What a Beautiful Mess

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catherine didn't bother to fight back as the two masked men in suits led her down a long hallway. She wanted to be ready at a moment's notice, and if there was a chance to escape she definitely didn't want to be too bruised up to be successful. And it was even more important since she knew that Warrick was suffering through hell. He had probably been with Nick, and that meant Nick could also be suffering. It scared her well out of her mind, yet it also provided an unknown strength within her that demanded she find a way to help them.

Sam was beside her, his expensive suit only frustrated her more. The feeling in her gut told her that this was most likely just about money. She had learned a long time ago that it wasn't money that made life worthwhile.

It had been something of a hard lesson to learn. But, in the end, it had been Nick who had taught her, and Nick who had always proven the lesson to be true. Her thoughts revolved around her family. About who would take care of Lindsey if this situation got any worse. The girl had already lost one parent, and the thought of her becoming an orphan was almost too much to handle.

Then she thought about the team, her second family. Although she had to admit that at many times the term was almost ironic, because with the exception of Lindsey she was closer to the people she worked with than anyone else in her biological relatives. Images of Nick, Warrick and Grissom flooded her mind, even images of Greg and Sara were present. She loved each of them in their own way.

And Catherine knew that that was what made life worth living.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warrick couldn't stop the tears. He was completely disgusted with himself. It sickened him that he was so weak, when Nick had gone through so much more. And he found once more that he was amazed by his brother. Only a short time had passed agonizingly slow since he had woken up. He wasn't even coming close to twelve hours, let alone twenty some odd hours. And he certainly wasn't on the verge of bleeding to death.

He had never been shot before, and in all reality he had never really been in danger while on the job. No one had ever targeted him. No one had ever tried to kill or abduct him before. Warrick suddenly found himself realizing for the first time just how terrified Nick must have been all those times. And the current stinging pain shooting through his arm only served to sicken himself further.

He had tried to put himself in Nick's shoes. Warrick had been desperate to understand the deep-rooted pain his friend was suffering from. Now he realized that he had never come close to even slightly understanding his friend's suffering. There was no way he ever should have expected Nick to ever get better, especially not after a mere six months. He had a feeling he'd be suffering through nightmares for years.

Then he looked to the sides, trying to see the room he was in. His heart practically stopped when he saw the second coffin. Someone was inside, lying still. Fear that it was Nick almost overtook him completely. Then he noticed the clothes. Definitely not something Nick had worn in a while. The man was wearing a short sleeved shirt for one. It wasn't Nick. The only other possibility he could think of was that it was that it must have been Officer Peterson.

A slight movement proved the other man was still alive. It wasn't exactly comforting, but it was offering more hope than he had thought possible. Once he realized that his arm was still bleeding he carefully tore off a large strip of his shirt. With only the slightest bit of hesitation he wrapped the fabric around his arm, and used his teeth to tighten the knot. It was awkward, and made the pain in his arm flare up, but after another few intense moments it began to fade away once more.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evelyn had grown constantly more nervous once they had forcefully dragged Nick out of the room, moving far too quickly for him to be able to keep up. She was all alone, without even the slightest comfort of someone else there. Fear that had previously been quelled just by the sight of a familiar face was now assaulting her full force.

She kept her eyes open, trying to see everything she could in hopes that it would keep her guard up. It would also hopefully keep anything from truly surprising her. Knowing that people could be more than just monsters only made things far worse. She remembered the news reports, the stories and gossip she had heard about what Nick had gone through. It was pain she already knew she'd never be able to handle.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick waited in silence as they stood silently in the elevator. It took all his strength just to remain standing after practically being dragged to the small compartment he was in. He immediately noticed that it was a service elevator, and found himself trying desperately to stay calm as they two guards pulled out their guns.

Suddenly the elevator was too cramped, and the walls around him may as well have been made of Plexiglas. It was a full minute before his breathing came anywhere near to evening out. His mind was racing nonstop about what was going to happen; the pain still radiating in his leg just serving to make the situation far worse.

Soon enough the elevator stopped, and to his complete dismay the doors never slid open. The guards just stood there, weapons ready for anything. A quick glance down showed that his entire body was trembling. No matter how hard he tried it just wouldn't stop, his hands refused to stay steady. Unwanted images filled his head, full of blood, ants and Plexiglas.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catherine eyed the rooftop cautiously, somewhat surprised that it wasn't terribly windy. Her dress fluttered silently in the wind as she was led to a table set up for three people. Sam took a seat beside her. Across from them there was another chair that was still empty.

Just behind them was a narrow catwalk that led out onto an open helipad that was suspended out over the plaza in front of the casino far below. The entire city of Las Vegas spread out all around them, the shimmering lights creating a view that was unmatched by any other city in the world.

