AN: Again, thank you very much to all who are reading. For any information on animal trafficking or poaching, please feel free to visit my website. If you are interested in any other topics discussed in this, please don't hesitate to ask. My thanks. LS

Chapter 4

The lab confirmed that it was indeed a horn from a Black-Rhino, Diceros bicornis, native to Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. Sara surfed the net to find out more. Hunting or trading them was illegal in the US, as well as in most of the countries where the animals occurred. It was also illegal to import rhino horn to the US as it was CITES controlled. CITES was the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Using the lab's access, Sara logged onto the CITES database to see if they knew of any trade in Rhino horn in Nevada. If the trade was legal, they would have issued a permit. There was no record of any permit issued to transport pieces of a rhino horn to Las Vegas or Nevada. This meant they were dealing with black market trading. It tied in with the information Agent Scott provided concerning Agent Smith.

Next Sara looked into the uses, or supposed uses for Rhino-horn. It was coveted in the Middle-and Far-East where it was used in a variety of medicines to cure almost everything from a fever, arthritis to erectile-dysfunction. Supposedly, it was endowed with magical power. It was also exceedingly expensive. One pound of the stuff could easily cost you up to $20 000. Talk about motive. Sara found, to her shock, that the black-market on animal trade was a very lucrative business, drawing all sorts of unsavory and seedy characters to itself.

Maybe this was why Agent Scott described it as a war, she thought to herself.

Her beeper went off, Bobby from ballistics had results for her, so she got up and quickly went to him.

"Heard you got yourselves a rhino-horn. Nice." Bobby greeted Sara as she entered the ballistics lab.

"Jip, along with a dead Interpol agent. What have you got for me?"

"Well there is good news and then there is bad news. What do you want to hear first?"

Sara sighed inwardly, thinking that it was always the case.

"Let's have the good news first then."

"All righty, the bullets retrieved from your female vic matches a gun already in the system. But the bad news is that the guy the gun in registered to is in the slammer."

"No," Sara said surprised. "Really? How's that possible?"

Bobby shrugged, thinking that the how was usually Sara's job.

"Guy probably dumped it before he got arrested."

"Great," Sara added sarcastically.

"Ready for the really bad news?"

Sara blinked at him. "You mean that wasn't it?" She asked incredulously

Bobby gave her an apologetic grin.

"The 9-mil you all collected is a match to the bullet casings, but not to the bullets from the vic. The bullet casings you gave me came from two different guns."

"Marvelous." Sara said with a sigh.

"You are looking for another 9-mil. Sorry." Bobby said as he sat back down again.

She mustered up a smile to thank him for his effort as she left the lab. "Thanks anyway Bobby."

He grinned at her, though he still managed to look apologetic over the news. "Sure thing"

Leaving the lab, Sara was thinking that she should go talk to the chump whose gun was used in the murder and was deep in thought when she nearly ran into Greg.

"Sara, great I was just coming to find you." He looked pleased to see her.

"Please tell me you have good news?"

"There is no good news or bad news, only news," Greg responded in what he thought was his mystical voice.

"Yes Master Oogway, let's have it" Sara said holding out her hand.

"You learn fast grasshopper."

Sara smirked and looked at the results. The foreign DNA under the Agent Smiths's fingernails was male. What's more, there were two donors. That meant they were looking for two suspects.

Sara went in search of Nick. Surely they must have found someone who speaks the same language as the suspect by now. Passing the break room she spotted him.

"What's up partner?" She said as she sat down on the empty chair next to him. "How is our linguistics master?"

Nick gave her a pained look

"Man, I have never had to run around at the beck and call of a suspect before like I had to do now."

Sara gave him a sympathetic look.

"Going on the nationality of the bills we found, I contacted the nearest South African Consulate." Nick started to explain his predicament. "They are in LA. They were very helpful and one of their aides is flying in. He should be here in an hour or so. In the mean time, I contacted the language and linguistics department of Western LVU, but they don't have anyone schooled in the African languages."

Sara smiled at his resourcefulness. She quickly filled him in on what she had managed to find so far. The man that the gun used in the murder was registered to Andrew Mortimer, who was now serving time in Corrections Department of Las Vegas. Both Nick and Sara decided that it might be worth questioning the man as to the whereabouts of his registered weapon. Nick left for the airport to go pick-up the South African diplomat, while Sara went in search of Grissom.

She could hear voices in his office, but the door was open so she strode in. Sofia Curtis was sitting on Grissom's desk, facing away from the door. Although Grissom was leaning away from Sofia, his eyes sparkled with merriment.

Or so it seemed to Sara.

