Author: Katyrye Title: Sara Sidle Out Characters: Gil G, Sara S, D.B R, Nick S, Greg G, and Hodges. Rated: HARD M Shipping: GSR DISCLAIMER… come on.. it is

~()~

"You know," Sara Sidle said as she walked with D.B Russell into the ballroom of the glamorous Hotel Ricardo. "I still don't see why you asked me to come tonight."

"Well," answered D.B. "My wife is in Seattle and Jules is busy. Besides, you don't get out too much." After a pause he asked. "Did Grissom take you out?"

Sara smiled to herself as they walked. "Gil did take me out," she replied with a nod." We are both the homebound type though."

"I see," D.B said with a smile.

Truthfully, D.B thought that Sara was good company. He had always admired her tenacity, mind, and strength. They also had something in common; they were in long distance relationships and had marriages that needed work. Regardless of all this, she was an amazing woman. In Sara's mind, she was thinking the same think about D.B. His supervising techniques were drastically different when compared to Gil's, but his charm brought a new life into the lab. When D.B had asked her to accompany him to work-related function her first instinct was to decline, but D.B wasn't the one to have ulterior motives in regards to employees.

"Fancy," Sara remarked, nodding towards the flower arrangements. "They are going all out."

The ballroom was decorated with expensive looking flowers and a model of the city. They did not know how much money the city forked out for this kind of event, but it could have been better spent elsewhere.

D.B agreed. "They are trying impress some high rollers," they stopped and D.B pulled out a chair. "I believe this is where we sit."

Sara chuckled at his chivalry and took a seat. She let her eyes wander around the room. She had expected to see Brass or maybe Ecklie, but so far she just noticed people she was acquainted with. D.B took his seat across from her and they both looked to see what was on the menu that night.

Sara raised her eyebrows. "You can have my fish," she remarked.

D.B nodded. "Thank you for your generosity," he said, turning in his seat to scope the room. "I see the new judge is here."

Sara followed his line of sight. "I see," she agreed.

An awkward silence soon followed, but D.B wanted to take this time to get to know his co-worker better. Not in a romantic way, but friendly. Sara was a closed book and he wanted to respect that as best as could.

"Sara, can you tell me how you met Gil?" he asked daringly.

Sara scoffed softly and smiled to herself. "Did you ask me here to try and pry?" she inquired.

D.B shook his head. "No," he said. "Not at all. If you don't want to talk then I will respect that. However, we are both going through a lot and we should try to lean on one another a little."

Sara cocked her eyebrows, but began her short story. "I first met Gil when I worked in San Francisco," she told. "He was giving seminars that were part of the continuing education. He was already respected as an entomologist," she paused and took a short breath. "I was always answering his questions. So much in fact that he gave me a limit on questions asked and answered."

D.B nodded approvingly of her tale. "That sounds like you," he said. "I can see that passion for knowledge."

Sara continued. "He brought me here to help him because he was in a bind. I thought it would be an opportunity to work with him and it was."

"Professionally and otherwise?" D.B asked.

Sara nodded. "Yes," she said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

D.B agreed. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice by coming here," he said. "It takes a strain."

Sara agreed. "It does," she said.

Their food arrived and they both fell back on mindless chatter regarding work. Talk about their marriages fell to the back of their minds. They mingled with a few guests, but wanted to make each visit as short as possible. In the middle of the judge's speech, whose name was Milton as they learned, Sara excused herself.

"Don't abandon me," she joked.

"Not on your life," D.B whispered back.

~()~

Sara stood at the bathroom sink and looked at her reflection. All that talk about Gil and marriage pained her. She hadn't spoken to her husband in months and did not know where they stood. Friendly text messages and emails were exchanged, but she had her regrets. Like D.B, Sara also wondered if she had made the right choice regarding her career and life with Gil. She still loved him passionately, but she was at a crossroads.

"If only you knew how much I missed you" she whispered to the mirror as if Gil could somehow hear her through it.

