Hi guys. Thanks for the reviews. I hope people are still interested. I
wasn't even able to access the site for most of the past three days. Don't
know if it had to do with AOL or just overload. Anyway, sorry this chapter
isn't longer, but I wanted to post it while I could. Enjoy.
**************************
Charlie, who stood over him with a roll of duct tape, blocked Grissom's view of Sara. He quickly wrapped the CSI's hands.
"Nothin' personal," Charlie deadpanned. He closed in on Grissom's face and fairly shouted, "I fuckin' lied! It's everything personal. You fucked up my life, man!"
"I don't even know you, Mr. Dunn," Grissom stated flatly, still trying to get Sara's prone form in his field of vision.
"Right. I can see how you're all concerned about the girlfriend. She's been sucking up all the smack I can shoot her with," Charlie grinned. "That and I had to knock her ass out when I was trying to leave. You fucked that up too, Gilbeerrrt!"
"What have you done to her?" Grissom asked as calmly as he could; His heart feeling as if it was going to jump out of his chest didn't help
"Now, I don't like hittin' women, Griss, as she tends to call you, he sneered. "She just seems to bring out the worst in me." Charlie stepped aside and gave his newest captive a full view of Sara
Grissom was now able to see Sara for more than a few seconds. He noted the rise and fall of her chest and was more than mildly alarmed by the unsteady rhythm. It wasn't hard to see or hear that her breathing was labored. He swallowed hard, his mind toying with several options to get Dunn's attention on him instead of Sara.
Charlie scratched his head and gazed at Grissom. "It hurts you, huh? Seeing your girlfriend like this?"
"You're wrong, Dunn. Sara Sidle is not my girlfriend. She's a co-worker who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your fight is with me."
Charlie crossed the few feet to Sara and crouched down beside her. His eyes found Grissom's as he caressed her face. "Then I guess you don't mind if I touch her then, huh?"
Grissom's gaze didn't waver as he fixed Charlie with a cold stare. "Your problem is with me, Mr. Dunn. I'm sorry Ms. Sidle got caught up in it, but she's a big girl and can take care of herself." As the words left his mouth, Grissom felt his saliva turn to acid. He knew he'd said the right thing, it simply hurt more than he expected. For a split second, he thought it fortunate that Sara couldn't hear him. He felt as if the words were a betrayal. Please, Sara, he pleaded silently. Please, just wake up and help me out here. I need you to look at me. I need to see your eyes. We've always been able to communicate with our eyes.
Charlie stroked Sara's arm, his hand making contact with her breast. He noticed Grissom's jaw clench and smiled. Charlie figured he knew how to hurt Grissom.
"Aren't you enough of a man to deal with me directly, Mr. Dunn? Ms. Sidle has nothing to do with this."
"Oh, I think I am dealin' with you, Grissom. I just get the feelin' it hurts you more to see me hurt her." Charlie's touch turned violent as he grabbed Sara by the hair, jerking her into a sitting position. She gasped violently and her eyes shot open. Charlie raised his hand to hit her.
"Don't!" Grissom yelled.
Charlie smiled savagely as he brought his hand to her face and stopped at the last instant. Sara's expression barely reflected the near violence. She actually struggled to keep her eyes open and didn't seem to notice the new addition to the room. Charlie leaned closer to her. "Your boyfriend's here."
Grissom struggled against the tape on his hands, his eyes not leaving Sara's face. She seemed to recognize him after a few seconds and relief flooded his body.
"Grissom?"
"I'm here, Sara."
"You came for me after all. I didn't think you would." Sara's words were deliberate and seemed to take great effort. Grissom couldn't tell if this was from the obvious trauma to her head and face or from the drug. He decided it must be a little of both. Her eyes began to close again and Grissom felt a bit of panic.
"Sara, please stay awake. I need you to stay awake, all right? Open your eyes."
"Oh, isn't this sweeeet," Charlie sing-songed. You too are a regular Romeo and Juliet, aren't ya?"
"Listen to me, Dunn. Let me help her. Do you want a dead hostage on your hands?"
"Hostage?" Charlie said, raising the 38 again. "You think you're a hostage? I'm gonna kill you both."
"No. You don't want to die. And you're not a killer. Not yet," Grissom bargained. "The police will be trying to contact you soon. They'll want to talk and they'll want to know how your hostages are. Understand? They know I have my cell phone."
"Shut the fuck up, Grissom!" Charlie leveled the gun, his arm no longer as steady.
"I know this stuff, Dunn. I know how the LVPD works. If they think you've harmed either of us, they'll rush the building. They will take you out," Grissom emphasized.
Charlie walked over to the scanner. He really needed a fix.
****************************
Nick and Warrick stood over the hood of their Tahoe, the apartment building floor plan spread out in front of them.
"Ok, we've got Dunn living in 103 and in 208 according to the incredible record keeping of the idiot that owns this building," Nick drawled, pointing to the different areas on the plan.
"I'm betting on 103 as the current address. Cheaper? Plus, easier in and out for a junkie," Warrick said.
"Maybe," Nick stood and stretched his back in frustration.
Catherine approached the two. "SWAT hasn't been able to tell us shit in that regard."
"They establish phone contact yet, Cath?" Warrick asked as he turned to her.
"Nothing," she sighed in frustration. "They've all but tied Brass's hands with every agency in Vegas jockeying for position on this."
"That's bullshit," Nicky spat. "Let's find Brass."
