Director of Intelligence
Posts: 7,214
Joined: 2 Dec 2005
Gender: Female
Country: USA
SAK owned: Camper&Swissbit
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Season: season 5
Episode:Serenity
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket: Brown bomber
House: House boat
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Weapon of Opportunity
Part Seven: Hunting Lessons
“Here’s the information you were asking for, Mr. Thornton.” The receptionist handed Pete a thick file-book. She had warmed up significantly after Pete had shown her his Phoenix Foundation ID. “Anything I can do to help, you just let me know.”
“Thank you, Miss ...”
“Call me Darcelle. I’m a big admirer of the work your Foundation does for the ecosystem. This building was designed by a Phoenix-sponsored program for low environmental impact.”
“I think I remember something about that crossing my desk,” Pete lied gently, hoping to keep the lady in a talkative mood. “What can you tell me about this guy ...” he glanced down at the name on the file, “this Dennis Winder. Has he worked here long?”
Darcelle glanced around carefully before she said, “If you call what he did around here working. Do you know, he’s had me reschedule all his appointments three times in a row? He hasn’t seen a client in more than a month. He keeps saying that he’s making appointments to meet them outside of the office, but they keep calling and saying they haven’t met with him. I had to report that to the city manager,” Darcelle whispered. “I didn’t want to, but I had to. Some of these clients are dependants of the State. I don’t expect that he’ll be with us much longer.”
“Really?” Pete said, thumbing through the file. “What has he been doing with all his time, I wonder?” He smiled at Darcelle. “Maybe he’s got a girlfriend.”
Darcelle blushed lightly, hiding behind her hands. “Mr. Thornton!”
“Call me Pete ...”
⌂
Mac’s voice-over:
When I was a kid, my father and grandfather taught me a lot about hunting and survival. I’d been on a hunt today, following a trail just like Dad and Harry had taught me back then. They taught me that a good hunter will follow the tracks, a wise hunter will set up a blind and wait for the prey to come back to him, and a thrifty hunter will set a trap and lure the animal into it. I always kinda felt sorry for the animal ... but I never went hungry, either.
Today, I was feeling more like the animal than the hunter, and that wasn’t a good feeling at all.
“I can’t see anything ... the sun is right in my eyes!” Mahey complained. “Are you sure about what you saw?”
“I think I know where I live!” Mac didn’t try to mask his sarcasm. Mahey’s stubborn refusal to consider Mac’s theories was beginning to arouse Mac’s temper. He turned away from the vista beyond the windows. The sunlight bouncing off of the water and through the mirrors inside his binoculars had brought on a brutal headache. Also, his mind was racing over all the facts he had learned. He was beginning to wonder if the pieces he had even belonged to the same puzzle.
Mahey dropped his binoculars and discarded the makeshift filter that Mac had used. “I can’t see through this, MacGyver. Help me move the telescope over here.”
“Mahey,” Mac said slowly, leaning against the doorjamb and massaging the bridge of his nose, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea ...”
“Who’s the cop here, huh?” Mahey asked angrily. “I let you lead me by the nose all around the city on a wild goose chase, and now that we’ve found a clue that I think might be solid, you don’t want to help? Fine! Get out of my crime scene! I’ll move the damn thing myself ...” Mindful of smudging any possible fingerprints, Mahey tugged his sleeves down and, bending his knees and cradling the barrel of the telescope, he carefully lifted the heavy object off of its legs. “Wow! This thing is heavier than it looks ...” He took a step toward the other window.
Mac had started out of the room as he had been directed, but he froze as he heard Mahey’s words. “Mahey ...!” Mac turned back to try to stop him, but it was too late.
The telescope exploded in Mahey’s arms, blowing out all the windows in the room. Mac had enough time to throw his arms up over his face before he was spun like a leaf and hurled out of the room and against the door of the adjacent office. He felt the wood crack and splinter as he went through before blackness rushed up and caught him, cushioning his fall with oblivion.
⌂
The nurse’s smile didn’t waver at all. “I’m sorry, sir. As I have said, this is a secure floor. You cannot enter without proper authorization and permission from the Administrator.”
