The wipers of the GTO couldn't keep up with the sheets of rain running down the windshield. Jack blinked and rubbed his red-rimmed eyes. He hadn't slept since Mac had disappeared yesterday. Was it two days? Jack didn't even know what day it was. Being one of the best spies in the world, Riley had been unable to find him using everything she could touch. Bozer and Jack had gone through all of Mac's haunts and friends. Now there were only two places he would have gone-Mission City and his cabin.

Bozer was on his way to Mission City. Riley and Matty had set up emergency medical plans when they found Mac, or if he collapsed somewhere or...Jack forced himself to cut off the babble of scenarios. Jack had to believe that he was somewhere alive, maybe hurt, but fixable. Jack turned up the heat and defroster as the windows smoked over. He glanced at his watch- 2:40 AM. Jack huffed and shook his head. He took a long sip from his Jumbo Giant coffee; it was now cool, but he needed the caffeine.

If he wasn't here, what next? Jack cleared his throat feeling as if cold hands were squeezing the air out of the GTO. His mind took a dark turn. Would Mac hurt himself? Jack felt tears burn. Would he kill himself? Could he do that to Jack? Jack shook his head. No, of course, he couldn't. This is Mac, the ultimate survivor. Mac had been bent but never broken-real close, but never and never would be as long as breath remained in his body. Jack relaxed his hands. He hadn't noticed it, but he had been strangling the steering wheel.

The car skidded. Jack worked the wheel and managed not to slide into a river that had come across the road. Jack grimaced. They had predicted this storm to continue for the rest of the week. By then all the roads out to the cabin would be washed out. Matty said she'd have something set up to handle whatever mother nature threw at them. Doc Carl and Sally had given him a pharmacy and a half in two suitcases. They also sent a binder showing everything he needed to do no matter what condition he found Mac. Jack felt his stomach churn as he remembered the pictures and having to learn how to give shots and do an IV. He shook his head praying he never needed any of it.

Sally had him stab an orange over and over. He got the hang of it when he realized that it was like a downward thrust of a Gerber Mark II. Jack had been afraid he'd go too deep or hurt Mac worse. Sally reassured him saying 'aim for the meat.' Jack shook his head and chuckled. Mac always said Sally was an evil elf. She was something; he just wasn't sure what. She had made him practice putting on an IV in her forearm. It had taken five sticks. Sally never flinched only gave him advice for the next stick. He'd managed three before he fainted. Sally slapped him awake, gave him some water and put him back to it. When he landed it, he whooped, knocking it out. Jack still had chew marks in his ass. Jack felt sorry for her trainees; she was merciless especially when it came to MacGyver.

Jack had to steer into the wind to keep from blowing off the narrow, curvy dirt road. There was a one lane bridge ahead of him. Jack paused and leaned forward. He couldn't tell if it was in one piece or not. If it were, it wouldn't be for long. The usually small stream that ran under it was just below the rim and was raging like a tsunami. Jack said a brief prayer and sped the GTO over it. He gritted his teeth as he felt the wood sag under the tires and heard a loud snap. Jack didn't breathe until all four wheels were on the ground. He glanced back to see poles sticking up vertically as they ran downstream. Jack took a deep breath.

Another five minutes passed before he reached the driveway of Mac's cabin. The rustic structure sat on a high hill, so he didn't worry about flooding even though the bottom of the street had become part of the lake. Jack let out a relieved breath when he saw a small Fiesta rental in front of the cabin. He pulled up beside it and scanned the area around him, an automatic habit. Jack frowned. There were no other signs of life. The cabin had no lights, and there were none on the grounds, in the barn or the shed. The power could have gone out, and Mac could be asleep. Sure, that made sense. It didn't reassure Jack. His gut felt like it was twisting like a broken jump rope. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

Jack took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was why he was here. First thing first, the cabin. Jack knew the spare key was in a weatherproof box inside a rock Bozer had made. Jack cursed Bozer's talent as he went through every damn rock in the small piles on either side of the door. Finally, Jack found it. He wiped dirt off the key and rubbed his hands on his wet jeans. Jack shivered soaked. He went to unlock the door when it opened at his touch.

"Shit," Jack said putting the key into his pocket. He drew his Baretta and crept into the dark cabin. The car gave him a soft curtain of light. Jack left the door open and blinked the rain out of his eyes. He listened. Nothing moved, there was no sound of life. Jack breathed through his mouth making his respirations quieter in the silence they sounded like screams. After he pulled out an emergency lantern and lit it, Jack slinked forward a jungle cat in the darkness. Jack cleared the front room, kitchen, spare bedroom but paused before pushing into the master bedroom. He listened at the door and still heard nothing. He stood to the side and knocked.

"Mac? Buddy? You in there?" Jack strained to hear even the smallest whisper. Jack closed his eyes. He would have done anything to have the kid tell him off or snark at him. Jack pushed in the door then relaxed. Empty. Jack went back to the living room and started a fire in the pot stove and lit all of the hurricane lanterns giving the cabin a warm glow. He unloaded the car in record time then went back out to the GTO. He drove up to the shed, rows of tools and projects Mac was always going to get to lined shelves from top to ceiling, but no blond genius. Jack ducked as he again stepped into the solid wall of water. Jack skidded to the barn. He shook out his hair and wiped his face.

