On their way back to the helicopter MacGyver reluctantly agreed to be taken to the safe house, at least for a few days. The safe house, Pete had chosen, was situated in a rather remote area of the hills north of Malibu. It was secluded, yet had a beautiful view towards the Pacific Ocean from its terrace. The pilot set the helicopter down in the garden while several men emerged from the house. MacGyver looked at Pete in surprise.

"That much personnel?"

"I´m not taking any chances. Mac." Pete explained with a serious expression. "I want you to be safe. They are here to protect you and the house you´re in. You know all of them from previous assignments."

Mac shot him a doubtful glance.

"I´ve ordered them to keep an eye on you and the place, but not to pester you. They are professionals, remember?" Pete continued. "I´ve got to get things going, so we can follow the hints you´ve given me. I don´t need to show you around, do I? You should remember the house. Your stuff is already there…"

MacGyver nodded and prepared to get off the helicopter.

"I guess, I´ll see you later in the evening?" he asked.

"As soon as everything is on its way." Pete confirmed. Mac wanted to open the door, but Pete held him back at his arm. "MacGyver, please, promise me you will stay put…"

Mac turned to look at him directly. His eyes showed his inner turmoil, but he smiled at Pete.

"Promise… for now…"

Then he left the helicopter without giving Pete the chance to reply. MacGyver hurried to the house as the helicopter took off. He greeted all the men and went inside. Mac remembered the house very well. He and Pete had used it on various missions. He knew the room layout so he went directly to the kitchen, prepared himself a glass of orange juice and returned to the living room.

MacGyver flopped himself on the couch and looked out through the open glass doors. All Phoenix operatives had returned to their positions guarding him and the house. He could no longer see them, but knew they were there. It felt safe yet strange. Usually he was the one looking over someone in danger. He had accepted that Pete was right about some protection. Although Mac would never admit it to Pete, inside he knew that he was far from being back to his old self. He didn´t want Pete to worry, but he had to confess to himself that he felt mentally unstable and vulnerable.

MacGyver took in every detail of the extraordinary view. He enjoyed sitting there alone and quiet. For many weeks he had not been able to breathe fresh air or look into the distance. Now he started to really feel the end of his captivity and his new freedom. No more walls surrounding him, shutting out the outside world, holding him a prisoner. The relief of a wide open space allowed him to relax. Sitting there, he gradually realized how tired he was. He felt the strain of the long helicopter flights and the mental exhaustion from searching the camp. He tried to push the inner unrest away by concentrating on his physical condition. He noticed that his cracked rib and the pulled shoulders were aching, as well as some of his only recently healed wounds did. After all it was his first day out of medical care…

MacGyver sighed, emptied his glass and set it down next to the corner of the couch. He adjusted himself into a horizontal position on the couch, still keeping an eye on the wide open doors and the view over the ocean. Within minutes he was sound asleep.

After some hours the nightmares returned. Being to the camp had brought back his carefully suppressed memories to the surface. He was reliving the moments of being pushed over the edge by Pete´s look-a-like, of being strangulated by him and of being stabbed by him over and over again. He was frightened. After a while his exhausted mind went quiet, but the images stayed lingering. His dark, cold cell was surrounding him in his dream; the walls were slowly closing in on him. All the feelings and images made Mac shiver in his sleep.

Suddenly he felt something covering him from his feet upwards, wrapping close around his whole body. As it reached his shoulders, the fear of being immobilized made MacGyver wake up startled. He bolted up and pushed away whatever was enveloping him. Someone grabbed his upper arms, steadying him, holding him tight. In his frightened and disoriented state Mac tried to free himself, no matter where he was and who was holding him. He didn´t even look at first.

"Easy, MacGyver! Look at me!" Pete called out to him. Then his voice turned soft and soothing. "It´s okay… It´s me, Pete… You´re safe… No one will harm you."

MacGyver´s eyes were wide with terror as he found and focused on Pete´s face. Gradually he realized that he was still lying on the couch of the safe house north of Malibu. It had only been Pete who had attempted to cover him with a blanket. It had gotten dark outside since he had dozed off. Slowly the terror left his brown eyes and his body relaxed. Pete noticed it and let go of Mac´s arms. MacGyver let himself drop back on to the couch, drawing a deep breath. He covered his face with his hands and then ran them through his unruly hair, sighing.

"I´m sorry, MacGyver." he heard Pete apologizing. "I didn´t mean to wake you. I saw you shivering in your sleep and …"

Mac cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It´s okay… I´m fine." he replied. He opened his eyes and prepared to get up. As he looked up at Pete´s face, he saw it lined with concern. MacGyver sat up and swung his long legs off the couch. Pete stood up and took a step backwards to allow him enough room.

"Pete, you worry too much." Mac managed to smile at him. "It was only a bad dream… I´m all right." he tried to brush off Pete´s unease. He retrieved his empty glass, got up and went to the kitchen.

"Have you got any news for me?" he asked over his shoulder casually changing the topic.

Pete followed him. "Yes and no…"

MacGyver had just opened the refrigerator, but now turned to look puzzled at Pete, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yes and no?" he repeated Pete´s words.

"After I dropped you off here, I sent a forensic team to the camp." Pete explained. "They went after every one of your hints and took the table to the lab. You were right, Mac. They found two sets of fingerprints on it. One of them is matching my dead double. With a little help from the police and the FBI we now have a name for him. He was a hired local low life. No connections to any bigger crimes so far. There are only a few cases of trickery and assault on his record."

Mac turned to the refrigerator and filled his glass with orange juice again. He closed the door and leaned against the kitchen counter behind him, facing Pete but subconsciously keeping his distance.

"What about the second set?"

"I certainly had to dig deeper for results on him." Pete sighed. "I had to pull on a lot of strings to get this information. Even the DXS got nervous when I asked for help…"

"Yes?" Mac pressed a little impatient.

