Chapter 57: All That Glitters
"Well, how does it feel?" MacGyver asked, balancing a brightly wrapped box in his hands behind his back as Joanna surveyed her new home with Frog already fast asleep under the coffee table.
"It feels great!" she responded with a wide smile. "Almost perfect!"
"Just 'almost'?"
"Yeah," she said, pinning him with a coy smile. "It's just missing a couple hockey jerseys."
The corners of Mac's mouth tugged up. "I can fix that."
"I was hoping you'd say that," she said softly, their gazes locked.
MacGyver swallowed hard. It was rare for Jo to take the initiative when it came to flirting or intimacy and it did funny, though not unpleasant, things to his entire being. But it had been a long, exhausting day for both of them and he wouldn't take advantage of the very convenient situation. At least, not yet.
"Here," he said, clearing his throat as he handed her the box he held. "It's kinda a housewarming gift."
"Aw Mac, you didn't have to get me anything," Joanna protested. "Renting the trailer and getting the Challengers kids to help me move was more than enough!"
"Go ahead. Open it," he urged.
She took off the lid and her forehead wrinkled as she stared at his present. He rocked back on his heels and fought the urge to laugh. He could only imagine what she must be thinking as she studied the contraption he knew so well. Two potatoes sat side-by-side with a wire connecting them while other wires connected each potato to a digital clock display.
"Thanks," she finally replied. "I've always wanted a vegetable bomb."
Now Mac did chuckle as he removed his creation from the box and set it on the breakfast bar. "It's not a bomb," he assured her. "It's an alarm clock that you can use as a kitchen timer. It runs off the current from the potatoes."
"Won't they rot?" she asked, crinkling her nose.
"Eventually," he shrugged. "But they're a lot cheaper to replace than batteries."
Joanna regarded the gift carefully before turning to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love it!" she proclaimed, "Because you made it." She lifted her face to his as he lowered his lips to hers. Soon they were lost in the warmth of a long overdue kiss.
When they finally broke apart, Mac rested his forehead against hers, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it. He had wanted to kiss her like that all day and, while he should now be satisfied, he craved her all the more.
"Why don't you come over to my place for a late supper?" he asked huskily.
"Do you mind if I take a rain check?" she asked, taking a step back. "I was really just planning on reheating the leftover pizza from lunch, taking a long hot shower and going to bed."
MacGyver suddenly became aware of the dark circles beginning to form under her eyes as well as his own desire to yawn as his muscles began to tighten up. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "Come over for breakfast?"
"You bet! Especially since I haven't gone grocery shopping yet."
"I'll see you in the morning then," Mac confirmed as he headed toward the door. "C'mon Frog, time to go home, buddy!" he called to the sleeping canine whose only response was a snuffle and a grunt.
"Just let him be. I'll bring him over in the morning," Jo promised.
"All right. I'll see you then." MacGyver gave her a quick but firm kiss goodnight before heading back to his side of the townhouse. Once there, he grabbed a yogurt from the refrigerator, flopped down on his couch, and remotely clicked on the TV to an old western movie already in progress.
Mac bolted upright when a strange noise fractured his dreams. He looked around cautiously, his apartment dark except for the glow of the television which now broadcast a popular late night talk show. An empty yogurt container sat on his coffee table. All was still. He shut off the TV, pushed himself off the couch, and headed to the spiral staircase that led to his bedroom taking odd satisfaction in knowing that Joanna would be sleeping just on the other side of the wall. His foot had barely touched the first step when the noise came again. This time he recognized it as something scratching against his glass patio door. He silently crossed the room and peeked through the slats of his vertical blinds. At first he saw nothing but his own reflection, then he looked down into Frog's expectant eyes. He slid the door open and the dog scurried inside.
"What happened? Did you get homesick?" Mac asked as he bent down to ruffle Frog's ears. The dog yawned and quickly settled himself in one of his favorite corners. MacGyver smiled to himself and ran a hand through his already mussed hair. He was just about to head upstairs, again, when he realized that Jo must have let Frog out to do his business before bed and was most likely waiting on his return. Mac changed direction, grabbed the cordless phone, and dialed the familiar number. Joanna answered on the second ring.
"Hi. It's me. Frog's here fast asleep."
"I wondered what was taking him so long," Jo replied, her voice laden with relief. "Thanks for letting me know."
"No problem. Goodnight."
MacGyver was having one of his favorite dreams. He was playing left wing for the Calgary Flames. It was the last game of the Stanley Cup finals. He was gliding swiftly across the ice towards the goal, his stick in firm command of the puck. The score was tied, the clock was counting down. It was now or never. He raised his stick for what he hoped would be an easy slap shot and goal and...woke up. A glance at the clock on his nightstand told him he had barely been asleep for two hours. He rolled over and groaned into his pillow. What had awakened him this time? And would he ever learn the outcome of his shot on goal? Just then, the clatter of the vertical blinds answered at least one of his questions. He crawled out of bed and plodded down the stairs and over to the patio doors where Frog awaited him.
"Didn't you do what you had to do earlier?" Mac groused as he slid open the door and his dog slipped out into the night. He leaned against the back of the couch, waiting for Frog to return. His eyes were slowly drifting closed when the jangle of the phone startled him. Normally a call in the middle of the night was bad news...or at least bad timing, but he had a strong hunch he knew who was calling and why.
"Hello,"
"Hi Mac, it's Jo. I have Frog." Her last statement was muffled by a yawn.
"Send him back over," he instructed.
"I don't think that's gonna happen," she said just before his ear was assaulted with the sounds of slobbery snores.
And so it began...snatches of sleep, bits of dreams, opening and closing of doors, phone calls back and forth. Once the orange ball of the sun had cleared the eastern horizon, MacGyver finally gave up any hope for extended slumber and headed downstairs to start the day.
"It's mornings like this that make me wish I liked coffee," Joanna grumbled as she slouched in one of Mac's kitchen chairs and stared at the plate of pancakes on the table in front of her. "I don't think I can take another night like this."
"Don't worry, Frog was just excited and probably a little confused. He'll be fine tonight," MacGyver declared sitting down to his own breakfast with a yawn.
"Are you sure about that?" Jo raised an eyebrow to punctuate her question.
