Disclaimers: They're not mine, but I promise I'll have them back by
midnight.
A/N: All mistakes and British spellings are mine.
Undercover
Chapter one
"Okay people, so we have no new evidence and no leads is that right?"
Ecklie sounds seriously pissed, not that I blame him, we've been concentrating on the same case for two weeks, there's a serial killer out there killing women and we have nothing, no new evidence, no new leads, nothing. The whole lab has been working on this case with everything else being put on hold till we catch the sick bastard.
"Everyone is doing their best Conrad, of that I can assure you."
"Well right now Grissom, that's just not good enough, we need to catch this bastard now."
Usually when he gets like this I want to kill the annoying son of a bitch but this time I agree with him. Three innocent women have lost these lives because we can't piece together the clues and that's just not good enough.
Grissom's phone goes, effectively saving us from whatever else Ecklie was about to say next.
"Okay, we're on our way." He says before snapping his phone shut. He shakes his head and a look of disbelief passes over his face as he gets to his feet. "We got another one. Nick, Warrick and Sofia you're with me, Catherine, Sara and Greg you stay here. I'll send any evidence back to you three while we finish at the scene. If you can, have the results by the time we get back; I don't need to tell you how important this one is." He walks out as soon as he's finished talking, his team following him.
"I'll go and do some damage control with the press." Ecklie declares, sounding even more pissed off than before.
Catherine, Greg and I are left in the break room trying to digest everything that's just happened.
"I can't believe this; we have to be missing something." Catherine says, although I think it was more to herself than anyone else.
"Hey, Catherine, we will catch him, sooner or later he'll make a mistake, and when he does, we'll be there to nail him."
"And in the meantime he continues murdering innocence women, remind me to tell the victims families that we're just waiting for a mistake, I'm sure they'll feel so much better." She practically yells at him.
You can see she regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth. "I'm sorry Greg, I didn't mean to bite your head off, and I know you're trying to help, I'm just so frustrated."
"It's okay Cath; we all want to catch him." Greg takes a whole lot of shit around the lab for being immature, but looking at him now, I realize just how much he's grown up since becoming a CSI, but then this job will do that to you. It's one thing to sit in a lab and hear about the atrocities people commit against one another, it's another to be out in the field witnessing it first-hand.
"I have to agree with you Catherine. While we're waiting for Grissom to send anything new over why don't we take another look at what we've already got, different perspective and all that, you might see something I've missed, or vice versa." I offer, I'd pretty much stayed quiet since arriving at the meeting, but like Catherine I'm frustrated and sitting here talking about it isn't doing anyone any good.
"Good idea, let's go." She doesn't wait for us, just stands and walks out of the break room.
"Come on Greg, let's go."
--------
An hour or so later David turns up to give us the evidence Grissom has found so far.
Again we're left with nothing much to go on, possible DNA from a hair sample and a partial fingerprint on a glass.
"Just got off the phone to Gil." Catherine says walking into the lay out room to join Greg and I. "Usual MO, vic is female, looks to be late twenties, early thirties, brunette this time. As always he picked her up at the club, somehow got her to follow him to the alley out back, COD is as usual multiple stab wounds, single gunshot wound; no ID on the vic yet..."
"Any witnesses? CCTV?" Greg asks
"Of course not, crowded club, hundreds of people and yet nobody saw him, few people remember the girl, but nobody can recall seeing her leave with anyone. Body was found by the DJ, he'd gone outside for fresh air during his break. As for CCTV the owner had cameras in his office and by the bar, pretty much anywhere there was cash, but not anywhere useful to us, obviously we'll check it anyway."
"They found a glass?" Asks Greg.
Catherine lifts an evidence bag holding a clear plastic glass and hands it to Greg. "The glass was found next to the body, it's one from the club so they must have taken them. The hair was found on the vic. Let's hope now is the time he makes that mistake."
--------
I've been in the lay out room checking and rechecking the evidence we have for the past hour while Greg ran the glass and hair for DNA.
I'm interrupted by Warrick "Hey Sara, we just got back now, Ecklie sent me to find you, said he wants you in his office ASAP. I'll take over here till you get back."
"Thanks Warrick, wonder what I did now." God I hate Ecklie, I've never in my life met anyone so arrogant, and the power trip he's been on since taking over is just beyond ridiculous.
