Chapter 10
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Just as he rolled over and stretched for his cell, he heard hinges creak and he suddenly shot upright in bed. He heard foosteps coming towards him, and he slowly slid the top drawer of the side cabinet open. He didn't usually carry his firearm with him, but he had run into Brass had warned him to take it. The warning had been ominous - "you don't know San Francisco Gil". That was the truth. In Vegas he had never had to face an intruder in his hotel room before. Shifting the covers off of his body, keeping his hand on his gun he deftly slid his glasses onto his face and waited with baited breath.

The bedroom's doorknob turned, and he watched, horror struck. He had never anticipated the fear that would pulse through his body if this were ever to happen. He had always seen himself as calm, cool and collected. He knew how to disarm an intruder if he had to, knew how to use his firearm, but as he watched the doorknob rotate all the information he firmly knew disappeared from his brain. He could only sit there, half naked, waiting. He was a sitting duck, he sensed he should get into a better position than he was in but his muscles just wouldn't listen to what his brain told him. He sat poker straight on the bed, still as a summer's evening, staring in terrified awe.

Slowly the door opened and a thin red line of laser beam penetrated the darkness. They had some serious firepower and Grissom's gut clenched harder. Whatever they had would certainly overpower his Glock and he'd be gone faster than he could even react. He knew he shouldn't have come to San Francisco. If he was still in Vegas he wouldn't be wondering about whether today he was going to live or die.

The red laser beam got brighter and it shone in his face as the intruder stepped into the room. He could vaguely see the gaping hole of the gun, but the laser beam made him almost blind and he couldn't see who was on the other end of the gun. He heard the safety disengage and his heart skipped a beat. His life didn't flash before his eyes, he didn't realise all the things he had never done and wished he had. The last thought on his mind was her.

Sara.

Across town, Sara sighed in frustration and threw her phone onto the couch alongside her. It had gone to voicemail and she had chickened out. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to him, she hadn't planned for the possibility of voicemail. She should have known that he wouldn't pick up. There were two possibilities, and both were of equal merit. There was the chance that he had deleted her cellphone number from his phone and she knew that he didn't take unknown calls. Of course, the more likely situation was that he had kept her number and he just refused to pick up. She didn't know what she thought would happen when she phoned his number. Had she thought that he would answer her call and suddenly she would once again be near him? Had she thought that he would pick up the call and profess his love for her?

No. She had seen the look in his eye earlier that day when he had suddenly shown up. There was no love left there. She just wished that she could get over him as easily as he had gotten over her, because hell, it would have made life a damn sight easier than it would be for as long as she was this deeply in love with him.

The lights flickered on and the red beam disappeared, allowing him to see again. He was faced with a team of SWAT men, guns raised in his direction, all dressed in black.

"What the hell?" he heard. "This isn't the guy, Mike."

The SWAT leader lifted his helmet off of his head and gave Grissom a firm looking over.

"Who the hell are you?" His voice was harsh from years of leading an elite squad of firearms specialist. Grissom knew too many SWAT guys who had burned out.

"Um..." Grissom was shocked, pleasanlty albeit, at the sight of the SWAT team in his hotel room. At least it wasn't a crazed intruder standing facing him. Although, from the stories he had heard he couldn't be entirely sure that these guys weren't just as ruthless and crazed as an intruder. "Gil Grissom. I'm a forensic scientist, I work in Vegas, I'm here on business."

"Identification, sir?"

"Yes." He nodded and with shaky hands reached into the drawer and held out his badge to the giant SWAT leader.

The guy looked from the badge up to Grissom a few times and seemed satisfied with what he saw. He handed the badge back and gestured for his team to back off. The gun barrels were lowered towards the floor and the SWAT leader turned back to the room's resident.

"Sorry for the inconvenience Mr Grissom. We had intelligence that there was a known Mexican drug dealer renting this room."

"I just checked in this afternoon. I had to wait a while, the cleaners were still in."

"Damn. He must have gotten word of our sting. Okay. Again, I'm sorry for this inconvenience." He went to walk away but he turned back and handed a small white envelope out to Grissom. "This was on the door. Since you ain't a drug lord I think it's safe for you to read."

"Thank you."

He sat back on the bed and stared down at the envelope. It was pure white, and as he surveyed it he could see no visible mucky fingerprints. Sighing heavily, he rested his head back against the wall for a moment before hooking his finger underneath the paper and ripped it open. He was exhausted. He hadn't been asleep when the SWAT team had arrived. He'd not been able to sleep a wink since he had laid eyes on Sara again. He couldn't get her off of his mind and when he'd tried to sleep all it had done was to give him a headache. He knew it was no use, he'd spent many a night like that before - unable to go to sleep because of the brunette.

Slowly sliding the slip of paper from the envelope, he unfolded the small rectangle and turned it over. What he read both confused and scared him. It was an address, written in block capitals. He didn't know whether the address was in San Fran or not, and he didn't even have the slightest inclination of whether it was important or not, but it gave him a terrible feeling in his gut and after so many years of doing this he knew to trust his gut when it came to things like this. This wasn't good. Without touching anything else he laid the envelope and its contents on his rented bed and picked up his cell phone.

His stomach lurched as he saw the display.

1 call missed : Sara Sidle

That was not good. Not good at all.

Ignoring the white hot feeling of dread in his stomach he flipped open the cell and called Craig Wilson.

"Craig, it's Grissom. I think we have a situation...."

What he didn't tell Wilson was that there was more than one pressing situation racing through his mind. If he was honest he more scared of the situation with the only woman he had ever loved than the situation with the mysterious envelope.

John smiled as he walked away from the hotel. He'd gotten away just in time, a SWAT team had shown up just as he had been leaving. He'd stepped aside and smiled politely just as a regular citizen would have done. Over the years he had learned to adapt and fit in more than he had to start with. He had loved the clean up even more than the act itself. He loved the smell of the material burning, that mixed in with the potent smell of dried blood. He loved the way it stuck to the hairs in his nostrils and stayed for days.

He had plans. Complex, extensive plans that would bring him great, great pleasure. He would have immense fun planning every little detail and he would have even more fun carrying those plans out. Especially where it concerned that annoyingly persistent bug doctor. That was certainly a bug he would enjoy squishing into oblivion with his boot heel.

This was certainly going to be an interesting experiment. One that he was going to enjoy immensely. The old man was going to suffer.

The ringing was sharp and she awoke from her light sleep with a start. After a moment she recognised her ringtone and she found her cellphone in the dark.

"Sidle."

"Sara it's Craig. Get yourself to the lab right now."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Gil received a letter with an address on. We've worked out that a 911 call was made from across the street. You need to come in and help process the letter ."

"What?"

"I figure since you had the pleasure of working with Gil back in Vegas you'll work well with him. Haul ass and get in here A.S.A.P. We need you."

"Wait...I'm working with Grissom?"

Panic set in. What would she say to him? What could she say when she had left him for a new life but hadn't yet found it? How could she face up to her failure like that?

"Yes. You're working with Grissom. He's at the lab, hurry up and get here."

"Working with him on my own?"

"Yes. This is your case from now on. Nobody else's. I want you to solve it. Quickly too."

"So I'm with Grissom now?"

"Yes. For god sake. Problem?"

She paused. Was there a problem? Or was it all in her head? Would be be awkward with her, or would it be like the days of old when they were completely comfortable with one another?

Eventually. "No. No problem."

So there we have it. Sara & Grissom on the same case together. Alone. And Grissom is still alive. I hope you're happy guys!! Chapter 11 on the way!!! Reviews as always please.