Chapter 12
Sara woke up feeling stiff and sore. Her head pounded terribly and the cement floor she was lying on was freezingly cold. She stood up only to fall back down with a resounding thud upon her backside. The world suddenly started to twirl about her and she steadied herself against a wall. Then, trying again, she slowly stood up. Gripping the cold cement wall for support, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness of the room. It looked a lot like a basement. There was no windows whatsoever, and only one door was visible. In the little room itself, there was only one steel bed with a filthy mattress upon it. And there was also a small pile of blankets and a minute pillow. Sara thought that the mattress would feel much better against her sore body than the cold floor so she made her way towards the bed with baby steps. As she came closer and closer to the bed she realized someone was lying upon it, a small person, a very small person: Lindsey. Sara cried out in joy and ran towards the little girl. "Lindsey, hi. Are you all right? You're not hurt are you? This is Sara, remember me? Sara? I work with your mommy." The child was slowly stirred from her slumber and hearing the word mommy she began to cry. "Mommy? Mommy where are you? Please don't leave me, don't go. MOMMY!!!!" Sara was doing her best to quiet the child, "Lindsey, honey, it's all right. Everything will be ok. I'm here now, I'll protect you." As soon as Sara said those words she heard a commotion above her head and some heavy footsteps on wooden stairs. Then, the only door in the whole place creaked open.
"What's all this ruckus? Shut up you little wretch." A middle-aged woman stood against the open door through which bright light streamed in. Then, she noticed the older woman trying to comfort the child, speaking to her in a soothing voice and holding a steely glare upon her face. "Ah, I finally see that you have woken up. It's about time, didn't mean to hit you that hard." The woman gave a shrill cry which made Lindsey cry harder and made Sara shiver. "Been out cold for a day and a half. Ha, you little weakling." Sara froze, she has been here for a day and a half already and no one has found her or Lindsey. Where was Grissom? Where was her prince riding gallantly on a white horse to save her? She continued to stare at the women by the door, "What do you want with us? Who the hell are you?" Lindsey was shivering now, it was quite cold and the thin blanket gave little protection. Sara noticed this and took off her vest and wrapped it around the little girl's body. "Well, my name is Shelly. My husband wanted a little girl for his birthday, so, I got him one. The little brat wouldn't shut up though, so I got her a nanny. Satisfied?" Sara's blood boiled. This woman was crazy! She was definitely out of her mind. 'Good thing I'm trained in weaponless defense. At least that didn't go to waste.' Sara put a protective arm around Lindsey before speaking again, "Let us go. We have done nothing to you, and if you don't harm us then I will ask the attorney to lessen your sentence." Shelly gave another laugh, a high, cruel, laugh that echoed around the cement walls. "You really think it's that easy? Well, if you want, you can go ahead and leave, the kid's mine though. You hear? MINE. Plus, I'm sure you'll make a fine present for my husband, hah." Sara suddenly released Lindsey and made a lunge towards the woman. She in turn took one step back and sealed the door closed from the outside. "Damn it!" Sara shouted and immediately regretted it, the little girl on the bed turned to stare at her with big eyes. "Mommy says that's not a very good word." Sara nodded, remembering Catherine for a split second before returning to the present situation. "Yes, your mommy's right. It's not a very nice word to say, I'm sorry. I won't say it again. Promise."
Sara walked around their prison, looking at every wall over and over again, trying to find some means of escape. She only discovered an ugly, bare bulb positioned at the very center of the room. There was no switch, however. Finally, hearing Lindsey's whimper on the other side of the room, Sara walked over to the solitary bed and sat down. "Lindsey, how long have you been here?" Sara's voice was etched with concern, this was not a healthy environment for a little girl, for anyone, "I've been here for a long while. A very long while, I miss my Mommy. Is she coming to get me? That woman isn't very nice. I'm hungry Sara, very hungry." Lindsey jumped from subject to subject, almost delusional. "Did that woman give you anything to eat, Lindsey? Anything at all?" The little girl shook her head no. Sara felt her blood turn cold. "Lindsey, honey, what do you mean the woman is mean. Is she mean because she didn't feed you?" The little girl, again, shook her head no, "She hurt me." Sara suddenly withdrew her hand from Lindsey's arm. Not wanting to hurt the little girl of there was a bruise there. She then got off the bed and headed towards the door, "It won't move Sara, I tried already." Sara turned back to look at the little girl, suddenly noticing how frail her body seemed in the darkness. She nodded slowly and plastered a smile on her face. Then, she continued to the door. Sara stood there for a second, and noticed that there was no handle, they were totally trapped. She began beating upon the cement walls, oblivious of the pain. "We need some light in here!!!" She continued beating at the door for almost five minutes, alternating between her hands and feet, and then finally the single bulb flickered on. From the other side of the door, she heard a muffled voice, "You got two hours."
