Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to my mom. She said the chapter where I wrote about the Crandells (Mac's Instant Family) was boring and she hoped I was leading up to something. I wasn't! But after her comment of course I had to reconsider and this chapter is the result! Thanks Mom!
The Protectors
MacGyver pulled into the driveway of the safe house early Monday morning after dropping Sam off at the airport. A green minivan was parked where Joanna's car should be. He climbed out of the Jeep, clipped Frog's lead on his collar and lifted him to the ground. Was it his imagination or did the animal seem not as heavy as before? Perhaps a regular feeding schedule minus Mama Colton's fried chicken livers was getting the pudgy dog back in shape. Frog might just be able to avoid the diet Joanna had been threatening to put him on these past few weeks. Mac smiled at the thought.
He was still smiling as he opened the front door and stepped into the now-familiar living room. Joanna sat on the couch, leaning forward, her elbows on her knees. Leroy stood in the middle of the room as if at attention, and a man in a suit quietly moved about the house, no doubt doing a security check. Mac bent down to unclip Frog's leash.
"So, what's going on?" he asked, straightening to his full height.
"Mrs. Crandell claims she has been getting phone calls threatening the children," Leroy explained.
"What do you mean 'claims'?"
"We have no proof, only her word," Leroy said with a sigh. "She says she's always alone when the calls come in and she won't let us tap her phone claiming invasion of privacy."
Mac glanced at Jo who only shrugged.
Leroy continued, "She wants to put the children back in our custody until the issue is resolved."
"How does Mr. Crandell feel about this?"
"He's on board, especially since his ex-wife started accusing him of being behind the threats."
"Okay, what's the plan?" MacGyver asked.
"Your part is pretty straight forward. You and Joanna stay here and protect the kids. Only this time, make sure they are never alone and stay in either the house or the yard. If you have to take them somewhere, use separate vehicles. We have to assume whoever is making these threats wants both Sarah and Jeremy. Also, watch out for any tails you may pick up while driving. I've briefed Joanna on the basics so she knows how to handle herself. And speaking of driving, I have provided the minivan you saw in the driveway and there is a sedan in the garage. Both of your cars will be taken to a secure location. We can't take any chances that you were followed here."
"What about tracking down whoever is supposedly making these threats?"
"Investigators from my firm are working with the local police," Leroy informed Mac. "Remember, your job is to protect the kids. That's it. Everything else is being taken care of. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," MacGyver ground out, feeling as if his wings had just been clipped.
Leroy was almost out the front door when he stopped and quickly turned around, digging in the pocket of his suit coat.
"I almost forgot about our already agreed upon stipulation." He pulled out two gold rings and handed one to MacGyver and one to Joanna.
"Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in having a woman who has just dragged her kids through a messy divorce insist that a married couple take care of them?" Mac asked sarcastically.
"She's our client, Mr. MacGyver. A very wealthy client. If she wanted the Good Lord Himself to babysit you can be sure we'd make that happen." With that Leroy stalked from the house.
Mac blew out a breath and sat down next to Jo. "Well, I guess we have our orders," he said in a clipped tone. Joanna simply nodded.
The children soon arrived and settled in quickly. MacGyver knew he had to lay down some ground rules, but he didn't want to frighten them. He looked at the kids sitting on the floor playing with Frog who was soaking up the attention like a sponge. Mac sat down beside them and motioned for Joanna to do the same.
MacGyver took a deep breath and began. "Jeremy, Sarah, do you know why you have to stay with us again?"
"Mommy said Ms. Lyla, that's our nanny, is going on vacation and Mommy is going to be too busy to take care of us," Sarah answered matter-of-factly.
Terrific. The kids had no idea they might be in danger.
"Right," MacGyver replied, playing along with Mrs. Crandell's lie. "But this time around we have some very special rules you have to follow."
The brother and sister let out simultaneous groans.
Pretending he didn't hear them, Mac continued, "You have to stay where either Jo or I can see you, and if you want to play in the backyard, one of us has to come with you. When it's time for bed, Sarah is going to sleep in the big room with Jo and Jeremy, you and I are gonna bunk together in your old room."
Jeremy's familiar scowl quickly returned, but his sister appeared to be deep in thought.
"What about the bathroom?" she asked.
"What about it?" Mac questioned, lost with this sudden topic change.
