Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since the last chapter. Me still don't own
:o(
A/N: Hey all. So it didn't take me too long, so you've got to give me credit for this. Thanks to all of you wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: The Madhatter2, gilcathlover, MissyJane, Elle9, cRaZyPiXiE, Charming-Storm, csi uk, A Bloom, Sprinkles143 and sab. You guys really make my day. Well I'm partly buried under coursework and there's still more to come, so I might take a bit of time updating again. But please review and be my silver lining to so much work. Well R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex :o)
Her eyelids were like lead. Sara struggled to force them open again. Her head spun making everything blurring into one big mess. The wall scrapped her hands and the chains restricted her arm movement, confirming that she was still trapped in the basement. Still alive. 'But what about the other girl?' She thought bleakly, remembering the distant screaming.
Finally she managed to open her eyes completely and forced them to look across to the spot where the girl once was. Except she was no longer there: the chains held a new prisoner. "Catherine!" She yelped in surprise. Her friend didn't move; her head still lolled against the brick wall. "Catherine? CATHERINE?" She shouted, her voice getting more and more frantic.
Sara's heart settled slightly as she saw Catherine shift; groaning as she groggily opened her eyes. Her blue orbs landed straight on Sara; confusion followed by relief took over them. Sara could have sworn that if she could move, Catherine would have pulled her into a hug by now. "Sara. Sara you're ok. We were so worried," She breathed. Then the reality of her situation began to settle in, "He's got us hasn't he?"
Sara nodded sadly, though Cath needed no conformation. The older woman carried on scanning their prison, as if searching for a way out. Her eyes landed on the photo and she let out a gasp of horror at the slash through the now dead girl's face. "Oh god, not Nina. Please, not her as well."
"I'm so sorry Cath," Sara whispered, her voice wavering with tears like the ones falling down Cath's face.
Catherine sobbed in anguished and then shook her head as if to pull herself together. "We're getting out of here," She told Sara, her voice full of determination as she began to yank at the chains.
This attempt abruptly stopped when the door flew open and the light rushed back in. The killer made his way back down the stairs, carrying a tray like before, whilst Catherine backed away as far as she could. "What are you trying to prove you asshole?" She screamed at him. He chose to ignore her and walked over to Sara. "Please," Catherine begged, "Let Sara go. She hasn't done anything wrong. She's not like me or the others. You have me, so just please let her go."
But he pretended he was deaf to her pleads - as if in his world she ceased to exist. He knelt down beside Sara and pressed some bread to her lips. She refused to eat it and he shoved it more aggressively towards her. "What about Catherine?" She questioned. He just shook his head, trying to force her to eat, but she definitely turned her head away.
The killer sighed in frustration and chucked the food violently back onto the tray, making both of the women jump at the outburst. He stormed out of the cellar, slamming the door behind him and locking it firmly shut; trapping the light out and the shadows in.
~*~*~*~*~
Grissom was greeted by flashing lights as he numbly exited his house. Car doors opened and he spotted Nick and Warrick hurriedly getting out of the Tahoe. The younger men ran over; the spite that clung previously to Nick's face had vanished. Now it was a mask of pity, concern and understanding. 'Well, at least he can be honest when he says he knows what I'm going through,' He thought blankly.
He felt like he was in a dream; none of this was real. His dazed eyes inspected each equally worried face. "Grissom?" Warrick said gently, as if asking what had happened.
He swallowed. "She's gone. Cath's gone and he's taken her."
"Jesus," Brass swore under his breath.
Warrick uneasily cleared his throat. "We know who the Jane Doe is."
"Nina Hawk," Grissom finished to their surprise. He showed them the photo he still clutched in his hand. "She used to work with Cath. I think our killers got a copy of this."
"Oh god."
"What else can you tell me?"
"Miss Hawk was still working at the 'French Palace', but she was arrested a few months ago for prostitution," Brass filled him in.
"Anything else? Did Greg or Al find anything?"
"She was killed the same way as the others - only raped once unlike Portia - except this time there was no semen. He used a condom," Nick replied this time.
Grissom raised an eyebrow. "A condom? He never worried before about leaving his DNA, so what's changed?"
The others shook their head, completely stumped by the new development. "What can we do?" Nick asked quietly.
"I don't want any tape up 'til Lindsey's out of here," Gris ordered, the other men followed his gaze back to the parked SUV. The young girl still sat in the car; confusion and worry haunted her eyes as they flicked around the scene in front of her.
"I can have an officer take her back to headquarters," Brass offered.
