[Rocket]

Homecoming Part Two
Chapter Three

Your pretence of normality is convincing, but I am not fooled. You talk of your son, and your job, and your friends as if you were not a monster. You taunt me with the things that you took from me all those years ago and you are too stupid to realise that your perfect life is over whenever I choose. But I have been patient. Until now...

***

James blew quietly on his coffee and took a sip. He settled his headphones more snugly and sat back, his gaze focussed on the warmly-lit window opposite. His headphones picked up the sounds of cutlery and plates, the rustle of clothing and he watched as MacGyver crossed the room to the table.

“So then he waited for a whole hour while I was in physio and when I came out the damn car had locked itself again, James had got panicky because he was trapped inside it and I had to explain to a passing police officer why I was kicking seven kinds of whatever out of someone else’s car door. We gotta do something about that car for Mel, Dad, it’s beyond busted!” Sam shook his head and took a bite of chilli-no-carne. “This is good!” He swallowed, waving his fork for emphasis. “James is kind enough, Dad, but he’s definitely an odd one. And he’s really interested in you. Where did you say Mel dragged him up from?”

MacGyver helped himself to more salad, thinking hard.
“Mel did some work for the probation service recently. I think he met James there and sort of adopted him. Why would he be interested in me? I’m pretty sure I don’t know him...” MacGyver ate some chilli and considered. “What did he want to know, anyway?”

Sam shrugged, taking a swig of water.
“How long you’d lived here, what your job is, that kind of stuff. I dunno, he just put me on edge a bit, that’s all.”
“Hmm.” MacGyver collected the empty plates and headed for the kitchen. Over the running tap he called, “What did you tell him?” but before Sam could answer, the phone rang.

“Hello?” MacGyver tucked the phone between his ear and his shoulder, stowing the plate on its rack and reaching across to snag the dishcloth with his other hand. “Yeah. OK. How did it look? Uh-huh. And you’re planning to... Are you going on your own? Right... You sure? OK, let me know. Bye.” He replaced the receiver and stood frowning at it.

Sam came into the kitchen, rubbing his shoulder.
“Problem?” MacGyver nodded, then shook his head and ran a hand through his unruly hair.
“Yeah. No. Well, maybe.” Sam grinned, put the kettle on and rummaged in the cupboard for instant coffee.
“Well, that covers all the options. What’s going on?” He watched his father pace the length of the room, shove his hands in his pockets and stare out of the window. The street was dark, and the slight movement of James’s curtain went unnoticed.

“That was Willis. We’re doing some pollution testing on the Los Angeles River and we’ve got some pretty unsavoury results. But he thinks he’s identified where the source of the problem is,” MacGyver turned back to Sam and absently picked up a hockey puck lying on the shelf, “And he wants to go and take water samples to prove it.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Sam made himself some coffee, brought it through and handed MacGyver a herbal tea.
“It wouldn’t be, except that he wants to take samples down at the Port of Long Beach docks. At night so that the company he thinks is responsible don’t cotton on to what he’s up to.” MacGyver blew on his tea and then set it down on top of the puck. “I know the company he’s talking about. They’re bad news, Sam. They’ve been implicated in a lot of nasty ‘accidents’ but so far no-one can pin anything on them and that makes them very hostile to, oh, I don’t know, random strangers taking water samples.”
“Right.” Sam rubbed at his shoulder again absently. “How about if we went with him?”
MacGyver turned to his son and smiled. ‘Pete was right’, he thought, ‘He really is a chip off the old block!’
“I’ll talk to him tomorrow about it. He might be OK with me going along, but I don’t want you anywhere near it, Sam.” He shook his head as Sam opened his mouth to protest. “It might be dangerous and you’re still not 100%, are you? Besides, if anything does happen, we might need someone to call for backup. That’d be you.”

Sam considered arguing, but another twinge from his shoulder made him catch his breath and, reluctantly, he nodded. He went back to the couch and turned on the TV. Neither of them noticed something small and silver fall from Sam’s sleeve into the stack of video tapes underneath.


James took off his headphones and smiled to himself in the darkness.



Chapter Four


Oh, sweet and joyous day. Today the circle of my bad luck will be complete and I will start afresh in this land of sunshine and opportunity. For today, today the dawning of this new reality is going to hit you right in the face... MacGyver

***

MacGyver climbed stiffly off his bike and stowed his helmet on the shelf. He stretched his back and rolled his shoulders, reflecting ruefully that the first practice after some time off was always the worst. He trailed his bag, skates and stick through to the apartment and dumped them just inside the door. He crossed to the fridge, pulled out a carton of juice and read the note taped to the front.

