by Cindy Combs
"That's what Thornton said," Simon agreed. "Dalton and this Nikki Carpenter are continuing to dig to see what they can find out."
"Nikki Carpenter?" Lisa asked. "I don't think I've heard that name before."
"It sounds familiar to me," Sam replied, puzzled.
"Me, too," Blair added. "Wait a minute, didn't Mac say something about her and Murdoc?"
"It was a Nikki who was with him when Murdoc came after them with a flame thrower," Jim replied, remembering the story Mac had told them at Harry's cabin.
"That's right, when Murdoc torched Pete's cabin near Widowmaker," Sam replied.
"Well, hopefully they can find out something useful in Florida." Jim glanced at the files listed on the screen. "Chief, why don't we hook up your laptop to the printer and make hard copies? If we all help read, the faster we'll find out what Mac was protecting."
Monday afternoon, Phoenix Foundation, CA
"...Do you think Blair can figure it out? It's not exactly his field." A knock on the door interrupted Thornton's conversation on the phone. "Just a minute, Captain. Come in."
"Hi Pete," Jack greeted him as he and Nikki entered the room.
Warning bells rang in Pete's head at the subdued tone. "Is this about Mac?"
"Not directly, but we now have more information," Nikki replied, trying to ease the fear in her boss's face.
Her efforts failed miserably, since Pete could tell the news was not good. "Just a minute, I have Simon Banks on the phone."
"Why don't you put him on speaker. That way he can pass the news to Blair," Jack suggested. While Blair hadn't had the time to grow as close to his father as Sam had, Jack suspected the big-hearted kid was just as worried. Not that their news would ease either his or Pete's concerns, but it might be better if it came in person from a respected friend.
Pete paused, making a quick decision. "All right." He quickly told Banks what was up and placed him on speaker.
"Hi Simon," Jack called out, hoping he sounded cheerier than he felt.
"Hi, Dalton. What did you find out?"
Jack and Nikki exchanged worried glances. "From what we've been able to gather so far, Mac left for Florida a week ago Thursday to see an old college chum of ours, Patrick Hudson. Rick was having some problems with threatening messages. We haven't been able to talk with anyone who can tell us more than that, yet."
"What about Hudson or Mac?" Pete asked, growing more concerned.
Nikki took a deep breath. "We've learned that Mac had made plane reservations to return here for himself and Dr. Hudson for a week ago today. Neither made the flight. In addition, no one has seen Mac since a week ago yesterday."
"What about Dr. Hudson?" Simon asked, getting a bad feeling.
Jack swallowed hard. "Rick was found near a gas station last Saturday night, nearly beaten to death. He is currently in Intensive Care."
Pete reflectively closed his eyes as his heart sank. It sounded like Mac was in deep trouble again.
"Actually, someone HAS seen MacGyver as recent as yesterday," Simon inserted, detecting the gloom in the Phoenix office. He quickly updated them on Lisa and the disc. "Sandburg and the others are at the loft working on the files now."
Nikki gave a sigh of relief. As long as Mac was alive and mobile, she had hope. After all, she'd seen him get out of difficult situations before.
Jack's worry shifted to new targets. "Is Ellison with them?" When Simon confirmed that Jim was also at the loft, Jack relaxed. He was extremely fond of Sam and was growing to like Blair more all the time. He had a lot of faith that Blair's Rottweiler of a friend would keep them safe.
Three hours later, Ellison's loft
Jim took a quick look around the loft and sighed. At least four of his house rules had been broken that afternoon. Papers lay in piles with dirty plates and empty glasses scattered throughout the living area. Oh well, he'd gladly give up his neat home for a couple of days if it meant finding MacGyver. While Conner and Simon had to return to work, he and the three twenty-something members of the search team had been pouring over the files from the disc. Blair was sprawled across the rug on his stomach, surrounded by papers and concentrating on his laptop in front of him. Sam slouched on the couch with his feet on the cushions, reading the papers in his hands and making notes on a pad of paper. Jim was grateful that he at least had taken off his Adidas, which lay haphazardly under the coffee table. Lisa was also busy reading papers, sitting cross-legged in the big chair near the balcony doors. Jim smiled again when he thought of what she had mumbled in Blair's office. There was no doubt in his mind now that Mac was close to the young woman. In fact, Jim suspected that these three were among the most important people in the world to MacGyver. Which meant he had to keep them all safe and on track.