She was dressed elegantly tonight and she wished Gil was there to see her. It had been a long time since she had been to an event with her husband and her heart ached for him. She was wearing a dainty lavender dress that he had seen her in many times before and it was his favorite. A shuffle behind her caused her to turn. She thought she had been alone in the bathroom. Quickly she dabbed her eyes and smoothed her hair. Soon, crying could be heard from the second stall down. Sara chewed her lip, contemplated on checking on the girl, and her sensitivity won out.

"Are you alright?" Sara asked, walking over cautiously to knock on the stall door.

When no answer came she decided to go back to the event. I wasn't her business and she shouldn't pry. However, the sobs became louder and Sara wondered if something was wrong. She looked under the stall door and noticed a pair of muddy, bloodied feet. She stood quickly and tried the door.

"My name is Sara," she said. "I am here to help. Open the door."

Sara strained her ears for a response, but none came. She stooped to her hands and knees and peered under the door, straining her neck for a better look. The woman in the stall looked to be no older than twenty-five. Her hair was long and matted. It was obvious that she hadn't eaten well or bathed in a while. Her legs were covered in mud and blood ran down from between her legs. She looked at Sara with wet, glassy eyes.

"I am a CSI," she said, taking out her phone to text D.B. "You're safe now."

She hadn't heard anyone else enter the restroom, but by the time she had realized she wasn't alone it was too late. A booted foot sent the phone sliding across the bathroom floor. It hit the wall with a smack and Sara quickly raised her hands to protect her face. A gloved hand reached down and grabbed her by the neck. She felt a sharp volt in the back of her neck and the lights went out.

The end of Judge Milton's speech proved to be the end of the function. D.B glanced around the ballroom for Sara, but she was nowhere to be seen. He took a quick glance at his phone, but saw he had no message. He stood and made a beeline for the restrooms. There was a line, but he pushed his way to the front, despite protests.

"Sara!" D.B called, pulling out his phone.

He dialed Sara's number, heard a ring, and followed the chime to the women's bathroom. He looked around for the noise and finally his eyes landed on the floor. He picked up the phone, noticing a crack in the screen. A tap on his shoulder made him turn.

"This is the ladies room," a large, busty woman in a black dressed said.

D.B held up his hand. "And I am looking for a woman," he said, pulling up a picture of Sara on his phone. "Have you seen this woman? She is an employee with the Las Vegas PD."

~()~

"Let's go over this one more time," Greg Sanders said as he shined his flashlight around the floor. "Sara came into this restroom, but did not come out."

D.B nodded. "I doubt she pulled a Houdini on me," he said. "Something is wrong. I found her phone right here. We can try to swab, but this is an extremely high traffic area. When I worked my way back here to find her there was a line."

Greg began opening the stall doors one by one. "Did anyone see anything? Hear anything?"

D.B shook his head. "I showed her photo, but no one has seen her," he said. "Or has not admitted to seeing her."

Greg looked at the older man and raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing here with her?" he asked.

"Look, I know what you may be thinking," he said in his defense. "Sara and I were here to discuss our marriages. It is something we have in common and it was strictly platonic."

Greg nodded as he opened the second to last stall. He shined his light on the floor and saw dark brown smears. His first thought was fecal matter, but this was fancy venue.

"D.B, look at this," he said, kneeling and taking a cotton swab out of a breast pocket. "Surely it isn't defecation?"

D.B scratched the mess with a gloved finger. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. "Take it to Hodges," he said.

~()~

Sara opened her eyes and squinted until her vision stopped swimming. The first thing she focused on was a boarded window. She could tell that it was early morning by the faint light that crept through the cracks. She slowly sat up, causing the springs of the rusty bed she was laying on to sing. A sharp pain radiated through her head and she pressed her hand firmly to the wound on her head. She swung her feet to the floor and noticed two important factors. One was that her shoes were gone and the second was that her ankles were chained to the bed post. She jerked her legs, causing the chains to rattle loudly.

