by Cindy Combs
"What do you remember?"
Dark eyes turned inward. "There was information that a drug lord in Colombia was planning a terrorist attack at the courthouse in Cali. Alan and I were to get close enough for me to hack into his computer, pull out the plans, and help the authorities stop it."
Toby nodded. "Alan was your field partner, right? The guy who was teaching you the ropes?"
"Right." Cory released a deep breath as he ran a hand over his wavy hair. "I remember leaving the city. I remember Alan complaining about the bugs. But after that, I simply don't know what happened. Alan died, and I can't remember how or why."
Toby treaded carefully. "It sounds like it was a dicey situation. And Alan was the senior partner."
"Yeah, but what if I did something wrong? What if I made a mistake that got Alan killed?"
"And what if you didn't? Cory, you took some damage, too. Broken ribs, lacerations, contusions, concussion, blown out knee, and blood loss. Bill said you were almost in a coma when they found you." Bill had also said that it looked like Cory had been tortured, but Toby couldn't think about that without a surge of rage his friend didn't need to see. After Cory gave a dejected shrug, the young deputy continued, "All that adds up to major trauma. I've dealt with enough trauma victims to know it can play havoc with a person's memory. Add in the head injury, and it's not surprising you don't remember."
"That doesn't seem to cut it with some of the other agents."
"What?" Toby shook his head. "They're just looking for dirt. What does your boss say?"
A faint smile finally stretched across Cory's face. "Craig's been cool. Says everyone has a case go bad."
"See."
"Yeah, but Craig's been sponsoring me since the birthday greeting fiasco."
Toby grinned. "Well, how many 14-year-olds successfully hack into a high security military facility?"
"I only wanted to leave a message for Dad," Cory pointed out.
"You wanted to prove to him that you knew more about computers than all his young officers he was bragging about," Toby refuted.
"Yeah, and if I hadn't signed my name for him, no one would have figured out it was me."
Toby laughed. "You know, Bill didn't say it at the time, but he was pretty proud of you."
"Bill's always proud of me. It's Dad who doesn't care. Hell, he's already asked if I should get 'full-time professional help'."
Puzzled, Toby stared at him. "Full time?"
"As in 'Institution'."
Toby rolled his eyes. "Give me a break." When Cory only shrugged, Toby's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Cory closed his eyes. He hadn't told anyone about this, but he trusted his friend. "I've lost time, Tobe."
"Lost time? You mean in Colombia, right?"
"No, I'm talking just yesterday before Grandmother and Dave stopped by."
Sudden concern filled Toby's face. "You mean like a blackout? Like sleepwalking?"
"I don't know what happens. But I don't think I go anywhere. I'm all stiff when I wake up. But I really don't know." Under the table, Cory bunched his hands into fists to keep from shaking.
"How long has this been happening?"
"Since I got out of the hospital."
Toby frowned. "Maybe it's the head injury. Maybe you're having some kind of a seizure." Maybe Cory should be staying with Grandmother instead of by himself. Toby briefly wondered if he could talk his friend into the move.
"But that doesn't explain all the other stuff."
"What other stuff?" Toby asked sternly, trying not to let his voice rise in worry.
Cory took a deep breath. "I'm hearing and seeing things I shouldn't."
"Like voices of imaginary friends?"
"No." Cory reined in his temper with effort. "Far away stuff." Seeing that Toby still didn't understand, Cory stood up.
Toby glared at him. "You're supposed to be resting that knee."
"Come on."
Toby followed his slowly limping friend to the window. Cory stared out a moment. "See that squirrel on the pine tree to the right of the gate?"
Toby squinted. "Which tree?" Cory silently handed him the binoculars from the windowsill. After sending his friend a puzzled look, Toby looked through the lens. "Okay, gate, right, tree..." Toby pulled the binoculars away for a moment, then raised them again. "You can see that squirrel?"
"I can see him nibbling on a seed."
