Gil attempted to get through to both Jim Brass and Catherine several more times over the course of 30 minutes and each time either the line was complete static or he'd get the typical no service on the screen, which only served to upset him more. He'd probably opened and closed the front door 50 or so times to check the conditions and each time the storm had moved closer, the sky had gotten darker and yet, he'd still heard nothing about the whereabouts of Sara.

Alan Brooks drove 93 looking left and right for the Denali Grissom had asked him to keep an eye out for. Nothing so far except for helping an older couple change a tire, direct them to the nearest hotel where he adamantly stressed the importance of them checking in and taking cover from the impending storm. Needless to say, the gentleman who was easily in his 80's wasn't all that happing having someone younger telling him what he should be doing when he was twice the man's age and had obviously seen more things in his life then some smart ass whipper snapper with a badge and a gun. Alan simply smiled, shook his head and made sure the man and his wife were on their way to the hotel.

The next person he came upon was driving an older RV and had his wife and three small kids with him, he didn't really think it was such a bad idea that he was driving through this storm and Alan had to just about threaten him with child endangerment if he insisted on continuing on his journey. "What the hell do you mean trying to tell me I'd be endangering my kids? I'd never hurt my kids?" he'd put his hands on his hips and looked incredulously at Alan. Brooks didn't back down. "Listen Mr. Maynard" he'd gotten the name from his drivers license. "All I'm saying is the worst thing you could do right now is try to make it through with an RV in this kind of weather, hell the winds that come up would drive you right off the road, wouldn't want to see you, your wife or your kids injured now would you?" he'd successfully put the ball right back in his court and could easily tell that the larger man was not liking it one bit.

"Hell no, I certainly wouldn't but we bought this to save money, I ain't got no money for no hotel motel, them places are expensive as hell and for what? I got beds, toilet and shower right here in this here RV perfectly good place to sleep, a roof over our head and no one charging me up the ying yang for it either!" his arms whipped in the wind like a windmill.

"Look Mr. Maynard, I see where you're coming from but trust me, I'm from these parts, you're not and I'm telling you as sure as we're standing here arguing, that motor home of yours won't last 20 minutes in the winds that will be coming down this highway now, I have better things to do than stand here going toe to toe with you about this, you have two choices, you can be the bigger man, take your family to a safe place and wait out this storm or you can follow me back to the station where I'll gladly charge you for reckless endangerment of a child on three counts" he held up three fingers for emphasis "and I'm not joking...what's it gonna be?" Maynard looked at his wife who had her arms wrapped protectively around her three children.

"Fine, have it your way...I'll stop at the motel!" he snatched back his license and motioned for his family to load back up.

"Have a nice day...stay safe, you should easily get there in the next five minutes, it's just up the road on your right, tell them Alan sent you and make sure they give you a discount because of the weather!" Brooks tipped his hat and moved back to his squad.

Archie was watching the local weather broadcast when Catherine came into the AV lab.

"Any word from either of them?" she'd hoped that either Gil or Sara might have contacted him. Archie shook his head and pointed to the latest update.

"They're going to get hit pretty bad in the next 15 minutes...there are three cells converging over Jackpot, I hope to God they're talking cover, has anyone heard from Sara?" Brass had just entered the building and for the last 15 minutes had been fruitlessly dialing both Gil and Sara's cellphones.

"Why the hell does he have to go to the end of the fucking earth when he gets a fit up his ass?" he was ranting on and on as he tossed down his car keys and his cellphone to pull of his soaked suit jacket. Catherine gave a brief chuckle. "I've been trying to reach both of them and all I get is that damned "Out of the service area" message, I'd like to find out who the bitch is they used to record it, she's to damned chipper..." that drew a laugh from everyone.

"Guess that answers your question" Catherine put down the stack of paperwork she'd been carrying. "Archie, have you noticed a change on either or their GPS systems?" Archie punched in his codes and shook his head.

"Grissom's been stationary and it looks like Sara's put down roots as well, he keyed in some coordinates and the screen scrolled. "She's staying at the Wayside Motel on Interstate 93...he spun around and looked at everyone, exactly where the storm should hit the worst..." Jim looked again at his phone.

"Archie, try call him on the land line, if you can't get through, patch me to the local police, I want him aware that Sara's up there, if something happens to her, he needs to know she's there.." he turned to Catherine "I feel like I should be doing something...but I don't know what..." he wanted to say he felt guilty for letting Sara talk him into letting her drive in the first place but the words burned his throat and he couldn't give voice to his guilt. Catherine put a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"She did what she wanted Jim, no one was going to stop her...not you, not me..."

