a/n: Enjoy! I'm excited about the next chapter too, so I'll try to get that up soon. Thanks for the reviews, and by all means, keep 'em coming!

The Trade

Kostya had dropped Ethan off not far from the drop-off point. Now he and Nick sat in the car, waiting for 11 pm to come. It was dead silent, but there was something on both the men's minds.

Kostya forced himself to push it from his mind. More important things were at stake.

Nick, however, was thinking about Jill. He didn't know why he cared so much. Sure, he was human, and he didn't want to see anyone hurt. He wanted to protect people, and that's what he was doing all the time with his job. But Jill, for some reason, made things go deeper. It was absurd in some ways, Nick knew. He barely knew her. She obviously had a history of pain that he didn't understand, but he wanted to. Something about her drew him closer, but now they were apart, and Nick feared for her.

"Are you going to let her go?" he asked suddenly. The Russian man's gaze flickered to him via the rearview mirror.

"She'll be held until we have the information," Kostya said. "You'll meet the police and get the hard drive. Bring it back here, and then you go free."

Nick rolled his eyes. It was a stupid plan, since he could lead the police to him, but he didn't care about that. "And Jill?"

"We will release her when we are safe."

Nick gulped. To him, it meant that Jill would be held as long as they wanted. She'd be in danger.

"Why not let her go, and keep me?" Nick tried. Kostya laughed.

"You think you're more valuable, but you're not as easy to control as she is," the man said. "Besides, police are less motivated to find us when one of their own is not held."

"How can you pretend to care for her, and then talk about controlling her?" Nick changed the scope of the conversation, and he knew it was going somewhere he shouldn't focus on now, but Kostya bit.

"If it makes you feel better, know I will keep her safe."

"It doesn't make me feel better."

Kostya laughed. "What if she wants to stay? Does that bother you?"

Nick felt his pulse rise and the blood rush to his sore face. "Hey, just because you know about her life and got cozy with her doesn't mean she'd give up her freedom."

Again the Russian laughed. "So that is it." Nick frowned. "I'm closer to her than you are." He mumbled something in Russian and chuckled to himself.

Nick told himself to calm down but he couldn't help but fume at that. "Hey man, I know her enough to know she won't just leave with you. Is that what you're hoping for?" Maybe Kostya was convinced that Jill had stockholmed on him. Nick wasn't so sure. She'd fought against Lane and tried to help Nick back in the basement. He let it slip how he cared for her, even though he himself didn't understand why or how much. They flirted--that meant something. Didn't it?

"What do you know?" Kostya challenged. Nick felt his pride rising with his anger.

"I know she's been hurt," he said. "I know she's smart—she's already a graduate student in computer science. I know she cares about people because she identifies with their pain." He wasn't sure what the last one was about, but it felt right. It was instinct and he went with it.

Kostya just smiled. He casually removed his gun, and checked the clip. A glance at his watch showed it was time.

"We'll have to see, Nick," Kostya said with a touch of mockery. He leaned towards Nick and cut the ropes. "Now go. Come back with the hard drive if you really care for Jill."

Warrick's normally laid-back gait was stiff and robotic as he moved to the meeting point. In his hands, he cradled the hard drive.

The exact middle of Freemont Street was ahead, and since they had no better direction than that, Warrick got there and waited. His eyes searched for anyone suspicious, but he had several options in a crowd of people.

"'Rick," he heard behind him. Warrick whirled around to see Nick. He grinned, but it didn't last.

Nick looked bad. His face was swollen and a bit bloody. He winced at slight movements, and Warrick knew he was in pain.

"Nick, you okay, man?" he asked, laying a gentle hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick nodded.

"I need the hard drive," he said. Warrick stared at him, but nodded slowly.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Nick took the drive and started to back away. "They still have Jill. I have to take this back to them."

Warrick frowned. "Be careful."

Nick didn't acknowledge that. He just started weaving through the crowd, the hard drive in hand.

Warrick knew his orders. If possible he was to follow, and he knew about twenty plain-clothes cops were doing the same thing.

Nick moved pretty quickly, but he stumbled frequently too. Whatever the kidnappers did to him, it was still hurting Nick. But he was determined, and that reminded Warrick that they still had another hostage out there.

Ahead of him, Nick stumbled again. But he looked panicked. Someone bumped into him, and the hard drive was gone. Warrick looked for whoever bumped him, and saw a young blonde man. Before he could do a thing, a gun shot rang out.

Screams covered all other noise and added to the pandemonium. Tourists, weekenders, teens--they all scattered, screaming as they tried to get to wherever they deemed safe.

Nick was looking for the man, his hand clutching his side. Warrick went to him.

"Nick!" He steadied his friend.

"They took it," he said. "That was one of them." His eyes searched the crowd for him.

"He's gone, man," Warrick said. "Come on, we got to get you checked out." He started to pull Nick away, but he shrugged off Warrick's hold.

"No! They still have her!"

"Nick, ease up," Warrick said. "We tagged the drive. We'll find her."

Jill tried not to fidget, but Lane kept staring at her. He gave her the creeps. His longer blonde hair, his rough features, and his icy eyes—they all made her shudder. And he liked that. She could tell that he enjoyed the torment.

Just like when Kostya beat Nick. Lane had smiled through the beating. He treasured it. Jill hoped Nick was okay. The CSI tried to be charming, a defense to make her not worry. But she worried anyway. Why did Kostya beat Nick? It made her sick. It also made her . . . confused about Kostya.

Why had he done it? She could tell he didn't want to, but he wouldn't stand up to Lane. That was something that made Jill afraid.

"You're thinking about him," Lane commented, slightly amused. She didn't say anything to that. "Kostya is a good man. Reliable, strong, very skilled in the industry."

