Chapter 9
Grissom and Sara stumbled across the litter that blocked their path. The two torches made a strange, intertwining dance on the dark walls.
"Shall we go up?" Sara asked.
"Wait." Grissom turned around and gazed fixedly at the range of doorbells.
Sara joined him and after a quick scan turned to look at Grissom. They had both seen the peeled off label with the faint markings of "Green" written in a pale scrawl.
"Up we go then."
Gil made Sara go ahead of him, in case she fell backwards as the stairs were rather unstable and broken in places. An overpowering smell of fresh paint greeted their noses as they reached their floor. They walked along until they got to Green's door. Grissom put on a glove and carefully opened it. What they saw confirmed that the paint smell was emanating from there, and a glare of white light caused them to instantly put an arm in front of their eyes.
"What the hell happened here?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Warrick put a hand in front of his eyes, a sudden flash of light having disturbed him.
"What the?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sara cast an eye around the room. It was painted white and a huge light bulb lit the room with the intense glare that had blinded Grissom and herself.
"No furniture. No sign of life…"
Grissom, rooted to the spot surveyed the room.
"No furniture yes. Sign of life? Maybe."
They carried out a thorough check of the apartment. All the walls had been knocked down to leave one big, white room.
"The paint's still wet" Sara said, showing her glove, now matching the walls.
"Check out this boot print Griss, looks like someone's been a bit careless."
"More than careless, they've given us a lead." He pointed to the white print, where a piece of paper had obviously been stuck to the boot and then stuck to the floor, and bent down for a closer inspection.
"A receipt?"
He carefully bagged this first piece of evidence, but what crime, if one had taken place, had been committed here?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Isobel bent down to whisper in Warrick's ear.
"He's gone out now."
Warrick, who'd been dozing, woke immediately, his eyes shot open.
"Can you help me up then?"
"I think so, She sounded petrified, he'll kill me if he finds out". She paused. "Like Jill."
Warrick turned to her sharply. "You knew Jill?"
Isobel nodded, but commented no further. She busied herself untying the binds with the little penknife she had brought. She cut the remaining strands that were keeping Warwick prisoner to the metal board. She even helped him to his feet, after his 3 rather stiff horizontal days. Awkwardly, Warrick relying heavily on Isobel's frail shoulders, they made their way to the corner of the room.
"There's a vent up there." Isobel whispered.
The ceiling wasn't high, and after furtively touching around, he felt the grids of the vent, and pulled. The vent resisted, then in a grinding sound, which made Isobel bite her nails in anxiety, it came away. Without further hesitation, Warrick lifted up the light frame of Isobel, and pushed her through the hole.
"What can you see?" he whispered.
"It's a bit wet."
"Is there enough space for me to fit?"
"I-she was about to say don't know, but was confident enough to say, yes."
Warrick felt again for the space in the ceiling, gripped the sides and tried to pull himself through. It took him several goes though, as his body was rather stiff. His legs kicked the air; his body was almost all through the hole. He was panting and sweating with the effort. He heaved one last time so he was in a squatting position. He squinted into the gloom.
"Which way now?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Grissom, we've tracked down the receipt to a hardware shop. But the boot is a rather more complicated…"
"Which hardware?"
"John Smiths, on 3rd Avenue."
"That's pretty near the apartment block isn't it?"
"Yup."
"I think it's time we paid them a little visit."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Warrick was crawling through the tunnel, Isobel just in front of him. She did, after all know her way around more thought Warrick, but had she often taken this rather cramped path to get around?
It was actually Isobel's acute sense of smell that helped her out. Every once in a while, she stopped and sniffed.
"The kitchen is down there." She whispered.
They turned once, and joined another trail, which Warrick smelt as being the garbage chute.
After another five minutes, when Warrick thought he might become claustrophobic, the air smelt a bit sweeter, and finally it got a little less dark and Isobel disappeared. She had tumbled into the garbage bin underneath the chute, and Warrick followed suit. Among the spoilt vegetables, cartons of empty liquid and barely discernable objects that Warrick didn't want to imagine what they had been, the two sat in silence, recuperating. Isobel was shaking, hardly believing what she had done, staring at her hands, which were by now grubby, and tentatively at Warrick.
Finally, he got up, dusted himself as best he could, picked up Isobel and climbed over on to the pavement.
"Now what?" he said more to himself than Isobel. He scanned the horizon. Where were they?
"South" the little voice whispered.
"Of Las Vegas?" After all he'd know idea how long he had been unconscious.
"Yes."
Warrick started walking then, Isobel trotting along behind, finding it hard to keep up with his long manly strides. He turned, and took her hand. This gesture surprised himself as well as Isobel, but after all, he corrected himself, he couldn't leave her here, within grasp of Green. They made their way to a bus stop, not far off. Warrick studied the bus routes closely until Isobel tugged his hand.
"Is that our bus?"
He looked up. "Yup." And smiled.
A half hours bumpy ride later they were in more recognisable surroundings, for Warrick at least. But he couldn't decide, go home or go back to work? The team must be worried about him by now. He decided on the latter, as there would be more effects if he came in dirty, dishevelled with a small girl in tow.
"This is where I work."
"I know."
Warrick looked at her questioningly, but it seemed as if this was yet one more secret locked up inside her. Give it time, he thought.
