Alright, here we go with the adventure slowly unfolding... and maybe some 'complications'...
Part 3
MacGyver and Nikki both stayed highly alert on their whole way back. Only when they had returned to their room and closed the door behind themselves, both allowed themselves to relax. Mac was quite sure that they hadn´t been spotted and their cover was still intact. But with the two GRU agents already around they had to use a lot more caution. The receptionist hadn´t had any message for them yet, so all they could do for now was wait.
As it was only mid-afternoon and not knowing how long the evening – or the night – would be, MacGyver chose to take a nap on the couch. Nikki had eyed him probing and with obvious skepticism again when he´d asked her to stay awake and alert for any message, but in the light of what he´d told her about yesterday, she agreed soon. Once more she was amazed how quickly Mac could switch between being fully aware and mentally in high gear and relaxing and calm only a few moments later, with all the tension of the assignment seemingly gone. While Nikki grabbed the maps of Znojmo and the surrounding area to study them another time, she watched with a small concern inside how Mac perched himself on the couch and fell asleep within a minute.
*****
MacGyver was startled awake by the ringing of a phone. A little disoriented at first, not knowing how long he´d been asleep, he needed a couple of seconds to remember where he was and what his situation was. Nikki´s voice as she answered the call made him open his eyes and then in a flash everything came back to him.
“Yes, of course.” He heard Nikki say. “I will tell my husband. He´ll be downstairs in a few minutes… Thank you very much.”
Then she hung up the phone and turned to MacGyver, who had just sat up on the couch and was running his hands through his unruly hair. He raised his eyebrows with an unspoken question.
“That was the receptionist.” Nikki told him after she had shot him a measuring look. “There´s a young man down with her, who claims he has a message that he´s only allowed to deliver personally… to Mr. Carpenter.”
MacGyver nodded, the rest of his sleepiness gone within the second, and his mind and senses back to high alert in the same. A glance at his watch told him it was already late afternoon, while he got up and strode to the window. Upon their arrival he had noticed, that this window went out to the front street, the same where the entrance of the hotel was located. Without pushing the curtains aside he let his eyes scan the street to the left and the right for any well-known but not welcome faces. When he found all he could overlook empty, he puffed out a breath and stepped back.
“Well, then I´ll better go downstairs and see what he´s got for me.” Mac answered. “I don´t see anyone tailing him.”
Nikki nodded, her face still somber. When Mac started walking to the door, she turned around, picked up her purse and followed him. Mac noticed it instantly, stopped just as he´d reached the door and looked at her over his shoulder.
“You said, that message was for me personally.” Mac stated. “Where are you going?”
“Downstairs… with you.” Nikki replied curtly. “We don´t know who is waiting for you.”
“We can assume that Dubcek sent this messenger.” MacGyver shot back. “He asked for me, not for us… we can´t risk scaring him off by appearing together.”
“What if he didn´t?” Nikki snorted. “What if those agents did see us on the square?”
MacGyver sighed and hung his head. No, he wasn´t in the mood for arguing with Nikki. He felt tolerably rested after sleeping through half of the afternoon, but he also felt some of his headache returning.
“We are on the second floor, and this place has no elevator.” Nikki pressed on. “The only way up and down is the staircase… at least let me watch your back.”
MacGyver took a deep breath. Well, she had a point there. But at the same time, he was relieved that there was no way Nikki could have brought the revolver along that she so regularly carried with her at home in the U.S.. Only a moment later an idea for keeping Dubcek safe when he met him rose in his mind. He reached out for his Calgary Flames cap on the nearby table and turned to face Nikki.
“All right.” he agreed. “But stay back and stay out of sight. I don´t want anyone to notice you´re there.”
Nikki seemed a little annoyed at his comment, but kept whatever remark she had in mind to herself and just nodded silently. MacGyver turned back to the door, puffed out a breath and slowly opened the door. He checked with a quick glance to the left and the right if the corridor was empty before he stepped outside and put on his cap.
“I´ll get the keys.” He heard Nikki say with a low voice from behind.
“Yep.” Mac confirmed, but his focus was already narrowing to the staircase as he approached it.
All his senses were highly observant, while he walked down the stairs, the whole time listening for Nikki a couple of feet behind himself. A few steps before he would reach the lobby Mac stopped for a brief moment, signaled Nikki with a raised hand and a warning look over his shoulder to stay put, and took a deep breath.
Then he took the last steps downwards and around the corner to find out who was waiting for him. Friend or foe? MacGyver gave the receptionist a beaming smile when he entered the lobby.
