Author's Note: WELCOME BACK, READERS! I sincerely apologize for the hiatus that lasted much longer than I could ever have imagined, but real life had different plans. But I'm back with MacGyver, Joanna, and all their friends with new adventures! ENJOY! And always know that feedback/comments are welcomed and encouraged!

Chapter 54: Best in Show (Part One)

Frog sat looking mournfully out the glass patio door watching the rain pour down from leaden gray skies above. The only thing a day like this was good for was sleeping. He waddled over to the coffee table and belly-crawled under it until he was comfortably ensconced in his favorite napping place. He spared a glance at MacGyver and Joanna who were playfully laughing and stealing kisses in the kitchen on the pretense of doing the dishes. Jo hadn't been around much the last few weeks, and when she was, she was either working, talking about work, or worrying about work. But today was the first day of June and the first day of her summer vacation. For the next three months, she and Mac would be working together at Challengers and spending their free time in each other's company which always put them in a good mood. That meant more belly rubs and extra chicken livers for yours truly. Frog's eyes drifted closed, but the jangling of the telephone kept him from drifting off into peaceful doggy slumber.

"Hello?" MacGyver answered. "Hey, Craig. What's up?"

Craig? Frog only knew one person named 'Craig' and that was Craig Bannister from the Phoenix Foundation. And nothing good ever happened when he entered the picture, especially when it came to Mac and Jo's relationship. Frog's ears perked up, but he kept his eyes closed so as not to draw attention to his eavesdropping.

"But why are you calling me? How can I help?" Mac asked. He was silent for so long that Frog actually dozed off, waking up again when he finally heard his master's voice. "Okay. Can you give me some time to think about it and I'll get back to you?" Generic farewells were exchanged before MacGyver hung up.

Frog slowly lifted one eyelid halfway to find Joanna striding to his master's side, her expression curious.

"I take it that wasn't a social call," she remarked, but her voice lacked the bitterness that usually accompanied it when speaking about the Phoenix agent.

"Yeah," Mac said, scrubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Let's sit down."

As Mac and Joanna settled themselves on the couch, Frog once more closed his eyes tight and faked a couple soft snores for good measure as he listened intently to their conversation.

"Bannister wants me to help him with something off the record," Mac said.

"Go on," Jo encouraged, her voice neutral.

"It's kinda a long story," MacGyver hedged.

Joanna shrugged, "I've got time." And so did Frog as he settled his chin on his front paws with a sigh.

"A friend of Nikki's owns a show dog and it was recently kidnapped from a hotel room after winning the grand prize and held for ransom."

Jo gasped and it was all Frog could do to remain still. "What happened?" she asked.

Mac raised a shoulder and let it fall, "Nothing. She paid the ransom and got the dog back. She told Craig and Nikki about it afterwards."

"Why didn't she go to the police?" Joanna demanded.

"The ransom note said that if she went to the cops she'd never see her dog again," MacGyver explained.

"So, Craig wants your help finding the dog-napper," Jo concluded.

"Yeah. But it's not that simple. When Bannister started looking into this he discovered that it's been happening to a number of show dogs across the country for at least the past six months. The thieves are also very selective, always taking the dog named Best in Show. The thing is, on any given day, there are a number of shows in several different states, yet not all the winners are stolen. In fact, often none are taken.

"It must be quite an operation," Joanna remarked. "I mean, there must be dog-nappers at each event. But how do they know if they're supposed to take the winner?"

"That's another question Bannister wants answered."

"Nothing against Craig or Phoenix, but shouldn't he take this information to the FBI or something?"

"Bannister says this is a very high-level, wide-spread theft ring and he's afraid that if the authorities get involved the dog-nappers will shut it down and go to ground before they can be caught."

The room went silent and Frog almost dozed off again before Jo spoke up.

"Okay, now tell me where you come in," she prodded.

"There's a regional competition coming up in Minneapolis. Craig's already put together a small voluntary task force of Phoenix agents from the Chicago office and he wants my help in setting up a sting operation. He seems to think I have what it takes to bring down the dog-nappers."

