Hi all! Here's chapter six as promised. Now you can read the aftermath of what happened in the previous chapter. We'll have a nice twist in the end of it. I hope you have fun!

(We fade in where we last fade out with a soft waking-up music, then fades away)
Chapter VI
Escaping the pit
Returning to the Phoenix-lab
Mary Ruth Giordano
Nikki’s dark secret revelation

MacGyver slowly awoken from his consciousness, he was covered with branches.
‘Oh, my head,’ he said weakly.
He couldn’t move, he was too weak to do it. He had a bump on his head and a bloody cut above his left eyebrow. It was hard to do it but he succeeded in moving himself. He tried to put himself up but he couldn’t because of the pain in his head. He lays backwards again and looked at the sky that made him peacefully relaxing. He looked up and saw the sky was beautiful morning-blue. He heard animals nearby and from a distant doing what they usually do. He saw an orange-yellow glow coming over peeping into the pit.
The sun was rising and a new day came along.
Since MacGyver couldn’t do anything, he tried to remember what happened last night or how he came up here.
He remembered his name and that was good. He remembered the compound and that he saw Maria. There wasn’t time for him to check the other doors. The lights went on, he had the run from the soldiers. Now and then it came to a quick fistfight with them but he got out of there through the roof. He ran to Murphy and Rhome and the car. His beloved jeep. Now when he bought that jeep it was his purchase of a lifetime. That jeep was the only one of his kind, the only exemplar. The creation of that jeep caused the factory going out of business. The only profit it made went to government. What made that Jeep so special? No one knew, not even MacGyver knew and he owned that Jeep several years by now. Maybe it was because you could take to rooftop and the doors out of it. Maybe it was something special because it became a very dear part of MacGyver and maybe it was something special because MacGyver bought the only one that was on the market. He’s been through a lot with that jeep. What was it such a joy to drive with that jeep. Now the jeep was somewhere out there in the jungle laying on it’s side from the explosion last night that blew the left side in the air. After he saved the two people that were with him they had to run. If he looked after him when Murphy fell they didn’t probably take her and Rhome wouldn’t be dead by now.
He knew he couldn’t stay there in that pit; he had to get back to the Phoenix lab with his jeep and notify the others. He had to tell Capt. Kiley and Sgt. Blake that Rhome is dead and that Murphy is taken alive. He hoped that his jeep still was able to ride or else he had to go all the way on foot and he also hoped that his track device of the Phoenix Foundation worked not to mention the walkie-talkie. But how would he tell his son that he got no news of Sally? There was only one way, by telling the truth. He sighed.
By remembering all past thing of last night he felled better and could move a little but sitting up straight wasn’t part of the big picture yet. He tried to move again and was able to do a little. With a little trying he succeeded in taking the magic coin of his grandfather and started to rub it with two of his fingers.
‘Come on, Harry.’
Harry didn’t show up but MacGyver kept rubbing eventually somebody appeared but it wasn’t Harry.
‘Here I am, son,’ a strange female voice.
‘Mom?’
(A part of Harry's theme mixed with other soft music comes up)
Was it possible? Yeah, why not? If Harry could appear when MacGyver rubbed the coin why not his mother Ellen MacGyver.
‘That’s right, son. It’s mommy.’
‘Where’s Harry?’
‘Harry doesn’t wanna come.’
‘And why not?’
‘For what happened last night.’
‘Tell him I wanna talk to him.’
‘Okay, sweetheart, I’ll try but no promises.’
Ellen MacGyver closed her eye and started to mumble in herself, MacGyver looked curious at his mother.
‘He’ll be here in a minute.’
‘Good.’
‘Son, you got to take care of yourself, look at you.’
‘Yeah, I look messed up, covered with branches, blood dripping of my forehead to the side of face. Too weak to move.’
‘That’s how you always were. Whenever, wherever the troubles were you were there, getting in and out of it, making things out of the most extraordinary stuff.’
‘It runs in the family.’
‘I know that, son, but you got to be more careful.’
‘You mean… I wasn’t, then?’
‘Not exactly, for an non-violent person, you sure kicked some bum yesterday.’
‘I intend to do more so today, from as soon I’m little fixed up, I, Sam, Kiley, Blake and Nikki are going back to the compound and save the ones we love.’
‘That’s the spirit son, that’s the son I know. You’ll see everything will gonna be just fine, like they always do.’
‘I hope so.’