Sara sighed, her plan had worked, but now, her hands were bleeding. The small bumps on the door had cut her hands in several places and they were starting to seep blood. As she heard a small sniffle, she turned her attention away from her hands but to the lonely child on the bed. The sight took Sara's breath away. Lindsey's clothes where hanging on her body, covered in dirt. Her face and exposed arms were covered in cuts and bruises. Her eyes were filled with tears. Sara rushed to the little girl and hugged her tenderly. "Lindsey, what happened? Tell me what happened." Lindsey sniffled again and lowered her head. "The lady got mad at me because I was crying. She said I was being bad, but I just want my mommy." Sara couldn't believe it. The poor little girl, she must have been horrified. "Don't worry Lindsey, ok? I will protect you now. I won't let the mean woman hurt you anymore. I promise." Lindsey smiled at the older woman and lay cradled in her arms.
A few minutes later a sleeping child lay in Sara's arms. For the very first time. She was awed by the image, this pure little soul was so helpless, so in dire need of her mother. 'Catherine should be here, not me. I'm not a mother, and I probably never will be. Most men have more maternal instinct than me. I hope I can help Lindsey just a little bit.' Sara was quietly brooding when suddenly the lights went out. Time was up. Sara slowly uncurled Lindsey's arms from her waist and settled down on the bed. She half-heartedly covered the little girl with the excuse of a blanket and wrapped her arms around the child. She lay there, in the dark. Cold, hungry, shivering. Also, thinking of Grissom.
Sara woke up feeling stiff and sore. Her head pounded terribly and the cement floor she was lying on was freezingly cold. She stood up only to fall back down with a resounding thud upon her backside. The world suddenly started to twirl about her and she steadied herself against a wall. Then, trying again, she slowly stood up. Gripping the cold cement wall for support, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness of the room. It looked a lot like a basement. There was no windows whatsoever, and only one door was visible. In the little room itself, there was only one steel bed with a filthy mattress upon it. And there was also a small pile of blankets and a minute pillow. Sara thought that the mattress would feel much better against her sore body than the cold floor so she made her way towards the bed with baby steps. As she came closer and closer to the bed she realized someone was lying upon it, a small person, a very small person: Lindsey. Sara cried out in joy and ran towards the little girl. "Lindsey, hi. Are you all right? You're not hurt are you? This is Sara, remember me? Sara? I work with your mommy." The child was slowly stirred from her slumber and hearing the word mommy she began to cry. "Mommy? Mommy where are you? Please don't leave me, don't go. MOMMY!!!!" Sara was doing her best to quiet the child, "Lindsey, honey, it's all right. Everything will be ok. I'm here now, I'll protect you." As soon as Sara said those words she heard a commotion above her head and some heavy footsteps on wooden stairs. Then, the only door in the whole place creaked open.