They broke off their conversation as Sara entered, and she had the distinct feeling that she had just interrupted something. Sofia got up as if to leave but hesitated, looking at Sara's face for direction. Sara felt torn in two whether to tell the woman to stay and continue her chat, or to get the hell out. Upon seeing the emotions on her features, Sofia made the decision for her.

"Well," she said and smiled politely. "I have work I need to do. We'll continue later Grissom, thank you.." She said and left without another word, leaving them in an awkward silence.

Sara turned back to Grissom, seeing that the merriment on his face was gone. Instead, it was replaced with what appeared to be almost painful concern as he silently regarded her. It made her feel awkward and sad for a reason she couldn't quite explain to herself. In order to hide her discomfort, she quickly filled him in on the case though she wanted to do nothing more than bolt from the room and go and compose herself in the changing rooms.

"So I'm heading over to Corrections Department, I think this Mortimer guy is as good a place to begin as any," she finished off as she was turning to leave. She had her back to him before he could reply and started to stride out, not wanting to give him the opportunity to answer.

But Grissom either did not get the message, or he chose to ignore it, for he picked up his jacket as he stood up and began pulling it on.

"That's a good idea. I'll come with."

She stared at him for the longest time, unable to interpret his actions. Did he really have so little confidence in her work that he felt the need to hold her hand around every turn? Realising that he too was staring at her, waiting for her reaction she turned on her heel and nearly fled the room. At the door though she paused, realizing that she had to say something.

"I'll meet you at the car."

Driving towards the prison, the silence in the car was almost unbearably, the atmosphere so thick it could've been cut by a knife. Sara pretended to be studying the coroner's report in front of her, but she was keenly aware of the man next to her. He didn't look or speak to her, respecting her need to focus on the report, but his lack of doing so was even worse than staring.

The drive seemed to take an unordered amount of time, though in reality it couldn't have been more than half an hour.

Silence still reigned as they entered the building and started through the procedure they needed to see the inmate.

They were issued into a sterile room with a single steel table and chairs. Sara and Grissom sat on the one side and waited for the inmate to be brought in. The man was two years into serving a 15-year sentence for armed robbery. No doubt he would co-operate in the hope of getting an earlier release.

Or so Sara hoped.

The man ushered into room was clean shaven and bald with a tattoo extending the left side of his neck stopping under his jaw. He studied Sara with undisguised lust and lasciviousness. She sighed inwardly. She had expected it, and had mentally prepared herself for it, and really it wasn't her first rodeo. But, having her clothes mentally stared off of her body was still exhausting to cope with.

"Do you recognize this weapon?"

Grissom opened proceedings by placing a photo of the missing 9-mil in front of the inmate, one that Sara had found in the man's old case file. She was surprised at the controlled anger in Grissom's voice, far beyond what she would have expected from just asking a suspect where his gun was. This man wasn't even involved in the crime they were investigating. Sara resisted the impulse to look at Grissom. Why is he so angry all of a sudden? Mortimer sat back in his chair and continue running his eye lazily up and down her torso.

"I might have seen it before. Was rather a while ago I'm afraid." He spoke to Sara, ignoring Grissom.

Deciding to play his game, at least so far as it would allow them to further the case she asked.

"Do you know where it is now?"

"Oh my memory is rather whimsical these days, you know"

"Well I just thought I might have a nice word or two with the DA, about your case"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind" Mortimer said winking at her.

Grissom shot up from his seat. "Right, that's it. Let's go"

Grissom grabbed her arm and all but pulled her up. Sara looked at him and was surprised by the venomous look in his icy blue eyes as he stared at Mortimer.

"Fine Professor," Mortimer drawled shrugging his shoulders and probably seeing his only chance of getting a lesser sentence slipping out of the door. "Just having a bit of fun. I sold it just before I got nabbed."

"To whom?" Grissom snapped, still keeping his grip on Sara's arm.

"Guy called Big Rex, ran with the Vipers. Got a real good deal actually."

"Where was this?" Grissom snapped

"Can't really remember Prof. Ask me nicely." Again he directed it at Sara.

"No I think we got what we came for," Sara said as she led Grissom from the room, feeling him seethe next to her.

"Oh come on. You pulled me from my yard time and everything, at least make it worth my while." The prisoner moaned after them but to no avail.

The guard at the door buzzed the two CSI's out. They made their way out of the building. Sara held her pose as best she could.

Once outside though, she turned on him.

"What the hell Griss? What was that about?" She planted her feet and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Grissom stood facing her, with his dark glasses keeping his eyes hidden from her.

"I don't appreciate my team being disrespected." It was a lame excuse and Sara could see that he knew it too.

"I don't need you to protect me, Grissom. I can take care of myself."

Sara turned away and got into the car, missing the look of hurt and anguish on Grissom's face.