Present time…
Peter Thornton was roused briskly by the beeping alarm of his watch. He´d set it to keep him from sleeping in, so he´d be able to get up real early and use the half-light of dawn for his approach to the arms dealers' camp. He silenced his watch by touch only, took a deep breath, and then forced his eyes to open. It had been way too little sleep to be fully rested after the previous days, he noticed with a quiet sigh.
But the next thing Thornton realized, was that he had, in fact, slept until his alarm had sounded. Nothing or no one had disturbed or awakened him during the night. He listened intensely for a moment, then turned to look toward MacGyver´s belongings in the almost complete darkness of the cave. He sensed no one breathing; saw no one close to himself.
So MacGyver hadn´t returned during the night. So he had to continue his search for the kid.
With another sigh, Thornton opened his sleeping bag and sat up. He got to his feet and turned on the small camping light he had discovered amongst MacGyver´s stuff. He had only a quick breakfast and decided to lighten his backpack for his upcoming task. Thornton left all, but the absolutely necessary items behind before he returned to the cave mouth. The intruder alarm was untouched and he was careful to keep it armed as he passed it.
Thanks to all the scouting he´d done the day before, Thornton made his way quickly to the top of the mountain ridge, even though the forest was still quite dark. The senior agent got a lot more careful while moving through trees and undergrowth once he was descending the other side of the said ridge toward the camp of the weapons trafficking ring. The sun hadn´t risen over the top of the mountain yet, so the woods were still cast in shadows when Thornton approached the compound. The opposite side of the valley was already bathed in the bright morning light; it just hadn´t reached the ravine yet.
Despite being that much closer, Thornton couldn´t hear the water rushing through the ravine much louder than yesterday. The ravine seemed to be dampening the sound of the river at this part of the slope. Meaning, he had to be much more cautious while snooping around so close to the camp.
He spotted only two men outside the buildings so far. One of them was keeping watch, the second one was moving between the airplane and the shed close to the airstrip. He seemed to be working on the plane, but Thornton couldn´t make out any details of what he was doing. He noticed a small hut during his approach, with only two wooden walls, which housed the generator and some fuel barrels. He hadn´t been able to see it from above yesterday since it was located really close to the tree line.
Pete Thornton had almost made it through the thicket into hearing range when he heard an angry shout from below and froze instantly. He crouched down quickly, worried that he had been spotted. After a tense moment, he looked down toward where the shout had come from. He saw the man standing stiffly close to the plane with an open toolbox next to his feet, staring at the engine with a frustrated expression.
Thornton sighed with relief about not being the reason for the shout and the anger, but then he heard the man talking again. He couldn´t understand every word, nevertheless, the man´s tone made it clear that he was cursing something… or someone. A problem with the plane? The thought reminded Thornton that he still had seen neither hide nor hair of his young recruit.
After a moment, the man turned away from the plane and walked off toward the larger buildings on the other end of the compound. Thornton tried to move along with him, to keep up with him as he passed the huge shed with the crates inside, but stopped briefly when he noticed another hut close to the tree line. Another one that had been hidden from his sight the day before. Since the guard now accompanied the man who had been working on the airplane, Thornton concentrated back on them and hurried to follow them along the cleared area. Both disappeared into one of the large buildings and left Thornton to survey the compound quietly.
He settled behind the trunk of a huge tree, set down his backpack, and dug out his binoculars. He stood hidden half-behind, half-beside the tree, nearby, but still keeping a comfortable distance to the camp. Scanning the whole area, he took a close look at everything with the help of his glasses. Since the doors of the large shed close to the airstrip also stood wide open this morning, he could read the inscriptions on the crates and found his suspicion from the day before confirmed. The shed was full of rifles, ammunition, grenades, and explosives.
But before he could think about the implications of his discovery, his concentration was caught by something else. Both men, who had entered the building only minutes ago, left it again – now accompanied by two more men. Thornton watched them cross the clearing through his binoculars, and all of them seemed uptight, judging by their body language. His mind quickly matched one of the faces with pictures from the files he´d studied before handing them over to MacGyver, prior to his departure.
Javier Moreno. One of the most powerful leaders among the arms dealer ring and a very dangerous and ruthless man. If he was here in person… whatever was going on around here had to be important.
The small group stopped close to two huge trees growing at a little distance from the tree line. For a few moments, Moreno was engrossed in agitated conversation with the man who had worked on the plane´s engine, but Thornton couldn´t understand a lot. He only got that it had to do with some engine starting problem. Moreno then turned to the two heavily armed men, told them something harshly, and gesticulated toward the small hut close to the tree line.
