Time frame: During Firing Line.
Warnings and Ratings: This is rated PG by the fanfic standard rating system. Warnings: Character death and angst for the others.
Author's note: This is my very first A-Team fic. Let me know what you think.
Summary: What if Frankie and Murdock's plan had gone wrong?
A Plan Gone Bad
By Dana
Templeton "Faceman" Peck glanced over at BA Baracus and John "Hannibal" Smith before his blindfold was put on. He hoped this would work. He didn't want to die. He didn't want any of his friends to die either.
Hannibal sighed inwardly as he made sure the drug was still in his mouth. Frankie and Murdock had come up with a good plan. He just hoped it worked.
BA growled as the blindfold was put on. He hoped the fool didn't mess up. If the plan went well: he would keep the promise he had made in the dream. Hannibal said it would work.
All three men swallowed the pill as the man in charge said aim. They could hear the guns being fired and let the pills do their jobs.
One of the men gasped when he was hit. It wasn't a fake bullet. 'No!' He silently yelled as he let the darkness then the light take him.
The plan had gone horribly wrong.
The firing squad saw nothing different as the three men sank to the ground. Nor did they notice one was bleeding more then the others. They put the bodies in body bags and waited for instructions. BR
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Murdock sat on the boat and nearly started crying when he heard the gunfire. What if the plan didn't work? What if he lost his best friends in the entire world? Frankie put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "don't worry Murdock. They'll be fine. By the time we get to LA, Stockwell will have them."
Murdock nodded but stayed quiet. What if it didn't go well? He didn't know what he would do. He couldn't get the noise of gunshots out of his head. He silently prayed that the others were fine and just drugged.
A couple hours later, General Stockwell had the bodies taken out of the morgue and into a warehouse. His agents unzipped the bags and stood back so the doctor could examine all three men. He checked the Sergeant first. "He's breathing okay and seems to be stabilized," He put on a breathing mask to give him extra air. He walked over to where the Colonel lay and checked him. He nodded at Stockwell after giving him Hannibal a mask for extra air. "So is he," He walked over to the lieutenant. He started to use the stethoscope to listen to Face's chest when he saw real blood seeping through the shirt of the army fatigues. "General I think we have a problem," He said and quickly started to listen to the breathing. He couldn't hear any. He checked for a pulse and didn't find one. He looked up at Stockwell and shook his head. He zipped up the body bag. The gurney was moved off to the side.
Stockwell was sure he didn't want to see the others reactions when they found out Face was dead so he moved off to the side not too far away from where Face's body lay.
BA and Hannibal started to wake up. The doctor went up to Hannibal who woke up first and was taking the mask off. "Take it easy Colonel Smith. The drugs haven't fully worn off yet." The doctor turned his attention back to BA who was trying to get off the gurney. "Don't worry about the disorientation Sergeant. It's part of the drugs."
The A-Team van pulled up and an excited Frankie and Murdock jumped out and ran over to the team. While Murdock greeted BA, Frankie noticed someone was missing. "Hey where's Face?" He asked.
Hannibal looked around and also noticed his lieutenant was missing.
Stockwell approached them. "I would like to congratulate the two of you for making it back alive." He let the sentence stand so they could figure that out.
"Where's Face?" Hannibal asked his eyes narrowing on Stockwell. He had a bad feeling about what Stockwell meant. Something was wrong.
Stockwell sighed before beginning. "Colonel my doctor here checked all three of you when you were brought here. Unfortunately, it seems, Lieutenant Peck was shot with a real bullet." One of his agents moved the gurney closer and waited for any signal to unzip the bag. Stockwell nodded and the agent quickly did so.
Hannibal got off his gurney and walked over to the man he always thought of as a son. He could feel the tears start to fall and quickly wiped them away. He had to be strong for his team. He could hear Murdock crying hysterically, BA, and Frankie trying to calm him down. He turned back around and glared at Stockwell. Who was trying to stay out of the others way.
"I am sorry Colonel Smith. That was the chance you took." Stockwell said and started to walk out of the warehouse.
BA, who had been moving away from the hysterical Murdock, lunged at Stockwell. He had already regained his strength and balance. Now all he saw was red. "This all your fault!" He yelled and punched him in the jaw. "If you hadn't set us up, Face wouldn't be dead!"
