Different tactics
Chapter 22: Death
"Nigel, this is Sara," Sara called from the other side of the closed door. She was trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check but the love of her life was right in the next room and the only thing separating them was that closed door. "I'm here just like you asked. Can I speak to Nick for a minute? I'd like to know if he's all right."
"He's fine Ms. Sidle," Nigel's voice floated back out at her. She thought she could hear the nerves in his voice but wasn't sure. She needed to keep him talking before she could be certain. "Where's Gregory? I requested that he be here too. I won't speak to you unless Gregory is present also. Get him here now!"
"Greg's still in the hospital Nigel," Sara lied and hoped he couldn't tell. She knew she was a bad liar. "You shot him, remember? He's going to be fine but he has to stay in the hospital for another few days. He can't come talk to you."
"Don't lie to me Sidle!" Nigel screamed, his voice hysterical. "I know that he was released this morning and that he's staying with Warrick Brown. I also know that he wouldn't stay at home when I have his best friend hostage. He's out there and we both know it. Get him in here now or I'll start shooting!"
"Go get Greg Sanders," Sara told one of the officers standing behind her. "Tell Grissom that he's needed if we want to get Nick out of here alive. Don't let him talk you out of it because he will try. Also bring some water back with you. We're in this for the long haul. He's not going down easily."
"Greg Sanders?" everyone looked up as a young officer said his name. Greg nodded to indicate that he heard. "Ms. Sidle requests your presents inside. She says the hostage taker refuses to speak unless you're both present. If we want to get the hostage out alive you have to be in there."
"Greg, no," Grissom said when Greg got to his feet. Greg just looked at him until Grissom finally gave in. Everyone there knew Greg had to go in if they wanted Nick back alive. "Be careful Greg. And stay away from Nigel as possible. Nick will kill me if I let you go in there and you get hurt."
"I'll be fine Gris, I promise," Greg told him. "Sara's already in there and we both know she won't let me close to Nigel if she can help it. I'll see you guys when this is over."
"Nigel, Greg's here now," Sara called when she saw Greg step into the bungalow. She knew he shouldn't be there. He should be back at Warrick's house, resting and concentrating on getting better. With the bundle of blankets wrapped around him he looked almost ten years younger than his twenty-seven years. "Will you talk to us now?"
"Yes, I will," Nigel replied. Greg shuddered at the sound of his voice and wrapped the blankets around him tighter. He couldn't get rid of the cold feeling inside of him though, and it was slowly driving him crazy. "Hello Gregory, how are you feeling? Up for a little more action?"
"Leave him alone," Sara and Greg heard Nick's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. Nick was at least all right enough to speak and that brought them a huge sense of peace. "Don't answer him Greggo!"
"Just a second," Nigel told them. There was the sound of a struggle and then nothing. "Sorry about that. I had to gag him so he wouldn't interrupt us. He can be a pain sometimes but he's still a good friend. You both should know that by now though so I don't need to tell you."
"What's your plan Nigel?" Greg asked, his voice already weak and strained from lack of rest. He didn't even have enough energy to protest when Sara made him sit on the floor. "How do we fit in all of this? Why bring us in and not Grissom, or Catherine, or Warrick?"
"You already know that answer Gregory," Nigel said and they heard the sound of the door unlocking. "You are Nick's closest friends. Now I want you both to come in here, slowly. No one else is to come in and you're to close the door after you and lock it. Come in now."
Sara helped Greg to his feet and they went in the room. Sara locked the door and made Greg sit down in the corner of the room, farthest from Nigel. The officers outside felt helpless as they watched the two friends go into the room and waited. They heard an argument and the sounds of a struggle, and then three shots rang out. There was a cry a pain from a male voice and someone crying that he was dead, but they weren't sure whom they were talking about. They decided to take a chance and broke the door open. They found one male lying on the floor, with blood coming from his shoulder. A bullet had grazed him. Another male was lying a few feet away, a bullet through his heart. He was obviously dead. There was no sign of the female or the third male.
