Jack growled and shoved Nellie ahead of him. He tried to conserve bullets, but even if he had two full pistols, they wouldn't have kept back the crush of cannibals chasing them. His goal was to slow them down, buy time. He wasn't sure for what. Typically this would be the point when Mac would be coming up with a brilliant improvisation to get their asses out of trouble.
"I don't have any more bullets!" Nellie cried. Jack glanced at her. Even though her
Eyes were wide with fear; she stayed by his side with courage that made him proud.
"Go, I'm right behind you!" She nodded and fled after Nick and Mac like a deer. Jack swallowed and backed along the same path. The cannibals held back, but they weren't stupid. Jack growled. He held the handle of the machete he'd taken from Nellie calculating as he shot his second to the last bullet. He could do some severe damage, but eventually, he would be chopped up and cooked for dinner. Jack glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. The grade of the hill had been steadily increasing. Jack had been so focused on slowing their pursuers as much as possible he'd left trail picking to the mountain couple. Even if he was hiking for fun, he had no idea how he could have found this narrow winding trail with out Nick or Nellie.
It was a deer trail. Roots stuck out along the path like giant toes. Jack tripped over one and caught himself on a gnarled oak. Pain in his side exploded. Jack gasped and gritted his teeth. He was soaked and knew some of that was blood. He didn't know how bad his rib grazes had reopened. The cannibals whooped at the sight of his blood. He shot the first cannibal who lept ahead. The others howled raising their bladed weapons cheering like a football team at homecoming. At least they didn't have any more crossbow bolts or arrows. Jack saw a group leave the bloodthirsty pack and run back the direction the chase had started from; Jack sincerely doubted they had fled in terror, that meant reinforcements and not for Jack and his friends.
Jack gritted his teeth. Ten feet behind him to the right the trail abutted a steep bluff that dropped about half a mile. To the left was a stack of boulders stacked up against a solid fringe of trees that angled up almost completely verticle. Jack blinked sweat out of his eyes. His tired legs dragged him up the incline. They had been retreating for more than an hour. There was plenty more mountain; Jack just hoped the twisty animal trail climbed most of it. Jack fell onto his ass. He swore.
The cannibals surged for the kill. Jack fired his last round and threw the gun. The wailing feral tribe swarmed forward. Jack wrinkled his nose; they stank of rotten flesh. The closest one had a moon chin covered in blood. Jack slashed aiming under the chin. Jack almost severed the man's head. His eyes blinked surprised as blood spewed out and he dropped dead. Jack didn't stay long enough to see it; he scrambled to his feet, turned and sprinted up the trail. Jack felt hot breath on the back of his neck. He climbed fast as a spider. His heart throbbed with pain as it bounced between heaving lungs. He reached an oval overhang about ten feet wide half covered in brush. Suddenly a hand reached out, grabbed him firmly by the arm and dragged him into the thicket.
Jack whirled on the trail facing his attackers, his body tense, ready for his last stand. Screaming in victory, the first wave of cannibals barreled into him. There were terrified screams, and all of them plunged through a weakness in the trail and straight down the cliff.
Movement. Movement and pain were Mac's entire world. He gasped and choked feeling blood fill the back of his throat. His eyes snapped open with panic. He was trapped! He fought against the plastic binding wrapped around him.
"Pl...please don't...we'll fall...Jack'll...kill me." Mac struggled harder not recognizing the voice.
"Ja-!" Mac gurgled before he was lost in agony flaring in his shoulder and side as he desperately gagged for air. Someone gently lowered him to the ground and supported him in a sitting position. Mac tried to move his right arm, to fight but it was bound tightly to his body. He jackknifed choking on blood. Unfamiliar hands turned him with surprising gentleness turned him so he could vomit. Mac gasped his screams of pain lost in the flood of red. He collapsed back. Mac felt weaker than he ever had. He shook his head refusing to close his eyes. He took in his surroundings.
A man his age knelt beside him. The guy was heaving in the air. Sweat gushed down the man's face and soaked his clothes. His skin was bright red. He looked about ready to fall over.
"Who are you? Where's Jack?" Mac again spat out blood. His chest felt heavy. He knew his punctured lung was filling with blood. He leaned over his wounded shoulder and wheezed in more air. He still had one lung, no problem, get on with it. Mac growled and blinked sweat from his eyes. At least, he thought it was sweat. The dark haired guy pointed down and behind them.
