While Joe and Nicky are in captivity at Merrick, they are separated. And someone (Kozak?) gets a little sick of Nicky challenging their ethics, and decides to break him by convincing him they’ve managed to kill Joe permanently.
Only this turns out to be a really, really, really bad move. Because Nicky proceeds to escape his restraints and go on a one-man rampage through Merrick’s people until he can recover Joe’s body.
Cut to Andy/Booker/Nile arriving and finding the mother of all crime scenes. And Nicky breaking down and hardly daring to believe it when he finally does find Joe (alive).
Joe/Nicky: Telling Nicky Joe is dead is a catastrophic mistake
Only this turns out to be a really, really, really bad move. Because Nicky proceeds to escape his restraints and go on a one-man rampage through Merrick’s people until he can recover Joe’s body.
Cut to Andy/Booker/Nile arriving and finding the mother of all crime scenes. And Nicky breaking down and hardly daring to believe it when he finally does find Joe (alive).