Hi there! It's been a while... but real life has regularly gotten in the way of my writing efforts over the past two years... anyway, I'm back. Let's see if the typo problem is still there...

This is my first attempt at writing a novelization of a given episode - one of my favorite episodes, I admit. The challenge between staying precisely with what we see on the screen and adding scenes and thoughts that are not in the finished episode was fascinating - and difficult at times. I hope you'll enjoy what I've done with it. Since any MacGyver fan should know the story... Comments and feedback are very much appreciated!

I´ve been notified that the typo error has been fixed - so I´m trying again - editing my previous posts...

Cease Fire

Episode written by Chris Haddock

Novelization done by Bluegirl, solely for fan entertainment, no copyright infringement intended


MacGyver sighed inwardly with relief after he’d attentively listened to the answer the head delegate of the Republic of Azmir had just given. He demanded only one amendment to the peace proposal Pete had developed. If it was granted, the president would be willing to sign it. Even a reasonable one, as far as Mac was concerned. He nodded and jotted down a few notes on his copy of said peace treaty.

It had taken all week to get this far. MacGyver and Pete had arrived in Geneva a few days before the actual negotiations had begun. They had taken their time to make sure that everything was properly prepared and all the security precautions were in place in the hotel and up here on the mountain. He and Pete had checked back with the Swiss police and Mr. Walker to coordinate all the details in advance of the delegations’ arrival. The decision that Mac would be dealing with the Azmirs at the summit, and Pete would work with the Samadians in the hotel, had come kind of naturally.

Under normal circumstances, paperwork and official meetings weren’t MacGyver’s favorite, but if it was for ending a war… he was more than willing to bear with things like wearing a suit, being holed up in a stuffy room, and dealing with foreign protocol. Pete hadn’t had to twist his arm to get him to be a part of these negotiations. Mac hadn’t hesitated when Pete had asked him for his assistance. In fact, he had jumped at the chance of getting the peace treaty signed.

During the first days though, MacGyver had mostly been working on establishing some trust between him and the Azmir delegates. By now, he’d gotten the Azmirs to believe in the sincerity of the Phoenix Foundation’s efforts and the fairness of the peace proposal Pete had set up. Mac was also well aware that trust was a very elusive commodity after such a long time of being at war. But today they’d gotten close. Closer than they had ever been during those days.

A glad smile widened on his face while he wrote down the last few words and then stuffed the pen into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He raised his gaze and met the eyes of the president of the Republic of Azmir.

“Excellent,” he said, still smiling genuinely. “I’ll pass on the good news about your offer at once.” Mac slid the papers into his slim leather briefcase and closed the flap.

Across the table, the president nodded and stood up.

“Let me know if President Habad is willing to agree to it as soon as possible,” he replied while Mac got to his feet as well.

“Of course,” MacGyver assured while he picked up the briefcase, trying not to let his inner excitement about this new development in the negotiations show too much on the outside. But his steps had a little more energy as he left the room together with the delegates. The personal guards of the president followed them outside to the platform where the gondola was waiting for MacGyver. Mac nodded to the Swiss police officers standing guard at the entrance as they passed through it. He turned back to the president and shook his hand with a nod before he entered the car and sauntered toward the front window.

His inner enthusiasm was dampened for a few moments as his fear of heights kicked in, but Mac managed to rein in the fear quickly and directed his thoughts back to the treaty. So much for trust, he chided himself mentally. It is safe. I’ve been riding in that gondola for days now. He looked back toward the young woman who closed the doors and then moved to the corner next to him. She picked up the radio, just as she had during the past days.

“Control tower, all clear,” she confirmed as the car started its way down.

MacGyver turned back to the open window, leaned on the upper frame of it with his right arm, and rested against the gondola, while his left fingers held on tightly to the leather of the briefcase. He strove to distract his mind, which still wanted to focus on his acrophobia, by enjoying the breathtaking view over the mountains and the lake. The sun warmed his skin and a comfortable breeze ruffled his hair. The young woman took her place at the window as well, close to the gondola’s radio, as usual. They rode in silence for several moments before she turned to MacGyver.

“So, how did you do this trip, MacGyver?” she asked with a curious smile. “Do you think they’ll have a settlement today?”

MacGyver needed a second to snap out of the thoughts whirling in his head and quickly considered how much of the still classified information he could share with her.

“We’re getting close, Danielle,” he offered with a smile and also half-turned to her.

“That’s wonderful.” Danielle’s face lit up with the good news, but turned thoughtful only a moment later. “The Azmirs have been at war with the Samadians for a long time, haven’t they?”

Mac’s mind was still a bit occupied with coping with his fear of heights, and now all the reports about the cruel war he’d read while preparing for the peace talks returned and added to his inner tension.

“Yep,” he only agreed curtly.

“Why is the Phoenix Foundation running the peace talks?” Danielle queried on, oblivious to what was going on inside Mac. “Why not the United Nations?”

“Well, sometimes a private organization can come up with a fresh approach, kind of cut through all the red tape,” MacGyver explained with an apologetic smile and a small gesture of his hand.

“So the Phoenix Foundation asked you to be part of negotiating a settlement?” the young woman asked.

“Sort of.” Mac’s smile turned a bit sheepish. “I volunteered.” He raised his face to the sun and nervously licked his lips. The gondola’s distance from the safe ground continued to unnerve him.

“Do all my questions bother you?” Danielle misinterpreted his discomfort.

“No.” MacGyver quickly shook his head and returned his gaze to her. She’d been interested in the peace talks and their progress during all the days he’d been riding up and down the mountain in the car with her. “If they stopped, I’d worry,” he added after a beat.

They continued their way to the valley in silence, both enjoying the gorgeous weather. Danielle opened the door for him once they’d reached the bottom station.

“Thanks.” Mac nodded to her as he hurried to leave the car. His thoughts had already focused back on his and Pete’s chance of ending a war.

“I’d really like to have a job like yours.”

Danielle’s words made MacGyver turn back and see her leaning against the open door.

“I mean, I’d like to do something important for peace,” she added with a bit of longing in her voice.

MacGyver had to smile at her desire to make the world a more peaceful place. He was always glad to meet young people with an optimistic and idealistic view of the world. Although… would she know about the amount of trouble his job usually got him into… she probably wouldn’t be so eager to do it. The peace talks were a quiet exception to the rather adventurous assignments he quite regularly had.

“Well, you are,” he assured her. “Consider what you’re doing… as shuttle diplomacy.”

Danielle chuckled at Mac’s cheeky appreciation of her work and his sincere smile. MacGyver turned and strode toward the exit, toward where he knew a police car was waiting for him.

“Good luck, MacGyver!” Danielle called after him, but this time Mac didn’t stop or answer; he only waved back at her. He had to get to the hotel where Pete was negotiating with the Samadian delegation as quickly as possible. To do something important for peace.

++++++++++

MacGyver’s ride in the police car was quiet. The officer assigned to provide safe and quick transportation concentrated on the road and their surroundings, although no one expected any serious trouble in the form of terrorist attacks at this point of the negotiations. Mac silently watched the scenery passing by during the drive. He knew the route from the Mountain to the hotel by heart after all the security checks he’d run prior to the peace talks, so he used the time to let his thoughts wander off to Pete.

Pete Thornton had put quite some effort into getting the peace process on the way; he’d spent a lot of time developing the peace proposal; had invested a lot of energy into it. He’d be thrilled to hear about the latest progress, Mac was sure about that. He was happy for his boss and best friend. If everything worked out as well as it looked at the moment, the signing of this peace treaty would stop fear, violence, and suffering in the two countries. It would also be a huge success for the Phoenix Foundation and, of course, for Pete personally.

But MacGyver’s inner tension rose again as they neared the hotel. As much as the Azmir delegates had been more or less on the same page during the negotiations, Mac knew about a certain amount of friction among the Samadian delegation. During the last evenings, Pete had told him he’d had to work hard to keep the president and his advisors at the table. President Habad’s poker face and his minister of defense’s arguing against almost each and every part of the treaty had made Pete’s side of the negotiations a lot more difficult than his own.

As soon as the police car stopped in front of the hotel, Mac opened the passenger door and got out of it. He hurried around the back of the car and toward the stairs that led to the entrance. He took off his sunglasses while he strode up the stairs and stuffed them into the inside pocket of his jacket. The guard at the door opened it for him once he saw him coming. MacGyver only nodded a quick greeting to him as he rushed inside. His eyes needed a moment to adjust to the dim light in the corridor his long legs carried him along. The guard at the door of the conference room also reacted quickly the moment he saw him approaching and let him in.

++++++++++

“The 9th point of agreement specifies the condemnation and cessation of all terrorist activities,” Pete Thornton stated calmly. He did his best to appear focused on the copy of the treaty in front of him, but of course noticed the quick look President Habad and his minister of defense exchanged while they read along with his explanations. Yanif had been working against this proposal all the time since the negotiations had begun. He’d rarely confronted Pete directly, but his resentment of the treaty had been obvious during the whole week.

“And the 10th and, uh…” Pete continued nevertheless and drew in a deep breath. “Final point of agreement, the establishment of a neutral border corridor between the Azmir Heights and the Samadian Desert.”

The waiter had just refilled his glass of water standing next to the treaty, and although Pete’s mouth was running a little dry at the sight of Yanif instantly shaking his head at his words, Pete knew he couldn’t reach for it. He had to stay concentrated on the two men at the opposite side of the table. President Habad kept up a pretty good poker face. It was hard to tell what he really thought and how he felt about the proposal. Habad closed his copy of the treaty and leaned toward Yanif after a second.

They`d just begun to exchange a few words when the door opened and MacGyver rushed into the room. Both looked up at him briefly as he rounded the table with a few quick strides and stopped between Walker and Pete. Without any preamble, he bent down to Pete and handed the briefcase holding the copy of the treaty with his annotations over to his friend.

“I think we’re close,” he said low and curtly to Pete, meeting his eyes with a quick, but intense glance. He didn’t want to give away too much, and he certainly didn’t want to interfere with Pete’s way of negotiating with the Samadians. MacGyver noticed that Habad and Yanif had again stuck their heads together and were talking with hushed voices to each other as he straightened himself. He shot Walker a brief, encouraging smile when he saw the man looking up at him with an expression that bordered between serious, worried, and questioning.

Mac then squared his shoulders, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and puffed out a deep breath. The palpable tension in the room and the serious look, Walker shared with him, did nothing to ease his inner edginess. All of a sudden, he was glad that he’d opted for a more casual look today. Black suit pants, grey suit jacket, loosely fitting bright blue shirt, but no tie. At the moment, he was grateful that nothing was sitting tight around his neck and seemingly restricting his breathing.

MacGyver let his gaze wander around the table and drew in another deep breath while Pete instantly retrieved the treaty from the briefcase and thumbed through the pages, scanning for any new notes. There had to be some, otherwise Mac wouldn’t have come in that hurriedly and be strung so tight. Pete quickly found and identified the latest annotations Mac had jotted down and read the words with a still serious expression. After a few seconds, Pete’s face lit up a little with the meaning of what he saw on that page.

“Gentlemen, good news,” Pete announced. He looked up at President Habad and his minister of defense, interrupting their conversation. He smiled briefly at them once he had both men’s attention and then continued. “The Republic of Azmir has agreed to sign this peace proposal with one amendment. The immediate withdrawal of all Azmir and Samadian troops from their present positions.”

Mac saw Yanif shake his head almost instantly, signaling his disapproval of the Azmir’s offer. Habad’s expression, on the other hand, didn’t give away much while both men leaned back in their seats.

“President Habad, if you can agree to these terms, we have our treaty,” Pete added, clarifying, and this time reaching out to the president personally. Habad’s face turned pensive while Mac observed them. A tense silence hung in the room for a couple of seconds.

“I would like a moment with my advisors,” the president then stated, suddenly straightening himself. He got out of his chair, quickly followed by Yanif.

Pete and Walker stood up with them and watched how the Samadian delegation gathered at the far side of the room, close to the fireplace. Then Pete turned to MacGyver, who was standing beside him, still concentrating on Habad and Yanif. Pete wrapped one arm around Mac’s shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze that threw MacGyver a bit off balance for a second.

“Good work,” Pete appreciated MacGyver’s achievement while he still held the treaty, which Mac had brought back from the mountaintop, in his hand.

Mac only shot him a silent sideways glance before he focused back on the Samadian delegation. Yanif’s attitude toward the peace proposal and the negotiations concerned him. While preparing for the peace talks, the Phoenix Foundation had put together dossiers of each delegation’s participants. Of course, Mac had studied them all. Whereas Habad had made his way to the presidential office coming from economics and serving in different political positions, Yanif had started his career in the military. He’d soon moved to military intelligence and risen quickly through the ranks until he’d become head of it, and, after a few years, minister of defense.

Much of his time in the intelligence business had been classified, but Mac had been able to read between the lines. His own experience gained from several years he’d worked for the DXS, various government agencies, and the time he’d spent with the Phoenix Foundation told him to be vigilant concerning Yanif. MacGyver was quite sure that, beyond the grey suit and his outwardly diplomatic appearance, the minister of defense could be a dangerous man. Someone to better keep an eye on.

“Whatever happens, I wanna thank you both.” Walker turned to Mac and Pete as he spoke up. “You’ve given a tremendous effort.”

Mac noticed his grateful expression when he glanced briefly toward the man and then resumed observing Yanif, who was arguing with Habad.

“Listen, without your organization’s funding and persistence, we would never have even gotten them to the table,” Pete returned Walker’s thanks and then also moved to watch Habad and Yanif talking in hushed voices. “Right now…” he added with some concern while he stood a little in front of Mac. “I just hope, President Habad is listening to his own heart… and not his minister of defense.”

Walker turned toward the Samadian delegates as well and saw Yanif gesturing agitatedly toward Habad.

“He doesn’t seem happy with the proposal,” Walker stated with some worry in his voice.

“Well, Yanif thinks, peace comes from the barrel of a gun,” MacGyver dryly summed up where he saw the main issue. Unfortunately, Yanif’s and Habad’s low-spoken words didn’t carry to the small group of observers.

++++++++++

“But the progress we’ve made, Mr. President, has been the result of military pressure, not some promises on paper,” Yanif said sharply with a dismissive gesture toward the table they’d been sitting around. “If we sign the peace agreement, we risk what gains we’ve made.”

Habad had listened quietly to each point of view his advisors had shared with him. For a few seconds, he considered all of them, knowing the final decision was his to make. He was the head of the republic, the president. He sighed briefly and made up his mind. He was tired of fighting a war that other people had started, that had begun long before he had even been elected as president.

“Perhaps it is time to risk peace, Yanif,” he responded quietly to his minister of defense and calmly closed his hand to a fist to signal the end of their conversation.

Slowly, he turned back to the small group waiting for him and walked back to the table. Pete and Walker instantly focused on Habad when they noticed him coming back. MacGyver saw him coming but kept his concentration on Yanif, who hung his head and whose expression grew even darker as the president left him. President Habad stopped at the table, opposite to Pete, Walker and Mac. He drew in a deep breath before he addressed them.

“Now, gentlemen, it seems that we have benefited by the objectivity of a private organization promoting peace. You have succeeded where governments have failed.”

Pete and Walker looked at him in hopeful expectancy after those words, while MacGyver listened to him but observed Yanif. The minister of defense called his aide, who had been guarding the door to the conference room on the inside, to himself with a flick of his head. Once the man had made it to his side, Yanif whispered a few words directly to him. In the meantime, Habad turned to Walker.

“Mr. Walker, your choice of the Phoenix Foundation, it was very astute,” he appreciated.

Pete faced Habad with cautious anticipation.

“Then you’ll sign?” he asked, hoping that he’d got the meaning of Habad’s words correctly.

“Well, when – as you say – we finish crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s,” Habad answered slowly and took a dramatic beat before he finished. “I will sign.”

Yanif had waited frozen for Habad’s answer, his face cold and hard.

“Excellent.” A glad and excited smile widened on Pete Thornton’s face.

MacGyver could hear the happiness in his voice, even though he was standing a little behind his friend and boss, and couldn’t see it until Pete briefly turned to him and Walker. But Mac’s eyes stayed with Yanif, who now sent his aide away with another flick of his head and a few more low-spoken words. Whatever the minister of defense had in mind, he did it covertly, and that fact alone worried MacGyver. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut.

“Then, with your permission,” Pete continued. “I would like to arrange for a meeting with the Azmir delegation for this afternoon.” Pete shot Walker a sideways glance, letting him know this part would be his responsibility, before he focused back on Habad. “We should be able to clear up all the details by then,” he assured.

The high tension in the room suddenly dissipated.

“That’s fine,” Habad agreed, also with a wide smile on his face.

“I wanna push this signing through as soon as I can,” Pete added excitedly. “We should be through here by 3 o’clock.” He and Walker shook hands while MacGyver planted a smile on his face despite the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

“I’ll make the arrangements with the Azmirs,” Walker dutifully supplied.

Mac was briefly distracted by the wave of happy relief that radiated from Pete Thornton when he dropped the treaty on the table. He concentrated on his best friend for a moment and only noticed Yanif had moved over to them once he stood beside Pete, Walker, and him. The dark expression had vanished from his face; he was now smiling broadly.

“Gentlemen, lunch is waiting on the terrace,” he announced with wide-open arms, inviting everyone outside.

Habad walked around the table and shook hands with Walker.

“Ah, I am so happy for this,” he said gratefully while a few men of the Samadian delegation already followed Yanif outside.

The man, Yanif had sent off, was the first to leave the room, and MacGyver briefly turned to let his gaze follow the aide, but as soon as he was out of sight, Mac returned his focus to Pete, despite his inner urge to find out what Yanif’s orders had been. Mac’s hands were still in his pockets when he shared a brief look with Pete and saw his relieved, beaming smile. MacGyver knew how important the signing of this treaty was and how much hard work Pete had poured into setting all this up. He was as happy as Pete about being able to end the war as Pete was. But still, something about Yanif’s behavior set off his inner alarms.

Yanif and Habad’s group of advisors strode outside to the terrace while Walker left them to arrange the signing ceremony with the Azmirs. Yanif instantly approached the waiter busy with readying up the umbrellas.

“Sir, it’s not such a hot day that we need the umbrellas. Take it down,” he asked, and then moved to the far corner to lean against the rail, looking down to the park-like garden that surrounded the hotel.

Habad and Pete Thornton walked onto the terrace side by side, and Mac followed them, doing his best to appear casual. He couldn’t afford to let Yanif notice that he had an eye on him. He’d heard Yanif talk to one of the waiters but hadn’t been able to understand the words.

“Oh!” he heard Habad exclaim happily at the sight of the beautifully prepared tables.

“Well, the table looks nice,” Pete agreed while MacGyver sauntered off to the side, closer to the stairs that led from the terrace to the garden.

Yanif’s aide had to have used the stairs because Mac could see him down on the footpath, hurrying toward the cars and ordering another one of Yanif’s guards to come with him with a wave of his hand. Then his hand went into his pocket to fetch something.

In the corner of his eye, MacGyver noticed the waiter moving to the next umbrella and returned his gaze to the terrace. He watched the waiter take down and fold up the umbrella, which puzzled Mac even further. Now, why would he do that on a bright and sunny day like this… unless somebody has told him to, MacGyver thought warily while he glanced up at the blue sky.

The distant sound of keys clattering caught his attention, and MacGyver focused back on Yanif’s men down on the walkway. They had reached a grey Volvo, and Yanif’s aide had just opened its trunk with the keys. He took out a large black case and handed it to the other man. Intrigued and worried at the same time by the sight, MacGyver took a few steps closer to the stairs. What are they up to, a voice in his head asked.

“MacGyver! MacGyver, come join us!” Habad called out to him from behind, where he’d been chatting with Pete. “I am told, the hotel has prepared an excellent lunch,” the president added while Mac’s concentration was still on the man in the black suit who was walking off toward the garden with the black case.

MacGyver forced himself to return his gaze to Pete and Habad once the man disappeared behind the first row of bushes. He saw both men smiling happily at him and sensed the now very relaxed and relieved mood between them. It was quite unlike the tension and concern building up inside himself at the moment. Something was wrong. Something bad was about to happen. He just knew. He couldn’t pinpoint it yet, but he’d been in the intelligence business long enough to sense a situation going sideways. But he only had his gut feeling… and a hunch… for now.

Accusing Yanif of foul play at this point of the negotiations would endanger everything they’d worked so hard for. As much as Pete would probably believe MacGyver if he voiced his concerns, Habad had no reason to trust his words. The president might even withdraw his agreement to sign the treaty. He didn’t know Mac as long or as well as Pete did. Within a few seconds, MacGyver decided he couldn’t say anything to Pete or Habad yet. He had to get some facts first. Mac forced himself to smile at Habad and his best friend.

“Oh, no, thank you,” he respectfully declined Habad’s invitation. “I’m not very hungry, actually.” Which hadn’t been true a few minutes ago. But with his inner tension rising, again, MacGyver's appetite had vanished. He appeared outwardly casual as he noticed Yanif standing still at the back corner of the terrace, way behind Pete and Habad, leaning against the rail and staring toward the garden with a dark expression on his face. “I think, I’ll take a little walk… excuse me,” Mac added, knowing very well that he had to leave the terrace and follow this man if he wanted to get answers to the questions swirling in his head.

Like… What is in the black case? … Or… Why is the security guard heading off with it into the garden? … And… Why is Yanif so focused on said garden and keeping his distance from Habad and Pete? … What are they planning to do?

Pete only shrugged with a smile, very well used to his friend’s desire for solitude at times, and Habad also seemed satisfied with his answer. The two men instantly returned to talking amongst themselves, and Mac took this as his cue to leave.

MacGyver hurried down the stairway and then strode purposefully toward the Volvo, driven by his concerns but slow enough not to draw any unwanted attention to himself. An inner voice urged him to run after the man, but he reined it in, knowing that once they noticed him, they’d stop whatever they were planning and he’d never get behind their scheme. Just out of curiosity, he tried to open the trunk as he walked by the car, but of course, found it locked. No answers here, Mac noted mentally, and sensed his inner tension rise once more. He wiggled his fingers to get rid of some of his physical tension and quickened his pace, now intent on finding out where the guard with the case had disappeared to and what he was up to.

++++++++++

By the time MacGyver checked the Volvo, the man in the black suit had arrived at his designated spot. He hadn’t hesitated at all when Yanif’s right-hand man had ordered him along and handed him the case. The minister of defense had drawn up this plan weeks ago, when the word about probable peace talks had reached his ear and Habad had seriously considered taking part in them.

Yanif had allowed his aide and him to be a part of the plan because they’d already worked together very well under his command during their time in military intelligence. He’d told them that they would need a solution for the possibility that Habad might cave in and agree to end the war. They couldn’t allow this to happen. Not after all these years. Not when severe military pressure had finally led to some progress. Not for all the Samadian soldiers and warriors who’d lost their lives during this war. According to Yanif, signing this treaty would risk everything they’d given so much to achieve. So they had to keep Habad from signing the treaty.

Since he’d been assigned to guard the area behind the hotel, he didn’t know what exactly had happened during the last round of the negotiations, and to be honest, he also didn’t care all too much. Yanif’s aide had approached him and had told him that they had to switch to their secondary scenario – that was all the information he needed. Yanif had decided that they needed to get rid of Habad, and he was the one to fulfill the order.

His training during his time in military intelligence made him the perfect man for it. He shot the terrace a glance as he set down the case on the ground and opened it without further ado. With practiced moves, he removed one part after another and quickly assembled the sniper’s rifle. He checked everything for a second time before he loaded the weapon. It had been a while since carrying out a killing order as a sniper had been more or less his daily business, but his first-rate training and routine kicked in instantly.

He crouched down, aligning himself with the garden’s bushes to remain hidden but have a clean and clear line of fire. Then he raised the rifle and aimed through the scope. He pressed his left eye shut and concentrated fully on what he saw enlarged thanks to the scope. Thornton, that American pacifist who had tempted their leader with some promises on paper… and President Habad, who’d obviously gotten weak and fallen for the temptation… the man he was assigned to execute.

At the edge of his vision range, a waiter was offering the two men wine, and both moved around too much for him to have a secure aim. Then the other American, Walker, joined them and blocked his view on the president. His finger had already tightened around the trigger, but now the sniper released the pressure and looked up from the scope briefly. Only a moment later though, he returned to focusing through the scope and tightened his grip on the rifle once more.

“Move! Move!” he hissed, mentally trying to urge Walker out of the way when his back was still blocking his sight on Habad. The faster he got this job done, the better. The faster he got to shoot, the less his chances of being discovered. To his luck, Walker moved aside only seconds later, giving him an unblocked line of fire at the president. All his senses narrowed in on his target. His breath evened out, just as he’d been trained to, and his finger gradually increased the pressure on the trigger again. He didn’t notice anything else in his anticipation of the shot breaking.

++++++++++

MacGyver’s mind had switched into overdrive once he’d found the Volvo’s trunk locked. He followed the trail the guard had chosen while the thoughts in his head were running wild. Yanif’s aide had left toward the parking lot of the hotel, but it was the contents of the black case he’d handed over to the guard that worried Mac the most. The garden holds a lot of large, beautifully cared-for bushes and trees… their foliage could provide good cover for anything… Yanif probably requested the umbrellas to be taken down… and he’s keeping his distance from Habad and Pete… no, they wouldn’t… or would they?

Instinctively, Mac slowed his steps a little the further he walked along the trail, cautious not to alert the Samadian of his presence. The Phoenix Foundation hadn’t gotten detailed dossiers for all the security guards traveling with the Samadian delegation, and this man, especially, had been added on very short notice. Having no information about the man he was following sent all of MacGyver’s inner alarms ringing.

Mac almost came to a halt when he neared the pond in the center of the garden and spotted the guard behind some bushes. He was in a crouched-down position at the rear end of the pond, oriented to the terrace, holding something long, thin, and black in his hands. A sniper’s rifle, Mac’s mind matched the sight immediately. Aww man, they really plan to… MacGyver’s thoughts ran berserk at once. Habad is on that terrace… and Pete is close to him.

Mac saw the sniper fully concentrating through the scope as he edged closer to him. Then he noticed the assassin’s finger already curling around the trigger and increasing its pressure on it. I’ve got to act now, Mac realized abruptly. There’s no time to come up with a distraction.

His instincts kicked in and without another conscious thought, he ran off toward the sniper. He rounded the last bush with a few quick steps and, as soon as he was close enough, he leaped toward the man. MacGyver caught the sniper around his middle with his arms, and the sharp impact of Mac’s shoulder against his back threw them both sideways. The shot broke at the same very moment, but MacGyver had no time to worry about what damage the bullet might have caused. He had to get a handle on the sniper – or he’d be in lethal danger himself.

He hadn’t gotten a hold on the man the way he’d intended to, so his momentum propelled him over the Samadian, who dropped the rifle in his surprise, and into a huge bush on his far side. Mac ended up lying on his back and hurried to get back up, but the sniper regained his bearings a little faster. MacGyver had just made it up to his knees and grabbed the collar of the man’s coat with his hands when the Samadian’s fist connected painfully with his jaw and threw him back into the bush. Mac couldn’t suppress a short, pained cry and caught himself with one hand on the ground while his other one instinctively reached for his hurting jaw.

Through his sudden agony and disorientation, MacGyver hardly noticed the Samadian get up, turn around, and pick up the fallen rifle. The tell-tale sound of the man reloading the gun cut through the haze in MacGyver’s head though. When the assassin turned back to him and wanted to aim the rifle at him, MacGyver’s survival instincts kicked in. He bolted up to his feet, grabbed the man’s arm and the rifle around the scope with his hands, and harshly pulled him toward himself. The surprised man stumbled forward and bent over a little, unable to shoot. Once he was close enough and the barrel and especially the muzzle of the rifle were beyond his back, Mac used his chance to land a hard blow with his elbow between the Samadian’s shoulder blades. With the sniper momentarily stunned, MacGyver quickly pivoted into him, still holding on to his arm, and used the momentum and his hips as a lever to diagonally throw the man over his back.

The assassin was propelled into the shrub and landed hard on his back. Mac let go of his arm as the wind got knocked out of the man, and he dropped the rifle. MacGyver straightened himself, for a second contemplating what to do with the gun and how to tie up the incapacitated man. He was so focused on his task that he didn’t notice the steps of Yanif’s aide running up to him from behind with his pistol in his hand.

But only a second later, Mac’s head seemed to explode with sudden agony when something hit the back of it hard. With a pained gasp, MacGyver flinched away from whatever had hit him and felt his knees buckle before he even had the chance to act against it. The thought that Yanif’s aide might have noticed him following the sniper flashed through his head as he dropped to the ground, but it was gone only the blink of an eye later. He was out cold before his head hit the soil. MacGyver never saw Yanif’s aide standing over him with a gun aimed at his back.

++++++++++

Yes! The typo error seems fixed! Yay!

For those of you who long to read it with full and correct formatting (italics and all), it's also posted on FF.net and AO3 - my author's name is MacsBluegirl

No comments? Nothing? I´d hoped for at least a little bit of feedback...

No matter... since, I suppose, we all know the episode... I won´t be keeping to a special posting schedule. I´ll just add new parts once I´m ready.
And here we go:

Part 2

++++++++++

Pete Thornton was smiling happily and still holding up his glass of wine with Walker to the right side of the table and Habad to his left after the toast the president had just proposed, when all of a sudden the bottle of red wine in the waiter’s hand exploded, accompanied by the crack of a gunshot.

The waiter flinched away and dropped to the ground, caught aback and scared. President Habad gasped with an abrupt shock as the bullet whizzed close by him and also crouched down hurriedly. Pete needed only a split second until the fact that someone had just attempted to kill the president registered in his head, and then his many years of experience in the intelligence business instantly kicked in.

“Everybody down!” he yelled with a glance around the terrace, trying not to think about how close the bullet had passed him. Once he saw every man on the terrace react to his shout, Pete also crouched down and hid behind the table. In the chaos and panic that ensued on the terrace, Pete didn’t notice how Yanif hurried closer until he was next to the door.

“Everybody inside!” the minister of defense ordered sharply. “Move it!” He started waving the men back into the conference room. “Move! Move it!” he kept encouraging man after man until they were all safely inside. His serious expression from before darkened even more when he realized that their assassination attempt had failed. An unknowing bystander would think he was angry about the attack on Habad’s life… but inside Yanif, it was just the other way around. Habad had survived. He hadn’t even been harmed. Something had gone wrong. He had to find out what. Quickly.

Yanif hurried to retrieve his handheld radio from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and changed the channel to the one he’d agreed to use for this special situation with his aide.

“This is Yanif,” he hissed with some urgency and quite a bit of anger in his voice. “What is happening?”

His aide, down in the garden, next to the pond, grabbed his walkie-talkie but kept his pistol aimed at the unconscious American lying in front of him.

“I have MacGyver down here,” he replied tensely. “He saw everything!”

Yanif cursed inwardly. He had gotten only little information about the Americans, but what he knew about MacGyver’s reputation in the intelligence community and his track record, and how much of his dossier had been classified spoke volumes about the work he had to have been doing over the past years. A man who could endanger everything, Yanif was sure about that. He quickly had to come up with a solution to keep the situation from getting completely out of hand. Or he and his men would have to face a firing squad.

“Keep him there,” Yanif ordered curtly. He directed his gaze back to the garden and tried to think about how to get rid of MacGyver when Peter Thornton suddenly appeared at the edge of the door, right next to him.

“What’s going on?” Thornton asked with a lot of worry in his voice and on his face. “Your people know anything?”

Taken by surprise, Yanif hastily reset the channel on his handheld radio, hoping the American wouldn’t notice his gesture. But Thornton mainly stared out into the garden.

“My men have spotted a sniper,” Yanif declared as an idea abruptly popped up in his head. Maybe he still had a chance to keep Habad from signing the treaty. Maybe he could still blow those negotiations… if he could manage to destroy the trust Habad had in those Americans. Maybe he was able to kill two birds with one stone… He had to get to the pond. As fast as possible.

“I’ll notify the Swiss police,” Thornton assured and hurried back into the building, relieved both about the Samadians being after the sniper and that he could do something to help.

Yanif sighed inwardly, relieved that Thornton had left him alone so quickly again, and shoved the walkie-talkie back into the inner pocket of his jacket. Then he instantly headed off toward the garden. If Thornton was about to tell the police, he had to act even faster if he didn’t want their treason to be discovered.

++++++++++

Pete Thornton only shot Habad and Walker a quick sideways glance as he rushed through the conference room, since he was fully concentrated on finding a Swiss policeman as fast as he could.

“Yanif’s men are following a sniper,” he told them hurriedly as he passed by them. Pete noticed Walker looking sort of shell-shocked, whereas President Habad seemed more frustrated and angry about the darn situation than frightened. No big surprise, Pete thought. This probably wasn’t the first attempt on his life. Terrorist attacks have been a big issue in the war between Azmir and Samadia. The president for sure was a prime target.

A couple of steps further, Pete reached the corridor, which was oddly calm and quiet compared to the tense atmosphere in the conference room after everyone had fled inside. As Pete hurried on, still searching for a police officer, another thought popped up in his mind.

Where is MacGyver when you need him? He’d chosen to go for a little walk…but only a few minutes before the shot rang out… he couldn’t have gotten that far away that he hadn’t heard the gunfire… which, for sure, caused him to head back immediately… and to try to get a handle on the shooter.

A small wave of relief washed through Pete Thornton with this thought. With MacGyver being hot on the heels of the assassin, they’d all be safe real soon. Pete puffed out a sigh as he spotted a Swiss policeman just inside the main entrance and headed toward him. If MacGyver and the Swiss police worked together, the situation would be resolved in no time. His only hope was that no evidence would turn up that would cause Habad to withdraw his agreement to sign the peace treaty.

++++++++++

A pounding headache greeted MacGyver when he regained consciousness, along with the feeling that he was lying face-down in the dirt. He blinked his eyes open, then immediately pressed them shut again for a moment and groaned low when the pain spiked. A moment later, he relaxed once more and slowly, cautiously rolled over sideways onto his back. Automatically, he felt for the back of his head with one hand while he opened his eyes and allowed them some time to focus – only to notice an angry-looking Samadian killer with a rifle in his hands, which he aimed at MacGyver, looming over himself.

Mac drew in a deep breath to quench the dizziness he felt as the memory of how he’d gotten into this predicament returned, and then decided he might just as well get back to his feet. If I do it slowly, I should be able to appear as non-threatening as possible… and it would give me a lot more options to get out of this dangerous situation. Another Samadian has to be close by, Mac realized as he slowly rolled over onto his front again. Probably Yanif’s aide… There has to be a second man since I’ve been knocked out from behind.

His inner tension rose with the thought as he slowly, gingerly pushed himself up on his elbows and knees. His outwardly displayed weariness wasn’t all faked due to the headache and vertigo worsening again once he started to rise. But his attempt was stopped short when, without any previous verbal warning, the sniper took a step forward and kicked hard against MacGyver’s left side. The impact of his foot and leg on Mac’s ribs threw him a little sideways and drove the air out of Mac’s lungs. He dropped back to the ground coughing and fighting another bout of pain. His arms lost their strength momentarily, and he rested his forehead on the ground while he strove to regain control over his breath again.

Alright, I’ve understood. No getting up for now, MacGyver noted mentally. He noticed steps coming closer as he, still coughing slightly and protecting his hurting left side with his left arm, pushed himself into a half-sitting, half-kneeling position with his right. He was still in a doubled-over position when two more men arrived before him.

“Watch the trail,” Yanif told his sniper. “The police will be here soon.”