"Shhh," said female voice. "He'll come."

Sara strained her eyes to see. "Who?" she asked, tasting blood in her mouth. "Who will come?"

The voice did not answer right away and Sara caught herself wondering if she had imagined it. Then, she heard another set of chains rattle in the dark. How many people were in the same room with her?

"The man," the voice said in a panic. "you have to be quiet."

Sara held out her hand to feel for someone, anyone. Her hand landed on a rough, grimy foot. It was soon jerked away.

"My name is Sara Sidle," she said. "I work for the Las Vegas crime lab. Tell me where I am."

"You're his now," another female voice said. "It doesn't matter where we are because nobody knows."

Sara became inquisitive. " Are you the woman I found in the bathroom?" She asked.

No answer came so she reached out her hand again. She felt along the wall and this time she found a lamp. She clicked it on and light flooded the room. It brought a sharp pain to her eyes, but she ignored it and looked around the room. There were six beds in the room and they were all occupied with women. They all looked young and small. Every female occupant had long stringy hair and looked emaciated. At first, Sara could not speak. Then she found her voice and spoke with purpose.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

~()~

"The substance you found in the bathroom was a mixture of mud and blood from a female contributor," Hodges said, handing D.B a manila folder.

D.B put down Sara's phone. He felt as if somehow he was responsible for her disappearance. They were supposed to be having a carefree evening, but instead it turned south. His mind raced with different scenarios about what had happened to her. None of them were good.

Hodges continued. "I wasn't able to isolate where the mud came from, but with the texture I'd say it is a clay based mud"

D.B nodded and stood. "Who does Sara have listed as her next of kin?" he asked.

Hodges stared at the man for a beat, but snapped back to reality. "You have to check with human resource, but I am guessing it is still Grissom," he said.

D.B sighed. "This isn't an ideal way to introduce myself to the man," he said.

Hodges stopped D.B as he tried to walk away. "Are you calling Grissom?" he asked.

"I have to," D.B replied. "Sara is still his wife."

~()~

Sara tried to sleep, but it never came. She racked her brain for possibilities as to where she was or what was going to happen to her. She did not get much information out of the other girls. Too much time had passed for most of them and she saw no clocks or calendars. The only way she could tell time was by seeing the light through the tiny slits in the windows. A shrill air horn brought her from her thoughts and she sat up in a hurry. Her eyes were wide and her heart began to pound. The other women all got off their beds and stood at the foot. Sara slowly did the same, not wanting to find out what happened if you disobeyed. The door opened and two men walked in. The quickly walked over to Sara and each man grabbed an arm.

Sara kicked out. "Let me go!" she grunted as one man unlocked her chain. "I work for the Las Vegas crime lab and you're making a huge mistake."

No one stopped to respond as she was dragged from the room. She was pulled into a foyer where her dress was immediately stripped off. She tried to be modest and cover her breasts, but it was clear these men were not after sex. A third man appeared with a hose and blasted her with frigid, cold water. Sara grunted and struggled, but her captors held her firmly. One of the men, she was not sure which, slapped her in the face. Her cheek stung and she felt fresh blood trickle down her lip.

"Fighting will not make this easier for you," he said.

She stood still as the men bathed her, rubbing their coarse hands all over her body. The way they treated her, it was as if it were systematic; like they had done it a million times before. One man opened her mouth and checked her teeth like she was a horse for breeding purposes.

"She is older," a man with a thick beard said. "but she'll do fine. She is strong and will last."

Sara was thrown an armful of clean clothes and she quickly dressed, not wanting to risk angering her guards. A young nurse walked in when she was finished dressing. She looked Sara over and handed her a pill.

"What is this?" Sara asked.

"Contraceptive," the nurse responded robotically.

Sara raised her eyebrows and thrust the pill back. "There is no way I am taking that," she said.