Frustrated, Thornton lowered his glasses and picked up his backpack. He had to get even closer to be able to listen to what they were talking about. He briefly watched the armed men walk off to the shed and enter it while he cautiously slid to the next thicket that would provide cover. Thornton was just about to plan the next part of his approach when he saw the men leaving the shed again – holding a third man between them.
Thornton froze stunned. The man was dragged out into the open, toward Moreno, and even though he saw him only from behind, even though his movements lacked the usual athletic fluidity, Thornton had gotten so familiar with during the past months, he recognized the lanky build within a few seconds.
MacGyver.
He had just found his rookie agent. In the hands of the thugs.
"Oh no!"
Thornton sighed as he hurried to get to his next hideout. He crouched down and raised his glasses again. He saw MacGyver being held at both upper arms by the armed guards and forced to stand in front of Moreno. But MacGyver wasn´t standing completely steady and secure; Thornton had to watch him sway a little.
"My God… what have they done to you, kid?" Thornton muttered under his breath while his thoughts ran wild. What the heck had happened during the last three days? The relief about seeing the young man still alive battled with the concern he might have to watch MacGyver getting killed right before his eyes inside Pete Thornton. Somehow paralyzed, yet desperately trying to think of some quick way to help the kid without getting caught or killed himself, Thornton kept observing and noticed the stains on Mac´s khaki pants and green shirt.
He still understood only single words, while Moreno talked to MacGyver, saw Mac shrug, reply briefly and shake his head apologetically. Thornton got worried about what might have stained his rookie´s clothes when Moreno´s expression turned angry in an instant with MacGyver´s answer. Moreno stared silently at the young man for a moment, and then – without any warning – rammed his fist into MacGyver´s stomach with full force. Thornton flinched as he saw Mac double over and grunt in pain. His knees seemed to give way, but the guards grabbing him by his arms held him upright.
When MacGyver had steadied himself again, he was asked another question, this time by the man who had worked on the plane – and for the second time, his answer didn´t seem to satisfy his opponents. It only earned him another hard blow; this time to his jaw. Thornton lowered his binoculars in disgust and anger and automatically felt for the revolver he kept in his shoulder holster. MacGyver was pulled up once more, when Thornton noticed two more men at some distance in the corner of his eye. They had just stepped out of one of the large buildings and now strode over to join the small group.
Thornton puffed out a frustrated breath with the sudden realization that even if he could take out one or two of the goons before they made out his position… there were too many of the bad guys for him to handle alone. Judging by MacGyver´s visibly weakened condition, he probably wouldn´t be able to help… six armed men against one trying to rescue another one – he and Mac wouldn´t stand a chance.
With a defeated sigh, Thornton closed his eyes for a moment before he concentrated back on the scene unfolding in the clearing, forcing himself to silently observe.
Moreno closed in on MacGyver again, but with a sudden, unexpected surge of energy and defiance, the young man quickly leaned onto the two men holding him, pulled up both legs and kicked hard against Moreno. He landed a good blow in the man´s gut, set down both feet and rapidly turned in an attempt to pull free. The guards were as surprised as their leader; one of them lost his grip on MacGyver´s arm yet the second one reacted faster, held on tight, and twisted the arm behind MacGyver´s back.
Thornton gasped baffled. His body tensed up ready to get up and step in, yet froze as he saw how the young agent kept struggling but couldn´t break free. The second guard recovered quickly, grabbed onto Mac again, and had just pulled back his fist ready to strike when Moreno yelled at him.
"No! Stop! ... He´s mine!"
An icy cold ran down Thornton´s back.
Moreno had been thrown backward by MacGyver´s kick and picked himself up from the ground, while the two men who had only left the building a few moments ago were now running toward the group. Moreno gingerly straightened himself, dusted himself off, and as soon as the guards had Mac under control again, he approached the young man menacingly slow. He growled something low and angrily, that Thornton couldn´t understand, and only a second later drove his knee hard into MacGyver´s stomach. MacGyver doubled over with a groan, yet didn´t get any break this time. A brutal strike to his head followed, and then Moreno´s knee rammed against his chest. Mac dropped to his knees and with a curt flick of his hand, Moreno ordered his guards to let go of his arms.
The man who had worked on the airplane stepped back as the four guards surrounded MacGyver, who had one arm wrapped around his body and balanced himself on the ground with the other one. Thornton held his breath when he watched him sit back on his heels, raise his head, and briefly glance at all the men around him. His gaze settled on Moreno, who was still looming over him, and with a pained half-smile Mac quipped something at the gangster boss.
