The Golden Serpent (S2E1 & E2): The Bridge

Disclaimer:  I do not own either of the Mission: Impossible series or any of the characters therein.  I receive no compensation or any other tangible benefit from this story.  I am just a fan who enjoys taking the team out for an adventure every now and then.  🙂

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Author's Note:  This missing scene is a dramatization of the cliffhanger between Parts 1 and 2 of the two-part Season 2 opener, The Golden Serpent.

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Max had gotten off four shots by the time Selimun spotted him on the bridge.  He stood up, satisfied that he'd completed his task, and was preparing to make a hasty exit before the Prince's cronies had time to chase him down.

From the team's makeshift headquarters overlooking the Opera House, Grant was peering through his binoculars when he suddenly spotted a white helicopter advancing toward the bridge at a rapid clip.  Hastily, he fished out his communicator.

"Max," he said tensely, "you"ve got trouble headed your way.  Ten o'clock."

Max looked up in the direction Grant had indicated, which was directly into the mid-afternoon sun.  At first, it was hard to see anything, squinting into the blinding light.  Max lifted one hand to shield his face from the brightness, and then he spotted the chopper.  As he continued to watch, he saw a thick black rope spilling out of the cockpit.  Instinctively, Max knew this meant trouble, and he began to run.

Grant, still watching through his field glasses, saw a figure dressed in black descending from the chopper. "Damn it!" he cursed aloud, knowing this would complicate Max's ability to make a clean getaway.  Without another thought, the Black agent left the window and headed toward the red speedboat parked outside.

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Within the crowd that was gathered to hear Prince Selimun's speech, Jim and Nicholas also watched as Baal rappelled down from the helicopter.

Jim looked at Nicholas.  "You'd better get going," he advised.

Nicholas' eyes were still fixated on his blond teammate. "But what about Max?" he questioned worriedly.  "There must be something we can do."

"No, there's nothing we can do, and you know it."

Jim turned to gaze pointedly at Nicholas.  The dark-haired agent met Jim's eyes.  He knew that it was time to don his disguise and prepare for his meeting with Selimun, and he had to trust in his teammate's ability to take care of himself.  So, with one last nervous glance toward Max, Nicholas headed out.

*****

Max led Baal on a frenetic chase up and down the bridge.  At one point, Max heard something hit the metal just behind him.  What the hell was that? he thought, turning to face his adversary.  Then he realized with horror that the ponytailed man was throwing shurikens at him.

Max continued to run, keeping a wary eye on his opponent.  He was watching as the second and third shurikens were thrown, and managed to dodge them both.  As Max bent forward, perched precariously on a catwalk, the rifle that was strapped to his back slipped off.  He was holding it as Baal hurled the fourth shuriken towards his chest.  Instinctively, Max lifted the gun to a vertical position and held his breath as the blade lodged safely in the barrel.

That was close.

Swallowing hard and abandoning the weapon, Max quickly dodged the fifth one and started up a long ladder.

Baal had one more shuriken up his sleeve, and this one met its mark, striking the blond agent in the back of his right leg just above his knee. Damn! Max screamed out in pain and continued walking across the top of the bridge.  He tripped once, then picked himself up and pressed forward, limping as he went.

*****

Still standing within the crowd below, Jim was anxiously watching everything unfold.  He saw Max trip and fall atop the bridge, then get up limping.  Jim's bright blue eyes filled with concern as he watched Baal catch up with Max, and the two men began to fight.

*****

The ponytailed villain threw the first two punches.  Max blocked the third.  Baal then lunged toward his adversary, causing Max to break through the metal railing on one side of the bridge.  Max hung precariously, desperately clinging to the bottom rail with one hand.  The blond managed to throw one punch, which backed his opponent up a bit.  Baal then chuckled and stomped Max's fingers.  Crying out in pain, Max jerked his hand away.  Almost automatically, it found the shuriken that was still sticking in the back of his right leg.  With one fluid motion, Max pulled it out and threw it at Baal in desperation.

The shuriken struck the villain in the dead center of his chest, as Max grabbed the bottom rail with his other hand.  Wide-eyed, he watched his opponent gaze at him one last time, then he heard a scream as Baal free-fell into the ocean below.

Max struggled to pull himself up from his dangerous position.  He stood up shakily and was trying to get his bearings when suddenly the white helicopter flew in too close, knocking Max off balance.  Then he, too, was freefalling toward the water.

*****

Jim watched nervously as Max plummeted toward the ocean.  Then he saw the parachute deploy, right on schedule.  The team leader smiled in satisfaction and then departed to join Nicholas, who was waiting just behind the Opera House.

*****

Grant had the little red speedboat at maximum throttle as he raced toward the bridge.  As he drew closer, his keen eyes caught sight of two figures wrestling at the edge, then one of them falling toward the water.

It was obvious to Grant that the falling figure was Max's opponent, and he sighed in relief as he looked up at his teammate.  But in the very next second, he watched in horror as Max, too, lost his balance and began to fall.

Grant tried in vain to make the speedboat go faster as he gazed upward anxiously.  "Come on, Max," he urged aloud, as if Max could hear him.  "Pull the cord."

Then Grant sighed in relief as he saw the white parachute inflate.  He guided his speedboat beneath the blond agent, who expertly maneuvered himself right into it.

Grant helped Max gather the parachute into the floor of the speedboat.  Max cried out in pain as he sat down.

"Buddy, you all right?" Grant asked.   "Man!  That was some fall up there."

"Yeah.  The last step was a doozy," Max quipped.

As Grant helped him get the parachute off, Max leaned to one side, and Grant noticed the blood on the back of his jeans. 

"You're hurt!" Grant exclaimed in moderate surprise.  "I'd better bind that up." 

Then any further conversation was interrupted as the speedboat was suddenly peppered with gunfire.  Grant and Max looked up to find the Prince's men coming toward them, machine guns in hand.

"Hang on!" Grant yelled, then he jammed the throttle open and focused on getting the two of them to safety.

The End.

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