“My name´s Carpenter. My wife has told me, someone is waiting for me?” he asked as he approached her.
“Over there, sir.”
The middle-aged woman returned his smile and nodded towards a young man in the far corner of the room. He was looking out of the window, observing the street and obviously uptight. MacGyver walked across the room, trying to seem as casual and relaxed as possible.
“Hi, name´s Carpenter.” he addressed the younger man. “I was notified that you´ve got a message for me?”
The young man turned real quickly at his words and looked up at him nervously. He eyed MacGyver all over with obvious distrust.
“You are the one sent for help by our mutual friend?” he asked probing.
MacGyver nodded. The man was testing him. It wasn´t surprising that he had no faith in Mac and his words yet.
“I´m honored to hear that Anton calls me a friend.” he answered calmly. “I certainly do consider him that.”
The man eyed MacGyver again for a couple of seconds, judging him and his words. He can be only 18 or 20 years old at maximum, Mac assessed silently and a little impressed. Brave, if he is engaged in an organization like this at that young age. All the more reason to support them.
“We didn´t get much of a description of you.” the young man then told him and reached out his hand to Mac. “That´s why I was so cautious. My name is Lukas. I am a part of ‘Humanity’.”
“You´re definitely right to use caution.” MacGyver nodded, took his hand and shook it.
“I´m the one to make contact with you. And I´d like to thank you, because if everything turns out well, I won´t meet you again.” Lukas continued. Then he reached into his pocket and handed Mac a small, folded piece of paper. “This will tell you when and where to meet Pavel.”
MacGyver took it, opened it and scanned the information. The name and address of some café in the inner city were written on it along with a time. 8 p.m. He and Nikki had walked past that café today already. Nice coincidence, Mac thought. I won´t have any trouble finding it.
“Thanks.” he replied as he stuffed the paper into the pocket of his jeans. “I´ll be there… can you get a message back to Pavel?”
“Of course.” Lukas nodded with a little surprise. “What do you want me to tell him?”
MacGyver took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
“Tell him to keep the documents hidden. He must not bring them along.”
Lukas nodded again, now with a bit of alarm.
“The agents that took his brother Anton last year are already in town.” Mac carried on as his idea flashed back into his mind. “I saw them this afternoon… And please ask him to wear some hat or a cap like mine and a jacket. Something that´s recognizable, but won´t stand out too much… if possible.”
“I will.” Lukas assured with a puzzled look. “But what do you need the cap and the jacket for?”
“It´s just an idea for keeping Pavel safe…The less you know, the safer for you.” Mac smiled back apologetically. “Anything else I should know?”
“My task was only to set up the meeting.” Lukas shook his head. “We were told, that you will manage whatever happens from now on.”
MacGyver´s smile turned from apologetic to reassuring.
“I´ll do my best. But you´d better leave now.” He reached out his hand to the younger man. “Thank you for your help. Take care.”
Lukas took his hand and held on to it.
“We have to thank you for your support.” he replied. “Good luck.”
They parted, and MacGyver stayed still and close to the window while he watched Lukas open the door and leave the hotel. He observed the street as the young man was walking away. Mac saw no one emerging out of the shadows of any side street and following him. It seems as if Lukas is safe for the moment. It seems as if our cover and our stay here hasn´t been compromised yet, Mac assessed with relief. Now he somehow had to get Nikki to agree and play along with the plan that had formed in his head.
MacGyver puffed out a breath, turned back to the stairs and strode across the lobby toward them. Nikki had come around the last corner and was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase. Her expression was serious as she looked up at her approaching colleague.
“So?” she asked expectantly as they climbed the stairs upwards to their room. “Everything set up?”
Mac only nodded silently; he was not willing to share any details before they had reached the relative safety of their suite. His mind was already in high gear and considering different scenarios. After he had closed the door, he turned to Nikki with his well-known focused expression.
“Yes, time and location are set.” he told Nikki. “And I think I´ve got a good idea on how to go through with it.”
Nikki sighed deeply and rolled her eyes.
“Of course you do.”
*****
It was about 7 p.m. when MacGyver got ready to leave. It had taken some intense persuading to get Nikki to agree with his plan. She still wasn´t happy about him leaving and going alone on this meet. She remembered how tense he had been yesterday evening; she remembered the aspirin he had taken around midday – she was worried about MacGyver although he had assured her that he was fine. Her confidence in Mac´s abilities was unwavering. Nikki was sure, he could handle any upcoming situation or problem on his own if he was at his best – but was he really okay?
