I argued it was my father's and they finally agreed.
Come, we'll go to his classroom.
Maria,
your father was a brilliant archaeologist.
How do you expect to find something he couldn't?
I don't know. But I have to try.
Will you listen to me?
Your father was murdered in those mountains.
I don't want to have to come back to Peru for another funeral, okay?
MacGyver,
yesterday as I stood and watched them lower his coffin into the grave,
I promised myself that his dream would be fulfilled.
The people of Peru are starving.
My father believed that the treasure of Manco could be worth billions.
Billions, that the government could use to stabilize the economy.
It could provide food, housing, education,
for every child in Peru.
I want his dream to become a reality.
He chased that dream for 15 years and it cost him his life.
And I don't want his death to be for nothing. Don't you see?
Maria.
Believe me, I understand what you're going through.
But you have got to face reality.
15 years of reality.
The treasure of Manco could very well be just a myth.
My father believed it exists. I believe.
And Enrique murdered him for his journal, so he must believe, too.
Now, see, that's the part I can't understand.
Why? Because we all went to school together?
Because he has an American education?
No, MacGyver,
Enrique is not the man you used to go skiing with.
He's a mountain rebel who murdered my father for his journal.
He wants to use Manco's treasure
to pay for his bloody revolution.
If that's true, if.
Then Enrique is still in those mountains somewhere.
So is Manco's treasure.
This is why my father believed the treasure exists.
14 months ago, he led an expedition
to the 16th century site of a conquistador's encampment.
A Spanish general's grave
had been uncovered by a landslide after heavy rain.
This was found.
Along with a number of other Incan artifacts buried with him.
The legend says that the great chief, Manco
presented the headpiece symbolizing the Garden of Gold
to the one chosen as its protector.
And your father,
he believed this is the same one?
He spent months studying the symbols,
making diagrams in his journal.
He believed that this headpiece
is the key to finding the treasure of Manco.
Oh, I love this kind of stuff.
Enough to help me fulfill my father's dream?
Where do we start?
At the place where my father and his guide were murdered.
Well, looks like the end of the road.
Capitan Diaz commands the military post here.
He found the bodies. We'll start with him.
Maria!
That's Ramon, the son of my father's guide.
This is my friend, MacGyver.
Ramon.
I'm sorry about your father.
Maria tells me you're going to be our guide.
I have taken my father's place, Señor MacGyver.
There's no one better.
I'm sure there's not.
I'll bring some horses from my home.
We can get started right away.
But first we must see Capitan Diaz. We can leave at first light tomorrow.
But he has not been able to find where Enrique's hiding.
Well, we're not here looking for Enrique.
It's the military's job to bring him in.
Not if I find him first.
Ramon, our fathers shared the same dream.
To help the people of Peru.
We're here to finish what they began.
It's not about revenge, Ramon.
I will be here at sunrise.
And don't worry, Señor MacGyver,
I won't involve you in any of my own personal interests.
He is young. His pain is deep.
Be patient with him.
Yeah, sure.
Let's go find Capitan Diaz.
My men found their bodies here on this meseta.
Enrique's guerrilla's had shot them in their sleep.
Now, captain, just out of curiosity,
why are you so sure it was Enrique's men who killed them?
Well, we found the bullets matched those taken
from a captured guerrilla's weapon.
But you are here to, what, investigate the murders?
No, no. To continue my father's quest
for the Garden of Gold.
Ah.
I had, uh, great admiration
for the purpose of your father's work, Maria,
but I have to think you are wasting your time
chasing a treasure that does not exist.
We have the object of my father's research.
The proof that the treasure exists.
We will find it.
She is like her father, full of spirit.
I wish you both well.
You will stay tonight as my guests here?
My father believed that the headpiece
was the key to finding the Garden of Gold.
Did he talk about these symbols, what they might have meant?
Yes.
He was particularly interested in what he called
"The steps to the condor."
"The steps to the condor," huh?
And what about these two cats?
Did he say anything about them?
I remember transcribing for him once.
He was trying to reconcile the symbols
with what he called, "El lugar de la vision infinita de Manco."
Whoa. What?
Manco's place of infinite vision.
Place of infinite vision.
MacGyver?
Maria.
What are you doing here?
I think we've been kidnapped. What do you think?
Murderer!
I heard of your father's death, Maria.
I have also heard that the military has blamed it on me.
It is not true.
Oh, you expect me to take your word?
Just like that?
It is all I have, my word.
And it is as good as when we were friends in school.
Nothing has changed.
No, I'd say a lot has changed.
I am the same man you knew before, MacGyver.
No.
The Enrique I knew worked things out.
He had a real thing about violence.
And I still do.
But sometimes an evil and corrupted government
cannot be changed from within.
That is why I fight them from these mountains.
- And when the people have... - Oh, stop it!
Stop your high and mighty justification for killing innocent people.
I fight the government, Maria. The corrupt ones like Diaz.
And I did not kill your father.
He was my teacher. I loved him.
You are a liar.
Why?
Why do you think I killed him?
Because he was close to finding Manco's treasure.
There is no treasure.