"I...I'm Nick." Mac spat again and squinted. They were on a high narrow twisty trail if you could call a spotty path of dead patches linked by roots and scrub a trail. Jack and a woman, Nick's age, were shooting pistols at a circle of cannibals. The attackers's blood was up. Mac nodded. It wouldn't be very long before they would swarm up and over Jack. Mac scanned the environment around him thinking furiously. He rustled the silver mylar wrapped around him and smiled as an idea occurred to him. He looked at Nick.
"You're gonna have to be my hands," Mac said. Nick looked at him obviously thinking the blood loss had made him delusional. Mac glanced at Jack. Don't do anything stupid, he mentally screamed at his partner. He could see Jack stop and make a stand-an incredibly brave but stupid thing to do. Mac shook his head forcing himself to focus. He studied the sun's angle as it hit the trail.
"We don't have much time." Mac's hissed. Nicked nodded and stood.
"What are we doing?" The guy was still worn out but breathed easier. Mac grinned.
"Have you ever heard of Pepper's ghost?"
"That was awesome!" Jack yelled as he kicked the last cannibal after the others. He watched them tumble down the steep slope smashing into trees and each other with enough force the sound of crunched bones echoed up the steep bluff. None of them moved. Jack knew no one would grieve them; maybe they'll do something useful like help more trees grow. Jack bent over a hand against his side as he tried to suck in air. He grinned and spun.
Jack almost whooped again in joy. The other three of their merry band sat huddled against the row of boulders behind him catching their breath and regrouping. Jack opened the last bottle of water and took a deep swig. He handed it to Nick. Nick had slumped into a puddle of gangly limbs. His face was still cherry red. Jack smiled genuinely impressed by the strength and stamina the kid had shown. Nick handed Nelllie the bottle, she looked at Mac who was barely conscious. Jack read her mind.
"He can't have any, it'll go straight into his bad lung." Nellie frowned and nodded drinking the rest of the water. Jack broke apart the last two protein bar forcing himself to munch on the cardboard wafers. Pretty sad when he almost wished for MREs.
MacGyver's long body stretched the length of the small plateau. Mac laid tilted toward his wounded shoulder to help ease the fluid building in his lungs. His head rested on Nellie's lap. Jack met Nick's eye and nodded at him. Nick nodded back and looked down. Jack owed the kid a debt he doubted he could ever repay. Jack knelt down in front of Mac and held his left hand.
"I knew you'd never let me down," Mac managed a weak smile before coughing out more frothy blood. Jack frowned and wiped it away. Jack noted the sweat blooming from his brother's forehead. Mac closed his eyes and wheezed in another breath. Jack felt the kid's forehead with the back of his hand; Jack shook his head not surprised to feel a fever raging in the kid's grimy body. Mac was a sickly yellow. Jack moved his hand to Mac's left shoulder making sure it wasn't a dream, and his partner was alive and back with him.
"They're gonna be back," Nick said his gaze bouncing between Jack and Mac with a look Jack had seen a thousand times before-part joy, surprise, and hero worship. Nellie looked down at Mac as she gently brushed his hair away from his wet face. Jack smiled as Mac's breathing eased a little. Laying on a pretty lady's lap does that. Jack chuckled and shook his partner awake. Mac winced; his eyes opened.
"How the hell did you do that?" Jack asked trying to wake up Mac's exhausted brain. Mac coughed his hand curling again around his broken ribs. Jack would have done anything to ease the pain. Mac was helpless to keep his agony from showing on his face. After a minute of breathing, Mac focused on Jack.
"Pepper's ghost...reflections and light reflected off...mylar." Jack rubbed Mac's back. Mac leaned into his touch. Jack felt bunches of muscles unclench. He decided right there that he wasn't letting his brother out of his sight ever again, like EVER.
"Ok, brilliant as always, bud. Any ideas on what to do now?" Mac shook his head groaning. Mac put his hand on his forehead. Jack scowled. As always the kid refused pain pills. Jack knew they would suck being dry swallowed, but Mac was almost at his last rope. Jack decided he was done asking. Jack fished into the belt pack and leaned forward opening a foil bubble wrap containing three pre-drawn syringes. Mac closed his eyes. Mac was so lost in misery that he didn't notice what Jack was doing until the first stick stabbed his stomach. Mac jumped yelping in pain. He glared at Jack. Before he could say a word, Jack tossed aside the used syringe then jabbed the kid with the other two.
