The sky was pink with streaks of red and airplane contrails that looked like cuts caused by a giant's long fingernails. Jack shrugged into his vest and stowed his Baretta in the front kangaroo holster. He put in the ear of the TAC radio and had the three TAC teams count off. Cage checked the slide on her Sig Sauer and tucked it in a thigh side holster. She pulled out a ponytail holder and pulled her unruly mane back in one smooth motion. She glanced at Jack with a small smile.
"Ready?" She asked. Jack rubbed his face and nodded. Cage studied the older man. Jack still favored his wounded side but gave no other sign of injury. She looked up as Riley and Bozer entered the staging area.
"Anything?"
"The kids didn't have anything to add that we didn't know. Zoe and DeeDee are getting info for going farther up the food chain." Bozer said. Riley pulled out her ubiquitous laptop and what Jack always called a game controller. She concentrated biting her lip. They could hear the whir of the small drone's engine as it sailed over their heads down the hill they were on to the sprawling mess of a mansion.
Jack glanced down at Matty as the diminutive woman entered the tent. She nodded at them but didn't interrupt. She knew unless there was a good reason, Jack was in charge of TAC on all missions.
"Ok, there are three outbuildings, one is a garage, not sure what the other two are," Riley said.
"Any sign of the Shelby?" Jack couldn't help asking even though he could see just as well as she could.
"Not unless it's inside," Riley said giving him a hopeful smile. Jack nodded. If would be nice to have some firm confirmation Mac was in the mansion, but it wasn't crucial to the mission. Riley stood up, "Ok, I'm going to thermal." Jack leaned closer and frowned. He could see a group of people sitting on the floor inside the front hall. They huddled too close together to make out their number. Around them moved groups of three, numbering close to 60 in all in tight guard formations. Two people sat on the furniture. Jack scowled. He had a pretty good idea who they were.
"Ok, all teams understand the plan?" As they sounded off, Nellie leader of Beta Team walked up to him. Jack smiled. He had a soft spot for the woman and continuously got teased about it. Nellie grinned and hugged Jack. The woman saved his and Mac's life in a big way when they had gotten shot down in the backwoods of the Appalachians; she deserved a bit of spoiling.
"You ready to play Santa Clause, kiddo?" Nellie smiled hefting her M-5. Despite her sunny girl next door smile, Jack knew precisely how badass the kid was.
"Just point us at the assholes, Jack." Jack grinned and raised an eyebrow. Nellie shrugged but didn't apologize, "We're ready to go on your mark, Alpha One." She said. Jack nodded.
"Mission is a go, careful getting into position boys and girls and anyone who gets themselves dead gets to clean toilets for the rest of eternity, got it?" He heard soft laughter and acknowledgment down the line. He watched the drone's screen and smiled. If he couldn't see the Phoenix fighters moving in close to the house, no one inside would either. Jack glanced at the sky. In fifteen minutes it would be full dark, he glanced at Nellie who nodded and Cage who smiled as she held the M-5 barrel up buttstock balanced on her hip.
"Doc Carl is set up and says he's ready for anything," Bozer said. Jack nodded. Bozer's worried face mirrored his.
"Let's not use them, got it?" Matty said. Jack opened his mouth to reply when his phone buzzed. Jack jumped and glanced at the others with a frown. He saw who it was and paled. He put it on the table and pushed speaker.
"What do you want, Lazlo?" Jack felt a tiny victory when the man made a sound halfway between a surprised intake and a growl.
"I imagine you and your little soldiers think you're going to invade?" Jack gritted his teeth. He glanced at Nellie who was already on the radio to the other teams.
"You didn't answer my question." Jack hissed.
"I thought that should be obvious even for a dimwit like you. I want MacGyver." Jack opened his eyes wide and looked at Matty surprised. Didn't Grant have Mac? Was this a lie, a ploy? Jack swallowed and rubbed his eyes forcing his voice to remain steady.
"He doesn't want you." It was lame, but the best Jack could manage.
"Hasn't he learned from my brother, what he wants is irrelevant?" Jack leaned forward. Riley put an arm on his arm. Jack let out a long silent breath and nodded.
"So you're just like your brother? A sick rapist? I wonder what he would think of you messing with kids? I know he was an asshole, but even he didn't sink as low as you." Jack's smile held grim triumph as he heard a string of expletives escape from the man. There was a shuffle then Esme Grant took over speaking.
"Look, if you don't give us MacGyver in one hour the bomb my husband put on him will explode. I assure you it has enough bang to take out two city blocks." Jack shared desperate looks with the others.
"You'll blow yourselves up?"
"If it means taking you with us, oh yes."
"We have an hour?"
"Less now. The timer has been going since you came to visit us. I hadn't realized how handsome you were and MacGyver...he's just yummy." Jack felt as if cold grease dripped down his body.
"Sorry sweetheart, I don't do crazy." Jack cut the line and leaned forward.
