The car rolled into a free parking space as Macgyver and jack took a few seconds to stare at the oversized buildings attached. They were both staring out the windows, watching students pace the cobbled paths as they headed towards class.
"Think we'll get lucky and run into him coming out?" jack joked, smiling at Macgyver, who'd taken a keen interest in the building he presumed the be the fraternity house.
"Doubt it. Doesn't look too welcoming." Macgyver said, looking back at Jack who'd noticed the exterior of the building. Battered walls and smashed windows, fresh glass scattered around the porch and grass.
"Looks like someone got paid a visit." Jack said, Macgyver agreeing for the moment. The state of the place would give that impression, but as the men entered, they found that maybe they were wrong. As they walked through the front door that was barely hanging on to the wall, they were met with several drunken men who were still throwing busts through windows.
"Or maybe they're just drunk." Macgyver said, relatively unimpressed as one of them used the plant next to them as a home for his shots the night before. Shuffling away from the man and ducking under toilet paper they attempted to find someone of a sound mind.
It took some searching but the eventually found themselves stalking the upper floor bedrooms for someone, the pair splitting up to investigate rooms on either side of the building. Jack begrudgingly glancing in on each room, varying grunts escaping his lips as he passed by. Macgyver on the other hand, passed by empty room after empty room. Well, until he came to the only partially closed door in the building. Most of the door were either on the floor, barely hanging on or wide open, yet here was one that had something to hide.
A casual knock on the wood before Macgyver opened it to reveal a young lad, probably just a few years younger than him, packing a laptop into his bag before looking over at Macgyver.
"Uh, can I help you?" He asked, a nervous cough followed, crossing his arms and refusing to maintain eye contact didn't help.
"Dominic Hermwood, I presume?" Macgyver asked, the lad letting out a worried sigh before finally striking eye contact with the agent.
"What's it to you?"
"You were the last person to talk with a Mr, Kurt Woeld, correct?"
"You're looking into Kurt?" He asked, his arms dropping to his side as he relaxed, scratching his ear before glancing back at his laptop. "I mean. Yes, I spoke to him last night. We always do, share class notes."
"Mr Hermwood, even if I wasn't aware that you two are on completely different curriculums, we've seen the messages you shared." Macgyver explained, wandering further into the room and briefly closing the door again, hoping to keep some of the privacy. Dominic sighed in frustration as he slumped onto the bed, head in hands as he paused, thinking of his response.
"I thought the police couldn't get into the laptop?" He asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
"They couldn't, but that's why my employer sent our best IT expert. So you have her to thank for uncovering it all."
"I didn't do, I didn't kidnap my best friend if that's what you want to ask."
"Hadn't crossed my mind actually." Macgyver said, seeing the stress build in the pulsing veins on the kids' head. "But I do think you can tell me what he was doing at least."
"Something he shouldn't have been doing." He muttered, pausing as if in a trance, staring blankly at the wall as Macgyver stood in front of him. After a few moments he came back to reality and explained, "sorry, I mean. It wasn't exactly…"
"Legal?"
"Yeah…" He mumbled, his hands clenched together. "A couple days ago Kurt started getting…weird. He, was hanging out with new people and shoplifting and getting in trouble at lectures."
"What new people?"
"I don't know, I never met them and he didn't talk much about them aside from using them as an excuse. You know the whole, 'well they did it, so I'm just going along' sort of thing." He said, looking at his bag again, before getting to his feet and wandering over to the window. "But that was just the start. He said his friends knew this guy…Adam, and he…he had ties to the dark web, the deep web or whatever."
"That's some real intense stuff to be messing with."
"Yeah I figured when he brought up selling organs. That was just one that he found. I mean, when I saw him out and about I asked him why he was doing it. It seemed like a lot of effort for a small bout of rebellion."
"Did he give you reason?"
"No. He just said, he was looking for something, and he wasn't going to stop till he found it. But he never said why." Dominic said, almost disappointed. There was another pause before looking back at Macgyver.
"Do you know why he didn't have a lock on the door?" Macgyver asked, and Dominic seemed to pause in thought, thinking about it.
"I think he got it removed just before he started the whole web thing. Said he wanted to live on the edge a little. I said it completely moronic…I guess I was right on that front."
"Thank you Mr, Hermwood. If anything, else comes to mind…" Macgyver said, leaving the room to see Jack sauntering down the hallway.
"Find anything?" He asked, as the two walked back to the car.
"Yes, and I think we need to perhaps Riley will have to give us a lesson in computer tech."
"Oh god." Jack grumbled, starting up the car. "I change my mind, let's just stay out here." He joked, driving off in the direction of the police station.