Grissom nodded and Brass called to a younger redhead female officer, as they approached the car. Lindsey saw them heading over and automatically jumped out of the car and into Gris' arms. "What's going on? Where's mom?" She questioned.
"We're not sure right now sweetie," He told her honestly, "But we're gonna find her. Right now I want you to go with..." He quickly glanced at the female officer, who mouthed 'Debbie'. "Debbie here. She's going to take you back to the lab, ok."
"Ok, Uncle Grissom."
He held her tightly and kissed her head. "It's going to be ok Lindsey, I promise."
"I know, I trust you," She nodded slightly. "I love you Uncle Grissom."
"I love you too sweetheart."
Reluctantly, he released her from his embrace and watched the officer lead her off to a waiting police car. "What now?" Brass asked after they had regrouped with Nick and Warrick.
"Nick and Warrick search the crime scene," He told them, knowing - and despising the fact - that his emotions made him a liability.
"Shouldn't this be handed over to the day shift?" Brass suggested carefully.
"Ecklie's coming no where near this case," He snapped in response. "Nick, Warrick, I want you to start processing this scene. And I want you to do a damn thorough job; leave no stone unturned. Got it?"
They nodded. "We will," Warrick promised.
Grissom turned his attention back to Brass. "I want you to come with me."
"Where're we going?"
"We've got some dancers to talk to."
~*~*~*~*~
"I can't believe it," The girl whispered, "Are you sure it's her?"
Brass nodded. She sat slumped in a chair in the 'French Palace' changing room. A dressing gown clung to her slim figure, whilst concealing what little clothing she wore underneath. A bony finger twisted long dark hair around it out of habit, as grey eyes blurred with tears stayed fixed on the floor. "I don't believe it. I mean, I like saw her only three days ago, ya know," She murmured.
"Miss Reel-"
"Leah," She corrected, "The Miss thing has never suited me."
"Why didn't you report Miss Hawk missing?" Grissom complete the question for Brass.
Leah stared at him in confusion. "'Cause she wasn't. I mean, she'd gone away."
"Where?"
"Visiting her mom."
"We never received a missing person report from her either," Brass told her.
"Oh you wouldn't of. She's got premature dementia I think. Anyway, she's in this nursing home thing. Cost Nina a bomb to keep her there so..."
She let her voice trail off, but Grissom finished the sentence for her, "So she went into prostitution to earn more money?"
Leah nodded slightly surprised. "She was such a good person, doesn't matter what she did, nothing changes that fact, ya know?" She stated suddenly as if they were suggesting something else. "When I started here, she was the one who showed me the ropes. She watched my back and gave me pointers, like which regulars gave the best tips. And she loved her mom to bits, only reason she got into that. God, it shouldn't have been her."
"Do you know if Miss Hawk own a picture like this?" Grissom asked, showing her Cath's photo.
"Yeah she did." Leah's face was touched by a tiny smile. "She used to always go on about these days." She stopped fiddling with her hair and used the finger to point at Catherine. "That was like her mentor. Nina was barely 18 when she started here, and that was the woman who looked after her, like Nina did for me. Nina used to go on about what an amazing dancer she was and how she would have given anything to be like her." The smile vanished. "To get out of the business like her."
The girl stared at the photo, complete zoned out into her own little world. Then she raised her head and her tear filled eyes looked straight at men before her. "Maybe if she had, this wouldn't of happened."
~*~*~*~*~
"Yeah, that's just like the photo that was in Portia's locker."
The young woman with tacky blond hair continued to tweak it into place, completely oblivious to the fury filling Grissom's face. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"
The blond rolled her eyes as she turned from the mirror and fixed her face caked in thick make-up with a look as if he was incredibly dim. "'Coz ya didn't ask. Jesus!" She turned back to the mirror, pushed an invisible strand back into place, and turned back. "Can I like go now? 'Coz I'm loosing money here."
All Grissom wanted to do was close the gap between them and shake some sense into her stupidly selfish head. She may be loosing money, but she had just lost someone valuable time off their ever shortening lifespan. But Brass got in there first: "Sure."
The stripper waltzed off and Gris sat down on a chair in the changing room. "I knew something was missing from Portia's locker." He muttered.
"And I guess we know how he knew about Cath," Brass added. He turned the photo over in his hand. "God, there must be about 20 signatures here. What are we going to do?"
Grissom met his eye with a hard expression. "Find Catherine and Sara, catch this bastard and make sure he pays for every life he's stolen."
