Heirs to a Nightmare Page 8

  "Great, so Murdoc has us and Dad right where he wants us." Sam turned his head back to the woodpile. He noticed a half-hidden line in the cabin wall behind the wood. "Jim..."

  Saturday morning, Evermore, CO

  It's funny how snow can make the terrain look different. I didn't even realize I was close to Evermore until I was nearly on top of it. Of course, last I'd seen it was in summer over ten years ago. Since that little ghost town helped Harry and I capture Axminster, I took it as a good sign. I needed a good sign, since this was probably the destination Murdoc had picked. Hopefully, Ellison has my sons safely on their way to Ouray by now. That makes it just Murdoc and me. Why is it that thought does NOT invoke any warm, fuzzy feelings?

  Saturday morning, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO

  "Okay, I think we got it." Jim pulled his knife out of line he had been tracing.

  On the other side, Sam slipped out his Swiss army knife. The lines he had seen were the outline of a small hatch. "Do you think Murdoc has this booby trapped as well?"

  "I don't know," Jim admitted. "That's why I want you back where Blair is while I push this out."

  "Jim..."

  "Go on. See if you can wake him up. We may need to move fast once we're out."

  Sam reluctantly crawled over to his brother. Jim placed both hands against the wood, held his breath, then pushed. The wood fell forward, opening up to the bright snow. Poking his head out, Jim quickly examined the outside. So far so good. "Okay, it's time to blow this joint."

  Sam patted Blair's cheeks. "Come on, Indy. Time to wake up."

  "Hmmm," Blair muttered, then tried to snuggle deeper into the sleeping bag.

  "SANDBURG!" Jim suddenly shouted.

  Sam jumped. Blair blinked his eyes in confusion, rambling, "Sorry Jim, I must have forgotten the alarm. I won't do it again, I promise. Give me five, man, I'll be ready. Really..."

  "Blair," Sam said. "Just forget the alarm and wake up."

  Blair finally focused on Sam's face. "What's going on?"

  Saturday morning, Evermore, CO

  As Mac rounded the bend into town, he spotted a lone figure standing in the middle of the street.

  "MACGYVER! I'm so happy you could stop by."

  "What do you want, Murdoc?" Mac planted his feet a few yards from the hitman.

  A big smile spread across the scarred face. "Why, you, of course."

  "Is that why you chased my sons all over the mountain side?"

  "Oh, I had planned to keep them sleeping in a nice, warm cabin, but those two just wouldn't cooperate."

  "They tend to be stubborn that way." Mac tried to hide a proud smile. The kids apparently did pretty well.

  "It wasn't until this morning I managed to trick them and that large, dumb policeman into the very cabin I wanted them in all along." Murdoc chuckled as MacGyver's eyes grew wide.

  "You promised not to touch them!"

  "Tsk, tsk, MacGyver. You know me better than that."

  "Well enough to know not to trust you now."

  "I planned on that. If you step over to the building on your left, you can see for yourself." Mac glanced over to the shack, then raised an eyebrow.

  "Come on, MacGyver. I know I won't need a trap once Papa sees the juniors sound asleep."

  Cautiously, Mac stepped over to the building, searching for possible wires and triggers. He looked in the window, spotting a monitor. It showed the inside of a cabin, dark except for a stream of light filtering in from the side. The floor was empty. A smug smile stretched across Mac's face. "I don't see anyone, Murdoc." Thank you, Ellison.

  "What!" Murdoc ran over to another building to check another screen.

  "Guess my sons and that cop aren't so dumb after all." Mac instantly ducked behind the building. He had to take up some more time to allow Ellison and his sons to escape.

  "You are still in my net, MacGyver. I don't mind the minnows getting away as long as I have the prize fish!"

  So began the game of cat and mouse.

  Saturday dawn, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO

  A quarter mile from the cabin, Jim called for a break. He quickly studied Sam and Blair. Both still looked tired, from exertion and from the ether. Blair's cough was sounding as bad as ever, his lungs still restricted.

  "How far do you think Murdoc was going?" Sam asked, unaware that he was working his right leg, trying to loosen up his sore knee. He had wanted to follow the trail of broken snow, but Jim insisted they try to meet the helicopter.

  Blair wearily leaned against a tree. "However far ~cough~ to get to where he sent Mac." He, too, kept looking back. Yet as his vision blurred, Blair knew he was too exhausted and groggy to follow Murdoc for long.

