"No." The voice was flat as the man behind the desk shook his head and eyed the younger man that was pacing with restless agitation in front of it. "You don't even know where he is. I can't authorize…"

The pacing man stopped short and whirled to face the speaker, his tan suit jacket flaring as he aggressively planted his hands on his hips. "Sir, we know he's near the wharf. We've traced the call from there."

Heaving a pained sigh, the man behind the desk met the blue eyes that were staring daggers through him. Softly, he started to refuse, "I'm sorry, Bass, it's just not enough…"

The younger man ran a hand through his sandy brown hair in frustration. His face twisted in guilt, pain, and pleading, ""Dammit, Tyler." He dropped the 'sir' in his frustration, his eyes boring into his superior's. "Look. He's done a lot for us. Stuff he didn't need to do." He stepped closer to the desk, leaning over earnestly. "He's in trouble. He's my partner." He stressed the last word meaningfully before he continued, his voice softer, "And he's a friend."

His eyes dared the man behind the desk to refuse again, pleading angrily.

Tyler sighed. Blinking, he stared at the shiny top of the desk in front of him. The silence stretched for long moments between the two men before he nodded slowly, "Alright, Bass. Get a team together…"

Before the words were fully out of his mouth, the other man was moving towards the door. "Thanks, boss."

Tyler watched the man disappear into the depths of the office, a handful of men falling in behind him, moving in swift concert. He sighed again.


Darkness. Opening eyes to continued blackness.

The sound of his own labored breathing. The moist heat of his own breath bouncing back at him from a surface too close to his face. Muscles trembling with fatigue and lingering adrenaline.

Ears picking out sounds of muffled commands and directions floating from beyond him. Curses. Shouted words.

"Check back here."

"Where the hell is he?"

A bone-rattling crash. The sound of splintered wood nearby. Sudden pounding in his own ears as his heart raced. A yowl of surprise and disgust.

"Aw! Geez! Fuck, that's gross!" New voices join with groans of aversion. Too many. He breathes shallowly, ignoring the pain it brings and the light-headed rush. Mustn't be heard.

"We found some blood over by the far wall… some tools lying around. Nothing else."

"Keep looking."

"Yessir."

Tensing as the sounds of feet move closer. Grunts mingling with muttered curses and new crashes. Trying to count numbers by sounds, voices, footsteps.

"Hey, Sarge! Cap just got word…we're gonna have company…real soon!"

"Fuck!"

"Yeah. The bastard musta got word out."

Lips twisting in a feral, satisfied grin, creating new pain. A new pain? No, just an old pain revisiting, pulling at lips and eyes and face. A good pain, clearing the creeping blackness for a moment.

"Ok. Let's get outta here. Tell our guy to keep his ears open. This sonofabitch surfaces, I want him dead."

"Yessir."

Surging hope at the words quickly falls as heavy breathing reaches his ears. Nearby, way too near. Tensing in anticipation, controlling his own breathing to shallow, silent gasps.

Movement, the sliding scrape of wood on concrete ratcheting up through the soles of his feet. Tipping. Teetering. Panic flaring as his world angles out of control. Falling, unable to stop the motion. A ripping crash as his world explodes.

Agony. Knifing through the center of him. Jagged lightening shredding his vision from behind closed eyes. Blackness beginning to crush him.

Shallow panting breaths, now, not by choice. Hard to breathe. Sounds from outside beginning to fade under the pounding of his own heartbeat. Shouts ringing out nearby, loud enough to be heard over the pounding pain.

"C'mon, guys. We're outta here." A loud whistle, shrieking through the building, sounding faint in his ears. Footsteps retreating into the distance, leaving silence behind.

Trembling fatigue rolling over him in a gray wave. Fighting the darkness that is trying to swallow him and losing to the encroaching blackness