I'm really not sure why the spacing is so messed up, but it doesn't make it hard to read. Sorry this took so long, it's been a while since I've written any thing. It might be a while before another chapter is up, but it's about time I put this one into swing. Enjoy! Beta: Amanda Ruth
All Bite and No Bark
Chapter One
Catherine Willows walked through the threshold of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, her reddish-blond locks floating behind her in her speed, heels clicking loudly on the marble floors.
Ignoring the over zealous receptionist, she moved swiftly into Gil Grissom's office, gliding through the door. She blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the dimness, watching her boss. His glasses sat half way up on the bridge of his nose, his chin tilted downward, eyes examining a case file.
"You're late," he stated, his thin lips barely moving, eyes never leaving the printed words.
"Lindsey…" Catherine breathed, her lie camouflaged.
"Hmm," Grissom replied. He placed the file down, picking up a small slip. "You're with Warrick; meet him at the scene."
Catherine extended her slender arm out, reaching for the instructions. Once it was firmly in her grasp, between the index and middle fingers, she turned on her heels, headed for the back parking lot.
As soon as she pulled her seatbelt on, wrinkling her white blouse slightly, she read the address, entering it into the GPS.
Without a second thought for the location, she drove out, listening to the automated turn signals, looking forward to spending her night with the mysterious, tall man. As her daydreams deepened, she shook her head to rid herself of them, hair twisting slightly with the movement.
Upon reaching the scene, a feeling of impending doom wound its way through Catherine's body. Unable to shake the feeling, she embraced it.
After parking the car, she gripped the wheel, closing her eyes and allowing bright flashes to sting at her eyes.
Images of dark forests and winding paths came to her, leaving before she was able to study them. The eerie feeling stayed with her as she approached the house, passing the still-flashing lights of the police cruisers.
Catherine entered the doorway, immediately stepping into a blood bath. At first it was only a subtle hint: droplets of the sticky red liquid leading towards the back of the house.
There were another series of flashes, this time, not from her mind. She paused to put on booties that covered her shoes, a mere precaution against the greater whole, before continuing on. She stood in the first doorway, where Warrick Brown stood, processing, with his back facing her.
"Hey," her apprehensive, awake voice greeted him. He jumped.
"Hey, Cath. I've processed the two extra bedrooms. Saving the best for last."
"Naturally," she shrugged, a bit concerned on how abrupt he had been.
After a brief run down on the scene-- park ranger smelt the decomp, blood trail, open window, and a mess in the bedroom…no officer stayed for more than a few seconds--the two continued on to the back bedroom.
Catherine's highly sensitive sense of smell became agitated before the door was even opened. Her heart began to race, but, after taking a few deep breaths, she managed to calm it.
Warrick pushed the door opened and let out a low pitched "whoa."; Catherine inhaled.
To say the room was a mess would have been the understatement of the year. The entire room seemed to be dripping in red; its source, or rather, what remained, lay on the left side of the bed.
The victim's entire face was missing, as well as most of each arm and leg. Its abdomen was sliced apart, a few end trails leaking from its depths.
"Damn," Warrick broke the silence. "It looks like something ate him!"
"I don't think he ever woke up," Catherine voiced her thoughts. "I'll do the over-alls if you'll take care of the samples." Being extremely close to that much raw meat wasn't very high on her to-do-list.
Warrick handed over his camera and set to work. Catherine began to take photos, the constant step, click, step routine gently lulling her into a strange calmness.
By the time the pair had returned to the lab, the first sign of dawn was prancing around, daunting both parties. Warrick grabbed the evidence, promising to log it all in, while Catherine followed the body to the morgue. She sat back in silence while Doctor Al Robbins examined the body.
"Well, he's been dead for just over four hours," he told her.
"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Catherine asked, disbelief in her voice.
Dr. Robbins looked up at her, and then shook his head. "They look like canine bite marks, but there is an odd…precision about them."
Catherine's guard flew up and her eyes narrowed. "We collected saliva samples at the scene. If there's nothing else?" She began to walk out the door, but Dr. Robbins' voice stopped her.
"Be careful, Catherine. This doesn't feel right." She nodded in confusion before continuing on her quest to find Warrick.