Chapter 1
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December 1988
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The A-team was summoned to the meeting by Stockwell. It had been more than two years since Stockwell recruited them into these missions, promising them an eventual pardon. But they had learned that "Eventually" can be a very long time, they had their doubts that they would ever be free. They would just keep doing these covert missions until they were eventually killed, or were too old to do it anymore. What this latest mission involved, they would soon find out. Stockwell arrived, and he had a great poker face, but today he seemed a bit angry, though he did a good job of hiding it.
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Stockwell: Do you gentlemen know the name Heinreich Werner?
Hannibal: The Nazi war criminal. He was part of the death squads during their invasion of Russia, the ones who went out of their way to murder every Jewish person in the territory. From what I heard most of them drank excessively to dull the pain, but not him, he liked it. Which was why Himmler promoted him and he was a commander by the end. He was believed to have been killed in the final days of the war.
Stockwell: It turns out that was wishful thinking. When it was clear that Germany would lose he fled, with a fair amount of German weapons, started his business as an arms dealer. But he's getting on in years, and is resurfacing.
Hannibal: Any specific reason?
Stockwell: There is a meeting being planned in London, between Israeli and Palestinian diplomats. The meeting is very covert, otherwise the hardliners on both sides will try to disrupt it.
Face: But won't they have to tell the general public about the peace agreement?
Stockwell: Eventually, but such peace negotiations often begin in secret. There's never a guarantee of success but there's always hope. That is why Werner is resurfacing. If Israel is stable and secure, that flies in the face of everything the nazies believe in. And he doesn't really care how many Palestinians die in the conflict.
BA: I take it he still believes in all the same garbage he always did.
Stockwell: Correct. His business requires him to deal with people of other races, but he profits while many die. Because of his age, and financial interests in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he's willing to risk capture to disrupt the peace conference. Each side would likely blame the other, whatever chance of success the conference currently has would be gone. So your current mission is to kill or capture Werner and protect the diplomats. One more thing Colonel. Officially this is a kill or capture mission, the United States does not authorize assassinations. And if he were taken alive he could give us Intel. That's for the record. Unofficially, I don't believe Werner has any intention of being taken alive. If necessary, do whatever you have to do to protect yourself and your team.
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The A-team went off for his latest mission. Hannibal thought he saw anger in Stockwell's tone. Maybe he just read Werner's biography and naturally felt hatred towards him. But Hannibal couldn't help but wonder if it was more personal, maybe Stockwell was human after all.