The impact came from behind, an explosion of pain at the base of my skull. The world tilted, went fuzzy around the edges. I was falling, my body suddenly as unresponsive as a puppet with cut strings.
The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was Jake's face, his mouth open in a silent scream.
Then, nothing.
I drifted in and out of consciousness, fragments of reality intruding on the blessed oblivion. Rough hands dragging me across uneven ground. The crunch of leaves. Voices, muffled and indistinct.
"...tougher than we thought..."
"...boss won't be happy..."
"...what about the others..."
I tried to open my eyes, to move, to fight, but my body refused to cooperate. The darkness was encroaching again, threatening to pull me under. As I felt myself slipping away, one thought b
