Follow the Tiger

by Cindy Combs

  "He's still hurting," Toby replied, "both physically and mentally. I think he blames himself for his partner getting killed."

  "I thought he couldn't remember?"

  "He doesn't. Which probably just makes it worse."

  Jill frowned. "I can understand that. If he can't remember, he can't deal with it." After another glance at Toby, she softly asked, "You don't think he's suicidal, do you?"

  Toby's head popped up. "Hell, no!"

  "Then what's got you so worried?"

  Toby thought fast. "He's getting really bad headaches, and I suspect he's pushing that knee. I'm afraid that it's going to give out when he doesn't expect it."

  "And he'll get hurt again?" Jill added.

  "Or land into a situation he can't get himself out of."

  "Why isn't he at your grandmother's?"

  "I tried to talk him into it, but Cory wants to be by himself."

  Jill nodded. "I can understand that." She gave Toby a reassuring smile. "So we'll check on him."

  Toby gave her the brilliant smile that reminded her why she loved him. "Thanks."

  Late afternoon, base camp, somewhere in the Wind River Range, WY

  MacGyver drew in a deep breath after he set the camp stove on a rock. There was nothing like clean mountain air to make a person feel alive. It was the perfect touch to having his sons and Lisa all together. He really didn't care whether they found Rick's loot; he just wanted to spend time with the most important people in his world.

  The spot Rick had picked for the base camp was perfect. The lodge pole pines soared above them, their discarded pine needles carpeting the ground. Here and there, green bushes and wild roses made the most of the sunlight slipping past the trees. A river flowed nearby, soothing in its constant roar. Jim even had his choice of shade trees. Now they just had to get set up.

  Then he noticed where Nikki was setting down the tents. "Not there," he told her.

  Nikki gave him a puzzled look. "Why not? It's a perfect place."

  "No, it's not."

  Nikki's look grew heated. "It's flat. It's shaded. There's no large rocks."

  "It's in a low spot." MacGyver waved his hand towards the slope behind her. "If it rains, it'll collected there."

  Nikki rolled her eyes. "No, it won't. It will continue past the tent."

  Mac shook his head again. "Only after it forms a puddle."

  Nikki's eyes narrowed as her glare intensified. "I thought you were going to start listening to me?"

  "We're not at work," Mac replied, struggling to keep his own temper.

  "So where would Mr. Genius put the tents?" Nikki asked snidely.

  "Right there." MacGyver pointed out a spot a hundred yards away. "They'll stay dry there."

  "They sure will, since they'll bake in the sun most of the day!"

  "Better than being wet!"

  "Not when we won't GET wet!" Nikki placed both fists on her hips.

  Jim, hoping to avoid a full-blown war, quietly pointed out, "There is more than one tent."

  Nikki and Mac continued to glare at each other a moment more. "FINE!" Nikki snarled.

  "FINE," Mac snapped back.

  Nikki stalked back to the Suburban for more gear. MacGyver spun around to discover Blair, Sam, and Lisa watching him. Both his sons had an eyebrow raised, while Lisa just looked disappointed. "What?"

  Pretending to ignore his father, Blair commented to Sam, "You know, I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

  "Me, neither." Sam replied.

  "WHAT?" Mac demanded.

  "Our father can't take instruction from a woman," Sam explained as he followed Nikki's wake for another load. Lisa just shook her head as she followed Sam.

  "I can, too!" Mac called after them. "Just that I'm right!" Then he stalked towards the river, muttering something about Judases.

  Blair smirked. "Man, you could cut the electricity between those two with a knife. What do you think, Jim?"

  "I'm sleeping in Mac's tent." Jim walked over to where Dr. Rick was struggling to put up the tarp for the dining area.

  Nighthawk residence, Wind River Reservation, WY

  Rose Nighthawk thought hard as she washed dishes. She could almost feel the strands of destiny pulling towards each other, aching to meet. Something momentous would happen soon. She had been expecting it for a long time.

  It had been twenty-five years since her son Bill had phoned asking for help. His good friend and fellow officer was spinning out of control with grief, neglecting his young son. Bill had been stretched too thin trying to care of both of them. He asked if she would be willing to look after his godson while he looked after his friend. Family was important, so Rose readily agreed to take in young Cory.

