Okay, so my last chapter 8 was completely glitched out, and I am so sorry for giving that to all of you lovely people. I really hope this version will work, and thanks for sticking with me through this crazy journey of a story. As usual, anyone and everyone who reads, favorites, and especially comments are my saviors, and I unfortunately do not own MacGyver or any of the the wonderful characters in the series.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Mac wasn't sure how long they had been standing on the roof, but with his leg screaming at him, his head pounding, and his brain still too frazzled to make sense of everything going on, it felt like an eternity. The only sound he had heard from the mercenaries since Birkshire's last order was a radio communication to the sadistic British leader, something about a "bracket"? "package?" "Pizza?" The young agent honestly couldn't make sense of the message over the sound of the waves crashing against the side of the marine center, and the steady thumping of helicopter blades.

Wait a second, Helicopter blades? Mac squinted as he looked up from the gravel, and coming towards them was a helicopter, only a silhouette against the afternoon sun, but it was there. A surge of hope ran through the Blond EOD tech, but was also quickly pummeled down by confusion. Birkshire doesn't seem concerned, and the only way they would know where I was would be if.. oh no they didn't. Mac groaned as he realized his team must have agreed to the terrorist's demands. He mentally slapped himself for not stopping this situation before yet another deranged terrorist got loose. Come on guys, please tell me you have a plan.

MacGyver knew he wouldn't be much help to anyone in his current condition, and even if he was operating at his best, he was stuck in between two mercenaries. And taking in Birkshire and his guard, those were odds even Jack wouldn't take. As Mac fumbled with his restraints once again, trying to ease the pressure off his wrists from where they were bound behind his back, he felt the ever so small tear he was able to make in the duct tape while in the while.

The blond agent practically laughed out loud at the tiny bit of hope he had just found, but his ribs didn't seem too keen on the idea of making noise, and Birkshire would definitely suspect something. So Mac just kept to himself and slowly worked to widen the tear in the tape.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Jack stole a glance back at his team, each one of them with worry etched into their faces, then over to the terrorist scumbag who they were trading for Mac. Oh how Jack wished he could wipe that smug look off of Dr. Hendricks' face, but he knew that that would only hurt Mac's situation even more.

As the Delta thought back to the amount of blood he saw in his best friend's house, he tried to prepare himself for whatever condition Mac was in. Dr. Evans had told him that the bastards had shot him in the leg, but Jack knew that Birkshire was a sadistic little maniac and had probably hurt his kid even more.

Unclenching his knuckles, which had turned white while he had been grasping the helicopter controls, Jack slowly maneuvered the helicopter down to the roof of the marine research center. As the blades powered down, his team, along with Dr. Hendricks, got out of the chopper and started making their way across the gravels strewn roof to where the terrorists, and their own friend were waiting.

It took a moment for Jack to recognize his partner, but as soon as he realized the pale, bleeding figure between the terrorists in front of him, he couldn't help but gasp. He had expected his partner to be bleeding a little, maybe, but in front of him stood his blond haired brother, jeans almost completely soaked through with blood on his left side, his MIT shirt torn, and his face bruised to the point that it was turning colors Jack didn't even know existed.

The Delta hadn't even noticed he had started forward faster than his team in an effort to get to his friend, until Matty gently grabbed his arm to hold him back. He looked back to the rest of their team and noticed Riley looked even more shaken than he was, and Bozer was shaking a little bit, trying not to break down at the sight of his best friend so broken.

Yet, as they looked across the roof again, they saw Mac keep his ground with his head raised, even though the action was clearly taking a lot out of him. Jack smiled ever so slightly at his kid, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. Mac gave the smallest nod, and soon enough, the Phoenix team had reached Birkshire and his accomplices.

"Well, isn't this a fun reunion," the terrorist leader said rather loudly, clapping his hands together. "I thought it was your American's policy of "we don't negotiate with terrorists" that would have stopped it from happening, but alas, you will get your friend back and I will get mine, along with some cash for the road." He looked around, but as no one cracked even the tiniest smile he continued.

"Well, if you would just have Dr. Hendricks walk over with the money, I will be more than happy to return your colleague as well. That is why we're here, is it not?"

"Yeah, I don't think so scumbag. There's no way we're giving you a penny until Mac is over here and safe from your filthy little hands." Jack was not going to give this bastard another chance to hurt his kid. "What would stop you from putting a bullet in his head as soon as your man makes it over?"

"See, I do have an intense desire to put a bullet in your friend's head, but since you have something else I want far more than petty revenge, I will give you a choice." Birkshire reached behind his back and pulled out a compact pistol, placing it to MacGyver's head. "Either you send over my demands right now, or I will put a piece of lead right into his genius little brain faster than you can say Goodbye. So what will it be cowboy?"

Man, Jack really hated this guy. Every single inch of him was seething with rage at seeing his best friend with a gun to the side of his head, and with seemingly more blood on his clothes than inside of him. Oh, how the Texan would have loved to tackle that cocky little man, beat him to a pulp, possibly run him over a few times with a truck, or even blast him out of an artillery canon. However, he realized none of that could happen until his brother was safe, and that couldn't happen until Birkshire got his demands.

He looked at Matty, who gave him the signal that he needed to make the trade. The delta lugged the two money bags into the hands of Dr. Hendricks, who struggled under the weight, clearly not as strong as the delta currently glaring daggers at him. With an unfriendly shove across the roof, the doctor made his way to the mercenaries, who proceeded to take him in and start riffling through the money, counting it to make sure they weren't being ripped off. It was all there.