Hola! Thank you so much to every lovely person who reviewed, I love you all loads! (a special thank you to TamiRWAR, I may take you up on that later and I'm glad you're enjoying it :)) First off, sorry for the delay. How rude of my teachers to give me homework when I obviously need to write fanfiction – lol! Second, sorry for the ridiculously long chapter! I just knew where I wanted to end it, and I couldn't end it before. I'm sorry.
Please, read, enjoy, review!
(Wow, 29 chapters!)
Chapter Twenty Nine # Two Steps From Hell #
"Sara!" Tony's last call had lost everything. Volume, breath, hope. He had no idea how far down the drop was or how he was going to get out. Thanking god that he was a jock, he pulled, straining his muscles but it was no use. There was nothing to drag himself up with. He could only cling to the edge. Suddenly he had an idea. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. He dropped it and counted.
"One...two-" the clattering sound of coin on rock filled his ears. Two seconds, that meant...enough metres down that he could survive. But what was at the bottom? Just as he let go, Sara let out a bloodcurdling scream. He hit the floor with a bump, falling over backwards. Tony fumbled around in the pitch black. He was in some sort of pit, and feeling around the edges he felt no doors. Dimly, he heard Sara scream again.
What is he doing to her? Tony thought desperately. Kate was right - the feelings he held for Sara Sidle were a lot stronger than lust or a crush.
Think, DiNozzo, think!
Tony had dropped to his hands and knees, fumbling around the floor in desperation when he found a ring in the stone floor. He pulled but it didn't budge, so he stepped back to the edge of the pit and tried again, pulling from all directions and angles until it heaved up and open. He peered down, squinting as light burst into his dark prison.
An empty corridor. He leapt down, and looked around. There were three doors in front of him. He put his ear against the first and heard heavy breathing, so he backed away. He opened the second door and there was nothing but a brick wall. The third door revealed a narrow spiral staircase. He burst through it, running up the stairs to the level that he guessed Sara would be on.
Why did I let her come with me?
He opened a door into the same corridor he had been in with Sara. He put his ear to the bedroom door and could hear something that sounded like a struggle. Muffled cries were coming from the room and Tony ran into the room next door. He grabbed a wrought iron candlestick off of the bedside table and crashed through the bedroom door, startling the man that was sitting on top of Sara on the bed holding a bloody knife.
Sara craned her neck towards him, blood and tears covering the right side of her cheek. Tony didn't hesitate. He smashed the candlestick into the man's head, knocking him to the floor. Then he grabbed Sara's hand, dragging her away and racing back into the hall into the staircase and running down. He couldn't hear anyone following but continued to run as fast as he could. They fell out of a door on a staircase into a long white hall.
Tony paused for a second and Sara stared at him. "Tony?"
He turned to her, sadness in his eyes when he saw a star carved into her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"You came back." She murmured, staring at him.
"Well I wasn't going to leave you there."
"You came back." She repeated. "For... for me?" He nodded.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"You're welcome. I'm sorry it took me a while. I got a little stuck. Are you okay?" She nodded, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath to regain her composure.
"Do you think Tali and Nick and the others are okay?"
"Definitely." Tony nodded.
Both knew he was lying, but both knew that the lie was what they needed to hear. They started walking slowly down the corridor, sticking close to each other. A high pitched keening sound came from behind them and Tony glanced over his shoulder.
"Oh boy!"
Sara turned around and her eyes widened. "Crap!"
They started sprinting wildly down the corridor, the large Rottweiler gaining on them in seconds.
"Whatever you do, don't fall over!" Tony yelled.
"Ya think?" Sara replied, looking over. Her eyes widened and she shoved Tony sideways. They fell through another door and Sara kicked it shut behind them.
"Hello."
A childlike voice chimed. They turned and screamed. A small doll with no eyes smiled at them.
"Hello. Hello. Hello."
"Its just a doll." Sara steadied herself.