"They don't have Mac." He said shaking his head, "GODDAMNIT!" Jack yelled grabbing all the papers on the table and sending them flying. He wanted to put his fist through something, or someone. He felt Matty tug on his sleeve and looked down at her.
"Jack, focus. We still have to clean them out." She said. It was Matty the Mother's tone. Jack nodded.
"Then we can get info out of them to save Mac." Cage offered. Jack shot her a quick smile of thanks. She smiled like a hunting coyote. Jack could tell Cage was looking forward to breaking the Grants. Jack narrowed his eyes. Come to think of it; he was looking for it too. Jack hefted his M5. How seldom does he get pure job satisfaction? Jack will do what it takes to get closer to Mac. If it was bloody, he was ok with that.
"Ok, kids, let's do it." He turned to see Nellie's kind eyes.
"Jack, we'll get him back." Jack nodded and squeezed her shoulder.
"Damn right, girl. Let's go crash the crazy."
Jack's plan was simple, as all good intentions were. The Phoenix warriors worked their way close. At dark, they move forward and rig the outbuildings to explode, along with every damn car the man owned. Jack, Cage, and Alpha would drive in the front. Bozer and Beta would ride with them until they reached the front door then split off to secure the hostages. Jack grinned thinking of the final gift Phoenix would leave the Grants courtesy of Nellie. Riley provided overwatch and kept comms up back from their portable HQ. Jack pulled Phoenix's newest toy up, the Oshkosh L-ATV JLTV. He grinned. It shifted smoother and maneuvered easier than the Humvees they'd used over in the sandbox. Jack paused at the top of the small hill overlooking the locked gate and long drive.
"Everybody ready?" He asked one last time. Jack glanced at the others in the JLTV. Bozer nodded and looked like he was going to puke. Cage and Nellie looked like twin huntresses, and the other six soldiers nodded. This was far from the soldier's first rodeo. Jack nodded.
"Mark is given, go, go, go." Jack said, "Good hunting, kids." He heard quick acknowledgments then pulled on his black leather gloves. He rode the wild ride of his adrenaline. He grinned at the others, "Let's roll." Suiting the action to the word, Jack stomped the accelerator. Jack felt a little disappointed. The truck was automatic, so he didn't have gears to work. Not only did this give him less control than he'd typically have, but it took away the visceral bonding of driver and truck-or in this case battering ram. The throaty diesel purr of the V8 slid into a dragon's roar as they slammed into the gate. Jack nodded impressed. The truck rose smoothly over the fallen iron as if it were a cardboard box. Yep, Jack liked the new toy.
Jack let out a Texas yell as he sped toward the house. He paused at the last bend. Nellie and her team slid out of the vehicle and melted into the darkness. Jack waited until his team was settled then grinned.
"Jack, what are we doing?"
"You know how I love dramatic entrances!"
"Jack, you can't-" Cage ducked into crash position gritting her teeth. Jack cackled as he sped up the stairs and plowed into the ornate front doors. Jack twisted the wheel, and the JLTV skidded to a stop Jack's side facing the front hall. Jack hopped out and dashed to the back of the fountain before the guards opened fire.
Jack took in the scene. A group of girls and boys, most 10 to 15 years old, clustered together behind the uncomfortable dainty furniture. The Grants had dropped flat to the carpet, their hands over their heads. Stark against white, the black-suited guards, seemed to creep out of everywhere like a nest of pissed off ants. Jack ducked wincing as the plant he was using for cover sprayed green fronds shot in half. When there was a short pause, Jack popped up and fired controlled bursts at the closest set of goons. Three went down.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Cage and rest of Alpha leap-frogged across the room spacing their firing, so the others fired when one was reloading. Wave after wave of bad guys fell bleeding. Some screamed in pain. Jack sighed. He always felt at home on the battlefield especially when his team was winning.
Jack flattened as flitting figures along the stairways and from the second-floor landing shot down on them. Jack grimaced. Had to go and jinx it didn't he? Cage and her team managed to tip tables and chairs over for cover. The furniture may have cost millions, but it was as cheap as paper. Jack bit his lip. He saw Nellie and Bozer creep into the doorway on the other side of the room. They weren't in a position to provide cover and couldn't advance. Jack glanced up and grinned. He popped to his feet firing as he moved. He landed in a neat roll ending on his back with the M5 pointing almost straight at him. Jack pulled the trigger for an extended burst.
Esme looked up and screamed. Lazlo Grant shoved her aside and rolled under the coffee table as the chain holding the giant crystal chandelier shrieked. Cage saw what Jack was doing and aimed at the ceiling tiles around the chain. Jack saw the chain spark and the whole glass mess tilted. Jack stood and ran full tilt toward the prisoners.
"Jack!" Cage yelled. Jack didn't hesitate. He jumped onto the coffee table, leaped to the fancy couch then dove head first over the back immediately launching into another roll. He came up in front of the prisoners and turned to fire on the enemy on the stairs, giving Nellie time to break out of the doorway. Jack glanced up, and his eyes widened. He skidded to his feet and ran flat out toward the hostages. Jack had almost reached them a bullet clipped his left thigh knocking him off his feet. Jack grunted tumbling to his side.