  She glanced at her front door, remembering the day Bill had entered with the four-year-old in his arms. The little boy had his face buried into his godfather's shoulder, slender arms tight around the strong neck. Eager to see the child she'd heard so much about, Rose was startled by what else came in with them. A beautiful orange and black striped tiger followed the pair, sniffing suspiciously. For a moment, Rose felt its penetrating stare.

  "Hi, Mom." Bill's voice pulled her eyes back to the pair of humans. Her son was trying to coax the boy into greeting her. "Say hi to Mrs. Nighthawk, Cory." Briefly, the small face turned, providing a glimpse of sad, dark eyes. Then he immediately tucked his face back into Bill's neck.

  "Hi, Cory," The tiger curved around Bill's legs, as if trying to lend its support. Realizing the tiger was of the dream world, Rose tried not to stare at it.

  Bill gently pulled Cory away to sit on the books placed on one of the kitchen chairs. She could see the trauma still lingering in the large eyes. Acting as if scared boys and tigers were normal visitors in her kitchen, Rose asked, "Would you like a cookie?" The dark head solemnly nodded. As Rose brought over the plate of cookies, she saw the tiger sink into the little boy. From that moment on, she knew the boy was special.

  By the end of the year, Cory had become as dear to her as her other grandchildren. She could still hear his and Toby's young voices, imitating engine noises as they ran their toys over Dave's legs. She had been heartbroken when his father had been ready to take him back.

  Her attention was drawn out the window. A wolf was playfully jumping at a reddish hawk swooping above while a large black cat trailed behind them. She smiled. "So you're back." These were the spirits she'd seen a few years ago when Toby had been at a crossroad. While the wolf and cat had been vivid then, she hadn't really been able to see more than a shadow of the bird. "You are now ready for your destiny, too, eh, Hawk?" She could feel her gut tighten as she watched. Yes, the moment was at hand. But there was something in the air, something evil, that made Rose fear the meeting would not be an easy one.

  Next morning, base camp, Wind River Range, WY

  Even Jim had to admit to a surge of excitement as Dr. Rick rolled out the topo map of the area. After nearly losing Blair and MacGyver in the effort to keep the information safe, Jim wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

  Next to him, Blair and Lisa were still teasing Sam about his cooking mishap. "So I missed ONCE." Sam waved his hands. "What's the big deal?"

  "The pancake was half gooey," Lisa pointed out. "We couldn't even brush off the dirt."

  "Besides," Blair added, "You didn't need to flip them so high."

  Sam glared at him. "Well, SOMEBODY had to cook. If you didn't want me doing it, you should have gotten out of bed earlier."

  "Hey," Blair objected. "I'm on vacation. I'm entitled to sleep in."

  "So what's your excuse for the rest of the five years I've known you?" Jim observed dryly as he continued to study the map. He easily avoided the swipe his roommate sent his way.

  "So, where do you want to start, Rick?" MacGyver drawled, focusing the attention of his unruly family to the matter at hand.

  Dr. Rick brushed his finger around a nearby area. "From my research, I believe their hideout would b
e in this area somewhere."

  "Do you believe it's in the valley there, or somewhere along this mountain slope?" Nikki asked, tilting her head to study the lines.

  "That's the point I'm fuzzy on," Rick admitted. "The marshals lost them here and here." He pointed out the areas. "But the posse from Fortuity lost them around here." He tapped another place further south. "So that's why I suspect this area."

  "The valley would have water and good grazing for their horses, and stay relatively cool in the summer," Nikki pointed out.

  MacGyver nodded his head vaguely, deep in thought. "Yet the rocky slopes would provide shelter for hiding from lawmen, and I'm sure this river runs most of the year." Missing the glare Nikki threw at him, he glanced at the former ranger. "What do you think, Jim?"

  Jim concentrated on the map, his mind translating the lines and symbols into terrain. "Both are possibilities. However, the mountainside is going to be a lot rougher to hike than the valley."

  "Then we should start with the valley," Nikki suggested. "Leave the harder area alone for now, and search it only when we're sure the hideout's not in the valley."