"Okay, kids, let's see what we got," Jim announced as he walked over to the other chair where he had neatly laid his papers and notes. Blair raised an eyebrow at the word 'kids', but did not break his concentration on the screen.
"Well," Lisa replied absently. "My stuff seems to be about a small town called, of all things, Fortuity. It details the politics, businesses, families, etc. from 1868 to 1900."
"Really?" Sam shuffled through his notes. "Mine is on robberies thought to have been committed by the Hanson gang from 1872 through 1879. But Fortuity, Wyoming, was mentioned. Here it is. The last robbery known to be committed by this gang was there."
"Which is outlined in my notes," Jim added. "This has the sequence of events, all the eyewitness reports, details from the posse that searched for them, even a report from a Pinkerton agent. Almost everything's here."
"Everything except a list of what was stolen, right Jim?" Blair called out from the floor.
"Right," Jim confirmed. "The information on the take is pretty sketchy."
"Oh, man!" Blair declared excitedly. He rose to stand, bouncing on his toes. "Mine is where Dr. Hudson puts it together. The bank gave a dollar amount lost, but exactly what was stolen was rather vague."
"Oh yeah," Lisa replied. "I remember that one. Apparently, everything from silver coins to jewelry to land deeds to water rights were rumored to be in it."
"Fueled by the fact that the gang was never heard from again." Sam sat up, almost as excited as his brother. "No one knows if they retired with the goods or if something happened to them."
"The posse thought they might have been lost in a flash flood," Jim reported from his notes.
"Yeah, but Hudson thought they might have stashed the goods somewhere BEFORE the water got them." Blair waved his hands enthusiastically. "He had taken a few trips out there and thought he had figured out where the stash may be hidden. If there were documents and if they have survived, they could be of great historical value!"
"Or if the stash is jewels or coins, they could be worth a lot of money now," Lisa added.
"Enough to make it worth someone's while to steal Dr. Hudson's notes." Sam exchanged glances with Blair, wondering if that was why their father had suddenly flown out to Florida.
"Or depending on the documents, someone might NOT want them found," Jim pointed out. "Usually if something is stolen, everyone is screaming about what exactly was lost. For a whole town to be so quiet suggests something was up."
Lisa looked around the room, eyes worried. "But the real question is whether any of this gets us any closer to finding MacGyver." They all paused a moment as worry intruded on their discoveries.
"Blair, do you think you could figure out where Hudson planned to search from the notes you have?" Jim asked thoughtfully.
"With some help from those of you not map-impaired, sure."
Jim pinned the three with his serious gaze. "I suggest we all memorize the locations, then secure the disc and the printouts. That way, all this information is safe and if we have to, we can see if that's where Mac went."
Everyone agreed and sat down with Blair to look at the data.
Across the street
"No, sir, it turned out this isn't the right disc…No si
r, by the time we realized the error, there were cops all over the place… She delivered it to a guy in Anthropology… Yes sir, Anthropology, not History… His name is Blair Sandburg… We followed him home, but there are still a lot of people… No, sir… Yes, sir… Yes, sir… Good day, sir." The tall white man who had taken the disc from Blair closed the cell phone. He turned back to the other man. "Well, brother, we don't get paid unless we get the right disc."
"Then we wait," the other replied.
An hour later, Ellison's loft
"…So that is all the news they had a few hours ago." Simon studied the three young people for a moment. Lisa looked close to tears. Sam's face was tense and white. Blair was outwardly calm, laying his hands on each younger person's back, offering support. Only Blair's eyes gave away his fear. Simon continued, "I talked to the police chief down there handling the case. They believe Dr. Hudson was beaten to obtain information. The evidence points to a third party leaving him at that gas station."
"Mac did," Blair softly stated, sure of his words. "He left his friend someplace safe and led the people who hurt him away."
