Mouse Trap

Outside it was eerily still. When Shalimar and Brennan entered the alleyway their target had apparently disappeared. They had no doubt that he had made them and was now hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce.

"We've been made guys, be careful," Shalimar warned as her eyes glowed gold.

"Will do…" Sam responded.

As carefully as possible, Shal and Bren began to make their way towards Jesse and Sam. They moved slowly, scanning every shadow, every inch, for any sin of their pray. It was skin crawlingly tense and every noise and movement made the two jump, but it was the sounds of a struggle that made them run.

"Shalimar! He's here! Help!" Sam yelled over the coms causing the other two to race towards the back alley and Sam and Jesse. They found Sam near convulsing on the ground and no sign of Jesse.

"Sam!" Shalimar called as she went to his side. There was a bite mark on Sam's collar bone and it was clear to Shal he was fighting the affects of the toxin in his blood.

"Came…nowhere…took Jess…couldn't…" Sam tried to choke out.

As soon as Brennan heard those horrible words he took off in the only direction that their target and Jesse could have taken. "Stay with him Shal!" he called before he disappeared out of the alley.

"Jesse…get Jesse…" Sam pleaded before he gave into the toxin.

"Shhh…stay still, don't talk. You'll be fine…Brennan's going to get Jess. It'll be fine," Shal said applying pressure to the badly bleeding bite, at the same time she signaled for the Helix.

She just prayed she was right.

line –

Behind the cub was a vacant lot that lead into a patch of trees. The trees, Brennan knew, shared a border with a park that in return lead to an abandoned part of the city. Brennan knew that if the guy made it into those woods with Jesse, Jesse was dead. Problem was, the guy was moving faster then Brennan, and that was with Jesse's dead weight draped over his shoulders.

The fact that he was moving so fast disturbed Brennan. The fact that he had Jesse, enraged Brennan. The fact that he knew what awaited Jesse should he fail, panicked Brennan. But the fact that Jesse wasn't struggling, fighting, or even appeared to be moving terrified him as he gave chase.

The guy was already half way to the trees by the time Brennan reached the lot and he knew that it would take a miracle for him to catch the guy, or a well placed bolt. The well placed bolt hit the guy in the legs causing him to tumble. Brennan saw him go down and mumbled an apology to Jess as he watched the blond get tossed about like a rag doll.

But the bolt had done the trick and Brennan had managed to catch up with the guy, except the only person he found was Jesse. Cautiously, looking around him, Brennan knelt down next to his friend. They were just a few feet from the tree line, thick grass covered most of the area and blocked them from view of the alley. It was dark, very, very, dark and silent. Brennan didn't like it one bite. He looked down at the younger man and frowned.

Jesse had a cut just above his right temple that was bleeding sluggishly and there was already signs of swelling around his eye socket. Thankfully though, there was no sign that the guy had bitten Jesse and in fact, the blond was moving his arms and legs.

"Jess," Brennan called and noticed with great relief when the younger man's eyes fluttered open.

"Bren…" Jesse chocked out.

"It's alright Jess, you're safe now," Brennan said, tenderly stroking Jesse's hair. Jess tried to sit up, but it took to much effort and Brennan restrained him, "take it easy Jess, you got hit hard in the head, just take it easy."

But Jesse couldn't just take it easy, he knew something was wrong. He could feel it. Things weren't alright and they weren't safe. The most frustrating thing though was that he couldn't manage to put this into words. "He's not gone…" Jesse whispered, but Brennan couldn't hear him. All Brennan could hear was Jesse's strained voice in what he thought was a moan.

"It's alright Jesse," Brennan reassured again, much to the agitation of the younger man. He began to move about, again trying to sit up. And again Brennan tried to keep him still, confused by Jesse's sudden aggression. "Easy Jess, it's alright…."

But it wasn't alright, and Jesse knew it. He could sense It near by. He knew It was coming, but in his confused mind he didn't know how to tell Brennan. All he knew was that he was tired and his head was throbbing and Brennan holding him was very comforting. And thus he felt himself slipping back into oblivion just as a flash of movement came out of the surrounding darkness.

"Brennan…" he screamed, but it only came out as a moan that was lost as Brennan tried desperately to fend off their attacker. Horrified, all Jesse could do was watch as yet another person fell to It.