  "Yet the very fact the slope is rougher terrain makes it a better possibility for the hideout's location," Mac pointed out, still focused on the map. "Plus it would make sense to search the rougher area first while we're fresh."

  Jim covertly glanced at both Mac and Nikki. Mac was still so deep in thought, he didn't even realize he was rejecting all of Nikki's ideas. However, Nikki was taking it personally.

  Picking up the same signs, Blair quickly jumped in. "Well, there are seven of us. Why don't we split up into two groups, with one searching the valley and the other starting on the slope?"

  "Good idea, Chief," Jim quickly supported, not wanting to witness another squabble between Mac and Nikki.

  "And we can cover more territory in the time we have," Rick agreed excitedly. "That way we have a better chance of finding something before we leave."

  "Well, I'm starting with the valley," Nikki stated firmly.

  "Me, too," Lisa decided. "I don't think I'm acclimated to the elevation enough to tackle those slopes yet."

  "I still have a bit of a headache myself," Rick decided. "I'll search the valley first as well."

  Studying the map himself, Sam tapped where the lines tightened and bent. "There has to be a fantastic view of the area from here. I can take some pictures while we go up, and we can study them tonight on Blair's laptop if we don't find anything today. I'll go in the slope group."

  Jim, thinking that the most fit should take the rougher terrain, decided, "I'll do the slope myself. How about you, Chief?"

  Blair nodded. "I'd like to see the view, too, from a safe distance. Besides, a trail called 'Outlaw Rock' has to be good karma for our search. Count me in."

  Mac looked up from the map, torn. Jim could almost see the wheels spin in the older man's head, analyzing the two groups as they stood. As much as Mac would have loved to explore the promising slope with his sons, he didn't like the idea of sending the girls and Rick off by themselves. Finally, his sense of duty won out. "Okay, I'll do the valley."

  Nikki gave him a bright smile. Jim wondered if Mac knew what he'd done to gain such favor, or if Nikki understood why Mac made the decision he did. Somehow, the sentinel doubted it.

  "So let's get the lunches put together," Mac ordered.

  "As long as I do the sandwiches instead of Fumble-Fingers," Blair replied as he followed his father.

  "Hey!" Sam protested as Lisa giggled.

  None of them noticed the tiny listening device attached to the underside of the table.

  Bill Nighthawk's cabin

  "Yes, Craig, I'm resting." Cory leaned his head against the back of the rocking chair as he talked on his satellite phone. "No, I'm not pushing my knee... Define stupid... That covers just about everything except breathing... I'm doing okay, honest." Closing his eyes, he listened for a while. "I don't know... I'm not ready... Craig, I don't know if I'll ever be ready to go back." Cory winced. He hadn't intended to tell Craig that yet. "No, you don't need to come out here... Craig, no... Craig!"

  Cory turned off the phone and groaned. He did not want to deal with Craig in person. While telling Toby his problems was one thing, telling Craig he was losing time and seeing things he shouldn't was something else entirely. He had no idea how his boss would take it, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. It could very well start the chain of events that could end with him losing his job, and perhaps even his freedom. As scared as he was about what was happening, Cory didn't think he could handle being locked up.

  Opening his eyes, Cory's entire body stiffened. Standing in the trees was a huge black cat. He wasn't sure if it was a leopard or a jaguar, but it definitely looked large enough to do damage. Another part of his brain pointed out that such a cat should be in a jungle, not semi-arid Wyoming, but he ignored it for the moment.

  The cat just stared at him as if it was searching his soul. Cory held his breath. Suddenly, he felt as if he had passed some test. A feeling of protective strength and trustworthiness flowed over him. Then with a flick of its tail, the cat turned and strolled into the woods. Within a moment it was gone.

  Cory could only blink, wondering what on earth he'd seen. Did schizoids see imaginary animals as well as people? Even more worried, he whispered, "Grandmother, you said to follow the tiger. You didn't mention a black cat."

  Trail head, Wind River Range, WY

  "Guess this is where we part ways," Blair declared, waving at the two paths forking from the trail.

  Dr. Rick rubbed his hands together. "I have been waiting for this for ages. Thank you all again for agreeing to help."