"Hello."
The doll raised its tiny fist and a laser like beam came out, forming a little red dot on Sara's leg. She scrambled away, but not before an object not like a small bear trap snapped around her lower leg.
She screamed bloody murder and Tony screamed himself.
"Hello. Hello. Hello."
Another dot appeared on Sara's head.
Snap!
The trap shut on itself and fell to the floor as Sara screamed in even more pain. Her leg felt as if it was being ripped off by a bear, torn from side to side as she was dragged around like a doll, bumping around. She managed to open her eyes and looked up at Tony DiNozzo's determined face.
He had picked her up seconds before the second trap emerged and was now running down the corridor, carrying her dead weight. Every fibre of her being screamed to thrash around until he put her down, but Sara gritted her teeth.
She could bare the pain. She would bare the pain.
"Mommy it hurts!"
"I know, baby, I know..." Laura cradled two year old Sara in her arms, carefully avoiding the broken leg.
"Why does it hurt so bad?" Sara wailed.
"Because the bone snapped!" a six year old Tyler added unhelpfully.
Sara sobbed as the doctor came closer.
"So what happened to you then?"
Sara cringed into her mother's jumper and mumbled something.
"Pardon?"
"I falled off the climbing frame." Sara whispered. It was the truth; her dad hadn't started hurting her yet, she had fallen.
"Okay, well, I'll take good care of you. You're going to get into this wheelchair and we'll see mommy soon, okay?"
"No!"
"No?" the doctor was confused at the stubborn snap instead of the usual scream.
"My mommy comes wid me or I don't go at all." The toddler clumsily folded her arms around her mother's neck.
"Um... mommy can't come."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"It's the rules."
"Well, that's a stupid rule." Sara remarked, the pain momentarily forgotten.
Sara leaned her head back against Tony's chest. The searing pain in her leg suddenly intensified, dragging a heart wrenching cry from her lips, accompanied by a loud clang as the trap fell to the floor.
Terrified that Sara would bleed out in his arms, Tony headed into a small alcove, laying Sara down and pulling off his jumper and top. He wrapped his jumper tightly around Sara's lower leg, relieved when the bleeding seemed to slow.
"You're gonna be okay, Sara."
She nodded. "Always...am..."
"What'd you mean?"
She shook her head weakly. "Nothing."
"Are you sure?"
Sara nodded. "We should keep moving. I can walk..."
Tony rolled his eyes. "I know I talk about how macho I am but it's not all talk."
Sara rolled her own eyes and allowed Tony to gently bring her onto his back.
"Faster!" Tony squealed as his dad ran along the beach, Tony on his back. The two year old boy screamed in delight as his father sped up. Finally they flopped back onto the sand. Instantly Tony was up again, kicking around a football.
"Tony!"
Tony ran up to his mom, wonder in his eyes. "Donuts! Oh, mommy!"
"Here you go." She smiled. "Sit down to eat it or you'll get a tummy ache."
The little boy complied instantly, sitting down on the beach and crossing his legs.
"Oops." He stared at the jam marring his blue and white striped trousers. His mom had a thing about sailors.
"It's okay, Junior, we're on holiday." Tony's dad smiled.
Tony smiled a sunny smile as only a two year old can and stared at a group of teenage girls walking down the beach.
"Anthony. Close your mouth." Tony's mom Natasha chided her husband.
Tony got up onto his small, ever so slightly chubby legs and toddled over to the girls.
"Tony!" Natasha called.
"You awe pwetty!" Tony sang to the girl in front.
She giggled. "Aw, thank you. Look at him, he's so cute!"
Her friends all giggled and 'aw-ed'. Loving every second of it, Tony smiled. "Fank you."
"He's gonna be a lady's man." Anthony DiNozzo Senior remarked to his wife, who just shook her head.
"I blame you."
"What's your name sweetie?" The teen asked.
