"Nick are you sure your okay?" Grissom asked for umpteenth time Nick rolled his eyes and smiled into the review mirror.
"Yes dad I'm fine really," He reassured also for the umpteenth time
"And how did you end up in front this time man" Nick asked Warrick you chuckled, as the mental image of nick taking a fling leap into the back seat of the car, came back to him.
"As I remember we were in to much of a hurry to worry about who got shot gun." Warrick laughed. Nick chuckled from the backseat, and dug into the sacks of food, his tummy telling him it was time to eat.
"Hey toss me some of those." Warrick held his hand out nick dumped some tater chips into it ad sat back against the seat popped one in and swallowed wincing.
"Throat sore?" Grissom having noticed Nicks wince.
"Yeah it'll pass." He said downing a few more chips carefully.
"We'll have to remember not to stop at that gas station ever again." Grissom quipped , Nick snorted from behind him.
"Sound good to me." He agreed they laughed and talked.
A few hours later Grissom steered the truck off the freeway and onto a mia road nick sat up and looked around smiling, they had arrived it was beautiful up here this time of year, the tree were just starting to turn colors and the world had cooled off just enough to be livable for camping. His grin widened as the went over the lake and he got his first good look at it, taking out his digital camera his snapped a few shots of the lake and it's many visitors.
"Wow it amazing up here this was great idea Gris." Nick beamed as he lowered his camera to look at the driver.
"Told you I love to come up here and relax when i get the chance it's really very peaceful." He replied pulling into a designated spot where they would pitch their tents,and set up camp.
"Alright lets get things set up and then we'll figure out what to do." Grissom suggested they unloaded the truck and each man pitched a tent and tossed the stuff inside one, after that they sat wound a circle where later, when dark set in, they would build a fire.
"So Grissom your familer with this place, What do you suggest." Warrick asked.
"Well, theres hiking, swimming, jet ski and boat rentals, or fishing." Grissom rattled off.
"Wait you jet ski?" Nick asked. Grissom smiled.
"I prefer to take a boat on the water now and again." Grissom explained smiling.
"I hike sound good i haven't had a good walk in weeks." Nicky suggested.
"I'd like to fish haven't done that since high school." Warrick interjected.
"I'll go with Warrick on the fishing sounds interesting." Grissom offered as he stood and gather the supplies.
"Okay so we'll meet back here later then?" Nick suggested, sitting in boat for hours on end waiting for a fish to bite a hook, was not his idea of fun. Warrick nodded and Grissom smiled.
"Sounds good, but, be careful the woods can be dangerous. Make sure you back here before dark." Grissom informed Nick nodded and turning started off an hike.
"Think he'll be alright?" Warrick questioned and he and Grissom carried the poles and tackle to the boat rental shop in the dock.
"He's big boy Warrick he'll be fine theres a beaten path to go on he won't get lost." Grissom reassured, Warrick nodded but could shake the feeling that something was going to happen.
Nick smiled and toke in a lung full of air, it was beautiful day, and this was going to be a good week end, he found the path and continued to walk it for while until a mother deer and her babies stopped him long enough to snap and picture then he carefully went around them and kept going, then he saw raccoons, jackrabbits, more deer, and then something that caused him smile widely, a bald eagle he snapped and picture, and then two hawks flying low in the sky. These will make great photos for an album later. He thought to himself as he continued to walk and snap pictures and things he saw. He was making ready to take a picture of a group of deer when voices raised in worry caught his attention.
"Please harry I didn't tell any one anything i swear." One voice pleaded
"I'm sorry Carl but, i can't take that chance." Nick stopped when he caught view of the two men standing in a clearing surround by brush nick ducked into it and watched silently.
"Please harry you have to believe i wouldn't rat you out." The small man on the left pleaded, nick frowned, he knelt on the earth looked up at the other man beseechingly, he hair was balding and his blue eyes looked terrified.
"I'm sorry Carl." Bad then before Nick could think to move he raised and hand and a gun went off the kneeling man, Carl, fell back onto the ground blood pooling around him from a hole in his head, Nick jerked back slamming into a sapling behind him, it shook hard catching the gun mans attention nick stood up turned and bolted back towards his camp.
