Mickel was coming at Greg with a knife, Greg tried to run away only to find Nick holding him still.
"N-Nick w-what are you d-doing? L-let me go!" Greg stuttered. Mickel laughed, Nick remained blank faced. Greg felt a searing pain as the knife stabbed him through the chest. Nick let him go and Greg staggered away. Greg stumbled and fell into Grissom. Grissom smiled at him.
"G-Grissom, h-help me p-please!" Greg teeth chattered, cold from the loss of blood. Grissom said nothing and turned Greg around and pushed him back into the direction he stumbled from.
Renaldo, Catherine, Warrick, Nick, Sara and Mickel all stood in front of him, and Grissom behind him. Greg collapsed on his knees.
"H-help me please!" Greg begged. Everyone except Mickel turned and left him alone.
Mickel advanced on him.
"Ready to finish what we started pipsqueak?" Mickel asked laughing coldly. He stabbed Greg again. Greg screamed.
Greg woke up drenched in sweat. Nick was glancing at him while he was driving.
"Greg, are you alright?" He asked concerned. Greg nodded, gasping for breath.
"Nightmare, sorry." Greg panted. Nick shook his head.
"You have nothing to be sorry about Greggo, but you were moaning in your nightmare." Nick said the last bit quietly. Greg finally got control of his breathing.
"Maybe it was a mistake to bring you." Nick said finally. Greg looked at him shocked.
"No, I'm fine." Greg rushed out. Nick smiled a small smile and nodded.
"I know you are."
When they finally arrived at the crime scene, they got out. Greg opened the door and climbed out, and had to steady himself, he was still shaky from the nightmare. Nick walked over to him and stood next to him.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Greg nodded and walked next to Nick over to the cop.
The cop looked at Greg strangely.
"I'm Detective Brenson. The crime scene is in that café there. At 12:00 exactly, two men walked in and fired 3 times into the ceiling, the hostages fell to the ground as ordered; the men took the money and shot five hostages when a silent alarm was pressed. They had a police scanner so they knew we were coming. Two others are injured from gun shot wounds. The criminals escaped. Photograph the bodies and find the bullets and then get out of here." Brenson went over what happened. Nick nodded, Greg staggered a bit. Nick grabbed his arm.
"Greg?" Nick asked worried. Greg nodded.
"I'm fine Nick."
Nick led Greg over to crime scene. Brenson stared after them frowning.
They opened the door and walked in.
A scene of absolute terror stood in front of them.
Lifeless eyes stared at them as they walked through the mess. Nick pulled Greg over to one side and pulled a flak vest over him and then one over himself.
Greg stared at the bodies. The first one he had been to in months and it had been a bloodbath. Nick gave Greg the camera.
"Make yourself useful." He joked and pushed Greg forward.
Greg laughed shakily back and wandered over to the bodies and started taking photos.
Greg noticed a bullet and pulled on a pair of gloves.
".22 caliber." Greg said as he picked it up and examined it, before dropping it into an evidence bag.
Nick was standing on a chair pulling bullets out of the roof. Nick frowned as he examined them.
"Well I can tell you one thing, these are definitely not .22's." Nick said.
"But they are too flat on impact for me to tell you the exact type of gun, the lab should have better luck." Greg nodded in agreement, much calmer now.
Greg was just about to photograph a young woman when something caught his eye. Greg stood up and walked over to the corner of the bloodied diner, being careful not to stand on the shards of glass remains of the cupcake display.
Greg noticed it was a shoe, saturated in blood. Greg slowly pulled the body out and jumped back. It was Marco.
"Nick!" Greg yelled out terrified. Nick ran over, accidently kicking shards of glass over at Greg.
"What?! What is it?!" Nick asked panicked. Greg shook as he backed away.
"T-that's o-one of the guys that t-t-took me." Greg stuttered scared. Nick turned towards him quickly.
"What?!" He asked outraged. Greg nodded, his face paling considerably.
"He and his friend wrote you the letter about where I was. He hurt me Nick." Greg said, tears spilling down.
Nick led Greg outside. Benson came over.
"Are you done?" He asked happily and then he noticed Greg.
"What's wrong with you?" Benson asked, without waiting for an answer he continued.
"I knew you looked too young," He turned to Nick. "You employing them outta high school these days huh?" Nick turned to Benson furiously.
"You missed a body!" Nick shouted. Benson looked at him.
"Okay, but that isn't a big deal." Benson shrugged. Nick grabbed his shoulders and shoved him against the wall.
