Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.I don't make any profits from this.
Author's note: Happy New Year everyone!
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
By Moose
Chapter 8
"Found anything?"
Sara looked away from the monitor and saw Grissom standing at the doorway of the computer lab. She shook her head. "Sorry Griss."
Grissom nodded. "Keep looking."
"By the way, what was the third victim missing?"
"She was scalped," Grissom replied. "And Warrick confirmed that all three are staying in the same hotel."
"But they don't know each other?"
"We don't know yet. Catherine, Nick and Warrick are searching their rooms now."
Just then, something caught Sara's attention. She quickly stopped scanning and opened the case file. "Grissom, take a look at this," she said excitedly.
Grissom walked over and looked at the monitor. "Rituals?"
"Well, I was searching for crimes involving taking away of body parts," Sara explained. "Nothing under psychiatric problems came close to what we've been finding. So, I thought I'd give this a try."
"Hmm," Grissom nodded, reading the case summary. "I think you're on the right track."
Sara read a part of the summary aloud. "All victims were females, aged 16- 29."
"Our DBs fall under that category," Grissom said, straightening up. "Print out several copies of that, Sara. I'll just see what Robbins has to say about victim number 3. Let's meet at the break room with the others."
"Okay," Sara said happily. It was good to be functioning again.
The shift was almost over by the time Nick, Catherine and Warrick got back from the hotel. The crime lab's cheerful Christmas decors once again failed to lift up the tired CSIs spirits as they headed to the break room. Grissom had paged them and told them to go straight to the break room when they got back to the crime lab.
"Hey guys," Nick greeted Sara and Grissom upon entering the room. He wearily sat on his usual seat across Sara. Catherine took her place between Sara and Grissom. Warrick was on Grissom's other side.
"Anything?" Grissom asked.
"The three victims just had one thing in common," Warrick reported. "They were all in town for this annual women's lib meeting."
Grissom and Sara exchanged knowing looks. That almost confirmed that their suspicions where correct. "Sara, the print outs?"
Sara handed out the print outs to everyone. The table was silent while Catherine, Nick and Warrick read what Sara gave them.
"Holy shit," Warrick finally spoke up. "These women were sacrifices?"
Sara nodded. "Yup. It seemed that the members of the cult try to entice these ladies to join their 'annual meeting.' Truth is, the meeting is a big ritual wherein the members offer to their gods the various body parts."
Warrick looked worriedly at Nick and Catherine.
"What is it?" Grissom asked, not missing the silent communication between the three.
"Gil, we have a list of the participants of the, um, meeting," Catherine began.
"Good," Grissom said. "Do you know where and when this meeting will be?"
"December 23rd," Warrick replied. "Hotel grand ballroom."
"Hotel ballroom?" Sara repeated. "They couldn't do their rituals there."
"They can't," Catherine agreed, "but they can transfer somewhere else later that night."
"Tonight," Grissom corrected her. "Today's the 23rd."
"Oh great," Nick muttered.
Grissom looked at him curiously. "Okay, tell me what is really worrying you three."
Nick glanced at Warrick and Catherine, who nodded. He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Grissom. "Here's the list of the participants."
"Thank you," Grissom said, not looking at the list. "What's going on with you, Warrick and Catherine?"
"Check the list, Gil," Catherine said quietly.
Grissom looked at her for a moment, then read the list. His heart almost stopped when he saw a familiar name close to the bottom.
"What is it?" Sara asked, feeling left out. Before anybody could reply, Grissom stood up and bolted out of the room. Catherine sighed and followed him. Warrick sighed, said something about going to talk to Greg and headed out of the room.
"Okay, Nick, can please tell me what's going on?" Sara asked her remaining colleague.
Nick looked at her and told her what upset Grissom. "Wren's on the list."
Author's note: Happy New Year everyone!
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
By Moose
Chapter 8
"Found anything?"
Sara looked away from the monitor and saw Grissom standing at the doorway of the computer lab. She shook her head. "Sorry Griss."
Grissom nodded. "Keep looking."
"By the way, what was the third victim missing?"
"She was scalped," Grissom replied. "And Warrick confirmed that all three are staying in the same hotel."
"But they don't know each other?"
"We don't know yet. Catherine, Nick and Warrick are searching their rooms now."
Just then, something caught Sara's attention. She quickly stopped scanning and opened the case file. "Grissom, take a look at this," she said excitedly.
Grissom walked over and looked at the monitor. "Rituals?"
"Well, I was searching for crimes involving taking away of body parts," Sara explained. "Nothing under psychiatric problems came close to what we've been finding. So, I thought I'd give this a try."
"Hmm," Grissom nodded, reading the case summary. "I think you're on the right track."
Sara read a part of the summary aloud. "All victims were females, aged 16- 29."
"Our DBs fall under that category," Grissom said, straightening up. "Print out several copies of that, Sara. I'll just see what Robbins has to say about victim number 3. Let's meet at the break room with the others."
"Okay," Sara said happily. It was good to be functioning again.
The shift was almost over by the time Nick, Catherine and Warrick got back from the hotel. The crime lab's cheerful Christmas decors once again failed to lift up the tired CSIs spirits as they headed to the break room. Grissom had paged them and told them to go straight to the break room when they got back to the crime lab.
"Hey guys," Nick greeted Sara and Grissom upon entering the room. He wearily sat on his usual seat across Sara. Catherine took her place between Sara and Grissom. Warrick was on Grissom's other side.
"Anything?" Grissom asked.
"The three victims just had one thing in common," Warrick reported. "They were all in town for this annual women's lib meeting."
Grissom and Sara exchanged knowing looks. That almost confirmed that their suspicions where correct. "Sara, the print outs?"
Sara handed out the print outs to everyone. The table was silent while Catherine, Nick and Warrick read what Sara gave them.
"Holy shit," Warrick finally spoke up. "These women were sacrifices?"
Sara nodded. "Yup. It seemed that the members of the cult try to entice these ladies to join their 'annual meeting.' Truth is, the meeting is a big ritual wherein the members offer to their gods the various body parts."
Warrick looked worriedly at Nick and Catherine.
"What is it?" Grissom asked, not missing the silent communication between the three.
"Gil, we have a list of the participants of the, um, meeting," Catherine began.
"Good," Grissom said. "Do you know where and when this meeting will be?"
"December 23rd," Warrick replied. "Hotel grand ballroom."
"Hotel ballroom?" Sara repeated. "They couldn't do their rituals there."
"They can't," Catherine agreed, "but they can transfer somewhere else later that night."
"Tonight," Grissom corrected her. "Today's the 23rd."
"Oh great," Nick muttered.
Grissom looked at him curiously. "Okay, tell me what is really worrying you three."
Nick glanced at Warrick and Catherine, who nodded. He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Grissom. "Here's the list of the participants."
"Thank you," Grissom said, not looking at the list. "What's going on with you, Warrick and Catherine?"
"Check the list, Gil," Catherine said quietly.
Grissom looked at her for a moment, then read the list. His heart almost stopped when he saw a familiar name close to the bottom.
"What is it?" Sara asked, feeling left out. Before anybody could reply, Grissom stood up and bolted out of the room. Catherine sighed and followed him. Warrick sighed, said something about going to talk to Greg and headed out of the room.
"Okay, Nick, can please tell me what's going on?" Sara asked her remaining colleague.
Nick looked at her and told her what upset Grissom. "Wren's on the list."