Flashback- Chapter 4
Catherine entered the DNA lab just in time to catch Wendy as she was pulling a report from the printer.
"Got anything for me, Wendy?" asked Catherine.
Wendy handed Catherine the report.
"Got two hits from CODIS. Our two vics were gang members just released from custody last week. Victim number one was Steven Hopkins, age 21, and a member of the Snake Backs. He was just released from the Southern Nevada Correctional Facility near Indian Springs. He just finished six months for possession and intent to distribute. The other vic was Travis Mendez, age 25, also a member of the Snake Backs. He was just released two days ago for assault, also from the Southern Nevada Correctional Facility."
Catherine nodded at the DNA technician. "How about our two eye witnesses? Got anything on them?" she queried.
Wendy shook her head. "Still waiting. The report should come through anytime though. I'll page you when it does."
Catherine smiled, "Thanks Wendy. I'll be in the layout room with Greg."
Grissom's second-in-command walked down the hall to the layout room to find Greg pulling out the clothing gathered from Damien and Swenson. His gloved hands quickly laid out each item side-by-side.
Closely examining the rough jeans and T-shirt, Greg carefully ran his right hand over the fabric as he stared through a magnifying glass held in his left hand. Catherine moved next to the young man and observed him as he carefully searched every inch of the clothing for any kind of evidence.
"How's it going? Find anything probative?" asked Catherine.
"Well, if these guys were just starting out on a hike and just came upon the bodies, why do their jeans have the same clay-like dirt that was found on the clothing of our vics? The area around the beginning of the trail is pretty sandy. This clayish dirt is only found further up the canyon, at the springs near the top of the canyon. The only way they could have gotten the clay residue on their jeans is if they were up there, which is interesting because they told Brass in the interview room that they had never been on that particular trail before," said Greg.
"How do you know about the type of dirt that is located in and around the trail?" asked Catherine.
Greg handed a stapled report to her. "I got this report on the Red Rocks area from the ranger station. It has the type of soil that is found in the area, along with what kinds of vegetation and animal life that can be found in the area. It's pretty comprehensive."
"Grissom was right. These two guys were with the vics before their deaths. They are definitely suspects. I'll get a couple of warrants and contact Brass. Great work, Greg."
Catherine patted Greg on the back and continued, "Finish processing the clothing and hopefully Henry will have the tox panels back on both the vics and our witnesses."
"Right, Cath. I'm on it," Greg said as he continued examining the clothing laid out on the table.
Leaving the layout room, Catherine strolled down the hall and hit speed-dial on her phone.
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As Nick maneuvered around the patrol cars parked along side of the winding road that led to the little-used trailhead where the victims were found, Grissom's phone buzzed.
"Wow, Griss. You can get reception up here?" asked Nick, looking over his boss.
"Keep your eyes on the road Nicky," said Grissom drily, "I don't want to have to explain to Ecklie why your Denali ended up on top of one of these patrol cars."
Grissom checked his phone, noticing that his reception would be spotty at best. "I only have a stick out here anyway," he said.
Nick deftly swung the vehicle in between two patrol cars and parked the truck. He then got out to retrieve his and Grissom's kits from the back.
Flipping his phone open, Grissom answered, "Grissom."
"Gil, Greg found clay residue on the jeans of our witnesses," Catherine said.
Grissom shook his head, "Cath, I'm only getting every other word. What did you say about our witnesses?"
Catherine looked at her phone. The reception was full of static. "Gil, I said that Greg found clay residue on our witnesses' jeans," she tried again, a little louder.
Hoping that he might get a clearer signal outside of the SUV, Grissom slipped out of the Denali. "Catherine? Is this better?"
"Yeah, a little. Did you get what I said about what Greg said?"
"Yeah…yeah..uhh…something about some clay on the witnesses' jeans matching up with clay residue on the vics' clothing?"
"That's right. That clay is only found at the springs near the top of the canyon."
"Thanks, Cath," said Grissom loudly so that she could hear him over the static on the line. "Anything else?"
"Uhh…no…wait, yes…Wendy got matches on CODIS on our two vics. Both are members of the Snake Backs and were just released from Indian Springs."