Whatever he´d said, only a moment later it earned him a heavy kick by Moreno against his upper body that threw him sideways to the ground, quickly followed by another to his side. Thornton winced at the sight of his young agent curling up on the ground, trying to protect himself. He let out the breath he´d been holding slowly when he saw Moreno step back from MacGyver.
But his relief was short-lived when, with a short gesture, Moreno allowed his guards to have their go at MacGyver. The blows and kicks rained down in quick succession on the young one´s legs, chest, back, and head, giving him almost no time to recover in between. After only a minute or two, he wasn´t moving anymore, let alone defending or protecting himself. Moreno raised one hand to stop his goons, and when they drew back he watched his prisoner silently for a few moments.
Thornton drew in a sharp breath, suddenly worried his rookie had been beaten to his death already, and forced himself to raise his binoculars. As afraid as he might be… he had to be sure. MacGyver was lying sprawled out half on his back, half on his side, and for a couple of seconds Thornton doubted his eyes, but then he was sure. His chest was moving. The young man was still breathing.
When Moreno knelt beside him and rudely grabbed his jaw to assess his condition, Mac barely reacted to him with a feeble attempt to raise his arms and fend off his attacker that Moreno brushed off easily. He got to his feet again, murmured a command to his guards, and then turned to the man waiting at a little distance.
But Thornton´s concentration stayed with his young agent, who was being picked up at his arms and dragged back to the shed they had brought him from in the first place. He set down his glasses as soon as the goons had left the hut a couple of minutes later and watched how all the guards strode back to the larger buildings. Then he let out a long, quiet sigh.
Moreno and the sixth man walked past the huge shed over to the airplane, while Thornton´s thoughts ran wild. Somehow he had to get down there. Somehow he had to make it into that little hut and get MacGyver out of there… unseen… before they finally killed the young one.
His eyes scanned the area and he straightened himself a little. The sun had risen over the rim in the meantime, and soon the forest he had approached through would be bathed in bright light. Thornton knew he didn´t have much time to spare, but as long as the bad guys were outside, his chances to get to MacGyver unnoticed were slim. He drew in a deep breath, stuffed his binoculars back into his backpack, and pulled his revolver from the holster. He checked it, placed it safely back, and reached for the water bottle he carried clipped to his belt. He looked around while he took a few sips.
He needed a place where he could hide his pack – a place he would easily find again. Soon, he spotted a single huge rock next to a high-grown tree, a couple of yards upward and to his left – easily recognizable. After a quick glance downward, assuring himself that his presence hadn´t been noticed yet, Thornton got up, shouldered his backpack, and cautiously made his way through thicket and trees until he´d reached the rock.
He discovered a gap between rock and tree, conveniently covered by a dense bush, and hid his pack under it before he turned back to the camp. Careful not to give his approach away, Thornton descended the slope, doing his best to quickly get as close as possible to the small hut MacGyver was kept in while keeping an eye on Moreno and the guy who´d been working on the plane. Their conversation still dealt with the airplane and some problems concerning its engine, but Thornton couldn´t understand a lot of it. He wouldn´t have comprehended much of the technical details anyway, and it also wasn´t at the top of his priorities right now.
His thoughts rotated about how he could get around the shed and to its door unnoticed, and how badly MacGyver was injured. Thornton fervently hoped that the young man would at least be able to walk. He was realistic enough to know he wasn´t strong enough to carry his tall rookie to safety all alone.
Thornton stopped within a few yards of the tree line, silently surveying the whole compound and desperately willing the men to leave, to get inside any of the buildings. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl; the minutes seemed to be ticking away slower than normal while he waited. He´d been so focused on the two men and the airplane that he flinched when suddenly a bell sounded from one of the larger barracks. Thornton´s head whipped around, and he saw another man disappearing into the furthest of those buildings. Moreno´s and the second man´s concentration shifted, and they reluctantly left the plane for the building where the bell had been rung.
Thornton watched them leave, frowned, and glanced at his watch. A late breakfast maybe, he mused. His inner tension rose as he saw everyone, even the guards, disappear into the building. Now or never, he thought, got up from his crouched-down position behind the thicket, and slid to the tree line. With a few quick steps, he reached the back wall of the hut, and keeping his back close to the shed, made his way around it.
Thornton was a bit surprised at first when he saw only a simple padlock securing the door´s latch, but then relief took over. Since he´d brought a set of lock picks along with him – following a hunch – opening the padlock took only a couple of seconds. He quickly confirmed that he was still alone with glances to all sides before he removed the lock and pulled the door open.