"No. But what can we do?"
"I had an idea just before sunrise," Joanna declared, perking up just a bit. "If you don't mind making a small modification to our shared wall, you could put in one of those doors that lets him come and go as he pleases."
Mac's heart rate kicked up a notch. "I had the same thought, but I didn't want to do anything that would invade your privacy."
"He's just a dog," she snorted. "I'd rather give up some privacy than lose hours of sleep. Besides, I like having him around."
"Then consider it done," MacGyver said firmly. "I'll get some of the guys at Challengers to help and Frog will have his very own door between our apartments by the end of the day."
XXXXX
Mac glanced at his watch. "C'mon fellas, we gotta hustle," he urged the two teen boys who had stayed behind to clean up the dust and pieces of drywall from the floor behind his staircase. Joanna had said she planned on stopping at the grocery store on her way home from Challengers which had bought him a little extra time, but he wanted the place clean and the boys gone before she arrived.
Twenty minutes later, MacGyver watched from his front door as his helpers jumped on their bicycles and headed up the street and around the corner just as he saw Jo's Chevy approaching from the opposite direction. He waited while she parked the car in the driveway, reminding him he still had to reset the code to her garage door opener, and popped the trunk before stepping outside to greet her.
"Here, let me get those," he insisted, lifting two heavy bags from the trunk while Joanna took the other. "Looks like you bought enough food to feed an army," he quipped as she unlocked the door to her side of the house.
"What did you expect? There was no food in the place and I intend to stay awhile," she smiled, tossing her purse on the bench by the door before putting the grocery sack on the kitchen counter. MacGyver placed the bags he carried next to hers and she immediately began to unpack, but he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.
"You can do that later. Come look at Frog's new door." With his hand on the small of her back he guided her to the wall behind the staircase.
"Angus MacGyver! What in the world have you done?!" she exclaimed, turning to glare at him.
"What? You said I should put in a door," he replied, feigning ignorance that only caused her eyes to bore more deeply into his.
"I meant a doggy door! That is a people door!"
"Guess you should've been more specific," he smirked.
"This isn't funny, MacGyver!" Jo snapped.
"Hey, what's the big deal?" he asked, his tone no longer playful and light-hearted. "It's like when we get connecting rooms at a motel. There's a door on each side. If we want some privacy we just close it."
"These aren't motel rooms, Mac. These are our homes. How is one of us supposed to feel when the other locks us out?"
"Look," he said, knowing she was speaking both literally and metaphorically, "You and I both know there are times when we each need some space. That's where trust and love come in. Doors close. But they also open." Silence reigned as he watched her process the situation. Several moments later her deep brown eyes softened.
"You're right," she sighed. "I'm sorry for overreacting. It's kinda what I do best."
Mac gave her a comforting smile and pulled her close. "I know. And I'm starting to get used to it."
Suddenly, a loud, persistent banging on MacGyver's front door grabbed their attention.
"Hey, MacGyver! Open up!" an all-too-familiar voice called. "It's me! Your ol' pal Jack Dalton!"
Mac squeezed his eyes shut in dismay and leaned down to whisper in Jo's ear. "If we close all the doors and stay very, very quiet, maybe he'll go away."
"Mac, he's your best friend!" Joanna scolded in a loud whisper before there was more banging.
"I know you're in there, Mac! Well...at least I think you are! And why is Joanna's car parked in your landlord's driveway?!"
MacGyver tilted his face toward the ceiling and took a deep breath before turning and heading out the front door with Jo at his heels.
"I'm over here, Jack," he said with resignation.
"Mac, buddy, what's goin' on around here?" the pilot asked, his eyes darting between his friend, Jo and the house.
"It's a long story," MacGyver said. "A better question is what are you doin' here? Aren't you supposed to be in Alaska working for an airline charter service until you can save up enough to buy a new plane...again?"
Mac watched Jack carefully, wondering if his friend was gonna be straight with him or spin some fantastic tale instead. One eye-twitch and MacGyver would send him packing. There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Jack dropped his head and sighed.
"There was a little bit of an incident at work and my boss suggested I take a few days off."
Mac regarded his friend with a squinty-eyed glare. "What kind of incident?" he asked, knowing Jack was withholding information.
"If you must know, I was flyin' this group of tourists from Valdez to Tatitlek when we hit a little turbulence."
"You crashed the plane?!"
"No! Give me some credit, will ya," Jack replied, clearly annoyed. "I used my finely honed creative piloting skills and landed safe and sound."
"Then what was the problem?" Mac asked.
"Seems I kinda broke some company protocol with my-"
"Creative piloting skills," MacGyver finished for him.
"So here I am, footloose and fancy free for the next two weeks before my suspension lifts."
"And you just figured it was a good time to drop in and visit," Mac concluded, eyeing the tattered suitcase that sat on his front stoop.
"Yeah. Sure. Why not?!" And there it was...the left-eye-twitch.
"Jaaack, what aren't you telling me?" MacGyver asked cautiously, pretty sure he didn't want to hear the answer. But before Jack could speak, Joanna cleared her throat.
"If you two will excuse me, I have a privacy door to close," she declared before quickly slipping back into her apartment and shutting the front door tight.
"So what's goin' on with you two anyway?" Jack asked as MacGyver picked up the suitcase and led the way into his apartment. "You never said anything about Joanna in the one-and-only letter you sent me."
"Like I said, it's a long story," Mac said over his shoulder. "You hungry? I could make some pancakes."
"Is that the only thing you know how to cook?"
MacGyver set the suitcase down next to the couch and shrugged. "I could whip up a tofu casserole."
"I'll get the maple syrup," Jack declared. "Now, tell me about you and Jo and this place," he said, eyeing the newly installed door tucked behind the staircase.
Mac sighed as he gathered the ingredients for their supper. "Well, when I left you in L.A. I decided to spend some time at Harry's cabin…"
Jack was mopping up a pool of syrup with the final piece of his pancake when MacGyver finished his story. "Gee, and I thought your life was complicated when you were playing secret agent with Papa Thornton."
Mac stood and cleared the table. "All right. Your turn. Why are you here...for real this time."
