Chapter 3

By the fourth day, Hannibal, Murdock, and BA were in Colorado talking with both the FBI and Park Rangers. Hannibal had a map marking where the Watkins property was located. "We will be able to use Jeeps to get there, but it will be slow going since the mountain roads are not all paved."

Gathering their gear, the three men followed the Rangers to the Jeeps and started. Transporting a minor across state lines was a felony, especially a kidnapped one.

"If your son is here, Mr. Smith, we will find him, " Ranger Davis said. "I know Mr. Watkins, and he isn't the easiest person to get to know, but he has been nearly impossible to deal with since his son, Danny, died. It's like his world died when his son died. The boy wasn't the same since he returned from Viet Nam, and after he died, all Watkins wanted was revenge."

"He kidnapped my son, Ranger Davis believing he is the son of Danny's commander, who he believes is the reason his boy was caught and tortured by the VC. He wants the father to experience a broken son like his was and has threatened to abuse my boy in like manner as his son was abused," explained Hannibal.

"Who was Danny's commander?"

"Colonel Decker, but it is not his son who Watkins kidnapped but my boy. A bad case of mistaken identity. I'm afraid of what he's going to do to my boy!"

It was later that day when the A-Team drove up to Watkins' cabin. Hannibal took in the empty dog pen and a concrete block near the pen. "Okay, guys, spread out and see if you can find any signs of Face being here!"

Murdock headed to the trash bin and looked in. Something shiny caught his eyes.

And as he bent down to pick it up, instant recognition flooded his consciousness.

"HANNIBAL!" He yelled, holding up the ID bracelet as he did. "This belongs to Face," He handed it to Hannibal. It had FACE engraved on one side with A-Team engraved underneath.

"Break the door down, " he instructed BA?

One good kick did just that, and inside, they found Face's leather jacket and the remainder of his clothes but didn't find the kid. Hannibal walked out and looked toward the woods, making a decision. "I think the kid managed to escape somehow and headed to the highway. He knows it will lead him to civilization.

"Ranger Davis, we need to get to the nearest truck stop ASAP!"

Hank pulled his rig into a truck stop and parked. "You stay here, buddy. I'm going to find you and your dog some food."

As he hopped down, he failed to notice that someone was watching and heard what he said to his passenger. Mr. Watkins watched until Hank had left the yard before moving toward the truck. He suddenly opened the door and pulled the unsuspecting Face from it. He closed the door but failed to ensure that the lock had engaged…

He grabbed Face and pulled the boy to his truck. "I'll teach you not ever to run away again, boy," as he pulled his leather belt from his pants before pushing Face against the hood of the truck. He brought the belt down hard on Face's abused backside, causing the kid to yell out in pain repeatedly as the belt continued to fall. Then the licks stopped. And screams from Watkins started as Maggie attacked him, snarling, barking, and biting to protect the boy who reminded her of her former master.

Watkins yells and screams bring not only the truckers but Hannibal, BA, and Murdock, who has just pulled up. "Get her off of me," screamed Watkins!

Murdock darted in and had no trouble pulling the dog off of Watkins. Hannibal just as quickly kneeled by Face's side and pulled the sobbing boy into his arms.

"I got you, kid," he said gently as he gathered Face in his arms and stood, noting how light he was and that he had a fever!

"Hey, what are you doing?" Demanded Watkins.

"Comforting my son!"

"Your son! This boy is my runaway son, and I'm going to take him home now," Watkins declared as he moved towards Face, who cried out in terror.

"Hannibal, don't let him take me!" pleaded Face, fear showing on his face.

"Don't worry, little brother, he will have to go through me first," snarled BA as the big man stood in front of Hannibal and Face, scowling and clenching his fists! Watkins took one look at him and started to flee.

"Oh, no, you don't," said Hank, who grabbed him and a few other truckers.

"Are you really his father?" asked Hank.

"Yes, and we have been searching for him since he was kidnapped a week ago, " replied Hannibal as he stood carefully with Face in his arms.

"I picked him up a few miles north, and he looked like he was on his last legs. He said he had been kidnapped and was trying to get home. It was just him and that dog and an old blanket over his shoulders. I was taking him here to get him and the dog some food. His kidnapper must have seen us pull up and thought to retrieve him while I was in the restaurant," Hank explained.

"Watkins let his anger get the best of him when he decided to beat him for running away," surmised Hannibal. "This dog must have attacked him and prevented him from hitting my son further. Does anyone know whose dog this is?"

"She belonged to Danny," whispered Face, and then with the last of his strength, he added, "She is mine now!"

Ranger Davis came up and said, "The local Sheriff is on his way to take this guy into custody!"

"We can't wait, Ranger Davis. I need to get my son to a hospital!"

"There's not a hospital close by, but Dr. Sims lives nearby, and you can go there," volunteered one of the men standing nearby. "Just follow me; I'm in the blue Ford pick-up!"

"Hank, make sure Mr. Watkins stays put until the Sheriff arrives; we will be at Dr. Sims," Ranger Davis said as they returned to their Jeep and drove off.

Soon Hannibal, still carrying Face, was at the door of the Doctor's. Ranger Davis was at the door knocking. "Doctor, we need you," he called out before the door opened moments later.

"Doctor, it's my son. He's hurt and sick," cried Hannibal as he followed the doctor in.

