Pan Am flight 5622 to Detroit from LAX slowly filled with bored travelers. MacGyver flipped through the Sky magazine absently. He kept his dark rimmed glasses focussed on the slow line of people waddling down the narrow aisle looking for their seats.

"Anything?" Mac asked quietly.

"Nothing so far," Riley said over the comm in his ear. Mac frowned and sighed.

"At this rate, we'll end up flying all the way to Detroit," Jack grumbled. Mac smiled and fought the urge to turn and look at his partner.

"Assuming you don't get blown up on the way," Matty added over the com.

"There is that," Mac said. He sat up frowning. A small woman with a bird-like bony frame came toward him. Even behind her green-rimmed glasses, Mac could see her eyes darting around the cabin with almost palpable desperation. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was prematurely aged.

"Something, Mac?" Jack asked.

"Riley, this woman in blue?"

"C'mon man, she hardly looks like a terrorist." Jack protested. The woman slid into the window seat behind Mac, in the third row back from first class.

"Her name is Jennifer Langston; I don't see anything unusual about her," Riley said.

"That's the point," Mac said. All of his team could pick up a tension in his voice.

"Mac, what are you thinking?" Matty asked.

"I've seen that look before."

"What look?"

"Riley, did she book with a kid?" Mac asked. He could hear the tapping of her keyboard then she gasped.

"It says here she book two seats, one for her and one for her ten-year-old son, how did you know?" Mac gritted his teeth and stood up ducking under the luggage containers and mixing into the line of people with a friendly smile and apology.

"Her bags," Mac whispered.

"I didn't see that," Jack said impressed.

"What?" Matty asked.

"She has a business portfolio and a Power Ranger's backpack," Mac whispered.

"Oh, the Power Rangers!" Riley said.

"That's not the one I'm worried about," Mac grunted as he impatiently waited for a woman to try to stuff a large carry on into a luggage area half its size.

"Why?" Matty asked. Mac frowned wishing just once he didn't have to explain what he was doing or thinking of someone.

"When was the last time you've seen a briefcase with wires in its handle."

"Shit, let me move," Jack whispered.

"No, keep a lookout there'll be a minder." Mac slid into the seat beside the woman. The woman jumped and skittered as far away from him as she could.

"Th...that seat's taken." The woman said in a high pitched squeak.

"I'm sorry, I guess they overbooked, I was told to sit in this seat because the guy never checked in."

"That's not right, I checked in my…" The woman's pale face went ash white; her eyes darted to one of the flight attendants, a tall man with a brush of dirty blond hair shaved along the sides. Mac could see the blue points of a tattoo along the man's neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure it was just a mix-up. I'll call the flight attendant." The woman grabbed his arm, her fingers digging in with panic.

"NO, no that's alright." Mac smiled gently and opened his magazine. The woman's eyes were wet with tears; she turned to stare out the window.

"Riley, blond flight attendant," Mac whispered looking up at the man.

"Want me to take him out?" Jack asked.

"No, he might have a dead man's switch. If he doesn't, he'll get off the plane just before we leave." Mac said softly. "Matty?"

"Already have units in the area."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then he's all yours, big guy."

"I can't find anything about him," Riley said. Mac looked down as the man glared at him.

"He's been to prison in Russia." Jack offered.

"What? How do you know?" Riley asked.

"Tatoo, looks like an enforcer been through three times," Mac said as he surreptitiously eyed the tattoo.

"Crap," Jack muttered. "Russian mafia?" Mac licked his lips. There was only a small group of passengers left standing.

"Do you have a pen?" Mac asked the woman beside him. She jumped and clutched the brief case, her eyes widened with panic. Mac smiled warmly. The woman relaxed a little and fished in the Power Ranger back pack.

"Pencil ok?" She asked around a noose in her throat.

"That's perfect, thank you." Mac leaned over the magazine as if he were going to do the crossword. Sat back and offered the woman her pencil, when she went to take it Mac put the paper out instead. Her eyes widened and automatically traveled to the flight attendant who was watching her as closely as a cobra. Mac turned the page.

"That was clever." Matty said.

"What'd ya do?" Jack asked.

"He wrote her a note." He glanced at her, Jennifer her remembered. She hunched forward and closed her eyes. She glanced at him and nodded. Mac nodded back.

"Crap." Matty said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"They have her wired for surveillance, Riley?"

"I'm trying, but it's on the airport's public WI-FI it'll take too long to separate out her signal from the others." Mac frowned.

"We'll have to wait until we're in the air." He said softly. The engines roared to life, and the pilot came over the intercom telling the flight crew to prepare for taking off.

"Our boy's not getting off." Jack commented. Mac sighed. "This means plan B doesn't it?" Jack said. Mac could hear the grin in the older man's voice.

"I think our plan A should automatically be plan B." Riley said. Mac rolled his eyes and did up his seat belt. He looked down at the Russian man began to walk down checking the overhead luggage compartments. Mac's heart pounded as the man drew along side his seat. He studied the man out of the corner of his eye. The man leaned over him. Jennifer shrank back, her eyes wide as plates.

"We'll be taking off soon; I suggest you hold onto your luggage tightly." The man hissed at the terrified woman. Mac glanced up at him and forced his eyes to shy away as if he were afraid of the goon. Mac studied him as he continued down the aisle. The man returned the front and began to go through the mechanical safety demonstrations.

"Does anybody else think it's creepy for this guy to do safety instructions?"

"Ironic, for sure." Mac mumbled. "Before they turn on the in-flight WI FI, Jack you need to take him out fast and quiet."

"Got it, what about you?"

