Author's notes: This story combines the universes of my TS/MacGyver series with the TS/Mag7:ATF story, Refuge. It takes place about a year after Refuge and Charming the Hawk (March 2001)
For the Mag 7 fans unfamiliar with my TS/MacGyver series, I suggest two options: 1) Read the first five stories in the series (The Maze, Control, Coatlicue, Ares Bugle, and Heirs to a Nightmare) first. They are on Wolfpup's site at:http://wolfpupsden.skeeter63.org/cindycombs.shtml. These stories develop the relationship between Blair, MacGyver and Sam, and events from several of these stories will be mentioned. Or, 2) read my little spoiler blurb at the end of this story. While I would recommend option #1, I realize that some of you may not be interested in the other series. However, if you select option 2 and decide to read the stories listed above later, be aware that some of the events within the five stories will be spoiled.
In addition, a few events from episodes in Black Panther Production's Cascade Virtual Tales are mentioned. Evermore's In Absentia from season six is the stepping stone for this story, but also included are Shallan's It's Not Just Academic, Emerald's NOW He's a Cop (both season 5), and my Brother Born for Adversity (season 6). CVT can be found at:http://www.blackpantherproductions.org/
Also, Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson of Stargate SG-1 will put in an appearance. They were 'introduced' to the TS/MacGyver characters in my story Weardians and Witans, and some references to will be made to the story. It can also be found at Wolfpup's page.
I would also like to thank several people. Sealie, for all her patience and beta'ing; Rona, for helping me bounce around ideas; Toni Rae, for our talks about switching stations and the country's power grid; Zadra, for keeping my characters in character; Malu and Kerensa, for all their support and encouragement; Wolfpup for her beta'ing, and Elizabeth and Lady Angel for posting it.
Please send any comments to spacecloud@juno.com
Enjoy the ride.
Disclaimer: Most of characters are not mine. I'm borrowing them out of deep reverence, affection and respect. I will accept only personal fulfillment, and no monetary gain. If you do sue, you will not get much and I will send over my Black Lab mix, who will stare at you pathetically for hours and probably con you out of all your food.
Please do not reproduce, copy, or otherwise use any part of this story without permission from the author.
Rated PG-13, mostly for language. Trust me, these guys aren't saints.
[Top | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | ]
"Hey, Chris."
Chris glanced from the road to his partner. "What?"
Vin had a topo map spread across his lap. "If Ezra and his mystery friend left the rental Jeep on foot, and considering the terrain, they'd hit the next county road before 550."
Chris slowed the truck to a stop. "So if we take that road, we might intercept them?"
"It's a long shot." Vin looked up into Chris' green gaze. For a moment, the doubts, desperation, and fears of each shot across the air.
Then they nodded together. Chris took his foot off the brake and began to pick up speed. "Where's the turnoff?"
Ezra and Sam nearly tumbled into the road in front of them. As Sam yanked out the rolled up topo maps from his pack, Ezra again checked the phone. For a moment, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Finally!"
Sam glanced up as Ezra frantically punched buttons, then turned his attention back to the maps. When Buck's number announced it was unavailable, Ezra dialed up another familiar one. It was a relief to hear the drawling 'hello'. "Vin!"
//"Ezra!"// Ezra's soul warmed as he heard the relief and excitement in the normally laid-back voice. //"Where are you? Are you okay?"//
"I am winded, famished, and fatigued, but unharmed. We are..." Ezra lifted an eyebrow at Sam, who quickly gave him the location. "On County Road 12... near Cedar Creek."
//"We? You mean the guy in the rental Jeep?"//
Ezra could hear the rustling of maps. "I'm impressed. A Mr. Malloy is traveling with me."
//"Okay, found it. Chris and I are practically on top of you."//
Ezra felt his gut tightened. "Mr. Larabee is with you?" Sam's eyes narrowed, picking up on Ezra's subtle apprehension.
Vin's chuckle was very audible in Ezra's ear. //"You missed your check-in by hours, Ez. Of course he's here."// A grumble was heard in the background. //"Chris says you owe him for having to fly over the mountains on short notice."//
Ezra paused, not sure whether his boss was worried about him or angry with him. Though knowing Larabee, it was probably both. Chris was like a mother grizzly with his men.
Suddenly, the dirt by his feet flew as a bullet plowed into the road. "Hurry, Vin!" Ezra gave Sam's back a push and together they ran towards the brush-covered ditch. The two men ducked into the slight protection as Ezra fired back.
"How close?" Sam asked, checking the bullets in the backup piece. There was only one left. He aimed at a pine branch heavily laden with snow right above their pursuers.
"The cavalry? I don't know." As Sam fired on the branch, snow dumped on the two shadows below. "I see your accuracy is as good as your brother's."
"Thanks."
Suddenly, a black Dodge Ram roared to a stop in front of them. The doors on their side sprang open, a man whipping up to shoot over the cab.
Sam barely registered the sound of gunfire from the other side as Ezra yanked him out of the ditch. Practically throwing the taller Sam through back door, Ezra jumped in after him. Before Sam could lift his head, the truck was moving.
"How many, Ez?" a concerned voice in the front seat asked.
"I believe three, though we didn't get a good look at this group."
"This group?" a rougher voice asked. "How many damn militia men do you have after you, Standish?"
"More than enough, Mr. Larabee," Ezra replied.
Sam glanced at the blond hair of the driver. So this was the Larabee that had made Standish tense up. He couldn't see the face, but the voice certainly sounded mean enough.
"Well," inserted the first voice, a man slightly older than Sam with long, light brown hair, "they certainly went to ground fast enough."
"The whole lot is comprised of cowards," Ezra confirmed.