‘Son, later on this day you will be released of all your misery.’
MacGyver smiled until Harry appeared. (now the real Harry theme comes up)
‘Oh, here you are dad.’
‘I have nothing to say to him.’
‘Oh, come on dad. Listen to what he has to say.’
Harry nodded.
‘I’m gonna keep my eye on you son, be careful.’
‘Yes, mother, I always am,’ MacGyver smiled.
Ellen MacGyver disappeared now Harry and MacGyver were looking at each other.
‘Haven’t you been listening to me last night?’ Harry said starting a conversation.
‘I definitely have, but I should have gone alone, if I went to compound alone Rhome wouldn’t be dead by now and Murphy wouldn’t be taken hostage. It was a messed up night.’
‘MacGyver,’ for the first time in his entire life MacGyver heard his grandfather mentioning his name that never happened before. ‘I think you should back to the Phoenix-lab and notify them of what happened here last night.’
‘I intended too Harry, since last night, but look where I ended up. In a pit covered with branches, wounded, weak. I’m just one big pain.’
‘Well, try to get rid of it, then and get out of here.’
‘That’s not as easy as it seems. I wanna see you smacking your head against a three and see how well you will feel. Using the walkie-talkie would probably also out of the question because I seriously have my doubts that it will still work after what’s been through.’
Harry agreed, MacGyver was right.
‘I couldn’t save Rhome from his death, you know. He sacrificed his life to save mine.’
‘You did the right thing, bud.’
‘By letting him die?’
‘We all lose friends, people we care about but we can also save them from horrible deaths.’
‘And that’s what I’m about to do, after all that is my job, even if it’s the last time that I do such a thing.’
‘Look bud, the reason I didn’t wanted to show when you rubbed the coin is that you didn’t follow my advice to you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Your attitude towards your friends.’
‘Hey, I changed my attitude.’
‘Not towards Sam. I saw you both arguing yesterday, that’s not my bud I used to know.’
‘I know I haven’t been myself lately, huh?’
‘That’s correct, bud. You should go back and apologise and tell them what happened.’
‘You’re right, Harry, you’re absolutely right. I can’t stay here, I have a job to do and I have to make some things up.’
MacGyver tried to get up and he succeeded although he felled himself a little bit dazed.
‘You okay, bud?’
MacGyver touched his wound leaving blood marks on his fingers.
‘Ow! Now I’m not feeling alright Harry, but I expect I’ll live.’
‘Take a deep breath.’
‘What for?’
‘Take a deep breath. Smell the jungle air in the morning.’
MacGyver took a deep breath and the smell of the morning jungle air did him good. It did him real good; his dizziness was gone, just all of a sudden.
‘Hey, Harry, that really worked. Now I’m gonna put my own clothes on again, they more comfortable then this army uniform.’
‘Yeah, put your own clothes back on this isn’t sight.’
‘Turn around, Harry.’
Harry sighed and turned around while MacGyver putted his own clothes back on.
‘Alright then, wallet in left pocket, Swiss army knife in right pocket together with the scotch tape.’
Then over his white t-shirt he putted his jeans jacket back on.
‘So Harry, is there something for me to work with here?’
‘Improvise like you always do,’ Harry said who was standing on the edge of the pit.
‘Oh, there you are, already out of the put,’ MacGyver said, ‘you know you could have helped me out of here.’
‘That’s up to you, bud, getting out of there, but you’ll know what, I’ll wait up here for you.’
MacGyver just stood there in the pit watching goofed at his grandfather.
‘“That’s up to you, bud”, it’s always up to me. Alright let’s see.’ (the music changes into MacGyverism music)
He looked around in that pit but there was nothing much to work with except broken branches or was there more to work with?
‘The clothes!’
He could use the clothes to make a rope of it.
He took the army clothes, the pants first and tied one sleeve of it to another sleeve of the t-shirt and another to the sleeve the shirt. He looked up and saw a convenient branch hanging over the pit.
‘Hmm, if I just can throw it over the branch it would make a nice decent piece of rope.’
He tried it but it wasn’t long enough and too risky to let go of his end, he sighed and took of his jacket and tied on the rest of it. Now it was long enough and he threw it successfully over the branch. He tested it if it was strong enough and it was but not until the jacket which was the strongest piece of clothing was in the middle of it and on top of the branch to hold it. So he made the necessary changes and climbed up his homemade piece of rope. By the time he was almost completely out of the pit, he was hanging there but the branch started to give in.
