Since there seems to be considerable interest in my story
I´ll like to share the next part of it with you.But be warned of a little surprise at the end of it
Part 2
When MacGyver woke up, he was a little disoriented at first. He wasn´t sure, what had roused him. The room was still quiet, the floodlight was still on. When he blinked his eyes fully open and looked around, nothing had changed. But his eyes wouldn´t focus properly, and the colors he saw just were not right. The floor had not been glowing green before. When he slowly sat up, everything seemed to be moving around him, leaving him feeling dizzy. He remembered the nightmares he had been going through in his sleep clearly. Bright colored scorpions, some of them almost neon, in different sizes, from small to huge, had been closing in on him, crawling all over him, covering him, stinging him. His sleep had not been nearly as restful as Mac had hoped.
Those nightmares and hallucinations had to be caused by the drug, he had been given, MacGyver reflected to himself. He was still feeling exhausted; his whole body was still hurting, although the pain had diminished thanks to his rest. The bright light inside his room made it difficult to distinguish, if it was night or day on the outside. His time sense was definitely way off center. He cautiously stood up on his feet and prepared himself to take another, closer look at his prison, now that there was enough light. His vision stayed blurred though, so he was feeling his way around the room more than seeing it.
Just as MacGyver was examining the door, he suddenly doubled over, and drew in a sharp breath. It felt like someone was stabbing a knife into his stomach. Mac waited a few moments until the pain had ebbed away, and then continued his search for way out. But only a few minutes later he fell to his knees, groaning. The stabbing pain was back, together with spasms rushing through his body. Mac had to steady himself against the wooden planks. Again he waited and then got up on his feet. He also felt the muscles in his arms and legs tighten. He shook his head, trying to clear his senses.
Within another few minutes MacGyver was down again. The convulsions and the shooting pain were rolling over him like waves. He had to crouch down in the far corner of the room, leaning against the wall. He could hardly breathe, the pain got worse with every moment.
Again it was gone as sudden as it had started, giving MacGyver a little break to recover. His breathing was ragged, his whole body shivering with the echo of the suffering. He attempted to find a more comfortable position, but it was no use. The next wave hit even harder. Mac wrapped his arms protectively around his body. He bit back an agonized cry and dropped to the ground. Somewhere in his head the man´s voice echoed, don´t be afraid. It won´t kill you. Was he really sure about that?
The suffering continued, but abruptly the light went out. MacGyver winced with shock. When he managed to look up, the walls seemed to be closing in on him. Even the floor felt like it was moving. He had considered calling for help a few moments ago, but this signaled him, they were no longer interested in watching. MacGyver was left alone in the darkness with the spasms, the excruciating pain and the anguish. He curled himself up on the cold floor and gave in to the inevitable. With a deep sigh he tried to prepare himself mentally to endure whatever was bound to happen. He held on to the phrase: The dose is low enough so it won´t kill you.
After many hours, that had felt like an eternity to MacGyver, the symptoms gradually subsided. Bit by bit he started to relax his strained body, tried to loosen and stretch his tight muscles. He was covered with cold sweat, shivering and breathing hard. Now he was really wasted, physically and mentally. With a last effort he raised his head and tried to sit up. But his body wouldn´t obey, his arms wouldn´t hold him upright. MacGyver collapsed to the ground and finally passed out.
*****
MacGyver´s head was aching badly, when he slowly came out of it. He still felt weak, but this time the sleep had helped him recover a little. He took a few moments to judge his condition, while his eyes were still closed. The convulsions and the resulting pain were gone, but he felt every muscle, every bruise. His sore wrists were burning. The shackles had torn deeply into his skin during the beating.
Cautiously he blinked his eyes open. He was still surrounded by the darkness of the small room. He had no clue to how long he´d been out. Nothing seemed to have changed. MacGyver took a deep breath, while he was mentally preparing to sit up, but he instantly regretted it.
Yes, that rib is almost certainly cracked, he thought.
Automatically he covered it with his hand and rolled over to his side, moaning lightly. The sweat on his skin had dried up, as well as his soaked shirt, so he must have been asleep for some hours.
Good, Mac thought. I guess I needed that.
