A/N – Excuse me while I dance around madly screaming 'I'm free, I'm free!' For a couple of weeks anyway and then I'll be back at Uni, but I have a feeling no one's really interested in this so I'll say thanks once again to my brilliant beta's for their beautiful work and to the people who have continued to review and hassle me for this next chapter. I can promise the next one a lot sooner too… but onwards we go! Review and I shall love you forever!
Thursday - Day 5, 6.11
"Okay, lets just get a few things in order Mr. Hapner. You say that your only treasure is the flag that stands proud and tall in the centre of your camp?" Warrick asked authoritatively as he twisted said flag between his hands.
The blindfolded man nodded, "Yes, the rest of them were taken the second night we were here. Since then we've tightened up our security – no one's going to get that flag!"
Nick frowned and looked at Warrick – was this guy for real? It was entirely possible that he'd cottoned onto what they were really up to and was giving them false information, but Nick couldn't be sure.
"You've got nothing?" Warrick asked again, trying to keep the incredulity out of his voice.
The man shook his head, "Which is why I'm really happy you're giving me a chance to score some extra points for my team, they'll be so excited when they hear."
Nick sighed and rolled his eyes – great. Now what? This whole plan had been a complete and utter screw up. They'd lost two of their team members, gained a new addition with this Mr Hapner who, as it turned out, wasn't going to be able to help them get any more treasures at all. They had to somehow keep up this charade of being competition officials and get this guy back to his camp without him figuring out what was going on and where he'd just been… and none of the Vegas team had slept in hours! Nick was tired, and as he looked at Warrick who sat dejectedly down on the log across from him, he realized he wasn't the only one. Those sleeping bags a couple of meters away looked oh-so comfortable.
Warrick swallowed hard and looked back at Nick before standing up again and walking over to Hapner.
"I'm afraid there's been some sort of mistake Mr. Hapner, you haven't qualified for the next round after all."
"Wh-what? But you said –"
"Forget what I said, there's obviously been some sort of screw up in communication. We were told that you had been successful in keeping all of your treasures, not just your flag. In order to progress to the next level you must be able to show us at least three treasures in addition to your flag. So I'm sorry Mr. Hapner, but we're going to have to return you to your camp empty handed."
Nick was impressed, and slightly perturbed, by how well Warrick was able to lie under pressure. Apparently he didn't just have musical talent – the man could act as well.
Nick watched as the blindfolded Hapner stuttered out a couple of protests before calming down, seemingly hesitating at what to say next.
"I'm so confused," he muttered, pulling his knees up to his chest, "I don't know if you're telling me the truth – I was just supposed to… nothing – I…"
Nick and Warrick exchanged curious glances and turned back to Hapner. He wasn't talking anymore, but he was breathing very loudly.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Mr. Hapner?"
"Do you think we're even going in the right direction?" Sara asked as she crawled over a large fallen log and came to a stop on the other side.
"To be honest, we could end up in Vegas for all I know," Grissom grimaced as he followed her path over the log.
Sara looked around and sighed, "Well, I'd say that this place looked familiar but I couldn't be sure…" she trailed off as she looked more intently at their surroundings. "Wait a minute, I think I recognise th-" a hand over her mouth cut her off and she quickly turned around to face Grissom.
He brought a finger up to his lips and looked at her seriously. She nodded and he slowly took his hand away from her mouth to rest it on her arm. He cocked his head to one side and Sara realized that he was listening for something.
After a moment, Sara heard it too – footsteps, and they were getting louder. They quickly glanced at each other and then looked nervously around for a place to hide. Every possibility had a down side – a bush was too small, a tree was too open, the fallen trunk was too obvious. In the end they decided to climb one of the bushiest trees, hoping that if by some small chance whoever was coming towards them did look up, then the foliage would serve as a makeshift camouflage too.
They arrived in the treetops just in time.
There was four of them, all carrying packs on their backs and a bucket of water in each hand. Sara was surprised at how stealthily they moved, despite the occasional scraping of feet. When they reached the fallen log, the leader slowed down and turned to his friends.