Jo quirked a brow, "And what, exactly, is that?"

"A dog."

Frog's eyes snapped open and he barely held back a yelp.

"What?!" Joanna squeaked, asking the canine's own question.

"Bannister wants to have Frog compete...and win," MacGyver explained. "Hopefully he'll be the one the thieves want. He'll be outfitted with a tracking device so all we have to do is follow him and we'll get the dog-nappers."

"Is Craig crazy?!" Jo asked incredulously. "I don't know a lot about show dogs, but I do know they're bred to be just that and begin training often as puppies. I love Frog to death, but he could never win a dog show!"

Frog raised his head slightly and was about to bark his indignation when Mac spoke up.

"Bannister's got that part taken care of. He's been working with the show's producers to rig the contest. Frog will win. He has Nikki's friend on stand-by, ready to fly here and train him in the basics to help solidify our cover. He's also arranged for all the proper certifications papers to be filed. So, what do ya think?"

Frog thought it was a horrid plan, but he doubted he would get a say in the matter. He had absolutely no desire to prance around a ring and have the judges poke and prod him. And to have it rigged?! He could beat out any dog, any time if he really wanted to! To top it off, the plan was to get him kidnapped?! Nope, Frog was not onboard, but the decision was not up to him.

"I think it's a longshot," Jo declared. "A dangerous longshot. But I also want these people caught and put away for a very long time." She glanced under the coffee table and Frog allowed his eyelids to slide closed. "Go ahead, call Craig and tell him you'll do it."

MacGyver got up and grabbed the phone while his dog let go a long-suffering sigh.

"Hey Craig, it's me," Mac said into the receiver. "I'm in!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver leaned against the kitchen counter drinking a glass of juice and watching as Joanna painstakingly brushed Frog's short fur until it shone.

"I wish we would've had time to give him a bath," she lamented with a frown. "I want him to look his best for Nikki's friend."

"You do remember this is just pretend," he said, watching his bulldog all but swoon under Jo's firm yet gentle touch.

She raised her head and skewered him with her gaze. "Of course I do!" she snapped. "That's no reason he can't look his best," she declared as she smoothed Frog's back whose eyes were now half-closed, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in pure doggy bliss.

Mac had just drained his glass and set it in the sink when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to reveal a short, slightly plump woman with close-cropped black hair and a friendly smile.

"Mr. MacGyver?" she asked.

"Hi. You must be Cheryl Beckett, Nikki's friend. And please, call me 'Mac'."

The two shook hands before MacGyver stood aside to allow Cheryl to enter. By then, Jo was at the door as well and the two women exchanged greetings.

"And where is your little friend?" Cheryl asked.

As if he understood her question, Frog waddled across the room and sat down at her feet.

"Oh, what a handsome boy you are!" Nikki's friend crooned, patting Frog's head. Mac could swear his dog was smiling. "Who's going to be his handler at the show?" she asked.

"I guess that would be me," MacGyver shrugged, grabbing Joanna's hand and heading for the door. "We'll get out of your way so you can do whatever it is you do."

"You can't leave!" Cheryl gasped, her eyes wide.

"Why not?" Mac asked warily.

"As his handler, you'll need as much, if not more, training than Frog," the woman declared.

Mac slanted a glance at Jo who was trying to contain her laughter. "Is that really necessary?" he asked. "I mean, we're gonna win no matter what."

"Only the judges directly involved are aware of the trap being set. It's vitally important that everyone else, especially the other competitors, believe that you are a serious contender," Cheryl explained.

"Well, then, I guess I'll leave so you can get to training my guys," Joanna all but snickered.

Cheryl snaked out a hand and captured Joanna's arm. "It would actually be quite helpful if you could stay," she said. "They both need to get used to performing in front of an audience."

Joanna grinned mischievously. "In that case, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

MacGyver and Frog led the two women through the patio doors and out into the backyard where Jo immediately made herself comfortable in a molded plastic Adirondack-style chair while the others stood nearby.

"Before we get started, I need you to understand that you are entered in a conformation show," Cheryl informed them. "This means that the participants are not judged against one another, but against the breed standard."

