Season 02 Episode 15: Murdoc + Handcuffs
Jack stood at the glass window looking into Mac's cubicle. Fondly he watched over his partner and Alex would give everything to read his thoughts. On the other hand, normally she just needed to ask him. She was sure, he would answer. Without any words she handed him a cup of coffee and without averting his eyes from his partner's form, he blew into the steam. Then he took a sip from the hot liquid.
"Here we are again. And again Mac's lying in a hospital bed after an encounter with Murdoc. It had to stop. But this time I have to give this psycho credit: He saved Mac's life!"
Until now Alex had no time to study the file of their last mission. When Mac was wheeled into the medical ward, she had another patient. Right now there was intense activity at the ward and Alex was glad that she got a few minutes break. Just the mention of Murdoc's name together with Mac's team gave her goosebumps. She didn't need to encourage Jack to tell more. He did it by himself.
„Mac stood unarmed between two of the most deadly assassins worldwide. Murdoc shot him down, to have him out of the way. Helman could have killed both of them with one shot, but he must have hesitated. Not Murdoc. He shot Mac and gave more shots right into his mentor, without even Helman shooting once. I don't get it." Jack shook his head, still in disbelief. „But the most horrific I ever saw was Murdoc's gaze at Mac. I still get shivers down my spine. He swallowed him completely with his eyes. It was pure, morbid lust."
Alex thought about her conversation with her friend in Chicago.
"Hello Alex, why do I have the honor to get a call from you?"
Even through the phone, miles away from Los Angeles at Chicago, Alex heard Colin's clear enjoyment. He was one of her instructors and a really helpful friend when working at the army hospital. Colin seems always to have time for her questions and problems.
"Doctor Colin Chambers, can you please be serious for one moment?"
He laughed. "Okay, it's about a patient of you. Go on."
She told him about Murdoc, Mac and his mission when he had to play Murdoc. Of course she also explained the very creative way he went away from his prison. Colin asked, but interrupted her not too much. His question at the end of her explanations irritated her at first.
"Which one of them shall I analyze for you?"
Colin named Murdoc, not surprisingly, as narcissistic. Instantly he knew that Murdoc felt a deep obsession for Mac. He was the one that got away. The creative way of improvising fascinated him. He wanted to examine his opponent like a lab-rat to know how he works. He would not even stop at surgical tests. Thanks to his knowledge of the human anatomy he could do that without injuring Mac life threatening. It was questionable whether he would get useful answers out of his tests.
Killing Mac would be a unique artwork for him. He would postpone the finale as long as he got his own 'pleasure'. For Mac it would be a tortuous way, no matter if it lasts hours, days or weeks.
For all that, Murdoc needed a safe hiding place, not far away from a spot where he could catch Mac unmolested. Such a place to find could be the first hint and Colin gave the nurse a few points she should check in his opinion. Alex wasn't at ease after this phone call, but more than ever persuaded that they had to find Murdoc and stop him. Until now they couldn't get him.
Jack drank his coffee.
"Murdoc and Mac sometimes have the same way of thinking. But I never would dare to compare them to each other. Murdoc is pure evil and Mac-"
"Mac couldn't do any harm to anyone?" Alex finished his sentence. "You get that impression, but that's not right. He can't do his job sometimes without using violence, even if he's doing that only when there's no other possibility."
Jack nodded and gave the empty cup back to Alex, without looking away from Mac for just one second.
"He has no trouble, leaving that part to me. To be honest Mac is more than in one way contradictory and I fear that someday it will be his fatality."
"I thought that more than once." Alex confirmed.
"I abandoned him. I will never do that again. No way! Helman and Murdoc could have done, only God or the devil knows what, to him. I wasn't there!"
Jack's face showed his self-doubts while he told more.
"Lately I was rarely there for him. First there was Elwood and I wanted to protect Riley, while Mac was still suffering from the VX-gas. Then there was Dawn and I didn't care about him when he couldn't use his hands because of rescuing me. And while he built his trap for Helman or Murdoc I only thought about Diane."
Jack finally looked at Alex, but what she saw in his eyes wasn't pleasing.
"I'm a terrible partner and an even worse friend, when I always leave him on his own. But now I'll be there for him. I hope he forgives me."
"There's nothing to forgive, Jack. I'm sure Mac doesn't blame you for any of that, even if you're doing it yourself. More important is: You got Murdoc. You have to make sure, he can't run this time."
Jack agreed with her and opened the door. It would take time until Mac was waking up. Until then Jack took his place on the chair next to Mac's bed.