Then he carefully rose until he was sitting, leaning against the wooden wall. The vertigo was still present, also due to his weakness. His eyesight was nearly back to normal, no more hallucinations, but still hazy and out of focus. With the effects of the drug or poison almost gone, MacGyver found it a lot easier to fight his despair.
“Yes, I am still alive.” he told himself in a low voice, while he was looking around in his prison cell. “Yes, there still has to be a way out of this.”
He noticed the cardboard tablet lying on the ground close to the door. It hadn´t been there before he had collapsed. MacGyver carefully approached it, took a closer look at it. A large paper cup, probably filled with water, was placed next to a paper plate with a sandwich on it. His suspicion arose instantly, but Mac couldn´t afford to be all too picky. The situation was tight, and it could well get worse. He needed the energy to recover, and he desperately needed something to drink. So he sat down next to that tablet, tested the liquid in the cup with a little sip and smelled at the sandwich. He couldn´t sense anything out of the ordinary, so he ate and drank. Having finished, he retreated back to his corner and managed to find a tolerably comfortable position to sit and wait. Still being awfully tired and exhausted MacGyver fell asleep soon.
*****
MacGyver was roused briskly by the floodlight and someone opening the door. Looking up, he saw the two guards in the doorway. His adrenaline level shot up instantly.
Oh no, not again, was his first thought. He couldn´t stop his hands from trembling with fear, as the Asian thug motioned him to get up and follow him. Mac obeyed this time, always keeping his hands up in a defensive position. He wanted to signal them, that he meant no harm, no offence, and no tricks. Again they guided him down the corridor, and Mac felt the tension inside him rise with every step. But he was stopped at another door, much earlier. The Asian thug opened it for him.
“You might want to use the facilities. But we will observe you.” he said.
MacGyver froze with surprise. The room held a hand-basin, a toilet and a shower. He entered it slowly with a little mistrust. There was a towel and fresh clothing prepared for him. After having a closer look, Mac sighed a little shaky. Yes, freshening up would be a good idea.
The huge man followed him inside, as the Asian closed the door behind them. Mac turned to him, smiling shyly.
“Would you mind turning around…?” he asked.
The guard didn´t react; he kept his place right next to the door, watching MacGyver.
Mac sighed again. All right, no privacy then…
After he was done and had changed into the fresh clothes, they took him back to his cell without a word and locked him up again.
The light was still on, so he took another attempt on finding anything that might lead to a way to escape. The tablet was gone, when they had returned him, and he silently recapped the past events. He had been able to wash the blood off his wrists and take a closer look at his injuries. While showering the warm water flowing over him had not been to comfortable on his bruises, but it had definitely helped relax his strained muscles. Food and water had also helped him recuperate. MacGyver felt a lot better than a few hours ago.
He settled back into “his” corner after examining the room and again finding nothing to work on. MacGyver felt better, but inside he knew, they only wanted him to recover so he could take more of what he´d already been through. The mere thought of it sent a cold shiver down his spine. Mac inwardly chided himself for letting the fear crawl back into his mind. He had to remain mentally strong to be able to hold on, to pull through. He had to stay positive. He had to hold on to the certainty that Pete was out there, searching for him. Help was on the way…
The longer he had to wait and sit in silence and bright light, the more his thoughts went wild. Who were they? What did they plan to steal out of the Phoenix Foundations Research Labs? Who was behind all this? He still had no answers to that puzzle. After what had felt like hours, Mac surrendered to his tiredness and dozed off.
The next days – or what seemed to be many days to MacGyver – passed pretty much with the same course of events. More questions, more beating him, more of the drugs. In between they had left him alone, sometimes in bright light, sometimes in darkness. He had had plenty of time to recover after each round and to think about his situation over and over again. The questions had remained the same. MacGyver had tried different tactiques of answering them, but he had not been able to avoid new pain and suffering.
He just couldn´t convince the Asian that he didn´t know the access codes or any other way to get past the security systems.
He hadn´t been able to recognize a certain pattern to what was happening. He had also been given food several times, could use the bathroom; they had even allowed him to shave the stubble off his face. But it all seemed to happen randomly. Mac´s sense of time passing got more and more confused.
