Chapter One

The ground was wet and slippery, and with Byard holding him so close Tony's feet had become entangled with his captor's, he'd gone down in a heap, and lay panting on the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Byard lunged toward Tony, knife in hand; Tim took a deep breath and charged at Byard, his only thought to make a barrier between Tony and the knife. Tim had the brief satisfaction of sending his assailant crashing to the ground, but he had no time to savour the moment; with his control restricted by the handcuffs Tim was unable to halt his momentum, and he was bracing himself for the fall, and maybe a dowsing in the creek, when his back exploded in white hot pain…Byard hadn't dropped the knife, enraged by this unexpected attack, he plunged the blade deep into Tim's back.

Tim couldn't think; he couldn't react, there was nothing but searing pain and unstoppable motion; he didn't even have the breath to scream…

Tony tried to get to his feet, he'd had the wind knocked out of him when he fell, but he was free…Byard had let go and now Tony could get to his own knife. Finally upright after struggling to get a foothold in the mud, Tony steadied himself and waited as Byard raced toward him, knife raised and his face twisted in fury. Tony called out breathlessly.

"Stop right there!"

Byard was beyond listening to reason, his escape plan had been thwarted and these men were going to pay, one down, one to go; he lunged forward. Tony had seen that look often enough to know there was only one way to stop him. As Byard pulled back his arm to strike, Tony thrust his knife into Byard's chest, he dropped like a stone; the knife finally falling from his fingers. Tony checked for a pulse...nothing; finally with time to catch his breath, he felt the warmth on his own neck and tentatively reached up his hand.

"Aw man, I'm bleeding, and this is a new shirt…Tim? Tim!"

Where was he? Tony couldn't see him, but he should be here…

Tony ran to the bridge, Tim had to be here somewhere, what had happened while he was sprawled out in the mud? Then his eyes opened wide as he saw it, a dark red stain in the water.

"Oh no Tim…Tim!"

He ran headlong beside the creek, repeating over and over. "No, no, no…." It was like a mantra, a prayer; maybe if he said it often enough it would make it so…Tim would be sitting on the grass ready to tear him a new one for being so stubborn about calling for backup. But he wasn't there; Tony lost his footing and almost slipped into the water...Still Creek it was called, it was anything but still right now…after weeks of above average rainfall the creek was swollen and fast running, too shallow for swimming, but not so shallow that a man couldn't drown…especially a man who was hurt…

Tim had tried so hard to keep breathing, the water kept filling his mouth, he couldn't lift his head…it was so heavy, and his back…it was on fire…how could that be when he was almost submerged in cold water? He had tried to turn over, to get onto his back, get his face out of the water…but with his hands cuffed together there was no way he could turn…he was face down in the water, all he could do was fight with everything he had to take a breath…just one more, if he could hold out until Tony came…what if Tony was hurt…if Byard got him too…he swallowed another mouthful of creek water…his head was heavier now, and the water was roaring in his ears…at least the pain was fading…he could concentrate on breathing, he knew he had to breathe…one more attempt to move his head, to stay alive…surely he could do it one more time…

"Tim!"

At last, Tony could see him, but there was no joy in the discovery. Tim was lying face down in the water as he was carried along by the undercurrent. The red stain was gone, and Tony didn't want to process what that could mean right now, he knew he had to get Tim out of the water.

Tony eased himself into the creek, it wasn't deep, but it was cold…He grabbed hold of Tim's shoulder, and tried to turn him over, to see if he was breathing, his hand touched metal, and he suddenly remembered, Tim was in handcuffs…there was no way he could have helped himself.

Tony strengthened his grip, it was up to him; he had to get Tim out of here. He pulled the inanimate body toward the bank, not daring to look too closely at Tim's face. He had to believe that Tim was still alive…He used every ounce of his strength to push Tim out of the water and on to dry ground. He pulled himself out and quickly dragged Tim away from the sloping bank; he dropped to his knees and felt for a pulse he knew he wasn't going to find...he put his cheek close to Tim's mouth, Tim wasn't breathing…Tony finally summoned up the courage to look at Tim's face.

One look at his blue lips and Tony knew what he had to do…no jokes about kissing this time, he tilted Tim's head back and took in a deep breath, he pinched Tim's nose, then covered his mouth with his own, and exhaled - another breath, then without conscious thought he started chest compressions.

They'd done this so many times on that stupid dummy back at NCIS, Tony counting out as Tim took his turn, then Tim doing the same for him…never in his worst nightmares could Tony have imagined that one day he would be doing this for Tim; trying to force some life into his lifeless body.

"Come on Tim, breathe."

He tasted salt…was he crying? No time for that, he had to keep working, keep Tim's heart beating.

"Tony! McGee!"

It was Ziva, Tony could hear her, but he couldn't spare the breath to answer, two more breaths, then compressions. Then he heard Gibbs' voice.

"Ziva, go get Ducky!" Gibbs dropped to his knees beside Tim, fumbled for his phone and quickly called for an ambulance. He reached out toward Tim.

"Tony, let me help…"

Tony shook his head. "I have to…Boss…I think…he's...dead…"