A/N: Watch you think? You know the drill by now; you have an opinion I want to hear, so hit that little button and tell me! :o)
A/N: Hey all. So it didn't take me too long, so you've got to give me credit for this. Thanks to all of you wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: The Madhatter2, gilcathlover, MissyJane, Elle9, cRaZyPiXiE, Charming-Storm, csi uk, A Bloom, Sprinkles143 and sab. You guys really make my day. Well I'm partly buried under coursework and there's still more to come, so I might take a bit of time updating again. But please review and be my silver lining to so much work. Well R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex :o)
Her eyelids were like lead. Sara struggled to force them open again. Her head spun making everything blurring into one big mess. The wall scrapped her hands and the chains restricted her arm movement, confirming that she was still trapped in the basement. Still alive. 'But what about the other girl?' She thought bleakly, remembering the distant screaming.
Finally she managed to open her eyes completely and forced them to look across to the spot where the girl once was. Except she was no longer there: the chains held a new prisoner. "Catherine!" She yelped in surprise. Her friend didn't move; her head still lolled against the brick wall. "Catherine? CATHERINE?" She shouted, her voice getting more and more frantic.
Sara's heart settled slightly as she saw Catherine shift; groaning as she groggily opened her eyes. Her blue orbs landed straight on Sara; confusion followed by relief took over them. Sara could have sworn that if she could move, Catherine would have pulled her into a hug by now. "Sara. Sara you're ok. We were so worried," She breathed. Then the reality of her situation began to settle in, "He's got us hasn't he?"
Sara nodded sadly, though Cath needed no conformation. The older woman carried on scanning their prison, as if searching for a way out. Her eyes landed on the photo and she let out a gasp of horror at the slash through the now dead girl's face. "Oh god, not Nina. Please, not her as well."
"I'm so sorry Cath," Sara whispered, her voice wavering with tears like the ones falling down Cath's face.
Catherine sobbed in anguished and then shook her head as if to pull herself together. "We're getting out of here," She told Sara, her voice full of determination as she began to yank at the chains.
This attempt abruptly stopped when the door flew open and the light rushed back in. The killer made his way back down the stairs, carrying a tray like before, whilst Catherine backed away as far as she could. "What are you trying to prove you asshole?" She screamed at him. He chose to ignore her and walked over to Sara. "Please," Catherine begged, "Let Sara go. She hasn't done anything wrong. She's not like me or the others. You have me, so just please let her go."
But he pretended he was deaf to her pleads - as if in his world she ceased to exist. He knelt down beside Sara and pressed some bread to her lips. She refused to eat it and he shoved it more aggressively towards her. "What about Catherine?" She questioned. He just shook his head, trying to force her to eat, but she definitely turned her head away.
The killer sighed in frustration and chucked the food violently back onto the tray, making both of the women jump at the outburst. He stormed out of the cellar, slamming the door behind him and locking it firmly shut; trapping the light out and the shadows in.
~*~*~*~*~
Grissom was greeted by flashing lights as he numbly exited his house. Car doors opened and he spotted Nick and Warrick hurriedly getting out of the Tahoe. The younger men ran over; the spite that clung previously to Nick's face had vanished. Now it was a mask of pity, concern and understanding. 'Well, at least he can be honest when he says he knows what I'm going through,' He thought blankly.
He felt like he was in a dream; none of this was real. His dazed eyes inspected each equally worried face. "Grissom?" Warrick said gently, as if asking what had happened.
He swallowed. "She's gone. Cath's gone and he's taken her."
"Jesus," Brass swore under his breath.
Warrick uneasily cleared his throat. "We know who the Jane Doe is."
"Nina Hawk," Grissom finished to their surprise. He showed them the photo he still clutched in his hand. "She used to work with Cath. I think our killers got a copy of this."
"Oh god."
"What else can you tell me?"
"Miss Hawk was still working at the 'French Palace', but she was arrested a few months ago for prostitution," Brass filled him in.
"Anything else? Did Greg or Al find anything?"
"She was killed the same way as the others - only raped once unlike Portia - except this time there was no semen. He used a condom," Nick replied this time.
Grissom raised an eyebrow. "A condom? He never worried before about leaving his DNA, so what's changed?"
The others shook their head, completely stumped by the new development. "What can we do?" Nick asked quietly.
"I don't want any tape up 'til Lindsey's out of here," Gris ordered, the other men followed his gaze back to the parked SUV. The young girl still sat in the car; confusion and worry haunted her eyes as they flicked around the scene in front of her.
"I can have an officer take her back to headquarters," Brass offered.