"Do you have to be with us when we use the bathroom?"
At this point Joanna chuckled. "No, Sarah," she replied lightly. "You can use the bathroom by yourself. But I do have a couple other rules."
More groans. MacGyver was suddenly glad he had not been around when Sam was this age.
"You have to promise that you will not open the door if someone knocks or rings the bell, and if you see anyone outside besides me or Mac, you need to tell one of us right away. Do you promise?"
The siblings nodded sullenly.
"Sarah, would like to come into the kitchen and help me decide what groceries we need while you're here?" Joanna asked lightly.
The girl bounced up and skipped across the room, following Jo.
"Hey Jeremy," MacGyver said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Let's go pick out which bed you want to sleep in."
The boy rolled his eyes. "I don't care which bed I sleep in," he grumbled.
"Good," Mac replied. "Then you can help me decide which bed I should take."
MacGyver got up from the floor and encouraged Jeremy to escort him to the bedroom. The boy plopped down on one of the beds, crossed his arms in front of him, and went into full pout mode.
Mac closed the door to the room and sat down on the second bed so he was eye level with the boy. Jeremy was the same age he was when his dad and grandma had died in a car crash and only a year older than Sam when his mother was killed. MacGyver didn't want to upset the boy, but he didn't want to patronize him either.
"There's something I need to tell you, Jeremy."
"We're not here because of Ms. Lyla's vacation, are we?"
"No, I'm afraid you're not."
"It's about the phone calls Mama gets, right? The ones that make her cry?"
"Yeah, it is," Mac confirmed. "Your mom's afraid someone might try to hurt you and your sister. She sent you here so Jo and I can protect you. We lied because Sarah is too young to understand and we didn't want to scare her. Can I count on you to help us out and take care your sister?"
After a long moment of consideration, Jeremy nodded.
The rest of the day settled into the easy routine they had previously created. Jo stayed in the house to prep the children's lessons while Mac played with them in the back yard. They munched on frozen pizzas heated in the oven with promises from Joanna to go get groceries the next day. Before long, it was time for the siblings to go to bed and they did so without protest, an indication of how tiring the day had been for both of them.
Once the kids were asleep, MacGyver and Joanna sat side-by-side on the sofa, stocking feet propped on the coffee table, Mac's arm draped lazily around Jo's shoulders.
"Feels like déjà vu," Jo commented.
"Yeah," Mac agreed, leaning his head back against the cushion.
"Got any working theories about who's behind this?"
"You heard Leroy. Our job is to protect the children, not find the bad guy."
"And it's driving you nuts, isn't it?" Joanna turned to grin at him.
"Yeah, it is," Mac readily admitted. "As for theories, in cases like this it's usually one of the parents paying someone off to kidnap their kids, blame the other, and gain full custody and/or a nice ransom. But since neither of the Crandalls wanted custody in the first place and since both of them have more money than God, that theory doesn't hold much water."
"Maybe it's a relative?" Jo ventured
"Could be," Mac mused as he stared at the ceiling.
"Jo! Mac!" Sarah called as she came running from her room. "Someone was looking in my window!"
The two adults were on their feet instantly. MacGyver directed Joanna to stay with Sarah as he grabbed a flashlight and went out the backdoor. The floodlights lit up the yard. There was no sign of an intruder. Mac walked the perimeter of the house checking for footprints or other clues but came up empty. He returned to the living room and Jo and Sarah.
"I couldn't find anything," he sighed. "Sarah, did you see the person looking at you?" he asked gently.
The girl nodded but remained silent.
"What did he look like, honey," Mac prodded.
"He was black."
"He was a Black man? Like Mr. Leroy?"
"No. He was ALL black. Like a shadow."
Mac glanced at Jo who shrugged her shoulders.
"Do you think we should call the police?" Jo asked MacGyver after they had gotten Sarah back into bed.
"We can have them log the incident, but I didn't see any signs of prowler. I'll look again in the morning just to be sure."
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Monday morning Joanna hurried the children through their routine so they could complete their lessons while leaving time for her to go to the grocery store.
"Are you sure you'll be okay while I'm gone," she asked MacGyver.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine!" he insisted. "I've taken care of both of them before. Besides, we still have to do their science lessons. Just be sure to drive safe and watch for a tail. Double back every now and then."
