Once Again I'm really sorry that this chapter has taken so long. GCSE work
had finally taken its toll! However here I am with a bit of a twist in the
story. enjoy. As always, all feedback is welcome.
Chapter 6.
The drive out to the strip seemed long and arduous to Grissom tonight. Even with Brass and Sara for company, he much preferred the ride in silence and made sure this was the case by even switching the radio off. Sara could see it in Grissom's eyes how badly this was affecting him. He loved to crack cases, he loved the thrill of knowing something everyone else didn't and suddenly everyone was getting in on the act, even Greg. It sounded selfish but you don't get to be as good as Grissom without being selfish, Sara thought to herself.
She also knew how Grissom felt about Catherine. That was another feeling that was given away in his azure eyes. Even when Grissom looked at Lindsay, The love radiated from every pore on his body. He couldn't help himself, and she knew that it was much more than wanting to find Catherine it was needing to, because if Grissom didn't find her and someone else did or no one did at all, Grissom had failed and above all of that, his life just wouldn't be worth living. His job was arguably 49% of his life but the other 51% had always remained a mystery. Until now.
Eventually the familiar blue and red flashing lights drew the SUV to them and the investigation began. Gingerly Grissom stepped out of the vehicle swiftly followed by Sara and followed Mobley over to the vic.
"Hey there Sara, Grissom." Mobley nodded at the CSI's respectively. "I hope you've got strong stomachs for this one, I say one, there isn't much of them left." Mobley nodded towards the yellow police tape that had been assembled around the vic and left the CSI's to their own devices.
"I suppose it's up to us then." Sara smiled weakly at Grissom who smiled back at her. "Come on Grissom, let's get through this and guaranteed we'll get to Catherine before you know it." She knew she was trying to make the both of them feel better and so did he so he tapped her shoulder lightly and pulled her into a hug.
"I hope you're right." Shocked by his informal embrace Sara noticed Grissom's eyes glistening slightly in the moonlight. Acknowledging that this would be strictly forbidden to mention she carried on towards the vic and Grissom followed her lead.
Shortly after the two CSI's had started to process the vic and the crime scene, Brass came over to them. "You're not going to believe this, not in a million years." Brass was furious and Sara could imagine steam coming out of the older man's ears.
"What?" Sara asked.
"Your vic I mean it's just. its beyond sick. it's psychopathic."
"Whoa Brass calm down, What's happened?" Sara asked getting anxious.
"Meet your vic, Catherine Willows." Sara suddenly recoiled in horror at the fact she'd been looking at her friend her. until her train of thought was interrupted. "No not our Catherine. Catherine Willows from Houston. The cop that called earlier, Ted Bentley, just rang Greg again. He forgot to tell us the suspected vic's name. Greg just called me to tell me the news. Apparently, Catherine babysat for a Mr. Eddie Willows."
"But hang on what did she baby-sit? Thin air?" Sara enquired.
"No Eddie has another kid with a woman by the name of Angela Williams. They've lived together for just over a year. The kid's called Josh, 18 months old."
"So Eddie got out of prison, moved out of state, knocked someone up and shacked up with them? That's what you're telling me?" Grissom had started to shake with the same fury as Brass had displayed at the start of the conversation.
"Whoa the both of you calm down." Sara stated trying to think. "We need to piece this together and make it relevant to Catherine."
"Which Catherine? As of now we have one victim, one possible and we have nowhere to start from." Grissom argued.
A moment's silence followed and then Brass' cell began to ring again. "Oh for a time when these things didn't ring incessantly!" Brass exclaimed exasperated.
"Brass." A long pause followed until eventually. "Good work boys. Follow it up and get back to us ASAP." Hanging up his cell phone Brass tucked it back onto his belt loop and faced the CSI's once again.
