James bounced a little in the driver's seat, glancing in the side mirror but there was no sign of any oncoming vehicle. When he turned his eyes to the rear view mirror, he started edging up a little but decided against it.
If I'm gonna see what I look like, I want a bigger mirror. The van cruised along the line of trees James had previously hidden in. And there was something there.
The van screeched to a stop, James leaned over the passenger's seat and pushed the door open to see the big, black and brown dog that appeared to be a combination of a Rottweiler and a German Shepherd. It was staring at James as if it knew him, and he didn't have to call it into the van before it reared back and jumped lightly onto the seat.
"Hey boy," James grinned, rubbing the dog's head. "You sure are cute. Do you have a name?" There was no collar, James looked back up to see the dog's face when it licked him from temple to chin. "Aw dog! That's gross!" He shouted, wiping the slobber off with his jacket sleeve and smiling wider at the dog.
"I guess you can come with me. But we gotta get a move on, those criminals are gonna catch up with us." He reached across the dog to close the door and stepped on the gas.
No more than an hour after he had found the dog, James came flying into that town where he had woken up. There was a small diner ahead and his stomach growled louder. After pulling into the parking lot, James jumped out and patted his leg until the dog followed him.
"I'm not sure if they allow pets. But we'll see," He opened the door for the dog and went in after him. A young woman was at the stand with a menu in her hands.
"Table for one?" she asked, smiling kindly.
James nodded. "Yeah, er...do you allow dogs?" He motioned down to the dog sitting at his feet. The girl looked down, her face suddenly contorting in confusion. "I don't see a dog..."
James looked down, meeting eyes with the dog, then back up at the girl. "You don't...but he's right..." When she shot him a wary look, he swallowed. "You're right, he must've...ran out...or something." He chuckled nervously as she bit her lip and turned, leading the way to a small table.
"Yeah, I'll be back to take your order...sir..." She nodded once uncertainly and scurried off.
James glared at the dog for a moment.
"Naw, it was 'bout four nights ago. I was outside in my front lawn when suddenly, there was this ginormous explosion!" A older man was excitedly saying to his friend at the opposite table. "They told me it was the generator malfunctioning, but I know who is was."
James leaned a little to the left, watching out of the corner of his eye. The man's friend looked amazed. "Who was it, Max? Come on, tell me!"
"I knew it when I saw that van drive by. It was the A-Team, they were here!" His voice had dropped to a giddy whisper and James felt his eyebrows mashing together, deciding to interrupt.
"Excuse me," He said louder to the two men.
The bigge one, Max, looked at him. "Hey, boy. You need something?"
James nodded slowly. "Kinda. I...saw that explosion too and-"
"Woo! that sure was something, wasn't it? One of the neatest things I have ever seen in my time!" Max crowed, grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh yeah, it sure was," James agreed carefully. "But I was wondering, about...about the A-Team?" Max's face went blank and the other man looked surprised. "Yeah, what did their van look like?"
But Max shook his head. "You'd love to know, wouldn't ya. So you can call your buddies and come back to take them off to prison. Well I'm not telling."
James sighed. "No no! I don't even know who the A-Team is. But I was hoping you could tell me-"
"You don't know the A-Team!" The other guy gasped, meeting eyes with Max. "No way, Pete. How do we know he can be trusted?" Max muttered.
"Because he looks honestly curious, that one." Pete argued back, then turned to James. "They are wanted by the government, but they are innocent men. At least, some people really believe that. But they are constantly on the run, always helping people. My young one really admires them, always hoping one day I'll need their services." Pete chuckled.
"But are they...bad?" James asked, leaning in.
Max shook his head. "It was all an accident. They've tried to explain that. I used to be in the Military and I remember hearing stuff."
James glanced at the dog, it had it's ears perked up as if listening to the story, too. "So...when you have a problem, you can call them for help?" He clarified slowly.
"Oh yeah!" Pete said loudly, hitting the table with his palm. "Just like them Ghostbusters, 'Who ya gonna call? The A-Team!' I thought of that one myself." He was laughing a a few heads turned, annoyed before choosing to ignore Pete.
Max shook his head and James half-smiled. "How do you contact them?"
Pete stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "You know, I'm not real sure." As he bit his lip, trying to decide, James noticed Max staring at him as if examining him. He looked over at him. "What?"
"You look real familiar...have I seen you before?" He asked, pointing a finger at James.
"Well I live around here," James lied, swallowing. Max shook his head. "No...that's not it."
The waitress was coming over, a notepad and pen ready in her hands. "Are you ready to order?" James shook his head. "Actually, I just want a...Coke." She stared at him for a moment before jotting it down and walking off, shaking her head.
"No you've never seen me." James repeated in a blank tone. But Max pried more. "Pete, don't he look like someone we've seen before?"