Mac recognized his voice immediately, despite his bent-over position, his left arm wrapped around himself, and mentally pressing against the pain radiating through his side and his head. MacGyver glanced upward only to see the sniper handing the rifle over to Yanif’s aide and Yanif and his aide taking over the sniper’s position in front of himself. He lowered his head again and drew in another deep breath while he shifted his body to sit beside his legs on the ground.

Judging by their outwardly calm appearance, Mac hoped that his effort had diverted the bullet far enough that nobody on the terrace had been hit; not Habad, and with a bit of luck, Pete had been spared as well. On the other hand, MacGyver was well aware that, with how much he’d witnessed, he posed a serious threat to those three men. He’d been in the business long enough to know how dangerous his current situation was, even if he hoped that Yanif wasn’t bold enough to kill one of the main negotiators without any apparent reason. The minister of defense would have to come up with something, and until then, Mac’s best bet was to appear as harmless as he could. He had to buy himself some time since he had to figure out a safe way to wiggle himself out of this mess. Mac looked up wearily, hoping the two men would let down their guard a little if he let his pained and weakened state show, only to see Yanif’s aide aiming his pistol at him and Yanif eyeing him probingly.

“Aren’t you taking your differences with Habad a little too far?” MacGyver chose to break the tense silence with a slightly concerned tone in his voice.

“Habad’s decision proves he’s too weak to lead us anymore,” Yanif retorted coldly toward MacGyver. Since he’d left the terrace, an idea about how to keep Habad from signing the treaty and, at the same time, dissolve the threat of MacGyver having discovered his assassination plan had formed in his head. Yanif let his gaze wander around their surroundings to make sure they were alone and then reached out toward his aide with one hand.

“Give me the gun,” he ordered.

MacGyver’s pulse shot up as the rifle went back to the minister of defense. He can’t just shoot me with the sniper’s rifle, can he, Mac thought with alarm. How would he explain or justify…?

But his thoughts were cut off when the Samadian instantly worked on unloading the rifle and let the remaining rounds drop to the ground. MacGyver observed warily, still breathing heavily, and the pain in his side and his head, which he was battling, made concentrating difficult. He was puzzled and didn’t comprehend Yanif’s motivation yet. His survival instinct awakened, but he had no clue about how to react so far. That Yanif’s aide was pointing a pistol at him didn’t help his situation at all.

“What are you doing?” The aide asked curiously once Yanif was done with his task. He didn’t understand either.

Yanif weighed the rifle horizontally in his hands for a second and then tossed it toward MacGyver. Even more surprised and caught off guard, Mac automatically caught the gun with both hands to keep it from falling to the ground. The question Yanif’s aide had just asked echoed loudly in his head. Why would Yanif, on top of it all, hand the rifle willingly over to me? A part of his mind instantly started considering how he might be able to use the gun to his advantage, but was interrupted by Yanif’s answer.

“Giving the police the sniper,” he told his aide dryly. A dangerous grin widened on his features. “It’s got his prints all over the weapon now.” He chuckled briefly.

Mac looked down at the rifle in his hands with sudden shock as realization hit home. His jaw dropped; his heart seemed to skip a beat, but his mind hit overdrive.

Of course. Framing me for the murderous attack on President Habad’s life allows Yanif to beat two problems at once: having the evidence point at someone else but him and his men… and giving him a good reason to kill me and thereby eliminate the only witness who can testify otherwise. It might even ruin Habad’s trust in Pete… because we’re colleagues and friends… and probably blow the whole negotiations and the signing of the peace agreement that way. Aww, man…

All of MacGyver’s inner alarms went off at once as he realized how huge a mistake he’d made by catching the rifle. Adrenaline flooded his system. A wave of fear washed through him. His predicament had just turned from dangerous… to deadly. The two words, Yanif uttered when Mac looked back up at him, still somewhat stunned, didn’t surprise him any further.

“Shoot him,” the minister of defense said low and coldly, and turned to walk back to the trail.

He’s leaving to let his aide do the dirty work, Mac realized. Might improve my odds… But I’ll have to act quickly.

Yanif took his gaze off MacGyver as he walked past his aide, who had to move his arm with the pistol out of the way and downward to make room for his boss. Once the muzzle wasn’t aimed directly at him anymore, MacGyver knew he had to take this chance. It wasn’t likely he’d get a better one. Actually, I might not get another one, he realized.

As soon as the aide’s pistol was pointing to the ground, Mac spurred into action. He threw the sniper’s rifle at Yanif and his aide as quickly and forcefully as he could, desperately hoping to surprise and at least momentarily distract the two men. If I can buy myself only a few seconds like this, MacGyver thought, I might be able to survive this darn situation after all.

The rifle hit Yanif’s back, causing him to flinch and bump into his aide, who lost the grip on his gun, surprised by the sudden impact of the butt of the rifle on himself. But MacGyver didn’t wait for or pay any attention to their reaction at all, but moved to a crouch and pushed himself off the ground immediately. He ran away from the men as fast as he could, knowing that he wouldn’t get much of a head start and also knowing for sure that Yanif and his aide wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him in the back.

Yanif froze for a moment, taken aback by MacGyver’s unexpectedly swift move, but quickly overcame his surprise and then pulled his pistol out of his holster and picked up the pursuit of MacGyver. His aide hurried to retrieve his gun from the ground and quickly followed his boss.

Not having a lot of options concerning the directions he could take – the way back to the hotel was almost certainly blocked by Yanif’s sniper – Mac was running along one of the larger, paved trails of the garden at first, away from the hotel. His long legs covered the ground fast while he tried to get as much distance as he could between himself and his pursuers. He’d noticed the telltale sound of someone loading a handgun only seconds after he’d fled from Yanif and his aide, and now heard their steps following him, effectively reminding him that he was running for his life.

Mac looked back over his shoulder after he’d rounded a bend, but couldn’t see them due to the huge shrubs in the garden. If he wanted to keep them from killing him, and even better, shake them off his tail, he had to get away from the well-cared-for and open walkways. MacGyver strove to remember the surroundings of the hotel; tried to think of some place to hide, where he could figure out how to get out of this mess before he somehow had to make it back to the hotel and get in touch with Pete.

Mac glanced briefly along the next bend of the trail but decided against it and dashed through the huge bushes at the edge of the trail. The densely forested area close to the hotel was his best option to lose Yanif and his aide at the moment. He rushed through one thicket after another, hoping it would slow down his pursuers a little and looking out for any opportunity to hide himself to present itself.

A couple of moments later, his path took him to the edge of a clearing, and he rushed down a small slope into the open space. While open space wasn’t what he felt comfortable with, MacGyver spotted the edge of a larger slope dividing the clearing into an upper and a way lower half and ran toward it, hoping for some way to at least get out of sight.

But he slid to an abrupt stop at said edge with failing arms to keep his balance when he discovered that the slope was, in fact, a rocky cliff. The cliff wasn’t all too high, but high enough to awaken his fear of heights instantly. MacGyver gasped at the sight, but only the blink of an eye later, realized that he still had to deal with a more immediate threat. There was no way he’d be able to climb this cliff fast enough to evade the Samadians and their guns. He stood out in the open, had no way to hide or protect himself, and posed an easy target. Another wave of terror rushed through him as, only a second later, he heard his pursuers dash out of the woods and follow him down the small slope.

MacGyver whirled around to them, fresh out of options, only to see that Yanif had stopped, raised his arm, and already aimed his pistol at him. Sudden panic surged through Mac, literally being caught between a rock and a hard place, and before he had a chance to duck or react anyhow, Yanif pulled the trigger.

Mac heard the crack of the gunshot and almost instantly felt something hit his left side hard. He knew how it felt to get shot, but despite having gone through the experience before, it still shocked him. He cried out when red-hot agony flooded his senses as the bullet tore through him. The force of the impact threw him sideways, caused his feet to slip on the uneven surface, and propelled him over the edge of the cliff. All of it happened way too fast for MacGyver to somehow counter it. His back and his left shoulder hit the rock first as he fell, and the impact stunned him even further. He slid and tumbled downward uncontrolled, and only a second later, his left temple painfully connected with something hard, and everything around him went black and quiet.

++++++++++

Satisfied that he’d hit his target, Yanif lowered his weapon, but his inner tension didn’t let up yet. His long years of experience working in the military and the intelligence business had taught him to make sure his enemy was dead, so he ran on toward the edge of the cliff only a second later. His aide followed suit, his pistol also still drawn in his hand. They slowed down when they reached the rock face and approached the edge cautiously. Both gazed downward side by side with their guns readily raised, but relaxed once they saw an unmoving body at the bottom of the cliff.

MacGyver lay in an awkward position; his legs and feet still pointing up on the slope, his body strangely twisted, his right arm below himself and hardly visible behind his back, his left arm wrapped above and behind his forward-bent head. His suit jacket had folded up behind his back and revealed a good sight on two distinctive, dark red stains on the left side of MacGyver’s bright blue shirt. Yanif also noticed some blood on MacGyver’s face from a few cuts on his left temple.

The minister of defense relaxed a little when he saw no sign that the man who had almost thwarted their plan was still breathing. Even if the bullet hadn’t finished the American off, his non-physiological position, especially the strange angle of his head, suggested that MacGyver’s neck had been broken during the fall. Yanif straightened himself, stuffed his pistol back into its holster, and retrieved his walkie-talkie from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He pushed the ‘transmit’-button.

“This is Yanif,” he said without further ado. “Put me into communication with President Habad.”

He was sure a man of the President’s personal guard would be close to Habad after a failed attack like this. In the corner of his eye, he noticed his aide putting away his gun as well, and his sniper leading two Swiss policemen out to the clearing and toward them. Perfect timing, Yanif thought to himself. Not a moment too soon.

++++++++++

Back in the hotel, the guard who’d been watching the door leading to the terrace instantly raised his portable radio to his ear once he heard Yanif’s voice. He quickly obeyed the order, the minister of defense had given, turned around, and took the few steps toward the President before he handed the walkie-talkie over.

Pete Thornton had been standing with his back to Habad and now also turned toward the President once he recognized Yanif’s voice on the speaker. Although tightly wound up inside, he’d been waiting silently for any news on the sniper to reach the conference room. A part of him was still worrying about MacGyver’s whereabouts. He hoped his friend hadn’t gotten caught between the lines of fire in this terrorist attack – but knowing Mac, he had probably helped getting a handle on the killer.

“What is it, Yanif?” Habad asked with a serious expression once he’d accepted the radio from his guard.

“We have shot the sniper,” Yanif replied instantly. It had taken a moment until the President had answered. Yanif was aware that he had to stick to his secondary plan now. He had to keep playing the loyal servant and convince Habad that the Americans were responsible for the assassination attempt. For the moment, it was his best option to blow the signing of the peace treaty. By now, his sniper had stopped next to them, seen MacGyver’s corpse, and was pocketing his pistol. The Swiss police officers had almost caught up with them and noticed there was no immediate threat anymore.

“Is he an Azmir?” Habad wanted to know.

Pete Thornton sighed inwardly. That Yanif and his men had shot the sniper while he’d tried to flee from them didn’t surprise him, given their reputation. But he was a little afraid of the answer to that last question. If it had been an Azmir, the signing of the peace agreement wasn’t likely to happen this afternoon, or probably not at all. All of his and MacGyver’s efforts during the last weeks would have been for nothing. Yanif’s answer cut his musings off, though.

“An American,” the minister of defense told them with a dark tone in his voice.

Pete’s thoughts ran wild at once. An American? How? Which of the men, Mac and I have brought along, could or would…? Or have we overlooked someone in Walker’s organization? We did background checks on all… But his thoughts were interrupted abruptly when Yanif continued.

“It’s MacGyver,” he declared. “He’s dead.”

Pete held his breath subconsciously. At first, he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. His mind went berserk all of a sudden. He felt a piercing sting in his chest as Yanif’s words registered in his head. His blood ran cold and his heart seemed to skip a beat.

MacGyver? The sniper? Shot? He’s dead? How on earth…? No… It can’t be…

He was still shocked and silent when Habad turned around to him and pinned him with an accusing and almost angry stare. For a moment, sudden grief threatened to overwhelm him.

“Your colleague?” Habad’s ground-out words broke through Pete’s inner turmoil. “So that’s why he ‘wanted to take a little walk’…” Bitter disappointment mixed with some anger in the President’s voice.

Pete Thornton drew in a deep breath and turned to fully meet the President’s gaze. In the corner of his eye, he also noticed Walker staring at him unbelievingly.

“No.” Pete shook his head weakly, internally battling hard to keep his emotions in check. “That’s impossible. He doesn’t use guns. He’d never shoot at anybody.”

Habad returned the walkie-talkie to his guard before facing Pete again. His minister of defense had quickly taken care of the situation; he knew he didn’t have to tell him to also keep an eye on the investigation conducted by the Swiss police.

“Impossible?” Habad repeated with barely concealed anger. “You assured me this hotel was safe… You assured me that Mr. MacGyver personally took care of the security, and I could trust his checks. Now Yanif tells me he just tried to kill me. Who else could have breached your security measures?”

“I don’t know,” Pete resolutely shot back at the President. Some of his resolve was returning. “But I’ve known MacGyver for years.” He straightened himself a little and squared his shoulders. Beyond his grief, he was getting upset with everyone accusing MacGyver of being an assassin. He wouldn’t allow anyone to tarnish Mac’s legacy and memory like this. “We were the best of friends. I trusted him with my life,” he stated, although it pained him to refer to his friend in the past tense. “I can assure you there’s no way he’s responsible for the attack.”

President Habad eyed Pete Thornton silently. He’d seen the shocked expression on Walker’s face at Yanif’s announcement and noticed how Thornton was fighting his emotions to keep his composure. The latter’s defense of MacGyver had been instantaneous and quite passionate. But before Habad had come to a conclusion on whether he could still trust this man, Thornton drew back a little from him and puffed out a sigh.

As much as Pete could relate to the Samadian President’s anger and frustration after the attempt on his life, he couldn’t comprehend how anything could be pointing to Mac as the assassin. Those men didn’t know MacGyver like he did. He had to get some first-hand information and see for himself whatever evidence there was. He shot Walker a sideways glance and then faced Habad again.

“With your permission, I’d like to have a look at what happened out there myself,” Pete Thornton told them. “Excuse me.”

He barely waited for Habad’s nod before he hurried out of the conference room and onto the terrace. He had to get all the details. He had to know what had gone so fatally wrong that it had led to Mac being accused of acting as a sniper… and him having gotten killed. A part of him still refused to accept that the younger man was gone.

Pete stopped at the top end of the stairs and drew in a deep breath. The mere thought of not having MacGyver around anymore made his heart ache. All of a sudden, serious grief about his friend’s death took hold of his heart. This was the place where he’d seen him alive for the last time. He’d been so occupied with President Habad; they’d been so relaxed and happy after Habad’s agreement to sign the peace proposal, that he’d only smiled at Mac’s announcement to ‘take a little walk’. It had never been unusual for Mac to long for some solitude after tense or trying situations. He hadn’t suspected anything could or would go wrong. Pete huffed out a sigh. And why should he have?

Before he could counter, memories of MacGyver flooded Pete’s mind. They’d lived through a lot together during the years of their friendship. Mac had always come through; he’d always survived the most impossible odds. He’d been the best field operative Pete had ever known. That it hadn’t worked out this time… Pete wasn’t ready to imagine a life without him yet.

A minute or two later though, Pete squared his shoulders and continued downward. He couldn’t allow his grief to overpower him yet. He had to clear MacGyver’s name. It was the last act of respect and friendship he owed to the younger man who had been his right hand and closest friend for so many years.

++++++++++

Yanif shot MacGyver’s body a long, last look before he turned to his men and the two Swiss police officers who’d also stepped forward to the edge of the cliff. After he’d reported about MacGyver having been the sniper and his death to the President, Habad hadn’t asked any further questions or given any orders. Meaning, he still trusted Yanif’s word and his abilities to handle the situation. So far, so good, the minister of defense thought. Now we’ve got to make sure the police will find enough evidence to prove ’our’ story.

He straightened himself a bit, shot his aide a meaningful look and nodded barely perceptible. He needed his men to concentrate. Their version of the events had to be consistent. They couldn’t afford any contradictions. Only a second later, the higher-ranking of the two police officers stepped back from the edge and faced Yanif.

“I need you to tell me exactly what happened,” he queried.

Yanif pocketed his walkie-talkie and drew in a deep breath.

“My aide saw him aim and was able to tackle him just as the gun went off,” he quickly came up with a fitting cover story. “He got the gun away from him, but MacGyver fled. My men and I followed him and shot at him… and then he fell down the cliff and died. His rifle is still in the garden. We can show you.”

The police officer nodded and turned to his colleague.

“Get some evidence bags,” he ordered. “Quickly.”

The second policeman nodded dutifully and immediately jogged off back toward the hotel’s parking lot. Then the officer’s gaze returned to Yanif and his aide.

“Lead the way,” he asked with a gesture toward the forest they all had come from a couple of minutes ago. “We’ll have to deal with the body later anyway. We need to call in some help to recover it first.”

“Agreed.” Yanif nodded and strode off, back to the garden, closely followed by his men and the police officer.

++++++++++

They needed only a few minutes to return to the edge of the small pond. Yanif’s aide immediately took the police officer to where the case and the rifle were still lying on the ground between the shrubs. The policeman with the bags for securing the evidence returned to the group almost at the same time and knelt down quickly. Yanif and his men retreated to the trail to allow the policeman enough room. The officer hurried off toward the hotel as soon as his colleague had started his work. A few moments passed until he’d gotten a good impression of the site, with the case half-hidden in the bushes, the rifle lying close to the pond, and the marks the fight had left in the soil.

The policeman had just picked up the rifle with some cloth and was threading it into an evidence bag, when Yanif heard hurried steps coming closer. It didn’t really surprise him when he saw Thornton and the police officer half-running around the last bend in the corner of his eye. Yanif refused to look up at them though. He could feel the inner tension of the American, when he stopped next to him and his aide.

“What, in God’s name, went on here?” Pete Thornton demanded to know without any preamble, and clearly upset.

Yanif’s expression stayed dark and serious while he kept his eyes on the policeman wrapping up the rifle.

“We’ll know more after a proper investigation,” he responded with a grave voice, knowing that all too open accusations might only fuel Thornton’s anger. He had to be cautious not to expose that they were framing MacGyver to cover up their own failure. “He used this gun,” Yanif added after a beat with a small nod toward the weapon the policeman was carefully packing up for the forensic lab.

“No way,” Pete instantly and vehemently countered after a glance downward at the policeman and the rifle. His anger at everyone pointing their fingers at MacGyver spiked again. “Not a chance. MacGyver never fired a gun at anyone in his life.” Not that Mac hadn’t been capable of handling and shooting a sniper’s rifle… but he would never have done it. What Yanif accuses him of is outright impossible. As impossible as the thought of him being dead, Pete mused. As painful as it’s going to be… I’ve got to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

“Where is he?” Pete asked quickly before he could change his mind.

Yanif barely looked up at him and then wordlessly pointed toward the back of the garden and the forest with one hand. His cold and hard-hearted outer façade only added to Pete’s inner turmoil. For a moment, Thornton didn’t care about adhering to proper protocol and just physically pushed the minister of defense out of his way so he could hurry on in the direction he had indicated. Those men had killed his best friend only a couple of minutes ago due to some huge mistake or misconception, and it didn’t even seem to bother them.

Pete huffed out a breath once he’d made it out to the main walkway. He had sensed that Yanif, his men, and the police officer had followed him instantly, and by now, a bit of his remaining professionalism kicked in. Pete slowed his steps a little so Yanif would be able to catch up with him. He needed someone to show him the way, after all. The minister of defense silently led him along the walkway, into the forest, and through thicket and undergrowth until they reached the edge of a clearing a few minutes later. When the group of men started to descend a small slope, Thornton couldn’t bear the silence and his lack of knowledge about what had happened any longer.

“I want the full story now,” Pete demanded. “Step by step.” He didn’t address any of the Samadians directly; he didn’t care too much who would answer him. He needed something to keep his mind busy so he could quench the fear building up inside him. The mere thought of seeing MacGyver’s dead body scared him. If he could just fuel that fear into his irritation with Yanif and his men…

Yanif’s aide was right behind him. After what Yanif had told the police officers earlier, he knew it was his turn to offer their version of the events this time.

“I saw him take aim and tackled him as the gun went off. I got the gun away, but he ran. I followed and shot him,” the man related. “And he went down the cliff.” He glanced toward the cliff and made a small gesture to it as they all walked into the clearing.

“That makes no sense,” Pete Thornton instantly opposed, shooting a brief glare toward the aide. Mac aiming at the president with the rifle he’d seen…? This couldn’t be… He had taken point again and was getting really frustrated with the Samadians by now. “MacGyver is not an assassin.”

“He’s been meeting on the mountain with the Azmirs all week.” Now Yanif added his point of view from Pete’s other side. Blaming the Azmirs as well won´t hurt, he thought. “They must have paid him or even blackmailed him to do this.”

Pete noticed how convinced the minister of defense was about this due to his dead-serious expression and his whole body language as he faced him while they continued their way to the cliff’s edge.

“Absolutely out of the question,” Pete quickly countered Yanif’s opinion with a harsh gesture. He’d known Mac long and well enough to be entirely sure that this was impossible. This whole darn incident became more and more incomprehensible to him.

“Then why did he suddenly leave the hotel at lunch?” Yanif queried as they stopped at the edge.

Pete strove to prepare himself inwardly to look down the cliff to see what he’d hoped he’d never see, but Yanif’s question had him turn back to the minister of defense. He obviously wasn’t willing to drop the subject, no matter what Pete assured. Pete was getting furious at the man.

“I don’t know!” he snapped at Yanif. “But I’ll tell you one thing: You’ve killed the wrong man!”

Yanif knew better than to speak up once more. He let his hands drop, stood still, but exchanged a meaningful look with his aide behind Thornton’s back. They had to be careful, or they’d be charged with murder. But with MacGyver’s fingerprints on the rifle, the testimony of his men, and MacGyver not being able to tell anyone what had truly happened, the chances of it were slim. Thornton’s word wouldn’t count as much as the evidence would. He sighed quietly as Thornton took the last step toward the edge and looked downward. The grief about his colleague’s death would silence the American negotiator soon, Yanif was sure about that.

Pete’s rage was still simmering within him when he stopped at the edge and stared down the rock face. He was not at all prepared to see MacGyver lying there… dead. But all he saw was rocks, green grass, a few small shrubs… no body. His mind needed a second to process.

“Well, where is he?” Pete Thornton asked harshly and angrily, but also puzzled after a moment. Had Yanif and his men led him to the wrong clearing? Were they playing some sick game, on top of it all? But wouldn’t the police officer also know where they had to go?

Suddenly alerted by Pete’s question, Yanif and his men moved to stand beside him, only to find the spot where they’d left MacGyver behind supposedly ‘dead’ only a short while ago, empty.

“He’s gone,” Yanif’s aide stated the obvious surprisedly after a second.

The meaning of his words and this discovery needed another moment to be processed in Pete Thornton’s mind. Then a wave of relief washed through him. He glanced back at Yanif, whose expression had grown dark and worried within a beat.

“Then he’s still alive!” Pete exclaimed excitedly. And his condition has still allowed him to leave the clearing, he added inwardly. A glimmer of hope quenched the grief inside him that he’d been battling so hard since the news about Mac having been killed had reached the hotel. It made room for worry, though. MacGyver had been shot… and no one knew how seriously he was injured. But now he could fuel the inner energy his emotional turmoil had caused into something worthwhile: Finding MacGyver, helping him, probably even having to save his life… and then clearing his name.

“We must find him before he tries again!” Yanif stated sternly, but Pete didn’t even react to him.

MacGyver wouldn’t try again; he was convinced about that. Because he hadn’t been the one who’d tried to kill Habad in the first place. Because he wasn’t guilty of the crimes Yanif accused him of. As soon as Pete had found him, he’d hopefully be able to explain some things about this whole darn situation. Pete concentrated downward to the lower half of the clearing. There were no tracks visible; no clues giving them any information about which direction Mac had left to.

“Is there another way down that cliff?” Pete asked, hoping that maybe the Swiss police officer could help him.

“There’s a private road by the International School,” The officer told him quickly. Pete looked up at him and saw him point behind himself. “It’s the only way,” the officer added, also intent on finding their wounded suspect as quickly as possible.

Pete Thornton instantly turned around, pushed through Yanif’s men, and hurried back to the hotel together with the police officer.

Yanif, on the other hand, stepped between his men, grabbed their upper arms, and urged them close. If MacGyver was still alive and got any chance to tell the truth… all three of them were in lethal danger. Back home in Samadia, they would likely have to face a firing squad. They couldn’t afford this. He couldn’t be allowed to talk. He had to die.

“We must get to him first,” Yanif growled low, in a tone that left no room for discussion. Then they all turned and quickly followed the American and the policeman back to the hotel.

++++++++++

Still no one sharing their thoughts about this?

Here´s part 3

++++++++++

MacGyver staggered forward through the dense shrubs and undergrowth in the forest, barely able to stay on his feet. He couldn’t clearly recall how long ago he’d come to his senses again, but he very clearly remembered his head throbbing, his shoulders, back, and ribs hurting, and red-hot pain blazing through his side when he’d woken up. The agony had somewhat revived him and made him aware that neither Yanif’s bullet nor the fall down the cliff had finished him off. He’d only noticed the awkwardly twisted position he’d been lying in a moment later, when he’d tried to move a little to alleviate some of the pain.

But he’d frozen instantly again with the realization that he didn’t know yet if somebody was watching him. He’d listened intently for a couple of seconds, heard nothing but forest sounds, and then cautiously blinked his eyes open. After a brief orientation, Mac had glanced upward, seen that no one was there keeping an eye on him, and realized that he had to take this chance if he wanted to stay alive.

Gingerly, he’d lifted the arm draped behind his head, moved it to his front, and used it to push himself up a little. He’d hardly suppressed a groan when he’d shifted his position and his legs had, following gravity, slipped further down the slope and increased the strain on his wounded left side.

Serious vertigo had almost overwhelmed him as he’d sat up bit by bit, along with some nausea. He was quite sure that he’d sustained a concussion during the fall, which didn’t help him form a clear thought either. MacGyver had allowed himself a moment to look around the clearing, trying to figure out the first of his next steps and which direction he had to take to get out of here.

He’d then realized, his only chance to survive this mess was to somehow find evidence for what he’d witnessed… and get in touch with the only person in Geneva who would trust his word: Pete.

But as long as he was considered the main suspect, both options proved to be quite dangerous. His only chance for evidence supporting his side of the story was the case, the sniper had kept the rifle in. He hadn’t touched that one; it only bore the fingerprints of Yanif’s men. And as for Pete… as long as he was staying at the hotel, close to Habad… Yanif’s men were likely to be there as well to greet Mac once he returned. So, going back to the hotel wasn’t a good idea right now.

Above all, he’d had more urgent matters at hand. He had to take care of his injuries if he wanted to live through the day before he attempted anything else. But how… and where…?

He’d inwardly chided himself for not taking a closer look at the hotel’s further away surroundings during his security checks. He’d only roughly remembered a private school at the edge of the lake on plans of the greater area and had instinctively contemplated it as a possible source for help… or at least a first aid kit. He’d protectively wrapped his right arm around himself and felt for the wound while he’d still been sitting at the bottom of the cliff. He’d noticed that the bullet had passed through his body, but, with some worry, also that entry and exit wounds had been bleeding badly. Realizing that he had no time to lose, that he was still in lethal danger because the Samadians would eventually return, he’d somehow managed to get to his feet and hurried off the clearing.

++++++++++

By now, as MacGyver pushed through the foliage of the shrubs, his dizziness had returned with full force. The forest seemed to be moving around him, and he had to slow down his steps. Mac’s vision blurred as he came closer to another huge clearing. This one was different, he noticed. It was covered by a well-cared lawn, and a large willow tree with a swing attached to one of its strong branches stood close to the edge of the forest. Everything seemed quiet, but Mac had no time to take a closer look around the area. The thought that he might have already reached the International school popped up in his mind, yet faded to the background fast when he sensed his legs getting weaker with every step.

Some thorny bushes were pulling and tearing at his clothes as he was nearing the edge of the forest. It felt like the thicket was holding him back, and at some point, MacGyver couldn’t push against it anymore. Pain, vertigo, nausea, and blood loss had drained his energy and strength. He had no reserves left.

His legs gave up on him, and he fell. First to his hands and knees, but he couldn’t support himself and instantly dropped further until he was lying prone, propped up only on his elbows. Breathing heavily, Mac tried to gaze around the open area before himself, although his vision blurred. His face was covered with sweat due to his exhaustion and the strain, and before he could act against it, his arms lost their strength as well. With one arm straightened out across and under himself, Mac slumped to the ground. Still fighting the darkness threatening to take over his senses, MacGyver strove to keep his head raised, but the last of his energy was used up. His forehead slowly dropped onto the cool soil, and everything around him went dark and silent again… for the third time on this day.

++++++++++

Parents’ Day was always a happy occasion at the International School in Geneva. Most of the personnel had the day off, and the atmosphere at the school was a lot more relaxed than on a usual day. Headmaster Blake was near the main entrance of the school building, overlooking the driveway, greeting the parents who arrived to pick up their daughters and accompanying the girls to their cars. Since this was a rather exclusive boarding school, all the girls and their parents were overjoyed to be able to spend the day together, and all but a few had already left for the day.

He looked up just to see another car coming up to the entrance. Of course, he knew the lady driving it. He turned to one of the girls waiting together with him in front of the entrance.

“Ah, here’s your mother arriving now,” he said and invited the girl to step forward with a small gesture. “Hello,” he then greeted the lady driving the expensive cabriolet once the car stopped close to the walkway to the school. Blake opened the passenger door for the girl. “In you get. Bye-bye now.”

The girl instantly got into the car, yet sat down only briefly. She turned around to kneel on the seat and took her time greeting the dog that eagerly waited for her on the back seats while her mother drove off.

Headmaster Blake turned back only to see a small group who’d gathered close to the school’s entrance preparing to leave. Mother, father, and her older sister had come to pick up this girl.

“See you later,” Blake said as he bid his farewell. “Bye-bye.”

He noticed even another family driving off the parking lot at the same time. He cherished watching those happy reunions. With being separated from their families for such a long time, quite a few of the girls got homesick. He could relate so well to how much they longed for their loved ones, despite the good care they were given during their stay in the school. Some of them dealt with it better than others, but all of them looked forward to this special day.

Only two girls were still waiting on one of the two benches on the walkway when a black Mercedes sedan turned around the last corner onto the driveway. One of the girls jumped to her feet overjoyed, with a broad smile on her face. Her smile died only a moment later though, when she realized it wasn’t her parent’s car. Instead, the girl next to her got to her feet and ran toward the man climbing out of the driver’s seat after it had stopped.

“Hi, Daddy!” she called before she wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and received a big hug from him.

Headmaster Blake observed gladly how the man guided his daughter to the passenger seat and helped her get into the car.

The remaining girl had also watched the joyful reunion and the heartfelt love between her schoolmate and their dad, but she hadn’t smiled at all. Now she hung her head. She had hoped her parents would come to see her today, but if she was honest with herself, she hadn’t truly expected it. Watching all those happy and loving welcomes even more so sent a sting to her heart. She knew waiting any longer would be useless, so before the other girl had even gotten into the car, she turned and left. She walked around the bench and headed around the school building outward to the huge lawn in the back. She longed to be alone.

Headmaster Blake glanced sideways just as the father was about to close the passenger door, only to see the last remaining girl leaving toward the back of the school. His smile died as he watched her. Lisa, he thought. Left behind. Again. Her body language spoke volumes about how she had to feel. Blake was just about to follow her when his secretary approached him from inside the school.

“Mr. Blake?” she addressed him as she took the last steps toward him. She was silent for a beat when she noticed Lisa disappearing around the corner. Then she held out a folded sheet of paper to the headmaster. “Mr. Woodman, Lisa’s father, called a minute ago and left a message for her. Her parents won’t be able to come.”

Blake nodded and took the sheet from her. He’d already suspected as much before his secretary had confirmed it. He unfolded the sheet and quickly read through the notes and the message Lisa’s father wanted to relay to her. Even more bad news for Lisa, he mentally noted. His expression grew even more serious when he folded the paper back up and returned it to his secretary.

“Thank you.” Blake puffed out a sigh and squared his shoulders. “I was on my way to talk to her anyway.” He forced a little smile on his face and then followed the girl to the back lawn.

++++++++++

Upon his return to the hotel, Pete Thornton had only briefly shared the information he’d gained with Walker and President Habad, and Yanif had used every chance to contradict whatever Pete had told them. Despite Pete’s assurances out in the forest, he was still pointing his fingers at MacGyver as the assassin.

The Swiss police officer had made some phone calls, summoned a lot more policemen to guard the hotel, and issued a search warrant for MacGyver. A warrant, that included a ‘probably armed and dangerous’-warning, no matter what Pete had said. But Pete didn’t really blame him; he knew the officer was following standard operating procedures and keeping to his security measures. So far, the Swiss police had only the word of three Samadians to go with – they had to believe Yanif and his men until they discovered evidence or got testimony that told them otherwise.

At least, Pete had been able to convince the police officer to let him come along on the search for MacGyver. He’d promised the officer that taking MacGyver would be a lot easier if he’d be there with them, given their year-long friendship and trust. Pete trusted the Swiss police not to just shoot MacGyver on sight – as the Samadians probably might – but he felt, he also owed it to Mac to help find him. Especially since his friend was wounded… and no one knew how bad it was. This search might just as well be a quest to save MacGyver’s life.

Pete Thornton was just following the Police officer out of the hotel’s main entrance and hurrying down the stairs toward the waiting police car when he noticed Walker behind him.

“Mr. Thornton, the signing is set with the Azmirs for 3 o’clock on the mountain,” Walker informed him while they were walking down the stairs.

Pete stopped at the bottom of the stairway, between it and the car, and turned back. He saw that not only Walker but also Habad, Yanif, and his aide had followed him outside, all with truly serious expressions on their faces. Walker caught up with him and positioned himself in front of Pete, while Habad stood beside him. Yanif and his aide had stopped a few stairs earlier, seemingly keeping a little distance.

“But first,” Walker continued, capturing Pete’s attention again. “President Habad insists on going over the plan details with you personally.”

Pete looked sideways at Habad and then back at Walker.

“Gentlemen, you’re going to have to handle this without me,” he declined with a curt gesture and quite some stress in his voice. He instantly turned to get into the police car since the officer was already holding the back door open for him. They were waiting for him.

But Walker caught his arm with one hand and held him back.

“Peter, we need you!” he urged. “You developed this proposal.”

Pete Thornton turned back to him a little annoyed. Don’t they understand that I’ve something a lot more vital to take care of right now?

“Right now, MacGyver needs me!” he countered upset. “He’s been shot. I have no choice.”

Habad drew in a deep breath. His face went even more serious.

“If you refuse to see through this process personally, then I will not sign the agreement,” he stated his position, well aware that he was putting a lot of pressure on the American, even issuing an ultimatum to him.

“Mr. Habad, I can’t abandon my friend,” Pete desperately tried to argue with the Samadian president, although he knew he couldn’t expect all too much sympathy from him at the moment. For all Habad knew, Mac was still considered the main suspect for the attempt on his life. “He may be dying,” Pete added nevertheless.

“The Swiss police will find MacGyver, and will take care of him,” Walker tried to reason with Pete; tried to make him see that his presence during the search for MacGyver wasn’t as needed as it was here, at the hotel.