Mac glanced down at Frog taking note of the dog's underbite, crooked teeth, salivating mouth, and pudgy form. "It's a good thing the fix is in," he muttered.

"I don't suppose you have a proper leash," Cheryl surmised as she dug into her oversized purse, "So I took the liberty of bringing one with me. This is called the martingale lead. It will give you, as the handler, proper control, but it isn't as tight and uncomfortable for your dog as a choke chain." Cheryl expertly fastened the white nylon collar around Frog's neck before handing Mac his end of the leash. "There, now," she said, "Let me see you gait."

"Uh, what?" Mac was already at a loss.

"Gaiting is one of the most basic and essential skills that all contestants must master," Cheryl explained. "It allows the judges to observe the animal's movement and structure. All you need to do is have Frog trot beside you with his head up. And be sure to keep him on your left side."

MacGyver, still holding the leash, did a little jig to properly situate him and his dog. "C'mon, Frog! Let's go for a walk!" he encouraged, but as he took the first step he felt the leash become taut and turned to see his bulldog sitting stubbornly, butt firmly planted in the grass. "C'mon," Mac urged, tugging gently at the lead without success.

"Here, let's try something else," Cheryl suggested. She instructed MacGyver to drop the leash and stand several feet in front of Frog as she slipped a dog treat into his hand. "Have him come to you," she instructed.

Mac glanced at her uncertainly but did as he was told. "Look Frog, treat! Come get the treat, buddy!"

The bow legged dog immediately rose and trotted to where his master stood, snatching the treat from his hand before once again lowering himself to the ground.

MacGyver scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and sighed, "Frog, you're killin' me here."

Cheryl stepped forward and put a hand on Mac's forearm, chuckling good-naturedly. "Let's take a break and work on a different, but equally important skill called 'hand stacking'."

At MacGyver's blank stare she continued, "The purpose of stacking is to display outline and balance. You will kneel down next to Frog and use your hands to lift his legs and help him get in the proper stance. The goal is for him to look alert and happy."

"Seriously?" Mac asked.

"Seriously," Cheryl confirmed without a hint of humor. "Now kneel down and keep your left hand on him at all times," she commanded.

With MacGyver in place, she directed him on how and where to place each of Frog's legs, but the canine wasn't having it. What should have been a smooth, gentle alignment turned into an awkward wrestling match.

"I don't think this is gonna work," Mac said breathlessly. Joanna's laughter flitted on the evening breeze and he pinned her with his gaze. "What? Think you could do any better?" he challenged.

"Well I certainly couldn't do any worse!" she replied, swallowing a giggle.

Jo pushed herself out of her chair and joined the others. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll show you how it's done," she told MacGyver with a smirk.

"Fine. Be my guest," he conceded.

Mac watched from the patio as Joanna conferred with Cheryl before bending down to pet Frog and whisper something in his ear. She then straightened, leash in hand, dog at her left side, and within minutes had a besotted Frog trotting gleefully next to her.

"Traitor," MacGyver grumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest and watched them perform.

"That's just wonderful!" Cheryl exclaimed, clapping her hands as Joanna and Frog circled the yard. "Now let's try stacking," she suggested.

Again, Mac watched as the other woman gave Jo some brief instructions before Joanna went to her knees beside his dog, gently and smoothly placing his legs in the appropriate positions until Frog looked like a bulldog statue.

"Marvelous!" Cheryl praised before calling MacGyver to join them. "I understand that you're his owner," she addressed him sympathetically, "But Joanna seems to have a special bond with him. In my professional opinion, you should strongly consider having Jo act as his handler."

Mac shook his head emphatically. "No. No way. It's a sting operation and it's too dangerous."

"The bad guys are kidnapping the dogs, not their handlers," Joanna replied tartly. "You're just jealous because Frog likes me better than you."

"Does not!" MacGyver shot back with all the petulance of an eight-year-old.

Jo simply tilted her head to the side and gave him her best 'you've got to be kidding me' look as Frog laid down at her feet, settling his chin on her shoe.