"But why was MacGyver at the Miami airport?" Lisa asked. "Didn't he get away?"
"The police are now looking into it. They promised to contact me once they have more information."
Ellison's jaw had clenched tighter as he listened to Simon's report. He glanced at his guide. Only a sentinel could hear the increased heartbeat as Blair fought to keep his fears in check. Jim and Simon traded glances.
Feeling the tension, Conner looked around and realized there was very little to be done at that moment. It was time for more practical considerations. "Lisa, have you given any thought as to where you will sleep tonight?"
Lisa blushed. "Actually, I didn't plan on staying in Cascade very long. I didn't even bring my overnight bag with me."
Megan gave her a big smile. "Then you're coming home with me. I can rustle up something for you, and we can even stop by the mall if you like."
"Mall?" Lisa's eyes lit up. "Do you know how long it's been since I've shopped at a mall?"
"Then let's go."
Lisa suddenly paused, glancing at Sam in concern. "But what if there's news about MacGyver?"
"We can call you on Megan's cell phone," Blair replied, wanting to put the smile back on her face. "Go on, buy some things and see what you've missed in the last year."
"Okay," Lisa replied as Megan led her to the door, "but call me!"
"Just go easy on the credit cards!" Sam called after her. Lisa wrinkled her nose at him before she walked across the threshold.
Blair quietly shut the door behind them, briefly placing his head on the solid wood. Jim walked over to him. "You okay?"
"Just worried," Blair softly replied. Deep blue eyes filled with that worry rose to meet the concerned ice blue ones above him. "It isn't like Mac to be held this long against his will."
Jim reached over to lay his hands on Blair's shoulders. Rubbing the tense muscles, he softly pointed out, "That doesn't mean Mac's hurt like Dr. Hudson. There may be more going on here than we know about. We'll find him."
Across the room, Sam watched Jim comfort his brother. He had sensed the strong bond between the two men before, but now he understood it better. It was an ancient bond of men honor-bound to stand together to protect their tribe. Jim's statement about not being able to handle losing Blair had new meaning. Sam was again feeling that touch of envy when Jim looked over his way. "You doing okay, Sam?"
The warmth in those eyes made him feel included, part of the inner circle Jim drew around those he cared about. In that instant, he belonged. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Feeling the stress, Simon piped up, "I do have a question for you, Jim."
Puzzled, Jim stepped back into the living area, Blair on his heels. "What?"
"What exactly did Miss Woodman say in Blair's office that just about had you in stitches?" Blair and Sam also turned to Jim, curious as well.
A smirk crossed Jim's face before he could stop it. "Hey, now Lisa didn't plan on anyone hearing that comment. It wouldn't be polite to repeat it."
"Jiiimmm," Blair wheedled. "Come on, man. Politeness never stopped you before."
"Ah, but I like Lisa. I don't want to embarrass her."
Sam smiled, shaking his head. "Jim, Lisa's a pretty straightforward girl. She's had to be to stand up to her powerful dad when she's had to."
"Huh?" Blair turned to his brother.
Sam chuckled. "Lisa's dad is a self-made millionaire. She's got a rather large allowance and trust fund, though she usually doesn't act like it. I think that's partly Dad's influence."
"It sounded like she and Mac are close," Jim replied.
Seeing the smirk trying to sneak out again, Blair pressed, "Why do you say that, Jim? Is it because of what she said?"
"Ellison, stop keeping us in suspense," Simon demanded. "Surely what the young woman said couldn't be that bad."
Jim only snorted, struggling to keep his mirth contained.
"Jim!!!!" the other three shouted.
"Okay, okay." Jim took a moment to compose himself. "What Lisa said was 'And he had the nerve to give ME the safe sex lecture?'"
Sam and Blair paused a moment, remembering what was being said at the time.
Then Simon snickered. "MACGYVER, the quiet, self-effacing, polite man we all know, gave that sweet young lady the safe sex lecture?" He and Jim looked at each other and promptly lost it. Soon Blair and Sam had joined in.
They all laughed hard, releasing some of the strain of the last few days. "I TOLD you Dad thought of her as a daughter," Sam managed to squeak out.