Pete remained silent for a beat. All their reasoning was fine and understandable… but his heart told him to go and search for his friend. He vaguely noticed Yanif observing their conversation quietly, but with a very dark expression. But then Habad caught his attention as he spoke up again.

“Look, your friend may or may not be a traitor… But at this point, what is more important?” the President said, now with a slightly softer voice. “The life of one man… or the thousands of lives that this agreement could save?” He let his words sink in for a moment and then renewed his ultimatum. “It’s your choice, Mr. Thornton.”

With that, he turned around and walked back up the stairs to the main entrance. He’d placed the ball in the American’s court and now waited for him to decide. When Pete didn’t react immediately, Walker leaned a little forward toward Pete.

“Peter, the best thing you can do is to keep this peace process going,” he pressed on, balling one hand into a fist to emphasize the importance of his words. “It simply won’t work without you.”

Pete held his breath for a moment. As if he didn’t know how important this peace treaty was. Logically. But emotionally? Pete looked upward to where Habad was waiting for his answer at the open door. The President’s words were echoing in Pete’s head, and he could practically hear MacGyver’s voice agreeing to what he’d said. As much as it tore at his heart to allow someone else to be in charge of the search for his friend, he also knew it was what Mac would want him to do. Stay at the hotel. Go over the details with Habad. Keep the peace process going. Get this treaty signed. Pete returned his gaze to Walker and sighed deeply.

“Alright,” he nodded, looked up at Habad, and nodded his agreement once again.

Habad returned the nod silently and walked back into the building. Pete faced Walker again and threw up his hands in a helpless gesture. The decision was truly hard to bear for him.

“Alright,” he sighed once more. Then Pete quickly turned to the police officer.

“Listen, when you find MacGyver or if you hear anything… call me immediately, will you?” he asked with a lot of urgency and worry in his tone.

The police officer only nodded dutifully and instantly closed the door he’d still been holding open. Then he got into the passenger seat, and the police car drove off quickly. Pete’s concern for MacGyver had the upper hand inside him as he watched them drive off. His shoulders slumped. He hung his head. He barely paid attention to Yanif and his men getting into another police car that followed the first one. It didn’t surprise him though, that Habad had sent off his own men to support and reinforce the efforts of the Swiss police. As long as the Samadians were accompanied by the police, they couldn’t shoot at Mac as easily as they had earlier, Pete convinced himself inwardly.

When Pete Thornton remained standing still, Walker took a step closer to him and laid a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He’d known them only for a couple of weeks, but during their preparations for the negotiations he’d gotten a good impression of how close the friendship between those two men was. His own focus was on getting the treaty signed, but he could very well relate to Pete Thornton’s worries for his friend.

Pete looked up at him, and a short, silent moment of mutual understanding passed between the two men. He appreciated that Walker didn’t share any ‘it’ll be okay’ platitudes. Platitudes wouldn’t be helpful at all at this point. He also appreciated Walker’s silent gesture. Pete leaned a little toward him.

“Thank you,” he said low. “Listen, could you tell Habad I’ll be with him in a few minutes?” Pete then asked hesitantly. “I need to be alone for a moment.”

“Of course.” Walker’s hand left Pete’s shoulder, and he nodded. He instantly turned around and headed back into the hotel, leaving Pete behind at the end of the stairs.

Pete’s eyes followed Walker inside and then stayed with the door after he’d closed it behind himself. Walker had met MacGyver for the first time when they’d started preparing the security measures for the negotiations. A couple of weeks ago, well after Walker had approached Pete about having the Phoenix Foundation host the peace talks for the first time. Although Walker was much more of a bureaucrat and a lot more into formality than MacGyver would ever be, those two had hit off on the same foot almost right away, Pete remembered. He and Walker had instantly connected over their mutual goal of making the world a more peaceful place. Whereas Mac had always been more of a man of action, while growing older, he’d more and more started to appreciate efforts in the diplomatic arena. He’d also grown willing to tolerate the protocol, the red tape that came with it, and even the suits.

Walker had also been visibly shocked by the accusations raised against MacGyver… and concerned about Mac being injured. While Pete appreciated Walker’s concern, he was also well aware that Walker didn’t have the slightest idea about what Mac and Pete had lived through together during all the time they’d known each other… and how close they really were because of that. He also didn’t know about MacGyver’s deeply rooted principles concerning guns like Pete did… in fact, no one around here did.

It wasn’t, by far, the first time Pete knew MacGyver was somewhere out there, all by himself, wounded, fighting to survive. It wasn’t the first time Pete was seriously worried about whether his friend would make it back alive. After all the years, he was almost used to worrying about his friend, since MacGyver had always had a penchant for getting himself into dangerous situations… especially if he went off gallivanting on his own. But Yanif’s earlier announcement that Mac was dead had hit Pete harder than he cared to admit – even to himself. It had shocked him to the core.

For a second, Pete chided himself inwardly for not insisting that Mac should have joined them for lunch. But then he realized that if MacGyver hadn’t ‘taken his little walk’… and hadn’t gotten involved one way or the other… Habad would probably be dead by now. The peace talks would’ve been over, and their work would have been for nothing.

Many years ago, Pete recalled, Mac had also chosen to ‘get involved’ and help the lady who had taken a ride in his taxi. Only to get in Pete’s way and learn that the lady had been a top-class assassin named Murdoc. They’d found themselves facing two guys with bazookas soon afterward, but MacGyver had been quick- and sharp-thinking enough to get them out of the life-threatening mess back then. Shoelaces, a rusty wrench, and a paperclip… A weak smile fleeted over Pete’s face with the memory.

As much as he wanted to be there for his friend, he knew he had to trust MacGyver and his special abilities. He had to trust Mac to somehow find a solution to the predicament he’d gotten into and come out of it alive. As always, Mac will find a way, Pete convinced himself.

Pete Thornton drew in a deep breath, straightened himself, and then let out the air in a long, quiet sigh. He had to concentrate on the peace treaty… and shove his worries about his friend to the back of his mind. He could still hear Mac’s voice in his head, urging him to get back to the conference table with Habad.

Pete allowed his gaze to wander around the hotel and its parking lot and noticed how much bigger the police presence now was… after the assassination attempt. That all those policemen were looking out for MacGyver, that he was considered dangerous, sent a sting to Pete’s heart. He knew the accusations couldn’t be true… he just knew. It was unthinkable.

Pete Thornton puffed out another breath as he looked up at the hotel’s main entrance. Then he pulled himself together and headed up the stairs and back inside. Habad was waiting. He had to get on with explaining all the details of the peace agreement he had developed to the Samadian president, so they’d be through with everything by the time they had to leave for the signing ceremony with the Azmirs on the mountain.

++++++++++

Back at the school, Headmaster Blake had to make it to the back garden and around the big pavilion until he spotted Lisa Woodman. She was strolling toward the swing mounted on and protected by the strong branches of the willow tree close to the forest. He knew it was one of her favorite places to retreat to, should something trouble her emotionally.

“Lisa?” he called out to her. “I have a message for you, my dear!”

Lisa only slowed her steps and lowered her gaze to the grass she was walking over, but his call cut through the thick haze that engulfed MacGyver’s mind. He hadn’t understood the words, woke abruptly and was alarmed about the unfamiliar male voice close by, along with the realization that he was, again, lying prone on the ground. But the dizziness and the agony throughout his body also returned within a second, and he only managed to raise his head off the soil a little and blink his eyes open.

“Lisa, your father just called from his office in Zurich,” the male voice continued, and Mac felt a bit of relief that the words had nothing to do with him; that he hadn’t been discovered yet… and that he could allow himself a few more moments to fully return to the present.

“Don’t you want to hear what he had to say?” Headmaster Blake added, and Lisa finally stopped and turned around to look at him.

“That’s okay,” she replied, a little annoyed, but also a bit disappointed. “He probably just forgot it was parent’s day. That’s okay.”

The young girl’s voice also registered in his head, but MacGyver was still too occupied with regaining some control over his body. He couldn’t react yet.

Blake had stopped a few feet in front of Lisa and held himself straight with his hands folded behind his back.

“Your parents had an appointment with a lawyer,” he told Lisa as she gazed up at him. “They couldn’t cancel.”

MacGyver finally gathered the energy to raise his head and looked sideways to where the voices were coming from. He had to blink a few times to clear his eyesight and stop his surroundings from revolving dizzily around him. He saw a girl in what seemed to be a school uniform and a man in a suit and a black gown standing at a little distance, thankfully not looking toward him.

“I know,” the girl answered annoyed. “They’re getting a divorce. I guess I didn’t help.”

When the fact of how close those two were registered in his fuzzy mind, MacGyver rolled over sideways onto his back alarmed, trying to hide behind more dense foliage. His breath came in strained gasps as the blazing pain in his side increased with his movement, and he feebly rested his head on the ground again. His face was partly covered with dirt that stuck to his sweaty skin, and he couldn’t clearly understand every word being said due to the blood rushing in his ears. Lie still, he inwardly reasoned with himself. Rest as much as you can. You wouldn’t be able to flee anyway at the moment.

“I got on their nerves a lot,” the girl continued. “I’m pretty demanding, you know. Sending me away to school didn’t help them sort out things either. It just cost them a lot of money.”

Headmaster Blake inwardly sighed at hearing how Lisa blamed herself for her parents’ marriage breaking up. He had to convince her that she was wrong about that. He bent forward and rested his hands just above his knees so he could get down to her eye level. He intensely looked into her eyes, as soft and at the same time determined as he could.

“If they get divorced,” he assured her slowly and sincerely. “You are not the reason. They are.” He forced himself to smile at her despite the seriousness of the situation. “Do you understand that?”

Lisa only shrugged silently. Her expression spoke volumes about how she felt, though.

“Give it time, Lisa,” Blake added, to which Lisa only nodded.

They both hadn’t noticed the men emerging from the school building way behind them until a voice called out.

“Mr. Blake, may we speak with you for a moment, please, sir?”

The headmaster straightened himself surprisedly, and turned around, only to see three policemen and another three serious-looking men in suits standing at the bottom of the stairs at the back entrance of the school.

MacGyver’s pulse and adrenaline level, on the other hand, shot up immediately as he recognized the voice. It was one of the police officers who’d been assigned to ensure the security of the Samadian delegation at the hotel all week. Mac had talked to him during his additional safety checks prior to the negotiations. They’d coordinated their efforts. Of course, he’d be part of any team investigating the assassination attempt. Of course, he’d know that the school was adjacent to the forest. Of course, he’d lead any search party here… but so soon? Mac thought.

MacGyver had hoped he would be given a little more time, but since he didn’t know how long he’d been lying unconscious at the bottom of the cliff… or how long he’d been stumbling through the forest… or how long ago he’d passed out in this thicket… he should have been prepared for anything. His whole body tensed up with alarm while his thoughts ran wild. Suppressing the agony, Mac raised his head again and readjusted his position to lying on his side while he still kept low and tried to stay concealed behind the shrubs.

“I’ll see what they want,” he heard Headmaster Blake tell the girl, and then saw him head back to the building to meet the police… and Yanif and his henchmen, MacGyver noticed when he gazed toward the school. The Samadians would use any chance given to them to shoot me on sight, Mac thought worriedly. The Swiss police officers probably wouldn’t… unless someone gave them a good reason.

Part of him had hoped, maybe even expected, that Pete would accompany the police and their search for him… that he’d be able to get in touch with Pete personally this way… which would have saved his life for sure. But Pete wasn’t there with them… meaning he had stayed at the hotel… probably with Habad… and had willingly allowed the police and Yanif and his men to take charge of finding him. And why shouldn’t he have? He had no idea what MacGyver knew about what the minister of defense and his men had been up to. Knowledge, which threatened his life at the moment.

His thoughts were cut short when Mac noticed the girl once more turning to the willow tree and strolling on toward the swing. His eyes followed her while she approached the swing, and he strove for control over his labored breathing. He nervously licked his chapped lips. Maybe she was his only chance for help… help, he desperately needed. He saw her sad and disappointed face before she sat down with her back to him, and remembered how her teacher had talked to her about her parents getting divorced. MacGyver contemplated it briefly, nevertheless decided he couldn’t be all too considerate about that fact at the moment… considering his own dire situation.

MacGyver pushed himself up on his elbows and tried to rest his body more on his right side to take some weight off his wound, but given his dizziness and his weakened state, his right arm didn’t support him either. He dropped to the ground again. He hardly suppressed a pained gasp and took a second to draw in a deep breath and gather some energy. He had to take the gamble… although chances were that if he spooked her too much, she might call in his pursuers.

“Miss?” MacGyver hissed toward her and saw her gaze, which had been lowered to the ground, rise, dart around, and her body stiffen a little. He drew in one more deep breath and gave it another shot.

“Excuse me… Miss?” he half-called, this time a little louder.

Lisa hadn’t been sure if she’d imagined hearing something the first time, but when she heard the hoarse male voice for a second time behind her, she practically jumped off the swing and whirled around toward the forest’s edge scared. Her eyes scanned the thicket, and only seconds later she spotted movement close to the ground. MacGyver pushed himself up to his right elbow with renewed effort and covered the bleeding wound with his left.

“Over here,” he revealed his presence to the girl.

He saw her eyes widen with shock the moment she got a first look at him. Lisa instinctively stepped back at the sight of the disheveled stranger with the bloodied face lying between the shrubs. Mac knew he had to act quickly if he wanted to gain her trust.

“No, wait… wait,” he begged desperately. “Wait… please. Give me a second to explain.”

Again, MacGyver had to blink the haze blurring his sight away, but was relieved to see that the girl had stopped retreating from him. He also knew that his only chance was to be honest and open with her.

“It’s me, the police are after,” he, therefore, admitted, only to see her draw back frightened once more.

“Wait, please,” Mac asked quickly at her understandable reaction, but then had to lower his head as a sudden, intense wave of pain rushed through his side. He pressed his eyes shut and groaned with agony before he could raise his gaze to the girl again. He saw her standing still, somewhat frozen between fear and fascination.

“I need your help,” MacGyver pleaded hoarsely, sensing that he’d almost won her over.

Lisa felt herself relax a little. This wounded stranger seemed to pose no immediate threat to her. Her curiosity about how he’d gotten into his predicament was getting the upper hand against her inner urge to call Headmaster Blake and the police over here… as she would be expected to do. She stepped closer to the man.

“What happened?” she queried. “Why are they after you?”

Halfway convinced the girl wouldn’t immediately reveal his presence to the police, Mac had taken a moment to have a brief look at his side, since he still sensed his blood oozing warm and sticky out of the wound. I’ll have to stop that if I wanna live through the day, he reminded himself.

“Well, it’s… it’s kinda confusing,” Mac answered slowly, considering how much he could tell her, and raised his gaze back to her. She looked down at him with interest, but also still some caution. “I tried to stop a… a shooting and I got shot myself,” Mac continued, but his voice was breaking with the strain, and his words were interrupted by his labored breathing. “Now the police think I’m an assassin.” His eyes found hers as he paused for a beat. “I’m not. Please, believe me,” he then assured.

MacGyver had to close his eyes only a second later as his agony overwhelmed him once again. He groaned with the stabbing hurt blazing through his side and the skull-splitting headache that sent his surroundings spinning anew. His left hand automatically felt for the cuts on his left temple, and he gasped as he fought to mentally push against the pain.

Lisa watched with growing concern how badly the stranger was suffering. Judging by his accent, he was American, just like her. For the moment, she had only seen the bleeding scratches on his face, but she suspected a more serious injury on his side. After all, he’d said something about getting shot… and he’d asked for her help. The first and easiest thing she could do was give him some means to quench the bleeding. Her scarf was the only thing that came to her mind, so she removed it from around her neck, took a few steps closer to the man, and held it out to him.

MacGyver more sensed than saw the girl’s movement and looked up only to see her hand with the bright white scarf just within his reach. His gaze traveled upward to her face, and he eyed her still a bit apprehensive expression probingly for a moment. He hesitated to accept her offer since she’d been so scared at first. But at the same time, he knew he had little choice on the matter. Mac reached out slowly, careful not to spook her, and took the scarf from her.

Nevertheless, the girl drew back instantly once she sensed that he had a safe grip on the fabric. Back at a safe distance, Lisa’s curiosity grew, and her thoughts ran wild. The stranger had taken her fear and cautiousness into account. Would a cold-hearted killer do that? He’d said he wasn’t… and he seemed to be hurt really bad.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

MacGyver was just pressing the scarf to his temple and fighting his dizziness.

“MacGyver,” he answered and looked up at her briefly. “What’s yours?”

“Lisa,” the girl answered, feeling a little safer now that she stood at a few feet distance from him again.

“Thank you, Lisa,” Mac said with a sincere, albeit feeble smile on his face. Slowly, he was getting a handle on the symptoms of the physical shock he’d been battling since he’d woken up at the bottom of the cliff. He pushed back his suit jacket with his left hand to take a closer look at the bullet wound, which revealed two dark red stains on his formerly bright blue shirt.

“You need a doctor,” Lisa stated a little shocked and audibly concerned at the sight.

MacGyver pressed the scarf onto the entry wound after he’d smoothed the fabric of his shirt a bit.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” he chuckled hoarsely and with some sarcasm before he looked up at the girl again. “You know any that makes house calls out this way?” MacGyver attempted a feeble grin, which Lisa returned lopsidedly, but Mac’s expression sobered up quickly.

“Then, I guess, it’s up to you,” he stated as he held her gaze.

“What’s up to me?” Lisa asked baffled, not understanding what he was talking about.

“I need you to help me,” MacGyver explained quietly.

“Me?” Lisa’s eyes widened with shock at his request. “Oh no, I couldn’t.” She shook her head vigorously. “I can’t. I’m no good at anything.” She scaredly drew back from him, until she almost bumped into the swing. Her fear took over at once.

“Whoa… whoa… whoa, whoa, wait!” MacGyver immediately pleaded with her, worried that he’d lost her again.

“I’m not the right person, really,” Lisa insisted, but stopped her retreat. “I never know what I’m doing.”

“Says who?” MacGyver queried unbelievingly.

“Well, you know… everybody,” Lisa admitted, a little downcast.

“Well, everybody used to say the world was flat, too,” Mac shot back quickly.

Lisa smiled weakly and a bit lopsidedly at his words.

“Lisa, you can do everything you want to do if you put your mind to it,” Mac continued to encourage her after a beat. He saw her expression grow more serious and also a little more confident again.

“Does your school have a nurse?” Mac asked after he’d given his words a moment to sink in and let the idea establish in her mind.

Lisa nodded quickly.

“Good,” MacGyver sighed with a brief sideways glance toward the building. His time was running out. The police officer and the headmaster wouldn’t be talking forever. “I need a first aid kit,” Mac requested.

“I can’t do that. I’ll get caught,” Lisa instantly declined. She half turned back to the school building and made a small gesture toward it. “There’s the police and the headmaster and…”

“Lisa, please,” MacGyver interrupted her hurriedly. “I really need your help.”

“But what if I’m caught?” the girl countered quickly. “What if they stop me?”

“Well, then, at least you tried, didn’t you?” Mac smiled up at her encouragingly. He gave her a moment to process his words when he noticed her ongoing inner struggle. “What do you say?” he asked after a brief pause.

Lisa drew in a deep breath and gathered all her courage.

“All right,” she agreed with a brief nod. “I’ll try.”

A wave of relief washed through MacGyver. At least, he’d be able to take care of his bullet injury soon… and get a step closer to surviving this mess.

“Thank you.” He nodded and smiled up gratefully at her.

Just a split second later, Lisa noticed movement close to the school building and glanced sideways toward it. Headmaster Blake and the policemen had finished their conversation, and now Lisa saw the police officers and the three serious-looking strangers spreading out toward the garden and the forest, MacGyver had come from. He wasn’t safe here anymore, she realized fast. But evenly fast, an idea popped up in her head, and she took a step closer to him.

“You’d be safer hiding in the boathouse,” she told him, leaning a bit forward, with a glance toward the lake and a quick gesture toward the boathouse. “It’s just over there.”

Mac’s gaze followed her gesture; he spotted the boathouse just off the bank of the lake and then glanced sideways to the school, only to see Yanif, his henchmen, and the police heading off in different directions. Directions that would, sooner or later, take them to him. Lisa was right. He had to get away from here. And fast.

“Okay,” MacGyver agreed with a quick nod. Still pressing the scarf to his left side, he pushed himself up so his weight was resting on his hand and not on his elbow anymore. He gasped with the pain blazing through his side, throbbing in his back and shoulders, and splitting through his head as he turned and propped himself up on his knees. Mac froze momentarily, drew in a deep breath, and hardly suppressed a groan. His gaze was directed to the ground, and he was mentally willing the agony to subside when he noticed the shadow of someone coming closer.

MacGyver looked up and saw that Lisa was standing right in front of him, reaching out to him with her hand, offering her help. Mac eyed first her hand and then her face probingly for a moment. He hesitated, still concerned about spooking her, but her expression showed no fear anymore, only a soft smile. Their eyes locked, and after a second, MacGyver shifted his weight, reached out with his right hand and held on to Lisa’s.

She grabbed it instantly and pulled. Mac briefly supported himself with his left hand on the ground as he got his feet under himself and stood up with Lisa’s assistance. He straightened himself gingerly, again protecting his left side with his hand as he let a wave of dizziness pass. Lisa looked up at him questioningly and only let go of his hand once he’d shot her a silent glance, reassuring her that he was okay.

A few seconds later, Lisa turned and ran off toward the school, intent on retrieving a first aid kit as fast as she could.

MacGyver’s eyes followed her briefly before he drew in a deep breath and refocused on his task: Getting into the boathouse unseen. He scanned his surroundings; made sure none of the men had spotted him yet or was looking in his direction, and then jogged off along the tree line. My dark grey suit jacket and the black slacks should be a bit of help as long as I can stay in the shadows, he thought.

Neither he nor Lisa had noticed that Mac had dropped the bloodied white scarf during his effort to get to his feet, which was now left behind, lying on the ground, between the branches of a thorny shrub, barely concealed from being spotted.

MacGyver slowed down as he reached the last of the huge trees. From here on, he had to cross the open lawn and the walkway… with no cover at all. Speed was his best bet to make it. He glanced back over his shoulder and quickly ran off to the boathouse when he saw none of the men, not caring how much his battered body protested. As fast as he was able to, MacGyver made it over the open area, hurried over the jetty to the boathouse, and pushed the door open.

Once inside, he slammed the door shut and crashed backward against the wall right beside it. He doubled over with the agony his full run had caused and groaned, feeling for his injury and not caring about which items he had just knocked off the wall. Mac took a few deep breaths while he waited for the blazing pain to let up, and then slowly raised his head. The blood rushing in his ears quieted down, and another wave of vertigo passed as he cautiously straightened himself and let his gaze wander around the interior of the boathouse.

MacGyver’s gaze quickly caught on the boat tied to the landing stage in the middle of the wooden building and the wide-open gate toward the lake. Slowly, he pushed himself off the wall and took a few tentative steps toward the boat, not paying attention to the stuff that dropped to the ground behind him. His mind already concentrated on the opportunity presenting itself to him: This boat could be his chance to escape!

++++++++++

Yanif’s anger was mounting by the time he stepped out of the part of the forest he’d just searched for MacGyver. Not only had the man foiled their plan to kill President Habad, but he’d also survived a bullet and a drop down a cliff that should have finished him off, and now, to top things off, they couldn’t find him. Getting rid of the American was proving a lot more difficult than he had expected.

His expression was dark and tense when he raised his gaze off the ground and saw his aide and the sniper coming toward him. He also noticed the policeman who was only a few steps behind them as he strode out of the undergrowth onto the lawn.

“No luck,” the sniper stated with an apologetic half-raise of his arms. “Nothing.”

Yanif hung his head and shook it frustrated. They had to get a handle on this man… somehow… fast… preferably alone, without any policemen watching… and certainly before he got any chance to talk to them.

“There is no sign of him here,” the police officer announced once he’d caught up with the Samadians. He saw their grim, serious faces, which were all too understandable for him. After all, they were after a man who was accused of having tried to assassinate their president. “We should go back and search the school,” the police officer suggested.

The Samadian minister of defense shared a smoldering look with his men and then wordlessly nodded. With few people around in the school today, due to parents’ day, as the headmaster had told them, it was possible that MacGyver might have managed to sneak into the building. Together, they all headed off toward the school building.

++++++++++

No-one uses this site anymore.

there's only 2 other people that log in here.

Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time posting in here. I'm supprised it hasn't been shut down already.

37 clicks so far isn´t no-one to me... Posting doesn´t take that much time, so I am continuing here as well...

And I certainly do hope this forum doesn´t get shut down - it´s a great source of MacGvyer-related knowledge for me (and others, I suppose )

Here we go with:

Part 4

++++++++++

MacGyver never became aware of how closely he’d avoided being discovered. He walked around the landing stage and stepped into the boat. He sat down and doubled over with a pained groan, while his right arm was protectively wrapped around his body, just above his waist. The hurting from his bullet wound hadn’t let up much yet since he’d run into the boathouse. After a few strained breaths, Mac forced himself to straighten himself a little and concentrate on the boat’s engine. The fuel gauge showed its tank was full. If he could start it, he could escape as soon as Lisa returned with the first aid kit… or even sooner if he had to. If she didn’t make it… Well, he could at least get away.

Gingerly, he reached out with both hands for the engine, aligned it behind the boat, activated the choke, and grabbed the handle on the starter rope. MacGyver drew in a slightly deeper breath – as much as he could – and then gave the rope a sharp pull. A sharp, stabbing hurt raced through his side as he used all his body in his effort to get the engine running, and Mac couldn’t suppress a painful cry.

He doubled over and briefly rested his forehead against the top of the engine, but through his agony noticed that the engine hadn’t come to life yet. So he pulled himself together, straightened himself again, and reached for the handle once more. MacGyver was more prepared for the pain this time and managed to avoid another groan on his second attempt.

Puzzled, and also worried, he realized that the engine hadn’t even as much as spluttered… on neither of his attempts. Something had to be wrong with it.

Mac slid a little sideways on the boat’s rim toward it and leaned with one arm onto it. He pushed himself up a little, stabilized the engine with the arm resting on top of it, and reached for its rear side with the other one. The fingers of his right hand quickly discovered the ignition cable hanging loose, and an empty opening where the spark plug was supposed to be screwed in. MacGyver leaned around the engine to have a closer look, and instantly the realization that he was missing a crucial part in his plan to get away settled in his mind.

With a defeated sigh, MacGyver let his head drop and closed his eyes briefly as his nose rested on the arm lying on the engine. Somehow, his good luck – that Pete always told him, was kind of legendary – seemed to be on pause today.

But after a few seconds, he wearily straightened himself once more, knowing that he couldn’t afford to give up that easily. He realized that, if he wanted President Habad – and himself as well - to survive the day, he had to come up with another idea.

Slowly, MacGyver sat back on the boat’s rim, with his head and gaze still lowered while he strove to gather some inner energy and determination to think of an alternative plan. When he noticed something small lying in the boat, just in front of his feet, Mac froze for a beat.

Can it be? … A spark plug? … The missing spark plug? But why is it lying in the boat? Why has it been dropped that carelessly?

Gingerly, he reached down with his right hand, bending forward and a little sideways, protecting his hurting side, and picked it up. Mac raised, turned the spark plug in his hands, and quickly identified what the problem was. With an inward sigh, MacGyver ran his thumb over the remaining stub of the missing electrode. For some reason, it was broken off. The sudden spark of hope he’d sensed when he’d seen the spark plug was immediately dampened, but it made room for Mac’s pragmatism kicking in.

Now he didn’t have to come up with a completely new way of how to flee from Yanif and his goons… without the boat… but with some way to repair the spark plug… and then get the boat running.

His thoughts were interrupted abruptly though, when the door of the boathouse unexpectedly opened.

MacGyver’s head snapped up, and he flinched sideways as the sun’s rays hit his skin. Startled, he looked to the door only to see Lisa with a white case in her hand, hurriedly closing the door behind herself. Inwardly chiding himself for not being more alert, Mac outwardly relaxed with a sigh just seconds later. Come on, MacGyver! Get your act together! If this had been Yanif and his men, you’d be facing guns right now!

Unaware of Mac’s inner struggle, Lisa pushed herself away from the door and walked around the boat.

“Oh God!” she exclaimed, a little out of breath. “I made it.”

From his hunched-over position in the boat, MacGyver looked up at her over his shoulder and offered a feeble smile.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “You sure did.” His sudden scare faded and relief that he could finally take care of his injury took over. He pushed himself backward off the boat to sit on the frame of the landing stage with a groan.

Meanwhile, Lisa set down the first aid kit on the floor of the boathouse and now also sat on the rim beside it and concentrated back on MacGyver. Her gaze caught on the small item he was holding in his hands.

“What’s that?” she curiously wanted to know.

Mac looked down at it and turned the object between his fingers.

“Well, it’s the reason this boat won’t start,” he explained. “It’s a broken spark plug. The electrode is snapped off.” He glanced sideways at Lisa and the white case lying beside her, laid the spark plug aside, and then gingerly straightened himself a little. “Feel like giving me a hand with some medical attention?” he asked.

Lisa nodded silently and immediately turned to open the case, while MacGyver slowly and carefully shrugged out of his suit jacket. He dropped it on the wooden floor behind himself and gazed sideways at Lisa as she retrieved a wound dressing and a roll of medical tape from the case and placed them within his reach. Mac sat up a little more and pulled the hem of his shirt out of his slacks on his left side. He cautiously felt for his through-and-through wound below the fabric, sensed his skin around the injuries sticky with his blood, but noticed with a little relief that the bleeding had, by now, significantly lessened, even almost stopped. Then he reached out for the dressing and the medical tape.

“I’m kind of lucky you were around today,” Mac stated gratefully with a sideways glance while he placed the dressing on his thigh.

“It’s parents’ day,” Lisa explained curtly. “I’m always around on parents’ day.” She retrieved a bottle of antiseptic from the case, opened it, and set it down in front of her. “Mine never make it. They had an important appointment. They’re getting a divorce.” Her voice had a bitter tone while she took another dressing from the case and soaked its middle part with the antiseptic. She then folded up the dressing and reached out with it for the scratches on MacGyver’s temple.

“Yeah, so I heard,” Mac replied compassionately, but only a second later flinched away from her touch with a pained gasp. The sudden, intense sting of the antiseptic fluid had surprised him, but he forced himself to hold still when she made another attempt to clean his injury.

“What do you think about that?” MacGyver asked once she was done. He looked sideways at her but had to blink and squint with his left eye due to the burning sensation the antiseptic had left in the cuts on his temple.

Lisa only shrugged silently. She had lowered her gaze and seemingly concentrated only on closing the bottle of antiseptic. Mac had just prepared a tape strip for his dressing, but now briefly paused and gazed sideways at her.

“Hey, me you can talk to,” he encouraged her with a gesture of his hand. “I’m a captive audience. You’ve got nothing to lose.” He then looked back at the dressing and stuck the tape to it while he waited for her to answer.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Lisa replied after a moment, sounding downcast, and still looking down at the first aid kit and busying herself with restoring its order.

The sadness and pain in her voice made MacGyver freeze once more in the midst of preparing the second tape strip. He turned and leaned toward her, balancing himself with one hand on the wooden planks of the floor between them.

“Lisa, if you've got something to say, you should say it,” he urged while his dark eyes focused fully on her. “Or it’s just gonna tear you up inside.”

Lisa sensed MacGyver’s sudden rush of energy, although she didn’t look up at him at first. She was a bit puzzled by why he cared that much about her situation…, especially given the seriousness and urgency of his own. But she quickly decided that he was right… she had nothing to lose by talking to him. She couldn’t suppress a small roll of her eyes and an inward sigh at his desire to get her to open up to him before she looked up and met his intense gaze.

“I think their divorce is taking the easy way out,” she started out. “It’s like sweeping dirt under the rug.” Her disappointment about how her parents handled the situation seeped through into her voice. “They’re not dealing with the dirt… they’re just moving it around.”

MacGyver had carefully listened to her and now looked briefly down at his hands as he relaxed a little and resumed preparing the second tape strip.

“Did you tell them that?” he asked with a concerned sideways glance at Lisa. Since his parents had never gone through anything like this, and his dad had died when he’d still been very young, he couldn’t really relate to her feelings, but he sensed her inner sorrow and hurt.

“No, they’re too busy yelling at each other.”

This time, Lisa’s answer came quickly, and Mac returned part of his attention to the tape roll in his hands.

“If they’d just listen, then maybe they’d hear what the other person was saying. Or how they were feeling. How are you supposed to know what another person needs if you don’t listen to them?” Lisa carried on, now more energetic as she allowed her frustration with her parents to show. “I mean, you can’t just talk about your problems… You have to look for solutions.”

MacGyver had listened to her with a sideways glance every now and then while he’d finished his preparations by sticking the tape to the dressing. For a moment, he was impressed by how well-thought-out and mature the young girl’s answer was. A little smile widened on his face as he met her gaze.

“Sounds like pretty good advice,” he appreciated her opinion while he slowly picked up the dressing.

“You really think so?” Lisa’s expression lit up with a glad but also slightly unbelieving smile.

“Yep.” Mac nodded but then concentrated downward. He lifted his shirt a bit with one hand, covered entry and exit wounds with the dressing, and stuck it to his bloodied side with both hands so it would apply some pressure. “I also think you should tell your folks exactly what you just told me,” MacGyver then added. His right hand stayed under his shirt, on the dressing, adding to the pressure it caused. He hoped to finally stop the bleeding like this.

But Lisa’s face saddened again as she lowered her eyes. She picked up the tape roll, Mac had set aside a few moments ago, placed it back into the first aid kit, and closed the case.

“It’s probably too late to stop them from getting a divorce anyway,” she murmured defeatedly.

Her reaction didn’t surprise MacGyver all too much this time, and he chose to play along with a different approach to make her see that giving up wasn’t an option concerning things you cared about.

“Yeah, probably,” he sighed and hung his head. With slumped shoulders, he looked toward the spark plug, slid his right hand from under his shirt, and picked it up. He turned it in his hands while he looked down at it. “And it’s probably too late to try and fix this boat, too…” he continued, seemingly discouraged with a brief glance toward the boat’s engine, breathing heavily.

“You aren’t just gonna give up, are you?” Lisa asked exasperatedly at once, baffled by his downcast reaction.

MacGyver instantly and quickly turned to face her. His dark eyes were full of energy when he captured her gaze.

“No,” he stated determinedly. “Are you?”

For the blink of an eye, Lisa was caught off guard by his sudden change, but then she was relieved to see his resolve return. His burst of energy didn’t fail to raise her spirits again. She smiled at him and shook her head. He was right… once more. If he wasn’t about to give up in his truly desperate and life-threatening situation… she would be able to find a way to talk to her parents as well. Maybe she could still change their minds.

MacGyver returned her smile, slightly leaned over to her, and patted her hand.

“Good choice,” he said appreciatively.

++++++++++

Yanif’s mood hadn’t gotten any better after they’d been searching the school building for MacGyver for quite a while. With the headmaster of the school and the Swiss police close by nearly all the time, ‘getting to him first’ – as he had ordered his men back at the cliff – had proven difficult so far. To top it all off, they hadn’t seen any trace of the man so far. This whole situation had been frustrating up until this moment for Yanif, and now it was starting to really anger him.

Somehow, he and his men had to get away from the policemen to be able to silence MacGyver without any witnesses as soon as they found him. He couldn’t be allowed any chance to talk to anyone… to tell the truth. He had to die. The sooner, the better.

Yanif’s anger darkened his expression as the small group met again and exited the school building through the back door. Two policemen had remained outside and been watching the back garden, Yanif noticed.