Sudden realization hit Sam. He turned to Standish. "Phone."
Before Ezra could hand it to him, Larabee demanded, "Just a minute! Who in the hell are you?"
Damn, where is Jim when you need him to intimidate someone? "Sam Malloy and I need to warn my brother."
"What makes you think your brother's so special?" Larabee growled ferociously as he continued to drive.
Sam wasn't backing down with Blair's life at stake. "Because those idiots hold a grudge against him and now they know he's in the area."
"His brother is Blair Sandburg from Cascade," Ezra smoothly interjected. Sam noticed how the other guy in the front seat immediately turned to face him.
Larabee spared a glance at the civilian through the rearview mirror. "You don't look like Sandburg."
"We're half-brothers; Blair looks like his mom's family while I'm more like our Dad."
A soft drawl slid through the growing tension. "Then he probably told you about his first solo arrest."
Sam met the blue eyes from the front seat, realizing it was a test. "No, Jim told me because Blair was too embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?" Ezra repeated, surprised.
The other agent smirked. "Hell, it ain't every day you catch the Whipped Cream Bandit."
"The who?" Larabee asked, sure he hadn't heard that right.
"A dumb crook who covered his face with whip cream, then stood in line at the bank intending to rob it, because it was too rude to cut ahead of everyone," Sam explained, fighting back his own smile.
"With a bubble-gum pink water pistol in his pocket," the other man added, his grin growing wider.
"Who finally had to cut to the head of the line because he'd miss his bus otherwise," Sam continued, no longer able to hide his own smirk.
"Bus? The miscreant intended to escape by bus?" Ezra couldn't believe what he was hearing. Larabee also had a disbelieving look on his face.
However, the agent in the front seat tossed Sam his phone. "Ellison told me about it, too. He was my C.O. in the Army."
Sam shot him a grin as he closed his hand around the cell phone. He immediately started to dial as Ezra asked again, "A city bus, Vin?"
"Hell, Ez, why ya think Blair don't want to talk about it?"
Buck frowned as he surveyed the area. Between the various county vehicles and employees, it would be hard to check for prints. Then he glanced over the side. Damn, Ezra must have been shaking in his boots when they crashed. Especially if those guys were pursuing them. Buck was just grateful none of the bodies in the truck were his friend's.
Of course, the questions now were, where did he go, did he have company, and did they leave under their own power? Buck sighed, thinking he was going to have to contact Chris and Vin again. Vin was the best on their team for tracking.
Then he heard JD's shout of surprise. "Buck! You'll never guess who rented this Jeep!"
In three long strides, Buck joined his partner who was leaning into the vehicle. "Who?"
"Remember Blair Sandburg?"
"Sandburg?" Buck replied, startled. He easily remembered the young detective who, along with Jim Ellison, had helped Vin when he had been targeted nearly a year ago. "But he lives up in Washington state. What he'd be doing around here?"
JD was practically bouncing. "He mentioned something to me about his great-grandpa's cabin being in Colorado. Maybe he's visiting and Ezra recognized him."
Reluctant to dash his friend's hopes, Buck slowly shook his head. "But the description Vin gave me was someone with short hair, brown eyes and just under six foot. Sandburg's your size, has long hair and blue eyes." The older agent gently cuffed his partner's head, easily remembering Sandburg's calm blue eyes as he confronted Chris. Buck had never seen anyone handle one of Chris' rampages so well and he had been dealing with them for years. Though after meeting Ellison, he suspected Sandburg had nearly as much practice in dealing with hot-tempered, ornery partners as he did.
"Maybe the description's wrong," JD suggested.
Buck lifted his head when he heard a commotion nearby. "Or maybe we can ask him in person."
As he followed the blonde deputy's SUV around a mountain curve, Jim spotted several people surrounding a Cherokee that had slammed into the embankment sideways. Hearing his partner's sharp intake of breath, he knew Blair had seen it, too. Jim silently prayed that Sam hadn't been hurt as he parked the rental. Blair didn't even wait for Jim to shut off the engine before he practically leaped out of the Explorer.
Blair was rushing towards the Jeep when a deputy stepped in his path. "Stop! This is a Federal crime scene."
"Federal?" Jim asked behind Blair. When did Sam's disappearance become a federal case?
Blair didn't even hear Jim. "I don't care. I'm going to see that Jeep!"
The deputy puffed himself importantly. "You can not go past this point."
Jim lifted an eyebrow, recognizing the deputy. "I believe you should remember me, deputy. Detective James Ellison?" The deputy suddenly paled, remembering the man who had lifted him off his feet to threaten him without breaking into a sweat. "I don't think you want to get me angry again."
The deputy immediately stepped to the side. Blair sent Jim a strange look, but decided to ask later. As he turned around, they both heard a voice shout, "Sandburg! Ellison!"
"Wilmington?" Surprised, Jim walked forward to shake Buck's outstretched hand, then JD Dunne's who stood behind him. "What are you doing here?"
"Yeah, I thought your home office was in Denver," Blair added, also shaking their hands.
Buck tipped his head towards the Jeep. "We think this might be related to a case. Though we were surprised to find out you paid for it, Blair."
Blair's face turned grim. "I was delayed getting out of Cascade this morning, so my brother picked it up."
"Damn," JD sympathized.
"Any evidence that he..." Blair paused, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"No," Buck told the younger man firmly. He led the way to the Jeep. "What's your brother look like?"
"Straight brown hair and light brown eyes," Jim reported. "Lanky, shade under six foot." He pulled out a picture from his wallet.
"Wears a leather jacket?" Buck asked as he took the picture. It was of Blair in front of a cabin with two taller men, one an older blond with a touch of gray at the temples, the other a younger, brown-haired man with similar features. He passed the photo on to JD.
