A/N I am overwhelmed by the amount of reviews that I have received for this story. I really can't thank you all enough for taking the time to read and review. Especially as I am so new at writing for CSI. I feel very humbled that you are enjoying my little story. As always, many thanks for piccolina789 for the amazing beta and suggestions for plot bunnies...I hope you like this chapter, i have a feeling you will LOVE the next one!
The sun was starting to set as the prison officers watched the prison work crew return to their bus, some looking weary, as if working in the woodland of Mount Charleston was the first manual work they'd ever done.
The head warden of the work force was Kai Peters. He was six-foot-four, his red hair the source of many jokes over the years. He had a reputation for being fair, but could hold his own if pushed too far.
After overseeing the return of the various tools, Kai headed towards the prison transport bus, mentally doing a head count as he approached. One prisoner was missing.
Calmly, not allowing panic to cloud his thoughts until he had reason, his sharp brown eyes scanned the woodland for any sign of orange coveralls. A twig snapped just to the right of where he was looking and a second later, Mike Garrett stepped around the prison bus.
Kai released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding as he marched swiftly over to the prisoner. Experience told him that Garrett would be difficult to handle and so far, the man hadn't disappointed. Kai had had to break up more than once scuffle between Garrett and the other prisoners during the work release.
"Stay right where you are, Garrett," Kai barked as he approached the bus. "Face the bus and raise your arms."
Garrett didn't move, his smirk letting Kai know that he was enjoying winding him up.
"Now!" Kai ordered, forcefully turning Garrett to face the bus before quickly patting him down, checking for anything Garrett might have hidden.
Garrett chuckled unpleasantly.
"Be careful… people might think you're falling in love. And I'm not too keen on bacon."
"Don't worry, Princess, you're not my type either, " Kai responded as he turned Garrett to face him. "But unless you want them to think otherwise, I suggest you tell me where you where."
Kai stood his ground as Garrett's body tensed, his cold grey eyes narrowing with hate and his hands curling into fists. Kai knew he was on dangerous ground, but he also knew that he couldn't back down. He had other officers as well as the other prisoners to protect.
From the corner of his eye, Garrett saw the other officers becoming aware of the standoff with Peters. They stepped forward, hands reaching for the butt of their guns. He was outnumbered and even he understood what that meant.
"I was taking a leak," he seethed, unhappy that he'd been outmaneuvred.
Kai sighed, but wouldn't allow himself to relax just yet. Not until they were safely back at the prison. Garrett made him uneasy, and that wasn't a feeling he much cared for.
"Get on the bus," Kai replied, stepping back slightly from Garrett but still keeping eye contact with him.
Garrett's smirk returned, but the cold glint remained in his eyes. He raised a hand slightly as he cocked his finger and thumb toward Kai, as though he was firing a gun.
The prison bus had only been traveling for fifteen minutes along the isolated road from Mount Charleston when the fight broke out. As was usual, Garrett was at the centre of it. As the wardens attempted to bring the fight under control, a loud pop came from the front of the bus and the bus veered sharply as the driver struggled to keep the bus under control. A second pop sent the bus veering crazily, throwing everyone around inside like peas in a can.
Losing control after a violent swerve to the right, the bus went crashing into a tree, flinging the driver violently forward. His head hit the windshield and he slumped over, the weight of his body making the horn blow shrilly.
Stunned, Kai picked himself up off the aisle where he'd been flung. The side of his neck was bleeding and blood stained the collar of his shirt. Around him, the injured moaned in pain. It was clear that some hadn't made it.
Kai turned as the doors of the bus opened and two men wearing combat greens and balaclavas entered the bus, carrying shotguns. After quickly scanning the chaos, they headed purposefully towards Garrett. Kai attempted to stop them, and was rewarded with the butt of the gun smashing into the side of his head. Dazed, he slumped to the floor.
The taller of the two men hauled Garrett, who was somehow unharmed, to his feet.
"You're on borrowed time, I suggest you don't waste it," the man said, hauling Garrett off the bus.
Garrett pulled back slightly as he glanced down at Kai.
"Leave him!" barked the tall masked figure. "Any more delay and this will be a waste of time!"
With a scowl, Garrett turned to his rescuer.
"I'll decide what's a delay, not you, or whoever you're working for."
With an irritated snarl, the leader reached into the back of his trousers and brought out a pistol, shooting Kai in the head.
"Now, move!" he ordered Garrett, his eyes blazing. "Unless you plan on still being here when the cavalry turns up?"
With a wide grin, Garrett happily followed the two men off the crashed bus, heading toward the three off-road bikes that would serve as their getaway vehicles.
In the break room of the Crime Lab, Catherine watched Sara carefully as she filled in the report she was working on.
"Are you sure you're really going to be okay?" Catherine asked, sounding concerned. "If I'd known a little earlier, that the vic was pregnant – it strikes a little bit too close to home, for both of us."
Catherine paused a beat, and then added, "if you feel you can't work this case, I do understand."
Sara sighed and nodded as she turned to face Catherine, rubbing her hand appreciatively and protectively across her baby bump.
"It's okay," Sara replied with a weak smile, looking down at her bump. "You weren't to know until Doc finished the autopsy. Something like this makes you really appreciate how precious life is. It's made me realise how much I appreciate what Gil and I have. I appreciate what you're saying, but I can work this."
It had been almost two weeks since Grissom left for Los Angeles, and Sara was looking forward to his return the following week.
Catherine smiled reassuringly, patting Sara's arm as she looked at the large bouquet of red roses sitting in a vase on the counter by the sink.