Thornton´s eyes needed a moment to adjust to the dim light inside the shed, and then he froze for a few seconds with what he saw. The room had been completely emptied, apart from the motionless body on the ground. MacGyver was lying half on his side, half on his front, breathing only shallowly. His hands were tied tightly behind his back with a sturdy rope, as were his ankles.
Thornton sucked in a sharp breath, then hurried to Mac´s side, and crouched down next to him. He noticed dark stains on his face – most possibly blood – and saw his eyes closed.
"MacGyver?" he asked nonetheless as his worries increased. "MacGyver!"
When MacGyver didn´t react, Thornton moved around him and started working on his binds. He first loosened the rope around his ankles, then freed his wrists. The moment, his arms dropped to the ground, MacGyver´s body stiffened and he let out a pained moan since his strained muscles protested wildly against the sudden release. Thornton quickly switched back to MacGyver´s front and laid a hand on his shoulder.
But before he could say anything to the young man, MacGyver flinched from the touch, bolted up, and backed away from the hand. His attempt was short-lived though. He collapsed only seconds later, breathing raggedly. Thornton followed him smoothly.
"MacGyver? … It´s me, Pete Thornton." he addressed Mac low before he touched him once more.
MacGyver´s body tensed up as soon as he felt Thornton´s hand, and he turned his head just a little bit toward the voice he´d heard. Despite the agony he was in, the dizziness, and the haze in his head, that voice sounded somewhat familiar.
"Come on, MacGyver! … Come out of it! … Look at me!"
The voice urged him to leave his half-conscious state. The hand on his shoulder squeezed softly. MacGyver gathered some strength and forced himself to lift his head a little off the ground. He turned it toward the man next to him and blinked his eyes half open although his headache spiked. He needed a moment to recognize Thornton´s face in the half-light, but noticed a brief smile flash across it. He sensed how Thornton´s second hand was quickly there to support his head and neck.
What the…? His new boss was here? How? Why?
"Thank God." Thornton let out a relieved sigh.
But MacGyver frowned at him confused and uncomprehending. He turned to lie half on his back. Thornton´s hands stayed with him.
"Sir?" Mac breathed, barely above a whisper. "How did you get here? Why…?"
"Not important right now." Thornton cut him off and scrutinized the young man for a moment. His gaze was still unsteady; he was bleeding from a cut close to his left temple and had a purplish bruise covering his cheekbone, but most of his injuries seemed to be hidden by his clothing. Thornton´s expression sobered up as he noticed, how much effort MacGyver put into concealing the amount of pain he was going through.
"I had to watch as they beat you," Thornton stated softly. "I´m sorry, I couldn´t help… but since I came alone…"
"Well… it wasn´t the first time… and you´re with me now," MacGyver replied with a feeble and lopsided grin. "That´s a start."
He relaxed with a deep breath and let his head drop back to the ground. Thornton´s hand slid to the side of his neck and steadied him.
"How badly are you hurt?" the senior agent asked full of concern. "Do you think you´ve got internal injuries?
"Bad," Mac answered dryly, but weakly shook his head. "But no, nothing serious."
"Any broken bones?" Thornton probed further.
"No," MacGyver assured hoarsely after concentrating on his insides for a moment. "Maybe a cracked rib or two, but I´m fairly sure…"
He broke off because he went into a coughing fit and curled himself up on his side with the stabbing hurt it caused in his chest. Pete Thornton reacted quickly, shifted with him, and held him until MacGyver´s breath had calmed down again. But his worries increased all of a sudden when he saw fresh blood on MacGyver´s lips.
"Nothing serious?" he inquired harshly. "MacGyver, you´re coughing up blood. A broken rib may have punctured your lung or worse… you may be…"
MacGyver cut him off with an upward glance, a brief shake of his head, and a feebly raised hand.
"No." he sighed. "One of Moreno´s kicks went to my head. Yesterday… I´ve got a gash on the inside of my cheek and lower lip… just opened up again." His last words trailed off and his eyes drifted closed again as he tried to will away another wave of dizziness rushing through him. He rolled to lie on his back gingerly with a faint moan in an attempt to ease up the tension in his body.
"Let´s hope there´s nothing more to it," Thornton answered, moved his hand to MacGyver´s forehead, and felt for his temperature. It seemed only a little too high, and his skin was awkwardly dry. But what worried Thornton the most, was that Mac barely reacted when he probed the skin around the cut on the side of Mac´s head with his fingers.
"MacGyver, hey!" he urged, afraid the kid was losing his grip on consciousness once more. "Stay with me!"
