Ah, finished this chapter. So MacGyver, Jack and Pete took a trip to Brazil in order to safe Maria. Now you can find out when they get there and we took a look in Maria's past to find out what happened to her and how she got there.

(We fade in with a MacGyver like theme and an exterior shot of Jack's plane)
Chapter IV
Brazilian Air Space
The Phoenix Camp
Making Plans
Maria’s Assignment

Jack Dalton’s airplane was at five thousand feet in the air. They’ve been flying for several hours now. The scenery was beautiful. They left the American Air Space a couple of hours ago and now they were flying over South-America. MacGyver looked outside. The jungle was big, with nothing but trees, hills, waterfalls, animals. Endangered species among them. Nature itself and MacGyver loved that.
(The music fades away here)
‘So how much longer do we have to fly, Jack?’ Pete wanted to know.
‘Not long, Pete,’ Jack replied.
‘That’s what you said about an hour ago.’
‘Alright, you two,’ MacGyver intervened. ‘I’ll take a look at the map.’
MacGyver took the map. ‘Well, according the map, we should be almost there.’
‘Almost, is not entirely, Mac,’ Jack said.
‘There it is,’ Pete said pointing his finger to a camp in the jungle.
‘Then we can start the landing,’ MacGyver said.
‘Landing gear coming down. Uh-oh!’
‘Jack?!’
‘Just kidding, MacGyver.’
MacGyver rolled his eyes.
‘Jack, no jokes,’ he almost begged. ‘This is serious business.’
‘Right, right!’
‘Would you just land the plane?’ Pete asked insistently.
Jack didn’t respond and prepared to land.
‘Fasten your seatbelts please,’ he said.
Mac and Pete buckled up.
‘The landing gear is down and everything is ready for the landing.’
Jack pushed the rudder forward and the plane’s nose went down.
‘Does your radio work, Jack?’ Mac asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘Pete, what’s the frequency of the building?’
‘3-7-0-2-1-4.’
‘Phoenix, do you copy, over?’
‘I copy you, over? Who’s this?’ a voice asked on the other side.
‘This is MacGyver in Jack Dalton’s airplane.’
‘MacGyver, it’s Willis here. We figured you might come this way. Two agents has disappeared here.’
‘Yeah, tell me about it. Just wanted to say that we’re going to land near the building, so we can discuss our plans.’
‘Alright, that’s good. It’s good you’re here. I see you in a bit then.’
‘Come on, Jack, land this plane,’ MacGyver said.
‘It’s not going to be easy, MacGyver. There’s a lot of wind.’
(Intense music comes up here)
The plane swung from left to right a little.
‘Hold on, baby,’ Jack said to the plane.
‘Jack, no fooling around,’ MacGyver said.
‘I ain’t fooling around, Mac,’ Jack responded.
The plane came closer to the ground and Jack held it under control, firmly. MacGyver looked uncertain to Jack.
‘Aw, man!’ MacGyver exclaimed.
‘Five more seconds,’ Jack said. ‘Four, three, two…’
‘Put the plane on the ground, Jack. Now!’
‘One!’
Jack putted the plane on the ground and they kept riding along. Jack pushed the breaks and always harder and harder. The plane started to lose speed and in the end Jack managed to get the plane at a full stop right in front of the Phoenix camp.
(The music stops here)
‘Nice landing, Jack,’ MacGyver said and got out of the cockpit.
‘Yeah, way to go, Jack,’ Pete said.
‘Nice landing, Jack. Way to go, Jack,’ he said imitating them.
MacGyver and Pete got out of the plane with Jack following them on their tails. Willis was standing by the plane and greeted the three friends.
‘MacGyver, Mr. Thornton, Jack.’
‘Willis,’ MacGyver said.
Pete and Jack just nodded.
‘It’s good you came,’ Willis said. ‘Come on, let’s go inside and talk.’
Willis opened up a tent, that was the main tent of the Phoenix camp. A lot of working peoples were running around to control the equipment and doing researches. MacGyver took off his brown bomber jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
‘So what’s going on here?’ MacGyver wanted to know, although it almost sounded demanding. ‘Really?’
‘Well, MacGyver,’ Willis started, ‘agents, have been disappearing.’
