Ties by SLynn
Summary: Kidnapping, competition and change. Lots of change. Takes place approximately three months after the end of 'Appreciation'. Sixth in the ill-named 'Happy Enough' series. Greg/Sara and Nick/OFC
Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.
Notes: Thank you Tripp3235 and RivenSky for your continued help and general awesomeness. You'll probably both tell me that awesomeness is not a word and if it was a word I'd have misspelled it, but that's alright. I know that just means you care! Also, for some reason the typical line isn't working on right now, so in place I've put some X's. Enjoy!
Chapter 7: On the Inside
Greg hesitated for a moment outside the layout room he knew Nick was in. Having no idea what he'd say, he took a deep breath and opened the door; he might as well get this over with.
Nick looked up from his paperwork with a curious expression.
"Got a finger for you," Greg started lamely.
"From the kidnapping?" Nick asked looking surprised; the news hadn't gotten round the lab yet.
"Yeah," Greg said stepping over to him and putting it down. "Charlie asked me to run DNA but, it's pretty pointless. It came with a ring too; Hodges has it."
Nick stared down at the severed digit.
"Grissom wanted you to do an impression for tool marks," Greg continued, feeling more and more awkward. "You can see it was snapped off with something. Well, yeah, it would have to be something, right? I think he was hoping it was unique. We've already printed and got nothing."
Nick took the tongs and took a look at the bone.
"Looks pretty clean," he remarked. "Maybe a cleaver. When's he need it by?"
"He didn't say," Greg answered. "Soon probably. Hot case, right?"
"Yeah," Nick said with a short nod, not certain what was happening. All he knew was that Greg was acting normal again. Well, not normal really. He was trying to act normal. "Anything else?"
"Um…" Greg started, pursing his lips together tightly as he rocked on his heels. "Yes actually. There is something else."
"More evidence?" Nick asked slowly.
"No," Greg shook his head. "It's about Amy."
"She alright?" Nick asked, half rising.
"She's fine," Greg quickly assured him. "She's fine. Really. We were just talking and…"
"And what?" Nick asked, growing tired of all this back and forth.
"Okay," Greg said taking a deep breath and sitting down, "she said you wanted to move to Texas and she's just…"
"Wait a minute, what? I never said I wanted to move to Texas. My parents want us too, but…"
"She thinks you do too."
"No," Nick shook his head. "I mean, we've talked about it. It's not going to be easy raising a kid here, especially with the hours we work and you know, if we were closer to family…"
"What about Karen?"
"We can't ask her; she's got her own life."
"Yeah, Amy told me she's got a boyfriend."
"Keith," Nick said with a nod, "yeah, Amy can't stand him. Karen met him at work."
Greg nodded, debating internally what to say next.
"Sara and I will always be here, you know, to help."
"Thanks," Nick returned, sounding stunned.
"I mean, it's not like we…"
Greg stopped suddenly, looking down.
Nick, really having no idea where any of this was coming from or going to, just nodded along.
"I just wanted to make sure you knew you had other options," Greg finished lamely after clearing his throat.
"Thanks," Nick repeated.
Neither of them spoke until they were thankfully interrupted by Grissom at the door.
"You two," he said, poking his head inside, "A/V room. Now."
"Let me just put this on…"
But before Greg could finish, Grissom had come into the room and was looking inquisitively at the finger.
"Do you see that?" Grissom asked them both, peering down at the evidence pan.
Greg and Nick exchanged a look behind the other man's back before Nick finally asked, "What?"
"Discoloration," Grissom remarked, pointing to the ragged end.
"Is that a burn?" Greg asked.
"No," Nick shook his head, "I think it's green."
"Green? Like gangrene?" Greg asked again, taking a small step backwards.
"Possibly," Grissom concurred. "Send this to Doc when you're done."
Nick nodded, looking down with renewed disdain at the finger.
"But later," Grissom said firmly. "We need to get going."
"Is it the tape?" Greg asked as he locked the evidence in the storage fridge.
Grissom just nodded as they both followed him down the hall.
The room was relatively empty, Greg had been expecting everyone. Instead it was only the three of them, Archie, Sara, Warrick and Catherine.
"Where's everyone else?" Nick asked as he shut the door behind him.
Grissom and Catherine exchanged a look before he began speaking.
"Ecklie wants to scale back the investigation."
"Why?" Warrick asked immediately.
"We'll get to that. Let's watch the tape first," Catherine said instead of answered.
Archie, seeing Grissom nod his approval, ran it for them on the big screen.