"What's all this ruckus? Shut up you little wretch." A middle-aged woman stood against the open door through which bright light streamed in. Then, she noticed the older woman trying to comfort the child, speaking to her in a soothing voice and holding a steely glare upon her face. "Ah, I finally see that you have woken up. It's about time, didn't mean to hit you that hard." The woman gave a shrill cry which made Lindsey cry harder and made Sara shiver. "Been out cold for a day and a half. Ha, you little weakling." Sara froze, she has been here for a day and a half already and no one has found her or Lindsey. Where was Grissom? Where was her prince riding gallantly on a white horse to save her? She continued to stare at the women by the door, "What do you want with us? Who the hell are you?" Lindsey was shivering now, it was quite cold and the thin blanket gave little protection. Sara noticed this and took off her vest and wrapped it around the little girl's body. "Well, my name is Shelly. My husband wanted a little girl for his birthday, so, I got him one. The little brat wouldn't shut up though, so I got her a nanny. Satisfied?" Sara's blood boiled. This woman was crazy! She was definitely out of her mind. 'Good thing I'm trained in weaponless defense. At least that didn't go to waste.' Sara put a protective arm around Lindsey before speaking again, "Let us go. We have done nothing to you, and if you don't harm us then I will ask the attorney to lessen your sentence." Shelly gave another laugh, a high, cruel, laugh that echoed around the cement walls. "You really think it's that easy? Well, if you want, you can go ahead and leave, the kid's mine though. You hear? MINE. Plus, I'm sure you'll make a fine present for my husband, hah." Sara suddenly released Lindsey and made a lunge towards the woman. She in turn took one step back and sealed the door closed from the outside. "Damn it!" Sara shouted and immediately regretted it, the little girl on the bed turned to stare at her with big eyes. "Mommy says that's not a very good word." Sara nodded, remembering Catherine for a split second before returning to the present situation. "Yes, your mommy's right. It's not a very nice word to say, I'm sorry. I won't say it again. Promise."
Sara walked around their prison, looking at every wall over and over again, trying to find some means of escape. She only discovered an ugly, bare bulb positioned at the very center of the room. There was no switch, however. Finally, hearing Lindsey's whimper on the other side of the room, Sara walked over to the solitary bed and sat down. "Lindsey, how long have you been here?" Sara's voice was etched with concern, this was not a healthy environment for a little girl, for anyone, "I've been here for a long while. A very long while, I miss my Mommy. Is she coming to get me? That woman isn't very nice. I'm hungry Sara, very hungry." Lindsey jumped from subject to subject, almost delusional. "Did that woman give you anything to eat, Lindsey? Anything at all?" The little girl shook her head no. Sara felt her blood turn cold. "Lindsey, honey, what do you mean the woman is mean. Is she mean because she didn't feed you?" The little girl, again, shook her head no, "She hurt me." Sara suddenly withdrew her hand from Lindsey's arm. Not wanting to hurt the little girl of there was a bruise there. She then got off the bed and headed towards the door, "It won't move Sara, I tried already." Sara turned back to look at the little girl, suddenly noticing how frail her body seemed in the darkness. She nodded slowly and plastered a smile on her face. Then, she continued to the door. Sara stood there for a second, and noticed that there was no handle, they were totally trapped. She began beating upon the cement walls, oblivious of the pain. "We need some light in here!!!" She continued beating at the door for almost five minutes, alternating between her hands and feet, and then finally the single bulb flickered on. From the other side of the door, she heard a muffled voice, "You got two hours."
Sara sighed, her plan had worked, but now, her hands were bleeding. The small bumps on the door had cut her hands in several places and they were starting to seep blood. As she heard a small sniffle, she turned her attention away from her hands but to the lonely child on the bed. The sight took Sara's breath away. Lindsey's clothes where hanging on her body, covered in dirt. Her face and exposed arms were covered in cuts and bruises. Her eyes were filled with tears. Sara rushed to the little girl and hugged her tenderly. "Lindsey, what happened? Tell me what happened." Lindsey sniffled again and lowered her head. "The lady got mad at me because I was crying. She said I was being bad, but I just want my mommy." Sara couldn't believe it. The poor little girl, she must have been horrified. "Don't worry Lindsey, ok? I will protect you now. I won't let the mean woman hurt you anymore. I promise." Lindsey smiled at the older woman and lay cradled in her arms.
A few minutes later a sleeping child lay in Sara's arms. For the very first time. She was awed by the image, this pure little soul was so helpless, so in dire need of her mother. 'Catherine should be here, not me. I'm not a mother, and I probably never will be. Most men have more maternal instinct than me. I hope I can help Lindsey just a little bit.' Sara was quietly brooding when suddenly the lights went out. Time was up. Sara slowly uncurled Lindsey's arms from her waist and settled down on the bed. She half-heartedly covered the little girl with the excuse of a blanket and wrapped her arms around the child. She lay there, in the dark. Cold, hungry, shivering. Also, thinking of Grissom.