When Pete Thornton established a stress relief program
for Phoenix Foundation employees,
I thought it was a pretty good idea.
The four men I was gonna meet worked in high-pressure
Phoenix positions throughout the country.
My job was to take them over Mount Cascade on a five-day hike.
They'd have a chance to blow off some steam
and just forget about their jobs.
And me?
Well, it was just something I liked to do.
And now for the weekend news in brief,
followed by sports and weather.
Locally, Sheriff's authorities report that a bus
transferring prisoners from the county jail
to the maximum security state prison at Mount Cascade
ran off the highway early this morning
facilitating the escape of 12 prisoners
while six others remained at the scene seriously injured.
Two guards were murdered during the escape.
It is presumed that at least two of the prisoners
have armed themselves with the guards' weapons.
Prison authorities have not yet confirmed
the identities of the escaped men,
and it has not been determined
if the prisoners had outside help during the escape.
Roadblocks are now established on the Cascade Pass
in hopes of containing the escaped prisoners
before they reach more populated areas.
Sheriff Max Hubbard of the Mount Cascade Sheriff's Department
has established a command post at the prison bus accident site.
Hubbard is confident that his department's response,
using key road blocks and search teams,
has contained the escaped inmates
within the Mount Cascade Range.
Hey, fellow woodsmen.
Speak for yourself.
The closest I get to nature is the rubber plants in my office.
Boy, no smog.
This'll be great!
Better be.
I left a week's paperwork stacked on my desk for this.
Welcome, gentlemen. Glad you could all make it.
My name's MacGyver.
Do we have a, uh, Henry Colter here?
Yo.
This is beautiful. I'm really glad to be here.
How about a Dr. Fred Beam?
Yeah. That's me.
Uh, Tony Parisio.
I'm with, uh, research and development
at the Electronics Engineering Division.
Tony, we don't want to hear about it.
The point of this program is for you guys to learn how to relax.
So for the next five days, let's all do our best to forget
the Phoenix Foundation even exists, all right?
What foundation? I've forgotten already.
Charles Larrabee. Call me Chuck.
All right, Chuck.
Uh, Colter. Colter. That name seems familiar.
Have we met before?
No, I don't think we have.
Well, you may not know each other,
but you all have one thing in common.
It's what is referred to as The Invisible Killer,
or job-related stress.
Oh, it's a killer all right. I've got an ulcer to prove it.
Yeah, well, this program is designed
to combat tension with physical exercise
and a change of atmosphere.
So, with that in mind...
we start with...
with a quick and easy four-mile hike to Cascade River,
where we'll cross the suspension bridge here
and make camp right there the first night.
I'll brief you on each of the next four days as we go along.
Any questions?
Yeah. What's for dinner?
A gourmet selection of the finest freeze-dried food known to man.
Now, why don't you all grab your stuff and we'll get going --
and remember -- you're here to relax.
Let's go.
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa!
This is, uh, the point man forgetting the map?
That's not a good sign.
I'm tensing up.
I know where we're going. Trust me.
Yeah? Well, uh, I'm gonna bring this along.
Just in case something happens to you.
Come on, throw it harder.
Oh, great, Melissa.
Dad...
Dad!
What's the problem?
This pack is very uncomfortable.
It's no wonder -- it's riding way too high.
Whoever wore this before you was a lot smaller.
My son. Thanks.
Hey, Chuck, what are you doing?
I'm gonna give my feet a breather.
Oh, don't take your boots off.
Your feet'll swell, you'll never get them back on again.
Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to 'em.
Sheriff Hubbard, this is Pete Thornton.
From the Phoenix Foundation. We spoke on the phone.
Right. Max Hubbard. Thanks for coming.
So, look, uh, we've established road blocks
here, here and here.
We're concentrating the search in this grid.
The body was found here.
N.C.I.C. identified him as one of your employees.
Yeah, well, he was headed to meet MacGyver at a base camp... here.
Part of the Stress Relief Program I told you about.