"Yeah, he has one," Blair confirmed.
"How'd you know?" Jim inquired, his suspicions aroused.
Buck and JD exchanged looks. "We had a report on the driver of the Jeep," Buck explained slowly. "You guys remember Ezra Standish?" Jim and Blair both nodded. "Well, he was undercover and something happened this morning that made him run. We believe his cover must have been blown. Anyway, Vin suspects Ez may have caught a ride from a Jeep matching this description, and the driver matches your description of your brother."
"Like nails to a magnet," Jim muttered to himself, shaking his head as he stopped by the Jeep. He and Blair swiftly surveyed the vehicle's interior. Out loud, Jim noted, "That's Sam's duffel, but no backpack or camera case." Silently, Jim also noticed the muddy prints on the passenger's side and through the center. Sam did have company and they climbed from the back seat.
"Camera case?" JD asked.
Blair forced a smile. "Sam never goes anywhere without his camera. He's a photojournalist."
"What's his name?" Buck asked worriedly. He could relate all too well to the fear lurking in Sandburg's eyes. He felt the same way for Ezra right now.
"Sean Malloy," Blair quietly replied as he stared at the smashed back window. "But he prefers Sam."
JD's face wrinkled a moment in concentration. "Wait a minute. Those pictures I saw of the Indian earthquake last week. They were by a S. A. Malloy."
Blair couldn't stop the proud smile he shot towards the young agent. "That's him."
"Cool," JD commented, impressed. "That was a fantastic report."
Jim had been scanning the road where it curved above them. Blair had almost subconsciously drawn closer to him, lending support as the sentinel filtered out the more recent tracks. "Damn it, Chief, we're going to have to work on Sam's mountain driving."
"What?" Blair asked, turning to his partner. "How come?"
"Sam did two doughnuts down this slope before hitting the embankment."
As both Buck and JD's jaws dropped, Blair peered up the narrow road. "How'd he manage that?"
"There's a lot of sliding, so he probably was going at a high rate of speed. I'm guessing they were being chased."
"Damn," Blair softly mumbled, gut twisting as he pictured the ride.
"If it makes you feel better, I believe their pursuer's truck didn't make the curve," Buck assured them.
"Wow," JD interjected. "You can see all that from here? Your eyesight must be as good as Vin's."
Blair slowly turned towards JD. "Vin has good eyesight?"
JD nodded. "He's always seeing stuff before the rest of us. Plus he's the best sniper in the ATF. He's won just about every competition he's been in."
Seeing the speculative gleam competing with the worry in Blair's eyes, Jim could easily read the battle within his partner's mind. Before Jim could give him a cuff to the head, Blair's interest in sentinel matters was overwhelmed by his concern about his brother. "Considering Sam took his stuff with him, it's a good bet they weren't captured here."
Buck nodded thoughtfully, studying Ellison. "I don't suppose you learned to track in the Army like Vin did?"
A slight smirk lifted a corner of Jim's mouth. "Who do you think taught him?"
"Hallelujah!" Buck enthusiastically whapped Jim on the back. "Just let me call Chris and we'll see if we can find our lost boys."
"No answer?" Vin asked sympathetically as Sam slowly closed the phone.
Sam shook his head. "Both Blair's and Jim's are 'out of range'."
"Not too surprising," Chris commented.
"By what route are they traveling to your paternal ancestor's dwelling in Ouray?" Ezra inquired.
Before Vin could translate the 'Ezra speak', Sam replied, "Not sure. Jim was going to take the back routes to avoid some of the worst avalanche zones."
"Does Detective Ellison share your misgivings about your brother's map reading skills?"
A reluctant smile broke across Sam's worried face. "Worse. Jim doesn't trust Blair to know which way's north." "So that's what that was about," Vin commented.
At Sam's puzzled look, Ezra explained, "Before he aided my teammates and I in gathering perpetrators, Detective Ellison made a point of indicating the direction of 'North' to your brother."
Sam snickered. "Sounds about right."
At the squawk of the radio, Vin grabbed the receiver. Once he identified himself, he smiled when he recognized Buck's voice come across the air waves. //"Hey partner, we've got some news."//
"Yeah, we got some news, too. We've picked up our Ace." Vin figured Buck would understand.
//"Hallelujah!"// Buck cheered. //"By the way, we've run into an old C.O. of yours, Junior."//
Ezra and Sam traded looks with Vin. Vin shook his head in amazement. "The way things are going, Bucklin, I can't say I'm surprised."
"Have him tell Indy that you have Olsen, and Indy needs to watch his six," Sam quietly suggested.
As Chris gave Sam another look via the mirror, Vin asked, "Hey, Buck, could you tell Indy that we got Olsen, and Indy needs to watch his six?"
//"Let me check."//
As they waited for Buck's reply, Ezra lifted an eyebrow at Sam. With a faint blush, Sam explained, "Blair calls me Olsen, short for 'Jimmy Olsen'."
"As in Superman's sidekick?" Chris asked, finally understanding. "And Indy?"
Sam chuckled. "Blair's master's is in Anthropology. He's always telling these big tales about his trips to other countries, so I started calling him 'Indy', short for 'Indiana Jones'.
Buck's excited voice broke in. //"Tell Olsen that Indy and his partner will catch up with him later."//
Sam breathed a huge sigh of relief.
MacGyver stretched back away from the table. After several hours of cataloging the colorful, tangled piles of wires, detonators, switches, tools, and other bomb-making paraphernalia, it felt like his neck had a permanent crick in it.
Nathan, too, pulled away from the table. "There's a lot of stuff here," he commented.
