Aftershocksgesture studyThe ’46 Chevy truck had been built to hold up against the demands of farm work in a less mechanised era – it could handle rough terrain without breaking a sweat, and out here in the back country it trundled easily over jutting rocks, washouts and rip-rap that would have torn the guts out of most cars. As the road grew steeper and more winding, MacGyver downshifted and felt the truck’s willing response to the demands, although the manual steering was a challenge on some of the curves.
The truck wasn’t really Mac’s – it had originally belonged to his grandfather, but Harry had been on the verge of junking it. Salvation had come from Mac’s longtime colleague and friend Bill Foy, who had spent more than two years patiently and painstakingly restoring it, MacGyver helping when he could. They had just finished the monumental project when Bill had been offered a plum overseas posting, deputy ops director for Phoenix’ entire European division. He’d insisted that Mac keep the truck, and keep it on the road, till he returned.
‘After all that work? I’m not leaving her in some damned garage to get rusty and dusty again! And you just wait, hotshot. We’ve got all the Alps to play in, and Emily’s gonna whip my a*s into shape again. I’ll be recertified for field ops before you know it.’Mac loved the truck, but it was an attention magnet. The unusual colour and high profile stood out in any group of vehicles, and even more so in isolation.
I shoulda gone back home for the Jeep. He’d been too impatient even to think about it.
And there was no doubt now: the shortened horizon of the winding road made it much easier to be sure.
He was being followed.
