Chapter 7
Things were going so well, until that fateful day. They had just cleared Warrick of the murder of Gedda. Warrick's career as a CSI was over, but he was free man. Sara had been run ragged since Warrick started investigating Gedda. She knew about the obsession a case can give you, but she begged him to give it up. There was much more important things to worry about, she was 3 months pregnant, and she needed Warrick around. He was there, but emotionally he had been thinking consistently about Gedda. No one knew that she was pregnant, they were hoping to keep it under wraps until she couldn't hide it anymore. Once everyone knew, she would be stuck in the lab until after the baby was born, and she wasn't ready for that yet.
"Man Warrick, I am glad you are out." Nick said to him while they paid for breakfast.
"Me too. I can't believe I put you guys through that, I am really sorry"
"It's OK, we all understand, we have all been there. You guys were all on my side with Kristy, and you guys helped me find Mandy. We got your back."
"Yeah I know. Thanks man" he said patting him on the back, "go home to your lady and tell her I said hi."
Nick acknowledged Warrick before hopping into his truck. He drove as fast as possible back to his house. After the long few days, he was looking forward to a day of rest and relaxation with his girl. He pulled up and saw that she was already awake.
"Hey there baby" he said walking in to see her watching the news.
"Hey... Nick" she said hesitantly as she leaned in to receive a kiss on the cheek from him.
"What's up?" he asked her there seemed to be something wrong
"Have you... talked to Brass?"
"What? No. I'm off shift. Did you hear from him?"
"I just got a call all hands on deck. An officer down."
He sighed it had been a long few days, and now officer down meant another long few days. His phone rang; Ecklie was on the other line. He answered as she pulled him towards the door and into the car.
"Ecklie, I heard officer down. What can I do to help?" he asked genuinely. He was never a fan of Ecklie, but when an officer is down, he put his personal feelings aside. After all Ecklie had been understanding of his relationship with Mandy after all.
"Nick. I need you on the scene. Is Mandy with you?"
"Uh yeah. Do you need her to come and print people?"
"No. She is needed at the lab ASAP."
"OK, I will drop her off, and then meet you at the scene. What's the address?"
Ecklie gave him the address, and he dropped Mandy off kissing her, and telling her that he loved her. Speeding off to the scene Mandy rushed in hoping to help find the perp as soon as possible. She hated when one of their own went down.
He drove off to the scene as fast as he could hoping that he didn't know the officer, not that he wished this on anyone. As he pulled up to the alley scene, his heart began to drop. He saw Grissom covered in blood. His heart was beating a million beats per minute. Was Grissom down? What was going on? He stopped the car, jumped out and ran to the scene.
"Grissom!" he ran yelling out his name, his heart in is throat.
"Nicky" he said his eyes full of tears and sweat. "I..." he failed to find words which was never a problem for Grissom.
Nick looked over and saw his best friend covered in blood. He felt out of his body. Warrick laid there still. Nick sat down on a window ledge unable to keep his legs under him. He saw David standing there not knowing what to do next. After a long time of silence, he finally began to cover the body, unable to bring himself to exam him. Nick still sat there as tears began to fill his eyes, unable to fully process that his best friend was gone forever. His body was still there, but he knew that the life had left. He saw Catherine running towards Grissom who held her at an arms length. He had evidence on him. She began to shake from her tears of grief, and he tried to calm her down as much as possible, smoothing her hair and holding her hand. Gil couldn't keep his emotions in check and began to silently cry. Nick seeing his supervisor losing it caused him to lose it more. Ecklie found the four of them just staring at the body on the ground.
"Gil. How do you want to handle this?"
"I want my team to handle this Conrad"
Ecklie nodded and starting making phone calls. Nick started to gain his senses, and began to dial Sara's number. She answered after three rings. "Nick. What's going on? I heard an officer is down? I am about to get into the car right now. I just left the doctor."
Nick closed his eyes trying to level his voice. He didn't know why she was at the doctor, but he wanted to hear it from him.
"Sara. There has been a shooting... It's Warrick"
"What? No. No. NO. That's not true. He was just running an errand really quick. Is he..."
"He didn't make it. Sara I'm so sorry" Nick said his tears starting up again. He didn't know what else to say.
"Where are you?"
"Listen, I don't think you should see him like this. Come into the lab, you can see him there"
"No. I want to see him."
"Sara we have to transport him now. The longer we wait, the faster the evidence deteriorates. We have to find the guy"
Sara only replied with a sob.
"Listen Sara, I'm going to call a patrol car to pick you up. Where are you?"
