Chapter Thirteen-One last chance and a brutal beating
~~~At the CSI building~~~
Now, everyone was in Grissom's office, tears gone, but still held a straight yet sad face. Nikki sat in the corner, uncomfortable with the unnatural silence that filled the room. After a few minutes, Nikki looked at the clock, she suddenly lost her patience, stood up from her chair, and yelled at the CSIs.
"Are all of you just gonna sit here and sulk? Cause if you still wanna save Greg, then I suggest we do something instead of sitting here! We're wasting a lot of time right now, and it's not gonna help us find Greg! It's already 9:00pm! I know you're all sad and depressed and all but HELLO! The fact is that Greg is still kidnapped, and...and...well, if you wanna see Greg alive, if you wanna apologize to him, if you want him to forgive you, then I suggest that all of you should get up off your butts and form a plan B to rescue Greg! You can't just sit here feeling sorry for yourselves, and expect Greg to come back alive and well, smiling and forgiving! Now if you aren't gonna get up, I'll get Greg out of there myself!" Nikki was fuming and started to head out the door.
"Wait! People, she's right...we can't just sit here and do nothing, when there is so much that we can do to find Greg! We can't just give up so easily! We have to find Greg!" Grass said, he got nods of approval and determination from Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, and Sara, but Nick just kept staring out into space.
"Nick?" Catherine waved a hand in front of his face, and Nick suddenly turned sad and tear-filled eyes to Catherine. Catherine gasped as she saw Nick's guilty and depressed expression and she understood everything.
"Oh Nick...it's not your fault that you shot Greg...it was an accident! All of us should've been more observant, we should've seen Greg! But that bastard, Nigel Crane, he tricked us, Nick, he tricked all of us! It was a mistake...a mistake that should never have happened, but did..." Catherine comforted Nick.
"Yea, man, don't beat yourself up about it...we all feel guilty, especially when Greg heard us insulting him...but we need to get over it man." Warrick said. Then, Sara put a hand on Nick's shoulder.
"Right now, getting Greg back is our first priority."
"Mistakes are always made in our lives, some bigger, some smaller, but by making mistakes, we can learn from it, and we evolve, and become a better and smarter person." Grissom added, and Nick's eyes shone brightly with relief and determination.
"I made a really bad mistake, but you're all right...getting Greg back is our first priority...so let's get to it!" Nick said strongly. Nikki smiled at the CSIs' conscious comeback.
"Glad you all finally understand! Now, I've got a plan that just might work." The CSIs (and Brass) looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Now, back at the warehouse, I'm 100% sure that neither Ricky nor Nigel saw me...they probably think I went shopping or something...I tend to do that sometimes, and since they didn't see me, we still have one last chance of rescuing Greg! Now, I plan to call Ricky on his cell, to ask for their location, he will give it to me, cause I know that they don't know that I contacted you guys. Then, I can wear a wire or something, and when I give a signal or whatever, you guys can barge in and save both me and Greg!" Nikki said excitedly.
"That is a good plan...but wouldn't Rick or Nigel suspect how we knew they were at the warehouse from before?" Catherine asked.
"Nope, I've made sure to act like I'm queer, a shopaholic, and unresponsible ever since they gave me this job, yet a useful gal! In other words, they wouldn't think that I would be smart enough to do something like that." Nikki smiled at her own wit.
"Alright, well, Ms. Nikki, your plan will probably work, but it might not, depending on the location." Brass said.
"Well, let's get to work, even though we aren't the FBI, I'm sure we could take a few hours off being CSIs to save our fellow lab technician, don't you think?" Nick asked, and Brass smiled.
"I'm sure all of you can, since you've had training in that particular area, I'm sure you could...only for a couple of hours though." Brass replied. The CSIs smiled brightly.
'We'll get you back, Greg, I promise...just hang in there.' Nick thought to himself.
'Oh God, please make this mission work! It's our last chance...' Nikki prayed in her mind.
~~~At the bar where Greg is~~~
"Did ya like that, Greggy boy?" Rick said smugly as he kicked Greg on the stomach, hard.
Greg coughed out blood, his face was all bruised and bloody, his leg was broken, many of his ribs were broken, and the gunshot wound on Greg's shoulder had started to bleed again...now, less than before. They had arrived at the bar 15 minutes ago, and once Rick and Nigel had dragged Greg into the room where previous people had been kept by kidnappers, they took turns beating Greg. First, it was Nigel, he was responsible for the wounds on Greg's face and some of Greg's broken ribs. Then, Rick came along, he was stronger and more brutal, he broke some of Greg's other ribs and Greg's leg, pushing him here and there, against the walls, and throwing Greg onto the ground.
But Greg didn't seem to care anymore, he welcomed death, though he felt the pain and agony of the injuries, Greg rejoiced at every punch and kick that hit him. A few kicks later, Rick grew tired and bored at Greg's inability to resist and squirm, like he wanted Greg to do, Rick scoffed, and walked out the door, locking it. Greg lay there, on the ground, for a moment, and he started to cry again...but this time, his face was emotionless, his eyes were empty, these were not tears of pain and hurt. No, these were tears of confusion, anger, and bitterness.
'So, they really do hate me...I bet they're not even trying to look for me...they'll probably celebrate me death, burn all my stuff, and then bury me at some trash site...if they would even care to bury me...' Greg thought to himself, smiled oddly to himself, and started to laugh like an insane person. But deep, deep into his heart, Greg cried in sadness and shame.
'I'm really losing it this time.' Greg thought again, and he went unconscious.