Toby slowly lowered the glasses. "That's incredible. How?"
"You got me. Also, I can hear the deer down by the river."
"That's nearly a mile away."
"I know. And sometimes I smell the Lincoln's fish smoker, and that's got to be at least three miles away."
"More like seven." Toby thought a moment, then glanced at the pale face of his friend. "Come on, let's sit while we discuss this."
Once seated, Cory shrugged. "So, am I going crazy?"
"Seeing three times farther than normal isn't insanity, Neil."
"Then HOW?" Frustration filled Cory's voice and posture. "I just don't understand what's happening to me!"
Toby thought fast and hard. "Could it be drugs?" At Cory's glare, Toby waved at him. "I know you don't take drugs, but what about Colombia? What if you were given or exposed to something? I've heard of some pretty weird stuff down there, and you can't remember what happened. Perhaps they gave you a drug to keep you from remembering?"
Cory could feel his muscles relax under Toby's cool reasoning. "You mean, I can see farther due to some drug? But it's been almost seven weeks."
"Some crud takes longer to get out of a person's system. Did you tell the doctors about any of this?"
Cory sighed. "I told them I could hear people on the floor above me. That's when all the bull about mental problems popped up."
Toby softly muttered 'Idiots' under his breath. "Maybe you just need more rest. Allow whatever junk you were given time to work itself out."
"We don't know that it is a drug."
"Maybe the head injury is having an affect. In either case, I know you're not going crazy, Neil. I saw the squirrel, too." Seeing the depressed look, Toby continued, "But I do know something that might help."
"What?" Cory asked, his voice low and full of desperation.
"Mom's pie."
Pausing, Cory lifted his eyes. Then he snickered, "Okay, bring on the pie."
Fortuity, WY
Blair shook his head as he dropped down onto the wooden bench. "French fries again? After having eggs and bacon this morning?"
"Not everybody's allergic to grease like you and Dad are," Sam pointed out as he joined him on the bench.
"Just worrying about your arteries, Olsen."
"Me and my arteries are fine, Indy."
"Can't be, considering your diet. I'm surprised you don't weigh fifty more pounds."
"No, I'd starve to death on your low fat diet. Besides, I need to stock up now before we hit the back country. If Dad did the menu, I'm not sure I want to know what version of food is in those boxes..."
Jim smiled, listening to the brothers bicker as he leaned against the stone of the building. If he didn't know better, he would have thought they'd grown up together. He glanced back into the Fortuity Cafe they had just exited. Mac was settling the bill with Dr. Rick while Lisa and Nikki had decided to hit 'the little girl's room' while indoor plumbing was still available.
Taking a deep breath, Jim relaxed as he scanned the corner of the sleepy town. Last time they were here, Jim's mind was occupied with searching for Blair and Mac. He hadn't paid any attention to the town itself. Looking around, Jim noted that only a handful of people were on the sun-baked sidewalks. He studied the mix of wooden and red sandstone buildings. It felt so different to the sentinel after the crowds of Cascade. No wonder they had made front page news last time -- there probably wasn't a lot of major crime here. While it wasn't his home, Jim knew he could relax and enjoy himself. Deciding to stretch his legs, he left Blair and Sam to their friendly argument to look over the town.
Jim stared. The tiger sleepily returned the stare, apparently not bothered in the slightest by the sentinel's presence. The lanky cat even gave a large yawn, showing off its sharp teeth. In no way did it approach him or make a threatening move. It was simply soaking up some rays.
"Hey, Jim!"
Blinking and shaking his head, Jim glanced back to see his partner waving at him. Taking another look down the side street, Jim realized that the tiger had vanished. Puzzled, he walked back to the group.
MacGyver glanced at the muscular man as he opened the driver's door of the Suburban. "Jim? You okay?"
