Calling in Backup (for za-lord)
[Note: This plot is not binding on any A-Team muses; for simplicity's sake I'm NPCing the team. Any vague similarities between this plot and the Children of Jamestown episode is because, in the finest tradition of The A-Team, I use stock footage.]
Rescue the girl from the bad guys, simple and straightforward. It was the kind of job Hannibal liked.
Their client was wealthy, which Face liked. Murdock had a helicopter, which he liked. Even B.A. seemed relatively happy, since they'd driven to the site.
So, when moving in on the barracks that the loony cult leader had the kids in, a feeling of unease crept over Hannibal, he couldn't understand the source. He held up a hand, signaling for Face and B.A. to fall back, and went on alone. If the plan had to be updated, he'd rather not have to factor getting the boys out alive into it as well.
A quick glance in the windows showed the sleeping quarters to be empty. He was certain they'd gotten past the sentries at the fence without being spotted, so no alarm should have gone through. Had he possibly missed intel about the cult's operations? It looked like something was going on tonight.
He broke into a gentle lope, crossing the grounds as quietly as possible towards the central building. As he neared, low chanting became audible. Definitely something going on. He edged along the wall to an open window--they were all gaping wide, as if they had no fear of discovery. Smoke tickled his nostrils, the scent of incense... He held his breath, not trusting the source. They were keeping the recruits under control somehow, it wasn't too radical an idea that it might be drugs in the incense.
"What's up, boss?" came a soft voice from behind him. Hannibal turned his head quickly, staring hard at Face. "Thought I told you to stay put," he growled under his breath.
The younger man looked unrepentant. "Thought you could use help. Need me to go in and find things out? The old car broke down thing?"
The colonel resisted rolling his eyes with a slight effort of will. "And you got past the sentries how, kid? No, I just want to watch a minute." He nodded at Bosco, who was coming up alongside them, and gestured him around the other side of the building. He and Face moved stealthily down the wall towards the front of the building, where the chanting originated, to get a better look.
Again signaling his lieutenant to keep back, Hannibal carefully peered in a window. Thirteen young people knelt in a loose semi-circle around an alter, all robed and hooded. He couldn't tell which one was Lydia, the girl they'd been hired to extract, but he had no doubt that she was among them. He didn't want to leave any of the teens or college kids in that sleazeball's grasp, but there were limits on what he could do. He would push those limits to the breaking point, though.
At that moment the constant chanting shifted somehow, becoming more intense. Everything was focused on the man behind the alter. Roger Karlson. He had ridiculous titles that he'd bestowed upon himself, but Hannibal wasn't going to use them even in thought. He didn't deserve any kind of honor.
Karlson raised his hands, and a sourceless light pooled around him. Hannibal froze, watching. He couldn't describe it, but there was definitely something unclean about that. And then the man looked up, directly into his eyes, a cruel smile gracing his lips.
"Down!" Hannibal shouted, throwing himself to the ground. He didn't wait to see what happened. The bastard was throwing something at them, and he didn't know what it was, how it acted, how to avoid it. They had to get out. He'd learned too much recently to take anything for granted.
All the windows blazed with light that billowed outwards, accompanied by a noise that could be described as an explosion, but not like any that Hannibal had ever heard before. Face had dropped when instructed, so whatever it was went over both of them. The colonel just had to hope that B.A. had done so as well. "Murdock!" he said, the comm unit picking it up, "extraction, northeast corner. Abort mission." He got into a crouch and pulled Face up, then took off at a run. The extraction point put them past Bosco's location, so they could pick him up on the way. He would be all right. He was the one Hannibal trusted to take care of himself.
That didn't stop him from giving a sigh of relief as he rounded the building and found his sergeant scrambling off the ground and moving to keep pace with him and Face. "What the hell just happened?" B.A. demanded.
Hannibal didn't answer, but they wouldn't have expected it. Number one priority was getting out, and they all knew it. The sound of a helicopter landing was beyond welcome, though the gunshots accompanying it weren't so much. The guards Karlson paid couldn't be expected not to notice that.
That was nothing, though. Guns Hannibal could handle.
Before long the three of them had gotten to the helicopter despite the opposition and were on their way. Even Murdock looked a little shaken; Hannibal never called an abort lightly. Now wasn't a time for explanations, though. Now was a time for solutions. He pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialed. "Pick up the phone, Harry," he whispered under his breath. "I need you."