‘Don’t break yet, don’t you break just yet.’ (the music becomes suspenseful)
MacGyver started to swing around and when he swung over solid ground the branch broke making him land on his back again. (here the music disappears)
‘Well, ouch.’
‘You made it.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, you know, what to do?’
‘Go back and tell how the situation became.’
‘That’s right. Now go.’ Harry said and disappeared.
MacGyver was standing there alone taking his jacket, putting it back on. He was refreshed full of new energy until something dragged his attention. (Suspenseful music comes up again) He saw a soldier coming closer to where he was standing. MacGyver hid himself behind a tree when the soldier went to see what was in the pit.
‘The pit’s empty,’ the soldier said.
‘Come in, soldier,’ Deborah’s voice cracked through the soldiers walkie-talkie.
‘Senorita Deborah, MacGyver is not in the pit.’
‘He must have gotten out of there somehow.’
‘I agree.’
‘If MacGyver is still live he will come back for us. Return to your post, soldier.’
‘Si, senorita.’
MacGyver closely listened to the conversation and when he thought he was gone he putted his first step to his car but a branch snapped under his feet dragging the soldiers attention. MacGyver could see him and tried to avoid him while he was coming closer until they met each other eye to eye. Too late for MacGyver, the soldier fired his gun at him, the bullet past by his pants ripping a chunk of flesh of his leg.
‘Agh!’
MacGyver fell down on the ground motionless at least that’s what the soldier thought. If MacGyver was dead while they needed him alive, they would probably execute him for killing MacGyver.
But why would MacGyver do that? Dying in front someone who shot him the leg?
No, he wouldn’t for an aversion perhaps but not for real; in the meantime the soldier got to the MacGyver, who was apparently unconscious, the soldier didn’t know what to do.
MacGyver risked to hurt himself but decided to kick to gun away with his right leg where he was shot in. He kicked the gun away surprising the soldier.
‘What the…’
‘You can’t kill me, you’re not allowed to do that, they need me alive.’
‘So what are you going to do, American? You’re wounded, non-violent and there’s nothing to make something of it. Let us see how you will escape this time.’
‘It’s easy, just like last night in the compound. I may be non-violent but eventually even I loses my patience and become violent.’
‘Really.’
‘Yeah, watch me.’
MacGyver struck the man with an intense right hand and despite the pain in his leg, he continued punching the man. A left, a right, a left and another right sending the man backwards but not making him fall down.
‘Not bad, MacGyver, but I’m afraid it’s my turn now.’
‘Try me.’
The soldier tried on a very clumsy way to hit MacGyver but he ducked and with both hands MacGyver pushed the man against his chest making him falling in the pit. MacGyver laughed at him.
‘Next time, go to bed early, get out of bed early and finish your breakfast, you know, steak, bacon and eggs. Toast, coffee and orange juice. Fresh squeezed orange juice. Then we’ll have another fight, ok? By the way, those blows were for lieutenant Rhome.’
MacGyver finally left that place limping but all his troubles where far from over because the soldier in the pit called the help of his friends. He saw the other soldiers coming over the hill with their jeeps ready for a gunfight which wasn’t gonna come because they need him alive, you moron. ALIVE, like that film about the Uruguayan rugby teams that crash/landed in the Andes Mountains in 1972.
MacGyver limped around a little to find a hiding place but he didn’t find anything good enough.
‘High!’ he said. He needed a place the hide high to be more specific.
He founded an easy-to-climb-in-tree and got in it and from there on he climbed from one to another no matter how much the pain was in his leg. He kept climbing from one to another until he was after the horde of soldiers. He jumped out of the tree landing on his feet which made he crumble into himself.
‘Agh! Damn, that hurts.’
(the music fades away here)
He started to limp again to his car; his jeep was a little further then where he was. After a little walking… sorry limping, he could see his car still laying on it’s right side, not much further from lieutenant Rhome’s body. From where MacGyver was standing he could see that the jungle animals already feasted very well on his bloody flesh. His chest was eaten open and his insides where scattered around on that part of the jungle.
MacGyver limped to his car, no immediate damage for as far he could see. He needed the car so he tried to pull it back onto its wheels. A little power was needed but he managed it to put it back on its wheels. He got in his car and started the engine.
‘It still runs.’ MacGyver cheered.
