MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

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Sanguine
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MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by Sanguine »

Part One

1997


The Louisiana heat was a unique breed of swelter, he thought as he gazed out the windshield of the rusty F-150. The humidity, like a thick blanket, stretched lazily across the landscape. His black shirt clung tight to his muscled chest, and beads of sweat erupted everywhere his tanned skin was bare. He was driving too fast on the gravel road---suspension shaking, steering wheel vibrating like a jackhammer as chunks of limestone flew out from beneath the rumbling tires. Staticky strains of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" echoed from the old radio.

"I'm going to wake you up, old friend," he said in a low voice, chancing a glance at the schematic rolled up on the torn seat beside him. "I'll do whatever it takes."

*********************

MacGyver leaned back against the wall with a grin, the plastic payphone receiver warm against his cheek. He cast a glance around the Morial Convention Center, with all its hustle and bustle, as he waited for Pete Thornton to pick up the phone.

Finally, he heard the click of someone answering on the other end.

"Hello?" said Pete.
"Hey, Pete! I'm checking in, just like you asked. Everything's running smoothly so far. Most of the Phoenix stuff is already settled in. We're still waiting on some of the people from Knight Industries to get set up."
"Oh boy, am I glad to hear that. I've been working on this exposition for over a month! It's hard to believe it's finally coming all together. How's security looking?"
"All of our teams are in place and doing exactly what they're supposed to do, Pete. There's no reason to worry."
"You tell that to my ulcer." Pete chuckled before he turned serious again. "Devon Miles mentioned that he might be sending some of his own security down there, too. Have they shown up yet?"
"Not yet, but I'm keeping an eye out. You just take it easy, Pete. I'll call you right before we start to open the doors, okay?"
"All right, MacGyver." Then Pete chuckled again. "After all the things you've been dealing with for the past few months, I guess providing security for a technology expo should be a piece of cake, huh?"
"Pete, ya know I hate it when you say things like that," MacGyver said lightly. "I'll call you back in a little while. You just take it easy."
"I'll try."

After hanging up, MacGyver decided to take a little stroll through the expo. Booths were in various stages of set-up, with some barely touched and others that were already prepared for demonstrations. Futuristic and experimental tech was everywhere, with offerings from both the Phoenix Foundation and Knight Industries, along with a few others. Cyanobacteria-powered electrical generators, medical gadgets, advanced computers, and more covered the floor of the convention center.

MacGyver was grinning at a display that promised to showcase music from a Tesla coil when he heard a voice call his name---a voice he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"MacGyver? It is you! I knew it!"
"Kate? Kate Lafferty! I don't believe it!"
"You remember me!"

He grinned as the young girl---or young woman now, he corrected himself---charged at him and grabbed him in a hug. He'd seen her only once or twice over the past ten years, and she'd come a long way from being an insecure 15-year-old computer genius. The last he'd heard, she'd earned her third college degree and had been working on various cybernetics projects for both nonprofit companies and the very same branch of the Department of Defense whose systems she'd once hacked into.

"I almost didn't recognize you," he said. "Your hair is so much longer now!"
"I've been growing it out," she said with a grin. "I'm not sure if I want to keep it, though. It gets in my eyes. Well, I guess I'm not so much an ugly duckling anymore, am I?"
"You never were," Mac replied solemnly. "So how have you been? What are you into now? Is one of your projects here at the expo?"

Kate gestured across the conference center proudly. "Yeah, we're setting up back there. I got a position with Knight Industries, and we've been working on some of the most advanced cybernetics in the world. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff we've created! My team has made some incredible breakthroughs in computing and artificial intelligence." Then she grinned, leaned in, and lowered her voice. "Of course, everyone keeps whispering these rumors that Knight has some even more advanced AIs than anything else the world's ever seen, but---" she straightened up and returned to normal volume, "I doubt if it's true. Even if it is, I'm sure it's all locked up in a lab somewhere."

MacGyver smiled. "I'm really proud of you, Kate. And I'm glad you found something you love to do! When your team is finished setting up, come get me, okay? I want to see everything!"

"You'll be the first one to see! So what are you here doing?"

Mac shrugged. "Not much so far. Phoenix offered to provide most of the security for the expo as part of the arrangement with Knight Industries, so I'm mostly in charge of leading the security teams and just keeping an eye on things."

"Ooh, that sounds important."

He chuckled. "Not as important as what you're doing! Luckily, everything's been pretty peaceful so far. Hope it stays that way."

"Me too. I should probably let you get back to work. I just wanted to say hi."

She grabbed MacGyver in another hug and, as she walked away, he called, "Don't forget, let me know as soon as you're ready!"

She smiled over her shoulder. "I will!"