"Nick and Warrick have just had a break through. The strange substance found in the bottom of Catherine's car that you all passed off as sand, actually turned out to be a rare sandstone that is manufactured for commercial use in only 3 places in Las Vegas. Now the boys figured that Eddie checked his location before going back to get Catherine. They also found out from the Houston department's initial enquires that a few of the girl's school friends said that she was infatuated with Eddie and he promised to take her away which eliminates the odd question of how she got from Houston to Las Vegas. And before you ask yes they got the tip off before you." Brass finished his long speech with a resolute sigh and smiled at the two friends in front of him. "The boys also narrowed it down to one factory and it's about 20 miles from here. So Nick and Warrick are on their way there with some uniforms and they are sending some day shift's to cover this vic. Jump in the SUV and we can make our way there."
Looking at each other briefly, Sara and Grissom decided via eye contact that this was it. No hesitations could happen. They needed to find Catherine at all costs and racing over to the SUV they began the journey there. Following Grissom's directions from his map reading skills it took less time than they imagined and they found the location within 40 minutes.
Pulling up to the factory they noticed the immense amount of space that they would have to cover to find Catherine, if she was indeed here. The building was obviously abandoned and derelict and as judging the safety of the building was not an option, Grissom took charge.
"Sara you take the back with Brass and I'll go from the front, You've both got cells if you get into trouble call me."
"Grissom we can't do this,' Brass whispered. "We need back up, more men. We could all end up dead."
Not taking any notice of his words Grissom began his way around to the front of the building. After hoarse whispering in vain after Grissom, Sara realised the sudden rush of adrenaline through her veins and started to run around to the back of the building.
"Am I the only one to see sense here?" Brass whispered after Sara but then followed her.
Opening the rusty metal door as quietly as possible Brass stepped inside trying to accustom his eyes to the darkness. Squinting in the darkness eventually he became used to his surroundings and began to progress through the building, Sara close behind him. Not looking in the darkness, Sara bumped into Brass who had stopped in the middle of a dark corridor, which looked connected to either the factory floor or some offices. Raising a finger to his lips he motioned for the younger CSI to be quiet.
"Can you hear that?" He whispered.
"Yeah, Raised voices."
"Let's follow them." Proceeding into the darkness they had no idea what they were about to get themselves into.
~*~
Having long adjusted to the darkness Grissom found himself making quick progress through the building, he'd made his way up from the factory floor and had identified the rooms upstairs to be what he presumed were offices. He paused in the darkness as he heard something. He momentarily stopped breathing to hear better, and identified the noise to be raised voices, he just hoped that one was that of Catherine, fighting back.
~*~
"What the hell are you talking about Jennie?"
"Don't shout at me Eddie," The 17 year old warned. "I can call the cops and the only thing you'd be seeing was the lethal injection."
Grabbing his gun from its place at the back of his trousers, he held it with two hands out in front of him with effortless grip but menacing intent. "Don't you dare threaten me otherwise I'll kill you, trust me I have no qualms about leaving you here to die with that wench," he spat out in the direction of Catherine. "You fell for me just like that other babysitter in Houston." His face contorted into a grim look as he began to speak about the babysitter. "Don't look so shocked Jennie, you're not the first and you definitely won't be the last of the bimbo's to throw themselves at me."
"But you said you loved ."
"I don't love anyone!!" he shouted raising his voice even further than before. "You think I care about you? I just needed you to get to Catherine. Do you really think I'd be that desperate?"
The girl broke into sobs and Eddie moved closer to her. Stroking her face lightly with one hand he kept the gun positioned on her flat, slim stomach.
"Please Eddie," she begged.
"I'm sorry." Letting the empty words fall selfishly from his mouth he pulled the trigger and walked away from the screaming girl. Her face red, her eyes streaming with tears, her face displayed a look of pure terror. Lifting a hand to see the blood that had deposited there she looked up at Eddie. Smirking at his latest victim he watched as she squirmed around on the floor. "Eddie, Help me." she managed to croak. Then looking at him once again with the look of death in her eyes, her head fell to the floor and her eyes rolled back into her head.
He hated that. Eddie hated to see the look on his victim's faces when they knew they were going to die. He wanted it that way; he wanted them to meet their maker so why did they insist on asking him for help after he'd just shot them? It just wasn't logical. Cool, calm and collected he made his way over to his ex-wife who still lay on the floor.