"Fine." There was no way Jim was confessing to Mac and the group at large he had just seen a disappearing tiger. He walked over to the other side. Blair looked up at him questioningly. Jim shrugged, conveying the sense that he would explain later with his eyes. Then he waited as Blair climbed into the back after Lisa.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of Jim's neck rose. Concerned, Jim searched the surrounding three-story buildings. Nothing he could see or hear indicated danger. His nostrils flared, barely picking up an unsettling scent. Yet the sentinel couldn't identify it. Jim's sense of peace evaporated as he climbed into the Suburban.
In a room above the Fortuity Cafe
He watched his prey gather around the Suburban. His nemesis' hair might be graying, but his sharp mind was all the more dangerous with the added experience. The rest of his 'little family' were also dangerous, each in their own way.
The professor, who was checking the straps on the supplies, was of no concern to him, other than a possible pawn. Climbing into the passenger's seat in the front, the short brunette was still a fit and attractive woman. Research indicated that she was more than capable of taking over what Peter Thornton had started at Phoenix.
Further down was the curly-haired boy. He was racking up an impressive list of 'crimes solved' in his new career. Next to him was the taller boy, who was gaining his own reputation as someone able to dig up facts that others wanted to stay buried. Both sons were worthy successors to the father.
He took a moment to contemplate the young woman about to climb into the Suburban. The sweet child reminded him too much of another, the sole reason behind a brief truce between himself and MacGyver. He would avoid harming her if possible.
Then the man he previously had mistaken for a dumb cop joined the group. The man still didn't look that impressive. However, research had revealed the potential danger of MacGyver's new friend. He now suspected that the man was partly responsible for the failure of the last plan. He was a wild card in the game, the one he was unsure how to play. He hated the unknown.
Then the wild card glanced up to the window. For a moment he held his breath, even though he knew he could not be seen. He did not relax until the big man had climbed into the Suburban behind his partner, and MacGyver drove away.
An hour later, Wind River Range, WY
Rick stood on a rock outcropping, waving his hands at the panoramic view. "Somewhere in this area is the Hanson gang hideout. There are many theories as to its location..."
With effort, Blair pulled his attention away from Dr. Rick. As much as he wanted to hear about new theories on the gang, a more pressing matter was weighing on the guide. His sentinel had been too quiet since leaving Fortuity. Not that Jim was normally an eloquent conversationalist, but he would have at least joined in Blair and Sam's teasing, asked Mac about his latest project, or discussed surfing with Lisa. Instead, Jim seemed more alert yet distant, studying the passing landscape intensely. His partner was worrying about something and that worried Blair. He picked his way through the rocks and ground cover to where Jim stood on another rock outcropping, away from the others. "What's up?"
Jim finished his scan of the area. "I'm not sure."
"Something's had you all uptight since Fortuity."
Continuing to survey the ravine below, Jim sighed. "I saw the tiger."
"What?" Blair then forced himself to take a deep breath and lower his voice. "Where? When?"
"I think you're missing a 'W' in there, Chief."
"Jiiiimm."
"I saw the tiger lying in the sun outside of Fortuity."
Blair frowned as he put the clues together. "We're talking about another sentinel, aren't we?" At Jim's nod, Blair's frown grew deeper. "Damn. You think the tiger's another evil sentinel after Sam?"
"I'm not convinced it's evil."
Blair crossed his arms. "Do we ever meet any other kind? This could be San Francisco again."
Jim was still shaking his head. "No, that grizzly snarled at me; so did Faith's cougar. Alex's jaguar wanted to attack me. This tiger wasn't aggressive; he was just minding his own business."
"Doing what?" Blair inquired, curious despite the situation.
"Relaxing. Enjoying the sun."
"Enjoying the sun?"
"Yeah. Watching it, I felt the same way I do when I see Marston's otter-looking critter."
"Then why are you so tense?"
"When I reached the Suburban, I felt someone staring at us. Someone unfriendly."
"So it could be an evil sentinel?"
"I don't know if they're related. The tiger was gone by that time."