Except neither of them could enjoy that view. Catherine's eyes kept falling on the single chair that was set away from the others. It was in the middle of the small walkway that led right to the landing platform. After everything that had happened she knew it wasn't just for show.

Then one of the doors swung open, and her heart leapt as anxiety coursed through every part of her body. It was finally here, the cataclysm that would hopefully lead to the end of this terrible nightmare that they were all caught up in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had just been walking to the lab. The front doors were right there in front of her. Vartann was right beside her. Then it hit her, she could feel the sudden jab in her back, followed soon by two more. The glass doors shattered, but she was already falling to the ground. A pair of strong arms caught her and she stared into the detective's eyes as realization sunk in of what had just happened.

There were bullet holes in the wall opposite the front doors. She could feel the strong arms picking her up, and hastily carrying her inside. Sara closed her eyes, willing for everything to magically fall into place. The interview had gone badly, resulting only in wasted time. Meanwhile, everyone was missing except for herself and Greg.

Once Vartann had set her down onto the second cot in Robbin's office that had been set up as hurriedly as they could. As soon as she felt the soft fabric beneath her she shrugged off her bulletproof vest and examined the two bullets that had nearly pierced the kevlar. So far as the rest of the world knew, she was dead.

"Here, take the bullets to Bobby, try not to say anything. If people think that both Greg and myself are dead… well, we have a better chance of staying alive."

She was glad the pieces seemed to be coming together more thoroughly now. While the information that someone was trying to wipe out their team was disturbing, it also gave them a better chance to make the best of their own hand that they had been dealt.

Robbins entered the room solemnly, and he nodded briefly to Sara. "So, I hear that you've died recently."

"Yeah, apparently so." She answered before taking a glance at a still sleeping Greg.

"Well, I brought down the case file, and all the evidence I could get without raising any suspicion. Hopefully you'll be able to make something more of this before this situation gets even more out of hand."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Both targets have been taken care of. I'm on my way back now."

"Good. Your presence has been requested on the roof when you return. The Boss is looking forward to congratulating you."

"It'll be my pleasure." She answered before snapping the phone in half. Her eyes glanced at the rearview mirror, and she couldn't help but smile. She was moving up quickly in ranks now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vega pulled to a stop outside the casino. The van was literally nowhere to be seen, and so the detective began to circle around the blocks, hoping to find some trace of where the van might have gone. Grissom kept his eyes moving constantly, not willing to miss anything that passed around them on the fairly empty street.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ms. Willows, it's a pleasure to see you again, and so soon. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for your father."

"Why are you doing this? Do you really think that you can get away with whatever the hell it is you're trying to pull off here?"

"Well, I could go off in a traditional spiel of my evil plans, but really, how over-dramatic would that be? I just thought we could enjoy your last meal here."

"What do you want with my daughter?" Sam spoke this time, his anger well contained.

"I want to make you suffer."

"This won't get you up into the big games, son. You'll always be at the kiddy table in this town, so there isn't any point in trying to make that change by killing anyone. Besides, you kill me, and there won't be a single safe place in this world for you to even spend the night."

Catherine glanced at Sam in surprise. The cold tone, the one he had used only once in front of her when ordering a poor college kid around as payback, struck her harder than she had expected. The doubt she had about him was back, in full force, and she swore she could've hit him with everything she had in her.

"On the contrary. I'm already at your table, you just haven't realized it yet. It's a new era, Sam, one that doesn't include the ancient faces such as yourself. By tomorrow all your casinos will be mine, all your property… everything."

"This is a rather big jump for you, Ty. The only illegal activities you've ever been a part of is petty theft. You don't stand a chance against half the people in this city."

"You're one to speak. You're going soft now, in your old age. It's a pity really… after all, I doubt you even have it in you anymore to actually kill. Or was that one showgirl enough? How many others are there?"

"You have no idea what soft is, boy."

Catherine watched them go back and forth, quickly growing sick of the tirades. "What about the boy?"

"Who?" Caulfield turned towards her, his eyes narrowing.

"Billy Meyers. Why in the hell did you kill an innocent child?"

"He witnessed something that he shouldn't have. That dumb screw up Wilson didn't make sure he was alone. Then he screwed up again, and I ended up with an unwanted police officer on my hands. So I figured we'd use him to our advantage. Either way, he was a worthless hazard that I simply didn't need."

"You won't get away with this. People will know I'm missing- they'll sure as hell know that Warrick is missing…"

"Doesn't matter. I've got confirmations that both Sanders and Sidle have been eliminated, along with Mr. Davenport. Your supervisor is next. We already have your other two friends here with us now." He smiled cruelly at her, taking pleasure in the clear distress in her eyes. "So you see, I don't have anyone to worry about."

