Chapter 2
Greg awoke with a blinding hangover; but he accepted that this was his own fault. So who was yelling? His eyes were blurry, after a few seconds he realised that he was tied up. This came as a bit of a shock to him, but not as much as the spotlight in the middle of the otherwise dark room. Or rather, what the spotlight was focused on. And so he found out who was screaming- his mother.
Horrified Greg tried to break free, but couldn't. A figure completely in black was slowly stabbing his mother and all he could do was watch. Strike after strike the shadow seemed to be trying not to laugh as it reached into the light and took his last blow, disappearing from view as Greg's mother, strewn on the cold floor bled her life on to the dirty grey concrete. He turned his head away as his mother cried out his name, begging him for help with the last breath she possessed. Tears ran freely down his face. This was all too much for him. In a mixture of fury and devastation the latter won and the tears fought to come out faster, to match the amount of pain he felt inside. Wasn't there something he could have done?
The lights came on after a while and the figure in black strode casually towards him. Greg struggled furiously against his restraints but to no avail. His captor took off the black balaclava hiding his face.
"You see Mr. Sanders, it's not very nice to lose someone you love is it?"
And with that, his captor turned and left, though not before turning out the lights, leaving Greg in absolute darkness.
*********************************************************************
Back at the CSI labs, Ecklie made a decision. He was calling up the graveyard shift to handle a case that had just come in; something he never thought he would do. A taxi driver had reported a crime outside a club. Fortunately the guy had a photographic memory; he could give clear details on what all three victims looked like and the attacker. Ecklie had recognised Greg immediately. It was typical- the only member of the graveyard shift he actually liked was the one to get kidnapped.
"Grissom? It's Ecklie...I think you should call up your CSI's and get over here."
Gil was tempted by a sarcastic reply but bit his tongue, gut instinct telling him that this was serious.
"What is it?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
"It's Greg, we think he's been kidnapped."
Grissom tensed.
"I'm on my way."
Grissom grabbed a coat and car keys before he remembered the others. He was almost thinking about going it alone and leaving the others blissfully unaware, but thought better of it.
*********************************************************************
At the lab people buzzed everywhere. Grissom and his CSI's however, stood still in the middle of the corridor. Ecklie rushed over to them and in the emergency, any kind of rivalry between them was forgotten. He held up the artist's impressions of Greg, Justin, Mark and the kidnapper. Nick took the pictures off Ecklie.
"Hey I met these guys, Tom and...Justin I think...they're friends of Greg."
"And the fourth?"
Grissom asked Nick but Ecklie answered when Nick shrugged.
"James Roe. Brother of Edward Roe..."
Grissom got the implication immediately and explained to the others.
"Two months ago, the wardrobe case. Victims were found hanging in their own wardrobes. The case was going to go flat but Greg ran into the courtroom at the last moment with evidence, Eddie Roe got the death penalty."
After a pause Grissom noticed everyone staring at him for guidance on what they should do next.
"Usually I would advise you not to make it personal. This is personal; but if we lose focus we'll screw up and we cannot afford to make mistakes when Greg's life hangs in the balance got that?"
They nodded hesitantly.
"Let's get started. Nick and Sara, you head for the crime scene, Warrick, Catherine, with me- we're going to the suspect's house."
*********************************************************************
A flash of light left his eyes with dancing colours for a moment. Trying to see past the colourful fuzz, Greg recognised the next victim and cold fear possessed him. His sister Karla, looking straight at him with barely concealed terror. She had always been brave. She managed to choke out her last words to Greg before being shot in the stomach.
"It's not your fault Greg."
She fell to the floor and writhed in pain before her heart finally stopped. In shock Greg threw up. His beautiful sister, full of life a few seconds ago, planning to have a baby. Dead.
"See here's the thing Sanders. I believe very strongly in fate."
Roe said with a dangerously strong conviction and Greg realised that he was more that evil, he was totally insane.
"And fate brought you and I together, so fate will decide which of us goes down. It's all a game luck, life, it's all down to who's lucky and you know what?! It's time luck was on my side for once!"
He yelled angrily. He started pacing, then abruptly stopped and looked at Greg. His voice was shaky and psychotic.
"It's Vegas, Vegas...Do you gamble Greg? Do you? Casinos and slot machines? It's Vegas....."
Greg was still in shock. He couldn't find the strength to speak, fearing that answering the maniac in front of him would almost be like accepting this whole situation was real. Roe approached him with a furious glint in his eye.
"Get away from me you psycho freak!!"
Greg screamed without thinking. Roe started laughing maniacally as he hit Greg in the stomach, winding him. For the next twenty minutes Greg became the object of Roe's fury.
