Chapter 1

She had to do it now. The truck was bouncing erratically as it climbed the side of the mountain, jostling her aching bones and the throbbing bruises that covered her body. The second truck lumbered behind them, filled with the missiles she and her team had been trying to stop them from getting.

It had started off like any other op she'd worked, which to be fair wasn't many given that she'd only been with the agency about ten months, not including the year and a half of training at The Farm. Still she and her team had completed six operations in that time and all of them had gone relatively smoothly. Track down the target, usually an arms dealer, middleman, etc. Scope out the location, get the information they needed and take the target into custody. Or the morgue if things went sideways. This time had been no different. Coulson had sent them to Iran, to the city of Karaj where there was an arms dealer selling stolen missiles to whatever terror groups he could get in contact with. They'd found him quickly; Nicholas Hess had a taste for the finer things and had been staying in the nicest hotel in the city. They trailed him for a day and she'd waited with Vivienne until he'd left, followed by Nysa and Michael, to break into his room and copy his hard drive.

It had taken Tess barely more than a minute and she'd joked with Viv that she was getting so good at this 'spy thing' she didn't need a babysitter anymore.

They'd tracked Hess to one of the cities marketplaces and watched his meeting with a Taliban cell leader, Halef Selim. She didn't know what had happened to tick them off to her team's presence, or maybe Selim was just that paranoid, but as the meeting concluded two car bombs detonated. It had been chaos. Civilians running every which way, screams and smoke and body parts flung across the streets. She and Luke had hurled themselves out of the van, he made a push for their targets and she was pulling a little girl out of the way of the mob when someone had wrapped their arms around her; one of Hess' body men. She fought as hard as she could but every time she wriggled away he pulled her back, beating her down until he tossed her over his shoulder and hauled her towards a waiting truck, Hess already inside.

She was screaming in rage and fear when she saw Luke. He was sprinting through the crowd, franticbrown eyes locked on hers. She'd tried to throw herself out the back but they'd just pulled her in and began shooting as they pulled away; Tess was still screaming when the fifth bullet hit him. When he finally went down.

He'd died trying to save her and for what?

She was going to die now anyway. But not by their hands. They'd done enough; her feet had bled from the pipes they'd beaten her with, her ribs cracked so thoroughly even the lightest breath sent needle-like stabs through her chest. Her whole body was marred with bruises and burns, black and blue and purple. Her only grace was that she hadn't broken. Hadn't told them a damn thing, not even her name.

At first they'd kept her in an abandoned barn outside the city but when they feared her team was getting close Hess had sold her to them and taken off. He'd even smirked at her as he'd left. She'd gotten the last laugh though when she'd raked her nails down his face. It was deep enough to scar. For his part Selim took her gladly, and it took her two days of travel to overhear two of his men discussing where they were going; Arabic wasn't her strong suit but Nysa was a great partner to practice with. They were taking her to a compound in Afghanistan, somewhere hidden deep in the mountains around the Korengal Valley. Also known as the Valley of Death.

Tess wasn't going to make it there.

She'd decided it the moment she realized escape wasn't an option and rescue too improbable. She'd spent the past few days antagonizing them, hoping to bring them to the edge of rage so that when she made her move they would snap. She'd chosen her spot in the truck carefully this morning, huddling next to the bed so they wouldn't notice when she yanked on the bar. If she was lucky the truck behind them would kill her quickly. With one final breath she slid the bolt towards her, rolling off the bed of the truck as it slammed down onto the rough dirt below, unable to help crying out as the rocks pierced her skin. Frantic shouts echoed across the mountain and the truck she'd been hoping to roll under swerved to the right, crashing into a small boulder and slamming to a halt. She pushed herself to her feet and started running but she didn't get far before a hand fisted in her matted black hair and yanked her back. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees, crying out as the man above her smacked her across the face before he began to drag her back, barking orders at his men.

No. She twisted, managing to grab the knife on his belt and whip it free, quickly slashing at his middle. Satisfied rage roiled in her gut as blood bloomed on his shirt and he stumbled back, and then she flipped her hands and sent the blade straight for her heart.

Crack!

The sound filled the air as something hit the handle and the knife went flying out of her hands, so sudden and forceful that she was knocked to the ground. Everyone began shouting and pointing guns in different directions as the crack sounded again, this time taking down the man who'd grabbed her. He collapsed on the ground next to her, his eyes already blank.

