by Cindy Combs
Author's notes: This story is a part of my The Sentinel/MacGyver series, following Hot Time in Chicago. Since the relationships between Blair, MacGyver, and Sam are drawn in the first five stories, you may wish to read them first.
I know this one was a long time coming, but real life and a chest cold/sinus infection has been biting at my heels for over a month now. It can really drag on the creative processes.
I do wish to extend my thanks to many people. First and foremost, Zadra for all her comments, suggestions, support, and those wonderful loft set pictures *grin*. It couldn't have been easy putting up with me through fever, headaches, and drug-induced Tigger mode. Other thanks goes to Shallon for her corrections, comments and funnies (go check out her stories on Wolfpup's new fourth page!); Sealie for her corrections, comments and for being my European viewpoint; Wolfpup for her continual prodding, great beta skills, and posting my stories; and to all my other fans who have written asking for this story - your continuing interest in my humble work helps me more than you know!
Please send any comments to [email protected]
Enjoy the ride.
Disclaimer: Most of characters are not mine. I'm borrowing them out of deep reverence, affection and respect. I will accept only personal fulfillment, and no monetary gain. If you do sue, you will not get much and I will send over my Black Lab mix, who will stare at you pathetically for hours and probably con you out of all your food.
Please do not reproduce, copy, or otherwise use any part of this story without permission from the author.
Rated PG-13, mostly for a little violence and language.
IN THE GENES
C. L. Combs
Sunday evening, somewhere in the western USA.
A sharp jarring woke MacGyver from an exhausted sleep, bringing awareness of the misery he was in. Shifting uncomfortably in his sweat-drenched clothes, he sluggishly took stock of his fatigue, several painful bruises, and his numb hands tied behind his back. He doggedly searched his most recent memories for a clue to his current circumstances. Struggling to swallow against his parched throat, he realized what had happened. Man, this is really getting old.
A shift in the metal floor below him brought another flood of thoughts. He seemed to be crammed between seats in some vehicle, a hot, dusty blanket hiding him from view, traveling a rough dirt road by the feel of it. Apparently, the plane had reached its destination while he had been sick. Where they were going now, he could only make a couple of educated guesses.
After enduring another hour of rough jolts against floorboard as the vehicle hit holes and ruts, MacGyver felt it slow to a stop. The door beside him was opened and the blanket was yanked off. Blinking in the light of the setting sun, MacGyver looked up into his captor's eyes.
"Welcome to my base camp, Mr. MacGyver. I'm sure you'll be comfortable enough while you translate the journal for me."
With a groan, MacGyver laid his head back down, wishing desperately for the energy to deal with his current situation.
Early Monday morning, Los Angles, CA
"Great, just great," Lisa Woodman thought to herself as she spotted the two dark men behind her in the airport crowd. While she didn't know who they were, she most certainly wasn't going to let them catch her. Lisa ducked into one of the food bars filled with breakfast customers. Slipping between two large businessmen, she pulled a straw out of a container on the bar. She pretended to take great care unwrapping the straw and punching it through the top of her travel mug, all the while secretly watching the hounds searching for her.
She had first noticed them late last night when she had picked up her luggage. Remembering how strangely MacGyver had acted and the disc he had dropped in her bag, Lisa had decided not to take any chances. She had used her knowledge of the city to lose the men following her rental car. However, she decided that instead of going home to her father's mansion where they might wait for her, she'd spend the night at the small apartment her father kept near the airport. No one was expecting her home yet anyway, and it gave her a chance to contact one of MacGyver's friends to find out what was going on.
By early morning, a frustrated Lisa was making another plane reservation. She hadn't been able to reach Mr. Thornton, Jack Dalton or Willus. She had reached Sam's answering machine, which had ran out of tape. Even Penny was out of town with a theater group. Lisa's concern for the man who was like a second father was growing by leaps and bounds. After she had helped him in Switzerland nearly a decade ago, MacGyver had saved her in so many other ways since. She had to help him now, no matter what he asked. The sole course of action left was to find Mr. Blair Sandburg and see if he knew what was going on.