~~~At the CSI building~~~
Now, everyone was in Grissom's office, tears gone, but still held a straight yet sad face. Nikki sat in the corner, uncomfortable with the unnatural silence that filled the room. After a few minutes, Nikki looked at the clock, she suddenly lost her patience, stood up from her chair, and yelled at the CSIs.
"Are all of you just gonna sit here and sulk? Cause if you still wanna save Greg, then I suggest we do something instead of sitting here! We're wasting a lot of time right now, and it's not gonna help us find Greg! It's already 9:00pm! I know you're all sad and depressed and all but HELLO! The fact is that Greg is still kidnapped, and...and...well, if you wanna see Greg alive, if you wanna apologize to him, if you want him to forgive you, then I suggest that all of you should get up off your butts and form a plan B to rescue Greg! You can't just sit here feeling sorry for yourselves, and expect Greg to come back alive and well, smiling and forgiving! Now if you aren't gonna get up, I'll get Greg out of there myself!" Nikki was fuming and started to head out the door.
"Wait! People, she's right...we can't just sit here and do nothing, when there is so much that we can do to find Greg! We can't just give up so easily! We have to find Greg!" Grass said, he got nods of approval and determination from Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, and Sara, but Nick just kept staring out into space.
"Nick?" Catherine waved a hand in front of his face, and Nick suddenly turned sad and tear-filled eyes to Catherine. Catherine gasped as she saw Nick's guilty and depressed expression and she understood everything.
"Oh Nick...it's not your fault that you shot Greg...it was an accident! All of us should've been more observant, we should've seen Greg! But that bastard, Nigel Crane, he tricked us, Nick, he tricked all of us! It was a mistake...a mistake that should never have happened, but did..." Catherine comforted Nick.
"Yea, man, don't beat yourself up about it...we all feel guilty, especially when Greg heard us insulting him...but we need to get over it man." Warrick said. Then, Sara put a hand on Nick's shoulder.
"Right now, getting Greg back is our first priority."
"Mistakes are always made in our lives, some bigger, some smaller, but by making mistakes, we can learn from it, and we evolve, and become a better and smarter person." Grissom added, and Nick's eyes shone brightly with relief and determination.
"I made a really bad mistake, but you're all right...getting Greg back is our first priority...so let's get to it!" Nick said strongly. Nikki smiled at the CSIs' conscious comeback.
"Glad you all finally understand! Now, I've got a plan that just might work." The CSIs (and Brass) looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Now, back at the warehouse, I'm 100% sure that neither Ricky nor Nigel saw me...they probably think I went shopping or something...I tend to do that sometimes, and since they didn't see me, we still have one last chance of rescuing Greg! Now, I plan to call Ricky on his cell, to ask for their location, he will give it to me, cause I know that they don't know that I contacted you guys. Then, I can wear a wire or something, and when I give a signal or whatever, you guys can barge in and save both me and Greg!" Nikki said excitedly.
"That is a good plan...but wouldn't Rick or Nigel suspect how we knew they were at the warehouse from before?" Catherine asked.
"Nope, I've made sure to act like I'm queer, a shopaholic, and unresponsible ever since they gave me this job, yet a useful gal! In other words, they wouldn't think that I would be smart enough to do something like that." Nikki smiled at her own wit.
"Alright, well, Ms. Nikki, your plan will probably work, but it might not, depending on the location." Brass said.
"Well, let's get to work, even though we aren't the FBI, I'm sure we could take a few hours off being CSIs to save our fellow lab technician, don't you think?" Nick asked, and Brass smiled.
"I'm sure all of you can, since you've had training in that particular area, I'm sure you could...only for a couple of hours though." Brass replied. The CSIs smiled brightly.
'We'll get you back, Greg, I promise...just hang in there.' Nick thought to himself.
'Oh God, please make this mission work! It's our last chance...' Nikki prayed in her mind.
~~~At the bar where Greg is~~~
"Did ya like that, Greggy boy?" Rick said smugly as he kicked Greg on the stomach, hard.
Greg coughed out blood, his face was all bruised and bloody, his leg was broken, many of his ribs were broken, and the gunshot wound on Greg's shoulder had started to bleed again...now, less than before. They had arrived at the bar 15 minutes ago, and once Rick and Nigel had dragged Greg into the room where previous people had been kept by kidnappers, they took turns beating Greg. First, it was Nigel, he was responsible for the wounds on Greg's face and some of Greg's broken ribs. Then, Rick came along, he was stronger and more brutal, he broke some of Greg's other ribs and Greg's leg, pushing him here and there, against the walls, and throwing Greg onto the ground.
But Greg didn't seem to care anymore, he welcomed death, though he felt the pain and agony of the injuries, Greg rejoiced at every punch and kick that hit him. A few kicks later, Rick grew tired and bored at Greg's inability to resist and squirm, like he wanted Greg to do, Rick scoffed, and walked out the door, locking it. Greg lay there, on the ground, for a moment, and he started to cry again...but this time, his face was emotionless, his eyes were empty, these were not tears of pain and hurt. No, these were tears of confusion, anger, and bitterness.
'So, they really do hate me...I bet they're not even trying to look for me...they'll probably celebrate me death, burn all my stuff, and then bury me at some trash site...if they would even care to bury me...' Greg thought to himself, smiled oddly to himself, and started to laugh like an insane person. But deep, deep into his heart, Greg cried in sadness and shame.
'I'm really losing it this time.' Greg thought again, and he went unconscious.