Summary: There's evil once again in the city of sin. Whatever happens in Vegas…might just kill ya.
Timeline: Sequel to Poisonous Fear (recommended that one is read first), Early/Mid Season Six
Spoilers: Grave Danger, Bodies in Motion, Shooting Stars, Gum Drops, Daddy's Little Girl, several references to other episodes
Disclaimer: This is all written in fun. Everything CSI is not mine and never will be. It belongs to the creative talent of the actors, the writers, the directors, and the producers. I am not making any money off of this. Only meant to offer something new on something already so great. No reason to sue.
Title: To Whom It May Concern
By: duffshel
Author's Note: Have to wait to see the new episode again! I'm not going to get to see any of the new episodes on time anymore this next couple of months. I got roped into a civilian police academy and guess when they meet…Thurs night! Figures. Just finished self defense class and now this. Only cool thing…I get to shoot some guns! Mawahaha! Alright, enough of that. Here's the new chapter. Lots of good stuff in this one, and oh yeah, only the boys! So, pleases review and let me know you guys aren't dropping off like flies. Only three/two reviews each on the last two chapters makes me kinda nervous, won't lie. Next chapter up early next week. Bye!
Chapter 25:
The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.
-Publilius Syrus (100 BC), Maxims
Warrick managed to keep his eyes open though they burned and ached. He had lost all track of any possible time scale. The lights were messing with his eyes and his brain. And the long stretch of silence was getting old, quickly.
He turned his sore vision on to the man sitting directly in front of him. Nick had closed his eyes a little bit ago, his head falling forward so his chin was on his chest. It wasn't clear if he was sleeping or just resting. But whatever he was doing, Warrick wasn't about to do the same. He would keep a look out for anything that might come their way.
The temperature beyond the halo of yellow heat was chilly, blowing in cold burst of air at different intervals. Warrick wondered if it was from the air conditioner unit, but the building looks like it wouldn't have been able to support one. It was one good rain blast away from oblivion. And he was sure that's what Tenner had been planning on. He could kill them and the building would be their makeshift graves.
An itch irritated the dark flesh above his left eye. He tried to blink and scrunch up his forehead to get to it. Nothing seemed to have the ability to make it go away. Warrick had always been told by his grandmother that if he didn't think about something, it would go away. Hadn't worked for Tenner yet, but he was willing to try it for an itch.
So, thinking on something different, he was taken back to that monologue that Nick had given him. It had been troubling hearing the talk about the guns and heads thing. He had never thought he would ever hear that tone, that loss of emotion, from Nick on something like that. And when they walked away from this, he was going to let the other man know he would never be listening to that again.
Another blast of chilled air slammed into his legs. It seemed to have the ability to go right up the pant leg of his jeans without hesitation. And it was the worst when it hit the sensitive skin behind his knees. Looking over at Nick, he could see the shivers run through the warmer blooded man.
Getting frustrated, Warrick decided to work at the gag some more. It had gotten looser since the last time he had tried and it would give him something to do to ignore the different itches popping up all over his face and skull. His tongue was tender, but it worked when he told it to push at the cloth.
The corners of his mouth were raw from the rubbing, but he would get over it. Some lotion or something would make it all better. Tina would know exactly what to do to fix it. He would look as good as ever once his wife was done fixing him up after this. Yeah, no thinking of no after this.
Most of the cloth was stuck between his lips now. Warrick moved his lips back and forth as best he could, pushing the annoying obstacle further away from his mouth. The knot was digging into the back of his skull, but it was just another thing he pushed aside. Most of the gag was out of his mouth.
He wiggled his jaw back and forth, using both tongue and lips in the process as well. Warrick could only feel a little bit of the gag. It was settling down into the valley below his bottom lip and on top of his chin. And he felt perfectly fine with that. His mouth was no longer blocked.
Moving his tongue around and thinking of his grandmother's fried chicken, Warrick was able to produce a little saliva. His mouth felt like it did after he went to the dentist and they had shoved as many balls of cotton as they could in as they could. But he was getting some moisture. It burned a little as he swallowed it down his throat. But it was enough.
"You good Nick?" It was nothing more than a gravely croak, but it was understandable. And it got the other man to react.
Nick lifted his head, a deep groan accompanying it, "Oh yeah, sure."
"Uh huh. What? Honesty something you forgot after your momma taught ya?" Warrick rolled his eyes the best he could with such little natural lubrication in both his eyes.
"Nah, I think I missed that day. And the one to admitting injuries. Must have had a cold or something. Ya know that Texan weather and all."
