Heirs to a Nightmare Read online

  As Naomi and Jim stared at each other, the phone rang. Jim glanced at it. "That's probably Blair. He was suppose to call me and let me know they got there okay."

  Naomi switched her stare to her cup of tea. With a sigh, Jim picked up the phone. "Hey Blair, you're late - Joel?... WHAT!...Damn... yes, I know who he is talking about...Okay, I'll meet you guys at the airport." Feeling Naomi's stare, Jim rubbed his eyes. The full force of the disaster had just made itself known, and Jim didn't know how to tell Naomi.

  Friday morning, Cascade county airfield

  Jim entered the hanger at the small airfield, Naomi on his heels. He immediately spotted MacGyver pacing in one corner. Sending another worried glance to his pre-occupied friend, Jim walked over to Joel and Simon standing in the center. "Has Dalton arrived yet?"

  "He's landing right now," Joel replied grimly.

  "Who is this guy, Jim?" Simon asked.

  "Some international hitman with an old grudge against Mac. In the past, Murdoc has gone after several of Mac's friends to get at him. Mac's been worried the guy might decide to go after Sam."

  "Just who do you think you are!" Jim, Joel and Simon spun around to see Naomi facing-off with the upset-looking MacGyver. "First, you decide you must be Blair's father, now you have him targeted by some murderer. I can't BELIEVE you would have the nerve and insensitivity to drag my son into this!"

  "Nao..." Mac began, but couldn't get through Naomi's furious tirade.

  "WHAT were you THINKING? Did you even CONSIDER that you might put my innocent son in danger? And just what kind of person are you to be threatened by a hitman? What exactly did you do to anger this guy enough to kidnap my son?"

  "He saved my life," a firm voice stated.

  Naomi looked up to see an older man, carrying a cane and holding another man's arm. Starting to cool down as she realized the man was blind, she asked, "Who are you?"

  With a smile, the man held out a hand in her general direction, though not exactly. "My name is Pete Thornton, director of the Phoenix Foundation. You must be Blair's mother."

  Non-pulsed, Naomi shook the offered hand. "Yes, I am Naomi Sandburg."

  "If you could direct me to a chair, I can explain what is going on," Pete offered.

  Behind her, Simon narrowed his eyes. He could swear Pete was playing up the blindness to divert Ms. Sandburg's attention. However, it did seem to be working. As Naomi led Pete to a chair, Jack spared a quick glare at her, then walked over to Mac.

  "Did you bring the package?" MacGyver asked as they gathered round the table.

  "Right here," Jack replied grimly as he slid out the pictures and the note from a large envelope.

  Seeing Mac's attention was on the photos, Jim spun the note around so he could read it.

  Junior MacGyvers,

  all alone in the woods to dream.

  If Papa MacGyver is not there,

  who will hear them scream?

  Murdoc

  Damn, no wonder Mac looked so grim. Jim quickly studied the photos. There were five of Sam and three of Blair. Of the photos with Blair, one was taken outside the doctor's office, one in the parking lot behind the loft, and the last outside Hargrove Hall where Blair's office was. After a moment, Jim commented, "All these of Blair are recent, since his hair is short. Yet I've been driving him lately and don't remember anyone hanging around."

  Mac sighed, "Murdoc is an expert at disguises. I've actually been right next to him in disguise without realizing who it was."

  "Me, too," Jack added, a flash of fear crossing his eyes.

  "He's been keeping track of Sam for a while," Simon remarked. "I'm guessing this one was at college graduation?"

  "Yeah," Mac slowly drawled, studying the candid photo of Sam in cap and gown, smiling at Mac walking beside him. "This looks like the parking lot near the arena. This one's outside his apartment, probably right after his assignment in Bosnia judging from the long hair." Mac closed his eyes and tried to take a steadying breath. While he had suspected Murdoc knew about Sam, he hadn't wanted to think of him stalking his son. Now to have him after Blair as well...

  A large hand took a firm grip of his shoulder. Mac looked up into Ellison's face, seeing the strength and support in his eyes. "Easy, Mac. You are not alone in this."

  "Thanks, Jim." Mac took another deep breath, clearing his mind. "First thing is to check if Sam and Blair are at the cabin."

  "I called the Sheriff's department there and they're sending people to the cabin," Simon replied.

