Trouble at the Mall

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.  🙂

Summary:  Nicholas and Max can't even go Christmas shopping without finding trouble!  A story written for a dear friend for her birthday, shared with permission here.

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"Do we really have to stop at a mall, Max?" Nicholas was asking, as the two men were driving back from an IMF training exercise.

"Aw, c'mon, Nicholas, it's almost Christmas," Max answered patiently, easing the black sedan into the right lane to exit the interstate highway. "I need to do a little shopping." He stopped at the red light and turned to gaze teasingly at his friend. "You do want a Christmas gift, don't you?"

"Christmas is still over a month away," Nicholas reminded him.

"True, but I'm determined not to wait till the last minute this year," Max countered. "Besides, I'm curious. I've never been to this part of the country before. And I've heard about this place. It has five floors."

Nicholas sighed audibly. "If you've seen one shopping mall, you've seen all of them," he said dryly. He glanced out the window at the massive structure ahead and then looked back at Max, whose eyes shone with almost a childlike excitement. Reluctant to ruin his friend's mood, the dark-haired agent smiled in spite of himself. "But I suppose I could have a look around."

Max grinned as he whipped their car into a parking space. "That's more like it." He put the car in park and reached out to thump his teammate's shoulder playfully. "Let's go."

The two men walked some distance across the parking lot and stepped inside the front doors. Immediately, they were captivated by the sheer size of the building as well as the number of store fronts they could already see from their vantage point. Max whistled.

"A man could get lost in here," Nicholas observed.

"Just remember where the exit is," Max advised, looking at his watch. "Let's meet back here in two hours."

Nicholas glared at the blond. "You're not suggesting we split up." It was more of a declaration than a question.

"Well, I don't want you to see which specialty stores I visit," Max explained with a wink. "You might figure out what I'm getting you."

Nicholas rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Fine," he conceded, noting the time. "I'll see you here at three, then. Have fun."

Max grinned and went off toward the left, while Nicholas began to walk unhurriedly in the opposite direction, making note of the variety of retail outlets and contemplating which ones to visit. A moment later, he heard Max's unmistakable voice behind him, calling his name.

"Changed your mind?" he asked with a smile as he turned around. But a split second later, he turned serious as he saw the troubled look on Max's own face. "What is it?"

Max laid a hand on Nicholas' shoulder. "I gotta show you something," he answered, his voice low. "Look over there."

Nicholas followed Max's gaze and spotted a woman walking slowly past them, and it was clear from the way she was dressed that she was a mall security guard. Behind her and matching her step for step, so close they were practically touching, was a young man about Nicholas' height, wearing disheveled brown work clothes and a baseball cap.

"Something's not right about that," Max mused. "I think she's in trouble."

"Looks that way," Nicholas concurred. "Do you think we should do something?"

Max nodded. "Try to get ahead of them, then create a distraction. I'll sneak up behind them and take this guy out."

"Be careful," Nicholas warned. "You don't have a dart gun this time."

Max patted his teammate's shoulder in acknowledgement, and the two of them parted ways to set about their task.

Walking briskly, Nicholas easily drew even with, and then passed, the security guard and her unwelcome companion. He cast a quick glance in their direction as he passed, and their unnatural gait made it even more obvious that Max was right. In fact, Nicholas was almost sure that the man had the security guard at gunpoint.

Once the dark-haired agent was a few yards ahead of them, he stole another glance at the pair. Seeing that Max was in position behind them, Nicholas made his move.

"Hey!" he yelled suddenly.

The man's head jerked up at the noise. At the same time, Max threw his left arm around the stranger's neck and used his right hand to knock the gun out of his grasp. As Max wrestled his adversary to the floor, the security guard quickly produced a pair of handcuffs. She popped them onto the stranger's wrists as Nicholas approached them.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked, while the stranger yelled various obscenities at them. At Max's nod, he turned his attention to the guard.

"I'm fine, thanks to the two of you," she smiled gratefully.

"What happened?" Max wanted to know.