"I'm positive he thinks the very same," Catherine said. "Sometimes he needs a reminder of the good things that are right in front of him. The gifts he's been sending you since he's been away are proof of that. Though he's outdone himself with those roses, I must say!"
Catherine chose not to reveal that once she'd given him enough time to settle into his hotel, she'd rang him and given him an earful, demanding he be more in-tune with what was going on with Sara. She was pleased that he'd seemed to take her words to heart. In his case, absence truly had made his heart grow fonder.
Sara too had benefited from Catherine's guidance. Although there were still times when her insecurities surfaced, she was feeling better. Catherine had taken Sara shopping for new clothes that emphasized the growing bump. Catherine was the perfect shopping partner, picking items that were within Sara's comfort zone.
While shopping, Catherine hinted that when she'd felt a little down while pregnant with Lindsey, she'd dress to lift her mood, which worked more often than not. So far, it seemed that was working for Sara too. Her mood had certainly improved, although Catherine suspected that was mostly due to Grissom's imminent return.
Sara looked up with a smile, just as her cell phone rang.
"Gil! Hey!" Sara's smile grew wider at the sound of his voice. She rose to her feet, glancing at Catherine before heading towards the privacy of Grissom's office.
Catherine smiled as she watched Sara disappear down the corridor as she continued her nightly call with Grissom.
Once in Grissom's office with the door closed behind her, Sara sat in his chair.
"I got the roses, they're beautiful! Thank you."
"My pleasure, honey," Gil's voice spoke softly in her ear. "How are you and Cricket?"
Catherine had given him a lecture he wasn't likely to forget in a hurry, accusing him of sticking his head back into the microscope and not realising how Sara had been feeling before his trip to L.A.
Once he had time to analyze and process what Catherine had told him, he realized with a shock that he had started to take his relationship with Sara for granted. Sara had always been within arms reach, even before their relationship had begun. He was so used to having her so close, he had forgotten how to pay attention to her feelings.
With distance, he'd come to a greater understanding of his feelings for her. He felt the emptiness when she wasn't there. It was a feeling he wasn't in a hurry to repeat.
"We're okay," Sara replied truthfully, her thoughts wandering to the body in autopsy.
"But?" Grissom asked, managing to read between the lines even with the distance between them.
Sara paused slightly before explaining.
"Cath and I are working on a homicide case together," she said. "The victim is a young woman in her mid-twenties… and she was three months pregnant."
"Oh honey," Grissom breathed, his voice filled with concern. "I really wish I could be there for you right now and help you through this."
"I know, honey," Sara reassured him, letting him know that she appreciated his support. "You'll be home next week and…"
"About that…" Grissom cut in with a heavy sigh. "I-I'm afraid I won't be home next week. The consult has been extended for another week. I'm really sorry honey."
From his tone, Sara could tell he was as disappointed as she was at the news. They'd both looked forward to his return to Vegas.
She tried not to let her disappointment show in her voice, but he caught it anyway.
"I'm disappointed too, honey," his voice filled with longing. "I miss you so much."
"I miss you too."
"I love you, Sara," he said with conviction. "And when I'm finished up here, I'll get the first flight out. If possible, I'll meet you at the lab. I want to see you as soon as I possibly can."
They exchanged "I love yous" and ended the call. With a sigh, Sara rose from the chair and headed back to the break room.
"Don't tell me you two had a fight?" Catherine asked when Sara returned to the break room, looking decidedly less chipper than when she left to take Grissom's call.
Sara shook her head.
"We're good," Sara sighed, returning her attention back to the paperwork. "The consult has been extended, so he has to stay another week."
"I'm so sorry, Sara," Catherine commiserated, squeezing Sara's shoulder. "I know how much you were looking forward to him coming home and showing him the progress we've made on the nursery."
Hiding her disappointment, Sara faced Catherine with a smile they both knew was fake.
"It's fine. Really, Cath," Sara responded before turning back to the paperwork. "The nursery will still be there. He'll be back before we know it."
Brass knocked on Ecklie's door before quickly entering the office.
Ecklie was in the middle of a phone call and turned toward the door, irritated at the interruption.
"We have a problem," Brass said in a serious tone, not waiting for Ecklie to finish his call. "Tell whoever it is you'll call 'em back."
Ecklie was ready with a snarky retort, but the look on Jim's face made him think better of it. He quickly ended his call.
"Where's the fire, Jim?" he asked as he put his phone down.
"Details are still sketchy, but Mike Garrett has escaped from custody."
"How the hell did that happen?" Ecklie demanded.
"He was part of a work release in Mount Charleston. The bus ran into difficulties on the way back to High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs. There are multiple injuries, including both prison officers and inmates. At least three confirmed dead."
"This is all I need!" huffed Ecklie, hands on hips. He bit his lip in thought. "Well, at least there's some good news in all this. Gil's consult has been extended for another week, so we don't have to worry about Garrett following up on his threat against him."
Catherine breezed into the office holding a white form.
"I'm giving Sara three nights off starting tomorrow and I need you to sign it," Catherine thrust the paper under Ecklie's nose. "I know its short notice, but Gil's in L.A. for another week and speaking from experience, spending your anniversary alone sucks."
Ecklie didn't need to think about it for very long. With Garrett on the loose, the best place for both Grissom and Sara was far, far away. He quickly approved the vacation request form.
"Don't you think you should have told her?" Brass questioned when Catherine had left the office. "Sending Sara to L.A. is only part of the solution. Garrett is still on the loose and everyone needs to know about it."
Ecklie tapped his pen on the desk in agitation as he looked worriedly toward Brass.
"I'm hoping that by the time she gets back, Garrett will be back behind bars."