‘I know that already. Maria and Nikki Carpenter have disappeared. What about other agents? Peoples from here?’
‘Oddly enough no. Maybe they don’t want anything from us. We’re not really field agents either but scientists. I don’t think they want scientists.’
‘Well, that proves it,’ Mac said.
‘Proves what, Mac?’ Jack asked.
‘That this is a personal matter. Pete, you are sure, you only send Nikki after her?’
‘Pretty sure.’
MacGyver stared at Pete, to make sure he was telling the truth.
‘MacGyver, I’m not lying to you.’
‘I’m not saying you are. Willis, you never send anybody out there?’
‘We don’t even know where their compound is located.’
‘Don’t you got maps around here?’
‘Yeah, we do, but it’s not located at the map.’
‘Tracking devices?’
‘Out of the question, I’m afraid.’
‘Darn it.’
‘What about skyhook, Mac?’ Jack asked.
‘Help from out of the air? Sounds like a good plan Jack, but it’s risky. Too risky. They might have radar and they can spot you. Who knows what’ll happen? No, no. It’s gotta happen from the ground. That’s why I brought my jeep.’
‘Mac, we don’t even know in which direction we should look for?’
‘We just got to check everything from out here, in all the directions.’
‘How then?’ Pete asked.
‘I don’t know that yet, but we’re going to have to stay in contact with each other.’
‘We got earphones at our hands,’ Willis said.
‘That’s good.’
‘So what is our plan then?’ Jack Dalton asked.
‘That still needs some figuring out, but you’re needed Jack,’ MacGyver said smiling. ‘You’re needed.’
‘When?’
‘Tonight before sunset. Get ready by then.’
‘What are we going to do now, MacGyver?’ Pete asked.
‘Work. Taking preparations. What about sleeping places, Willis?’
‘The dormitories aren’t ready yet so you can have your own tent.’
‘Excellent. Come on, get to work everyone.’
(Dissolving music is heard here then turns ominous)
In the hideout compound Maria Romburg was still chained up against the wall. She was alone again for a couple of hours since Deborah and Zito left her room. The silence was deadly. She was dressed in a white outfit, white shoes. Just like a patient. Weak she leans her head back against the wall and tries to look outside. There was a window, not very big, letting very little light through, in her dark room. She felt awful. Locked up here for weeks since the last day of her assignment. She got beaten around, choked to death, syringed. The only thing she had in her mind was MacGyver. They’ve met each other in East Germany after the Berlin Wall went down. The fall of the Iron Curtain. They tagged along pretty well but MacGyver wasn’t to be found for commitment. When he finally did, she had to go on assignment in Brazil. They said goodbye and would talk about it further when she would come back. She never came back. MacGyver wasn’t too worried about her at first. An assignment can take a long time. They called each other sometimes but only shortly. MacGyver had also other assignments to attend to. Mostly in the country, the poorer villages. But they all were for the Phoenix Foundation. They lost their actual communication when MacGyver was send for Turkey. Afterwards it went all downhill. Maria got in a difficult situation unwanted. When she got caught, she was just on her hotel room packing up her last things to take her flight back to the States. Alright, you have the right to know what really happened. So this is how it all happened.
(Flashback of the episode MacGyver’s Women, several weeks, even a few months earlier)
MacGyver’s houseboat. The phone rang. MacGyver was still asleep so Maria answered it. (Music fades away here)
‘This is Maria Romburg, hello,’ she said.
‘Maria? It’s Pete.’
‘Why, hello, Pete. What can I do for you?’
‘You remember, when I told you that there might be a job for you in Rio?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, it’s arranged. Your assignment is to retrieve back some papers.’
‘Yes, Pete. What sort of papers?’
‘Important historical American documents.’
‘How important historical and American?’
‘Maria, this is very important. National historical importance. It’s the Declaration of Independence.’
‘Isn’t Washington D.C. supposed to have those?’
‘Yeah, but their security system leaked. That’s why they appealed to us.’
‘Why would they even escape to Rio with the Declaration of Independence. That’s not far enough, is it? Who could possibly want those documents and for what reasons?’
‘It’s certainly not far enough. The reasons why and who? Scum, who wants to make themselves important. Maybe someone of the security stole it.’