"I tell you mine if you tell me yows." Tony's small mouth mangled the pick-up line he'd taken from his father ever so slightly.
"You are adorable!" she squeaked. "I'm Rebecca."
"Babeca?"
"Rrr- becca."
Tony nodded. "Webecca. I'm Tony but my daddy dust calls me Junior cause he is also calleded Tony."
Rebecca awed again. "Are you on holiday?"
Tony nodded.
"Tony, come here now."
The girls laughed as the two year old boy tried to roll his eyes and returned to his mother.
"Yes mommy?"
"Sit down here now."
Tony sighed and sat down. "Webecca was vewy nice mommy."
"I'll bet she was."
"More piggybacks daddy?"
"Thanks, Tony." Sara breathed into his ear.
"It's not a problem. You don't weigh very much, and I'm not about to let you hurt that leg even more.
Shocked at the sudden care and maturity of the senior, Sara smiled.
CSIVCSIVCSIV
"Nick, run!" Tali's eyes widened.
"Yeah, Nick." Azrael taunted. "Run."
Nick didn't think about it for a second. He ran.
Azrael cried out in surprise as Nick tackled him.
"Nick!" Tali screamed as he was thrown to the floor.
"Interesting." Azrael mused, wiping his hands and then clapping. The door swung shut. Azrael began to walk towards Tali.
"Don't you touch her!" Nick yelled, scrambling into the middle.
"Nick!" Tali protested.
"You'd prefer I began with you?" Azrael asked.
"Yes." Nick nodded, breathing heavily.
"No!" Tali protested again as the man and boy ignored her.
The man grabbed Nick's wrist and threw him to the floor with ease. He pulled a long thin knife out of his bag and rested it against Nick's face.
"Nice scar you have there. But everyone wants to be symmetrical, right?" Nick was shaking, his eyes trained on the blade. The man smashed his foot into Nick's head with calculated force and the Texan's eyes fluttered closed.
"Nick!" Tali strained desperately against the chains. "Nicky wake up!"
The man slipped a key into the chain and grabbed Tali's arms, pulling her away from the wall.
"Get off me!" Tali shoved her foot into Azrael's knee but he twisted her arm. With a pained cry she fell to the floor. She turned her head to find her face inches from Nick's. Blood was pooling slowly beneath his head.
"Nicky!"
"Nicky? Wake up, Nick!"
The seven year old peeled open his sleepy eyes. "Whatsthematter?" He mumbled.
Robbie, his sixteen year old brother sighed in relief from the other side of an open window. "Thank god."
"Robbie?" Nick rubbed his eyes. "What's the matter?"
"You mean you slept through it?" Robbie chuckled nervously.
"Slept through what?" Nick stretched and stopped short when he found himself still stuck in his booster seat. There was a strange rocking sensation as Robbie stepped away from the door in fear.
Nick turned and looked out of the other window and screamed.
"Robbie! Help me!" The seven year old cried when he saw the situation he was in.
Robert William Stokes forced himself away from his car, which was propped up on its side over a steep, deep ditch filled with rocks and flood water from the heavy out of season rain, swaying slightly in the breeze. He'd been driving Nick home from a Cowboys' game in his new car when another driver swerved towards him. Robbie had wrenched the wheel away, but while the other driver sailed on, they had crashed into the rail and tumbled over the side, rolling once before coming to a stop before when a tree slowed them. Robbie had called 911 and the operator had told him not to approach the vehicle.
"I'm right here Nicky." He called through the rain.
"Robbie! Come back! Where are you going, Robbie? Help me please! I'm scared!"
Robbie turned back to his phone. "Please, I have to get him out he's scared!"
"Sir, please just wait for the police, they're on the way!" The operator argued.
Nick was so confused. Robbie was right there. Why wasn't he coming? Robbie loved him, right? Squinting through the rain, Nick put his hands on the glass. He screamed as the car slipped, slowly moving backwards.
