The Monster

Nicknames are well earned. Jack's past comes back to haunt him. The team tries to help the stubborn Jack, but will they be too late?

Too Late

"Let's get started." Matty said clicking the monitors.

"Shouldn't we wait for Jack?" Riley asked.

"I just texted him again." Mac added looking at his phone.

"We've been waiting for 30 minutes. I am not waiting because Dalton can't make here on time..." Matty exclaimed just as Jack came in and sat down. "Nice of you to join us, Jack."

"Yup." Jack said with little to no emotion.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm here. Can we just do the briefing?" Jack asked annoyed.

"Are we keeping from somewhere?"

"Oh my..." Jack yelled as he exploded to his feet and the veins in his neck bulging and his face turning red with anger.

"Jack, what's going on?" Mac asked concerned. Jack chuckled raising his hands in surrender sitting down. Jack sat back down as he spun his phone in his hand lost in thought.

"Anyway... FBI and Homeland security got a credible bomb threat at the San Diego City Library. The governor is reading to some preschoolers there today. The Feds seem to think that the bomber is Frank Lindou. They tried to bring him into question but he shook him and they haven't been able to track him down."

"Why do they want us to get him?" Mac asked trying to stay focused.

"The Feds already botched the arrest. The request is from homeland security they want this guy caught without a big media circus." She finished. Jack stood up and left without saying a word.

"What's up with Jack?" Riley whispered to Macgyver who shrugged his shoulders.

"Ahh.. That's the Jack Dalton I remember." Matty scoffed as she shook her heard.

The team visited Lindou's family. The interview was brief. Everyone seemed distracted. Jack still appeared preoccupied. He remained speechless and withdrawn. Macgyver just stared at Jack watching the gears turn. Riley tried to lead the interview as the man stood there silently, but she was distracted by them.

Jack drove them to the library and they sat awkwardly in the car the silence was suffocating. Jack had a larger than life personality and right now he was nothing. Which was also how he felt.

"Jack, what's going on?" Macgyver practically begged.

"Nothing." Jack replied just as quickly.

"Come on," Macgyver chuckled. "You were late this morning and then arguing with Matty..."

"Stop." Jack growled meeting Macgyver's glare. Jack's eyes appeared cold, and almost scary.

"What do you mean? You are the first person to get on our case. Obviously something is wrong. What's going on?" Macgyver debated refusing to let the Texan scare him. Jack smiled and shook his head a little.

"Okay. Okay... It's just some family stuff." Jack answered quietly.

"Family?" Riley chimed up from the back seat.

"I didn't know you had a family." Macgyver chuckled at his own realization.

"I had to come from somewhere." Jack laughed as he looked through the binoculars.

"Wait... What's..." Macgyver asked.

"Oh lookie here... We got ourselves a terrorist." Jack interrupted.

"This isn't over."

They casually follow Lindou into the library only to immediately lose him inside. The library was a mad house with little children and exhausted adults all over the place. Many were excited in anticipation for the governor's arrival.

"Jack and I will look for Lindou. Riley, have then begin evacuation without letting them know about the bomb." Macgyver said. She nodded and Macgyver quickly caught up with Jack who was headed up the stairs. Jack cautiously followed but kept a safe distance. Lindou looked around before kneeling with his bag in front of them.

"Hands! Let me see your hands!" Jack ordered with his weapon pointed at Lindou.

"This is for the greater good." Lindou said as they heard a beep noise. He slowly stood up raising his hands. The fire alarm began going off.

"That a girl." Jack said under his breath while his eyes and aim were fixed on Lindou. Macgyver saw the clock counting down.

"There's fifteen minutes." Macgyver said worried.

"Step away from it." Jack ordered.

"I..." Lindou started but heard Jack turn the safety off.

"Step away from it." Jack said cold and quiet. Lindou complied with orders. "Can you get it, Mac?" He asked as Macgyver studied the bomb.

"I don't know..."

"I got this." Jack said grabbing Lindou pushing him into a nearby utility closet. Before Mac can object he heard the door lock.

"Where's Jack?" Riley asked as she came up the stairs. Macgyver pointed to the closet. He went back to study the bomb. The sound of the fire alarm and staring down a homemade bomb was an eerie reminder of his days in boots. Minutes felt like hours as they watched the clock count down. With nearly seven and half minutes left Jack and Lindou reappeared. Jack slammed Lindou on the ground in front of the bomb. Lindou was snotty nose crying mess. He was beyond inconsolable.

"Do it." Jack said putting his gun against the base of Lindou's skull. Lindou reached out with a shaky hand and disabled the bomb. Jack promptly handcuffed him as Lindou continued to cry. "Come on." Jack said picking the man up forcing him to walk. Jack practically dragged the man as Riley and Mac stared at the suspicious puddle that formed underneath Lindou.

Once the shock wore off Riley and Macgyver went outside only to not find Jack. Lindou was turned over to local authorities knowing that the Feds would pick him up later. Mac was eager to talk to Jack. Whatever was going on was not 'nothing' as he easily dismissed earlier. Jack sometimes did things that Mac did not like or agree with but that was scary. Lindou was no saint but by his current state of mind death would have been a blessing. And for Jack... Jack was not acting himself Macgyver thought. And the more he thought about it the more it scared him. Jack was former special forces, an old CIA spy assassin. He was essentially a government forged and sanction killing machine this was someone who you did not want to go rogue.

Where's Jack? What do you think? Please Review!