Title: Vengeance Is Mine
Time: Five years after "Alter Boys"
Rating: T
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, all belong to the writers of CBS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Grissom and his team were called to a Catholic church where a priest had been murdered. Upon entering the church, Grissom knew he had been here before–five years before in fact. And the minute he laid eyes on the murder victim he knew him instantly. Detective Jim Brass filled Grissom in on the details.
"Vic's name is Father Powell, priest here at the church. Apparently shot in the chest," Brass said. He noticed a strange expression on Grissom's face. "Either your dinner is disagreeing with you or you know this man."
"Let's just say our paths have crossed before–five years ago to be exact," Grissom explained.
"Please say more," Brass pleaded.
"Remember the Jennings case, where Benjamin Jennings was incarcerated for two murders we believed were committed by his brother Roger, only the evidence pointed to Benjamin?" Grissom asked.
"Oh, yeah. The kid later killed himself in the holding cell," Brass replied.
"Father Powell tried to help Benjamin, tried to convince me of his innocence. Even tried to convince me to attend services here," Grissom remarked.
"I'm pretty sure that didn't happen," Brass smirked. Grissom just rolled his eyes. He then noticed something around Father Powell's neck.
"Jim, is that a necktie I see around his neck? Since when do priests wear neckties?" Grissom asked.
"Maybe it's the new dress code for priests," Brass said, smirking again.
"Even I find that sacreligious, Jim. Listen, I've got to be on a plane in an hour, I'm calling Catherine in on this. She's acting supervisor while I'm gone. I'll leave you in her capable hands," Grissom said, pulling out his cellphone. "Cath, it's Gil. Your job as acting supervisor starts now. I've got a DB at St. Mark's Catholic Church, a Father Powell. Brass will fill you in on the details. Nick and Warrick are already here, grab Greg and Sara and bring them along."
"Will do, thanks Gil. Have a safe flight and good luck with your sabbatical," Catherine said, hanging up her cellphone. She turned to Greg and Sara, who were with her at the lab. "Looks like we have a crime scene to process."
Catherine, Greg, and Sara arrived at St. Mark's to find Nick and Warrick already processing the scene. David was getting a liver temperature from the body of the murdered priest. Warrick was bagging the necktie that was found around the priest's neck.
"We'll know more at post, but cause of death will either be exsanguanation, because of the bullet wound, strangulation, or a combination of the two," David said.
"Shot and strangled with a necktie?" Sara asked. "This is looking like that Jennings case five years ago. Wasn't this the priest that tried to help Benjamin?"
"Indeed it was," Brass replied. "And we just got another call. Another DB, they think it might be a district attorney."
"Got it. Warrick, you and Nick stay here and finishing processing the scene. I'll take Greg and Sara with me," Catherine ordered.
Catherine, Greg, and Sara accompanied Brass and his team to the home of District Attorney Robin Childs. They discovered her body on the floor of her livingroom, apparently shot and strangled with a necktie, in the same fashion as Father Powell.
"We've got a serial on our hands," Greg said.
"What the connection between these two, other than the obvious signature?" Sara asked.
"DA Childs was looking to prosecute the case, but Benjamin killed himself before he could be brought to trial. Father Powell tried to help Benjamin. Whoever's doing this is probably seeking out persons involved with the case," Catherine answered.
"That means any one of us could be at risk, we processed the evidence for that case," Greg said.
"Hold on a minute," Sara said as she spotted something on the floor near the attorney's body. "There's a newspaper clipping here. It's about Benjamin's arrest. There are several names circled–Father Powell, DA Childs, and CSI Gilbert Grissom."
"Well, Gil will be safe, he's on a plane to New England as we speak," Catherine said.
"Don't you think we should give him a heads up, let him know what's going on? His life could still be in danger," Greg said, concerned.
"He's on sabbatical. I don't want to worry him unnecessarily about this. The man's burned out as it is. If we discover there's cause for concern I'll call him," Catherine said nonchalantly.
