A/N: Sorry this has taken a little longer than expected but work is killing me right now as we have hit the busiest time of our year. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Angry Sara is always worth the wait, right?
Please keep your thoughts coming, I, as always, thank you all for your reviews.
Big thanks to Calim for the beta, well, two beta's on this one. It went back for a second look after a few changes.
So, let's see if Hat is still being naughty or whether Grissom is anywhere to be found….
Tick… Tock…. :D
Chapter 37
Sara ran. She didn't care about the pain in her leg, the blood loss, the fatigue, her colleagues hollering at her from behind. She just ran…
"Oh, Jesus…." she whimpered breathlessly as she reached the building, her eyes wide and painfully darting all around the fallen structure. "He blew it up…" She slowly turned to see everyone approaching. "He…blew…it up…!" she shouted, her hands punching into the air in fury.
Russell reached her, gently taking hold of her upper arms. Brass instantly called for help. Search and rescue, fire officers…anything and everything that would assist them in finding Grissom and caring for him once they did.
"Sara, listen to me," Russell pleaded. "I need you to tell me exactly where Grissom is. Whereabouts in the building and how we can get to him…"
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she raised a shaky hand. "At the back. There was a staircase underneath some hay bales we didn't find when we originally looked. It was hidden." She took a breath. "He's down there…about thirty feet. There's…a bunker. It goes under the barn to the right…Some kind of computer room then….a holding room…"
"Yeah, we know about the bunker," the supervisor informed her.
"How?" she questioned.
"Archie found something on the video. That's why we're here," he answered watching Nick climb up the stack of demolished wood.
"I can't believe he blew it up," she whispered, her voice suddenly evading her. "How did he even do that?"
Russell sighed, noting as an ambulance approached from the north. "He's clever, we know that now. He's trying to destroy the evidence."
"I'm going to help find him…" Sara declared, giving Russell a shove to release her.
"You should see a paramedic," he argued glancing down at her thigh. "You need to get your leg attended to. It looks bad."
Sara shook her head. "I don't deserve any help," she shot back and he frowned at her. "This is all my fault."
"This isn't your fault," Russell argued as she tried to pull away from him but, just as she did, there came a massive crash and the timber began to tumble into itself again.
Yanking on Sara's arms with eyes wide, Russell pulled her away. Everyone else was quick to follow suit, backing away from the barn as another cloud of dust broke into the air.
"Nick!" Finn shouted, trying to see through the haze.
"Oh, no…" Sara gasped, trying to pull from Russell again. "NICK!" she yelled to her friend who was nowhere to be seen through the new bout of devastation.
Russell glanced toward Brass and both men looked equally daunted. But then, suddenly, there was a clatter of timber falling and Nick came tumbling down from the top of the wooden stack to land on his feet. He rushed towards them, violently coughing as he reached the group, not hearing their sighs of relief.
"It's going to take us hours to get to the bottom of that," he gasped, doubling over on another cough as the dust scrapped his lungs.
Sara felt any hope she had left quickly fading anyway. "Gil doesn't have hours…" she whimpered. "There isn't any way we can get in there?"
Giving her a sorrowful look, Nick placed his hands on his hips then shook his head. "It's too unstable and it's one huge pile of mess. We'd need to pull it apart piece by piece."
Looking back to the barn, Sara felt her chin trembling. "We don't have time…" she choked. "He doesn't have time…"
"If he survived," Finn said.
The entire team looked toward her and she gave them all a sad smile. "I…" she stuttered but knew she had to be realistic, "…If he's under that then…" She shook her head, "…he might not have…"
"Don't say that!" Sara spat. "Not after everything. Not now!"
"Everyone take a breath," Russell advised, taking his cell from his pocket. "We're not giving up yet. After all, the bunker was made to withstand explosions…" He hit Greg's number, placing the appliance to his ear.
"Yeah, Russell?" Greg answered, picking up immediately.
The supervisor began pacing as his entire crew watched on. "Where are you?" he asked.
"On our way to you," Greg answered. "The chopper dropped us back at the lab since he was running low on fuel. We should be with you in about ten minutes."
Russell licked his lips. "Do you have the plans with you?"
There was a rustle down the phone. "Yeah, I've got them," Greg answered.