  "While they are doing that, I need to get to Colorado as quick as possible."

  "As soon as they finish refueling the plane, we can leave," Jack quickly responded.

  Mac paused a moment, then turned to stare at his long-time friend. "Since when do you fly TOWARDS an area Murdoc has been sighted, instead of running in the opposite direction?"

  "I'm hurt, Mac," Jack replied, holding a hand to his heart. When Mac only blinked and lifted his eyebrow, Jack continued. "Besides, it was bad enough when he went after Penny. This time he's after the kids, and that is going too far."

  Mac was touched. Jack barely knew Blair. While Jack enjoyed talking with Sam and telling tales about their adventures, Mac hadn't realized he cared that much about his son. "Thanks."

  "How many seats are on this plane?" Jim asked, still staring at the pictures, hoping to discover some clue.

  "It's the Phoenix jet. There's plenty of room," Jack answered. While he was willing to fly MacGyver out, the more tough guys between himself and Murdoc the better.

  "Then count me in," Joel replied.

  "Me, too," Simon added.

  "On what?" Naomi asked, walking up to the table. She looked down and glanced at the photos. "Oh my God, that's Blair. When did he get his hair cut?"

  Mac glanced at Jim, who rolled his eyes.

  "Oh, Det. Brown's sister is working on her beautician's license and Blair let her practice on him," Joel quickly replied. He wasn't exactly lying. Henri's sister had come over, trimming and shaping Blair's locks after Kincaid's hack job.

  Naomi frowned. "She must be very cute then. Blair loves his hair long." She looked up to stare at MacGyver across the table. "What are you going to do about all this?"

  Mac returned her stare. "I'm going to Colorado to get them back."

  "Then I'm going, too."

  "Naomi..."

  "He is MY son. I'm going."

  Mac, recognizing that particular stance, sighed. "All right." He turned to walk towards the window, his mind trying to decipher Murdoc's next move.

  Friday morning, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO

  ~cough~

  Sam glanced back, searching the shadows cast by the evergreens. Blair was another step further behind on the snow-covered road. "You okay?"

  "Yeah," Blair replied, trying to concentrate on breathing. His chest was feeling heavy and congested, like it had before when the bronchitis had been at its worst. While Sam had been breaking a path through the knee-deep snow, trudging through it was still wearing Blair down. Unfortunately, curling up somewhere warm for a nap wasn't an option. Nor was worrying Sam any more than he had to. Quietly, he squeezed the rock in his pocket. He had picked it up earlier to give him something to focus his attention on, instead of his health or other things he didn't want to waste energy dwelling upon.

  However, his companion's sharp eyes were still studying him, not convinced. "You look cold." Blair's face was bleached white under the light blue wool cap.

  "That's normal," Blair said with a slight smile. "Though I admit I am still getting use to the draft. Never knew how much my hair kept my neck warm."

  Sam yanked his scarf off and tossed it to him. "Put that on, it will help."

  Catching it with his left hand, Blair shot Sam a stern look. "I'm not taking your scarf. You need it as much as I do."

  "I haven't been the one sick for the last five weeks," Sam replied just as sternly. "Take it, it will help keep you warm."

  "I can warm you up!" a voice
gleefully roared.

  Sam and Blair jumped back as flame leaped across their path, scorching a nearby tree. Murdoc stepped out from behind another tree, holding a flame thrower. The maniacal gleam in his eyes sent a cold tremor of fear down Blair's back.

  Sam immediately stepped between Murdoc and Blair, trying to give his sick brother some measure of protection. "Why don't you leave us alone? We haven't done anything to you," he declared, fighting back his own fear.

  "No, but your father has," Murdoc replied. "While he's always been such a softy for his friends, he seems even more protective of his little family. You are the perfect bait."

  Blair sized up the psycho in front of them, then swiftly measured the distance between themselves and the ridge of rocks to the left. Glancing up, an idea suddenly popped to mind.

  "The only thing Dad has done is stay alive," Sam returned, growing angry now. "He doesn't threaten you."

  "He ruined my reputation by staying alive," Murdoc declared righteously, "and he is the only one who has defeated me. That makes him a threat. However, I do not have anything personally against the two of you. If you just follow that path over there, I might let you go once I'm done."

