Authors Note: Here's the fourth chapter. Thanks to MacBedh, Cort 85, WaxWings, and Nedy Rahn for their reviews.

Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will.

They entered the house in silence. Ellen was worried. Who wouldn't be? Some men were trying to kill her son! "Jack, I'm calling the Sheriff."

Jack nodded. "Good idea." It would make her feel better, and to tell the truth, it would ease his mind a bit, too. Though, what Sheriff Roberts would actually do with real murderers, he wasn't sure. The city had never had trouble like this before. Jack followed his mother into the kitchen, the only room with a phone in it. Dalton followed close behind him. He hadn't left Jack's side since the fire.

Ellen picked up the phone. "After this, we'd best call your parents, Jack. They're bound to be worried about you."

Dalton just shrugged, "Yes Ma'am."

Jack absently looked at the clock. 6:34. Was it really that late? Boy, the day had flown. What was that old saying? Time flies when you're having fun? Well, time flies when you're being chased by killers, too.

"Hello? Hello?" Ellen frowned. "Operator?" She shook her head. "The phone's dead."

"The line must have been cut."

"The line must have been cut," Jack repeated, for Dalton's and his mother's benefit.

"Isn't that what crooks do before breaking into a house?" Dalton looked around him nervously.

Ellen slammed the phone down. A determined look came over her face. "Boys, go upstairs, and stay away from any windows," she ordered. "I'll be up in a second. They'll most likely come in through the ground floor. I want you to keep ann eye on your bedroom window, Jack, just in case they try to climb up that tree. Now, go on upstairs."

Jack's eyes widened. She knew about his tree!

"That's not really important now." MacGyver nudged Jack.

Jack barely stopped his hand from shooting up to his head. "Don't do that!" But the nudge had the desired effect. Jack headed up the stairs, Dalton still following him.

Jack Dalton immediately went to Jack's window and stuck his head out. "I don't see anybody."

"Jack!" Jack grabbed his friend and jerked him back, "What are you doing!"

"I was just looking out," Dalton protested. "I thought maybe you could sneak down the tree and get help."

Jack paused for a moment. He could, but that would involve leaving his mother and Jack alone in the house to be attacked. He wouldn't do that. "No. I'm staying. I can't leave you here with these guys." Jack walked over to the dresser that stood beside his bed. He opened the top drawer. Pushing away a few socks and other items, he found what he was looking for. Carefully he picked the item up. It was a small handgun that had belonged to his father.

The instant his fingers grasped the gun a feeling of hatred and fear charged against him. A memory, not his own, flooded into his mind: His friend turned, "Look at that!" he exclaimed. He raised the gun and aimed it at a hawk.

"No!" he yelled. Instinctively, he grabbed his friend's arm to prevent him from shooting the bird. The gun flew through the air. It landed and the sound of a shot filled the air. Jesse crumpled to the ground.

"No!" MacGyver yelled.

Jack shook his head, trying to clear it from MacGyver's memory, from the feeling of actually being there. "Just because you had an accident sometime isn't going to keep me from protecting my family!"

"There are better ways!"

"You can't control my life!" Jack clutched the gun tighter.

"There are better ways of doing things without killing people!"

Jack could feel MacGyver's anger. He saw his visions of joining the Air Force slipping away. If MacGyver hated guns and MacGyver could take control of his body at anytime… Fear crept back into Jack. Fear of the thing that had invaded his head.

MacGyver halted, as soon as he sensed Jack's fear. He didn't want Jack to be terrified of him, or to hate him. "Sorry about that," he said gently, reaching out to touch him. "But if you use that gun, you will be starting a gun fight. You don't want Jack and your mom dragged into that, do you?"

"No," Jack admitted. His fingers loosened around the gun.

"I can help. I can set a trap for them. But I'll need your cooperation."

"You mean take control again?"

"Yes, but it will be only for a short while. To help your family."

"Jack? Do you see somebody I don't?" Jack turned around. Dalton was looking at him like he was a madman.

Jack froze. "I have been talking out loud, haven't I?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was a bit busy."

"Jack, I'm not crazy so don't look at me like that."

Dalton relaxed only slightly. "Then who were you talking to?" His face showed concern.

Just then, Jack's mother came into the room. "Jack, I thought I told you to close and lock the window?"

Jack hurried to close the open window, glad for the distraction. "What were you doing down there?" he asked her.

"I was closing and locking the doors and windows. It'll take them a little bit longer that way."

Jack was getting ready to ask why she didn't let them help her, but MacGyver interrupted. "If I'm going to do anything I'm going to have to do it soon."

"I don't remember saying yes to that."

"I just want to help."

Jack groaned. "Fine." He relaxed and felt MacGyver take control.

MacGyver looked around the room. A plan began forming in his head. The stairs would be a perfect place to set it. All he needed was some supplies. Spotting a pile of rope in one corner, he snatched it up.

"Jack what are you doing?" Ellen asked.

