Wooooo! A long chapter!

As usual, I own nothing but my original characters, who I am very proud of :D

Four Years Ago

"How did you do that?" Aadela asked as she looked at the radio Mac had jerry-rigged. He'd taken one of her pans, a few rubber bands, some bobby pins, a spring, along with his own broken radio pieces and turned it into a semi-functioning radio.

"I like building things," MacGyver replied, used to that question by now. He twisted one of the knobs a few times, trying to get the clearest signal. He finally reached the best channel he could, though it was still littered with static. "Home Base, this is Section 64, do you copy?" Static filled the air as Mac waited for a response; he waited for a little less than fifteen seconds before trying again. "This is Section 64, requesting back up. Home Base, do you copy?"

Aadela had positioned herself by the window to keep a lookout for the men ransacking the village, and she turned to MacGyver. "They are getting closer," she informed him. Her voice was steady, but Mac could see the fear in her eyes. He decided to try the radio one last time, but then he knew he had to get going if he wanted to make something to defend themselves with.

"Home Base, if you copy, this is MacGyver, requesting backup as soon as possible. I'm in the village of Ak Toba; if anyone is receiving, please respond."

Static filled the air once more, and Mac rubbed his forehead, trying not to notice the scared faces of the small family that had saved him. The American began to get up slowly; while his ankle was feeling better, it still balked at taking its full share of his weight. Before Mac got very far though, there was a break in the radio static as someone responded.

"Mac, is that you?" It was Pena's voice, and Mac let out a huge breath in relief. He grabbed the radio and answered,

"This is MacGyver," he confirmed.

"Kid, where have you been?" Pena asked. His voice sounded stern, but Mac knew that underneath all the hard exterior, there was a gentle and caring father-to-be.

"Sorry sir, had a bit of trouble getting clear; now I'm pinned down in a village called Ak Toba. It's near the compound, and the men from last night are here looking for me. I'm being helped by a family, but I could use some backup, sir."

"Hold tight son, I think I know the place; backup'll be there as soon as possible."

There were screams outside, a gunshot, and a man yelling; Mac ducked his head instinctively, using his good arm to reach out a pull Atar to the ground. "Soon would be good, sir," Mac responded as he struggled to his feet. "Sooner, even, if it's possible!"

Pena said something else, but Mac was too preoccupied with gathering the materials he needed to fight back to respond, or even fully comprehend what his CO said. He hurried over to Aadela, looking outside the window; what he saw made his stomach plumet.

The villagers were being herded together while the man in charge paced in front of them, holding a gun at his side. Mac turned to Aadela. "I need a container; a plastic bottle, if you have one?"

Aadela nodded. "Under the sink," she responded, gesturing in the direction of the appliance.

"Great," Mac replied. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the vinegar and cayenne pepper he'd set on the table earlier, as well as what he assumed and hoped was baking soda. Once he had those materials, he turned to Aadela and Atar. "You need to go out back," he instructed.

"What?"

"Go hide out back," he repeated. "Get under the hay near the goats, and don't make a sound."

"Mr. MacGyver, we aren't leav-"

"If they catch you harboring me, they're going to kill you without hesitating," Mac interrupted. "Please," he added when he saw that Aadela still wanted to argue. After another moment of hesitation, Aadela finally nodded, though it was reluctantly. She grabbed her nephew and herded him towards the back door, though the teen obviously didn't want to go either. He kept turning back towards Mac, but his aunt caught him each time and stopped him, reprimanding him quietly in their native tongue as she finally got him out the door.

Once they were outside, Mac breathed a sigh of relief as he reached under the sink and got the plastic bottle out. He began pouring the vinegar and cayenne pepper inside, watching as the red ground pepper mixed in with the foul-smelling liquid. He filled the bottle until it was about three-quarters of the way full, and then all that was left to add was the baking soda. He grabbed a piece of paper from the floor and created a funnel so that the powder wouldn't spill all over the floor, and then he poured the white substance into the plastic bottle.