Without warning one of her guards pressed her cheeks between his fingers, forced her mouth open, and crammed the pill in. Sara attempted to spit it out, but her mouth and nose were held closed until she had no choice. She forced herself to dry swallow and when she was done the man with the mustache examined her mouth and gave a nod. The men brought her into the hallway to stand in line with the other girls. Sara's eyes widened as she finally realized where she was and what was happening to her.

"I'm their new merchandise," Sara thought to herself.

~()~

D.B turned to Nick and Greg. "This is the last place and time I saw Sara," he said, circling an area on the room layout. "It was at the end of Judge Milton's speech and she excused herself to use the restroom."

Nick approached the map. "The venue has an exit," he said. "we are in the process of having Brass get a warrant for their security cameras."

Greg stepped up in line. "Sara wouldn't just run off," he said. "and her phone was found. Did anyone find a purse?"

D.B shook his head. "No purse was recovered," he said. "It was black and had a strap. We'll go back to the venue and check the grounds."

Nick gave a curt nod. "I'll go," he said. "You stay here and wait. Greg, go see if Hodges has had any luck pinpointing a location of that mud."

D.B watched the two men walk away and sighed. The clock was ticking for Sara and they had nothing but mud smears to go on. He entered his office and sat down behind his desk, taking out Sara's phone. He tapped the home button and saw a butterfly wallpaper lighten the screen. The phone asked for a passcode, but he did not know what it was.

"It's been fourteen hours, Sara," he said. "Give me something."

~()~

Nick Stokes put his hands on the side of the dumpster and hoisted himself over. His feet landed on crumpled boxes and plastic containers that had once been for food. A thick, musty smell floated up, but he worked through it. He kneeled down and began to toss boxes to the side.

"May I help you?" Nick heard an annoyed voice ask.

Nick stood and spotted a short, bald man with a mustache. Nick pasted on his smile and hoisted back out of the dumpster.

"Nick Stokes," he said, extending his hand. "Las Vegas PD."

The bald man nodded. "I see," he said, accepting Nick's outstretched hand. "Carl Bindy."

"Mr. Bindy, a CSI has gone missing on the premises. No one appears to have seen or heard anything, which I think is a load of horse shit," Nick said.

Carl Bindy held up his hands in defense. "I want you to know that the hotel will cooperate in any way. Last night was just a banquet for city officials. Security was heavy and there is no way someone would get out undetected."

Nick did not agree. "Someone did," he said. "Mind if I go through your trash? It is plain view so I can without a warrant."

Nick did not wait for a response, but instead braced his hands against the side of the dumpster once again. He was preparing to resume the search when a metal barrel caught his attention. The outside was blackened, as if someone had intentionally started a fire.

"Mr. Bindy," Nick asked. "What happened here?"

Nick walked over to the barrel, took a photo of it, and slid the lid off. It landed to the ground with a clunk and the smell of burning rubble filled his nostrils. Inside he saw nothing but ash, but poked around anyway.

"Sir," Nick said, lifting out the charred remains of a black purse. "If this is my friend's purse there is going to be hell to pay."

~()~

The door to the main hallway opened and Sara stood on shaky legs. She knew that illegal sex trafficking rings were in Las Vegas, but she was still in shock that one had found her. She was usually the one to investigated these crimes, now a crime was about to be committed against her.

"Stand straight," a drill sergeant-like voice boomed.

The girls straightened up and Sara looked around at them. No one appeared to be as afraid as she was and she took this as a sign that a majority of these girls have been here for years. Mostly they looked exhausted.

"You go," a man said, snapping his fingers in the face of a short girl, who looked to be no older than fifteen.

The girl lowered her head, but did not object. She walked around him and disappeared into a bedroom, wear a man wearing an expensive suit followed her. As her captors made their ways down the line, Sara's heart began to beat faster. She wanted to remain tough and rock solid, but she was beginning to crumble. Finally, it was her turn. Mustache lifted her chin and studied her eyes.