  Jim shook his head. "I know you guys want to help him. But I promised to get you to safety. Mac will have a better shot at stopping Murdoc if he isn't ..."

  All three heads jerked to the east as the sounds of a nearby explosion rumbled. Without a thought, Sam turned towards the source and started to dash as fast as he could on snowshoes, Blair right behind him. Giving up, Jim raced to catch up.

  Saturday morning, Evermore, CO

  MacGyver leaned against a storefront, breathing hard. That had been close. The instant he had heard a click, he had dropped and rolled away from the sound. The small shed he had been near blew up, raining debris on him but otherwise leaving him unharmed. As soon as he had caught his breath, he started jogging alongside the sidewalk of the main street.

  "MACGYVER!" Murdoc called out.

  Mac turned then stopped. He was facing his nemesis.

  Murdoc stood under a porch of a building near a fire barrel. He laughed. "So this is the end of the line, MacGyver. Here in the middle of frozen nowhere. The question is, will you come peacefully?

  "What do you think?" Mac replied sarcastically.

  "I think you do not have much choice. Either you enter the old hotel behind me and die in a small implosion of a falling building, or die when the bomb ticking behind you blows up. Of course, the one behind you will take out most of the town and probably cause several avalanches in the area. These may or may not catch your sons. So what is your choice, MacGyver?

  Mac paused, weighing his options. Then he sighed, reluctantly walking close to the hotel and slowly pulling his hands out of his pockets. Once he was within six feet of Murdoc, he stated calmly, "Neither." He threw a hand full of pine nuts into the barrel beside Murdoc and started to run back across the street.

  Surprised, Murdoc jumped back into the hotel as the pine nuts exploded. His finger inadvertently triggered the first bomb. His scream was drowned out by the roar of the building's collaspe.

  Mac ducked at the sound of the explosion. Turning back, he watched as the hotel collapse in a cloud of dust and snow. Stunned, he stared at the heap. But only for a moment. He still had to find and disarm a second bomb. Mac turned and continued to run towards the buildings on the other side of the street. As he reached the steps of the wooden sidewalk, a loud crack ran out. He was suddenly falling, surrounded by boards and snow. His head hit something solid, engulfing him in sharp light, then darkness.

  Jim, Sam and Blair had just reached the edge of the ghost town when they heard another small explosion. They stopped, panting.

  "Damn, ~cough~ what is going ~cough cough~ on?" Blair struggled to ask.

  Jim extended his hearing. The sound of wood and metal still settling from a falling building reached his ears. "Okay, it is this way. But be careful - we don't know if Murdoc has any traps set." Blair and Sam followed the sentinel, searching the buildings around them for any sign of trouble. Soon, they had reached the site of the collapsed building. A fire had spread from where the barrel had been. Behind it was all rubble.

  "Oh God, was Dad in there?" Sam asked, fearful of the answer.

  "Jim?" Blair whispered, praying Jim could pick up some signs of life.

  Jim again focused his hearing, first filtering out the two heartbeats next to him and then his own. Gradually he became aware o
f another heartbeat, only it was behind them. Jim immediately spun around, expecting to see Murdoc. There was no sign of anyone. Jim walked towards the building, Blair on his heels still coughing. Focusing his sight into the building, Jim didn't see anyone. However, he did see a bomb, it's timer at 11:57 and counting down.

  Blair paused as Jim did, looking around. Off to the right, something seemed to shimmer near the wooden sidewalk. Blair shook his head and blinked his weary eyes. Squinting, the shimmer resolved itself into a gruff-looking old man. Stunned, Blair watched as the nearly transparent apparition sternly waved him over and pointed to the ground next to him.

  Before Jim could open his mouth about the bomb, Blair dashed forward. Kneeling beside the hole the man had been pointing at, he whispered, "Oh, shit..."

  "What?" Sam exclaimed, rushing to his side. "Oh my God, Dad? DAD!"

  Jim joined them, spotting MacGyver at the bottom, half buried in debris and snow.

  "Is he...." Blair started.

  "He's alive," Jim stated, realizing that was the heartbeat he could hear. "But..."

  "Ellison!"

  They all quickly glanced back to see Banks, Taggart, Dalton and Sheriff Connors approaching from the other end of town.