The younger man´s eyes fluttered open, first clouded and wavering but then slowly focusing.
"Working on it." he drawled with a half-grin. Then, only a moment later he frowned, his eyes flicked to the top of Thornton´s head, narrowed, and returned to his face. Confusion showed on his features. "Sir…" he started to ask. "What about your…"
"No." the senior agent cut him off firmly. "I am not wearing it. A hairpiece isn´t all too practical during a wilderness hike." He returned the smile briefly but turned serious when he remembered the dangerous situation they were both in. "Listen, MacGyver… we´d better get you out of here before those guys return," he added. "Can you get up? Will you be able to walk?"
"Yeah, I think so." MacGyver nodded. "Just help me get to my feet." He drew in a deep breath and steeled himself mentally for his task. "But they´ll be occupied for some time with their second breakfast… so, no need to rush."
Doubt flashed across Thornton´s face before he realized that the young agent had been observing the arms dealers for a few days. Of course, he knew about their daily routines.
"Alright." he agreed. "Hold on."
He grabbed Mac´s upper arm with one hand and, as soon as he felt MacGyver hold on to him and raise his head and shoulders in an attempt to sit up, Thornton wrapped his second arm around MacGyver´s back and pulled him up. A tremor ran through MacGyver as he strove to gather the strength for staying upright. He lowered his head and pressed his eyes shut for a moment as vertigo threatened to overwhelm him. Thornton noticed his struggle and allowed him a break. His arm stayed around MacGyver´s shoulders to steady the swaying man.
"Concussion?" he asked softly and concerned.
"Probably." MacGyver nodded only once.
When he forced his eyes to open again, he saw the water canteen dangling from Thornton´s belt and it instantly caught his attention.
"You still got some water in that thing?" he asked a little breathlessly.
"Sure." Thornton´s hand left MacGyver´s arm and loosened the bottle from his belt. "Need to get rid of the bloody taste in your mouth?" he wanted to know while he screwed off the cap one-handedly.
"Well, yeah." MacGyver reached out with one hand and his breathing sped up. "But mainly I´m terribly thirsty. They kept me without food or water since yesterday."
"What?" Thornton froze with shock about the revelation and stared at the younger man exasperatedly before he handed the bottle over.
MacGyver only nodded silently as he raised the bottle with a shaking hand, and then drank greedily. The senior agent watched him for a couple of moments, steadying his grip on the canteen, helping him drink, but then pulled it away. Mac´s eyes snapped to Thornton´s hand and he tried to get the bottle back.
"Hey!" Mac protested.
"Mind your condition!" Thornton countered instantly. "Not too much at once! Or you might collapse."
MacGyver sighed, but relaxed a bit against Thornton´s arm still holding him upright. He knew that… mentally … logically … but emotionally… he was so desperately longing for water, for something to drink. Thornton closed the bottle when he felt Mac give in, clipped it to his belt, and then shifted his position so he would be able to help MacGyver get to his feet.
"You ready?" he asked.
MacGyver laid one arm around Pete Thornton´s shoulders and held on tightly. He nodded.
"Kind of. Let´s get out of here." He agreed.
He let out a pained gasp as Thornton pulled him up and held his breath for a moment as soon as he was standing. Mac lowered his eyes as his dizziness worsened abruptly and he sensed his boss grabbing onto his belt around his back. Thornton gave him only a few seconds, then tightened his grip on him and moved toward the door. Mac had to raise his gaze to be able to follow his movements. After a probing look through the half-open door, Thornton led him outside and quickly around the shed to its back side. The senior agent stopped briefly to assure himself that all the bad guys were still inside, busy with their breakfast. But when he wanted to hurry toward the tree line, MacGyver´s body suddenly stiffened and he held his boss back.
"Wait a minute!" The young agent was breathing heavily with the effort it took to stay upright and concentrated. He gazed over to the hut that housed the generator.
"What?" Thornton hissed impatiently. "We gotta go!"
"Yeah. But … the camera." Mac argued. "I hid it over there. Along with a film that…"
"I don´t care about the camera right now." Thornton cut him off sharply. "My priority is getting us out of here alive."
"But there´s…" Mac tried again but fell silent when Thornton shot him a warning, almost angry glare.
"No!" His tone was final. "Tell me about it as soon as we´ve put some distance between them and us – but not now."