MacGyver paused for a moment to smile at her. "I'm making a trap," he explained. "Hopefully, it will catch them before they get up here."

The sound of glass shattering from downstairs made them all pause. "I'll need some help," MacGyver said, as he hurried to his task.

Ryan had let Jacobs break the window and enter the house first. Jacobs had declared that since they were going to do this, he was going to do some of the shooting. Ryan had agreed, even allowing Jacobs to enter the house first. Jacobs had thought he had finally won an argument against his partner, and Ryan let him think that. After Jacobs had entered the house, Ryan stayed behind for a moment. After all, if the kid did have a gun, it would be better for their cause if Jacobs got hit instead of him.

Not hearing any shots he cautiously climbed in the window.

They had searched the entire bottom floor and found no one. The house had no basement so there was only one place they could be. Upstairs. Again, Ryan let Jacobs go first. Ryan hated stairs, at least when he was on the bottom of them. They made one weak, and gave the one at the top the advantage. He especially hated stairs that twisted and turned so that he couldn't see the top. These were like that. It wasn't a spiral staircase but it had enough turns in it to be dangerous, plus the railings were high and solid, not allowing anyone to see through them or over them.

Jacobs charged foolishly up the stairs, but Ryan held back. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"I hope this works."

"It should."

"How did you come up with this?" Dalton whispered. MacGyver had insisted it would be safer for both him and Ellen to go in one of the back rooms, but they had both refused. Seeing as there wasn't enough time for Jack to come forward and make Jack go, or convince his mother that it would be better if she stayed hidden, they had been allowed to stay.

MacGyver just shrugged. "It made sense. Shh." He warned. "They're coming toward the stairs."

Loud footsteps could be heard thudding up the stairs. At the right moment MacGyver pulled at the rope in his hand.

Jacobs turned the stairs and was hit squarely by Jack's mattress. With a muffled cry, he was thrown against the wall, his head crashing against it.

"One down!" Jack cried in delight. They waited, second rope in hand for the other one to turn around the corner, but he didn't.

As soon as Ryan heard his companion's cry, he retreated. The fool had obviously run into a trap and Ryan would have no part in it. It seemed this boy was smarter than he looked. Well, Ryan could play smart too. Quietly. he exited the house and snuck into the woods. He didn't view this as a failure. He viewed it as a victory. Now that the bumbling Jacobs was out of the way, he would be able to do his job efficiently. Until now Ryan had always worked alone. He preferred it. He could prevent his own mistakes, but not those of someone else. Of course now he had an extra job to do. Jacobs couldn't be allowed to tell anything, but that would be easy.

MacGyver cautiously moved down the steps. He gestured for Jack Dalton to stay put but he followed anyway. He carefully lifted the mattress to reveal the unconscious man. The gun that Jacobs had dropped when he was hit was lying beside him. MacGyver ignored it. Drawing a cord that originally belonged to a set of blinds, out of his pocket, he proceeded to tie the murderer up.

"Where's the other one?"

"He must have gotten away."

"Will he still come after us?"

"I don't know, but to be on the safe side we better assume that he will."

"Right." That made sense. "Hey, MacGyver?

"You can call me Mac."

"Okay then, Mac. It's my turn now. You've had long enough."

"Alright," MacGyver let go, giving the control back to Jack.

Jack gave a sigh of relief. The first thing he did was pick up the gun and unload it. A loaded gun with a bad guy in the house wasn't a good combination. He stood up and then stiffened. He could feel someone's eyes on him. He spun around but it was only Jack. Dalton quickly broke his stare and flashed Jack a big grin, "Great job! What's next?"

"Now we get the police," Jack answered.

A knock sounded on the door, and all three of them jumped. "I'll get it. You boys stay up here," Ellen commanded. Stepping over Jacobs' body, she walked down the stairs. Soon the sound of the door being unlocked and opened could be heard, and then the sound of the Sheriff's voice. "Sorry to bother you this late Ma'am, but somebody driving by reported seeing two men sneaking around the house. Seeing what's been going on lately, I thought I'd investigate it personally."

"We have one of them right here!" Jack called down the stairs. He glanced down at Jacobs, "and he's starting to wake up." He added.

The Sheriff hurried up the steps, Ellen following at a slower pace. Jack nudged Jacobs with his foot. The man moaned and opened his eyes. He tried to reach up and feel his head but found his hands tied tightly behind his back.

"This was one of the men who killed Frank," Jack said to the Sheriff.

"Are you sure?" Roberts asked.

"Positive," Jack stated grimly.

Jacobs laughed. All eyes turned to the one still lying on the floor. "You're not in the best position to be laughing." The Sheriff drew forth a pair of cuffs.

Jacobs ignored the Sheriff, instead focusing on Jack. He sneered up at him, "You didn't catch Ryan did you? He got away, and he'll get you yet, and set me free too."

Jack's face hardened as he stared down at the man, "I wouldn't bet on that."