"Funny."
"I try. And maybe you might want to ask me a real question next time instead of this fine crap."
"Sure. How about how long was it going to take you to notice I could finally snap at your ass. Bad sounding I admit, but it's improving."
And it was. Nick opened his eyes finally, blinking once again against the light, but it was clear he could see Warrick. Those brown eyes went straight to his mouth in wonder that it was true and he hadn't thought of it until Warrick had said something. His lips curved up into a small smile and it made Warrick frown.
"What?" Warrick asked, sounding more like his old self now that he was able to produce more salvia.
"Oh nothing," Nick rocked his head to his right shoulder, "Other than I love that look on you. Nothing beats a wet rag wrapped around your chin."
"Uh huh, wise guy. Should be thanking me for my effort so I can speak to your sorry ass."
Nick's eyes went mock-wide, humbled his mouth, "My apologies, almighty Brown. My deepest appreciation in your abilities to push a gag out of your mouth using your tongue. Skills beyond comprehension."
"You're an idiot, you know that. I swear, you have the attitude of an elementary student sometimes," Warrick smirked, but deep down was glad to hear that Nick still had the ability to joke around in this situation. It helped answer his questions on the other man's well being better than just asking ever could.
"Geez, and here I thought I was your best buddy," Nick pouted out his bottom lip, "And yet you talk to me like that. Nice, real nice. I'll remember that come time to your birthday, pal."
Warrick chuckled deep in his chest, Nick's laughter answering. It was loud and sudden in the room, but it helped to fight off the lights and the chills. Mission accomplished then. It was enough for Warrick.
"Well, I guess if I can get this gag out of my mouth, then I might be able to get these ropes loose."
"Been trying. Think I rubbed my wrists raw."
"Uh huh. Don't mean I ain't going to try too. Just sit back and let the master work," Warrick began shifting his upper torso around, twisting his hands around within the harsh rope.
"By all means, go for it. I'll just sit here and wait. Don't have anything else to do. Rescue me when you're done."
"Like you do anything different any other time. Always sit back and let me do all the work. Just don't jump in and take all the credit for this one. I won't let ya."
Nick laughed and shook his head. He turned his vision off the side as far away from the lamps as he could. There was no denying that hearing Warrick's voice was a big help in dealing with this situation, but Nick still didn't want to celebrate quite yet. But he was perfectly fine ribbing the other man to amuse himself and ignore the situation they were in. It had always worked before, anyways.
Neither said anything for awhile. The only sounds were Nick's soft breathing and Warrick's panting from his twisting around. His chair barely moved, no scraping against the cement underneath the legs. When the door opened it was almost thunderous.
Tenner walked into the room with his hands clasped in front of him, a large smile on his face, "I see that you were able to return your ability for speech Mr. Brown. I have to admit I'm impressed."
Only two cloaked figures followed him into the room, closing the door behind them. Warrick had a better angle to watch them than Nick did, who was craning his neck around on his shoulders. And from the statures of the cloaks, neither of these people was extremely large. If he were able to get free, Warrick was pretty sure he could deal with them quickly.
"Now, we have much to discuss, no? I'm sure you have your questions and I have my answers. Besides, I want you to know what you've been dealing with. You both will go to your graves with the knowledge of how far behind you were in things."
Warrick snorted, "Yeah right. Like what things?"
"I'm sure you've been curious about the serial murders. After all, they were meant to be the bait. I just had no hopes that things would have moved as quickly as they had. My calculations put Nick in my hands after about thirty girls."
"You were going to kill that many?" Nick was shocked at the announcement.
Tenner shrugged and moved closer to the two men. He squinted against the lights. It was irritating and he gestured to one of his followers to do something about it. One jumped forward immediately and switched off two of them. Warrick could feel the chill in the room more now. It was damp.
"Their lives had little meaning to me. They were simply a message. As clear of one as I could send out to you Nick. I had been hoping you would have figured everything out by now. After all, it all comes back to you in the end."
Biting his teeth together, Nick tried to figure out what Tenner was talking about. He didn't know any of the girls, they all had been random from what the lab could tell. And most of the places they were discovered at he had never been to before or just driven past them. None of it went in with his normal daily schedule.
"I can tell your thinking about it, but I know you Nick. You're making it too complicated. Simplify it. Just think on the basics of it all. Don't go too deep," Tenner instructed as he stood behind Warrick's left shoulder.
"No hints?" Warrick sneered over his shoulder, but kept his green eyes locked on Nick's face. He was going to give him all the non-verbal support he was able to.