Yeah, well, stress isn't what killed him, Mr. Thornton.
A bullet did.
Hang on a second, Colter.
Take a break, gents.
Yeah.
You got to stop and smell the roses once in a while.
Ranunculus.
That looks like a buttercup to me.
Ranunculus.
Ranunculus is Latin for buttercup.
Basta.
"Basta" is Italian,
for enough already with the biology lesson.
Botany.
Botany, my friend.
Huh.
Shut that thing off, will you?
I'm just trying to find the ball game.
I got a paycheck riding on the Lakers.
Authorities report that a prison bus
transferring inmates to a maximum security facility
at Mount Cascade...
I said, shut that stupid thing off.
...a search of the area is now underway and expected...
Hey! Hey!
Hey, you're wrapped a little tight there, aren't you, doc?
Maybe I am.
I'm sorry.
I got a lot on my mind.
We all do, right?
It's part of the reason we're up here.
Why don't we just forget about the radio?
Maybe... tune in to what we have up here, huh?
Come on, gents, let's move out.
See something?
Uh, no. No, just, uh...
making sure a bear doesn't have us on his lunch menu, that's all.
Ho, ho, ho...
The brochure said this was going to be a stress-free weekend.
Oh, come on, Chuck.
You're not afraid of falling, are you?
Oh, no. It's the sudden stop at the bottom that worries me.
I came up here to get rid of my stress,
not my acrophobia.
- I can't do this. - You can do it.
Just keep moving. Don't look down.
Just keep moving.
Don't look down.
Come on, Chuck.
Piece of cake.
Come on.
Oh...
It's okay, Chuck.
You're okay.
Just get to your feet, nice and slow.
Don't look down.
Look at the bridge.
Don't look down!
You can do it, Chuck.
Chuck, don't panic.
Just take it easy.
Stay away!
Stay away from me!
All right, take it easy. Let me help you.
I'm going to fall.
I know I'm going to fall!
You're not going to fall.
Just hang on.
Chuck...
come on!
Just take it easy, Chuck.
Hang on.
Let go of me!
Take my pack.
Hang on, I'm coming.
You're going to be all right, Chuck, it's going to be all right.
Get away from me!
Take it easy, Chuck.
I just want to get past you.
Okay, I got you.
Hang on.
Just a little more.
Thanks.
No problem.
Chuck! Come on, you got to walk off the bridge.
Get away from me!
Stand up, Chuck. Come on, stand up!
Look at me, Chuck!
Come on.
I used to be a lifeguard.
Right here.
He'll be all right.
You didn't have to hit him.
I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas.
Somebody had to do something, doc.
If MacGyver had fallen, we never would have gotten out of these woods.
I, uh...
I think I owe you guys an apology.
Aw, it's no problem.
I do have one question, though.
Acrophobia wasn't on your application for this program.
You hiding anything else?
Just my pride.
Come on. Let's go.
Listen, Sheriff, all I'm asking
is that you send someone up to check out the base camp
that our group started from.
I am up to my neck in alligators already, Mr. Thornton.
Unit Two is on the south side of Boneyard Meadow.
They have two of the prisoners in custody.
I.D.'s?
Not yet, but they just heard from Unit 12 up by Mosquito Creek.
They got a report of a man running across the highway.
- Description? - No, sir.
Figures.
All right, uh, radio 16 to check it out.
Right.
One of our men has already been murdered.
His car is missing.
And it hasn't turned up at any of your roadblocks.
Now, doesn't that tell you something?
Yes, it does.
But right at this minute, checking out that base camp
is not real high on my list of priorities, Mr. Thornton.
Well, so tell me, how do I get it high on your list?
By having a little patience.
Come on, we'll get to it.
It's the county supervisor.
He wants to know why you don't have the helicopter on the search.
All right, I'll go up there by myself if I have to.
I'm going up by myself.
Walker, will you take Mr. Thornton back to his base camp
and see that he doesn't get lost?