"Well whatever it is Cath and Griss did it to, they should be there by now."
I thank him again before leaving and heading towards Ecklie's office. I bump into Catherine on the way; she's just as clueless about what he wants. She left Nick with the print and Greg is checking the DNA against our vic.
Grissom is already in Ecklie's office when we arrive.
"Sara, Catherine. Close the door behind you and please have a seat."
Grissom doesn't sit; he stays standing in the back of the room. You can feel the tension in the air, he's not happy about something.
"I know you're both well aware of how serious our current case is and how imperative it is we catch whoever is doing this."
Why is he bringing this up again? Didn't we just go over this in the briefing?
"I'm sure you're also aware of the massive undercover operation beginning tomorrow. Undercover officers in as many clubs as physically possible."
"Yes, but what does this have to do with us?" I can tell by her tone of voice that Catherine knows exactly what he's getting at, but she won't make it easy for him.
"You understand there are only so many female officers in the department and while male officers are deployed as back up, there needs to be a female officer to have any chance of attracting our killer."
Oh I know he isn't going to ask us this.
"So what I'm asking is if either of you would consider helping out with this operation. Now obviously under normal circumstances you wouldn't be asked but right now we need to do all we can to catch whoever is doing this. And I suggest you think carefully before you answer, after failing to find anything at all so far, we need to look as though we're at least trying."
"In other words we have no choice, we have to say yes." God I can't believe this guy.
"Of course you do, but I'd strongly recommend you doing this, we need to do whatever we can to make the lab look good right now. We know you won't have to do anything, neither of you are trained, so it isn't like you'll be approaching anyone suspicious, just reporting them to your back up and keeping an eye on them."
"So basically we do nothing out there for however long this takes, leaving the lab short-handed when we need all hands on deck right now. What's the point to us being out there when it's clear we're not there for anything but appearances?" I ask him. Clearly the man is a total idiot. I've never heard anything so stupid.
He doesn't get to reply.
"What type of undercover?" Catherine asks. I hadn't even thought about that. I was to busy being pissed of at Ecklie's threat.
"Nothing dangerous, pretend to waitress in the club or something along those lines, just look busy while keeping you're eyes open. You'll have two officers as back up at all times."
"So you want us to waitress." I spit at him. I have no objection at all to helping out with the operation, or to waitressing I'm happy to be helping try to catch him. I do however take exception to being forced to do something by the likes of him.
"Well you'll be waitressing Sara, Catherine on the other hand will be..."
"Catherine will be what?" She asks him. It's obvious she's no happier with this than I am.
"Well there are clubs that don't have waitresses as such."
"You want me to dance? Tell me you're not serious."
Now I understand the tension I felt when I entered the office. There's no way he can actually be thinking she'll do this.
For the first time since we entered the room Grissom decides to speak. "I've told you Conrad, I won't allow her to do this."
"And I told you that it's not your decision any more, you're no longer her supervisor in case you forgot."
He turns his attention to Catherine before continuing, choosing to ignore the anger clearly written all over her face.
"You'll be perfectly safe, I'll even check-in personally to make sure you're okay." He rakes his eyes over Catherine's body as he speaks, practically leering at her. Check to make sure she's okay my ass. He grins at her then opens his mouth to continue but I don't give him the chance. What he's just done has made me feel physically sick, screw the consequences, I can't just sit here and say nothing.
"Bullshit, there's no fucking way she's doing that."
All eyes fall to me but I'm way too pissed of to care. "I can't believe you'd even suggest that. Why not me? Or Sofia?"
"Catherine knows more about the business." Oh I can't believe he's pulling that card, he's such an ass hole.
"She can train me." I refuse to let her do this; it's not just about his ridiculous request. The thought of putting her in danger like this turns my insides; I don't think I could cope with it if anything happened to her.
"The operation goes into effect tomorrow."
"I'm a quick learner."
"Look she doesn't have to dance, just fit in. Observe."
"Fit in and observe wearing hardly any clothes that is." It's quite possible I'm going to hit him.
"The fact is..."
"The fact is you want to watch her, I don't suppose you were intending to personally check-up on anyone else? Anyone fully clothed perhaps?"
For her part Catherine looks shocked, both at his suggestion and my outburst.
"That's a very serious accusation Sidle..."