The rest of the team stayed out in the reception area to wait for news.

"Bring him to my examination room. What happened to him?"

"He's been beaten and starved. He is probably suffering from dehydration, as well," replied Hannibal angrily.

"Remove his clothes so that I can get a better look at his injuries," the older doctor asked. He figured that the boy wouldn't be as scared if his father did it then a total stranger. "Go slowly," he advised.

It wasn't until Hannibal started to remove his son's pants that Face cried out with pain. "DOCTOR!"

Dr. Sims disappeared momentarily before returning with a basin of warm water and several dried washcloths. "It seems that his pants are stuck; they will have to be soaked off," he explained after glancing with Hannibal. This was handled as gently as they could, but finally, Hannibal was able to pull them down and off. He was startled to find that the boy wasn't wearing any underwear and saw dried blood on his son's buttocks.

"Doctor…was he?" Hannibal couldn't complete the sentence, fearful of what the answer might be.

After gently washing the dried blood away, the doctor was able to see that the blood came from the vicious beatings the boy had received. "No, Colonel Smith…the blood is from the beatings and nothing else!"

Hannibal looked at him…" how do you know who I am?"

"Colonel, I know about the A-Team. You and your team are quite famous. I am honored to help you; however, I can. I'm going to give your boy a sedative so I can clean his injuries without hurting him further. You can tell me what happened to cause all of this?"

Hannibal explained that Face had been taken at gunpoint from his school about a week ago. His kidnapper had taken the wrong boy. He wanted to punish the man he felt was responsible for his son's death but putting that man's son through everything his son suffered at the hands of the Viet Cong."

"When Dr. Sims heard that, he looked up sharply from the boy he was treating to ask, "are you talking about Danny Watkins?"

Hannibal looked startled before replying, "it was his father who kidnapped my son!"

"Colonel, I feel that I must explain about Danny and his father. Danny was all Daniel, his father had. He lost his wife during childbirth, and he became both mother and father to Danny. They were so close, and when Danny enlisted in the army and eventually was sent to Vietnam, his father was so proud. Danny wrote a few times about the unit he was in. His commander was a Colonel Decker, who he liked even though he was hard on his men, making them tough to survive. Everything was great until Daniel got the letter informing him that Danny was an MIA, most likely captured by the VC. Colonel, Daniel seemed to withdraw, and when he got the news that Danny had been rescued and would be sent home, he brightened up again until Danny arrived and Daniel could see the effects left by the VC. His physical injuries had healed, but not his mental injuries. Danny would tell his dad everything the VC had done to him to make him talk. He withstood them all up until they raped him, which broke him. Danny just couldn't overcome

that and eventually give up. He no longer wanted to live. One day he went for a walk with his dog, Maggie, and when they didn't come back, Daniel went looking for them. He found them in the woods near a brook that Danny liked to fish at. He was dead. Maggie wouldn't leave his side. Now I'm not excusing what he did to your boy…but after Danny died, all Daniel wanted was revenge on Colonel Decker since, in Daniel's mind, he left his boy to be captured!"

Hannibal nodded. "I know of other soldiers, POWs who couldn't get past what happened to them. Something like that is hard for a parent to endure as much as it is for the boy to recover from; I can see how something that could cause the parent to snap but not attack an innocent. You know it was my unit who found Danny wandering around. I don't know how he managed to escape, but he did."

"I just wanted you to understand what caused Daniel to snap," Dr. Sims said quietly before seeing Face's injuries.

"He'll recover?"

"Yes, but it will take some time to regain his strength. His fever is lessening, and he is getting IVs to manage his dehydration. I feel that he will have nightmares because of this experience, Colonel Smith."

"I know, but we have a way to help with that. He has a puppy whose presence keeps the nightmares away. Doctor, when can we take him home?"

"He should be able to travel in another day or so."

"He needs to rest now," I'll stay with him. "You look like you could use some sleep, too."

"Let me tell my family about our boy, and then one of us will stay with him. We will take shifts, but we will not let that boy out of sight for some time," Hannibal said seriously.

"I understand; I would feel the same way if my boy was. I have a room down the hall if you or your men want to nap," offered Dr. Sims.

Hannibal took one look at his son, he was sleeping peacefully at the moment, but they didn't know how long that would last. He then went out to talk with BA and Murdock. "He will recover, but it's going to take some time for him to get his strength back. We need to stay with him to be prepared for nightmares. The doctor has graciously offered us a spare bedroom to sleep in. We will take shifts…."

Hannibal was about to say more when he heard Face scream out his name, but before he could move, Maggie was running back there; by the time they arrived, they found the Golden Retriever lying next to the boy with Face's hand resting on the dog's back, and he was sleeping peacefully again.

"It look's like Facey will be fine as long as he has Maggie or Charlie sleeping nearby," Murdock said with a smile.

"It was amazing," Dr. Sims, who had been in the room, said. "Your boy was restless, his eyes filled with terror crying out for you, Colonel, and then Maggie appeared, and in only seconds that it took for the dog to jump on the bed and lay down next to him for your son to quiet down. He rested his hand, as you see it now, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. He knew that Maggie would protect

him."

"Maggie will be coming home with us. She attacked Daniel when he recaptured my son and started to beat him from running away!" Hannibal said quietly.