"Catherine, it's such a waste. Me and you could have got back together and watched as Lindsay grew up. But you've just ruined it all now. I wrote to you whilst I was in prison and you never replied. I knew you were with Grissom. I knew you were with him when we were still together." Stopping for a moment, he leant down and positioned himself just over Catherine's lips. Bending in even further to kiss them, he thought he felt movement below him. Resting still next to Catherine for a moment he realised that this was probably just a figment of his imagination and once again leaned in for a kiss. He closed his eyes and let his lips touch hers. He savoured the feeling of being so close to her and remembered all the things he'd loved about her. The way she'd smelt, the way.
CRACK.
Eddie fell back onto the floor in shock, anger and pain, whereas Catherine fell back screaming as the pain in her head began to make her nauseous once more. "Take that." She spat at him.
"You head butted me! You Bitch!"
"And I would do it again in a second." She looked at him with a frosty look in her eyes and Eddie recoiled when he saw the look of pure hatred in her eyes. For him.
"You hate me don't you?" He asked her.
"I don't just hate you Eddie, I despise you, I loathe you, and I wish I'd never met you."
"Now stop there Catherine, we can't have you regretting the times we've had. I'd rather be dead than that."
"Well be my guest." She retorted.
"I will." Reaching once more for his gun that had been replaced in it's spot at the small of his back, he brought out in front of him and placed his finger over the trigger. "Goodbye Catherine, I love you." Taking his eyes away from her for a split second he didn't notice the brief shadow from underneath the door on the far side of the room. Just as he was about to release the trigger the door flew open and in a rush of confusion and anger Eddie forgot what he was about to do.
"Drop the gun Eddie."
"Grissom, How nice of you to join us, at last. You have been slow figuring this out old boy I have to admit." Eddie relished the chance of torturing and tormenting Grissom mentally. However Grissom was having none of it and retorted with,
"I'm surprised you're so fit and healthy Eddie. A man in your condition shouldn't be doing these things." Grissom smirked at the man as he held out his gun in front, it seemed like an industrial western with the baddy and the good guy squaring up for action.
"How did you find out?" Eddie remarked in a mix of horror and humiliation.
"It was obvious. I know you Eddie. You're a very patient kind of guy. You could have waited a couple more years before you came to get Catherine but then I thought to myself why? Why now? When I was visiting Lindsay in the hospital I asked a friend of mine to check up on some records for me. An Eddie Willows was registered but with no forwarding address. However he was listed as a terminally ill cancer patient. So spill it Eddie. The game's up. Give it up, you're not going to get away with it."
Eddie could see the pure venom in Grissom's eyes and suddenly felt 2 times smaller than he actually was.
"You had no right Gil."
"I had no Right!! What are you Deluded? You've kidnapped and attempted murdered my colleague."
"Oh for once admit it!" Eddie spat out losing his cool. "You've loved her ever since you first saw her. You're probably shacked up with her now. I mean you were seeing her when we were still married!!"
"No we weren't you just let yourself get into a jealous rage, as per usual." Grissom exploded. "You treated her like dirt, you had no right to even be with someone like her." Looking down at her for the first time since he'd entered the room, Grissom noticed that Catherine had passed out. Her head was bleeding and her hair was matted unflatteringly around her beautiful face. He was so engrossed with the state that Catherine as in that he didn't notice Eddie grasp his gun tighter and pull the trigger.
The bang sounded so far away and yet the searing white-hot pain of the bullet in his left thigh gave it away. He knew he wasn't going to die, well yet anyway. Seeing blackness engulf him, Grissom knew Eddie was probably about to hover over him for the final shot.
Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain once again and listened as a gun prepared to fire. The safety catch was flicked off and Grissom could sense Eddie's grip getting tighter. "I love you Catherine." He whispered and let go. He'd said everything he'd ever wanted to say. Now he was at Eddie's mercy and he didn't care what he did. Grissom said a quick, silent prayer and waited for the shot to come.