“My men will continue searching the school,” the leading police officer announced. He had left the building right after Yanif, and the minister of defense now half-turned back to him at his words. “Could I ask that you and your men help us and check the grounds again?” the officer continued once he had Yanif’s attention.

Yanif barely nodded and wordlessly strode off to the garden. His men followed him closely, the sniper briefly shaking his head at the fruitlessness of the search so far. But at least, they now got some distance between them and the police.

The policemen, who’d stayed outside, went inside the school to join their colleagues in their search effort after a quick gesture of the officer, but he stayed behind and watched the Samadians head off for a moment. He could very well relate to their annoyance since they hadn’t found any sign of their suspect so far, but he also wasn’t inclined to let his emotions cloud his judgment.

He’d gotten to know MacGyver briefly during their preparations for the peace talks, while they’d discussed and coordinated the security measures. At that time, he wouldn’t have deemed him capable of assassinating anyone… especially given the reputation of the Phoenix Foundation, Mr. Thornton, and also MacGyver himself… but he was one of the very few persons who knew about each and every detail of the security precautions. Had he been planning an assassination attempt… this would have given him a definitive advantage… but only a proper investigation would shed some light on what had truly happened. Which included interrogating MacGyver as soon as they had found him… preferably alive and in a physical condition that wasn’t too serious for him to be questioned. With a small inward sigh, the police officer returned into the school and sent off his men to search various parts of the building.

++++++++++

“Now what?” Lisa asked after a couple of moments. She was sitting a little more relaxed on the rim of the landing stage, now that they’d taken care of MacGyver’s injuries.

MacGyver had moved back a bit to sit on the floor of the boathouse. He puffed out a deep breath after allowing himself a little rest and raised his head at Lisa’s legitimate question. Part of his mind had already been considering this.

“I’m gonna need a nail,” he answered while his eyes scanned the part of the boathouse opposite to him and the workbench for anything that might prove useful.

“What for?” Lisa was puzzled.

MacGyver looked down at the spark plug he still held in his hands.

“Well, if I can weld it to the spark plug, it’ll replace the electrode,” he explained as he gazed around the other side of the boathouse, even behind himself. Since he had recovered a little in the meantime, his mind had switched to problem-solving mode and was weighing ideas about how to fix the spark plug.

“How you’re gonna weld it?” Lisa couldn’t, for the world, imagine how what he proposed could be done without any welding equipment.

Mac met her questioning gaze for a second before he redirected his eyes to the workbench again. He spotted all the items he would need to accomplish his goal within a moment.

“With wire, battery and jumper cables,” he then stated convinced, satisfied that he had found a doable way to fix the engine. Now, all he needed was a little time.

Lisa quickly followed his gaze, saw what he had just described, and then turned back to MacGyver.

“How do you come up with this stuff?” she queried with an incredulous shake of her head.

“Oh, the stuff’s already there,” he replied with a shrug. “I just find a different way to use it,” he grinned.

Lisa couldn’t help but return the bright smile that came with his light-hearted answer.

“Wanna grab me a piece of that wire?” MacGyver asked her after a second. If she was still willing to help, he wouldn’t mind having to move around a little less in his state.

Lisa nodded, got up, and strode around the landing stage toward the workbench. Mac’s gaze followed her briefly before he dropped the spark plug into the breast pocket of his shirt, drew in a deep breath, and then lowered his head. He rested both his hands on the floor planks beside himself and leaned a little forward in an effort to relieve his wounded side of some of the tension. Mac fought back another wave of pain and dizziness that reminded him that he was still in dire need of medical help – even if his condition had somewhat stabilized… for now.

Trying to recover and also trying to gather some strength, he heard the wire tingle slightly as Lisa picked one of the wires hanging from a nail, and her shoes move on the wooden boards of the floor as she turned to the workbench.

Lisa laid the wire on the flat surface of the workbench, but then noticed movement in the corner of her eye. She raised her head and gazed outside through the window, only to see the three unfamiliar men, she’d seen previously together with the police, coming toward the boathouse. But no policeman was with them now. Only Headmaster Blake was following them at a little distance. The first of them had just stepped onto the jetty when Lisa realized that those were likely the men who’d shot MacGyver. Instinctively, Lisa dropped to her knees to hide herself and balanced herself against the back of the worktop as she turned her head to MacGyver.

“They’re here,” she warned him quickly.

MacGyver’s head snapped up with alarm at Lisa’s warning, and his eyes went wide as a sudden wave of terror rushed through him. A burst of adrenaline provided him with energy reserves he hadn’t been aware he still possessed. Barely a second later, his years-long experience and background kicked in, and his mind and body switched into action.

MacGyver didn’t bother to ask whom she had seen. He pushed himself off the floor, got his feet under himself, and dashed toward the corner on his side of the boathouse. Bent over forward, he gasped with the pain that shot through his side due to his sudden movement, but knew he had to cope with it. He stumbled into a small space between the shelves along the side wall and a large wooden box standing below the window on his side of the door. Mac caught himself with his hands against the shelves and the wall and instantly turned so his back would be against the wall.

Sitting on the floor once more, he quickly grabbed some large tool lying on the ground in front of the box, not caring about its true purpose, and ducked as low and back into the corner as he could. MacGyver raised the tool upright in front of himself, eyed the long, heavy wooden handle briefly, and then held his breath for a moment. Although he couldn’t keep it from showing on his face, he fought back the fear and the physical agony coursing through him and strove to clear his mind.

He had no idea, whom Lisa had referred to by ‘they’, but if it were Yanif and his men… he would have to fight for his life… again… and had to protect Lisa… who was hiding behind the workbench… on the opposite side of the door… a door that opened in his direction. He’d be the first to be spotted… If it were the police… he had a better chance to survive… but he couldn’t let himself get caught before he could come up with evidence to prove his innocence.

MacGyver glanced over at her and saw her peeking upward at the window. Only seconds later, a shadow partly obscured that window. So much for ‘needing a little time’ to repair the spark plug…

++++++++++

Yanif had walked over the jetty with long strides, and when he reached the outside of the boathouse, he chose to take a look through the window first. He knew that MacGyver was injured and had been unarmed, but it couldn’t hurt to be careful. That nuisance of a man seemed to be good for a surprise at any given time. He also had to be careful because the headmaster of the school was watching them from the lawn. He’d given them the hint to check the boathouse.

Yanif was aware that he couldn’t just shoot MacGyver on the spot once they found him. He had to make it look like he had a good reason for doing so… at least while the headmaster was watching. A part of him hoped that MacGyver was still in a condition that allowed him to fight … and that he would do so … which would make killing the man reasonable for any unknowing bystander. Yanif also couldn’t risk MacGyver getting in touch with the police. They’d let him live… and give him a chance to tell his side of the story. The man had to be silenced… forever.

All those thoughts rotated in the head of the minister of defense as he closed in on the window. The glass planes were partly dulled with dusty grime, and he couldn’t see through them all too clearly. He had to raise one hand to keep his reflection on the glass from hindering him even further when he gazed inside the boathouse.

Yanif saw the boat tied to the landing stage in the middle of it, a white case lying on the floor to its right, and a dark heap of fabric he couldn’t identify through the dull glass. But there was no movement; no sign of anyone being inside the boathouse. On the other hand… maybe MacGyver had heard them coming and found a space to hide in. They had to make sure.

His men had caught up with Yanif after a moment or two, and he pulled back from the window and shot his men a meaningful look before he approached the door of the boathouse.

++++++++++

MacGyver only noticed that the shadow retreated from the window, but Lisa saw the man moving toward the door after he’d looked inside. She turned her head sideways to Mac.

“He’s coming in,” she warned him low, knowing very well that MacGyver would be discovered once the men came inside. And if they were the ones who’d already tried to kill him once… She didn’t want to finish that thought. MacGyver seemed to be a caring and honest… well, a nice guy. She didn’t want him to die.

Mac’s inner tension rose another few notches with Lisa’s announcement. He narrowed his eyes to get them to focus a little better and to quench the bit of dizziness that still cursed through him. His gaze locked on to Lisa’s, and he raised one hand and signaled her to keep quiet and stay put. He knew things could and very likely would get ugly once Yanif and his men came inside. If it really were Yanif and his men and not the police… but Mac had to go with the worst-case scenario. He had to keep the girl safe – she didn’t deserve to be hurt for helping him – though at this very moment, he had no idea how he would manage to ensure that.

When the latch of the door started to move, MacGyver instinctively ducked even deeper into the corner between shelves, box, and some ropes hanging from the wall. He mentally pushed against the wave of fear washing over him, but sensed his body stiffening as adrenaline flooded his bloodstream. He glanced at the strange tool he had picked up, adjusted the hold his hands had on it, and then concentrated back on the door.

Mac readied himself to burst into action quickly as the door started to open. He knew he had to surprise whoever would be coming in, or he wouldn’t have the slightest chance of surviving the upcoming fight. He pressed his eyes shut momentarily and subconsciously grimaced in anxious anticipation while he tightened his grip and raised the heavy wooden handle with the two bent metal plates at the end in front of himself. His breath sped up. He internally readied himself to strike with as much strength as he still had left when he heard the door crack open just a little.

Lisa watched MacGyver from her hiding place behind the workbench. At first, she was prepared to follow his order to stay put and quiet, but while she watched the emotions flash over his face, she realized once again how desperate his situation was. And then, very abruptly, an idea occurred to her. An idea of how to help and probably save him… and she was the only one who could do it.

Within a flash, before she could change her mind, she got up and hurried to the door that had slowly opened just a little. She grabbed the handle on the inside, pulled it back so the opening would only fit her small form, and then quickly stepped into it.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as she faced the tall, lean man in the grey suit just outside the boathouse. “You scared me half to death!”

Yanif stepped back surprised when the door was pulled from his hand and a little girl suddenly appeared in front of him. That was the last thing he’d been expecting, especially given that he’d seen no one through the window only seconds ago.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her warily once he’d regained his composure.

“I go to school here,” Lisa answered confidently as she stepped out of the boathouse and pulled the door closed behind herself in the same motion. “Maybe I should ask you the same thing,” she challenged the tall man.

Two more men were standing just a few steps behind the tall one on the jetty, but Lisa had already noticed that Headmaster Blake was watching from the lawn. Those three foreign-looking men couldn’t threaten or hurt her as long as he was close.

Yanif strained to get a better look at the inside as the girl closed the door. He caught a glimpse of the white case, which actually had a red cross painted on it… so it was likely a first aid kit. And the heap of fabric… dark grey… it might be MacGyver’s suit jacket. But the girl looked totally unfazed. Maybe she hadn’t seen MacGyver at all. Maybe he had hidden so well in there that she hadn’t noticed him… or maybe he had only taken care of his injuries in there and was already gone again.

But Yanif couldn’t take any chances. He had to see for himself. He was just moving to reach for the door once again when the Headmaster of the school called out to the girl.

“Lisa! Go back to the main building, please!” he ordered her. “Those men are looking for a criminal!”

For a moment, everyone on the jetty concentrated on him. But Lisa didn’t obey at once, especially since she’d noticed the tall man wanting to reach for the door, and now he turned to his men.

“Check the boathouse,” he told them with a curt gesture, obviously expecting Lisa to leave.

But she had no intention to do so. Since her appearance hadn’t convinced those men that MacGyver wasn’t in there, she knew that her job wasn’t done yet. She had to come up with something to deflect their attention from the boathouse.

“I saw somebody earlier,” Lisa stated quickly while she moved in front of the door to block their way inside. “He didn’t look like one of the parents.” She pointed toward the forest, close to where she had actually met MacGyver for the first time. “Over there… In the clearing.”

The least she could do was try to buy MacGyver some time. If he could truly repair the spark plug and get the boat’s engine running… he could escape by his own effort… and hopefully, clear his name.

“I’ll show you,” she offered and determinedly walked off, hoping desperately that the men would follow her, hoping that they would lose their interest in the boathouse for the moment with her ‘observation’.

Yanif looked down at her a little surprised, as the girl wove her way through them. For a moment, he was unsure what to make of her.

“I’ll go and tell the police,” Headmaster Blake said dutifully after Lisa’s words, and instantly turned and hurried back to the main building.

Yanif quickly chose to believe the girl was trying to help them. He had no reason not to trust her word. If she really had seen MacGyver… they had to get a hold of him before the headmaster summoned the police… and they’d have unwanted witnesses. He only shot his men a meaningful look and knew they were right behind him while he followed the girl’s lead.

++++++++++

MacGyver’s eyes were still pressed shut when he heard Lisa get to her feet and hurry closer. For a beat, he was stunned with shock. He quickly opened them, only to see her grab the door and step into the opening. His inner tension rose even more when he thought it had already reached its peak. She’d decided to act way too fast for him to react, to do anything about it.

He had to watch frozen and completely baffled as she faced and confronted Yanif. Mac’s jaw dropped, and he ducked back into his corner when he heard Yanif questioning her about what she was doing here. MacGyver loosened his grip on the handle a bit and lowered it only when she moved outside and pulled the door closed behind herself. Still tense and pressed into his corner, he strained to listen to their conversation and wasn’t relieved at all when he heard the headmaster of the school refer to him as a ‘criminal’ and Yanif order his men to ‘check the boathouse’.

But Lisa was thinking quicker than he had expected. She turned the Samadians’ attention away from the boathouse, toward the forest, with her next statement, and hurried to lead them away. When he heard their steps leaving, MacGyver silently let out a deep breath. He relaxed a bit and then shook his head with a little smile, amazed and impressed by how this little girl had just saved him from a possibly deadly situation. Part of him was grateful for her wit, but another part of him was well aware that she probably didn’t know how dangerous her actions could have gotten for her.

MacGyver straightened himself a little and glanced sideways and up through the window to confirm to himself that all three Samadians were leaving with her. Only then, he loosened his grip on the handle and leaned back against the wall of the boathouse for a second. When his gaze returned to the inside, it caught on the open toolbox standing on top of the box he was hiding behind.

MacGyver was well aware that his pursuers would check the boathouse at some point… but Lisa had bought him some time. He owed it to her to make the best of it.

He eyed the contents of the toolbox closely while he, careful not to cause any clatter, laid the heavy wooden tool aside and then instead picked a hammer from the toolbox. Cautiously, MacGyver got to his feet and sneaked, ducked low to avoid being seen through the windows, past the door, and over to the workbench. The pain in his side had faded somewhat while he’d been sitting in the corner and by now, his mind was almost fully ignoring it since it had switched to its problem-solving mode.

He looked out the window and saw Lisa leading the Samadian men over the lawn and toward the forest. Relieved, he let out a deep breath, straightened himself a little, and laid the hammer onto the surface of the workbench. Then he retrieved the spark plug from his shirt’s pocket and securely clamped it into the vise. He glanced up for the next item needed for his plan to fix the spark plug.

Soon, his eyes caught on a nail with a pair of welding glasses hanging from it, and MacGyver reached out and, with some effort, pulled it out of the beam it had been driven into. He dropped the glasses, laid the nail on the flat surface at the back end of the vise, and picked up the hammer.

Mac was just about to strike when he stopped himself in mid-move.

The Samadians assumed the boathouse to be empty at the moment. Realizing he couldn’t afford to risk giving his presence away by making that much noise, he glanced out the window. Yanif and his men would be back within moments if they heard the hammer strike the nail on the metal surface. He needed something to dampen the noise and immediately let his gaze search for something suitable.

MacGyver noticed the stuffed blue jacket hanging from the wall next to the door only seconds later and quickly picked it off its hook. He laid it on the workbench and used one of its sleeves to carefully cover the nail. After he’d struck the nail for the first time, he glanced out of the window again, still concerned about the sound, but the Samadians didn’t react to it. Relieved, Mac drew in a deeper breath and hammered the nail flat with a couple of measured strokes.

He turned it probingly between his fingers after he’d removed it from below the sleeve and was satisfied with the result he saw. The flattened head of the nail should bond well to where the electrode broke off, Mac thought as he wrapped the wire around the still-round shaft of the nail. If there’s enough juice in the battery.

He laid nail and wire onto the workbench next to the vise and hurried to grab the jumper cables from the wall. Mac ducked low as he crossed the window to the other side of the workbench and went down on one knee as he hid himself behind the battery. Holding the jumper cables close to himself, he one-handedly removed the cables currently attached to the battery and then secured the jumper cables to the corresponding poles of the battery.

++++++++++

In the meantime, Lisa had reached the small clearing at the edge of the forest, near the old, huge willow tree. She had determinedly walked over the lawn toward the spot, inwardly convincing herself that, while those men were very likely the ones who had shot MacGyver, they had no reason to harm her… so far. Should they become aware that she had helped him, this would change… real quickly. Her thoughts had been running wild while she had led the men away from the boathouse, considering how to keep them busy for as long as possible. She was determined to do everything she could to distract them and slow them down.

“He was right over here,” Lisa told the men with a brief gesture toward the forest. She’d figured that if she led them to somewhere close to where she’d really met MacGyver for the first time… she’d be able to deliver her lie more believably. And for now, the men seemed to buy into what she’d said, because their eyes instantly focused on the forest, Lisa noticed with a little relief.

“Search over there in the trees,” the tall man ordered his colleagues, and then they all stepped into the thicket.

The tall one has to be the boss, Lisa thought as she watched them from her spot on the lawn, close to the walkway that ran along the forest’s edge. Somewhere in her mind, she remembered that Headmaster Blake had ordered her to return to the main building, but she didn’t have the slightest intention of obeying his command. Her job still wasn’t done. MacGyver had only told her, he’d been shot while trying to stop an assassination… and after meeting those men, she was sure they would try to kill him again the moment they got the chance to. She had to keep an eye on them to make sure they couldn’t. Only once MacGyver had managed to fix the boat’s engine and fled from the school could she relax and return to her more or less boring everyday life.

++++++++++

With the cable clamps securely held apart, MacGyver crossed back to the vise, stood up again, and attached the black one to the vise, next to the spark plug. Then he picked up the wire and safely inserted its end into the red clamp, wiggling it a little to make sure it held tight. Laying the clamp down, he switched his grip onto the wire, closer to the nail, and picked up the welding glasses with his left hand. Mac eyed them probingly, turned them in his hand, and then covered his left eye with them.

MacGyver turned to the vise with the spark plug in it, pressed his right eye shut, and cautiously guided the nail toward where the electrode had snapped off. He instinctively flinched back when the first sparks flew once the metal surfaces made contact, but resumed his work, inwardly relieved that the battery supplied enough power for his plan.

It took a couple of seconds for both nail and spark plug to heat up sufficiently to establish a secure bond. MacGyver saw the glow of the melting metal through the welding glasses, felt the nail attach to the spark plug, but only a moment later, he sensed the wire burn through due to the strong current. Not a second too early, he thought.

Tentatively, he lowered the glasses, saw the nail safely bonded to the spark plug with both eyes now, and then laid glasses and wire aside. He gave the heat of the metal a moment to dissipate and, in the meantime, reached out for some pliers he’d noticed lying on the workbench earlier. With their help, Mac cut off the excess shaft of the nail, once it was no longer glowing, leaving only a short, flattened part of it. Then, while it was still warm, he bent that flattened part toward the middle of the spark plug, so it would act as the new electrode later on.

Satisfied with the result, MacGyver puffed out a breath and straightened himself a little as he removed the jumper cable’s clamp from the vise. He gave the spark plug another moment to cool down before he cautiously tested with his fingers if he could already touch it without burning himself. When he sensed only warmth, Mac grabbed the spark plug with one hand and loosened the vise with the other. He raised his work a bit, eyed it closely for a few seconds, and then quickly headed off for the boat. His spirits were rising, now that his plan seemed to work out. Maybe he would be able to survive this day after all.

++++++++++

Lisa had done her best to keep an eye on the three strange men and observe their search for MacGyver between the trees without being too obvious about it. She tried to seem like she was just staying close in case those men had more questions for her. After only a couple of minutes, the men left the forest and undergrowth again, and Lisa immediately noticed their frustrated expressions. She stayed close to the tree line while the three men strode past her, away from the forest, toward the huge willow. They gathered on the lawn past the walkway, paying no attention to Lisa anymore. Lisa, on the other hand, turned to keep them within their sight but didn’t follow, so they wouldn’t discover that she was eavesdropping.

“This is getting us nowhere!” Yanif’s aide stated, disappointed that their search had been fruitless in terms of any results or clues concerning MacGyver so far.

Lisa let her gaze wander around herself while she concentrated on listening. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat when her eyes caught sight of the scarf she’d given to MacGyver. It was laying only a couple of steps away from her on the ground between some thorny bushes. The stains of MacGyver’s blood were easily visible on the fabric.

“There’s no sign of him,” Yanif’s sniper added.

Oh no, unfortunately, there is, Lisa instantly disagreed inwardly and drew in a slightly deeper breath. Somehow, she had to make sure those men wouldn’t see the scarf… and the blood on it… or she’d be in serious trouble… and MacGyver as well. Slowly, she started sneaking toward the scarf while the Samadians stood close to each other. Yanif wasn’t even facing his men at the moment.

“If Habad learns the truth, we’ll face a firing squad!” Yanif’s aide added with some worry on top of the frustration clearly audible in his voice.

“Habad won’t reach the top of the mountain alive.”

Lisa heard Yanif counter coldly and quietly. She stopped her movement and glanced toward the tall man in the light grey suit jacket. So MacGyver has been telling the truth, she assured herself internally that she had been right to trust him. But then Yanif continued.

“A bomb will take care of him,” he said to his men, obviously not aware that Lisa was within earshot and trying her best to not only hear but also understand what they were talking about.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes toward the sky in shock for a moment at his statement. Oh my God, she thought. I’ve got to find a way to tell MacGyver about what they’re planning… somehow… but first, I’ve got to hide my bloodied scarf so they won’t see it.

She drew in a deep breath and then quickly bent down to pick up the scarf. But it caught on the thorny branches and didn’t come loose at once when she pulled it upward. A short ripping sound alerted one of the three men.

“Hey!” Yanif’s aide called out to stop the girl from moving. He pushed through between his boss and the sniper to get to her fast.

Neither of them had paid much attention to Lisa after she’d led them to the forest’s edge. Yet now she was standing there, holding a white scarf in her hands. A white scarf, which was missing from her school uniform, according to what they’d seen other girls wear earlier. A white scarf with clearly visible red stains on it. Blood red stains. He instantly took the fabric from the girl once he’d reached her.

Yanif and the sniper had quickly followed him, and the minister of defense claimed the scarf from his aide at once.

Lisa stood still, trying her best to look as if she’d just discovered the scarf and had nothing to do with it. Inside though, she knew very well that she could be in serious trouble within seconds… should those men suspect the scarf to be hers.

Yanif eyed the crimson red stains on the bright white fabric for a few seconds and came to the same conclusion his aide had inwardly reached a moment before. He looked sideways at the girl standing at the forest’s edge.

“How did this blood get on your scarf?” he asked in a menacingly quiet voice.

Lisa held his gaze silently for a moment, but the innocent expression on her face was gone. She had no idea what to answer to defuse the situation. She was sure those men would instantly see through whatever lie she could have told them. Her only chance to stay safe was to get away from those men. Within the blink of an eye, after she’d pretended to withstand the tall man’s glare for only a few seconds, she chose flight and ran off sideways into the forest as fast as she could.

But Yanif and his men reacted quickly. He threw away the scarf, and they all raced after her immediately.

As Lisa dashed into undergrowth and thicket, she heard hurried steps chasing her. If those men were willing to kill a man called President Habad and hadn’t hesitated to shoot MacGyver… what would they be willing to do to her? A strange mixture of fear and excitement rushed through her as she ran. And on top of it all… somehow she had to get back to MacGyver… to tell him about their new assassination plan… and the bomb.

++++++++++

Hi there, here I am again! Next installment is ready

Part 5

++++++++++

Meanwhile in the boathouse, MacGyver had returned into the boat and retrieved his Swiss army knife from his pants’ pocket. He sat down next to the engine, knowing that the repaired spark plug still needed some fine-tuning to work properly. He opened the flat screwdriver of the little red knife, but first used the opposite narrow end of the knife. With a couple of measured strokes, Mac hammered the new electrode toward the middle of the spark plug until it touched the surface. Then he quickly switched his grip on the knife and pushed the screwdriver between electrode and spark plug to form a tiny gap. His mind was still running in high gear.

Too large and the spark won’t form, he thought while he was at work. Too small and the spark won’t be strong enough to ignite the fuel.

He slid and wiggled the screwdriver back and forth through the small space, fervently hoping that this quick-tinkered repair would work. When he felt somewhat confident with the form of the electrode, MacGyver quickly laid the Swiss army knife aside onto the rim of the landing stage and concentrated on the engine.

With the spark plug held safely in his left hand, he stood up and leaned over the engine to get to its back side. He couldn’t afford to drop the fixed thing into the lake, now that he was so close to having a way to escape. The fingers of his right hand needed only seconds to find the hole where the spark plug was missing, and his left hand immediately fit the spark plug there and started to screw it in.

++++++++++

Lisa’s lungs and legs were starting to ache as she ran through the forest, chased by three very angry men. She knew she couldn’t afford to slow down even a bit though, or those men might catch up with her. She still didn’t want to imagine what they might do to her should she fall into their hands. But she had one definitive advantage on her side: She knew the terrain by heart.

Once in a while, she and a few of her friends from the school had ventured into the forest, exploring, adventuring. Sometimes they’d remained unnoticed by the teachers and the headmaster, sometimes they had been found out. Teachers and headmaster hadn’t appreciated their little adventures, and the girls had faced serious repercussions.

Right now, as she ducked through thicket after thicket to slow her – much taller – pursuers down, she had no time to think about repercussions. She was grateful that she knew her way around the forest. She was quite sure anyway, that Headmaster Blake wouldn’t be too pleased with most of the choices she’d taken today. But she quickly pushed that thought aside. Lisa urged her legs to carry her onward as fast as possible, and her excitement about the situation took over her senses again.

++++++++++

MacGyver had screwed in the spark plug as firm as he could by hand when he realized he would need a wrench to properly tighten its hold. Ignoring the stabbing pain radiating through his side, he pushed himself back from the engine and glanced around himself.

If someone has just recently removed the spark plug and left it in the boat, he thought. Maybe that same someone has also left the tool he’s used close by.

Soon his eyes caught on something half-hidden under the front seat. He leaned over, quickly picked up the wrench and returned to the engine. Leaning over it, Mac rested his right side against it as he reached toward its back side with the tool in both hands. He quickly fit it in place and hurried to screw in the spark plug until it held tight. MacGyver laid the wrench aside immediately, grabbed the ignition cable and secured it to the spark plug.

He then pushed himself off the engine again, straightened it out behind the boat and sat down beside it. He activated the choke once more, but his fingers caught on some sharp edge, and he automatically flinched back and shook his hand to get rid of the pinching feeling.

MacGyver then sat back, made sure he had a secure hold on the starting rope and drew in a deep breath. He mentally readied himself for the pain that would inevitably shoot through his side once he’d try to start the engine, and then gave the rope a sharp pull. Nevertheless, a moment later, he groaned with the bullet wound hurting and the engine not coming to life yet. But he straightened himself quickly, sucked in another breath and readied himself for a second pull.

++++++++++

In the meantime, Lisa had managed to drag her pursuers through the forest in a wide bend without them noticing it. She’d realized it was vital for her to get a little distance between them and her, or even better, shake them off her tail… but it wasn’t likely she would manage to do the latter. She crossed a small clearing with high-grown weeds, aiming for a certain spot she’d remembered while she’d been thinking about how to get back to MacGyver. With a little luck, she’d at least be able to slow the men down a bit.

Lisa tried to quicken her steps even more as she raced through the high grass and saw the old wooden fence coming up in the distance. From experience, she knew there was an opening in it big enough for her… but those men would have to climb over it. Once she’d reached it, she ducked through under the two top planks of the partly rotten fence and instantly continued her flight back to the boathouse. She heard the men coming to a stop behind her and doubled her efforts.

Yanif gave her only a few seconds though, before he started kicking at the fence in his anger. The old wood gave quickly under the force of his kicks, and Lisa heard the planks break and the three men resume their pursuit only moments later. She’d gained only a little more distance and knew they would be closing in on her real soon again… especially on the open terrain close to the boathouse.

++++++++++

Knowing nothing about the chase going on outside, MacGyver gritted his teeth and yanked the starting rope for a second time. The pain that shot through his side was as bad as it had been on his first attempt, but by now he had gotten somewhat used to it and suppressed his groan. With a little relief, he noticed that the engine had at least spluttered this time and immediately readied himself for another pull. His sole focus was on getting away from here. He had no chance to hear Lisa running toward the boathouse from his position in the boat. He couldn’t notice how she reached the jetty and raced over it toward the door with the Samadians hot on her heels.

Mac drew in a deep breath and pulled the starting rope sharply a third time. The boat’s engine came to life, and MacGyver puffed out the breath he’d been subconsciously holding as he leaned back a bit. With the engine running, his chances of surviving this day and clearing his name had improved significantly. He reached behind himself and released the rope securing the rear of the boat to the landing stage.

But just the blink of an eye later, before he had even started to think about how to get in touch with Pete or how to fight the accusations against himself, the door of the boathouse flew open.

MacGyver flinched and turned toward the door, acutely aware that he was, again, sitting out in the open, with no means to hide or even defend himself. He froze startled for a second, as Lisa dashed inside and instantly threw the door closed behind herself.

“Hurry!” she called out of breath. “They’re right behind me! I’m coming with you.”

For a moment, while Lisa ran around the landing stage, Mac was perplexed and silent. His hand automatically continued opening the knot behind himself.

“No way!” he protested hurriedly though, when she stepped onto the rim.

“Yes way!” Lisa countered as she continued her way onto the boat unimpressed, and sat down on the passenger side. She’d noticed the engine of the boat running. “Go!” she urged.

Neither of them had noticed that she had unintentionally kicked MacGyver’s knife, which had still rested on the rim, into the water of the lake in her haste.

Her second order convinced MacGyver that arguing with her would be pointless and might even become dangerous within seconds. He spurred into action and hurried to take his seat next to the controls and behind the wheel. With a quick move, he grabbed the rope securing the front of the boat and practically threw it aside. Lisa’s warning that the Samadians were hot on her tail echoed in his head when he shot her a sideways glance and then pushed her downward with his left hand, so she’d be at least a little protected in the boat. Lisa obeyed instantly and ducked low behind the dashboard as Mac reached for the steering wheel and pushed the throttle fully forward. He’d understood that they had no time to spare.

MacGyver more sensed than heard the sound of the door flying open once again over the roar of the engine, but heard the quick steps of three men running inside as the boat took off from the boathouse. He also ducked low while the boat accelerated out onto the lake, anticipating that their pursuers wouldn't hesitate to shoot.

The Samadians saw the boat with MacGyver and the girl inside leave quickly with alarm and stopped their chase, only to draw their weapons and aim at the man. Yanif was fast enough to fire once, but MacGyver instantly turned the boat to the right the moment they were outside of the boathouse, using its walls as a momentary cover for their escape.

The Samadians were quick to react though; they immediately ran back outside of the boathouse and to the right side of the jetty. But they had to stop at the corner of the boathouse, at the end of the jetty, only to see that the boat had already carried the American and the girl too far out on the lake… way outside firing range.

The sniper hardly bit back a frustrated curse, and Yanif’s aide also looked angry about that man managing to evade them yet again while they lowered their weapons. Yanif, on the other hand, quickly fueled his anger back into their main goal. Getting rid of Habad. Thwart the signing of the treaty. He lowered his gun and glanced at his watch instead.

“It’s 2 o’clock,” he announced with quite some urgency in his voice. “We have only one hour to stop Habad from signing the treaty.”

His men understood instantly, turned, and they all ran back toward the school building. With MacGyver on the loose again, they’d have a good reason to get the Swiss policemen to hurriedly return them all to the hotel… in order to protect the Samadian President from another attempt on his life. No one would suspect the Samadian Minister of defense and his aides to be behind the assassination plot.

++++++++++

MacGyver glanced back at the boathouse over his shoulder while the boat raced onward on the open water of the lake. He saw Yanif and his men arriving at the corner of the boathouse, and he thought he saw drawn weapons in their hands. Yet, it was hard to tell, given how far out on the lake he and Lisa already were. When he turned back and concentrated on where he was steering the boat, Mac puffed out a relieved breath since the single gunshot from the boathouse had missed them, and he’d heard no more cracks behind himself.

Seems, we’re already out of range, he thought. Now I just gotta figure out how to get in touch with Pete… without giving those three another chance of shooting me.

His mind was already considering ways of how to return to the hotel without being spotted, and he did his best to recall all the details of his mental map of the area. MacGyver gazed sideways at Lisa, who cautiously straightened herself on the seat next to him.

And find a way to keep Lisa out of the line of fire, he mused. I’ve got to make sure she’s safe somehow…

MacGyver drew in a few deep breaths and urged himself to calm down and focus on his upcoming tasks. He took in the engine roaring behind himself as the boat raced across the water at full speed. The wind ruffled his hair when Mac, a minute later, decided to break the silence.

“Are you alright?” he half-yelled over the noise of the engine.

“I feel great,” Lisa assured instantly.

“You do understand you could have been killed?” MacGyver asked in a serious tone. While he was grateful that she`d – again - saved him from what might have become yet another life-threatening situation, coming with him placed her in unnecessary danger.

“I know,” Lisa replied quickly. “But I’ve never had so much fun!”

She briefly beamed up at him before she looked back in the direction they were heading with a broad smile. Her sudden willingness to face risks and danger and her excitement about it half-worried and half-angered MacGyver.

“It was not a smart thing to do,” he scolded her with an even more serious expression.

“It was your idea!” Lisa immediately shot back.

“My idea?” MacGyver’s head snapped back to her. Her answer baffled him. He didn’t understand since he was quite sure he’d never encouraged her to take potentially deadly risks.

“I had something important to tell you,” Lisa explained. “You said, if I had something important to say, to say it. It would have been kind of tough to tell you if you were half across the lake, would it?”

Mac couldn’t argue with her reasoning. She was right. He had encouraged her to speak her mind – although he hadn’t meant it quite that way.

“Well… yeah,” he agreed slowly, cautiously, still not sure where this was going. “But… what could have been that important?” he wanted to know.

“You tell me,” Lisa demanded first. “Who’s Habad?”

“He’s the President of Samadia,” MacGyver quickly explained. “The one I’m accused of trying to assassinate.”

“Well, I heard those men talking, and they’re planning to kill him,” Lisa related, drawing a worried sideways glance from MacGyver. “Is that important enough for you?”

The expression on Mac’s face told her everything she needed to know. When he didn’t answer, she continued.

“One of them said, Habad would never reach the top of the mountain alive. Does that mean anything?”

“They’re meeting at the summit,” MacGyver told her curtly. His worry about President Habad’s safety returned to the forefront of his mind again… and that Pete would be close to him sent his thoughts reeling. “Anything else?” he asked, hoping that Lisa could provide him with more details.

“Something about a bomb,” Lisa added, now with a serious face as well.

Her excited smile from before was gone when MacGyver looked down at her with sudden shock. Fighting guys with guns was one thing… being accused of attempted murder was another… but finding and disarming a bomb those men planned to place God knows where… that was something entirely different. Not that he wasn’t capable of doing especially the latter… but bombs usually weren’t designed to kill just one single person. Under normal circumstances, they caused casualties… they also killed innocent bystanders. MacGyver definitely had to find a way to prevent that. He couldn’t allow Yanif to take his differences with Habad that far. He had to find a way to stop Yanif from carrying out his plan.