She struggled to push herself upright, whipping her gaze to the direction the sound had come from. Another crack, another body dropping to the ground, and as her captors began firing back she took her chance. With what was left of her strength Tess forced herself to her feet, running straight for the source of that sound. Her skin scraped against the rock as she tried to scramble up the mountainside, trying to find purchase wherever her bound hands allowed. A scream of rage tore from her throat as she was pulled down and she aimed a hard kick into the man's shins, throwing her arms back so her elbow connected with his nose. He dropped her with a curse and then dropped himself a moment after. They stopped coming for her after that, those who were left making a break for the trucks. She watched them go for a long moment, barely willing to let the flutter of hope in her heart take flight. She tried to stumble forward but whatever strength she'd had was gone; she crumpled to her knees and patiently waited for the next group of men to arrive. They'd be better. They'd be military, allies. But the quiet thought that they might not be filled her with such panic that she managed to pull herself across the gravel until she found a knife.

The knife.

The one that had been shot out of her hands. There was the bullet, imbedded in the rough wooden handle. It scraped her skin as she rubbed it against the rope binding her hands until last she was free and then she held it tightly, angled up towards her heart. She wasn't going to be taken again.

She didn't know how long it took but eventually she heard soft footsteps and muffled voices, and then she saw them. Two soldiers, eyes wary and cautious as they assessed the scene. One stayed back, speaking into his radio while the other walked towards her slowly, his hands lifted to show he wasn't a threat. He didn't need to. She could see the American flag on his shoulder, knew what it meant. Safety. She was safe. She didn't feel safe. He crouched down a foot away from her, his face darkening in anger as he looked her over, but he stilled completely when he saw the knife. Saw the way she held it. His eyes flicked to hers, his movements slow as he undid his helmet, putting it on the ground next to him and waving a hand at his partners protest. His face softened and as he gave her a small smile she noticed that she would say he was cute, handsome even if that part of her brain wasn't completely shut off. He was young, fit, mid to late twenties with rich dark brown hair and vivid green eyes, tinted with streaks of gray that seemed intensified by his suntanned and freckled skin. But more than anything Tess noticed that his face was open, honest, and she swore she felt the slightest tug in her heart.

"You shouldn't take off your armour." She whispered when he started shrugging off his jacket, her throat so raw she was surprised he heard her.

His face fell for a moment but then he shook his head, waving his partner off once more as he gently placed it over her shoulders and tucked it around her. "My name is Jay. That's Mouse." He used his thumb to point over his shoulder, a gentle smile on his lips. She liked his voice instantly; it was warm and quiet, and a little husky. "We're Rangers, with the 75th Regiment in the U.S. Army. What's your name?"

She tried to speak but her voice finally gave out and she ended up coughing. He offered her his canteen but her hands shook as she took it and he scooted closer, holding it steady while she gulped down the water; she noticed he kept one eye on the blade but made no move to take it. When she was done she breathed deeply, and though her throat still ached she felt sturdier. That was the first thing she'd had to drink in days. "Tess." She rasped, swallowing the lump in her throat. "My name is Tess."

"Hey Tess. We're going to get you out of here okay. My unit is on their way, we'll get you back to our base and get you some help. I just… can I please have that?" His eyes flicked down the knife again, as did hers.

She stared at it for a moment before she nodded, turning her hand so he could take it. The soldier, Jay, breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he passed it behind him to his partner, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears as her own relief rushed through her.

"I'm-" Her breath caught in her throat and she began coughing again, and though she could tell he was hesitant he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm CIA. SAD." She got out when at last she could breathe again. His eyes widened and his head whipped to his teammate, who began speaking into the radio again as Jay turned back to her. "I didn't break." His eyes filled with sorrow but she just shook her head and repeated herself, feeling her voice grow thick as the exhaustion started to set it.

"You did good." He ran his hand down her hair as he looked back at his partner, nodding as the man made a motion. "Listen, it's not safe for us to stay here. Our unit is on the other side of that hill okay?" He pointed to the way they'd come- she didn't think that classified as a 'hill'. "Do you think you could walk?" She made a face. They all knew she couldn't. He chuckled lightly, shrugging one shoulder. "My mom raised me to be polite." He told her with a smile before he stretched his arms out, carefully lifting her to his chest as he stood. "I've got you."