  At those words, Blair threw his rock with all his might, hitting the snow-laden branch over Murdoc. As the load of snow hit the assassin, Blair grabbed Sam's arm. Together, they ran for the ridge.

  Temporarily blinded by the snow, Murdoc fought to wipe his face. By the time he could see, Blair and Sam had disappeared. "I will find you, Junior MacGyvers!" he shouted. "And when I do, I will end the MacGyver line once and for all!"

  Then a huge smile crossed his face. "Seems the apples didn't fall far from the tree," he chuckled to himself. "This could be more fun than I thought."

  Friday morning, Phoenix jet

  Naomi stood in the tiny jet bathroom, trying desperately to calm her frazzled nerves. It seemed that just when things couldn't possibly get any worse, they did. First it was Blair's cough. Then she couldn't reach him, which for some reason scared her more than it normally would. Then MacGyver, who should have been dead for over 20 years, makes a sudden appearance and demands to know if Blair is his son. Now, Blair had been abducted by some ghost of MacGyver's past who also wasn't dead. She was petrified of losing her sweet boy, either to death or to a man who had hurt her terribly.

  Taking another calming breath, Naomi stared at the mirror and silently scolded herself. "Your sweet boy is no longer a child who can be taken away, but a grown man of 28. He is living his own life his own way, as you always did and encouraged him to do. Only you or he can break the bond between you. As Jim said, he deserves the truth." Right then, Naomi vowed to tell Blair the entire truth the next time she saw him.

  If only she was certain there would be a next time. She knew Blair had been taking risks recently, though he usually glossed over them. Yet she hadn't worried too much, knowing deep down that his tough policeman friend was looking out for him. This time Jim wasn't with him. She could see the worry in Jim's face as well as the others. It scared her to the core. There was nothing she wanted more than to be able to give her son a big hug and know he was all right. Closing her eyes a moment, Naomi firmed up her resolve and drew from her inner strength. She had been in here long enough.

  Opening the door, Naomi glanced down the aisle. She spotted the back of Mac's head. He was holding something in his hands. Another step revealed two pictures, the one of Blair on campus and the other of a young man on a city street. Naomi briefly paused. The eyes, fine hair, and lanky build reminded her of Mac when they were together. It had to be the son Jim had mentioned, the Sam who had offered to give her son a much-needed break and was also threatened. Naomi quietly sat back down in her seat, suddenly realizing that Mac must be as scared as she was, if not more.

  Friday morning, Uncompahgre National Forest CO

  Blair stumbled against a huge boulder. Coughing hard and shaking, he leaned against its snowy, but solid, surface. A moment later, a hand comfortingly squeezed his shoulder, lying there as Blair continued to cough. When the cough finally eased, Blair looked up into Sam's worried face.

  "You know, Indy, the scarf doesn't do any good in your hand," Sam lightly teased, still breathing hard himself. He pulled the woven woolen strip from Blair's grip. Wrapping it around his brother's neck and gently tucking it into his jacket, Sam pushed back another wave of fear. Blair was wearing down quickly, yet their situation was even worse than it had been earlier that morning. Now they knew for certain Murdoc was still after them.

  Blair slowly surveyed their surroundings. Deep snow, rocks and trees. It all looked the same to him. "We ~gasp~ seemed ~cough~ to have lost ~gasp~ Murdoc."

  "Don't talk. Concentrate on breathing," Sam ordered. A faint smile crossed Blair's features. Sam was beginning to sound like Jim. He watched as Sam took another look around. "We may have lost him for now, but we are leaving quite a trail for him to follow."

  Blair glanced back at the way they had come, noting the churned up snow. "Yeah, we need ~breathe~ a better plan."

  Shaking his head, Sam replied, "I don't know how we can avoid leaving a trail in this snow."

  A smile broke across Blair's weary features. "Maybe we need to leave more." Sam paused, then broke out in his own smile as he caught Blair's meaning.

  Friday mid-morning, Landing strip near Ridgway, CO

  Waiting for the plane on the mountain landing strip was a tough-looking man in his 40s wearing a county sheriff's uniform and badge. He warmly greeted MacGyver, who was first off the plane. Jim walked over to join them.

  "When the police captain said to check out Harry's old cabin, I wondered if you were going to show up. What is this all about?"

