Follow the Tiger

by Cindy Combs

  "Well, number one would be to find a place to hide," Blair thought out loud.

  "Duh," Sam returned.

  Jim's brow wrinkled as he realized the scent was human. As Jim searched for the source, he noticed a video camera perched in the branches of a tree. What's a camera doing here?

  Blair smirked. "Well, it would be a major factor."

  "One that doesn't help us any, because that's what makes it harder to find," Sam pointed out. "Though it does explain why no one's found it yet."

  "Actually, that might be an angle." Blair scribbled notes. "We can immediately cross off any place well traveled."

  Suddenly, the scent combined with a faint sound within Jim's mind. His head shot up, just in time to spot a digital display planted beneath a boulder flip to zero. "MURDOC!" Jim screamed as he threw himself towards the younger men. He wrapped his arms around both of them as he tackled, to make sure they moved with him as he rolled. A small pop of an explosion sounded above them. As the trio rolled away from their lunches, a large rock fell hard where they had been sitting.

  "Oh, man," Sam breathed, ending up at the bottom of the pile. He could feel the hard vibration of the rock hitting the ground.

  Jim yanked him to his feet. "Move!"

  Blair had already climbed to his feet. "Murdoc? Are you..."

  Another explosion showered them with rocks.

  "RUN!" Jim ordered, shoving Blair's shoulder.

  "Oh, man," Sam whispered again as he scrabbled after his brother. They were eight miles from camp, in rugged terrain, with a madman on their tails. At least this time they weren't lost and it wasn't snowing, he reflected before concentrating on his footing.

  Twenty minutes later, Blair tripped on a tree root, falling hard into the dirt. Jim skidded to a stop next to him as Sam leaned against a nearby tree, breathing hard. Blair sat up and stared at his scraped-up hands. "Just ~gasp~ great." He struggled to catch his breath.

  Jim laid a hand on his shoulder. "You hurt?"

  "Mostly my pride." Blair rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off his jeans as he shifted his weight to test his legs and ankles. "I'm ~breathe~ good to go."

  Sam glanced back up the trail. "~gasp~ Murdoc?"

  "I recognize the scent," Jim explained as he breathed deeply.

  "Damn it," Blair growled.

  "What ~gasp~ do we do now?" Sam asked, eyes wide.

  "Get back to camp," Jim grimly replied.

  "Yeah, ~gasp~ we've got to warn Dad." Blair struggled to take another deep breath. He really didn't want to have to break the news to his father that his nemesis was back.

  Sam glanced between the two older men. "Do you think he's set any traps for the others?"

  Jim's frown grew. "Hard to tell with a madman."

  "I'd doubt it," Blair replied. "He'd want to taunt Dad, so he'll try to hurt us first."

  "You think he's set any more traps for us?" Sam asked worriedly.

  Jim and Blair exchanged looks. "Maybe," Blair answered.

  "I'd count on it." Jim mentally kicked himself. He should have thought of that before. "We're going to have to be careful going down."

  "Great, fast yet careful," Blair grumbled.

  "Exactly," Jim insisted.

  Blair glanced at his partner. "You don't think he's the tiger, do you?"

  "Tiger?" Sam asked.

  "No," Jim replied firmly. "I didn't see a tiger the last time we encountered Murdoc, and I didn't see one on that ledge. And the tiger's a good guy."

  "We don't know that," Blair retorted.

  "What tiger?" Sam asked again.

  "Remember how Phoebe saw animals for each of us?" Blair replied.

  "Yeah."

  "I've been seeing a tiger."

  Sam looked at Jim, concerned. "So that means..."

  "Another evil sentinel," Blair finished.

  "The tiger's a good guy, Chief," Jim corrected again. "It must have been Murdoc who was spooking me in Fortuity."

  "But we don't know that," Blair countered.

  Sam glanced between Blair and Jim, realizing this wasn't the first time they had had this particular argument. "Can we go back to the 'fast yet careful' plan instead of worrying about tigers?"

  "Knew you were the smart one." Jim gave Sam's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Let's go."

  Willow River Park, Wind River Range, WY

  "Okay, we've looked here and here," Nikki thought out loud as she marked the map. She had spread the large topo across a flat rock in the middle of the mountain meadow.