"Yeah, but there's a lot missing, too." Mac turned his head as far as he could to the right in an attempt to work the muscles back into place. "Most of these are the leftovers or broken pieces."
"You think he made another bomb?" Nathan's eyes grew wide at the implications. "He's already planted three others."
Mac twisted his head the other way. "There's more than just four bombs' worth missing."
"Meaning this guy isn't done with bombing yet."
"Right."
"But why?" Nathan threw up his hands. "I just don't get it. What does a police station, a truck of apple cider, and a guy named Morris have to do with each other? It's got to be random."
"No, there's a connection. We just haven't figured it out yet." Done with the stretches, Mac picked up his pencil and flipped to a clean sheet in his notebook. Concentrating on the bombs, he hadn't worked the cases from the victim's side. "The police station has too many enemies. We need to look at the other two victims."
Nathan leaned back in his seat. "Well, the truck was from an Oregon firm named Freshness Trucking."
"Anything on the driver?"
"Just a devoted husband with two kids. Does mission work for his church. Your basic nice guy. I'm glad he didn't go up with his truck."
"The trucking firm?"
"They've checked out okay, too. Hell, one of the owner's cousin's is a well-known prosecutor."
Mac tapped his pencil against the pad. He would have to look at all their evidence later. "What about the other victim?"
"The Morris guy was the exact opposite. He was new to town and didn't have any friends as far as we can tell. His reading material seemed a bit extreme, but no evidence he belonged to any group in the area."
"Extreme how?"
"Oh, the old, 'the government is the root of all evil', 'the cops are dopes working for the government, not the people', that sort of thing. Not hardcore white supremacy, but definitely anti-government. Hell, Ezra said that if he hadn't been the bombing victim, he would have made a good suspect."
"Hmm," Mac thought a moment. "Could it be a falling out with an old group?"
"We thought of that." Having walked in unnoticed, Josiah shrugged. "We've been digging and just found out he came from a place called 'Oak Dale' near the Canadian border."
A twinge nicked MacGyver's mind. The town was close to Cascade. "There are a few militias operating in that area. The Sun Rise Patriots and the Washington Freedom Fighters, to name a couple."
"I don't think we've checked those two." Josiah tapped his chin thoughtfully.
Nathan eyed their consultant. "How do you know them?"
"My son's in Cascade which is near Oak Dale. Unfortunately, we've had a few run-ins with the local militia."
"We?" Josiah softly questioned.
MacGyver gave him a smirk. "Let's just say I don't take too kindly to anyone who abducts my son."
Josiah nodded, noting the strength and determination boiling behind the normally calm eyes. He decided that messing with MacGyver's sons would be a bad idea.
"Have you found out anything upstairs?" Nathan asked his partner.
Josiah sighed. "Not much. It would appear that our bomber left town a few days ago."
"Good for Denver. Not good for anyone else," Nathan observed.
"We did finally find a couple of names. Which one's his true name is hard to tell at this point, but it gives us something to work on."
Nathan tilted his head. "What are the names?"
"Dean Kane; Kade Eckers; Decker Kincaid —"
MacGyver shot upright in his chair. "Kincaid?" Josiah nodded. Mac jumped up and started to pace.
Nathan exchanged a look with Josiah. "I'm guessing that name means something?"
Mac rubbed his neck. "Garrett Kincaid was the leader of the Sun Rise Patriots. He's the one my son Blair and his partner testified against this week."
"The case that was rough on your son?" Josiah remembered.
"Yeah." Mac continued to pace.
"Did they win?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah."
Nathan softly swore under his breath. "So the Sun Rise Patriots would be rather upset with the government, your son, and the world in general."
"Enough to try something?" Josiah suggested.
"They tried something right after the verdict. Blair hasn't given me details yet. Just said that he and Jim suspected something, so the feds and the Cascade PD were ready. However, no one knows just how many friends they might have."
"Wait a minute." Nathan gazed at MacGyver in puzzlement. "Cascade detectives. Blair. Jim. We aren't talking about Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison, are we?"
Mac stopped pacing and stared at Nathan. "You know Blair and Jim?"
"Blair Sandburg is your son?" Josiah asked, trying to keep his jaw from dropping. He still had a lot of questions about Blair Sandburg. The thought that he was MacGyver's son shocked him.
Mac nodded. "Sandburg is his mother's last name."
Nathan shook his head. "Small world. Ellison's an army buddy of one of our partners. They rescued him from some militiamen last year."
"Vin?" Mac smiled. "I remember Blair telling me about him and his team. Wait, Larabee." Mac started to chuckle. "Blair mentioned Vin's boss being another tough guy like Jim. He said it was a good thing the two decided to like each other, or it would have been World War III."
Nathan started laughing, too. "I haven't met Ellison; Josiah and I were in Denver while the others were in Cascade. But that certainly sounds like Chris."
Josiah mentally shook the cobwebs from his head and returned to the matter at hand. "Do you think your son and his partner could give us some information on Kincaid?"
"Gladly." MacGyver reached for his phone, then paused. "Nathan, what was the name of the prosecutor connected to the trucking firm?"
"William Sikes. He's a federal—"
"Prosecutor who was in charge of the Kincaid trial," Mac finished for him. He grabbed the phone and punched in numbers.
As Jim followed Wilmington's truck, he quietly commented, "Now there's a classic truck. A 1957 GMC pickup."
"At least it looks better than your so-called 'classic'," Blair absently commented.
Jim glanced at his partner, realizing his heart wasn't in the banter. "Do I want to know what's going on in that head of yours, Chief?"
Blair gave him a sly smile. "Just debating on the odds of Vin being a sentinel."
"He's not," Jim stated firmly.