"Okay…" the senior CSI made eye contact with Sara and she gnawed down heavily on her thumb nail. "I need you to check them for another entrance into that bunker. Anything away from the main building. It's not unheard of that there are escape routes from such things."
"Always best to have an escape plan," Greg joked.
"Just get looking and hurry up," Russell shot back, not in the mood for humor.
Greg cleared his throat. "Okay…sorry."
Russell waited, tapping his foot, hoping, praying there was another way into that shelter. If there wasn't, he knew Grissom wouldn't stand a chance. It would just take too long to get through this way.
"Yep," Greg finally answered. "There is another entrance…"
The supervisor's heart skipped a beat and his eyes glistened. "Where?"
Sara kinked her head, noticing a change in his expression. Was there hope?
"About half a mile west. Looks like a tunnel goes off that way and then there's a small circle that says 'exit two, contingency.' It looks like it's off the estate though. That's why we didn't find it during the search…"
Russell looked to the west, trying to work out the distance in his head. The entrance must be across the road from the estate. "Thanks. When you get here, meet us there." He hung up and pointed over the top of everyone. "There's another entrance a half a mile from here."
Swallowing the burning lump in her throat, Sara sucked in a deep breath. "Are you serious?" she gasped.
Russell nodded moving forwards to take her arm. "Let's go…"
CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI
The SUV fell silent as it sped towards the CSI's desired location. Russell sat in the back with Sara as she glanced dazedly through the window not really looking at anything. All she could think about was Grissom. The state he was in when she left him, the state he must be in now. What she'd done to him…
Flinching when feeing something on her leg, she slowly turned to see Russell wrapping a bandage around her thigh.
"Relax…" he advised with a smile. "Just something temporary until you see a doctor, okay?"
She sighed but nodded. "Fine," she mumbled, not really caring.
"Tip to your side a little," he requested, struggling to get the material around the correct area.
Sara simply did as asked, not having the energy to argue and she leaned towards the window, lifting her butt a touch. It hurt and the pain in her leg grew by the minute. But all that was going through her mind was she deserved it.
"Sara, this is worse than I thought," the supervisor informed her concerned. "You really should get this looked at."
"It's just a graze," she mumbled.
Russell's eyes narrowed. It was more than a graze but he knew how stubborn she was and, given the current situation, he knew he would be fighting a losing battle with her by continuing his argument. She wasn't about to step away from the search for her husband to attend to her own needs. Tightly fixing the bandage around her thigh, he hoped it would stop the bleeding for now or, at least, slow it. The ambulance wasn't far behind them so maybe he could talk her into seeing one of the medics sooner rather than later.
"How far?" Nick asked as he pulled out of the main gate, turning left while keeping his eye on the GPS.
Facing forwards, Russell looked through the windshield. "Greg said half a mile."
Nick nodded, trying to work out their distance from the barn in comparison to where they were. The car sped down the road, circling the estate, squad cars and Brass following with the ambulance at the rear. It didn't take long for Nick's instincts to kick in.
"I think were about there," he said, stopping the SVU. The two squad cars behind pulled up beside them on the road, blocking it off to any oncoming traffic just in case.
Jumping out, Russell helped Sara to the ground. Looking around all saw nothing but long grass, shrubs, dirt and trees to their right with the security fence for the estate to their left. It was obvious the land along the road hadn't been maintained in a while.
"What are we looking for?" Sara pleaded, clasping a hand over her bandage.
Shaking his head, Russell scanned the area to their right. "I don't know. A way underground…"
Nick puffed out his cheeks and pointed into the grass. "Let's all split up. I'll go this way."
Russell nodded. "Everyone listen up!" he shouted. "Split up, search everywhere. We're looking for another bunker entrance. A door, a hole…a hatch…could be anything! You find something, you holler hard!"
With haste, everyone dispersed, including the EMT's, all desperately seeking the entrance.
"Sara, you come with me," Russell said to his subordinate, slipping an arm around her waist to give her some support. She felt like pushing him off but didn't.
Nick's eyes worked overtime as he bounded through the long grass, checking everything he could see. "Come on…come on…come on…" he mumbled as he searched. It was time to return that favor to Grissom for his mentor had found him all those years ago.
"Anything?" he heard Russell holler in the distance.