  "And here," Rick pointed using a carrot stick.

  Nikki nodded to herself. "Not a bad start. What do you think, MacGyver?"

  Mac turned from his perusal of the meadow around them. "We're narrowing it down." He took a drink from his bottle as he lifted his head to study the sky.

  Lisa was also looking at the sky. "Looks like Jim's right. Should we head back?"

  "Huh?" Nikki glanced up. "Oh, that's still a ways off."

  "Storms move pretty fast up here," Mac returned. "We probably should head back."

  "You're just worried about the boys," Nikki dismissed.

  "No, Mac's right." Rick peered up at the building clouds. "Even experienced outdoorsmen can get caught. We should return to the base camp."

  Nikki sighed, but rolled up the maps. "All right. Hopefully Sam's got some good pictures."

  MacGyver chuckled. "Knowing those three, I'm sure they found something." He shot Lisa a grin as he stood up. "Shall we go see?"

  Lisa giggled as she took his hand and let herself be pulled to her feet.

  Trail down from Outlaw Rock

  Blair was getting tired. The trail was a hard one under normal conditions. For three men attempting to escape a madman, it was excruciating. Add in the little extras that Murdoc had left for them, such as strings attached to bombs next to boulders and trees, and it was worse than the obstacle course he ran at the academy. At least nothing there could potentially blow up in his face. A wet drop hitting his shoulder only proved that it COULD get worse.

  "Hey, guys?" Blair turned back to see Sam leaning with his arm straight against a tree, head down and breathing hard. "Can... you give me... two?"

  "Take five," Jim returned, leaning over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard himself.

  Blair quickly studied his brother and friend. Both looked tired, and Jim looked like he was getting a headache. Not too surprising, since he knew his sentinel had been trying to listen for Murdoc while they jogged. The high altitude was also affecting them, the thin air making it harder to pull in enough oxygen. Several more icy drops fell on Blair's arms. "Great, it's raining."

  "Feels good." Sam raised his face to the sky, letting the rain splash on his face.

  "Now it does," Blair returned. "But it won't when all its cold friends join in."

  "Put on your rain gear," Jim countered.

  "My rain gear is up there under a boulder." Blair waved his hand towards the trail.

  "Mine, too," Sam admitted. "All I've got is my camera."

  Jim took a deep breath, trying to draw in as much air as he could. "I still have some water." He unhooked his canteen from his belt and tossed it to Sam. The younger man quickly unscrewed the lid and drank. Then he replaced the top and tossed it to his brother.

  "It just keeps getting better," Blair grumbled before taking a swig.

  "But aren't we having fun, Junior MacGyver?" a voice declared gleefully. The water spurted out of Blair's mouth as he recognized the voice as Murdoc's.

  "Jim!" Sam shouted as he saw a blur fly towards his friend.

  Luckily, Jim had also seen the object and threw himself into the dirt. The spear only grazed the back of his shoulder before it slammed into a boulder, disintegrating on impact. "Move!" Jim yelled, scrambling to his feet. He and Sam followed Blair as they scrambled down the trail, another spear missing Jim to splinter against a tree.

  Base camp, Wind River Range, WY

  Jill stepped out of the white sheriff's jeep, se
arching the campsite with her eyes. "I don't see anyone."

  Toby, getting out of the other side, shrugged. "Probably out hiking."

  "Well, they better hurry back," Jill replied, studying the boiling clouds above them. "Looks like we're in for a really bad storm."

  Also studying the sky, Toby nodded. "Yeah, the weather guy said the monsoon moisture was starting to kick in."

  "We could use the rain," Jill agreed.

  Then nearby noises turned their heads to spot a group of hikers coming up from the trail. Toby easily recognized Ms. Carpenter and Mr. MacGyver from two summers ago. Both looked more relaxed than the last time he had seen them.

  "Hi, Dr. Rick!" Jill greeted, waving at the historian.

  "Miss Rhodes," Rick returned, smiling at the young blonde. "Come for the interview?"

  Jill grinned. "Of course. It's big news around here, especially if you find the hideout."

  "No luck so far," Lisa replied with a smile.

  As Jill turned to the other young woman, Rick quickly introduced, "Lisa, this is Jill Rhodes. She and her father run the newspaper in Fortuity. Jill, this is Lisa Woodman, friend of my friend, MacGyver." He indicated Mac with his hand.

