think a few ladies will sleep a little easier tonight knowing a sick bastard like you's locked up."
"General, I have some good news." Carla said as she walked into the hospital room.
The General looked at the woman, expectantly.
She tuned on the television in the room, and inserted a video cassette into the player. "The latest on Santana's condition is it's unlikely he'll ever walk again. But, I think you'll enjoy what's on this tape a lot more than that good fortune"
Stockwell watched the news coverage of a mans arrest for double murder.
He smiled.
No longer did he have Captain Murdock to worry about. Him or the information he had access to.
Now he could truly do things his way.
Who could stop him now?
The End
Author's Note:
Yes, that's it! Sorry to leave you all kinda high and dry, but I am planning a sequel. Hope to get some question cleared up in that bit. Wish me luck and thanks for reading.
Therm.