He gave a little gas and the jeep just drove on as if nothing happened to it, which was true because there was no real damage to it with exception of a few broken windows and cracks in them. MacGyver drove out of there with a breaking speed of 75 miles an hour anxious to get back to the Phoenix-lab.
He was going back, like he was supposed to do, recover and then going to the compound again to do his job.
He continued driving until his car suddenly stopped, he popped up the hood and went to see what’s wrong.
‘Damn, wrecked the fuel line. Looks like a familiar situation.’
MacGyver searched himself throughout his pocket to find a pen. No pen, perhaps in his glove compartment. He opened the passenger’s door and searched in the glove compartment, there he found a pen. He used the pen case of it to fix the fuel line. ‘And that’s that.’
MacGyver started to car again and continued his ride back to the Phoenix-lab. After driving around for a couple of minutes he finally arrived back at the Phoenix-lab. He stumbled out of his car and limped to the entrance.
‘Mr. MacGyver?’ the receptionist noticed. ‘I’m so glad that you’re still alive.’
‘So am I, although I need a doctor.’
‘I’ll call the others, wait here.’
She took a phone and pushed a button.
‘Mr. Thornton? Mr. MacGyver is here.’
‘What? Why am I not told about all these things?’
‘Well, Mr. MacGyver just came in.’
‘That’s limped in,’ MacGyver said.
‘Bring him in,’ Pete said.
‘Well, that’s gonna be difficult, he’s wounded.’
‘What? Take him to the first aid.’
‘Yes sir. Mr. MacGyver, you can go to the nurse if you like.’
‘Sure.’
‘Mr. Thornton and the others will follow soon.’
‘Thanks.’
MacGyver went to the medical institute inside the Phoenix-lab, to his surprise the nurse was no one else then Mary-Ruth Giordano herself.
‘Mary-Ruth?’
‘That’s right, MacGyver.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m a nurse now.’
‘I can see that, but I thought you were on a assignment here for endangered jungle species.’
‘That’s right and I finished it last night but since I like it here so much, I stayed here doing some nursing. Well actually it’s just they were here without a nurse so I decided to take on this task until the Phoenix-Foundation send someone else.’
‘I see. And do you like it so far?’
‘You’re my first patient as a matter of fact. Djeezes MacGyver, what happened to you?’
‘I had a very distressing night.’
‘Why? What happened, tell me.’
‘Well, you probably knew about the wedding?’
‘Yeah, congratulations.’
‘Thanks. So I got married.’
‘Congratulations.’
‘Thanks. During our wedding night which didn’t last long they’ve kidnapped her.’
‘Who?’
‘Maria.’
‘I know that but who kidnapped her?’
‘Oh, well, Murdoc, Dr. Zito and Deborah.’
‘Those names seems familiar to me. I looked up some information about them. Falling in mine shafts and of cliffs and institute for mentally insane. Pretty heavy stuff.’
‘Maria, Penny Parker and Sally Rally are held hostage in the compound nearby.’
‘Sally Rally?’
‘Sam’s new girlfriend. He dumped his last girlfriend for this one.’
‘So tell me more, tell me more.’
‘I went to the compound with Lt. Rhome and Lt. Murphy but I went in alone.’
‘You always work alone.’
‘Except if they need my help. I went in alone and I founded Maria but there was no time to get her out there and suddenly all hell broke lose.’
‘You got hurt in a crossfire?’
‘Not really. My car is now damaged metal on wheels, Lt. Rhome is dead and Murphy is also taken by them.’
‘And you think it’s your fault?’
‘That they’ve taken Murphy is my fault but Rhome’s death. He told me to leave him behind.’
‘Then it’s not your fault, these things just happen.’
‘Apparently. Then I banged my head against a tree causing this wound on my forehead.’
‘How did happen?’
‘The tree didn’t got out of the way in time.’
‘Why is that?’
‘When I banged my head against it, I saw little stars and I could have sworn the tree saying: “Sorry man, I didn’t got away in time”.’
Mary-Ruth laughed.
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, really,’ MacGyver said rolling his eyes.
‘Alright now, MacGyver. Time to fix you up a little,’ she said while taking a first-aid kit. ‘Let me see your leg.’
MacGyver’s pants became all red from the blood, and grunted when he showed Maria the wound.
‘Now that’s what I call a nasty wound.’
‘Why, what is it?’
‘The bullet is still in there, I have to get it out.’
