After the little party dispersed, Nick wasn't sure what to do with himself. He felt confused and really cold. The Goose had departed with Fat Freddy, and even The Boss had left the docks in a long stretch Hummer that had picked him up. Nick wandered, alone, along a sidewalk that stretched along the Hudson river's edge. He stared up at the night sky, where the stars shined down on him almost scoldingly it seemed, though he wasn't sure what he did, or did not do that could've been done. Nick somehow found himself in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge within no time, staring down at the dock he'd stood on from afar.
Everything seemed so uncertain all of a sudden. At least he wasn't the one that they'd tossed into the river, but in a funny sort of way he'd almost have found that more justified, even though he didn't know what this Gopher guy had done. It just seemed like he was just as bad as anyone else that had been there for not speaking up and helping the guy... and maybe that was what the stars had beef with him about.
Nobody believed him, they didn't understand the stress he was under. He felt ready to explode inside. The fellas thought he was nuts, he wished he was, but he wasn't, and now he was a witness to a murder... a murder that he couldn't even report because if he did.. well, then instead of being a witness he'd become the victim.
The pieces of the last two days slowly slid more and more into place. For one the cryptic message he'd delivered to The Goose made perfect sense. Someone - namely The Gopher - had reported the mob to the police, and now he'd paid the dues. The Fox and The Hound were obviously two guys in charge of finding people who needed to be found, and they'd done their job, just as the Boss wanted them to, and now there was a Gopher in the bottom of the Hudson River.
Nick's thoughts swirled in an unmanageable way like this until he heard a car screech to a stop illegally on the bridge. A moment later, Kevin was by his side as the cab he'd arrived in disappeared in the traffic over the bridge and into Brooklyn. Kevin grabbed Nick's elbow, "What the hell was that?" he snarled, pissed off. "Why did you DO that? You are fucking lucky that I found you..." Nick looked at Kevin, and the look in his eyes instantly quieted Kevin's anger. "What happened?" he asked, concerned.
Nick shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Kevin..." he answered, "It's not like you'd believe me anyway. I just lost my marbles, remember?" He turned back to the river, pulling his elbow away from Kevin's grasp.
Kevin watched Nick's face, then followed his gaze to the docks below. "Did you go?" Kevin asked, turning to lean aganst the railing the way Nick was. Nick nodded in response. "Were they there?" Kevin asked gently, being careful not to load the question with too much sarcasm. Nick nodded again. "What happened?"
Nick turned to Kevin. "The Gopher was a person," he stated simply, "I didn't get it until I saw the guy, and the next thing I know they're tossing him in the river, and... That could've been me."
"Nick..."
"If you don't believe me you don't have to pretend you do, but don't tell me if you don't, either," Nick replied, not letting Kevin finish, "I don't have the patience for it right now... I just feel guilty. Like I should've done something to help the guy."
"You're saying they killed someone tonight?" Kevin asked.
Nick nodded, "Yeah. Like it was nothing. They had him all tied up and just tossed him over the side of the dock. I heard the splash."
Kevin suddenly felt his stomach grow heavy within him. Nick was either taking this story to it's very limits or... "You witnessed it?" Nick nodded. "Do you want to tell the cops?"
"And end up like that guy? No. I don't think it's the best idea," Nick answered, looking at Kevin. "C'mon Kev, you've seen the Sopranos. You don't tell on these people. It doesn't work that way." Kevin swallowed hard, and for the first time in two days the story didn't sound as ridiculous. Nick continued staring out at the water, the sound of the splash playing and replaying in his mind.
Suddenly, something caught Nick's eye. "What the..." He turned and began to jog down the bridge towards the Brooklyn side.
As Nick ran, Kevin's head snapped up. "Nick?" he quickly hurried to catch up, "Nick, what're you doing?"
"I think I see him," Nick cried, running ahead, "I see him!" When he reached the far side of the bridge, he quickly jumped the guard rail and hurried down a short grass-covered hill, to a small beach, littered with enough garbage to fill a state landfill. Beer cans, bottle caps, smouldering joints, chinese food cartons, pizza boxes -- it was all there. Nick ran by it all, right to the edge of the water on a sandy knoll.
Kevin tried to follow quickly, but it was harder for an older guy to run the same obstacles Nick had taken in a moment's time. By the time he got to the edge of the water, Nick had already dragged a soaking wet young man from the water's edge, and ripped away his blindfold and gag. Kevin rushed to Nick's side.
"Is he breathing, Kev??" Nick looked up at Kevin with pleading eyes.
Kevin knelt down and slid his hand under the guy's jaw to feel for a pulse, incredulous at what was happening. If this guy was the guy Nick saw them toss into the river... then... that means they were there TO toss the guy into the river.. which meant... Nick's story was the truth. Kevin felt his insides flipflop. And then he felt something else... the guy's pulse.
"He's alive," Kevin confirmed, then waved his hand over the guy's nose, feeling nothing. He quickly laid the guy down, pressed his chest, and the guy promptly threw up a ton of water. "He needs oxygen." Quickly, Kevin leaned down and covered the guy's nose and mouth with his own mouth and forcefully breathed in and out, jump starting the guy's lungs. Within moments, Kevin had him breathing again, even if it was mostly sputtering.
Nick watched, amazed at Kevin's ability. He felt proud that Kevin was his friend, and that he could always count on Kevin... even when he didn't particularly want to.
"Let's get this guy back to the hotel," Kevin said, whipping out his cell phone, "He needs a bed to rest in, and I don't think here under the Brooklyn Bridge is the safest place to be right at the moment..." He looked at Nick square in the eyes. "Besides. I think we have some stuff to talk to the other guys about."
Saving the Day for Blondes (AKA How Nick Carter Became Involved in a Terrorist Mob, Quite By Accident Really!, And Thereby Managed To Save The World For The First Time Ever, Much To Kevin's Surprise.) by Pengi