"Oh my god, the car's goin'!" Robbie cried in horror
"Don't go near it, sir! Sir?"
Robbie dropped his expensive cell - the first he had bought with his own hard earned money and ran to the car. "Nicky!"
"Robbie! Help me!"
"Undo your seatbelt!" Robbie screeched, pulling the door open. Nick's frightened little hands fumbled with the belt, but a pair of larger, stronger hands covered them. Robbie pulled his baby brother up out of the seat as the ambulance and police cars assembled on the road. He turned back to look at them and the car fell into the ditch.
Screaming, the brothers fell into the car which plummeted into the water. Nick spluttered and coughed. Somehow, he hadn't hit any rocks. He looked up at his brother.
"Robbie?"
The older Stokes moaned softly. "Nicky. You hurt?"
"Nuh uh. But I'm cold an' I'm scared. Are you hurt?"
"Just a little bit." Robbie winced.
"That's a lot of blood." Nick's eyes widened. Water was rapidly filling the car. Nick squirmed out of his brothers arms and climbed out of the window, using ever muscle in his body to try and pull Robbie with him, but it was physically impossible.
He spotted a fireman a few feet away. "Hey, mister? My brothers stuck, he needs help! You gotta help me quickly please! An' I like your hat." He added as an afterthought.
Half an hour later, Robbie and Nick sat in the back of the ambulance wrapped in warm blankets. Nick leaned against his brother.
"Thanks for coming, Robbie."
"It's not a problem. It's what us guys gotta do, huh? We gotta look after the family."
"Why us? Why can't the girls do it?"
"It's just what us guys gotta do."Nick opened his eyes a slit as Tali was dragged off the floor with her hair. One... Two...Three!
Nick swung his leg through the air and it hit the back of Azrael's knees. Tali instantly brought her knee up into the man's face, spurting blood everywhere.
The man roared and pulled out a gun, aiming at Nick's head. Tali leapt on the gun, pulling at it as hard as she could, which was pretty hard. She took it from his iron grip and fired into his shoulder. He staggered towards her, pulling another gun from his pants and shooting at Nick.
Nick yelped and staggered backwards as the cold metal bullet ripped through his neck. He fell against the wall, sliding down, panting.
"Tali, concentrate."
"Look daddy! It's pretty!" Tali pointed at a small bird flying by.
Eli sighed at his seven year old daughter. "Yes. It is. Now, guns are not toys, but you need to know how to use them, just like you need to know how to defend yourself with your hands. Its a dangerous world, especially for little girls."
"And butterflies. They're so small, daddy."
Eli nodded. Small and delicate, like you...he thought. "Do you understand me, Tali?"
"Yes daddy."
"Okay, so... Do you remember what Ari taught you last week?" Tali nodded and took the gun from her father she aimed at the target and pulled the trigger three times, flinching each time.
Then she handed her dad back the gun and gasped at something behind him.
"Daddy! Ponies! Ponies, daddy, oh please can I ride the ponies, please, please, please!" She begged.
"Okay." Eli nodded, casting one last glance back at the target.
All shots had passed straight through bull's-eye.
Tali kicked the gun out of Azrael's hand, her eyes filled with fury. Nick watched in a daze as she danced around the man, incapacitating him completely with barely noticeable kicks and punches.
Finally, she took his gun and frisked him for other weapons, chaining him to the wall and swallowing the key and slamming the door.
She ran over to Nick, her fury turning to tears. "Nick..."
"You...are...amazing!" He breathed.
She smiled gratefully and touched his neck. She sighed in relief. "You're gonna be okay, Nick. Just a scratch. A very deep scratch..."
She unwound her thin scarf from around her neck and wound it around Nick's gently but firmly, trying to stop the bleeding without restricting the airway.
"Thanks..." He put a hand on her arm, taking it away when a smear of blood covered her arm. "Oh, sorry...blood."
She laughed slightly. "It's okay."