"Nigel, this is Sara," Sara called from the other side of the closed door. She was trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check but the love of her life was right in the next room and the only thing separating them was that closed door. "I'm here just like you asked. Can I speak to Nick for a minute? I'd like to know if he's all right."
"He's fine Ms. Sidle," Nigel's voice floated back out at her. She thought she could hear the nerves in his voice but wasn't sure. She needed to keep him talking before she could be certain. "Where's Gregory? I requested that he be here too. I won't speak to you unless Gregory is present also. Get him here now!"
"Greg's still in the hospital Nigel," Sara lied and hoped he couldn't tell. She knew she was a bad liar. "You shot him, remember? He's going to be fine but he has to stay in the hospital for another few days. He can't come talk to you."
"Don't lie to me Sidle!" Nigel screamed, his voice hysterical. "I know that he was released this morning and that he's staying with Warrick Brown. I also know that he wouldn't stay at home when I have his best friend hostage. He's out there and we both know it. Get him in here now or I'll start shooting!"
"Go get Greg Sanders," Sara told one of the officers standing behind her. "Tell Grissom that he's needed if we want to get Nick out of here alive. Don't let him talk you out of it because he will try. Also bring some water back with you. We're in this for the long haul. He's not going down easily."
"Greg Sanders?" everyone looked up as a young officer said his name. Greg nodded to indicate that he heard. "Ms. Sidle requests your presents inside. She says the hostage taker refuses to speak unless you're both present. If we want to get the hostage out alive you have to be in there."
"Greg, no," Grissom said when Greg got to his feet. Greg just looked at him until Grissom finally gave in. Everyone there knew Greg had to go in if they wanted Nick back alive. "Be careful Greg. And stay away from Nigel as possible. Nick will kill me if I let you go in there and you get hurt."
"I'll be fine Gris, I promise," Greg told him. "Sara's already in there and we both know she won't let me close to Nigel if she can help it. I'll see you guys when this is over."
"Nigel, Greg's here now," Sara called when she saw Greg step into the bungalow. She knew he shouldn't be there. He should be back at Warrick's house, resting and concentrating on getting better. With the bundle of blankets wrapped around him he looked almost ten years younger than his twenty-seven years. "Will you talk to us now?"
"Yes, I will," Nigel replied. Greg shuddered at the sound of his voice and wrapped the blankets around him tighter. He couldn't get rid of the cold feeling inside of him though, and it was slowly driving him crazy. "Hello Gregory, how are you feeling? Up for a little more action?"
"Leave him alone," Sara and Greg heard Nick's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. Nick was at least all right enough to speak and that brought them a huge sense of peace. "Don't answer him Greggo!"
"Just a second," Nigel told them. There was the sound of a struggle and then nothing. "Sorry about that. I had to gag him so he wouldn't interrupt us. He can be a pain sometimes but he's still a good friend. You both should know that by now though so I don't need to tell you."
"What's your plan Nigel?" Greg asked, his voice already weak and strained from lack of rest. He didn't even have enough energy to protest when Sara made him sit on the floor. "How do we fit in all of this? Why bring us in and not Grissom, or Catherine, or Warrick?"
"You already know that answer Gregory," Nigel said and they heard the sound of the door unlocking. "You are Nick's closest friends. Now I want you both to come in here, slowly. No one else is to come in and you're to close the door after you and lock it. Come in now."
Sara helped Greg to his feet and they went in the room. Sara locked the door and made Greg sit down in the corner of the room, farthest from Nigel. The officers outside felt helpless as they watched the two friends go into the room and waited. They heard an argument and the sounds of a struggle, and then three shots rang out. There was a cry a pain from a male voice and someone crying that he was dead, but they weren't sure whom they were talking about. They decided to take a chance and broke the door open. They found one male lying on the floor, with blood coming from his shoulder. A bullet had grazed him. Another male was lying a few feet away, a bullet through his heart. He was obviously dead. There was no sign of the female or the third male.