His kind of sketchy plan asked of her to stay put, right here in this hotel room and wait. MacGyver would meet Pavel Dubcek, try to lose the GRU agents – if they followed Dubcek – then retrieve the documents and return to the hotel. He had told her that he wanted their room to stay a safe operation base – should anything go wrong – and that he needed her right here as his backup for the same reason.
As always, his plan had included several ‘if’s’ and ‘when’s’, but Nikki had gotten used to that over the past year. She didn´t like it tough; she still preferred a well-organized and set-up plan to Mac´s way of improvising through any given mission. Nevertheless, Nikki admitted to herself, whatever they had been through during this last year, it had worked out fine in the end.
She watched him closely while he shrugged into his leather jacket and put on his black cap.
“I still don´t like the idea of you facing those agents alone.” Nikki said with a little concern. “Are you really sure about this?”
MacGyver sighed and hung his head for a moment. The mere thought of discussing his plan once again with Nikki made him feel tired. Despite the few hours of rest and sleep that he had gotten in the afternoon, he still felt some symptoms of an upcoming cold. The aspirin kept them at bay for the moment, but for how long would that work? Mac truly hoped that he would be able to complete this mission fast and without any unexpected trouble. He wanted to drive back to Vienna tonight, together with Nikki, Pavel Dubcek and the documents.
“Nikki, we´ve been through that.” he answered while he slipped his fake passport into the inner pocket of his jacket. Then he stuffed some local money into another pocket of his brown jacket, checked for his Swiss Army knife and the duct tape and turned to her. With one of his best disarming smiles, he added: “Believe me, I´d like to get back to continuing my vacation as soon as possible.”
Nikki still pinned him with a doubtful look as she was standing close to the bed, hands on her hips.
“What about your…” she started to ask, but was cut off by Mac raising one hand and stepping closer to her.
“I´m all right.” he assured, even now grinning broadly. Pete´s way of constantly worrying about me is starting to rub off on her, Mac thought. “And I need you worried about our assignment, not about me.” he added aloud.
Nikki frowned at him, but nodded.
“I am.” she replied, while he turned back to the door and reached for the handle. “But MacGyver… be careful, will you?”
Mac shot her a boyish grin over his shoulder, but turned serious the moment he saw the tense expression on her face.
“Yes, ma’am.” he said low and confident, hoping it would calm her down.
Then he tore his gaze off Nikki and left the room. Her worried eyes bothered him, more than they should have, and it took some effort, but as soon as he had reached the lobby, his concentration was back to what lay ahead of him. MacGyver asked the receptionist for a second key to his room, telling her some story about him and his wife having separate plans for the evening. To himself he thought, if things go sideways, it wouldn´t hurt to have another key. Just in case…
*****
As he had expected, MacGyver didn´t have any difficulties finding the side street next to the main square, where the café was located. He arrived way too early, as he had intended to, and took his planned look around the area before meeting Dubcek inside. He wanted to make sure that Zorkin and Baranov weren´t already here. He knew, if those two were at the location in advance, then someone out of Dubcek´s organization had spilled their plans to them. Then the whole operation was endangered.
But the surroundings of the café were clean, so at the moment nothing lead Mac to the suspicion that they had been compromised yet. Now it just had to stay that way.
MacGyver entered the café a few minutes early, before 8 p.m., and chose a table in one of the more secluded and dimly lighted back corners. He ordered an orange juice and waited; all his senses were on high alert, quickly trying to get a feel for the employees and the other customers. Now he felt the familiar thrill of an upcoming adventure and the mission that lay ahead of him. Nonetheless, he did his best to look casual and relaxed on the outside. You´re just an American tourist, he reminded himself inwardly.
He had just taken a long sip of his orange juice when he saw Dubcek come into the café. Mac remembered the face from the file he´d seen and was relieved that the other facts he had read were correct as well. Unlike his brother Anton, Pavel was a tall man, about the same height as Mac. He wasn´t as well trained tough, but the blouson he was wearing covered that fact quite well. MacGyver noticed that Pavel had followed his instructions. Pavel´s jacket and cap were blue, not too bright, not too dark. Distinctive, but not too flashy. So far, so good, Mac sighed to himself while he eyed the man all over.
Pavel was looking around the room while he walked slowly into it, and when his eyes reached the table in the corner, MacGyver raised his glass a little bit and gave him a small nod. When he saw Pavel´s gaze lock on to him, MacGyver leaned back in his chair and focused on observing the main entrance again. With the sun nearing the horizon, the side street in front of the café had gotten darker and shady. It got more difficult to spot the GRU agents. MacGyver didn´t know if Pavel Dubcek knew their faces, and he had to be alert for the possibility that one of them might enter the café as well. Mac was sure those two would remember his own face very well.