*****
Once again MacGyver stood stretched out and bound in the large room, waiting for his tormentors for what felt like hours. He was already exhausted by having to stand there without being able to move. Everything went through his mind for what felt like the hundredth time. Whoever was the mastermind of this, had to know Mac pretty well. They knew how to tire him, they knew how to use his fear, they knew how much pain he could and had to take in order to push him to his mental borders. Still, Mac had one more strategy left. Maybe this one would buy him some more time. Time that he desperately needed, because he felt that his body was on the verge of giving up. After the ordeal had already been forced to go through, he realized that his strength was not endless.
As he saw the corpulent Asian man entering the room, MacGyver mentally prepared himself to lie his socks off. He knew very well, it was a dangerous game to play, because discovering his lie could make these guys really angry. He tried not to imagine, what they could do to him.
On the other hand, angry people tend to make mistakes. Maybe, just maybe they would make a mistake that would lead to some way out of here.
Just as Mac had finished that thought, the Asian turned around to face him and the two guards took their usual places.
“So, MacGyver” he greeted Mac. “Ready for another round? You should be well rested…?”
MacGyver couldn´t help but sigh. Not really, he thought. You made me stand stretched out for hours again. His shoulders and arms were protesting wildly, his back and legs were aching. Not to mention all the bruises and injuries that had summed up over the days passing.
“I am sure, you do remember, what we´ve been talking about.” The Asian addressed him again. “I am still waiting for you to give me those access codes.”
When MacGyver didn´t react at once, he saw the guards move in on him. Time to make his move. He straightened himself, his body got tense with the adrenaline rush; he was looking nervously at the thugs.
“Hey, wait a minute. Hold it.” he rushed to say. “Hold it, please.”
“You´ve tested my patience long enough.” The Asians reply was cold and sharp.
“Yeah, I know. I´m sorry for that.” Mac smiled apologetically. He took a deep breath and then continued: “You are right. I know the computer security system. I helped build it years ago.” So far, so good. Up to this point, I haven´t even been lying, he reminded himself. “I can tell you how to get inside.”
A little surprised look played around the Asian man´s face. “You changed your mind?”
Mac hurried to nod. “I certainly did.” He still managed to keep that apologetic look. Now for the tricky part of this strategy, he thought.
The Asian couldn´t help but laugh for a moment. Then his face grew hard again. “You really expect me to believe that?” he asked. “After all you´ve been through in protecting your precious Phoenix Foundation secrets? After all your stubborn patriotism? You are giving up?”
Mac nodded again. The little trembling in his body and his voice wasn´t faked. He was dangerously close to the limits of his physical strength. “I can´t take anymore of this.” he admitted. “I am wasted. I can´t go on.” He looked to the ground, bowing his head a little.
The Asian got up from his comfortable position at the table, smiling coldly. “So, MacGyver, it seems, we have found your limitations. Even you do have a breaking point.” he stated triumphantly. He closed in and forced MacGyver´s head up to face him by rudely gripping his jaw. “You are free to continue, I´m listening.”
The fear was back into MacGyver´s eyes as he had to look at the man close up. “You might want to take some notes…” he replied shyly. “As you are not going to allow me to show you…”
The Asian still smiled satisfied as he backed up and signaled to one of his men. The smaller Asian thug hurried out to side door and returned only moments later with a pen and paper and a small tape recorder. He put it down on the table and pushed the record button. The leader of the group focused on MacGyver, his expression growing serious and dark. “Go ahead, MacGyver. Tell me all about it. Loud and clear.” he demanded.
MacGyver took in a deep breath, nodded and cleared his throat. It took several minutes, and after a number of technical instructions and advisories, he finished with two series of numbers and letters. At the end of his explanation he let out a deep sigh. “This should do it.”
The smile on his opponent´s face was triumphant again. “We´ll see.” He pushed the stop button and reached for the well-known metal case.
The hair on the back of MacGyver´s neck suddenly stood on end. Damn, he probably didn´t buy it, Mac thought. Panic rushed through him. “Hey, I told you everything!” he called out. “You´ve said, you´d end the pain!” He pulled on his restraints.