‘I would’ve understood it if a rogue nation did it. Who can’t stand America nowadays?’
‘Maria, I don’t know. Russia? East Germany?’
‘No, no. East Germany most certainly not.’
‘Why not? Many Stasi-agents are out of money and out of a job. But whoever it is, the President told me it must have been an inside job. A security leak you know.’
‘Someone of his own men?’
‘That’s why it’s called a leak.’
‘Alright, Pete. I’ll do it. Is there something specific I should know about this?’
‘It’s carnival there and if you come over here I can fully brief you.’
‘OK, Pete. You can expect me within the hour.’
‘I’ll meet you then.’
Maria hung up the phone. This was news, she had to tell it to MacGyver. She ran up the spiral staircase to the bedroom. MacGyver was sleeping with his clothes on, on his bed, laying on his back. She smiled at him. When she sat down on the side of the bed, her lips get pressed against his. Kissing she woke him up.
‘Hey, what?’ he asked while getting woken up from his Western dream.
‘Pete called. I have an assignment in Rio. It’s carnival there. You were right, MacGyver. I would miss the excitement too much.’
‘But what about last night? We were talking about commitment.’
‘What about it?’
‘Commitment! We would talk about it.’
‘Yes, and we will. After I come back.’
She kissed him.
‘Bye!’ she said and kissed him again.
MacGyver touched his lips, wanting to remember the feeling.
‘Hey, Maria, wait,’ he said while he got up. She was already downstairs. ‘Are you just going like that?’
‘Pete asked me to come over to the Foundation, there we can discuss the assignment. It’s better then to do it over the phone.’
‘If you just wait up for a few minutes, I’ll drive ya.’
Maria smiled again.
‘That would be nice,’ she said.
MacGyver got ready in a jiffy. He led Maria to the blue ’57 Nomad and drove her to the Phoenix Foundation. He parked his car at the first available parking spot.
He and Maria went to Pete’s office. MacGyver knocked on the door.
‘Come in,’ Pete said.
‘Hey, Pete!’ MacGyver greeted his older buddy.
‘Pete,’ Maria said smiling.
‘Sit down,’ Pete said.
‘Well, Pete, I heard from Maria you got an assignment for her in Rio,’ MacGyver said.
‘That’s right. Some lowlife from the Presidents security staff in D.C. stole some very important documents from the United States.’
‘If he stole some tax reports, I ain’t got no problems with that,’ MacGyver joked.
Maria giggled and Pete couldn’t let it either to smirk.
‘MacGyver, please,’ Pete said trying to become serious again.
‘What’d he stole?’
‘The American Declaration of Independence,’ Maria answered.
MacGyver’s eyes widened.
‘Wow, that really is something. But why now? If he stole them by the end of June near the Fourth of July or something, ok, but it’s not even Christmas yet, let alone Thanksgiving.’
‘Beats me, MacGyver. He stole them and the President wants it back,’ Pete said.
‘Who stole it?’
‘Someone of his staff. We’ll get a profile by this afternoon, we’ll fax it to you.’
‘And when is her flight?’
‘Maria, you’ll leave tonight at seven o’ clock sharp. Here is your ticket.’
‘Got it,’ she said while she looked at her flight ticket.
‘Pete, how dangerous is this?’ MacGyver asked.
‘MacGyver, I knew you were going to ask this,’ Pete said slightly annoyed. ‘She’ll be alright.’
‘I don’t know, Pete. Maybe I should go.’
‘What?’ Maria exclaimed. ‘No, no. This is my assignment. I’ll take it. It’s my responsibility.’
‘But for the Declaration of Independence…’
Maria interrupted MacGyver.
‘No way, MacGyver. I don’t care if there is any danger involved. I know how to handle it. I worked as a Stasi-agent, remember?’
‘MacGyver, she’s right. She can handle this assignment. All she has to do is go down to Rio, track this guy down and retrieve the stolen documents. As far as I know, this guy is working on his own. He may have one or two more men working with him, tops.’
MacGyver looked at Maria. He knew that she understood his worries but she couldn’t let it to give him a serious look.
‘Alright, Pete. Can you guarantee me, that you’ll keep me informed about her and the assignment?’
‘I’ll keep you informed at any time.’
