'He's dead, sir,' yelled the agent sent in to retrieve him, tugging at his body in vain. Tony held his breath, anchoring his good leg firmly round a tough water weed.

'You sure about that?' Lachlan called, his voice rising and falling oddly in the darkness.

'Yeah,' the agent shouted, tugging at his arm. 'Bastard's stuck under the mud. You want me to pull him out?'

Lachlan appeared to consider the question for a moment before he shook his head. 'No, leave him. He was after all attempting to escape after he killed Daniels. The next team can collect the bodies. Let's go.'

The agent holding him released him without warning and Tony sank back into the mud, submerging completely. His injured lungs screamed for air and it took all his self discipline to force himself to remain still. Once he could no longer bear the pain he allowed his mouth to reach the surface, breathing in great gulps of air. He was only able to focus on his surroundings once his heart had slowed.

The helicopter rose above the valley, leaving silence behind it. Tony forced himself to move, pulling himself forward at a snail's pace, determined to check his fresh bullet holes and attempt to stop the bleeding. Blood trailed after him all the way along the bank to the clearer part of the stream. He lacked the strength to do more than sink into it, watching detached as the water surrounding him turned crimson. You're dying, Almeida.

Once again his eyes roamed the cliffs, coming up blank. Jack had not yet arrived, and it was imperative he do so, or the spy would remain undetected. His cuffs made it impossible to remove his clothes, forcing him to raise them instead to examine the bullet wounds. The one in his back appeared to have done but minor damage, the bleeding already slowing, as opposed to the one in his stomach, which bled as heavily as before. The bullet appeared to be inside, too deep for his probing hands to feel. Tony pressed the t-shirt into it and considered his options. It was vital to let Jack know the name of the mole and he doubted whether he would last the hour. Without pen or paper he was indeed stuck. Slowly his eyes focused on the bush he had been discovered under and he set off towards it, crawling forwards on hands and knees. What seemed an eternity later but was more like ten minutes, he reached it, fixing his eyes on the cliff face behind it. It was dry, unaffected by the previous rainstorms. Tony slipped his hand under his t-shirt and placed his fingers in the sticky blood. "Lachlan" he wrote on the back wall, struggling to remain conscious.

Another buzzing sounded, low on approach. Tony leaned against the shrub, unable to steady himself. He had a terrible feeling it was Lachlan returning for something. Move, Almeida, hide somewhere quick! Jack won't be long now. Just keep it together till he arrives.

He crawled along the floor, his eyes fixed on a small incline in the ground where he would be able to bury himself and remain undiscovered by any further agents sent by Lachlan. The ground swayed under him alarmingly as he inched forward and the world kept disappearing into blackness. He passed the incline where he had sheltered on his first night in the valley and reached the hole, no longer able to feel any satisfaction on his achievement. The hole lay halfway between the cliff and stream and with his final ounce of strength he pulled a few rocks and branches over the edge, locking himself inside, leaving a tiny gap above his eyes where he could look outside and spot Jack.

Come on, Jack. I need to ask you to say goodbye to mom and Papa and to give you the letter I wrote Michelle in case I'd be killed on duty. The world darkened again and Tony was unable to fight through it, giving in to the blackness.

Jack climbed out of the helicopter, pulling his binoculars on and examining every detail of his surroundings. 'Dammit, Tony, where are you?' he muttered. 'Thomas said you were in the valley.'

'There's no sign of anyone, sir,' an agent told him.

Jack nodded, having expected it. 'Spread out and conduct a search of the entire canyon. I want you to check every bush, every cave, every rock!' They dispersed and he pulled on the binoculars again.

'Sir, there's something you should see,' a young agent yelled a few minutes later and Jack hurried to join him, peering behind a stunted bush, barely large enough to shelter anyone from the sun. 'There's something written on the wall, and it looks pretty fresh to me.'

Jack stepped past him and paused, his years of exposure to violence failing to prevent a sharp stab in his heart. 'Lachlan,' he muttered, narrowing his eyes. He bent forward, examining the blood closer. 'What did you do?' he asked so silently no one heard him before he moved backwards, emerging into the sun.

'I want everyone to search for Tony Almeida. He's here and he's injured. Find him.' Jack looked round the valley quickly, noting his team begin their search before he returned to the helicopter. 'Patch me through to Director Hodgeson,' he ordered the pilot. The man nodded at him a minute later and he grabbed the radio. 'Sir, its Lachlan. Tony wrote his name for me.'

'Well done, Jack,' Hodgeson praised him, his voice crackling over the radio. 'I never expected both Thomas and Lachlan to go after Almeida. Bring him home and send him to me at Division.'

'Sir,' Jack cupped his hands over the speaker in the howling wind, 'I can't find Tony. He was shot and must have gone to ground.'

Silence greeted his words, the crackle of the radio his only indication the channel remained open. 'Keep searching.'

'Sir, that's just it,' Jack protested. 'Tony would've seen us by now and come out if he was able. There's a lot of blood, he's hurt pretty bad. It's imperative I get back-up to locate him immediately.'