"Fine," he relented. "You can be his handler."

"Now that that's settled, we need to discuss a few more details," Cheryl declared. "Although you are participating in a conformation show and only gaiting and stacking are required skills, it would look better if Frog entered at least one performance event. Since we're short on time to prepare, I would suggest entering him in the agility contest."

MacGyver and Joanna both looked down at Frog who was now drooling on the grass. "Really?" they asked simultaneously.

Cheryl nodded. "I'll bring the proper equipment to start training him tomorrow. As for now, where, or rather who, will Frog be staying with?"

The couple exchanged confused glances before Mac shrugged. "Here with me."

"That won't do," Cheryl proclaimed. "He needs to spend as much time with Joanna as possible so they can become attuned to one another and appear that they've been working together for quite a while. Would it be possible for her to keep Frog until the competition?"

MacGyver looked at Jo with an idea. "How about you stay in Charlie's old place? That way we won't confuse Frog by constantly moving him from my place to your place and to Challengers."

Joanna's brown eyes softened. "Sounds like a plan," she agreed with a smile.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, MacGyver and Joanna pulled their cars into their respective driveways. Frog hopped out of Jo's Chevy as soon as she opened the door and scurried to Mac who was walking toward them.

"I think he missed you today," Joanna commented as she hefted her suitcase out of the trunk. "Maybe I shouldn't have kept him in my office."

"Nah, he's fine," Mac replied, ruffling Frog's ears. "Aren't you, buddy?"

Jo's concerned frown tugged at his heart. He realized he had hardly seen her since this morning. The beginning of summer was always a challenge at Challengers with new members signing up rapidly. He made his way to her and hugged her tight before pulling away.

"Why don't you get settled and Frog and I will meet you in the backyard."

He watched Joanna enter her side of the townhouse before he and Frog entered their own. Mac stopped to grab a glass of juice before they headed for the yard. As he walked through the patio doors, he couldn't believe his eyes. There was Cheryl, setting up what appeared to be an obstacle course on his lawn. Apparently this was the equipment for the agility test she had spoken of. Frog laid down with a whine, grabbing Cheryl's attention just as Jo slipped through her patio doors and joined them.

"What's going on?" Joanna asked, looking back and forth between Cheryl and Mac.

"I arrived early and the gate was open. I hope you don't mind," Cheryl began. "I set up the obstacle course for the agility competition so we can start working on it right away."

MacGyver smothered a grin as he heard the bulldog at his feet let out a loud sigh. "Sorry buddy, but you heard the lady. Time to practice," Mac declared. To his surprise, Frog stood up and shook himself from head to tail before sitting at attention.

Mac took a seat in the patio chair and watched as Cheryl patiently walked Joanna and Frog through the course. The first obstacle Frog encountered was a long tube made of wire and canvas for him to belly-crawl through. MacGyver laughed to himself as he envisioned the numerous times the dog did the exact same thing to get under the coffee table.

Coming out the other end of the tunnel, Frog quickly regained his footing and MacGyver felt an odd swell of pride. The next challenge was a line of six poles for the dogs to zigzag around. Frog paused in trepidation, but after watching both Cheryl and Joanna gamely demonstrate, he slowly wound his way through the second obstacle and trotted a few feet before he was expected to leap over a plastic gate over a foot high. Here, he abruptly stopped.

"C'mon baby, you can do it!" Jo encouraged from the other side of the hurdle.

Mac dropped his head into his hands as he listened to both women clap and cajole his dog to complete this final task. He peeked through his fingers to watch Frog as he put his two front paws on top of the gate, pushed it over, and waddled across to the imaginary finish line before lying down, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

"Don't worry," he heard Cheryl tell Joanna, patting his fiancee on the shoulder in a comforting gesture. "A lot of the, um, more sturdier dogs often find this last hurdle quite challenging. Ironically, failure in a performance event can endear the contestants to the audience as well as the judges. Everything will work out just fine."

