Author's Note: Same disclaimers apply. Not mine, no money, no lawsuits
please! I'll try to keep the story moving, but I have a 10 page paper on
the historical development of bureaucracy due this week. Ugh. Bear with me,
it will get going I swear!
Greg fired a look at his friend. He had no idea what Nick was up to, but he trusted the CSI's instincts. Whatever, Nick needed him to do, he would do. Especially if it kept him alive.
The heavy black boots of the apparent leader stopped in front of Greg.
"Get up". The voice was cold, unforgiving and carried a hint of a threat to it. Greg glanced sharply at Nick. His friend gave him that same, almost non- existent shake of the head. It's message? Don't do it.
"I said, GET UP!" The words reverberated around the room. The man, angry at Greg's lack of cooperation, grabbed the young lab tech by the back of his coat and yanked him to his feet.
"Don't even try to be a martyr, boy! When I tell you to do something, you damn well do it! Do you really think you're in the position to be defiant?" His voice continued to rise as he shouted at the young man. Greg was getting nervous. The man was clearly agitated, but Nick had told him not to speak. Greg was torn between heeding his friend's advice and trying to calm the man in front of him. Before he could make up his mind, Nick spoke up.
"Leave him alone. Yelling at him is not going to make him cooperate". His voice was calm, level, the polar opposite of the robber's.
"Oh?" sneered the man who held Greg, "And why is that?".
"Because he's deaf."
This stopped the criminal's tirade. He stared at Nick. So did Greg. Had he heard his friend correctly? Had Nick just told that man he was deaf?
"Excuse me? Did you just say what I think you said?" one of the other men spoke up, all the while glancing nervously at his partners.
"That's right. My friend here is deaf. Has been for years. I'm his interpreter" Nick prayed that he sounded convincing. Greg's life, and his, depended on it.
"Well then smart guy" said the leader, "Interpret this: tell him that if he wants to live, he'll do exactly what we.I mean, YOU say". Nick glanced at Greg. The kid met his gaze. Well, Nick thought, let's see you use those dramatic skills that you're always flaunting around the lab Greggo. Make me proud. With a deep breath, he made a series of hand gestures that he hoped looked like sign language.
Greg didn't miss a beat. As soon as Nick finished, he responded with his own series of hand gestures. He would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. This had to be the craziest idea Nick, or anyone for that matter had ever had. But the situation was very real, and very dangerous. And everyone was waiting for Nick's explanation of what Greg had just "said".
"Well? What did he say?" The leader sounded impatient. They needed to get out of there soon if they wanted to stay out of jail.
"He said that he'll do anything you ask." Nick trailed off. He faltered for a moment. He knew Greg wasn't going to like this next part. ".as long as you take me too. He needs me there to interpret for him".
Greg's stomach dropped. Nick was going to get himself taken hostage as well because of him. Greg wanted so badly to speak up, to tell them to leave Nick and take him alone, but he couldn't risk blowing their cover. If he talked now, they would now that Nick and he were lying, and would kill them on the spot.
The leader mulled over Greg's supposed proposition for a few seconds.
"Fine. But if either one of you gives us any grief, you both die" He shoved the barrel of the gun against Greg's head for emphasis.
"We're not going to give you a reason to shoot us, trust me" Nick replied, wishing that the man would get his gun away from Greg's temple.
Greg flinched as the gun was held against his head. He really didn't like this. Yet, despite his overwhelming sense of guilt that Nick was going to enter into this situation just to save him, Greg couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to be alone.
Greg fired a look at his friend. He had no idea what Nick was up to, but he trusted the CSI's instincts. Whatever, Nick needed him to do, he would do. Especially if it kept him alive.
The heavy black boots of the apparent leader stopped in front of Greg.
"Get up". The voice was cold, unforgiving and carried a hint of a threat to it. Greg glanced sharply at Nick. His friend gave him that same, almost non- existent shake of the head. It's message? Don't do it.
"I said, GET UP!" The words reverberated around the room. The man, angry at Greg's lack of cooperation, grabbed the young lab tech by the back of his coat and yanked him to his feet.
"Don't even try to be a martyr, boy! When I tell you to do something, you damn well do it! Do you really think you're in the position to be defiant?" His voice continued to rise as he shouted at the young man. Greg was getting nervous. The man was clearly agitated, but Nick had told him not to speak. Greg was torn between heeding his friend's advice and trying to calm the man in front of him. Before he could make up his mind, Nick spoke up.
"Leave him alone. Yelling at him is not going to make him cooperate". His voice was calm, level, the polar opposite of the robber's.
"Oh?" sneered the man who held Greg, "And why is that?".
"Because he's deaf."
This stopped the criminal's tirade. He stared at Nick. So did Greg. Had he heard his friend correctly? Had Nick just told that man he was deaf?
"Excuse me? Did you just say what I think you said?" one of the other men spoke up, all the while glancing nervously at his partners.
"That's right. My friend here is deaf. Has been for years. I'm his interpreter" Nick prayed that he sounded convincing. Greg's life, and his, depended on it.
"Well then smart guy" said the leader, "Interpret this: tell him that if he wants to live, he'll do exactly what we.I mean, YOU say". Nick glanced at Greg. The kid met his gaze. Well, Nick thought, let's see you use those dramatic skills that you're always flaunting around the lab Greggo. Make me proud. With a deep breath, he made a series of hand gestures that he hoped looked like sign language.
Greg didn't miss a beat. As soon as Nick finished, he responded with his own series of hand gestures. He would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. This had to be the craziest idea Nick, or anyone for that matter had ever had. But the situation was very real, and very dangerous. And everyone was waiting for Nick's explanation of what Greg had just "said".
"Well? What did he say?" The leader sounded impatient. They needed to get out of there soon if they wanted to stay out of jail.
"He said that he'll do anything you ask." Nick trailed off. He faltered for a moment. He knew Greg wasn't going to like this next part. ".as long as you take me too. He needs me there to interpret for him".
Greg's stomach dropped. Nick was going to get himself taken hostage as well because of him. Greg wanted so badly to speak up, to tell them to leave Nick and take him alone, but he couldn't risk blowing their cover. If he talked now, they would now that Nick and he were lying, and would kill them on the spot.
The leader mulled over Greg's supposed proposition for a few seconds.
"Fine. But if either one of you gives us any grief, you both die" He shoved the barrel of the gun against Greg's head for emphasis.
"We're not going to give you a reason to shoot us, trust me" Nick replied, wishing that the man would get his gun away from Greg's temple.
Greg flinched as the gun was held against his head. He really didn't like this. Yet, despite his overwhelming sense of guilt that Nick was going to enter into this situation just to save him, Greg couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to be alone.