"Now who's the one worrying?" Joanna challenged. "It's just a quick trip to the grocery store."
"Fine, but don't forget yogurt. And tofu. See if they have any bean curd!"
MacGyver was still calling out a list of food as Joanna got in the minivan and drove away. The trip to the store was uneventful. The trip home was a different story. Jo was not overly familiar with this part of town and, while she was trying to make sure she wasn't followed, she ended up getting lost herself. She searched the vehicle for a map but found none. She almost wished someone had been following her. Perhaps they could lead her back home. She continued to drive and eventually found street names and buildings that looked familiar. After parking the van in the driveway she grabbed a sack of groceries and opened the front door.
"Sorry it took so long but…" The site in the kitchen stopped her dead in her tracks.
The table and floor were littered with newspapers, and every surface she could see, included MacGyver and the children, were dusted with flour. In the middle of the table stood a large, pyramid shaped lump of dough with mud smeared down the side for good measure. Not to mention the mud on the humans as well!
"What in the world…?" she started to ask but was quickly cut off.
"Yay! You're just in time to see it, Jo!" Jeremy was actually smiling and bouncing on his chair. Sarah clapped her hands in anticipation.
"See what?" Joanna asked cautiously, setting the grocery bag on the nearest clean space of counter she could find.
"The eruption, of course!" MacGyver stood between the children, flour and mud on his face along with a crazy grin.
"A volcano," Jo finally realized. "So, this was the science lesson for today." Her tone of voice made it a statement, not a question, and the look on her face as she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head caused the children to momentarily frown.
"Yeah, isn't it neat?" MacGyver asked. "I used to make these all the time when I was a kid."
"I'm sure you did," Jo replied snidely.
"C'mon Mac, make it explode!" Sarah cried, unable to contain her enthusiasm any longer.
"Okay. Now everybody stand back and put on your safety glasses."
For the first time Joanna noticed clear plastic goggles piled on the counter. She snagged a pair for herself. The mess had already been made, what harm could a little explosion cause?
"Now remember, it's not an explosion but an eruption," Mac corrected as he began to sprinkle baking soda into the opening at the top of the 'volcano'.
Joanna assumed that the mini-mountain already contained a mixture of dish soap and vinegar given the bottles on the table. MacGyver backed away as the last of the baking soda disappeared. Within seconds there was a fizzing sound and shortly thereafter bubbles and foam started to spew from the volcano. The children laughed and clapped and cheered. MacGyver looked as if he just scored the winning hockey goal. And even Joanna allowed herself to smile, if not at the chemical reaction, then definitely at the reaction of those around her.
"Okay guys, go get cleaned up," Mac instructed the kids when the eruption had subsided.
Joanna cleared her throat loudly, caught his eye, and looked pointedly around the room.
"Oh. Um. Guys, come back here! We have to clean up our science experiment first," Mac redirected.
Joanna spun on her heel and walked out of the room, glad that MacGyver couldn't see the grin spreading across her face.
With the science experiment dismantled and the kitchen once again clean, Joanna started preparing supper with Sarah, a willing helper, by her side. Jeremy had retreated to his room and MacGyver was…somewhere.
Jo was in the middle of peeling potatoes for the stew when Frog began to bark furiously from the back yard.
"Mac!" Joanna called, vegetable in one hand, peeler in the other. "MacGyver!"
"What's going on?" he asked as he appeared in the doorway.
"Frog is barking at something outside. Could you shut him up and bring him in before the neighbors get mad?"
MacGyver had just stepped out the back door when the front doorbell rang.
"Terrific," Jo grumbled as she put down the potato. While she grabbed a towel to wipe her hands, Sarah took off and ran to open the door.
"Sarah, we told you not to open the door!" Jo reprimanded as she hurried to catch up to the girl, but she was too late. The door was already open and two stocky men with ruddy faces were entering the room, each with a handgun leading the way.
Joanna immediately stepped in front of Sarah to shield her and drew in a deep breath to call for MacGyver.
"Don't bother yelling for your boyfriend or whoever he is," the older man said. "He won't be able to hear you."
Jo remained silent as Frog continued to bark frantically and Sarah whimpered behind her.
"Where's the boy?" the man demanded.