The contents began to bubble instantly, and Mac screwed the lid back on before it could overflow. Doing things one-handed was a little difficult, seeing as how his injured arm was still in a sling, but Mac made do; making do with what he had was one of the things he was best at, after all. The blond pulled out his Swiss Army knife from his pocket and placed it on the ground. To keep it steady so that he could pull out the blade he needed, Mac put his knee on one end of the knife and grabbed the circular shape of the corkscrew. He pulled out the tool, but before he could figure out the best way to disperse it on the terrorists outside, the front door was kicked in, and four men swarmed inside.

Guess there's that decision made, Mac thought to himself. Quickly, the American stabbed the corkscrew into the side of the plastic bottle and aimed the now-spewing bottle at the intruders, hitting two of them square in the face. Those two dropped their weapons and clawed at their eyes, trying to get the burning cayenne pepper out, but it was a futile effort. The other two terrorists moved towards Mac with greater caution now, though Mac could tell that they weren't actually scared of him.

One of them feinted for the blond's side, making Mac turn and squeeze the plastic bottle, shooting the contents of the bottle towards… empty space? The terrorist knew that would be Mac's reaction, so he'd ducked out of the way as soon as he made his move, and while the blond was turned slightly away, the last terrorist jumped and hit Mac in his injured shoulder. MacGyver let out a cry and dropped the bottle, his vision going slightly blurry. Though he was still in pain, Mac used his one good hand to try and fight back. He wasn't a match for the terrorists though, especially injured and with one of his arms in a sling.

The fight didn't take long, and the men finally dragged Mac outside the house, though the blond American was fighting them the whole way, at least as best as he could. Through his hazy vision Mac could see that he was getting taken to where the rest of the village was corralled, and the only thought going through his head was how he hoped that Aadela and Atar would remain uncaptured.

The men grunted as they hauled the American forward, but finally they threw him down at the feet of the man in charge, thankfully landing on his uninjured shoulder, though it didn't lessen the pounding in his head any. While he was trying to fight back, one of the men had managed to get in a good shot to his jaw and the side of his temple, so both of those were now throbbing, and being tossed around wasn't really doing wonders for his pain. Even with his arm in the sling, Mac kept his injured arm as close to his side as he could to restrict movement.

Something was said in Arabic above Mac's head, and the blond saw the man in charge looking down at him. The American tried to roll around to get to his feet, but the click of a gun made him pause.

"My men here say that you are the man who sabotaged our building last night," the man above Mac said. "I'm guessing you're U.S. military, but I need to know more. What is your name, what division are you with, and how many other people know about me?"

When MacGyver simply stared at the man in contempt and didn't say anything in response, a boot appeared out of nowhere and planted itself firmly in the American's stomach, knocking him onto his back and making him grunt in pain. Once Mac was on his back, now using his uninjured arm to curl around his abdomen, another boot was placed against Mac's throat. A very slight amount of pressure was applied, enough to let Mac know that the man wasn't afraid to do something worse, but not hard enough that the blond wouldn't be able to speak and give up the information they were seeking.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. What is your name, what division of the military are you with, and who else knows about me?"

When MacGyver once again refused to answer, more pressure was applied to the blond's throat.

"If you want me to talk, crushing my windpipe might not be the best way to go about it," Mac pointed out hoarsely.

"Ah, he can speak," the man announced. "That is good to know. Now, how about answering my questions?"

MacGyver stared defiantly at the man above him, even though one of his eyes had a bit of blood from a cut on his forehead dripping into it.

"Let's try this again," the man said, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He raised his gun and pointed it at the crowd, drawing cries of alarm from the village people. "If you don't answer my questions in the next thirty seconds, I shoot someone. If your conscience lets you live with that one life taken, and you still refuse to answer my questions, I will tell my men that they may fire on will at anyone they please."

Mac's eyes went wide at the threat, but before he could do or say anything, one of the terrorists called out and got the man's attention. "Habib, wajadna hdha fi haqibatih!"

The blond had no idea what they were saying, but he was able to guess when he saw one of the men walking forward with his ID that he had stowed away in his pack. The man in charge, Habib, accepted the ID and looked at it with interest.