Stockwell's agents pulled the irate sergeant off their boss. Stockwell picked himself off the ground and dusted his clothes off. "You should control your men better Smith if you're going to work for me."
"Why would we want to work for you?" Hannibal asked walking closer to Stockwell. Stockwell backed up seeing the murderous gazes in both Hannibal and BA's eyes.
"I think the better question is, why wouldn't you?" Stockwell asked calmly.
"After what you did you expect them to work for you?" Frankie asked. He couldn't believe the audacity of Stockwell.
"Like I said. I'm sorry for your misfortune but it wasn't completely my fault," Stockwell said starting to back up more when Murdock was on his feet. "Talk about it and let me know. Here's my number," He said and hurried into his waiting limousine.
"He doesn't really think you'd work for him does he Johnny?" Frankie asked.
Hannibal's attention was on Murdock who was kneeling next to Face's body and crying hard again. Hannibal wanted to join in but would save his crying for private. He couldn't lose it in front of his team. "I don't know Frank," He said turning back to Frankie.
Frankie nodded and went over to Murdock and tried to comfort him although his own regret was setting in. If he had paid better attention to the bullets, he wouldn't have left a real bullet lying there. He started to feel like a fifth wheel, he started walking towards the pier leaving the others to their own mourning.
He was sure the team blamed him and they wouldn't want him around. How stupid could he have been? They were depending on him to make the switch and he messed up.
"Yo Frankie wait up!" BA's gruff voice called after him.
Frankie turned around and waited for BA. He wasn't sure what to expect. He could see Hannibal helping Murdock into the van.
"Come to the warehouse with us," BA said.
"You guys don't need me," Frankie said. "Not after what I did."
"It ain't your fault man," BA said.
"If I was more careful Face wouldn't have been killed," Frankie said looking at the ground.
"We don't blame you. We blame Stockwell. Got it?" BA asked. It wasn't Frankie or Murdock's fault. "Come with us Frankie."
Frankie nodded and followed BA back to the van. Frankie opened the door and found Murdock curled up into a ball on the floor. Frankie sat in the seat closest to the door and was quiet.
"To the VA, BA," Hannibal ordered taking out a cigar and started smoking it. The van was quiet the whole way to the Veterans Hospital. Except for the soft sobbing from Murdock.
When they got to the VA, Hannibal asked Frankie to help Murdock into the hospital because he and BA couldn't go in.
"Come on Murdock let's get you inside," Frankie said quietly.
"I forgot Billy!" Murdock said looking around for his imaginary dog.
"Who's Billy?" Frankie asked Hannibal.
"His imaginary dog. Don't worry Murdock! We'll find Billy and bring him to you," Hannibal called to him with a sad tone.
BA shook his head. The death of Face probably would destroy whatever sanity Murdock had left.
Frankie helped Murdock into the VA. Murdock was babbling nonsense. "You killed Face!" Murdock yelled pointing at someone in the doorway.
Frankie recognized the guy right away. Murdock told him during the trial that his name was Colonel Roderick Decker. Frankie could only watch as Murdock dove at Decker and started to punch him in the face. "Murdock!" He yelled as he watched the orderlies pulled the kicking and screaming man away from Decker.
Dr. Richter came up to Frankie. "What is going on here?"
"Murdock's friends were executed this morning," Frankie had to keep up the charade that they had all been executed.
Decker was just picking himself off the ground and looked Frankie straight in the eye when he said, "Then why did he only say Face?"
"I don't know! He's also worried about an invisible dog," Frankie said looking Decker right in the eye also.
They could both hear Murdock still screaming Face's name as he was pulled down the hall to his room.
Frankie shrugged and started to go out the door again. "Hold it young man," Decker called. "I want to know why he's only screaming Peck's name."
"As far as I could tell Face was his best friend. That should be self-explanatory," Frankie said. "Now I've got an interview to go to. If you'll excuse me..."
"I'll be watching you Santana," Decker called after him.
Frankie rounded the corner of the hospital and leaned his head against the wall. This couldn't get any worse.
To be continued
The fic will be continued in it's sequel. I have no idea what the fic will be called though. Email me at and let me know what you think of the fic.