Title: Shattered
Author: innocent choir girl shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/LJ GeekFiction)
Summary: Someone is out to get Las Vegas' CSIs and Sara Sidle is their first victim. What happens when there are no leads to a suspect? Takes place during Season Seven.
Category: Ship Ahoy! Gil/Sara
Genres: Angst, Character Study, Drama, Established Relationship, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, Suspense
Characters: Nick Stokes, Original Character
Warnings: Adult themes
Rating: R
Chapter: 7 "Shopping?"
Author's Notes: I also wanted to just let all know that I do appreciate the comments, but I have had to change the settings for my stories so that I no longer accept anonymous commenting after someone blantingly flamed a story with no real reason (because they thought something happened that didn't) and didn't even give me the chance to reply to it. Fanfiction(dot)net only allows authors to only respond to signed comments.
Also, if you're interested or thinking about a CSI RPG, I'm starting up one and taking information to mail out to later for applications : ) The message board is through proboards. Fanfiction(dot)net doesn't allow internet addys in these postings, so you'll have to adjust the address with proper punctuation ;)
Message board:
csitacoma(dot)proboards54(dot)com
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He was scared to leave her…she was cold and pale…but at least the blood had seemed to clot. Nick was happy that the guy hadn't come in to terrorize, because he was sure that Sara staying still had kept her from bleeding out anymore. The start of getting things to enact his plan to help Sara at the very least didn't leave the guy with Sara alone.
"Let's go, Nicky."
Nick sighed and hoped that Sara stayed asleep while he was gone getting supplies. "I'll be back soon, Darlin'," he whispered stroking her forehead gently before getting up. He had gently laid her so that she was curled up on her side in the far corner. The Nyquil that was in Sara's system was doing a good job keeping her asleep, and Nick just hoped it continued to do so. He didn't want her to worry if she woke up and he wasn't there.
"Now, Nicky…"
Nick got up and headed over to the guy, who was in a baseball cap and sunglasses. He didn't see any marks that could help him identify the guy later. He figured he'd just keep an eye out for something he could use against the guy later. At this rate, Nick figured that he'd be out in the actual world and could possibly let the others know that he and Sara were alive, but that Sara needed medical attention.
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"Alright, Nicky…" the guy said excitedly as he pulled up behind a building called Batesville Casket Company. "Here it is…you can pick out a nice one, while I keep the people occupied. Just remember to pick out one that won't be too heavy… We've got to move it."
Nick got out of the truck hesitantly. "We're not gonna hurt anyone, though… That's not part of the plan." He knew that he could control the crazy, but he could try at least…
They headed in, the guy taking the lead with his gun out. He opened the unlocked back door and walked right in like he owned the place. Nick followed closely, but kept an eye out. There weren't cameras…he had been hoping for cameras. As they entered the main showroom, he watched as the guy wandered off while Nick looked around at all the different caskets and stopped when he saw a metallic casket. It would be far too heavy, but the guy wasn't around so he took the chance to touch it making sure that his prints got all over it. The team would be sure to show up to take fingerprints after the break-in was reported.
He found the casket they needed quickly, one that he could easily lift on one side without help. It was wooden, but nothing heavy duty. He went back into the back area they had passed through and pulled a cart out into the show room, he moved the casket a bit clumsily, but got it onto the cart before wheeling it back towards the truck. Nick wondered when the guy thought to check on him. Pulling down the tailgate, he started to lug the casket onto the back of the truck before he ended up climbing up into the bed of the truck. Nick pulled hard, and finally managed to get the rest of the wooden box into the bed of the truck. He hoped out and started to cover it with a tarp he had found in the bed of the truck. He made sure it was secure before closing up the gate of the truck. He turned and to his surprise, the guy was hurrying out. Nick took that as his cue to get back into the truck. For all he knew there'd be an angry mob right behind them.
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"We need some medical place now, right?"
"Yeah," Nick responded keeping an eye out the window hoping someone would pull them over. "Somewhere where we can get a good size oxygen tank."
"Already looked up a spot. Zee Medical…"
Nick sighed, he felt so guilty running around stealing stuff, but he knew it was a far better option than watching the guy kill Sara. They headed in, he watched as the guy held a gun to the owner's face. "What's the capacity of the biggest tank you've got?" Nick asked quickly.
The store owner looked between the gun and the guy with the Texas accent. "We have one that will run for five and a half hours if the oxygen flow is continuous."
"Look, Man, we're not gonna hurt you, but we need that tank…" Nick explained. He figured maybe if the guy felt more at ease then he'd tell them what they needed to know. The man pointed to the back and Nick nodded, "Alright. It's the biggest canister then?" The man held hostage nodded and Nick disappeared into the back.
Cameras.
The medical supply backroom had cameras. He looked up and waved at one. He mouthed slowly 'Sara needs help'. He just hoped they'd be smart enough to pull those tapes. He went back to work pulling a dolly along until he found what he needed. Straining a bit, he managed to move the metal canister onto the dolly. He didn't bother strapping it in place, and just started to wheel it out. "I'm gonna need help getting this into the truck," Nick said.
"Help him!"
Nick looked over and saw that the poor store owner was being forced to follow him and help lift the thing. He parked the dolly next to the truck and then pulled down the tailgate, so he had some room to get up into the back of it. He pulled the tarp back and opened the casket. He saw the guy's face pale, but figured the sooner they got this over with, the sooner the poor owner could go scurry back into his shop and call the police. "Alright," Nick said grabbing the top of it and trying to hoist it up. The store owner, helped by lifting it from the base, and within five minutes it was lying in the casket. Closing it up and covering it, Nick got back down shutting the gate before heading back into the store with the two men. "I need tubing and a mask," Nick told the owner.
Nodding, the owner hurried and retrieved the supplies and handed them over quickly.
"Thanks," Nick said before heading out and seeing out of the corner of his eye the guy threatening the owner before following him out. Getting into the truck, Nick looked back through the side view mirror. The owner was cowering under his counter. It was a smart move. Hearing the driver's side door open and then slam shut, he spoke up, "We need to make one more stop."
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"Ah, let's play this a little more low key," Nick said getting out of the truck. "I can handle this on my own…" Getting out of the truck, he headed inside and picked up a shopping basket. It was Walgreens Pharmacy, but those kind of places had all kinds of things, not just cold medicine. He picked up a water of bottle with a sports cap, making sure he had a pretty good size one. Next, he went down the aisle that had flashlights and picked up a good size heavy duty one along with the C batteries that it required. The last thing he needed was a shovel. It wasn't something that they normally carried, but luckily they had a summer gardening aisle and he was able to get the last item.
Going up to the front, he waited patiently in line. Looking up at the ceiling he noticed a camera. He just hoped that someone would be watching it… Someone would see that he was there…that he was buying the things he was. Maybe it would help them find Sara…and him even. Sometimes he knew, things just clicked…he just hoped things would click quickly.
It was his turn. He set the basket up on the counter and the checkout teenager rang everything through. "Forty dollars and eighty three cents," she reported as she popped her gum.
Nick pulled out his wallet and handed her the credit card. He watched as she slipped it through the machine and smiled. Electronic trail, sometimes he loved technology.
"Sign on the screen."
Taking his card back, he picked up the plastic pen and wrote in the box, Hurry Up, Griss!!!, instead of his signature and pressed done. He took the receipt and his bag and then headed out. The mission was complete, and hopefully things would go like he wanted. He just hoped that Sara would last long enough for the team to find her and for them to get her help.
"At least she won't have to deal with ants," he muttered as he walked back to the truck.
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TBC…