"No. If he, even you, thinks on this well enough, it will all be clear. I would have never done it otherwise. I wanted it all to fit back to Nick in some way. He is the one I needed anyways. My history needs his demise in it."
"You and your crazy shit!" Warrick burst out, "If it's not mythic gods, you're going on about cosmic history and crap like that. I mean come on. How fucking stupid can you be?"
Warrick couldn't move and didn't even see the fist flying from the older man. It his squarely into the flesh just below his ear. And it hurt. Warrick gasped and dropped his head forward, an odd ringing taking up in his brain.
"You have always been a problem. Even before you talked when it wasn't needed. No matter what you do here Warrick, you will not help him in the end. He is mine."
Eyes wide, Nick couldn't help, but to stare at Tenner. He was so sick of it all and really couldn't figure out how this man thought he had ownership over the CSI. Before the last time, Nick Stokes and Jacob Tenner weren't even aware of the others existence.
"Well, he's my best friend so I'll do anything for him that I can. Nothing you can do will stop that," Warrick glared defiantly at the older man.
"Oh, I think there is something I can do to get it to end."
Tenner took a step back and pulled a gun from a holster than neither CSI had seen when he had entered the room. It was easy to make out in the light the one lamp produced, black and deadly. The end of the barrel fit nicely against the back of Warrick's skull. "I think I trump this one."
"Alright! Stop! You wanted to fill us in on what you've been doing, so talk!" Nick burst out, panic clouding over his words even though he tried to hide it.
The gun eased back a little, still close enough that it touched the ends of Warrick's hair, "You would die for his life, wouldn't you Nick? I have to say, that's a rare thing to find in today's society."
"He'd do the same for me. Just tell us whatever it was you were going to."
Hesitating for only a moment longer, Tenner pulled the gun away, the barrel now pointing to the ceiling of the room. His face was blank as he studied the pleading look Nick pushed his pride away to give. Tenner already knew he would be able to use the two against each other, but this was better than he had been hoping for.
"Alright. I won't mess with your friend, as long as he behaves. And I'll tell you the good stuff. But I need his word first."
It was a hard thing to ask of his strong willed friend, but Nick knew it was their only option at that moment, "Warrick, tell him what he wants to here. We don't need to win this battle."
Taking a deep breath, Warrick understood well enough. It still pissed the hell out him. He really didn't want to agree, let alone submit, to anything the man said. But he had to admit, it felt a lot better having the gun pointed away from his head.
"Fine. I'll behave," he chewed out around his tight lips.
"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Tenner placed the gun back in the holster that Nick could now see was on his left hip, "But I did say I would tell you and I will."
Another hand wave and one of the cloaked figures jumped forward again. This time the person carried a new plastic chair, identical to the ones Nick and Warrick were tied to. The back of this one faced away from the light so Tenner would be able to focus his eyes better than the two CSI's were.
"Now, as I mentioned before, this is all connected back to you Nick. You managed to survive and get away from me before. And that was all very impressive. I really thought I had you down, but you bounced right back. So, I knew I had to go away for a little while. I couldn't risk being caught by some police officer here in Vegas."
"So you did leave?"
"And you didn't bother to tell Johnson about it," Nick added to Warrick's question.
Tenner raised an eyebrow, "I should have guessed you would have gone and see him. After all, his cousin had joined my ranks. But no, Charlie didn't know anything about this new movement. I didn't feel the need to keep in touch with him since he had been dumb enough to get himself arrested."
"You left him to rot," Warrick leaned back in his chair, "Not too much loyalty on your end, huh?"
"Not once you are in jail, no. I have no desire to deal with someone on the inside. It simply makes it easier for them to slip up and mention my name. As long as he thinks I'm gone, anyone who asks him will believe. No polygraph test would be able to work on something he doesn't know."
"Where did you go?" Nick frowned.
"Not too far away, but I won't tell you exactly where. I do have to get back there when this is all complete. Then I will leave the country, but not until you're dead. So, that is one thing you won't get to know specifics to."
Sighing, Nick knew to give that one up. He was sure given enough time, the lab would be able to find something that would lead them to wherever Tenner was hiding at. If it was close enough, something would come up eventually. "What about the girls?"
"Well, completely random. No real lives to me. They were just bait and CSI took the hook, no problem. And with the members I have working for me now, it really wasn't much of a problem getting so many done in so few days. But there were insurance policies in place of course."
Warrick shifted his jaw around trying to shift the gag still stuck on his chin, "Such as?"
"Well, if they were caught in anyway, they were to kill themselves. I do believe you Nick were lucky enough to see that in person."
