Chapter Ten: Occam's Razor
Hey, just you know I had to change a bit about Walsh and James' history as well as take some liberties for certain factors that were not explained. This is so my idea could fit better so don't hate me if it is different in canon. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
The Phoenix Foundation
Exact location? Unknown
Occam's razor dictates that the simplest solution or reason is often the best. Clearly, Occam wasn't in the espionage business because if he did he wouldn't be so eager to call it the 'best. While the simplest solution is quite popular it is certainly not the best for humanity. So, the simplest reason for Oversight's thievery is that the files he took were pertinent to his plans. And those plans are almost certainly bad for the rest of the world- or at the very least for human life.
The Director did not want to share the details of their investigation until they were in the War Room. Matty's office was as secure as the War Room but she didn't have time to argue so agreed. So, there they were in the War Room with the glass panels fogged up for confidentiality and the CIA Director displayed the screen.
Mathew Caldwell was a serious man of about sixty. The hair he had left was greying, almost white in places. His eyes were a piercing grey colour and portrayed a cool cruelness to them that could make the spines of the toughest of men shudder. You didn't get to be the Director of a government agency like the CIA without developing a thoughtless streak. Neither Jack nor Matty would want to cross him though both knew the Director felt the same way about them. Their relationship relied on that Mutually Assured Destruction, now, more than ever.
"You are free to talk now," Matty assured him.
"First things first, tell us what files were taken," Jack demanded. That niggling feeling was not something he could ignore. Instinct had done him well over the years. If it was telling him that something was wrong then that meant something was wrong as far as Jack was concerned.
The man hesitated. He looked to the side as if someone was speaking to him. After a few seconds, he turned back to the screen and nodded his assent.
"As far as we are aware the files that were stolen were all related to one person: Jonah Walsh."
What's that saying? That went down like a lead balloon? Well, the idiom was very relevant here. I would even go as far as to say that it went off like a lead bomb because the reaction that followed that revelation was… explosive to say the least.
"What?!" Matty yelled.
"That bastard?" Jack demanded.
Jonah Walsh used to work for the CIA back when he and Matty both worked for the Company. Walsh was one of their best agents and then one day, after Jack had left the agency – Walsh betrayed the country in the worst way. He hadn't been seen from or heard from since other than by several other government organisations all over the globe putting him on their most-wanted list.
"We think that James MacGyver means to track Walsh down and help him evade capture. The agency was strong intel that Walsh is hiding in Kosovo." The Director explained.
"Why would he do that?" Jack questioned incuriously. He knew that James MacGyver was not exactly the most honourable of men and he certainly didn't have very good morals. However, surely even he wouldn't help a traitor and a murderer. Walsh was responsible for the deaths of countless innocents and several of them were agents for the CIA themselves.
Jack saw Matty and Walsh share a look. The kind of look you shared when you were clued into something someone else wasn't. Matty obviously knew more than she was letting on. Jack was beginning to lose his patience. The tolerance he had for things being kept from him was starting to run out. Of course, he knew not to take these things personally. When you worked for a government organisation so secret most had never heard of, you got used to being told half-truths and even outright lies. But that didn't mean anything right now. Mac's safety was in play here and that meant that national security didn't mean a damn thing to him.
"Matilda," Jack used his boss' full name to show how serious really he was "Start talking. Do not leave anything out."
Matty sighed. Normally she should object to being spoken the way Jack did. It questioned her authority. She was in charge after all not him. Then again, this was not a normal situation. Mac was his kid – anyone that dared dispute that was quickly corrected.
"He and Walsh were partners. They were close. Like you and Mac kind of close," Matty explained.
The Who? The What? The When? The Where? The Why? Jack knew that James worked for the CIA just like Walsh. He did not know that their paths had crossed though. But their paths had not just crossed- they were partners, friends – family. How did he not know this?
"It was before your time," Matty told him.
That was when Jack realised that he'd asked the question out loud. Good. That saved time. He needed to know that too. Jack indicated for Matty to continue. The sooner he was briefed the better.
"Walsh and James didn't work together during their tenure at the CIA. However, they both came over to Phoenix- then DXS at about the same time. Because of this, they were partnered together with Walsh being the protector much in the same way you work with Mac," Matty explained "The treason he committed? That was when the two of them were working for us but consulting for the Agency."
Jack had found about Walsh's treason through Matty. It had been decided that he might be in danger if Walsh decided to pay him a visit while he couldn't have specifics he was grateful for the warning. In fact, it was one of the reasons why Jack had signed up with the Army again – to help out in some way and to gather more intel about that treason.
That's when he met a Blonde EOD tech with a name like a burger. The two got along famously together! That's me by the way. Yes, I know, you probably guessed but you never know! Anyway, then we joined DXS and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Now that's we're all caught up, do you think we can get on with the case in hand?" The Director requested. He was clearly irritated though whether it was due to his ignorance or due to the fact they were actually filling him in, Jack didn't know. He suspected it was a mixture of both.
"Of course." Matty agreed. Both she and Caldwell battled silently to be in charge neither wanting to give up their authority. That was the trouble with working with two alpha types- they both wanted the other to give up their power.
"I want to integrate MacGyver Senior," The Director declared.
"Well that's not going to happen," Matty rejected firmly.
Jack sensed that the two were about to engage in a battle of wills or start an argument over what they should do next. Neither of those things would be helpful, in fact, they could be detrimental to their objective. Before this could happen, Jack decided to be the adult of the situation for once by distracting them with something that had been bugging Jack since he'd found out about Walsh.