But no one followed Pavel Dubcek inside.
MacGyver kept his eyes on the door and the windows until Pavel had crossed the room and sat down opposite to him. Then he focused on the obviously nervous man and shot him a reassuring smile.
“You´re the one, that saved my brother last year?” Pavel asked a little cautious.
“Yep.” Mac only nodded. “Name´s MacGyver.”
“And you´re willing to take the risk and help us again?”
“Yeah, I am.” Mac replied. “And I can see, that it´s working out. Lukas has forwarded the information, as I´d asked him to.”
“He did.” Pavel´s expression was still tense as he agreed with a small nod. “I wasn´t aware of those agents yet. I´m not familiar with their faces. Must have been easy for them to tail me… To them, I´m a terrorist with dangerous ideas… but from our point of view, we´re only fighting for freedom.”
“I was concerned about you not knowing them.” Mac admitted. “That´s why I asked you to keep those documents hidden. They need you to lead them to those papers before they can take you.”
MacGyver´s words did nothing to ease up Pavel´s tension. Mac smiled at him again.
“For the moment we´re safe. I´ve seen none of them so far.”
He could see how the man opposite to him slowly let out a deep breath.
“Where are the documents hidden?” Mac continued, sensing how Pavel relaxed a bit. “How long will it take to pick them up?”
Now Pavel´s face turned from nervous to focused.
“About 45 minutes from here and back again.” he told Mac. “We can go there anytime. Are you familiar with the city and its surroundings?”
“More or less.” Mac replied. “I´ve had time to study some maps.”
In the next moment, his gaze got caught by someone outside the café. His brown eyes focused on the face, but the darkening shadows made it difficult for Mac to recognize it. Pavel quickly noticed his change of concentration.
“What´s the matter?” he asked.
“I´m afraid, we´re not all safe here anymore.” MacGyver kept observing the street on the other side of the glass. “I think, I saw Zorkin just a moment ago.”
Pavel drew in a sharp breath.
“Will they remember you?”
“Yeah.” Mac said hurriedly, his mind switching into high gear in an instant. “They would have failed their job if they didn´t. They must not see us together or recognize me. If they do, they´ll know that we´re up to something, and that´ll make them act.”
Pavel stared at him silently for a moment, and the nervousness was back in his face.
“But Anton let me know, you´d have fake papers for me, and that we could cross the border without problems.” he objected.
“That´s true.” Mac assured him, while his eyes were still glued to the street. “These papers are with my partner in our hotel room. But those two agents must not notice my presence. It´ll alert them.”
Now he saw both agents on the other side of the street, talking to each other and then retreating to a shady corner where he could barely see them. He had to get them off their tail, especially off Pavel´s tail, or he´d never be able to retrieve the documents. MacGyver remembered a scenario that had flashed through his mind while he had talked to Lukas. He had hoped, he wouldn´t be forced to go through with it, but right now, it seemed to be his best option.
“Will I be able to retrieve the documents on my own?” he asked.
“Yes.” Pavel answered quickly. “They are on a 35mm positive film. In a common plastic film can. There´s…”
MacGyver cut him off with a small raise of his hand and a brief warning look.
“Both Zorkin and Baranov are waiting for you outside.” he explained as he switched his eyes back to the street. “I don´t think they noticed me so far. If I can make them believe that I am you, they´ll follow me when I leave.”
Now confusion added to the nervous expression on Pavel´s face.
“You want them to follow you?” he asked baffled. “But how…? And from what I know, they are dangerous, aren´t they?”
“They are.” Mac nodded. “But I´ve got an idea on how to keep you safe while I retrieve the film, and then we´ll cross the border together without getting into trouble.”
His eyes lit up with excitement while he took another long sip of his orange juice. Now he felt the adrenaline pumping; now all his distracting thoughts of the last days were gone. Now he totally focused on his plan. Pavel´s expression was full of doubt. He remained silent.
“Okay, here´s what I want you to do…” Mac continued while a small smile flashed across his face. “Go to the restrooms… I´ll come after you in a minute or two.”
The question mark on Pavel´s face was all too obvious, but he kept quiet and followed Mac´s instruction.
“Relax.” MacGyver softly told him as he walked past Mac stiff and tense again.