  "No problem." Lisa glanced up at the nearby switchback as it steeply climbed up the slope. "Though I'm glad I chose the valley."

  MacGyver also studied the trails. "You boys are going to be careful, right?"

  "Mac," Blair replied, rolling his eyes. "We'll be fine."

  "They're..." Nikki began.

  "Adults, I know," MacGyver finished.

  "Smile," Sam ordered. He quickly snapped a picture of the group.

  "Is that your new digital camera?" Lisa asked. "Can I see?"

  Standing quietly behind Sam, Jim took a deep breath. A familiar tingle of excitement shot up his spine. He wasn't surprised to see the tiger when he opened his eyes. The tiger lay in the shade, watching him curiously. Then it faded from sight. Jim mentally nodded to himself. No matter how worried Blair was, he knew the tiger wasn't there to harm them. Perhaps if he had some time later, he would try to track the tiger to its sentinel.

  But now they had a hideout to discover and loot to find. Jim took another deep breath, letting his senses stretch ahead. He registered the scents on the air, the moisture on his skin, the direction and strength of the wind against his arms, and the weight of the atmosphere against his body.

  "Jim?" Blair called gently, noting his sentinel's pre-occupation.

  Jim turned to the group. "We should keep an eye on the weather."

  Nikki looked at the deep blue sky. "Why?"

  "Feels like rain."

  While the rest of the group stared at him, Rick nodded. "We are getting into the time of year when the monsoon can kick in at any time. In fact, we are not that far off time-wise from when the Hanson gang was caught in the flash flood."

  MacGyver turned to his friend. "Then why did you insist we should look now?"

  Rick looked at his friend innocently. "Because I wanted to recreate the conditions. Don't worry -- they don't have flash floods EVERY year."

  Mac barely kept from rolling his eyes. "Yeah, but with our luck, we better be prepared." He smiled at his sons and Jim. "See you guys this afternoon."

  "First ones back start dinner," Blair called after the other group.

  Large SUV on a remote dirt road

  He nodded to himself. While he had hoped MacGyver would have taken the Outlaw Rock trail, perhaps it was better this way. The bank of cameras sh
owed the men crossing a bridge, pausing as the youngest snapped pictures. Once they had passed the old burn section, he could get back to work. He should have plenty of time to finish, then return to his rental to watch them spring his main trap.

  Three hours later, Outlaw Rock, Wind River Range, WY

  Blair took a long pull from his water bottle. "Man, it sure heats up quick around here." He sat down and opened his backpack.

  Jim nodded as he scanned the area. He sat down on a rock opposite his partner's fallen log. "It's the altitude. There's less air to heat up." He then pointed towards the nearby peaks. "But we're going to be cooling off soon."

  Sam clicked another picture of the valley below, then looked up. "Yeah, looks like you were right about the weather, Jim."

  "Those are some impressive clouds," Blair agreed as he watched the cauliflower-shaped towers reach into the sky. Then he continued to study the area around them as he pulled out his lunch sack. They had decided to eat lunch on the large rock face Sam had spotted on the map. Pine trees covered the gentle slope to their left, while the ledge they were on dropped off steeply. Another ledge rose above them, too high to see the top. As Sam had predicted, the view of the valley below was spectacular. "Man, it's going to be tougher than I thought, searching for a hideout in this area."

  Sam nodded as he sat on the log next to Blair. "We could be right on top of it and not spot it."

  "We're going to need a better game plan." Blair pulled out a pad of paper from his pack. "Any ideas?"

  Sam drummed his fingers on his knee. "Well, a grid pattern isn't going to work in this terrain."

  "That's for sure. We'd fall off a cliff." Blair repressed a shudder.

  "At least you would, since you can't read the map." Blair gave Sam a withering look.

  Unnoticed by the brothers, Jim tilted his head, his nostrils flaring.

  "Yeah, we almost need to THINK like the gang to figure out where they hid," Blair commented.

  Sam thought a moment. "So, if we had ill-gotten loot and wanted to hide from a posse, where would we go?"

  A vague memory associated with the faint scent poked at Jim's mind. He took a deeper breath as he rose to his feet.