Dad,
Gone out to photograph urban sunset. Back soon.
Sam.

MacGyver smiled. Being called ‘Dad’ still made him smile every time. He finished the juice and headed for the shower.

James waited until the tinny sound of running water filtered through to his headphones. Without knowing where his bug had landed, it was hard to be sure, but it sounded like the shower. He’d seen Sam go out a little earlier carrying his camera bag, which meant MacGyver was home alone. He laid the headphones down on the table and quietly left the house.

MacGyver shut off the water and stepped out, scrubbing at his hair with a towel. He heard a creak and called, “Sam?” but there was no reply. He wrapped the towel around his waist and padded into the living room. No Sam. Another creak came from the garage and MacGyver walked through, the concrete cool under his bare feet. Had he left it open? He must have been more tired than he’d thought! He shook his head and walked past his bike to close the half open door, reflecting that living in this kind of neighbourhood had its advantages. Whatever else he thought about it, it was a pretty safe place to live. A loud wolf whistle sounded from across the street and Kelly waved at him. MacGyver blushed hotly, waved back and fled inside, this time shutting the door firmly behind him.

He made it back to the kitchen just as Sam was coming in the front door. He looked at his father and the death grip he had on the towel and grinned.
“Kelly saw you, right?” He laughed, shaking his head. “Woman’s a menace!” He stashed his camera bag behind the settee. “Did you talk to Willis today? I took a bus down to Port of Long Beach earlier on and you’re right – it’s not the most welcoming place I’ve ever been.”
“Yeah.” MacGyver headed back into his bedroom for clothes. “He said he wanted to go alone because one person looks less suspicious than two, which I’m not sure I agree with, but I did get him to promise he’d call if he got into trouble.” He emerged wearing jeans and pulling on a t-shirt. “Problem is, he’s great in the lab but he’s a disaster in the field and he might not realise he’s in trouble until it’s too late to call.”
“I guess we wait and see if he calls.” Sam looked up as a cab honked its horn just outside. He heard someone get in and the cab pull away. “How did practice go, anyway?”
“Great.” MacGyver sat down, trying to ignore the aches in his back, his knees and the arm he’d broken earlier that year. “Just great.”


James got out of the cab, paid the driver the exact money and zipped up his jacket. A cool breeze was coming in off the water and he shivered, partly with cold and partly with anticipation. His hands bunched in his pockets and he took a deep, shaky breath. He turned towards the docks with all the trepidation of a first-time diver stepping out onto the high board. No turning back now.


MacGyver was snoozing on the couch and Sam was drafting an article to go with his sunset photos when the phone rang. Sam reached out to answer it, most of his attention still on his article.

“Yeah, hello?” MacGyver stirred on the couch but didn’t wake up. Sam listened to the panicked voice on the other end of the line, his work forgotten. MacGyver stirred again, perhaps picking up on the tension in the room as Sam nodded, gripping the phone hard.
“I’ll tell him.” He turned just as MacGyver’s tousled head rose above the back of the couch.

“Dad, it’s Willis. He’s in trouble. He’s calling from a payphone on Channel Three, near the river and he sounds really scared.” A yell erupted from the receiver and MacGyver vaulted over the settee to grab it.
“Willis? WILLIS!” He listened to the sounds of wind and water coming faintly over the line. Could he hear running footsteps? He wasn’t sure. The mournful wail of a ship’s horn sounded and MacGyver slammed the receiver down. “I’m going after him, Sam. Call Pete and let him know what’s happened, then stay by the phone in case he calls back, OK?” He dragged on his boots, snatched up his jacket and motorbike keys and ran for the garage, Sam following.

MacGyver hopped astride his bike, turned the key and... nothing. He tried the kick start again, but to no avail. Using a word Sam hadn’t thought his Dad knew, MacGyver crouched down beside his bike, swore again and then stood up in disgust.
“Fuel line’s cut. Brakes are glued up. How...?”
“Also your back tyre’s flat. Someone’s done a number on it for sure. Who would...?” Sam shook his head in confusion. “Even you can’t fix this, Dad, not fast enough. Is Mel in? Maybe you could borrow his junk-heap car...” MacGyver suppressed a shudder.
“Gonna have to.” MacGyver held Sam’s gaze for a moment. “Stay by the phone. Page me if Willis calls back, OK? Damn, I knew this was a bad idea.”

Ducking under the door, MacGyver disappeared off into the night.

[MacsJeep]

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Homecoming part 2

[MacsJeep]

Time for the next part! Enjoy

Homecoming Part Three