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?

Family Reunion

Mac and Riley met up with Bozer at Elizabeth Foley's house. They arrive just as her husband. They look around the house and see that the husband is home alone.

"So, I talked to Matty. She says that the police say that the trooper had a run in with some bikers that use the highway to run drugs and other things. So it's unrelated." Bozer said with a smile.

"Or it's Ryan's crew? What's their name?"

"Sons of Silence?" Riley said looking over her notes, as Mac showed Bozer a picture of Ryan.

"That looks like an old Halloween picture of Jack... The Sons of Silence are a huge biker gang they have a large gathering in south east they could be expanding to Texas." Bozer added earning a look from both of his companions. "I watch a lot of gangland. What's our story?" Bozer asks as they walk up to the door.

"Story?" Mac asked as they knocked.

"He's going to ask who we are. What do we..." Bozer asked as the man answered.

"Hello?" He said seeing the three strangers at his door.

"We are reporters doing a story about the recidivism rate among violent offenders and the toll of that on the family. We were sent by an anonymous source from the probation." Riley said with a smile. She remembered seeing numerous calls from their landline to the county probation office.

"You heard then? I assume you know that Ryan pushed his mother down the stairs. I told them and they did nothing! I would've called the cops but Liz begged me not to!" Hank ranted angrily.

"What?" Mac asked.

"Ryan is crazy... and Liz... She tries to take care of him, but you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Ryan is bad news,"

"What about the mother?" Mac asked.

"Liz called me from the hospital. She said that Ryan came over and wanted money. It's cruel irony that Sue only remembers him. Anyway, Ryan likes to come over and get Sue to write him checks or give him things to sell." Hank said preparing an overnight bag.

"So, he came over looking for money?" Mac assumed.

"Yeah, but he cleaned her out. Luckily she gets Jack's retirement benefits, helps us pay for her care. So after he cleaned her out last time Liz took became her representative and took over the bank accounts. Ryan didn't know so when he came over to get money his mom had none... I guess they fought. I don't know. Liz told me that he pushed Sue down the stairs. She's at the city hospital now. It's about an hour north, just outside of San Antonio." Hank said walking back towards his door motioning for them to leave. Once outside Hank walked quietly to his car.

"Is that where Liz is now?" Mac said and Hank stopped and looked at the trio.

"Please don't bother her with this. Liz has had her problems but she's been doing well for ten years. I don't want her lumped in with her crazy brothers. Her whole family is a disaster."

"The whole family?"

"Yeah. Liz and her brothers were bounced around foster care for a while. Sue had some problems, and couldn't take care them. Liz went to a good home, but her brothers had trouble. Ryan went to juvie for fights in the group home. Once their father came back Jack, her other brother, went with him. Ryan stayed in juvie and Liz stayed with her foster family." Hank explained rubbing his hands.

"Why did they go into foster care?" Bozer asked concerned.

"I don't know. It's not somethings she likes to talk about."

"What about her brother Jack?" Mac asked and Hank laughed. Hank began to put the belongings in the trunk.

"He's an interesting character."

"When's the last time you saw him?" Riley chimed in.

"When he punched me at my wedding... No, I'm wrong. When he Ryan started punching each other at their dad's funeral. I don't mean to be so judgmental but when they all get together everything goes haywire." Hank said shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I gotta meet my wife." Hank smiled as he left.

Mac, Riley, and Bozer walked back to the car in silence. They were trying to absorb all the information that was given to them. They were cursed with curiosity while battling with maintaining the privacy of a good friend. Now that they knew the players in the game they were only a couple clicks away from discovering everything about their friend. They drove in silence until it was interrupted by the phone ringing. Matty was calling.

Jack uses the wall to prevent himself from falling as another wave of dizzy and lightheadedness hit him. This one was more intense then the first. Jack was unsure what was going on as he coughed a little, all while keeping up with his speedy little sister. Jack released a deep breath as the dizziness passes.

"Are you alright?" Liz asked putting a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm fine. Just jet lagged." Jack lied giving her a nervous smiled.

"I was working in the garden. Mom likes it. She's not quite lucid anymore. She enjoys the flowers. It's the only thing that gets her out of bed. She does not recognize any of us." Liz said, as they entered the ICU, Jack was the first person that Sue did not recognize. An evil trend that happened to all of them. "She hardly speaks, anymore, and when she does it usually not nice..."

"Stop!" Jack interrupted annoyed. "Just tell me what happened."

"Mom was in the garden with me. She told me she was going inside to take a nap. I was in the middle of something, so I didn't immediately follow her like I normally do. I lost track of time until I heard what I thought was a motorcycle. I came running to the front yard I saw Ryan's bike and heard a crash inside. When I got inside I found mom on the bottom of the stairs and Ryan at the top. Ryan was trying to go through the drawers, but they are mostly empty. Mom was unconscious, and Ryan bailed when I called 911."

"How bad is she?" Jack asked as they stood outside her room.

"She had a stroke in the ambulance, and they don't expect her to recover... This is all my fault. I should've walked her inside. I had no idea Ryan was out."

"Stop, you couldn't have known that this would happen." Jack said awkwardly as he hugged his sister. Jack slowly followed his sister into the sterile hospital room. Jack was taken back by his aged mother's appearance. She had two black eyes, and all the tubes and wires he could imagine. The only sound in the room was the machine breathing for her and the beeping from the heart monitor.

"You know she was not right when she..."

"Yeah, I know." Jack again interrupted.

"She does not even remember."

"How convenient." Jack said getting choked up.

"I called you here, so you could say goodbye, Jack." Liz said brushing her mother's hair back. She couldn't help but notice Jack beginning to tear up. Jack reluctantly reaches for his mother's hand taking with his. Jack stared at her. Twenty minutes past before he could find his voice.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I wish... I wish things could've been different." Jack whispered with a shaky voice. As much as Jack wanted to he did not hate his mother or blame her for their childhood, but found it difficult to forgive and forget. Jack used his other hand to wipe his face. Jack found no solace in the moment however, and before he knew better the machine began beeping erratically. Jack pulled his hand away looking around panicked.

"Jack. It's okay..." Liz tried to comfort her panicked brother but he kept her at arms length.

"No, no... I need some air..." Jack stuttered as he stumbled over his own feet leaving.

Mac, Riley, and Bozer arrive at the hospital. They quickly approach wing that held Sue Dalton. As they approached though they see Hank consoling a petite woman as she tried to fill out paperwork. The room behind them was empty. It was a sobering moment.

"You must be Jack's friends? He told me that you might come by. You must be Macgyver. Bozer? And little Riley all grown up." She said with a smile as she wiped her eyes. The crew was taken back. "I'm sorry. I thought... I thought he'd like to say goodbye but I think it did more damage than anything." She cried.

"Where'd he go?" Mac demanded.

"I can't even lie to you because I don't know what a normal response would be. That he went to the chapel? Or went to call more of my dysfunctional family. Add gasoline to the fire... Knowing my brothers, though. Jack's probably off to kill Ryan, and Ryan is waiting for him." She cried holding her husband's face. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to help him. You know, let him see that... What have I done?" Liz cried as Hank held her.

Mac went to help console her in hope of getting more information but his phone began ringing. It was an unknown number with a local area code. The timing was suspect and alerted Mac's spy instincts. He showed Riley the number as she began tracking it.

"Hello," Mac said but he did not hear anything. He heard a quite commotion in the background but could not make anything out.

"I got it! It's coming from a gas station six miles away." Riley said showing them the map.

I just couldn't wait! Please Review! What do you think?