"So? They have to be connected. Why else would anyone be watching us?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "I'm sure there are a few people in that town who don't like us after last time. And I kinda got an impression from the tiger of someone younger and vulnerable. The other sentinel may not know or care that we're here." Then Jim sent his partner a smirk. "Plus, who knows what kind of trouble followed us here. You MacGyvers tend to find it wherever you go."
"Like you don't?" Blair took another deep breath and held it. He had to push away his fear for Sam in order to think. "Do you have any reason to believe the sentinel or whoever was watching us is following?"
Jim's face grew tighter. "No."
"And it wouldn't be easy to hide with only one, little-traveled, dirt road," Blair thought out loud.
"Yeah, but it's not like this trip's a secret. Everyone around here probably knows we're here and has a good idea of where we're going."
The partners stared at each other in indecision. "Do we tell Mac?" Jim asked.
"Tell him what? That you're seeing a tiger that may or may not maul a hawk that could be Sam after he drowns? That'll go over good."
"We should tell him there could be trouble."
"But we don't even know if there's any trouble out there!"
"What's out there?"
Blair and Jim turned to find Sam behind them. Sam shrugged. "I was getting tired of hearing where each deputy was shot by which gang member."
Another look passed between the partners, silently agreeing not to mention the tiger yet. Blair replied, "Jim thought he felt some unfriendly eyes on us in Fortuity."
Sam's eyes narrowed as he glanced between them. "How unfriendly?"
"That's the discussion," Blair admitted.
"Well," Sam drew out thoughtfully, "We were the ones who put Winston Madison in jail for what he did to you, Dad, and Dr. Rick. There's bound to be a few people around here who don't like us for that."
"A point I made," Jim agreed, tilting his head at Blair.
"But you're the one looking at every tree like it's going to shoot us," Blair pointed out.
Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe you need this downtime more than the rest of us, Jim."
Blair managed a weak smile at his brother's attempt at humor. Perhaps both of them were looking for trouble where none existed. Yet the thought of another evil sentinel capturing his brother terrified him.
Jim neither confirmed
nor denied Sam's observation, only wrapping a hand around Sam's shoulder and squeezing it affectionately. "Just watch yourself, okay? Vacations with MacGyvers tend to get interesting."
Blair rolled his eyes as Sam chuckled, "Not with Dr. Rick lecturing."
"Hey, he's very knowledgeable about the history of this area," Blair chided.
"Yeah, and he's insisting on telling us everything he knows," Sam replied. "I feel like I'm back in college again, wondering how much of this is going to be on the final."
Jim smirked in silent agreement as he led them back to the Suburban.
Fortuity News, Fortuity, WY
Jill Rhodes was blocking out the newspaper's next edition when she heard the bell above the door ring. Looking up, she saw Toby enter. She couldn't help the content smile that spread across her face. She had missed him while he had been at the training seminar in Cheyenne. "Hello."
"Hi," Toby answered, a matching smile stretching across his own face. He leaned over the counter as she rose, giving her a quick kiss.
"You about to go on duty?" Jill asked as she sat back down.
"Yeah," Toby replied, glancing down at his hat in his hands. "You still going up to interview Dr. Hudson tomorrow?"
"Of course," Jill replied, hiding her smile. She couldn't believe Toby would be jealous of Sam Malloy, but apparently he was. Though he seemed more pre-occupied than jealous at the moment.
"I've got permission to drive you up," Toby continued. "Johnson thinks it would be a good idea to make sure everything's going okay and to let them know he's not like the last sheriff." Toby paused again. "You mind if we stop by Bill's cabin on the way back?"
That's it. Jill had heard that Cory Buchanan was back, recovering from some injuries he had suffered due to his job with the government. He and Toby had been tight since they were kids. "Sure. You need to drop off something for Cory?"
Toby shrugged. "Just want to see how he's doing."
Jill tilted her head, studying her boyfriend. "You're worried about him."