I stand up, getting ready to really let Ecklie have it but I feel a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back. I turn and see Grissom shaking his head at me.
"Leave it Sara; please let me deal with this. Catherine will you take her to get some coffee or something please."
It dawns on me how surreal this moment is, I bet I'm the last person they expected to react like this, but I couldn't help it. I'm outraged that he'd disrespect her like that. I'm still pissed but I know I'm about to cross the line and at least Ecklie will have to listen to Grissom.
So I turn and practically stomp out of his office, heading for the locker rooms. I've just punched the locker for the second time when Catherine walks in behind me.
"Hey, come on stop that. You'll hurt yourself" She says. I immediately stop what I'm doing to look at her, how can she not want to kill him.
"Aren't you angry with him?"
"Very much so, but you seemed to be conveying enough anger for us both." She smiles at me and my insides immediately start to calm.
"Sorry, I just can't believe the slimy bastard said that to you, actually suggested you do that, it's ridiculous. Then to have the cheek to pretend to be concerned about you and use it as an excuse to perv at you. I wanted to vomit, and then hit him. How dare he treat you like that?"
"Sara calm down Hun, it's no big deal, I'm used to that reaction when guys find out about my previous employment history. Yes it pisses me of sometimes, and I would have said something to him, but you beat me to it"
"Well you shouldn't have to be used to that, you deserve better, they're fools, and there's no way in hell you should have to put up with it here, or anywhere else for that matter." I know I should shut up, but I feel so much for her I can't help my reactions. I've been head over heels in love with her for months. I know there's no chance and I've come to terms with that, it's hard sometimes but what else can I do. Even so, I just can't sit and watch that bastard treat her like that.
"I'm touched that you care so much, but you know he's been looking for a reason to fire you for months, please don't give him one because of me."
"I wanted to punch him, he's the one who should be fired, he can't just ask you out like a normal person?" I can't remember the last time I was this angry.
"I guess not, I'm glad though, that would seriously freak me out." She laughs, trying to lighten the mood. I love that sound so much I can't help smile.
"That's better. Don't let him get to you so much. And as for his little threat, Gil will take care of it. And even if he can't I have no intentions of saying yes. I'll worry about the consequences later."
"Good."
"Hey, I just realized you said it was a ridiculous idea, I'll have you know Sidle that I've still got it." She jokes.
"You know I didn't mean it like that." How could I? She is beyond gorgeous.
"You think I'm too old?" She asks smiling at me.
"Shut up." I joke back. Before I tell you exactly what I think of how you look.
"Okay, I'll stop picking on you. Now come on, let's go get that coffee."
-------
We've just sat down in the break room when Grissom walks in.
"Conrad and I came to an arrangement, if you are both agreeable you'll both be assigned to waitress the same club, I wasn't happy with either of you being alone out there. Sofia is assigned somewhere else, with a female officer. I only agreed to let any of you do this if you were in pairs. I know you'll have backup but I still didn't want..."
"Gil, you don't need to explain. We understand. Thank you for sorting this out." Catherine cuts him off. He's been so protective of us all since we got Nick back. It's clear he isn't happy about this, he doesn't want us out there, but he also knows that we have to do whatever we can to catch this guy.
"Thank you." He says. "Now if you'll both excuse me, I have work to do."
Once he's gone Catherine turns to me "Well this should be interesting, you ever work in a bar before?"
-------
Catherine and I were given the rest of the night off; we had to be at the bar at one the next afternoon so we were told to go get some sleep.
I've never been a big sleeper so I sit in bed thinking while I wait for sleep to come. I remember when I realized I was in love with Catherine. It was when we were looking for Nick; we'd all been so scared. Doing everything we possibly could to get him back to us in one-piece. I knew I'd had feelings for her for a while but when I heard about what she did to get the ransom money I knew I'd fallen for her. I hadn't realized right then how much she cared for us all. Had it been me, I'm not sure I could have done that.
I doubt Warrick will ever be the same again, he still blames himself, thinks it should have been him. No matter how much Nick tries to convince him otherwise.
It's changed each of us in ways we haven't even yet begun to understand. But it's brought us all closer. Something it seems we're all grateful for, I know I am. Feeling like I belong somewhere is a new thing for me.
Thanks for reading.
Reviews gratefully received.