June 11th, 2017 Sinclair's compound

Sinclair sat at his large mahogany desk in his office, processing the conversation he had just had with the man who had likely saved his entire operation—as well as himself—from being prosecuted for war crimes. He was grateful to his longtime customer and his extremely beneficial inside contact, who had provided him with valuable information.

His new friend informed him that his people would be collecting Mr. MacGyver in three days. However, Sinclair still had to recover the hard drive, meaning he needed to extract the location of the device from his prisoners before then. The clock was ticking.

May 23rd, 2020 Zadar, Croatia

Anya Vitez had thought her little scheme would be easy, especially since she had been assigned to hunt down the very terrorist she had resurrected. So far, the Interpol agent had been able to keep the special task force chasing its tail, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. She had thought the task force was just a group of typical military types—none particularly intelligent—but it seemed she had underestimated its leader, Jack Dalton. He had been sniffing around uncomfortably close for a while now.

Anya had discovered that his portrayal of an average country-boy soldier, only good at following orders, was an act. That's what he wanted people to believe. He had proven himself a tactical genius, and she suspected he was starting to grow suspicious of her. Dalton was definitely a threat to her operation. He had to be eliminated sooner rather than later.

Cam O'Neal drove his truck through the crowded streets of Zadar, Croatia. His passenger was his friend and team leader, Jack Dalton. Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet all day. They were returning from a shoot house, where their team had arranged with local law enforcement to train and keep their skills sharp.

The stormy expression on Jack's face reflected the barrage of thoughts swirling in his mind.

"What's going on up there, boss?" Cam inquired, looking over at his team lead.

Jack glanced at Cam and let out an audible sigh.

"I don't know, man," Jack replied, frustrated.

"Something's felt off about this since we got here. I can't shake the feeling that we're getting played," Jack clarified.

It was hard to pinpoint one specific thing causing his unease; it was likely a combination of factors. He had felt this way ever since stepping out of the War Room fourteen months ago. A constant shadow of uncertainty clouded his mind. He missed his family, and his worry gnawed at him non-stop, especially now that Phoenix had reopened its doors.

He was frustrated that he was no closer to finding Kovac than he had been a year ago. Somehow, the terrorist had managed to stay one step ahead of his task force, and the deeper Jack dug, the more "off" this mission felt. He trusted those around him less and less, particularly Interpol. Every time Jack thought he was close, any trace of Kovac would evaporate, like a phantom. He wanted more than anything to put this ghost down for good and return home to his family—to his kids.

O'Neal couldn't deny he, too, felt something was hinky with this mission.

"What's the plan, boss?" Cam asked. He had known Jack for years and worked with him on several ops. The man next to him had saved his life on more than one occasion and had earned his full trust.

"We keep all new intel within the team. Under no circumstances is Interpol to be informed—at least, not with anything real," Jack answered firmly.

"Understood," O'Neal nodded in agreement.

Cam pulled up next to the apartment building where Jack was staying to drop him off. It was protocol for their team to be spread out across the city. That way their whole team couldn't get taken out with one hit if their cover was ever blown. Cam's apartment was only a block away, so they often traveled together to train or for workouts.

"We'll meet with the boys in the morning and make sure we're all on the same page. Thanks for the ride, bud," Jack said, grabbing his kit from the seat and stepping out of the truck.

Cam gave him a nod and drove off toward his apartment.

Jack trudged up the three flights of stairs to his room, still lost in thought about the possibility of a leak at Interpol. That would explain how Kovac had managed to stay one step ahead of them this whole time.

The Delta operator was exhausted. His constant worry about Mac and his Phoenix team had taken a toll on his sleep. His nightmares would wake him, and his anxiety would prevent him from falling back asleep.

Jack unlocked his door and dropped his kit by his bed. He walked to his nightstand, grabbed his phone, and sat down heavily on the edge of his bed, blowing out a deep breath.