Flashes back to the highway with the man with blonde hair. The words he had screamed out would haunt some of his new dreams, he knew that. Caleb Johnson had killed himself on orders from this man to do so if he were caught in any way by the police.
"I see that Nick's caught on. Yes, Caleb followed order like he was supposed to. Put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. That was they way I told them all to do it."
Nick's face went suddenly pale, "Just like Kelly."
"Exactly, just like Kelly. Her father and she were both members in a fashion. Gordon never actually came to see me personally, just contacted me after Silvia told him what I was looking to do. It was the perfect opportunity for him to get some revenge for his daughter. He contacted me. She came after."
"How did you get her?" Nick had to know.
"She came to me, at that place. Silvia Mullins had told her what had really happened and what was going to happen now. I promised to help Kelly if she agreed to help me. She wanted to get back at Silvia for what she had done with Gordon and I wanted to get a hold of you. I really hadn't expected for her to kill herself, but she did, and the correct way at that."
Opening his mouth once, twice, Warrick had to question, "But why the gun shot to the head?"
"Come now Warrick. Surely you can figure that one out all on your own. I saw the same things you did. The gun, the desperation. Didn't you tell him to put it down?"
"Hey!" Warrick looks down at the glass, unable to see through it. But he can't help, but to feel excited that they had finally found the Texan.
"Hey!"
His hands scrap against the Plexiglas, clearing away as much of the dirt as he can. They are shaking, but Warrick doesn't let that stop him. He is so close. Nick is right in front of him now, not behind some computer screen that he can't reach through.
"We got you, man. Hey, Nicky!"
Nick must have just heard him because his hand suddenly slaps against the lid of the coffin. It was stark white, but Warrick was just glad Nick could still move his arm like that. There were some jerky motions, enough to wipe away from of the condensation off so he could see the blurry face of his friend, red and irritated from the ant bites
"Nicky! Yeah! Hey, hold on there!"
More dirt is moved, more condensation wiped away from the inside. What Warrick can see now makes his heart stop for a moment. He had known that was in there with Nick. It shouldn't have been as shocking, as scary as it was.
"Hey, put that down! Put that down," Warrick orders through the barrier. He sees Nick shaking, crying in pain and fear at what he had been through. It broke his heart, but he wasn't about to let Nick shoot himself with that gun.
"Put that down. We got you. We're gonna get you outta here."
Warrick was beyond relieved when the gun fell from Nick's hand to fall onto the glass over his right shoulder. It was out of place and he doubted that Nick would be able to find it again if he needed to. The danger was passed for now. Just had to get him out of the box now.
"Hang in there."
"You saw that and used it," Warrick breathed out quietly.
"I thought it fit. I almost had Nick dead there, with the gun until you came in and saved the day. It should be the way my people killed themselves if they got caught. One link to dead Nick here."
"But why?" Nick shook his head, suddenly remembering the feel of that steel barrel pressed against the soft flesh under his chin. It hadn't been as scary as he has thought it would have been. But at the time, anything was better than ants.
"Why not? I mean, everything with these deaths has something to do with you. The suicide with gun shots to the head was perfect. Though I really didn't think Kelly would ever do it. She really wasn't that strongly in yet and only heard about that once. I guess she knew there was no way out and wanted to leave you with a special little memory of her."
Tenner leaned forward in his chair, his elbows coming to rest on his thighs. He looked excited, completely absorbed in the sick acts he was telling them. People were killing themselves because Tenner told them to and how to do it. It was sick.
"And as for the girls, well. I had to come up with something special for them. Didn't want to use the same method, bullet to the head. So, I thought about it a little longer and figured it out. But I didn't have that many knives to had out. We stuck with bullets."
"It has been said that the only thing a knife truly hungers for is blood, and it takes much to sate it."
The elderly man stopped for a dramatic effect, though it was lost to Grissom and Warrick. They could care less for theatrics at that moment. All Warrick knew was Tenner was slowly walking over towards his partner.
"That is what they are made for. To hurt, to kill. Tell me something I don't know."
"But you see Mr. Brown. Knives have many aspects in the world besides mindless killing. But I am afraid none of those reasons will play in here. My gods are growing impatient and your cop friends are snooping in areas best left alone. It is time to end this. Nick dies now."
Warrick threw his body forward at the man as he moved to kneel by Nick's prone body. It caused the chair to tip forward, throwing the tall CSI He grunted as his upper body knocked into Tenner, tipping the crazy man down. His knees slammed hard into the cement, the seat of the chair bruising his flesh. But the knife was away from Nick.
