ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. UTILITY TUNNELS - NIGHT
Nick runs out a door into a tunnel. Behind him someone screams. He glances over his shoulder.
Shania is chasing him armed with the crowbar. Nick turns two corners before running into Daniel. Nick doesn't let his surprise get the better of him. He swings his fist at Daniel.
Daniel ducks, turns, and snaps the end of a pair of handcuffs around Nick's wrist. He yanks the open cuff hard, throwing Nick off balance, and snaps it around a thick steam pipe.
Nick turns, right toward Shania. She swings the crowbar up, catching his chin and slamming the back of his head against the pipe. Nick throws up his arm to block the next swing.
The crowbar hits the top of his forearm.
CSI POV
Hairline fractures spilt across the ulna and radius.
BACK TO SCENE
Shania swings again.
CSI POV
The bones snap.
BACK TO SCENE
Nick sees the crowbar coming at his head. He turns his shoulder to her and uses his upper arm to protect his head. She hits his humerous again and again.
CSI POV
The bone fractures with each hit until it shatters in several places.
BACK TO SCENE
Nick can't keep his arm up and she gets a solid hit against the back of his skull, sending him forward to the floor.
He quickly sits up, expecting another hit right away, but finds her held back in Daniel's arms. The man runs his hands over her body. He grins at Nick -- Satan himself. She's in ecstasy in her lover's arms.
DANIEL
How many will this make, baby?
She laughs.
SHANIA
Thirty-eight!
DANIEL
That's three more than Bundy.
She turns into his hand when he runs it down her face.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
Bash his skull in, baby. I'll watch
this time.
Shania laughs and swings the crowbar at Nick's head.
Knowing his fate, Nick closes his eyes and braces for it.
It begins with a loud CRACK!
FADE TO:
INT. UTILITY TUNNEL - LATER
Nick and the rat stare at each other. The rat bolts. Nick closes his eyes. He tries to move his arm and cries out. The cry subsides to silent tears.
A DARK STRANGER moves without a sound toward Nick. The light seems to move with him, keeping him hidden in the shadows and never revealing his face. His silhouette hints that he is not Daniel, his height and hairstyle are different.
DARK STRANGER
Don't you dare give up, Nicholas.
Don't you dare!
Nick's eyes slowly open again. He watches the person stop across the tunnel from him. The light moves with the person, preventing any features from showing.
NICK
Help me.
DARK STRANGER
I can't do that. You have to do
that. Sit up.
NICK
Please... Help me.
DARK STRANGER
Come on, Nicky. You can do this.
Reach for your keys. Get the
handcuff key.
NICK
My arm's broken.
DARK STRANGER
Think it through. It's going to
hurt like hell, but you can do
this. You have to.
NICK
Why?
The Dark Stranger doesn't answer.
Nick closes his eyes and wraps his hand around the handcuff link. Slowly he pulls himself to his feet. He tries to get in his pocket with his handcuffed hand, but the hot steam pipe nearby keeps him from doing that.
Nick closes his eyes and with effort drags his broken arm across his body. As he's stretching, the last shred of bone breaks. It makes him scream and fall against the steam pipe, burning his good arm. Nick pulls back, leaning against the wall and pressing his cheek to the cool cement.
DARK STRANGER
Come on, Nick. You have to do this.
NICK
Help me. Please.
DARK STRANGER
I can't help you. You're the only
one that can get you out of here.
NICK
HELP ME!
The stranger charges at him, into the light. Nick stares wide-eyed and terrified. Who he's seeing cannot be real.
DARK STRANGER
Save yourself, Nick! Do it now!
EXT. Csi buildiNG - EVENING
Greg sits on steps, pulling apart a dandelion. He doesn't look up when Catherine sits next to him. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying. The sun hangs low in the west.
GREG
It'll be five days tomorrow. Do
ya think he'll give us Nick's
body soon?
Catherine closes her eyes. She leans on her legs, hugging her arms. Greg rips the dandelion apart and throws it at their feet. She just stares at it.