"He's not here," Joanna replied, lifting her chin defiantly. An action which earned her a backhanded slap across the face. Though her cheek stung and tears threatened, she pinned the man with a hard gaze.
"Is supper ready yet?" Jeremy asked as he wandered into the room.
"Tie up the kids," the man told his partner. "I'll take care of the woman."
Joanna knew this was a kidnapping and the children would be kept safe and alive, but she would soon outlive her usefulness. And what had they done to Mac? The man roughly spun her around, grabbed her arms and tied her wrists with what felt to be a stiff rope. When she turned around, she made a point of once again meeting his eyes. It was her way of letting him know she wasn't going down without a fight.
Within minutes, Joanna and the children were being shoved into the back of a dark utility van. The engine roared to life. Jo and the kids were tossed around as the driver jerked the van away from the curb and sped down the street.
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MacGyver's head was throbbing and he smelled gasoline. He forced his eyes open and found himself lying on the floor of the garage next to the sedan. Frog was licking his face and wagging his stubby little tail. The last thing Mac remembered was stepping out into the backyard then blackness. Joanna! The kids! Mac sat up suddenly and fell back just as quickly, the world spinning around him. He lie still for a minute before trying to get up again. This time more slowly. He gingerly made his way into the house, Frog yapping beside him. Upon entering, the dog took off in search of his friends. When he didn't find them, he returned to MacGyver and whined.
"I know, buddy. Someone got to them."
Mac grabbed the phone and called Leroy to tell him what happened. A short while later, MacGyver sat on the sofa, his fingers inspecting the knot that was beginning to form on the back of his head as the lawyer, the Crandells, and what had to be half of the Milwaukee Police Department descended on the safe house. Mac explained what happened to everyone who asked and answered as many questions as he could, but the answer he needed evaded them all.
"Do you have any idea where they might have taken them?" the lead police detective asked.
"If I knew where they were do you think I'd be sitting here?!" he snapped, immediately regretting his reaction when pain sliced through his head.
"What do we do now?" Mrs. Crandell asked, her voice quivering.
"Not much we can do," the detective replied. "We wait for a ransom call. Our technicians have arranged to have calls to all your numbers forwarded here, and we have a wiretap and recorder set up."
"Wait a minute," MacGyver said, the fog finally lifting from his brain. "How did the kidnappers know how to find us in the first place?"
"Just before you called me, I received a memo that the agency's computers had been hacked sometime over the weekend. I was just about to come see you. It must have been the kidnappers, or somebody working for them, who hacked the system and got all the information we have on the Crandell case, including security detail," Leroy explained.
Mac groaned and leaned his head back on the sofa cushion, his hands covering his face. Time seemed to stand still. Minutes seemed like hours. There was nothing left to do but wait for the ransom call. Provided there was one. If not…Mac didn't even want to think about that.
Soon the hostage negotiating team arrived. It was quickly decided that Mrs. Crandell would be the one to answer any phone calls since she had been the one initially receiving the threats. The officers briefed her on what to do and say and assured her they would be right there, listening in. MacGyver, in the meantime, grew more and more restless. He pushed himself off the couch and headed for the front door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Leroy asked sternly.
"I can't just sit around here and wait. I have to go look for them."
"Where? Where are you going to look for them? This is a big city. They could be anywhere. Now sit down and wait until we at least have a solid lead."
MacGyver scowled and stared out the window. Numerous squad cars and other official vehicles clogged the street. This was not a situation Mac was used to being in. Usually it was him who went after the hostages and saved the day. How many foreign countries and communists borders had he crossed and gone in to rescue various persons from kidnappers, prisons, and even mental hospitals? He did not like being helpless, just sitting and waiting.
Mr. Crandell approached MacGyver and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know this must be difficult for you, as well, Mr. MacGvyer. These thugs have my children, but they also have your wife."
Mac instinctively fingered the gold band he wore that represented a fake marriage. "Yeah," he croaked and turned back to the couch.
At last the telephone rang. MacGyver felt a rush of adrenaline as everyone gathered around Mrs. Crandell who was receiving a quick briefing on how to handle the call. Once the recorder was turned on, the detective signaled for her to pick up the receiver.
"Hello?" Her voice quaked.
"Bring one million dollars, in cash, to 312 Exeter Street in exchange for the children. And come alone. You have one hour."