  "I met MacGyver and Ms. Carpenter a couple of summers ago," Jill replied, remembering that Mr. MacGyver didn't like being called 'Mr.'. "And this is my boyfriend, Toby Nighthawk."

  Nikki nodded. "You helped us out last time, too." She looked around. "Doesn't look like the boys have made it back yet."

  "We haven't seen anyone else," Toby replied, "though we only just got here ourselves."

  Feeling the rain beginning to fall, Rick suggested, "Why don't we move the interview under the dining tarp where it's dry?"

  "Sounds good to me," Jill accepted.

  As the group turned to the shelter, Lisa tapped MacGyver's arm. "I'll go grab the water so we can start dinner."

  "Need help?" Mac asked.

  "Nah, just take me a minute."

  Lisa trotted over to where Jim had left the filled containers that morning. Lifting the plastic bladder heavy with water, she staggered back towards the others. Passing the Suburban, she noticed an envelope stuck under a washer blade. Setting the water next to the table, she dashed through the raindrops to the Suburban to retrieve the note.

  MacGyver glanced at her as he sorted through the ice cooler. "What's that?"

  Lisa's brow wrinkled. "I don't know. But it's addressed to you." Thunder rolled outside the enclosure.

  Nikki turned away from listening to Rick and Jill. "That's strange. Do you know anyone around here?" Toby, too, turned to see what was going on.

  "No," Mac replied. With a sinking feeling growing in his stomach, Mac opened the envelope and pulled out a note. Nikki and Lisa watched as the color drained out of his face. Nikki instantly jumped up to look over his arm to read the note.

  Up the mountain

  go young men three.

  How many will come down?

  We shall see.

  Murdoc

  "Oh, my, God," Nikki breathed. Toby rose from the table, concerned.

  Eyes round, Lisa looked between Mac and Nikki. "Murdoc. Isn't he the weirdo you warned me about?"

  "Yes," MacGyver answered, his voice harsh and strained.

  "You think he did something to Blair, Sam and Jim?" Lisa asked, fear growing on her face. Her question caught the attention of Rick and Jill, who stopped talking.

  "He'll try." Closing his eyes, Mac struggled to force his panic down so his mind could work.

  Cop instinct now working overtime, Toby glanced into each face. "Who's Murdoc?"

  "A former assassin with a major grudge against MacGyver," Nikki replied. "He's tried several times to kill him, and last time he abducted Sam and Blair."

  "Tried to, anyway." Mac's eyes popped open. "My sons and Jim aren't that easy to catch."

  "What do we do now?" Lisa asked softly.

  "You, Rick and Nikki are heading to town." MacGyver crumbled the note into his hand.

  "MacGyver!" Nikki glared at her friend. "I am not running off and leaving you and the boys behind."

  "Nikki," MacGyver growled.

  Nikki folded her arms. "I can take care of myself, you know."

  "Exactly. I need you to keep Lisa and Rick safe." That statement made Nikki pause in mid-tirade.

  "Will he come after us?"

  Mac looked down into Lisa's scared face. "Maybe. With Murdoc, anything's possible. But I'll be able to concentrate better if I know you're safe."

  Lisa nodded in understanding. "Okay."

  Rick, reading his friend's face, stood up. "Then we'd better get going."

  "Jill can go with you," Toby inserted. He looked into his girlfriend's eyes. "Take them to the Murphy place. I'll call Johnson and tell him what's going on."

  "What about you?" Jill asked.

  "I'll go with Mr. MacGyver."

  "I'm going alone," Mac insisted. "Murdoc is highly dangerous and has no qualms about killing innocent bystanders."

  "Yeah, but I'm the law here and I bet I know the area better than both of you put together," Toby countered. "Plus if all three of them are hurt, you're going to need help."

  MacGyver stared at Toby for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay, let's go." He turned to find himself face to face with Nikki. They stared at each other for a moment, then Nikki threw her arms around Mac. Mac returned the gesture, drawing comfort from her embrace.

  "You be careful, MacGyver," Nikki whispered.

  "You, too."

  Then they pulled apart to gather their groups and head in opposite directions.