Then MacGyver headed off to check the security at the doors again, smiling to himself. He had a feeling that, with talented experts like Kate on the job, this expo was going to be a huge success.

*********************

It was when he was on his way to the doors that he saw it happen. While two of the security guards were checking their radios, someone was heading for the door---someone way too young and small to be a member of the security team. Mac beelined for an intercept course, getting close enough to see that the person was actually wearing a security jacket. However, this person was also obviously a teenager.

Mac stepped close to the boy and gestured for him to stop. "Hey---"

The instant the teenager realized he'd been made, he bolted for the door, with Mac hot on his heels. The two security guards caught on fast and charged after them, but were too slow to make much headway.

MacGyver knew he had to think fast. In a chase like this, even a few seconds were precious and could make all the difference. Especially since this kid probably knew these streets like the back of his hand. But he also knew that the first step to handling any situation was to observe, so that's what he did: he watched as the teenager shoved his way through people waiting for the crosswalk and dodged the traffic coming through the intersection.

Rather than waste time following the same path, MacGyver took a shortcut---albeit a dangerous one. A passing Riverfront streetcar was travelling along the tracks in the right-of-way between the right lane and the sidewalk, right at the same intersection. Mac took the opportunity to hop on…sort of. He kept his feet firmly on the all-too-narrow running board at the bottom of the door and clung to the bright red doorframe as the streetcar took off.

His cheek was pressed up against the yellow door, but his head was turned front so that he could still see the kid running north down the sidewalk. When the streetcar had driven into range, that's when he steeled himself and jumped off, aiming for the teenager still running with his eyes fixed obliviously ahead.

The kid was definitely not expecting a fight from above---or from the side---and he crashed to the ground with the wind knocked out of him.

"Stop running!" MacGyver said, feeling more than a little winded himself after that stunt. "I just want to talk."

"Hey, man, I don't want no trouble!" the kid said fearfully. "I didn't take nothin', I swear!"

"You're not in any trouble. Yet. Name's MacGyver. What's yours?"

"Matt. You want the jacket back? That's cool," the kid said all in a rush, tugging his arms out of the security guard outfit. "Just leave me alone, man. How'd you even catch me like that?"

"Shortcut," Mac replied, catching the jacket as Matt tossed it over. "Okay, Matt, so what were you doing inside the convention center?"

"Nothin', man. Just looking around."

"Wearing a security uniform and trying to hide?"

Matt swallowed hard. "You're not gonna get the cops, are ya?"

"Not if you tell me everything, the whole truth, right now."

Matt nodded feverishly. "Look, I was casing the place, all right? There was this guy I met outside the casino---I work in this place across the street---and long story short, he offered me 500 dollars cash to look around in there and tell him what I found out."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know, man."

"What'd he look like?"

Matt shrugged. "I don't know. I only ever saw him that one time. I remember he had a mustache. Kinda tall, I guess. I was supposed to meet him tonight at Jackson Square. That's all I know."

"What time?"

"Around eight. After dark. He said to just show up there, and he'd find me. Can I go now?"

"Yeah, you can go. Thanks for the help, Matt."

"Yeah, whatever. No cops, right?"

"No cops. Scout's honor. Just stay out of trouble, all right?"

"Sure," and then Matt took off again, this time bounding through a parking lot.

MacGyver sighed and shook his head, staring down at the security jacket in his hands. Then he started to make the walk back to the convention center, wondering how he was going to find a nondescript man at Jackson Square in the middle of the night.

*********************
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tvero80
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by tvero80 »

Thank you for sharing this new story with us (again) , Sanguine :) I went to New Orleans years ago and you mentioning Jackson Square instantly rang a bell . Good memories .
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by bftlovesRDA »

Thank you, Sanguine, for this latest MacGyver Virtual season story. Very well done.

Can't wait for the next installment!
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by Sanguine »

Thank you so much, everyone! I'm really excited for this one and I can't wait for the big bad guy scenes. This week's installment is a little delayed (obviously) thanks to some unforeseen circumstances, but Part 2 will be posted ASAP! :)
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Sanguine
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by Sanguine »

tvero80 wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:39 pm Thank you for sharing this new story with us (again) , Sanguine :) I went to New Orleans years ago and you mentioning Jackson Square instantly rang a bell . Good memories .
That is so cool!! I've never been there, but I've always wanted to go. I have a friend from Louisiana who's been very kind in helping me out with some of these locations!
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Sanguine
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Part Two

Post by Sanguine »

Part Two

"Michael, could you be a little more careful, please? You're getting both of us all messy!" KITT said, his vocal processors taking on the hint of a whine.

