Title: Step Down
Author: Evan Nicholas
Summary: It's just the job.
Rating: Anyone and everyone
Spoilers: Just one, and it's a biggie. Set season 6.
A/n: Probably overdone, totally cliched, stupid and painful to boot. At least it's short.


It's just the job. That's all it is, just this thing that someone has to.

"I'll be inside, working the kitchen."

So it's a staircase going down. Big deal. Probably a basement filled with boxes of old magazines, just old National Geographics with well-thumbed photos of topless women in the Amazon.

"Holler if you need a hand."

Trees, and a random staircase leading underground. Why do people do things like that? Why can't they have basements under their houses like everyone else? He's been doing this long enough to know that out of the ordinary probably means twisted and cruel.

"You okay?"

He heaves the wooden trap-door all the way open, listening to the solid thud of wood against hard-packed dirt, and he shines his flashlight down into the dark. Wooden steps, old and worn, but solid enough to hold his weight, probably. The smell of damp soil rises to meet him, and he almost takes a step back.

"Nick?"

It's just the job. Go in, look around, collect the evidence, leave. Down, poke at a couple things, and then up. The door will be open the whole time, he'll have a flashlight and a cell phone and a radio and there are cops standing around outside and Warrick will come running if he so much as breathes too loud. Simple, everyday shit. It's the job.

So just do the damn job so that it's done.

Footsteps crunch against the gravel towards him, and then the solid presence of Warrick is standing next to him. "You okay, man?"

He takes a deep breath, feels the comforting weight of his kit in his hand. "Yeah," he says, forcing a little lightness into his voice. "Why wouldn't I be?"

And before Warrick can answer, he takes a step forward, a step down into shadow.