Several days later MacGyver met Pete at the cemetery. MacGyver wore special sunglasses to ease the intensity of the light sensitivity, and his wrist was bandaged. In his hand, he held the files from the cabin—one for every member of H.I.T.
"How are you holding up?" Pete asked, putting a hand on MacGyver's shoulder as they walked.
"As well as can be expected." There was a moment of silence before he added, "He saved my life, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Pete nodded.
"It's hard for a body to cope when someone else dies in your place."
"Yes, I'm sure that would be very difficult to sort through. Have you been seeing the psychiatrist I recommended?"
MacGyver dropped his gaze and studied the grass he was trampling with his feet. "Not yet. The first appointment is scheduled for tomorrow."
"Oh, I see."
"Here's the files from the cabin. Murdoc wasn't lying this time. There are complete records of all members." He handed the stack of manila folders to Pete. "Did you find Murdoc's file?"
"Yeah, I have it here with me." He pulled it from the briefcase MacGyver had failed to notice earlier. "It's all here like he said—detailed notes about his assignments, bank statements, a will, and even a poem for Penny Parker."
MacGyver chuckled. "I had forgotten that he had a connection with Penny."
Pete cleared his throat. "Dmitry's been taken care of, and we have warrants ready for the members of H.I.T. that we were already aware of. Murdoc's grave is just up here. You know, it's hard to believe that he's actually dead this time."
"Yeah, Pete." MacGyver studied the ground. "I heard the funeral was nice. I was sorry I couldn't be here."
"I'm sure he would have understood, given the circumstances."
"Here we are." Pete stopped in front of a simple granite stone.
The engraving had his name, the birth and death dates, and the following inscription: A real-life Houdini who had a change of heart when it mattered the most.
"It's nice, Pete."
"I thought you would like it. Now come on. Enough dwelling on the past. What's done is done."
They walked away from the grave and for the first time, MacGyver heard no evil laugh warning him of Murdoc's continued existence.
Even though things didn't turn out the way that any of us wanted, I had an unexplainable peace about the whole situation. And I learned an important lesson from Murdoc. It's never too late. For as long as I've known Murdoc, he's been the bad guy—hurting, killing, and causing trouble. But somehow in those last days, he was different. He stopped focusing on himself, and I believe he really did have a change of heart. And it wasn't too late. It's made me rethink my perspective on life. I think it's a valuable lesson for all of us. So, the next time you start making excuses, remember that it's never too late.