Michael had long ago learned to block out all but the most serious of KITT's complaints. How his cybernetic friend could be so fastidious was beyond him. "Ah, don't worry, buddy. I promise I'll clean it up." Grinning, he happily tore into a beignet that he held in a piece of thin napkin.

"Would you at least let me drive? You're getting my steering wheel all sticky."

"All right, fine," Michael replied, punching the Auto Cruise button on the dashboard.

"Now the button is sticky too," KITT said mournfully as he took control.

"KITT, I already said I'd clean it up. Don't you believe me?"

"I'd believe you a lot more if my interior weren't covered in powdered sugar. How can you stand to be so messy? It's all over your jacket, too!"

"I can't help it. This has got to be the best thing I've ever eaten. We need to visit the Cafe du Monde more often."

"I don't see why. You brought half of it with you," KITT replied, referring to the tiny paper sack of beignets that Michael had brought along for the ride.

"Hey, don't knock 'em till you try 'em, KITT."

"Very funny, Michael."

"Say, how far are we from the convention center?"

"I'm turning onto the boulevard now. But you know that we're very late."

"Ah, I don't think that the Phoenix guys will care that much."

"Well, I care. I like being punctual, and your little 'snack run,' as you call it, cost us quite a bit of time."

"It's called culinary tourism, KITT, and it was well worth it," Michael said with a smile. Then a big red streetcar passing by in the opposite direction caught his eye. "They sure do have some fancy trolleys around--- Hey!"

"What is it, Michael?" KITT asked, slowing up a little as he approached the traffic light.

"Did you see that? Some guy just jumped off the streetcar!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I just saw it! Look, he's still over there. He tackled some kid on the sidewalk!"

Michael frowned, pressing his face against the window.

"Michael, now the window
is sticky."

"KITT, when you stop at the red light, let's see where this guy is going. I want to follow him and see what was going on."

But much to Michael's surprise, when the traffic cleared and he got another glimpse of the trolley-jumper, the guy was heading back toward the convention center while the kid took off away from him.

Michael squinted and rolled down the window, trying to get a better look. "KITT, what was the name of the security company from the convention center again?"

"United Universal, I believe."

"That guy's carrying a jacket with the same logo. It looks like he's working for the same event we are."

"In that case, they have a highly unorthodox approach to security."

Michael couldn't suppress a smile as he rolled the window up. "So do we."

*********************

The Trans Am rolled into the parking lot around the same time that MacGyver reached the convention center doors, but he didn't take any notice of it. He was too busy analyzing the encounter with the teenaged boy from earlier. Who could have paid him to case the convention center? And what did this person want?

He reached for the door handle just as he caught a glimpse of a tall guy in a black leather jacket running towards him. For a second, all MacGyver could do was stare; after all, it wasn't often that he saw someone who looked like a life-sized action figure dashing down the sidewalk like a James Bond movie. Then he positioned himself strategically in front of the door. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't going to get into the convention center that easily.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Action Man asked as he came to a stop inches away from MacGyver.

Mac stared him down. “I could ask you the same question.”

Action Man’s hands drifted to his coat pockets, thumbs hanging out, in a kind of Superman pose that made MacGyver want to roll his eyes. “Yeah, well, I’m the security around here, and I know for a fact that the jacket you’re holding doesn’t belong to you, so why don’t you hand it over?”

Immediately, MacGyver’s hands clenched around the fabric of the security uniform. His mind raced. Who could this guy be? Was he working for the same person who hired Matt?
“I’m the head of security for this convention,” MacGyver replied evenly. “So if you’re claiming to be a member of the team, then I’d love to see some ID.”

Action Man’s brow furrowed in thought. One hand emerged from the jacket pocket and shifted to his jeans. He flipped open his wallet and held it up. “I’m Michael Knight. I’m with the Foundation for Law and Government.”

“MacGyver. Phoenix Foundation.” After seeing the FLAG credentials in Knight’s wallet, MacGyver relaxed...somewhat.

Michael crossed his arms. “My turn. I’d love to see some ID.”

Hesitating for just a fraction of a second, MacGyver grabbed his own well-worn billfold and flashed his Phoenix ID.

A frown tugged at the corners of Knight's mouth. "Then I guess it looks like we're on the same team, huh?"

"I guess we are," MacGyver replied. He never considered himself to be a good poker player, but at the moment, he was doing everything possible not to show his playing cards. Something in his gut told him without a shadow of a doubt that there was more to this Michael Knight character than met the eye---and he was determined to find out what.

*********************

"Hey, KITT," Michael whispered into his commlink watch once he'd found a quiet corner of the convention center.

"Hello, Michael. I see you made it into the building."

"Yeah, but something weird's going on here. What's the head of security doing tackling an innocent kid? That guy was definitely suspicious, and I don't care what his ID card says."