When the waitress passed his table Mac hurried to pay for his orange juice, emptied his glass and observed Zorkin and Baranov for a few more moments. They had stayed at their hiding place at the corner. From there, they could see both the main entrance and, at a small distance, the side entrance of the café. Perfect, Mac thought while he took a deep breath. Now I just have to draw your attention to me and keep you two hooked on my tail. Then he got up and went after Dubcek.
*****
MacGyver found Pavel Dubcek in the men´s restroom, holding on to one of the hand basins, staring into the mirror. Mac was relieved to see that they were alone and the only window was small, very high up, and made of frosted glass. No one would be able to observe what they were about to do in here. Pavel turned his eyes and looked at MacGyver through his reflection in the mirror.
“How?” he asked. “How are you going to make them believe that you are me? … We´re about the same height, but…?”
Once again Mac smiled at him with his usual nonchalance.
“We´re going to fake it.” he said while he shrugged out of his jacket and emptied its pockets. “Give me your cap and your jacket.”
MacGyver stuffed the money and his fake passport into the back pocket of his jeans and held out his black Calgary Flames cap and the brown leather jacket to Pavel. The other man turned to him still a little bewildered and surprised, but quickly obeyed Mac´s instructions. He watched how Mac, with the help of the mirror, hid his unruly hair to the best of his abilities under the blue cap and then tucked up the collar of the blue blouson to hide the long hair at the back of his neck.
“You really think this will be enough to fool them?” Pavel asked while he shrugged into Mac´s jacket.
“I sure hope so.” Mac answered after a last probing look at himself in the mirror. It has to, or we´ll be getting into trouble real fast, he thought to himself. “The sun is setting, the streets are getting darker.” he added aloud to reassure the other man. “They won´t be able to make out much detail. They will follow me… Now tell me where and how I can pick up the film.”
He took a look at Pavel Dubcek, and was satisfied with what he saw, although seeing the man in his favorite jacket and cap felt awkward. I´ve gone to plan b already, but it doesn´t matter now, he mused. If everything runs according to that plan, I´ll get those clothes back real soon.
“There´s a small chapel near the highest point of the hill north of the river reservoir. Overlooking the dam.” Pavel told him. “There´s a tree with a quite distinctive split trunk close to it. I hid the film can inside an opening close to its roots.”
MacGyver nodded to Dubcek, fished the hotel key out of his jeans´ pocket, and handed it to him.
“This is the key to my hotel room.” he explained. “My colleague´s waiting there. I want you to go there after I´ve drawn those GRU agents away. Nikki will be a little surprised, but she´ll take care of you. Tell Nikki that I sent you and that I want her to leave the hotel with you. Tell her to wait for me at the bridge that we crossed when we drove into the city today. If I´m not there in two hours, I want you both to take the car and return to Austria without me. If I get hung up, I´ll find another way to cross the border.”
He took a quick glance at his watch and then looked up at Pavel again. The other man still seemed a little overwhelmed by the situation.
“Now... I will return to our table first and take your place.” Mac continued. “I want you to come after me and sit on my chair in a couple of moments.”
MacGyver shot him another reassuring smile, saw him nod his agreement and then left the restroom. His eyes scanned the street through the windows on his way back to the table. He was instantly relieved to see Zorkin and Baranov waiting at the same corner as before and puffed out a breath as he sat down. Now for the tricky part, he thought while his mind was already considering how he would accomplish the rest of his mission. He didn´t have to wait long until Pavel took the seat opposite to him.
“There are two men in dark suits at the corner across the street.” Mac told him. “See them?”
Dubcek´s eyes left him and concentrated outside.
“Those are the GRU agents?” Pavel asked back when he had noticed them.
“Right.” MacGyver´s face was focused and serious now. “I´m going to leave through the side entrance. At best, they´ll both come after me. I want you to wait until we´re well out of sight and then head for the hotel. Hurry, but be careful.”
With that, he got up and wanted to leave, but Pavel reached out and held out his hand to Mac.
“Thank you, Mr. MacGyver.” he said. “You´re taking a big risk. I hope, everything will work out.”
Mac took the offered hand and shook it.
“I´m sure gonna try my best… I´ll see you in two hours.” he replied confidently before he left the man.
Mac took a deep breath while he went toward the side entrance. Come on, Mac, he encouraged himself mentally, not quite feeling the confidence he had just shown a moment ago. You can do this. You´ve been through situations like this before. Then he reached for the door´s handle, pulled it open and stepped outside. With a quick, barely noticeable sideways glance MacGyver assured himself that Zorkin and Baranov had seen him leave the café and then walked off to the main square. There, he thought, it will be easy for them to stay on my tail. I can lose them in time before I reach that chapel and pick up the film.
*****