"Angus MacGyver," he greeted slowly. "An EOD specialist for the United States Military. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. MacGyver." Habib removed his boot from Mac's throat, but before Mac could get up and try to fight, Habib moved his gun so that it was pointing at Mac's face instead of the crowd of villagers. Habib stared at Mac for a moment before speaking to his men.

"Alhusul ealayh," he ordered. MacGyver wasn't sure what the phrase meant, but he was able to piece it together pretty quickly when the men bent down and grabbed him, hauling him upright until he was on his knees. The terrorists pulled his good arm straight out, then reached into the makeshift sling and yanked his injured arm out of the supportive material and held that arm out as well. The American had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from groaning as his injured shoulder was stretched out.

"I would ask you again how many people know about me, but the more I think about it, the less I really care. So, Mr. MacGyver, I think it's time that our brief relationship should come to an end."

Mac tried pulling out of the men's grasps, but he was unable to move. He saw the gun level at his head and he cast his eyes around, trying to the very last second to find some way out of his predicament. Just when Mac felt that Habib was about to pull the trigger, someone behind them shouted.

Habib paused in surprise, and MacGyver glanced behind them, his stomach plummeting even further when he saw Atar running towards them, Aadela close behind as she tried to catch her nephew. Habib laughed at the approaching teenager, and the terrorist glanced away to laugh with his comrades, not noticing how close Atar actually was. The teenager bowled into the older man, making Habib grunt in surprise and drop his gun.

MacGyver took advantage of the distraction and pulled his good arm as hard as he could, throwing the man holding that arm off-balance. Once that arm was freed, Mac reached over and jabbed the other man holding him in the throat, freeing his injured arm as well. Once both of his arms were free, Mac was abe to get to his feet, though he had to duck to avoid a punch aimed for his face almost as soon as he was up. Mac felt someone coming behind him, and he jerked his elbow backwards, hearing a rather satisfying crunch as his bony elbow made contact with someone's nose.

"Stop!" Habib roared as the young American began fighting with the terrorists. MacGyver glanced over at Habib and his blood ran cold. The man was holding Atar against him, a gun at his head. "One more move and the boy dies," Habib threatened.

"No!" Aadela tried to run forward, but Mac reached out and grabbed her before she could get herself or her nephew shot.

"Stop," Mac muttered in her ear, trying to calm the frantic woman's cries. His injured shoulder made it difficult to hold onto her while she struggled, but his sheer will to keep her alive won out, and he pushed through the pain.

"A trade," Habib called out from where he stood. "You come with us quietly, and I let the boy go. I let this whole village go," he offered. MacGyver stared at the terrorist; he didn't trust the man for an instant, but the desperate look in Aadela's eyes, and the scared look leaking through Atar's brave expression made MacGyver nod and take a step forward. Aadela made a small noise of protest, but Mac ignored her.

"Let him go," he called out to the terrorist as he moved forward. Habib shook his head.

"You surrender to my men first," he countered. "Once you are secure with us, then the boy goes free."

MacGyver didn't trust Habib further than he could throw him, but at the moment, complying with his demands seemed like the best way to keep Atar safe. The blond began walking forward until he passed the first of Habib's men, and then the terrorists reached out and grabbed him roughly, yanking him towards them.

They began securing his wrists together, and once they were done, they pushed him towards the truck they'd come in. Mac resisted though, digging his heels into the ground. "You've got me, let him go," the blond insisted as he noticed that Habib still held the teenager with a gun pointed to his head.

Habib looked thoughtful for a moment, though Mac could tell the man had clearly already made up his mind.

"Alhusul ealaa alsabii fi alshshahina," he said, pushing the boy into the arms of one of his men. Aadela began yelling and running forward, and though he didn't speak Arabic, Mac knew what Habib must have said.

"We had a deal," he growled as he struggled against the men holding him, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and ribs.

"You are a fool," Habib scoffed. No further explanation was given; the only other thing Habib did was turn to his men to give them more instructions. "Put them both on the truck," he said to his men, this time in English. MacGyver heard Aadela crying out for her nephew, but the terrorists shouted at her, aiming their guns at her and preventing her from running forward.