Jesus Christ Nick! He chided himself as she helped him up. Stop looking at her boobs in that damn corset!
"We should go find the others." Tali mentioned.
Nick's eyes filled with pain. "I sure hope they're okay."
"Me too." Tali whispered. "Hey...thanks for having my back."
"Always." Nick said firmly. "And thanks right back at ya."
Tali studied his eyes for a moment as they stood up, before hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, holding her head to his chest.
When they pulled away they stared at the door.
"Let's go." Nick swallowed. They left the room hand in hand.
CSIVCSIVCSIV
"Grissom? Russell?" Warrick asked nervously.
"Oh my god!" Catherine breathed, starting to run into the room.
"Hang on!" Warrick peered around the empty room. "No obvious booby traps or bad guys."
Catherine sighed gratefully. "Thanks."
"No problem." They ran into the room. Catherine ran to Russell's side whereas Warrick ran to Grissom.
"Grissom? Can you hear me?" Warrick tapped his teachers shoulder firmly, remembering his first aid training from Health class. There was no response. "Grissom? Can you hear me?"
"Daddy? Can you hear me?" The three year old boy poked his father, who was lying in the front seat, slumped over the steering wheel. "Daddy?"
Warrick looked up hopefully as he heard his mother moan. "Mommy! Mo...Mommy?"
Warrick watched in terror as blood poured from his mom's head. He sniffed and started to cry in fear, then sniffed again. Something smelled funny.
"Daddy! Wake up!" He wailed as the car bonnet caught fire.
Leon Brown's eyes snapped open as his tiny son cried. Pain rocketed through every inch of his body, and it felt like his arm was broken. His eyes widened at the flames and he stared at his wife who was breathing raspily.
"War...rick..." She gasped softly, and Leon nodded.
He pulled open the door and limped to the back of the car, all limbs screaming in protest as he pulled Warrick's door open.
"Daddy!" Warrick sobbed, holding his arms up.
His father ripped the straps off dragged him out of the car seat, running over to a nearby rock. He dialled 911 and handed the phone to Warrick.
"You tell them that there's been a car crash at Stevenson's point, that they'll need police and ambulances and fireman quickly, okay?" He said, knowing that his three year old was smarter than most. And it wasn't unheard of for a child to call 911."You stay here, Rick, okay? You do not move. I'm going to get mommy. Do not move, whatever happens. Not until the police come or I tell you to."
Warrick nodded.
"911 what is your emergency?"
"Um...um... Dere's been a car crash, at Stevenson's point and da cars on fire and my mommy's inside and we need ambulance and pleese men and fire fighters and..."
"Okay, slow down, little fella..." The operator got the information off of the little boy quickly andefficiently. "Okay, Warrick?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you see your mommy yet?"
Warrick's lip trembled, then he smiled. "My daddy's gettin' her. They're nearly out..."
Suddenly the car exploded in a blast of light and Warrick screamed.
"Warrick? Are you there?"
Warrick rubbed at his eyes and screamed. "I can't see! Moooooooommy! Daddy?" His vision clouded and he squinted as hard as he could, tears and traces of blood falling from his eyes. He could just about make out his father's limp form on the floor.
"Daddy! Wake up! Can you hear me? Daaaaaadddy!"
"Grissom! Wake up!" A renewed wave of panic filled Warrick's mind as he snapped out of the memory of the car crash that killed his parents and left him needing glasses after his eyes got infected with dust from the crash.
A cough turned his head to Catherine and Russell. The teacher groaned and held a hand up to his head where his hair was matted with blood.
"Russell? Can you hear me?"
"Ca...thrine?"
"Yup, your favourite student."
Russell groaned, opening his eyes. "What the hell just happened?"
"We're not really sure." Catherine admitted.
Russell sat up and looked over at Grissom. "That bitch knocked me out! Sorry." Russell apologised as Warrick and Catherine looked mildly amused.
"Oh, god..." They stared at Grissom's still form.