‘That’s good.’
‘Maria, I’m sure you’re going to give this assignment a good ending,’ Pete said. ‘The President, everyone in the White House in Washington D.C., the whole Phoenix Foundation and whole of America will be grateful to you if you get that declaration back.’
Maria nodded with a smile.
‘I’ll do whatever I can, Pete.’
‘I know that.’
‘Anything else, Pete?’ MacGyver asked before Maria could.
‘No, not that I know of. Oh, where should I fax the profile to? At your place Maria?’
‘Yeah, I’m at home this afternoon. Packing some stuff, you know.’
‘OK, then. That was everything, I had for you.’
‘Thanks, Pete,’ she thanked him.
‘Yeah, thanks Pete,’ MacGyver thanked him unnecessary again for Maria.
MacGyver and Maria left Pete’s office.
‘I’ll take ya home,’ MacGyver said.
Maria just nodded in response. In silence they went back to the garage by elevator. Tension rose up between the two lovers once they sat in the Nomad. They left the Phoenix garage and rode on the streets. Nearly ten minutes long neither of them said a word. MacGyver couldn’t held it much longer and had to ask the questions.
‘What’s the matter, huh? Why are you so quiet? Is it the way I acted at Pete’s office?’
‘If you are so smart and know the answer to your question, why do you ask it then?’ Maria asked on a raising tone of voice.
‘For certainty,’ MacGyver snapped at her. ‘Maria, you know I’m worried about you when you’re on assignment out of the country.’
‘I’m not a child, you know. I can handle it.’
‘Until something bad happens to you and that you don’t live through.’
‘That’s crap and you know it. If you live through all the things you’ve experienced, then why can’t I? I worked all over the world as a Stasi-agent and I survived everything.’
MacGyver sighed.
‘I’ve got reasons, to be worried about you. Not only reasons, but rights also. Everybody I care about dies.’
‘Well it won’t happen to me.’
‘That’s what they all say! My parents died and my grandmother died when I was young.’
‘That was a long time ago.’
‘Maria, with a job like ours, you have to keep sure you’re safe or else you won’t live to see another day.’
‘MacGyver, I know karate and I’m trained to use a gun.’
‘And I don’t like the fact that you’re using a gun.’
‘I’ve used them all my life. Well not my entire life but a big part of it anyway.’
‘And I despised them all my life.’
Annoyed and angry they both look in their side windows.
‘I was trained for this,’ Maria hissed on a soft dangerous voice, ‘and I’ve learned one thing, though: you can use your gun for protection. It’s safer.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ MacGyver said on his raised tone of voice. He was right as he remembered that faithful day in his youth.
‘Am not.’
‘You are too. I did protest rallies for gun control. They should forbid guns. Last month we destroyed a thousand of them.’
‘Good for you,’ Maria bit back. ‘Oh, and another thing. I didn’t like it at all when you said that you were the one who was supposed to go, because you think it’s too dangerous.’
‘Now you see? That “dangerous” is one of the reasons I’m worried.’
‘My martial arts and gun training are going to help me through on that.’
MacGyver gave Maria a yeah-right-look and Maria gave him a what-are-you-looking-at look. ‘Like it or not, MacGyver, I am going.’
‘I won’t stop you either, but please for gods sakes, be careful,’ MacGyver expressed deeply. He breathed deeply and ran his hand through his hair. ‘I don’t wanna lose you.’ (Slow sad music comes up here)
Maria’s anger made place for sorry.
‘That’s sweet,’ she said softly.
MacGyver looked at her worried. His rage cooled down too.
‘I’ll be fine. It’s just another assignment in South-America. I’ll track this guy down, retrieve back the documents and come back home. It’ll take a week, two at most. It all depends on how long it takes to track this guy down.’
MacGyver nodded and turned his eyes back to the road. The ride lasted for another five minutes and then they arrived at Otto’s toy store. Otto wasn’t there, when they entered the apartment above the store. (The music ends here)
‘Well, my grandpa isn’t here for the rest of the week. So if you need anything…’
‘I already got everything,’ MacGyver answered a little agitated. His rage from just now was still cooling down and Maria noticed that.
‘Come here,’ she said.
MacGyver and Maria hugged each other to ease the pain.