Bang.
TBC. review please.
Chapter 6.
The drive out to the strip seemed long and arduous to Grissom tonight. Even with Brass and Sara for company, he much preferred the ride in silence and made sure this was the case by even switching the radio off. Sara could see it in Grissom's eyes how badly this was affecting him. He loved to crack cases, he loved the thrill of knowing something everyone else didn't and suddenly everyone was getting in on the act, even Greg. It sounded selfish but you don't get to be as good as Grissom without being selfish, Sara thought to herself.
She also knew how Grissom felt about Catherine. That was another feeling that was given away in his azure eyes. Even when Grissom looked at Lindsay, The love radiated from every pore on his body. He couldn't help himself, and she knew that it was much more than wanting to find Catherine it was needing to, because if Grissom didn't find her and someone else did or no one did at all, Grissom had failed and above all of that, his life just wouldn't be worth living. His job was arguably 49% of his life but the other 51% had always remained a mystery. Until now.
Eventually the familiar blue and red flashing lights drew the SUV to them and the investigation began. Gingerly Grissom stepped out of the vehicle swiftly followed by Sara and followed Mobley over to the vic.
"Hey there Sara, Grissom." Mobley nodded at the CSI's respectively. "I hope you've got strong stomachs for this one, I say one, there isn't much of them left." Mobley nodded towards the yellow police tape that had been assembled around the vic and left the CSI's to their own devices.
"I suppose it's up to us then." Sara smiled weakly at Grissom who smiled back at her. "Come on Grissom, let's get through this and guaranteed we'll get to Catherine before you know it." She knew she was trying to make the both of them feel better and so did he so he tapped her shoulder lightly and pulled her into a hug.
"I hope you're right." Shocked by his informal embrace Sara noticed Grissom's eyes glistening slightly in the moonlight. Acknowledging that this would be strictly forbidden to mention she carried on towards the vic and Grissom followed her lead.
Shortly after the two CSI's had started to process the vic and the crime scene, Brass came over to them. "You're not going to believe this, not in a million years." Brass was furious and Sara could imagine steam coming out of the older man's ears.
"What?" Sara asked.
"Your vic I mean it's just. its beyond sick. it's psychopathic."
"Whoa Brass calm down, What's happened?" Sara asked getting anxious.
"Meet your vic, Catherine Willows." Sara suddenly recoiled in horror at the fact she'd been looking at her friend her. until her train of thought was interrupted. "No not our Catherine. Catherine Willows from Houston. The cop that called earlier, Ted Bentley, just rang Greg again. He forgot to tell us the suspected vic's name. Greg just called me to tell me the news. Apparently, Catherine babysat for a Mr. Eddie Willows."
"But hang on what did she baby-sit? Thin air?" Sara enquired.
"No Eddie has another kid with a woman by the name of Angela Williams. They've lived together for just over a year. The kid's called Josh, 18 months old."
"So Eddie got out of prison, moved out of state, knocked someone up and shacked up with them? That's what you're telling me?" Grissom had started to shake with the same fury as Brass had displayed at the start of the conversation.
"Whoa the both of you calm down." Sara stated trying to think. "We need to piece this together and make it relevant to Catherine."
"Which Catherine? As of now we have one victim, one possible and we have nowhere to start from." Grissom argued.
A moment's silence followed and then Brass' cell began to ring again. "Oh for a time when these things didn't ring incessantly!" Brass exclaimed exasperated.
"Brass." A long pause followed until eventually. "Good work boys. Follow it up and get back to us ASAP." Hanging up his cell phone Brass tucked it back onto his belt loop and faced the CSI's once again.