Mrs. Crandell turned to look at the detective, eyes wide. He motioned for her to keep the man talking so they could get a trace.
"That…that's a lot of money. I need more time."
"I don't think so."
Again the woman looked at the detective for guidance. He pointed to MacGyver.
"What about Joanna? Is she with my children? Is she safe?"
"For now." And then the line went dead.
The detective slammed his hand on the coffee table. "We weren't able to get a trace."
MacGyver's mouth went dry and he bit back the question that burned in his gut: What about Joanna? An offer had been made for the children, but not for her. Mac didn't need anyone to tell him what would happen once the kidnappers no longer needed Jo to take care of the kids. A panic like he had never known before swept over him. He took several deep breaths and willed the feeling away. He was working a case. He had to keep his mind clear, his head in the game. He had one job: Protect the children. He had failed, but silently promised to redeem himself by doing whatever it took to get them, and Joanna, back safely.
"What's our next move?" he asked the detective.
"Our next move is to mobilize a SWAT team and execute the 'exchange'. Your next move is to stay here with the Crandells and let us do our job."
Oh no, they were not gonna bench him like some bush league hockey player.
"I'm sorry, sir, but that's not gonna happen," MacGyver replied in a deathly calm tone. "I either go with your team or I go by myself, but I'm going."
"Fine," the detective sighed. "I don't have time to argue. But you keep your head down, stay out of our way, and wear this." He tossed a Kevlar vest at MacGyver.
When the team arrived at 312 Exeter, they found an abandon warehouse with dim light shining through the dirty windows. MacGyver watched from the passenger seat of the detective's car as snipers and other tactical officers received last minute instructions and hurried to their assigned positions. Mac knew the cops wanted the kidnappers alive in order to gain information about who, if anyone, was behind this scheme.
"I don't suppose you'll listen if I tell you to stay here until it's over," the detective said to MacGyver.
"Not a chance, sir."
"Okay then, follow me, but don't do anything stupid."
Once the team was in place, a female officer made up to look like Mrs. Crandell approached the warehouse carrying a leather briefcase supposedly full of cash.
"I'm here!" she called. "I have your money. Let me have my children."
This was it. MacGyver and the rest of team held their breath. Slowly, the large overhead door opened. Joanna stepped out into the darkness, Jeremy holding her right hand, Sarah clinging to her left. Two men followed behind. Each had a gun leveled at one of the siblings.
"Bring us the money," the kidnapper standing behind Sarah demanded.
"No. Not until my children are safe!"
"Mommy!" Sarah called.
Crouched behind a dumpster, MacGyver watched in horror as Sarah broke away from Joanna's grasp and ran toward the female officer. The kidnapper who had been standing behind her aimed his gun at the girl's back. Joanna threw herself in front of him just as he pulled the trigger and landed hard on the ground as total chaos erupted.
Yells of "Shots fired! Shots fired!" rent the night air as more gunfire erupted. The previously hidden tactical team now swarmed the area. Mac saw that the female officer posing as Mrs. Crandell had Sarah out of harm's way. MacGyver's only mission was to rescue Jeremy. Staying as close to the ground as possible while still being able to run, Mac raced toward the boy and pulled him to the ground, sheltering him with his own body as gunshots rang out around them.
After several long moments, the gunfire ceased and calls of "All clear" echoed from various directions. It was only then that MacGyver rolled off Jeremy, allowing them both to sit up as he examined the boy for injuries. Except for the tears rolling down his checks, the child appeared to be fine. Two officers quickly swooped in and whisked Jeremy away to a waiting ambulance for further evaluation.
Relieved that both children were now safe and injury free, MacGyver turned to look for Joanna. When he saw her his heart nearly stopped. She was still lying, face down, on the gravel road. He ran to her side and gently turned her over. Her eyes were closed and a red stain on the front of her white t-shirt continued to spread. She had been shot! He frantically felt for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found one. It wasn't strong, but it was there. She was alive. At least for now. He pressed his hands against her abdomen, trying to quell the bleeding.
"Medic! Medic! Over here!" he yelled. Within seconds, teams of EMT's surrounded Joanna as arms reached out to pull him away.
"Stand back, sir! Stand back and let us do our jobs!"
MacGyver stumbled a few steps backward before looking on in horror as the paramedics worked to save the life of the woman he was coming to love.