‘This won’t change anything. I’m just going to remain worried.’
‘I know, but it’ll ease the pain.’
And she was right. MacGyver felt a lot better and they made their peace. He helped her packing. Maria came out of the bathroom with some women stuff while MacGyver took some of her clothes and placed it in the suitcase.
‘You wanna take these with you?’ MacGyver asked when he was at the dressers closet again.
‘No, the other one on your left.’
MacGyver went to his right.
‘The other left, hon.’
‘Other left.’
‘Yeah, the black one.’
‘The black one?’ MacGyver asked in shock. ‘You’re taking the black outfit with you? When are you going to wear that one for me again?’
‘When I’m home, I promise,’ Maria smiled.
MacGyver placed those clothes also in the suitcase.
‘Oh, wait my cap!’ Maria said and placed a fitting black cap with her clothes.
‘Is that everything?’
‘Yeah, I guess so.’
‘Good.’
MacGyver was ready to close the suitcase.
‘Oh, wait,’ Maria said.
‘What?’
Maria went to a drawer a took a small box out of it.
‘This,’ she said.
‘Your gun,’ MacGyver sighed.
‘Yeah,’ she said and putted it with the rest of their stuff. ‘That’s everything.’
‘Bullets?’
‘They’re in the box.’
A moment of silence occurred.
‘You hungry?’ Mac asked.
‘Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am.’
‘What do you want? I’ll get something.’
‘Hawaiian pizza with pineapple.’
‘I should’ve known,’ MacGyver said smiling. It was the first time he smiled today. ‘I’ll be back in twenty minutes or something, ok?’
‘Yeah.’
They kissed each other and MacGyver left for pizza. Maria went to the windows that looked down on the streets and saw MacGyver driving away to a pizza place. Then the phone rang. She went to it to answer.
‘Romburgs residence.’
‘Maria? It’s me, Pete. I got the profile of the slime you’re supposed to go after. I’ll fax it through to you, right?’
‘Yeah, Pete, you can fax it right over.’
‘Faxing it, now.’
Maria’s fax jumped on and the papers Pete faxed came through.
‘Robert Gray?’
‘Yeah, that’s the one.’
‘What made him do that?’
‘Greed? Not enough payment, who knows? Track this guy down and you’ll get the documents.’
‘Affirmative. What about his henchmen?’
‘He has two more on his side but I’m afraid very little is known about them.’
‘OK. Consider it done, Pete.’
‘Alright that was all.’
‘Bye, Pete.’
‘Later, Maria.’
Maria took the papers Pete faxed her through and looked him.
‘So you’re the naughty boy who stole the American Declaration of Independence. I’ll find you and the declaration, so you better watch your step.’
Twenty minutes later, MacGyver parked his car again in front of Romburgs toy store. He got out of his car with two pizza boxes. Entering the apartment again, Maria was waiting for him. She set the table ready.
‘Here’s yours,’ Mac said while handing over an Hawaiian pizza.
‘Thanks, hon.’
The two enjoyed a great meal.
‘So, did Pete faxed the guy’s profile yet, you’re supposed to go after?’
‘Yeah. The guy’s name is Robert Gray.’
‘Robert Gray, huh? So what’s his deal?’
‘Greed, the usual.’
‘What about his companions?’
‘Two more guys but there’s not much known of them.’
‘Can I see his picture?’
‘Yeah,’ she said and handed MacGyver the picture.
It was a black and white picture of a middle aged man in a decent suit with short hair and a business look in his eyes.
‘What do you think, MacGyver?’
‘He sure looks like one who’s been working for the President. He’s like a bodyguard or something, I guess.’
‘Dangerous?’
‘Staff of the President are not to be taken lightly. These guys knows what they’re doing and don’t like to be messed with.’
‘They should’ve thought of that before they stole the declaration.’
‘You got a point.’
Maria nodded.
‘But whatever you do, don’t kill them. They’re much more worth when they’re taken alive.’
‘I’ll only kill them if necessary.’
‘You’re not gonna kill anybody. Alive you can take them up to the President in D.C. bring them to court where they can get a fair trial.’
‘How much they’ll get for this crime?’
‘Twenty years or more. A lifetime in jail.’
‘That’s something.’