Winder’s confidence was beginning to ebb, but he kept his demeanor earnest. “Please,” he said gently, allowing some of the desperation he was feeling to creep into his voice, “I need to talk to Dr. Zito. It’s very important.”
“Then it will be worth the time it will take to get proper authorization.” The nurse reached for her phone, “Shall I call the Administrator and make an appointment for you?”
“Th-thank you. Yes, please do that.” Mahey looked glanced around, “Ma’am, is there a men’s room nearby that I can use?”
“Downstairs, sir. Right across from the Administrator’s office, as a matter of fact. I’ll tell him you’re on your way down.”
Winder stammered another insincere thanks and turned away. The nurse watched him while waiting for the switchboard operator to connect. “Security, please. Hey, Randy ... this is Delores up on the Secure Ward ... I think I’ve got a live one for you ... he’s on his way down now ...”
⌂
“If you need anything else... you know... to help with your investigation... this is my number,” Darcelle took the file from Pete's hands and began to scribble on the back. “My, um... private number,” she added, dropping her eyes as her face colored prettily.
Pete's response was lost, however, when without warning a blast light and noise came roaring down the corridor toward the reception area. The entire office shook, and Darcelle screamed.
Pete caught himself from falling by grabbing the desk. A thick cloud of smoke poured into the reception area from the hallway that led to the office where Pete had left MacGyver and Mahey.
Darcelle was crouching behind her desk, terrified. “Is it an earthquake?” She appeared to be uninjured.
“Out! Get out of here and call the fire department!” Pete helped the woman up and propelled her toward the exit. He pulled this jacket up over his nose and mouth and lunged into the bank of smoke that was billowing out of Winder’s office, filling the hallway.
“MacGyver! Mahey!” No one answered as Pete hurried down the hallway. The whole building shook again, and he threw out an arm to the wall to catch himself from falling. Fire sprinklers began shedding water, beating the heavy smoke down. Pete kept moving, calling Mac’s name.
He reached the doorway, but could not enter. The ceiling of the room had collapsed after the windows had blown out. Pete coughed, shaking his head to cast away the water and soot that was pouring into his eyes. “Oh, God ... Mac! Mac!”
A groan answered his plea. It was coming from beneath a pile of debris that had blown across the hall and into another office. Pete stumbled through the opening and heaved aside a large piece of wood that had once been a door. Underneath, he found a dirty white athletic shoe. “Mac!”
Pete clawed away the pieces of plaster and wood, uncovering his friend’s body. He touched Mac’s throat and sighed with relief when he felt a strong heartbeat. “Mac, buddy ... are you with me?” Mac’s lips moved soundlessly. Pete leaned down and put his ear near Mac’s mouth.
“Mahey ... where – ?” Mac coughed, then groaned again, bringing one arm up to cover his ribs protectively.
“Don’t try to talk any more, Mac,” Pete said, stripping off his jacket and covering him. It was soaking wet from the sprinklers, but by Pete’s reckoning it was better than nothing.
There was a rip in Mac’s jeans just above his left knee and the fabric was wet with blood. Pete fished a clean handkerchief out of his pants pocket and tied it deftly above the wound. Mac winced as he pulled it tight, raising one hand to cover his eyes.
“Hang on, Mac. Help’s on the way.”
“Mahey. He was in there ...” Mac sighed these words out, and then let his mind step back away from the pain; he could still hear and see, and the burning in his leg and the pressure in his chest kept him clinging to consciousness. He didn’t want to fall asleep and wake up dead.
Pete picked up Mac’s hand and spoke lightly to him, trying to keep him awake until the paramedics arrived. “You know, Mac ... your timing could have been better. I was just about to get the receptionist’s phone number.”
Mac cracked a ghost of a smile. “Can’t ... take you ... anywhere.” Mac coughed and Pete cringed as a trickle of blood escaped his friend’s lips. “Pete ...”
“I’m here, Mac.”
“Don’t let me sleep too long this time ...”
~~~tbc
 Everyone, sometimes, needs a camel.
Old troubleshooters never die...
They just wait til the last moment and then rescue themselves!
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