Every Thought Captive
Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.
Chapter 16 Security Breach
Face drove the jeep past the sentry check just outside the underground installation and breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're doing good so far, Doctor Stafford," Hannibal told him in a hoarse whisper.
"Do I have much choice? I saw the gun you tucked in your waistband. I have no doubt that if I alerted the guard you would make sure it was the last thing I did." The doctor's bitter tone and folded arms showed his reluctance to play escort to the two men.
"Then you don't know us very well. We want to get Murdock out of here but we don't kill people indiscriminately. Not even the ones who use our friends for their experiments." Face matched Stafford's harsh words with some of his own and gave him a sharp glare.
"But we can make their existence unpleasant," the Colonel added.
As soon as the Lieutenant parked the jeep, Hannibal came out from under the canvas tarp in the back. "Now, Doctor, if you would be so kind as to direct us to the room where our friend is, we'll take him and leave."
Stafford swallowed and led the way through the double doors. Stopping off in a general supply area, he grabbed a white lab coat and tossed it to Hannibal.
"Here, put this on. You'll blend in better," he muttered. Anxiously looking down the corridor, the doctor fidgeted as the Colonel slipped his arms into the garment and adjusted it over his shoulders.
"Okay. Take us to him." Hannibal made sure his handgun was concealed and they proceeded down the hallway.
Going directly to Room 27, Stafford knocked before opening the door. For a second, he stared blankly at the unoccupied bed and the rumpled blood-stained sheets. Standing just inside the doorway, he numbly watched as first Hannibal and then Face pushed their way past him. The door shut behind them and too late Stafford realized what must have happened to Murdock.
Shit! This is not going to be good.
oooooo
Colonel Jackson frowned as he neared the room where Professor Horace Pepper waited for official word on his release.
I'll nail Mendez's hide to the wall for deserting his post.
The Colonel rapped a quick staccato on the door before opening it. With one sweeping look, he took in the bound and gagged Mendez groggily stirring to consciousness, the Professor's discarded clothing and specimen bag and the otherwise vacant room.
Stepping back into the hallway, he ran to the nearest office and picked up the phone on the desk.
"Lieutenant Parkins. We have a security breach."
oooooo
"He's gone," the doctor stammered and ran a hand through his short gray hair.
The Colonel turned toward him, his blue eyes transforming to steel gray. He focused on the blood-smeared bed sheet and then on Stafford. "A few bruises?"
Stunned, Doctor Stafford's mouth gaped open as he shook his head. "I didn't do that."
And I didn't. But will these two men believe me?
Face closed the distance between himself and the scientist in three quick paces. Grabbing him by the fabric of his shirt, he pressed him up against the wall. His eyes were only inches from the doctor's face. "Where's my friend, Doc?"
"Jackson must have started the session without me."
Damn Jackson and his impatience! I should have known he'd do this. If he damaged the test subject . . .
Hannibal and Face glanced at each other before the Lieutenant tightened his grip on the man in front of him. "And where do these sessions take place?" he rasped, his eyes fierce with panic and animosity.
"Let him go, Lieutenant. I'm sure he's ready to be fully cooperative." Hannibal's jaw muscles twitched as he leveled his gaze on the man Face released in disgust. "Aren't you."
What choice do I have? But they aren't going to like what they find if Jackson monitored the session.
With trembling hands, Stafford smoothed down his shirt front and took a deep breath. Releasing it, he turned to the doorway. In a choked voice, he muttered, "Follow me. The Remote Viewing lab isn't very far."
He opened the door to chaos.
oooooo
Lieutenant Parkins barked out orders as he sent his men to their posts.
"Private Nelson, you and Private Florey go to Room 14. I want one of you inside the room and one of you by the door. You are to keep everyone except Doctor Stafford, Colonel Jackson and Mister Rollag out of there." He pierced the two Privates with a cold stare. "The man inside that room must be protected from all other outside contact. Colonel Jackson's orders."
After sending two soldiers to guard the double-doored entrance to the facility, he gestured for the three other soldiers to follow him down the hallway. "We will begin securing offices, rooms and laboratories. We are looking for someone who is passing himself off as Corporal Mendez so be on your toes."
oooooo
"We have to help them, B. A. Granite Peak is a military installation. Face and Hannibal are walking into a one-way ticket to the stockade." Amy placed her hands on her hips and frowned at the black Sergeant. She could tell he wanted to spring into action as well as she did but he was hesitant. His dark eyes flashed over her as he shook his head.
"If Hannibal and Face get Murdock an' hightail it outta there, we gotta be ready ta move. Can't do that if we're runnin' in there, gettin' ourselves detained." He squinted toward the distant mountain. "Ya gotta learn ta trust Hannibal. When he's on the jazz, nothin' can stop 'im."
She snorted her exasperation. "And how many times has one of his plans gone according to plan?"
B. A. growled an unintelligible answer. Seconds later, he brought the field glasses to his eyes. "Somethin's goin' on, li'l sis. It don't look good."