"Jiiiim," Blair practically whined. "How do you know?"
"Because I've known Slick for years, and I don't 'feel' him like Alex or Marston."
"Okay."
Jim gave his partner another glance. That was too easy. Somehow, he had a feeling this discussion wasn't over yet.
Which Blair soon confirmed with his next sentence. "Still, JD was pretty impressed with his sight, and sentinel vision would be a definite plus for a sharpshooter."
"Not all sharpshooters are sentinels," Jim pointed out.
"No, but it sounds like Vin's the cream of the crop. What if he's like your brother, and just has one or two heightened senses?"
Jim shrugged. "I guess he could."
Blair nodded to himself. "That would make him a carrier. Maybe that's why the two of you were drawn to each other in the Army as mentor and student."
"He was assigned to me."
"Yeah, but were you, an officer, just as close to all your other non-coms?"
Jim clenched his jaw a moment. "Not really."
"See?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "Slick's my friend, Sandburg, and has always been a good kid. Not everything is related to my sentinel abilities."
Blair sighed. He knew he had to abandon the idea for the moment. After a minute of silence, he quietly asked, "Why do you think Sam warned me to stay alert? He's the one being chased."
Jim stared out the windshield a moment. "I don't know. Obviously, he's mixed up in Standish's case, so maybe he's run into one of our old perps."
"But why would any of them connect Sam with me? We don't look alike and have different last names."
Jim shrugged. "We'll have to ask him." He nodded at Wilmington's truck, which was turning into a park.
Buck gratefully gave Ezra a bear hug, totally surprising the younger, smaller man. JD bounced in place next to them, waiting to shake the undercover agent's hand. Buck pulled back and shook his head. "Man, you really had me going, Ez. What the hell happened?"
As Ezra launched into his story, Vin watched Blair burst out of the Explorer. The Cascade detective greeted his taller brother with as big a hug as Buck had given Ezra, except Sam returned the gesture with ease.
Jim returned Vin's nod as he walked over to join his partner. "You okay, Sam?" he asked, studying the younger man.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"But weren't you—" Jim began.
"What's this?" Blair interrupted as he stepped back and shoved his hand into Sam's jacket pocket. He frowned at his brother as he yanked out a gun.
Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "Standish's backup piece."
"What?" Blair sniffed the end. "You fired this!"
Sam rolled his eyes. "They were firing at me first, Indy."
"Yeah, but have you ever fired a gun before?" Blair asked, eyes stern.
"Yes," Sam answered shortly.
The argument caught the ATF agents' attention. "Your brother is actually an outstanding shot," Ezra commented.
"His range scores are as high as yours, Chief," Jim added, feeling a bit sorry for the youngest MacGyver.
Blair blinked, then turned to his partner. "Range? When did you take him to a firing range?"
"While you and Dad were busy going over Dad's dig notes last fall." Sam met his brother's glare evenly as Blair turned back to him.
"He'd already purchased the gun; I was just making sure he knew how to handle it," Jim pointed out.
Eyes wide, Blair's head bounced back and forth between his partner and his brother. "Since when does Sam own a gun?"
"Hey, I'm not the one with the phobia. Nor were you on my assignment down South six months ago." Sam took a deep breath, trying to hold his temper.
Blair's gaze turned worried. He had suspected his brother hadn't told him or Mac everything about that particular trip. "You don't need a gun; you need a new editor."
Sam shrugged. "That, too."
Turning back to his partner, Blair asked snidely, "And why am I only hearing about this now?"
"Oh, I don't know," Jim replied sarcastically. "Because we thought you might overreact?"
Blair sighed as he heard the chuckles from the listening ATF team, silently admitting they had been right. "Does Dad know about this?"
"Are you insane? Mr. Phobia would kill me." Sam gently rubbed his forehead. "Dad still tenses up every time he remembers you're packing. I'm not adding to it."
"Sam, why did you tell Blair to watch his back?" Jim asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.
"Oh, those militia guys somehow have me mistaken for Blair." Sam met Blair's eyes worriedly. "They were ranting about how you and Jim 'participated in that injustice against our brother'. I'm guessing they meant the Kincaid trial."
Worriedly, both Jim and Blair nodded. "Damn it, aren't we ever going to be rid of that jerk, Jim?"
"Not yet, apparently."
Sam looked at the older men questioningly. "They said you and some guy named Dexter Fillmore were going to pay. Who's Fillmore?"
Blair's brow wrinkled. "Don't know, but the name sounds familiar."
Jim dropped his head and slowly shook it. "It ought to sound familiar. Though considering how sick you were, I'm not surprised you don't remember." With both brothers staring at him, Jim quietly explained, "'Dexter Fillmore' was the alias Mac used to help me get you out of Kincaid's compound."
Sam's eyes grew wide. "Oh, man!"
"Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse," Blair moaned.
"Now just a minute," Chris finally interrupted, tired of being out of the loop. "Who the hell is 'Mac'?"
"Our father, MacGyver," Blair explained bleakly.
"MacGyver?" Chris and Buck exclaimed together. Then Chris continued, "Not the same MacGyver who's the bomb expert from the Phoenix Foundation?"
The brothers and Jim nodded together. Then a light dawned in Sam's mind. "You mean, you're the guys Dad's working with in Denver?"
"That's right," Chris replied, his mind racing while trying to sort out the situation.
"What?" Buck stared at his boss and long-time friend. "You mean, Nate's working with the MacGyver?"
"The MacGyver?" Chris repeated, confused. From the wounded puppy dog look, Chris would have thought Buck had been left out of a meeting with John Elway, Denver's Hall of Fame quarterback.
"Hell, Chris, he's a legend." Buck waved his arms. "I can't believe I missed the chance to work with MacGyver."