He watched as Jack reached into the inside pocket of his bomber jacket and pulled out several newspaper clippings, some yellow with age, others obviously newer, and spread them out on the kitchen table. Mac took a seat and read the headlines. "A shipwreck?"
"Not just any shipwreck," Jack corrected him. "A shipwreck with hidden gold...just a few miles offshore of Milwaukee in Lake Michigan!"
"Where did you get all this?" MacGyver asked, waving a piece of newsprint under Jack's nose.
"A buddy of mine up in Alaska," Jack responded nonchalantly. "He's into that kinda stuff. When I told him I was coming here he said I might wanna check it out. I had a chance to read everything he gave me on the plane. Man, I hate flying commercial! It's so boring. Anyway, the ship was the SS Milwaukee. It was a ferry for train cars between Wisconsin and Michigan that sank during a storm in 1929."
"So where does the gold come in?" Mac challenged, scanning the articles himself.
"Well, technically it's just a rumor. But I have it on good authority that this would be the perfect way to move stolen treasures...like gold!"
"Jack, it says right here that the location is marked with a Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy. That means it's a recreational dive site. Don't you think that if there was gold hidden there someone would have found it by now?"
His friend shook his head. "There's never been any report of it. Besides, I can feel it in my bones, Mac. It's still down there. Waiting to make Jack Dalton a very rich man!"
It was all MacGyver could do to keep from rolling his eyes at another one of Jack's famous wild goose chases. "So how, exactly, are you gonna get this gold?"
"That's where you come in, Kemosabe. I've already chartered us a boat and we can pick up your rental dive equipment at the dock first thing in the morning."
"No Jack. Not anymore. I'm done with you and your treasure hunts," Mac stated firmly.
"Aw, c'mon Mac. You always say 'no' and then end up helping me out anyway."
"Well, this time I mean it!" MacGyver insisted. "I'm not gonna go out and dive for a treasure that's not even there!"
"But Mac-"
"No!" MacGyver barked, pointing his index finger at his friend. "If you want this imaginary gold you're gonna hafta go get it yourself!"
"What? Wait! I can't even doggy paddle!"
"That's your problem, not mine! Goodnight!" Mac spun on his heel and headed up to his bedroom. He was not going to let Jack talk him into another stupid scheme ever again.
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After a restless night, MacGyver got up before dawn the next morning and was sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Jack snore and carefully reading the newspaper clippings as the sun cracked the horizon. While he didn't believe for one second that there was any gold to be found, the lure of diving again and poking around an old shipwreck tugged at his soul. One article stated that the ship was sitting at an estimated depth of one hundred twenty-five feet. An advanced dive for sure, but still very doable. By the time Jack awoke, he had made up his mind.
"What do ya mean you're gonna help me?" Jack asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Or am I still dreaming? Last night you said-"
"I know what I said last night. I changed my mind. Is that alright with you?" Mac snapped.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you want!" Jack eagerly agreed.
Thirty minutes later they were in MacGyver's Jeep, headed toward the lake.
"And Jo said she was okay with this?" Jack asked, still in disbelief.
Mac chuckled, "Yeah, we've come to an understanding over the past couple months. As long as I don't end up in the hospital, or worse, we're all good."
The sun was high in the sky when MacGyver pulled the rented boat up to the mooring buoy.
"Want me to drop the anchor?" Jack asked.
"No, it might damage the site. That's what the buoy's for. Grab that rope and tie us up nice and tight while I get in my gear."
It wasn't long before Mac emerged from below deck outfitted in a sleek black wetsuit. He sat on the edge of the boat to secure a pair of fins to his bare feet before standing and hefting on his oxygen tank like a backpack. Once it was properly strapped on, he put on his goggles and gloves and fastened a small bag to his waist before testing the regulator for air flow.
"Are you ready yet?" Jack asked like an impatient child.
Mac smiled. "Yeah. I'm all set. Now remember, it's quite a ways down so I'll be awhile. Don't leave without me."
"Don't worry about me, amigo. I'm not goin' anywhere until my gold is safely aboard."
MacGyver sighed to himself as he inserted the mouthpiece of the breathing apparatus, grabbed the waterproof flashlight, and once again sat on the edge of the boat, this time allowing himself to gently tip backward into the water.
The lake was cold and murky as Mac kicked his way downward. The shaft of sunlight that had brightened the surface began to disappear. Regulating his breathing so as to minimize oxygen use, MacGyver became aware of the peace and solitude surrounding him and he felt a freedom like nothing else on earth. All too soon he was compelled to interrupt the serenity of nature with the beam of his flashlight. While he had seen pictures of the wreck in Jack's old news article, nothing could have prepared him for the grandeur of the sight itself. Sitting upright on a bed of sand and still mostly intact, the SS Milwaukee appeared to stand sentinel of a time long passed. As Mac began to explore the ill-fated ferry, he realized that most of the train cars were still on board. In awe with the vision before him, his frustration mounted with Jack. Even if there was gold or other sort of treasure to be found, it would be like trying to find a needle in a thousand haystacks. MacGyver mentally shook himself, reminding him that he was here for the wonder and experience of the dive, not some tangible wealth.
As Mac continued to explore, he realized that it would take many days and several dives to see everything that had been so perfectly preserved. Unfortunately, he was not afforded that luxury and reluctantly decided to abandon the wreck and try to convince Jack to give up on his treasure hunt but not before he happened upon a train car sitting in the muck with three automobiles on it. Unable to resist, MacGyver went in for a closer look. The cars appeared to have been manufactured at the Nash Motors Company. Mac treaded water as he admired the antiques before slowly kicking himself upward. But something kept niggling at his brain. He checked his pressure gauge to find that his tank still held enough air for one last foray. Lithely turning back to the ship, MacGyver headed straight for the autos. He couldn't help remembering when he had first learned of the Nomad's existence and the priceless jewel Harry had once hidden in it. On a hunch, Mac explored the cars with renewed purpose even while chiding himself. After struggling to open the heavy metal door, he squeezed into the auto and began feeling around the floorboards for anything unusual. He suddenly paused and realized the futility of his actions. He had been listening to Jack too much. Checking his pressure gauge again, he saw it was time to leave if he was to make it to the surface safely, but as he turned with his flashlight in hand, the beam lit on something shiny. Something shiny that didn't belong on the floor of an almost sixty-year-old car. Mac hurried to investigate and found a jagged rock about the size of a golf ball with smooth, angular edges. He scooped it up and placed it in the pouch tied to his waist. He'd examine it more closely on the boat. He was just about to turn toward the surface when a white-hot pain shot through his bicep.