++++++++++

Pete Thornton was worn out mentally already when he glanced at his watch and noticed that it was about time to get ready for their trip to the mountain. After Habad and Walker had convinced – or pressed – him to stay at the hotel and let the police search for MacGyver, he, Habad and his advisors had only had a quick lunch after all the tension from the assassination attempt had somewhat calmed down. Then Pete had gotten to work on all the details of the peace treaty personally with Habad, just as he’d promised to.

It had helped Pete to keep his mind from constantly thinking about his friend being somewhere out there, probably seriously wounded, maybe dying… Nevertheless, concentrating on the treaty and Habad’s questions had remained difficult for Pete. They’d finished crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s, as Habad had called it earlier this day, about 10 minutes ago, which had allowed all of them to take a small break.

It had been only then that Pete had noticed that Yanif and his men had returned to the hotel. Yanif had come to meet briefly with Habad right after he and Pete had been done and then left the hotel quickly afterward, together with his aide. No one had shared any news with Pete, though. Not Yanif, not even the police.

Pete sighed deeply as he returned to the table, picked up his copy of the treaty with all the annotations he’d added during the past week, and slid it into the slim leather briefcase with the silvery Phoenix Foundation logo on the outside. Then he reached for the copy MacGyver had brought back from his negotiations with the Azmirs up on the mountain a few hours ago. Mac’s handwriting on a few of the pages caught Pete’s eye as he flipped through them, and it sent a sting to his heart.

As much as Pete should be used to MacGyver getting himself into trouble after all the years that he knew the younger man by now…Pete was never able to stop worrying about him… especially when the situation got as serious as today. Mac had been shot – Yanif and his men had related they’d seen blood on his shirt after they’d all returned from the cliff – and he was accused of an attempted assassination.

Pete drew in a deep breath as he inserted the second copy of the peace proposal into the briefcase and closed the flap. Then he picked up his ballpoint pen and placed it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket while his eyes rested on the second briefcase lying on the table. The one that MacGyver had used the whole week…

Pete puffed out a breath and forced himself to return his concentration to the negotiations… and the signing ceremony. It is what Mac would want me to do, Pete reminded himself. He tore his eyes off the briefcase, raised his head and straightened himself. He let his gaze wander around the room and saw Habad standing close to the glass doors leading out to the terrace. He was staring outside quietly, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

Pete was just about to address him when the door to the hallway opened. Walker entered the room. Pete and Habad turned to him almost simultaneously.

“Gentlemen, it’s about time,” he announced once he had their attention. His tone was serious but also bore some hopeful anticipation. “The limousine will be ready to take us to the mountain in a few minutes.”

++++++++++

MacGyver and Lisa had remained silent for some time after she’d shared the news about the bomb. Then, when he’d been sure that their trip across the lake hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention, Mac had decided he owed her a little more information. He had taken a few moments and told her a bit more about the whole situation; had explained the main points to her so she got the bigger picture. Lisa had been overwhelmed by how quickly the past events had turned her boring parents’ day into a dangerous, but also exciting adventure.

MacGyver had fallen quiet again after talking to Lisa. From the moment the girl had told him about the bomb, his mind had slipped into operation mode. He was considering different scenarios of how Yanif might carry out his threat of killing President Habad. A bomb might work even at the hotel… but they probably wouldn’t have enough time to set everything up until the Samadian delegation would leave for the signing ceremony.

The drive from the hotel to the tram was their next opportunity… but there would be police cars accompanying the black limousine taking Habad, his guard, Pete, and Walker to the mountain… and the limousine itself would have undergone a security check by the Swiss police.

Which left the valley station of the tram… but that one was constantly guarded by the Swiss police… or the ride in the gondola to the top… since Lisa had related that Habad wasn’t supposed to ‘reach the top of the mountain alive’.

MacGyver knew his best chance was to intercept Pete at the hotel, before he left for the mountain. He had to warn the only person who would trust his word. Mac didn’t know how deep Yanif’s conspiracy ran and how many men of the Samadian delegation were involved. Any of them would probably shoot him on sight.

If he wanted to stay safe – and alive – he could only approach his long-time friend… or maybe the Swiss police. Any Swiss policeman would probably not shoot him on sight… but arrest him immediately - which would render Mac unable to do anything about Yanif’s bomb… so he had to avoid getting caught at all costs until the situation was resolved.

MacGyver sighed inwardly and urged his mind to remember the maps of the greater area around the hotel he’d studied prior to the negotiations, during his preparations. Only a few moments later, he recalled a jetty that was close to the hotel but not so close that it would be under constant surveillance by the Swiss police or the Samadians. He and Lisa should be able to sneak up to the hotel from there… and it wouldn’t take all too long.

Mac drew in a deep breath and straightened himself a little despite the pain in his side as the beginnings of a plan started to take form in his head. With renewed energy, he piloted the boat toward the jetty he’d remembered. After a couple of minutes, it came into sight, and MacGyver slowed down the engine and turned the steering wheel to direct the boat toward the jetty. As soon as they were close enough, he shut the engine completely off to reduce the noise as they approached and let the remaining momentum take the boat to the jetty.

It bumped softly against the wooden poles and planks, and MacGyver quickly reached out to grab hold of the jetty and steady the boat before he got up and slid onto the planks, still ducked low to avoid drawing any attention to them. Ignoring the twinge in his side, he grabbed one of the ropes and hurriedly tied the boat to one of the poles before he signaled Lisa to follow him.

From here on, they only had to cross a small park and a parking lot before they could approach the hotel from its side. MacGyver glanced at his watch when Lisa stepped up beside him. He noticed her look up at him with a strange mixture of worry, excitement and expectation.

Mac vaguely remembered Pete saying something about being through by 3 o’clock… but that schedule might have been changed to anything else after the assassination attempt. Since he had no information about the exact time the meeting with the Azmirs was planned, MacGyver could only hope that he and Lisa would be there in time… before Habad, Pete and Walker left for the signing ceremony on the mountain.

He could figure out a way to deal with the accusations against himself once the bomb threat was averted and everybody was safe. Mac drew in a deep breath, straightened himself a little – as much as his injured body allowed – and nodded to Lisa once. She returned his encouraging nod with a serious face, and then Mac hurried off toward the hotel with her in tow.

++++++++++

Habad had only silently nodded to Walker’s announcement, and Walker had quickly left the conference room again and returned to his organizing duties. Pete returned his gaze to Habad only to find the man watching him with a serious expression. Pete sensed the Samadian President measuring him, as if he was trying to decide whether or not Pete Thornton could still be trusted. It wasn’t the first time since the assassination attempt – and MacGyver being accused of carrying it out – that the President looked at him like that. Especially after Yanif had talked to him briefly a couple of minutes ago, Habad had – again – grown a little more distant and reserved toward Pete.

Pete sighed inwardly. He couldn’t blame the President for not believing his assurance that Mac being responsible was impossible. Naturally, he’d rather believe his Minister of Defense. But for all it was worth, from Pete’s point of view, neither of them knew what had really happened. A ‘proper investigation’, as Yanif had called it, would uncover the truth, Pete was sure of that. He trusted the Swiss police to carry it out without any prejudice. He just hoped that the result wouldn’t blow the signing of the peace treaty they had all worked so hard for.

Pete drew in a deep breath and decided to break the tense silence hanging in the room.

“Any more questions I can help you with?” he asked the Samadian President.

“Concerning the peace treaty and its signing?” Habad asked back with a stony voice. “No.” He took a few steps back into the room and closer to the table Pete was standing next to. “But probably concerning the attempt on my life…” he then continued and let his last words trail off.

Pete subconsciously held his breath for a beat. There it was. Again. Habad was accusing MacGyver without stating it openly. Pete had been worried about it since Yanif had talked to the President. Especially since no one had shared any news about his closest friend with him, Pete.

“Mr. President, I can only assure you once more that the attempt wasn’t MacGyver’s doing,” Pete quickly and resolutely replied. It took a lot from him to keep his tone calm and respectful. “I’ve known him for years. He’d never fire a gun at anyone. Other than that, I don’t know anything more about the assassination attempt than…” Pete broke off when Habad raised on hand.

“Yes,” Habad answered slowly and with a carefully guarded expression. “You’ve stated that before.” He silently held Pete’s gaze for a moment, gauging him. “Let us concentrate on the signing of the peace proposal, shall we?” Habad then added.

“Of course, Mr. President,” Pete nodded.

He’d been involved in diplomatic affairs and had dealt with all kinds of politicians quite often during the past years. By now, Pete Thornton knew very well when to stop arguing in favor of ‘the greater good’. At this very moment, getting the Samadians and the Azmirs to sign this peace treaty was far more important than clearing MacGyver’s name, no matter how Pete might be feeling about it deep inside. Sometimes, he hated the ‘greater good’. He broke eye contact for a moment, picked up his briefcase, and then squared his shoulders in an attempt to keep his outward composure. After a small sigh, Pete briefly eyed Habad’s guard, who was waiting close to the door leading to the corridor, before he turned back to the president.

“In that case, Mr. Habad,” he said with an inviting gesture toward the door. “The convoy should be ready… shall we?”

Habad nodded silently and crossed the room with determined strides. His guard opened the door for him and immediately followed him into the corridor. Pete Thornton sucked in a deep breath and walked after them. A couple of moments later, they’d crossed the shady corridor and the hotel’s lobby. Habad’s guard was the first to step out of the main entrance. Habad stayed close behind him as they walked down the stairs and toward the black limousine waiting for them. The Samadians immediately climbed into the large car that was guarded by several Swiss policemen and flanked by police cars behind and in front of it.

The sudden bright sunlight outside sharpened Pete’s senses and also heightened his concentration at once. He was a couple of steps behind Habad and strove to focus on the signing ceremony, but when Pete saw Walker on the stairs, he couldn’t bear his lack of knowledge any longer. Maybe Walker had overheard something. They met on the last steps of the stairway, and Pete quickly grabbed Walker’s arm with his left hand to get his attention.

“Any word on MacGyver?” Pete asked urgently, without any preamble.

“Nothing,” Walker replied with a serious, but also compassionate face. “They’re conducting a thorough search, Peter,” he assured after a beat. “Just keep your mind on the peace accord.”

Pete couldn’t help but roll his eyes as Walker turned away from him and also ducked into the waiting car. As if I didn’t know what my job is right now, he thought. He sighed deeply when he, once again this day, was confronted with the fact that he couldn’t be there for his friend in his dire situation. It tore at his heart that he had to fulfill his duty rather than aid the rescue of MacGyver.

“Yeah,” he muttered a bit frustrated, more to himself, before he turned and got into the limousine after Walker. A Samadian guard closed the door behind him, and only seconds later, their convoy drove off toward the mountain.

++++++++++

MacGyver ducked a little low as he fell into a half-run between the last few trees of the park and motioned for Lisa to come along. He noticed the convoy lined up in front of the hotel entrance from the distance and saw several people filing into the black limousine. He was still quite far away, but Mac thought he’d recognized Pete’s silhouette getting into the car last. He sensed Lisa at his side as he quickened his steps over the lawn next to the small parking lot on this side of the hotel.

MacGyver hoped to get fairly close to the limousine unseen – and to call out a warning to Pete before they all drove off to the mountain – but the back door of the black car was closed quickly after the last man had climbed inside. MacGyver could only watch the heavily guarded convoy leave only a moment later, while he and Lisa were still on the lawn.

He reaimed their run toward two motorcycles parked right next to where the lawn ended and ducked even lower as they came close. A wave of alarm rushed through him. So much for contacting Pete before they head off toward the tram, he thought. So much for thwarting Yanif’s plan like that. What now? He came to a halt on his knees, hiding behind the motorcycles, and groaned as the sudden stop jarred his wounded side. Lisa fell to her knees right beside him. Of course, she’d also seen the cars drive off and made the connection.

“We’re too late,” she sighed, defeated and out of breath.

For a second, her disappointment threatened to overwhelm MacGyver in his weakened state. But then his usual defiance and determination kicked in and mobilized the last of his energy reserves. He wasn’t going to let Yanif win that easily. He wasn’t going to let Yanif kill Habad… and whoever happened to be close to him as well. He still had a chance to make it to the tram in time – if he was able to commandeer some means of transportation quickly… and found a way to keep Lisa safe while he was chasing the convoy.

His mind snapped back into high gear immediately. The motorcycles, they were kneeling next to, gave him an idea… together with the terrain surrounding the streets, the convoy would take on its way to the mountain. Both motorcycles seemed at least somewhat off-road capable… so he could take shortcuts… and maybe manage to overtake the convoy. A surge of energy coursed through MacGyver as he turned to Lisa.

“Lisa, listen to me,” he said to her still out of breath, but thoroughly focused again.

Lisa looked up at him quickly, sensing his urgency.

“I want you to tell the police exactly what you told me, but only the Swiss police,” MacGyver continued. He had briefly grabbed her arm to make sure he had her full attention, but now gestured with his hand to emphasize the importance of his words. “Nobody else, alright?” he asked to make sure she had understood.

Lisa nodded as she felt her disappointment about arriving too late fading away with MacGyver’s sudden intensity. He seemed to have a plan… again… she wanted to know what it was.

“What are you going to do?” Lisa queried as she readied herself to get to her feet.

“I’m gonna try and get to the tram before they do,” Mac answered, already concentrating on the hotel, the parking lot, and all the people guarding it. “Go,” he urged her on after a beat and patted her on the back.

Lisa understood his signal, immediately stood up and hurried off. She passed behind MacGyver and over the back of the parking lot, where there weren’t any guards, toward the hotel.

Mac glanced after her briefly, but then quickly focused on the red motorcycle in front of him. He rose a little from his kneeling position and reached for the ignition lock. While he gazed toward the hotel’s entrance, keeping an eye out for any policemen or Samadian guards looking in his direction, his hand passed over the ignition lock. He found no key and immediately continued searching for it or any access to the ignition cables around or below the dashboard panels. When he discovered neither within a few seconds, MacGyver quickly reined in his disappointment and shifted his concentration to the blue motorcycle parked beside the red one.

He half stood up, slid around the rear of the red one and knelt down between the two bikes. This time, his fingers caught on the key in the ignition lock after only a few seconds, and he grabbed and turned it at once. Mac reached for the handle with both hands while he still kept himself concealed behind the bright blue bike and watched the guards close to the hotel. He pulled the clutch and flipped the starting switch. On his second attempt, the engine came to life, but he shot the policemen another probing glance. Only when he saw that none of the men paid attention to the sound of the starting motorcycle, MacGyver dared to stand up and mount it.

His mind had already switched to his memory of the route the convoy would take to the mountain and was mapping out an alternate route – where he could and had to take forest roads and shortcuts… to have any chance of arriving at the tram before they did. In the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lisa had almost reached the side wall of the hotel when he drove off.

++++++++++

Lisa glanced over her shoulder when she heard the motorcycle head off and saw MacGyver’s bright blue shirt disappear around a corner at the edge of her vision while she cautiously approached the hotel. She headed along the back of the parking lot and the side wall toward the hotel’s entrance, grateful that she hadn’t been spotted so far, and that MacGyver had also gotten away without being noticed.

She took a step around the corner only to see two Samadian guards and two policemen talking to each other on the porch in front of the main entrance. She quickly withdrew backwards since MacGyver had instructed her to tell only the Swiss police about what she knew. Lisa hid behind the corner and glanced upward between the wall and some potted shrub. She ducked low and waited for the men to be done with their conversation. Thankfully, the Samadians soon went back into the hotel, one policeman left toward the other side of the hotel, and only one police officer remained on the porch.

Lisa drew in a deep breath, straightened herself, and remembered MacGyver’s words about being able to do anything she wanted to, before she determinedly walked around the corner and to the stairs that led up to the entrance. At first, the policeman didn’t notice her. She’d made it to the bottom of the stairs when he first gazed in her direction.

“Excuse me,” Lisa addressed him right away, but the police officer looked down at her slightly annoyed.

“Where did you come from?” he cut Lisa off harshly.

Lisa stopped on the first step and inhaled deeply. She had no time to spare for answering his question, so she decided to get to the point immediately. They had more important matters at hand.

“There’s gonna be another assassination attempt on the president,” She told him hurriedly. “He won’t reach the top…”

“I see,” the Swiss policeman cut her off again and hunkered down low on the porch, so he wouldn’t tower too high over her. “Now, how did you get here?”

“Did you hear me?” Lisa replied, getting a little impatient. “It’s the truth. They said, the bomb would…”

“Tell me…” the police officer interrupted her once more and smiled mildly. “How does a young girl like you find out about an assassination?”

By then, Lisa was fed up with the policeman constantly cutting her off. If she wanted to help MacGyver and stop this assassination, she had to hurry.

“If you’d be quiet and let me finish, I’d tell you!” Lisa resolutely snapped back.

For a moment, she was afraid she’d gone too far when the policeman suddenly glared at her. But then he stood up, reined in his anger about the young girl, and realized that if she truly had information about another assassination attempt on the Samadian President, he’d better listen to her. No matter, how old she was or where she had come from. Especially since the main suspect concerning the first one was still on the loose. His expression turned serious, and he waved her closer. Lisa warily approached him, making sure that no Samadian guards were in sight.

“All right,” the Swiss policeman said once Lisa was next to him. “Let me call one of the Samadian securities before you start telling your story.”

“No!” Lisa automatically drew back a little from him. “I’m not gonna talk to anyone but the Swiss police! I mustn’t tell the Samadians, or…” Her words trailed off.

The police officer tensed with her answer. Had she just implied that the Samadians were involved in the attack on their own president? This increased the gravity of the whole situation a lot. He hunkered down before her once more.

“Fine,” he said, now serious and concentrated. “I’m listening.”

Lisa gazed around them to assure herself again that they were alone. Then she drew in a deep breath and started to relate.

++++++++++

Next one is ready - but writing all those intercuts, with so much happening at the same time was kind of... tricky. I hope I captured it somewhat...

Part 6

++++++++++

What neither MacGyver nor Lisa had seen was that Yanif and his aide had left the hotel several minutes earlier in a grey Volvo, piloted by a Swiss police officer. Mac had just switched from the main road to a forest trail to make a shortcut, when the Volvo already arrived at the tram. The two Samadians left the silvery-grey sedan immediately after it had stopped and strode around the car. A policeman guarding the entrance to the valley station eyed them attentively as they approached. Of course, he’d been briefed about the upcoming signing ceremony and the people who were supposed to attend.

“I’d like to conduct a security sweep of the gondola, please,” Yanif asked as he faced the policeman, but it was more of a statement than a question.

The Swiss police officer merely nodded and stepped aside since the Samadians didn’t slow their steps or wait for his answer anyway. He had recognized the minister of defense and his aide once they’d climbed out of the Volvo and had expected their request. He watched the two men pass, walk down the few stairs quickly, and head off toward the main building of the valley station.

++++++++++

In the meantime, the convoy of two police cars and the black limousine in between them had left central Geneva and was heading toward Mount Saléve on the same road that MacGyver had taken during his ride to the hotel a couple of hours earlier that day. Dense and high-grown forest surrounded the road on both sides. The shade it cast on the road darkened the interior of the limousine in addition to its blacked-out windows.

Pete Thornton sat in one of the back seats together with President Habad and Walker, whereas Habad’s guard had taken the passenger seat next to the driver. Pete’s mood somewhat matched the semi-darkness in the back of the car. Walker’s advice to ‘keep his mind on the peace accord’ wasn’t working all too well. Habad and Walker had exchanged a few words during their journey, but Pete hadn’t paid much attention.

He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering off in the relative quietness of the car. He couldn’t help thinking about MacGyver. At first, Mac had been accused of being behind the assassination attempt, reported as having been shot, and declared dead. Then, Pete had discovered that Mac had, in fact, been shot, but was still alive. So far, after all those hours, to his knowledge, the police hadn’t found any sign of him.

Pete couldn’t stop himself from considering the fact that if MacGyver had been presumed dead, he must have been unconscious for some time… meaning that he might be wounded really bad. Meaning, that he might be out there somewhere, probably fighting to survive, probably dying. On the other hand… he’d been gone from the cliff… meaning, he’d still been able to flee. Meaning, that his condition might still be good enough to avoid getting captured by the police or Yanif’s men while he tried to find a way out of this mess… or that his injuries had become so serious that he’d gone hiding somewhere and probably wasn’t able anymore to let anyone know that he needed help.

Pete’s thoughts kept rotating around those possibilities in a vicious circle, unsure if he should be relieved or concerned about not knowing where MacGyver was. But in all honesty, Pete was worried about his long-time friend, really worried. He’d been watching the scenery pass by during their drive so far, silently hoping that MacGyver would turn up out of nowhere and clear up this whole darn situation, but now Pete drew in a deep breath and tore his gaze off the forest.

He tightened his grip around the Phoenix Foundation briefcase and directed his eyes back to Walker and Habad. He forced himself to focus on the greater good again – although some part of Pete inwardly cursed the greater good on days like this. He’d rather go look for his friend, but he had to get the peace proposal within his case signed. It was what MacGyver would want him to do. He just had to trust MacGyver to do what he normally did best: Beat impossible odds and survive.

++++++++++

MacGyver’s mind was working in overdrive while he piloted the motorcycle along the trail through the woods. Referring to his mental map of the greater area between the hotel and the mountain, he’d left the paved road as soon as possible and switched to forest trails. He’d done so not only to make shortcuts, but also to avoid being spotted by the police. He was glad that – due to sheer luck – he’d commandeered a motorcycle that was capable of going off-road without problems, because he had to drive really fast. Faster than would be considered safe on the uneven trail, especially given his weakened condition. But he had to if he wanted to have any chance of intercepting, or at best, overtaking the convoy.

MacGyver straightened himself a little as the trees opened up around his narrow trail. A gravel road joined his trail and ran along its side. More light reached the ground, and MacGyver directed his gaze further into the distance, now that he could see the surface a lot better. He sped up even more and soon saw a yellow boom gate at the end of the gravel road and a paved road crossing behind the gate in the distance.

He slowed down only briefly when he reached the end of the trail and carefully looked to the left and right as he passed beside the gate, before Mac quickly accelerated again. He’d seen no sign of the convoy, and another narrow forest trail continued on the opposite side of the road. At the moment, both tires had left the pavement again, MacGyver quickly resumed his hurried pace. Almost instantly, he focused back on the next leg of his ride to the mountain. Another moment later, he was out of sight from the road and alone once more, racing toward the valley station of the tram, and concentrating on how he might be able to keep Yanif from carrying out his second assassination plot – without getting shot this time, if possible.

++++++++++

Yanif and his aide had quickly introduced themselves to the personnel at the valley station and stated their request for a security check. Of course, the personnel had immediately shown them around and granted them access to the gondola that would take Habad, his personal guard, and those two American pacifists to the top of the mountain. Whereas his main goal was to get rid of Habad, killing Thornton and Walker along with him didn’t bother Yanif at all. He didn’t have a lot of respect for those dreamers who preferred promises on paper to military pressure. And regarding Habad’s guard? He was a good man, a very fine guard, but way too loyal to Habad. Yanif wasn’t sorry that those three would die together with Habad.

He and his aide had split up after having a good look at the huge wheels that would move the steel cable that the gondola was attached to. Yanif now followed Danielle, the young lady who would accompany Habad’s ride to the gondola’s entrance, where she opened the door for him. When she stepped aside, the minister of defense leaned against the door frame and gazed inside without entering the car. He let his eyes wander around the interior, pretending to check if everything was safe, while he knew exactly what his aide was about to do only moments later. Yanif straightened himself after his check and nodded to Danielle, who immediately retreated to the back of the building and left him alone. She was the only true victim, according to Yanif, but she was only a woman, and he wouldn’t have made it to his position if he hadn’t taken hard choices at times and put up with occasional casualties before.

He pushed himself off the gondola and strode to the front of the platform, where he stood just in front of the gondola and looked upward along the cables reaching toward the top of the mountain. For a moment, he tried to gauge where on its journey the car would explode… and to envision the explosion. But then a movement to his left caught his eye, and he looked sideways and downward, to the empty space before the gondola.

His trusted aide had appeared between the rail and the shrubs on the opposite side and now made his way down the small slope to get below the gondola. They’d told the personnel something about their need to also check the bottom of the gondola’s floor, but of course, their true goal was a different one. Yanif watched his aide casually straighten his suit jacket before he hunkered down and slid under the gondola and out of Yanif’s sight. Yanif’s gaze stayed locked to the now-empty trench, although he knew exactly what his aide was doing.

The aide had crouched down under the car’s floor, had a brief look at the I-beams holding the wooden floor and quickly identified the one at the very center. He reached into his pockets and retrieved the bomb and a roll of white textile tape. Holding the bomb at the bottom of the beam with one hand, the Samadian wrapped the tape around the plastique explosive of the bomb and the beam, this way attaching the bomb to the gondola. He carefully spared out the circuit board and the digital timer, which was set to a seven-minute countdown. When he felt it held securely, the Samadian tore off the tape, pocketed the remaining roll and crawled out from under the gondola.

He shot Yanif a meaningful look while he straightened himself and took in his place right in front of the gondola. For any unknowing bystander, he seemed like he was guarding its safety, making sure that no one could come close before President Habad would step into it. Inwardly, he knew he was making sure that no one would find their bomb before the President’s take-off.

++++++++++

At the same time that Yanif and his aide were busy with the gondola, the convoy arrived at the mountain tram. The black limousine stopped right in front of the entrance stairway, and Habad’s personal guard immediately got out of the car and opened the rear doors one after another. President Habad had already put on his sunglasses once the limousine had entered the sunny parking lot, and now left the car with his eyes protected against the bright light. Pete Thornton stepped outside a moment later on the opposite side, while Walker followed Habad.

Pete walked around the back of the car to join the two men, where Walker shared a last detail with Habad. Pete had, of course, noticed the question Habad had asked, and also Walker’s answer to it, but he didn’t take part in their conversation. His mood hadn’t changed for the better, and it showed on his serious expression. He was professional enough to do his job, and he still tried his best to concentrate on the upcoming signing ceremony, yet couldn’t fully conceal his worries and inner tension anymore.

Now that they’d all arrived at the Mount Saléve, even more thoughts were weighing on his mind. How would the Azmirs react if MacGyver wasn’t there? How much information about the assassination attempt had reached their delegation, and what kind of information had reached them? Would they still be willing to sign the agreement if they learned that MacGyver, the man who’d earned their respect and trust during the past week, was accused of being the sniper?

And which orders had given Habad to his guard? Would he immediately shoot MacGyver on sight… should he turn up unexpectedly? Some part of Pete Thornton hoped that MacGyver would appear out of nowhere and explain the whole darn situation, but another part of him feared that Mac attempting just that would probably get him killed… before Pete’s eyes and before he could do anything to prevent it. Although, Pete assured himself silently, he’d do anything in his power to keep MacGyver alive.

With an inward sigh, Pete Thornton pushed all those thoughts aside when Habad’s guard walked down the stairs and toward the main building. Pete quickly straightened himself and then hurried after him. President Habad and Walker followed last.

++++++++++

Meanwhile, MacGyver had made it out of the dense forest and off the narrow trails to the last, more open part of the valley and onto a wide, gravelly forest road. The narrow trail had forced him to slow his ride, and now he picked up speed again.

Hoping that his inner sense of time passing wasn’t deceiving him, he estimated that, give or take a few minutes, the convoy would soon arrive at the mountain. He had to hurry if he wanted to have any chance of intercepting Pete and Habad before they entered the tram. So, ignoring his exhaustion and the pain in his side, MacGyver leaned forward and raced on, as quickly as he could afford.

++++++++++

It took only a couple of moments to reach the main building, and Danielle was there to meet the small group of men. She greeted and welcomed them and then immediately proceeded to lead them to the gondola. For a moment, she wondered where MacGyver was and why he was missing, since he’d negotiated with the Azmirs all week, but also knew she wasn’t in a position to ask any prying questions, so she just kept to her job.

Yanif was still standing at the front of the platform when he heard their steps nearing. His serious expression quickly morphed into a wide smile as he turned around. He walked back to meet President Habad, knowing that this was the last time he would have to pretend to be his loyal servant. In a couple of minutes, he wouldn’t have to keep up this charade anymore.

With the fingerprints on the rifle pointing at MacGyver and him having been with the Azmirs all week, it would be easy to accuse the Azmirs and the Americans of collaborating with them. The people of Samadia would demand revenge, and he’d give it to them. The Samadian military would, with no doubt, follow his orders and enrage a storm over the Republic of Azmir and finally conquer it. The Samadian people would see him as the strong leader their country so desperately needed… and elect him to be their new president.

He barely glanced at Habad’s guard and Thornton, but immediately stepped beside Habad and laid a hand on his back.

“We’ve just conducted a sweep of the area,” Yanif said as he leaned toward the president.

“All right…” Habad mirrored his gesture, but his words trailed off into a question.

“All secure,” Yanif assured quickly.

“Ok.” Habad’s answer was curt since his guard and Thornton had already entered the gondola, Danielle had led them to. It was his turn now.

“I’ll take the next one,” Yanif told Habad as they parted, and Habad stepped into the car, closely followed by a smiling Mr. Walker.

Walker was just glad and relieved that finally all the efforts and preparations he’d taken over the past months would pay off… real soon. Not that he didn’t dread the situation with MacGyver… but his first and foremost priority was the peace treaty.

Pete Thornton glanced at his watch before he held on to one of the straps dangling from the gondola’s ceiling. He was relieved to see that they were perfectly on schedule. On the diplomatic parquet, arriving too late was as much of an issue as arriving too early. The car would take off in mere moments… this was probably also the last chance for MacGyver to meet them… and explain this whole mess before the signing ceremony… if he was still able to…

But Pete’s train of thought was cut short when Danielle followed Walker inside and immediately reached for the rail outside the gondola, which kept the platform safe. Yanif was there to help her close both sides of the rail and then strode back to the front of the platform. He heard the metallic sound of the doors of the car sliding closed as he returned to the place he’d been standing on a minute before.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his aide looking up at him, and with a quick circle of his index finger before pretending to tuck at his jacket, Yanif signaled him to get the countdown going. When his aide ducked under the gondola at once, the minister of defense crossed his arms in front of himself in a fluent gesture. No one would have noticed his signal; he was sure of that.

Yanif’s aide crouched low in the shadow under the gondola and focused on the bomb he had attached previously. Without a second thought, he pressed the red button on the timer, and the numbers began ticking downward at once. The Samadian shot the bomb a last look and then crawled out from below the gondola and straightened himself. He straightened his suit jacket before he walked up the small slope leading out of the trench. He’d join Yanif on the platform soon and together, they’d wait for the explosion.

The gondola started moving right after he’d made it out of its way. The seven-minute countdown gave the car enough time to reach the upper part of the tram, where the Azmirs could also see how it was ripped to pieces. Inwardly, he was satisfied. Now all was set. Now he and Yanif just had to be patient and watch how everything they’d worked for paid off.

++++++++++

In the meantime, MacGyver had raced along the last part of the gravelly forest road, ducked low over the motorcycle, going as fast as he could somehow manage. Due to the different route he’d taken, he’d reach the parking lot from another direction than the convoy would… or already had.

He considered this a good thing since he couldn’t just drive up to the main entrance. The Swiss police would, for sure, arrest him on the spot… and he’d never get any chance to talk to Pete before he got on the gondola to the top. He’d have to find another way to get inside the building and intercept the group before they took off. Even at the risk of facing Habad’s personal guard and his gun… but Mac was sure Pete would keep the guard from shooting him on sight, without hearing him out first.

MacGyver passed beside a bright red barrier and then reached the final part of the road he had chosen. It was paved, but Mac had to slow down because it narrowed around the corner of an adjacent building. Then, as he arrived on the rear end of the parking lot, he pulled the motorcycle to a stop in the shadows of a couple of big shrubs, so he could assess the whole situation but not draw any immediate attention to himself. What he saw though, cut off all his thoughts about different scenarios on how to get inside.

The gondola was just leaving the valley station.

MacGyver immediately recognized Pete, Walker and Danielle in the sunlit part of the car and then Habad and his guard at the shadowy front end of it. A bit of relief settled in his gut due to seeing them all alive and well, but Lisa’s words about ‘the top of the mountain’ and ‘a bomb’ reminded him that the threat was still there.

Mac narrowed his eyes as the gondola passed by him and forced himself to scrutinize it closely. Just seconds later, it had climbed high enough so he could also inspect its bottom, and his eyes quickly caught on something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Something had been attached to the I-beams forming the frame of the car and holding its floor. The grayish, rectangular package was held to the beam by some white adhesive tape and had some computer circuitry on one end, with a red light blinking right there.

MacGyver’s mind immediately matched what he saw to all the main points a bomb would have. His eyes widened with shock at the realization; his jaw dropped as he drew in a deep breath.

Automatically estimating the amount of plastique explosive he saw, MacGyver’s imagination conjured up pictures of the gondola being ripped apart by the size of the blast faster than he could quench them. For a moment, he froze as his head was filled with images of the people inside being torn to pieces. Pete… Habad and his guard… Danielle… Walker… they wouldn’t stand a chance. They wouldn’t even know what had hit them.

He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Within the blink of an eye, his shocked mind switched back into operation mode. Somehow he had to get on board of that gondola. But how on earth could he catch it during its way to the top? While it was moving?

His gaze drifted away from the gondola and into the distance. The thoughts ran wild in his head as he strove to find a solution. Only seconds later, MacGyver remembered a detail he’d noticed during his preliminary security checks for the negotiations.

A hiking trail led up to one of the towers carrying the cables of the mountain tram. Quickly, he decided it was his only option. He had no time to spare for considering alternatives anyway. The countdown of the bomb’s timer was already ticking, and he had no way to tell to how much minutes it had been set.

His decision made, MacGyver turned the motorcycle around and hurried to drive back to the end of the forest road. He passed by the red boom gate again and reached the large turnaround area that formed the end of the gravel road, where he drove a wide bend toward the forest. Mac stopped in the middle of the gravelly space and rested both feet on the ground, but after eyeing the area for a few seconds, he advanced a couple of feet toward the slope up to the forest.

He had seen that a part of the slope wasn’t covered with shrubs and small trees, and now took a closer look at it. It wasn’t a man-made trail, probably just a game path, but it seemed like the only way to make it up into the forest fast, where the hiking trail ran. For a moment, MacGyver doubted if he could do it since the slope was quite high and steep, and the path was covered with gravel and dry, loose soil. He wasn’t sure if his off-road driving skills, especially given his current condition, were up to an obstacle like this.

Only a second later though, Mac realized he had no time to search for an alternative and therefore no choice anyway. He puffed out a breath, gave himself an encouraging shake of his head, and turned the throttle a few times to raise the engine’s speed. Then he took off quickly, fast enough to create sufficient momentum to make it up the slope, but not too fast so he wouldn’t risk crashing.

He rose from the bike’s seat as he drove up the slope and balanced it only with his hands and feet. MacGyver made it up a little shakily but only needed to stabilize his ride with one leg on the ground after he’d made it over the edge. He didn’t pay too much attention to it though, but immediately raced on. He had to find the hiking trail as quickly as possible.

++++++++++

Yanif’s aide walked up to the minister of defense from behind. Yanif was still standing at the front corner of the platform, right behind the wooden rail, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He heard and sensed him coming and stepping up to his side, but didn’t look sideways at this trusted aide. His eyes were glued to the upward-traveling gondola. He’d gotten a glimpse at where his aide had attached the bomb to the car’s bottom, and he’d noticed the tiny red blinking light that indicated the countdown ticking.

