A/N Once again many thanks for the reviews. They are always very much appreciated. I know you are all anxious about what may have happened to Sara. Please bear with me, you will get the answers soon. :) I know a few of you have questions about Ecklie. I'll let you decide if he's proven his guilt or innocence, in this chapter. Many thanks to piccolina789 for the fantastic job of beta.
With each attempt to reach Sara, Grissom's concern grew. Meanwhile, Ecklie called Catherine's cell phone. It was answered on the third ring.
"Catherine, I've no time to explain," Conrad said in a business-like tone. "We think Sara's been abducted. I need everyone back at the lab ASAP. This is a priority case."
Ecklie turned to face Grissom, who sucked in a jagged breath, biting his bottom lip as anxiety carved his face.
"We're going to find her, Gil," Ecklie tried to reassure the older man. "In the meantime, I'm going to make arrangements for you to be moved to a safe house in Summerlin."
Grissom glared at Ecklie, despite the anxiety he felt.
"She was confined to the lab for a reason! You should never have sent her out into the field!" he exploded, the veins in his neck standing out as he continued to breathe heavily. "Anyone else could have processed that crime scene."
"I'm sorry this has happened Gil, and I'm not making any excuses. She wanted to go, and I thought she'd be safe with a few officers. I never expected any of this to happen."
"I'm heading to her last known location…"
Ecklie grabbed Grissom's arm.
"You're not going anywhere, Gil," stated Ecklie, with authority in his tone. "Looking for Garrett in the state you're in will only make things worse."
Grissom pulled his arm back just as Brass entered the corridor. Grissom's eyes blazed furiously.
"How much worse can things get?" he growled. "She's pregnant and in the hands of a madman! I'm not sitting on the sidelines while my wife's safety is on the line!"
Grissom started down the hallway, followed closely by both Brass and Ecklie.
"Gil, we're all worried about Sara, and we understand that you want to help," Jim tried to reassure him calmly as he continued to follow Grissom down the corridor. "Let's just take a few minutes to talk this through and come up with a way to help Sara. Maybe we can come up with a way you can help, but leaving the lab is not an option."
Grissom paused outside one of the interrogation rooms.
"Talking is not going to help Sara!"
"Neither is going to the crime scene," stated Ecklie, realising the bad choice of words as Grissom's breath hitched. "You're too closely involved in this, Gil. Catherine and the rest of the team are going to be on this until we find her."
"She's my wife, Conrad!" Grissom's eyes flashed with a fury rarely seen. "And I'm going to do everything I can to find her!"
He moved as if to step around both Brass and Ecklie, as Officer Mitchell and a rookie cop headed towards them from the opposite direction. Before anyone knew what was happening, Ecklie grabbed the rookie's handcuffs and fastened them quickly around Grissom's wrists. Grissom was so surprised that Ecklie was able to easily steer him into the interrogation room.
Grissom looked down at his shackled wrists, his shock at the turn of events briefly overshadowing his fear for Sara.
"You're arresting me?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "On what charge?"
"I'll think of something," Ecklie responded as he turned his attention to Mitch. "Stay with him and don't allow him to leave unless you hear directly from myself or Captain Brass."
Mitch glanced at Brass, who confirmed Ecklie's orders with a nod. They both turned to leave the room, with Grissom attempting to follow, but he was barred by Mitch.
"I can't believe you're really doing this, Conrad," Grissom said around Mitch's shoulder. "If anything - anything- happens to Sara, it's on you!"
Brass and Eckile disappeared down the corridor as Mitch gave Grissom an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry Dr. Grissom," Mitch said quietly. "But I can't let you leave."
"Don't you think handcuffing him was a little extreme?" Brass asked as the two men headed toward Ecklie's office.
Ecklie sighed as a hand roved over his head.
"It was the only thing I could think of that would stop him," Ecklie explained. "He's right about one thing; I should never have agreed to let Sara head to that crime scene."
Ecklie collapsed in his chair when they reached his office. He took a deep breath and shook his head.
"This whole situation is a mess," he continued. "I should have put them in a safe house as soon as we heard about Garrett's escape."
"Beating yourself up is not going to change anything," Brass countered. "No one could have predicted Garrett's escape. I've seen his sheet, he has the luck of the devil."
As if on cue, Catherine, Greg, Nick and Warrick filed into the office.
"What's this about Sara going missing?" Nick demanded. "What about Grissom? Is he okay?"
Ecklie rose to his feet and quickly explained what had happened. All four faces quickly paled upon hearing the close call their friend and boss had.
"He's shaken, but unharmed," Ecklie reassured them.
"So what are we doing to find Sara? Is Grissom at the scene?" Nick wanted to know.
Ecklie shook his head.
"Gil can't be anywhere near this, he's too emotionally involved. He's in an interrogation room and will stay there until we have something solid on Sara."
Ecklie turned to Nick, Warrick and Greg.
"I want you three to head to the scene Sara was working on and see what you can find. Catherine and Jim, get to the A/V lab, see if you can access the dashboard camera from Sara's car. We might get lucky."
"I think, under the circumstances, we'd be wise to forgo the missing-for-24-hours rule," Brass joined in. "We need to put up a missing person alert on TV. This guy is dangerous, and Sara's safety has to be the focus point. I've already re-issued an APB on Garrett."