"Nick and Warrick have just had a break through. The strange substance found in the bottom of Catherine's car that you all passed off as sand, actually turned out to be a rare sandstone that is manufactured for commercial use in only 3 places in Las Vegas. Now the boys figured that Eddie checked his location before going back to get Catherine. They also found out from the Houston department's initial enquires that a few of the girl's school friends said that she was infatuated with Eddie and he promised to take her away which eliminates the odd question of how she got from Houston to Las Vegas. And before you ask yes they got the tip off before you." Brass finished his long speech with a resolute sigh and smiled at the two friends in front of him. "The boys also narrowed it down to one factory and it's about 20 miles from here. So Nick and Warrick are on their way there with some uniforms and they are sending some day shift's to cover this vic. Jump in the SUV and we can make our way there."
Looking at each other briefly, Sara and Grissom decided via eye contact that this was it. No hesitations could happen. They needed to find Catherine at all costs and racing over to the SUV they began the journey there. Following Grissom's directions from his map reading skills it took less time than they imagined and they found the location within 40 minutes.
Pulling up to the factory they noticed the immense amount of space that they would have to cover to find Catherine, if she was indeed here. The building was obviously abandoned and derelict and as judging the safety of the building was not an option, Grissom took charge.
"Sara you take the back with Brass and I'll go from the front, You've both got cells if you get into trouble call me."
"Grissom we can't do this,' Brass whispered. "We need back up, more men. We could all end up dead."
Not taking any notice of his words Grissom began his way around to the front of the building. After hoarse whispering in vain after Grissom, Sara realised the sudden rush of adrenaline through her veins and started to run around to the back of the building.
"Am I the only one to see sense here?" Brass whispered after Sara but then followed her.
Opening the rusty metal door as quietly as possible Brass stepped inside trying to accustom his eyes to the darkness. Squinting in the darkness eventually he became used to his surroundings and began to progress through the building, Sara close behind him. Not looking in the darkness, Sara bumped into Brass who had stopped in the middle of a dark corridor, which looked connected to either the factory floor or some offices. Raising a finger to his lips he motioned for the younger CSI to be quiet.
"Can you hear that?" He whispered.
"Yeah, Raised voices."
"Let's follow them." Proceeding into the darkness they had no idea what they were about to get themselves into.
~*~
Having long adjusted to the darkness Grissom found himself making quick progress through the building, he'd made his way up from the factory floor and had identified the rooms upstairs to be what he presumed were offices. He paused in the darkness as he heard something. He momentarily stopped breathing to hear better, and identified the noise to be raised voices, he just hoped that one was that of Catherine, fighting back.
~*~
"What the hell are you talking about Jennie?"
"Don't shout at me Eddie," The 17 year old warned. "I can call the cops and the only thing you'd be seeing was the lethal injection."
Grabbing his gun from its place at the back of his trousers, he held it with two hands out in front of him with effortless grip but menacing intent. "Don't you dare threaten me otherwise I'll kill you, trust me I have no qualms about leaving you here to die with that wench," he spat out in the direction of Catherine. "You fell for me just like that other babysitter in Houston." His face contorted into a grim look as he began to speak about the babysitter. "Don't look so shocked Jennie, you're not the first and you definitely won't be the last of the bimbo's to throw themselves at me."
"But you said you loved ."
"I don't love anyone!!" he shouted raising his voice even further than before. "You think I care about you? I just needed you to get to Catherine. Do you really think I'd be that desperate?"
The girl broke into sobs and Eddie moved closer to her. Stroking her face lightly with one hand he kept the gun positioned on her flat, slim stomach.
"Please Eddie," she begged.
"I'm sorry." Letting the empty words fall selfishly from his mouth he pulled the trigger and walked away from the screaming girl. Her face red, her eyes streaming with tears, her face displayed a look of pure terror. Lifting a hand to see the blood that had deposited there she looked up at Eddie. Smirking at his latest victim he watched as she squirmed around on the floor. "Eddie, Help me." she managed to croak. Then looking at him once again with the look of death in her eyes, her head fell to the floor and her eyes rolled back into her head.
He hated that. Eddie hated to see the look on his victim's faces when they knew they were going to die. He wanted it that way; he wanted them to meet their maker so why did they insist on asking him for help after he'd just shot them? It just wasn't logical. Cool, calm and collected he made his way over to his ex-wife who still lay on the floor.