Mac continued trying to resist their attempts to move him, trying to get away so he could help Atar, but one of Habib's men placed a well-aimed punch to the American's injured shoulder. The pain was so intense that MacGyver fell to his knees with a groan of pain, and his captors laughed cruelly. They hoisted the young man to his feet and pushed him forward, barely bothering to keep him upright when he tripped over a hole in the ground.

Mac looked up to see that Atar was close to the truck, struggling in his own captor's grasp. For a moment, Mac felt that he and Atar would actually be taken away, but then he heard a rumbling. He wondered for a moment if it was in his head, but when he looked around it seemed that others heard it too, because Habib and his men stopped laughing and talking, straining their ears to listen for the sound. Mac felt the ground under his feet vibrating, and he suddenly realized what it was. His heart leapt in his chest, but he knew that once Habib realized what the rumbling was, the rest of the village was in danger. The blond turned to look at Aadela and mouthed "Run!" at her.

The woman looked confused, but it was at that moment that Habib must have realized what the sound was. He began yelling at his men, and MacGyver took advantage of the sudden chaos to yell, "Run!" at Aadela before jerking his elbow into the stomach of one of the men holding him. When that man doubled over with a wheeze, Mac turned to the other man and drove his knee into his captor's abdomen. When that man leaned over as well, Mac's well-aimed knee greeted the man's nose and knocked him to the ground. The first guard Mac incapacitated began to straighten back up, but Mac drove his elbow into the back of the man's neck, making sure that both of Mac's guards were out for the count.

Once his guards were taken care of, MacGyver ran towards Atar, ignoring the pain in his ankle. The American heard gunshots closer than before, and he took a running leap, crashing into the men holding the teenager, sending everyone involved tumbling to the ground. MacGyver grabbed Atar and rolled away from the terrorists with the young man in his grasp, coming to a stop after a few seconds of rolling.

When Mac raised his head, he saw that Pena had definitely brought backup; American soldiers were running everywhere, securing all the terrorists they could. Gunshots were still ringing about though, so Mac made sure to keep Atar's head covered as the two of them got to their feet and ran for the nearest military truck. They had almost reached it when there was a feral yell from the side, but Mac didn't have time to react before someone bowled into him, knocking Atar away and throwing Mac to the ground.

The back of MacGyver's head hit the ground and left him seeing stars, but his vision was clear enough to see that it was Habib on top of him. Mac's shoulder was screaming in agony as the combined weight of both MacGyver and Habib pressed down on the injured limb, pushing it into the ground. Mac didn't have time to focus on his shoulder though, because the terrorist's grabbing hands found Mac's throat and began to squeeze before the blond could fight back. MacGyver refused to go down without a fight though.

Though his hands were still tied together, Mac brought his bound arms up in between Habib's, and jabbed up with as much force as he could. The American's aim was true; Habib howled as Mac's thumb found his eye, and the blond's throat was released as the terrorist fell back, clutching at his wounded eye.

MacGyver heard shouting, and several military men suddenly appeared and grabbed Habib's shoulders, hauling him to his feet and away from the young man he'd been trying to kill. With his throat finally released, Mac drew in a deep breath, coughing slightly as he tried to take in too much air at once. Pena appeared above his head and held out a hand, which MacGyver accepted gratefully. The blond was pulled to his feet, though he had to switch where his weight was placed, because his ankle had begun throbbing rather painfully again.

"You alright, kid?" Pena asked. Mac looked around at the small group of terrorists being rounded up, and then he saw that it looked like none of the villagers had been harmed; Mac turned his attention back to his CO, and he nodded.

"Yeah," he panted as he massaged his throat. "I think I am."

Obviously this isn't the end of the story, so don't worry. This just seemed like the best place to end the chapter :)

Let me know what you think of the chapter!

Here are the translations: (From google translate)

habib, wajadna hdha fi haqibatih-Habib, we found this in his bag

alhusul ealayh—get him up

alhusul ealaa alsabii fi alshshahina—get the boy in the truck