‘Ouch!’
‘You’re damn straight it’s gonna hurt.’
Maria took some instrument to get it out.
‘So how’s Tommy doing?’
‘Tommy is doing fine, just fine, since he became fifteen, by now.’
‘That’s good, then.’
‘No, not really.’
‘Why not?’
‘My baby has trouble on school, he doesn’t like going there.’
‘Why not?’
‘He gets a lot of F’s and D’s with an occasionally C.’
‘How come?’
‘They’re bulling him around.’
‘What do they do then?’
‘Squashing his lunches, hanging him up with his pants on the flagpole, calling him teachers pet and mama’s boy, locking him up in his locker and when he gets a B- they turn him upside down in the toilet to flush out his brains.’
Mary-Ruth tried not the cry but she couldn’t help it much longer.
MacGyver got up and comforted her.
‘Hey, it’s okay. How long have they been bulling him?’
‘Since the first day he got there.’
‘What grade is he in?’
‘The 8th grade, he had to double up a few years.’
‘I’ll talk to Pete about this, he must make sure that Tommy can go to another and a better school.’
‘Can you do that?’
‘Hey, my name is MacGyver, I can do anything.’
‘You really are a good friend, MacGyver, but I still owe you from last time when we went to Canada.’
‘How can you owe friend? Oh, right, you can pay that debt by taking this bullet out of my leg.’
‘You got it and your head wound needs stitches.’
‘That too? My god I must having a bad day.’
‘Just relax, bite your tongue and your teeth’s.’
‘Huh?’
‘Hang on this is gonna hurt. First I’ll clean the wound.’
Mary-Ruth took some pieces of cloths and cleaned the wound from all blood. ‘Then I look for the bullet hole.’
There was indeed a small hole in MacGyver’s leg and with Mary-Ruth’s good eyes she could see the bullet in it.
‘And what do you see, nurse?’
‘I can see the bullet sticking right next to your bone.’
‘Use my SAK to get it out,’ he said giving her the knife.
‘With what do I have to get it out.’
‘Use the pincers.’
‘Sorry MacGyver, but I’m afraid they’re too small.’
‘But big enough to go through the wound.’
‘Alright, then fine have it your way, I don’t care.’
Mary-Ruth forced her thumbs to open the wound a little, blood gushing out of it.
‘Ow, watch out with what your doing,’ MacGyver said in pain.
Now she kept the wound open with her thumb and her index finger of her left hand, with the pincers she went in the wound and got the bullet immediately but it didn’t wanna come out.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘I’ve got the bullet but it seems to be stuck.’
‘Well, give it a yank, pull it out.’
‘I’m trying, I’m not strong enough.’
‘You were strong enough to force your thumbs in the wound, goddamn it woman, it hurts.’
‘I know that MacGyver.’
MacGyver took Mary-Ruth’s hand and yanked the bullet out of his leg, blood gushes more out of it and spats out in Mary-Ruth’s face.
‘Aah!’
‘It’s just a bit of blood, Mary-Ruth.’
She cleaned the blood off and putted a bandage on MacGyver’s leg.
‘Tough operation.’
‘Thanks, Mary-Ruth.’
‘But we’re not finished yet, slick.’
‘Oh, this head injury, right?’
‘Right.’
‘Well, maybe stitches aren’t necessary, just put some of that alcohol against it to stop the bleeding.’
‘OK, it’s your head.’
The door suddenly got open and Pete, Sam, Jack, Nikki, Kiley and Blake entered the room.
‘MacGyver!’
‘Dad!’
‘Hey, amigo, hombre,’ Jack Dalton said.
‘Everybody, settle down and I’ll explain.’
‘What happened last night, dad?’
‘Yeah, where are Murphy and Rhome?’ Kiley asked.
‘SILENCE!’ MacGyver ordered sharply. ‘For once shut the hell up you all, I’ve had a very disturbing night, so back off, sit down and listen.’
Everybody relaxed a little and calmed down.
‘It went bad didn’t, dad?’ Sam wondered.
MacGyver nodded.
‘What happened there, dad?’
‘I died and went to thanksgiving.’
Everybody looked confused at him.
‘Never mind. I’ve had a very frustrating night and I don’t really now where to start my explanation.’
‘Start from the beginning.’ Mary-Ruth said.
‘Last night, in the compound, I saw Maria.’
‘What about Sally, dad?’