MacGyver jerked around to find himself facing off with another diver clad all in black and holding a lethal-looking blade. He immediately kicked upward in an attempt to escape, but the stranger grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. Soon the two were entangled in a slow-motion underwater struggle each gaining and then losing ground against the other. Finally, Mac was able to grab his attacker's wrist and squeeze until the knife slipped free and floated harmlessly to the sandy bottom of the lake. The diver immediately retreated and was soon out of sight. But MacGyver had another problem. He was out of air. Holding his breath, he swam upward as fast as he could. His lungs were burning from lack of oxygen when he broke the surface. Bobbing next to the boat, he pulled the regulator from his mouth and gulped in fresh air.
"Hey, I was getting worried about you," Jack declared, leaning over the side of the boat.
"You're not the only one," Mac replied, his voice raspy. "Help me up, would ya?"
As soon as MacGyver was safely aboard, he ripped off his mask and scanned the surrounding area for another boat. He saw one in the distance, heading toward shore.
"Grab me the binoculars," he ordered Jack, but by the time he had the other boat in focus it was too far away to make out a name or other identifying features.
"What happened down there?" Jack asked as Mac divested himself of his diving equipment.
"I'm not sure, but I wasn't alone," he replied, peeling away the top of his wetsuit and exposing the cut on his upper arm. It felt worse than it looked. The dive suit had taken the brunt of the blade's wrath.
"Guess I won't be getting my security deposit back on this," Jack frowned, fingering the slice in the material.
"Why don't you untie us and take us back to the dock while I change and take care of this cut," MacGyver instructed.
"Aye, aye, capitan!" Jack saluted as Mac made his way toward the stairway that led to the cabin below, swaying a bit as he went. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just trying to get my sea legs back," he replied with a slight smile.
After using the first aid kit to clean and bandage his wound he changed into his street clothes and joined his friend on the deck. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he tried to convince himself it was a delayed reaction from the surprise encounter underwater combined with the choppiness of the waves as Jack guided the boat toward the city's skyline.
"So, did you find anything?!" Jack asked as soon as MacGyver appeared.
"Yeah. This." Mac took the rock he had found in the car out of his pocket and held it in his hand. Jack's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open.
"Is that what I think it is?" the pilot asked, almost reverently.
"No. It's not gold. It's pyrite."
"Pie-what?"
"Pyrite, Jack. It's fool's gold!"
"How can you be so sure? It looks like the real thing to me!"
MacGyver shook his head. "You can tell by the brassy color. Gold would be, well, gold." The light in his friend's eyes immediately dimmed and Mac felt sorry for him. "Look, I've been on enough archaeological and geological digs to know the difference," he explained gently.
"Hey, don't worry about it! It's not like I really expected to find a sunken treasure!" Jack replied with a forced smile and eye twitch.
"Really?"
"Yeah! I just thought you'd enjoy an adventure with your old buddy!"
Mac didn't believe him, of course, but right now he had bigger things on his mind. "You gave me an adventure alright. I wanna know who that other diver was and why he attacked me."
Jack shrugged. "Maybe he was there looking for the gold too and wanted to scare you off."
"That would be an awfully big coincidence," MacGyver said skeptically.
An hour later, Jack and MacGyver headed for the parking lot after returning the rented boat and scuba gear.
"Here, Jack. Why don't you drive us home," Mac suggested, tossing his friend the keys to his Jeep.
Jack looked at him with surprise which quickly morphed into concern. "You don't look so good, Mac," he observed. "And you're walking kinda funny. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," MacGyver responded. "I just haven't been on such a deep dive in a long time and I guess I'm feeling the consequences. It'll pass." Oh, how he prayed it would pass. However, as they approached the duplex, he felt an unwanted weakness settling into his arms and legs, and his knees and elbows ached when he tried to bend them. "Um, Jack, I think you better take me to the hospital."
Jack's head snapped around so quickly to look at him, it would have been comical if MacGyver hadn't been feeling so ill.
"Is it your arm? Does it need stitches?"
"No," Mac answered flatly. "I'm pretty sure I have decompression sickness."
"Huh?"
"The bends, Jack. I have the bends."
"But how? You're a great diver."
Mac sighed. "I stayed down longer than I should have and by the time I got away from my attacker I was out of air. I had to get to the surface fast and couldn't make the needed decompression stops."
"But you're gonna be alright, aren't you?"
"Yeah," MacGyver assured him. "Once I get to the hospital I'll be just fine."
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Joanna sat in her office at Challengers, her back to her desk so she could gaze out the window at the warm summer sunshine. Even though she had only moved into Charlie's old apartment a couple days ago, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was basking in a newfound sense of independence she hadn't known she lacked and a freedom she hadn't known she craved, but most importantly, she was practically sharing a house with the man she loved. She blushed as she recalled her lighthearted flirting the day she moved in. Shy and reluctant to readily share her emotions, this may be the exact thing she needed to show MacGyver how much she really cared about him. Unfortunately, she hadn't expected to be put to the test so soon. That morning Mac had informed her of his discussion with Jack and his decision to go scuba diving. He looked so eager, she didn't have the heart to voice her concern that when he did anything with his friend it rarely turned out well. And if she was being totally honest with herself, she'd have to admit she was a bit jealous. Relaxing on a sun kissed boat in the middle of the lake was much more appealing than the hours of data entry she faced. She had just swiveled around in her chair, determined to get some work done, when her phone rang.
"Challengers Club, this is Joanna," she greeted the caller.
"Hey Jo, it's Jack Dalton."
Her heart immediately fell to her toes. Something was wrong. She just knew it. She could hear it in his voice.
"What happened?" she demanded.
"Mac had a little, um, mishap during the dive. We're at the hospital now."
"I'm on my way," Joanna said, slamming down the phone before Jack could respond. With a singular purpose, she grabbed her purse and bid good-bye to Rosie and Geena without stopping to give an explanation, almost tripping over a sleeping Frog on her way out.