"Something doesn't fit right with me," Jack commented. The feeling that they were missing something was still there. This time though it was not due to lack of information.
The distraction was effective. Rather than continuing their argument which ultimately would leave to leave to nowhere, they focused on him and his unease. Glad that he'd captured their attention Jack folded his arms and went to elaborate.
"As we've said, Oversight isn't a fool. Why would he risk all of this? He had to know you'd realise he took the files and would no doubt arrest him and send someone to secure Walsh. You have done that haven't you?" Jack directed the question to the Director. It was almost rhetorical.
"A tac team was sent but they were unsuccessful," The Director confirmed.
Matty could see where Jack was heading with this. She blamed the fact that she and the Director were battling for control for oversight (no pun intended) but really she should have made the connection herself.
"He wouldn't just risk all this and not have a plan B. He has to be working with someone," She added "And if we willing to risk all of this then he would have to know where Walsh is."
"I don't like this," The Director's voice was shaky. It was clear that the history between James and Walsh was enough to change a normally undaunted man into a bag of nerves.
"We're not overly happy about this either Caldwell," Matty reminded him.
"Well, I'd much rather you put him in our custody."
If the Director thought that was happening that he was under a misapprehension. It would be too risky and anyway- Jack wanted Oversight here where he could en eye him and maybe even a gun. Or two.
"That would be a tremendously stupid idea," Jack responded.
"Why?" The Director demanded clearly offended. "Because you want to put some Dolton justice?"
"Well," Jack turned his head to the side as if considering that option. "I will admit that is on my to-do list. But no. That's not why it's a stupid idea. If you just take him and start questioning him about Walsh, which you will because the opportunity will be too good to miss, all you'll succeed in doing is making him suspicious."
"Jack's right," Matty agreed quickly. It would be too risky to just pass James onto the CIA. He would smell a rat immediately. "A suspicious James is an unpredictable James and an unpredictable James is a dangerous one. So, you'll have to sit tight."
The Director scowled. He turned his steely glare onto Matty. It was the glare he used to intimidate his most insubordinate of agents. It wasn't working.
"Fine." He agreed finally giving in to the battle of wills between the two leaders.
"There's something else," Jack insisted. He needed to make sure they stuck to the subject. "James doesn't seem like the kind of person that would be that loyal to someone. I mean would he ever do something like that for you?"
The question was directed at Matty. If she didn't understand why the question was being asked she probably would have been offended. Jack wasn't saying anything about her importance. Instead, he was questioning James' morals. He wasn't one for sentimentally.
"No, he wouldn't," Matty confirmed. She wasn't beginning to understand what Jack was thinking and was happy to oblige his curiosity.
"Exactly. It doesn't make sense for him to do all this for him particularly after what happened the last time they worked together. If I'm right about him, he'd take Walsh's betrayal personally. I mean did they even leave on good terms."
"No, I must confess they did not," Matty answered.
"So why would he risk all this to save someone that got one over on him?" The Director asked him.
Suddenly it all snapped together in Jack's mind. People may often have him written down as a loud-mouthed Texan with little brains, but he wasn't stupid. Ok so he was the brawn on the partnership and Mac was definitely smarter than him, but it didn't mean that he was completely clueless. He did occasionally have good ideas.
"He wouldn't- he's going to kill him."
"Look Oversight is safely in our custody." Matty reminded them. "He can't assassinate Walsh while he's here. I would bet anything that he's not working alone. He's probably hired someone to pull the trigger."
"You mean like a hitman?" The Director asked.
"Exactly," Jack confirmed. Then he noticed that Matty reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm calling Riley. We need to analyse Oversight's communications and find out how who he's been speaking to." Matty told them. She knew that Riley would ask questions, but they needed to get this sorted. Explanations would have to wait.
"What about Oversight?" Caldwell complained. In his mind, it seemed like they were forgetting the reason they'd called him in the first place. To arrest James MacGyver.
"He's not the priority right now. Finding out whom he was chatting to is. We'll work on that. You work on tracking down Walsh. We'll call you with any news. Maybe if we discover who it was we can use that information to locate him."
Matty ended the call with the Director before Caldwell could argue further. They didn't have time to debate the decision further and frankly, she had neither the energy nor the inclination to talk to him for any longer.
45 minutes later…
The War Room…
Riley thought that The War Room was aptly named. Many missions happened over the history of the foundation. This was the room where the best of the best stopped the worse of the worse. They prevented wars and saved millions of lives. Therefore, whatever the reason Matty asked her to look into Oversight's communications, it must be really important.
Riley sighed. Matty promised that she would explain everything in due course but all the mystery had piqued her curiosity. She trusted Matty of course and knew that her boss was a woman of her word. She would just have to do what she had been told for now. Anyway, the sooner she gave Matty the information she needed the sooner she could back to her quiet night in.
So, trying to ignore the many questions that she had, she went back to work. The odd glances that she cast to Matty who was in fierce and whispered conversation with Jack did not go unnoticed. After the third time she caught Riley looking at her, the technical genius decided to focus on the task at hand.
It was not long before she got the results they so desperately needed. Riley wished that she didn't. This was not good.
"Matty," Riley called her tone filled with apprehension. All the colour had been drained from her face.
"What is it?" Matty demanded understanding Riley's reaction immediately "What have you found?"
"Murdoc. Oversight's been in contact with Murdoc."
The revelation and its implication turned the already tense atmosphere into a deadly silence. Riley didn't know everything about the situation, but she knew enough about Murdoc to make an educated guess. Oversight hired Murdoc to kill someone. She just didn't know that man was Jonah Walsh. Well. So much for a quiet night.