"By then it could be too late," Greg argued.
"If it will make you feel better, I'll call him later tonight, okay?" Catherine responded, agitated. "Now, let's get to work processing this crime scene."
"Great, I'll check the perimeter," Sara volunteered.
"Sounds good. Greg you check upstairs, I'll work down here," Catherine said.
Greg and Catherine were finishing up processing their areas of the scene when David arrived to pronounce.
"Hey guys, so we've got a serial, huh?" David asked.
"Appears that way," Catherine responded. "Hey, did you see Sara out there, we're just about finished up in here."
"No, I didn't see her," David answered. "She might be around back."
"I'll see if she's back there," Greg said. He went out to the backyard and began walking around the house looking for Sara. "Saaraa, come out, come out wherever you are," he called teasingly. After getting no response, and having no sight of her, he began to worry. He encountered her field kit lying open at the side of the house. No one else was in sight–Brass and his police squad were at the front of the house. Behind the house was a wooded area. Greg noticed a break in the trees leading back through the woods. He approached the break and saw two sets of footprints, one set showing marks of someone being dragged. He noticed something on the ground that made his stomach drop–a CSI ballcap. "SARA!" Greg shouted. "Sara, where are you?"
Catherine and David heard Greg shouting and ran out into the backyard. Catherine caught Brass' attention and he ran back to join them.
"I think someone grabbed Sara. Look," Greg said, showing them her ballcap and pointing to the footprints and drag marks.
"Are you sure she just didn't wander off, chasing the evidence?" Catherine asked.
"Her field kit is here, opened. Her ball cap was on the ground. There are drag marks, Catherine!" Greg explained, growing agitated.
"Don't worry, Greg. We'll find her," Brass said. "Dispatch, this is Brass. We have a possible kidnapping on our hands. CSI Sidle is missing, taken from 642 Danbury Rd. while processing a crime scene."
"There are tire treads back here, whoever grabbed Sara must have had a vehicle waiting. A big one, like an SUV," Catherine said.
"Sir," an officer called, approaching Brass. "Sir, a dark SUV with tinted windows was seen pulling out from this direction. I thought it was a CSI vehicle, so I thought nothing of it at the time."
Catherine's cellphone rang and she answered it. A gruff voice greeted her.
"If you want to see your CSI alive again, you'll tell me where Grissom is."
"Who is this?" Catherine demanded.
"An old friend. Where is Grissom?" the voice said.
"Let me talk to Sara," Catherine replied. After a brief pause Catherine heard Sara's voice.
"This is Sara."
"Sara, where are you?"
"I don't know, some trailer in the middle of nowhere," Sara answered.
"Who has you? Do you recognize him?"
"It's Roger Jennings, Benjamin's brother," Sara said.
"Roger Jennings? What does he want Grissom for?"
"Catherine, the priest and the DA are dead. What do you think he wants Grissom for?"
"Did you tell him anything?" Catherine asked.
"I said I didn't know, which I don't," Sara said. "But Jennings swears he'll kill me if someone doesn't tell him soon..."
Sara was cut off by the gruff voice of Roger Jennings. "So now you know who you're dealing with. Tell me where Grissom is, or Sara's dead!"
"Listen, I don't know exactly where he is. I'm out in the field and I don't have his contact information with me. Give me some time to get back to the lab and get that information," Catherine pleaded.
"You have two hours. I'll be in touch," Roger replied. Then the phone went dead. Catherine hung up her phone and shook her head.
"We need to call Grissom," Greg demanded.
"What will that accomplish? What do you think he's going to do, turn the plane around? We're not calling him," Catherine snapped.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Greg asked angrily.
"We get back to the lab, we start processing the evidence, and we find a way to find Sara without putting Grissom in danger," Catherine answered.
"In two hours? That doesn't give us much time,' Greg said, exasperated.
"Well then, time's a wasting. Let's move," Catherine said.