A stentorian howl came from the ceiling, and the chandelier fell. Esme screamed as hundreds of lead crystals shredded her flesh to a burger. One of the banana trees beside the couch evidently was fake as it flared into flames. The smoke was thick giving the attackers some cover.
"Move, move, move." Jack bellowed. The bad guys took the same advice and advanced at a sprint. Jack heard distant explosions and smiled. Better late than never. Jack pushed himself up to his right knee and reloaded. Hands grabbed him from behind and yanked him back by his throat. Jack moved with the motion and rolled back to his knees. A groan escaped his tight lips. Lazlo Grant whose face hung in tattered ruins looked down at Jack with the same crazed gaze his brother had when Jack killed him. Jack blocked a kick from the man with his M5, but the weapon went flying. Jack swung aside from a knee to his face, spun and kicked the man's legs out from under him.
Jack scrambled to the M5. Before he could reach it, a black-clad figure grabbed him by his vest. Jack slammed his forehead into the man's nose. The man grinned and didn't let go. Shit. Jack put both hands against the man's palms keeping him from locking in a stranglehold. The man pivoted and slammed Jack back first into the ground. Jack cried out his arms flopping to his side. The man mounted his abdomen and rained down punches. Blood and black spots clouded Jack's vision. He couldn't get a deep breath from the man's weight. Jack punched the man twice without any strength. Then the man flopped forward his chest covering Jack's head. Everything went black.
Cage saw Jack's mad dash under the falling light fixture her heart catching in her throat. The man cleared it then fell to the floor a splatter of blood spraying around him. Cage turned to the Phoenix fighters.
"Well, c'mon we don't want Jack to have all the fun do we?" They moved forward. Nellie and her team provided cover firing at the black shadows on the stairs and upper floors. The air hung heavy with smoke and the smell of cordite. Bozer had the prisoners up, and in single file holding hands, he led them out the side door. Alpha team formed up behind them protecting them.
"Let's get out of here!" Cage roared coughing. She heard a thud and turned to see Jack's body slam. Damn. She charged forward and slammed the butt of her rifle into the man's head over and over until he collapsed-on Jack, "Crap! Hold on Jack." She offered, grunting as she pulled with all her strength. The man rolled slowly over. Cage got a stronger grip and yanked again, "C'mon, dammit." She growled. Finally, she was able to pull Jack free. She looked up and grimaced. They were the last in the house other than the fallen bodies. Worse, she was cut off from all sides except one, "Sorry, Jack." Cage snarled as she grabbed the sleeves of his shirt and inch by inch pulled him around the shattered slices of glass. Cage winced seeing the blood trail Jack left. She could only imagine the number of cuts he'd be getting by dragging, but there wasn't much she could do about it.
Cage leaned against the JLTV coughing and trying to breathe. The fire had spread all around them. She opened the back door wondering how the hell to get Jack inside when his eyes drifted halfway open. Cage grinned.
"Perfect timing, c'mon Jack." Jack stared at her dazed. She shook her head and slapped him. Jack's eyes sparked with anger. He pushed to his feet. Cage yanked at the same time.
"What the-" Jack grumbled dazed.
"Climb in, or I'll tell Matty you destroyed her million dollars new toy," Jack said something, but she couldn't hear anything over the roar of the flames. Cage climbed in, turned the truck on and skidded into a donut facing the front of the house. She stomped her boot on the pedal, and the JLTV streaked through the future and slammed through the front of the mansion. Cage cracked her skull against the armored roof and blinked away automatic tears. It took all the strength in her slight frame to keep the vehicle bouncing across the lawn.
They'd just cleared the debris field and snaked down the driveway when Nellie did her Santa thing. The shoulder rocket launcher belched fire as a stinger flew into the hole the JLTV had made. There was a heartbeat then the entire building exploded into fragments.
"So much for being a historical landmark." Cage said dryly as Nellie and her team climbed back into the truck. Nellie bent over Jack who was out again. Cage turned toward HQ and floored it.
"Looks like twenty got away, I don't know if the Grants made it or not." Riley said with a sigh. She smiled at Matty, "Other than Jack, our side didn't have injury or loss." Matty chuckled.
"Jack can be such a drama queen." She said. There was no hiding the relief in her voice.
"Doc Carl is fixing him up now. CAST and the sheriff's from the task force are bussing the kids to the Phoenix safe house, and Boze should be back any minute." Matty nodded tapping her chin. Now if they just knew where Blondie was. Jack's phone buzzed. Riley and Matty stared at it a long second. The caller ID said it was Mac.
"Blondie? Where are you?" Matty said putting the call on speaker. A heavily accented voice replied.
"MacGyver needs some medical attention. He told me to call you and say sent reinforcements." Riley and Matty stared at each other open-mouthed.
"Ok, first of all, who are you?" Matty began.