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Yes, Mr. Supervisor.
Feeling okay?
Tender jaw,
bruised ego,
but definitely an improvement in the stress department.
Good.
Boy, look at this.
There's not another soul around for miles.
Hello!
Hey, is that really necessary?
Hey, lighten up, doc.
I am missing the ball game.
I got a right to blow off some steam.
What's your excuse?
You know, one these days, you're gonna wake up dead
if you don't learn to relax.
Hold it! Right there!
Who are you?
Uh...
we're on a wilderness retreat program
from the Phoenix Foundation.
Show me some I.D.
You all work for this foundation?
Yeah, that's right.
And since when does the Forestry Service, uh,
stop tourists at gunpoint?
A busload of prisoners escaped this morning.
I'm just being cautious.
Where'd that happen?
Cascade Pass.
Prison bus crashed off the highway.
Radio said some of the escapees may be headed into these mountains.
You don't actually think we look like convicts?
You tell me.
What's a convict look like?
Uh...
Well, actually, we look pretty bad.
Do you think we could, uh...
put our hands down now?
Yeah.
Of course.
Uh, how about a cup of coffee up at the fire lookout?
View's unbeatable.
Huh?
Might be the last decent cup you have in a week.
Well, in that case...
Come on.
- Look at this. - What?
Looks like someone had a haircut.
Yeah, maybe a convict who altered his appearance.
I'll bet anything he's passed himself off
as one of the Phoenix stress group.
But how could he do that?
Because none of those men know each other.
It's part of the program.
Here.
He could have read about it.
It's in the brochure.
One of these convicts is up there with MacGyver and the others.
Well, thanks for the coffee.
It was a nice break for those guys.
Hey, I enjoy some friendly company,
especially after that news broadcast.
Yeah, they didn't give any specific descriptions
of the convicts, did they?
No. Why?
Well, in case we run across anybody on the trail.
Hey, you were right.
The view up here is fantastic.
Chuck, are you sure you should be up here?
I mean, none of is in the mood for a repeat performance.
20 feet and a solid floor, I can handle.
Yeah?
What if the whole place starts to shake?
You know, like...
Stop that.
Knock it off, will you, Parisio, huh?
All right.
- Which one of you guys is it? - Is what?
The escaped convict.
- I thought it was you. - Well, it could be.
You better keep an eye on me.
So, Chucky, did see any, uh,
bloodhounds out there on the trail?
Oh...
It was a joke. It was a joke!
Yeah, and maybe you were in prison
for having a lousy sense of humor.
So, what is that, a... capital offense?
You coming back this way on your return trip?
No. Actually, we're being picked up
on the other side of the pass.
That's a whistle.
I just figured that out.
Yeah, it's a birdcall.
Clever, huh?
My dad used to make stuff like this for me on camping trips.
In fact, we used to come up here a lot.
Well, I can understand that.
That why you're in this line of work?
Six months ago, I was a secretary in the city.
Now, I'm recovering from a divorce,
and somehow, this seemed like the best place to do it.
Somehow I think you're right.
MacGyver,
how far is our camp from here?
A couple of miles. We should get moving.
It was nice meeting you, MacGyver.
There.
What's this for?
If you get lonely, you can whistle up a bird or two for company.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
Oh, listen, if you guys run short of time,
there's another trail through the pass.
It's a little tougher, but it's shorter.
I don't think these guys need tougher.
That's for sure.
Stop back if you're in the neighborhood.
Well, somebody made sure they weren't going to be followed.
The cables have been dropped on the other side.
There's a fire lookout up near Morgan Pass.
If there's someone there, we can radio and warn them.
Well, let's do it.
Fiddlehead?
No, thanks.
Colter, how'd you get hooked up with this program?
I read the brochure.
Botany your specialty at the foundation?
Mmm-hmm.
Hey, hey, hey, Colter! Henry Colter.
I knew that name was familiar.
Yeah, we talk all the time on the fax machine.