The radio crackled by itself again and Jack fought the urge to yell into it. 'Mr. Hodgeson…'

'I can hear you,' Hodgeson snapped. 'I can't spare anyone at the moment. They're all shadowing Lachlan and Thomas. They're the primary targets, you're aware of that. I must make certain they're heading home. Do what you can, you'll find him.'

Jack gave in to his urge and raised his voice. 'Mr. Hodgeson, I won't just find him! Tony concealed himself to remain undiscovered should Lachlan send anyone else to make certain he was dead. I need someone who worked with him in the field, and I'll need them as soon as possible. There's a lot of blood.'

'There's no one,' Hodgeson replied, his tone indicating impatience. 'There's no point sending any more agents, if he's gone to ground you'd need someone familiar with him from the Marines. Just do what you can.' He laid down the phone, leaving Jack speechless.

Jack shook his head, his eyes searching the cliffs. 'We won't find you in time, Tony,' he muttered. As he spoke a wind whipped up, blowing through all of them. The agents with him huddled under the cliffs, glancing around uncertainly. Jack reached a decision and climbed into the helicopter, calling Michelle, begging her to find information on anyone Tony worked with in the Marines who was reachable. 'Come on, there has to be someone,' he said, glaring at the radio.

'Jack, the only one who spent any time on active duty with Tony was his sergeant who's in LA at the moment. They served together for eight years.' She forced her worry aside and waited for his reply.

'Good,' Jack told her, breathing a sigh of relief. 'Have him picked up and put him on Division's helicopter. I want him here right now.'

'Jack, who's authorizing the use of the chopper?' she questioned.

Jack took a deep breath. 'No one,' he admitted. 'We really need help Michelle, there's lots of blood. Get that sergeant here now.'

'I'll deal with it,' Michelle promised, opening Buchanan's files. Her head swam while she typed in his access code and ordered the chopper, hoping he would overlook her actions. "There's lots of blood…" Her heart ached as she worked. Hang on a bit sweetheart; I'll be there real soon.

It was dark, and he was colder than he had ever been before. Only his fingers pressing his t-shirt into his stomach in a vain attempt to staunch the loss of blood were warm, and that meant he was still bleeding. Spray from the stream battered the rocks outside, a thin trickle of water running down a rock and dropping onto his face, which was what had probably brought him round. The howling wind outside drowned out all else. Tony resolved to push a rock aside and peer out just in case Jack had arrived, but his weakened body no longer obeyed him. His fingers remained by his side and nothing above a faint moan escaped. Telling himself off mercilessly he counted to three and rolled onto his side, a scream of agony escaping him as the bullet in his stomach moved. Fresh blood filled his hand and the world dimmed, returning him to the unyielding darkness.

'It's a direct order, sergeant,' the agent snapped; glaring at Koskinen who stood in the doorway, a bottle of vodka in his hand. 'You're to leave immediately and find Almeida.'

Koskinen scowled at the carpet, taking another sip.

'Did you hear me?' exclaimed the agent, highly irritated. 'The chopper's getting ready to leave.'

'I heard you,' Koskinen replied, making no move to leave the doorway. 'You expect me to locate the lieutenant in some mountains in the dark. I can't do that.'

'You're the only one who can,' the agent assured him. 'Let's go.'

'You'll have to arrest me, then,' Koskinen replied, finishing his drink. 'The lieutenant is a good man, worth a dozen of you! I will NOT hunt him down so you can drag him back in chains.' He turned his back on them, attempting to slam the door, but the agent moved faster.

'Nobody's going to bring him back in chains. He's been proven innocent, but he's been shot. He'll die, if you fail to find him.'

Koskinen stared at him unconvinced. 'And you're gonna prove that to me?'

'Yes, sure, I got papers from the assistant regional director…'

Koskinen shook his head. 'Don't mean much, to me. You gonna let me ride back with him? Otherwise I'll know you're lying!'

The agent nodded, glaring at him. 'Yes you can ride back with him; we won't leave you in Mexico! You always argue when you receive orders, sergeant?'

Koskinen pulled on his coat. 'Only if the immediate safety of my men is threatened,' he muttered, heading outside to the rain.

Jack watched the figures emerge from the CTU helicopter, Michelle jumping out first followed by a tall man covered in a coat, his hood tied under his chin. 'Jack Bauer,' he shouted above the noise of the ceaseless wind and the chopper's engines. 'You were Almeida's sergeant?'

Koskinen nodded, his eyes searching Jack's.

'I need you to remember every combat situation you were in together and find him,' Jack yelled. 'That's his blood over there; he's in a bad shape.'

Koskinen examined the blood. 'He hasn't got long,' he said, his face registering dismay. 'What the hell did you do to him?'

'He was shot by a rogue agent,' Jack told him. 'Find him now.'

Koskinen examined the dark cliffs with his torch, shining it both ways, searching every nook.

'We searched the area,' Jack assured him. 'There's a few caves, we found signs he used one, but he's not in them. We also searched the entire edge of the cliffs and the stream. That's where US forces wounded in battle would be trained to hide.'