We have proof.
We have the protector's headpiece.
You believe what you want to believe, Maria.
I believe that you killed my father for his journal.
And I demand you give it to me now!
I can see that my words are not enough.
But they are all I have.
I am sorry, my friends, that you do not believe me.
Well, you know, kidnapping your friends does make you a little suspect.
We are at war here, MacGyver.
For all my men knew, you were C.I.A.
or another cocaine trafficker here to cash in.
Cash in? You're the one who wants to cash in.
You want to use the treasure to fund your bloody revolution.
That's why you killed my father.
Your mind is made up.
There is nothing left for us to discuss.
So?
Now what?
So now you are free to go.
I will miss our friendship.
Luna.
You make an early start.
Even after your adventure last night.
We still have to accomplish what we came for.
Ah, yes, so you do.
You know, it is a wonder you were not killed.
Women and foreigners are not known to be popular with the rebeldes.
Well, they were just a little curious.
Guess we got lucky, huh?
Very lucky.
These gnats that buzz about the mountains
can be dangerous.
But my patrols are on their trail, we will find them.
Watch yourselves out there, my friends.
If I had been face to face with Enrique, I'd have killed him on the spot.
I thought we had that settled yesterday.
Enrique lied to you.
If we find that treasure, he will be close by to kill us for it.
But I will kill him first.
All right, listen up, Ramon.
I don't buy into guns or vigilante justice.
Now, I can't tell you not to defend yourself the best you know how.
But I can tell you that that ache in your gut to kill Enrique
is dulling your senses.
And you'd better get a hold of it,
before you do something you regret.
Now let's go.
I understand what he feels, MacGyver.
Yeah, well, so do I.
But that doesn't make it right.
This is it.
This is the meseta where they were killed.
Kind of a strange place to make camp.
No protection from the wind.
It would be hard to keep a fire going.
My father was too experienced to camp on a meseta
with exposure like this.
The view is beautiful.
Simply incredible.
Well, that could be it.
What?
Well, maybe they were here for the view.
Place of infinite vision?
Yes.
"El lugar de la vision infinita."
Yeah, see this?
See the lines under the two cats?
Mountains?
Yeah, I'd say so.
Take a look.
See those two peaks?
They kinda look like a couple of stretched out cats, don't they?
Those two peaks are called Los Dos Pumas.
My father and his father before him have used them as landmarks.
Ramon,
are there any Inca ruins between here and those two peaks?
One. Uh, my father called it Sarra Yahta.
But it's small.
It's insignificant compared to the other ruins on these mountains.
MacGyver, you're right.
This is why our fathers were here.
They took the headpiece.
Those were not the army uniforms.
Those were Enrique's men.
I told Enrique about the headpiece last night.
He only let us go so his men could follow us and steal it.
I will find him!
Just take it easy, Ramon. Don't press your luck.
They will lead me to Enrique and I will avenge my father's murder.
No, more than likely, you'll just get yourself killed.
We can't just let them get away with it.
If Enrique finds the treasure he'll use it to pay for his bloody revolution.
We'll get the headpiece back, okay?
But we'll do it my way. You got that?
Sí.
As long as your way brings results, Señor.
Capitan!
The guerrillas were met here by more horses.
They rode off together, that way.
Well, let's get a better look.
Enrique sent his men to do his dirty work for him.
Enrique has the headpiece.
Let me see.
You finally know for yourself.
You can see proof of what he has become.
I always believed him.
Because you wanted to believe him.
What do we do now?
Well, we'll get the headpiece back
but we'll wait till after dark.
Ramon, I...
Ramon?
Are you nuts?
Hurry!
I thought you detested guns, MacGyver.
I shot you.
Maria and MacGyver are not responsible for what I did.
I see.
And what a brave, young man you are.
You are also foolish. And a bad shot.
Let them go!
You have me to execute for shooting you, Enrique.
And what a prize you are, huh?
You have the protector's headpiece.
And you still have your life.
So go. Find the treasure. Take it.
But do not harm Ramon for this.
The murder of our father should be enough for your revenge.
You are as blind as this boy is brash, Maria.
Again, I did not kill your father.
Come with me.
MacGyver,
are these the men who attacked you?
Yep.
Luna!
These are not my men.
They are soldiers.
Members of Captain Diaz's death squad.
We captured them on the trail.
Along with your precious headpiece, Maria.
We have made a terrible mistake.
But I was so sure.
I don't know what to say.
You might start with an apology
after I get done with mine.
I doubted you, Enrique.
I'm sorry.
This conflict of ours
does many terrible things to all of us.
I'm sorry, Enrique.
I'm so sorry.
So if there is anything to the legend,
this ruin must play into it somehow.
This symbol here,
I've seen it at the ruin.
Can you show us?
Yes, it's just over there.
Near the cliffs.
Look. The symbols are identical.
Well, it looks like a lid of some kind.
Ramon, give me a hand, see if we can slide this over.
Hold on, hold on.
I can't see the bottom.
It's a long way down.
A long way.
What is it?
Well, it might be a well.
No steps, no condor.