Three jeeps left the area of Granite Mountain, driving toward the outer perimeter. Each jeep turned on roads intersecting with the main road in a security sweep of the area.
"What are we going to do?" Amy gripped B. A.'s arm and watched the three armed patrol vehicles raise dust behind them.
"We're gonna wait an' see what happens next. You an' me gotta be ready ta deploy when the time's right." When Amy began to protest, he muttered, "An' that time's not now so relax an' keep your eyes open."
Even so, he turned an uneasy gaze toward the facility that was suddenly swarming with activity.
oooooo
Face removed the name badge from the uniform and tucked it in his pants pocket.
"Guess they figured out where the real Corporal Mendez is, Hannibal." He shrugged and drew his handgun, listening at the closed door.
Stafford noticed a glint come to the Colonel's eyes. Hannibal positioned his handgun in the pocket of his lab coat and pointed it toward him. "I would say we had better get to that lab, get Murdock and leave PDQ, wouldn't you, Doc? And with as little attention drawn to ourselves as possible."
These men honestly still believe they're going to be able to walk out of here with their friend? We'll see about that. I didn't travel all the way to Los Angeles to let my test subject escape so easily. There's a lot more work I want to do on him.
Face opened the door a crack, then all the way. The scientist lifted his chin in irritation and narrowly avoided running into two soldiers scurrying past. With Hannibal a foot behind him and Face right beside him, Stafford limped along the hallway toward Laboratory Two.
A soldier stood outside a room several doors away from the dowsing room.
So that's where the Captain has been taken.
Stafford glanced at Face out of the corner of his eye. If the Lieutenant had noticed the same thing, he did not show it.
The longer I can delay these two from finding him, the more possibility that they'll be discovered for who they are.
He paused outside the door to Laboratory Two. "I'm not sure he'll still be here. Colonel Jackson may have already monitored the first session."
He saw Hannibal's gaze flicker to the soldier standing guard down the hall before returning to him.
I've got to keep them away from that room.
"Stafford! Where have you been?"
He was never so relieved to hear the familiar voice coming toward him from down the hallway. Looking in that direction, he saw Jackson with two soldiers accompanying him striding toward them.
"I have to answer him," he mumbled to Hannibal.
"Then do it but be careful what you say." The white-haired Colonel nodded to Face and sent him down the hall toward Room 14 and the other guard.
"Colonel Jackson." Doctor Stafford stiffened and gave the man a smile. "I'm here now. Are we ready for the first session?"
He could see the Colonel's eyes settle on the man beside him. "A new assistant, Doctor?"
What can I do to get the Colonel's attention? I know.
"With a project as important as Vision Quest, I guess Uncle Sam felt I needed more help." He noted the frown on the man's face and narrowly avoided smirking. "Should I make sure the subject gets more mescaline prior to the next session?"
Jackson's eyes shifted to Hannibal and back again. Then he directed his focus to the second new guard standing at the door down the hall. When he looked at Stafford again, his gaze reflected understanding.
Thank God.
"No, I believe the last dose you gave him was adequate. Perhaps you and I should go see the test subject, Doctor. He may require a sedative. If your assistant would prepare the monitoring room for the next session." Jackson nodded a dismissal at Hannibal and drew the doctor away by the elbow.
Under his breath, he muttered to the two soldiers accompanying them, "The assistant is an imposter. Take him as soon as he enters the lab."
Jackson let his hand wander to his sidearm as he walked toward the room where his test subject was kept.
oooooo
Murdock huddled in a corner of the room, arms around knees drawn up to his chest. It was a position familiar to him whenever his psychoses threatened to permanently cripple him.
His mind was blurred with images that emerged from the darkness, taunted him for a brief moment and then retreated again. The memories were like the VC shadow soldiers that would dart from their hiding places to inflict pain and then disappear again.
He couldn't control the shudders that continued to plague him. Closing his eyes, he allowed his head to rest upon his knees. That only served to make the mental snapshots clearer and more brutal so he opened them again. Raising his head, he stared straight ahead at nothing which was somewhat better than the disturbing somethings in his mind.
He began to rock back and forth slowly as the images lingered for longer periods of time. Humming something had always helped him focus before but his ability to concentrate had been undermined with the remote viewing session. He couldn't think of a single song to sing.
A young soldier entered the room and stood immediately in front of the door. Murdock couldn't tell if the Private had been sent to keep him from leaving or prevent someone else from entering.
The soldier cast uneasy glances at him.
He thinks I'm insane. Maybe I am.
The mental images merged with reality. Ferret, one of the head interrogators in the camp, smiled into his face. He could almost feel the man's hand clutch the hair at the back of his head and pull it back until his throat was exposed and his breathing was constricted.
He whined, a low pained sound that became louder as he "saw" the knife come closer. Then the image disappeared and he sucked in a breath to prepare himself for the next.