Koskinen shook his head. 'He wouldn't. In this type of situation the lieutenant would find a spot in the middle of the floor where it was least likely to be searched and dig himself in. Start moving all loose rocks, every one of them.' He moved further away, his torch against the ground, kicking loose rocks aside. Jack heard him muttering words in a language he had never heard before, walking a distance away from the others.

'Come on, you heard him,' he told Michelle, pulling her away from the thick blood on the cliff face. 'We'll find him,' he assured her.

She nodded wordless, withdrawing her fingers from the message. Her face was drained of color as she pushed at the hundreds of rocks strewn along the floor, praying they'd locate him in time.

Half an hour later a rock Koskinen pulled aside revealed a slight opening. Encouraged, he moved the neighboring rock, flashing his torch into the cavity. He pushed his arm through, feeling something soft. Trembling with excitement he pulled the remaining rocks aside in haste, shining his torch onto Tony's face.

'Lieutenant Almeida, wake up,' he said quietly, his fingers on Tony's throat. 'You're alive, sir. Open your eyes. You're ok now.'

His voice penetrated the fog in which he hovered. Tony moved his arm, struggling to open his eyes, sure he was hallucinating. He could have sworn he had heard his sergeant calling his name, but that was wrong, he had left the Marines….

Jack's voice floated over to him next. 'Tony, open your eyes. Dammit, where's that medic? How is he?'

'Tony, are you ok? Sweetheart, you're hurt. Oh God, you're still in cuffs.'

The medic pushed all of them aside and bent to examine him, pulling away the t-shirt. 'Get the stretcher,' Jack ordered, and hands lifted him onto a bed, the movement causing unspeakable agony. Mercifully the darkness, which had been lurking beside him welcomed him back.

Bright light greeted him as he forced open eyelids heavy with a drug induced sleep. Tony blinked, closing them temporarily to allow them time to adjust before he forced them open again. White surrounded him, the wall, floor, blanket, sheet, pillowcase all being of that hue. A colorless tube was attached to his arm, liquid dripping through it. He felt lightheaded, aware he was heavily sedated. He pushed his blanket lower with his free arm and examined his stomach, half of it swathed in white bandages which extended round his back. Obviously he was still alive then, and in a hospital. He was alone; the only sound the respirator's steady rhythm.

Tony swallowed his disappointment. Michelle was almost certainly on her way, he would rest until her arrival. His keen hearing picked up the sound of his door pushed open, the visitor obviously wishing to enter unnoticed. Narrowing his eyes he watched a familiar figure tiptoe across the room, settling in the chair beside his bed.

'What are you doing here?' Tony managed to whisper, struggling to get his tongue around the words.

Koskinen grinned at him, reminding him of the previous occasion the man had welcomed him back. 'You failed to show up for lunch sir,' he muttered.

Tony laughed and immediately coughed, struggling to breathe. 'Easy, sir,' his sergeant told him, pulling his blanket up to his shoulders. 'Nobody expected you to make it, except me. You're in a poor condition.'

'Yeah,' Tony agreed, his head spinning. He sank onto the pillows gratefully. 'Where's Jack?'

'Mr. Bauer and your wife were forced to return to LA to answer questions regarding the use of a helicopter, sir,' Koskinen told him, struggling to keep a straight face. 'I assured them I'd remain.'

'A helicopter?' Tony repeated, his mind struggling with the new information. 'What helicopter? How did you get here? Where am I?'

'Easy sir, you should be resting. Anyone finds me here; I won't be allowed to sit in the waiting room anymore. Your wife ordered me to locate you sir, and brought me out on Division's chopper. Nobody else could find you. It took me a while too.'

Tony rubbed his face, wishing he knew how to stop the room from spinning. 'Could you pass me a little water?' he asked, hoping it would help wake him more fully.

'Absolutely not, sir,' Koskinen replied, shaking his head. 'You're not supposed to have anything for weeks. You were hit in the stomach. You're still in Mexico sir; you wouldn't have made it back to LA. They're planning to move you once you're outa danger.'

'I'm still in danger?' Tony muttered, feeling worse instantly.

'Sir, it's the doctors, they don't know you,' Koskinen assured him. 'You've been through worse, remember?'

'I was a little younger,' Tony muttered, abandoning all hope of steadying his vision, opting to close his eyes. 'Thanks for coming.'

'You got it,' Koskinen assured him. 'It's real important that you rest now, sir.'

'Yeah,' he whispered, opening his eyes again. 'Are my parents on their way?'

He caught a strange look on his sergeant's face. 'Ah, they haven't been notified, sir. Not everything's been concluded yet…'

Tony chewed his lip. 'Koskinen, they'll be out of their minds with worry by now. I'd like you to go tell them I'm ok.'

Koskinen nodded. 'As soon as we land in the States, sir. I promised Mr. Bauer I'd watch you till then. Until this person is arrested, I'm keeping an eye on all agents protecting you. Get some rest now, sir.'

'Thanks,' Tony managed to tell him before exhaustion overcame him and he lost the battle remaining awake.