"What about this one?" he called to someone behind him.

"Judge Milton," the voice answered back.

Mustache grabbed her by the back of her neck and keyed open a door to his left. Sara struggled, but only as much as she was allowed. The man gave her a shake and proceeded to drag her to a metal-framed bed. He unclasped a chain, hooked an ankle bracelet around her leg, and clasped it shut. He took her arm in his hand and looked at her veins.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a scared whisper.

Mustache dug his nails into Sara's wrist and pulled her close. "It is better for you if you do not ask questions," he said as he pulled out a rubber band to tie above her elbow. "I can tell you are going to be a problem here and problems do not last long."

Sara saw the needle pierce her skin and fluid pumped into her arm. She tried to pull away, but Mustache was strong. It didn't take too long for the walls around her to start to move and her breathing became light.

"This will calm you for him," Mustache said, standing and waving a man into the room.

Sara felt herself lay back and she wondered what she was doing. Her brain screamed and it urged her to move, but nothing responded the way it was supposed to. She swiveled her eyes to the door as Judge Milton walked in. When the door closed behind him, he took of his Armani jacked and laid it over a chair. Sara was horrified at how delicate he treated his coat, but was careless as to how he was about to treat her.

"I hope you don't think I am some kind of animal," he said, unclasping his cuff links.

"You're a bastard," Sara tried to slur, but nothing audible omitted from her lips.

"We've met before," he said as he unlaced his shoes and set them to the side with his coat. "It was before I was a judge. I was a lawyer. I believe that you were one of the acting CSI's that was working for the city."

Sara could not respond so he continued. "Not that I planned this," he said. "It is just a coincidence. How is your husband by the way?"

Sara opened her eyes and for some reason felt hope at the mention of her husband. "Griss-," she managed to say.

The judge was naked now and Sara tried to tear her eyes away. It was a disgusting and unimaginable sight, but fear kept her docile. She slammed her eyes closed and started to whisper to herself as she felt her clothes removed.

"Gil," she said in her mind. "It's Gil."

For a brief moment she thought it may actually be Gil if she opened her eyes. Gil was always gentle with her, but this man was rough and did not respect that she was sensitive in some areas. Instead of Gil's loving fingers exploring her womanly area, it was a rough, alien hand that she did not know. Somehow she was able to move her hips away, but a strong hand came down on her abdomen.

"Stay still," he said with no compassion.

Sara felt the man straddle her and again, wanted so badly to imagine that it was Gil. She prayed that when she opened her eyes, she would see her husband looking down at her. A tear slid down her cheek and as the man raped her she thought one last thing.

"It isn't Gil," she said. To herself.

~()~

Gil Grissom had not been to the Las Vegas crime lab in years, but when he walked in he felt as if nothing had changed. There was a new receptionist, but she seemed to smile at Grissom as he walked in. As if she knew exactly who he was and why he was there. Looking for D.B Russell was not going to be too hard. He knew where his old office was.

"Grissom?" Gil heard behind him and recognized the voice immediately as Greg Sanders.

"Greg," Gil said, grabbing Greg's outstretched hand and giving a pat on the back. "Anything new come in yet?"

"Not yet," Greg replied as the two men began to walk. "Nick found the charred remains of a woman's purse in a barrel outside the hotel. We have it in the evidence room."

Gil nodded. "Good," he said. "Give me a rundown on when she was last seen."

"D.B and Sara attended a function at the hotel for city employees. Sara excused herself to the bathroom, but didn't return," Greg pulled out a plastic bag containing Sara's phone. "D.B found this on the floor. I am about to go back and go over the bathroom again. "

Gil nodded. "I'll go with you," he said. "Ecklie gave me clearance to work this.

Greg was unsure. "Griss, are you sure-," he started.

Gil cut him off. "I am not concerned with anything else" he said. "We need to find her."

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