‘I haven’t seen her but she couldn’t be too far away, they are locked in some sort of asylum inside the compound. The place over there is full of soldiers, they indeed got a small army there, so getting them out of there is not going to be as easy as it seems.’
‘How come you had bad luck this time, Mac?’ Jack wondered.
‘I think it was just a matter of bad timing.’
‘Why’s that?’ Pete asked.
‘When I founded Maria’s door in that asylum, I started to pick the lock, but… I got caught and had to make a go for it. The place was full of camera’s so they did notice me on their monitors and then all hell broke lose. I escaped through the roof with the wires of their red-coloured sirens.’
‘And then what happened?’ Kiley asked.
‘I told Murphy and Rhome to go back to the Jeep, what we finally did, but they chased us through the jungle, firing at us, aiming rocket launchers us.’
‘A rocket launcher?’ Blake asked impressed.
‘You should take a look at my car, it’s just damaged metal on wheels.’
‘What happened next?’ Nikki wondered.
‘They fired a rocket at us, that luckily missed us but we were really literally blown away. We started to run but Murphy fell and got caught by the soldiers, I assume that she is still alive but held hostage. Rhome couldn’t follow either so they killed him.’
‘What?!’ Kiley asked shocked.
‘They shot him. He gave his life to save mine or else I would not be here.’
‘How come you stayed away all night?’ Sam wondered.
‘I continued running but I banged my head against a tree causing this wound. I fell unconscious for the whole night, I woke up in the early sunlight, as you can see I indeed escaped the pit I fell in but then I got in touch eye to eye with a soldier who shot me in my leg.’
‘So in other words; the situation didn’t improve,’ Sam said.
‘I’m afraid you’re right, Sam. It just got worse. Instead of saving three people, we have to save four of them.’
‘Dad, dad, dad. When did you intend to go back?’
‘What time is it, now?’
‘It’s about nine o’ clock.’
‘Great! I’ll have to rest a little. Sam, Kiley, Blake and Nikki be prepared within the next six hours.’
Everybody acknowledged and started to go their own ways.
‘Hey, Kiley,’ MacGyver said.
‘What is it?’
‘I’m sorry, we lost Rhome.’
‘Well if he indeed gave his life to save yours I can’t blame you for anything then, but he always wore his bullet proof vest.’
‘He was shot in the back.’
‘I’m glad you got out of there, MacGyver, then Rhome didn’t die for nothing,’ Blake said.
‘Thanks, Blake.’
Kiley and Blake left the medical office.
‘Hey, MacGyver,’ Mary-Ruth said.
‘Yes, Mary-Ruth?’
‘Don’t forget what you promised me, you hear?’
‘And what did I promise you?’
‘You should talk with Pete about Tommy and his new school.’
‘Oh, right. I’ll make sure everything is gonna be just fine.’
‘Thanks MacGyver.’
‘Hey, no problem, Mary-Ruth,’ MacGyver said. ‘Hey, Sam wait up.’
MacGyver followed Sam to his dormitory.
‘What is it dad, what do you want from me?’
‘Look, Sam, I wanna tell you I’m sorry for what happened between us the last 24 hours, you’re my son and I love you man.’
‘Dad, I love you too and I’m sorry of what I said before. It’s just that I can’t stand the fact that my girl is kidnapped.’
‘I know how it feels, son, I’m sorry of our fight last night.’
‘I’m sorry too, dad.’
Both men embraced each other.
‘I’m glad I got my old dad back.’
‘The father, who talked things in and out of people?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Sam, we will get Sally back just like Maria, Penny and Murphy.’
‘I know dad, but this time I’m coming with you.’
‘It would be an honour to have my son with me. I’m going to my dormitory, getting a little rest, I’m beat up.’
‘You look beat up too.’
‘I was still in pretty good shape last night, they couldn’t lay a hand on me while I kicked seriously their asses.’
‘Aren’t you afraid that they’ll kick yours instead when you go back?’
‘If that happens, it happens, but I’ll tell you one thing; I’m getting my wife out of there alive and well and she will live on in my houseboat.’
‘That goes for Sally Rally too.’
‘It was lousy night, last night but it surely changed me.’
‘In a good way, dad. In a good way and that’s good, I told anger clouds the mind.’
‘I wasn’t angry, I was… let say a bit too anxious to get her out of there, but I have to admit, the use of a fresh optimistic mind wasn’t the issue there.’