"It is when the extra body was of someone who kidnapped a CSI and tortured them!" Nick shouted at him.
"Nick…. Don't…. It's not his fault, he wasn't to know." Greg whispered, barely audible.
Nick let go and sat down next to Greg.
Greg was staring somewhere faraway. Nick pulled his knees up to his chest and leaned on them.
Benson stared down at them both.
"You're the CSI, I'm guessing then?" Benson asked Greg. Greg nodded slowly and absentmindedly rubbed his wrists. His jumper rolled up and revealed healing, still half infected, sores on his wrists. Benson gaped at them. Greg realized what he was doing and quickly pulled his sleeves down. Greg stood up and stared back into the café, the crappy red puffy seats, and the red table topped tables, the red and white checkered floor, now covered in even more red blood and shards of glass and the bodies. Greg stared past all of these and stared at Marco's lifeless body.
"Where's Ralph?" Greg asked quietly. Nick stood up and turned Greg to face him.
"Where's who?" Nick asked again. Greg tore his eyes away from the body and to Nick's face.
"Ralph, is his friend." Greg explained. "He was in charge of the camera and stuff." The last part slipped out. Greg snapped his mouth shut.
Benson eyes opened wide.
Greg looked at him.
"You might have had two criminals, but through the terror and confusion, only one escaped." Greg said.
Nick led Greg back to the Tahoe and sat him in it.
"You stay here, I'm going to quickly process the scene and I'll be back 'k?" Nick asked. Greg nodded as he stared down at the dirt. Nick shut the door and Greg wound down the window.
He was sitting there for twenty minutes.
He thought about the tapes, the torture, and the messages the CSI's had received. Greg had asked to see them when he got back to work.
One was still fresh on his mind. The note on the wall written in blood, his blood.
Greg pulled up his sleeves and looked at his wrists. They were still yellowish and red and still oozed a bit, but they were healing. Greg sighed.
He had passed out when his hands were bound to a beam in the ceiling. At first he was semi conscious, but unable to stay awake, he felt the ropes digging into his wrists and when he woke up he was on the bed and the lock was installed.
Greg rubbed his sides, aware of a dull ache his ribs gave when he had moved too much.
At least 5 broken ribs, the doctor had said, and at least 3 bruised. Greg shook his head.
He had been through so much and survived.
'The beating for running down Demetrius James, trying to save a man, and the kidnap and the torture.' Greg thought. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Nick opened the boot and put the evidence into it. He walked over to the drivers side and opened the door. Nick looked at Greg before climbing in and shutting the door. Nick turned the key in the ignition. Silently they drove off. Greg stared out the window, watching tree's and houses, casinos and some desert roll past.
"Greg?" Nick asked hesitantly. Greg reluctantly looked at him.
"Do you need to see the counselor again?" Nick asked slowly. Greg shook his head.
"I'll be alright." Greg said even slower. Nick looked at Greg skeptically. Greg grinned back. Nick laughed as he focused back onto the road.
They pulled into the CSI lab. Greg helped carry the evidence upstairs to the lab.
Greg collapsed into one of the seats as Nick explained to Grissom what happened. Greg watched as Grissom's eyes widened considerably. Grissom glanced at Greg, who stared back.
Grissom walked out of his office.
"Are you okay Greg?" Greg was asked for what seemed like the ten thousandth time that day. Greg nodded.
"Yup." Greg answered. Grissom frowned.
By then the other CSI's had heard what had happened and came over to Greg.
Catherine and Sara hugged him and asked if he was alright. So did Warrick after a brief hug.
Nick stood back.
Greg looked at him and turned his head on one side quizzically, like a dog does, Nick laughed and walked over.
At that moment as if to spoil everything Greg's phone rang, Greg sighed and picked up what seemed like another non-talking call.
"Hello?" Greg asked irritably.
"Why so miserable today Pipsqueak?" Mickel's cold voice answered. Greg's eyes opened wide in shock. Everyone stared at him.
"I'll be seeing you real soon buddy." Mickel said before dial tones. Greg looked at Grissom. Grissom stared back worried.
"It was Mickel." Greg breathed, confirming everyone's fears.
CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI
CLIFFYISH.
Thank god only two assignments and an essay to do, which is a small pile compared to the one I had before.
Thanks to everyone who sent Hope you get better reviews, thank you I am much better now. I can stare at the computer without everyone going blurry.
Taekwondo is keeping me busy, sorry….
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW…. Hint…. Hint… my good readers.
Loads of luv HGP