‘Yeah, that sure is something. All the more reason for you not to kill them. If you get them alive, they’ll get their proper punishment. If you kill them, they got the easy way out for not getting their punishment for their crime.’
‘Now you got a point, MacGyver.’
‘Uh-uh.’
‘I love you, sweetheart.’
‘I love you too, baby.’
They got of their chairs and hugged each other.
‘Is there still something you wanna do before you go?’ MacGyver asked.
‘Go and rent a movie?’
‘A Western?’
‘If that’s ok with you, it’s ok with me.’
‘How about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly?’
‘Swell.’
‘I need to buy that one someday. I still don’t have that one in my collection.’
‘Than you gotta do that.’
‘I dreamt about the West last night.’
‘Oh, you did?’
‘Yeah and you were involved as well.’
‘I was? You dreamt about me.’
‘I was living in this town called Serenity and uh…Wilt Bozer… you know the man that lives next door on the Marina?’
‘Yeah.’
‘He and his brother ordered mail order brides and you were one of them.’
‘What do you mean I was “one of them”?’
‘You were ordered by one of the Bozers to marry them. You and Jennifer Reiner.’
MacGyver gave Maria her coat and put on his own jacket while he continued telling his dream about the West last night. ‘Then you ran away for a murder you didn’t commit. Your face was on posters though. But it was your sister who committed the murder. You just took the blame.’
‘Great!’
‘Don’t worry, nothing bad happened after that leaked out. You ran away while Kate Murphy and Jennifer Reiner and the Bozers got kidnapped. I almost got hanged!’
‘Hanged?’
‘Yeah, hanged. We bumped in on each other and then we went to rescue Kate Murphy and Jenny. We got caught but we got away with a happy ending.’
MacGyver and Maria rode up to the video store to hire The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. They hired it and went back home with a big bowl of popcorn they bought on the way back. When they arrived again on the houseboat, everything got set as fast as they could and they enjoyed an afternoon of movie watching. The movie was pretty lengthy and the almost 160 minutes were over in a flash. MacGyver got almost pulled out of it’s reality as he got thrown back in his normal 20th century surroundings.
‘Don’t you just like that Clint Eastwood?’ MacGyver asked in an astonished way. ‘I wish I was Clint Eastwood.’
‘Too late honey, Michael J. Fox beat you to it.’
‘Oh yes,’ MacGyver said remembering Back to the Future part III.
‘What time is it, by the way?’ Maria asked.
‘A quarter past four. We still got time.’
‘But times go by so fast. Over little than an hour we have to be on the airport.’
‘We’ll make it and you’ll do one hell of an assignment.’
‘Yeah.’
(Music comes up here)
The Los Angels Airport, somewhat later. Maria checked in along with MacGyver. They did everything what they were supposed to do on the airport. Time passed away slowly. They went to a bar in the airport and had some coffee together. They discussed the assignment one more time. Then it was time for Maria’s plane to take off. MacGyver walked with Maria to her gate. (Music fades away here)
‘I guess, this is it, right?’ MacGyver said.
‘This is not goodbye MacGyver. I’ll be back in two or three weeks at least.’
‘I hope so, Maria. I sure hope so.’ (Slow sad music comes up)
MacGyver and Maria hugged each other and said goodbye. Maria went on the plane. From as soon everybody got in the plane, they were ready to go. MacGyver went to the windows in front of the takeoff runway. Maria had a window to her seat. She looked through it and saw MacGyver standing behind the window. They shared one more look and then the plane took off. Maria sighed as her assignment has started now. In her mind she repeated the assignment: Track this guy Robert Gray, steal back the documents and out of there.
‘It’s easy as that,’ she whispered to himself.
Right easy as that.
Five and half hours later Maria’s plane landed on the airport in Rio de Janeiro. It was night in Brazil and soon it would’ve been too late to really start the assignment. It took Maria another hour to get her luggage and half an hour for a cab to get to her hotel. She checked in the hotel and finally got to her room. She decided to go to sleep as soon as she could. The next day she must go and check out the neighbourhood to find out if anyone has seen Robert Gray or not.
