by Cindy Combs
Blair gave him a wide smile. It was the first true, full-wattage Sandburg smile Simon had seen since Kincaid's pre-trial. "I thought that's because you're the captain."
Simon gave the younger man a growl. "Just wait until you get back, Sandburg. I'll save all the hard cases for you."
"Don't you do that anyway?" Blair ducked laughingly as Simon gave him a play swipe.
"On that note, I'm heading back to headquarters." As Simon turned, he caught Jim's eye. Jim gave his captain a reassuring nod before the tall, dark man headed for short-term parking.
Back road, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO
Glancing around the dirt track and identifying the jagged peak behind them, Sam nodded to himself. "We should be close to 550 now."
Raising his eyes from the map he was studying, Ezra lifted an eyebrow at his traveling companion. "You are familiar with the locale?"
"A little." Sam turned the Jeep onto another snow-packed road. "Plus I studied the map on the plane out here."
"Really? Do you always prepare so meticulously?"
"No, but I thought Blair would be with me."
"And your brother's presence would require memorizing the map?"
Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, yeah. Blair's very good at many things, but map reading is NOT one of them. I've found that if I study the map first, I can let Blair think he's navigating and I can still get us there."
Ezra smirked. "Your family appears to be comprised of very unique and fascinating individuals."
"In more ways than one." Sam glanced over at the agent. "What about your family?"
"My only living familial relation is my mother." Ezra couldn't hold back a sigh. "A highly remarkable woman who never fails to make an impression. However, our paths rarely cross." The phrase 'Thank God' flashed across the agent's mind. Maude tended to leave his life in tatters after her whirlwind visits. "Often support is provided by my teammates."
Sam nodded. "Sounds like Blair and his partner. For that matter, Jim's like family to me, too." Pausing a moment, the photographer commented, "If Blair ran into trouble on an assignment, nothing would stop Jim from searching for him."
Ezra quickly caught on to Sam's train of thought. "My teammates would react in a similar fashion. They are most certainly searching for me now, since I have missed my check-in by hours."
"Any way we can contact them?"
"Unfortunately, no." Ezra absently rubbed his forehead. "I misplaced my cell phone during my impromptu flight from the militia encampment."
"I have mine," Sam offered. "It's in my pack."
Ezra swiftly picked up the pack and searched it. Withdrawing the phone, he flipped it open. "No signal."
"Figures. Any other ideas?"
"I have an emergency tracking signal, but I fear it is no longer in working condition."
"What's the prob..." At that moment, the back window shattered. As Sam ducked and hit the gas, he realized he had heard a sharp report from behind them.
Ezra ducked, too. Glancing over his shoulder, he commented lightly, "My pursuers have apparently found us."
"Noticed." Sam could see a huge Dodge truck in the side mirror, men with high power rifles standing in the bed aiming for the Jeep. Hastily cranking the steering wheel, Sam managed to weave, causing the next hail of bullets to miss their mark. He pushed harder on the gas pedal. Snow and dirt flew into the air behind them.
Ezra had yanked out his gun from under his jacket and turned to aim over the seat, only to realize his side arm didn't have the range. He watched in dread as the men in the truck lined up another shot. "GO!" he shouted to Sam.
However, Sam had just discovered he had more important problems. "HANG ON!" he shouted, working the wheel.
As Ezra spun around in his seat, his first impression was of pine tree tops. He instantly snapped his seatbelt into place as the Jeep whipped around the sharp turn. The agent's stomach found its way to his throat. Sam struggled to keep the vehicle upright and on the road, but couldn't prevent two 360 degree spins along the steep mountain road. The Jeep slid into the snow and dirt embankment of the downhill curve.
However, they were luckier than the truck behind them. Unable to stop, the truck sailed over the tree tops and down the mountain side. A soft 'boom' could be heard in the stillness of the forest.
A few moments later, Ezra still hadn't loosened his death grip on the dashboard. It wasn't until Sam moaned that Ezra's head finally moved from its fearful view of the steep drop-off. He realized it had been Sam's side of the vehicle which had hit the embankment. "Are you all right?"
