A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I hit a major road block, but once I was around it, I was able to fly through the rest of the chapter. :D
Chapter 5: Hide and Go Seek
Thursday, May 10th, 1:21 AM, The Hospital
Mac Taylor heard the running feet and screams just before an evil laugh rang out. The door of Mac's room burst open, just as the power went out. Mac frowned and lay there patiently, wondering what exactly was going on. Mac heard the person who had busted his door move over and stand next to him.
"You just couldn't die the first time, could you?" A teenager's voice said.
"What are you talking about?" Mac said.
"You think you're invincible in here?"
"Maybe I would--"
"Shut up! Shut up!" The person yelled, putting a gun to Mac's head.
"Put the gun down." Flack said from the doorway, his gun raised and pointed at the unknown person. Mac heard the person turn and look at Flack. "Put it down." Flack said again.
"No."
"Do it!" Flack said, advancing.
The kid, Mac's eyes had adjusted to the darkness now, pointed the gun at Flack.
"Put it down." Flack repeated.
"No." The kid pulled the trigger. Flack didn't fall to the ground as Mac had expected. Instead the kid crumpled, a single hole in his head. Flack rushed over and felt for a pulse. There was none.
"You okay?" Flack asked, standing and looking at Mac.
"I'm fine. It's just the fact that now there's a dead kid in my room," Mac said with a slight laugh.
"Alright. They'll probably get you another room now."
"Any idea what that was about?" Mac asked.
"Not a clue. They caught too other kids in the basement messing with the electrical."
"Alright. Get them down to the Lab, and ask some questions."
"Alright."
"Flack?"
"Yeah, Mac?"
"I want you to interrogate one, and Ryan to interrogate the other."
"You sure?"
"I'm positive. If anyone can break these kids, it's Ryan and you."
"Okay."
--9:25 AM, CSI Lab, Interrogation Room 1--
"So, uh, Gyro, is it?" Ryan asked.
"Gyro it is."
"Well, Gyro. Your friend is dead. You know that?"
"Yeah."
"You don't sound too sad about that."
"I'm not. You think he's my friend? I barely cared about Nick and Post-It."
"Post-It?"
"Tanner."
"Oh, right."
"Well, Gyro my boy, what exactly were you doing at the hospital?"
"We were cutting the power for Tanner."
"How did he convince you to do that?"
"Said it would be good for all of us. I guess he lied."
"Politicians lie all the time." Gyro laughed.
"Yeah well, he didn't tell us he had a grudge against Detective Taylor."
"Alright. Now, about Nick..."
"Yeah, that wuss ran from his dad."
"We already know that."
"Then why did you ask?"
"I didn't ask about that. How come he didn't have a nick name, like you or Tanner?"
"He's only been with us for about three months. Not really enough time to make a name for yourself."
"Hm. Why are you called Gyro?"
"I'm good with machines, computers, anything. You give me a problem, I can fix it."
"Oh. So, who was it at the crime scene."
"Tanner."
"You know, I think you're lying through your teeth."
"Why?"
"Because Nick has glasses, Tanner doesn't."
"Tanner loaned them to Nick."
"Really? I still don't believe you."
"It doesn't matter, because I only know what I know. Tanner was at the crime scene."
"Whatever you say, Joseph."
"Wha...? How do you know my name?"
"You'd be surprised how many times you're on the records. Theft, Grand Theft Auto, and even an Arson. We could lock you up for a long time."
"You wouldn't understand. No one does."
"So you're crazy?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You're doing a really good job of acting like it."
Gyro shut his mouth tightly and he fumed silently as Ryan left.
--9:25 AM, CSI Lab, Interrogation Room 2--
Flack frowned at Nick. The kid hadn't said anything since he'd sat down.
"Look, kid. We could get your parents in here, if that's what you wanted."
"No! Not my dad." He said pleadingly.
"Oh, right. Your beer-drinking, money-blowing, stripper-visiting, kid-beating dad."
"Don't mock me."
"Mock you? Who said I was mocking you?" Flack said defensively.
"You think I knew Tanner was going to kill himself?"
"You know what? I do."
"Well, I didn't."
"Fair enough. So, who did kill him?"
"What?"
"The bullet recovered from his head didn't match his revolver."
"No one killed him, if that's what you mean."
"That's what the evidence points to."
"You're lying."
"Am not. Here's the report." Flack slid the bullet comparison across the table. Sure enough, they didn't match.