(The music fades away here)
The next day. Maria woke up and she quickly took a shower and a fast breakfast before she went on her quest to look for Robert Gray. Dressed in a simply white blouse, jeans and boots she went to look for him. Hours passed during her search for Robert Gray. Not many peoples spoke English so she tried various languages to get a hint or a clue for this man. It couldn’t be possible that no one saw this man. She passed by a sign where stood that the carnival festivities will be held tonight on the streets.
‘Full streets tonight, then.’
‘That’s right,’ a man said who was standing there, but Maria didn’t notice before. The man was definitely incognito, wearing sunglasses, black coat and hat.
‘You speak English?’ Maria asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you…,’ Maria wanted to ask about the picture.
‘Yeah. Robert Gray, I know him. That scum had stolen the American Declaration of Independence.’
‘Wait a minute! Who are you?’
‘Who I am, is not important. It’s what I’ve got for you that is important.’
‘What is it then?’
‘This.’
‘What is this?’
‘It’s an address. Meet me there tonight at half past one.’
‘Half past one?’
‘Come alone.’ (Creepy tense music comes up here)
The man left. Maria sensed something was wrong. She returned to the hotel to think a few things out about this experience. She lies on her bed, hair loose with the picture of Gray.
‘So I come here, checks everybody out if they’ve seen Gray. No one. Then this mysterious guy shows up and gives me the address of a place I’ve never heard of.’
This was getting dangerous and she didn’t had the intention to go out there unprotected.
(Music fades away)
Twelve o’ clock, midnight. It was dark outside but the moods were festive out there on the streets. A big party was going on. Maria took a look at the street from her hotel room. Peoples were disguised, having a good time.
‘Good, then I can stay inconspicuous.’
Maria changed her clothes and put on the black outfit and the black hat. She made a ponytail in her hair, loaded the gun and placed it in the back of her pants. It was time now. She left the hotel in search of the mysterious address. Sometimes she asked partygoers for directions. (Tense music comes up) The farther she got the more away she went of the party. In the end she ended up in a dark empty street, a few streetlights were on. The street was silence, she started to get scared, so she took out her gun and began walking through the street. Careful, scared but determined. The street ended up in a dead end.
‘Dead end.’
‘Not quite, Romburg!’ a voice said.
Maria was startled, she spun and quickly aimed her gun at a dark glimpse of a human being.
‘Loose the piece, Romburg.’
‘Why?’
‘That’s why!’ (Music fades away here)
More men gathered around her and they took her gun away.
‘I know that voice,’ Maria said. ‘You were at the street sign earlier today.’
‘That’s right.’
‘You set me up.’
‘Correct and you know why?’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m Robert Gray.’
‘What?’
‘I knew I would get followed by someone. Stealing the Declaration of Independence is not something you can get away with, but I will.’
‘We’ll see in a few minutes,’ Maria threatened.
‘Safe the threats, will ya? The Phoenix Foundation is well known in D.C. I knew the President would’ve done an appeal on it. I was fairly surprised that it was a woman and not their best man, MacGyver. I wanted to meet him,’ he said with a little played disappointment. ‘I’ll get my chance, he can expect me.’
‘Not when I’m finished with you,’ Maria said.
Gray’s brief smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
‘Put her in the car,’ he ordered. (Tense music comes up again)
Two men grabbed her arms, when she tried to struggled they beat her unconscious and placed her in the car. She woke up, not much later, tied to a chair in a dark area. The place smelled musty like a warehouse or something. She felt a big fist in her face. (The music becomes creepy)
‘Come on, wake up!’ a man yelled.
‘What’s going on here?’ Maria wanted to know.
‘What are we going to do with her?’
‘We’ll kill her,’ Robert said. ‘No, I’ll kill her.’
‘How?’
‘Gas her!’
Maria was struck with fear.
‘No, please don’t,’ she begged.
‘Sorry, girl. I can’t afford to have you on my back. I have to get rid of you quickly and then I’ll pay MacGyver a little visit. I wonder how he’ll respond to the news to one of his colleagues has died.’
‘Sadist!’ she said.
‘***,’ he snapped back at her. ‘Untie her!’
One of the men took a knife and cut her ropes.