I do the accounts for your department.
Chuck, Chuck Larrabee! Oh, right, right.
Yeah, yeah, hi.
Hey, don't tell anybody,
but your department is in for some budget cuts.
Budget cuts.
Just what the doctor ordered --
another case of anxiety.
How's your back feeling?
My back? Fine.
Where'd you learn how to field strip a cigarette like that?
You mean, have I been in prison?
I learned it in the Marines, not jail.
You starting to think one of us is a convict?
Well, now, the thought had crossed my mind just a little.
Mine, too.
After all, none of us know each other, do we?
I'm not your killer, MacGyver.
Who said anything about killing?
I assume that's what happened during the escape.
Listen, if you want to point fingers, what about Tony over there?
He's been keeping tabs on the radio
and acts like he's got eyes in the back of his head.
He seems a more likely candidate, right, Tony?
Candidate for what?
One of the escaped convicts.
MacGyver's getting curious.
Like, maybe that cut on your head came from the bus wreck, huh?
All right, guys...
I confess, I...
I cut my head during the escape.
It was the same time Larrabee broke his glasses.
That's not funny, Tony.
What if one of us is a con?
How would we know?
Maybe there's a description on the radio by now.
The radio's dead.
Guess it's broken.
You girls can worry about who's who.
I'm beat.
Good night.
Here, maybe I can fix that.
Oh, I don't think so.
One of the batteries is missing.
Good night.
So, I guess we're all just gonna have to, uh...
go to sleep and, uh, trust each other.
Good night.
I think I'll get my book and read by the fire for a while.
Don't forget to douse the fire when you're through.
Good night.
- Morning. - Morning.
Rise and shine, guys, rise and shine.
How'd you sleep?
Oh, like a baby.
You know, I feel better than I have in years.
- How about a cup of coffee? - Sure.
There you are.
Wow! Who made that?
MacGyver.
It's Beam.
I think he's dead.
Where's Colter?
- Uh, I haven't seen him. - He's gone.
Colter did it.
He did it.
Why would he kill Beam?
Why?
'Cause Colter's a phony. He's the escaped convict.
Yeah, I figured that part out myself, Tony,
but why would he kill just Dr. Beam and not all of us?
Who made the coffee this morning?
- Uh, not me. - Not me, either.
What is it?
Holly berries.
That much would have killed all of us.
Well... why would he want to kill all of us?
I mean, especially you, MacGyver.
You're the only one who can lead him out of these mountains.
No, I'm not.
Mr. Thornton, we finally made contact with the fire lookout.
Well, what took so long?
The lookout says the fuse was missing from her radio.
Missing? What do you mean, missing?
Gone. She had to improvise a replacement.
Now, listen carefully, Liz.
We're going to give you the descriptions of some escaped convicts.
One of them might have infiltrated the Phoenix party.
That party came through here yesterday.
Can she get a message to them?
Liz, can you contact the Phoenix party?
It depends on how much progress they've made -- maybe.
All right, now, you're to give this information only to the leader.
MacGyver.
His name's MacGyver.
Right. Go ahead.
All right. Theodore Nestor,
six feet, 200 pounds,
red hair, receding hairline.
No, he wasn't with them.
Mark Fulton, six feet, muscular,
long brown hair that may have been cut recently, blue eyes.
Now Liz, he may be going by the name of a Phoenix employee.
Henry Colter.
Liz?
Liz!
So much for radioing for help.
I'm going after them. Liz mentioned a shortcut.
I think Colter's tough enough to make it. Here.
How are we going to get out of here?
You're not! You're gonna stay here and wait.
Try and fix that radio.
Can you fix it?
Maybe.
Maybe. Good. Great.
Some stress-free week in the woods.
No, keep moving.
Move!
Chuck, I owe you an apology.
What for?
I thought if anybody was a con, it was you.
Me?
Why?
'Cause you were playing with my radio
after Beam knocked it out of my hands.