Russell looked at the vast amount of blood on the floor and tapped it gently. "This is fake blood. She used a syringe..."
Russell wiped the blood away from his head. Sure enough, there was no wound beneath it. A few seconds later, Grissom coughed and sat up quickly. Catherine and Warrick quickly explained to the teachers what was going on.
"Okay, here's the plan. We're gonna get you two outta here, you're gonna find the cops and we'll come back for the others, okay?" Russell summarised. Too freaked to argue the teens agreed.
"Let's go." Grissom opened the door cautiously. They tried to navigate through the corridors, but soon they reached a large drop.
"Turn back." Grissom turned around but the door was gone.
"Uh oh."
"Monkey bars." Catherine pointed up.
"Not safe." Russell shook his head. "Do we have a choice? Look, over there there's another ladder. If I swing across I can put it across and you can walk over. There's no time for this, the others could be hurt." Catherine argued.
"Can you do the monkey bars?"
Catherine looked at Grissom as if he was insane. "Of course."
"Be careful." Warrick said automatically as Catherine smiled and raised her arms up, coming just short.
"Need a hand?" Warrick asked.
"Thanks." Catherine smiled, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as Warrick lifted her up.
She swung across the rungs, and Warrick winced as the bars creaked.
She swung across the bars, Sam Braun's hands under her arms, stopping her from falling.
"I did it!" The three year old squealed, clapping her hands together on the climbing frame.
"Well done, Mugs!" Sam laughed as she jumped off into his arms.
"You're gonna be a great gymnast one day."
"Sam, can mommy and I live in Vegas wid you?"
"Your mommy's gotta do what she wants."
"But I wanna live wid you! You're like my daddy!"
Sam smiled sadly. "Let's try those monkey bars again." He placed her back onto the climbing frame.
"On my own!" Catherine crossed her arms.
"Mugs, you're too little. If you fall..."
Catherine stuck out her bottom lip. "Noooo!"
Sam sighed and turned around for a moment as a car screeched past. Catherine took a chance and leapt onto the bars. Her three year old arms held out for the first two rungs. On the third bar however her hands slipped off.
Catherine screamed as she fell through the air. A pair of strong arms caught her just before she hit the floor. Although she wasn't hurt the frightened toddler burst into tears.
"Ah, Mugs. I told you, you're too small..."
She sniffled. "Why? I don't wanna be too small."
"You'll be a big girl one day, kid."
"But I can do the monkey bars!"
"I know, but one day you'll be able to do them on your own."
Well I'm on my own now... Catherine thought as she made her way across the gap. There were no strong arms to catch her now if she fell. With a sigh of relief she reached the other side and grabbed the ladder, trying to pull it away from the wall.
"It's bolted to the wall!" She cried.
"Come back Catherine, its too dangerous." Grissom called.
"Okay..." Catherine sighed. Suddenly something wrapped around her ankle. "What the f-"
Suddenly an almighty tugged pulled her off of her feet and she smashed face down onto the floor.
"Catherine!" Warrick yelled in horror. She grabbed the edge of the drop and held on as the thing tried to drag her into a black hole blossoming in the wall.
"Help me!" She shrieked. Without a second thought Warrick went for the monkey bars. He'd done them a million times in the past.
"Warrick!" Grissom called desperately as he swung across the bars and landed just in between Catherine's arms. He took her hands, pulling her away from the ropes around her leg, but it was no use.
"Help me!" Catherine yelled, kicking her legs wildly as she was dragged further, so that her legs disappeared into the hole. Warrick gritted his teeth and pulled as hard as he could. Catherine cried out in pain and Warrick jumped over her, grabbing her foot and pulling the loop off. He hung it onto an exposed ladder rung and the rope continued to tug.
Catherine sighed in relief. "Thanks."
There was another almighty crash and the 'monkey bars' fell from the ceiling.
"Uh oh." Warrick frowned.