‘Alright, take her!’ (The music becomes more tense for a moment)
Maria wasn’t that easy to take when she suddenly swooped her leg for a back spinning kick at one of the men behind her. The man felt backwards. She balled up her fist and swung a left to the second man. When she went to Gray he suddenly shot her. (The music comes to a sudden end)
‘The easy way out, then,’ he said.
Maria lays motionless on the floor.
‘Simple as that.’
‘Then why is there no blood?’ one of his men asked.
Robert came to Maria for a closer look.
‘Because I’m wearing a bullet proof vest, *bad word*!’ she said with her eyes closed.
(Music comes up again, here we hear the fighting music in the second scene of Squeeze Play) Robert Gray and his henchmen were startled when she suddenly opened her eyes, placed her hands behind her head and jumped up. She tornado kicked one of the men, another one attacked her. She grabbed the arm that was coming towards her and broke it with a sickening crack. Then she grabbed gun and held him hostage. (The music changes into the music of Jerico Games when MacGyver is in Ellen's office)
‘Alright! Those papers give them to me!’
‘No *bad word*ing way,’ Robert said.
‘Give them to me, or he’s history!’
‘You really going to kill him? Go ahead, make his day,’ Robert threatened.
‘What?!’ the henchman said.
‘You never killed anybody before in your life,’ Robert said.
‘I’ve worked as a Stasi agent in East Germany and all over the world. I’ve killed many people.’
‘Oh, yeah, proof it.’
Without any hesitation she shot the other henchman who stood besides Gray. Gray was shocked.
‘Those papers. I want them! Now!’
‘You know, I’m more of value when I’m alive than I’m dead.’
‘Quit stalling. I’ll kill them all, I swear it.’
‘Really?’
‘I already killed one of you, I’ll kill this one too.’
‘No, you don’t.’
‘Yes I will. I give you the count of three. If I don’t get the documents by then I’ll kill him.’
‘One,’ Robert counted.
‘Two,’ Maria said.
They looked in each others eyes for the third count.
‘Two and a halve,’ Maria said and pulled the trigger.
‘Three!’
Maria shot her hostage. (Shocking music is heard here)
‘Jesus Christ, you killed him!’ Robert yelled.
‘And now I’ll kill you!’
She shot him as well but just in the shoulder, he felt unconscious on the floor. She searched the warehouse offices. In one office she founded the papers, then she called the police. (The music fades away here)
A while later they arrived and Maria managed to explain them everything. She was sitting on a police car when they brought Robert Gray to the car.
‘Why didn’t you just kill me?’ he asked.
‘Because it wasn’t necessary. Peoples like you have to stand trial for their crimes. And you said yourself that you’re much more valuable when you’re alive. I believe you.’
‘Then why did you kill my men?’
‘As if you wouldn’t have killed them, if I didn’t do it.’
‘You know, it’s not because I’m arrested that this is all over.’
‘What’re you going to do, steal those papers again?’
‘No, I’ll have my revenge on you some day.’
‘Right. Revenge isn’t everything. It’ll just make things worse.’
‘You and MacGyver can expect me some time. I’ll see you later,’ Robert said with a strange friendly smile.
‘Bye!’ Maria said.
The car rode away.
‘Mission accomplished.’
‘Can we give you a ride back to your hotel?’ one of the police officers asked.
‘Yeah.’
Maria was brought back to her hotel with a police car where she exhausted entered and went back to her room for a well deserved rest.
The next day she called Pete and MacGyver to tell how it went. She faxed Pete the declaration back and that’s how she managed to finish her assignment in Rio. Pete showed his gratitude to give her a few days off in Rio. Maria had a bit of a good time there on her own. She called MacGyver every now and then and explored the city. This might be a good choice for a honeymoon, if they ever get married. The days went by fast and it was the last day now. Maria was getting packed to leave again. She was on the bathroom taking a shower when someone slowly entered her room. (Again creepy tense music is heard) Maria was all unaware of this. She kept doing what she was doing, by the time she was dressed and was ready to leave to bathroom, a sound from in the room was heard. She went to her gun but by the time she got out it was already too late. BENG!! She felt a hard hit of a gun against her head. Then everything went black in front of her eyes and she woke where she was now. That’s how it all happened.
(The creepy tense music reaches it's peak as we fade out here)

Original date of story post: Jan 2 2006, 03:17.