I thought maybe you took one of the batteries
to keep us from hearing a description of the escaped convicts.
Yeah?
Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.
I think the world of you, too.
Hey, how's it coming?
Pretty good, pretty good.
Couple more connections, we ought to be able to send a message.
Good.
It's just a bird, sweetheart.
No help.
They're all dead.
It's just you and me.
If you touch me,
I'll lead you in circles until we're both dead.
Which way?
Over here.
You okay?
Yeah. Fine.
I just knew it was you.
Oh, yeah.
I got lonely.
Yeah.
What do you have?
20 years service
with the Phoenix Foundation.
Oh, my God.
He's one of yours.
He's supposed to be on the hike with MacGyver.
Then that must mean...
There are two cons up there with them.
Both killers.
Man, oh, man.
- You did it. - Here, here.
Is this thing loaded?
Yeah.
Where's Tony?
I don't know. I was just looking for him.
He came out here a couple of minutes ago.
He fix the radio?
Yeah, he said it's all ready to go.
All right, keep him covered.
You make a lousy cup of coffee. You know that?
Unit 14, show me Code Six at...
It's working.
Yeah, it's receiving.
But we need a microphone to transmit.
And it's been cut.
That's strange. Colter didn't do that.
Who did?
Where's the radio expert, Parisio?
He took a walk in the woods.
He won't be coming back.
What are you gonna do now, kill me, too?
I got good reason to.
You tried to kill me with that coffee.
It wouldn't have killed you.
It just would have put you to sleep for a while.
Come on, Frank. We made it this far.
Listen, give me that gun.
I'll get rid of MacGyver, I'll get the girl, too.
I'll get us both out of here. Now, come on, give me the gun.
I got a better idea.
How about if I just keep the gun,
and handle this myself?
Here, get rid of these. Come on. Come on!
Ease up.
Stay away from the windows.
- What's going on? - Larrabee just let Colter go.
He's an escaped con, too?
They'll kill us!
Not both of us.
They still need one of us to guide 'em out of here.
Take the lenses off that telescope.
How's a telescope gonna stop them?
Well, if it works, you'll see. If not...
MacGyver!
Send the girl out!
Here.
That's great.
Now, I'll need some grease, and something that stings,
like, uh, iodine or rubbing alcohol.
Vinegar. Pepper.
Perfect.
Both.
Right... I guess.
I don't want to come up after you,
but I will if I have to.
This is your last warning!
Perfect.
Now, smear some grease in the telescope.
Make it easy on everyone, MacGyver.
Now, send her out!
Frank!
Listen, you keep talking.
Give me the gun, I'll go up.
I'll go.
I'm not giving up the gun so you can shoot me in the back.
Frank!
Don't hurt that girl. We need her.
All right, he should come through that door.
Let's get down.
On your feet, both of you!
I got 'em.
My leg!
Oh!
That's one down.
MacGyver...
we use this for hauling up supplies.
Maybe we can get out this way.
Yeah, maybe we can.
Well, so much for your better idea.
I'll get him.
How am I gonna get out of here?
My leg is broken!
I can't move.
Uh, you got a problem, don't you?
Hey! Hey!
Going down?
All right.
Bagged him.
Well,
I thought my whistle was clever.
That's right.
All the prisoners have been returned to custody.
No, uh... no thanks necessary, Mr. Supervisor.
Well...
the next time something like this happens,
we'll have more men and better equipment.
Hey, Pete?
You think the Phoenix board will keep the program going?
Well, I'm gonna recommend that they do.
Listen, you can't live your life waiting around in fear
for the next prison break to happen.
In fact, I'm gonna do everything I can
to get the program renamed.
To honor those men who died.
You make sure you tell your people
that if MacGyver hadn't been here,
there still might be a couple killers on the loose.
Listen, right now, I'm just glad the whole thing is over.
Yeah.
Sheriff, your wife's on the phone.
She wants to know when you're coming home.
Your twins have the measles.
MacGyver, when is your program starting up again?