Everyone shouted back their negative replies but Nick just kept on looking. He stopped and huffed a breath, looking at his watch. Grissom had been captured over twenty four hours ago and things were looking bleak. He wasn't an idiot. That barn had been destroyed by a powerful device, well several of them was more likely. If Basderic had destroyed the barn Nick housed suspicions that he'd probably done the same to the bunker. Finn may have been right. What were the odds that Grissom could have survived? Rapidly shaking his head, he knew he couldn't be thinking that.
Just as he was about to retreat the way he'd come something glistened, catching his eye. He set off then and, before he knew it, he was running hard towards a group of overgrown bushes in the distance. Reaching them, his jaw dropped as the metal hidden inside the shrubbery sparkled as the sun's light bounced off it again.
Stomping on the greenery, he flattened it around his find and, low and behold, inside the foliage was a mound rising from the earth complete with a hatch, a wheel at its center. His mouth suddenly got very dry and his heart pounded as he spun around.
"I found it!" he shouted as hard as his lungs would allow. "Over here!"
Sara's head shot up and, after one quick glance to her boss, they were both running towards their colleague along with everyone else. When the crowd reached him they saw Nick wrestling with the wheel.
"I need some help," he grunted without even bothering to look up. "It's stuck…"
"Help him…" Brass directed two of his officers and they did so quickly, stepping up onto the small hatch to help Nick open it.
With baited breath and her fingers nervously flexing, Sara watched as the three men put everything they could into turning the wheel. Nick's eyes scrunched closed, his face reddened and he growled as he forced one huge surge of strength and the wheel squeaked, twisting a touch to the left. The CSI's eyes opened and he huffed a laugh.
"It's moving…" he strained as he kept all his attention on keeping the momentum going. "Harder…keep twisting…"
The wheel turned easier and, after three cycles, there was a loud click and the three men released the wheel. Nick looked up to Sara, sweat oozing down his face, his breath hot and heavy.
"I think we got it," he said with a smile grabbing hold and pulling. Indeed, they had released the lock and the hatch opened with a metallic creak.
Nick pulled a flashlight from his belt and shone it down the hole as everyone surrounded him. All they could see was an entrance resembling a well maybe half a meter wide with a vertical metallic ladder.
"It's deep," he said, unable to see the bottom. In fact, he couldn't see much.
"It's certainly not going to be easy getting him out of here," Finn sighed, glancing to her colleagues.
"As long as we get him out, I don't care how easy it is," Sara replied.
Nick gave a nod. "I'm going to need some more light," he said before rushing towards the SUV. "Anyone got a floodlight in their car?" he shouted as he went.
Brass mumbled to one of his officers, instructing him to get the floodlight he had in his vehicle.
The man quickly did as asked.
"Jim, could you get on the phone and find out how long S&R are going to be?" Russell asked. "We're certainly going to need them and a chopper evac as soon as we get Grissom out."
Brass nodded, stepping away.
Sara closed her eyes on a thought. The room he was in was well below the barn. Why had Basderic blown the barn? Just to stop them from getting to Grissom? He hadn't managed to complete his plan so Grissom's death would certainly be that nail in her coffin that he truly wanted her to feel wouldn't it? Plus it would stop Grissom testifying now that Basderic had been caught. A dead man couldn't give evidence in court.
It hit her then and her eyes sprung open. "He blew the bunker…" she mumbled, her watery eyes finding her boss's. "He blew…the bunker as well as the barn. He needs to destroy everything that can prove he's involved in this…"
Placing a hand gently upon her shoulder, Russell gave her a tender squeeze. "He's alive," he said encouragingly. "I don't know how I know but…I just do."
"I agree," Finn said, circling the hatch. "I can feel something here I didn't feel before." She looked Sara in the eye. "We're going to find him…Don't give up."
Sara looked down at her feet for just a second and then quickly tried to pull away. Russell sensed her movement immediately and tightened his grip on her shoulder, pulling her back.
"No…no…" he ordered. "No chance, Sara…"
"Let me go!" she shouted, trying to twist from his grip. "He needs me. I have to get down there!"
Russell shook his head, sighing heavily, wrapping his arms around her and holding her back against his chest. "You can't!" he cried, feeling her pain. "Not with your leg. You'll never make it. You won't be able to make the climb, Sara!"
