Author's Note: I should be studying for a Chaucer mid-term, but you made me feel guilty with your demands for the next chapter. So if I flunk out of school, I am blaming you guys J The only ones that belong to me are the ones that don't already belong to CBS (Is that totally incoherent? Thought so!)
* * * *
Nick had heard the footsteps an instant before the door opened. He motioned for Greg to be quiet.
The door swung open and King and his cronies stepped inside. Nick noticed a smirk on the leader's face. Something was up; he just didn't know what. He just hoped that the men hadn't come down here to rid themselves of their hostages.
"Gentleman" the leader's voice was oily, with no hint of respect behind the word "I'm glad to see you're alright. I hope you got a good rest." He looked expectantly at Nick.
That was Nick's cue to "sign" message back to Greg. He had barely started when King grabbed his wrist.
"Now really, do you think that's necessary?' His smirk grew as he watched Nick's face.
Nick faltered for only a second. "Um....of course it's necessary. How else is he going to know what you just said to me?"
King smiled an evil, sinister smile. "I will admit that the two of you are good. I am a big enough man to admit that you had us all fooled, even me. But come now, don't you think it's time to drop the act".
Nick's blood ran cold. Oh God, he thought desperately, this is not happening. This man had to be lying. There was no way that he could know that Greg wasn't deaf. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to call King's bluff.
"Come off it man. You think that we're faking this? What kind of fools do you take us for? I told you before and I'll tell you again: he's deaf as a doorknob. I'm insulted that you would even say something like that!"
King tightened his grip of Nick's wrist. "Maybe I was wrong. But I don't think so. I have a little test for the two of you. Grab him!" He barked the order at the other two men, who immediately moved forward. One grabbed Greg from behind in a crushing bear hug. The other lunged forward and swept Nick's legs out from under him, pinning him face down to the cold, hard floor. King's smile grew.
"You see, I heard from a very reliable source that the two of you have been playing us for fools. And I don't take kindly to being made a fool of. SO I have devised a simple plan. You my friend need do nothing more than hold still. You (he turned towards Greg), if you can indeed hear me, you had best speak up now if you want to help your friend"
Greg said nothing. He pasted what he hoped was a look of confusion on his face, and shot a questioning look at Nick. He had no idea what these men were going to do, but he couldn't blow his cover. Like Nick, he thought they were just playing them, trying to trap them into admitting that the whole thing was an act. The leader shook his head at Greg's lack of response.
"I see. You plan on playing this little charade through. How commendable. Well, at any point, feel free to speak up. I've decided that I have had just about enough of your so called 'sign language'. I doubt if you even know a single word in sign language" His eyes were locked on Nick's. Nick was breathing very hard. Just what was the man going to do to him?
The leader continued as he walked lazily towards the open door. "In fact I am so fed up with your fake sign language that I have decided to make sure that you can't do it anymore. Granted, you won't be able to do much of anything anymore but.." he trailed off as he stepped outside the door for a moment. When he stepped back inside, Nick thought he was going to pass out.
The man was holding an axe. A big, shiny, razor sharp axe.
He strolled towards the spot where Nick lay, and looked down at him. He was clearly enjoying the look of utter terror on Nick's face. Behind him, Greg tried to pull free on his captor, to no avail. The leader turned to watch the struggle with a look of amusement on his face.
"Are you sure you don't want to speak up? Maybe spare your friend a fair amount of pain?"
Nick looked at Greg and shook his head violently. Nick didn't want to give the leader any reason to hurt Greg, and admitting that the deaf thing was all just an act would definitely give the leader reason to lash out. Besides, Nick told himself, the leader is probably still bluffing, waiting to see if we'll crack.
The leader looked at Greg and simply shrugged. "Very well. Have it your way. So, what do you think, left or right?"
The man holding Nick replied: "Right"
"Excellent. Places people!" The man holding Nick took his cue and stretched Nick's right arm out in front of him, pressing into Nick's forearm so hard that his hand ground against Nick's bone. Nick struggled, but it was no use. The man had thrown his entire body weight onto Nick, and held him in place. The leader stepped up and smiled once more.
"The time has come to bid your hand a fond farewell……Nick" He began to swing the axe down with all his might.
"WAIT!!"
There was a terrific clang as the axe struck the cold cement, inches away from Nick's hand. All eyes turned to Greg. The leader spoke first.
"Busted". A look of pure malice spread across his face.
* * * *
Greg hadn't planned on yelling out. But when the leader called Nick by name, he had realized that the game was over. The leader wasn't lying. He really did know that he and Nick had been putting on an act. Greg knew that the leader had every intention of cutting off Nick's hand. He had to say something. So he had cried out the only thing that made sense.
"WAIT!!"
The single word seemed to reverberate around the small room for an eternity. Then everyone had turned to stare at him. He looked only at Nick, and tried to convey to his friend that he was sorry. He hadn't meant to blow their cover, but it was the only thing he could do. And now he watched in terrified anticipation as the leader approached him.
* * * *
"Well, I must remember to buy my source a drink. He was right about you two. You are liars. Good ones, I'll admit, but liars nonetheless" The leader's voice was low and modulated. Greg almost wished he would yell. Hearing King speak so calmly was somehow more frightening than if he raged at him. While he spoke, the other man had pulled Nick off the floor and had a painfully tight grip on his arms, pinning them to his sides.
King threw the axe to the floor; he no longer needed it. "Gentlemen, I applaud your efforts. You almost got away with it, but you should never, ever trust a thief. Now, I am afraid that the time has come for me to eliminate the two of you" He began to draw his gun. Nick knew that they had to act now.
He threw his head back with all his might, smashing it into the nose of the man who was holding him. There was a sickening crack as the bone gave way, followed by a torrent of blood. The leader whirled around which gave Greg time to drive his foot back into his captor's kneecap. The man howled in pain and released Greg.
Nick lunged at the leader who was aiming his gun at Greg. "Sanders, RUN!" He wrestled with King as Greg bolted for the door. Nick drove his elbow into King's chin and turned to run out the door. He called out to his friend one last time.
"Greg, get help. Just get out of here!"
Greg was already down the hallway and out another door. He thought that Nick was right behind him; he didn't realize that Nick hadn't gotten away yet. He didn't hear Nick call out to him. As he turned down another corridor, which led him deeper into the warehouse, he never heard the single gunshot. Nor did he hear Nick's cry of agony.