"They aren't the only CSIs in Vegas. There will be evidence, and you won't make it out of this." Catherine answered, her voice firm and belying just how scared the thought of Sara, Greg, and Paul being murdered was. But she knew that she at least owed it to the others to stay strong.

"I'm glad that you're so convinced. But I'm sure seeing an autopsy on your dear friend, Mr. Stokes, will change your mind. Especially when you hear his screams. Perhaps you'll even get the chance to actually see his heart while it's still beating as he dies."

"You son of a bitch!" Catherine screamed, moving to stand up until one of the guards had to force her back down into her seat. As if on cue the elevator doors, on the far side from where Caulfield had come out, slid open.

Nick almost cried out in relief when the doors slid open. The cold blast of fresh air hit him hard, and he took several deep breaths before his arms were jerked forward and he was led out onto the roof. When he saw Catherine he immediately tried to stop his hands from shaking.

He winced when he was forced down onto a chair, and his wrists were tied to the armrests. His eyes met Catherine's, and they silently tried to keep the other from losing what little control they had. Both were looking for any way that they could get themselves off the roof safely.

The moment came right when Caulfield began to speak again. The two guards flanking Nick had stepped forward so they were just barely in front of him.

"Now why don't we have some food, it'd be a shame to for you to have to watch the 'show' on empty stomachs."

Catherine already felt sick, but the thought that in ten minutes or so that Nick could be lying on the table with his chest cut open was almost too much. And knowing that they were running out of time she waited quietly until another man came out and placed several lit candles on the table.

They were running out of time.

Without warning Catherine burst out coughing, pushing her seat back from the table just slightly as she nearly doubled over.

Nick waited just as the guards took a few steps forward. Even though he knew he'd regret it later he kicked out with both legs. Boots met each of the guards' legs just below the knee with enough force to knock both of them off balance, and right over the edge of the building.

The echoing screams wouldn't be forgotten easily, as he realized that two young men had just plummeted to their deaths. Except as he watched Catherine suddenly swing back up, candle in hand he knew that it had been necessary. There're some things worth dying for, and some things worth killing for. And, if it mean helping to protect my family, then I'll do it.

Catherine flung the candle into the face of the guard behind her. Without hesitating her other hand reached under the table immediately flipping it over onto its side, candles, and the elegant dishes flying everywhere. Before anyone else had a chance to stop her she had raced over to Nick, and was busy trying to untie the rope around one of his wrists, ignoring his pleading for her to get the hell off the roof and to somewhere safe.

Just as she loosened the rope a slight bit she felt the arms trying to wrap around her. Nick was frantically trying to free his hand as he watched Catherine struggle. Further down both Sam, and Ty Caulfield were struggling to stand up. His fear that she was going to fall skyrocketed when he noticed her stumble in her high heels; it was enough for him to keep struggling to free his right arm from the chair. He cried out in horror when he saw the guard take one swing, and easily knocked Catherine off balance.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grissom froze at the sight of several armed men breaking into a side entrance to the casino. He remembered the very pool just across from their vehicle where they had found the electrocuted dummy. Only minutes later the two men froze in horror when they distinctly noticed two men fall from the roof.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sara headed for the computer. Photos of the rest of the evidence would be in there, and she wanted to check to see what had happened to Officer Peterson. The screen popped up once more, and she was relieved to see the somewhat calm look on his face. Her eyes wandered over the rest of the screen before landing on one of the wooden beams that was supporting the glass box. She noticed a spot on the wood that seemed out of place.

Once she zoomed in she was surprised to see a fuzzy image that looked like a snake. Wishing she was in the A/V Lab Sara zoomed in even more and did her best to clear up the image. She paused at the carving that now looked more like some type of Japanese dragon.

Then she began milling through the various autopsy reports on their victims that had been completed. Most were still unidentified, but she couldn't help but hope that something would turn up soon. She was beyond the point of being anxious. Especially when someone had tried to kill her and Greg. The mere fact that everyone else was missing also upset her, as she tried to take on a positive mindset.

She could almost here Nick saying that there were no bodies. There was that sound of hope in his voice, one she'd pay to hear again. Images of him sitting in a hospital room with the little blonde girl, Cassie, returned.

"I was rescued."

She hoped that they'd be able to find another miracle this time around. And then she saw it. One of the gunmen's names glared out at her, telling her that she should recognize it.

Brandon Miller.

The name was so familiar, but she couldn't place it. She kept seeing pictures of Nick in her mind, some sad, some happy. Then an image of him laughing at some lifeguard's expression came up. It wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to focus on the case at hand.