"Feel like a rest for a bit?" he asked.
One of them grunted a response, another shrugged her shoulders. The third pondered for a moment, "We should be getting back, if we want to hit them tonight we'll need to get everything ready and have as many people ready for spy duty as possible."
The leader sighed, "Okay, fine, but just so you know if we need to run at all tonight my feet are full of blisters – why'd we have to come in such a round about way anyway?"
The female snorted, "It was your bloody idea Ethan."
Ethan frowned and continued walking, "Right, right" he mumbled to himself, the rest of the team following close behind.
Grissom turned to Sara and raised an eyebrow at her. Up in the tree, Sara could see the river in the distance, in the opposite direction to which their enemy team had just departed. She sighed wistfully at the view, thinking of her comfortable sleeping bag in their sheltered little hideaway. Turning back to Grissom's silent question, she rolled her eyes and grinned.
"Come on then, can't let an opportunity like this pass us by," she said and began slipping down the tree.
Grissom clumsily followed her and once he reached the ground they set off after their prey.
"We did some theorizing," Hapner began. "We figured that if, or when, we found a team we should try and get numbers on our side by using stealth at first to kidnap certain members of the enemy team. Then when we went in with full force they would be confused and have less numbers to guard their treasures. Then we decided that if we had thought of this method of attack we probably weren't the only ones."
Warrick and Nick glanced at each other with wide eyes.
Hapner continued, "So we got our story straight. If we were kidnapped then we'd say all our treasures were taken. The remaining members on the team will be on full alert now that I've gone – when you return me to my base they'll be spying on you – all the way back to your camp. But, you guys would have to be extremely good at this game – I mean pretending to be competition officials is one thing but you guys just sound so official. If there really is a next level then I'd really love to go there and win some extra points."
Warrick gulped down the bubble in his throat, "Well, a nice story Mr Hapner, but like I said previously – you cannot progress to the next level until we have seen at least three of your treasures plus your flag."
"I can get those for you," Hapner said determinedly.
"Without the rest of your team knowing?" Warrick asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.
"Well, yes. But why?"
"Part of the next level, and winning extra points, is based on how your team reacts to the events we are putting into place," Warrick lied evenly.
Hapner was quiet for a moment, obviously trying to work out whether or not to trust the confident voice above him. "Okay," he said finally, "We should go at dusk."
Grissom and Sara watched in a silent state of shock from their vantage point in one of the highest trees in the forest as the fourth, and still unidentified team in the Outward Bound competition surrounded their camp.
"We have to warn them," Sara said finally.
"We have to be smart," Grissom replied, "We can't panic."
Sara watched as the 6 individuals each reached their intended points and stood, waiting. On their journey through the forest Grissom and Sara had overheard the enemy team's plan. It was only when they reached their destination that they realised the intended target of the attack was in fact their base camp.
Grissom glanced at his watch. The intended time of the raid was in the early hours of the morning – they still had plenty of time to figure out a plan.
He stared intently at the enemy teams' positions, realizing that they had worked it out so that no one could walk in or out of the Vegas camp without any one seeing them. But there had to be a way of warning the others – their scout on lookout in the tree! Maybe they could make some sort of flare, a roaring flame in the sky. That would alert them, and the scout would definitely see it – it wouldn't give them any details or ideas about what was going to happen, but it would certainly alert them. He frowned, surely there had to be a better solution than that? He looked at Sara who was deep in concentration, and suddenly her features lightened and the hint of a smile graced her face.
"What?" Grissom asked hopefully.
"The river," she stated simply.
Grissom looked at the river and suddenly realised what she was saying. The river was the only path in and out of their camp that didn't have anyone stationed on it. He grinned at her – brilliant.
"We can go in and they wont even realize we're there," he said.
"And we can get everyone out without them realising they've gone," Sara nodded.
"We'll have to be careful, but it just might work Sara."
"Of course it will," she grinned.
TBC