Author's Note: Hello to all! First of all I would like to extend a big thank on behalf of my self-conscious ego for everyone who told me the last chapter wasn't crappy. Reposting still feels like something I have to do in the future, but for now my focus will be new chapters.
BIG THANKS TO: Angel Baby (thanks for the encoding heads up-I've been trying to fix it, but or my computer still seems to be screwing me :( ),Lamborga (Warrick is in this chapter along with a one line summary as to why he hasn't been there-hurra for quick character entries with one line summaries!!), Tabikat, Mo Cat, Rehgai, fawkes21 (I am so glad you liked Sara's evilness with the coffee. Let's just say I was inspired my a real life occurrence and am glad I am not the only evil one out there :) ), Sillie, bree1387, WolfofMidnight, and airen (as stated before, I am trying to get rid of the E's-trying being the operative word there)
I really do not deserve such wonderful people as you because it took me forever to update- and I am so so sorry about that!!! Holidays were insane, then starting school again was insane, and amidst the insanity I had no time to write. But now that it's calmed down a bit, I promise I will make a valiant effort to update more often. I know I really have no right to be asking this, but reviews really do help push me to update, (as well as boost my ego-and really, doesn't everyone need that now and again?), so if ya'll could keep up the reviewing, it would make me a very happy person! )
The song in this chapter is "How to disappear completely" by the amazingly genius Radiohead-I highly recommend downloading the song (and am so pleased it goes so well with my story!! Especially the title.
Also, I wanted to add my story to the Labrat Central C2 group, but am not sure how to...if anyone out there knows how and could let me know, I would be much obliged!
And now onto the story-a little something for everyone in this chapter!
CHAPTER THREE
It was the hardest thing he had ever been forced to do. To fight every impulse of his brain and body and keep his mouth shut. In the movies he'd seen where stuff like this happens, the kidnapper would always have a gag of some kind, or a drug to knock their victim out. But all he was presented with was a whisper and a promise. A promise that had chilled him like the soft breath at his shoulder.
"I will kill him if you say anything...like I killed the other one..." The most frightening thing about the words other than the sadistic pleasure behind them was the fact that he did not doubt their truth. He had seen it with his own eyes, the brutal flash of glass, the glazed look of the officer's face as his life slowly oozed out of his body, mingling in with the blood that ran in rivets down his back.
So he was forced to watch in silence as the man he had known for so long, the man who had become one of his best friends, knelt by the place where he had laid. The place so close to where he lay now, and yet so far away, an incredible barrier of fear and static and speechlessness lying in between them. His mind was screaming and deafening to no one but himself. Calling out to Nick that he was here, and he was ready for this nightmare to end.
It really did feel like a dream-or maybe not so much a dream, but the half conscious waking that occurs in the middle of a dream. The moment when you don't know what's reality and what's part of your subconscious anymore. He felt surreal, as though at any moment he would hear the clamor of his clock radio and awaken fully to soft sheets and the comfort of knowing he was far away from here.
Amidst the crushing quiet of the darkness he laid in, the slow melody of a song long since forgotten had entered into the swirling chaos of his mind.
I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
He couldn't even remember who the song was sung by, or where he had heard it, but the dissonant rhythm had suddenly crystallized in his head. In his moment of fear and panic he understood the words better then he ever had before.
In a little while
I'll be gone
The moment's already passed
Yeah it's gone
And I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced himself to take a breath.
"Take a breath Sanders," he told himself. Opening his eyes, he looked at Nick, who ran his gloved fingers lightly over the concrete where Greg's life had been twisted inside out. Having his friend so close gave him a small sense of comfort. "Nick'll find me..." his voice whispered inside his head, mingling in with the song that repeatedly chanted out the disbelieving fear rooted in the core of his being. Taking another deep breath he tried to make himself relax. "Somebody has to."
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On first glance, the broken window appeared normal for a typical breaking and entering case. But knowing that this was not a typical breaking and entering, Grissom felt the window deserved a more scrutinizing look. Upon closer inspection, he realized that nothing in this house was what it seemed.