Sara struggled in Russell's grasp but soon relented, her burst of energy quickly fading. Bowing her head, she drew in a heavy sniff as a tear streaked down her cheek.
Hurrying back toward the group with a bag in hand, Nick caught sight of Sara's dismal efforts to escape Russell's arms and tried to brush away the sadness that swept through him. Clenching his jaw, he pulled a hard hat from the bag and plopped it on his head.
"I'm going down there," he instructed the group before crouching to retrieve a thermal camera from the bag.
Sara raised her head, glancing at her friend and Nick gave her a smile. "'I'll bring him back," he said pushing himself up. He reached his free hand to her face and brushed away the tear. "I promise."
Sara looked over her shoulder. "Please, let me go," she asked her boss, her voice now weak, defeated.
Russell looked her in the eye. "Promise me you're not going to do anything stupid because at this point in time I would really hate it if I had to restrain you properly. And I will…"
She shrugged and then nodded. "I won't do anything."
Twitching his nose, the supervisor released his grip and Sara took a step away from him, wrapping her arms around her mid-section before looking up toward the blue sky.
"S&R will be about five minutes," Brass informed everyone, stepping back in. "Fire crews ten minutes."
Russell nodded. "Good. I think you should wait for S&R, Nick. If Basderic did blow the bunker that's going to be as lethal as the barn."
Taking leather gloves from his pocket, Nick gave a grin as he slipped them onto his hands. "No way," he replied, taking off his jacket and flinging the camera over his shoulder. "Every minute counts. You know it and I know it."
Giving a sigh, Russell looked to the rest of his team. Brass raised a brow as Finn joined her colleague. "I'm going with you," she said and Nick gave a nod.
The officer returned, holding out a large floodlight. "Its battery is fully charged," Brass informed Nick as the cop handed the appliance over.
"Good," Nick replied, flicking the light on to test it. It was powerful, which was good. They would certainly need all the light they could get.
Suddenly, Sara winced, her hand clasping her thigh again.
"John, Kat…take a look at her will you?" Russell asked the EMT's, placing his hand at the square of Sara's back.
The two medical technician's stepped forward just as Greg's car appeared in the distance.
"I don't want help!" Sara hollered, straightening herself out and pushing Russell away. She pointed her free hand at the medical officers. "Stay…away from me!" she spat.
"Fine…" John agreed, holding up his hands. "I will take it that you not our patient then?"
Sara glared at him.
Again, Russell sighed, Sara's stubbornness was going to drive him crazy.
Greg pulled up in his company SUV. Both he and Morgan leapt out and hurried towards the group. They came to a swift stop though when they saw the state of Sara as well as Nick kitted up like he was about to mine for gold.
"What's going on?" Greg asked, arms outstretched. "Sara, are you all right? Did we find him?"
Too many questions for one quick answer.
Russell blew out a breath. So much was taking their attention off the task at hand. "I'll explain in a minute, Greg," the supervisor said giving his worker a second before returning his attention to the medical officers. "You guys up for a climb?" he asked.
John and Kat looked at each other. "Huh?" Kat questioned.
Approaching the hatch, Nick flicked on his helmet light, flashing his hand in front of it to check it was working. "Grissom's down here," he said, looking back down the hole. "And I'm pretty sure he's going to need you guys when we find him. We can wait for S&R but I'd rather not. He needs us now…" He glanced over his shoulder giving the EMT's a needful glance.
"Let's do it," Kat said enthusiastically.
Nick smiled and nodded to Finn as the EMT's secured their bags over their shoulders.
"I'll go first," Nick said. "Then I can illuminate a path for you guys with the floodlight once I get down there."
Sara cursed under her breath and everyone looked at her. She shifted, placing most her weight onto her good leg and held a hand to her head, her gut cramping. She knew she couldn't get down the ladder and it pained her so much not being able to help.
"Just go…" she whispered. "Go…"
A/N: Oooooooooh, now what will Nick find when he gets down there? It's funny because I had his image of the old Acme cartoons and Grissom shooting out of the roof strapped to the chair and in the distance you just see a puff of some and the words "Plop". Lol. That one is for you JellyBean :P *Scoff*.
Thoughts please….