Seeing a text notification, he opened the message. His stomach dropped as he read the words from his friend and former boss. James was dead. Jack stared at the cold, lifeless words on his phone screen in disbelief. His heart ached for the kid he loved like his own. Jack knew Mac's relationship with his father had been complicated, and they hadn't resolved things since James had re-entered Mac's life. Now they never would.

Jack couldn't help but blame himself for the pain Mac was going through. Would any of this have happened if he hadn't pushed the kid to find his father and tried to make things right? 'God, Mac, I'm so sorry.' Jack let his phone slip from his fingers, clattering to the ground by his boots. He buried his face in his hands.

'First Charlie, and now… he's lost so many people.' Jack pushed himself to his feet and started pacing. His hand unconsciously covered his heart, where the pain seemed to radiate from the moment he'd opened the message from Matty. He had to get to his blonde genius, mission be damned. 'I'm coming, kid.'

Jack had his go-bag packed and ready to go in under a minute. He dialed Matty put the phone to his ear and switched to his shoulder to hold the device in place while he zipped up his bag and threw the strap up on his other shoulder.

Los Angeles, Phoenix Foundation War Room

Matty looked down at her phone to see who was calling even though she had a pretty good idea. The director knew her agents well, particularly this one. She dismissed the tech there in the War Room with her so she could speak to her friend in private. Even with the somber events that had transpired in the early hours this morning, a fond grin grew on her face when she heard the voice on the other end. She has missed her favorite Texan.

"I need a ride, Matty, any chance you can-"

"I have a private jet on standby waiting for you at the airport in Zadar." Matty cut off the Delta having already made his travel arrangements for him.

"If you head there now you could get to LA by 10:15 tonight." Matty estimated, looking at her watch.

Jack grinned, Matty never ceased to amaze him. Sometimes she knew what he was going to do before even he did, especially when it involved Mac.

"How is he, Matty?" Jack asked softly. He had made it down the stairs to street level where he had parked his Jeep. He tossed his duffel in the driver's seat and patted himself down realizing he left his H with his kit in his apartment. Jack turned and jogged back towards his room to retrieve his weapon.

"That is more your area of expertise, Dalton," Matty responded.

Jack wasn't sure that he was anymore.

"He needs you here, Jack." That was one thing that Matty did know for certain.

Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a beep that seemed to come from the Jeep. Jack turned his head to look towards the sound and cursed simultaneously. Having been overwatch for the world's slowest bomb nerd he was all too familiar with IEDs and car bombs.

"Shit!" Jack exclaimed, unable to do anything else before a fiery heat blasted him off his feet and sent him slamming into the unforgiving brick wall of his apartment building. Bits of metal from his vehicle turned into lethal projectiles and peppered him and the surrounding area with the shrapnel.

Los Angeles, Phoenix Foundation War Room

"Jack! Jack! Dammit, answer me, Dalton!" Matty demanded. Her usually sure and steady voice broke on his name. The Director knew exactly what that had sounded like, but she refused to accept it. 'No, not today and not like this… Mac would never recover.' She thought to herself, shaking her head from side to side.

'This can't be happening.' Mac had just lost his father hours earlier in a bomb blast, and now Jack was… The only thing she could hear was the crackle and sizzle of fire. There was still no sign of life from her friend.

At that moment Riley walked into the War Room and she could instantly tell something was wrong. She headed to her rig without even being asked. She had never seen the director so shaken up before.

Matty cleared her throat. "Riley, I need you to send an ambulance and fire rescue to the location of this call." Matty requested, putting the call on speaker and handing Riley the Phone.

Riley saw the location pop up on her screen and her stomach dropped. Zadar, Croatia. Jack was there. She pushed her fears aside for the moment and sent the emergency services as requested. 'What had just happened? Was Jack hurt?'

Running footsteps could be heard approaching. The pounding footfalls got louder the closer they came to where the phone had landed.