MacGyver withstood Thornton´s glare for a few seconds, but then exhaled shakily, and then nodded. His boss had a point. Moreno and his men didn´t even know the camera was there and hadn´t found it during the last two days, so it was likely to remain safe just a little longer. A couple of quick steps took them to the tree line and behind the first thicket. MacGyver was limping slightly due to the bruises he´d sustained, yet did his best to suppress the pain he felt with every movement. Thornton noticed it, nevertheless hurried upward, holding on tightly to the young man, pulling him along, and steadying him whenever he needed help on the uneven ground of the slope.
A small while later, they reached the huge tree and rock where Thornton had hidden his backpack. The agent lowered Mac to the ground, helped him sit down in a somewhat comfortable position leaning against the rock, and crouched down next to him. He scrutinized the young man, trying to assess his condition while he offered him his water bottle.
MacGyver´s breathing was still labored, but his pale skin had regained some color, and his gaze had cleared and seemed more focused. He nodded gratefully when he took the canteen, screwed off the cap, and took long, but slow sips between panting breaths.
Thornton retrieved his pack from below the bush, yet kept watching his rookie in the corner of his eye. He allowed the man a few minutes of rest, just until his breath had slowed down a little. Mac handed the bottle back on his own this time, obviously more aware and back in control of his emotions, and let his head drop back against the rock. One of his hands slid to cover his side, right where Moreno´s kicks had hit him. His jaw tensed when he suppressed a moan.
"How are you doing?" Thornton asked before taking a sip of water.
"I´m fine." Mac turned his head toward his boss. "Or at least a lot better than down there," he added when he saw Thornton´s doubtful expression. "Thanks for getting me out, Sir." Then he puffed out a deep breath. "But why…?"
"You stopped reporting in." Thornton cut him off, concentrated on his backpack, and started digging through it. "And you didn´t turn up for your pick-up. But the department really does need the information you were sent out to gather to act against the arms dealer ring."
He found the small first aid kit, he´d carried along, opened it, and pulled out a few gauze swabs. He moistened them with antiseptic fluid and offered them to MacGyver. Mac took them, but his boss´s answer hadn´t fully satisfied him.
"Well, when you sent me off… you´d said, I´d be on my own, with no reinforcements or support from the department possible… but now you´re here yourself. Why? How?" he asked slowly while he cautiously wiped the dried blood off his face and cleaned the cut on his temple.
"I just told you. The intel you were supposed to bring back is important… How? By helicopter. Which is going to pick us up tomorrow at 18.00. Same clearing they dropped you off." Thornton replied harshly, not meeting MacGyver´s questioning gaze, but searching through his first aid kit. "Want an aspirin?" he added once he´d found the small pills. By now, he started to understand what MacGyver´s COs during his military service had meant by stating 'tendency to insubordination' in his file. Despite all his concern for the young man, his inquiries began to annoy him.
"No, thanks." MacGyver softly shook his head, careful not to worsen his headache and dizziness. "Might aggravate any bleeding. I´d rather try without it." He was silent for a beat, his eyes nevertheless stayed fixed on his boss. "But you said you´d be needed at the office, you couldn´t leave." His mind couldn´t leave the puzzle of Thornton coming to his rescue alone. "Seems you were worried I failed… on my first solo assignment. That your most promising rookie…" he added after a moment but broke off when the older man shot him a warning glare.
Thornton drew in a deep breath. Now the kid even doubted himself and his abilities. For a moment, Thornton couldn´t determine if this fact concerned or angered him. Once again during these days, he strove for professional detachment from the young man.
"I was worried you might have gotten killed." he then admitted carefully controlled, but with a sharp undertone. "Contrary to public belief, we try our best not to leave our people behind." He took a break and sighed. "But our department chief didn´t easily allow me to go on this trip, you know."
His eyes found the younger man´s dark brown ones, and MacGyver held the senior agent´s intense gaze for a couple of moments before he exhaled slowly.
"I appreciate it, Sir," Mac answered low.
He knew he had gone beyond his assigned task… had gotten too eager to stop those arms dealers, no matter what the cost. It was part of why he had gotten caught. The fierce thunderstorm had been the second reason for it.
What a way to start this new job, MacGyver thought sarcastically to himself. Getting into a serious mess on your first time out alone, causing the department that much trouble that they send in a senior agent to bail me out… Perfect. So much for 'one of the best recruits ever'…
He lowered his eyes to the bloodied swabs in his hands and then took another gulp out of the water bottle Thornton had placed between them. A tense silence hung in the air for several seconds before the older man took a deep breath.
"So… what went wrong before you stopped reporting in three and a half days ago? How did you end up getting captured?" Thornton asked. "And what is so important about that camera and film?"
MacGyver sighed deeply when all he remembered from those days came back to the forefront of his mind.