In a way he didn't mind. It was like taking out the guilt on himself. He was 27 and had lost his family and friends. They had all died because of him, and he didn't know how to handle it, or if he even could; so he goaded Roe on even more. TBC
Greg awoke with a blinding hangover; but he accepted that this was his own fault. So who was yelling? His eyes were blurry, after a few seconds he realised that he was tied up. This came as a bit of a shock to him, but not as much as the spotlight in the middle of the otherwise dark room. Or rather, what the spotlight was focused on. And so he found out who was screaming- his mother.
Horrified Greg tried to break free, but couldn't. A figure completely in black was slowly stabbing his mother and all he could do was watch. Strike after strike the shadow seemed to be trying not to laugh as it reached into the light and took his last blow, disappearing from view as Greg's mother, strewn on the cold floor bled her life on to the dirty grey concrete. He turned his head away as his mother cried out his name, begging him for help with the last breath she possessed. Tears ran freely down his face. This was all too much for him. In a mixture of fury and devastation the latter won and the tears fought to come out faster, to match the amount of pain he felt inside. Wasn't there something he could have done?
The lights came on after a while and the figure in black strode casually towards him. Greg struggled furiously against his restraints but to no avail. His captor took off the black balaclava hiding his face.
"You see Mr. Sanders, it's not very nice to lose someone you love is it?"
And with that, his captor turned and left, though not before turning out the lights, leaving Greg in absolute darkness.
*********************************************************************
Back at the CSI labs, Ecklie made a decision. He was calling up the graveyard shift to handle a case that had just come in; something he never thought he would do. A taxi driver had reported a crime outside a club. Fortunately the guy had a photographic memory; he could give clear details on what all three victims looked like and the attacker. Ecklie had recognised Greg immediately. It was typical- the only member of the graveyard shift he actually liked was the one to get kidnapped.
"Grissom? It's Ecklie...I think you should call up your CSI's and get over here."
Gil was tempted by a sarcastic reply but bit his tongue, gut instinct telling him that this was serious.
"What is it?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
"It's Greg, we think he's been kidnapped."
Grissom tensed.
"I'm on my way."
Grissom grabbed a coat and car keys before he remembered the others. He was almost thinking about going it alone and leaving the others blissfully unaware, but thought better of it.
*********************************************************************
At the lab people buzzed everywhere. Grissom and his CSI's however, stood still in the middle of the corridor. Ecklie rushed over to them and in the emergency, any kind of rivalry between them was forgotten. He held up the artist's impressions of Greg, Justin, Mark and the kidnapper. Nick took the pictures off Ecklie.
"Hey I met these guys, Tom and...Justin I think...they're friends of Greg."
"And the fourth?"
Grissom asked Nick but Ecklie answered when Nick shrugged.
"James Roe. Brother of Edward Roe..."
Grissom got the implication immediately and explained to the others.
"Two months ago, the wardrobe case. Victims were found hanging in their own wardrobes. The case was going to go flat but Greg ran into the courtroom at the last moment with evidence, Eddie Roe got the death penalty."
After a pause Grissom noticed everyone staring at him for guidance on what they should do next.
"Usually I would advise you not to make it personal. This is personal; but if we lose focus we'll screw up and we cannot afford to make mistakes when Greg's life hangs in the balance got that?"
They nodded hesitantly.
"Let's get started. Nick and Sara, you head for the crime scene, Warrick, Catherine, with me- we're going to the suspect's house."
*********************************************************************
A flash of light left his eyes with dancing colours for a moment. Trying to see past the colourful fuzz, Greg recognised the next victim and cold fear possessed him. His sister Karla, looking straight at him with barely concealed terror. She had always been brave. She managed to choke out her last words to Greg before being shot in the stomach.
"It's not your fault Greg."
She fell to the floor and writhed in pain before her heart finally stopped. In shock Greg threw up. His beautiful sister, full of life a few seconds ago, planning to have a baby. Dead.
"See here's the thing Sanders. I believe very strongly in fate."
Roe said with a dangerously strong conviction and Greg realised that he was more that evil, he was totally insane.
"And fate brought you and I together, so fate will decide which of us goes down. It's all a game luck, life, it's all down to who's lucky and you know what?! It's time luck was on my side for once!"
He yelled angrily. He started pacing, then abruptly stopped and looked at Greg. His voice was shaky and psychotic.
"It's Vegas, Vegas...Do you gamble Greg? Do you? Casinos and slot machines? It's Vegas....."
Greg was still in shock. He couldn't find the strength to speak, fearing that answering the maniac in front of him would almost be like accepting this whole situation was real. Roe approached him with a furious glint in his eye.
"Get away from me you psycho freak!!"
Greg screamed without thinking. Roe started laughing maniacally as he hit Greg in the stomach, winding him. For the next twenty minutes Greg became the object of Roe's fury.
In a way he didn't mind. It was like taking out the guilt on himself. He was 27 and had lost his family and friends. They had all died because of him, and he didn't know how to handle it, or if he even could; so he goaded Roe on even more. TBC