Author's Note: Happy readin' to ya.

Chapter 2

Amir felt the world slowly coming into focus as he opened his eyes. Chilled air seeped into his lungs, and morning dew was settled evenly over him. It was well into dawn, and his body was still weary from the previous day's travels.

Then a scream pierced the air.

Alarmed, Amir bolted upright, anxiously looking around the camp. His eyes caught on Adam's empty sleeping bag, and the pieces clicked together. The scream suddenly sounded hauntingly familiar, and Amir's heart pumped angrily against his ribcage.

"Guys," he called, his breath quickening as he scrambled out his own sleeping bag. The others stirred, rudely awakened by Amir's panicked voice. "Guys! I think Top's in trouble."

Eyes opened, McG's quickly fixing on Amir. "What?" The medic looked to Adam's spot on the other side of the dead fire, sitting up immediately when he didn't see the familiar form of their leader. "Jaz, Preach. Get up. Get up!"

The other two groggily came to their senses, confusion settling on Jaz's face when she saw Amir hastily pulling on his boots. "What? What's happening?"

"I think I heard Top," Amir explained breathlessly. "He might be in trouble."

Jaz's eyes widened as the sleepy fog vanished immediately. Preach was suddenly just as aware, and the two of them shoved their feet into their boots, tying the laces in a rush.

Amir set off running just before McG had finished putting on his boots. Thinking fast, McG grabbed the satellite phone from his pack and his first aid kit, then ran after the shorter man as his other two teammates followed.

The four of them swiftly ran through the trees, following Amir.

And another scream echoed through the crisp air.

Panicked, they pushed harder, trying to close the gap between them and their leader. Their minds went wild with the possibilities. Anything could happen out here.

Another cry split the air, and the team pushed their limits. They had to be there. They were supposed to be there.

Then black fur came into view, and they all stopped.

A bear.

And they could see her cubs in the background.

"Shit," Jaz muttered, breathing slowly.

"Talk," Amir instructed coolly, unhurriedly waving his arms up and down as he walked sideways. "You have to talk slowly and calmly. She has to see that you're human and not a threat."

The rest of the team followed his lead, doing the same as they all started to talk at once in careful, unwavering tones.

"Hey, bear—"
"—not here to hurt you—"

"—don't care about your cubs—"

"—we understand your cubs are precious—"

The bear stared for a long time, as if deciding if they were worth the trouble. Jaz noticed a macabre wetness on her snout, and her stomach clenched at the sickly shine of it.

After several agonizing moments, the bear turned away, heading back to her cubs.

Perhaps it was strength in numbers. Perhaps the bear had had her fill. Maybe she was just tired.

Whatever it was, they were grateful to escape unscathed.

As she led her cubs away from danger, Jaz let out a slow sigh. "She got Top."

"I saw it too," Amir mumbled. He wanted to call for Adam, but they had to wait until the bears were out of sight and far enough away to not be a threat. Certain he could at least move freely, Amir looked down at the ground for any clues. Blood droplets sprinkled the ground here and there, and there were fresh divots of disturbed earth and leaves.

"Definitely looks like someone was here," McG muttered, staring at the same sweeps of movement on the ground.

Amir glanced up, seeing the bears fading in the distance. They had to be far enough. Right? "Top?" he called, looking around. McG joined him, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted for Adam. Jaz and Preach took to examining the disturbed terrain, following the movement and blood.

"Guys, look," Jaz urged, standing at the crest of a hill. The others joined her, staring down the steep slope. It looked like something—or someone—had rolled down the hill.

The four of them carefully made their way down the slope, following the tracks.

Until the terrain dropped off entirely.

No one said a word, leaving only stunned silence.

Cautiously, Amir stepped forward, carefully making his way down the hill and leaning to look over the edge. "Oh . . ."

The others followed, looking over for themselves.

"Damn," Jaz cursed, her breath catching.

Adam was at the base of the drop-off, lying on his back.