"I'm going to kill their monitoring then take care of the bomb."

"Could you please not say kill?" Riley said worry in her voice. Mac grimaced. She had a point. Mac slowly pulled out his Swiss army knife. Both he and Jack had air marshal badges so had been allowed to keep their weapons, although Jack's Baretta wouldn't be any help in flight.

"What about the dead man's switch?" Jack asked.

"Didn't see any." Mac glanced back casually. Jack nodded. As soon as the seat belt sign beeped off, Jack ducked out of his seat and walked forward. Mac turned to Jennifer.

"Where'd they put the communicator?" He asked. She stared at him wide-eyed.

"I'll get you out of this, I promise, but we don't have time." She pulled up her sleeve. Mac grimaced. He leaned over and gazed at the patch attached to her wrist with wires that twisted around the handle. "Jack, I need your watch!" Mac called. Passengers cried out, and Mac heard swearing and crashing sounds coming from the galley in front of first class.

"'Bit busy...right...now." Jack wheezed. Mac huffed he undid his seat belt and scanned the passengers around him. Of all days to forget his watch! Mac railed at himself. Finally, Mac smiled. He dashed down the aisle to an elderly lady sitting in the back seat beside a narrow plane wheelchair. Mac knelt beside her. He could imagine her baking cookies for her grandchildren. Before Mac could open his mouth, her face turned into a mask of intense annoyance.

"What the hell do you want?" She growled. Mac sighed and pulled out his badge.

"Air Marshall, I need your watch." Mac said almost feeling the seconds as they counted down. Over the com, Mac could hear Jack grunt and air whoosh out of his partner.

"Bullshit, you just come and take shit…" Mac's desperation turned into frustration. He leaned forward grabbing the arms of the woman's seat. Her eyes widened.

"Look, there's a bomb on this plane and unless you want to get blown into confetti give me the fucking watch." He hissed. She scraped it off her wrist.

"Damn, dude, that was a bit harsh." Jack said. Mac heard another crash, and someone in first class screamed. Mac ignored it all and returned to his seat. He worked quickly popping open the watch and cutting the wires, he attached them inside the watch and closed the watch again. Mac smiled at Jennifer grabbed the portfolio and dashed to the back of the plane. He dropped to the carpet and carefully opened the case. Luckily it wasn't booby trapped.

Unfortunately, it was a bomb with 20 seconds left on the clock.

"Crap." Mac muttered.

"Crap? What do you mean crap?" Matty demanded.

"Semtex, these guys are serious."

"Well, get to it bud." Mac jumped his breath catching when Jack spoke at his elbow. Jack grinned around a split lip and bloody nose. Mac rolled his eyes and leaned in closer focusing on the wires. He frowned. The style of the bomb was familiar, too familiar. Shit. What can kill you now, what can kill you later, he reminded himself. He carefully reached in with a steady hand and snipped two wires. The countdown stopped. "Great job!" Jack breathed. Mac ignored him and carefully removed the explosive and wires. "Mac, what are you doing? Why aren't you done?" Mac pulled back a final layer of 3D printed membrane and sat back his eyes closing.

"Son of a bitch! Is that another…"

"Yes." Mac muttered. He could feel the device under his hands start to whir and hum. Mac frowned, there was no explosive in the second device. He sat back and bit his lip.

"What's wrong? You know I don't like that look when you're looking at a bomb." Mac's eyes widened.

"Shit." He hissed. His eyes darted around him. He rose up and crossed to the wheelchair.

"What are you doing that's mine! I swear I know air plane companies don't care about service…" Mac tuned her out sliding off one of the leg braces. Jack bent over her to calm her down. Her voice increased in volume as she got wound up.

"Will you shut up, you ol' cow!" Jack finally hissed at her.

"Well, I never…" Mac crossed to the side of the plane and felt along a seam. He stood up, swung the metal brace back and slammed it against the wall. Passengers began to scream. Jack stepped forward holding out his badge and talked to them using his horse-whisperer voice to keep them calm. Mac glanced over at the device it was spinning faster, and he could see blue sparks start to build. Desperation made Mac attack the shell of the plane as if he were chopping down a tree. Finally, the rivets holding the sheet of metal on gave away. Mac reached in and pulled at it. He grimaced with pain and ignored the blood running down the metal and his hand. It pulled away leaving a six-inch opening.

Mac tugged at the foam, fiberglass, and padding coughing at the itchy fibers as they flew around him. Mac smiled. Finally, he had a thick aluminum mesh exposed. He turned back to the device and disconnected one wire and attached to another. The device was now one continuous spark. Mac ducked back, his hand protecting his eyes. He was dimly aware of Jack yelling at him. Mac looked at him with a pained resignation. Before Jack could say anything, Mac grabbed the mesh of the airplane with his right hand, then the sparking machine with his left. His face was instantly red; his muscles shook and tightened. His mouth opened as he gasped for air. Jack looked at him horrified.

"MAC!" Mac felt burning in his left hand, a flash of agony, burning in his right hand, then nothing. Jack sat frozen. He could see an arc of lightning cross from the sparking device through Mac's chest to the wall of the plane. All of the lights went off then flashed back on. There was a blue bolt of light out the window by the tail fin, then everything was normal. Mac's eyes rolled back in his head, and he flopped back onto the carpet not moving.

"Mac? C'mon buddy." Jack felt panic shake his heart hard. Mac's body began twitching. Jack reached over with a shaking hand.

"Jack, what's going on?"

"Are you guys ok?" Jack barely heard his teammate's voices. He concentrated on feeling for a pulse. His eyes widened in panic when he realized there wasn't one.