"And I'm guessing you have a plan to find out what exactly is going on?"

Michael sighed to himself. "Okay, I'm still working on that part. But listen, I need your help. I want you to get me everything you can on this guy. His name was MacGyver. The first initial was A. If the full first name was on the card, I didn't catch it, so that's all we have to go on."

"That's easy, Michael. Apparently there's only one man named MacGyver working for the Phoenix Foundation."

"So he's a real Phoenix employee? How sure are you about that?"

"Very. It seems that he has a very accomplished record---one that could rival yours, if I may say so."

"Oh, really? Is that so?"

"Yes, it is, Michael. Special Forces Bomb Disposal in Vietnam with 51 successful missions, an advanced degree in science from Western Tech University, and a multitude of increasingly bizarre career choices, such as driving racecars, firefighting, taxi driving, and social work. That's followed by an extensive list of successful missions with the Department of External Services before---"

"Department of what?"

"External Services, Michael."

"Never heard of it."

"From what I'm seeing in these records, I'm sure that this 'DXS' is the type of organization that doesn't want you to hear about it. Should I go on? There's quite a bit more."

"Nah, I think I've heard enough. Okay, so we've got some special forces science genius on our hands. Why is he working security for some think tank conference? The way you make him sound, he could be running this place if he wanted to. What's he doing here and what could he have wanted with that kid?"

"Very good questions, Michael, but it seems for the moment that none of them have answers."

"Well, they will. This guy won't make a move that I don't know about."

"Then it may interest you to know that he's about to walk out the front door."

"I'll be right there! Keep him in your sights, buddy!"

*********************

It was almost dusk, with sunset fast approaching, and MacGyver was heading out to Jackson Square. Matt had told him that the man who hired him wanted to meet in the evening around eight, which gave MacGyver time to get there, scout the area, and maybe have the chance to see this mysterious person first. Sure, it wasn't like he could just tackle the first tall mustachioed guy that he saw, but maybe if he could just find a clue of what to look for, he could gain an edge and figure something out.

The shining steeples of St. Louis Cathedral towered like white knights in the distance as MacGyver stepped along the sidewalk, looking across the grass. At this hour, the park was starting to clear out, but there were still several people and families strolling around. MacGyver settled for leaning against a nearby tree; casual enough to avoid provoking suspicion, but also out of the way and with a clear field of vision. Now the only thing he could do was wait and watch…and hope.

*********************

Meanwhile, a black Trans Am idled silently nearby, obscured by some landscaping and the oncoming darkness.

"You still have him on scanners, KITT?" Michael asked, leaning forward in the driver's seat.

"Of course, Michael. He's stopped moving for now. He appears to be waiting near that rather large tree over there."

"Waiting for a rendezvous?" Michael wondered aloud. "All right, KITT, you wait here. I'm going to get a better look."

"Michael, be careful."

"I will, buddy."

Michael crept forward through the grass, moving slow and alert to any sudden sounds or movements.

In the distance, he could see the orange glow of a lit cigar…

*********************

MacGyver tensed slightly as he saw a bright flash from across the park. The light dimmed after just a second and gave way to a faint orange glow, and MacGyver realized he'd been watching someone light a cigar or a cigarette. He frowned slightly, wondering if that could be Matt's mystery contact or if he was simply looking at someone out for a smoke break.

Right as that thought crossed his mind, the glow began to move closer.

MacGyver remained there by the tree, motionless but prepared to fight or run at a moment's notice.

The glow grew closer, and so did blue wafts of cigar smoke floating gently through the air.

At last, the figure behind the smoke took on definition; male, and tall, and muscular. Someone built like a living action figure.

When he could finally see the man's face, MacGyver's jaw dropped.

"Michael Knight?"

The reaction was immediate: the man dropped his cigar to the ground, crushed it beneath a heel, and strode forward until he was inches away from MacGyver.

"I don't know who you are, but I am not, and never will be, Michael Knight," the mustachioed man snapped. Then he eased back ever so slightly, leaning on a diamond-tipped cane in his other hand.

"My name…is Garthe."

*********************
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bftlovesRDA
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by bftlovesRDA »

very interesting,sanguine - thanks for the effort. looking forward to more.
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by bluegirl »

OMG, Mac has no idea what he has gotten into...
The stuff is already there. I just find a different way to use it.
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tvero80
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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by tvero80 »

Thank you , sanguine ! :)

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Re: MacGyver Virtual Season 10.8 - Louisiana Knights

Post by bluegirl »

Where on earth have you found that picture? Is it really genuine? Or is it photoshopped? :o :o :o :shock: :shock: :shock:
The stuff is already there. I just find a different way to use it.
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