"Tox come back with anything yet?"
"Still waiting, but I'll let you know when the report comes through."
"I'll probably out of cell range for a while. I call you when Nick and I can get a signal, okay?"
"Right. Meanwhile, Greg and I will chase down our witnesses. Tell Brass so that he can serve the warrants. I haven't been able to raise him."
"He was right behind us. When he gets here, I'll send him back to pick up our suspects. Thanks Cath. I'll be talking to you in a few hours."
Grissom pocketed his cell and walked around to the back of the Denali. Nick was just setting both of their kits on the ground and was loading a day pack with six bottles of water. He loaded fresh batteries into a Maglite and, upon seeing Grissom, handed the supervisor the Maglite.
"Well, Nick. Looks like we're for a bit of a walk tonight. Make sure your Maglite has fresh batteries too and that your camera is charged up. We'll be hiking to the springs near the top of the canyon."
Nick nodded, "What are we looking for. Anything in particular?"
"Anything and everything, Nick. The vics' clothing and the clothing of the witnesses' have the same clay residue according to Greg. That clay is found only near the spring. Our vics are members of the Snake Backs. My guess is that it's a drug deal gone bad."
"That sounds likely since the Snake Backs are mainly into dealin'. Are you ready to go?" asked Nick as he noted Brass's Taurus making its way next to the patrol cars.
"In a minute…I need to talk to Brass. Apparently Catherine wasn't able to get him before he made it up here. She's getting a warrant to arrest our two witnesses. He'll want to bring them in himself," said Grissom.
The senior investigator set his kit next to Nick and ambled over to the police captain's vehicle. Grissom greeted Brass as the police captain started to climb out of his car.
"Jim, before you get out of the car, Catherine is obtaining a couple of warrants on our two witnesses. Looks like they're our suspects. Would you like to accompany Catherine to do the honors?" asked Grissom with a smile on his face.
Brass returned the smile and cocked his head. "Oh, we have evidence that connects them to the vics?"
:"Yeah. We know that those two were with the vics. We don't have motive or the murder weapons, but I think that we can safely say that these two murders aren't connected with our sniper."
"Oh, I'm sure that Ecklie will be just thrilled to hear that. For that matter, Schneider will be more than pleased," said Brass in a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Well, then," continued the police captain, "I'll head back to the lab and pick up Catherine. It should be no problem in picking Damien and Swenson up as I've had a detail keeping a close eye on them since they left the PD." said Brass as he slipped back into his Taurus.
The police captain looked around and observed the four officers stationed around the scene, keeping watch.
"Gil, I'm going to pull Mitchell and Hernandez off and take them with me. I think two officers will be enough to keep everything secure."
Grissom glanced around at the officers. "Sure, they can keep the onlookers out. You know, if the sniper is still active in this area, you would have thought that with all this activity, he would have taken a few shots at our guys."
Brass gave Grissom a thoughtful look. "You might have something there. Maybe he's moved on to another place. Maybe with all the uniforms out here, he was frightened off."
Grissom scanned the steep sides of the canyon and then looked back at Brass. There were hundreds of places a person could hide up there. Grissom shook his head.
"Remember what I said- that this guy was probably military trained? I don't think that he has left. He's around. I'm sure of it."
"Well, for right now, it's quiet, and I'll take quiet any day," said Brass in a serious tone. The police captain looked around the canyon. It was late afternoon, and, even though dusk was still 4 to 5 hours away, the sun was already casting deepening shadows through the canyon.
Brass returned his gaze towards his friend. "Gil, perhaps it would be better to go up the canyon in the morning. It's got to be 4 to 5 hours to the springs. It'll be dark by then. I'm not sure that I'm really happy with you and Nick traipsing around up there in the dark, especially since we don't have a handle on this sniper."
"The evidence is up there at the top of that canyon, and I'd rather not have to wait for the morning. This isn't the only way up there. We don't know who else might be involved. More than likely, since the Snake Backs are hip-deep in this, other gang bangers might try to recover whatever's up there. I'm absolutely sure there's evidence up there that's going to wrap this case up."