"Legend?" Blair asked, trading stunned looks with Sam. "I knew Mac was good, but..."
Jim chuckled. "From what the Colonel's colleagues have told me, your Dad's pretty famous for his patched-together bombs and rescuing Americans stranded behind the Iron Curtain."
"Really?" Blair's eyes were wide as he absorbed the new information. He was learning all sorts of fun facts about his family on this trip.
"Well, until we figure this all out, we should go back to our base," Chris recommended.
Jim nodded. If the militias were mixing up Sam and Blair, the situation had the potential of getting worse.
Retrieving the gun from Blair, Sam walked back to Ezra. "Thanks for the loan."
"Thank you for covering my backside," Ezra replied warmly.
"Yeah," JD added. "There's not a lot of people out there who would just jump in and help federal agents."
Behind them, Vin had walked over to shake Jim's hand. "Good to see you both in one piece. Sandburg's brother was worried."
"We were worried, too." Jim shook his friend's hand warmly. "Thanks for rescuing him. Sam's a good kid."
Before Vin could reply, gunfire echoed off the mountains.
"Damn!" Blair exclaimed, ducking behind the Explorer. Jim and Vin joined him.
"Can anyone tell where it's coming from?" Chris shouted from his position behind his Ram.
"One group to the east," Vin shouted back.
"Another to the west behind that round rock," Jim added, realizing they were in a cross-fire.
"Let's get out of here!" Chris ordered.
Sam, who was pinned down between Ezra and JD, gauged the distance between Larabee's truck and their dubious shelter behind the trash cans. JD took off at Chris' signal. He stayed low to the ground, zigzagging around a picnic table's slight protection before crawling into the Ram. Ezra then indicated for Sam to follow him. Taking a deep breath, Sam dashed out as fast as he could while bent over. He copied JD's movements, flinching when a bullet pinged against the metal table. Once inside the truck, he watched through the open door as Ezra fired a few shots, then work his own way to the truck.
On the other side of the clearing, Vin crawled into the Explorer with Blair and Jim. "Anyone see Buck?" the agent asked worriedly.
"He'd went to use the radio, I think," Blair reported.
Jim poked his head above the steering wheel. "He's pinned down by those rocks near his truck."
Blair risked a glance, then winced in sympathy. "His classic's taking a beating."
"Damn." Vin cautiously glanced back at the Dodge. He caught a flash of Ezra's white jacket before it disappeared into the truck. Three more heads were barely visible inside. The gunfire was especially thick between the two vehicles, with Buck's 'Lady' in between. Vin winced as he watched Chris' radio antenna snap from a bullet. "Chris won't be able to reach him."
"We can." Jim swiftly started the engine. "Hang on and get ready to grab him."
Blair immediately braced himself against the door frame. Vin, caught unaware, fell across the back seat as the Explorer shot forward into a sharp turn. However, by the time Jim raced the SUV past the red truck, Vin was ready. He whipped the door open, grabbed Buck's outstretched arm, and yanked his friend inside.
"Thank you," Buck gasped, shivering.
Blair poked his head between the seats, noticing the blood on the agent's leg. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a graze. Those bullets are thicker than mosquitoes in a swamp."
"Now what?" Blair asked his partner.
"We're getting out of here," Jim declared. He could see a beat-up truck bouncing out of cover behind them, men with rifles and shotguns aimed at them.
"What about the others?" Buck asked.
"They're all in Chris' truck." Vin popped his head up long enough to catch sight of the Dodge. "Looks like Chris is heading out the other way."
"We can't follow," Jim replied as he turned onto a 4X4 trail. "We're cut off."
Blair glanced back, worried about Sam. "Damn."
Buck sighed. "We'll have to catch up with them later." Then all of them winced as another hail of bullets pinged behind them.
Barely restraining himself from slamming the phone down, MacGyver silently rubbed his eyes.
"Still no answer?" Nathan asked sympathetically.
Mac shook his head. "Not from any of the phones. I keep reminding myself that the microwave signal's weak from the cabin, but the satellite phone I keep there ought to work."
"Maybe they're all outdoors?"
"It's dark."
"Well, it still might be nice. Can see a lot of stars up there."
"Nah, Blair gets cold. Sam gets hungry. Jim would be tired after the trip. By now, at least one of them would be inside."
"Doesn't necessarily means there's anything wrong," Josiah softly injected.
Mac managed to give him a smirk. "Yeah, but you don't know my sons. If there's trouble, they're in the middle of it."
"Sounds like a few boys I know," Josiah chuckled, glancing at Nathan. "But just because we can't find this Kincaid guy, doesn't mean..."
Team 3's leader poked his head through the door. "Sanchez!" Josiah walked over to the door to talk to the fellow agent.
Nathan quietly watched MacGyver sink into a chair. The agent could almost see the wheels spinning under the gray and blond hair, in spite of the worried face. Then both men looked up when they heard Josiah swear.
"What's up?" Nathan asked.
Josiah rubbed his face, not having a clue where to start. "Well, the good news is that Chris and Vin found Ezra."
"Which of course means there's bad news," Nathan commented worriedly.
"Well, there might be more good news." Josiah turned to MacGyver. "Seems Ezra was helped by a young man by the name of Sam Malloy?"
Mac chuckled as he nodded. "Yep, that's my son."
"And?" Nathan prodded.
"Seems Ellison and Sandburg were tracking down Malloy when they ran into Buck and JD. They all went to meet up with Larabee and his group."
Mac nodded. It only made sense if Sam was involved, Jim and Blair would be drawn in sooner or later.
"So what's the bad news?" Nathan asked, reading his friend's face.
"That was two hours ago. No one's heard from any of them since."
