40 New Plans
Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.
As Hannibal drove toward Alturas, he heard a feminine groan from the back seat followed by a sob.
"Easy, Melody, easy. Now don't try to sit up." Moments later the Colonel smiled slightly as Face murmured, "That's right. That's my girl."
"Temp?" A shuddering sigh, then, "Where are we?"
"We're going to the emergency room in Alturas." Hannibal glanced in the rearview mirror at Face. The Lieutenant gave him a sharp look.
"The same place you took Murdock?"
The older man nodded.
The kid's going to need a few stitches here and there. And his ribs need to be taken care of. Nothing I haven't handled before. But Melody . . .
Face interrupted his thoughts. "When you found Murdock, he was still alive . . . wasn't he?"
Hannibal remembered the vigil he kept over Murdock as they drove to Alturas. He also remembered the ragged breathing, the unevenly dilated pupils, the pleading voice as the medics took him. Hannibal pushed all of that deep inside himself. "He was alive."
Before either of them could say another word, Melody spoke up.
"I got . . . " She paused, taking a shaky breath. ". . . I got the idea you guys needed to be invisible. The kind of injuries Temp and I have can't be easily explained away. There's going to be questions."
"She's right, Hannibal. All of our gear . . . first aid kit, weapons, disguises . . . is in the van, wherever you parked it. Murdock's injuries will already have raised a few eyebrows if not all the red flags." The Lieutenant grimaced as he shifted in his place beside the rear bench seat where Melody rested. He caught his CO's scrutiny and faked a smile. "But you don't have to worry about me, Mel. The Colonel there's done so much medical fieldwork he might just as well have a license to practice medicine for real. Whatever I need to have done, he can fix me up. Murdock's the one that's in the emergency."
The older man sensed the emerald-green eyes of the young actress analyze his profile before she spoke again. "I'd rather not have to answer questions either. Injuries that look like they were from a car accident are bound to alert someone. Maybe you can 'fix me up,' too, John."
Several thoughts crossed through Hannibal's mind as he considered her words. If the medical conditions of Murdock, Face and Melody were not uppermost in his thoughts, he would have had a smart answer for her request.
He figured Face would offer his assistance to 'fix her up' but he was quiet. When he looked in the mirror, he could see the Lieutenant absently stared out of the window.
Probably wondering about Murdock.
"We need a place for us to clean up, John. Maybe a motel?" Melody softened her voice. "Then we can sneak into the hospital, one or two at a time, to see how Murdock is doing."
Face stirred, his expression suddenly clouded with irritation. "How do you think he's doing? You saw how he was. Those guys shot him because they followed you up there."
Hannibal took a breath to say something but Melody spoke first. "Despite what you might think, I didn't know Jack had his guys doing that. I didn't know he saw us together at the art festival, let alone recognize who you were. Heck, I didn't even know until John here introduced B. A. and all of you with your military ranks and said you'd all help me." She punctuated her angry, bitter words with short harsh breaths. "And I told Jack I wanted nothing else to do with him weeks ago but he won't leave me alone."
The Colonel made eye contact with Face. He raised an eyebrow, satisfied when the con man flinched slightly. "You weren't being careful enough if Jack made you so easily. Big public event like that and you let yourself be distracted." Hannibal added, "Not that Miss Raymond wouldn't distract a eunuch in Pharaoh's court with her beauty. The damage's been done. We'll talk about this later, Lieutenant."
They were almost to the Alturas city limits when flashing red and white lights and sirens approached them. Hannibal pulled over to the side of the road, even though the emergency vehicles were on the opposite side going out in the country where they had just been. The headlights of two fire trucks flooded the sedan with light for only a second and then passed.
Hannibal thought for a moment, then made a sharp U-turn to follow them.
"Where are you going, Colonel? I thought we were going into Alturas to find a motel and then go to the emergency room." Face straightened up, gasping a little at the pull in his ribs as he did it.
"What are the chances they're going to put out the fire in the field around that barn? While they're busy doing that, Jack and his men are going to lay low. I'm going to sneak back and retrieve B. A.'s van. Like Melody said, we need the supplies in it." Hannibal kept his eyes on the flashing lights ahead, rapidly becoming more distant.
"But Hannibal! Murdock . . . " the con man protested.
" . . . won't be in any better condition if we don't find ways to disguise ourselves when we do get in there. He would be the last person to have us risk being caught just to be with him. B. A.'s there. He has a cover story. We don't." The Colonel met Face's sullen eyes. "Besides, you look like the loser in a barroom brawl right now. They'd have you on a gurney as soon as they saw you." As he said it, he hoped he made the right decision.