On a chilly evening in early February 2010, a group of friends gathered around the table at a restaurant in a French ski resort. They had been out on the slopes all day and were warming up with mulled wine by the fire. A cell phone buzzed, and one of the friends looked down and frowned. They excused themselves and stepped away from the table to talk. When they came back, they were pale and their hands were shaking. The others asked what was wrong, but they just shook their head and grabbed their coat. They had to leave, right now. Someone they cared about very much needed their help.