"Damn," Nathan muttered, looking lost.
However, MacGyver only straightened up. "Guess we'd better go find them." He was out the door before either of the agents could blink.
Chris slowed down to a stop behind an outcropping of rock and snow. He hadn't seen the truck following them for a while. The senior agent was praying they had lost them. Glancing around, he caught the eyes of his men. "Everyone okay?"
JD and Ezra both gave their leader a sharp nod. JD sighed as he glanced through the back window. "I hope Buck and Vin are okay. Buck was in the middle when all those bullets started flying."
Chris felt his shoulders tighten another notch. He was worried about his oldest friend, too. Buck had been a brother to him long before there was a Team Seven. He didn't need to be reminded that the big man had been a wide-open target. It didn't help that he'd also lost contact with Vin.
In the front passenger's seat, Ezra watched his boss carefully. "So what should be our next course of action?"
"Try to contact them. Are we able to get anything on the radio?"
Ezra again picked up the receiver and started to turn the dials.
Chris turned to look at JD. "Did Ellison and Sandburg have a radio?"
JD shook his head. "It was an airport rental. I'd be surprised if they even have their guns with them."
"They most certainly should have cell phones," Ezra pointed out, half an ear on the conversation.
A quiet voice piped up, "But we're currently in another dead zone."
All three agents turned to Malloy. Chris had almost forgotten they had him.
Realizing he had their attention, Sam waved his own phone. "I've been checking, and all I'm getting is 'no signal'."
Ezra gave the younger man a reassuring smile, hoping he could see it in the dim light. He knew Malloy had to be just as worried about his brother as Chris was about Vin and Buck.
"So what do we do now?" JD asked.
"Head back to base. That's where Buck and Vin will head when they can." Chris sighed as he put the truck into gear. Then he paused. "Anyone know where in the hell we are?"
There was total silence in the truck cab.
Finally, Sam suggested, "Well, we were on the east side of 550. Maybe we just need to go west?"
"Which way's west?" JD asked.
Chris fought the urge to pound his head into the steering wheel. "Will someone find the damn map?"
Blair hit his head against the roof of the Explorer. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Do you want me to watch it or lose the idiots behind us?" Jim forced through gritted teeth. He dodged another pothole, driving as fast as he dared with only parking lights illuminating the rugged snow and mud-covered road. Unfortunately, he could easily spot the bright headlights behind them, though they were further back.
"Lose the idiots," Vin answered instead. He drew out a long flannel coat from a duffel bag. "Here we go."
Buck sighed as Vin draped the warm garment around him. "Thanks. And thanks for the loan, Ellison."
"Not a problem." Jim spared a glance at the agent. Sentinel sight could easily see the pale face. Wilmington's clothes had gotten soaked from lying in the snow to avoid bullets. Even with the heater going and a change into Jim's sweats, the agent was chilled and hurting.
Blair twisted to look between the seats. "How's the leg?"
"Stopped bleeding." Vin held on a moment as the vehicle rocked forcefully over a bump.
"I'll be okay, Sandburg," Buck assured him. "I've had worse injuries tripping over JD's skates at our place."
Blair sighed. Vin had said it was a bullet graze, but it had left a deep groove in the agent's leg. He was sure the hard bouncing had to be hurting him. Thankfully, Jim always brought along a first aid kit.
Vin glanced up ahead. Even he could barely see with so little light. He was really hoping what he suspected about Ellison was true. Super human sight might be their only chance.
Just then, Jim smiled. "Hang on, everybody. I've got an idea."
Blair instantly braced. Vin, having learned his lesson, grabbed the back of the seat with one hand as he clicked Buck's seatbelt into place with the other. Buck shot his teammate a puzzled look, but before he could ask, the Explorer dipped down sharply, then slid to the right. With a swift shove into reverse, Jim backed up and immediately killed the lights.
Glancing around, Vin realized that Jim had parked them into a rocky enclave by the side of the road at the bottom of an incline. Everyone held their breath as the Ford pickup and the small Jeep rolled by their position, the drivers too busy concentrating on the road to notice their prey had given them the slip.
After a few moments, Buck softly asked, "Is that it?"
"No," Jim replied just as softly. Vin noticed a familiar tilt to his former commander's head. "There's one more."
Sure enough, another truck roared over the hill and bounced past their hiding place. Vin could barely contain his smirk. If Ellison wasn't one of those sentinels, he was the president's grandma. A quick glance confirmed that Buck was too tired and hurting to realize anything unusual was happening. Not that Vin would have a problem telling Buck; the older man knew how to keep his mouth shut when it was important and wouldn't take the Captain's abilities the wrong way like Chris might. However, it wasn't Vin's secret to tell, and he respected Ellison too much to spread tales about him.
Soon, Jim was driving back in the other direction with the parking lights. Blair gave him a gentle pat on the back. "Now what?"
"I take it we don't have a radio?" Vin commented.
"Nope, and the cell is giving us a 'no signal'," Blair added. "I'm beginning to think I need to invest in one of those satellite phones like Dad has."
"Well," Buck drawled, "I imagine Chris would head back to Ridgway."
"Good idea," Jim agreed. "Anyone know where we are? Except you, Sandburg."
Blair rolled his eyes as Vin and Buck both replied negatively. "I left the topo map in Chris' truck," Vin added.
"I've got a map in my carry-on." Jim stopped the Explorer at a crossing while Vin dug for the map. Taking a deep breath, the sentinel extended his hearing in all directions. As his partner covertly laid a hand on his arm to ground him, Jim noted that their pursuers were still going in the wrong direction. He could also hear another set of three vehicles to their left. Suspecting that Larabee would be on his own, he decided they were either militias or unknowns. At the moment, Jim wasn't willing to chance an unknown person. With the way their luck was running, it would probably be an axe murderer.
