Archie couldn't help it! If something so much as even twitched, he jumped…which made Billy jump…which pretty much made everyone jump. It was like the Domino effect, and at the end of it all… the A/V tech got a bunch of heated glares. But he couldn't help it! There was a monster that looked like it walked out of a Star Trek episode (or something) and it was terrorizing Vegas! Hell, it could be trampling his apartment at this very moment! And all they had going for them was the fact thatthey were following a relatively empty road towards the dessert! The empty, hot, dry dessert! All to just get away from a monster!

How fucked up was that?

So of course he was freaking out over every little thing, it was all too much for him to take!

Plus…when you're following Hodges and Ecklie on the road to survival…a person doesn't feel all that safe. Archie was no exception.

'I should've gone with Jacqui and them! I'd have more protection from Warrick than fuckin' Hodges…' he heaved a mental sigh, 'If only they weren't going towards that thing! I'd be right there with them…' The rumbling sound of the horn was heard, echoing all around them. Another machine rose majestically from out of the ground. Ecklie stopped moving, eyes wide and mouth agape, effectively stopping the rest of them as they all stared at the newcomer. Thankfully, it didn't rise up near them…just in another part of the city…but still…another one just popped out of ground!

Another one!

They were all scared shitless by one, that was the reason they were running the hell away! Now there were two? No…there was more than that. Archie turned to his left, seeing another terrorizing another town. If he wasn't mistaken…that was where Greg and them were sent to. Were they still alive, back there? Were they running to Vegas? Could they see the things terrorizing Vegas too? Were they thinking of him? Of the lab?

As the newest machine surveyed its new surroundings, its large, red eye scanning over them…they all jarred into action. Ecklie sprinting down the road without warning, everyone else getting the hint and running after him.

Every man for himself.


Williams sprinted to Vegas, ignoring the shouts of "Williams! Williams! Goddamn it, stop!" coming from his lieutenant. Naturally, he ignored it. His mind was a hamster wheel, going round and round and round and round: He was in a town near Vegas, the said town was under attack by a giant metal monster, one of the same monsters is attacking Vegas, his family and friends were in Vegas, his family and friends were in Vegas while he was in a town not in Vegas! He wasn't there to protect his family! That thing could be murdering them right now, destroying their home and their lives, while he was here! He wasn't there! And for what? A lousy job! He left his family for a lousy job! He didn't give his wife a goodbye kiss, didn't tell her he loved her, didn't tell any of them that he loved them! He'd die for them! He'd do anything for them, as long as they were safe! They were his family, his one and only family! He was supposed to protect them, supposed to be with his wife through thick and thin! Where was he? Not there! Not there for his family! But not for long…he was going to reach them, he was going to find them and protect them! And if not…

If not…

He wasn't going to wait for Stokes to get his ass in gear, he wasn't going to wait for Brass to catch up. He didn't have time. Those two were on their own, they didn't matter. Not now.

Finally, Brass gave up on trying to reach Williams, knowing full well how a father with a family in distress felt, especially if the said father's kids were involved. Nothing could stop a father from reaching his kids, his wife. Nothing. And that included a metal titan bent on world domination, or whatever the hell it was doing!

Nick sort of trotted, not quite running, not quite walking…just…trotting down the rotting alley. Heading towards another overcrowded street full of screaming people.

Not for long though. A town could only hold so many people…almost everyone had to have left by now, right? To him, Brass's panicked yells of, "Williams! Stop!" and the screams of terrified people…nothing but background noise compared to the accusations ringing in his ears.

You weren't there for him!

Stop!

You left him to die!

I…I didn't know!
You didn't say goodbye!

I…know…

Why weren't you there? Didn't you care?

Of course I cared! I…I tried to find him!

You were too slow! You should've tried harder!
I know! God…Greg…

You let him die.

I-

"Stokes!" Nick snapped out of his grim thoughts, looking up at Brass.

"Huh?"

"Hurry up! You want to get to Vegas soon, right? We don't have time to mope, alright?" Nick felt the anger rise up, hot and powerful, but he quelled it.

Arguing wouldn't help anyone…it would just slow them down more. Catherine or Warrick or Sara or the whole fuckin' lab could need them, right now! They needed to get there now! His eyes traveled to where Williams was, before he snapped and ran to save his family.

He had the right idea. Williams knew what he was doing.

There was no time to waste!

Nick started sprinting to Vegas.

Brass tried to grab the CSI's arm as he passed, but Nick jerked out of his grip…and kept on going.

"Nick! Wait!" but the Texan didn't even slow down. With a growl, Brass quickly followed after him.

What the hell got into Stokes? That idiot was going to wear himself down before they made it to Vegas!


With every step she took, every bit closer to her daughter, to her house, Catherine's doubts increased.

What if Lindsey wasn't home?

What if they were too slow?

What if the house was collapsed, could they do anything to save her?

Was she still alive?

Oh god, could they really do anything?

And with every step, she felt the doubts gets louder and louder until her legs got wobbly with doubt, her stomach doing flip flops and her heart was hurting, ready to burst from the desperation to just find Lindsey, to make sure she was safe. To make sure her baby girl was ok. Catherine bit her lip, nervously glancing over to Jacqui to see if she was going through the same thing. Jacqui was getting paler and paler by the minute too, her eyes worriedly darting back and forth through the city, surveying all the damage.

Good to know she wasn't the only one. Taking a deep breath, Catherine forced herself to move faster, ignoring the niggling voice in the back of her head screaming, "You don't wanna' know! You don't wanna' know! What if she's dead? You can't face that! You don't wanna' know!"

But she did. She wanted, no…needed to know so badly it hurt. Suddenly, she felt a hand over her shoulder, and turned around.

She was met with Warrick's small smile.

"It'll be alright, Cath." She smiled, weak but there, and nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

'God I hope so…Just wait a little longer, baby. Mommy's coming…' and with that, she steeled herself and forced herself to forget everything except how to get home. To concentrate only on finding Lindsey alive.

Really…there was no other option.

A/N: What! An update! WHERE! Lol...yeah...enjoy it, I guess. Got another one in the works. No really, I do! R&R!