Gingerly rubbing the spot where his head had hit the driver's side window, Sam replied, "Yeah, though I think I'm going to have a knot."
"At least you drive better than some of my colleagues. Otherwise, we most certainly would have joined our pursuers." His mind finally kicking into gear, Ezra glanced around. "Can you drive?"
Sam blinked at him a moment, then suddenly understood. "Do you think they radioed someone?"
"I'm sure they at least made an attempt. So the most prudent move on our parts would be to disappear before the rest of the pack arrives."
"Yeah." Sam rubbed his eyes a moment more, then gripped the steering wheel again. Pressing the gas, the tires only spun in place. Shifting into reverse, Sam tried again. The Jeep still didn't move.
Getting out, Ezra shook his head and yelled back, "You're in a deep ditch filled with snow. I fear it will go no further without assistance."
Sam closed his eyes a moment before shutting off the engine. He extracted himself from the driver's seat, climbing over the passenger's to exit from Ezra's opened door. He, too, looked over the Jeep. "Man, I am SO glad I took the insurance." He then turned to the agent. "We hike?"
"Yes." Ezra had walked over to the other side. The trees were so thick he couldn't see where the truck had landed. "While I doubt there were any survivors, we should still make a hasty retreat."
Sam sighed as he reached back into the Jeep to grab his backpack and camera case. "Then we'd better get started." He paused to latch onto the map, too. "Man, why does something always happen when I try to go to Harry's cabin?"
Ridgway, CO
As Chris walked from the helicopter pad to the small inn, he hoped to find his trip over the mountains had been unnecessary. He held onto the thought as he jogged up to the room his agents had rented. However, the slim hope died when his youngest agent opened the door. If there had been any word from Ezra at all, JD Dunne's natural optimism would have bubbled to the surface. Instead, the grim expression spoke louder than words that their undercover agent was still missing.
"Hi, Chris," Buck Wilmington called softly, a touch of relief in his voice. The heavy weight of responsibility on his old partner's features lifted slightly with Chris' arrival. Buck had been in charge of the militia's illegal explosives operation on the western slope while Chris dealt with the higher profile bombing case back in Denver. Now Chris' long-time friend would be beating himself up, reviewing every decision he had made, searching for the one which put their teammate in danger. As he walked to the table, Chris squeezed Buck's shoulder reassuringly.
Vin Tanner was busily making pencil marks on the topo map covering most of the wooden table's surface. Noting that the lean agent was still wearing his heavy jacket, Chris surmised that Vin had just arrived from his recon of the militia camp. Chris' green eyes captured the blue ones as they rose from the map. Chris instantly knew that Vin had information, but that it wasn't good. The blond man sat in the chair next to Buck and softly ordered, "Update me."
With a sigh, Buck quietly reported, "Still no word from Ezra, either by phone or his emergency signal. Hell, at this point I'd be happy for word by carrier pigeon."
"Are we sure he's in trouble?" Chris asked.
"Oh yeah." Vin had just pulled off his coat and tossed it onto the bed behind him. "That camp is more stirred up than a fallen wasp nest. The communication shed Ez was going to blow during our raid tomorrow is gone -- I'm
guessing he had to blow it early to cover his escape."
"Any sign of Ezra?"
Vin shook his head. "That's the bad news. Though the good news is that the militiamen apparently don't know where he is, either. They're searching the entire forest all around here." Vin carefully penciled in a circle around the camp, making Xs where he had seen search parties.
Chris frowned. "Any suggestions as to where Ezra disappeared to?"
"Hard to say. Ez won't leave any clues as to where he ran, cuz he'd know the militia would spot 'em first. I'm guessing he'd try for the Million Dollar Highway." Vin traced the red line that represented highway 550, the main road through the area. "But considering how inexperienced Ez is out in the mountains, I'm not sure he'd know which direction to go." Guilty eyes rose to meet Chris' again. "I knew I should have gone under instead of him."
"No." Buck shook his head emphatically. "The same reasons we didn't send you still apply, Junior. There's a good chance you would have been recognized from your time in the Army or as a bounty hunter."