Brass turned to face Ecklie.
"I'll leave it to you, to inform the sheriff."
"Before we do anything, I'm going to see Grissom," stated Nick.
Nick knew exactly how Grissom must be feeling. If not for Grissom and the rest of the team, he knew he wouldn't have been standing there. He owed Grissom his life. Before anyone could stop him, Nick was out of the door.
Ecklie, Brass and Catherine were in the A/V lab with Archie, reviewing the footage from the camera in Sara's car, when Nick burst into the lab.
"Why have you arrested Grissom?" Nick demanded furiously, glaring at Brass and Ecklie. "Sara's missing and you're treating him like a goddamned suspect!"
His Texan drawl was more pronounced in his anger.
"He hasn't been arrested, Nick," Ecklie attempted to explain. "At the time, it was the best way to keep him in the lab."
Nick shook his head, his eyes blazing.
"That's nothing but BS and you know it!" Nick exploded. "You can't really expect him to sit on the sidelines on something like this! I thought when you suspended them, you couldn't strike any lower. I guess I was wrong."
"That's enough, Nicky!" Catherine intervened. "I know you're upset, we all are, but this is not going to help Sara or Gil. The best thing you can do is meet Greg and Warrick at Sara's scene and report anything you find."
Nick took a deep breath and walked out of the lab, followed by Catherine.
"How's he holding up?" she asked once they were out of earshot of Brass and Ecklie.
Nick shook his head, biting his lip.
"You know Grissom. Usually, he never lets anything get to him. But this… he's only just holding on Cath. If anything happens to Sara or the baby…"
Nick tailed off, his stomach turning sickeningly at the thought.
"Don't even go there, Nicky," Catherine said, rubbing his arm, her voice wavering slightly. "We've got to be strong for Gil and think positive. We're going to find her."
Nick nodded, wanting to hold onto the thought that Sara would be found safe and well.
"Not a great start to their marriage is it?" he asked bleakly.
Cath tried to offer a reassuring smile.
"After this, it can only get better, Nicky."
Catherine returned to the A/V lab to check in with Archie. When he told her there was still nothing new, she headed to the integration room where Gil sat waiting anxiously for news.
He was playing with his wedding ring when she entered and the haunted look in his eyes when he looked up tugged at her heart.
"Is there any news?" he asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, Gil," Catherine replied sadly, sitting down next to him. "But it's all hands on deck, I promise. We're checking the dash camera in Sara's car. We're hopeful that it will at least give us the direction Garrett may have taken her."
Grissom nodded slightly, sucking in his bottom lip as he shoulders sagged a little more. His breath was jagged, as he attempted to control his rising fears for his wife and unborn child.
He fixed his gaze on the table, battling to keep his whirling emotions in check, as he played with the yellow-gold band on his finger. It was hard to believe that almost twenty-four hours ago, they'd been happy and looking forward to the birth of their first child. They had been blissfully unaware of the fear the future held in store.
There was a time when he'd feared that Sara would eventually resent the age difference between them, and he'd lose her to a man closer to her own age. Now, he was facing that fear in a way he never expected. And it could cost Sara her life, as well as the life of their unborn child.
Catherine put her hand on his arm, watching him closely.
"How are you holding up?"
It was a moment before he could answer.
"I-I've… been better," he managed.
He bit his lip, desperately trying not to break down in front of her. His chin trembled slightly and Catherine watched helplessly as Grissom, who was usually Mr. Stoic, tried in vain not to fall apart.
"I-I-I… I can't…" Grissom stammered.
He paused to dip his head, struggling to cope with the myriad of emotions sweeping over him. His breath hitched.
"I can't lose them, Catherine," he whispered, his voice tortured. "I can't just... sit… and do nothing…"
He gulped in a hitching breath, just barely holding back the sob that wanted to escape his throat. He shook his head, and when he spoke again, his voice tore Catherine's heart in two.
"If things…if things go badly… I-I-I want to look back… and-and know that I did everything I could… not just sit by… and-and do nothing!"
He drew in a huge breath, his eyes closing as the dam finally broke.
Catherine grasped his hands in hers as he sobbed quietly beside her.
"Conrad, you can't expect Gil to remain sidelined on this," Catherine said when she returned to the A/V lab fifteen minutes later. "He needs something to focus on, other than the four walls around him."
"Catherine," Ecklie began with a tired sigh, but Catherine cut him off.
"Have you seen him since you left him there?" she demanded. "I have! And this is killing him! This isn't just any case, Conrad. If this turns out badly, he's never going to forgive himself for not doing everything he could. I don't think he'd ever get over it."
Brass' phone rang as Ecklie sighed and looked at the floor deep in thought. As Ecklie raised his head and glanced at Catherine, Brass jumped in.
"That was Nick. Two of the officers are dead," he said. "A gun is missing, along with a pair of handcuffs. Sara's car was last seen heading toward Industrial. We already know Garrett is dangerous, but now he's armed."
Ecklie turned back to face Catherine.
"Okay, Gil can help wade through the evidence as it comes in. But make it clear that he doesn't leave the lab."
Catherine nodded with a smile of gratitude as she quickly headed back to the interrogation room.
"Gil! We have some news!" she said, as she opened the door.
But besides for Grissom's cell phone, lying on the table, the room was empty. Grissom had gone.