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The city lay below her, the people like ants on the sidewalks. Little ants like the ones she used to watch on the playgrounds of so many schools as she hung from the jungle gym, or swing set. Ants like the ones that ran in neat little lines across the street where she first rode a red bicycle. She never hated them, but they were foreign to her. Like the people below her now. The wind whistled in her ears as she fell, but inside, it was like slow motion. The ant-people were drawing near at a snail's pace, not like the quickened wind.

Then all of the sudden it was as if both sides caught up with each other.

The rope went taut and she felt the air harshly leave her lungs. She was slammed her into the window behind her. It could be a person's best friend or their worst enemy, physics. To her, it was usually the first... along with money, but she this time she hadn't taken precautions. This wasn't planned. This wasn't right. Her brain felt fuzzy...like her first night on the antidepressants at "Second Act". She didn't like it. She couldn't think...

The fuzziness was contrasted by a sharp hot metallic feel in her left shoulder. Like a New York subway in the summer. Hot steel. She looked down. Her shirt and harness were wet. She reached one hand up as she dangled above the ant-people and then pulled her palm back. It glinted red in the sunlight. She could hear the crack and pop still ringing in her ears along with people's voices.

Shot. I've been shot. The thought finally pieced itself together.

The fuzziness kept growing more overwhelming, and at the same time the sharpness grew as well. The ringing was wearing off, but the voices only rose.

Parker. Parker. Parker. Parker. It was like being underwater, she thought as she gazed up at the sky. The voices weren't very clear. They were muffled. Or was that her head? Too many voices. Too many voices. They kept going. Parker. Parker. Parker. then as if breaking the surface of water the voices cleared for a second and a thought broke through. Her earpiece. It was her team.

"Parker! What happened, are you okay?" Nate.

"Nate?" she said. Her voice sounded soft and strange to her ears.

"Parker? What happened?" he repeated.

"You okay?" Another voice, Hardison.

"Nate, I think I got shot...I ran...the harness wasn't ready all the way, but I jumped.."

"Parker just hang on, Elliot's almost to the roof, he'll take care of those guys and make sure they don't cut the line. Sophie, she's on the 19th floor with you, hanging outside the third office to the right, I can see her from here. Hardison pull the van around. We need to get Parker out of here guys."

"But ...what about the vase?" Parker heard her own voice say, as if on autopilot.

"Forget about it right now Parker, just try to stay still. Are you bleeding bad?"

"I don't know...Nate...I don't like blood..." Nate's voice, usually commanding and in control softened.

"Hey, Parker, listen, it's going to be ok...we're going to get you out safe...it's going to be ok..." There was a knocking behind her, Parker turned slightly to see Sophie standing there, a crowbar in her hand. Sophie's eyes glanced down at the blood, then back to Parker's face.

"Parker?" her voice was muffled through the glass. "I need you to swing out of the way for a minute. I need to break the window, and I don't want to hurt you." Parker swallowed, her throat felt thick and dry, and nodded. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and pushed her legs hard against the glass window, sending herself arcing out further over the street and the ant people. She heard a crash and felt herself swinging back toward the window. She opened her eyes just as Sophie's arms caught her and pulled her inside the building. Parker felt light...like her bones suddenly ceased to exist. As Sophie unclipped her harness, her legs gave way and she collapsed into the grifter's waiting arms. As gently as she could Sophie lowered her to the floor.

Parker gave her a lopsided smile.

"Thought I was ….going down to see the ant people...they crawl around down there...I'm ….glad I get to be with you instead Sophie..." Parker slurred as Sophie pressed her hands against the wound. Parker gave a whimper.

"Nate, we need an exit fast. It's bad."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

"Is not that bad..." Parker mumbled as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "cept for all the blood...I don't like blood...blood ….hurts..." She stared at Sophie, who seemed to be moving a million miles an hour compared to her. Sophie's eyes looked frantic.

"Come on Parker. Stay with me ok? Nate, there's no way she's going to be able to walk down, she's lost too much blood. She's fading quick."

"Hardison, leave the van parked out front, you get up to Parker and Sophie, carry Parker down. Elliot, clear the way for them, make sure there's no one else left."

"Mama hold on, I'm coming okay?" Hardison's worried voice came.

Parker gave another lopsided smile at the sound of it.

"Sophie?" there was a chatter to her teeth. "Sophie, can you make sure...you take care of ….Ha…of H….of Bunny...I don't want him to be alone..." Sophie vaguely wondered whether the thief was actually talking about her beloved stuffed rabbit or was really trying to tell her to look after Hardison, but couldn't get out his name. She took one of Parker's hands with a free one of her own.

"Hey now, don't talk like that, you're going to be alright..."

There were sparkles in the air now around Parker. Lasers in fog, shining and flashing all over the place.

"Sophie...what about the lasers?" her voice was feeble. She couldn't let the lasers get Sophie...

"There aren't any lasers Parker. Stay with me now. Come on."

"Don't let them …..." Parker's voice faded out as her eyes closed and her world went black.