"You fool!" Tenner scramble to his knees, kicking at Warrick. The black man was still tied to the chair, but he was now leaning forward on the ground. His dagger had been knocked from his hand at the hit. Tenner looked for it and saw it about three feet to his right.
Grissom watched as Tenner pawed at the knife while Warrick tried to move pinned between floor and cement. It was a losing battle for his CSI. Tenner soon had his hand wrapped around the handle and pulled the steel towards his body.
"Warrick!"
The blade swung out, directly towards his face. Warrick threw his weight to the side, the chair going with. All the air was knocked from his chest at the awkward fall. But the knife didn't reach his flesh at all.
"That was very stupid of you Mr. Brown. Once I finish with Nick, you will see no more light."
Lying on his side, Warrick was now helpless once again, "No! Don't!"
"No more words to save any of you."
Tenner crawled over to Nick and leaned forward. His lips rested about an inch from the Texan's ear as he reached out his free hand to touch the clammy skin. It would be at least another thirty minutes for the toxin to finish the job. He knew he didn't have the kind of time anymore.
Light reflected off the blade as he raised it, looking towards the ceiling, "Deimos, Phobos. Great gods of Fear and Panic. I offer you this sacrifice and hope it pleases you. He dies in fear. He dies in pain."
Time stood still as the blade cut through the air. It was almost beautiful. Warrick opened his mouth, but sound was caught in his throat. A shout sounded from Grissom, but it was not enough. A rip, slurp, and thud filled the room now.
A laugh sounded from Tenner as he removed his hand from the hilt, buried completely in Nick's lower back. It quivered a little from the action. Nick never moved. Warrick screamed out in denial.
Nick shook his head, "The gunshot to the lower back…it was because you did that to me, with the knife."
"Yes, I thought it was appropriate. It was supposed to kill you, but you made it away from it. And I have to admit, when we tried just the single shot to the first girl, she didn't die right away like she was supposed to either. It was messy and we had to listen to her screams. I made changes to it and never witnessed another one after that."
"So you shot them in the back of the neck as well?" Warrick growled deeply.
"Yes. I had them shot first in the lower back, for the first wound. Then in the back of the neck."
"But…but you never did anything to the back of my neck," Nick was confused as he tried to unlock those forbidden thoughts of that day, "Not that I can remember."
Tenner smiled, "Don't worry about trying to remember that one Nick. It really doesn't have anything to do with that event. That was to predict the future."
"What?"
"That's how I'm going to kill you this time. It is the only window to your future that will ever get from me in this one. Otherwise, I plan on using the past as much as I can. Now, I don't know about the two of you, but I need a drink and a break. But I really don't want to let you two have the ability to sit here and talk it over anymore. No, I need to separate the two of you."
Shaking his head, Warrick panicked a little, "No. Leave us here. Just turn the damn lights back on or something."
"No," Tenner pushed himself to his feet and stood back as the two cloaked figures moved in closer to Nick, standing directly behind him. "Like I said, I have some things from the past that have to happen. This history will be one that will be the most impressive."
Nick didn't fight as the ropes were loosened around his torso. But he didn't move too much, Tenner had the gun back out and pointed right at Warrick's head. He would let them do whatever was planned as long as it kept Warrick alive. They pushed him to his feet, his hands scraping uncomfortably against the back of the plastic chair.
"Don't worry Nick. No one dies yet. I have to break you first. That might take some time. Time that I'm willing to deal with."
He was pushed from the room, back into the dark hallway. After all that time in the bright lights, he really couldn't see anything in front of him. Nick had to rely fully on the four hands guiding him along. It was a short walk before he heard another door opening.
"Now, enjoy Nick. I will come get you soon. I promise," Tenner whispered into his ear as a piece of cloth fell over his eyes. Whatever light Nick was able to pick up was gone now that the blindfold was tied into place. He had no use of his eyes or his hands now.
A small push was enough to get him to move four steps forward where he slammed into a wall. The door shut hard behind him. He was alone, only his breathing keeping some noise in the room. Nick straightened himself up and walked a few steps to his left. A wall. More steps to his right. Another wall. It was a closet of some sorts.
Panic welled up, but Nick fought it down. He was in a small enclosed space. His eyes and hands were unusable. But he was above ground. There was only the whiff of dirt. These were walls.
Something was on his right hand suddenly. Nick yelped and jumped around. It kicked up the ground around him. Dirt filled the air now. More things fell onto his clothes, his skin. And they moved. They moved towards his face.
TBC…