Catherine turned and pushed on the wall, which swung open. "Grissom, Russell, what do we do?"
"Go ahead. We'll catch up." Russell responded quickly and Grissom nodded.
"Okay. But I'm getting pretty sick of being told that." Warrick sighed.
"We'll see you soon." Grissom insisted. They proceeded into the corridor and their eyes tried to widen in the complete darkness that engulfed them when the door shut behind them. Warrick remembered being in hospital immediately after the car crash.
The doctors had treated his eyes and wrapped a bandage around his head, leaving him in the dark for days. The frightened little boy rose up in Warrick once more as Catherine whimpered.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, something wet landed on my nose. Smells like blood..." She looked up and a light flew on.
They recoiled from the sudden illumination. Catherine screamed as she looked up at the body of a dead Rottweiler. Warrick put a hand on her arm and they meandered through the corridor. Catherine pushed open the door and screamed as Warrick leapt on top of her, pushing her to the floor.
When she looked up she nearly fainted. A large curved axe hung where her head had been moments before.
"Thanks." She breathed from beneath Warrick.
"No problem." He said gruffly, carefully standing up. As he helped her up, Catherine couldn't help but look into the brilliant green eyes. He turned away almost shyly.
"I don't understand..."
"What?" He asked.
Catherine blinked. Had she said that out loud? "Why do they tease you about your eyes?"
Warrick squashed the butterflies in his stomach with a sledgehammer. "You'd have to ask them that."
"They're idiots."
"Thanks, I guess." Warrick smiled and they slipped into the room the axe came from.
"Look out!" Warrick called and Catherine froze, her foot about half a centimetre away from a bear trap.
"Thank you, again. Shit, they're everywhere! How'd you see them, I thought you needed glasses?"
"I do, for long distances. And I still had a pair of contacts in my pants pocket from the other day when I went to the opticians. I put them in while you were still out."
"Clever." Catherine nodded.
"You're a little bit surrounded..."
"Just a bit..." Catherine laughed nervously.
Carefully, Warrick stepped over, and leaned over the bear traps to pick Catherine up and swing her gently onto his back.
She gasped.
"Sorry, personal space, I just-"
"You are amazing!" She breathed.
"Thanks." He felt himself go bright red.
Warrick navigated his way through the bear traps and put Catherine safely down on the other side.
"You know, you'd make a pretty good superhero." She smiled.
"Greg'll be jealous." Warrick laughed. Catherine leaned close to his face and Warrick suddenly felt paralysed.
She walked towards the door and he followed, the soft warmth of her kiss etched into his cheek.
CSIVCSIVCSIV
"Run!" Greg cried and they bolted for the door. Ryan and Archie got out but as Morgan moved to follow the door slammed in her face.
"Greg! Morgan!" Ryan yelled, pounding the door.
"Ryan?"
"What?" Ryan turned to Archie, who was staring white faced at the end of the corridor.
The sound of a chainsaw filled Ryan's ears, followed by Archie's impassioned cry. "Run!"
Greg and Morgan heard them running down the corridor, followed by the roaring of a chainsaw. Susannah took a step towards Morgan and Greg grabbed her shoulders, pulling her tiny, quivering body closer to him.
"Don't touch her!"
"So defensive, Greg. And to such a liar."
"You don't know us!" Greg retorted angrily, grabbing the meat tenderizer off of the bench and holding it up in front of himself and Morgan protectively.
"I found out enough from your cell phones and school books. Morgan's memo pad was particularly interesting."
Morgan froze. Memo pad. Weight loss chart. Since Halloween the bulimia had increased. She could barely go a day without purging at least once and the secret was killing her.
"What are you talking about?"
"I knew she hadn't told you. I followed you at lunchtime, Morgan. Did you know your little girlfriend is bulimic?"
"The hell she is." Greg cried. "Tell her, Morgan!"
"Why don't you tell him, Morgan?" Susannah asked sweetly.