"Clinic on Tropicana"
"OK stay there. You shouldn't drive. He will take you to the lab"
Sara only responded with another sob.
"You aren't alone in this Sara" Nick said to her before hanging up. He called over one of the officers and told him to go get Sara, and then he told David to put Warrick on the gurney. He helped him pick up his friend and then he told Grissom that he needed to go to the lab. He began processing the scene, hoping to find something while he waited for the tow truck. He had to take control of the scene. Grissom was in a daze and the one thing Nick knew is that he had to find the killer. After finding a the bullets that killed his best friend, he had the car towed to the garage. He made Grissom and Catherine go back to the lab to process Grissom's clothes and to start gathering more evidence from Warrick's phone logs. They were going to find the guy, and everyone needed to be on their A game.
Nick arrived at the lab to find it somber and quiet. The lab techs were huddled around different stations, talking and holding each other. He searched for Mandy in the groups but didn't find her. He walked towards the break room to find a final cluster sitting at the table. He saw Mandy, Henry and Archie sitting and talking. He could see her eyes were red from crying. She stood up and wrapped him in a hug.
"I'm so sorry" she said to him. He just squeezed her tight, not saying anything for a minute.
"What can I do to help?" she asked him.
"I don't know" he said dejectedly, "I am going to process his car. I'll let you know if I need anything"
She nodded sensing she should leave him to it. She sat back down as he walked away. He couldn't think of anything to say to her, to anyone.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
He walked into the garage and saw Greg standing there not knowing what to do.
"I need a job" he told Nick. Nick gave him a small nod, "Why don't you help me process this car"
They worked for over two hours processing the car and finding very little that would lead them to the killer.
"Has someone seen Sara?" Greg asked. He was worried about her.
"No, I haven't but I assumed she was down with Grissom and Cath in the morgue." he swallowed hard at that last part.
"I can't imagine what she is going through, what you are going through. I was friends with him, but you were his best friend"
"I know," Nick said his voice cracking, "and that's why I am working. I am going to find the bastard who did this"
"Yeah. I am going to take this casing to Mandy and see if she can get a print" Greg said to Nick who was fiddling with the window. He didn't acknowledge Greg leaving but continued to search for any clues he could find.
"Hey Mandy" Greg said as he walked to her station.
"Hey" she said standing there hoping he had something for her to print.
"I have this shell casing, I was hoping you could find a fingerprint."
"I'm on it"
Mandy took it and began examining it closely. She wanted to extra careful, any clue could be the one to break the case. She first swabbed the bullet for trace, and placed it in an envelope for Hodges. She placed the bullet in the fume hood, and gave the trace to Hodges. After it finished, she pulled it out and found no prints on the casing. Not a single smudge. She sighed in frustration. She had hoped to find anything, and now she had nothing to give. She hadn't seen Nick, and she was feeling so helpless. She wanted to help him, give him support, but from earlier he seemed detached. She headed to the garage to find Greg and Nick still working. She didn't want to have to give the bad news.
"No prints" she said to Greg who had stuck his head out of the car.
"OK thanks Mandy" he told her before going back to the car. Nick didn't even acknowledge her there, and she left without another word. She walked back to her lab dejectedly. She saw in the corner of her eye Grissom holding Catherine. They seemed to be sharing a few words of comfort to each other. Mandy was glad that they had each other to hold on to. Warrick had been like a son to Grissom, and a little brother to Catherine. They had both been fiercely protective of him. She could see they were both feeling like failures. Mandy walked back into the lab finding Archie and Henry still there.
"They haven't sent anything to us yet" Archie said slumping in his chair, "I was hoping that the alley was near some traffic cameras, but there isn't anything near there."
"I feel so helpless" Mandy said to them as she sat down next to Henry, "I don't know what I can do"
"You are here, that is helping" Henry told her putting his arm around her gingerly.
"I know. God I can't imagine how Nick must be feeling. He didn't even talk to me when I walked into the garage. He probably is mad I didn't find any prints on the bullet casing"
"He's not mad at you for not finding non-existent evidence" Henry told her giving her a gentle squeeze.
"I know but that is how I feel. I am mad at myself for not finding any evidence. I mean what do we do? We are stuck in the lab, just waiting around hoping to help."
"Yeah. I know. This part of the job sucks" Archie said.
They went back to their stations hoping to get evidence in Warrick's case, and time seemed to pass so slowly. She finally went to see if she could find Sara. She found her in Brass's office in a slightly catatonic state.
"Sara?" Mandy asked, after Brass gave her permission to come in.