The Asian filled up the syringe in the meantime, perfectly in Mac´s view. “I will.” he answered, while he got up and approached MacGyver. “But verifying your information will take some time. Until then, MacGyver, I want you to remember why you are cooperating with us.”
Mac´s hands were lowered; the cuffs taken off. MacGyver tried to escape the guards, but he didn´t have the slightest chance. Even without the beating his condition had been weakened too much over the days to fight those guys. They had him within their hold within seconds. He was given his injection and then returned to his cell.
MacGyver stumbled into the small room and fell to his hands and knees. So he was in for another round of hallucinations, convulsions and excruciating pain. At least he had been able to avoid the blows, hits and kicks that usually came first. He sat down, rubbing his arms and shoulders. The crooks of his arms were starting to look as if he was a drug addict, he noticed. The needle marks were adding up. However, this drug wouldn´t cause a pleasant high. It was a somewhat crazy thought, but knowing what was about to come was a little comforting; it helped ease the fear. Mac mentally scolded himself for it instantly. Nevertheless he was afraid of the pain and suffering.
Especially now tough, he needed to stay alert. If they got angry, if they made some mistake, he needed to use his chance. Whatever it may be. And still, there was the possibility of help from the outside. MacGyver was still convinced that Pete was searching for him. He would be coming to his rescue. He had to. MacGyver let out the breath he´d been holding for a few moments and leaned back against the wooden wall. He closed his eyes to the bright light and clung on to that last thought.
*****
This time MacGyver had no chance to recover. He was startled by the door opening, while he was still seeing things and waves of pain were rolling over him. The worst of the symptoms of the drug had passed, but he was considerably off center. He was pulled up briskly at his upper arms, guided into the well known room and bound as usual. Obviously they had discovered his fake a lot faster than Mac had hoped or anticipated they would. He had to pull himself together fast, even if his body wouldn´t obey fully. Now could be his chance.
When the overweight Asian entered the room, Mac desperately tried to blink the haze in front of his eyes away. He couldn´t properly make out the things the man sat down on the table. One looked like the metal case, one like the tape recorder, but there was a stick he hadn´t seen before. His vision was still blurred, he couldn´t see any details. At the next moment he doubled up with new spasms and pain hitting. Even to remain standing took all his effort.
“Did you really think, this would work?” the Asian man asked him. Mac could hear considerable anger in his voice. “Did you really think, we wouldn´t discover your lie?” He picked up the stick and pushed it against MacGyver´s chest.
Before Mac could react, he felt as if his body was on fire. He gasped with pain and shock. It only lasted a few seconds, but his heart was racing and the echo of the pain sent shivers through his whole body. So this was the next level, Mac observed somehow scientifically beyond his panic. Electric shocks. So much for my chance to get out of this. If he wanted to have any possibility of surviving all this, he had to get his act together fast and play along.
He shook his head and looked at his opponent. At the moment he had no difficulties in faking a surprised and frightened expression on his face. “But why?” His voice was hoarse. “What went wrong? I don´t…” He didn´t finish the sentence because the stick touched him again. Mac couldn´t avoid crying out in pain.
The man gave him a few moments to recover. “The codes, you gave us, are wrong.” was his cold reply. “They won´t work.” He circled MacGyver, while almost casually touching his back with the stick several times as he passed around. He watched MacGyver gasp with pain, his body stiffening with every shock. “Would you care to explain that?” he asked when he was back facing him.
MacGyver was coughing, trying to calm down his breath and his racing heart, fighting against losing consciousness. “I can´t” he managed to reply with a trembling voice. “Maybe they changed the codes because I am missing.”
The Asian moved closer and laughed coldly at Mac as he saw him jerk back when he touched him with the side of the stick. Only the electrodes at its end could cause considerable pain. He slid the side of the stick upwards along MacGyver´s body to his arms until its end was close to his face. He set off the spark only inches in front of Mac´s eyes.
MacGyver tried to shrink back, but he had next to no room left to move. This time he didn´t have to fake his fear. The trembling in his body was real.
“So, there has to be another set of codes?” the Asian man asked.
MacGyver hurried to nod. Play along, he thought weakly. Just keep playing along. “Yes” he answered fast. “They most likely raised the security level because I am missing. You´d have to use a different way in.”