  "Taggart!" Jim shouted back. "There's a bomb in this building and we need time to get Mac out of this hole!"

  "Where's the bomb?" Joel asked, puffing his way to Jim's side. Jim quickly led Taggart into the building. The sheriff stepped back, calling his men on the radio.

  Dalton stood behind Sam and laid his hands on the young man's shoulders. Sam was still staring at his father in the hole. "Dad's not moving, Jack," the young man stated, trying not to shake.

  "Don't worry," Jack gave his right shoulder a pat. "He's tough. We'll get him out."

  Suddenly, Blair was dropping to the ground, swinging his legs over the edge. "SANDBURG!" Simon yelled. Jack quickly tightened his hold on Sam to prevent the injured young man from following his brother.

  Blair ignored Banks, carefully dropping into the eight foot deep hole without looking. By the time Jim, alerted by Simon's shout, had reached the edge, Blair was kneeling beside Mac.

  "Blair?" Jim called down, worried.

  "I'm all ~cough~ right." Blair laid two fingers against Mac's neck while brushing back hair from a bump on the other side of his head. "Mac's alive, but he's unconscious and shivering."

  "Here," Jack immediately yanked off his jacket and tossed it down to him. As Blair wrapped it around Mac, Jim gingerly started climbing down.

  "Mac, Mac. Can you hear me?" Blair fought to keep the panic out of his voice. MacGyver still wasn't stirring. "Jim, we've got to get him out of here."

  Jim laid a reassuring hand on Blair's back as he quickly examined Mac. Unconscious and covered in snow, the older man was quickly progressing into hypothermia. He studied the debris burying him. "Okay, this is what we'll do..."

  A quick glance at the clock showed the timer at 3:02. Joel turned his concentration back to the bomb. He blocked out all other thoughts as he gingerly cut the last wire, praying this Murdoc wasn't as tricky as Brackett. One snip later, Joel took another glance at the clock. The timer had been disconnected. He let out the breath he had been holding, taking a moment to calm his racing heart. Then he stood and hurried outside to check on his friends.

  Seeing him exit the building, Dalton paused in tossing a board on a growing pile. "The bomb?"

  "Taken care of," Joel replied. He could see Dalton and Sam pulling out boards and debris as it was handed to them from the hole. Approaching, he saw Jim and Simon carefully uncovering Mac, whose head lay on Blair's lap. Instantly, Joel was helping the one-handed Sam. The sheriff was just outside the town, directing the rescue helicopters.

  Blair fought not to shiver as he gently rubbed Mac's arms, watching Jim and Simon work. A soft moan caught his attention. Brown eyes blinked, then closed. "Mac? Mac, answer me."

  "B-B-B-Blair?" a soft voice gasped.

  "Right here," Blair whispered, fighting to keep his voice steady.

  "S-S-S-am-am?"

  "Up top, helping to get this junk off you."

  "Good..." Mac's voice faded.

  "Stay with me, Mac," Blair ordered, shivering himself. "Come on, stay with me!"

  "C-c-c-c-old."

  "I know, just stay with me."

  "L-L-ike av.... aval..."

  "Like an avalanche?" Blair asked, encouraging. Then realization hit. "You were in an avalanche?"

  "P-Pete du-dug me ou-out."

  "Well, we nearly have you out of this one," Blair comforted him. Glancing down, he could see blood around the knee Jim had just uncovered. "Pete must be a good friend."

  "Y-Y-Yeah-ah. H-H-he br-broke h-h-his leg, get-getting m-m-m-me out."

  "He broke his leg digging you out?" Blair repeated, encouraging him. He looked up to see an EMT drop into the hole. "Here's someone to check you out, Mac. Mac?" Mac had drifted back to unconsciousness.

  Next thing Blair knew, Jim and Simon had helped him out of the hole. He wrapped an arm around Sam as they watched the EMTs pull the stretcher carrying their father out of the hole. He was faintly aware of Jim and Jack standing behind them as they carried Mac to the waiting helicopter.

  Saturday morning, medical clinic in Ouray, CO

  Blair kept his arm around Sam as they were ushered from the helicopter to the medical clinic. He was so tired, yet so tense with worry over both Sam and Mac. His new brother hadn't said a word since they had loaded Mac onto the helicopter, his body tight with fear. Blair didn't dare relax either for fear he would fall asleep while Sam needed him. Thankfully, Jim's comforting hand on his back was keeping him going. He only hoped he was helping Sam as much.