2 am Tuesday morning, outside Ellison's loft
"It's time to earn our money, brother."
"I still wish we knew how many people were inside."
"Doesn't matter. We know that big black guy is gone, and he's probably the detective finishing up the report from earlier. There are probably only a couple wimpy college kids left. Trust me, it will be a piece of cake."
Inside Ellison's loft
Jim's eyes suddenly popped open. The darkness of the room indicated it was still night. The sentinel opened up his senses, searching for what had awakened him. Carefully, he filtered out the sound of fans humming in the steamy night. Both Sam, below on the couch, and Blair, in his room, were sleeping, filling the loft with their steady heartbeats and deep breathing. Another soft noise intruded. Someone was cutting the security chain on the front door.
Swiftly, yet silently, Jim rolled out of bed and slipped his gun out from under the pillow next to him. The sentinel's eyes dilated as he glided over to the stairs, searching for the intruder. Leaning against the wall, Jim spotted two dark figures sneaking through the opened door. He brought his gun up to cover them, barking, "FREEZE, CASCADE PD!"
Instead of freezing, the two figures scattered. One vaulted the couch, colliding with Sam who had jerked up to a sitting position. Both fell to the floor in a tangle against the coffee table. The other dashed past Blair's room.
Jim held his fire, not wanting to accidentally shoot Sam or Blair. He raced down the stairs to the living area. "Sam?"
Sam didn't answer, as he was struggling to fully wake up and get away from the man on top of him. In the faint light streaming in the glass doors, he spotted a flash off a knife the man held. Going on instinct, Sam made a martial arts move, managing to throw the man off over his head and scrambling out of the way. The hard smack against the floor winded the intruder long enough for Jim to walk over and point his gun at the man's face. "I said freeze."
~Whack~ ~HOWL~ Jim turned to look behind him when he saw a knife, embedded in the cabinet next to his shoulder, still waving from the force of its flight.
Then Sam finally fumbled his way to a lamp. The light revealed Blair, baseball bat in hand, glaring at the second intruder whimpering on the floor holding his arm. "The man said FREEZE."
"Sam, you okay?" Jim questioned, sparing a swift glance in the young man's direction.
>
Sam was rubbing his shoulder as he studied the intruders. "Yeah."
"Chief, you okay?"
"Peachy," Blair replied dryly as he continued to stare at the man on the floor.
"Sam, call 911," Jim requested. As Sam picked up the phone, Jim walked around to the other side of his prisoner so he could keep an eye on Blair's as well. Kneeling next to the intruder, Jim yanked the nylon mask off his face.
"Hey, that's one of the guys who took the disc off Lisa and me." Blair reached over to pull the mask off the one he had whacked. "This is the other one."
"Now, where have I seen you two before?" Jim questioned, studying the men intently. "Oh yeah, the Torrance case. We've got locals here, Chief."
Blair pondered their intruders. "So, the question is, who hired them?" Neither man answered, continuing to glare. "That's too bad, you refusing to talk. You see, the Cascade PD doesn't take very kindly to people breaking into a fellow officer's home."
"Fellow officer?" The man on the floor squeaked. The other glared at him.
"That's right," Jim replied as his voice turned menacing. "The police also take a very dim view of fellow officers being threatened with knives. This is my home, I'm a police detective, and I'm sure we'll find a nice set of prints on that knife sticking out over there." Sam, setting the phone back down, sent a startled glance at the knife in question. "So I suggest you start talking, beginning with who hired you."
The two men sent frightened looks at each other. Without further prodding, they both started babbling.
"Yes sir, they were caught… No, they know nothing that can be tied back to us… The disc is still in Mr. Sandburg's possession… Yes, sir, we'll get Mr. Sandburg and the disc tomorrow."
Six hours later, Ellison's loft
Blair leaned his forehead against the blender as it churned, wishing it wasn't morning yet. Between his worry for MacGyver and the excitement the night before, he hadn't gotten much sleep. Unfortunately, while the local thugs had told all they knew, it wasn't much. Just a phone number and a P. O. box. Oh, and that their employer wanted that disc badly. Good thing it was under lock and key in Simon's office.
