Chapter 7
Epilogue
 

BA brought the bike to a halt beside the park bench where Hannibal, Face and Murdock were waiting. Murdock dashed over and flung his arms around BA, hugged him tight.

"Get off me, fool." But he didn't push Murdock away. After a moment Murdock stepped back and finally took in what it was BA was riding.

"Oh my god, BA, you got a Harley! Can I ride it? Can I? Can I?"

Hannibal and Face came over grinning.

"Welcome home, BA," Hannibal said. BA shook hands with Face and then Hannibal. Hannibal looked the Harley Davidson over. "I have to say, Sergeant, when you escape, you escape in style."

"Yeah," BA said. He got off the bike. Theft was beneath him, but in this case his moral obligation as a mechanic had forced him to rescue the Harley from being sliced up.

It had been a long ride back to LA, but he'd needed that. Needed the time alone to think. He'd almost not come back at all, not sure he could actually face Hannibal again, face any of them again. Look them in the eyes and pretend he hadn't almost sold the team down the river.

But where else was he going to go?

Murdock was sitting on the bike now, making vrooming noises. Face stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder, laughing. Hannibal watched them both, shaking his head and smiling.

None of them ever had to know. Never had to know about the choice BA had been offered. And the choice he had made. Maybe on his death bed BA would confess it, but not before then.

The only thing that worried him was the second copy of the immunity agreement, the one they'd sent to his lawyer. Because he didn't know if they'd sent it to some military appointed lawyer, or to that guy Kelly. He'd been feeling too numb at the time to remember to check. It didn't matter though. Lawyers had to keep stuff confidential didn't they? Even if Kelly had it then the secret was safe with him.

"So, you've heard Taylor is off the case?" Hannibal said.

"I guessed something like." BA looked hard at Hannibal. The colonel was smirking as if he knew something. BA wouldn't put it past him to somehow be behind Lynch getting reinstated.

"What was she like?" Hannibal asked.

"Not so tough." BA said with a shrug.

"Do-able?" Face asked. BA just scowled at him. Hannibal laughed.

"Come on, BA," he said. "You won't believe the size of the dinner we're gonna buy you to celebrate."

~~~~

When Benson arrived at the base he found Taylor outside on the running track doing laps. She saw him and ran up. He saluted smartly.

"Reporting for duty, Colonel."

"Welcome to Kansas, Captain." She drank from a water bottle. "Good to have you here."

"Thank you for requesting the transfer, ma'am," he said, with sincere gratitude. He took a folder from the briefcase he carried. "I brought you a gift."

Taylor looked at it, frowned. "A fingerprint report?"

"I lifted the fingerprints of Baracus's lawyer from his coffee cup."

She looked at him in surprise. "And why did you do that?"

"I'm a naturally suspicious and distrustful person, ma'am."

Taylor looked down. Benson suspected she was hiding a smile.

"Excellent work. So, did this Kelly have some kind of record?"

"You could say that, Colonel."

She opened the folder and read the information inside. Her eyes opened wide and then she started to laugh. She laughed for a long time.

"Thank you, Captain, thank you very much." She handed him back the folder. "Go and get settled into your office." She ran off along the track again. He could hear her still laughing.

Lynch did her a favour, Benson thought. Taylor's good, but even she wouldn't have got them. She thought she was close. She was nowhere near. Lynch taking the case back has probably saved her career.

As Benson headed to his office he glanced into the folder again, at the words on report.

"Identity confirmed: Colonel John Smith. Fugitive. Please detain."

"Please detain." Benson laughed too. "Yeah right."