"He pulled a gun on me, then took my weapon and demanded cash," she replied. She picked up the handgun off the floor, then reached into the front of the stranger's waistband to extract her service weapon, which she placed back into its holster. Then she gazed uneasily at the small crowd that had begun to gather. "Let's go back to my office," she advised.

Max yanked the stranger to his feet and forced him to walk with them, ignoring his epithets and holding him fast despite his attempts to escape, until they reached a tiny office on the eastern corner of the first floor. Max unceremoniously shoved him into a chair as the guard reached for the phone. "I'll call the police."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the stranger sneered.

"Oh, really?" said the guard condescendingly. "And why is that?"

"My brother's a sharpshooter," he boasted, "and right now he's got a sniper rifle pointed straight at this mall. If I'm not out of here in five minutes with the money I asked for, he's gonna start shooting. And if he sees even one cop car, a lot of people are gonna die."

The revelation caused all three faces to turn pale. Max looked at Nicholas, who was known for his often uncanny ability to read people.

"I don't think he's bluffing," the dark-haired agent advised.

"Damn right I'm not," smiled the stranger.

Just then, the trio heard a crackling noise coming from the stranger's jeans pocket. Amid his protests, Max reached in and pulled out a small walkie talkie.

"Junior, come in," came a gruff male voice. "Have you got the money yet?"

Max, Nicholas, and the guard stared wordlessly at one another for a moment.

"If I don't answer soon, he'll get trigger happy," Junior teased.

Impulsively, Max reached for the handgun that was lying on a nearby table. He shoved the barrel up under Junior's chin.

"Max," Nicholas warned.

"Where's your brother?" Max demanded.

"I ain't gonna tell you," said Junior resolutely.

Max pulled back the hammer until it clicked. "If you don't tell us where he is, I'll kill you," he threatened, teeth clenched.

"And if I do tell you, my brother will," Junior countered, "and I'm a hell of a lot more scared of him than I am of you."

Max lingered there for one more moment, under Nicholas' watchful glare, then, seeing that he wasn't going to get any answers out of Junior, he lowered the gun and dealt him a right uppercut that knocked the stranger out cold.

Nicholas sighed. "I think I'm rather glad you did that," he grunted.

Then the walkie talkie crackled again. "Junior, answer me." The voice was more aggressive -- and, it appeared to the trio, more unstable.

"He's not going to wait much longer," Max cautioned. He tossed the walkie to Nicholas. "Can you stall him?"

"I'll try," Nicholas answered. He hadn't heard much of Junior's voice, but hopefully he had heard it enough to fool his brother. He pushed the button. "Hold on," he panted into the device. "The safe's on the fifth floor."

The voice on the other end chuckled maniacally. "All right, Junior. Get your out of shape ass up there and let me know when you've got the cash."

"That should buy us some time till we figure out what to do," Max remarked. He turned toward the guard to ask a question. "Miss...." He gazed at the woman's ID badge. "...Lombardi?"

"It's Susan," she answered quickly. "And you are?"

"I'm Max. This is Nicholas," the blond reciprocated.

"Nice to meet you both, but that's not exactly what I meant," Susan replied. "I mean, who are you guys, really? And don't tell me you're just tourists. Not after what I just saw you do."

Max glanced at Nicholas, who sighed. "Let's just say we're into security, too. The national kind."

"The classified kind?" Susan guessed.

"You got it," confirmed Max.

Susan smiled. "Then I guess it's lucky for me you were here. So what do we do now? He warned us against calling the police."

"I think we're going to have to handle this one ourselves." Max's voice was tense, and his mind was in overdrive. "Junior said his brother had a rifle pointed at this building," he recalled. "Where would he have the best access to people if he were to start firing?"

"Probably the open air café on the north side of the fifth floor," Susan advised, glancing at her watch. "And it's usually crowded this time of day."

"Would he have access to a rooftop anywhere?" asked Nicholas.

"Doubtful," she mused. "There are businesses everywhere, and security is tight. But there is one hotel back there, and it's within sight of the café."

"That's probably our best bet," Max agreed, looking at Nicholas, "but it's still just a guess. I wish Grant was here. He could probably pinpoint exactly where he is."

"Me too," echoed Nicholas, "but we've got no time to waste waiting for him."