"The thunderstorms on that evening came unexpectedly fast. The heavy rain caught up with me while I was still on my way back to where I had set up camp." he began to relate. "By the time, I´d reached it, some of my stuff was already soaked through… including the radio set. The water had caused a short circuit. I tried to fix it once I had found a cave, and managed to dry up myself and the salvaged rest of my camp… but couldn´t. Fortunately, the films had been buried deep within my backpack, and since I had carried it along with me, I was also able to keep the camera safe."
MacGyver´s voice had gotten hoarse the longer he´d spoken and a coughing fit forced him to break off. He bent forward, holding on to his side as the coughs sent a stabbing pain through his chest. He bit back a moan and closed his eyes for a moment but then felt Thornton´s hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, he saw his boss scrutinizing him, once again trying to gauge his condition. Most of the sharp anger on his face had been replaced by concern.
MacGyver gingerly straightened himself again, leaned back against the boulder, and took the canteen that Thornton offered him wordlessly. Another large sip of water soothed his parched throat. Mac knew it would take quite a while to replace all the fluids he´d been denied during the last 24 hours, but even with the little he´d gotten so far, he felt a lot more human again. Thornton waited a few more seconds before he answered.
"I found the remains of your camp and the cave yesterday. And the ruined radio set," he told his rookie. "It explains why you couldn´t contact us – but doesn´t explain why you didn´t turn up to meet the helicopter one and a half days later."
"Right." MacGyver nodded. "Since I still had one day left for investigation, I decided to go back to gather more information… and since the guys were occupied with fixing some damage the thunderstorm had caused to their camp, I managed to break into Moreno´s office." He cleared his throat before he continued. "I figured I might discover vital intel concerning his customers or shipping schedule… and bingo. All the crates in that storage shed – they planned on moving them out today. I knew I had to find some way to pass on this information quickly, so the department could take action." MacGyver took a deep breath. "The radio in Moreno´s office wouldn´t work because its antenna had been ruined during the storm. So my only chance was the radio of the airplane. I was able to sneak around them later that day, but couldn´t establish any contact."
Mac lowered his eyes again, understanding very well that he was admitting he´d overstepped his mission objective… and that his next words would reveal how far he´d gone beyond his assigned task. He mentally steeled himself for Thornton´s anger.
"I felt I had to at least make sure they couldn´t fly out the weapons, so I sabotaged the engine of their plane… but one of the guards spotted me on my way out… and I was captured." He admitted.
Thornton´s face was serious but only a little irritated when Mac looked up at him again.
"Alright." The senior agent nodded curtly. "But what kept you alive so long? Moreno´s known to kill off any prisoners quite soon."
"At first, they wanted to find out who I was, whom I was working for, and if I really was alone." MacGyver´s expression darkened with the memory of what they´d done to him on that first evening… how he´d been bound to the tree on the following day… after his attempt to escape in the early morning had failed… and how angry Moreno had turned on the day after as soon as his pilot had discovered that the plane´s engine wouldn´t start anymore. "They found out only yesterday morning that their plane wouldn´t take off, and of course, suspected me of sabotaging it."
"But Moreno still wasn´t furious enough to kill you?" Thornton interrupted him baffled.
"Oh, I bet he was. But he couldn´t afford to." MacGyver told him with a pained half-grin. "His pilot couldn´t completely figure out what damage I had done – neither could he repair it. They needed me to fix it. Denying me food and water was only one way of putting pressure on me when I refused to."
"So the beating I witnessed was another attempt to get you to cooperate." Thornton´s face softened with sympathy and understanding as the awful pictures came back to his mind. "I´m sure there wasn´t much chance for escape if you´d been bound as tightly as I found you for all those days."
MacGyver´s eyes left Thornton again. He stared into the distance, drew in a deep breath, and let it out in a long, quiet sigh.
"I wasn´t. I also wasn´t kept in the empty shed all the time," he recalled. "Only after my attempt to get away failed … in the early morning after I got captured. The guard wasn´t as sleepy as he had seemed to be and noticed me. Moreno wasn´t pleased… and they were much more cautious afterward."
Thornton watched MacGyver silently for a few moments. After how the young man had dealt with the scenarios set for him during his training and his certification test, it would have utterly surprised Thornton, wouldn´t he even have tried to escape once. He saw Mac swallow dryly and straighten himself gingerly, his hand still protecting his aching side. Thornton offered him the water once more since he´d noticed the young man´s voice turning hoarse. The cracked skin on MacGyver´s lips told quite a story about how dehydrated he had to be. Inwardly, he was relieved the kid wasn´t too badly hurt and seemed to remember everything despite his possible concussion. But one detail was still missing.
