A/N: Once again…the usual: I still don't own CSI or it would go on till the team was investigating their own members in a nursing home….(only kidding) but we all know that we don't own them…but oh…for one day with Nicky…..Enough..on with the show!
Immediately after leaving the team, Greg quickly entered the brightly lit ballroom and began his search for one or all of the three people he'd been sent to find. Luck was not with him tonight as he very swiftly noticed that all three were on opposite sides of the enormous room that was now filled with women in brightly colored gowns and men dressed to the nines in black tuxedoes, 'March of The Penguins come alive' quickly filled his mind and he had to pause long enough to shake the thought from his head as he debated for only a moment then began making his way toward the most logical choice Conrad Ecklie.
During the entire time it took Greg to make his way across the room, he contemplated how best to phrase what needed to be said to the head of CSI. "We're surrounded, run for you lives!" Nah! Too dramatic, besides, where do you run to in the middle of a lake? He chuckled to himself as he twisted and turned thru the maze of gathered people lingering around him. "Everyone with a gun please step front and center!" Hell no, Grissom would surely have his head, even if he thought it would be the most effective means to get everyone's attention. "Sing or swim, every man for themselves" thought after thought easily invaded his mind only to just as quickly be dismissed for obvious reasons, then he started to wonder as he neared the spot where Conrad Ecklie seemed to be entertaining a small flock of 'penguins' people, he corrected himself yet again. "Do paddle-wheeled boats carry life rafts? How deep is Lake Mead really? Can I swim that far if I have to? Will I make over the edge before the shit hits the fan?" he found himself mumbling incoherently as he ran smack into Conrad.
His momentum suddenly stalled, he too late realized that the impact was now causing the domino effect to take place as Conrad's elbow made contact with the lady beside him causing her to spill her fruity cocktail down the front of her exquisitely sequined gown. "Oh my….." he muttered "I'm terribly sorry….so terribly sorry" his hand involuntarily shot forward but stopped short of making contact with the woman's now damp bosom. He realized it wouldn't look too appropriate to be fondling a stranger's breast while her husband was standing directly beside her doing his best to dab at the spot with a napkin that shredded more and more with as it caught up in the hard plastic edging of the sequins. "I'm sorry lady, I really am" he turned to a now fuchsia red faced Conrad Ecklie who suddenly was at a loss for words. "I…Conrad" he stuttered, stepped back and motioned for his boss to follow him. "I need to talk to you Ecklie" he turned an apologetic eye to the woman then just as suddenly back to Conrad. Ecklie started to pull back from the hand that now encompassed his wrist "NOW!" Greg demanded even more fervently, he knew time was of the utmost essence.
"Dam you Sanders, this had better be important!" he wailed as he turned to offer a last apology then simply allowed himself to be led away by the youngest CSI. "I don't know how Grissom deals with………" Greg turned to say something as they made their way out of the ballroom but was silenced as Gil Grissom showed up in the shadows along side Jim Brass. "Good job Greg, now go find the Mayor and the Chief" he turned his attention to Ecklie. "Listen Gil, I put up with an awful lot from your people but…." Grissom shot him a look of daggers "Conrad, just can it!" his tone told the younger man that Grissom wasn't in the mood for a rebuke right now. Ecklie merely pointed in the direction from which he had just come. "We've got a situation going on here Ecklie..." Grissom stepped toe to toe with his boss. "No kidding!" Conrad was spitting fire now "Greg Sanders just made an ass out of not only himself but me by spilling a cocktail on the Police Chief's Mother-in-Law's dress!" his tone was that of someone that had been offended greatly but Gil was having none of it at the moment. "Tell her to send us the cleaning bill!" Ecklie was astounded that Gil Grissom could not seem to share his obvious embarrassment. Grissom was quickly losing patience with his boss.
Conrad stood there, hands on his hips as he contemplated his next move. "Gil, you don't seem …." But Grissom's raised hand just as efficiently silenced him "Ecklie look, I'm sorry we pulled you away from your party, I'm sorry if one of my people caused you a moment of embarrassment but right now we have a situation threatening to escalate at any moment and we need to deal with that, not some overly made up middle aged woman who probably had no business pouring herself into a too small gown to begin with." He knew he was pushing the envelope when he heard Brass chuckle but just as quickly realized he had little choice to get his point across. "What situation Gil?" he huffed in a deep breath then waited for the older man to continue. "Apparently, we're surrounded" he saw the taller man's look of confusion cross his features and continued "Not long ago, Nick and Sarah noticed something or someone off the bow of this boat" his tone softened as his voice lowered to a muted whisper "upon further investigation, it's become apparent that not only are there teams of two at 20 yard intervals, but there are at the least two others already on board" he took a breath "Nick already had a run in with the two onboard and we know they're somewhere upstairs" he motioned above his head "Sara and Nick are on their way up to find a place to lay low" he waited for his boss to absorb what he'd already told him. "Catherine and Ric have the starboard side covered for the moment".
Conrad swallowed "Grissom, this is ludicrous, why would anyone risk taking on a boat full of cops?" he saw that Gil was serious and waited for the older man to offer any suggestions "I know and considering that this entire event has been publicized on every news channel in the state of Nevada, it's not like they'd expect to pull this off without massive casualties" he felt his blood pressure beginning to rise with each passing moment. "Greg was supposed to get you, the Chief and the Mayor so we can figure out the best way to handle this" he paused "I know my entire team with the exception of Sanders is armed but I seriously doubt their weapons are going to be any match for whatever lies ahead." His head began the steady drumming he knew meant a headache was imminent. "Perhaps we could call all the armed officers together?" Ecklie swallowed and offered hopefully only to be met with the shaking of Jim's head "No can do Conrad, they already have two onboard, my guess" he coughed slightly; "there are more and most likely, weapons to arm themselves" he now stood directly beside Grissom. "We have to warn as many as we can, but do it as quickly and as quietly as we can or I can just imagine the mass hysteria" he sighed realizing that what they were saying would do little in the long run.
"We were told you were looking for us?" the soft voice of the Mayor filled the air as he and the Chief joined the three already on the outside deck. "This had better be good, I just interrupted the people paying for this…" he stopped when he saw the sullen features of them men before him… "We have a situation……." Was all that Conrad got out before all hell seemed to break loose!
Well, sorry about the delay again…still making arrangement for my uncle and trying to sort out how I want this to go down…..thanks for all the wonderful reviews and well wishes…they're deeply appreciated….