"Sara, what can I do? How can I help you?" she just got a glazed stare back from her.
"Can I get you anything? Anything at all?" Mandy asked her again.
"No." Sara finally responded, "There isn't anything you can do."
"I am so sorry"
"It's not your fault" she responded, "but thanks"
"Listen Mandy, can you get her some coffee, she hasn't had anything to drink or eat in really long time," Brass told her from his desk. He had just been talking with Sara about what happened next. It was the worst conversation to have with his friend. He just found out then that Sara and Warrick were together. He was a little surprised, but glad that they at least shared the short time together.
"Sure, I can do that" Mandy said walking out the door and heading to the break room. She got a cup of coffee and a muffin from her desk. She thought it may help.
"Thanks" Sara said taking the coffee and a muffin, "I forgot that I had to eat" she told them. She was eating for two, little did everyone know.
"It's not a problem. Please let know if you need help with the... arrangements. I can help with the wake or anything."
"Thanks"
Mandy gave her a quick squeeze before heading to her lab to find Nick standing at her station.
"Where have you been?" he asked angrily.
"I'm here what do you need?" she asked choosing to ignore his question.
"I have a knuckle print that I need you to match it to Officer Prichard." he told, and then added, "I have been waiting for you to get back"
"I'll run them now" she responded hurt by his coldness, but she wasn't going to say anything. He was running on emotions and no sleep.
She ran the prints with him breathing over her shoulder, not in the way she was used to. It was heavy and angry breathing.
"No match" she told him, giving him an apologetic look hoping he would calm down but it only inflamed him more.
"Run it against AFIS and any other damn database!" he said before walking out. She watched his leaving figure feeling hurt. Just then Catherine walked in, "Mandy did you run that print against Prichard?"
"Yes, no match" she almost snapped but managed to keep it together.
"OK, Mandy I would like you leave me now."
"You're kidding."
"No I'm not"
Mandy threw up her hands and huffed out. Whatever, she thought. First Nick, and now Catherine. She never felt so inferior at her job then at that moment. She stormed into the break room to get some coffee when she saw Grissom and Nick talking softly in the corner. He didn't even acknowledge her, but Grissom gave her a little nod. She grabbed a cup of coffee and plopped on a chair waiting for the signal that her lab was available again. She sulked in her seat pondering what to do next and why Catherine wanted her lab to herself.
"How are you doing Mandy?" Grissom asked as Nick left the break room.
"I'm getting by. I wish I could be let back into my lab though" she said pointedly.
"I know. But we are running on a lead"
"But I thought Officer Prichard was the only suspect"
"We found someone else"
"Who?" Mandy asked dying to know who caused this.
"I can't tell you." Grissom said to her, "Sorry, but hopefully you will hear soon enough"
"Uhhh!" she bursted leaning back into her chair.
"I know this is hard. But Nick will be back soon, I'm sure"
"I hope so. I just feel so helpless"
"I know. I know. Just let Nick know you are there for him."
"Thanks Gil" she told him before leaving to her station again. She felt she should see if she could get it back. She found it empty, and saw that Catherine had took the prints with her, and the computer had been logged out. She began processing old prints just to pass the time.
Nick processed the car finding some knuckle prints finally and took them to find Mandy. She wasn't at her desk , and he waited impatiently. When she finally got there, he snapped at her and stormed back to the evidence locker. He immediately felt bad about it, but there were more important details to worry about. Catherine came into the locker a few minutes later to find Nick standing there just staring off into space.
"Nicky... I think I know who killed Warrick" that snapped him out of his gaze.
"Who?" he asked her.
"McKeen. He set Prichard up. He was worried Warrick knew too much, and killed him."
"Are we sure?"
"Yeah, the knuckles match the ones on the window"
Nick nodded and walked into the break room to find Grissom.
"How are we going to get him?"
"Brass is calling him right now, Archie is going to try to track McKeen's signal. Now I know we are running on high emotions, I want you to keep your head out there. Don't do anything rash"
Nick just nodded. He went to the locker room and put on his vest and grabbed his gun, making sure it was fully loaded. He then went to Mandy's lab station. He had such a bad feeling about what was going to happen he wanted to say goodbye to her.
"Hey there" he said softly as he watched her work diligently.
She looked and looked at him with sad and hurt eyes. He knew he had caused the hurt part, and he felt terrible about it. His emotions had gotten the best of him.
"Hey" she said softly her eyes began to search his. As if she was trying to find the Nick that she loved, the Nick that was infallibly kind and loving.
"I am going out to get the bastard. I just wanted to say to you... I love you."