Double-checking that the men had disappeared, Lisa quickly walked through the crowds to her gate. Fighting to look calm and casual, Lisa sat near the windows behind three burly college guys discussing their mountain climbing trip. If worst came to worse, she could always play helpless female and the climbers would certainly come to her aid. As soon as the plane began boarding, Lisa jumped up and stood in line.
She was just entering the tunnel to the plane when the dark men spotted her. Noting the destination listed on the board, one raced to the phones.
Monday morning, Phoenix Foundation, CA
The only problem with a two week fishing trip is the work waiting for you when you get back. Pete Thornton waded through his messages on the special computer system MacGyver and a few of Phoenix's computer experts had designed for him. Then he sighed. "I would still miss it if I retire completely." In order to ease his workload, the Phoenix Foundation had created a new post under him. The e-mail announcing the name of the new Assistant Director of Operations was the first Pete chose to hear. A wide grin of happiness and relief stretched across his face. Someone he knew and one he would have no trouble working with. It would be nice to have her back at Phoenix.
However, the good mood dissipated as he continued to work through the messages. Most worrisome were the messages from Chicago and Cascade, WA. It wasn't until he heard a final one from Captain Simon Banks, stating that the bomber had been caught and Sam and Blair were safe, that he relaxed slightly. Still, he didn't like the fact that MacGyver had not responded to any of the SOS's they had sent. Between his friend's dedication to his new-found sons and his habit of checking his emergency number a couple of times per day, Pete knew something was amiss.
"Hey Pete," a voice greeted him from the doorway. "How's the trip?"
"Great," Pete replied, recognizing Jack Dalton's easy-going rumble. "Though I'm beginning to wonder if I should have returned sooner. Have you heard from MacGyver lately?"
"No," Jack replied as he stepped inside and closed the door. "I've been out of town for most of the last month. I did have a message that Blair called on Friday asking about Mac, but that's it. What's up?"
Pete quickly updated Jack on Sam's, Blair's, and Ellison's adventures in Chicago. Jack whistled as he shook his head. "Those two are as good at getting into trouble as their dad."
"Speaking of whom, I wonder…" Pete was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."
An attractive, dark-haired woman stepped inside, "Hi Pete."
"Nikki?" Jack greeted in astonishment. He stepped forward to give her a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the new Assistant Director of Operations," Nikki Carpenter replied with a smile.
"Congratulations!" Jack declared heartily.
"Yes, congratulations and welcome aboard," Pete added, walking over and holding out his hand in Nikki's direction.
"Thank you," Nikki answered, shaking Pete's hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you guys again." She glanced around, noticing that the one person she was really hoping to see was not in this office, either. "Do either of you know where MacGyver i
s? I was told he was suppose to be around here somewhere, but I haven't tracked him down yet." Is he trying to avoid me?
Pete's face turned worried as Jack explained, "From what we can tell, no one has heard from Mac in nearly two weeks, not even Sam or Blair."
"Who are Sam and Blair?"
A small smile crossed Pete's face, though his eyes were still serious. "Why don't you sit down," he suggested, waving towards the chairs. "Then we can update you on Mac's current situation."
Nikki sat, wondering what exactly her friend had been up to in the past ten years.
Late Monday morning, Cascade, WA airport
Shifting the strap of her large purse to her other shoulder, Lisa swiftly left the arrival gate and started searching for transportation. Mentally reviewing the amount of cash in her possession, she reluctantly decided against a taxi. Instead, she walked over to an information booth to check on buses to the Rainier campus.
Unbeknownst to the young woman, two men were watching her from across the corridor.