"Vin," Buck asked seriously. "How much ammo do you have left?" He knew Vin would have checked by now.
"I've got about a third of a clip in my SIG, with another spare clip that's full. Plus my backup piece in my ankle hostler has a full load. You?"
"About six rounds. I don't suppose either of you are packing?"
"Nope," Blair replied as he noticed his partner had withdrawn his hearing to normal. "We're suppose to be on vacation."
"We need to take up hunting," Jim commented lightly as he turned the truck right.
"Oh, that'll go over good with Mac," Blair replied.
"I thought it was your ma who didn't like guns?" Vin asked as he pulled out a flashlight from Jim's bag. He handed it to Buck.
"Neither of my parents do, just that Naomi's more vocal about it. Mac's never told me not to carry a gun because he understands I need to for my job. But just like Sam said, he's got a phobia about them, so I know he isn't happy about it." Blair frowned as he looked out the window. "Man, I hope Sam's all right."
Vin found the map and pulled it out of the bag. "He'll be okay. Chris'll keep him out of the action as much as possible, and Ezra's keeping an eye on him."
Buck turned the flashlight on so that it would shine on the map. "Yeah, I noticed that Ezra seems to like the kid, and he doesn't warm up that quickly to most people."
Vin chuckled as he studied the map. "Probably because Sam understands all of Ezra's big words. Didn't even blink at 'em."
"That's the MacGyver genes," Jim explained, giving his partner a smirk. "They're always much smarter than they look."
Blair gave him a playful glare. "Smart enough to know an insult when I hear one."
"By the way," Buck asked casually. "How come you and your brother don't have your Dad's last name?"
"Those are two very long stories," Blair replied lightly.
Encouraged by the tone and curious about anything related to the legend, Buck returned, "Well, we've got time."
Blair chuckled. "Well, mine starts with my mother Naomi..."
I'm doing it again. I am rushing into a situation I know very little about because my sons may be in danger. I can almost hear Nikki in my ear, pointing out that Sam and Blair are adults and can take care of themselves. Certainly, they both grew up into fine young men without any protection or guidance from me. Nor are either of their jobs considered 'safe', both having been led into fields where their welfare is often weighed against the greater good. Just like the kind of job their old man works.
Yet they are entwined so firmly around my soul, I can't bear the thought of losing them. Sam and Blair have filled my life in places I didn't even know were empty. While I know Jim will do his best, even a sentinel can't stop bullets or prevent a bomb from exploding. Besides, bombs are my specialty. The thought of a bomber related to Kincaid within the same vicinity as Blair scares me to death. I have to be there, both to protect him and keep this maniac from hurting others. I guess it's my family's destiny to protect people from the evil in this world. I just don't want to lose any more of my family to that evil.
"You okay?"
MacGyver turned to Josiah. He appreciated the agent driving his suburban over a mountain pass at night simply because he was worried about his missing sons. Nathan sat behind them, lightly snoring. "Yeah. Just wish we were already there."
"Understand, brother." Josiah concentrated on his driving for a moment. "Your boys are important to you."
"Yeah." Mac rubbed his eyes a moment. "I haven't had them in my life for very long, so I guess I get overprotective."
"That why they have different last names?"
"Yeah. Blair's mom and I broke up over Viet Nam and college. She wanted me to drop out of school to protest the war. I refused, so she never told me about Blair. I didn't meet him until a few years ago when I was helping Jim with a bomber." With a sigh, Mac stared at the dark shadows of rock speeding by. "Sam was born while I was in 'Nam. Kate didn't tell me, apparently because she wanted me to take care of myself in a war zone and not worry about them. Afterwards, I suspect she was giving me time to get my head back on straight."
Josiah nodded grimly. "Took me a while to get my head straight after the 'Nam, too. That jungle warfare was hard on a lot of men. I drifted in and out of a lot of things."
"Me, too. Lots of dangerous things. I can see why Kate didn't want Sam too close to me at that point."
"When did she tell you?"
"She didn't. Kate died on assignment over in China. Since she never told anyone my name, Sam went to live with some of her friends." Mac sighed. "I think that's the worst part of all. It was hard for him, witnessing his mother's death at age nine then going to live with virtual strangers. If I had known, I'd have dropped everything to raise Sam myself."
"But you're close now?"
"Yeah. After I met Sam, we traveled for a year together. He was nineteen, so it was easy to do at that point. Afterwards, I convinced him to go back to college while I returned to Phoenix. I just wish I could have spent that kind of time with Blair."
"You couldn't?"
"Nah, Blair was already deep into his life by the time we met, working on his doctorate and consulting with Jim's department. I've tried not to disrupt him too much."
Josiah nodded. Cautiously, he decided to shake the bush and see what fell out. "What about after his press conference?"
It was dead silent in the compartment. Then MacGyver lightly replied, "Blair went straight into the police department after that."
"Rather surprising move, considering he admitted to fraud."
Mac turned to face Josiah. "Blair never committed fraud, because he never turned in his dissertation. What happened was that a greedy publisher and University politics forced him into a bad situation. Blair had to make a choice between doing what was good for him or keeping his promise to protect another. He chose to keep his promise. I couldn't be prouder of him."
Josiah gave a sharp nod. "Thought it might be something like that. When I told Tanner about the press conference, he quoted Croce and ordered me to drop it. I learned a long time ago to trust Vin's instincts, so I did."
"Croce?"
"You Don't Mess Around With Jim."
Mac broke out in a loud laugh, releasing some of his tension. "I think I need to meet this Vin Tanner."
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