"Catherine, it's such a waste. Me and you could have got back together and watched as Lindsay grew up. But you've just ruined it all now. I wrote to you whilst I was in prison and you never replied. I knew you were with Grissom. I knew you were with him when we were still together." Stopping for a moment, he leant down and positioned himself just over Catherine's lips. Bending in even further to kiss them, he thought he felt movement below him. Resting still next to Catherine for a moment he realised that this was probably just a figment of his imagination and once again leaned in for a kiss. He closed his eyes and let his lips touch hers. He savoured the feeling of being so close to her and remembered all the things he'd loved about her. The way she'd smelt, the way.
CRACK.
Eddie fell back onto the floor in shock, anger and pain, whereas Catherine fell back screaming as the pain in her head began to make her nauseous once more. "Take that." She spat at him.
"You head butted me! You Bitch!"
"And I would do it again in a second." She looked at him with a frosty look in her eyes and Eddie recoiled when he saw the look of pure hatred in her eyes. For him.
"You hate me don't you?" He asked her.
"I don't just hate you Eddie, I despise you, I loathe you, and I wish I'd never met you."
"Now stop there Catherine, we can't have you regretting the times we've had. I'd rather be dead than that."
"Well be my guest." She retorted.
"I will." Reaching once more for his gun that had been replaced in it's spot at the small of his back, he brought out in front of him and placed his finger over the trigger. "Goodbye Catherine, I love you." Taking his eyes away from her for a split second he didn't notice the brief shadow from underneath the door on the far side of the room. Just as he was about to release the trigger the door flew open and in a rush of confusion and anger Eddie forgot what he was about to do.
"Drop the gun Eddie."
"Grissom, How nice of you to join us, at last. You have been slow figuring this out old boy I have to admit." Eddie relished the chance of torturing and tormenting Grissom mentally. However Grissom was having none of it and retorted with,
"I'm surprised you're so fit and healthy Eddie. A man in your condition shouldn't be doing these things." Grissom smirked at the man as he held out his gun in front, it seemed like an industrial western with the baddy and the good guy squaring up for action.
"How did you find out?" Eddie remarked in a mix of horror and humiliation.
"It was obvious. I know you Eddie. You're a very patient kind of guy. You could have waited a couple more years before you came to get Catherine but then I thought to myself why? Why now? When I was visiting Lindsay in the hospital I asked a friend of mine to check up on some records for me. An Eddie Willows was registered but with no forwarding address. However he was listed as a terminally ill cancer patient. So spill it Eddie. The game's up. Give it up, you're not going to get away with it."
Eddie could see the pure venom in Grissom's eyes and suddenly felt 2 times smaller than he actually was.
"You had no right Gil."
"I had no Right!! What are you Deluded? You've kidnapped and attempted murdered my colleague."
"Oh for once admit it!" Eddie spat out losing his cool. "You've loved her ever since you first saw her. You're probably shacked up with her now. I mean you were seeing her when we were still married!!"
"No we weren't you just let yourself get into a jealous rage, as per usual." Grissom exploded. "You treated her like dirt, you had no right to even be with someone like her." Looking down at her for the first time since he'd entered the room, Grissom noticed that Catherine had passed out. Her head was bleeding and her hair was matted unflatteringly around her beautiful face. He was so engrossed with the state that Catherine as in that he didn't notice Eddie grasp his gun tighter and pull the trigger.
The bang sounded so far away and yet the searing white-hot pain of the bullet in his left thigh gave it away. He knew he wasn't going to die, well yet anyway. Seeing blackness engulf him, Grissom knew Eddie was probably about to hover over him for the final shot.
Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain once again and listened as a gun prepared to fire. The safety catch was flicked off and Grissom could sense Eddie's grip getting tighter. "I love you Catherine." He whispered and let go. He'd said everything he'd ever wanted to say. Now he was at Eddie's mercy and he didn't care what he did. Grissom said a quick, silent prayer and waited for the shot to come.
Bang.
TBC. review please.