What do you think? Please review, sorry it's a little short, but I'm kinda busy at the moment. =)
Grissom and Sara stumbled across the litter that blocked their path. The two torches made a strange, intertwining dance on the dark walls.
"Shall we go up?" Sara asked.
"Wait." Grissom turned around and gazed fixedly at the range of doorbells.
Sara joined him and after a quick scan turned to look at Grissom. They had both seen the peeled off label with the faint markings of "Green" written in a pale scrawl.
"Up we go then."
Gil made Sara go ahead of him, in case she fell backwards as the stairs were rather unstable and broken in places. An overpowering smell of fresh paint greeted their noses as they reached their floor. They walked along until they got to Green's door. Grissom put on a glove and carefully opened it. What they saw confirmed that the paint smell was emanating from there, and a glare of white light caused them to instantly put an arm in front of their eyes.
"What the hell happened here?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Warrick put a hand in front of his eyes, a sudden flash of light having disturbed him.
"What the?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sara cast an eye around the room. It was painted white and a huge light bulb lit the room with the intense glare that had blinded Grissom and herself.
"No furniture. No sign of life…"
Grissom, rooted to the spot surveyed the room.
"No furniture yes. Sign of life? Maybe."
They carried out a thorough check of the apartment. All the walls had been knocked down to leave one big, white room.
"The paint's still wet" Sara said, showing her glove, now matching the walls.
"Check out this boot print Griss, looks like someone's been a bit careless."
"More than careless, they've given us a lead." He pointed to the white print, where a piece of paper had obviously been stuck to the boot and then stuck to the floor, and bent down for a closer inspection.
"A receipt?"
He carefully bagged this first piece of evidence, but what crime, if one had taken place, had been committed here?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Isobel bent down to whisper in Warrick's ear.
"He's gone out now."
Warrick, who'd been dozing, woke immediately, his eyes shot open.
"Can you help me up then?"
"I think so, She sounded petrified, he'll kill me if he finds out". She paused. "Like Jill."
Warrick turned to her sharply. "You knew Jill?"
Isobel nodded, but commented no further. She busied herself untying the binds with the little penknife she had brought. She cut the remaining strands that were keeping Warwick prisoner to the metal board. She even helped him to his feet, after his 3 rather stiff horizontal days. Awkwardly, Warrick relying heavily on Isobel's frail shoulders, they made their way to the corner of the room.
"There's a vent up there." Isobel whispered.
The ceiling wasn't high, and after furtively touching around, he felt the grids of the vent, and pulled. The vent resisted, then in a grinding sound, which made Isobel bite her nails in anxiety, it came away. Without further hesitation, Warrick lifted up the light frame of Isobel, and pushed her through the hole.
"What can you see?" he whispered.
"It's a bit wet."
"Is there enough space for me to fit?"
"I-she was about to say don't know, but was confident enough to say, yes."
Warrick felt again for the space in the ceiling, gripped the sides and tried to pull himself through. It took him several goes though, as his body was rather stiff. His legs kicked the air; his body was almost all through the hole. He was panting and sweating with the effort. He heaved one last time so he was in a squatting position. He squinted into the gloom.
"Which way now?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Grissom, we've tracked down the receipt to a hardware shop. But the boot is a rather more complicated…"
"Which hardware?"
"John Smiths, on 3rd Avenue."
"That's pretty near the apartment block isn't it?"
"Yup."
"I think it's time we paid them a little visit."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Warrick was crawling through the tunnel, Isobel just in front of him. She did, after all know her way around more thought Warrick, but had she often taken this rather cramped path to get around?
It was actually Isobel's acute sense of smell that helped her out. Every once in a while, she stopped and sniffed.
"The kitchen is down there." She whispered.
They turned once, and joined another trail, which Warrick smelt as being the garbage chute.
After another five minutes, when Warrick thought he might become claustrophobic, the air smelt a bit sweeter, and finally it got a little less dark and Isobel disappeared. She had tumbled into the garbage bin underneath the chute, and Warrick followed suit. Among the spoilt vegetables, cartons of empty liquid and barely discernable objects that Warrick didn't want to imagine what they had been, the two sat in silence, recuperating. Isobel was shaking, hardly believing what she had done, staring at her hands, which were by now grubby, and tentatively at Warrick.
Finally, he got up, dusted himself as best he could, picked up Isobel and climbed over on to the pavement.
"Now what?" he said more to himself than Isobel. He scanned the horizon. Where were they?
"South" the little voice whispered.
"Of Las Vegas?" After all he'd know idea how long he had been unconscious.
"Yes."
Warrick started walking then, Isobel trotting along behind, finding it hard to keep up with his long manly strides. He turned, and took her hand. This gesture surprised himself as well as Isobel, but after all, he corrected himself, he couldn't leave her here, within grasp of Green. They made their way to a bus stop, not far off. Warrick studied the bus routes closely until Isobel tugged his hand.
"Is that our bus?"
He looked up. "Yup." And smiled.
A half hours bumpy ride later they were in more recognisable surroundings, for Warrick at least. But he couldn't decide, go home or go back to work? The team must be worried about him by now. He decided on the latter, as there would be more effects if he came in dirty, dishevelled with a small girl in tow.
"This is where I work."
"I know."
Warrick looked at her questioningly, but it seemed as if this was yet one more secret locked up inside her. Give it time, he thought.
What do you think? Please review, sorry it's a little short, but I'm kinda busy at the moment. =)