"And not me..." Ecklie was standing behind them... "We all know how stubborn both of them are, come one guys, they're Gil and Sara they've been together all this time...need I say more..." he smiled guiltily. They all agreed. "Archie did you get through?" The tech nodded.

"I got Grissom's number from the girl at the local sheriff's office, it's ringing now!" he handed the phone over to Jim who put the call on speaker phone.

"Grissom...Brooks did you find her?" his voice was filled with angst and Jim looked around the room "Please tell me you found her..." his voice cracked and Catherine had to cover her mouth to suppress a gasp.

"It's Jim Gil, but I have some good news, Sara's hold up at a place on 93...it's called the Wayside Motel..."

"Oh thank God!" he heaved a sigh and sat down heavily on the arm of the sofa.. "Thank God!" his hand wiped at the tears that had steadily streamed down his face as he imagined his life without her.

"Problem is Gil, the storms heading right for her, Archie's tracked three cells, they're set to converge on or near her within 10 minutes or so...I'm sorry Gil, how far away from there are you now?" he wasn't familiar with the area himself and wondered if Gil could even get to her... "Gil? Grissom?...Gil are you still there?"... apparently, either the phone had disconnected...or...

Gil hadn't waited to hear anymore, he knew the possibility of getting to her before the storm hit was slim to none but he had to try. He also realized that his car was not the safest mode of transportation but figured that he'd try to contact Alan on his way toward the motel and hope that they could possibly meet up somewhere along the way. The receptionist was none to happy to realize he had decided to go out in such foul weather but quickly understood when he explained in an abbreviated form that his wife was somewhere out there and he was going to find her come hell or high water.

His ringing cellphone proved just how efficient Jamie Lynn was when he heard Brooks yelling at him asking him if he was completely out of his mind. "I could have easily went and picked her up Grissom...now I have to worry about you and her...are you absolutely fucking insane?"

"No, I'm just in love you idiot...I want my wife and I want to make sure she safe..." he was driving like a bat out of hell "Where can I meet you?" Alan looked around and realized he was less than three minutes from the motel where as, it would probably take Gil a good 20 with the storm coming in the way it was. "Go back Grissom, go back to Leland's place and stay put, I'm only 3 minutes out, I'll pick her up and bring her to you...just do what I'm telling you..:" he saw the sky around him blacken with each passing second as he neared the motel. "I'm in the parking lot ..." his phone went dead before he could say any more and Gil was left wondering what to do. His head told him to turn around, his heart told him differently...and this time he was listening to his heart no matter what..

Alan pulled up as close to the building as he could, tossed his hat in the seat nest to him, tucked his cellphone, for as useful as it had been into one of his shirt pockets and then exited the truck after parking beside the Denali. Running to the front desk, he slipped inside just as the wind kicked up and banged on the bell on the desk. He tried waiting patiently knowing that the weather outside wasn't a typical storm and he could hear the building creaking as the intensity of the storm picked up even more. "Dammit Wilber where the hell are you?" he walked around the desk. Reaching under the desk, he pulled out the guest log and skimmed over the page till he came to the name Sara Grissom then noted which room she was in.

Taking the stairs two by two, he quickly made it to the second floor as the building shook. He raced down the corridor banging on each of the doors until he came to the last on the right directly across from the stairwell. He stopped only long enough to catch a breath before pounding on the dark wooden door. "Sara...Sara Grissom...Sara Grissom it's the Jackpot Police Department!" he head the scuffle of feet as she came to the door, then the sound of the bolt being slid open.

"Can I help you?" she peaked through only a crack till she checked out his uniform.

"Grab what you can, we're about to be hit by a tornado lady!" he pushed the door open as she backed up. She raced into the room grabbed her purse and a jacket and he quickly latched onto her arm. They made it into the stairwell before all hell broke loose and the building was suddenly swallowed up by winds that only matched those she'd seen in the Wizard of Oz...

"Oh My God!" she screamed as Alan pulled her down and covered her body with his own, ducking down as far into the lower stairs as they could.

"Keep your head down Sara.." he screamed hoping she could make out what he was saying as the building twisted and screamed around them...

Gil was just coming over the hill when he saw the twister seemingly swallow the building he now knew contained the love of his life...slamming on the brakes...he could only sit at the top of the hill, a mile away and watch ... tears streaming down his face as he wondered if his life would ever be the same...