The first image on the screen was of Allison Whittington, bound and gagged and lying on a floor of a fairly nondescript room. That was quickly followed by a shot of Michael Davies, also tied up but in a noticeably different room.
The screen then goes blank and a digitally modified voice begins to speak.
"Today we took Mrs. Devlon. It was easy. It is very easy for us. Listen carefully, this is what we want. Freedom. We want the state to release Carole Toselli, John St Paul and Alan Townsend. We want their freedom."
The video then showed the two jails the inmates were housed in out in the Nevada desert.
"You will release each of these prisoners one at a time and show it on the news. The first prisoner must go free within forty-eight hours of having received this message. When we see that this has happened we will call Detective Sullivan and inform him of the location where a hostage can be picked up. Consider this an exchange. You have one week to release them all. If you do not, we will not be responsible for what happens."
The video ended abruptly.
For a full minute there was silence as they all considered what they'd heard.
When everyone did start talking, it was a mess. They all spoke at once, not really hearing one another.
"Prisoner exchange?"
"Who are the three prisoners?"
"Two days? We've only got two days?"
"Is the city going to meet their demands?"
"Wait," Sara said loudly over everyone else, quieting the room. "How did they know Charlie was a part of the investigation? Brass has been leading the news conferences; he's in charge. Why didn't they ask for him?"
Grissom smiled at her and they all suddenly knew why so few of them were in the room.
"Someone in this lab or at the station is talking," Catherine said evenly. "From now on we're the only investigators on this case. Understood?"
Everyone gave a brief nod.
They understood it perfectly.
XXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXX
"I've been looking for you."
Greg looked up from where he sat on the bench as Charlie strode over to him.
"Everything okay?" Greg asked, noting Charlie's less than friendly demeanor.
Charlie sighed and sat down opposite him.
"Fine," he answered, an obvious lie. "Brass got the sheriff to see reason and I just dropped off Mrs. Devlon's hairbrush and toothbrush with Amy. Thought I should let you know as well."
"I'd better get back in there then," Greg said as he stood, putting all his stuff back into his locker. "I don't know if I'm supposed to process everything now or what. This whole thing is insane."
Charlie let out a snort of disgust.
"What?" Greg asked, shutting his locker.
Charlie stood now as well and quickly walked the room, checking to make sure they were alone.
"I got called in to Internal Affairs," he said quietly as he made his way back.
"Over the tape?"
Charlie just nodded, hands on his hips and looking down.
"That's…that's…" Greg couldn't find the words for it.
"Crazy, right?" Charlie provided. "Like if I was stupid enough to be involved in the first place I'd put my own name on that tape."
"Are you still on the case?"
"Only because of Brass," Charlie answered. "But they're checking into me. Looking into my bank accounts, my credit, everything."
Greg let out a low whistle and understood now why Charlie looked so angry.
"I know there's nothing I can do…"
"Thanks," Charlie cut him off, "really. It's fine. I've got nothing to hide. My dad's going to have a fit when I tell him; I probably shouldn't but if I don't, one of his buddies will."
Greg and Charlie made their way towards the lab together.
"I'd offer to come forward as a character witness, but I'm pretty sure that would hurt more than help," Greg said with a laugh.
Charlie laughed too.
Before he could say anything more, Greg's phone went off.
"Excuse me," he said, stopping and turning away before answering it.
"Don't hang up on me," a familiar voice said on the other end, "I've got something to say."
Greg swore softly catching Charlie's attention.
"I changed this number because of you," Greg said angrily. "How did you get this one?"
"Public relations."
Greg swore again, louder this time.
"I told them not to give it out."
"I'm good at my job," Mitch Anderson, a man Greg had hoped to never hear from again, replied.
"What do you want?" Greg sighed.
"To let you know that you have a leak."
"What do you mean?" Greg asked.
"You know what I mean."
"And you know this…"
"Check out tomorrow's paper," Mitch said.
"Why?" Greg asked, suddenly taking this call much more seriously.
"I'm sure you'll put your finger on it."
Greg groaned and rubbed his forehead.
"Who is it?" he asked point blank, not willing to play any more games.
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying," Mitch returned. "Really."
"And if you did know…"
"I couldn't tell you."
Greg nodded as he pressed his lips together, biting back a bitter refrain.
"So why even call?" Greg questioned.
"I figured I owed you one."
"One?"
"Alright," Mitch relented, "more than one. I didn't want your office caught off guard."
"So you gave us, what, five hours notice?"
"Best I could do."
"Fine," Greg said tersely and hung up the phone.
"What was that all about?" Charlie asked, looking concerned.
"DNA is going to have to wait," Greg sighed. "We need to talk to Catherine and Grissom."