As if on cue, the walkie crackled again. "Dammit, Junior, you've gotta be there by now. Answer me."

Nicholas pushed the button. "I got the cash," he responded.

"Atta boy," came the voice again. "Did you kill the security guard?"

The trio stared at one another wordlessly. "I didn't wanna make a scene."

"Dammit, boy, can't you remember anything I told ya? Use the silencer."

Max fumbled in the still-unconscious man's other jeans pocket and found a tiny metal device. Susan gulped and shuddered slightly as she realized the danger she had been in. Nicholas noticed and reached out to pat her back reassuringly. He smiled slightly at her, then keyed the walkie again. "Okay," he said softly. "It's done."

"Very good, boy. Now get back here on the double. I wanna see you and that money walking out of there in five minutes, or else I might have to amuse myself by shooting up all of these innocent people."

"He wants to see Junior," Max repeated, as Nicholas broke the connection.

"Or someone pretending to be him," the dark-haired agent suggested. He glanced at Junior, then back at Max. "I'm closer to his build."

"But he's going to know the truth when he sees you," Max protested, concern evident in his voice. "And, on top of that, we don't even know where this guy is hiding."

"Not if I keep my head down," Nicholas countered. "And apparently Junior is quite forgetful. Maybe I can use that to get him to tell me where he is."

"Just don't make him mad," Max cautioned. 

As Nicholas began to unbutton the sleeves of his dress shirt, Susan tossed Max the keys to unlock Junior's handcuffs. "I'll go grab a briefcase from one of the outlet stores," she offered, then left the small office, closing the door behind her.

Nicholas quickly shed his dress shirt and pants and slipped into the wrinkled brown clothing of their adversary. By the time Susan returned and knocked softly on the door, he was putting on the baseball cap to complete the wardrobe switch, and Junior was beginning to stir.

Nicholas took the briefcase from Susan's hands as Max slapped an extra pair of cuffs on Junior's ankles and tied a bandanna around his mouth as a gag.

"I'd better get going," he said urgently.

"You know that when you step outside, you'll be in his gunsights," Max said worriedly. 

"If you've got a better idea, I'm all ears," answered Nicholas dryly.

Max shook his head, conceding the point. He turned to Susan. "Keep our prisoner company," he told her before turning back to his teammate. "I'll follow behind you, close but not too close. Once you find out the room number, I'll go in through the back door and meet you there."

"And if he doesn't tell me?"

"We'll think of something," Max quipped.

"Be careful, you two," urged Susan. She pressed a piece of paper into Nicholas' hand. "Call me here when it's over, so I'll know you guys are safe."

"We will," promised Nicholas, and the two men started toward the exit.

As Nicholas walked slowly across the parking lot, with Max just a few steps behind him, he kept his head down and waited for the hidden gunman to spot him.

"Junior! You did it!" he said triumphantly. "Now hurry up and get up here with the loot."

"Um...what room are we in again?" Nicholas asked sheepishly, in Junior's voice. "I forgot."

"You idiot!" the man retorted loudly, and for a moment both Nicholas and Max held their breaths. "You really need your head examined. How many times do I have to tell you? It's five seventeen."

Upon heating this, Max veered off to the right side of the hotel, while Nicholas walked straight ahead. As soon as the blond agent was hidden from view, he broke into a jog. By the time Nicholas reached the elevators, Max was beside him.

"I'll go up first," Max offered, panting slightly, "in case he's got the door open watching for you." Then the blond found the entrance to the stairs and start up them two at a time. Nicholas waited until the elevator doors opened, then he went inside.

Once he reached the fifth floor, he saw Max waiting silently on the far side of the still-closed door to room five seventeen. He walked up to the door, nodded to Max, and turned the knob. It opened, and Nicholas stepped inside.

The man was in a crouched position, with his rifle barrel pointed out the open window toward the shopping mall. Upon hearing the doorknob turn, he withdrew the weapon and turned toward Nicholas.

"Hey, Junior!" he exclaimed. But in the next second, he realized that the man in front of him was not his brother.  