"You haven´t mentioned the camera yet." Thornton queried while MacGyver drank. "What´s so important about it?"
MacGyver set down the canteen slowly and needed a couple of seconds to catch his breath.
"I took pictures of the lists and documents covering Moreno´s customers and his shipping schedule," he explained afterward. "I hid the camera near the generator to keep it safe before I made my way to the plane. They haven´t discovered it so far… don´t even know about it… It still holds the film with all the pictures. We need to retrieve it."
When Mac looked up at Thornton, the senior agent noticed that a lot of his determination and some energy had returned, causing MacGyver´s eyes to sparkle again, momentarily covering up the amount of pain he was still in. Mac glanced at the watch on his sore wrist.
"We´d better get it quickly." he then urged. "They´ll be done with their second breakfast real soon and once they notice I´m gone…"
His words trailed off and he readied himself to get to his feet. But Thornton´s hand was on his shoulder in an instant and stopped any attempt to get up.
"Whoa!" he admonished his rookie. "Where do you think you´re going?"
MacGyver winced at the firm grip of his boss and looked up at him surprised.
"Down there," he said. "The camera…"
"You hardly made it up here." Thornton cut him off sharply. "Just tell me where to find it. I´ll go get it."
"But Sir… at least let me watch your…" MacGyver tried to argue but broke off when the older man shot him a warning glare.
"Not a chance. I said you´re staying put." Thornton took a deep breath; now some concern was showing on his face. His voice softened a little. "You can barely walk, kid. You´re in no condition to…"
"I can make it." MacGyver cut in defiantly. "Water and rest have helped me recover. I know the place… I´ll be…"
"No." Thornton´s expression hardened once more as some anger about the young man not accepting his decisions returned. MacGyver was truly testing his patience. His tone left no room for further discussion. He shouldered his backpack and got to his feet. "I´ll be back in a couple of minutes. Now, where exactly did you hide the camera?"
MacGyver held Thornton´s gaze for a few seconds, but then sat back with a defeated sigh.
"On one side of the generator shed… there are some empty barrels stacked up." he gave in.
Thornton´s eyes switched down to the shed and he nodded.
"On the left. See them," he confirmed.
"I stashed the camera between them." Mac continued. "Kinda disguised it with some dirty rags I found… of course still protected by its case."
Thornton nodded again and straightened himself a little, mentally preparing to sneak back into the compound. He had to be careful, as the generator shed wasn´t far from the tree line, yet clearly visible from the larger buildings. Just as he wanted to leave, MacGyver piped up once more.
"Sir… I´d rather wait for you at another spot."
Thornton puffed out an annoyed breath and glared down at his young agent.
"What´s wrong with this hideout?" he snapped.
"The terrain around here is quite rough," he explained a bit subdued, yet staying calm despite the sudden anger of his boss. "Should we have to get away quickly… it would be difficult."
Thornton reigned in another flare of emotion at the repeated interference of his rookie and reminded himself that MacGyver had been investigating the territory for days before he had been captured. He had to be familiar with that mountain after those days.
"Fine… what do you suggest?" he sighed and let his eyes wander across the slope.
"The slope above the airstrip isn´t as rocky… a lot easier to pass through," MacGyver answered. "We could get away around the mountain – rather than crossing over it."
Thornton nodded as he assessed the indicated direction.
"A little above from where the plane is parked…" MacGyver continued, now a bit more confidently. "Do you see the large tree with the lightning mark on its trunk? It was hit during the thunderstorm."
"I do." Thornton agreed after searching the forest for a second. "But do I have enough time… to take you over there and then retrieve the camera?"
"Don´t think so," MacGyver stated after a glance at this watch. "But I´ll get there on my own."
The senior agent couldn´t suppress a doubtful look at MacGyver, but when he saw the young one preparing to get up, he wordlessly reached out with both hands, offered his support, and pulled him up. MacGyver gasped with the sudden pain his injuries caused, stood swaying for a moment, yet then gathered some strength and steadied himself. He blinked to clear his sight as a wave of vertigo washed over him, looked around, and then realized that his boss was still holding on to his arms. His eyes returned to Thornton´s and found the older man scrutinizing him closely.
"You sure?" Thornton asked concerned.
"Yes, Sir," MacGyver assured. "I´ll be alright."
Thornton slowly let go of him and bowed down to pick up his canteen. I´ll just have to believe him that he´s recovered sufficiently, he noted mentally while he clipped the bottle to his belt.
"Fine. I´ll meet you over there in a couple of minutes." he sighed.