I guess this doesn't fit into the puzzle.
What are you talking about?
Condor? Steps?
No, no. Take a look.
See? Steps leading down to a condor.
Condors nest where no one can find them.
In the face of a cliff.
It's worth a look.
We've got steps here.
Looks like they continue down.
A condor!
It's exactly like the headpiece.
I don't believe this.
It sounds hollow behind there.
Yeah, looks like it's been sealed, too.
This is it!
This is Manco's Garden of Gold.
Look.
But I see no gold here.
Enrique.
Spanish?
16th century.
We're 400 years too late.
Does that mean something to you?
It's a keep book. The Inca method of bookkeeping.
These knots probably record how much gold was in here.
Seeds?
I've planted many fields,
but I've never seen seeds like this.
All right, wait a minute.
There's something real strange going on here.
The Incas sealed this place after the Conquistadors looted it.
That's right. That would make no sense.
Unless there's still something of value here.
Look. Here.
It's the same Inca goddess on the headpiece.
Except, the mouth is different on this one.
Let me see that headpiece.
I bet you that guard was protecting something a little bigger.
What if this was a door?
And the headpiece
is the key.
It's opening, MacGyver!
Wow.
These jars must be filled with gold!
Gracias, amigos.
I would never have gotten this far without all of you.
I am in your debt.
Get down from there. Both of you.
You killed my father, you pig!
Your father refused to cooperate.
Perhaps you have more sense than he did?
Now,
let us see how much gold there is in Manco's garden.
My father would not have told you anything.
How do you know about the Garden of Gold?
Because he was thoughtful enough to put it in writing.
But his journal was meaningless!
Until you provided us with the headpiece.
The gold of Manco belongs to the people!
400 years ago, perhaps.
But today, it is mine.
Seeds.
Where is the gold?
Seeds, seeds, seeds!
Seeds.
Why would they go through all this trouble for seeds?
Well obviously, capitan,
you're not up on your Inca history.
Perhaps, you would like to give me a quick lesson.
Well, uh, unless I miss my guess here,
this idol represents the great god,
Quintano.
Quintano?
So what about it? Where is my gold?
Well, now, see, that's the tricky part.
Quintano was the Inca god of the fields.
To show respect they brought him gold.
Tons of it.
So what does that have to do with seeds?
Well, think about it.
The Spaniards burned their crops
and ran the Incas into these mountains.
So, they brought their seeds to Quintano to protect them.
Until the Spanish were gone.
Then, they could replant their fields.
Yes. It makes perfect sense.
And explains the well.
What well?
There's an altar up top with a big hole in the ground.
We thought it was a well at first,
but obviously it was a depository.
A gold depository?
Yeah, you bet.
See, Diaz, uh, the Incas had this... this big...
this big Quintano dance.
And they'd throw all this gold down in the hole.
Which has got to be behind here, somewhere.
Now, how do we get behind it?
Well, the priests had to have some way to get it out.
Then I recommend you find it.
I'll tell you what, Diaz,
you let these people go, I'll see what I can do.
No, no, no, no, señor.
You will find my gold
or you will watch them die, one by one,
starting with that one.
You win.
An excellent choice.
Well?
What do you see? What is it?
Didn't the legend of Quintano say something about
his golden words of enlightenment?
Yes.
That's right.
I wonder...
What does it look like I'm doing right here, standing like this?
Looks like you are waiting for something.
An offering of gold.
Maybe.
Well, stand on it, put your weight to it!
We found it.
It's here!
I'll need a little more weight to get it all the way open.
Somebody else want to stand on that arm?
You do it. Get up here.
Move it!
We're really gonna have to push hard.
Just like Mammoth.
Both of you, put your full weight to it.
It's not working. Push harder!
More, keep pushing. Come on.
It's coming.
The gold is coming.
It's coming!
Enrique, watch out!
Gracias, Ramon!
Well, I think we can all be grateful to Manco and his grain elevator here.
So, the treasure of Manco isn't a garden of gold.
It's a garden of corn.
How did you know it would do that?
It was just a matter of seeing what the Inca held most precious.
Here, take a look.
See there?
Stalks of corn and plants.
Yeah, when I saw all these seeds stored around here,
I finally realized what this place
and that well up top was all about.
A giant silo.
So the Incas were planning on replanting their crops.
Where did you come up with this god, "Quintano"?
I never heard of him.
Gene Quintano.
He was our old ski coach from Mammoth.
He took us up to the cornice once.
Almost got us killed trying to out-run an avalanche.
But we did it.
I think we did it again.
I will see that Diaz and his death squad
are escorted to Lima
as soon as the government agrees to a public trial.
Well, when Maria and Ramon present their case,
I don't think they'll be in a position to refuse.
Only this time, we will make our accusations with facts.
Right, Ramon?
You can be sure of that, Maria.
Just don't lose that wonderful fire of commitment.
Either of you.
What about your commitment?
I'm going to try it your way, my friend.
As you said,
these seeds that you are going to test for us
Could be an extinct species of food plant.
Maybe Manco's treasure will feed the people of Peru after all.
Seeds of change. I like it.