Chapter 17 – The Last Will and Testament
When they all get together the next day, Face broaches a touchy subject.
"Ah, when I was at Hannibal's place getting his picture for the obituary, I found a will. I know we all have wills here in my safe, but there was also one in his desk drawer. I figure it's a newer version, but I'll cross check it with the one I have as far as dates go. Anyway, I was the executor of his first one, but I haven't even opened the other one. I wanted to wait until we were all together and could sit down and look at it. Any objections?"
"No", both Murdock and B.A. say at the same time.
"Okay, let me get it."
He goes over to his safe, which is in the floor under a rug, in front of the fireplace. He gets down on one knee and opens it with a few turns of the dial and reaches in. He makes a small groan as he gets back to his feet.
"I'm going to have to get that moved to a better location. My knees aren't what they used to be."
Face walks over to the table and puts the folder down. The other two come over to join him. They each sit down and wait for him to explain what is in the folder.
"Well, here is the will that Hannibal gave me many years ago, and here is the one I found. Let's see. The date on the new will is only a week before Hannibal died, so I guess it will replace the one I had in safekeeping.
New Will and Testament of John Hannibal Smith, dated this 14th day of July, 2010.
I, John Hannibal Smith, being of sound mind and body, do place this will into effect this day. I am asking Templeton Peck to be the executor of this will and I ask him to please abide by everything that I have written here.
First, I must say that if this will is being read, then I must be dead. I hope I went out with the style I am accustomed to. I always liked playing a death scene, so hopefully mine was beautiful.
Well let's move on. I wish for all my household items to be given to the Disabled American Veterans. I don't have anything real special, but they can have everything in my apartment, with the exception of a few items, which I will lay out next. To Face, I leave the humidor that Murdock won and gave to me. Since you are the only one that smokes cigars, I figure you will get the most out of it, also the many paintings that you gave me over the years. They brightened up this place and made it very nice. You can also have my make-up and my wardrobe that is in storage, if you need it for any reason in the future.
To B.A., I leave all the neat gadgets that you made for me over the years. I still have several in the storage space and a few here at the apartment. You know B.A. you really should patent some of these. They could be worth a fortune. I also leave you all the tools I have, which are few and far between, but you can probably get some use out of them, and the small percentage I have in those two boxers, Morgan and Stiles. Keep an eye on them. I think they will go far.
Murdock, I leave you my video, record, and cd collections and the vintage record player that you gave me for Christmas three years ago. Enjoy! You may also have my small hat collection. I think you gave me most of them in the first place.
That leaves the Mercedes. I always thought of her as a girl and I think she should go to a beautiful girl who will not race her, or take her around corners on two wheels. I hope that Kelly enjoys her and drives her with style.
"Oh wow! I can't believe he gave his baby to Kelly. I am so touched."
"That's right, you're certainly touched."
"Guys I'm not finished yet, do you mind?"
"Go ahead Face, we'll be quiet." B.A. gives Murdock a glare that says "be quiet", and Murdock closes his mouth without saying another word.
"Ahem, let's see, where was I? Oh right."
Face, get all the weapons out and split them up amongst you three. I know you don't think you will need them in the future, but who knows? They might come in handy. In fact, I think you might just need them sooner than you think. Oh, unless you can find Colonel Decker, give him my forty-five. I think it will bring back fond memories. If not, Face, you take it. It is the gun that a leader should have, and you are officially now the leader of the A-Team, whether you like it or not. Got it?
Last, I would like you to split my assets equally. I hope you do something that will make me proud. I know you will because you always have. Well, I guess that's it. I will see you all on the other side, when your time comes. Keep in touch with each other, and remember you are always a team.
Nothing is said after Face finishes reading the will. They are all thinking the same thing though. Each one of them would rather have the Colonel back, than any of his things. Finally Face breaks the silence.
"Well, that's all there is."
"Right," Murdock says through a choked up throat. "Face, what do you think? Did he know something was going to happen? I mean what was that about us needing the weapons?"