"Okay," said Brass with a sigh, not happy with Grissom's logic. "But at least you and Nicky take radios up there since there's no cell coverage, and one of these uniforms will follow you up to cover your backs."
"Agreed," said Grissom immediately to appease the police captain.
"Oh, and Gil?" added Brass, "you and Nicky will wear bullet-proof vests. Remember you're the one who strapped on his sidearm without any prompting so don't tell me that I'm over-reacting."
Grissom nodded in agreement. "Point taken. Anything else, Dad?" the supervisor said with a smirk.
"Yeah, you damn well better be careful up there. You hear me?" said Brass with all seriousness, deftly ignoring Grissom's sarcasm.
"Right, Jim," said Grissom as he walked back to the Denali to retrieve the radios and the vests.
The police captain followed Grissom to the back of the Denali and helped his friend on with his vest.
"I'm off to get our two guys. I'll get back to you when you get back to the lab, okay?"
Grissom nodded and then Brass walked over to the officers watching over the crime scene. He assigned Officer Smithson and warned the young officer that the two CSI's were to come back in one piece.
"Smithson, don't hesitate to call for back-up, you understand? Harmon, both you and Smithson are to check in with each other every fifteen minutes. Make sure that your radios are on channel 2," Brass ordered.
The officers checked their radios and nodded to the captain.
Satisfied that the two CSI's would be adequately protected, Brass returned to his Taurus and took one last look at Grissom as the supervisor checked the batteries in both radios in his hands. The captain sighed unhappily and climbed into his car to drive back to Vegas.
Grissom made his way over to a waiting Nick Stokes. He handed the younger man the vest and a radio. The two investigators waited for Smithson to join them. Reaching into the trunk of his patrol car and slipping on a department issued daypack packed with water and first-aid kit over his flack jacket, Smithson soon joined Grissom and Nick.
The three men slowly began their sojourn up Red Rock Canyon. The two investigators scanned the area on both sides of the trail, looking for any clue that would tie the witnesses to their murder victims.
As they carefully made their up the narrow dirt path, they were silently being observed from a hidden perch near the top of the canyon wall. The man, dressed in desert camouflage, would have been hard to spot even if he were not hidden by the creosote bushes that he was using for cover. Using the binoculars draped around his neck, he watched the men hike up the trail, as they searched the terrain on either side of the path. The man adjusted the binoculars to sharpen the focus and suddenly held his breath. Slowly lowering the glasses, he sat back, rubbing his temple. The headache was intensifying.
"Murph, now what are you up to?" he breathed to himself softly. "You were supposed to give us new orders. What are you doing down there with them?"
The man had a sick feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. Things weren't going as planned, not even close. As far as he knew, infiltration of the enemy was not part of the plan. Murphy must have something up his sleeve. Shaking his head, he'd have to have Murphy's back whether Murphy wanted it or not.
He turned quickly behind him and signaled to the two men waiting patiently for him. "Go," he signaled, "get back to the cave." The two young men, their faces darkened by camouflage paint, looked back at him with confusion on their faces.
The sniper blinked and wiped away the sweat that was dripping into his eyes. He looked up the hill behind him and only saw the slight swaying of the brush as the breeze whispered through the air. For a moment he stared at the empty space behind him. Shaking his head and swallowing hard, the man returned his attention to the three figures climbing up the trail to the springs. He decided he would need to get close to the springs to see what they were up to.
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The late afternoon was now waning into early twilight. The shadows of the canyon were deepening, making the terrain and the area around the trail difficult to discern. As the three men neared the end of the canyon near the spring, the attack came without warning. The sharp report of shots being fired echoed through the canyon. Nick dove for cover as the dirt around him sprayed up from a bullet that narrowly missed him. Rolling onto his stomach, he watched in horror as he watched Grissom collapse onto the dirt trail.
A piercing pain knifed through Grissom's left arm, and he fell to his knees. He clutched his arm and tried to get his breathing under control. Grissom felt blood seeping through his fingers as he tried to apply pressure to the wound. His vision blurred and there was a curious roaring in his ears. Grissom felt two hands clutch under his arms, hauling him to his feet.