"...Oh."
"So who killed him?"
"I don't know!"
"Well, you'd better start thinking."
"I thought you killed him."
"No. I never pulled the trigger on the gun the entire time he was in Detective Taylor's room."
"No one else was supposed to be in the room except Tanner and Detective Taylor. You ruined the plan."
"Plan? Tell me the plan. Spell everything out."
"Alright, getting in and out of the hospital was supposed to be easy enough. Gyro and I would sneak to the basement while Tanner kept the receptionists busy. Then, at exactly 1:21, we were to kill power in the whole hospital. Tanner would talk to Mac, shake him up a little, and leave. You, of course, messed that up."
"Me, or NYPD as a whole?"
"NYPD."
"And here you are. Your best friend murdered, and neither Detective Taylor or I ever fired a weapon, and the shooter was in the same room as us. So that's making me think that maybe you left Gyro and killed Tanner? What was he doing, stealing food, bullying you?"
"No! I didn't kill him." Flack shook his head in disgust and left.
--9:37 AM, CSI Lab, Conference Room--
"So, Nick didn't know that Tanner was killed, and didn't commit suicide?"
"Yeah. That's what it looks like."
"Well, I didn't tell Gyro. He's shaken enough as it is about us knowing his real name."
"Alright. It seems to me that we're not going to get anything out of these kids."
"Wrong. Nick told me their plan they had worked out. He said Tanner killing himself wasn't part of it."
"I don't think he even though of it until that moment."
"Hm."
"So what do we do?"
"Keep chipping away at their armor. Eventually we'll get everything."
"Alright."
--12:18 PM, CSI Lab, Locker Room--
Danny sat in the locker room, elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed.
"What's up?" Lindsay asked, sitting next to Danny. Danny sat up and looked at her, smiling.
"Nothing. It's just..."
"Ryan?"
"Yeah. I can't help but shake the feeling that he's going to be doing something soon. Something bad."
"Any ideas what?"
"No. But I can say that it isn't going to be good."
"I agree."
"Glad you think so, Montana."
"You know, Danny, we are on lunch break."
"Yeah. I was thinking pizza?" Danny asked.
"Sounds good to me." Lindsay said, standing and opening her locker to retrieve her coat. She opened the locker and heard an unmistakeable tick.
"What's that sound?" Danny asked. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"I don't know." Lindsay rummaged through a small basket at the bottom and pulled a bundle of dynamite out of the basket. Danny's eyes widened. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Danny grabbed Lindsay's arm and pulled her back, darting around the corner towards the door. He pushed the door open furiously and pulled Lindsay outside. He looked around, his mind reeling. He spotted a fire alarm and darted over to it. He looked at Lindsay. "Run!" He said, and pulled the alarm. Instantly several screams jumped out, and people began dashing towards the front door. Lindsay had already hurried down the hall. He turned and sprinted after her. He managed seven steps before the explosion rocked the entire CSI Lab.
--12: 24 PM, The Hospital--
Mac Taylor snapped awake at the sound of the nurse entering. She checked the machines monitoring his heart rate and the like, and noticed that his heartbeat was fast and erratic.
"Bad dream, hon?" She asked.
"Kind-of." The nurse flicked on the TV as she left.
"...Bomb has just hit the CSI Lab in downtown New York City. Investigators are still unsure of the exact cause of the explosion. At least one person was trapped inside. A fire alarm pulled just before the explosion was the work of and unknown person inside. Questioning of the people that were inside will commence tonight at the local police station."
Mac stared in horror. How could this happen? He's gone, what? Five days, and CSI get's bombed. What was going on in this city?
--1:22 PM, CSI Lab, Outside--
Lindsay sat looking hopelessly at the rubble that the CSI Lab had turned into. Danny was in there somewhere. She sighed heavily and let another tear run down her cheek. Ryan and Stella jogged up a few moments later, staring at the carnage. Stella noticed Lindsay and came over to sit down next to her. Ryan went off to talk to the lead officer.
"What's up, kiddo?" Stella said as she sat down.
"D-Danny. He's i-in there."
"Under the rubble?" Stella asked increduously. Lindsay nodded weakly. Stella nodded, fully realizing the weight that was on Lindsay. Stella put her arm around Lindsay, and Lindsay leaned against her gratefully.
Stella sighed and pattedLindsay's arm comfortingly.