"It don't mean nothin' fool, he was Hannibal and he always saw another battle in his future. That's just the way he was."
"I don't know B.A., I really don't know. Maybe Murdock is right, maybe Hannibal did know that something was going to happen. I mean, he did rewrite his will, and if I would have read it before now, he would have been aiming us toward doing what we ended up doing anyway."
"Wow, I never thought of it that way. Maybe that's why Hannibal keeps talking to me. He needed to make sure we followed through and solved this crime."
"What, what did you say crazy man? Are you bein' crazy again?"
"Now B.A., I think Murdock is fine. You need to back off and leave him alone. You know you are really going to drive him crazy with all this."
"Yeah B.A., I need all the help I can get right now, you know with Hannibal gone, and being away from Kelly, and all."
"Well I just don't want ta hear you talkin' about hearin' Hannibal. I don't like that weird stuff, and you know it, so cool it!"
Everyone calms down and they make plans for going to Hannibal's apartment to clean it out.
"I can get a truck and meet you all over there about 8:00 a.m."
"Ah B.A., could you make that 10:00? I really would like to sleep in and…" He sees the look on B.A.'s face and says, "8:00a.m.? Fine, that will be great."
"I'll call the DAV and see if they can come by and pick up all the household items, and if they need to be in boxes, or whatever." Murdock grabs the phone book and looks up the number. While he is calling, there is a knock at the door. Face answers it to see Det. Johnson standing in the hall.
"Come in, how's it going Detective? You didn't come to arrest us did you?"
"No, no, I just came to fill you in on all the details. I figured I owed you all that."
Murdock hangs up the phone and comes over to sit down to listen. "You mean, there is more to all that mess than we knew?"
"Right, Captain! It seems that Thompson tried to buy plutonium from a freighter captain named D'Jean. He pulled a trick and only coated some rocks with enough radioactive material to cause a Geiger counter to register. So Thompson lost out all the way around. The money he was stealing from the banks to buy the plutonium just went to line D'Jean's pockets. D'Jean was picked up by Homeland Security for various charges of terrorism and aiding a terrorist in the commission of a crime, etc. He doesn't get to spend his money either. They just got to him before he hit international waters. Pretty ironic when you think about it. It's just too bad that Colonel Smith had to die.
"Not if you look at it in one sense. I mean we wouldn't have gotten involved at all if the Colonel hadn't been shot."
"I don't know Face, Hannibal may have decided this was crazy enough to bring us out of retirement for." Murdock always likes to look at the crazy side of things and B.A. is the first to comment about it.
"Only you would come up with that kind of crazy logic. I think your brain just rattles around inside your head."
"Well Waters and Thompson are a pretty closed mouth duo, but not their group. They have been naming names and giving details. Anything that will maybe help them get off easier. I guess you know most of what went on. They were just a group of would be terrorists, who were thwarted by the A-Team once again. The next best thing is that the commissioner is not going to fire me for bringing you all in on this. However, I better keep my nose clean from here on out. We do have a lot of other cases that could use you guy's expertise, shall we say, if and when you want to help out!"
"I'm afraid we are re-retired, if you know what I mean."
"I don't know Faceman, we could think about helping out once in a while, don't you think B.A.?"
"No, I don't. I don't like working for the police, and you know it!"
"Well anyway guys, I just wanted to tell you all "thanks" again for all you did. You performed a great service for this city, and I have something special for you. It's a check from the parents of the students that you saved."
He handed the check to Face, and his face lit up.
"How much is it for Face?" Murdock asks.
"One million dollars!"
"You're kiddin'? We never got a payout like that!" B.A. is astonished.
"Maybe we should rethink our position on re-retiring."
"Maybe." Again Murdock and B.A. say the same thing at the same time.
"I gotta go guys. I still have some paperwork to do. You know how it is. We have to do everything by the book. It's not your long suit I know, but I have to. Well, thanks, again."
He walks out the door leaving the team standing there looking at the check.