Greg sat alone in the break room, a cup of coffee sitting untouched in his hands. He was mentally kicking himself for not being able to protect Leila. He had vowed from the moment he saw her in the parking lot last night that he would never let her out of his sight again and he would do anything to make sure she stayed this time. He didn't want to lose her again, but it looked as though he just might and just the thought scared him. He wished it had been him instead of Leila. She didn't deserve this. She had been through enough with all her father had put her through her whole life.
Right then, Grissom and the rest of the team walked in, including Sara and Ronnie along with some of the lab techs such as Archie, Bobby, Wendy, Henry, Mandy and Hodges. He stood up, waiting for them to tell him something, anything that could help him get Leila back safely.
"Alright, here's what we possibly know so far. According to Doc Robbins, the two girls were killed first by a single gunshot to the head, close range. Just on a hunch, I tested the boyfriends for GSR. They both tested positive. Now, I'm thinking that our killer, or killers because this guy could have an accomplice or two if he is our killer, made the girls kneel down side by side. He made the boyfriends beat up their girlfriends until he said otherwise. When he felt it was enough, he forced the boyfriends to kill their girlfriends, drug them into the woods, therefore letting the guilt seep in and consume them until they begged for death than he happily obliged and dumped the bodies. I'm guessing he has something against couples or maybe he felt territorial." said Grissom.
"So why take Leila? How's she fit into it?" asked Hodges.
"Wrong place, wrong time maybe. We can't know for sure 'til we investigate further." said Grissom.
"Wait, if he forced the boyfriends to kill their girlfriends, wouldn't that mean that Greg is in danger too?" asked Sara.
"Yes, which is why I want someone with him at all times. No one is to let him out of their sight even for a second. I know how much you want to help Greg but I can't let you handle any evidence on this. I'm not gonna take you off the case but you are limited to what you can do. I'm going to mostly be keeping you in the lab so we can keep a better eye on you. You leave, someone goes with you. Understand?" asked Grissom.
Greg nodded and didn't argue. He wanted to but knew better. Grissom wasn't going to be swayed this time.
"Okay. I don't think Leila will be in any real danger as of right now because he's gonna want Greg to do his dirty work for him, as a way of torturing them both I imagine. I'm going to need everyone to take it slow so we don't miss anything and we do this right. I know we're all going to want to work as fast as possible so we can get Leila back safely and unharmed but we don't wanna take any risks and screw up any chance of getting her back by making a single mistake. It's what Leila would want us to do. We all know she's a smart, tough girl and a fighter. She's going to do what she can to make sure we get her back. All we have to do is keep our heads clear and not give up hope." said Grissom.
Everyone just nodded in agreement. Everyone in the room, with the exception of Ronnie, knew and had seen a lot of the things her father had put her through when they first met her. She quickly got close to most of the team, except for Greg.
Greg couldn't help but smile slightly at the memory. She had appeared hesitant and afraid to get close to him. Greg talked to her alone once, trying to get to know her and be her friend but she still pulled away. Greg still didn't give up. He had fallen in love with her when he first saw her but respectfully kept his distance. Finally, one day when him and Leila were alone and she had nowhere to go, he decided to make his move and kissed her but only briefly. He had waited for her reaction and was pleased when she kissed him back. After that, she was more relaxed around him and they even developed a very close relationship. He had even stayed by her side when her father came after her several times, using him a couple times against her to try and get to her but Leila was smarter. She protected Greg each time and both came out of it alive. The last time her father came after her, in New York, she had no choice but to kill him herself to protect those she loved before he hurt any of them to get to her.
Greg had gotten so lost his thoughts that he didn't notice as everyone except Grissom filed out of the room to get to work. He was startled back to reality when he heard Grissom speak.
"Greg? You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he lied, trying to appear as though he were and failing miserably.
"Leila's a clever girl. She'll know how to pull through this. She's got you and the rest of us to come back to, but especially you. She fought so hard to protect you when her father kept trying to use you against her because he knew it would hurt her more if she lost you than if she lost anyone else. You're the best thing that's happened to her Greg." said Grissom.