He’d never doubted his aide to carry out his orders to the point. He was a reliable man and they’d been on the same page concerning their sentiments toward President Habad for a long time. Once Habad was dead, and once he, Yanif, had been elected as the new President of Samadia, he’d make sure that his aide would remain at his side and rise to the presidential office with him. Everything was prepared now… they just had to wait a few more minutes.

Both their expressions were grim and tense now, though. They weren’t all too happy about having been forced to move on to their plan B. Habad should already have died on the hotel’s terrace. But MacGyver had unexpectedly interfered. He was still somewhere out there… to Yanif’s knowledge, the police hadn’t found him yet. On the other hand, there had been no sign of him since he’d evaded them in the boathouse… and he didn’t know when exactly the signing ceremony had been scheduled. The gondola was already on its way and the timer was counting down… By now, there was nothing MacGyver could do to stop them anymore.

++++++++++

Meanwhile, MacGyver had found the hiking trail and hurried upward the mountain. Huge trees and a lot of undergrowth narrowed the trail down and made it a quite challenging ride. Mac had to balance and stabilize the bike around several tight bends and duck low on it to avoid low hanging branches hitting him in the face, but he still drove at the highest speed possible.

His inner tension had been up since he’d seen the sniper with his rifle in the park behind the hotel, had risen even more with fleeing from Yanif and his men and getting shot, but seeing the bomb attached to the car had driven his adrenaline level to another high. Which at least part of him considered a good thing because it mobilized his last energy reserves and suppressed most of the pain he would have felt during his physically demanding ride.

Focusing on his own condition wasn’t at the top of MacGyver’s priority list right now anyway… he rather had to outrun the moving gondola… somehow get into it… and disarm that bomb. His concentration fully focused on those goals, and his mind was already considering possible scenarios while he raced through the forest.

++++++++++

While MacGyver was speeding up the mountain, a police car rushed onto the parking lot and came to a sudden stop right in front of the stairs leading to the entrance of the tram. The police officer standing guard at those stairs had been engaged in relaxed conversation with an Azmir guard, and turned surprised and somewhat stunned when Lisa and two police officers jumped out of the car and immediately ran off toward the main building. None of them explained their haste to him, but since the girl was accompanied by two of his colleagues, he didn’t stop the small group.

Yanif’s and his aide’s concentration on the ascending gondola was disturbed by hearing someone running… and coming closer. Yanif turned to see what the commotion was about, and his face turned angry in the blink of any eye when he recognized the little girl, they’d met at the private school. She’d appeared as if she’d tried to help them at first, but as it had turned out… she’d been helping MacGyver and had gotten away together with him.

Yanif balled one of his hands to a fist and hit the wooden rail in front of himself with it. Since she was only a little girl, Yanif and his men hadn’t kept her in the center of their attention. A mistake, Yanif realized now. But what could she do anyway? The gondola was on the move and the bomb was ticking. She had no evidence. Only her word would stand against his. But he was the trusted and respected Minister of Defense of the Republic of Samadia. That had to be worth something. No one would believe her.

++++++++++

Lisa didn’t look at or pay attention to the two men standing at the front of the platform when she ran toward the man at the controls. Her mind was fully focused on getting in touch with President Habad and warning him about the bomb threat. Since they’d parted at the hotel, and MacGyver had driven off on that bike, she had no idea what he’d intended to do. He stated something about ‘getting to the tram before they do’, but when she saw the car moving upward already, she figured that his part of the plan probably hadn’t worked out.

So she had to do whatever she could to help the situation. Lisa immediately turned to the man at the controls once she was around the corner.

“Is the President in that car?” she asked breathlessly and without any preamble.

“Yes, he is,” the tram’s employee answered her automatically in his surprise about the sudden appearance of the group. A girl and two police officers? Something had to be going on, they hadn’t been notified about here at the tram.

Lisa instantly grabbed the microphone in front of him and turned it to herself.

“Let me use your radio,” Lisa asked, but it also sounded a bit like an order.

The man at the controls was baffled by her bold action and looked up questioningly at the police officer behind her who silently gestured him to allow and help her. Lisa didn’t wait for his approval anyway but pulled the microphone close to her mouth.

“Hello,” she said hurriedly. “I’m calling to warn the President.”

The moment, she’d grabbed the microphone, Yanif realized he had to interfere. He couldn’t allow her to talk to Habad. He couldn’t allow her to tell him something he wasn’t supposed to hear. He had to at least stall her until the timer had ticked down to zero and the bomb had exploded. He turned around and strode toward the girl hurriedly.

++++++++++

It had been a mostly silent ride in the upward-traveling gondola so far. Whereas Habad and his guard had remained in the shadows in the middle of the car, and Danielle had taken her usual place in one of the back corners, Pete Thornton and Walker were standing at the front window. Danielle had left it open for them to enjoy the beautiful view and the gorgeous weather of the day – just like MacGyver had a couple of hours ago.

She’d been surprised that he wasn’t there with the group, since he’d led the negotiations with the Azmirs all week. She’d also sensed some tension between the men who had stepped into her gondola and therefore hadn’t dared to ask about him, but chosen to keep her professional distance. No news apart from the arrangement of the signing ceremony had reached them out here at the tram, and she’d expected the arriving men to be more relaxed and happy with the prospect of ending a war. Something else has probably happened, Danielle thought while she was discreetly watching her passengers. Something, that wasn’t in the news but affects the mood of those men.

Pete Thornton still strove to keep his mind off worrying about MacGyver and his condition. He was determined to get through the signing ceremony quickly so he could as soon as possible concentrate on assisting to find his friend, getting him medical help, and taking care of the serious mess he’d gotten himself into this time afterward. He was just concerned how the Azmirs would react to MacGyver, the man they’d established their trust with, not being present at the ceremony. The Swiss police had kept up a news embargo concerning the assassination attempt, so Pete wasn’t sure if any and what kind of information about it had reached the top of the mountain. He just hoped that none of it would blow the signing of the peace treaty in the last minute.

No one inside the gondola expected any trouble during their ride though, so they were all caught completely off guard when the voice of a young girl sounded from the speaker of the car’s radio.

“Hello! … I’m calling to warn the President!”

Pete and Walker turned around surprised, and Pete shot Habad a tense look before he turned further and gazed at the speaker.

“There’s gonna be another assassination attempt,” the girl continued, and the tension inside the gondola rose all of a sudden with her words. Everyone was alarmed at once.

++++++++++

“There’s gonna be another assassination attempt.” Lisa was fully focused on the message she had to get through and on the microphone in front of her. She had thought about how to phrase it during her ride in the police car and mentally rehearsed her words a few times so she wouldn’t stutter.

“My friend MacGyver came here to warn you,” she carried on quickly when she sensed two men closing in on her from the front of the platform. Two men, she wasn’t keen on meeting again. “Your own men are trying to kill you!”

The moment, she finished her sentence, the tall man that MacGyver had told her in the meantime was Yanif, Minister of Defense of Samadia, pushed her aside roughly and tore the microphone from her hand. He pulled it toward himself with an angry glare at her.

“That’s a lie,” he immediately and resolutely countered her statement.

Lisa drew closer to the police officer, she’d talked to at the hotel. She knew the Samadians couldn’t easily hurt her while she was accompanied by the Swiss police. She also knew she had to act quickly to give Yanif no chance to spoil her attempt to save the people in the gondola.

“That’s him,” she hurriedly addressed the police officer next to her with a sideways glance before she looked back at the Minister of Defense. “That’s the man I told you about.”

Both policemen didn’t doubt her word for a second but immediately stepped forward. The one, Lisa had talked to, held on to the arm of the Samadian Minister of Defense.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” he said in a tone that allowed no discussion. “You’ll have to come with me.” Meanwhile, his colleague passed by them and grabbed the arm of Yanif’s aide.

Yanif brushed the police officer’s hand off his arm with a harsh, angry gesture, but after a backward glance at his aide, and seeing him also under control of a policeman, he realized that putting up a fight had no point. They’d been found out and caught.

But their bomb was ticking. It was a bit of a solace for him that their main goal could still be achieved. Even if MacGyver had come to the mountain… there was no way how he could interfere again during what little time was left before the bomb would go off.

++++++++++

Up in the gondola, its passengers were all stunned silent. The girl had continued, telling them that MacGyver had come to warn them and accusing Habad’s own men. Only seconds later, Yanif had accused her of lying before the line had gone quiet.

Danielle sensed fear rise inside herself. So that was why the men had been so tense. There had been an attack on the president… and another one was planned. Probably inside the gondola she was responsible for. But if MacGyver had come to warn them… why hadn’t he been with the group in the first place? Her mind swirled with questions she couldn’t ask at the moment. Danielle instinctively drew back a little from the group and forced herself to recall the training she’d gotten for emergencies.

President Habad wasn’t ready to believe either of the girl’s messages. He trusted his men. They wouldn’t try to kill him. Their main suspect for the attempt on his life was still MacGyver, as far as he was concerned. For a couple of moments, he watched Peter Thornton very closely from behind his sunglasses and tried to gauge his reaction. But the American also seemed caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. Habad wasn’t convinced that he was a part of whatever plot this was.

Walker was shocked by what the girl had said. Another assassination attempt? His mind instantly replayed the scary moment on the terrace, when the bullet had just barely missed them all. While he knew about Pete Thornton’s background in the intelligence business and therefore assumed him to be used to situations like this, he himself wasn’t the least prepared.

Walker was used to dealing with diplomatic problems or protocol issues, not with bullets or bombs. He had to admit to himself that he was frightened about ending up in the crossfire yet again. It wasn’t as if this gondola provided a lot of protection against whatever attack was planned. He turned to Thornton but by the looks of his expression the operations director of the Phoenix Foundation also seemed clueless.

Pete Thornton’s thoughts were running wild. Like the others in the car, he had been surprised about hearing the girl’s voice and about what she’d told them. The news about another assassination attempt alarmed him, especially since he had no idea what kind of threat he should prepare himself for. Habad’s own men being behind all this… well, this accusation added a whole new dimension to today’s events.

But Pete’s mind caught on something else she had mentioned… ‘MacGyver has come here’ … The first news about his friend since hours sent a small wave of relief through Pete. So he wasn’t somewhere lost in the woods, in critical condition, probably dying. He’d been injured but he’d still been able to come to the mountain. He’d do whatever he could to help.

Having known MacGyver for a long time, Pete trusted his friend to find a way to save them all. As usual, it eluded Pete how Mac would manage to do it, but he’d gotten used to that feeling over the years. It didn’t matter anyway right now. MacGyver probably knew more about the whole situation already than all of them in here did.

Pete Thornton slowly let out a deep sigh, despite his inner tension still being way beyond comfortable. He shared a look with Walker and saw the man somewhat scared. He tried to convey some silent reassurance without words, but Walker only held his gaze for a moment before he stiffly turned back to the open window. Walker observed the scenery around the gondola, watching out for any signs of a probable danger.

Just then Pete noticed Habad watching him intently, measuring his reactions, and likely considering if he could still be trusted or if he was part of this murderous plot. The personal guard had drawn closer to the Samadian President and held his machine gun ready in his hands. He was alert and prepared to fight whatever threat would arise.

Pete let out another quiet sigh. If he shared his thoughts about MacGyver with Habad, they’d just end up in another argument, he realized. The president had no more reason to believe him than he’d had in the hotel, when Yanif had accused Mac of being the sniper. So Pete kept quiet. He just hoped that the vigilance and battle-readiness of Habad’s guard wouldn’t threaten MacGyver’s life… should he really manage to turn up out of nowhere and attempt to intercept their moving gondola somehow.

++++++++++

MacGyver hadn’t gotten a glance at the moving gondola during his upward race along the hiking trail due to the high-grown forest he’d driven through. He was glad that he hadn’t heard an explosion so far, but knew it could happen anytime. When the trail straightened out and he saw more sunlight and a clearing ahead, Mac’s inner tension rose another notch. Only a moment later, the lower part of a tower carrying the car’s cables came in sight. He stopped the motorcycle on the trail that passed beside the concrete foundation blocks of the tower and rested both feet on the ground. Mac stood up a little and stretched his neck so he could glance downward along the cleared tram route.

When he spotted the car at a little distance below himself, he immediately continued to the next step of his plan. Automatically estimating how much time he had left until the gondola would pass the tower, MacGyver drove upward a few more feet to the side of the tower and turned off the engine. In a fluid motion, he dismounted the bike, leaned it against the concrete block at the upward facing side of the tower and headed around the corner.

Once he’d reached the ladder that was normally used for maintenance, MacGyver shot the gondola another quick look, noticed how much it had come closer and, thanks to the part of his mind that was constantly analyzing, realized he had to hurry. Ignoring a serious twinge in his side, he jumped up a little, grabbed hold of the ladder and started to climb at once.

By now MacGyver had also figured out, given how little time he had left, his only chance to get on board the car was to jump onto it from above – while it passed the tower. He had no time for conjuring up an idea how to stop it first. He just had to get the timing right… and the setup of the top of the tower would tell him how to do it. He also knew that climbing the tower would expose him to all the passengers in the car… If Habad’s personal guard took his job serious, Mac would place himself in a vulnerable and possibly lethal situation. But MacGyver trusted Pete to keep the man from shooting him on sight. It wasn’t as if he had any other options anyway. The urgency of the situation, his focus on his plan, and his inner tension kept him from even considering that he was afraid of heights while he climbed the tower.

++++++++++

Hi everyone! Are you having a good Sunday? I´ve spent some time on front of my laptop...

Part 7

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Walker had turned back to the forward-facing window and scrutinized their surroundings while the gondola passed through the trees. When he turned to look upward a few moments later, he saw the next tower supporting the tram’s cables coming up. At first, he thought, he’d been mistaking, but only seconds later he was sure. He saw a figure moving up the tower… someone clad in black trousers and a bright blue shirt. In his shock, his mind needed another second to match what he saw to the man he’d seen earlier this day.

“That’s MacGyver!” he exclaimed excitedly when Mac had already reached the upper third of the tower.

Everyone in the car flinched and suddenly turned to him surprised about his words, only to follow his gaze outside the window immediately. An abrupt wave of relief washed through Pete as he stood by the window looking upward and instantly recognized his friend’s lanky build. But it was drowned by alarm only the blink of any eye later, when Habad’s guard spurred into action. He stepped to the front of the gondola, between Walker and Pete, and at once aimed his machine gun at MacGyver through the open window, leaning on and stabilizing his aim with the window’s frame. Pete automatically drew back a little from the guard and the window, suddenly afraid for MacGyver’s life and that he might have to watch his long-time friend getting killed right before his eyes.

“No, no, no!” he exclaimed frantically and raised his hands pleadingly. “Don’t shoot, please! Please!”

In the corner of his eye, Pete noticed that Mac had almost reached the top of the tower and disappeared briefly behind the massive steel bars that formed said top. When Habad’s guard didn’t move only an inch or react to his words, Pete turned to the President of Samadia.

“I’m sure, he’s trying to help us,” he hurriedly assured.

Habad’s face was dead serious though, as he took off his sunglasses.

“Or kill us,” he shot back angrily.

Pete Thornton’s thoughts ran berserk when he realized he alone wouldn’t be able to convince the man. Habad didn’t trust him enough to believe him – probably because he was Mac’s friend. He needed help. The only person who might be able to provide more insight was the girl… even if Pete had no idea who she was. But she’d called MacGyver her friend and Pete was willing to grab even the tiniest straw if it was for saving MacGyver’s life. So he turned the gondola’s radio and quickly grabbed the microphone.

“Listen to me. MacGyver is climbing the tower towards this car right now,” he hurriedly asked just as Mac reached the top. “You’ve got to tell the president everything you know. They’ve got a gun aimed at MacGyver.”

++++++++++

At the valley station, Lisa sensed the worry in the man’s voice who answered her only moments after the police officers had apprehended the Samadians. The policeman had escorted Yanif away from her, around the corner, where he had to quietly watch the situation unfolding from behind. It was safe for her to use the microphone again and since MacGyver’s life seemed at stake, she didn’t hesitate for a second.

“I go to the international school. That’s where I met him,” she replied immediately. “I heard this man, Yanif, say that he had a bomb and that the president wouldn’t reach the top alive.”

++++++++++

Habad couldn’t believe what he heard at first. His trusted Minister of Defense was behind all this? He silently mouthed Yanif’s name while the girl was finishing her sentence. Pete Thornton waited a second for the president to make up his mind. When he didn’t, Pete immediately continued to persuade Habad.

“Please, listen to her,” he pleaded. “I trust that man out there with my life. You can too.”

Habad was still shaken by the unexpected revelation. He dropped his gaze to the floor briefly, then probingly looked at the American while he nervously fiddled with his sunglasses. His thoughts ran wild since he knew he had to make a decision about whom to trust quickly. A decision, which could either save or end his life. He knew nothing about the girl… but if she’d taken the effort to come here to warn them… and since Yanif hadn’t said another word after calling her a liar… maybe there was some truth in Thornton’s words… His gaze snapped to his guard.

“Put away your gun,” he curtly ordered the man.

Walker, who’d still been standing next to the guard, observing MacGyver’s progress, put a hand onto the man’s shoulder, but the guard reacted immediately to his president’s call anyway. Pete let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as the guard straightened himself, pulled his machine gun back inside and lowered it. The guard stepped back from the window and took in his place close to Habad again. Despite the dangerous situation they all were still in, Pete relaxed a little inwardly. He nodded to Habad.

“Thank you,” he said low before returning the microphone to its place on the radio. Then he quickly turned and stepped forward to the open window, curious to see what MacGyver was up to.

++++++++++

MacGyver had glanced downward to the gondola a few times while he’d climbed the ladder leading to the top of the tower. He’d been in the upper third part of it when he’d noticed some movement at the open window, but hadn’t had time to concentrate on it. Whatever it had been about, his thoughts had been fully focused on how to get inside the car. Mac made sure he had a good hold on the rails when he reached the end of the ladder and stepped onto the massive steel beams that formed the top of the tower.

Checkered metal plates were forming a walkway across it, which was there for maintenance workers in the first place. Not for troubleshooters framed of being assassins chasing a bomb with a ticking timer that’s attached to a moving gondola, MacGyver mused inwardly about his current situation. Especially not with a gun aimed at them…

He’d noticed Habad’s guard at the window, pointing his gun at him during his last glance at the car, but had continued his way nevertheless. He’d been aware of the risk of getting shot again earlier, yet also knew that Pete would never let that happen. His friend would do everything in his power to stop the man from pulling the trigger.

MacGyver needed a second to adjust his senses to being on top of the tower, with nothing but air around him, and assured himself once more that he was safely holding on to the rail with both hands as he walked off to the side the gondola was nearing at. He strove to keep his eyes on the walkway when he stepped around the corner, but noticed motion again at the car’s window at the edge of his vision. He glanced toward it while he hurried downward to the end of the tower’s side beam, and only saw Pete, Habad and Walker looking up at him anymore.

So Pete has been able to convince Habad that I won’t try to kill them… good. The thought fleeted through MacGyver’s mind with a bit of relief, but it was quickly replaced by the concentration on the upcoming task at hand. He cautiously walked down the last few steps to the end of the beam with his eyes fixed on the gondola, before he stopped right behind the rail, estimating how much time he had left.

Then he bent a little forward, wanting to have a closer look at the small ladder he planned to use for getting down to the gondola, but before he could stop himself, his gaze wandered off to the ground below. Instantly, a burst of adrenaline flooded his system, an icy cold rushed down his back, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his knees got wobbly. Sudden panic took hold of him when he saw how far away the rocky ground was.

His jaw dropped and his breath sped up as MacGyver straightened himself again, subconsciously pressed his eyes shut for a second and then glanced sideways as if looking for a way to avoid confronting himself with the situation, but at the same time knew, he had no choice. He threw the gondola a quick look; saw Pete, Habad and Walker watching him from the window, and realized he had to act now.

The memory of the bomb ticking at the bottom of the car pushed back his fear of heights a little, but it still showed clearly on his face when he crouched down to thread his body through the rail and onto the short ladder. Ignoring the voices in his head screaming at him to get back inside the rail, down the long ladder and back to the ground, he climbed outside, away from the relative safety of the handrails.

MacGyver was able to support his climb with his feet on the ladder only for the first few moments, but then had to let them dangling free in the air while he slowly eased himself down with the strength of only his hands and arms. He clung on tightly to the steel bars and forced himself to draw in slow deep breaths when he noticed his palms getting sweaty. Once he’d reached the lowest step of the ladder, MacGyver straightened his arms and let gravity stretch his long frame out vertically. He sucked in a sharp breath as sudden pain reminded him of his bruised shoulder and the bullet hole in his side while he was hanging in mid-air.

He never saw the three men leaning out of the gondola’s window and straining to see what he was doing, since his back was now facing the car. For a second, Pete Thornton refused to believe the implication of what he saw. Mac can’t be serious about attempting to…, he thought. He’s got no safety rope or anything… What if…? No. Pete stopped himself before he finished the thought. He won’t fall. He’ll make it… as always.

MacGyver urged himself to look down again and strove to concentrate on getting the timing right – and not on how high above the ground he was dangling. The edges of the steel bar dug into his hands, and the seconds seemed to last endlessly until a grey shadow appeared below himself.

Under violation of all his survival instincts, MacGyver let go of the ladder. He held his breath subconsciously, inwardly frantically hoping that he wouldn’t fall to his death; that his instinct had gotten the timing correctly.

The sudden contact of his feet to the gondola’s roof registered with a bit of relief in his mind, but the momentum of the car threw him off-balance immediately. Mac fell backward with arms flailing widely, hoping to catch onto anything to prevent himself from slipping off the car’s roof. Only the blink of any eye later, his back and shoulders crashed onto the steel roof and his left arm and hand stabilized him by briefly holding on to the beam that lead up from the gondola and was attached to the cable above. The sudden impact drove the air out of his lungs, and he half-lay sprawled out for a second before he glanced behind himself with a mixture of relief and surprise that his bold – some might call it crazy – move had actually worked.

MacGyver quickly regained his bearings though, and scrambled sideways and half-up into a kneeling position. He moved to the flap of the emergency exit and pulled it open immediately, now all back to his concentrated problem-solving mode.

“There’s a bomb under this gondola!” he called inside as he rested his hands on the rim of the opening for a moment. “The explosive could be unstable! Stop the car!”

He already shifted to a sitting position while he was talking and prepared himself to climb inside by threading his legs inside during his last sentence. Mac slid inside once he’d delivered his warning. He dropped down, hanging from his hands for a second, and grunted when the sudden stop jarred his shoulder and his wounded side again. He let go of the roof quickly, landed on his feet with one hand immediately reaching out for the handrails running along the car’s side windows and turned to Danielle.

The young woman’s training for emergencies had kicked in the moment that MacGyver had opened the exit flap in the roof and called inside. She was on her way to the emergency brake already while he climbed inside. Danielle pulled the brake handle with both hands only the blink of an eye after MacGyver’s feet had touched the floor. The car started swinging back and forth heavily when its motion was stopped abruptly, and everyone inside was silent for a beat or two as they all adjusted to the new situation.

++++++++++

At the valley station, everybody had been watching the car traveling upward with high tension. When he’d spotted movement on the tower carrying the cables, the tram employee had quickly retrieved binoculars from the closet below his control panel and gazed upward. Upon his announcement of a man climbing the tower, Lisa had demanded the glasses from him and instantly identified MacGyver’s silhouette once she’d gotten a good look.

The police officers had gotten nervous and unsure about how to act since their standing orders were to arrest him on sight. From their point of view, he was still a fugitive and suspected of having carried out an assassination attempt. But literally, there was nothing they could have done to stop him at that moment anyway, and when Lisa assured them he was only there to try and help, they calmed down a little.

Yanif, on the other hand, who’d still been forced to watch from behind, got so nervous when Lisa told them it was MacGyver climbing that tower that he almost forgot about the policeman standing next to him. Intuitively, he wanted to step forward and claim the binoculars from her, but then the hand of the police officer on his arm reminded him that he wasn’t supposed to move.

His expression darkened even more while they all watched Mac’s daring move to get onto the gondola, but then he reminded himself where his aide had attached the bomb. MacGyver first had to find a way to even get to the bomb to make any attempt to defuse it. This would be more than difficult in the given time. His dossier about the American had included information about his service as a bomb technician during the Vietnam War, but that had been many years ago. The bomb his aide had placed was much more modern and sophisticated than anything he might have encountered back then.

A little relief sparked inside Yanif. MacGyver might try to interfere once again, but realistically, there wasn’t much he could do. The bomb would explode and MacGyver would die together with Habad and those other Americans. Inwardly, Yanif smiled at the thought, but outwardly he kept up his grim façade. But no one paid a lot of attention to his expression anyway. Everyone on the platform was gazing upward, now that the gondola had come to a sudden stop.

Lisa, who’d dropped the binoculars for a moment, raised them again and observed the wildly swinging gondola.

++++++++++

Knowing that time was of essence, MacGyver quickly broke the silence in the gondola.

“Alright, where’s your emergency rope?” he asked Danielle, still out of breath, and now holding on to one of the straps dangling from the ceiling.

“Here,” Danielle turned to the seat in the corner right below the emergency stop instantly. She bent down, threw Pete’s document case aside, removed the padded top and dropped it aside as well before she reached inside. She retrieved a bright blue, perfectly coiled up rope and turned to MacGyver with the rope in her hands.

“What are you going to do?” she wanted to know from him when he laid a hand onto the rope but didn’t take it.

Pete was standing right next to her, also looking expectantly at his friend when Danielle asked the question he’d been meaning to ask in the same very moment. As much as he was relieved by seeing MacGyver up, alive, and seemingly more or less well, the amount of dried blood on his blue shirt and the scratches on his temple had Pete worried. But he knew better than to interrupt his friend when Mac was in his troubleshooting mode.

MacGyver eyed the rope briefly and quickly realized that there was no harness included with it. But he would need one to continue with the plan that had formed in his mind during his motorcycle ride up the mountain.

“I’m gonna have a look at the bomb,” he answered Danielle’s question and looked up at her. “Undo that, will you?”

His eyes also briefly met Pete’s before they went darting around the car’s inside, searching for anything he could use. He took a large step to the other side of the gondola, past Pete and Danielle who immediately followed his request. Pete busied himself with helping with the rope, determined to support MacGyver with whatever plan he had in mind, but he couldn’t keep his concern to himself any longer. His gaze followed Mac who was searching the gondola.

“MacGyver, you’re wounded. Are you alright?” he quickly asked with some worry in his voice while his hands were occupied with the rope.

Mac had just spotted Danielle’s backpack in the corner when he heard Pete’s words and noticed their tone.

“Yeah, I’m alright, Pete,” he hastily brushed off his friend’s concern. Now was not the time to be worried about his condition. They all had a bomb ticking below their feet. Mac would take care of himself after he’d taken care of the bomb. Especially since he didn’t know how much time they had left from the countdown. He grabbed Danielle’s backpack from its hook and turned it upside down to empty it.

“Feed that rope through those straps,” he asked Pete with an upward glance to the straps dangling from the ceiling while he balanced himself against the car’s side wall and reached into the backpack to make sure each and every item dropped to the floor.

Pete hurried to comply with Mac’s order and started threading the end of the rope through the rings at the end of the straps right away. MacGyver straightened himself with the leather backpack in his hands and stepped through each of the straps with one of his long legs. He pulled it up and tested the feel and sturdiness of the straps when he ran his hands along them. For a second, some doubt about the material and his doing showed on his face, but he quickly quenched the feeling, concentrated back on his task at hand and glanced up at Pete’s progress. The gondola’s swinging had almost ceased by now, and he had no need to hold on to the rails anymore when he returned to Pete’s side.

“Come on, give me the end,” he urged his friend.

Pete instantly handed the rope over and pulled some more of it toward MacGyver, who slid it through one strap, around his back, and back through the other strap before he tightened it a little around his waist and tied a secure knot in front of himself.

“That enough?” Pete asked curtly while he observed the younger man, ready to step in with whatever assistance Mac might need.

MacGyver just nodded silently while he pulled the knot tight and assured himself that it wouldn’t slip under his weight. Part of his mind was already busy with the next step of his plan.

“How much slack do you want?” Pete asked once Mac was done.

“Gimme a little more,” Mac replied and already pulled a few more feet of the rope toward himself and then let it hang beside him. “That’s alright,” he quickly assessed.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed Danielle tying the excess of the rope around the door frames behind her to make sure the rope couldn’t slip out of their hands completely. With the knowledge that he was somewhat secured against falling to his death during what he had ahead of himself, MacGyver moved over to the door they had used all week to get in and out of the gondola. He determinedly pulled it open but froze once he stood in the doorway.

Again, his gaze went downward before he could prevent it. Again, an icy cold rushed down his back, and his heartbeat sped up beyond any comfort. Again, he grimaced when his fear of heights took hold of him, but strove to draw in deep breaths to somewhat get a handle on it. His hands held on to either side of the doorframe.

“What is it?” Danielle asked from beside the safety knot, she’d tied. She didn’t understand why MacGyver hesitated, now that he was secured.

Pete had stepped back a little and held on to the rope with both hands, ready to hold his friend from behind once MacGyver was ready to climb outside.

“He’s got a thing about heights,” he explained with a sideways glance at the young woman, but quickly concentrated back on MacGyver again.

MacGyver had heard Danielle’s question, yet hadn’t been able to react to it in time. He was grateful for Pete answering while he, knowing he had no choice anyway, mustered up the courage to follow through with his plan. He turned to his left with one hand on the doorframe and readied himself to climb outside.

“Alright, let me down a little at a time,” he said over his shoulder with a gesture at the people behind himself, asking them to be cautious.

Then Mac turned his back to the opening, slid his feet back to the edge of the doorway, held on to the frame with his right and grabbed the rope dangling from his waist with his left hand. He looked up at Pete when some of the slack was picked up and the rope somewhat pulled taut in front of him. Their eyes met briefly, and the knowledge that his long-time friend was the one handling the rope that would hold him gave MacGyver the last bit of mental strength he needed.

He leaned back slowly, felt the tension build up on the rope and his makeshift harness, and pressed both feet against the edge, while he bent his knees to ease himself down.

Walker, Habad and his guard had been standing by silently so far, instinctively sensing the close connection between MacGyver and Pete and knowing better than to interfere with their well-tuned interaction. Apart from that, they had been left a little clueless about how to help. So it was just Pete and Danielle holding and lengthening the rope at first while MacGyver pushed himself backward and downward out of the gondola.

When Mac’s arm holding on to the doorframe had almost straightened out and his waist had about reached the height of the car’s floor, Pete took his eyes off his friend for a beat and looked down at Danielle.

“A little more,” he said to her when he had no more slack of the rope left.

Danielle instantly complied and handed him a longer section of rope from the excess hanging beside her. It was more that Pete had expected and all of a sudden, with MacGyver’s weight pulling on them from the other side, they couldn’t keep the feed of rope steady. More rope slipped through the rings way faster than Pete had intended.

MacGyver, at his end of the line, hadn’t expected the abrupt jolt in the rope either. His feet slipped off the doorframe, he lost his hold on the doorframe, and he felt himself dropping back- and downward. Panic surged through him, and he couldn’t suppress a scared yelp before his fall was stopped evenly sudden. Mac hung horizontally with flailing arms and legs and frantically tried to regain some control. One of his hands briefly caught on a beam at the bottom of the gondola, but he didn’t manage to hold on.

For a second, he feared he might even tilt head-down and slip out of his harness, but then his body stiffened reflexively and he managed to right himself again. Both of his hands grabbed on to the bottom edge of the doorway and held on tight to stabilize himself and stop his swinging motion on the rope. Gasping for deep breaths while his wounded side protested wildly against the sudden movement, and striving to let the tension leave his body again, MacGyver leaned his head against his arm.

Inside the gondola, Habad’s guard had quickly stepped in and held on to the rope once he’d seen that Danielle hadn’t been strong enough to support Pete. He took her place beside Pete without a word and quickly steadied the rope.

Pete was grateful for his help since MacGyver’s fearful cry as he had slipped off his holds had scared him just as much. He’d noticed Walker rush forward to stabilize the rope in the door’s opening and now saw Habad follow and assist Walker. When he sensed his friend’s weight still pull on the rope and only seconds later, noticed Mac’s fingers on the edge of the door, Pete allowed himself a deep breath.

“You okay?” Pete called out to MacGyver, subconsciously straightening himself a little although he knew he wouldn’t be able to see his friend hanging outside from his place in the back of the gondola.

MacGyver drew in another deep breath when he heard Pete’s shout and leaned his head against his other arm.

“Yeah, fine,” he replied a bit tonelessly.

Pete’s call also pulled him back to the present and the danger they all still faced. He reminded himself that the harness had held through his fall, that he was sitting somewhat comfortably in the backpack, and quickly regained his composure. Mac raised his gaze to the bottom of the gondola and saw the bomb stuck to the i-beam in the middle of the floor with white textile tape. But he couldn’t see enough details from his position.

“Let me down a couple more feet!” he called upward.

“More,” Pete told the guard when he didn’t react at once, and together they slowly lowered the troubleshooter.

MacGyver held on to the rope with one hand when he felt it move again and only let go of the car when it got out of his reach. His second hand joined the one that already had a grip on the rope. After a moment or two the rope came to a stop again.

“How’s that?”

Mac heard his friend and boss shout from inside. He let go of the rope with one hand, now fully focused again, and leaned sideways under the gondola, straining to get a better view of the bomb.

“That’s good, right there,” Mac called back. With one arm flailing, he tried to get closer to the device, got a first glance at its display and noticed, with some relief, that he still had almost one and a half minutes left on the timer. He held on to the beam close to the side of the car he was hanging at and steadied himself once more.

Then he realized something else. Under normal circumstances, 90 seconds would be a comfortable amount of time for him to deal with this sort of bomb… a digital timer and plastique explosive … enough to tear the gondola and all its passengers into tiny pieces. But to do so, he had to get close to it… he had to lay a hand on it… and from his position, he couldn’t, for the world, figure out how to get there. Just then, he heard Pete’s voice again.

“Can you defuse it?” his boss asked with some worry in his voice.

“I can’t even reach it!” MacGyver shouted back with sudden frustration and concern that, despite all his efforts, he might not be able to help.

Just a second later though, an idea popped up in his head. If I can’t defuse the bomb… maybe I can at least get rid of it.

Quickly, he sat back in the harness and one hand went into his pants’ pocket for his Swiss Army knife. When he didn’t find it, Mac hastily searched all his pockets but came up with nothing. Only the blink of an eye later, the memory of his and Lisa’s hurried departure from the boathouse flashed back through his mind. MacGyver hid his face behind his hands when the realization hit home that he must have left it behind or maybe even lost it.

“Aww man,” he exclaimed, chiding himself and frustrated that seemingly nothing today did work out as planned. But just a second later, his mind switched back from being defeated by his mistake to its problem solving mode. Mac held on to the rope with both hands and straightened himself again.

“Anybody got a knife?” he called upward to the people in the car, hoping that someone would be able to help him out. To his and everybody else’s surprise, it was Danielle who answered him.

“I do!” she said and reached into the inner pocket of her uniform jacket to retrieve it before she hurried forward to the open door.

Pete was speechless as she brushed past him. He was baffled by the fact that MacGyver had asked for a knife… What has happened to the small red pocket knife he usually carries around with him all the time during that darn day?

Danielle got down on the floor and leaned outside to MacGyver with the knife in her hand while Walker made sure she wouldn’t fall by holding on to her belt.

“It’s got a lot of different blades,” she explained to MacGyver as she reached out to him.

Mac took the knife from her and instantly recognized it as a Swiss Army knife, quite similar to the one he had lost. A brief smile flashed across his face. Of course, he thought. Figures… We’re in Geneva, Switzerland… I might have guessed…

“I know,” he answered upward to her while Danielle was already moving back inside.

