----------
A deep red tinted the clouds as the sun set on another day in Las Vegas, making the sky appear to be covered in blood. Crouched in the bushes lining Nightingale Street, a man dressed in black watched the sky thoughtfully. Hidden from unwanted attention, he glanced at his watch and smiled, a silent shadow in the gathering darkness he waited for his quarry to arrive home.
~~~~~~~
Shaking her head in exhaustion, Andi Freeman walked slowly to her car, the lights of the office behind her illuminating her path. Darkness was just beginning to creep over the city, the neon lights of the casinos along the strip calling the addicts in for their next fix. Snorting slightly at the people heading off to squander their hard earned cash, she drove past them and headed home. Night had descended fully by the time she had travelled the 10 miles to her home in the Vegas suburbs. Pulling onto her driveway, she turned off the engine of her SUV and hauled herself out of the vehicle, her hand shaking as she locked it and beeped the alarm. Slipping her bag onto her shoulder, she trudged up the drive towards the house, slightly puzzled when her security light didn't come on.
"Damn bulb must have blown again," she muttered to herself, sliding the key into the lock. Before she had a chance to get the door open, a hand covered her mouth, pressing a sickly sweet smelling damp cloth to her face. Tired as she was, she tried to fight off her attacker, attempting to drive her elbow backwards, into his stomach. Screaming into the cloth in the vain hope that someone might hear her, the chloroform kicked in and she slumped against the stranger, the oblivion rising up and claiming her, dragging her into darkness.
~~~~~~~
Screeching to a halt in the parking lot, Nick Stokes jumped out of his Tahoe and rushed into the Las Vegas Crime Lab, well aware that he was late for work. Racing down the halls, he arrived at the break room and slipped inside, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Grissom looked at him over the top of his glasses, the older man's expression unreadable. Quickly taking a seat, Nick waited for the inevitable remark about his time keeping. When it didn't come, he looked at his boss closely. "Damn! Must be in more trouble than I thought."
"As I was saying, Catherine, you've got a 419 at the Orpheus. Woman found dead in the ladies rest room," Grissom continued, his tone telling Nick that the boss was less than pleased. "Take Warrick with you. Sara, you're with me on a 427. Woman kidnapped outside her own home. Neighbour heard a car pull away at high speed, but the victim's car is on her driveway and her keys were in the front door."
"Ooo, kidnap. Always a rush," Sara replied, her voice full of excitement.
"Nick, you've got a 419. Body found stuffed in a dumpster on Glenmont Street."
"Cool," the youngest CSI replied calmly, rising to his feet and heading for the door.
"Nick, take Greg with you. He could do with a bit of field experience," Gil called over his shoulder, catching the disgusted look on his team member's face and hiding his smile. He turned back to his own task as his team filed out, handing the file on their kidnap case over to his colleague. "Serves you right for being late Nick," he thought as he got to his feet and followed them from the room.
"Yo, Greg! You're with me tonight," Nick called as he passed
the DNA lab, fighting to keep a straight face at the looks of relief on the
faces of the other lab techs. "Come on!"
"Right behind ya man," the spiky haired lab tech called back, slipping out of his lab coat and grabbing his dark blue padded jacket. The pair headed towards the parking lot and as they passed the print lab, Nick glanced inside, seeing Jaqui mouth the words thank you. Hiding his smile, the level 3 CSI wondered how Greg would cope with his first DB…