‘You see?’
‘There wasn’t anytime to use it, when I attempted to pick the door lock, the lights went on and I had to think fast and quick thinking well caused a lot of KO’s. Look at my fists, they all look red.’
‘Punched too hard?’
‘Hard and fast, that’s the best way.’
‘And you are a non-violent person?’
‘That’s right but never when my life depends on it, even if they need my alive. They never keep their hostages alive or only on very rare and delicate matters’
‘This is indeed the heaviest *bad word removed* we’ve ever been through, huh, dad?’
‘This is the most personal situation I’ve ever been in, got hurt for the first time within three years. But I’m glad that you and all of these people are willing to help me, no matter how I acted last night.’
‘That’s what friends and sons are for. I couldn’t bear it, that you left without me.’
‘Complain with Pete for that, he told me to go with Rhome and Murphy and to leave you alone. You’ll get your chance later today.’
‘I know, dad.’
‘Be prepared, it’s gonna be hard out there.’
‘I’ll be ready.’
‘Good, son. See ya in the next couple of hours.’
‘Later, dad.’
MacGyver left Sam’s dormitory and went to his own dormitory to take a rest and regain his energy he lost last night. Then it became silent in the Phoenix-lab, everyone was working like they usually do in an office, and the receptionist answered phones and all. Willis was sitting at his desk concentrating on something really scientific. A few others were doing their jobs. It started to feel like if you’re at school and everybody is in class. You got these deserted hallways, where occasionally somebody passed through. The only one who was outside was Jack Dalton cleaning his airplane up and checking his panels, but what he didn’t know was that somebody was watching at him from the windows of the building. (creepy slow tense music comes up) The person turned around and walked away into the hallway to a dormitory where a contact radio stood on a desk.
‘Come in, do you read me, over?’ the voice said in the radio.
‘I read you, over,’ a female voice said on the other side.
‘Deborah?’
‘Yes, it’s me.’
‘I got news for you.’
‘What is it?’
‘MacGyver is still alive and he’s here in the building, he’s injured but that’s not gonna stop him.’
‘Good. Do you know when he comes back for us?’
‘He’ll be coming back for you in the next five hours.’
‘That’s perfect, his last hours are counted.’
‘Very well, but what’s my share in this conspiracy?’
‘You’ll get 20.000 dollars as promised.’
‘No! That wasn’t our deal, the deal was set on twenty-five thousand dollars.’
‘Twenty.’
‘Twenty-five or I’ll tell MacGyver why I betrayed him.’
‘OK, then, 25.000 dollars cash or cheque?’
‘Cash.’
‘Twenty-five thousand dollars in cash not a dollar more.’
‘That’s right, honey.’
‘Now there is something else we want you to do, honey.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Has MacGyver come with an airplane?’
‘Yes, it belongs to Jack Dalton, why?’
‘Disable it, mess with the breaks or something, make it crash if it goes up.’
‘That certainly wasn’t part of our deal. Our deal was betraying MacGyver for 25.000 dollars, not for killing someone.’
‘We’ll pay you 20.000 dollars more.’
‘Forty-five thousand dollars, for treason and murder?’
‘That’s correct.’
‘I’m gonna betray a friend and kill his best friend. That’s sadistic, that’s…’
‘Evil, maybe? Sweetheart, you have no *bad word removed*ing clue of what evil is. Do you really think you’re qualified to say what is evil? If you want to discuss evil, you should talk to Dr. Zito, he’s standing right besides me and what sadism concerns… I am indeed one like you are a bureaucrat. Betray MacGyver and kill Jack Dalton that’s all what we want you to do, after all you get profit for it, we won’t get anything for it. There’s no 45.000 dollars in it for us, so you will do like you’re told.’
‘For 45.000 dollars?’
‘Right.’
‘OK. I’ll do it.’
The person in front of the radio turned the radio down, got up and went to the mirror and took a good look at… herself. Deborah talked with no one else then Nichole Ann Carpenter better known as Nikki Carpenter. She would get 45.000 dollars to betray MacGyver and kill Jack Dalton. Jack Dalton was an innocent about to get hurt and she had to make sure it happened in front of MacGyver’s eyes. I hope MacGyver can prevent these terrible about too happen soon events and save his wife and friends from a horrible death.
(The music becomes louder and fades out when Nikki looks at herself in the mirror)

Original date of story post: Mar 9 2004 06:36 AM