"Oh shit, no," Jack whispered. Mac had two rowboats, a blow-up raft, and a kayak. One of the rowboats was gone. Jack whirled and spun a donut in the car until the dim lights raked the dark water. Jack sat back and closed his eyes. More than halfway across the lake he could see the black shape of the rowboat drifting with the current. There was no sign of Mac. Jack bit his lip. Mac had taken the better of the two boats, the one without patches, the one with the motor. Jack gritted his teeth. Well, Jack would just have to work with what he had.

The boat trailer wasn't in the barn, and Jack couldn't see it which meant it had probably swept away into the lake. Jack grunted as he muscled the boat off its rack onto the sand. He winced at the crashing landing. Jack didn't have time to worry about it. He pulled using all the strength in his legs. The soaking sand made it easier to drag the boat to the edge of the water which was a lot closer because of flooding. Jack paused to run inside the garage and grab an emergency light, two life vests, and the mylar heat blanket from the first aid kit that hung on the wall. Mac may have failed out of the scouts, but the kid was always prepared. Jack grabbed two plastic oars slid into one of the life jackets and began to row into the blackness. The lantern provided a crisp circle of blue-white light, most of which bounced back off the waterfall of rain. It made the lake an eerie moving shadow. Jack could feel himself shiver. The boat almost jumped out of the water completely with the choppy waves. Jack rowed grimly. It felt like he was going in circles or staying in the same place because of the undertow. Periodically he would turn off the light, blink the tiny black slash into sight, and correct course toward it.

Jack had no idea how much time passed. He began to shiver, thoroughly soaked to the bone. Finally, he drew closer to the slowly circling boat. Jack's heart froze. Mac laid unconscious in the bottom of the vessel his body slowly moving with the ship. Jack looked close. The bottom of the boat had about six inches sloshing in the bottom. Mac was wearing his jeans and a hoody but no life jacket. If his head hadn't stayed on the plank seat in the rowboat, he would have drowned. Jack tied his boat to Mac's and grabbed the life jacket. He nimbly stepped over sloshing to Mac's side. He lifted Mac and frowned. The kid was not a good color in the lamp's light. Jack's hands trembled as he checked Mac's carotid. Jack let out a long breath. It was very slow but there.

Jack leaned Mac against him as he worked the life jacket on his partner. Jack frowned his entire backside was stained a thick dark color, as was the water in the bottom of the boat. Jack didn't have to see it to know it had to be blood. Jack tightened the straps then leaned Mac against the gunwale and jumped over to his boat.

"Hang on, brother, I got ya." Jack stuttered through chattering lips. He reached over and as gently as he could pulled Mac across the six inches separating the tied-together boats. It took longer than Jack wanted because he had to pause and adjust his balance, so they didn't tip over. Finally, he laid Mac out in the bottom of the boat. He cut the ropes, and Mac's rowboat slowly drifted away from them. Jack wrapped Mac in the silver mylar then sat him against the side of the boat.

"You are so going to owe me for this." Jack groused. He put both oars in the brackets and rowed with both oars for all he was worth. "What the hell were you coming out here for? Think the fish bite better in a monsoon? Maybe if they were the fucking kraken...heeh, Kraken, let loose the Kraken, right? Jack sucked in air and laughed, "Ok, I know you don't like the lame lines, but they're classics for a reason, and hey I got a date one time using that line...a cute little blond outside of Rio. It was a very good time." Jack smiled at the fond memory then scowled, "except for the slap down Sarah gave me when she got back from re-con." Jack rested a minute trying to suck in air through the constant water slapping against his face. He shook his head and took stock of where they were. Not too far, he told himself.

"You better be ok, bud, otherwise I'll let Sally have you, and she's looking for someone to go with her and Sam on vacation. Of course, our vacations are usually disasters...I guess you'd have a medic right there...I know how to do IVs now and guess who's going to be my first guinea pig, that's right bud." Jack couldn't be sure over the banshee wail of the storm, but he swore he heard Mac mumble a 'no.' He grinned and spat out the mouthful of water that'd earned him.

A few minutes later with a grinding thud, the boat stopped moving. Jack breathed out in relief. Jack felt something pull on his back as he grabbed the boat and slid it forward to ground it. Jack bent over and rubbed his back groaning. He straightened and ran up the hill to get the GTO. In seconds he returned and parked the car as close to the water as he dared. He grabbed Mac under his arms and dragged him to the passenger's back door. He shoved Mac inside bending the kid into a loose ball. Jack slammed the door and gunned the engine. The rear end fishtailed, and the eight cylinders roared like a pissed off elephant as the wheels slid and spun slowly up the hill.

Jack was huffing in pain when they finally wobbled to a stop in front of the cabin. At least he wasn't cold anymore; he felt like he'd had a double hour workout. Jack grabbed Mac out of the back seat and awkwardly carried him into the bright, warm cabin.