Note from Loth Many thanks to 'Beth for her editing efforts!

The Rainmakers, ch 24
Against All Chances

The pressure was starting to take its toll on Burke. Between organizing the evacuation, directing the set-up for the sodium hydroxide flooding, and coordinating the missile strike with the Army, he felt as if he were being pulled in three different directions. Four directions, actually, considering that he couldn’t turn his thoughts away from the idea that MacGyver and Spencer – and quite possibly Steubens and Marlow – were somehow still alive in the depths of the Kiva... and that what he was about to do would bring them all to a horrifying and unimaginable death.

Burke was in a crisis. He had been determined to handle this responsibility personally, but as the minutes to deadline steadily eroded, he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to go through with it. He would be accountable for the deaths of his people, as well as the destruction on the Kiva – and he could handle that, he thought – if someone else took over the gruesome task of actually giving the order.

Part of being a good leader is knowing when to delegate, Burke thought bitterly. He looked around his control room. Gantner leaning grimly against a bank of computers, gnawing on what was left of a thumbnail. Gus was going over a checklist with Gene, stubbornly trying to get the inter-communications network running again. Andy Colsen was smoking another cigarette and watching the clock; the expression on his face reminded Burke of statues he’d seen in Greece – hard and cold.

He cleared his throat and said, “Colsen, I want you to begin the flooding.” He waited long enough to see ‘Andy’ nod faintly in acknowledgment before turning to pick up the radio with which he would signal Keele to fire the missile.

Pete’s Voice-over:
This is often the way that an undercover job backfires on me… I have to appear detached… so everyone thinks that I don’t feel anything. Burke doesn’t know that he’s just asked me to destroy my friend. I will give the word… there was no denying that the acid has to be neutralized…but I will NOT give that order until the timer reads zero.

Until that time, I’m going to wait and listen… and if there’s even one sign that MacGyver’s still alive, I’m going to wield the full weight of my authority – undercover assignment be damned! – to halt the sodium hydroxide flooding until he can get outta there!

But there’s nothing I can do about the missile… that’s under Keele’s direct authority, and technically I have no authority over him. I’ll have to convince Burke to order him to stand down, if I get the sign that I need… that I’m waiting for…

Pete glanced at Gantner, feeling every bit as miserable himself as the poor little man looked. Pete wished that he had left with the evacuated staff… but he knew that if he were in Gantner’s place, he would never leave, either. Not until there was no hope at all.

There were 1:47 minutes remaining on the clock.

⌂

MacGyver’s Voice-over:
I got Barbara’s bleeding under control, but there wasn’t much more I could do for her…not when we were both soaked to the skin and three hundred feet below the nearest source of medical assistance. I didn’t want to look at my wristwatch again… not that I needed to; the minutes were counting down in the back of my mind.

One of my greatest personal failures has always been that I’m very, very bad about admitting defeat. I’m used to fighting to the last breath, pushing on with my last ounce of strength, and this situation was no different – except for the fact that it wasn’t just my own life on the line. I wish now that I’d tried harder to talk Spencer out of coming down here. This is my fault.

“I’m sorry, Spencer.”

Barbara looked at MacGyver with surprise. Her face was tight with pain, but the agony in MacGyver’s voice alerted her.

“Why – why are you sorry? You didn’t do this.”

“I did… in a way. I should never have let you come down here. I suspected from the beginning that something like this might happen…”

Barbara clucked weakly at him. “You c-could never have seen this coming, MacGvyer… I don’t c-care how smart you are…” she closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. “It doesn’t even hurt that much any more. I thought getting shot would hurt more…”

“You’re going into shock.” MacGyver swore softly. “Marlow! Give me your jacket!” He turned back to his patient and said, “Awright, Spencer, it’s time to get you outta here.”

“You’re a lousy liar, MacGyver,” Barbara murmured with a smile. “We’re out of time and they don’t even know we’re down here, do they?”

Mac glanced up, desperately looking for inspiration. “There’s got to be some way to contact the surface!”

“You did everything in your power, Mac,” Barbara said; her voice was gentle and forgiving.