Pete scrutinized James then nodded. "Yeah! Almost like-" He suddenly broke off, his eyes widening as he turned to Max. Max shot him a confused look before understanding what he meant. His eyes grew also, both pairs turning on James.
"You're...you're...Captain Murdock! He's Captain Murdock!" Pete exclaimed, jumping in his seat and swatting Max on the arm.
James glared at him. "I am not!" And in an attempt to prove the man wrong, he bent over to dig in his backpack and brought out the records. Both men watched with growing enthusiasm. He opened to Murdock's page and slapped the paper with the picture down on the table facing the two. "See, I'm not him. We look nothing alike."
While the two men goggled at James, a man in a black suit walked through the door. His lowered his sunglasses along the bridge of his nose and headed towards the stand. "I'm meeting someone here, I think they're already here. Thank you." He announced before leaving the startled woman behind him, pushing the device in his ear.
"Sir, I believe I've got a lock on Captain Murdock." He whispered into the ear piece. "Get him." The reply ordered and the agent moved on to the table.
"You look like him." Max said again. Pete nodded. James groaned. Max looked up in irritation and noticed the CIA Agent drawing closer. "Uh oh. I think you best get out of here."
"Why? Who's he?" James lifted himself off the seat a little, watching the Agent.
Pete came forward and gave him a pushed. "Someone you don't need to be running into, get on then!"
Throwing the folder back into his bag and grabbing the picture in his hand, James stood, looking at the two men. "He's gonna follow me."
"No he ain't." Max stood and bustled to the Agent, saying something them grabbing his shoulders and spinning him suddenly. James grinned. "Tell him thanks for me!" He called to Pete as he hurried off.
There were two more Agents coming in the door. James skidded to a halt and turned down the hall, into the restrooms. He spun in a circle, locating a good window to climb out of when a flash of light brown hair caught his eye in the mirror. He turned.
I've seen that face before. He thought shockingly as he saw himself for the first time. Going closer, he reached up and touched his cheek. His reflection did the same. He lifted his other hand, still holding the paper and held it up.
The puzzle peices suddenly snapped together.
To hide your identity. Hello Captain. To our temporary home. These words from that raspy voice of Hannibal Smith re-entered James' mind and he gasped. "No."
Someone opened the stall behind him and a woman screamed. James spun on his heel to see the woman pointing at him and looked around. He was in the woman's restroom. Fabulous. He thought sourly, groaning and jumping for the window as the door banged open and the two Agents pushed in.
James was halfway out the window when one grabbed his foot, pulling him back. Gripping the window sill tightly, James pushed forward and looked back, aiming a kick at the Agent's nose. It made a satisfying crunch and he yelled, pulling again on James foot. James fought back and felt his shoe slide off in the Agent's hand. Seeing his opportunity, James hauled his whole body out the window and hit the grass face first. Before taking off, he checked his inventory; he still had everything in check.
Leaving the frustrated Agents behind, James hurried around the building to the van, only to see that dog standing by the door as if it had been guarding it. Nodding at the dog, James jumped in the van and started the ignition, backing out and speeding off as the Agents ran out of the diner. He sped down the road, the needle moving as far right as if would go and he felt the van begging for mercy under him.
He pushed it on, not stopping until he was good and out of that town. He found that tree lining eventually and brought the van to a stop. The dog gazed at him with wondering eyes and James closed his eyes, slamming his forehead down on the top of the steering wheel.
"I'm not him." He murmured to himself. "This is all a mistake...they've got me mixed up with someone else." He peered out at the dog. "You know what they say. Everybody has a twin somewhere in the world. This Captain Murdock must be my twin..."
The dog suddenly barked loudly, making James let out a high pitched curse and jumped in the seat. "What's your problem?" He cried, hitting the steering wheel and seeing the dog stand to turn its back on him and look out the window. James watched it, his eyes stinging. "You think I'm lying to myself?" He asked quietly, feeling the wetness run down his cheeks.
The dog all but ignored him. James rubbed his nose. "I gotta find my real family...find who I am," He reached out to touch the dog. It turned its head to look at him, it's tongue hanging out. "We're alike. No identity. Only a first name...oh, you don't have one of those either." He bit his lip, thinking. "Sam...Rover...Rex..." He tried and the dog seemed to be glaring at him. "Spot..." The dog growled. "You're strange, you know that?" James shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Barkley...Bones...Billy..." The dog let out another bark.
James lifted his head. "Billy?"
It licked his hand. "Billy...you like that name? Huh. Sure, okay." He shrugged, leaning back against the window and petting the dog. It turned back to the window.
Billy's nose was picking up a familiar scent from outside. Hair gel...cigar smoke...car grease...
A/N: How are you liking this so far? Review please :)