Then he flipped out the large blade and focused onto the bomb again. MacGyver assessed the distance, and held on to the rope with both hands as he stiffened his body and straightened his long legs. He leaned back and raised his legs to create some momentum, and his effort had him swinging back and forth within a couple of seconds.

Once he was satisfied with the amplitude of his swinging, Mac let go of the rope with his right arm, straightened it and reached out toward the tape that held the bomb to the i-beam. He also had to lean forward and sideways to bridge the distance and be cautious about not hitting the timer with the blade.

Walker and Habad, who held the rope where it ran through the doorway, had to work hard to keep it from picking up sideways momentum and to stabilize it. They tried their best to help with the swinging motion though.

Mac grunted with the effort and the strain it took from him to keep swinging. The back, forth and sideways motion jarred his bruised and wounded body, but all MacGyver saw was the bomb and the last couple of seconds ticking away on the timer. He needed several attempts to cut through the tape completely, but even then, its adhesive kept the bomb loosely attached to the steel beam. Mac couldn’t see the timer anymore now.

MacGyver drew in a deep breath, readied himself for one last, big swing, and then strained to tear the bomb off its hold, knowing there couldn’t be more than a few seconds to go. Once he felt it coming off, he let go of the bomb and saw it falling toward the far-away ground for a beat. Instinctively, his right hand with the knife grabbed on to the rope again, and he prepared himself for the blast.

It came almost in time with the internal countdown he’d subconsciously kept up, but its force was stronger than Mac had expected. He quickly curled up into a ball to protect himself and hid his head and face behind his arms when he heard the deafening bang. Just the blink of an eye later, the shockwave hit him, followed by burning heat that engulfed him for a seemingly endless moment.

MacGyver needed another moment to realize that he hadn’t been hurt, that the explosion had happened far enough away from him. Cautiously and still curled up, he glanced downward between his arms and saw the ground fairly undisturbed as well. So it must have exploded while it was still falling, his mind automatically analyzed. Close, but you made it.

This very last thought made him relax as the realization settled in that he’d, in fact, managed to avert the danger, that none of the passengers in the gondola had died a violent death, and he hadn’t either. Slowly, he let his legs hang, straightened himself a little and leaned his forehead against his right hand, which held on tightly to the rope and the borrowed Swiss Army knife.

MacGyver closed his eyes, drew in a deep, relieved breath and allowed his head to drop a bit further until it was leaning sideways against his hand and the rope. He’d stopped Yanif from carrying out his threat. With only seconds to go, but he’d somehow managed to… as always. Dealing with the accusations against me shouldn’t be all too hard now… compared to the day at the beach, I’ve had so far. Mac slowly let out the deep breath in a long quiet sigh.

++++++++++

Everybody at the valley station had been watching MacGyver’s doing mesmerized. How he’d slowly let himself out of the gondola, how he’d almost had lost control and fallen, and then how he’d started swinging below the car. Especially Lisa had observed him closely through the binoculars and hadn’t put them down for just a moment. They’d all been standing tense and quiet, afraid of the prospect of having to watch the gondola and the people in it being ripped to pieces, but not able to take their eyes off it either.

Yanif had kept up his poker face for a long time, still not believing that the American would manage to do anything about his bomb. Inwardly, he’d gotten nervous while he had to observe MacGyver swinging back and forth on the rope, obviously trying to get to the device. But Yanif knew, he wouldn’t be able to disarm it. It couldn’t be stopped once the timer had been started.

Since the car had travelled quite a distance up the mountain before it had stopped, they couldn’t make out any details, and no one saw the bomb fall. But they all flinched when they saw a huge explosion below the car. The thundering sound reached the valley a few seconds later, and everybody relaxed a bit when they still saw the gondola hanging from the cable in one piece.

Everyone, but Yanif. He was steaming inside. MacGyver had done it again. He’d blown his plan.

Lisa with the binoculars was the only one who really saw MacGyver curl up when the flames brushed past him and then relax again a moment later. She let out a relieved breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. He’s still moving, she thought. He’s still holding on to the rope. That means he’s still alive. A smile widened on her face as she finally lowered the glasses and took a step forward.

“Way to go, MacGyver,” she gladly appreciated his effort, although she knew he couldn’t hear her.

++++++++++

Inside the gondola, everyone had concentrated on holding onto and steadying the rope, once Danielle had been back inside and MacGyver had started swinging. His motion had increased the pull on the rope significantly, and Pete and Habad’s guard had to work hard together to not let it slip, while Walker and Habad had taken care of steadying the direction of Mac’s swinging.

As much as Pete desperately wanted to know what MacGyver was doing down there, he knew it was not the time to interrupt and ask him. He also knew he could trust Mac to do anything in his power to save them – even if he endangered himself by doing so. That was how his friend worked – that was who he was. So Pete did his best to support him and focused on the rope that held him.

MacGyver hadn’t told them any details about the bomb setup, the timer, or how much time they had left, so a tense silence hung in the gondola while they all waited for MacGyver to share the good news that he’d gotten a handle on the bomb. No one was prepared for the explosion, so each of them flinched with shock when the ear-splitting bang sounded from below the gondola, and they all sensed the shockwave hit the car and their bodies.

Everyone froze for a moment until the realization sunk in that they were all still here, unharmed and alive inside the car that hadn’t been ripped apart. They all started to breathe again, looked up at each other and silently assured each other that they were okay. They all saw a grayish-white cloud of smoke rise beside and past the gondola.

Pete though realized only a second later, that even if he still felt the pull of MacGyver’s weight on the rope, his friend had remained quiet since the detonation. Sudden worry surged through Pete and sent an icy cold down his back. He straightened himself, tightened his hold on the rope and gazed to the open door. Pete saw the rope still moving with Mac hopefully dangling below, but he couldn’t see him and if he was alright. When his friend hadn’t confirmed that he hadn’t been hurt another couple of seconds later, Pete couldn’t wait any longer. His inner tension and concern rose unbearably.

“Mac?” he called out to his friend. “MacGyver?”

He drew in a deep breath, hoping for an answer, but when he hadn’t gotten one after another moment, his voice rose.

“MacGyver!”

++++++++++

For all of those, who´ve - like me - always wondered how MacGyver got back into the gondola and what happened afterward...

This chapter also has brief references to another story I´ve written... Starting Point ;-)

Part 8

++++++++++

MacGyver’s ears were still ringing while the sound of the explosion echoed from the mountains that surrounded him. He drew in another deep breath while his eyes were still closed. The burnt smell of recently detonated plastique explosive tainted the previously fresh mountain air in his nose. The rock and pitch of his body reminded him that he was still suspended in mid-air, held by and dangling in a makeshift harness made out of rope and a backpack, well over a hundred feet above ground. Way too far above ground for his comfort, he suddenly remembered.

Subconsciously, his body stiffened and his hold on the rope tightened as his fear of heights kicked in again and partly washed away his relief about having defeated the bomb. His eyes snapped open and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end instantly when he – once more – saw how far away the ground was. His palms got sweaty and his blood was rushing in his ears while the ringing from the detonation faded. It took a moment until the fact that someone had called his name registered in his mind.

“MacGyver!”

There it was again. Louder this time. Pete. Sounding audibly worried. Mac cleared his throat and prepared himself to reply when Pete hollered again.

“Mac! Are you alright? … Answer me!”

“Hey, Pete,” MacGyver called back with a lopsided, weak grin. He tried to sound relaxed to calm down his friend.

“MacGyver! … Are you okay?” Pete’s question came instantly and still sounded tense.

“Yeah, sure,” Mac replied despite the fear that sent his senses reeling, no matter how hard he fought to control it. “How about you all up there?” Mac tried to distract himself with thinking upward to the gondola and its passengers.

Pete couldn’t help but laugh briefly when he heard the younger man’s voice and his confirmation that he was fine. A broad, relieved smile widened on his face. He shared a quick look with the others in the car.

“Glad to hear that,” Pete then answered. “We’re all fine… thanks to you, I guess.”

“Me?” Mac drew in a shaky breath and chuckled in an attempt at innocence. “Oh, I was… just hanging around.”

Pete laughed again for a beat when MacGyver downplayed his part in saving their lives – just like he usually did. Then he remembered that his friend was suspended below the gondola by just a backpack and none of them knew how long it would hold.

“Well, about you hanging around…” Pete suggested. “I guess we’d better pull you back in… Get ready, will you?”

Pete looked at Habad’s guard and then at Habad, silently asking him to join them at the back of the gondola to help pulling. Habad nodded, quickly left Walker’s side at the doorway and took a place next to his guard.

Pete’s ‘get ready’ reminded MacGyver of the Swiss Army knife he still held in his hand with an open blade. He raised his head a little and forced himself to let go of the rope with his hand, but not of the knife. He sat back a bit, now that his swinging had ceased, used his thigh to close the blade one-handedly and stored the knife safely, deep in his pants’ pocket. He wasn’t going to lose another one today. Especially since this one wasn’t even his own.

Then he tightly gripped on to his lifeline again. A cold shiver ran down his back as he leaned his forehead against his hand and waited. The seconds seemed to stretch endlessly. MacGyver tried to convince himself that if his makeshift harness had withstood all the strain he’d put onto it up until now, it would hold him for a few more minutes, but his rational thinking and reasoning had little chance against his acrophobia at the moment. Then Pete’s voice broke through his spinning thoughts once more.

“MacGyver?”

“Still here, Pete,” Mac replied hoarsely. His mouth had gone dry and he cleared his throat again.

“You ready?” Pete wanted to know.

“Always prepared,” Mac assured with feigned nonchalance. “Start pulling.” The muscles of his hands and arms started protesting against his firm grip on the rope, and he sensed some sweat trickling between his palms, fingers and the rope, but wasn’t able to loosen his hold on the rope only a little.

“Good,” Pete called. “Brace yourself, Mac. Just… hold on tight, will you?”

MacGyver grinned crookedly with Pete’s words.

“Yes, Pete,” he agreed aloud. As if I would be able to let go at all at the moment, he added internally. It didn’t help ease his mind either that when his lifeline started moving upward a second later, it felt slippery in his grip. Logically, he knew it was caused by the sweat swimming between his hands and the rope, but again, his logic had little to say against his fear of heights right now. Then he remembered something he’d learned while he’d been rock-climbing a couple of years ago.

‘Think up!’

MacGyver sucked in a deep breath and then forced himself to raise his head and look upward to the gondola. He saw the lower edge of the doorway coming closer and managed to shift his concentration to how he would be able to get inside. When the edge got into his reach, Mac forced himself to let go of the rope with his left hand, wiped it dry on his pants and then grabbed hold of the car.

When his fingers appeared on the edge, the movement of the rope came to a stop, Mac heard a few hurried words inside and then steps coming closer. A wave of relief washed over MacGyver when Pete’s face came into sight in the doorway above him only a second later.

Pete reached down to him immediately after a quick assessment of his situation and wrapped his hand around MacGyver’s right wrist close to the rope. Their eyes met and Pete didn’t need to say a word. Mac knew his friend would keep him safe and what he expected him to do. He needed only a second to let go of the rope and instead grab on to Pete’s wrist. Pete nodded to him once when he sensed they had a secure hold on each other and then turned his head to the people in the back of the gondola.

“I got him!” he called over his shoulder. “Continue pulling!”

Then the rope resumed its way up, and while MacGyver braced himself against the car with his left so his wounded side wouldn’t scrape too hard over the edge, Pete’s second hand joined his first around Mac’s right arm, pulling him up and also steadying him.

MacGyver’s memory of how exactly he’d gotten back inside and the first few moments afterward were blurry though. Pete’s hands had been joined by Walker’s to help him crawl over the edge; they had helped him get to his feet and take a few steps away from the doorway. Habad had been there to thank him for saving his life immediately once Mac had stopped away from the edge, had assured him a proper investigation of today’s events would be conducted, but had left Mac and Pete alone quickly at Pete’s stern expression. Walker had also given them some room and in the corner of his eye, Mac had noticed Danielle closing the door as soon as everybody had been out of the way. Pete had helped him step out of the harness and had started to undo MacGyver’s knot while Mac had returned the Swiss Army knife to Danielle, had apologized to her for commandeering her backpack without asking and had promised to get her a new one.

Then MacGyver had retreated to the back of the gondola, away from the other passengers, hoping to get a moment to compose himself, a moment to just breathe after all he’d been through during that day. But his bruised and battered body didn’t react to the respite quite as he had expected it would.

After a few seconds, when the realization that he and everyone else were out of harm’s way after what he’d done, and that he could finally relax settled in his mind, his head that had been hit hard twice today, started pounding. The throbbing also returned to his bruised shoulder, and a fiery blaze cut through his wounded side. The gondola’s floor, that he knew had steadied, suddenly seemed to be moving again as a bout of vertigo sent his senses reeling.

MacGyver turned to the window and grabbed on to the rail with both hands to steady himself. He bent forward a little as he tried to breathe deep through the pain. The analytic part of his mind almost instantly figured out what was happening to him. Now that the situation was resolved and his inner tension left him, the high adrenaline level that had kept him going throughout the day took a nosedive. With the adrenaline rush wearing off, nothing was suppressing his pain anymore, or keeping his heart rate and blood pressure up. His exhausted body and each of his injuries demanded his attention.

But understanding what was happening to him didn’t help at all. The sudden assault of sensations overwhelmed him. Mac pressed his eyes shut for a moment and noticed something warm oozing down his side and that his shirt stuck to it. He gasped and forced his eyes open again. While his awareness for the other persons in the gondola faded, he directed his gaze outside the window in front of him and concentrated on trying to regain some control over his body. But no matter how much he mentally willed the feelings to subside, seeing how high up he still was only intensified his vertigo. His hands got sweaty again and his knees got wobbly on top of it all.

Aww man, MacGyver thought to himself.

++++++++++

Pete Thornton had busied himself with undoing the knot of MacGyver’s makeshift harness after he’d helped him step out if it, which hadn’t been all too easy given that it had been pulled tight by MacGyver’s weight. He’d noticed Mac talking to Danielle while he’d unthreaded the rope from the rings, and then seen him retreat to the back of the gondola. Nothing unusual, Pete thought. MacGyver probably just needs a minute to himself after the rough day he’s had. Pete was coiling up the rope a few moments later, when he shot Mac a sideways glance. He wanted to assure himself that everything was still okay with his friend, but noticed him standing bent over forward, holding on to the rail and drawing in deep breaths.

“Mac? You okay?” Pete asked. When he got no answer though, Pete’s concerns shot up a notch. “MacGyver?” he tried once more.

When the younger man didn’t react at all, Pete’s concerns turned into full-blown worries. That he’d seen smears of blood on the rope while coiling it up didn’t ease his tension either. He handed to rope over to Danielle and quickly crossed the gondola with a few strides to MacGyver’s side.

“MacGyver?” he asked again as he laid a hand onto his friend’s right arm. “Mac!”

++++++++++

MacGyver hadn’t heard Pete address him, and he hadn’t noticed him coming closer either. Suddenly feeling a hand on his arm startled him, and his head snapped around to the voice he’d just heard close beside himself. Mac drew in a sharp breath with the jolt of pain the abrupt tension sent through his side, but seeing Pete Thornton next to himself eased his tension quickly as well. Mac blinked to stop his friend’s image from spinning before his eyes, but when it didn’t after a moment, he turned away from Pete again and pressed his eyes shut for a few seconds.

Pete’s concern for the younger man just grew as he saw his worries confirmed. Some sweat was glistening on MacGyver’s face, his skin had gone pale under his suntan, his gaze was unsteady, and he was breathing heavily. He tightened his hold on MacGyver’s arm to stabilize him.

“MacGyver?” Pete addressed his friend again when he didn’t say anything but lowered his head. “In God’s name, you said, you’re alright!” He couldn’t help a scolding tone in his voice.

Mac drew in a deep breath before he looked up at Pete. He turned his head a lot slower this time to not worsen his dizziness and headache too much.

“But I…” he protested low and feebly once his eyes had focused on Pete. “I… I was.” He saw that his friend and boss was deeply worried about him when Pete scrutinized him for another moment.

“Well, you don’t look ‘alright’ anymore,” Pete then huffed.

Mac straightened himself a little in the hope of alleviating Pete’s concerns but he still needed to hold on to the rail to steady himself.

“Guess, it’s just that… everything is finally catching up with me,” MacGyver tried to explain, to calm the older man.

But Pete noticed that MacGyver was swaying a little, despite his attempt to display some strength.

“Whatever,” Pete brushed off Mac’s explanation curtly. “Now would you please sit down before you collapse,” he then ordered.

MacGyver inwardly admitted, he was a bit glad about Pete’s order and glanced sideways toward the small seat in the corner to his left. Pete’s firm grip on his arm and his stern look though, made clear that he wasn’t even willing to take the risk of Mac dropping off that seat – should he pass out. Mac also noticed the slightly harsh, but fatherly protective tone in Pete’s voice that he’d come to know so well after all the years they were friends.

Mac just nodded silently, half-turned and lowered himself to the floor, balancing himself against the gondola’s wall with his left arm and steadied by Pete on his right. He sat down and wanted to turn further to lean against the wall, but Pete wrapped his arm around Mac’s shoulders quickly and held on to him. MacGyver’s bruised shoulder protested a little and a sharp pain raced through his side with the sudden change of his position. Mac lowered his head and pressed his eyes shut as he strove to relax. At the edge of his awareness, he noticed Pete pull up his shirt and then felt him suck in a deep breath.

“You got a first aid kit in here as well?” He heard Pete ask only a second later.

“Of course,” Danielle answered immediately.

Mac didn’t pay much attention to the steps, the rustling noises, and the low spoken words afterward, since a new wave of vertigo and pounding headache washed over him. He was so occupied with mentally willing against the sensations that he was surprised when something was pressed firmly onto his wounded side. His body stiffened and he hardly bit back an agonized gasp. His eyes snapped open, and he saw Pete’s hand resting over the dressing he’d covered his gunshot wound with, holding a couple of fresh dressings that were already turning crimson red between his fingers. Pete’s arm around his shoulders had also tightened his hold, pulling Mac a bit closer.

“I’m sorry, MacGyver,” the older man said low. “But you’re bleeding badly.”

“I know,” MacGyver nodded between strained breaths and looked up at Pete. “The rope that held me…” he automatically started to explain. “Its pressure around my waist… must have reopened the wound… I didn’t notice while I was…” He broke off when Pete readjusted his hand over his injury.

“Probably.” Pete’s agreement was so low, it was barely audible. After knowing the younger man for so many years, Pete knew about MacGyver’s willingness to risk his life for others if the situation called for it – but he would never get used it – neither to what the outcome sometimes was… especially after a day like this. “Quiet now, Mac,” he advised. “Spare your strength.”

Mac nodded silently while he strove to draw in deep, controlled breaths. Headache, dizziness, the hurting bullet wound… now even more blood loss… and thorough exhaustion, Mac sighed inwardly. It’s all adding up… but I’ve been through worse… I just gotta hang on. He relaxed into Pete’s hold as he sensed himself getting weaker with the last of his adrenaline wearing off. Mac allowed his head to tiredly drop against Pete’s shoulder, but then a sudden bout of shivers shook him.

Pete immediately cradled him even closer to his chest when he felt the younger man shudder, trying to give what warmth and comfort he could. Only a moment later, something was draped around his shoulders and body, and Mac looked up surprised. He hadn’t really noticed that everyone else in the car had gone quiet once Pete had helped him sit down. They’d all given Pete and him some privacy, yet now he saw Walker right next to himself. He’d taken off his jacket and wrapped it around MacGyver’s shoulders and Pete’s arm holding him to help keep him warm.

“Thanks,” Mac smiled up at him before he rested his head against Pete once more.

Walker just silently returned the smile and then drew back again. Although he was deeply relieved about not being in lethal danger anymore, he was still somewhat overwhelmed by the whole situation.

In Pete’s head, on the other hand, a memory from long ago popped up. Of a remote forest… and a seriously wounded young rookie agent… who’d barely survived their first assignment together. Sudden fear about how bad Mac’s current condition might be rose within Pete before he could counter. Back then, they hadn’t realized that MacGyver’s state had already been life-threatening until they’d made it to the hospital. Although Pete had insisted on searching for him earlier than they’d agreed… everything had taken too long… and it had almost killed the younger man. He wasn’t going to take that risk again. Pete gazed up at Danielle.

“Call your people at the valley station and tell them to get an ambulance,” he ordered sharply. “And get that gondola moving downward again.”

Danielle started to move toward the radio when Pete addressed her, but turned back to him with his last words.

“I can’t,” she told him. “Once I release the break, we’ll resume our way to the top.”

Pete was less than pleased with her answer.

“Then find a way to reverse the direction,” he snapped at her harshly.

Danielle tried to remain calm despite Pete’s flaring temper.

“It’s impossible,” she tried to explain. “We’re already too high up on the mountain to…”

“I don’t care!” Pete didn’t even let her finish. “He needs a doctor as soon as possible, can’t you see that? We’ve got to…”

“Pete.”

MacGyver said the older man’s name low, but his friend broke off immediately and returned his concentration to him. Mac was aware that Pete’s harsh behavior was caused by serious concern about his condition, but also knew he had to stop him before he got too angry at Danielle. Especially since Mac understood that she truly couldn’t do anything about the gondola resuming its way up… and since he knew a way out of the tense situation.

“What is it, Mac?”

MacGyver raised his head a little and saw Pete frowning down at him.

“Going up is okay,” the younger man said between labored breaths.

Pete instantly opened his mouth to protest, but Mac raised one hand a little to keep him quiet.

“The Azmirs,” he continued. “They brought a doctor along as part of their delegation, remember? He’d be able to help me… and he can watch over me during my way back down to the ambulance.”

Pete was speechless for a second, but then sighed deeply and nodded. Of course, he thought. Leave it to MacGyver to come up with a solution… even in his state. He glanced up apologetically to Danielle and nodded to her before he returned his attention to his friend, who’d felt about with his hand and now found Pete’s arm.

“It’s not that bad, Pete,” MacGyver assured the older man with a feeble and lopsided grin. “I’m just a bit worn out after the day at the beach I’ve had… And they’re waiting for all of you at the top anyway.”

Again, Pete was at a loss of words before he huffed out a breath. Leave it also to MacGyver to try to ease up any tight situation with his dry humor, he thought. As if I would be able to concentrate on the signing of the peace treaty at the moment…

“If you say so…” he slowly responded instead.

Once Pete had nodded to her, Danielle had contacted the control at the valley station via the car’s radio, had given them an update on their situation and told them about MacGyver’s need for medical help. Then she released the emergency brake and since the people at the controls now knew about what had happened, the gondola started moving again only an instant later.

It swung back and forth for the first few moments, and the unexpected movement jarred MacGyver’s battered body. He flinched and stiffened reflexively, and drew in a sharp breath with the pain shooting through his side. His eyelids, that had been drooping tiredly, snapped open again. But Pete’s arm around his shoulders tightened and held him safely, despite the floor suddenly feeling way too unsteady for MacGyver’s taste.

“What?” Pete asked alarmed at once. “What’s wrong, MacGyver?”

MacGyver bit back a moan and slowly let out the breath he’d been holding for a few seconds when the hurting let up a little.

“Nothing,” he then replied between clenched teeth. “Just the movement of the car.”

He exhaled a shaky breath as a blurry memory from many years ago surfaced in his mind. A forest way up in the north-western U.S. His condition had been a lot worse back then, but Pete had found him and somehow, they’d made it to the helicopter that had taken then back to safety. Pete had also held him as the chopper had taken off.

“I’m fine,” MacGyver feebly tried to calm his friend but internally had to admit, he didn’t fully believe his own words. Back then, he hadn’t realized his condition had already been critical either.

Pete puffed out a sigh when he felt MacGyver shuddering in his arm again.

“Try to rest, Mac,” he advised low while he kept up his tight hold on his friend. “Just hang on, will you? I’ve got you.”

Pete’s last words had an instant effect on MacGyver, just as they’d had so many years ago. He relaxed with the sudden feeling of being safe and let his head drop against Pete’s shoulder once more. A tired smile widened on his face.

“Thanks, Pete,” he said so low that only Pete could hear it.

The older man slowly let out a deep breath when he sensed MacGyver sink against his body as the last bit of tension left the troubleshooter.

What for, in God’s name? It was you who saved us, Pete Thornton thought to himself but chose not to answer.

++++++++++

They travelled the last leg of their journey upward silent, with Walker staying close to Habad and his guard, Danielle keeping an eye out for the mountain station, and Pete cradling the young troubleshooter. When they arrived at the top, Danielle was immediately at the door and opened it and the gate toward the platform once the gondola had stopped moving.

Walker was behind her quickly, since he’d noticed how tense the men waiting on the platform had appeared during the last moments of their approach. None of them knew how much and what kind of information about the day’s events had reached the Azmir delegation, but they had to have seen or at least noticed the explosion of the bomb. While defusing bombs wasn’t his forte, Walker trusted himself to defuse diplomatic issues. He saw that the Swiss police officers and the Azmir guards held their weapons ready in their hands and kept some distance to the car when he stepped up to Danielle and laid a hand on her shoulder from behind.

The President of the Republic of Azmir and the other waiting delegates had retreated behind their guards and eyed Walker with suspicion. The Swiss police had told them only very briefly about the assassination attempt on President Habad and that MacGyver was considered the main suspect but had escaped being arrested so far. A dangerous fugitive. Something the Azmir President had a hard time believing since he’d gotten to know the man a little during the past week. But he was sure the Azmirs would be accused of being behind it. And now this explosion…

Danielle looked up at Walker and quickly understood when he met her eyes and wordlessly asked her to let him go first. Walker swallowed dryly when she cleared the way and then squared his shoulders. He raised his hands a little to signal that he was harmless and then stepped out onto the platform. The Azmir guards tensed up anyway.

“I don’t know what you’ve been told about what happened today…” he started out slowly and trying to sound calm. “But the bomb you heard or saw explode minutes ago was an attempt on President Habad’s life… the second one… none of us has any intention of threatening you.”

“We are not responsible,” the Azmir President shot back immediately and harshly. “We have no malicious intent either.”

“I’m not accusing you or any of your men,” Walker hurried to assure and took a step toward the president. “Today’s events will undergo a thorough investigation… According to our knowledge at the moment, some of President Habad’s own men might be responsible.” He deliberately spared out Yanif’s name.

The Azmir President eyed Walker and who he could see in the gondola silently for a few seconds before he let out a deep breath.

“I am still willing to sign the peace agreement with the one amendment I’ve asked for,” he then declared with a lot less tension.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Walker nodded while a smile widened on his face.

“So am I.”

Walker glanced back to the car when he heard Habad’s voice from behind and saw the Samadian President standing in the doorway, flanked by his personal guard. Habad’s face bore a serious expression, but no hostility. The Azmir President came forward and stopped just ahead of his guards.

“I am relieved to hear that as well… and I’m relieved that you haven’t been harmed,” he said as he relaxed a little more, but then caught a first glimpse of Pete kneeling on the floor in the rear of the gondola and holding MacGyver in his arm. His eyes snapped back to Walker with an unspoken question.

“Mr. MacGyver has been seriously injured during today’s events,” Walker hurried to provide some kind of explanation, given that he didn’t know any details about what had truly happened yet. “He needs medical help quickly.” He gave the Azmir president a beat to digest the new information before he continued. “He told us, you can provide that help… He told us, you’ve got a doctor among your delegation.”

The Azmir President’s eyes wandered back to Pete and what little he could see of MacGyver. He was familiar with Pete Thornton’s face since he and MacGyver had welcomed the delegations in their separate location together about a week ago, before the negotiations had started and each of them had taken on their part of it. Thornton had half-turned to him and looked up at him with a mixture of worry and urgency. The president didn’t hesitate any longer, but quickly nodded to one of the men waiting behind him, who immediately hurried forward and inside the gondola.

++++++++++

Pete Thornton was inwardly grateful that Walker had taken the lead this time, quickly dealt with the situation and asked the Azmirs for their help. He noticed Habad and his guard step outside onto the platform next to Walker in order to get out of the way of the man who was running toward him and Mac. He concentrated back on his friend.

MacGyver had been quietly resting against him during the past few minutes of their way up, trembling a little less thanks to Walker’s jacket, and his eyes had fallen closed. He’d barely reacted to the car stopping, but had drawn in deeper breaths when he’d heard Walker and the President of Azmir talking.

“MacGyver?” Pete now addressed him low when he saw the man hurrying toward them. “Doctor’s coming.”

MacGyver nodded against Pete’s shoulder and then pried his head away from the fabric folds of Pete’s coat while he opened his eyes. The short rest had helped him. His dizziness had partly faded and the headache had gotten a little better as well. A second later, the gondola’s floor shook a bit with someone rushing inside, and Mac looked up and saw a familiar man kneeling down next to Pete. He’d been one of the voices of reason and humanity during the past week while Mac had led the negotiations.

“What happened?” the doctor asked quickly after he’d gotten a first glance at MacGyver’s pale face and the scratches on his temple. “What’s the most serious injury?”

Mac opened his mouth to respond but Pete’s reaction was faster.

“He’s been shot a couple of hours ago,” he said with a nod toward where he still pressed his right hand against MacGyver’s side. “The wound has opened up again and is bleeding badly.”

The doctor lifted Walker’s jacket and saw the amount of dried and fresh blood on Mac’s shirt and the crimson red dressings below Pete’s fingers. He immediately half-turned back and yelled something in Azmiri toward his fellow delegates. One of the men took off instantly and ran inside the building.

“I told them to get my emergency case,” the doc explained when he noticed MacGyver’s and Pete’s questioning looks and then concentrated on taking MacGyver’s vitals.

He was just done with his overall assessment when the man who had run off set down a black case next to him. The doctor just nodded silently to the man and then looked up at Danielle.

“He should be taken to a hospital as quickly as possible,” he stated and the young woman rushed off at once to talk to the people sitting at the controls up here at the mountain station. “Now let me see the wound,” the doc then asked when he turned back to MacGyver and Pete.

MacGyver gingerly straightened himself a little in Pete’s hold and let go of his friend’s arm when Pete lifted his hand off Mac’s side. He pushed himself up until he was almost sitting upright when Pete loosened up his hold on him. Mac drew in a sharp breath as the doctor pushed up his shirt and peeled the dressing, Mac had stuck to his side in the boathouse, off his skin. After a quick look, the doctor opened his case and retrieved a few fresh dressings and bandages along with a bottle of antiseptic from it. Mac flinched and gasped when the doctor wiped his skin and the entry and exit wounds clean with a dressing he’d soaked with antiseptic, and hardly bit back a moan when the doctor pressed fresh rolled up gauze bandages firmly against the wounds. Pete had shifted his position to allow the doctor more room and now reflexively tightened his hold around MacGyver’s shoulders once more. Just then Danielle returned.

“The helicopter from the Geneva hospital is already on its way,” she told the three men. “It should arrive shortly.”

“Very good,” the doctor nodded without looking up at her. He kept his concentration on MacGyver. “Press on those, will you?” he then addressed Pete who immediately complied with his free hand.

MacGyver held his breath with the pain it caused but forced himself to keep his eyes open. In the meantime, the doc retrieved medication bottles from his case and prepared two syringes.

“One is to ease your pain,” he explained when he noticed MacGyver watching him intently. “The other is to keep you stable while you’re being taken to the hospital… despite the blood loss you’ve sustained.”

Mac nodded his agreement and held out his right arm for the doctor. He focused on drawing in slow, deep breaths when the hurting he sensed in various parts of his body diminished after the doctor had administered the meds. A moment later though, he noticed the still concerned frown, Pete was observing him with.

“Relax, Pete,” he asked his friend and boss with an exhausted smile. “I’m gonna be okay.”

Pete’s serious expression didn’t ease up when he held MacGyver’s gaze for a moment and then looked up at the doctor. The doctor met his eyes and understood the unspoken question.

“It’s serious, but…” he said slowly before he turned to tending to the cuts on MacGyver’s temple. “Yes, he should be okay.”

Pete slowly let out a deep breath and then saw that MacGyver was still smiling tiredly at him… despite the weakened and battered condition he was in.

Mac’s eyes wandered away from Pete a few moments later though. He looked through the open doorway and noticed the President of the Republic of Azmir watching how his doctor took care of MacGyver. Mac’s smile widened a bit when he met the president’s probing gaze. ‘Thank you’, he mouthed with a small nod. The president returned his nod and then returned to keeping an eye on the small group of men still standing close to the gondola.

No one on the platform has moved a lot so far, MacGyver thought. Walker’s staying close to Habad and his guard, and the Azmirs are still too cautious to come forward. They need help… help, I can’t give them at the moment.

“Pete?” Mac looked up at his friend who immediately met his gaze. “You gotta go.” MacGyver continued low after a beat, when the doctor was again busy with checking his pulse on his wrist.

Pete raised his eyebrows surprisedly.

“I am not leaving you now,” he then shook his head with some indignation about the younger man’s request.

“Pete, look at them,” MacGyver asked. “They can’t bridge the gap between them on their own. They need help.” He looked outside toward the men on the platform again and waited for Pete to follow his gaze. “They need you,” Mac insisted after a couple of seconds.

The doctor let go of MacGyver’s wrist and focused on the gunshot wound again. Pete was briefly distracted when the doc gently pulled his hand away so he could press the bandages onto the wounds himself. Mac held his breath and shut his eyes for a moment, but the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as before, thanks to the medication.

“MacGyver, I’m staying with…” Pete wanted to counter when he sensed Mac tense up in his arm, but was cut off in mid-sentence.

“Pete!” MacGyver stopped him with a sudden sharpness that surprised Pete, given Mac’s weakened condition. “You came here to get the peace treaty signed,” Mac stated as he looked up at Pete with a serious face now. “Think about the thousands of lives this agreement will save.”

Pete stared at his friend stunned silent. He’d practically heard MacGyver’s voice in his head a couple of hours ago, when Habad had used almost the same words to put pressure on him, to persuade him to stay at the hotel.

“I’m being taken care of,” Mac continued when Pete didn’t respond to him. His face was pale, but his dark brown eyes sparkled with determination and energy as he held Pete’s stare. “Pete, please,” he pleaded when the older man still remained silent.

Inside Pete Thornton, his concern and wish to be there for his long-time friend fought against his sense of duty. He’d already been forced to abandon MacGyver once today… he wasn’t ready to do it a second time.

“You’ve got to take this opportunity to end a war!” MacGyver urged. “Or all of our work… all of this… might have been for nothing. Please, stop thinking about me!”

Pete Thornton puffed out a breath with MacGyver’s last words. There it was again. MacGyver’s willingness to put the wellbeing of others before his own. Him always having the ‘greater good’ in mind. One of the character traits that made the younger man so special… that Pete valued so much.

“Fine,” Pete nodded with a sigh. MacGyver’s passionate appeal had touched him and he chose to honor his friend’s ongoing commitment to the cause. “As soon as the helicopter arrives and takes you to the hospital.”

MacGyver’s serious and worried expression eased up.

“Alright,” he agreed with a smile. “Thank you.”

The doctor was just done with replacing the bandages, which he’d now taped to MacGyver’s skin, and straightened himself next to the two men. Only a moment later, they all noticed the distant flapping sound of helicopter rotors. Pete looked up at Danielle, who’d stayed in the gondola with them, in genuine surprise.

“The rescue chopper already?” he asked. “Can’t be that fast…”

“Control at the bottom already called it when I told them about our situation after the explosion… before we resumed our way up,” Danielle explained. “They just redirected it to the top a few minutes ago.”

