This was really rattling around in my head and I needed to get it on paper in order to actually be able to do real work. This does change the timing a little bit and assumes that Bozer became a full fledged agent at Phoenix before Can Opener.I don't think it really changes anything, but please let me know.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing," Bozer asked for what must have been the tenth time. He was standing guard, in front of Cory's door – actually he was blocking Riley who was trying to pick the lock. That Mac and Jack wanted them to go look for Cory's computer was obvious, but the least they could have done was leave a key.

"Got it," Riley murmured. When she saw Bozer's raised eyebrow, she shrugged philosophically, "The fruits of a misspent youth."

Bozer looked at the young woman, "I shouldn't ask, should I?"

Riley shook her head as she opened the door and let both of them in.

Upon entering Cory's apartment, Riley found herself saying a small apology to Cory for invading her space. "I'm so sorry Cory. But I just want to see if I can figure out who wanted to hurt you." She looked around the small living room, noting the various plaques and awards. "She's realy smart, isn't she," Riley asked Bozer.

"Yeah, she is," Bozer said. "Mac always said that she was just as smart as him…maybe smarter…but in a different way." Bozer looked around again. "You know how Mac is smart about things…Cory…well Cory is smart about people."

Riley was nodding. She'd found a photo of Mac and Cory together; it looked to be pretty recent. "They are pretty close, huh?"

"Very close," Bozer said. "Before she died, their mom made them each promise to take care of the other..to be there for each other. It was her final wish for her kids…I think they took it really seriously." Bozer took a breath. "This thing with Cory…its killing Mac. I think he hides it pretty well, but this has been harder on him than anything I have ever seen him go through. And, dammit…he's my best friend,I hate seeing him in so much pain. Anything that we can do to help him. Riley…anything at all…and I'm there.

Riley had been listening and nodding sympathetically. She did not know Mac as well as Bozer and Jack did, but it was moments like this which gave her insight and which helped her understand how one man could inspire so much loyalty in others. She nodded. "Let's find her computer and I'll get to work." The two scanned the room and quickly saw a backpack with the CIA logo on it. Unzipping the main compartment, they found the laptop. "OK, then," Riley mumbled. "Lets see what we have here." She placed the laptop on the desk, connected her own laptop to it and began to type.

The room was silent except for the clicking of the keys for several minutes until Riley looked up. "Its using an algorithm based encryption key." More typing.

"Is that good," Bozer asked.

"Its better than the alternative," Riley replied, eyes still on the screen. It Cory set the password, its totally random and my chance of figuring it is minimal. This is based on an algorithm, and I can hack the algorithm."

Bozer was impressed...but he always impressed with Riles. "How long will this take?"

"At least 6 to 8 hours," came the instant reply.

"Hmm..," Bozer's forehead wrinkled as he thought. "Maybe...while we are waiting, we can do something useful."

Riley looked up, interested. "What are you thinking?"

Bozer paused. "All this work. All this investigation into what the Organization is who wants you all dead. ..and we seemed to have forgotten something...we haven't asked the guy who actually did the shooting."

Riley gasped and looked up from the computer. "Murdoc?", she said.

Bozer nodded."Let's go be agents," he said.

An hour later, Riley and Bozer walked through a hallway that echoed with their foot steps and stopped in front of a metal door with a small window. The guard looked them over and checked their IDs. With the slightest shake of his head, he opened the door and let them in.

The room that they entered was bare except for a bolted down table and several chairs. The orange clad figure sat behind the table. He looked up, his eyes almost feral and he broke out into a cold smile.

"Miss Davis," he purred. "Mr. Bozer..."Its so nice that you have to see me." He paused in what was meant to me mock surprise..., "Oh. This is not a social call?" Murdoc formed his mouth into a pucker of disappointment. "Oh well then. I suppose you are here to ask me questions."

"Who hired you?" Bozer snapped.

"I have no idea."

"How do you get paid?"

"Electronically. Its all about the numbers."

Riley was thinking furiously. He was too glib. He had pat answers. They were not asking the right questions.

"What was your mission?" She asked

"Very good, Miss Davis," Murdoc cooed in a way that made Riley want to take a shower. "My mission was the elimination of certain human targets."

"Which targets," Riley pressed. "Who were you hired to kill."

Murdoc's eyes became rock hard. "Who is lying in the hospital near death?" He snarled. "Do you think I make mistakes?"

"So if Cory was your intended target," Boser said, "What about the rest? Mac, Jack, Riley, Thornton."

The slightest flicker passed across Murdoc's face, he was clearly enjoying himself and did not want to be reminded of the victims he failed to claim.

"A bonus for any others that were eliminated."Again the cold smile. "Now Angus...Angus is something spelcial altogether. That was really the hunt for me. I'd never hunted anybody like him." He practically licked his lips at the recollection while Riley and Bozer did their best to not flinch away in disgust.

Bozer got an idea. "What was the purpose of eliminating Cory MacGyver," he asked.

"Wrong question, Wilt." Came the response.

"Wrong question or do you just not know the answer," Bozer challenged.

"The girl is a cog. She is almost incidental. Meaningless outside of those few people who would miss her." These words were bit out. The fury beneath them palpable. Murdoc shut his mouth with an almost audible snap and regarded the two agents.

"So there is a bigger game plan, isn't there," Bozer pushed.

Murdoc just smiled.

"What's the end game? Who is even playing the game?" Riled joined in.

Murdoc continued to smile. "I think I am done talking for free."

"What do you want, Murdoc." Boser asked.

"A little light and culture in this dank, dark place." The agents remained silent. "A book. Just one book." He looked around. "Paradise Lost by Milton. Original First Folio. And mind you, not a reproduction. You bring me that and I may be able to provide you with a little more information." With that, Murdoc started to stare straight ahead, making it perfectly clear that the interview was over.

Twenty minutes later, Bozer and Riley were in the car. Riley swore softly. "Well that was a waste of time. Where in the hell would we get a first folio copy of Paradise Lost.

"This is LA," Bozer quipped. "I can get you just about anything...for a price." He dialed his phone. "Vince...yeah...its Wilt. Good. Its going good. Hey – I need a favor. I need a book...an expensive one. It's a gift for somebody very important." Bozer listened for a few minutes. "Yeah, man. The book is Paradise Lost." Riley watched as Bozer smiled and then his face paled. "You want how much?"

Riley handed him a piece of paper. "How much?"

Bozer quickly scribbled the number. Low six figures. Riley looked at the number and nodded. "Ask for where he wants the money transferred."

Bozer obliged and in a minute wrote a bank number. "Tell him he'll have the money within the hour and we better have the book within 2 hours." Bozer dutifully repeated the directions.

Once he hung up the phone, Bozer looked at Riley. "How in the hell are you going to come up with that kind of cash within the hour."

Riley had the grace to look a little sheepish. She flushed and then said, "You don't suppose that the Feds found everything when I was arrested, do you?" Bozer stared at her incredulously. "I hid the money. I never wanted to use it, but for this...to help Mac...I'd do it again."

Boser nodded. "You're a good friend."

"Let's go get that book."

I had really wondered where Riley and Bozer got such a rare book. This is my attempt to explain it. I have no idea about the feasibility of hacking an algorithm, but if anybody could do it, I figure that it would be Riley. Tried for a super creepy Murdoc - would love to know what you all think. As always, I love and am so grateful for your comments and reviews. Thank you in advance for reading and reviewing.