Dana's POV
I was in the zone. I couldn't hear a thing going on around me as I gazed through my magnifier at a set of fingerprints from a lady's bedpost. The finger prints were from a Peeping Tom. This particular Peeping Tom had been peeking in the windows of woman for the past month and we finally had gotten a finger print.
I was also thinking about how in five minutes, I'd be officially off and could get some sleep. Since I was concentrating so hard, I didn't hear Greg slip in the room and walk up behind me.
"Guess who," he whispered in my ear as his hand slipped over my eyes.
Instead of guessing, I screamed, dropped my magnifier and tried to pry his hands away from my face.
He stepped back, laughing. "I'm sorry, Dana. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh, God, Greg please don't do that again," I said, taking a deep breath and placing my hand over my racing heart.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I promise. Cross my heart," he said through a smile.
Oh, that smile. That smile made me weak in the knees.
"So, did you find a match to those finger prints I brought you?" He asked walking over to the table and looking over the finger print I had been working on.
"Somewhat. The finger prints are a match to an unknown that's in our system for more Peeping Tom cases. Looks like he's progressing," I said.
"I believe it's my job to decide if he's progressing," Greg teased. I smiled and punched him playfully. "But you're right, he is. First, a lady's windowsill, now some other one's bedpost. We all know what's coming next," Greg said.
"Yeah...," I trailed off. I wasn't sure whether or not I should mention this was all going on in my neighborhood. That these ladies lived in the apartment complex across the street from me.
"So, we're officially off now," Greg said looking at his watch. "Want to go get some breakfast?" Greg looked at me with those big brown eyes of his and I smiled.
"Sure," I said.
We walked to the locker room so I could put my lab coat away and grab my purse. I followed Greg in my car to a dinner down the street. For the next two hours we talked and laughed. I felt so comfortable with Greg.
"You should get some sleep," Greg said suddenly.
"Do I look that bad?" I laughed.
"Nah, you look pretty no matter what," Greg said with a shy smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you back at the lab tonight." Greg stood up and stretched.
I stood up and put on my jacket. I reached for the bill and Greg snatched it up before I could.
"No, I'm paying," he said.
"C'mon, Greg. At least let me pay my half," I said.
"Nope. It's my treat." He smiled at me.
We walked up to the counter together as he paid and then he walked me to my car.
"Thanks again Greg." I smiled. "See you tonight."
"Yeah... sweet dreams Dana," he said through a smile.
At home I threw my purse onto the couch and headed straight for the shower. When I ran out of hot water I decided it was time to crawl into bed. I laid there, half asleep when I thought, "Did I lock the door?" I had no memory of locking it but I was pretty sure I did. I thought about getting up but I was so tired and my bed was so comfortable and warm...
I felt the other side of my bed depress under some weight. Like the weight of a person. A person? My eyes snapped open and the face of a man I didn't recognize was staring back at me. I opened my mouth to scream but he was quick. He was suddenly on me, his hand covering my mouth.
"If you know what's good for ya, you won't make a damn sound," he said.
My mind raced. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. He let go of my mouth and reached to his right and I screamed. Then everything went black.
Greg's POV
I strolled into the building, feeling really good. I had had a great breakfast with Dana and she'd been on my mind ever since. Her with her pretty green eyes, long dark blonde hair and beautiful smile. I practically danced my way to her section of the lab. But she wasn't there. I checked my watch. She usually was here early. I went to the locker room, thinking maybe she was still in there but she wasn't.
"Hey, Nick?" I walked into the office. "Have you seen Dana?"
"She's not in the lab?" Nick asked, not looking up from the manila folder on his desk.
"No. She should have been here by now," I said. I was starting to get a bad feeling.
"Maybe she's just running late today," Nick said.
"Hope that's all," I said plopping down in a chair.
"Got a little crush, Greggo?" Nick teased, his head still down.
I managed to crack a smile. "I think it's more than a crush," I said.
Nick looked up at me. "Oh really?"
"Really," I said through a smile. "I can't believe I'm telling you this," I mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.
"You guys would be a cute couple. And I'm sure she's fine, Greg. She's a woman, sometimes they run late."
An hour had passed and I was officially worried.
"Gris, we need to send someone to her house! This isn't normal," I said as I paced around Grissom's office.
Grissom looked at me over the top of his glasses. "Go on," he said. "Go to her house, make sure she's okay."
"Thank you!" I said and ran out the door.
I looked at the stick note on the dash with Dana's address written on it then up at the apartment complex I was parked in front of. Her car wasn't there. I got out of the Denali and made my way to her door. I knocked. No answer. I knocked again and nothing. I put on a glove and tried the door knob. It was unlocked.
"Dana?" I called as I stepped inside. Her purse was sitting on the couch. "Dana?" I called again. The floor boards creaked under my feet as I made my way down the hall. I checked the bathroom, no sign of her. I checked the bedroom. The bed was unmade. And on the pillow was a spot of blood.
Dana's POV
When I woke up, my head was throbbing. I groaned as I rolled over onto my back. I touched the left side of my forehead where it hurt. There was a lump and dried blood. What in the hell had happened?
I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a bed but it wasn't mine. I sat up quickly, too quickly. I held my head in my hands until I wasn't dizzy anymore. I looked around the room. It was sparsely furnished. Just a bed and a night stand with the lamp. The window had cardboard duct tapped over it, keeping out the light.
Suddenly, it all came back to me. Well, what little I had seen before I'd been knocked out. The man in my bed was the last thing I could remember. I figured I was at his house. Then I realized that this man was probably the Peeping Tom we had been looking for.
I jumped out of the bed and looked around for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing in the closet, nothing in the drawers of the night stand and nothing under the bed. What was I going to do? How was I going to get out of here? I looked at the window. Duct tape was nothing. I could easily get it off. I walked over to the window but before I could touch it, the door of the bed room opened. I turned around quickly. The man who had been in my room walked in. He was holding a plate with a sandwich on it and a bottle of water. I backed up against the wall and watched him as he set the plate and water bottle on the night stand.
"Hope you like bologna. It's all I got," he said.
I remained silent. What was I supposed to say, thank you?
We stared at each other for a minute then he just left the room, closing the door behind him.
I turned back to the window. Did he really think duct tape would keep me in this room? I ripped the duct tape off all four sides of the cardboard and took it out of the windowsill. My heart sank. There were bars over the window.