Pete quietly nodded his understanding with a grateful smile.

They all remained silent while the helicopter’s sound grew louder, and the doctor used the time to observe his patient closely. He was relieved that MacGyver’s condition, which had been dangerously close to drifting off into shock, had stabilized again. His eyes had cleared and his gaze seemed much more focused now. Although seriously wounded, the doctor was by now fairly confident that MacGyver would make it through the day.

++++++++++

Several minutes later, they all saw the helicopter pass over their heads, heard it land on the designated spot behind the building, and soon the paramedics rushed onto the platform with a rolling gurney. The Azmir doctor quickly briefed them about MacGyver’s condition and the meds he’d already given him, before the Swiss doctor took over. He asked MacGyver a few more things and made an assessment of his own, and then helped MacGyver get to his feet with Pete Thornton’s help. Mac needed a moment to steady himself and wrapped his right arm around Pete’s shoulders to hold on to his friend, and then Pete cautiously led him out of the gondola.

++++++++++

MacGyver regarded the gurney with the raised head-end with some reluctance when he saw it waiting for him. He was just about to protest about lying down on it when he noticed the stern look, Pete was observing him with. Obviously, Pete knew him well enough to know what he had been thinking. The Swiss doctor didn’t seem to be open for discussion concerning that fact either, so MacGyver swallowed his protest and let Pete help him lie down.

Walker’s jacket had slipped off his shoulders while Mac had gotten up, but Danielle had picked it up right after she’d retrieved Pete’s thin leather briefcase, and then had followed them to the platform.

Pete’s concentration stayed with MacGyver though, even when his friend was lying somewhat comfortably, while the Swiss doc set up an IV line, checked his vitals again, and MacGyver let out a deep relieved breath. After several moments, Mac realized that Pete’s hand was still on his arm. He turned his head to look at the older man, only to see him observing everything the doctor did very closely.

“Pete?” Mac addressed him low.

Pete’s head snapped around; his eyes met MacGyver’s weary gaze, but he didn’t respond.

“You promised,” MacGyver reminded him softly and shot both delegations on the platform a quick glance. “Go… please.”

Pete puffed out a breath, but then straightened himself and squared his shoulders. He still wasn’t all too happy about it, but remembered that he’d agreed.

“Yes, I did,” he sighed and squeezed MacGyver’s arm briefly before he let go. “Alright… I’ll see you later at the hospital.”

Mac nodded to him and then watched his friend turn around and take his case from Danielle… with his right hand that was stained with MacGyver’s blood. Danielle hurried to return the jacket to Walker, while Mac saw Pete draw in a deep breath and then take determined steps forward to meet the two delegations.

MacGyver noticed the expressions of both the Azmir and the Samadian Presidents ease up when Pete approached them, but he didn’t hear the beginning of their conversation anymore. The paramedics were already rolling him away.

Good thing, we were both there to welcome the delegations a week ago, Mac thought. The Azmirs know Pete and I are on the same page… they’ll trust him. He slowly let out a deep breath and relaxed onto the gurney while the medics took him through the building and outside again at the back, where the helicopter was waiting for him.

++++++++++

MacGyver didn’t remember much of the helicopter flight later on. With the medical team tending to him and keeping close watch on his condition, he’d felt safe and had allowed himself to let his guard down for the first time on this day. He’d succumbed to his thorough exhaustion and had drifted off into a half-sleep that had only been disturbed once they’d arrived at the Geneva hospital, where he’d instantly been rushed into one of the emergency rooms.

The doctor there had asked him about each and every detail of how he’d sustained all his injuries while he performed a meticulous examination. X-rays had been taken of his head, spine, shoulder and abdomen, together with an ultrasound exam of his side, close to the bullet wounds. He’d diagnosed a mild concussion, a bruised shoulder and was relieved that the bullet hadn’t caused any serious internal damage on its way through MacGyver’s body. The doctor had nevertheless decided that a short surgery was needed to suture a few ruptured blood vessels to minimize the risk of the wound starting to bleed again.

Soon after MacGyver had regained consciousness from the anesthesia, he’d been transferred to a single sick-room and hooked up to an IV. Although Mac had been dazed by the remnants of the anesthesia and his exhaustion, he’d noticed two Swiss policemen arguing with his doctor while the nurses had gotten him settled in his room. He’d tried to get what they’d been talking about, but had had difficulties paying attention and even more understanding their words.

After a few moments, Mac had seen how the doctor had shooed the police officers away anyway and had returned to his patient’s side. He’d checked the medication and the monitors, Mac had been connected to, and had told him that the surgery had gone well, before he’d left him alone with the advice to get some rest. MacGyver hadn’t needed the advice though. He’d been so drained of energy and worn out that he’d fallen asleep while the nurses had still been busy at his side.

++++++++++

I´m so sorry, but real life slowed me down during the past couple of days... so it took a little longer to proofread the last few pages...

But here it is - the final part of this novelization attempt. While writing this, I thought, after this day´s events, Mac and Pete might need to talk about a few things...

I´m still looking forward to feedback - especially now, after finishing this story. How did I do on my first novelization? What parts did - or didn´t - you enjoy?

Part 9

++++++++++

Silence was the first thing that greeted MacGyver when he slowly woke up. Next, he noticed the soft, warm bed with the raised head-end he was lying in and the vaguely familiar smell of antiseptic. A hospital? His dazed mind had trouble sorting his thoughts and memories at first, but then a throbbing in his head and his side reminded him of the day’s events and how and why he’d ended up in a hospital this time.

He sighed inwardly. Maybe the doctor had added a mild sedative to his medication mix that somewhat meddled with his mind, but the painkillers were obviously wearing off. MacGyver drew in a deep breath and stifled a low moan as he tried to shift a little in his bed, tried to find a more comfortable position.

“Don’t, MacGyver. Lie still.”

MacGyver froze tense. Although it was Pete’s familiar voice, it startled him a little. His eyes had still been closed; Mac hadn’t known that someone was here with him. He hadn´t expected it either. Slowly, he turned his head toward where he heard the rustling of clothes and blinked his eyes open. Pete’s image needed a moment to focus and steady itself as a slight wave of dizziness washed over MacGyver. He drew in another deep breath to fight the uncomfortable feeling and strove to relax his body again.

“Hey, Pete,” he greeted his friend hoarsely and then cleared his dried-out throat.

Pete got up from the chair beside the small table close to the side wall of the room and walked up to Mac’s bedside.

“Your doctor said, you shouldn’t move too much yet,” Pete explained his previous words.

Mac saw that he was still wearing his suit and tie, and that his shirt and jacket still bore a few dark, brownish-red stains. Must be my blood, Mac realized quickly. From while he held me in the gondola… probably when he helped the Azmir doc take care of…

“It’s good to have you back.” Pete’s concerned continuation cut off MacGyver’s thoughts. “How are you feeling?”

Mac took a second to internally assess his condition.

“Worn out,” he then offered with a still raspy voice. “Aching a little… but okay.”

“Glad to hear that,” Pete nodded.

He looks tired, Mac noted mentally. And he looks worried. MacGyver noticed a pen and some papers lying on the table Pete had been sitting next to, one of them being the peace agreement. Aww man, didn’t the signing go through as planned? The thought crossed Mac’s mind quickly and he frowned up concernedly at his friend and boss.

“Pete? What’s wrong?” he asked hurriedly. “You promised to stay at the mountain. Didn’t the signing ceremony…” He broke off when Pete raised a hand to stop him.

“Whoa… easy, MacGyver,” Pete interrupted the younger man. “You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours,” he explained after a deep breath. “Of course, I stayed… and made sure the treaty got signed and the Azmirs and the Samadians started communicating to each other again.” He sighed and a tired smile widened on his face. “It’s well past midnight by now.”

MacGyver’s frown turned from concerned to confused. The window that might have given him a clue about the current night- or daytime was at the opposite side of the room to where Pete was standing. He hadn’t looked outside yet.

“That’s good,” Mac nodded relieved. “But if it’s the middle of the night…why aren’t you back at your hotel? And sleeping?”

“Because I also promised to come and see you,” Pete stated a bit harshly but then regained his composure. “And because I wanted to tell you myself that, without Yanif being present, the talks went a lot easier. There’s still some mistrust… but they’ll be able to overcome it with a little help. Walker and his organization will be guiding and supporting them along their route to peace.”

Now MacGyver’s frown eased up and he returned a feeble smile. But when he drew in a deeper breath and opened his mouth to reply, his dried-out throat had him coughing. His whole body shook, and he pressed his eyes shut and bit back a moan when a stabbing pain raced through his side. Almost instantly, he sensed Pete’s hand on his arm.

“MacGyver?” his friend asked audibly worried. “You okay?”

After he’d regained control over his breath, Mac reopened his eyes, met Pete’s and nodded.

“Yeah,” he croaked, grateful that the raised head-end of his bed eased the strain on his side. “I’m fine… just the painkillers wearing off, I guess.”

The worried expression on Pete’s face deepened though, since MacGyver’s face had gone pale again.

“Shall I get you a doctor?” Pete queried hurriedly. “Do you need anything?”

“No, it’s not that bad.” Mac softly shook his head. “Relax, Pete.” He drew in a slow, controlled, deep breath while the pain let up again. “Just a little water, if you got some.”

“Sure,” Pete nodded and turned to a small table standing close to MacGyver’s bed.

When he turned back, he held a cup with a straw in it that he offered to MacGyver. Mac raised his hand to take it, noticed the IV line in his arm, he was still hooked up to, but Pete didn’t let go of the cup. He steadied it while MacGyver drank a few large gulps through the straw and then set it aside again. Mac had lifted his head a little to drink but now let it sink back into the pillow with a sigh. He closed his eyes for a beat as he relished the cool moisture soothing his mouth and throat.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile a moment later. “That’s a lot better.”

Pete squeezed Mac’s arm briefly in a silent, compassionate gesture, but his face stayed serious. He scrutinized his friend for a couple of moments, until Mac felt almost uncomfortable with the older man’s probing gaze.

“Pete?” MacGyver asked with curiously raised eyebrows to break the silence and find out what his friend was thinking. “What’s the matter?”

The older man drew in a deep breath and slowly it out in a quiet sigh.

“I’ve had a few hours to go over today’s events in my head while I’ve been sitting here… waiting for you to wake up,” Pete started out, straightened himself and let go of MacGyver’s arm. “Enough time to reconsider.” His eyes left MacGyver and he looked outside through the window on the opposite side of the room. He was silent for a beat as he carefully chose his words and strove to keep his composure.

“At midday, when you left the hotel instead of having lunch with me, Habad and Walker… you already had to have suspected something. Something about Yanif’s behavior must have tipped you off back then,” Pete continued. His gaze returned and found MacGyver’s. “You also had to have noticed that I didn’t pick up on it… but… why didn’t you warn me? Why did you have to head off on your own, especially since doing exactly that usually gets you into serious trouble? Why didn’t you just say something?”

The last few sentences tumbled faster out of Pete’s mouth than he had intended to; even his voice had risen a little toward the end. He drew in another deep breath afterward to calm himself down and to regain some control over all the tension that he’d bottled up during the day. For a second, MacGyver was surprised about how upset Pete had sounded, but he quickly realized that his long-time friend’s flaring temper was most likely caused by the all sorrow he had suffered from today.

“I couldn’t,” MacGyver replied quietly. “When I left the hotel… I had nothing more than a hunch… a gut feeling that they were up to something,” he explained.

“But MacGyver, after all the years we’ve known each other,” Pete cut in, still riled up. “You should know that I’ve learned to trust your ‘gut feelings’!”

“Yeah, I know that,” Mac quickly countered. “But all I had seen, was Yanif giving an order only to his aide; his aide handing a black case to a third man who then headed off to the park, and Yanif keeping to himself on the terrace and watching that park. He could just as well have kept his distance because he was disappointed with Habad not listening to him but agreeing to sign the peace treaty.”

Pete puffed out a breath.

“But nonetheless, you felt you had to take a closer look,” the older man insisted. “Alone… You could at least…”

“Pete, I needed to know what was going on first.” Now Mac interrupted his boss. “I only saw the sniper and his rifle when I came around the last corner… when he was already aiming at the terrace… at Habad. I just managed to tackle him the moment the shot went off. I had no idea that Yanif’s aide had noticed me until he struck me down from behind… and I certainly didn’t count on Yanif being bold enough to try and kill me, one of the main negotiators.”

Mac took a break to draw in a few slow controlled breaths after talking that much. He sensed his weakened state - probably due to the blood loss, he noted mentally - setting physical limits to him, he wasn’t used to. Pete noticed that Mac had to catch his breath and waited silently.

“What if I’d accused him on that terrace?” he then continued to explain a lot slower. “Right after Habad’s agreement to sign… while you, Habad and Walker were all so relaxed and happy about that huge step toward peace… with next to no information or even proof about what was going on… Who would have believed me? Habad might even have withdrawn his promise to sign the treaty. I couldn’t risk that.”

Pete was quiet for a couple of seconds while he processed MacGyver’s words. It all made sense, logically. As it always did with MacGyver. But then the memory of Yanif’s voice on the walkie-talkie flashed back into his mind, telling them that MacGyver was dead. His expression darkened immediately.

“I would have listened. I would have believed you,” Pete Thornton then said low. “Had you talked to me.”

“I know that, Pete,” Mac shot back, albeit a lot softer due to Pete’s sudden change of mood. “But I had no time.”

“Alright, alright, I get that… now,” Pete sighed, but then went silent.

The memory of the grief he’d felt about his friend’s death clenched his throat. He also noticed MacGyver getting weary despite the energetic sparkle in his eyes that he’d just defended his choices with… and he realized yet again how close he’d come to losing his friend today. It was an experience that scared him deeply… and that he didn’t have intention on repeating anytime soon. Pete lowered his eyes to the ground so MacGyver wouldn’t notice too much of his dark thoughts.

“Pete? … What’s bothering you?”

MacGyver’s softly spoken question broke Pete out of his musings. Of course, he thought to himself. With MacGyver’s finely honed observational skills… and since we’ve been friends for so many years… I should have known it’s hard to hide anything from him. He’s also not the one to let me get away with some ‘it’s nothing’-answer.

“Hey.”

Suddenly, Pete sensed the gentle touch of Mac’s long fingers on his arm. His eyes automatically snapped up to where the younger man had reached out and laid a hand on his arm to get his attention.

“There’s more to it… Talk to me, Pete, please,” MacGyver asked as if he’d read some of his friend’s thoughts. He’d noticed a brief flash of pain and sadness before Pete had looked away.

Pain and sorrow were still clearly visible on his expression when his eyes met MacGyver’s concerned gaze. Pete puffed out a breath. That man, he thought. Even now, he’s worrying about me…

“Yanif contacted Habad via radio right after they’d chased you to the cliff,” he recalled the, for him, worst moment of the day. “He told us, you’d been the sniper… and that they’d shot and killed you.”

For a moment, MacGyver was at a loss of words. He’d assumed that Yanif had presumed him to be dead after falling down the cliff – otherwise he’d never left him alone without anyone observing him – but that he’d been so quick to announce MacGyver’s death to everyone, surprised Mac a little. He could barely imagine how Pete must have felt and was still trying to figure out how to console his friend when the other man continued.

“Habad was understandably angry – also with me - and I left the hotel as quickly as possible to get information about what had happened.” Pete related. “I knew, whatever they accused you of couldn’t be true… but I had no reason to doubt Yanif’s word about you being dead. Having them lead me through to forest toward where they’d left your body behind was…” Pete’s words trailed off and he held his breath for a beat.

MacGyver didn’t wait though until his friend had found the right words to express what he’d been feeling back then.

“I’m sorry, Pete,” Mac said and softly squeezed Pete’s arm. “I didn’t want to cause you…”

“Oh, stop it, MacGyver!” Pete cut him off sharply. “I know that causing me sorrow wasn’t your intention.” Then he let out a long sigh. “Habad didn’t let me join the search for you after we’d realized that you were still alive. He just wouldn’t let me help.”

Mac could see how Pete was still shaken by the harrowing experience.

“The doctor said, I’ll be fine,” MacGyver tried to calm his friend’s troubled mind. “And that they’ll let me out of here already in a few days.” A tired smile widened on his face during his attempt to ease up Pete’s inner tension.

“I know that too,” Pete huffed before he fell silent for a beat. “I’ve talked to your doctor, you know?” he then continued a lot calmer and softer. “I also know you just did what you felt you had to do… and you saved a lot of people by following your instincts… Don’t get me wrong, MacGyver. I’m grateful for it.”

“But that doesn’t stop you from worrying about me, right?” Mac cut in.

“No,” Pete admitted low. “Although… after all the years I’ve known you… and your penchant for getting yourself into trouble… One might expect, I’d be better prepared for it.” A lopsided and slightly pained smile lightened up Pete’s serious expression.

MacGyver’s smile sobered up though, despite Pete’s attempt at humor.

“I appreciate you being there for me every time I get in too deep…” he replied sincerely. “Like today.”

“Today?” Pete echoed with a confused frown. “MacGyver, your concussion must be worse than your doctor has diagnosed!” he continued exasperatedly after a beat. “It was you who tackled the sniper and also you who saved us from the bomb under the gondola. I was merely there to help you sit down after everything was over.”

MacGyver slowly shook his head.

“I wouldn’t even have made it on board of the gondola,” he corrected his friend. “Had you not convinced Habad to trust me. His guard would have shot me off the tower while I was still climbing.”

Pete’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You saw him aim?” he asked unbelievingly, and MacGyver nodded silently.

“And you kept climbing nevertheless?” Pete continued baffled.

Mac nodded again. “I knew, you’d convince Habad I wasn’t there to harm anyone,” he explained. “I trusted you to keep me alive.”

Pete puffed out a breath with MacGyver’s open declaration and his own point of view on the tense situation.

“I couldn’t have done it alone,” the older man admitted after a moment. “That girl you met at the school… she’d warned us about the bomb over the car’s radio a minute before Walker noticed you climbing the tower… and she told us about Yanif being behind the assassination attempt when I urged her to tell us everything she knew… once Habad’s guard had his gun trained at you.”

“Lisa,” Mac nodded knowingly but also sensed a small pang of guilt in his chest. He hadn’t thought about her after he’d sent her off to talk to the Swiss police, once they’d seen the convoy leave at the hotel. He’d concentrated fully on the bomb, on how to get rid of it, and hadn’t known what she’d achieved in the meantime. Until now.

“I met her after the signing ceremony,” Pete added with a smile. “Bright girl. Thanks to her testimony, you’re not considered ‘armed and dangerous’ anymore.”

MacGyver nodded with relief, but then Pete’s face went serious again.

“The Swiss police still wants to talk to you, though,” he continued. “You’re still considered a suspect until they’ve finished their investigation. Your doctor has insisted they’ll have to wait at least until tomorrow, but there’s an officer positioned outside your room… making sure you won’t try to flee.”

“Oh…” Mac nodded again, somewhat baffled this time. He’d expected the police wanting to question him; he’d noticed the doctor shooing them away earlier, but an officer standing guard at his door?

Then he remembered that he’d caught the sniper’s rifle that Yanif had tossed at him. His fingerprints were all over the weapon that had been used during the first attempt on President Habad’s life. It was only natural that the Swiss police would conduct a thorough investigation. He slowly let out a deep breath. Yanif’s, his aide’s and the sniper’s prints also had to be on the rifle. MacGyver was confident he would be able to clear up everything once he got the chance to give his statement about what had happened today.

But he appreciated that the doctor had ordered the police to wait. Although he’d slept a couple of hours – according to Pete – he was still worn out and clearly felt how weakened he was. His exhaustion was weighing him down and tiring him. He started to have difficulties concentrating and felt his eyelids getting heavier. Not to mention the throbbing in his head and in his side.

“I’m thankful for the guard at your door,” Pete stated after a moment, when Mac didn’t continue and broke his friend out of his thoughts. “He’s there for your safety as well. We still don’t know if only Yanif and those two men were involved… or if his conspiracy runs deeper. There might still be a Samadian out there trying to make sure you won’t be able to testify… And I admit, I’m glad he also makes sure, you’re staying put in this bed… at least for a while.”

“Getting out of this bed? Fleeing? Me? Pete!” MacGyver instantly protested with a look of mock indignation. Then he chuckled with a mischievous grin when his friend didn’t seem to be amused with his answer. “No, seriously, Pete.” Mac sobered up but still smiled. “There’s nothing else I wanna do right now but rest… and sleep.”

Now Pete returned the smile, although it still had the fatherly protective tinge of concern, MacGyver had gotten to know so well during all the years he knew Pete Thornton.

“Of course,” Pete replied with a nod. He’d noticed that the younger man was getting tired again. “I’ve kept you awake for way too long. Will you be able to go back to sleep by yourself or shall I call you a doctor?”

“I’ll be fine,” Mac assured, sensing that he’d be fast asleep once he closed his eyes again. “No need to bother them… and you look like you could use some rest yourself.”

“You’re right,” Pete agreed, letting his weariness show through his façade for the first time. They’d both already been drained after a week of tense negotiations this morning, but his last day had topped it off. “I’ll get back to the hotel and catch a few hours of sleep before I make sure both delegations get home safely tomorrow…” He glanced at the clock on the wall and remembered that it was already past midnight. “Or rather today… I guess, I’ll have enough time to come by and see you afterward.”

A feeble, but genuine smile widened on MacGyver’s features. His hand was still lying on Pete’s arm and now he squeezed it softly.

“I’d appreciate that.” His brown eyes held Pete’s gaze silently for a moment. “Thanks, Pete.”

“Thank you, MacGyver.” Pete Thornton let out a deep sigh, turned his arm and let his hand find MacGyver’s arm. He returned the squeeze. For – once again – putting your life on the line for the greater good, Pete added mentally. For being just who you are. “Now rest. Sleep. Have a good night,” he said aloud.

“See ya, Pete,” Mac replied.

They held on to each other silently for another second, both men glad about the fact that the other was still alive and breathing before they let go, and Pete stepped back to the table. He gathered the pen and the papers he’d been working on before Mac had woken up into his case and then strode toward the door. He grabbed the door’s handle, shot MacGyver a last look over his shoulder, saw him smiling tiredly, and then left the room. Pete nodded to the police officer standing guard just outside the door and headed off toward the elevators that would take him downward to the hospital’s main entrance. He’d take a taxi back to his hotel.

A wave of relief washed through Pete and lightened his steps as he walked along the corridor. MacGyver would heal. He’d be alright. He hadn’t done what Yanif and his men had accused him of – not that Pete had believed their words for even a second. He’d survived their efforts to kill him to keep him from revealing the truth. Pete Thornton let out another deep sigh as he stepped into the elevator car. Now, he’d finally be able to sleep quietly himself.

++++++++++

MacGyver watched his friend leave and the door fall closed behind him before he let his gaze wander around his sick-room. He caught a glimpse of the nightly Geneva city lights visible through the window, the monitors recording his vitals and the IV line connected to his arm. Slowly, he let out a deep breath as he fully relaxed onto the mattress and the pillow. The warmth and softness of the bed helped ease the remaining tension in his sore body.

Pete’s safe, the peace agreement has been signed, President Habad is alive and will hopefully lead his country toward a more peaceful era… so far, so good, even if today’s events have ended me up in the hospital, he inwardly summed up the day. In the end, everything has worked out just fine today. MacGyver let his tired eyes fall closed and drifted off into a restful, quiet sleep within a matter of moments.

++++++++++

MacGyver headed out of the International School and toward the taxi waiting for him on another beautiful, sunny day. He climbed into the rear seat, closed the door and asked the driver to take him to the hotel, the Samadian delegation had resided in until a few days ago. He’d expected to be able to meet Lisa here, at the school, before he’d be flying back home, but after asking for her, he’d only been greeted by the headmaster of the school.

Mac had recognized the man as the one, who’d talked to Lisa on the lawn, whereas Headmaster Blake had regarded MacGyver with quite some suspicion at first. Mac hadn’t blamed the man; the police had told him MacGyver was the main suspect for having carried out an assassination attempt a few days ago, after all. That he’d been cleared of all charges in the meantime had kept the headmaster from calling the police instantly, but he’d nevertheless been reluctant about sharing any details about Lisa’s whereabouts at first. Mac hadn’t blamed the man for being concerned he might get Lisa into trouble again either.

After MacGyver’s assurance that he just wanted to say goodbye to her, Headmaster Blake had finally told him that Lisa wasn’t at the school at the moment but had left for lunch with her parents. Mac had thanked the headmaster and returned to the taxi he’d asked to wait for him previously.

When he leaned back in his seat now, as the driver took off, MacGyver pondered about the headmaster’s words. Her parents? Together? Lunch? Today, after they’d never even made it to ‘parents’ day’ before? Hadn’t Lisa told him they were about to get divorced? Mac wasn’t sure if this meant good or bad news for the young girl.

His thoughts wandered back while he watched the scenery pass by the taxi. He’d spent a lot of his time in the hospital resting and sleeping. MacGyver hadn’t had full access to the news coverage of the incident while he’d been holed up in the hospital, so he had no idea how much the press had concentrated on her part in it. Two police officers had kept him quite busy on the first two days with their questions. His doctor had stopped them after only two hours on the first day, once he’d noticed Mac getting weary. On the second day, when his condition had improved sufficiently, he’d given his testimony for another few hours, and the officers had finally been satisfied. Pete had also been there to visit him; had told him that Walker had already finished arranging everything for the delegations’ return home by the morning, when Pete had met him. Pete’s only remaining task had been to bid both the Samadians and the Azmirs goodbye and wish them a safe trip home.

Unfortunately, a phone call from the Phoenix Foundation had reached Pete Thornton on the morning of day two. Another crisis had arisen, and the board of directors had demanded his presence back home. Pete had protested, had told them about MacGyver having gotten injured and still being in the hospital, but it had been no use. He’d been forced to head directly to the airport after a very short visit to MacGyver on the second day, and had flown back to L.A.

So MacGyver had been mostly alone on day three, and finally been allowed to read some newspapers and watch TV. The doctors and nurses had done a good job at keeping the journalists away from him after the police had stopped guarding his room. Yesterday, on the morning of day four, the Swiss doctor had been satisfied with the recovery of his patient, had noticed MacGyver getting itchy already, and had agreed to Mac’s urge to release him. He’d warned Mac to still be very cautious because of the stitches that held his bullet wound together and had demanded a check-up appointment on the next morning.

The doctor had also notified Pete, and Pete had made sure that a room in another hotel and MacGyver’s belongings had been waiting for him on his release, since the hotel the Samadian delegation had resided in, had returned to its usual business after the end of the negotiations. Pete had also arranged the flights that would take him back home today, in the evening, since his doctor had agreed to him travelling during their appointment today. Mac had spent yesterday with clearing a few last issues with the police, buying a new backpack and delivering it to Danielle at the tram, and taking a nice, quiet stroll along the Lake Geneva in the evening. He’d eased himself into the day this morning after having slept well, packed his bags, met the doctor and afterward headed to the school, in the hope of meeting Lisa during her lunch break.

But she hadn’t been there… and now he was being driven back to the hotel where it all had started. The memories of that day popped up in his mind during the taxi ride. He’d been tense and excited once the President of the Republic of Azmir had told him he’d be willing to sign the peace agreement. He’d hurried back to the hotel and had shared the good news with Pete. President Habad had also agreed – although his Minister of Defense had objected vehemently.

Right then, MacGyver had sensed that something was wrong. Following his gut feeling, he’d declined Habad’s offer to have lunch with them and left the hotel… not knowing what kind of trouble he’d been about to stumble into. Subconsciously, he winced as he remembered how he’d gotten shot and fallen down the cliff.

“We’ve arrived, Sir.”

The taxi driver’s words broke MacGyver out of his reverie as he pulled the car to a stop on the hotel’s parking lot. MacGyver straightened himself in his seat and returned his gaze to the man in the front. He paid the driver, thanked him and gingerly got out of the car. This time, he didn’t ask the driver to wait for him. With Lisa’s parents being here with her, Mac had the feeling this visit probably wouldn’t be as short as he’d expected the one in the school to be.

He strode over the parking lot toward the back of the hotel, since he assumed Lisa and her parents would have chosen a table outside on the terrace for their lunch due to the beautiful weather. The sight of the long wooden staircase triggered another memory in his head as he approached it. He’d hurried it downward a couple of days ago, strung tight and worried about what Yanif and his men might be up to… and it almost had gotten him killed. MacGyver shoved the thought aside quickly. He’d heal. It had all turned out well. Yanif and his men would have to face justice.

Everything felt considerably different today. Since he had no official duties anymore, he’d foregone the formal slacks and suit jacket and opted for his usual dress code. Jeans, a t-shirt and a casual jacket – clothes that would also be comfortable during the long flights back home in the evening.

Mac drew in a deep breath and headed up the stairs with his usual athletic fluidity, but close to the top, his body reminded him that he was nowhere near the top of his game yet. He had to slow down as he sensed a sharp pain racing through his left side. His right hand automatically flinched protectively toward the gunshot wound, and MacGyver puffed out a deep breath while he continued his way a lot slower. He could practically hear his doctor’s words replaying in his head, urging him to take it easy. Mac was grateful that the sudden throbbing faded relatively fast, as did the pained expression on his face.

He walked up the last few stairs more cautiously and immediately scanned the terrace with his eyes as he came around the corner at the end of the staircase. He quickly spotted the girl sitting at the table closest to him, flanked by what had to be her parents, and his face lit up with a smile.

Lisa was looking through the offerings on the menu when she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye and looked up. A beaming smile widened on her face when she saw who’d just arrived at the terrace.

“MacGyver!” she exclaimed excitedly, laid the menu aside and got out of her chair to meet him.

MacGyver’s smile broadened even more, and he waved at her from the distance. When she hurried toward him, Mac took a few steps forward.

“Hi!” he greeted the girl and bent a little lower to her. He met her by the wooden rail and leaned sideways against it to reduce the strain on his weakened body. “Listen, I stopped by the school to say goodbye and they told me you were here,” he offered as an explanation for his appearance.

“Thanks,” Lisa replied, but quickly asked. “How are you feeling?” She had seen him bleeding badly and hardly able to stay on his feet a few days ago, and his condition seemed to have improved, but she was concerned nonetheless.

“Umm…” MacGyver glanced toward his side and thought about his answer for a beat. He only sensed an echo of the sharp throbbing he’d felt a few moments ago, and the painkillers, the doctor had prescribed him, kept the headache he would be dealing with due to his concussion in check. No need to worry her, he decided internally.

“I’m better,” Mac assured her. His smile had briefly wavered, but his expression brightened again. “How about you?”

“Great!” Lisa beamed up at him. “Guess what? My parents are here.”

Mac glanced toward the table a couple of feet away from them and observed her parents talking to each other for a moment before he returned his gaze to Lisa.

“Both of them. Together,” the girl continued excitedly. “They heard everything on the news and came running.”

“How are they getting along?” MacGyver asked a bit concerned. Of course, he remembered what Lisa had told him about the state of their marriage. The last thing this girl deserved after how bravely she’d helped him was another shouting match. But her people didn’t look like it.

“Well, I told them what I told you, and I’ve got them to sit down at the same table,” Lisa answered with a little shrug. “It’s a start.”

“Yeah,” Mac agreed with some relief.

“I kind of lifted a few principles from you and Mr. Thornton’s peace proposal,” Lisa related further.

“Yeah? Like what?” Now MacGyver got curious. Pete hadn’t told him that he’d given Lisa a chance to read at least parts of the peace treaty that had ended the war between the Azmirs and the Samadians.

“Well, for starters, everybody’s got a right to have a place they can call home, right?” Lisa started to explain.

MacGyver nodded silently while he subconsciously bit his lower lip. The positive energy radiating from her and the happiness he saw in her had him excited as well.

“And the right to live there peacefully, without fighting, right?” the girl continued.

“Right.” Mac nodded his agreement in hopeful anticipation of what she would tell him next.

“So I told them I wanted to live back home,” Lisa related. “The three of us on a trial basis.”

MacGyver had assumed something like it, but was impressed she’d found the courage to go through with it.

“What’d they say to that?” he asked interested in the outcome.

“We’re negotiating the fine points;” Lisa chuckled overjoyed. “They’ve agreed on a cease fire.”

“That’s terrific.” Mac smiled broadly with the news. “Good for you.” He’d hoped, Lisa’s parents would at least somehow reconnect to their daughter, but that they’d called off their divorce and had agreed to live together as a family again was more than he’d expected.

“Thanks for caring, MacGyver.” Lisa beamed up at him again and then closed in to hug him.

She gave Mac a quick peck on the cheek when he leaned down to return the hug. Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck and they briefly held each other before parting again. MacGyver held both her hands and squeezed them for a second after he had straightened himself and then let go. Lisa shot him another wide smile before she turned and went to sit with her parents again.

They both looked at Lisa as she sat down and then up at MacGyver, who couldn’t help but smile broadly at seeing the family reunited. A chuckle escaped him when he, all of a sudden, was at the center of their attention. Lisa’s father seemed to measure him for a moment and then got up from his chair at the table. MacGyver instinctively stood up straight when the tall man in the suit approached him.

“Hello, I’m Eric Woodman, Lisa’s father,” the man greeted him with a serious expression and reached out with his hand.

“MacGyver,” Mac answered with a smile as he shook Woodman’s hand. His apprehension grew when Lisa’s father didn’t let go of his hand as expected.

“So I heard,” Woodman answered as he eyed MacGyver probingly again. “So you’re the man who got my daughter into potentially lethal danger a few days ago?”

MacGyver’s smile froze while Woodman slowly let go of his hand.

“I… umm…” he stammered as his mind went into high gear in search for an explanation. He had no idea what Lisa had told her parents about their ‘little adventure’ – or what they’d heard in the news. “I had to ask for her help,” Mac then said with a small apologetic shrug. “I didn’t have much choice at the time.”

“I heard about that as well,” Eric Woodman nodded and drew in a deep breath. “The experience and, I guess, also meeting you has caused quite a change in Lisa… and her behavior.”

“It did?” MacGyver asked cautiously, but also with an attempt at innocence. He forced himself to smile again despite still being wary about where this conversation was going and if Lisa’s father was about to accuse him of anything.

“It did.” Eric Woodman confirmed and squared his shoulders. “And I’m impressed with it.”

MacGyver slowly let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

“Impressed?” he echoed as he relaxed a little inwardly. That answer was a lot better than what he expected – or been worried about.

“Yes, of course.” Eric Woodman’s expression lightened up and he smiled at MacGyver for the first time. “My wife and I would like to take the opportunity to also get to know you,” he continued after a beat. “I hope you haven’t had lunch yet… and would be willing to join us.” He half-turned, and gestured toward the table where Lisa and her mother were looking through the menu again.

Mac hesitated for a few seconds. He hadn’t expected an invitation, given the serious expression Lisa’s father had approached him with in the first place. But he had enough time to spare until he had to gather his stuff at his hotel and head to the airport… and he hadn’t had lunch yet. A smile widened on his face.

“I’d be happy to,” MacGyver agreed.

Woodman nodded and instantly turned back to the table. He waved at one of the waiters and asked him to get one more chair for their guest while he walked back to his family. MacGyver drew in a deep breath and then followed Lisa’s father. While Lisa beamed up at him again as he approached the table, Lisa’s mother eyed him probingly. Her welcome was friendly though, when Mac bent down to greet her before he sat down on the chair the waiter had quickly retrieved for him.

He’d helped negotiate a peace agreement between countries which had been at war for a long time… maybe he’d also be able to help Lisa and her parents settle their differences and find their way back to a peaceful and happy family life.


THE END