Cascade, WA airport, opposite side
Detective James Ellison carefully watched the crowd debarking from the plane just in from Chicago. He had debated about using his sense of smell or hearing to detect the young man he waited for but decided against it. It would be too easy to be overwhelmed with the people and noise of the busy airport, especially without his guide to anchor him. Besides, it wasn't too long before he spotted the tall, lanky young man walking patiently behind two little old ladies. Jim smiled. The same natural athletic grace that characterized the father also showed in the son. It was probably from that same father that his partner, Blair Sandburg, inherited his own athletic agility. Jim suspected that Blair's mother Naomi was more into mediation than sports.
Sean A. Malloy, better known as Sam, smiled when he spotted the detective waiting for him. Swinging his backpack over his shoulder and holding out his other hand, he greeted the older man. "Hi, Jim. I didn't expect to see you here."
Jim gave him one of his rare smiles and shook the offered hand warmly. "Blair had to go to a last minute meeting at the University this morning. So I volunteered to pick you up."
"Thanks," Sam replied as they both turned to walk towards baggage claims.
"How did the wedding go?" Jim asked as they walked.
"Pretty well, considering everything that happened beforehand," Sam replied. "Last night was downright quiet after Terry and Sunny left." Quiet enough for Sam to do a lot of thinking about sentinels with enhanced senses. He covertly shot Jim a glance.
Reading the arrival screens to determine which carousel would have Sam's bags, Jim missed the look. "Have you heard anything from Mac?"
"No." Sam sighed, trying to push back the worry that accompanied thoughts of his father recently. "I take it Blair hasn't heard anything either?"
Jim shook his head. "Nothing."
"It doesn't add up. Dad was planning to join us later this week at the cabin. His last e-mail to me said he'd call Blair in a couple of days with the details. And that was nearly two weeks ago."
Jim breathed deeply, then slowly released it. He, too, was uneasy with the silence. "I know. But now that you're here and I'm caught up at the station, we can concentrate on tracing him." He reached over to ruffle Sam's hair. "I'm sure between a detective, a photojournalist, and an anthropologist, we'll find him."
Monday morning, Phoenix Foundation, CA
It felt strange searching MacGyver's office when she hadn't seen him in years. While Pete was calling Cascade and Dalton was asking around the Foundation, Nikki had accepted the task of checking MacGyver's office for a note or message. Glancing around the spartan room, she first admired the large photo of a mountain scene hanging on one wall, then turned to the desk.
Mac's desk calendar was left on the Wednesday before last. About the time he disappeared. Nikki deciphered the 'Fly to Patrick's' hastily scrawled on the page with a flight number. Quickly scribbling it down, Nikki flipped through the rest of the days to the present. MacGyver apparently had not planned on being at Patrick's for very long. While an appointment for the following day had been postponed, there were five others listed since then with no such notes. Nikki also wrote these down for further follow-up. Frowning, she checked the days for the current week. Reaching 'Thursday', she paused. There was a note listing a plane flight to Cascade. If she remembered right, that was the city where one of his sons lived. Surely MacGyver would not miss a trip to see the son he had only recently found.
Nikki quickly shook out the dark thoughts that wanted to crawl into her mind. Now she had to find an address for this Patrick. Pondering the PC for a moment, she ruled it out since she didn't know the password. Perhaps Pete would know it. She pulled out the center desk drawer, finding only office supplies. Turning to the top drawer on the right, she discovered a leather-bounded folder. Curious, she picked it up and opened the left side of the tri-fold. It held a 8 by 11" color photo of a young man leaning against a wooden fence in a rural setting. The lanky build, fine hair, and warm brown eyes reminded her of MacGyver. A similar laid-back personality echoed from the quiet, relaxed smile. Noting the professional-looking camera in his hands, she realized the young man had to be Sam, the son Pete had said was a photojournalist.
Flipping open the other flap, she discovered a second 8 by 11" photo of another young man. He was perched on a rail with fall foliage in the background, holding what looked like a text book in his hands. Brown curls flowed to his shoulders while deep blue eyes behind wire frames spoke of intelligence and compassion. From the self-conscious smile starting to form on his face, Nikki suspected he had just realized that he was being photographed. While she could see no resemblance to MacGyver, she guessed that he was Mac's other son, Blair.