Rescue the girl from the bad guys, simple and straightforward. It was the kind of job Hannibal liked.
Their client was wealthy, which Face liked. Murdock had a helicopter, which he liked. Even B.A. seemed relatively happy, since they'd driven to the site.
So, when moving in on the barracks that the loony cult leader had the kids in, a feeling of unease crept over Hannibal, he couldn't understand the source. He held up a hand, signaling for Face and B.A. to fall back, and went on alone. If the plan had to be updated, he'd rather not have to factor getting the boys out alive into it as well.
A quick glance in the windows showed the sleeping quarters to be empty. He was certain they'd gotten past the sentries at the fence without being spotted, so no alarm should have gone through. Had he possibly missed intel about the cult's operations? It looked like something was going on tonight.
He broke into a gentle lope, crossing the grounds as quietly as possible towards the central building. As he neared, low chanting became audible. Definitely something going on. He edged along the wall to an open window--they were all gaping wide, as if they had no fear of discovery. Smoke tickled his nostrils, the scent of incense... He held his breath, not trusting the source. They were keeping the recruits under control somehow, it wasn't too radical an idea that it might be drugs in the incense.
"What's up, boss?" came a soft voice from behind him. Hannibal turned his head quickly, staring hard at Face. "Thought I told you to stay put," he growled under his breath.
The younger man looked unrepentant. "Thought you could use help. Need me to go in and find things out? The old car broke down thing?"
The colonel resisted rolling his eyes with a slight effort of will. "And you got past the sentries how, kid? No, I just want to watch a minute." He nodded at Bosco, who was coming up alongside them, and gestured him around the other side of the building. He and Face moved stealthily down the wall towards the front of the building, where the chanting originated, to get a better look.
Again signaling his lieutenant to keep back, Hannibal carefully peered in a window. Thirteen young people knelt in a loose semi-circle around an alter, all robed and hooded. He couldn't tell which one was Lydia, the girl they'd been hired to extract, but he had no doubt that she was among them. He didn't want to leave any of the teens or college kids in that sleazeball's grasp, but there were limits on what he could do. He would push those limits to the breaking point, though.
At that moment the constant chanting shifted somehow, becoming more intense. Everything was focused on the man behind the alter. Roger Karlson. He had ridiculous titles that he'd bestowed upon himself, but Hannibal wasn't going to use them even in thought. He didn't deserve any kind of honor.
Karlson raised his hands, and a sourceless light pooled around him. Hannibal froze, watching. He couldn't describe it, but there was definitely something unclean about that. And then the man looked up, directly into his eyes, a cruel smile gracing his lips.
"Down!" Hannibal shouted, throwing himself to the ground. He didn't wait to see what happened. The bastard was throwing something at them, and he didn't know what it was, how it acted, how to avoid it. They had to get out. He'd learned too much recently to take anything for granted.
All the windows blazed with light that billowed outwards, accompanied by a noise that could be described as an explosion, but not like any that Hannibal had ever heard before. Face had dropped when instructed, so whatever it was went over both of them. The colonel just had to hope that B.A. had done so as well. "Murdock!" he said, the comm unit picking it up, "extraction, northeast corner. Abort mission." He got into a crouch and pulled Face up, then took off at a run. The extraction point put them past Bosco's location, so they could pick him up on the way. He would be all right. He was the one Hannibal trusted to take care of himself.
That didn't stop him from giving a sigh of relief as he rounded the building and found his sergeant scrambling off the ground and moving to keep pace with him and Face. "What the hell just happened?" B.A. demanded.
Hannibal didn't answer, but they wouldn't have expected it. Number one priority was getting out, and they all knew it. The sound of a helicopter landing was beyond welcome, though the gunshots accompanying it weren't so much. The guards Karlson paid couldn't be expected not to notice that.
That was nothing, though. Guns Hannibal could handle.
Before long the three of them had gotten to the helicopter despite the opposition and were on their way. Even Murdock looked a little shaken; Hannibal never called an abort lightly. Now wasn't a time for explanations, though. Now was a time for solutions. He pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialed. "Pick up the phone, Harry," he whispered under his breath. "I need you."