Grissom nodded and Brass called to a younger redhead female officer, as they approached the car. Lindsey saw them heading over and automatically jumped out of the car and into Gris' arms. "What's going on? Where's mom?" She questioned.
"We're not sure right now sweetie," He told her honestly, "But we're gonna find her. Right now I want you to go with..." He quickly glanced at the female officer, who mouthed 'Debbie'. "Debbie here. She's going to take you back to the lab, ok."
"Ok, Uncle Grissom."
He held her tightly and kissed her head. "It's going to be ok Lindsey, I promise."
"I know, I trust you," She nodded slightly. "I love you Uncle Grissom."
"I love you too sweetheart."
Reluctantly, he released her from his embrace and watched the officer lead her off to a waiting police car. "What now?" Brass asked after they had regrouped with Nick and Warrick.
"Nick and Warrick search the crime scene," He told them, knowing - and despising the fact - that his emotions made him a liability.
"Shouldn't this be handed over to the day shift?" Brass suggested carefully.
"Ecklie's coming no where near this case," He snapped in response. "Nick, Warrick, I want you to start processing this scene. And I want you to do a damn thorough job; leave no stone unturned. Got it?"
They nodded. "We will," Warrick promised.
Grissom turned his attention back to Brass. "I want you to come with me."
"Where're we going?"
"We've got some dancers to talk to."
~*~*~*~*~
"I can't believe it," The girl whispered, "Are you sure it's her?"
Brass nodded. She sat slumped in a chair in the 'French Palace' changing room. A dressing gown clung to her slim figure, whilst concealing what little clothing she wore underneath. A bony finger twisted long dark hair around it out of habit, as grey eyes blurred with tears stayed fixed on the floor. "I don't believe it. I mean, I like saw her only three days ago, ya know," She murmured.
"Miss Reel-"
"Leah," She corrected, "The Miss thing has never suited me."
"Why didn't you report Miss Hawk missing?" Grissom complete the question for Brass.
Leah stared at him in confusion. "'Cause she wasn't. I mean, she'd gone away."
"Where?"
"Visiting her mom."
"We never received a missing person report from her either," Brass told her.
"Oh you wouldn't of. She's got premature dementia I think. Anyway, she's in this nursing home thing. Cost Nina a bomb to keep her there so..."
She let her voice trail off, but Grissom finished the sentence for her, "So she went into prostitution to earn more money?"
Leah nodded slightly surprised. "She was such a good person, doesn't matter what she did, nothing changes that fact, ya know?" She stated suddenly as if they were suggesting something else. "When I started here, she was the one who showed me the ropes. She watched my back and gave me pointers, like which regulars gave the best tips. And she loved her mom to bits, only reason she got into that. God, it shouldn't have been her."
"Do you know if Miss Hawk own a picture like this?" Grissom asked, showing her Cath's photo.
"Yeah she did." Leah's face was touched by a tiny smile. "She used to always go on about these days." She stopped fiddling with her hair and used the finger to point at Catherine. "That was like her mentor. Nina was barely 18 when she started here, and that was the woman who looked after her, like Nina did for me. Nina used to go on about what an amazing dancer she was and how she would have given anything to be like her." The smile vanished. "To get out of the business like her."
The girl stared at the photo, complete zoned out into her own little world. Then she raised her head and her tear filled eyes looked straight at men before her. "Maybe if she had, this wouldn't of happened."
~*~*~*~*~
"Yeah, that's just like the photo that was in Portia's locker."
The young woman with tacky blond hair continued to tweak it into place, completely oblivious to the fury filling Grissom's face. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"
The blond rolled her eyes as she turned from the mirror and fixed her face caked in thick make-up with a look as if he was incredibly dim. "'Coz ya didn't ask. Jesus!" She turned back to the mirror, pushed an invisible strand back into place, and turned back. "Can I like go now? 'Coz I'm loosing money here."
All Grissom wanted to do was close the gap between them and shake some sense into her stupidly selfish head. She may be loosing money, but she had just lost someone valuable time off their ever shortening lifespan. But Brass got in there first: "Sure."
The stripper waltzed off and Gris sat down on a chair in the changing room. "I knew something was missing from Portia's locker." He muttered.
"And I guess we know how he knew about Cath," Brass added. He turned the photo over in his hand. "God, there must be about 20 signatures here. What are we going to do?"
Grissom met his eye with a hard expression. "Find Catherine and Sara, catch this bastard and make sure he pays for every life he's stolen."
A/N: Watch you think? You know the drill by now; you have an opinion I want to hear, so hit that little button and tell me! :o)