Jill scoffed at that. Lane considered what they did as an actual, acceptable industry?

"He's ready to retire though," Lane said. "He hasn't been happy since he had to leave Russia."

Jill caught on to what Lane said. "'Had to leave'?" she repeated.

"He didn't tell you?" Lane shrugged nonchalantly, though she knew he was baiting her. "If he goes back, and the Russians find out, they'll kill him. He betrayed his government. His family won't even talk to him."

A pang hit her chest, and she immediately chastised herself for it. She hadn't expected much good news about Kostya's life. He'd hinted before at not relying on his government. She knew why now. And it still hurt.

Lane watched the girl as she struggled with the news. She was so easy to manipulate. He wondered why Kostya still liked her. Such weakness . . . To him, weakness was a disease, a contagious one. He'd have to watch his Russian friend.

Suddenly headlights flashed, lighting the interior of the SUV they were in. Lane sat up straight.

It was Kostya and Ethan.

The two men abandoned their car and climbed in the SUV.

"Got it?" Lane asked, a hint of anxiety and excitement in his voice. Ethan held up the drive and passed it to the older Brit. "Good. Ethan, let's go."

Kostya sat next to Jill. He wouldn't look at her though, which Lane thought was hilarious.

"Kostya, you have the scanner?" he asked. The Russian nodded and pulled a device from his pocket. He began scanning the drive. The scanner emitted a beep repeatedly.

"It's being tracked," Kostya said. He set down the scanner and turned the drive upside down. Immediately he began working on it, unscrewing the external casing as Lane watched and Ethan drove. They were all tense. Now it could get unpredictable.

But Kostya worked quickly. The case was off in a minute, and he shined a MagLite on the drive.

"Where's the tracker?" Lane asked, hurrying him. Kostya didn't say anything, but his eyes flickered to Jill.

Her eyes honed in on the drive, but she quickly looked away.

"Jill," Kostya said. "Can you see it?"

She didn't answer.

"How would she know?" Lane asked. Kostya didn't remove his gaze from her.

"She's a graduate student. Computer Science," he said. Lane glanced between the hostage and the Russian, then suddenly whipped out his gun, pressing it to Jill's leg.

"Jill, find the tracker," he said. Beside him, Kostya growled.

"What the hell are you doing?" he questioned in Russian.

Lane smirked. "Giving her an incentive. We don't have time for this." He cocked the gun and tightened his finger on the trigger.

"Okay," Jill said. Her chest expanded visibly. She swallowed and moved to the drive.

"If the police find us, Jill, I will kill you," Lane said. He didn't see the glare Kostya shot him, but Jill began fiddling with the drive.

"Light," she said simply. Kostya held the flashlight over the drive. "There it is." She carefully grabbed a small device, something that looked no more complicated than a transistor. She held it up for the men to see.

"Happy?"

Lane grabbed the tracker and chucked it out the window.

"They stopped moving, somewhere on I-15," Brass said. They were still on Freemont Street, fussing over Nick, though he tried to shoo everyone off.

"Let's go," Nick said. Grissom, Catherine and Brass all objected.

"You're going to the hospital."

Nick shook his head. "No, I'm fine." He ran a hand over his short hair. "Look, I don't know what they're going to do to her. Jill's all alone now."

He looked pointedly at each of them, and waited for them to come around to his side. Even now, they were taking too long. Jill needed him. Or at least, he wouldn't leave her to fend off Lane and Kostya by herself.

"Okay."

The race to the location wasn't fast enough for Nick. His whole body was tight. Inside, his mind was jumping ahead.

What if they killed her? No, Kostya wouldn't. He was attached enough. That little kiss before leaving the house proved that. But would he let her go? And would Lane be willing to let her go, alive?

"There's nothing here," Warrick said.

Nick looked ahead. This was the spot, but there wasn't any vehicle on the side of the interstate. The police pulled over ahead of them, and Warrick stopped as well. Nick was out of the car as soon as it was safe.

"Where are they?" he asked to no one in particular. Behind him, Warrick knelt down on the road's shoulder.

"Hey guys," he said. "Isn't this the tracker?"

Nick gulped. He felt his legs weaken, and he quickly found a car to lean against before he passed out.

Somewhere along the car ride, Jill fell asleep. She laid on the back seat, curled up, her tied hands in front of her. Kostya watched her. Her brown hair covered her face slightly, and she looked as beautiful as ever. He swallowed and looked away from her.

"Byron's not answering," Lane said from the front passenger seat. He tossed his phone on the dash with a scowl. "He better be there when we arrive."

Kostya suppressed a grin and looked out the window. Desert landscape flew by as they raced towards California. It was peaceful, and if it weren't for Lane's complaining, he might have enjoyed it.

"I'm calling him again." Lane picked up the phone and redialed Byron. Kostya glanced at Ethan and found amusement on his face as well.

"Byron?" Lane said suddenly. "Who's this?" He waited for a second, then quickly hung up. He swore.

Kostya frowned. "What was that?"

"Someone else answered his phone," Lane said. He tightened his grip around the phone, and Kostya thought it was going to be crushed. "They were fishing."

"Cops?" he asked. Lane nodded, and Kostya swore in Russian. "Now what?"

Lane just shook his head. Suddenly Ethan turned off the road.

"We'll stop and figure it out," he said smoothly in his accent. It was authoritative, something neither Kostya or Lane had really heard from the youngest team member. "I'll get us inside Arizona. The police won't expect us there."

Beside the Russian, Jill stirred. She shifted, moving her head so it rested against Kostya's leg. But she didn't wake up. Kostya tried not to jump. She was warm. Her hair still covered her face. Kostya glanced up at Lane and Ethan—both were focused on the road. He looked back at Jill and gently brushed the hair from her face.