"Together with your description and connecting him to the Asian man we arrested, we finally have got a name. And the organization he is working for." Pete continued. "Both of them are tied to a Chinese syndicate specialized in technology theft and espionage. The name of our fugitive is Dan Ni Chen."

He pulled a photo out of the pocket of his jacket and showed it to MacGyver. Mac face instantly froze at the sight of his torturer.

"That´s him." he managed to say with a low voice, a shiver running down his spine. Pete noticed it and pocketed the picture fast.

"Their target was Phoenix Research. We still don´t know what project they were after, but it seems since their first attempt failed… they took you to get the information about how to get inside our computer systems… Their research on you that we found in the camp was quite impressive."

Mac stared into the distance, considering the new information.

"It certainly was…" he agreed. "They knew about my help in building up the security for the computers. At first, they asked for the access codes…" His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "But why would they bring up you? … Accusing me of selling off classifieds?"

"Well, you are able to be remarkably stubborn." Pete sighed. "I guess they realized it would take more than physical pain to break your resistance and your spirit."

Mac´s haunted eyes suddenly focused on Pete, but he remained silent.

"Mac, their research on you and on us had to be thorough to pull this off. We´re still trying to figure out, where all their information on us came from." Pete continued. "This Chinese syndicate came into the intelligence focus soon after the initial attack on the research department. But they are really good at covering their tracks. That´s also why it took three weeks to find any connection to that mountain camp and find you. To be honest, it was a long shot; I had no real clues to you being up there."

Pete paused for a moment as he saw the pain returning into MacGyver´s eyes. Mac made every effort to keep his memories under control, while looking at Pete.

So, I have been lucky again, he thought.

"Mac, I´m sorry for what you had…"

MacGyver cut Pete off with raising his hand.

"You´ve got nothing to be sorry for." he assured Pete. "I know you did everything possible to find me. Even if it was a lucky assumption… After all, you did get me out of there…"

He looked at his orange juice and took a sip.

"So, now that we know who this Chen is, do we have any lead on him?"

"I´m afraid, no." Pete shook his head. "He vanished into thin air. He might be out of the country by now."

MacGyver raised his gaze again.

"I managed to escape. He failed his contract and his assignment." Mac stated. "I don´t think he´ll give up that easily. Not after all the effort he took so far. I am sure, he´s working on another way to get what he or his syndicate wants."

Pete´s look grew doubtful.

"How could he?" he asked. "The security for the research division and for the whole Foundation has been raised to maximum. There´s only a handful of people in the whole Phoenix Foundation, that would know how to access the system from the outside now. Only one person is in charge for each lab complex."

Mac´s eyes were fixed on Pete. Pete recognized the look. Mac was following an idea.

"I guess, he knows that." Mac replied. "And their initial attack focused on the L.A. labs. They are after something we are working on right here… Pete, you do have those codes."

His eyes widened with worry, but Pete shook his head.

"I can only get inside from a Phoenix computer terminal. You know, I wouldn´t be able to hack any computer system."

Both of them stood silent for a few moments, reconsidering their train of thought. Pete was the first to speak.

"This is going to lead Chen to…"

"Willis!" MacGyver finished the sentence with a shocked expression. "Oh, no…"

He glanced at his watch and noticed it was past 9 p.m... Mac quickly set his glass aside and hurried for the telephone in the living room.

"Pete, contact the labs through the helicopter!" he called over his shoulder. "If he´s still there, tell him to stay! He´ll be safest there. I´ll try to reach him at home."

He saw Pete run to the helicopter outside while he dialed the number of Willis´ apartment from memory. He listened to the ringing tone but got no answer. Willis was a known workaholic. It was common for him to stay in the lab until late evening. Nevertheless MacGyver´s stomach turned into a tight knot. He felt the terror of his torture rise inside.

If Willis would have to endure something similar to that…

MacGyver tried to shake off the thought as he put down the receiver. He heard the helicopter engines roar to life in the garden. Pete and his pilot were getting ready to take off. Without a second thought MacGyver ran outside. He was not going to leave his friend to this Chinese syndicate. Mac reached the handle of the helicopter´s back door and pulled it open, just as it was about to lift off the ground. He jumped inside and slammed the door shut.

The pilot had seen him coming; he was only stunned for a moment and then looked at Pete. But Pete turned and stared shocked at Mac.

"MacGyver, no!" he called out. "You´re staying at the house."

"Is Willis still in the lab?" Mac asked, raising his voice over the roar of the engine and ignoring Pete´s order.

"No." Pete answered. "He left with his car about 20 minutes ago."

"Then let´s go!" Mac replied fast. "We´ve got to get to him!"

Pete´s face grew serious.

"Mac, I am not taking you along. I´m also your boss, remember? You promised me you´d stay at the safe house."

He saw a mixture of resoluteness, pain and fear in Mac´s dark eyes.

"I´m sorry, Pete. I can´t. I won´t abandon Willis." MacGyver´s voice was determined. "I´m coming with you… Don´t try to stop me."

Pete held MacGyver´s stare for a few seconds. They had no time for a discussion. And it would have been useless; Mac had made up his mind. Pete knew that look of his best friend. Reluctantly Pete nodded to the pilot.

"Go... Hurry."

Then he turned again to MacGyver who just settled into the back seat. Mac looked up after fastening his seatbelt.

"Mac, are you sure, you´re up to whatever might happen?" Pete asked deeply worried. After what he had seen today at the camp, he was really afraid of the possibility that Mac would have to confront his torturer.

MacGyver was silent for some moments. He still kept fighting back his memories and his fear by concentrating on saving Willis.

"I have to, Pete." he replied with a low voice, his words trailing off. "For Willis."