Hurrying through the automatic sliding glass doors of the emergency department, Joanna bypassed a waiting, and very guilty-looking, Jack in favor of the woman in scrubs who stood slightly behind him.
"MacGyver's going to be fine," Wendi Vang, trauma nurse, wife of Attorney Lee Vang, and friend to Jo and Mac assured her. "He's receiving treatment for decompression sickness as we speak."
"Can I see him?"
"Of course. That's why I'm here. Follow me."
Wendi led Joanna through a maze of corridors before stopping and opening the door to a large room. In the center sat a large glass tube encapsulating Mac. "He's in the hyperbaric chamber for recompression therapy. We gave him a mild sedative to help make the process easier and a respiratory therapist will be monitoring him throughout the treatment," the nurse explained, tilting her head toward a shadow in the corner.
Jo absently nodded to show she understood before slowly walking toward the large device. MacGyver was lying on his back, motionless, clad only in hospital-issue pajama bottoms. As she got closer, the steady rise and fall of his bare chest eased her tension just a fraction. Assuming he was either asleep or unconscious, she gasped when he turned his head toward her and opened his eyes, gifting her with a quirky grin. He raised his arm and placed his hand on the glass. With relief flooding through her, Joanna quickly closed the gap between them and placed her hand on the glass over his. She watched as his eyes drifted closed and his hand slid away as he fell asleep, a smile still on his face. It was then that she noticed the white gauze bandage wrapped around his upper arm and her rational thought process returned.
She turned to find Wendi watching her as well as Jack who must have followed them in. "Would one of you tell me what happened?" she insisted. "How did he get the bends when he's an expert diver? And why is his arm bandaged?"
After several moments, Wendi broke the deafening silence. "I need to get back to the trauma center. Call me if you need anything. And don't worry, Mac'll be just fine."
As soon as the door closed behind the nurse, Joanna glared at Jack. "Well?"
Surprisingly, Jack didn't try to evade the question. He told Jo everything MacGyver had told him.
"Did you call the police?" she asked when he had finished.
"Yeah, I called from here once I knew Mac was getting taken care of," he told her.
"Good," she replied icily before turning her attention back to the large glass capsule. A man in a white lab coat, the respiratory therapist, had emerged from the shadows and stood across from her monitoring MacGyver's condition and progress. "Do you mind if I stay with him?" she asked.
The therapist shrugged, "Fine by me, but it will be at least a few more hours in here before we can transfer him to a regular room for observation. It was a long, deep dive and the oxygen deprivation didn't help so it's going to take a while."
Joanna glanced at her watch and sighed. It was already evening.
"Why don't you and your friend go home and get some rest. Mr. MacGyver is doing well and will probably sleep through the night. There's really nothing you can do for him right now," the therapist told her gently.
Jo bowed her head and chewed her bottom lip as she considered her options. The man was right. She couldn't whisper encouraging words in Mac's ear or even comfort him with her touch. She was useless. After she assured herself Mac was still asleep, she quietly left the room and started making her way out of the hospital.
"Hey, wait up!" Jack called from behind before catching up with her as she waited for the elevator. "You're upset. Let me drive you home."
The elevator doors parted and Joanna stepped in, quickly pushing the button labeled 'LOBBY'. "I drove myself here, I can drive myself home," she replied curtly as the heavy doors began to close. Jack had to step in sideways to avoid being left behind. That was a mistake because as soon as the car was in motion Jo rounded on him.
"I want you to know I hold you personally responsible for what happened to Mac," she declared. "When we get home you're gonna pack your things and leave...tonight!"
"Whoa! C'mon Joanna!" Jack protested.
"Tonight, Jack!"
They stood in stony silence and when the elevator came to a halt, Jo stepped off and headed to the exit without a backward glance. During the drive home, she noticed a pair of headlights following her. Jack. She sighed and resolved to apologize for her harsh words in the morning. She was coming to know Jack too well to believe that he would actually follow her orders and leave tonight anyway. After parking her Chevy in the garage, she stepped out and headed to her front door only to find Jack standing on the lawn, staring at Mac's side of the townhouse. All she wanted was for this horrid day to end, so she decided to slip unnoticed into her apartment, but the look on Jack's face caused her to head in his direction instead.
"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said in the elevator. You don't have to-"
Jack raised a hand to cut her off. "Look," he whispered.
Joanna turned to find Mac's front door smashed to bits, shards of glass laying all around. "C'mon, we'll call the cops from my place," she said, putting a guiding hand on Jack's arm.
Shortly after calling 911, two police cruisers arrived and the officers busied themselves with clearing and securing the scene as well as searching for evidence while a detective took statements from Jack and Joanna.
"Are you the same Jack Dalton who reported his friend was attacked while diving in Lake Michigan earlier today?" the plain clothes cop asked.
"Yeah, I am! Have you found anything?"
The detective shook his head. "We had officers check out the marina for unusual activity, but no one reported anything. The Coast Guard was called in to take a look at the dive site. We found a knife near the wreck but that was all."
"Can't you lift some prints or run a trace on the blade or something?" Jack asked eagerly.
The detective slowly shook his head. "There were no finger prints since the suspect was most likely wearing gloves and the knife was a common diving knife you could buy at any scuba supply shop in the country. But don't worry, the investigation is still on-going."
"Do you think these two crimes are related?" Jo asked.
"It's too early to tell yet, ma'am. Tonight's incident could be a random smash-and-grab burglary."
A uniformed officer appeared in the doorway and nodded to the detective who addressed the couple. "The team is done with your friend's apartment. Now we just need you to go in and take a look around and see if anything's missing."
MacGyver's apartment was ablaze with light...and completely trashed. Drawers had been emptied, furniture tossed, and books thrown on the floor. Joanna did a cursory inventory and noted that his television, VCR, and computer were untouched. It didn't take a professional to see that this was not a typical burglary. Nevertheless, she and Jack carefully stepped through the debris to take a closer look. Jo never realized how much Mac actually possessed until she saw it strewn about. It would be next to impossible to determine what, if anything, was missing. Over the next several minutes she found his collection of videotapes, now laying on the floor, still intact. Even the silly yellow rubber duck he insisted on keeping on the kitchen counter remained though it had been tossed into the living room. As Jack continued to scour the downstairs, Joanna climbed the steps to the bedroom which was in equal disarray though nothing appeared to be missing.