Greg looked at the silent girl who tried to speak.
"I...I..."
"I heard you throw up."
"Morgan, are you ill? You're ill, right? You're not, not..."
"Greg I'm sorry." Morgan's voice broke. "I...I...I..."
Greg's arms fell away from Morgan in shock.
"What?"
"I asked you how long your daughter was bulimic." The doctor asked Jonathon Hojem, Katie's dad in the hospital.
"She wasn't!" Jonathon protested. "Look, Greg, knew her best, tell them Greg!"
The numb newly turned fourteen year old stared blankly at the doctor. "What?"
"He's saying Kat had bulimia."
Greg shook his head. "No! No, she wasn't. She woulda told me!"
"I'm sorry. Her kidneys failed. It was caused by bulimia." The doctor insisted. "If someone had noticed, they could have saved her life."
Greg collapsed into a ball on the floor, sobs wracking his body for the first time since the doctor had announced that Kat couldn't be saved.
"...could have saved her life..."
Greg blinked out of the memory as Susannah grabbed Morgan's arm. Greg reached out but in his dazed state he was too late.
"Morgan!" he whispered, his heart tearing apart. No, not Morgan, she couldn't have… not bulimia? No, no, no, no! Morgan!
"Greg, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, tears streaking her face as Susannah watched with glee.
Greg doubled over and threw up.
"Now that's ironic." Susannah drawled.
Morgan stared at Greg with a tortured expression as Susannah put the gun to her head.
"Morgan..." Greg's voice was barely audible but the heartbroken tones pierced Morgan like a knife.
"You move, she dies. Not that you'll care anymore, though, right Greg? She's dirty and a liar. She doesn't trust you, and what's a relationship without trust?" Susannah sounded sincere. She whispered into Morgan's ear. "It was pointless. You're still fat."
"God, Morgan, you've put on some weight!" Jack, her step brother remarked half-way through the holidays as they ate fish and chips.
"Have not." Morgan scowled. She hated staying with her dad...
"Leave her alone." Poppy, Jack's sister defended Morgan. "She's allowed to be whatever size she wants."
Morgan felt ill. She got up from the table and dashed to the bathroom, throwing up violently in the toilet.
When she was done, she felt something she hadn't felt in a while. She felt better. So, so, much better.
That's when it began. An innocent remark over dinner. It set her on the path to bulimia. She wouldn't call herself bulimic, not at first. But as time went on, it became more and more of a problem.
But she needed it.
She needed to feel better.
She wasn't perfect.
"Don't worry, Greg. We'll fix everything for you." Susannah soothed, as a glass wall rose from the floor, separating Susannah and Morgan from Greg.
Greg's numb stare fell on Morgan and his eyes pricked with tears.
Morgan sobbed and didn't even struggle as Susannah stuck a long wooden pole into the floor and tied Morgan's hands around it behind her back. Then Susannah took a length of rope and wrapped it around Morgan's shoulders, tying her to the stake. Then she took another rope and passed it around Morgan's small waist, pulling her closer to the stake. Finally she tied her feet to the post. Morgan's head hung down as she sobbed.
Greg was disgusted with her. He had dropped her, he had let her be taken. And that was what hurt the most. Greg hated her.
Because she failed him.
Greg stared at Morgan with a completely blank expression. He felt numb.
How could she do that to me?
She knows how Kat died...
How could she could it to herself?
Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Morgan?
Morgan?
Why?
Morgan's looked up at Greg and her heart hurt even more when she saw his blank expression.
I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!
I tried to be perfect, I wanted to be perfect!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Greg?
She barely noticed as Susannah stacked the firewood around her feet, humming merrily as she did so.
Any good?
PS - the chapter title comes from the production music company people that do all the music for loads of random shizzle (sorry, my best friend is obsessed with that word) and I was listening to their piece 'Freedom Fighters' as I wrote this and I needed a chapter name and it all clicked, so yeah :)
