Mac tilted the mirror and turned the engine off. He couldn't believe it when they'd intercepted the job. Someone had put a price on Murdoc's sons head, they probably had a death wish.
Cassian had been in federal protection 4 years now and in another 4 Phoenix would have to tell him everything about his father. Something he probably wouldn't want to hear.
The job had been advertised as a bomb job to remove a bus load of school children containing Cassian's class, it was no doubt a ploy to pull the hitman out into the open. Murdoc had been quiet for a few months with absolutely nothing showing up on Phoenixes radar until yesterday.
Jack was in the building opposite with a tac team. It was a high rise parking block and they checked every car that arrived. The contractor was due to meet the hitman who had taken the job in the next ten minutes.
"Anything Mac?" Came Matty's voice through his comm.
"Nothing yet... anything in the car park Jack?"
"Nah it's empty. Whoever this contractor is he's not parked here, neither's the idiot who took the job."
"Any sign of Murdoc?" Mac asked.
"Nothing." Jack replied.
Mac shifted and looked back at the wing mirror, no cars had pulled up.
"Who's that?" Came Jacks voice. Mac looked back to the school. A figure in black stood at the gates. He took no notice of Mac in the car and gazed at the school.
" I don't know. Hitman maybe?" Mac replied and eased his door open.
"Or Murdoc." Jack muttered. Suddenly the man snapped his head to the side and began to move away towards a side street.
Mac got out the car and started after the man. The figure turned a corner and Mac broke into a run. "Mac wait, it might be a trap!" Jack yelled through the comms. Mac didn't hear him and paused at the corner trying to listen.
--
Murdoc watched the school. It was undoubtedly a trap for him, but if it wasn't, Cassian was in danger. He glared at the black SUV that Macgyver resided in. Of course Phoenix was here.
He checked the time, it was getting closer to the meeting. Still no one was there. If he missed the window someone else might take the job and Murdoc would miss his chance to rip the contractor limb from limb.
Murdoc sighed angrily, before getting out of the car and walking up to the gates. No doubt Jack Dalton had a sniper already positioned at his head. They wouldn't know it was him yet.
His phone buzzed and he checked it.
Around the corner
Murdoc pocketed the phone, and walked briskly to the side street.
Upon turning around the corner Murdoc came face to face with a man in a suit.
"You must be Murdoc." The man said.
"And you don't appear to be cowering in fear." Murdoc smiled at him. "You threatened my son."
"Only to get to you." He replied.
"I think you're going to regret that." Murdoc said harshly.
--
Mac strained his ear, hoping to listen to their conversation. All he got was the last sentence. "I think you're going to regret that." Came Murdoc's murderous threat.
He then heard a certain amount of grunting and risked a glance around the corner. Murdoc grinned psychotically, blood running down his face from a cut above his brow. A man in a suit had his back to Mac, and was crouched low ready for Murdoc's next attack.
A few feet from Mac lay a black pistol, undoubtedly Murdoc's. He turned back from the scene and as the fighting recommenced. He took a moment before deciding to grab the gun.
Mac turned around the corner again and reached down to pick up the pistol. Suddenly the sound stopped, Mac snapped his head up to see Murdoc fall to the floor, shaking his head and trying to force his eyes open. The hitman caught sight of Mac but before he could comment, Murdoc's eyes shut and he collapsed.
Angus jumped up and as he drew the gun level he felt a pressure in his neck, he turned to see another man behind him holding a syringe. His vision started to blur and his legs felt weak and buckled. "I got Macgyver." The man announced. Mac tried to call out, tried to move his arms, but they felt like lead and as his vision finally succumbed, all he could think was, "help."
Angus finally found his thoughts again, as he pushed back against the blackness that encased his mind. He managed to form complete logical thoughts and eventually his body responded. His eyes opened and met a dim light. Mac found his hands were bound to the floor and he was leaning against what felt like corrugated metal. He forced his head up and saw Murdoc unconscious in a similar position.
"Murdoc. Murdoc! Murdoc wake up." He called across the container. Slowly the hitman began to stir and eventually raised his head to look back at Mac.
"Alright Boy Scout I'm awake." Murdoc muttered before resting his head on the wall. Mac watched him for a moment before turning his attention to the handcuffs that bound him to the floor. "Disappointed Angus... we should have been out of here by now. You're slipping." He taunted grinning at Mac.
Angus returned a bored look and rather wished he hadn't woken him up.
"You can stop struggling Macgyver," Came a deep voice that resonated around the shipping container. "You won't get out of those without the paper clip that we placed in your top pocket." Mac looked down and sure enough there was a paper clip in his pocket. He looked to Murdoc who gazed back emotionless.
"Here is the deal, you do something for me and I will do something for you. Complete my assignment and I will call Phoenix and tell them of your location. Fail to complete the mission in any way and I will terminate the both of you." The voice announced. "Both of your skills will be required to complete the assignment so do not attempt to remove the other person from this mortal coil. More information about your assignment will be given once you escape from the shipping container. Good luck."
Macgyver sighed and turned his attention to the paper clip and began moulding it into the perfect key. "Hurry up Macgyver I'm starting to get pins and needles." Murdoc urged.
"Shut up and let me concentrate." Mac returned.
"Let you concentrate? Angus you have an obsession with paper clips I doubt my voice is enough to distract you from what has no doubt ended many of your relationships."
Mac froze, he suddenly felt like he was moving. "Be quiet." He muttered.
"You've stopped working. Macgyver! Alright I apologise I'm sure many of your girlfriends really appreciated your skill at bending metal would you please just get us out of here!"
"I said be quiet, I think we're moving." Mac replied.
"What? No Macgyver we're not..." he stopped. They both went silent. After a beat to confirm Mac went back to his handcuffs. "We're swaying." Murdoc noted.
Mac's handcuffs clattered to the metal floor. He jumped up rubbing his wrists.
"Well? Come on Angus let me out too." Murdoc rattled his handcuffs to prove his point.
"How do I know you won't just kill me the moment I let you go?" He asked smiling now at the hitman bound to the floor. He was in control of the situation.
"We've been here before Boy Scout and last time you let me go I didn't kill you, did I?" He demanded.
"No but you did shoot me, remember?" He replied grinning at the annoyance that appeared in Murdoc's face.
"Fine. What would you like in return for letting me go?" He bargained.
"We need a truce, now I don't expect you to have my back but I do expect you to not put a knife in it. In return hopefully we should both survive whatever this assignment is." Mac proposed to him. He didn't really expect Murdoc to actually keep those terms but it might keep him at bay for a while.
"Ok Macgyver you have an agreement." Murdoc hissed. "Just get me out!"
Mac bent down and quickly unlocked the handcuffs which clattered to the floor. "Thank you Angus." Murdoc pulled himself up and stretched before checking his pockets while Macgyver worked on the door.
Mac tried to keep Murdoc in the corner of his eye as he worked on the lock. Eventually it gave a loud clang and as he shouldered the door it creaked open. He stepped out into the blinding sunlight followed by the hitman.
As their eyes adjusted, they both stared out at the sea.
"Excellent. We're on a boat."