Once the thorough search was completed, Jo sought out the detective.
"It doesn't look like anything's been taken," she informed him as Jack stood beside her, nodding his agreement. "In fact, it doesn't appear to be a normal robbery. Whoever did this was looking for something."
A smile tugged at the detective's lips. "I would have to concur with you. Any idea what they might have been looking for?"
Joanna glanced at Jack who simply shrugged. "No. As far as I know, Mac's most valuable possessions are his hockey jerseys and those are still hanging on their hooks."
"Well, then, thank you for your time and cooperation. Don't hesitate to call if you have any more problems." The detective shook hands with Jo and Jack before collecting the other officers and driving off into the night leaving the two friends standing in the middle of the shambles that was MacGyver's apartment.
It was well past midnight before Jack got the damaged front door boarded up and secured and he and Joanna had restored Mac's apartment to some kind of normal. Tired, but still keyed up from all the excitement, the duo relaxed at Jo's kitchen table.
"So, which one of us is gonna tell MacGyver about this?" Jack asked with a grimace.
"I vote for you," Joanna told him, knowing that Mac would be angry and then concerned about this turn of events.
"Gee, thanks. You think he'll still be sedated?"
Jo couldn't help but chuckle. "I doubt it."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
MacGyver sat on the edge of his hospital bed dressed in the clothes he had arrived in, tossing the brassy colored rock he had found in his jeans pocket from one hand to another. The last thing he remembered was seeing Joanna's face through the glass of the hyperbaric chamber before falling asleep for the rest of the night. He was glad she had decided to go home and get some rest, but he had expected to see her early this morning, especially since the doctor said he would sign Mac's release papers as soon as his ride arrived. Footsteps in the hallway drew his attention to the door to his room. His heart leapt as Joanna walked in, but skipped a beat when he noticed the tender skin under her eyes shades darker than it should be. Had worrying about him put the dark circles there? He immediately went to her, gently taking her by the shoulders.
"Hey, are you alright? Is everything okay?"
"I should be asking you that," she replied with a tight smile. "I met the doctor on my way up here and he said you're good to go."
"I'm perfect now that you're here," he proclaimed, bending slightly to kiss her gently on the lips.
A nurse appeared behind Jo with an empty wheelchair.
"Your chariot awaits, sir," the young woman declared.
MacGyver regarded the contraption with disdain, but understood hospital policy all too well. The sooner he got in the chair, the sooner he could get on with his life, so he settled in and allowed the nurse to push him towards the bank of elevators as Joanna kept pace at his side.
"Where's Jack?" he asked. He had seen the look Jo had given his best friend while he was in the recompression chamber and wouldn't be surprised if she had ordered him to get on the red-eye back to Alaska.
"He's waiting for us at your place," she replied.
"You mean 'our' place," Mac clarified with a grin, reaching out and taking her hand.
As Joanna maneuvered her car through the city traffic, MacGyver once again began fiddling with the 'treasure' he had found on his dive.
"What's that?" she asked as they sat at a stop light.
"A piece of pyrite I found at the wreck."
"Fool's gold?"
"You know your rocks," Mac grinned.
Jo shrugged, "I did a science report on pyrite back in grade school."
MacGyver turned his attention back to the rock and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Joanna asked, accelerating through an intersection.
"Something's not right about this," MacGyver said, examining the pyrite yet again. "It hasn't oxidized and there are no signs of distress. It's just too 'new'. There's no way it could have been on the ship when it sank. Plus, it was basically in plain sight for any diver to find."
Mac felt the car slow as it turned into his driveway. He looked up to find Jack standing in the yard, his formerly glass front door covered with plywood. He was out of the vehicle before Joanna put it in 'Park'.
"What happened to my door?!" he yelled.
"It's not what you think, MacGyver," Jack responded. "This time it wasn't me. It was this." He held up a brick. "Well, not this, the cops took the real one for evidence."
"Cops?! What cops?!"
"The cops we called when we discovered your place had been broken into," Jack explained calmly as Mac's brain went into overload.
"Let's go inside and discuss this," Jo suggested, firmly clamping her hands around MacGyver's uninjured bicep and steering him into his apartment. He had expected to find a mess when she opened the door, but everything looked to be in order and nothing valuable appeared to be missing.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"...and then I overslept and didn't get to the hospital as early as I wanted to," Joanna concluded a long while later. MacGyver swallowed hard. So that's why she looked as if she'd lain awake all night. She spent most of it cleaning up his stuff so he wouldn't have to deal with it. Only Jack's voice suppressed his urge to crush her to him and show her how grateful he was, not only for taking care of his things, but that she hadn't been home at the time of the break-in. He could never forgive himself if something had happened to her.
"But we still don't know what the burglar was looking for," Jack informed him.
"Maybe he was lookin' for this," Mac replied, holding up the piece of pyrite.
"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" Joanna challenged.
"Me getting attacked at the dive site and then having my house broken into the same day isn't exactly a coincident," he countered.
"But who?" Jo asked.
"And why?" Jack added.
"The 'why' is pretty easy," Mac said, taking Joanna's hand and leading her to the couch while Jack took a seat in the armchair. "Someone believed I found real gold and tried to steal it from me. As for the 'who', tell me more about this friend of yours that gave you all the news clippings about the wreck."
Jack shrugged. "Manny? Not much to tell. He's lived in Alaska his entire life and works double shifts just to feed his family. You don't think he's behind all this, do ya?"
"I'm not sure," MacGyver answered. "Right now I'm more concerned with how that other diver knew when I'd be checking out the wreck and how the burglar knew where I live."
Joanna glanced at her watch and frowned. "I'd love to stick around and help you figure this out, but I better get over to Challengers."
"May as well," Mac told her, "There's not much you can do here."
"What are you gonna do?" she asked.
"Research."
XXXXX
Later that afternoon, MacGyver drove downtown to pay a visit to the Milwaukee branch of the Wisconsin Historical Society and managed to wrangle an impromptu meeting with the Great Lakes Program Director. The metal plate on her door indicated her name was Doreen. She was tall and fit with her long blonde hair corralled in an intricate twist at the nape of her neck.