"You're not Junior!" He swung the rifle barrel around toward Nicholas and popped off a shot. But Max was right there, tilting the gun upward and wrenching it out of his hands. The bullet fired harmlessly into the thick ceiling and lodged there.

The sniper was no match for Max. After exchanging a couple of punches, the tall blond subdued him with a knockout blow.

"Thanks for the save, Max," Nicholas smiled. "You okay?"

"Yeah," the blond answered. "You?"

Nicholas nodded and reached for the phone. He called the police, then he dialed the number to Susan's office. She scooped up the phone on the first ring,

"We're fine," Nicholas assured her. "The shooter's been disarmed, and the police are on their way."

*****

An hour later, Nicholas and Max were at the local police station, having given their statements about the events which had just occurred. Once the lead detective had finished speaking with them, the sheriff came into the room and sat down.

"I thought you'd like to know," he began. "The men you apprehended were Jim Wright and his younger brother, Hank, nicknamed Junior. Jim is ex-military and a member of an amateur militia group, of sorts, as well as a former employee of the mall café. He was fired for making terroristic threats toward his coworkers and vowed to seek revenge." The sheriff lowered his voice. "When our men searched the hotel room, we found enough guns and ammo to take out a couple hundred people."

Max whistled.

"What you did took a lot of guts, but there is no doubt that you prevented a great catastrophe," the sheriff continued. "We are all very grateful for your actions today." He paused as the teammates smiled. "I trust that you left your addresses with the detective so we can notify you when this goes to trial?"

"Yes, sir," answered Max.

"Then we are almost finished here. There are just a couple more people who'd like to speak to you on your way out."

The sheriff shook both their hands, then stood up and opened the door for them. As they stepped out into the hallway, they saw Susan waiting for them, along with a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman dressed in a light gray suit.

"Nicholas, Max, this is Jeffrey McDonnell," Susan smiled, as her companion reached out to exchange firm handshakes with both men. "He's the owner of the mall where I work."

"I owe you fellows a debt of gratitude," said the entrepreneur sincerely, "from myself as well as the team of employees I represent. I know you've probably heard this already, but you saved a lot of lives."

"Including mine," added Susan.

"We were glad to help," Nicholas assured them.

"We are sorry that your shopping trip was interrupted," continued McConnell, as he handed each man a white envelope, "so to show our gratitude, you can resume shopping on us. These are good anywhere in the mall."

Max tried to hand back the envelope. "We couldn't accept these," he declined politely.

But McConnell shoved it back into his hand. "Please. I insist."

"We really just want to get back home," said Nicholas emphatically, glancing at his teammate and receiving a nod of agreement. "All this excitement has worn us both out, I'm afraid."

"There's no hurry," advised McConnell. "These gift cards have no expiration date. You fellows are welcome back here anytime."

"Thank you," smiled Nicholas.

"No, thank you." And with a final handshake for each man, and a fond pat on the back for Susan, McConnell made his exit.

"Can I walk you guys to your car?" asked Susan quietly.

"Of course," replied Nicholas, bending his right arm and offering his elbow to the security guard, who accepted the escort with a smile.

"Won't you let me treat you guys to dinner or something?" she asked, once they'd reached the black sedan.

Nicholas sighed. "We'd love to, Susan, but we really do need to get back home tonight," he said gently.

"Raincheck?" offered Max hopefully.

"So you are planning on coming back this way soon," Susan inferred, simultaneously a statement and a question.

"Of course," answered Max with a wink and a nod toward his friend. "I haven't gotten to take this guy shopping yet."

"Come back anytime. You know where to find me," said Susan, more breezily than she felt at the thought of saying goodbye to the strangers who had quickly become friends.

Nicholas, reading her thoughts, reached out to embrace her warmly.

"Thank you guys again. For everything," she said softly, her voice muffled by Nicholas' coat, then she gently broke the hug and reached for Max, who followed suit.

Nicholas took Susan's hand and kissed it fondly as Max circled around to the driver's side of their vehicle. "Goodbye, Susan," he smiled as he gently let go and climbed inside.

"Be safe," she called behind them, and they waved back in response. Then the security guard watched them until they disappeared from sight.

The End

(c) 2023