A/N: Thanks to all for the last rounds of reviews…I appreciate all those who continue to support this story by reading…this chapter is short, but I wanted to post tonight…turning up the angst-meter a notch, but a resolution is beginning to form…hope this pleases (although I'll admit this chapter tied me up in a knot or two)…more as soon as possible…you're all so terrific… - Kathy
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Gil stormed down the corridor, his speed increasing with the pounding of his heart.
Pausing briefly at the secretary's desk to request an audience, he failed to meet her smile as she peeked in to inquire and then escorted Grissom into the Sheriff's domain.
The secretary twisted slightly to close the door behind him, and was surprised to see the Sheriff's reaction to the senior CSI's presence.
So glad I don't have to take that meeting…
She had just returned to the work already started on his computer when her head turned at the sound of raised voices coming from behind her work station.
Although nothing clearly enunciated, the secretary could hear smatterings of Let's calm down which led to another outburst followed by He has no right which led into something being pounded in an angry fashion.
The woman stopped her work, wondering if there was something she should do.
She decided to keep herself close at hand, pulling the phone to her slightly as if anticipating calling for help…
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Meanwhile, Sara continued a much slower trek down the deserted hallway that led to the Sheriff's office.
She was so worried about Gil's reaction that at first she did not realize she was passing by Ecklie's open doorway.
As fate would have it, Conrad had returned to his office to calm down a bit before heading to the Sheriff's suite.
He needed to confront Sidle with the facts being circulated in the lab, and to inform her that her little games were placing not just her own job security on the line, but Grissom's as well.
His eyes were focused and his brow knotted in concentration to his task when he noticed she was walking by his door, lost in concentration.
And she is alone…
Seizing the opportunity, Ecklie moved silently out the door, his long legs meeting Sara's stride in an instant.
"Not so fast, Sidle," Conrad spat, gripping her upper arm and almost yanking her back into his office.
Sara whimpered in pain as Conrad's nails dug sharply into the healing skin of her upper arms.
Hearing her soft cry, Ecklie removed his hand immediately, but the flesh was so tender a bruise was already forming under the material of her sleeves.
Sara moved to stand near the chair in front of his desk, beginning to feel queasy at being alone in such a small room with a person known to manhandle suspects.
Conrad's lanky frame blocked the only escape route.
His eyes wincing slightly, it was clear he was delighting in have such a captive audience.
"Sit down, Sidle."
When she continued to stand, her thoughts racing as to how she wished Gil were here, Sara's entire body quivered as she heard his booming baritone yell, "I said, SIT!"
Whether she consciously obeyed the directive, or if her legs simply weakened in her emotional state, Sara found herself seated in the chair only seconds before Ecklie's large frame loomed over her as he twisted the chair to face him.
Immediately, Sara's body was flooding with adrenaline, quick snapshots of being held hostage blocking out the image of Conrad looming so close she could smell his aftershave.
"This is my lab, Sidle," Ecklie began menacingly.
"And as long as I am in charge here, you will work by the rules I lay down."
Sara stared blankly at him, wondering to what he could possibly be referring.
Pulling himself up to his full posture, he stared down at this CSI and noticed that something was indeed off about her current demeanor.
In the past, their altercations had been spirited, albeit mutinous at times.
But here she sat, silent, as he continued to goad her with platitudes that at any other time would have caused her to lose her composure, unyielding to a fault.
Somehow, Ecklie was relishing getting in all the licks during this encounter.
"It's been brought to my attention that Grissom has been playing nursemaid to you ever since you've returned from your lengthy sick leave – which, by the way, was a real hardship to the other members of your team."
The fact that Sara's "sick leave" was a direct result of on-the-job injuries did not seem to an important factor to his rant.
Sara suddenly found her chair spun around again until she was face to face with Ecklie.
"THAT is going to end immediately, Sidle," he spoke with a gruff air of authority.
Conrad pushed her chair a bit violently away from him as he stood.
"And don't think I haven't figured out what's going on with you, Sidle."
Sara remained motionless as her eyes remained locked on the open doorway.
Her mind spun with calculating the possibilities of making a clean getaway.
If she didn't get out of here soon, surely she would breakdown, and that was the last thing she wanted to do before this awful man.
"So," Conrad began pacing, enjoying listening to himself talk.
"It is my intention to override Grissom's authority to dole out assignments for the next month or so."
Leaning into her face, he smirked evilly before adding, "Looks like you'll just have to suck it up, Sidle, and do your job without relying on your sugar daddy to cover for all your…deficiencies."
Sara opened her eyes and realized Conrad was leaning over her at such a close range that he was staring at the burn marks at the side of her neck.
Needing to distance herself from his scrutiny, she decided to make a break for it before he had a chance to degrade her any further.
She had just cleared the doorway before two large hands clamped down on her shoulders and yanked her painfully back into the room.
Sara was stunned by the ferocity of this latest attack and let out a small whimper before shrugging off his hands, pleading softly as she backed herself into the opposite corner.
"I'm not finished with you yet, Sidle," Ecklie intoned cruelly as he made his way towards her cowering form.