"What can I do for you, Mr. MacGyver?" she asked brusquely after polite introductions were exchanged.
"I'd like some information regarding the S.S. Milwaukee."
Doreen's eyes hardened. "I'm sorry, but that dive site is temporarily off limits."
"Does it have anything to do with the attack that occurred yesterday?"
"Unfortunately it does, but I cannot give you any further information about that."
"You don't have to. I was there." Mac smiled wryly as he pulled up his shirt sleeve to reveal the white bandage covering the cut.
Doreen's features softened slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But you can be assured that we are cooperating fully with the proper authorities to secure the site and find your attacker."
"I appreciate that, but that's not why I'm here," he told her. "I was actually hoping to learn more about this." He pulled the fool's gold from his pocket and placed it in the middle of her desk. "I found it in the wreck, but I doubt it was on the ship when it sank."
For the first time since MacGyver arrived, Doreen dropped all her defenses. "You're right. It wasn't," she confirmed. "We had a fundraising expedition dive scheduled for this weekend which will now most likely need to be canceled for safety reasons."
"An expedition dive?"
"Yes. It's sort of like a scavenger hunt. Divers pay big bucks for tickets to explore the wreck. In return, we place 'treasures' for them to find. There are prizes for those who find the most."
"And this was one of the 'treasures' you planted."
Doreen nodded. "It's one of our biggest fundraisers of the year and now we need to scrap it and refund people their money. I was just about to start calling pre-registered participants before you came in."
"Would the event still go on if I could catch my attacker before the weekend?"
"Yes, I suppose. But what can you do that the authorities can't."
"Maybe nothin'. Maybe somethin'."
MacGyver arrived home to find Jack pacing a hole in his living room carpet.
"Hey, what's goin' on?" Mac asked.
"Mac, I'm so sorry! You were right. Everything that's happening...the attack, the break in...it's all my fault!"
If his friend hadn't been so serious MacGyver would've laughed. "How do you figure that?"
"Remember earlier when you asked if Manny might be behind all this?"
"Yeah," Mac replied hesitantly.
"Well, it got me to thinkin'."
"Uh oh."
"C'mon Mac, I'm serious! I'm positive Manny wouldn't do anything like this, but I'm not the only one he talked to about the wreck."
"Go on," MacGyver encouraged, his curiosity piqued.
"A new guy named Erik just got hired on about a month ago. He's young, adventurous, never stays in one place too long, you know the kind."
Mac glared at his friend, Jack's words hitting a little too close to home.
"Well, um, he'd sometimes sit with me and Manny in the evening, shooting the breeze. He was there the night Manny gave me the newspaper clippings and talked about the sunken gold. He also knew about my little, um, vacation."
"So you think Erik followed you all the way from Alaska to steal any gold we found?" MacGyver asked skeptically.
"Sure. Why not? It's as good an answer as any!"
Mac sat quietly and let this new information tumble through his brain. "Even if what you say is true, how could Erik find us so easily?"
"Things are pretty laid back up there. I may have left your letter laying out somewhere and he might have seen your return address," Jack offered. "He could've been staking out your place and followed us to the lake yesterday then attacked you when you found the gold. When you fought him off, he came looking for it here figuring you hid it."
"Aw man," Mac sighed, shoving himself off the couch. Now it was his turn to pace. "This is actually starting to make sense!"
"What's our next move?" Jack asked eagerly.
MacGyver jammed his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. "Well, since he still hasn't gotten what he came here for, it's safe to assume he'll be hangin' around. Tomorrow we can go back out to the dive site and hope he follows, only this time we'll be ready for him."
XXXXX
The following morning, Mac sat at Joanna's kitchen table while Jack continued snoring on his couch.
"I can't say I'm thrilled with this plan of yours," Jo admitted before eating a spoonful of cereal.
"At least this time we know what to expect and we'll be prepared," Mac assured her, taking a swallow of his protein shake as he tried to avoid her worried eyes.
They finished eating breakfast in silence and when Joanna cleared the dishes from the table and took them to the sink, MacGyver followed, slipping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his cheek against her silken hair.
"You don't have to worry, ya know. Everything's gonna-"
Jo twisted around to face him. "Don't say 'everything's gonna be okay'," she warned. "You can't promise that. None of us can."
"You're right," he agreed, taking a step back. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just come home safe," she snapped before heading upstairs to finish getting ready for the day.
When he had worked at the DXS and then Phoenix, he secretly envied agents whose girlfriends or wives would kiss, or cry, or make love to them before they went on a dangerous mission. Now, his own fiancé chose to distance herself from him, as if it would somehow lessen the pain if he never returned. Shaking his head, he walked through the connecting door behind the staircase to find his apartment eerily quiet.
"Jack?" he called, but no one answered. "Jack?!" he hollered up the spiral staircase toward the bathroom. Still no response. Last night his friend had been eager to head back to the lake. Now, he was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, MacGyver plopped down hard on the couch and let his head fall into his hands. It was then that he saw it. A sheet of plain white paper sitting on the coffee table with Jack's handwriting scrawled across it.
Mac,
I know I got you into this mess so I'm gonna get you outta it. See ya later!
Jack
"Oh no he didn't!" MacGyver growled under his breath as he barreled out the front door to find his Jeep gone. Swallowing a yell that would surely wake the neighbors, Mac grabbed the keys to the Nomad. He had to get to the lake!
MacGyver parked next to his Jeep in the Marina parking lot and hurried to the attendant. In minutes, he was steering a speedboat out into the open water toward the site of the shipwreck wondering how much of a head start Jack had gotten on him. Putting more and more distance between him and the shore, he was soon able to see the mooring buoy and two white boats bobbing next to it. He assumed one of the crafts belonged to Jack. But what about the other? Cutting the engine in an effort to make a silent approach, Mac guided his boat next to the one that appeared to be the same rental they had used for his dive the day before. After quickly securing his boat to Jack's he climbed aboard and surveyed the situation. No one was on the deck of either boat and he had to suppress the urge to call out. Senses alert, he carefully climbed down the few stairs that lead to a small cabin. There he found Jack, sitting on the floor, hands bound behind his back and legs tied together.
