PROLOGUE
The rain beat down, soaking everything it touched within seconds. Rivets of cold water streamed through his hair and onto his soaked t-shirt, washing the blood and dirt into the fabric. He staggered through the dark, one eye swelling shut, holding his injured arm as close to his side as possible to minimize the jarring that his movement caused. Can't be much further, he tried to reassure himself. Just a few more steps. His anger and panic grew with every step, fueled by the pain. A familiar building came into view as a dim outline in the pouring storm, blurring briefly as he fought off the blackout he knew was coming. He limped into the elevator and frantically punched the button for the top floor, knowing it would set off the security alerts.
"It's Eliot. Nate, Eliot's back!" Alec Hardison shouted over the alarm bells, rushing to the computer monitor that showed the image inside of the elevator car. "Holy….something bad happened," he muttered, staring at the way the retrieval specialist leaned against the wall. The self-proclaimed geek turned and rushed toward the front door, with Nathan Ford, Sophie Devereaux, and the ever-bouncy Parker following close behind. They were standing there when the elevator dinged and the door opened. Eliot staggered, tried to regain his balance, then fell forward as his knees finally buckled. Nate and Hardison caught him as he fell, and they lowered him gently to the floor. Nate caught Sophie's frightened gaze as they stared at their injured friend.
"She…" the blue-eyed man managed before succumbing to the darkness. "Jasper. He has her. They're……going to……kill her."