McG fell to his knees, hands clasping the sharp edge of the cliffside as he leaned out as far as he could. "Top," he called loudly. Adam didn't move, instead staring distractedly at his arm on his chest. But it wasn't the clear bruising on Adam's arm that caught McG's attention. It was the bloody tears in the leader's side. In his shoulders. His arm. The medic's stomach dropped. He looked fearfully at his teammates. "We've got to get down there."

Nodding, the other three spread out, looking for the safest route to the bottom as the medic stayed behind.

"Top," McG shouted, hoping to snap Adam out of his reverie. "Hey, buddy. How're you doing?" He took a moment to examine Adam from above, eyes lingering on the torn flesh of Adam's shoulder. He could almost see the individual teeth marks, even from fifteen feet away.

It made his skin crawl.

His eyes shifted to the injury gnawed into Adam's side, the bloodied indents deep and merciless. Adam hadn't stood a chance against the beast.

"McG."

The medic looked up at Preach, eyes hopeful.

"We found a way to get down," the older man reported, gesturing further to the right. Amir and Jaz were already climbing down natural steps in the earth, moving quickly to get to Adam.

McG didn't waste a moment, following after Preach.

Amir was the first to get to Adam, who was now staring at his bloodied side with glassy eyes. Amir could hardly stand to look at the torn flesh, but only because this was Top. All this had happened to Top.

This was supposed to be a pleasant trek with teammates.

"Top," Amir huffed, falling to his knees at Adam's side. He felt something wet soaking into the fabric of his pants and looked down.

Blood. Trailing from Adam's side and sinking into the earth.

Amir looked closer at the injury, his breath stuttering at the clear indentations of a bear's jaw torn into the flesh. Panicked, he moved to examine Adam further, seeing the clawed rips in one shoulder and one arm. And there was even angrier tearing in Adam's shoulder, teeth marks standing out starkly against the pale blue of Adam's shirt. Amir's stomach swirled uncomfortably while he ripped off his pullover. Carefully, he wrapped the pullover around the gashes in Adam's side, applying pressure as he swallowed thickly.

That seemed to pull Adam out of his trance.

He growled painfully as agony shot through his side, his body tensing at the discomfort.

"Sorry, but you know I have to," Amir muttered, focused on his task.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jaz breathed as she dropped to Adam's other side, already tearing off her light jacket. She paled when she got a closer look of each injury.

"Jaz?" Adam croaked, his breath coming hard and fast.

"We're here, Top. Nothing to worry about."

Amir tore his gaze away from the blood soaking through his pullover to look for more injuries. An open gash near the blond's hairline dribbled blood. Smaller cuts and scrapes dotted the leaders arms and face, and Amir's own limbs ached just looking at them. But it was the clear bruising on Adam's left arm that stood out the most.

Adam let out a pained groan, the sound harsh and heated. His eyes roved around his surroundings until they settled on Amir. "Amir?"

"Yeah, it's me. We're here."

Adam looked down at himself, stare settling on what he could see of his shredded side. "Is she gone?" He looked to Jaz. She spared him a glance as carefully wrapped her jacket around his chewed-up shoulder.

"Is who gone?" Jaz asked, eyes still glued to her task.

"The bear," he huffed. "Did she leave?"

Jaz stopped, truly looking into his eyes. She thought she could see a flash of fear.

But she couldn't blame him. Humans with guns were one thing. Wild animals were another. They were unpredictable. They were fiercer. Stronger.

And survival against a bear wasn't quite the same as being out in the field.

"She's gone," Jaz answered quietly, still his blue eyes with her own.

Adam shuddered as he looked to the sky.

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here," McG muttered as he gently pushed Amir aside to get a good look at their commanding officer. His eyes caught on the blood already seeping through Amir's pullover. "Damn." He could see the way Adam was keeping his left arm immobile, and that combined with the bruising . . . broken arm.