"Jesus, Jack…" Cam exclaimed seeing the blood pouring from his friend's neck, where a large piece of shrapnel had struck the soldier and embedded in the tender flesh there. A piece of burning debris had caught Jack's shirt on his right shoulder on fire and Cam quickly patted the area to put out the flame.

Jack let out a soft gasp followed by a faint moan and a small cough.

"That's it, buddy. Hang in there. " Cam encouraged.

Cam tore off his outer shirt and put it on the neck wound, careful not to touch the shrapnel sticking out from the gash. His team leader moaned again in response.

"Who the fuck did this to you brother?" Cam asked, not expecting a response.

Cam scanned over his friend, checking for other wounds that needed immediate attention. Jack had several cuts on his face and torso but the neck wound appeared to be the worst of the injuries and the most serious.

Los Angeles, Phoenix Foundation War Room

Riley sat with her hands covering her mouth and tears in her eyes. Her fear now confirmed upon hearing Jack's teammate say his name. She felt helpless as she could only listen to what was happening. She didn't know how badly Jack was hurt but it didn't sound good. The hacker could hear the concern in Jack's teammates' voice. Matty placed a hand on her arm to offer some comfort. They could finally hear sirens approaching in the distance.

Zadar, Croatia

Jack's head was killing him. It pounded and throbbed mercilessly. He couldn't remember what had happened. Through the intense pain and ringing in his ears he could hear a worried voice talking to him. 'It must be his partner. He needed to let the kid know he was alright.'

Jack cracked open his eyes with a groan, the brown orbs refused to focus. Everything was blurry but he could see something in the shape of a person hovering above him.

"Mmac…" Jack grunted.

"Don't try to talk, buddy. Help's gonna be here real soon." Cam soothed.

Jack's face contorted in agony and he groaned in obvious pain again.

"Stay with me. You hear me, Dalton?" Cam said, unsure who he was trying to reassure more.

"You're too stubborn of an SOB to go out like this," the fellow Delta declared.

Blood soaked through Jack's shirt, seeping between Cam's fingers. It didn't seem like the pressure he was applying was helping, but he continued to press against the steady flow of blood anyway.

Cam had felt his apartment shake from the explosion. As soon as it happened, he had a gut feeling it involved Jack, and without hesitation, he sprinted the block to get there.

Los Angeles, Phoenix Foundation War Room

The director and Riley listened as the ambulance arrived, the paramedics tending to Jack and quickly loading him up. Once the sirens faded into the distance, an eerie silence fell. Both were too shaken to speak.

Zadar, Croatia

Jack's world was a blur. The people around him worked quickly, speaking in urgent tones, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. His head lolled to the side, his eyes barely open, fighting the crushing weight of unconsciousness. The pain in his neck burned. Every time he blinked, the world seemed to spin. He could feel the cold metal of the stretcher beneath him, a stark contrast to the warmth of his blood soaking through his shirt.

"Mmac..." Jack whispered again, the name slipping out in his confusion.

Cam rode in the ambulance beside him, gripping Jack's forearm. The injured Delta soldier slipped into unconsciousness again, his head rolling to the side. The movement revealed a concerning amount of blood on the back of Jack's head. His hair was wet with it, the bright red standing out against the white sheet covering the gurney.

"Hang in there, buddy. Just hang in there," Cam muttered.

Los Angeles, Phoenix Foundation War Room

Riley's hands trembled as they hovered over her keyboard. She knew they were helpless, stuck in L.A. while Jack fought for his life in Croatia. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, constantly refreshing satellite feeds, local news—anything that could provide an update faster than the emergency channels Matty was connected to. The usual bravado she carried was nowhere to be found—only the gnawing pit of fear in her stomach.

"Riley..." Matty's voice was soft but carried a weight of authority. Riley tore her gaze away from the screen to look at her boss. Matty's face, though composed, betrayed the deep concern she felt for Jack.

"We'll get him through this," Matty said steadily. But Riley saw the uncertainty there, and it shook her.

Riley nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she turned back to her computer, focusing on the task of tracking down whoever had just tried to kill Jack.