  "Pete!" Sam's sudden word drew Blair's attention to the man standing in a waiting area.

  "Sam?" Pete asked, a smile of relief crossing his face as Sam broke from Blair to give him a quick hug. Pete could feel the tiny tremors in the cold body, recognizing the stress and exhaustion. He could also feel the splinted arm.

  Sam drew away. "Any word on Dad?" he asked. Blair and Jim stepped next to him, silently supportive.

  "Not yet, they are still examining him," Pete explained. He heard a deep cough from Sam's right. No wonder Mac and Ellison had been so worried about Blair with a bark like that. "Why don't we have you and Blair checked out while we wait?"

  "Sounds like a good idea," Jack replied, coming up from the side leading a man with a stethoscope around his neck. "Dr. Nung here can take a look at that arm, Sam."

  "But..."

  "Go on, Olsen," Blair gently teased, trying to keep his own coughing exhaustion out of his voice.

  "Only if you're next, Indy." Sam threw over his shoulder as Jack and the doctor ushered him into another room.

  Blair, relieved of having to support Sam, was just beginning to wilt when he heard Naomi cry, "Blair!"

  "Mom?" Blair turned and was engulfed in his mother's embrace. He allowed himself to relax a bit, drawing comfort from her warmth and love.

  "Oh honey, you are freezing!" Naomi exclaimed. She drew apart from her son, examining his exhausted face. Quickly, she wrapped her arm around his and started pulling him towards the exit. "Let's get you back to the motel. I'll wrap you up in warm blankets by the fire, plus I have plenty of Echin..."

  "No, Mom." Blair dragged his feet to a stop, wearily shaking his head. Concerned, Jim watched and listened from a few feet away. "I need to stay here with Sam until we find out how Mac is doing."

  Naomi only wanted to get Blair someplace safe, preferably away from a man targeted by hitmen. "Honey, they can call us at the..."

  "No, Mom," Blair's strained voice rose a little higher, raising Jim's protective instincts up a notch. "Sam needs me."

  "Blair honey, there are plenty of people here to look after Sam," Naomi stated firmly, still trying to pull Blair to the exit. In her concern, she missed the stubborn gleam in Blair's darkly circled eyes. Jim did not and started tensing for the explosion.

&n
bsp; Blair's feet remained planted, his voice growing louder and sterner. "He is my brother. He needs me."

  "We don't know that, honey. Now let me take care of you."

  "I don't care WHAT you say, Naomi. He's MY brother, and I'M STAYING!" Blair jerked his arm away and stormed off, leaving the stricken Naomi in the middle of the waiting area. Jim quickly grabbed a blanket from a nearby cart and chased after his partner.

  Jim caught up with him at the end of the hall, where Blair had collapsed into a chair. Fighting anger and exhaustion, Blair pulled his feet up and wrapped his arms around them. Jim draped the blanket over Blair's head and shoulders, then quietly sat in the chair beside his partner's. Several minutes of silence passed as Blair pulled the blanket tightly around himself and coughed.

  Finally, the hoarse voice Jim had been waiting for emerged. "I'm just so tired. Mac might be my Dad, I don't know how badly he's hurt, ~cough~ Sam nearly got killed by that damn tower, my chest hurts, we've been chased all over in ~cough cough~ deep snow by some psycho, we don't even know where in the hell he is, Sam is so scared for Mac, Mom doesn't care, I'm ~cough cough~ so confused ~cough cough cough...~"

  "I know," Jim softly replied, waiting for his guide's coughing to subside. "It is confusing and you're too exhausted to think it through right now."

  "I've got to be there for Sam," Blair softly stated, trying not to cough. His entire body was hurting from the coughing and his recent actions.

  "I know," Jim agreed comfortingly. "Sam needs you."

  "I'm just so confused," Blair restated, sounding lost.

  "I know," Jim repeated for the third time. He placed a comforting hand on Blair's back. "All you have to do now is get checked out by the doctor and stand by Sam until we know Mac's condition. Depending on what the doctors say, we can then find some nice warm beds for you and Sam to crash in. How's that sound?" Jim patted Blair's back and stood up.