MacGyver rushed over to his friend. "Hang on, Jack, I've got ya." As he reached out, Jack's right eye began blinking rapidly. His right eye. What was he trying to say? Mac had barely turned his head to look behind him when something blunt and heavy connected with the back of his skull. He fell forward, his vision blurring seconds before he lost consciousness.
"Mac! Hey, Mac! Wake up!" Jack frantically urged in a loud whisper.
The fog slowly cleared from MacGyver's brain. He groaned. His throbbing head hung at an odd angle. Doing a quick self-inventory it didn't take long to realize his hands and legs were tied as well.
"C'mon, Mac. We gotta get outta here before he comes back!"
"Before who comes back," MacGyver asked groggily.
"Me." The voice was low and menacing. Mac looked up to find a hulk of a man in full scuba gear sneering down at him.
"Uh, Erik, this is my buddy Mac. Mac, this is Erik"
"Nice to meet you," MacGyver winced, a bolt of pain slicing through his head.
"So, did you find anything down there?" Jack asked, trying to sound friendly.
Erik unhooked a small sack from his belt and opened it, holding it out for MacGyver and Jack to see as he smiled greedily.
"Ya know, that's not real gold," Mac informed him.
"Yes it is!" Erik roared. "And it's gonna make me a real rich man. Thanks for leading me right to it."
"Now that you've found what you came for you can let us go. Right?" Jack asked hopefully.
"Wrong! I'm afraid you're gonna meet with a very tragic accident."
"Hey, c'mon, that stuff isn't even real. Just let us go and we'll forget all about this little...incident," Mac tried to bargain.
"You think I'm that stupid?!" he spat in MacGyver's face. "I'll be out of the country living in the lap of luxury by the time they ID you by your dental records if you're dumb enough to try and follow me."
Erik laughed as he turned and stomped up the stairs causing the boat to rock perilously back and forth. Moments later, Mac heard a motor fire up and quickly fade into the distance.
"What d'ya think he meant by that?" Jack asked.
"Let's not hang around and find out," Mac suggested. "Grab my knife out of my back pocket, would ya?"
The two men scooted around and contorted on the floor of the boat until Jack was able to retrieve MacGyver's Swiss Army knife. "Maybe I oughta get me one of these if we get outta this alive," Jack mused.
"Just give me the knife!" Mac demanded. With tool in hand, he quickly felt for the desired blade and began to saw through the rope that bound his hands behind his back. As soon as he was free, he set to work on Jack's bindings before they both untied their ankles and scrambled up to the deck. Erik's boat was nowhere in sight and the speedboat MacGyver had used was a dot on the distant horizon.
"Time to get outta here!" Jack proclaimed as he slid into the captain's chair behind the wheel and reached for the ignition.
"No!" Mac yelled.
"Why? Aren't we goin' after him?"
"Don't you remember what he said?" MacGyver asked as he grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him out of the chair before dropping to the floorboards to look underneath the control panel.
"About what?"
"About how if we tried to go after him we'd need to be identified by our dental records. Jack, there's a bomb attached to the ignition. If we turn that key…"
"We go 'boom'?"
"In a manner of speaking," Mac confirmed.
"But you can diffuse it, right?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?! What kind of an answer is that?!"
"An honest one?" Mac replied with a grimace as he visually examined the small pack of C-4 attached to a digital timer by two wires. It looked simple enough, but then again, looks could be deceiving.
"Hey, Jack! You can swim, right?"
"Sorta, why?"
"Just checkin'," MacGyver muttered under his breath. He grabbed his knife again. "Here goes nothin'." He cut the red wire, simultaneously squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for a deadly blast. When none came, he breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as he heard a high, beeping sound. He looked at the timer he had apparently activated by cutting the wire. It was counting down from ten seconds.
Wriggling out from under the control panel he called to Jack. "When I say 'jump', jump." He glanced back at the timer. Three seconds left. "Juuummmpp!" he yelled as he flung himself off the side of the boat and into the water, hoping Jack had done the same. He kicked furiously, diving as fast and far as he could to avoid the blast. There was a loud, though muffled, concussion and the water began to swirl around him. Reversing course, he headed toward the surface, breaking through to see fiery flames licking the boat.
"Jack! Jack!" he yelled for his friend.
"Over here!"
MacGyver looked to find his friend treading water several yards away. He quickly swam to him.
"So, what happens now?" Jack asked, clearly dismayed they had lost their ride back.
"Someone had to have heard the explosion," Mac said. "We hang onto the mooring buoy until they come."
XXXXX
Back at Challengers several hours later, Joanna's face was void of color as Jack regaled her with the events of the morning. Every now and again her gaze locked with Mac's and each time he offered a reassuring smile.
"...and that's when the Coast Guard rescued us," Jack concluded.
"What happened to Erik?" Jo demanded. "Did he get away?"
"I called the police on my way to the lake," MacGyver explained. "With everything that's been going on they agreed to send out a couple cruisers. The officers were waiting for our thief when he docked. They also called in the explosion."
"Well, I'm just glad you're both okay," she replied with obvious relief. She rose from her chair to hug Jack and give him a peck on the cheek before finding her way into MacGyver's arms.
A sudden knock on the door caught everyone's attention. They turned in unison to find Doreen from the Historical Society standing there.
"The police told me I could find you here," she said to MacGyver. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Nothing that can't be continued later," Mac assured her as he tossed Joanna a mischievous grin. "What can we do for you?"
Doreen smiled. "I just thought you'd like to know that, thanks to you, the fundraising expedition dive will go on as scheduled."
"That's great!" MacGyver smiled.
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in participating?"
"I think he's had enough diving for treasure for awhile," Joanna answered for him before he could speak up.
"Well, then. Thanks again." Doreen gave them one last smile before turning to leave.
"Well, Jack," MacGyver addressed his friend as he pulled Joanna to his side. "Did you learn anything from this little adventure?"
"I did. Ya know that old saying, 'All that glitters is not gold'? I guess it's true. Maybe it's time I give up my treasure hunting."
"Glad to hear it," Mac grinned, clapping Jack on the shoulder with his free hand.
"I learned something else, too," Jack continued.
"Oh really? What might that be?" MacGyver asked.
"I really gotta work on my backstroke."