The Asian guard approached the table and hit the record button of the small tape recorder. His tormentor let the stick slowly slide down until it reached Mac´s waist and then took it away. “We are listening” he ordered. “But you´d be better correct this time.”
MacGyver´s mind hit overdrive once more. He was standing only by sheer will, yet he managed to give them new directions and different codes that made sense. Just as he was finished, the leader of the group stopped the recording of the tape and put down the stick at the table. He left the room through the side door, followed by both of the guards.
This was new. He had never been left alone in here. In an instant all of MacGyver´s senses were on alert. He tried to remember every detail of the room, even though he couldn´t see it clearly at the moment due to the drugs. He had to find a way to loosen that chain fast, so he could work his way out of his shackles. He was licking his lips nervously as he looked around the room and tried to concentrate. He could taste the sweat that covered his whole body because of the stress and the pain. His eyes suddenly locked on the end of the chain, where it was fixed to the wall. As far as he remembered, that chain was only secured by a bolt through a ring screw. No lock! If he could move that bolt, he´d be out of here.
Naturally it was way out of reach. He had to find anything to increase his radius of action. Maybe he could reach the table by swinging on that chain. Or maybe that ring screw in the beam directly above him would give or loosen, if he could pull it sideways. But he had to protect his wrists by grabbing the chain with his hands. They were sore enough from the last days.
Just as he looked up and prepared himself mentally to jump up a little and get a hold on that chain, the door behind him opened. MacGyver froze instantly. He heard the footsteps of someone entering the room, and then the door closed again. Mac held his breath, trying to suppress a shiver that ran down his spine. Had his attempt been discovered so soon? Despair was sneaking up his mind.
“Hello, MacGyver” he was addressed from behind after a small pause. “Good to see you!”
He knew that voice. A sudden wave of relief washed over him. He let out the breath, he´d been holding and closed his eyes for a moment.
“Pete!” he sighed deeply. “Finally. What took you so long?” His question wasn´t meant all too serious.
Pete didn´t reply. He seemed to be assessing the situation from behind, so Mac tried to turn his head around. He could only make out Pete´s well known silhouette behind his side. Still those drugs at work, he thought.
“Pete, there´s a bolt securing the chain to that wall over there.” MacGyver exclaimed hurriedly. “You need to pull it out, so I can lower my arms. And we might be able to open the padlock with it. I don´t know how soon these guys are going to come back. We need to get out of here fast.”
Pete Thornton still didn´t answer, but he moved over to that bolt. He looked at it, yet didn´t touch it.
“Pete, what´s wrong?” Mac urged him. “Set me free.”
Instead Pete turned around facing MacGyver, looking all over him.
“Just tell me, why I should possibly do that…?” he asked, sounding strangely downcast.
MacGyver didn´t understand. “What?!” The relief inside him instantly mixed with confusion. What the heck…? “Pete, I can hardly stand. I can´t take much more of what I´ve been through. We need to leave before they capture you and start questioning you!” Mac got a little upset. Why was Pete stalling?
“I don´t think they´ll do that…” Pete replied. He slowly walked over to the table and sat down on its edge, still looking all over MacGyver.
Inside MacGyver the confusion bit by bit got the upper hand.
“Pete, please. Tell me what´s wrong?”
He couldn´t believe it as he saw Pete picking up the stick and weighing it in his hand. This was just not possible… This couldn´t be happening…
“I will, MacGyver” Pete answered with a sad voice as he got up again. “In time…”
Then without a further warning he pushed the stick against MacGyver´s ribcage, holding it pressed there for some time through Mac´s convulsions.
MacGyver couldn´t help crying out in pain as once more his whole body was burning like being on fire. When Pete finally took the stick away, he collapsed helplessly and with a last confused look at Pete passed out. He didn´t see the other guys reentering the room; the overweight Asian shaking hands with Pete Thornton. He didn´t feel the two guards lowering him and taking off his cuffs. After another injection, they carried him back to his cell and locked him up.
*****
I guess the title will make sense after reading this one...
" 
Granted, I wasn't expecting his initial reaction (though I probably should have been) but I'm glad he was able to shake it off quickly!
I guess I´ll be ready for posting the first part somewhen next week.