Disclaimer: I do not own, nor did I create, any of the A-team characters (main or support) nor do I own, nor did I create, any of the episodes. That credit is due to Stephen J. Cannell and his associates. Any familiar catch phrases or settings also belong to the Cannell team.

Dimitri Shastakovich, Ivan Pedavich, and. Looney Morrison are characters belonging to Stephen J Cannell and Associates.

Spoiler Alert: References characters and revelations from Season 4 Episode 14 "The A-team is Coming".

Author's Notes: A theory about how The A-team first met the KGB operative Dimitri Shastakovich alluded to in Season 4 Episode 14.

Summary: Now the Team must capture and seek rescue.

From Russia with Not Quite Love: by LAGC

Chapter Five: Getting Back to Base

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For another grueling hour the Team and their charge played an agonizing game of cat and mouse with the perusing enemy. Finally Hannibal let his wild side take hold and made the executive decision to split up the unit. He ordered Face to lead the team to the target while he would lead their pursuers off on a wild goose chase in an opposing direction. Face had vigorously raised his objections to this plan which were all summarily deflected by Hannibal.

"Ain't no use, man." BA had assured Face, "Hannibal is on the Jazz. Ain't no reasoning with him now."

"You know that BA speaks the truth, Faceman. Best to just go with the flow." added Murdock.

"Good, glad it's all settled then. We rendezvous at the target in three hours. Call it in as soon as you can." Hannibal stated as he slipped off into the jungle.

Face simply shook his head and muttered, "Damn Jazz." then followed his Colonel's orders and lead his unit toward the target.

It became clear rather quickly that Hannibal's decoy plan was working. They soon recognized that they were no longer had their enemy snapping at their heels like wolves. Face slowed their pace,just a bit. After about twenty minutes he called a halt. They all took the opportunity to drink and gulp down a bit of chocolate. Murdock radioed in their position and extraction request. The request was met with a bit of resistance until Face took the com and worked his magic with the officer in charge of dispatch.

"Murdock can you please make an effort to stop pissing off the people in charge of the helicopters and flights. I'm exhausting all my contacts and special favors acquiring the items it takes to smooth down all the feathers you ruffle." chastised Face.

"What did you have to promise this time, Buddy?" inquired a less than repentant Pilot.

"A three day RnR pass for the dispatcher and two cases of cigarettes for the ground crew" sighed Face. "I was saving that pass for a special and rather lovely nurse in the med. unit."

BA had spent this time working with Dimitri to adjust his split which had shifted during their escape. "Let's move." said BA gruffly

The next ninety minutes passed uneventfully. They were nearing the LZ and extraction was expected within the next hour, just enough of a window before dusk fell. Any later and it would be too dark for the pilot to bring the chopper into the small clearing among the tightly woven trees.

"Hannibal better get his butt here soon. I ain't leaving without him." grumbled BA.

"Don't worry, Big Guy, he'll be here." soothed Murdock.

"We won't leave without him, BA. We all go out together." Face promised simply.

Dimitri had observed all this quietly and contemplatively. "Colonel Smith's orders were to reach this site and get extracted. Were they not?" he asked

"We are here. We've requested the chopper. We're following his orders." replied Face through a clenched jaw.

"But now you are planning to disregard those orders if Smith does not return in time. I do not think he ordered you all to wait for him."

"He didn't but he didn't have to. We all come in together, we all go out together. It's understood." Face snapped.

"We are a Team." Murdock added, patting Face's tense shoulder.

"I believe that the word team does not even begin to describe what the four of you men actually are." conceded Dimitri.

"Don't you worry Shastakovich. When the chopper gets here. You'll get on it. What we do then is our business." snarled BA.

"I am not being critical. I am simply observing."

"Well then observe with your mouth closed." declared BA as he passed out bags of MRE. "Just eat and be quiet."

First there was a bit of site setup to do and needs to be seen to. Eventually the men settled down to ingest their rations.

"Hey where is my piece of this feast?" Hannibal quipped as he materialized out of the brush.

Dimitri jumped. Murdock and Face released their subtle holds on their hand guns.

BA simply gestured to the bag and canteen he had placed on the log next to him.

"Heard you coming and your monkey call about three minutes ago, Man. What took you so long." said BA through a rarely displayed smile.

"Ah just enjoying the scenery while on my walkabout, Sergeant." replied Hannibal.

"Huey ETA - thirty minutes, Colonel." Face reported, relief evident in his eyes.

"Good. I have time to dine then. Your stroll in the woods was uneventful I assume."

"Dull as a churchyard on a Tuesday afternoon, Colonel" Murdock mischievously responded.

Relatively on time the tell tale thump-thump of chopper blades could be heard in the distance. The A-team scooped up their gear and injured prisoner and hot footed to the landing site. Everyone climbed on board and the pilot lifted off. For once no enemies were in sight or detected.

"Thanks for the pickup, Jones." Hannibal spoke into the headset.

"Well it was my turn Colonel Smith and Murdock wasn't on base to cut me off this ." replied the pilot.

Hannibal simply nodded and shot Murdock a hooded glance and smirk.

The flight back to base was quick and simple. The only distraction was Murdock fidgeting because he didn't know what to do with himself as an unencumbered passenger. He made one too many reflexive grabs for his phantom controls at which point BA had promised to ram him into the rescue harness, shove him off the chopper,and let him dangle like a turkey all the rest of way to the base. This had squelched Murdock's twitching long enough for them to land without further incident.