"We shouldn't move him." The medic took a closer look at Adam's face, taking a particular interest in the size and reaction of his pupils. "At least you didn't hit your head too hard. Anything else hurt? Anything we can't see?"
"Dunno," Adam squinted as he thought long and hard. His breathing was too shallow and quick, and he seemed to be struggling to think past the sparks of agony. "Jus' . . . Jus' some ribs, I think."

McG was astounded that Adam was awake at all. From the looks of things, the bear hadn't exactly held back, and the tumble and fall down a hill and cliff only added to the awful situation. McG could see small pebbles and leaves pressed against the blond's skin and shallow cuts, and he could only imagine what else had been bruised or sprained in the fall.

"We're going to call emergency services, and we're going to get you out of here. Okay, Top?"

Adam nodded, squeezing his eyelids shut. Blood was still spilling down the side of his face, but honestly, that was the least of his problems. McG held the satellite phone out to Preach, who took it quickly and started dialing. Working fast, the medic dug through his bag, pulling out a spare water bottle and swiftly twisting it open. He gave Amir a small nod, and the ex-spy lifted his pullover from the bloody wound. Wincing at the jagged edges of the wound, McG poured the water generously over Adam's side, eliciting a pained cry from the blond. Dirt and debris washed out of the wound, showing how hard Adam's trip down the hillside had been.

They could hear Preach talking lowly and calmly in the background as McG ripped open packs of gauze. Adam trembled under all the pain, though trying gallantly to stifle it.

"Guess I did find trouble," Adam mumbled, the corner of his mouth quirking in a smirk.

"What?" Jaz asked, then her mind clicked back to their conversation the morning before. "I told you, Top. Not funny. Not funny at all."

"I swear I didn't go looking for it," he muttered, his voice breathless. "It was just supposed to be a morning walk."

"I guess nothing's ever that easy with you," McG growled, pressing gauze against ripped flesh. Adam let out a pitiful cry, too tired to put any real force behind it.

"Search and Rescue is on its way," Preach reported, kneeling down beside Jaz. "They're sending a team in on ATVs. Said they should be here within the hour."

McG nodded, looking down at Adam. "How're you doing, Top?"

"Fine," Adam replied wearily, looking distractedly up at the sky. "Did I . . . really get mauled by a bear?"

"Yep, you did," Jaz answered tersely. "Only you would get mauled by a bear on a backpacking trip."

Jaz shifted her hands a little, earning a small grunt from the blond.

"Why did she attack you? The bear," Amir asked,

"Don't know," Adam croaked. His brow furrowed. "I'm pretty sure I did everything I was supposed to. Remain calm, talk, all that . . ."

Amir frowned. "And she still attacked you?"

"Yeah," Adam huffed. "Happened so fast. I didn't even have time to move. Tried to fight." He paused, wincing heavily. "And then at some point, I guess she dropped me, and I rolled down a hill and . . . fell down here."

"That's some shitty luck, Top," McG grumbled, working quickly to bandage Adam's side. "She got you good." The medic winced heavily just thinking about the deep tears in Adam's flesh. Teeth marks. The shape of a bear's jaw. The evenly spaced slices from large claws. He'd never seen anything like it and probably wouldn't again. It left an impression. An impression he would've happily gone without.

McG gently pushed Jaz's jacket away, getting a good look at Adam's shoulder. The same teeth marks, though with wider rips in the skin. As if the bear had snapped Adam up at a full run.

And she probably did.

McG swallowed and shook his head, carefully cleaning the wound. Adam hadn't even thrown himself in danger this time, and that was so frustrating. He volunteered for everything else—you'd think he'd be allowed a break when it mattered.

He glanced at Adam, seeing the glassy look to the leader's eyes. "You still with us, Top?"

"Yeah." His answer was quiet. Exhausted. McG couldn't blame him.

"If you didn't want to go backpacking, you could've just said so," McG teased, trying to lighten the mood. He knew how much Adam hated being the center of somber worry.

Adam let out a soft huff of laughter. "The backpacking was fine. It was spending the week with all of you."

