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Sorry for the slow up date- I had an exam this week.

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In The Darkest Light

(11)

Greg stood opposite Nick and Langston as they laid out their case while Catherine observed from the head of the table with a worried expression. The images that were pinned up around the layout room spoke of the similarities between their cases.

"Looks like the same MO. and all of these people are linked somehow..." Nick pointed out his eyes focused on the image of their victim.

"Greg you pulled up the old case file what did you get from it?" Catherine asked speaking for the first time since she'd entered the room.

"Not much... Our vic Louis Chambers was working a prostitution ring using minors... their main suspect was Thomas Gibson... who is also our main suspect. One of the girls came forward, named two of the others but apparently that went nowhere. They executed a search of Tom's house found some videos but the DA claimed there wasn't sufficient evidence. All the names were covered in file..." He sighed leaning against the table.

"Where's Sara?" Catherine asked with a raise eyebrow.

"She...wasn't feeling well...she went home to get some medicine...she'll be back soon..." Greg stumbled over his sentence nervously.

"Okay...Greg you run with the old case...Get Sara to help you when she gets back. Nick, Langston I want you to find out how Jonathan Dennit and Johan Philips fit into all of this..." Catherine instructed them. At that moment her phone rang and she disappeared out of the layout room.

Greg walked slowly down the hall his eyes focused on his phone as he rang Sara's number for the fifth time that afternoon. Archie seemed to appear out of nowhere pulling him by the arm into his lab. For the first time ever Archie had closed the blinds of the AV lab so that the dim overhead light was the only bulb attempting to fight the darkness.

"Archie what are you doing?" Greg asked with slight annoyance as the lab tech carefully closed the door behind them.

"I need to talk to you..." He said nervously shifting his weight on his feet, his eyes wide.

"What is it?" He asked gravely realising that he had never seen Archie act this way before, it must have been something serious for him to be so nervous. The AV tech had always managed to be laid back and calm even when under pressure to produce results.

"I found something... on the video's... and I didn't know who to tell... or what to do." He spoke slowly his eyes on the door to make sure that no one was looking in.

"What did you find Archie?" Greg asked butterflies oddly settling in his stomach as he anticipated the worst. Archie seemed to not be able to respond, not finding the right words to describe what he'd found. He sat himself down on his stool pulling up one of the videos indicating for Greg to sit down too.

The slightly fuzzy image was shot by someone with an unsteady hand and it took a few moments for what was happening to become clear. A coffee table came into view covered with empty beer bottle and an inconspicuous white power. A large group of teenagers seemed to be surrounding it taking turns to snort the drug. Their ages seemed to range from thirteen to nineteen; some looked as if they could have been younger. Music was blaring but the sound was too distorted to be able to tell what it was- not that it mattered.

"Woah the party's finally here..."The man holding the camera shouted, his proximity to the recording device providing a clearly sound. Tom Gibson appeared through the door a thin girl in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her feet barely moving of their own accord.

"She could use a few more drinks...if you know what I mean..." He said with a sickening smile attempting to make the girl stand by herself. She turned to face the camera, her dark hair in a mess of curls around her face. Lifting a delicate hand she tucked her hair behind her ear.

Greg's heart stopped in his chest, that mannerism was something he knew, it was something he recognised. And he studied the young girl's face carefully he realised that he knew her. It was Sara. Those dark eyes. That sleepy smile. They were things he had memorised about her. Archie hit the pause button taking a deep breath before he turned to Greg.

"It gets a lot worse..." He said slowly not knowing whether to continue- the images he had witnessed were still weighing heavy on his heart. Greg nodded for him to continue as a lump built up in his throat.

Her pupils were dilated and it was clear that she had taken something as she swayed unsteadily on her feet- her nails clawing at her arms, a gloss of addiction over her features as she stood with a look of desperation before the camera. A deep purple bruise on her jaw stood out against her pale skin. She looked frail.

"Why don't you have a drink sweet heart?" A glass of clear liquid was placed in her hand as someone's arm wrapped their arm around her small waist. With little resistance Sara took the glass letting the clear liquid past her lips.

"Tom...Tom said you'd give me some stuff..." She asked incoherently her hand running through her hair. She was so young.

"We can get some stuff for her can't we?" The camera man asked someone that nearby.

"Sure...but what have you got for us?" A low voice asked.

"Uhm..." She attempting to think of something but the answer was nothing.

"It's okay...I'm sure we can come to some kind of an agreement..." The man pulled Sara towards the stairs almost carrying her.

The camera focused on the ground as the pair carried her upstairs.

The room was poorly lit and there appeared to be nothing to identify it apartment from a small bed with a clearly unclean bedspread. Sara sat herself down on the edge of the bed her head in her hands as she attempted to steady herself.

"Now... you can get your stuff... if you do a little something for me first..." She looked up at him hopefully as the man approached her. He pushed Sara back and she fell back onto the bed with little resistance. She groaned realising what was happening but too weak to fight him off.

"Don't be like that baby...you'll get what you want once we're done..." He cooed in her ear, pinning her wrist's above her head.

"Please..." She whimpered before realising that there was no point- he wasn't going to stop.

He tried to kiss her on the lips but she turned her head away from him so he placed his lips on her neck instead, slobbering on her. Sara shut her eyes tightly as if wishing away the situation as she was in. The man stopped abruptly flipping her on to her stomach muttering in her ear as pulled her trousers out of the way.

"Don't..." She pleaded with him as he kept one hand tightly on the back of her neck the other between her legs.

"Oh Sara baby...don't cry..." The man holding the camera mocked. The other man had hold of her wrists pinning her down against the bed as he entered her.

"Stop it. Stop it now." Greg demanded his hands curled into fists as anger coursed through his veins. He felt bile rising up his throat as his eyes remained focused on the still in front of him. Archie sat beside with a haunted expression.

"No one sees this. You hear me? No one." He told the man next to him as he made his way towards the door.

"I got you." Archie nodded taking the video off the screen.

Greg pressed Sara's speed dial number again but still nothing but voice mail spoke back to him. His heart was in his throat as he made his way quickly through the lab avoiding making eye contact with anyone with the fear of something asking what was wrong.

The anger settled in the pit of his stomach as he threw himself haphazardly into the diver's seat of his car. Turning onto the main road he drove at a speed he knew was too fast but he didn't care.

He needed to see Sara.

He needed to speak to her.