"Son of a bitch!" Mac cried before dissolving into an epic bout of coughing. Tears streamed down his face as he shot Jack a weak glare of betrayal. Jack rubbed Mac's back. "I know, kiddo. You know what they were-antibiotic, vitamin B12 and pain killer...I'm sorry, brother, but you needed it." "Mac closed his eyes trying to control the uncontrolled pain wracking his entire body. He saw the guilt in Jack's gentle eyes.
"It's ok, next time warn a guy." Mac groused. Jack smiled looking away. They both knew that was the only dose they had. If they didn't get off this cursed mountain, there would be no next time.
"Well, here's a warning, buddy." Mac had enough time to shoot Jack a puzzled look before Jack shoved some clean dressings under the elastic binding over Mac's shoulder. Mac moaned. His head fell forward as Jack raised him and did the same for the hole in his back. Jack didn't dare remove the elastic dressing and hoped the added pressure would staunch the continuous ooze of blood.
Mac was lucky the bolt hadn't hit lower. It bought them some time. Jack scowled. Some but not much. Jack glanced at Nellie who shared his worry. Mac rolled onto his side and spat up more orange, frothy blood. They sat in silence a long minute. The only sound being Mac's wheezes as he took in slow deliberate if shallow breaths. Jack looked away rubbing his eyes; his brain burned as he tried to think of a way out that didn't involve being some psycho's filet mignon.
"Jack…" Mac said. Jack turned back a smile playing on his lips. He knew that tone, "I have an idea." Jack's smile vanished. Mac didn't have the bemused stare he gave when he thought of something that would probably work; his face had the guilty fear that usually meant his plan was more than likely going to get them killed and he knew Jack wasn't going to like it. Jack didn't, not at all.
"Are you fucking crazy?" Jack bellowed. He kicked the prickling bushes beside them sending twigs flying. Nellie and Nick stared at Mac as if he were insane. Mac managed a deep wheeze and slowly explained his logic.
"Jack...the transponder doesn't have enough power to reach beyond this forest by itself...a helicopter would have to be 100ft directly overhead to hear past the trees…"Mac's eyes were bouncing closed, "They have guns...hut...of guns." That stopped Jack. He looked at Mac whose blue eyes were barely half open. Jack scrubbed his hands over his face.
"Ok, so the plan is to climb back down this mountain, avoid the cannibals coming up who will be pissed about us wiping out all their pards and have guns galore. Then waltz into the cannibal's village put together a radio with a broken-assed ham radio that hasn't heard a voice since Alexander Graham Bell. After that, we're gonna call for a taxi and scoot outta here before the lovely owners of the village realize we stole their shit. Do I got that right?" Mac managed a shrug. "Pretty much." Jack laughed stretching. He glanced at the sun which had started its nightly descent.
"Ok, great. Sounds like fun." Jack's sarcasm went ignored in the haze of his partner's pain. Mac nodded, closed his eyes, and was out again.
"This is insane." Nick said staring at Jack his mouth hanging open. Jack sighed and nodded.
"I don't have anything better, you?" Nick frowned looking down his shoulders slumped. Jack glanced at Nellie who was stroking Mac's hair staring at him thoughtfully. Nick shook his head.
"You got something in mind, darling?" Jack asked the girl. Nellie looked up a new fear in her eyes that seemed worse than what Jack had seen when she'd faced off against the cannibals.
"I might know someone nearby that could help." Nick stood up bristling with anger. Jack found himself automatically stepping closer to Nellie and Mac to ward off any attack.
"Nellie, no. You know what would happen…" Nellie shushed Nick with a cold glare. She turned to Jack and pulled a long strand of hair away from her face.
"I have an...uncle that lives about a mile west of here. He...might help us." Jack frowned as her voice shrank to a worried tremble.
"For a price, I'm guessing?" Nellie waved away Jack's concern.
"He was a medic in Vietnam and probably has some herbs that could help Mac." Jack's eyes narrowed.
"What aren't you saying, Nellie? We can't deal with any more issues right now."
"Jack, It'll be ok, I swear." Jack nodded. It's not like they had any other options. Nick took another step forward.
"No! Jack, Uncle Ernie is...insane! He…" Jack spun on the kid, his patience wearing thin.
"Is he worse than the cannibals?" Nick's mouth slammed shut.
"Ok, let's move. We don't have much daylight left, and we have to find some way of hauling m'boy down this mountain."
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I'm sorry about the change in font-size in this chapter, not sure what went wrong, evidently my lap top was too busy having a squeegasm like me about tonight's ep! I have gotten requests for tags from this season. I am holding off until the end of the season when there will be Bits and Bobs season 2, it helps me over the hump of a Mac-less summer! Only three more chapters to go...
