Part 4

Heads down, shoulders slumped, they hiked through the woods as quickly as possible. Tim's breathing deepened, and with each intake of breath, a sharp, uncomfortable pain stabbed under his ribs deep into his belly. The instinct to hold that pain snatched at him. It was a relief when Tony slowly pulled away from him and began walking on his own. Sliding his hand through his jacket, McGee pressed his palm to his abdomen. His body hurt, and the very frightening belief that he might be badly injured created strange and wild thoughts that screamed and scattered through his head. Could he convince Tony to leave him? He began composing arguments, listing all the reasons why Tony should keep going, go find help, and come back for him. His feet grew heavier and heavier; he expected each second that his knees would buckle and send him to the ground. When it finally happened, he didn't even notice that he'd stopped.

"McGee!"

Tim lifted his head. Rain fell ceaselessly, endlessly, shooting like little gray arrows out of the sky. Someone gripped his shoulder.

"Tim!"

Tony knelt beside him. Strength dissipated and he melted weakly against his friend. He watched in silence as alarm lifted Tony's eyebrows nearly to his hairline. Tony grasped his shoulders and held him steady, keeping him from falling.

"Tim, what's wrong?" Tim shook his head but Tony's grip tightened painfully. His head lolled bonelessly on his neck when Tony shook him and shouted; angry words spitting out of his mouth. "Don't lie to me! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Weary with pain, Tim slumped against Tony. Strong arms wrapped around him. Lifting his chin, he whispered tremulously against Tony's throat. "You need to keep going."

The side of a tree next to them seemed to explode. Unable to make sense of what was happening, Tim watched Tony pull away and twist suddenly to look behind them. Then, in a move that left him gasping for breath, Tony pulled him to his feet, wrapped an arm around his waist, and began running. "They're shooting at us, McGee - for god's sake - run!"

The ground blurred beneath their feet. Rain pelted their faces, bushes and branches tore at their clothes. Abruptly, they were falling, tumbling down an incline. Tim rolled to a stop. Agony made everything hurt and jumbled his senses until he couldn't tell up from down. Dizzy and sick, he pushed himself from the ground. Tony. There! Like him, Tony seemed disoriented from the fall. A roaring sound sang through his head and Tim figured he had a concussion to add to his other worries. Tony stood and reached for him. He yelled something, but the roar had grown into a white noise that sucked everything into it, and Tim couldn't hear him.

Tony pulled at him, dragging him up the other side of the ravine they'd fallen into. His legs didn't want to cooperate; his knees felt as if they belonged to someone else. Air seemed determined not to come near him, no matter how hard he sucked it into his lungs. The noise was everywhere, crowding out everything else. They made it to the top and collapsed. McGee lay on his stomach, battling to breath. Rain pounded against him, pouring like a huge reservoir empting out onto his back. Slowly, he rolled to his side and discovered, that wasn't rain pelting against him; it was the splash of waves as a flashflood filled the ravine and thundered past. On the other side, their three pursers stood still, watching. When it became obvious they could not cross, they turned slowly and walked away, but not before one lifted his arm and pointed at them. The message was clear: they weren't giving up. They'd find a way around the creek and come after them.

"We gotta get out of here." Breathless, Tony pulled at McGee's shoulder. "They're circling around and coming after us, McGee. We've got to keep going."

"I - I can't."

"Yes, you can. Even if I have to carry you." Tony hooked under his arms and pulled him to his feet, then turned him to face him. "Next time I ask you if you're all right, tell me the truth." Not waiting for an answer, he wrapped his arm around McGee and they started back into the trees.