Note: a new chapter...surprise, surprise! Still working on the full direction of this story...but it's definitely looking promising! Solidification of plot points is definitely happening...so please be patient...any suggestions? It may be another day...maybe two before I can get chapter 4 up. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Friday 6:00 p.m.
It had been a hell of a day, first a seemingly unsolvable case and now this. Damn! This was not happening. Not today, Nick thought taking in the scene from his slightly hidden position.

"Hurry up man!" one of the robbers said to the other as he scanned the store with his gun, there was something about his voice. Things were quickly getting out of hand. People were screaming, crying, huddling away from the scene and the robbers were starting to panic. It was not a good combination, Nick knew. One person dead was enough.

Keep it together, he thought. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911 quickly returning the object to his pocket. No need to blow his cover.

"Alright! Everyone to the back, now!" robber number one yelled firing his gun into the air. "Nobody's leaving the store."

Panicked screams filled the air. Why had the guys chosen rush hour at the supermarket to bust in?

Nick tried his best to catch all he could with his eyes. That was odd, he thought, noticing the gunmen wore white Nike sneakers. With the black attire they both sported, it definitely stuck out.

The patrons of the store were corralled into the back store room; Nick made sure he was between the witnesses and the gunmen. He could handle a gun to his face if he had to, hell he had twice before, and he didn't see much of a choice given the situation.

The criminals knew how many people were in the store, they had taken an inventory.

"We're missing a person," robber number two said quickly counting the people.

"There she is," the other said running toward the front of the store. A lady was making a break for the door. Her young child held tightly to her chest. The gun fire stopped as quickly as it had started. Another dead body to process, Nick thought closing his eyes. When would this end?

And then it was over. The gunmen were gone. The witnesses, all nineteen of them, sat huddled in the store room. Nick quickly took stock of the situation and pulled out his cell phone, had the call gone through? He let out a sigh of relief realizing his call had been processed. One thing done right.

Police officers were already on the scene. How much time had past? Twenty after six according to his watch. Nick was the first to emerge from the back room. After a few calming words to the other patrons, he made his way to the first officer on the scene.

A day off. Yeah right.

"Hey Stokes, what are you doing here?" Officer Metcalfe said. The guy was a jerk.

"Had the night off," the CSI started. "I put in the call to 911. I was running some errands, two guys came in, robbed the place. CSI on the way?" There was no way in hell he was giving any information to this cop.

"Right behind me," he nodded as Brass entered the scene.

"Nicky," he said sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"My day off, I decide to run some errands," he started, "and all hell breaks loose. There're seventeen other witnesses," he couldn't control his emotions any longer.

Brass quickly took charge of the scene, using the officers to gather witnesses for questioning. He would need all of their statements.

"Tell me what happened," the detective said placing a hand on the CSI's shoulder noticing the younger man shaking. "Take a deep breath."

"I was grabbing some popcorn, aisle 4," he pointed. "Next thing I know these two guys wearing ski masks are yelling for the cashier to hand over the money in her drawer," he shrugged as Grissom and Catharine walked up to the two men.

"Nicky?" Catharine asked concerned. She could see he was emotionally shaken.

"I had a clear view. I got as much as I could for you guys. They were white guys, about 6'1", maybe 6'2". They were scrawny. Dressed in black. They wore ski masks, so I didn't see their faces."

"That's okay," Grissom nodded. "What else?"

"They used semi-automatic weapons. One guy held the gun to the girl's head," he pointed to the cashier, "the other threw her a bag to put the money in. He was left handed."

"Which one?" Grissom asked.

"What?" Nick asked. Was shock setting in? How much stress could one man endure?

"Which one was left handed?" his supervisor asked again.

"The guy that threw the bag, he was left handed. The other guy kept watch over the entrance and the store. The whole thing was falling apart when it started. The girl was so scared she couldn't do what they wanted. The two guys even seemed panicked."

"What happened next?" Brass asked.

"She wasn't fast enough. They shot her in the head," he shook his head, a sob catching in his throat. Damn it! He didn't want to break. Not again.

"Take your time," Brass nodded, his hand returning to the CSI's shoulder.

"What about the woman at the door?" Catharine asked. Her posture meant business, but her voice conveyed the mother side that came out when any of her 'kids' were hurting.

"She was just trying to protect her kid," Nick shook his head. "Everyone in here was screaming, trying to get away from the gunfire. When they had gotten the cash, they made us all get in the back room. The store was pretty empty, only nineteen people counting me. They got us to the back room, noticed one missing. I saw her running to the door. Her son was crying."

"She was protecting her child," Catharine said noticing the position of the body. The bullet had ripped through both the mother and the child, killing them both instantly. The mother lay face down, on top of her baby.

"They were wearing white shoes, both of them," Nick said taking a bottle of watered Brass offered him. "Nikes."

"You noticed their shoes?" the detective asked with a small grin.

"They were covered in black, their shoes stuck out," the CSI nodded. "You'll want to get the surveillance tapes," he said. "I don't think they took the time to disable them."

"Yeah, we'll get them," Grissom nodded, he never stopped observing the scene. Food was strewn all over the place.

"You should be able to find shell casings, and even bullets," Nick said.

"Bullets?" Grissom asked, surprise in his voice.

"Yeah. They fired shots into the air," he pointed up.

The ceiling was riddled with bullets. At least five visible penetration points, the man noticed.

"Grissom, one other thing," Nick stopped his boss as he attempted to begin processing the scene. "The kid's voice."

"Kid?"

"The robber," Nick nodded. "I've heard his voice before. I can't place it right now, but I know I've heard it. He looked right at me and completely freaked. I saw it in his eyes. This guy knows me, Griss."