"Oof. Harsh," Jaz chuckled, though she didn't feel much like laughing. It was only for Adam's benefit.

Adam's eyes began to droop, the blood loss and exhaustion sinking in. McG's gaze flitted to the leader's face regularly, watching Adam's fading strength.

"Can't sleep yet, you hear me? It's not our fault you decided to sacrifice sleep for an early morning walk," he joked, though his voice was dark and sharp. He carefully but quickly bandaged Adam's shoulder, watching the white gauze for seeping red.

"'M t'red."

"Yeah, we know, man. It's been a rough morning. Just stay awake a little longer, okay? I know you've got it in you," McG coaxed hastily.

He hated this. He'd brought the first aid kit as a precaution, but he truly didn't think he'd need it. Maybe for the odd blister or thorn or whatever, but not this. And hell, if this was how Top went out of this world, McG would be rightfully angry. The man had run through gunfire, fought ruthless Russian soldiers, thrown himself into danger, put himself beneath a ticking bomb . . . and this was what got him? It wouldn't be right. The man was a hero.

He didn't think this would be how Adam would go. For the most part, he seemed much more coherent than McG had expected. But adrenaline did funny things to a person. And under all that blood and torn tissue, there could've been more damage than McG even realized. He eyed the claw marks in Adam's arm and shoulder. It was terrifying how efficient teeth and claws could be at bodily damage.

Adam's eyes slipped shut, and McG quickly tapped his cheek, ignoring the bloody splatters on Adam's face.

Damn, the ripping that put those splatters there.

McG breathed passed a wave of nausea, trying to empty his mind of the force behind Adam's wounds. Humans were violent in their own creative ways, but McG hardly ever encountered anything like this.

"You've got to stay awake, Top. Stay awake."

Adam blinked slowly, his energy quickly evaporating.

"I'll go get our stuff together," Amir volunteered, hesitantly turning away. They could all tell he wanted to stay, but if they were all going with Adam, it'd be best to have all their belongings ready to go.

"I'll go with you," Preach muttered, following his teammate back to camp.

Jaz was grateful she was left behind.

She could've easily volunteered herself, but she selfishly wanted to stay here. She'd rather help McG stem the blood loss than tuck sleeping bags away. She just wanted to feel more like she was doing something.

"It's already bleeding through," McG sighed, opening more gauze as he eyed the crimson seeping through Adam's shoulder bandaging. He put more over the top, hoping the bleeding would slow soon. He then busied himself cleaning and bandaging the claw gouges, ignoring the broken forearm. S&R probably had a better splint than McG could produce, and stopping the bleeding took priority here.

"We've got to wait here for an hour?" Jaz questioned anxiously. She looked over the dirty scuffs on Adam's clothes, and she desperately wanted to brush the filth away but knew it would be pointless.

"Nothing we haven't done before," McG muttered, tapping Adam's face again. "Top, stay awake."

McG had a point. They'd done transfusions in the field. Stitches. Splints.

Somehow, it just felt different being stateside.

"Top," McG urged, coaxing Adam away from the slippery precipice of unconsciousness. "Don't pass out, understand?"

Adam nodded weakly, not quite all there.

"Put pressure back on that," McG instructed, his hands going to Adam's side. Jaz did as she was told, pushing her hands against the thick swath of gauze around Adam's shoulder.

"Top," McG pressed, his voice firmer. "Adam."

Jaz felt a spike of worry. They'd always called their commanding officer Top. Maybe out of respect. Maybe out of familiarity. She wasn't sure. But they hardly ever called him Adam. Even the DC team preferred to use his last name over his first. His given name was reserved for only those most dire moments. Moments of the quietest reverence. Moments of frantic calls to action.

Or moments when calls of Top or Dalton didn't register.

Like now.

"Adam," McG barked. But still, Adam's eyes remained closed, his face slack.

McG swiped a wrist across his brow. "Let's pray Search and Rescue gets here fast."

Jaz looked down at Adam. She wasn't much for praying.

But she could try.