CATHERINE
I had to call his parents. Again.
Do you know what his mother asked me?
GREG
What?
CATHERINE
Why does this keep happening to our
son? I thought being a CSI wasn't
supposed to be a dangerous job. I
didn't know how to answer that.
Greg puts his arm around her.
INT. UTILITY TUNNELS - NIGHT
Nick staggers through the tunnels, using the pipes for support. Blood has congealed around his injuries and he leaves no blood trail. Nick reaches a metal staircase leading to a utility door. He stares up the staircase. It may as well be Mount Everest.
DARK STRANGER
Come on, Nicky. You can do this.
Nick doesn't move. The dark stranger walks up behind him, but his footsteps are silent.
DARK STRANGER (CONT'D)
Don't stop. Keep moving. Gotta keep moving.
NICK
You... Are an hallucination.
The stranger stops at his shoulder. Nick looks up at WARRICK.
NICK (CONT'D)
Stop talking to me. You're dead.
Warrick shrugs, looking up the stairs.
WARRICK
Doesn't matter if I'm dead or not, Nick, you can't stop now.
Nick starts to sit down. Warrick leans over, meeting his eyes.
WARRICK (CONT'D)
Nicholas Stokes doesn't quit. Get
up. Walk out of here.
NICK
You aren't real.
WARRICK
There are people up there that
depend on you. You are not going
to just lie down and die. I won't
let you.
NICK
YOU AREN'T REAL!
WARRICK
MOVE IT!
They glare at each other, but Nick caves. With his good arm he grabs the railing and starts up the stairs.
EXT. ACCESS ROAD DITCH CHEYENNE AVE. - NIGHT
Mateo Sacilido laughs with the other gang members as they drink and spray paint the utility entrance wall with tags. A GANG MEMBER pulls back from the door, staring at the door handle.
GANG MEMBER
The handle just moved.
The others jeer him. He waves it off and goes back to work. Suddenly the door flies open, hitting him in the face and knocking him back. The others fall back, staring.
The orange light and steam masks the identity of the person standing in the doorway. Slowly the person comes out, revealing Nick. He doesn't even notice them.
The boys move into a group with the Gang Member and Mateo at the front.
GANG MEMBER (CONT'D)
That's the CSI that's been missing.
The one that had Domingo arrested.
In this light Nick looks more like a zombie. He shuffles along the wall, heading toward the fence above. The side he's headed toward doesn't have any holes.
GANG MEMBER (CONT'D)
Come on. We don't want to be near
here when the bastard dies.
They head for the fence on the other side. There are several large holes on this side. Mateo falls back in the group until he stops. He turns, watching Nick.
GANG MEMBER (CONT'D)
Come on, Mateo.
He looks up at them, then back at Nick. Mateo turns, walking toward Nick. He pulls a switchblade from his pocket, snapping it open.
GANG MEMBER (CONT'D)
KILL HIM! KILL HIM, MATEO!
The gang starts cheering him on, encouraging him to kill the CSI that helped arrest Domingo.
INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM A - LATER
An officer stands at the door watching Mateo. He's wearing an orange jumper and is on edge. He shakes his leg, staring at the table.
Next to him sits a very young, inexperienced, and cheap, LAWYER. Money is the only reason he's representing Mateo.
They look up when Catherine walks in. She sits down, placing a folder on the table.
MATEO
How's Nick?
CATHERINE
Feeling guilty?
MATEO
I already told you people I did not
hurt him! Jesus!
Catherine pulls out photos of Mateo's blood covered clothes, slapping them before him. Mateo looks at them, then her. He leans forward a little.
MATEO (CONT'D)
Ain't you missing a few?
CATHERINE
Such as?
MATEO
The bandana and shirt I used to
bandage him. If I hurt Nick, why
would I have used my own clothes
to bandage him up? Did ya think
about that?
CATHERINE
To make it look like you didn't
do it. But the evidence is
right here, Mateo.
