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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Nemesis Chapter 18
Nicholas climbed across the console to the driver's side, slid the seat all the way back, and sat still, his eyes closed. He thought back to a mission they'd had a couple of months ago, when he had watched Max hotwire a car similar to this one. Nicholas hadn't really paid close attention that day, but he sent up a silent prayer that his subconscious mind would remember the steps.
If only Max or Grant were here, he thought ruefully. He opened his eyes and studied the steering column. It seemed as if Max removed this panel first, he reasoned. He looked closer to see what was holding the cover in place. He prayed it was not screws, for he didn't know where a screwdriver would be.
He breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes fell on a set of clips. He whipped his pocketknife out and popped them out effortlessly. The steering wheel cover fell into his hands. That was easy enough, he thought, all the while knowing that the hardest part was still ahead.
Nicholas looked into the steering column and found several bunches of wires. He recalled Max saying that battery wires were usually red, regardless of the type of car, so he grasped the only bundle that had red wires. There was also a yellow wire and a brown wire in the bundle.
Nicholas paused and racked his brain, trying to remember. Nicholas knew that the car battery had positive and negative poles, so he used his knife to strip off a bit of insulation and twisted the red and black wires together.
He took a deep breath, and looked at the remaining two wires - brown and yellow. It seemed like he remembered Max saying that if there was a yellow wire, it was probably the starter, so he should save it for last. Gritting his teeth involuntarily, he reached for the brown wire, stripped off a little insulation, and twisted it into the battery wires. Right away, he could see the dashboard lights come on. That was a good sign.
Suddenly Nicholas was seized by a fit of coughing. Taking care to keep his wires from touching anything metallic, he waited until the coughing stopped. Then, carefully, he balanced the other three wires in his hand while stripping the starter wire. He said a silent prayer that this would work, held his breath, and gingerly touched the starter wire to the others.
The engine revved to life, and even though that's what he had hoped for, the sound still startled him.
He anchored the wires safely so that they wouldn't touch, and used the gas pedal to rev the motor so it wouldn't die. If he had not be so worried about his partner, he might have taken the time to gloat; Max would be so proud of him.
He put the car in gear and put his hands on the wheel. It wouldn't move.
Nicholas frowned and put the car back in park. This had happened before, but Max had had a screwdriver and had jimmied the lock on the steering column. Nicholas didn't have a screwdriver.
He remembered that sometimes, Max had said, you could turn the wheel hard and break it loose, but it was difficult at best. And Max was a much stronger man. Nicholas wasn't sure he could do it. But he had to get Shannon to the hospital, and soon. He couldn't give up now.
Nicholas turned the steering wheel as hard as he could, but it barely moved. He cursed aloud, but then he had an idea. He popped the trunk latch and found the four way lug wrench. He stuck it in the opening in the steering wheel, anchored it securely, and pulled as hard as he could using his entire body as leverage.
It gave, just a little.
With renewed hope, Nicholas re-anchored and tried again. This time, he heard the cracking sound which indicated success. He tossed the lug wrench aside and took his place back behind the wheel. He had to get back to Shannon.
Swiftly, he drove the car to within a few feet of the thicket, revved the engine a few more times to make sure it kept running, then scrambled out and rushed to Shannon.
She was unconscious again, he realized ruefully. Her breathing was more labored than before, her pulse just as rapid but weaker. The bluish tint to her lips seemed deeper than before.
They were losing time.
"Shannon," he whispered. She did not respond; he didn't really expect her to. Gently, he scooped her up, placing one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees. He was not as strong as Max, but normally he would have been able to lift her without any problems. Tonight, the moment he got to his feet with her, pain ripped through his chest and he almost dropped her again. He had to pause for a moment to regain his balance before continuing.
Carefully, he managed to place her in the passenger side of the car. He quickly climbed behind the wheel, then reached over, grasped her hand, and squeezed.
"Come on, Shannon, you've got t0 stay with me," Nicholas pleaded softly, then he let go of her hand and concentrated on driving the hotwired car to the nearest hospital.
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(c) 2016
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