"Agree." Chris sent a stern, yet reassuring, glare at his friend. "Ezra had a better chance to pull this off. In fact, does anyone know what happened?"
Three heads shook in unison. "He did say a new player arrived yesterday," JD reported. "He wasn't sure who it was, but Ezra kinda indicated he had a bad vibe from the guy. Maybe he blew Ezra's cover?"
Chris sighed. "Guess we're going to have to retrieve him to know for certain. Any ideas?"
"Ezra was suppose to contact us for a pickup if something went wrong," Buck pointed out. "But that area is so rugged, I've been worried that he'd have trouble with his cell phone. That's why JD rigged the satellite signal for him."
"Only he hasn't triggered that, either," JD added.
"How come?" Chris asked, puzzled.
"Maybe he lost it?" Vin suggested.
"Or it might have broke."
Buck turned his head to stare at his roommate, since it was new information.
JD shrugged in return. "It's delicate equipment. If he landed hard on it, who knows?"
Buck rubbed his eyes. He had tried so hard to give Ezra the best backup he could. Apparently, Murphy was not on their side.
JD glanced back and forth between the two older agents. "So what do we do now?"
Chris stared at the map a moment, running his finger along the Million Dollar Highway. It was so named because old tailings from the surrounding gold mines had been used for fill. Surely such a road had to be lucky for their Jag-driving, Armani-wearing partner. "Vin, did you leave any gas in my truck?" Chris had insisted Vin take his Dodge Ram for the assignment. Vin's battered Jeep had picked up an annoying stutter lately, and Chris didn't trust it to cross the snowy passes.
Vin tilted his head. "Yeah."
"Okay, this is what we'll do. Team Four should be arriving within a few hours as backup. In the meantime, Vin and I are going to drive along 550, keeping our eyes peeled for Ezra, while you two wait for them. Once they arrive, I want JD to show them how to monitor the equipment for Ezra's signal, just in case he manages to trigger it. Then I want you to also drive along here. We'll keep this up in shifts with Team Four until we get some indication where Ezra's gone. Because without word from Ez, it's our best shot."
Back road, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO
A full ton Ford truck pulled up next to the stuck rental Jeep. Several men poured out, three to look over the edge and swear at the sight of smoke from their friend's truck at the bottom, two others to check the jeep.
"Well, well, well," one man whispered, reading the rental agreement he'd pulled out of the glove compartment. He was the man back at the camps that Ezra had not known.
"What is it, Decker?" his partner asked.
"Says here the Jeep was paid for by a Blair Sandburg."
The other man puzzled for a moment. "Wait a minute. Wasn't that the guy who's testimony put your cousin in a federal prison?"
"It certainly was." Decker Kincaid slapped the papers against the palm of his hand. "Looks like I'm going to have a chance to settle some old scores."
Denver, CO
Nathan pushed his lunch around on his plate. The food at the popular Denver bar and grill was delicious, but Nate simply couldn't eat. While he should be concentrating on the bombing case, his mind kept wandering towards the western slope and his teammates. A sideways glance proved Josiah wasn't faring much better.
A fact that was not lost on MacGyver. Finally, he asked, "Can you tell me the problem?"
Nathan and Josiah exchanged glances. "One of our teammates is undercover and missed his check-in," Josiah softly explained.
Mac nodded in understanding. "I take it you're close?"
Nathan snorted. "He's a pain in the butt." Pausing a moment, he was forced to admit, "But he's our pain in the butt."
Josiah cracked a smile. "Our team is made up of highly eccentric and headstrong individuals. Yet since most of us are alone, we've become family."
"Which is good, since nobody else would put up with us," Nathan added.
"So all Nate and I can do is worry until Larabee lets us know the situation." Josiah put his fork down, his normally calm face showing his concern.
"Guess we'd better concentrate on the case to get your mind off it," Mac suggested.
Josiah leaned back in his chair. "Or you can tell us why you're in such a hurry to finish up by this weekend."
A soft smile teased the corner of MacGyver's mouth. "I'm meeting my sons and a friend up at my grandpa's cabin this weekend."