She motions at the photographs.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
You were covered in his blood.
MATEO
No shit! He was covered in blood
and he couldn't stand. I held him
up. That's how I got his blood all
over me! I keep telling you this
and you ain't listening to me!
CATHERINE
We went into the utility tunnels,
Mateo. We found a couple drops of
blood at the top of the stairs, but
nothing else. And your gang says they
weren't there last night. Which
leaves you there, by yourself,
with a critically wounded CSI. Your
story doesn't match the evidence.
MATEO
I don't know why there wasn't
anything. And those losers ain't
gonna back me up. I turned my
back on them when I refused to kill
Nick. The hell with them! Don't
need those bastards anyway.
Catherine is conflicted by what Mateo's saying, and what the evidence is saying. She goes with the evidence.
CATHERINE
You told us that night that...
She opens the folder, pulling a transcript out.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Nick was conscious until the police
car showed up, and during that time
he told you the descriptions of
your accomplices.
MATEO
They are not my accomplices! He
talked to me some, told me names
and descriptions. Then he passed
out.
CATHERINE
How convenient.
Mateo is getting frustrated. He looks to his lawyer for help, but the man isn't getting involved.
CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Why'd you run, Mateo? If Nick means
so much to you, why did you abandon
him and run from the officer?
MATEO
Cuz I...
Mateo is ashamed of the answer.
CATHERINE
You're what?
MATEO
The officer came around the car
with a gun pointed at me. I knew
exactly how this was going to play
out. I was right, wasn't I? Ghetto
gangster kid must've done it. You
don't care about the truth. Nick...
Mateo looks at his handcuffed hands, making a face to hold back his tears.
MATEO (CONT'D)
Nick was wrong.
CATHERINE
Wrong about what?
MATEO
He always says to me 'Mateo, trust
the evidence. The evidence don't
lie. It'll protect you. I'll
protect you.'
Mateo glares at her.
MATEO (CONT'D)
He was wrong. He let me down just
like everyone else I know. The evidence
is lying and he isn't here to protect
me. You know what? I'm done trying
to talk to you. Talk to my lawyer.
The statement surprises the lawyer. He looks at her.
LAWYER
You heard him. We're done.
Catherine's satisfied she has enough and leave.
FADE TO:
INT. SUNRISE HSP - ROOM 412 - EVENING
Greg sits in one chair. He has a laptop on his lap and is typing a report based on pieces of notes scattered on the chair next to him.
SUPER: Two months later
The sun is drifting behind the western horizon and Las Vegas is lighting up.
Nick sleeps in the bed. He doesn't look as bad as he did before. He's clean-shaven and has color. There are faint bruises on his face. One arm from shoulder to hand, and one thigh, are in casts.
Nick opens his eyes. He slowly takes in his surroundings until he finds Greg. He stares at Greg for a few moments, like he doesn't believe what he's seeing.
NICK
Are you real?
Greg looks up and beams. He sets his computer aside as he stands up next to the bed.
GREG
I'm real. Nice to have you back
with the living.
NICK
I gotta give you Daniel and Shania's
description. You have to catch
them. They're--
GREG
We already have them. We put their
description in all the papers and
on TV. Someone spotted them and they
were apprehended.
EXT. SUNDOWN MOTEL (RE-ACTMENT)
SWAT are quickly clearing out the rooms around room number 12. BRASS and Catherine wait behind cars, watching anxiously. On a signal, SWAT burst into the room. There's yelling, screaming, then things calm down.
In handcuffs they march out Shania and Daniel.
CATHERINE
I want to kill them.
Brass pats her arm.
BRASS
That's what makes you better
though, doesn't it? You aren't.
CATHERINE
Maybe they were trying to escape.
Brass looks at her. She really could kill them right now. Brass reaches out, unfastens her side arm, and takes it.
BRASS
Let's get those swabs and prints,
and get out of here. Okay?
She nods. She picks the kit sitting next to her feet and follows Brass toward them.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE