Run
Nick's eyes had teared up as Nigel pressed the gun into his skin. The look in Nigel's eyes was dark, evil.
Despite his fear, Nick forced himself to breathe.
"I don't want to disappoint you, Nigel," he said evenly, "but this isn't the first time I've had a gun at my face."
Nigel suddenly backed away, but the gun was still pointed at his face.
"Get up, Nick." His voice was shaky.
He's losing it.
Nick got up, taking a step back for distance as he did.
"Down the stairs—back in your room," Nigel said. He swiped a hand at his face, rubbing away sweat by his eyes and glasses. The grip on the gun was tight, too tight for comfort.
Nick went down to the room and heard Nigel's footsteps close behind him. He turned to face the man just outside the room.
"Inside, Nick," Nigel said. Nick took a deep breath.
"Nigel. How do you want this to end?"
Nigel gave a small gasp, more of the strain finally seeping out of him. The gun started to shake right in Nick's eyeline.
"You think you know everything, Nick," he said. "But you're wrong. And I'll show you."
Nick didn't know what that meant, but he wasn't about to wait. Nick suddenly rushed Nigel, slamming his body against the hallway wall. Nigel yelled out, and a gun shot went off. He managed to push Nick back against the wall, and then lunged at him.
Nick saw it coming, pushed off the wall and turned to the side. His arms caught Nigel, and propelled him forward through the small room's doorway. Nick darted in the room just enough to grab the doorknob with two hands and quickly pull the door shut.
Lock it, lock it, lock it.
Nigel screamed from inside and started banging on the door. Nick allowed himself to smile for the first time in awhile, and quickly ran up the stairs.
His body still hurt, but adrenaline covered it up. Nick immediately went for another window. He pulled back the curtains with his bound hands—
And stopped. This window was boarded up also. Nick checked the other windows in the room.
They all were boarded up.
"No, no no." This can't be—he shook his head and started looking for alternatives.
Keys.He started searching the kitchen drawers, yanking out every one of them and overturning them. He went for another drawer when he spotted something on the floor.
My cell phone. Nick's heart raced. He quickly turned the phone on. The battery was low, but Nick hoped there was enough juice in it left.
"Just one call," he said aloud. Nigel was still yelling from the basement—Nick quickly dialed the number. He heard the receptionist pick up.
"Las Vegas Cri—"
"This is Nick Stokes," he quickly said. "I need you to trace my call. I'm on my cell phone, inside a house near Lake Mead, but I'm trapped here." He heard the receptionist take a deep breath.
"Tracing the call, Nick," she said. "I'm going to call Mr. Grissom over, all right?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah, quickly." He heard shouting over the line, and just prayed that the call was being traced correctly.
"NICK!!!!!" His heart leapt in his throat at Nigel's scream. Nick cradled the phone between his face and his shoulder, and reached for a chair. It was awkward, what with the phone and the handcuffs, but he made it work.
He picked it up and started swinging it into the boarded windows.
"Nick? Nick?"
He sighed in relief. Never before had he felt such relief at his boss's voice.
"Gris, he's still here," Nick said quickly. He swung the chair again and again as he talked. One of the boards cracked, but was still intact.
"What's that noise, Nick?"
"He boarded up the windows. The doors are locked and unlocked by key," Nick said with a gasp as he swung. "I'm trying to break through the boards."
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Nick practically dropped the chair.
The gun—Nigel's shooting at the door locks. Nick made his swings quicker and harder.
"Gris, he's gonna get free. I gotta get out of here," Nick said. One of the boards broke completely as another bullet was fired below. Nick dropped the chair and grabbed at the boards, trying to force them with whatever strength he had.
"Nick? Listen, I've watched tapes of Crane, and I don't think he will hurt you," Grissom said. Nick almost rolled his eyes. "Stay put—we're tracing the call and we can get to your location soon."
Another board gave way. Nick stepped back and started kicking. He only needed one more board to fit through.
"He's already hurt me, Gris, and he's losing it." He grunted as he kicked the board. "I'm not sticking around for him to—"
"NICK!!"
He froze. The shout was closer. Nick swore and pocketed the phone. He kept the call on, but started out the window. He could hear footsteps coming up, and Nick felt his body freezing up.
Don't freeze—get out! He got through the window and raced down the deck's stairs.
He's got the truck still. If you're on foot, make sure he can't follow any other way.
Nick took off into the woods again. He knew he couldn't go to the same parking lot—he had to hide away from where Nigel could find him.
Suddenly he heard another gunshot, and felt something rip through his side. Nick cried out, but quickly stifled the noise. His hands immediately went to his right side.
No time. Just run.
It was slower going, but Nick could hear Nigel's shouts behind him. But it seemed like he wasn't on Nick's trail. At least, that's what Nick hoped.
He kept moving, but pulled out his cell phone.
The call was still active, but the battery life waned each second.
"Gris, you still there?" Nick whispered into the phone.
"Nick! We heard a shot—are you okay?"
He huffed into the phone, panting from the exertion and the pain. "Yeah, relatively." He winced as his side stung and ached.
"Nick," it sounded like Warrick's voice all of a sudden, "are you hurt?" Nick had to smile at the pointed question.
"Yeah, man, I'm hurt," Nick said. "But it's good to hear your voice."
"We're all here," Sara piped up. "Hang in there, Nick." He smiled again at that. His phone beeped. Nick pulled the receiver away from his ear to see what was wrong.
The battery.
"Guys, I'm losing battery power," Nick said. He was suddenly afraid at that. He heard something snap behind him, and he froze. "I have to go. I'm sticking to the woods. Send search and rescue. And be careful—Crane's still out here."
The phone beeped again.
"Nick, get to roads—"
"No," Nick said quickly. He picked up his pace. "Nigel found me last time on the roads. I'm sticking to the woods."
The phone beeped again, and Nick heard the call disconnect.
He swore at it. They know where you are. Just hang in there.
He heard something snap again, behind him. Nick turned, but couldn't see anything. It was getting darker by the second now. He'd be safe from Crane in the dark. As long as that isn't him behind me.
Nick kept moving, his side still aching and bleeding.
Just a bit farther.