"She tell you that?" asked Greg, trying to hold back his tears.
"She didn't have to. It's obvious. The way she looks at you, the way she acts around you, the way she holds you. You're her lifeline. Without you, she would be lost in this world. True, she would still have me and the rest of the team, and anyone else that cares about her for that matter, but it wouldn't be the same. You were there for more than anyone in her time of need, you were the one who offered her the most comfort. Maybe not with words but just with your presence, the way you held her or just by letting her know you were there and you were willing to give your life to protect her no matter what. Not many guys would do that. That takes courage Greg, and that's why she fell in love with you. You were willing to do anything for her even though you barely knew her. She found trust in you, trust that would normally take longer for her to built with any other guy. You showed her respect and you fought for her, even when I told you to stay away from her. She saw things in you that she had never seen with most people. You guys have fought too hard to stay together, not to mention you just got her back. She's not willing to give up without a fight. She will find a way back to you, one way or another." said Grissom.
Greg just nodded, his throat too tight to speak. He quickly looked down at his hands as Grissom turned and left the break room. His eyes fell on his wedding ring, which he had never taken off, even after him and Leila divorced. He couldn't bear to take it off. He felt that now it was his only link he had left to Leila, as though assuring himself that she was real and not just some girl he imagined. He may be Leila's lifeline, but she was also his. He knew he couldn't bare to live without her now. She was a part of him now, his other half. He just couldn't give her up without a fight, not this time. When he had lost her last time, he didn't fight for her, he didn't argue, he just let her go and do what she wanted. He wasn't going to give her up so easily. He was going to fight for her even if it meant fighting for her until his last dying breath.
Leila slowly woke up, feeling groggy and her head hurt. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself in what looked like an old basement. There was a wooden staircase leading upstairs, a small window that was too high for her to reach and too small for her to climb through, an old furnace in the far back corner of the room, a single light that barely lit the room above her, the floor was cement and painted a dull shape of blue, and the walls were make of bricks. She was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, her hands tied behind her around the back of the chair. She could feel the ropes practically digging into the skin of her wrists. The blindfold had obviously been removed but she could still feel the gag in her mouth.
Just then, she heard footsteps coming from upstairs, moving slowly toward the basement door. Leila held her breath, wondering what her captor would do to her if he can downstairs. She didn't even want to think about it. The footsteps paused outside the door than Leila heard the lock click before the doorknob turned and the door opened. A dark figure walked through the door, closing the door behind him, and he slowly began to descend down the stairs. He walked over to Leila and stood in front of her for a minute, just staring down at her before he finally spoke.
"I'm going to remove your gag, as long as you promise not to scream or try to call for help. Not that anyone could hear you down here but it would upset me and I don't want to have to hurt you if I don't have to. Now, promise you won't scream?"
Leila nodded.
Her captor walked behind her and removed the gag, but stayed standing behind her. He stayed silent and it was starting to creep her out.
"Who are you?" asked Leila.
"My name is not important but you may call me Jack."
"What do you want with me? Why did you bring me here?" asked Leila.
Jack said nothing, just remained standing behind her. All that could be heard was his breathing. It was a bit unnerving. Then he reached up with his left hand and slowly moved Leila's hair off her shoulder than Leila felt his hot breath on her neck. It made her skin crawl. Then she felt his lips touching her skin. She could feel herself starting to shake, scared of what her might be getting ready to do to her.
"Please, don't." she pleaded. She could take anything but that.
But he didn't stop. He placed both his hands on her shoulders than slowly slid them down her arms, sending chills through her but not in a good way. Then he stopped and leaned in close to Leila's ear.
"You'll find out soon enough." he whispered than he walked away and back upstairs, locking the door behind him.
Leila sagged as much as she was able and closed her eyes, relieved that he had gone. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her breathing was slightly labored. She was scared. She had no idea what this man planned to do with her though she didn't even want to find out, she didn't even know why he had kidnapped her in the first place. She didn't even know him and as far as she knew, he didn't know her either. All she knew was that she had to find a way out of the there.