Warrick dumped his fishing gear and the truck next to Grissoms, and then they gathered wood for a fire, dark clouds had rolled in expectantly, so they had come a little early and made plans to fry the fish they'd caught for dinner, thunder rolled and Warrick looked up at the sky as he dumped a load and wood onto a cleared circle that Grissom was edging with large stones.
"Hope nick gets back before the rain sets in." Warrick smiled.
"I'm sure he on his way back now." Grissom agreed gong to his pack for matches, a gun shot pulled him up short and he spun to look at Warrick, who hesitated only a minute and ran off ino the woods to find Nick.
"Nick!" Warrick called out no answer.
Nick would have answered the call if it were possible but he was to concentrated on getting out of the woods to pay attention to anything else, he ran along the trial for a while then turned off it and ran into the trees jumping roots and sliding down hill's until looking back he could no longer see his pursuer. He slowed to a jog, and continued to head in what he hoped was the direction of the camp.
"Nicky where are you?" Grissoms voice, he knew he had heard Warrick inly minutes ago now they sounded closer he toke his chances.
"Over here guys." He ran on listening until he all but ran Grissom over, the older Man had he put his hands to stop the frightened from mowing him down.
"Whoa there Nicky slow down." Grissom held him until Nick focused on him and he smiled.
"Boy am i glad to see you guys, your not going to believe this." Nick said in a rush as they walked back towards camp .Nick looked back to see the man standing, watching them his gun was gone. Nick turned back around and kept walking.
"So tell us young hiker what trouble did you find in yonder woods today?" Grissom asked taking a bite of fish, they all sat around a blazing fire, eating what he and Warrick and caught earlier that day.
"Well, i was walking along the trial photographing the wild life when i heard voices i went to investigate and found two men one stand over the other an then the one standing shot the other one and he found me and chased me till i found you guys." Nick told them.
"You just can't help it can you Nicky" Warrick asked woning another bite of fish.
"Shut up, as recall we've had to save you plenty of times." Nicky shot back, with a grin.
"Yeah well, what can we do, this guys got to be on the look out for you now, your the only you knows what happened." Warrick changed the subject to the matter at hand, Nick put down his plate no longer able to eat.
"Don't worry we'll go tomorrow and talk with the sheriff about this for now lets try and get some rest." Grissom taking, they cleaned the mess from dinner deposing of the trash and putting out the fire, then the all crawled into their tents and slept. Nick tossed and turned for hours, jumping at every noise the night provided, and chastising himself.
"Chill out nick, nothings going to happen tonight." He tossed and turned a while longer and then finally fell into a fitful sleep plagued by strange dreams and nightmares.
The next day they went to see the sheriff, who was sitting in his office toying with paper work that he looked anything but, overjoyed to be doing.
"Help you folks?" He asked smiling.
"Yes we have situation, my friend here saw a murder take place last night in the woods and we think the killer may be after him." Grissom explained, the sheriff eyes shot up and turned to look at Nick who lifted his eyes and gasped.
"Oh Sweet Jesus its him!" His mind screamed nick smiled and nodded to the man.
" Could describe the man for me so my men keep a look out for him?" He asked his grin turning wicked ugly nick shivered and thought fast.
"No sorry i wasn't there long enough the get a good look at him, his was tall, thin and a rial, and no more that a hundred and fifty pounds." Nick swallowed hard trying not to looked scared.
"Well, i can't really do anything off that but, if anything else happens let me know I'm sorry i can't be more to you." The sheriff explained not taking his eyes off nick.
"Thanks Sheriff we'll leave you to your work, come one guys." They walked out and back towards their camp. Nick turned his head to look back and found the sheriff standing in the door watching, Nick snapped his head back around, and sped up causing the other two to do the same.
"Nicky slow down man we can't keep up." Warrick complained, nick looked back and seeing the sheriffs door closed obliged his friend.
"Whats wrong?" Grissom asked Nick looked at him but couldn't find the words to explain.
"I just don't want to waste the weekend." He lied and knew that they knew he was lying, but, he was relieved when they didn't press the issue.
"Okay so what to do, hey how about renting a couple of jet skis man. Warrick suggested, Nick nodded and they headed off for the dock.
Sorry that was a long chapter, this will probably be short story by the way. Thanks for the reviews guys.