"Grissom. C'mon Boss. We gotta get to some cover," came the desperate plea from Nick. Another shot was fired and he saw the spray of dirt fly up to Grissom's right.
The injured man groaned aloud as Nick draped Grissom's right arm around his own shoulders and dragged him towards the safety of some nearby boulders. Nick laid Grissom down gently onto the sandy ground. The injured supervisor's eyes flickered open and tried to focus on the younger man's anxious face.
"Nick…" breathed Grissom softly, confusion filling his voice, "what's happening?"
The younger man crouched low over his boss as another shot ricocheted off the boulders they were both hiding behind.
"Shhhh…,"Nick whispered urgently, bringing his finger to his lips. "I…I don't know who's shooting at us, but whoever it is, knows where we are. We've got to get away from here."
"Agreed. Where's Smithson? Is he okay?" asked Grissom softly through gritted teeth.
"I don't know where he is," said Nick as he peeked carefully around the boulder they were behind. He took out his radio and tried to raise the officer.
"Smithson, where are you? Are you okay?" whispered Nick loudly into the radio. He was met with silence. Nick tried once again, but could not raise the officer.
"Grissom, he's not answering his radio, and I don't see him anywhere," Nick said as he continued to scan the area around them.
Grissom nodded. Biting his lip to hold back a groan of pain, the injured man shifted himself so that he was sitting up.
"Nick, try to reach Harmon. Tell…tell him that we're being shot at. He needs to get back-up. If he can't get PD because of cell coverage, have him try to ranger station down the road."
Nick nodded and tried to raise Harmon, but could not contact him either. The younger man looked helplessly at Grissom.
"Looks like he might have been taken out too, Gris," said Nick tensely.
Taking his Glock out of its holster, shakily Grissom flipped the safety off. He sat up a little straighter and looked at the tense young Texan crouched low next to him.
"Nick," Grissom said softly, "we need to see if we can find Smithson. I think we can assume that he's either dead or injured. If he's injured, he's going to need our help. We just can't leave him by himself."
Nick nodded his head, understanding that he and Grissom needed to go back down the trail to try to find the missing officer. Holding his own weapon tightly in his hands, Nick peered around the boulder and was met with two more rounds hitting the boulder he and Grissom were hiding behind. Turning back to Grissom, Nick watched his boss take a deep breath and check his Glock with his right hand as his left arm dangled uselessly at his side.
"Gris, you ready?" asked Nick softly.
Grissom leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The white hot pain in his arm had lessened to a dull roar, and he fought to control it. Opening his eyes, he wearily nodded and accepted Nick's help as the younger man pulled him to his feet. Grissom leaned against the boulder, trying to keep his head low as another bullet ricocheted off the rocks near him. Blood dripped down his arm, plopping in steady drops onto the ground, and it didn't look as though the bleeding was slowing down.
Noticing that Grissom's wound was continuing to bleed, Nick quickly took the backpack off and pulled out a white cloth. He tore a long strip from the cloth and bound Grissom's arm tightly as the supervisor gritted his teeth and a soft groan escaped from his lips. After he was done with his ministrations, Nick looked at Grissom's face. Beads of sweat had formed on the older man's face, but his eyes were clear. Grissom gave Nick a weak grin and with a single look, let the younger man that know that he was doing okay.
Nick scanned the area down the trail and tried to determine the direction from which they were being shot.
"Grissom, I think we need to make it through the brush behind us and circle back around to the trail. Looks like the shooter is ahead of us and on the other side of this path. What do you think?" asked Nick.
Grissom straightened up slightly and peered up the trail as another bullet whizzed by his head.
"Yeah, let's go that way," gasped the injured man.
"Grissom, you get going. I'll cover the rear," said Nick, cocking his weapon.
Grissom wearily nodded his head and staggered towards the brush while Nick backed away from the boulder, covering Grissom's back.
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A/N: Another chapter in. All mistakes are mine and so I take all the blame. Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Thanks to all of you who have done so.