  Bill Nighthawk's cabin

  Cory loved storms. Even though his healing body ached from the changing pressure, he sat outside on the cabin's railing. He could lose himself in the power of the wind and the fresh smell of rain.

  Then movement to his right caught his eye. Turning his head, Cory felt his mouth drop open. Along the treeline was the tiger of his dreams. He could only stare as the huge orange and black striped feline paced the edge of the woods. Within moments, Cory realized the tiger wanted him to follow it. Cory slowly slipped down from the rail. "Now?" The cat just stared at him. "You've got to be kidding. It's raining -- hard." The cat curved around, pointing towards the river. Then it looked back at him.

  For a moment they stared at each other. Then Cory reluctantly reached for his rain slicker lying on the rocker. "Grandmother said to follow the tiger, so I'll go. But couldn't you have shown up in the sunshine like your black friend?"

  The cat didn't reply. It simply waited for him to approach before slipping further into the pine trees.

  Trail down from Outlaw Rock

  The rain was now pouring out of the sky, with flashes of lightning striking around them. All three men were cold and soaked. The rain also made the trail slick. The dirt was turning into a wet clay that oozed into their boot treads, reducing traction even further.

  Blair struggled to stay on his feet. He was leading, trying to follow the trail. It didn't help that he had to search for potential surprises from Murdoc in the deepening gloom. Part of his brain pointed out that it would be smart to stop and take shelter from the storm. However, both those spears had been aimed at Jim. The realization that Murdoc wanted to kill his partner forced Blair's feet forward. He hadn't been this scared since Alex Barnes. Thankfully, the outline of a bridge was ahead. They only had a mile to go before reaching the main road.

  Jim was having trouble, too, trying to keep his balance while working to ease his throbbing shoulder. The storm was playing havoc on his senses, the random flashes and noise twisting the pain in his shoulder out of proportion. His vision swam, and the rain had washed out any hint of scent from Murdoc. He needed to calm down, talk with his guide, bring everything back under control. But there was no defensible place to stop and no time. Jim shuddered to think of Rick and the girls at Murdoc's mercy. It didn't help that, in the back of his mind, the situation seemed frightfully familiar. Jim just couldn't figure ou
t from where.

  Sam was bringing up the rear, following the older men while glancing over his shoulder. Somehow, he doubted the madman was behind them, but really didn't know where else he'd be. Their only chance was for the storm to be hindering Murdoc even more than it was them. He couldn't help but wish they HAD found the hideout, if only for a place to disappear from his father's enemy.

  Suddenly, an explosion roared behind them. Sam managed a quick burst of speed. He slipped to his knees, but didn't get hit by a falling tree.

  Blair spun around. "Sam!"

  "I'm okay!" his brother shouted back.

  "Murdoc," Jim growled, feeling the presence of their nemesis. Another explosion roared to their right. "RUN!"

  Blair raced for the bridge, knowing it was their only chance. He fought the sway of the wood and rope structure while scurrying across. He wondered if his Swiss army knife was big enough to cut it down, preventing Murdoc from following. His feet had barely touched the rock on the other side when an explosion boomed behind him. Blair flinched, then spun around. The bridge was gone.

  "NOOOOOOOOO!" Blair dropped to his knees to search below. A river roared in the narrow canyon below. After wiping the rain out of his face, he peered across the canyon. Half of the bridge hung along the rock face. Sam was holding onto one of its wood planks, barely out of the water. "SAM! HANG ON!" Praying hard, Blair glanced down. Straight below him was Jim, clinging desperately to the other half of the bridge as water from the river sprayed him. "JIM!"

  Adrenaline surged through his system as Blair twisted around. He grabbed at the rope holding the bridge and rose to his feet. "JIM! I'm pulling you up!" Bracing against the rocks, Blair pulled at the rope. After a long moment, the weight eased, indicating that Jim was coherent enough to climb with the rope and take some of the load off his smaller partner. His arms straining with the effort, Blair continued to haul up the rope as his mind searched for a way to reach Sam.

  Just as Blair grabbed Jim's hand, a sharp crack echoed beneath them. Pulling Jim the rest of the way up, Blair looked across just in time to see his brother fall into the river. "SAAAAAAAM!" He dropped to his knees again and looked over the side, his fear of heights forgotten as he searched for any sign of Sam. There was none.