"I'm with you, man," Warrick nodded and looked toward Catherine.
"Let's find him, before I get fired for calling Grissom's cell myself," Cath said tersely.
TBC
**************************
Charlie, who stood over him with a roll of duct tape, blocked Grissom's view of Sara. He quickly wrapped the CSI's hands.
"Nothin' personal," Charlie deadpanned. He closed in on Grissom's face and fairly shouted, "I fuckin' lied! It's everything personal. You fucked up my life, man!"
"I don't even know you, Mr. Dunn," Grissom stated flatly, still trying to get Sara's prone form in his field of vision.
"Right. I can see how you're all concerned about the girlfriend. She's been sucking up all the smack I can shoot her with," Charlie grinned. "That and I had to knock her ass out when I was trying to leave. You fucked that up too, Gilbeerrrt!"
"What have you done to her?" Grissom asked as calmly as he could; His heart feeling as if it was going to jump out of his chest didn't help
"Now, I don't like hittin' women, Griss, as she tends to call you, he sneered. "She just seems to bring out the worst in me." Charlie stepped aside and gave his newest captive a full view of Sara
Grissom was now able to see Sara for more than a few seconds. He noted the rise and fall of her chest and was more than mildly alarmed by the unsteady rhythm. It wasn't hard to see or hear that her breathing was labored. He swallowed hard, his mind toying with several options to get Dunn's attention on him instead of Sara.
Charlie scratched his head and gazed at Grissom. "It hurts you, huh? Seeing your girlfriend like this?"
"You're wrong, Dunn. Sara Sidle is not my girlfriend. She's a co-worker who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your fight is with me."
Charlie crossed the few feet to Sara and crouched down beside her. His eyes found Grissom's as he caressed her face. "Then I guess you don't mind if I touch her then, huh?"
Grissom's gaze didn't waver as he fixed Charlie with a cold stare. "Your problem is with me, Mr. Dunn. I'm sorry Ms. Sidle got caught up in it, but she's a big girl and can take care of herself." As the words left his mouth, Grissom felt his saliva turn to acid. He knew he'd said the right thing, it simply hurt more than he expected. For a split second, he thought it fortunate that Sara couldn't hear him. He felt as if the words were a betrayal. Please, Sara, he pleaded silently. Please, just wake up and help me out here. I need you to look at me. I need to see your eyes. We've always been able to communicate with our eyes.
Charlie stroked Sara's arm, his hand making contact with her breast. He noticed Grissom's jaw clench and smiled. Charlie figured he knew how to hurt Grissom.
"Aren't you enough of a man to deal with me directly, Mr. Dunn? Ms. Sidle has nothing to do with this."
"Oh, I think I am dealin' with you, Grissom. I just get the feelin' it hurts you more to see me hurt her." Charlie's touch turned violent as he grabbed Sara by the hair, jerking her into a sitting position. She gasped violently and her eyes shot open. Charlie raised his hand to hit her.
"Don't!" Grissom yelled.
Charlie smiled savagely as he brought his hand to her face and stopped at the last instant. Sara's expression barely reflected the near violence. She actually struggled to keep her eyes open and didn't seem to notice the new addition to the room. Charlie leaned closer to her. "Your boyfriend's here."
Grissom struggled against the tape on his hands, his eyes not leaving Sara's face. She seemed to recognize him after a few seconds and relief flooded his body.
"Grissom?"
"I'm here, Sara."
"You came for me after all. I didn't think you would." Sara's words were deliberate and seemed to take great effort. Grissom couldn't tell if this was from the obvious trauma to her head and face or from the drug. He decided it must be a little of both. Her eyes began to close again and Grissom felt a bit of panic.
"Sara, please stay awake. I need you to stay awake, all right? Open your eyes."
"Oh, isn't this sweeeet," Charlie sing-songed. You too are a regular Romeo and Juliet, aren't ya?"
"Listen to me, Dunn. Let me help her. Do you want a dead hostage on your hands?"
"Hostage?" Charlie said, raising the 38 again. "You think you're a hostage? I'm gonna kill you both."
"No. You don't want to die. And you're not a killer. Not yet," Grissom bargained. "The police will be trying to contact you soon. They'll want to talk and they'll want to know how your hostages are. Understand? They know I have my cell phone."
"Shut the fuck up, Grissom!" Charlie leveled the gun, his arm no longer as steady.
"I know this stuff, Dunn. I know how the LVPD works. If they think you've harmed either of us, they'll rush the building. They will take you out," Grissom emphasized.
Charlie walked over to the scanner. He really needed a fix.
****************************
Nick and Warrick stood over the hood of their Tahoe, the apartment building floor plan spread out in front of them.
"Ok, we've got Dunn living in 103 and in 208 according to the incredible record keeping of the idiot that owns this building," Nick drawled, pointing to the different areas on the plan.
"I'm betting on 103 as the current address. Cheaper? Plus, easier in and out for a junkie," Warrick said.
"Maybe," Nick stood and stretched his back in frustration.
Catherine approached the two. "SWAT hasn't been able to tell us shit in that regard."
"They establish phone contact yet, Cath?" Warrick asked as he turned to her.
"Nothing," she sighed in frustration. "They've all but tied Brass's hands with every agency in Vegas jockeying for position on this."
"That's bullshit," Nicky spat. "Let's find Brass."
"I'm with you, man," Warrick nodded and looked toward Catherine.
"Let's find him, before I get fired for calling Grissom's cell myself," Cath said tersely.
TBC