The center section contained a collection of various sized photos. In one corner was a nice candid shot of MacGyver, Thornton and Dalton. Another corner displayed Sam on a red motor bike. Others included MacGyver standing proudly next to Sam wearing cap and gown; MacGyver laughing with a young woman in similar attire; Blair posed with what looked like African tribesmen; a candid shot of Blair laughing with a tough, older man who looked like a soldier or a cop; MacGyver in a tux standing with Penny Parker in a wedding dress; a group shot of the Colton family at a picnic. Nikki realized that most of the important people of MacGyver's life were represented.
However, what drew her eyes was the center photo. It was of MacGyver with his arms around Sam on the left and Blair on the right. The wide smile of pride and joy on his face told her all she needed to know on how he felt about his new-found sons.
"Sam gave that to Mac last winter as a birthday gift," Jack Dalton softly explained. As Nikki looked up with guilt at having been caught snooping, Jack smiled. "Since Mac didn't have many pictures of Sam and practically none of Blair, he treasures it."
"They're very good," Nikki complimented, "especially this large one of, I'd guess, Blair?"
"Blair," Jack confirmed. "Sam took it up at his cabin near Cascade. In fact, I think Sam took most of these."
"This center one?" Nikki pointed.
Jack chuckled. "No, I'd guess Ellison took that one." He pointed to the picture of Blair and the tough-looking man. "That's Jim. He's the police detective who's like a big brother to Blair. The center one was taken shortly after Murdoc had chased Sam and Blair all over the Colorado mountains last winter, nearly killing them and Mac. Jim was in full protection mode right after that."
Nikki shuddered. She still had nightmares of Murdoc roaring through the cabin with a flame thrower and chasing them on Widowmaker mountain. Then she forced her mind back to the matter at hand. "Jack, MacGyver made a note that he was flying to 'Patrick's'. Do you know what he could have meant?"
Jack frowned. "We have an old college buddy named Patrick Hudson. I think he's a history professor down in Florida somewhere."
"Then let's start there." Nikki took another look at the pictures. "Did you know Mac has a flight scheduled for the end of the week to Casca
de?"
Jack paused a moment. "Right, Mac was going to meet Sam and Blair at Sam's cabin." He exchanged looks with Nikki. "Mac would not miss that trip willingly."
Ellison's truck, Cascade, WA
Again, Sam was covertly studying Jim as they drove to the University. He thought he was being subtle until Jim matter-of-factly stated, "What's going on, Sam?"
Damn, I'm caught. Guess I might as well jump in. Taking a deep breath, Sam asked, "Jim, how did you know that Ms. Delmonte was the bomber?"
Jim shrugged as he made a turn. "She was wearing the pin you described."
"But you were several yards away from her," Sam pressed. "Also, how did you know there was a bomb in that building in Evermore?"
Tension suddenly stiffened Jim's body. "What are you suggesting?"
A more timid man might have backed off at the granite face and cold eyes. However, Sam, the photojournalist, was trained in taking brick walls head on. "You seem to know things that you couldn't possibly know."
"I'm a trained detective, Sam. I know how to make deductions."
"There are deductions and there are hunches. But this is more than that. You're not guessing, you KNOW things."
"You trying to say I'm psychic?"
Man, that's a good one. Wonder if Jim's used that ruse before? "No, it's not like you can see into the future. It's more like you can see or hear things other people can't."
With a deep sigh, Jim pulled into a nearby parking lot and shut off the engine. He solemnly stared out the windshield. "What are you saying, Sam?"
"While we were in Chicago, I overheard Blair and Fraser discussing some work Blair had done before on people with enhanced senses. Fraser had said that Blair's 'Holy Grail' was someone with all five senses enhanced and that Blair must have found that person because he wasn't searching any more." Jim laid his head on the steering wheel. "You're Blair's Sentinel, aren't you? This person with all his senses enhanced?"