Nathan looked up from his plate. "Yeah? Sounds like you're really looking forward to that."
"I am. I don't get to see them much, so any time when all of us can be together is precious."
"Do they live in L.A.?" Josiah asked.
Mac leaned back in his chair. "My older son is a police detective up in Washington State. My younger son's stuff is at my place, but he's usually overseas on assignment. He's a photojournalist."
Josiah's ears perked up. "Europe? Asia?"
"Wherever the action is, which has given me a few gray hairs." Mac shook his head. "Just got back from India, as a matter of fact."
"Kashmir?" Josiah guessed, picking the disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
"No, he was on the earthquake. Sounds like it was rough."
Before Josiah could ask any more questions, a voice broke in, "Hey Gus!"
Mac didn't need to look. Only one person had the nerve to call him by any form of his given first name. He turned towards the voice anyway. "Hi, Jack." Nathan and Josiah gaped as a man identical to their bomb expert, except for the crew cut and the cast on his arm, walked up to their table.
"What are you doing in my part of the States?" Colonel Jack O'Neill asked, offering his good hand.
"Working a bombing case with ATF," Mac replied, shaking the hand warmly.
"Then I don't even have to ask which one." The bombings had been in all the local papers.
"I tried calling when I got into town, but couldn't reach you." Mac waved at the cast. "That part of the reason?"
"Bad assignment." Jack shrugged, indicating he considered it part of the job. "On medical leave right now."
Knowing the highly classified nature of his friend's work, Mac knew better than to inquire further. Instead, he asked, "You free this weekend?"
Jack nodded. "More or less. Daniel needs a break, so we were going up to my fishing cabin tonight."
"Well, Sam's bound and determined to give me a birthday party this year, so we're all meeting at my grandpa's cabin near Ouray. Like to come?"
Jack chuckled. "Getting old, eh? Sure, I've been wanting to meet Sam. Blair coming?"
"Yeah, both he and Jim need the break. They just got done testifying in a federal case and Jim said the defense was rough on Blair."
Jack's eyes darkened a moment. He rather liked the scrappy scientist turned detective and didn't like anyone giving him a hard time. "Then we'll have to make sure he has fun."
"Bring Daniel, too. Blair would love hearing about the unclassified parts of his research."
"Daniel will love it. Doesn't get to talk anthropology too much with just us military types." Jack glanced at his watch. "Damn, I need to get going. Call me with the directions?"
"Will do."
"Twin brother?" Nathan ventured as Mac waved good-bye.
"Oops, sorry. No, that was Colonel Jack O'Neill. As far as we can tell, Jack and I have a distant relative in common, but that's it. We met only a couple of years ago."
"Air Force?" Josiah guessed.
"Yep. He's based down at Cheyenne Mountain right now."
The sound of a beeper dropped Nathan's gaze to the small device. Slipping it off his belt, he swiftly read the message. "The lab's got some info for us."
"Then let's go." Josiah picked up the bill and led the other men through the restaurant.
Uncompahgre National Forest, CO
Ezra was growing rather fond of his new traveling companion. Most people dragged into a chase would have been hysterical or constantly complaining. However, Ezra had been doing most of the grumbling so far. Malloy had simply joined in with the laid-back ease the agent would expect from teammate Vin Tanner or perhaps Josiah Sanchez. Not bad for a civilian, especially one between his youngest teammates, Tanner and Dunne, in age. Malloy was also very useful, navigating the mountain terrain much better than Ezra could ever hope to do by himself. If the southerner had to be stuck out in the middle of a frozen mountain trying to find a way to a phone, he couldn't have chosen a better person to be stuck with.
However, like anything too lucky, the coincidence of finding such a skilled young man just when he needed him made Ezra slightly suspicious. Malloy hadn't done anything to indicate he was something other than what he had said he was. But Ezra really didn't know much about him, either.
Pausing a moment as he studied the ravine beside them, Sam softly asked, "You hungry? I've got granola and snickers bars."
"Granola?" Ezra asked as he quickly flipped open Sam's cell phone to check the display. He kept hoping they'd walk out of the dead zone, but still no luck.