"Grissom?" The voice broke his attention and he jumped a little and turned slightly to see Warrick standing next to him. Turning back to the window and squinting to get a better view of the jagged shards sticking out of the upper frame he said,
"Don't you have another case to be working on"
"Closed it...wife confessed as soon as I got there. Collected evidence, bagged it and then heard about Sanders and booted my ass over here." Grissom grunted a quiet acknowledgement as Warrick took in his surroundings. "Jesus," he whistled. "Where do you want me"
"Look at this window," Grissom said, stepping back to let him get a better view, "and tell me what you see." Warrick stepped in and bent slightly to enable himself to see better.
"Break pattern and shards of glass on the grass outside show that the window was broken from the inside."
"And what does that tell us?" "Escape route maybe?" Warrick answered.
"Or maybe this wasn't a breaking and entering at all." Grissom said, causing Warrick to look at him in surprise. As he opened his mouth to comment, Sara interrupted.
"Hey Grissom, come and look at this..." He walked over, trailed by Warrick and Catherine, who was glad to be distracted from the overwhelming aspect of dusting the large room for prints. They reached Sara who was lying on the floor at the edge of the hole inspecting the broken boards that currently jutted out into nothingness. Grissom crouched down next to her.
"What is it /"
"Look at this edge...usually it would be jagged, which would coincide with a break, or wet or moldy, which would occur if the boards were old"
"Well this is a relatively new house," Catherine interjected "the board couldn't have worn away by now"
"Exactly." Sara continued, "These board aren't jagged or rotten, they're smooth"
"What?" said Grissom, and he lay down next to Sara for a closer look. She had spoke the truth-the boards came abruptly to an end in straight edges.
"It's like they were-"
"Cut off..." Sara finished for him. He ran his hand over the edge of the board and found that only two thirds was smooth and the rest was jagged.
"Not cut off entirely..." he said quietly, becoming lost in his thoughts.
"Why would someone cut through half of each floorboard?" Warrick asked in frustrated confusion.
"The Myrmeleontidae." Grissom answered quietly after a short pause. The three CSI's looked at each other and then back at Grissom, a small smile spreading across his face.
"Huh?" Catherine asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The Ant Lion, or "doddlebug", as it is more commonly known." He said, his voice full of the excited satisfaction he felt when his mind made a connection on a case.
"And what exactly does a "doddlebug" have to do with this?" Sara asked pushing herself into a sitting position.
"The Ant Lion makes a pit, usually in sand, and then hides beneath it. Then the unsuspecting prey comes along and falls into the trap"
"So you think whoever lived here made a trap?" Catherine said, skepticism dancing along her words. "For who?"
"For whoever came along." Grissom said "But he or she must have gotten tired of waiting so-"
"They broke their own window on purpose." Warrick cut in with dawning realization apparent on his face.
"Exactly." Grissom said with grim confidence that his theory was correct. They said in contemplative silence for a minute, before Brass entered, opening the front door with a bang. They all jumped and looked his way,
"The house belongs to a Miss Isabelle Mumford, according to her neighbours. Early twenties, somewhat of a recluse - she hasn't been seen in a couple of days"
"So we have our predator," Grissom said. Brass looked at him in confusion and opened his mouth to inquire about the comment, but was cut off by Nick's voice calling up from the abyss below them.
"No sign of Greg," The four CSI's and police detective peered down into the darkness to where Nick stood among the debris, "but I did find his badge." They looked at one another, all of them recognizing the truth that stood before them, but none of them wanting to be the first to voice it aloud. Finally Grissom's steady emotionless voice broke the silence.
"Now we have our prey."
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NOOOOOOO!! GREG!! Wait, why am I so upset? I'M the one who knows what's going to happen! Please review and kick my butt to update sooner then I did this time. Next chapter we find out more about miss Isabelle and what drove her to be a crazy psycho bitch... )
(Oh and the Ant Lion stuff Grissom talks about is all real)