  Mac quickly explained about the threat to his sons. The sheriff frowned. "This does not sound good at all, especially since my deputies checking the cabin haven't called in yet. "

  "What do you mean they haven't called in?" Jim interrupted. The sheriff gave him a puzzled look.

  "Um, Dave, this is Detective Jim Ellison, Cascade PD. He's Blair's friend and Blair works with him as a consultant. Jim, this is Sheriff Dave Connors."

  Sheriff Connors shook Jim's hand. "It must be your captain who called me."

  "Yes," Simon walked up from behind and offered his hand, "Captain Simon Banks."

  "What do you mean your deputies haven't called in?" Jim asked again.

  The sheriff turned serious. "They should have reached the cabin and checked it by now, but they are not answering. I've sent another unit up to check on them."

  Mac rubbed his eyes. Jim could practically feel the worry, tension, and guilt radiating off him. "Murdoc is fond of traps, Dave. I sincerely hope your people are not caught in one."

  "Then let's get out there and check it ourselves," Connors replied.

  As they walked to the two jeeps waiting by the strip, Simon introduced the sheriff to the rest of the group, while Jim hung back with Mac. Quietly, Jim stated, "This is not your fault."

  "Murdoc has targeted them because of me. If I hadn't started making inquiries to find Naomi, maybe Murdoc would not have gone after both of them."

  "Or maybe he would have gone after Sam and considered Blair expendable. I was the one who forced you to take steps to acknowledge Blair as your son. No matter how or why Murdoc found out, you are not responsible for the actions of a madman."

  Mac sighed. "Trust me, he isn't your average madman. Murdoc is an eccentric game player, who can be very elaborate and dramatic. He is most definitely amoral and without a conscience. But while he may be obsessed with killing me, he is crazy like a fox."

  Jim blew out a deep breath, sending a stream of icy mist through the mountain air. "Great. Sounds like Brackett." He glanced over to MacGyver, observing a piece of the hell the older man was going through. Laying a hand on Mac's shoulder, he gently reminded, "But you have something this Murdoc isn't counting on." When Mac shot him a puzzled look, Jim returned a grim smile. "You have a sentinel who is very pissed off that s
omeone would attack his guide and his guide's family."

  Mac faintly returned the smile, hoping a pissed off sentinel would be able to swing the balance to his side. Mac had a bad feeling he may need it.

  Late Friday morning, Harry Jackson's cabin

  Jim looked around as he stepped out of the sheriff's jeep. He quickly spotted the small cabin with the group of deputies out front. Closing his eyes a moment, Jim pushed out all his thoughts and concerns in order to carefully turn up the dial on each of his senses. Cautiously, he stretched out each sense, trying to pick up on any indication of his guide. A couple of minutes later a hand grasped his shoulder.

  "Jim?" MacGyver softly asked, wondering if the sentinel was zoning out. That was about the last thing they needed.

  "I'm okay," Jim replied, sounding puzzled. Seeing the question in Mac's eyes, Jim added, "I don't think they've been here."

  Mac's tension jumped to the next level. He had been praying Jim could at least pick up the trail here, perhaps leading them to where Murdoc had taken Sam and Blair. If they hadn't even made it this far, Mac was again forced to play Murdoc's game by Murdoc's rules.

  Raised voices attracted their attention to a small group around the sheriff. Jim was barely aware of the second jeep of their party pulling up behind them as he and Mac walked over.

  "We just got Jackson and McConnell cut out of the net. Of all the dumb, idiotic..."

  "What happened?" Jim interrupted.

  "Apparently, a trap was set at the entrance of the cabin and caught my deputies who came to check on the young men," Sheriff Connors explained. "Guess they have been hanging in a huge fishing net for nearly an hour."

  "Was anyone hurt?" Mac inquired, knowing how dangerous Murdoc's traps could be.

  "No, but I am real sick of spoiled rich kids playing games with us and taking up our valuable time," the deputy growled. "If their self-centered parents would only..."

  He was suddenly cut off when two large hands grabbed his jacket, forcing him nose to nose with a much larger man. "We haven't been introduced," Jim coldly stated. "I am Detective James Ellison of the Cascade, WA PD. One of the missing men happens to be my partner, who is recovering from injuries sustained while on a case. He has much better things to do than to play games on the local authorities. I would appreciate a little professional courtsey, especially in front of his mother."