But MacGyver didn’t hear the compassion in her voice… he only heard one word. Power.

“Spencer, you’re a genius!” MacGyver leaned down, kissed Barbara quickly, and then he jumped up and dashed toward the hole in the wall.

As he ran past, he told Marlow, “Keep her warm! And keep an eye on your chess partner… don’t let him make a move!”

Marlow nodded, patting his trouser pocket where he’d already put Steubens’ revolver. “I’ll do it,” he said, without a trace of a stutter; but MacGyver had already dived through the hole and disappeared.

MacGyver’s Voice-over continued:
Trying not to break my neck, I ran back to the cavern where Spencer and I had stopped the acid leak. I remember seeing control panels down there… right next to the big power generators. Spencer’s words had reawakened the memory of them, and if I could find the right panel, I might be able to put that power to a good use!

There! ‘Master Light Circuit’ – just what I need!

MacGyver flipped the switch off, and then back on after just a second. With a measured, purposeful rhythm, he cut and restored power to what was left of the Kiva.

As I worked, I offered a mute thanks to my den-mother, Mrs. Fryfocle, who had stubbornly insisted that all of us Cubs learn the telegraph code straight out of the handbook.

I just hope that I’m not the only Boy Scout left in the Kiva today!

⌂

Steubens was crawling on his hands and knees. He didn’t have the strength to pick himself up, but he had to make sure that Barbara was all right. Marlow’s hand flinched toward his trouser pocket as the man came near, but the look on his old friend’s face was enough to convince him that he meant no harm.

Barbara was lying quietly, eyes closed, her breathing shallow but even. Steubens reached out as if to stroke her face, but the sight of his own hand, dirty and stained with blood, made him draw it back as if his touch might poison her.

Barbara opened her eyes and saw him kneeling beside her, face wrung with misery. “Karl.” Her voice was gentle, unaccusing, overtoned with love.

Karl Steuben’s face crumpled and he wept. “Barbara! I’m – I’m so sorry!”

“You were only doing what – what you thought was right. Silly Karl,” she closed her eyes slowly and opened them again. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could have worked together... found another way...”

“Yes, Karl,” Marlow said. He was standing near, too nervous to sit down or take his eyes off of Steubens, lest the man suddenly turn violent again. “We’ve been through so much together. We found the anomaly together... don’t you trust me to keep that out of the hands of people who’d try to use it as a weapon?”

“I couldn’t... I didn’t want to put that on you. All I could think of, was to destroy the research... erase the files – when I learned that Syndrex was running their own tests, I became afraid that they’d discover what we’d found... I – I – ” Steubens’ words choked to a stop, unable to continue speaking. He couldn’t bear to begin to tell them about what he’d done – about the lives he’d already taken.

“Why did you come down here, Barbara?” Steubens whispered sadly. “Why didn’t you stay on the surface?” He raised his head and looked at Marlow. “Where did that man go? Why isn’t he getting her out of here?”

“MacGyver has gone to try to contact the surface,” Marlow said, “to get help for us all.”

“Flooding,” Barbara murmured. Her face was covered with a sheen of perspiration. She squeezed Steubens’ hand. “Sodium hydroxide… running out of time…”

Both men stared down at her, grasping the meaning of her halting words.

“It seems we are destined to d-die here,” Marlow said, lowering himself onto the floor. “I-I thought for sure that we were saved…damn it all!”

Steubens did not speak. Still holding Barbara’s hand, he raised his other hand and gripped his friend’s shoulder.

Marlow gave him a sharp glance, but after a moment the heat in it melted away. He covered Steuben’s hand with his own and let out a sigh.

They waited together for doom to come.

~~~tbc

Boooo! LOL Where you keep pulling these zingers from, I'll never know

Great addition, Lothipop. Can't wait for the big finish!

Just keeping in the spirit of a real MacGyver episode!

Glad you like it! *beams happily*

I'm still laughing over that line myself, Bander!

And yet another great chapter, Lothi! Your detail and description are so well done! Youre doing a great job!

*staggers out of the Edit Room*

Hang on to your hats, everyone. The next chapter is going to knock your socks off. Or maybe you should hang on to your socks?