XXXXX

The day before they were scheduled to leave for Minneapolis, Cheryl and Joanna put Frog through his paces one last time. They had long since given up trying to get him to jump over the plastic gate and now encouraged him to tip it forward in hopes this comedic gesture would raise his popularity. Once Cheryl was satisfied with his performance routine, she went about getting him 'aesthetically ready' for the competition. After a long bath, she cleaned his teeth and trimmed his toenails, even applying clear nail polish, before she handed him over to Jo who brushed his coat until it once again glistened.

"The last thing I need to do before I leave is implant the tracking device," Cheryl declared after they had all shared a late supper. She rummaged through her bag and produced a large hypodermic needle and small metal case which held a chip not much larger than a grain of rice. Once she was ready, she knelt next to Frog, ready to inject the device when she frowned. "What happened here?" she asked, her questioning gaze bouncing between Mac and Joanna as she ran her finger over a bare spot on his neck.

The couple became somber as MacGyver explained in the simplest way possible. "About a year ago we discovered a microchip in Frog's neck. It seems that he had been the subject of some scientific experimentation as a pup. The chip began to corrode so the vet removed it. His fur never grew back over the scar."

Cheryl frowned, "I'll inject the tracking device in a different spot and I'll keep it as close to the surface as possible for easy removal, but that means you'll need to be careful not to compromise it."

"Thanks," Mac replied. "We'll be careful."

Once the injection was complete, Cheryl gathered her belongings, shook hands with MacGyver, gave Jo a hug, and gently ruffled Frog's ears.

"I'm sorry I can't stick around to provide moral support, but we can't take the chance that the dog-nappers will see me at the show. Good luck to all of you and be sure to let me know what happens."

As soon as Cheryl left, Mac and Joanna collapsed next to each other on the couch and Frog fell asleep under the coffee table. MacGyver turned to look at Jo and became concerned when he saw the pensive look on her face.

"Hey, what's goin' on in that pretty little head of yours?" he asked, reaching out to hold her hand.

"I can't believe that I forgot about what happened to Frog last spring. He got kidnapped then, and now we're setting him up to be kidnapped again. It doesn't seem right."

"Hey," he said, putting his index finger under her chin and gently turning her face to his. "Frog's a lot tougher than he looks. He saved my backside a couple times and did the same for the Coltons back in his bounty hunting days. He'll be fine. And this time we're prepared. We're in control. Everything's gonna be okay," he insisted, trying to assuage her fears...as well as his own.

Silence stretched between them for several moments before Joanna spoke again. "I still think this is a longshot," she sighed.

With those words, Mac's brain suddenly went into overdrive as if she had just turned on some invisible switch.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, quickly pushing himself off the couch to fire up his computer.

"What's 'it'?" Jo asked as she followed to look over his shoulder as he entered commands into the machine.

"How they determine which winners to kidnap!"

He knew Joanna still didn't understand, but he wanted to make sure his theory was accurate before sharing more. He read the content that came up on his monitor as quickly as possible, synthesizing the information as he went. As the pieces fell into place, he leaned back in his chair and looked up at Jo.

"It's all about gambling," he declared.

"Gambling?" Joanna asked, scrunching up her nose. "You mean this has to do with betting on dog shows?"

"Yep. It all makes sense now. I cross-referenced the Best in Show dogs that got kidnapped to their odds of winning in Vegas. All the dogs were longshots!"

Jo shook her head. "I'm sorry. I still don't get it."

"I think some big-time high-roller is behind this whole operation. He wagers a whole lot of money on which dog will win. When the longshot, which he hasn't bet on, takes first place, he loses a lot of money."

"So," Joanna continued, finally understanding where Mac was going with this, "He kidnaps the dog and asks for a ransom to cover his bet and then some."

"You got it! And that almost guarantees they'll snatch Frog. Not only is he a late entry, but he's bound to be the longshot! No professional gambler would take a chance on him, yet he's gonna win. We're finally gonna nab these guys and shut down their operation!" His adrenaline flowing, he grabbed Jo, pulled her to him, and kissed her hard on the lips.

Watch for Part 2 coming Sunday, January 24, 2021!