Then she remembered the CPR Dummy. The expression on the lifeguard's face as he opened his mouth as wide as he could, hands covering both sides of his face. They had been working a case, searching for ten million dollars that belonged to Ty Caulfield.

That's it. Caulfield… Brandon Miller- they've got to be connected… that's it! He's that security guard… if he's back… Caulfield… he isn't all that well known in Vegas, what if he's been going after Braun? A place with some of the big names in Vegas would be motive enough, and he has enough money to pull something like this off.

"Brass."

"It's Sara."

"What? I just… the lab is saying that you're dead! What in the Hell?" He had been stuck at the school, trying to not only clear the scene, but to make sure everything was getting done correctly. News that both Sara and Greg had died had reached everyone's ears. He was glad that he hadn't actually believed it, but it sure wasn't going to stop him from demanding answers.

"I think I know where the others are! The Golden Dragon- Caulfield's casino. One of the dead gunmen is that security guard from a couple years back that helped steal that ten million dollars."

"That isn't enough to go on Sara…" Brass replied quickly, letting his question remain unanswered.

"The wood beams under Officer Peterson… at least one of them has a Japanese dragon carved into it. That Caulfield guy is into that sort of stuff… a lot of his stuff at that place is supposedly from Japan."

"Alright, it can't hurt to head over there and check things out. I'll meet you there with backup."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick stared wide-eyed as Catherine teetered on the edge and then she was falling. It wasn't even a second before he was up, swinging the chair with his left arm that was still bound to it. It slammed into the guard, sending him reeling back over the opposite edge. He let the momentum of his swing bring him to the cool steel floor. His left arm ached from the sudden weight of Catherine hanging onto the chair, her feet dangling in midair.

Her eyes were wide with terror. She clung tightly to the chair, silently thanking God that Nick had been fast enough to swing the chair down just in time for her to catch it, saving her from falling the rest of the way down to the plaza far below.

Their eyes met, and she could see the pain Nick was in, his arm twisting awkwardly as the chair it was still bound to rocked back and forth.

Seeing his daughter come so close to dying awakened the raging fury in him. He landed a well-aimed fist in Caulfield's face before grabbing up one of the forks on the tile and jabbing it into the remaining guard's cheek. Then he was running out towards the catwalk, as he watched the young man's face scrunch up in obvious pain.

He reached over the edge, and with Nick's help they managed to pull both Catherine and the chair back up. Sam then quickly went to work on freeing Nick's left arm. Blood was running freely from where the ropes had pulled on his wrist. Without hesitating he tore off the sleeve and wrapped it around Nick's wrist, tying it tightly, and hoping that the arm wasn't broken.

Catherine was clinging to Nick as tightly as she could. Her arms wrapped around his chest as they huddled together on the catwalk, relishing the mere fact that they were all alive. It was Nick who finally forced Catherine to let him go, and he offered a weak smile as his right hand found her left. Both were grateful for the mere contact, reassuring both of them that they were still breathing and moving.

Nick quickly led her back onto the main part of the roof. His leg and both arms were aching, but he knew that he still had a job to do. Both Warrick and Evelyn were still somewhere inside the building, and he wasn't about to stop before he found them both. Neither were actually surprised to find that both Caulfield and the other guard were long gone.

He gradually started putting a bit more of his weight on Catherine, and was glad when she wrapped her arm around his waist. Together they made their way to the elevator, and seconds later the glimmering lights of Las Vegas were gone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evelyn wasn't sure if fear was enough to describe it when she heard the door behind her open. And though she knew it probably wasn't wise she closed her eyes as tightly as she could. But when she felt Nick's reassuring hand gently grab hold of her own, she knew that it was safe.

Catherine and Sam went to work untying her as Nick gently stroked her cheek trying to keep her as calm as possible. As soon as her hands were free she wrapped them around Nick, and clung to him in a silent thank you.

"We need to find Warrick." Nick answered, as he helped Evelyn up to her feet. Together they headed for the doorway to begin their search until the sound of gunfire erupted from somewhere on one of the lower levels. Not entirely sure of what that meant they began to move cautiously through the unfinished hallway.

Nick paused at one doorway, and quietly slid the door open. His eyes went wide with fear at the sight of two glass coffins. Both were occupied, but it was the second one that really caught his attention. Fear was forgotten as he burst into the room and raced for the box that held his best friend, and the guilt over everything that had happened to them was beginning to drown him.

"Warrick? I'm gonna get you out of there… just hold on…" He mumbled, not sure if the other man would even want to ever see him again.

It's all my fault. God… I'm so sorry…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I was going to update yesterday, but then I decided that I wanted to get farther in this story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd appreciate any comments/reviews.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------