"Nick?" she said confused, the tone that he was taking was far more scary than him yelling her.
"I'm sorry about earlier, about yelling at you" he said calmly.
"You are scaring me. Seriously. You are scaring the hell out of me" Mandy said to him her eyes filling with tears.
"Promise me you won't do anything crazy. Please. Warrick wouldn't want you to do that. He wouldn't want you to throw your life away, I don't either" she said as she came closer to him and pulled him in for a hug. "Please Nick. Promise me" she pleaded with him.
He was silent for a moment before responded, "I promise. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, and that I love you. I'll see you when I get back" his tone hadn't changed from before.
She nodded and he walked away. She looked over at Wendy who was watching the two of them, and rushed over to her station.
"He seemed so out of sorts, Wendy. I'm really scared that he is going to do something, something stupid. I made him promise me that he wasn't going to. He said he wasn't but I'm just not sure. I'm just not sure" Mandy said wiping away tears that were flowing down her face. Wendy gave her a hug not knowing what to do or say. They sat together as they waited for any news.
Nick left Mandy's lab and felt a huge weight on him. He knew she was right. Warrick wouldn't want him to lose his head over this. He had to keep it together. He drove with Brass following the trail Archie sent them on, and soon they saw an overturned car on the side of the road. It matched the plates to Prichard. They jumped out guns drawn incase there was a conscious person in the car. They found Prichard with a broken neck dead, and an empty passenger seat. Nick began following the trail of blood without Brass' lead. He walked until he heard coughing. He ran gun drawn towards the sound, and found McKeen laying on the ground bleeding. His eyes saw red, he wanted to cause this man more pain then he was already in. He had destroyed people's lives, and for what? Kickbacks? What a waste of space. How could he have trusted him. McKeen coughed, his lungs filling with liquid.
"Stokes" he said between coughs.
"Thank God you're here." he told Nick as he approached him his gun raised.
"I was trying to bring Prichard in" McKeen told him keeping a steady voice, convinced Nick believed him.
"Shut up" Nick said as he kicked McKeen's gun away from him
"He got the drop on me. He grabbed my gun I lost control" McKeen continued his lie.
"I said shut up!" Nick said crazily. He wasn't going to listen to this son of bitch anymore.
"Air one, air one we are looking for a visual on McKeen" Brass said in the background. Nick could hear that they were getting closer. He continued to point his gun at McKeen, his finger twitching. He wanted to pull the trigger so bad.
"OK, you want to know why I did it?" McKeen said smirking at the sucker. "Warrick had a big mouth and I had to shut it. I tried to warn him, but he was just too stupid to listen. If you wanted to know, when I shot him there was a smile on his face. I told him he could keep his job, I didn't have the heart to fire him"
"Shut up!" Nick said as tears of anger clouded his face. He was so close to pulling the trigger. So close to ending that bastards life.
"You're his friend!" McKeen goaded him, "What kind of friend are you! Shoot me you son of a bitch!"
Nick wanted to fire so bad, but a small voice in the back of his head began to coax him out of his cloud. "Promise me you won't do anything crazy" Mandy's voice began ringing in his head. It got louder and louder. He released one shot, intending to scare, not to hit. He let out a huge sigh. He couldn't do that Mandy, Sara, Grissom, Catherine, or Jim. He would cause more pain, and that wasn't worth the gratification of killing McKeen.
"Nick?" Brass said cautiously. He heard a gun shot, and McKeen lying still. Nick's face was almost unrecognizable. Full of anguish, anger, hurt, fear.
"McKeen has gun shot wound to the stomach. He has lost a lot of blood we should get that medi-vac here ASAP" Nick responded holding his voice as steady as possible.
"What was that shot?" Brass asked him, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. He also knew if anyone asked, he didn't hear the shot.
"A miss" Nick responded before walking away. He walked back to the road trying to regain his breath and lower his pulse, he could hear as he walked away he heard Brass arresting McKeen.
"Jeffery McKeen you are under arrest for the murder of Warrick Brown."
He asked one of the patrol cars to drive him back to the lab, and when he arrived he went straight to Mandy's lab. He found her sitting just staring at her screen. When she saw him she immediately jumped up and ran towards him.
"Mandy" he said to her as he buried his head into her hair.
"Thank god" she whispered into his ear.
"Take me home" he said to her after he got back his composure and she nodded. She looked over at Wendy who was holding her chest in relief. She gave her a look that told her they were leaving, she responded with a nod.
She led him to the truck and helped him in the passenger seat. He wasn't injured but he was so out of sorts.
She started the car and drove them home.