"Oh, I'd say you're more than done, Conrad," snapped an angry tone, causing the lab director to spin on his heels – to face an angry Brass.
Without more than a glare that offered a this isn't finished by a long shot challenge, the detective deftly moved around Ecklie and reached out his hand to Sara.
Knowing better than to invade her personal space at the moment, Brass smiled and spoke softly, "Let's go, kiddo."
Sara moved towards him, but kept her arms tightly wrapped around her frame, as if letting go she would completely fall apart.
Without a backward glance at Ecklie, Sara walked a wide arc away from where the seething lab director stood before almost sprinting out into the hallway.
She could feel herself unraveling.
How could I have been so stupid?
Ecklie knows.
He knows I need Gil, he must know I can't bear to be outside without him protecting me.
But Gil hasn't been focusing his job. He's been spending so much time taking care of me.
I bet Sofia or Terri has been complaining, and what's worse- they're right!
I can't do this to him anymore.
I can't be an effective CSI any longer if I'm afraid to even leave my home without some maniac trying to hurt me!
But Ecklie's right.
Gil has been so focused on protecting me, he hasn't been doing his job.
His job is the only real thing he loves, it's who he is…I can't ask him to jeopardize that for me…
He'd be so much better off without me…
So wrapped up in her musings was Sara that her pace had increased as her heartbreak deepened.
Somewhere behind her, she could hear Brass calling.
She knew he loved her like his own daughter, but this time she needed to be away him - away from all of them.
The sounds of the hallway caused Sofia to pop her head out of the break room and stare in wonder at the retreating form of Sara Sidle down the corridor outside Eckie's office.
She shrugged thinking there was certainly more activity there since she had ended her pleasant visit with Conrad just about an hour ago.
But Sara was oblivious to her surroundings, and failed to see Sofia's curious expression as she continued swiftly down the hall.
She couldn't think. She needed time to figure out a plan.
She needed time to decide what she needed to do to keep Gil safe from making a disastrous career-ending mistake.
She couldn't breathe. She needed air.
Ducking down a corridor and into a side room, she closed the door behind her, keeping the lights off as she moved across the darkened room to the emergency exit on the opposite wall.
The fire escape was a narrow ramp that led her around two hairpin turns before ducking finally into the back parking lot.
Her feet propelled her forward; she just wanted to get away from this place…but where could she go?
Still moving forward, Sara patted her pockets before remembering that she wouldn't have car keys as Gil had driven them to the lab.
Feeling in her back pocket for her slim-fit wallet, she realized to her relief that it was there and she was sure she had enough money for a taxi.
Had she been a bit calmer, she might have taken notice of the tall blonde taking a final drag on a cigarette before flicking it inconsequentially into the pile of asphalt against the rear door leading to the lab's underground parking garage.
However, the only thought running through Sara's mind was her need to distance herself from this lab, from Ecklie, and from the one person she loved enough to sacrifice for his happiness.
In her emotional state, Sara was running to find a safe place.
If she had been thinking clearly, she would have realized she just might be running into the hands of danger itself.
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Gil was red-faced as he slammed down the corridor leading from the office suites.
"I'll run my shift the way I feel is right, Sheriff!"
"It's only your shift because I say it is, Grissom! Perhaps you need to rethink your priorities."
"Then perhaps you might want to rethink your priorities, Sheriff. Three of my female CSIs have been injured on the job thanks to this serial arsonist! My priority is to not let that happen again!"
"Conrad Ecklie is still your immediate supervisor, Gil."
"And if he interferes with my handling of this ongoing arson investigation again, you will be looking for someone else for him to supervise!"
"An ultimatum, Grissom? You've worked here for many years, Gil. That's just not like you…"
"Well, perhaps I've changed, Sheriff. Meet the new Gil Grissom."
Those words haunted Gil as he strode down the hallway in search of Sara.
Sara.
She was the reason for the emergence of this "new Grissom".
She had taken this shell of a man and turned over her heart to him.
She had shown him trust, trusted him with her darkest secrets, and he wanted to be the man she needed him to be.
And here at this moment, he vowed he would be that man for her.
Now Gil felt almost frantic in his need to find his Sara.
He had been so intent on ending Ecklie's tirade against him and Sara, it was only now that he realized he left her standing there alone with no idea where he was heading.
Ducking his head in and out of the labs he passed on his way, Gil finally found a worried looking Brass stepping worriedly out of the A/V lab.
"Oh, good, Gil…is she's with you?"
Panic spread throughout his body as he gulped and said, "No, Jim…I left her with you…what's going on?"
Anger clouding his better judgment, the detective gave Gil a synopsis of what he knew of Sara's encounter with Conrad.
Fuming, Gil darted towards Ecklie's open door only to have Jim pull him back gruffly.
"You don't have time for this cowboy act, Gil…we need to find her," Brass spoke clearly and calmly, although his heart was thumping wildly in his chest.
Staring over Gil's shoulder at Ecklie's door, he added, "There'll be plenty of time to deal with that sack of trash later."