The Search by SLynn

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.

Spoilers: Everything up to 'Nesting Dolls' in Season 5 although I doubt seriously I drag all that up.

Day Four

Sometimes Brass really hated his job.

Days like today.

The press had finally shown up, right on time, day four.

Every search he'd been a part of had been this way. Day four was like magic to television journalists because it was just past the halfway mark. Just past hope. They fed off of it like the piranhas they were. The misery. The dejection. It was always at this point that they showed up so they could start asking the really hard questions. The ones like 'when will this turn into a recovery mission'. And it was always at this point that Brass began to ask that question himself.

Day four and there was still no sign of them. Four day and three nights. Three rough nights of cold weather and rain. The creeks were all flooded and the paths were all muddy.

It was going to be a long day.

Brass avoided the press like a pro, stepping under the tape that marked the beginning of the search path and managing only one backwards glance at Ecklie. Ecklie who up until this point hadn't even been out here was now. Out in front of the cameras showing his concern and expressing his hopes that all would end well.

The bastard.

"What's this I hear about you running off my crew?" Catherine asked as he stepped closer to her.

"Stokes tell you that?" Brass asked knowing it was true, "I told him to go get some sleep. He was dead on his feet."

"Well, when's the last time any of us slept," Catherine returned.

'Four days' Brass thought but didn't say. Just shrugged at her and kept walking.

"So what's the plan for today?" Catherine was asking again.

"Helicopter is coming in this afternoon. Going to search the original area. Make sure they really did go this way."

Catherine nodded.

"Any idea how far they might have gotten?" she hazarded, knowing Brass didn't like answering all these questions but she needed answers.

"None," Brass said shaking his head. "Any idea why they're wandering around like nomads?"

"None," Catherine echoed. "I can only guess that they're onto something."

"Well, I hope your right."

They were silent for a few minutes before Catherine spoke again. She wanted to know the truth. The hard truth if only to prepare herself.

"What are the odds? I'm new to this. By the time I get to a scene, well, the search is over. But I know buzzards when I see them and they're circling. Tell me the truth Jim."

Brass looked at her as if really considering if she could handle it or not. He imagined Catherine hadn't been involved in many searches like this. Not like he had.

"Well," he started cautiously, "considering they don't have any supplies that we know of, out in this rain and then sun, it's not looking good. Exposure is the big issue right now. We need to find them soon."

"How soon?"

"Like yesterday."

Catherine nodded. It was what she'd expected but also what she'd been afraid of.

"Hey Cath, Brass," Warrick said coming up and joining them. "Got some ATV's to use today. I was going to ride up with a couple of the rangers to the stopping point from yesterday. You both coming?"

He didn't have to wait long for their yeses. Soon they were on their way but it took a long time. The terrain wasn't even and the mud slowed them considerably. The worst part was that now there was only the trail. No sign of footprints. No indication that they were in fact still going the right way.


Nick and Sara had come to a silent agreement to meet that morning at Greg's place. They'd both slept in the living room for a good part of the morning, her on the couch and him in the recliner. They'd each only stopped at their own places long enough to shower and change. It was weird but felt oddly reassuring. Somehow they both knew that if the situation was reversed, Greg would have done the same sort of thing. It was like holding a vigil.

As a bonus Chloe really seemed to enjoy the company. It wasn't hard to imagine that she was use to being by herself at night, but she practically bounced upon seeing them at the door that morning.

"Have you ever been a part of a search before?" Sara asked after they'd both come fully awake from their respected cat naps.

"Once when I was still in Dallas."

"What was it like?"

"Not like this," Nick admitted. "I mean, I didn't know the person we were looking for. The kid. Parents reported their four year old daughter missing from one of the more rural parts, a ways out of town. Most everyone volunteered time to go look for her. Thought she'd wandered off the farm. Parents had said she'd done it before but had never gone far."

"How did it turn out?"

"Not good," he said shaking his head, "Turned out that she was dead. Had been dead before she was even reported missing. Mother had killed her in a sort of rage I guess, panicked and made the whole thing up. Buried her out back behind the barn."

Sara thought about offering up an 'I'm sorry' but it didn't seem right. Instead she offered to make lunch. Nick seemed to shake off his funk and actually laughed at her.

"When you were busy scouring that fridge did you even look at its contents?"

She was about to ask what that was supposed to mean but stopped short as she pulled open the door and saw for herself what he'd meant.

"Greg doesn't really cook Sara."

"I can see that. So what, does he live off of coffee?"

Nick reached around her and opened the freezer door.

"And ice cream," she said with a nod. "That explains so much."

"Take out too," Nick continued, "Lots of take out. I don't think he's ever turned the stove on."

"Well, I'm not much better," Sara admitted.

"None of us really have the time."

Nick's phone came to life in the background.

He walked over, picked it up and frowned at the digital display.

"Stokes," he said into it.

Sara looked at him hopefully. Maybe they'd been found. Maybe this was the call.

"Yeah, I'll be there in half an hour."

Nick hung it up and shook his head at Sara's expression.

"Sorry, just work. Got a robbery at a jewelry shop near the strip. Apparently I'm the only one available."

Sara caught the bitterness in his voice and could relate. While they'd both been told to go home and wait everyone else was out actually doing something to bring Greg and Grissom back. It wasn't easy.

"I'll see you later," Nick said now pulling on his jacket, "Probably at the lab."

"Call me if you hear anything."

"You too," Nick said as he waved once and left.

Sara sat down and checked the time once more. It was still early in the day, to soon to go to work. All she could do now was watch the clock and wait.


Catherine hated doing it, hated the sound in Nick's voice when she'd done it, but she'd had no choice but to give him the assignment. She knew why Brass had sent him and Sara home. They were too close to this. Actually, she thought he might be justified in sending her and Warrick home too. They were all too close to this.

Still, she stayed. She stayed all day and well into the start of her shift. Catherine found it hard to leave.

They'd found nothing.

That day the helicopter had been called in.

It had showed up that afternoon and did an agonizing sweep of the original area to no avail.

It was almost dark now and they were fixing to pack it in when one of the rangers with them called out.

Catherine and Brass quickly made their way to the rock incline nearby.

"Found some strange indents," he was saying pointing up near the side of the hill. "Nothing in nature made that."

"Perfect rectangle," Catherine said looking closer, "This spot would make a good shelter. They might have stayed here last night. That's probably where Greg put his case down."

Brass was nodding now as Catherine snapped off a few pictures.

"Got something up here."

They all stepped out and looked up at Warrick above them.

"Notebook," he said holding it out for them to see in his gloved hands. "Pen was still inside it, took some water damage but it's in pretty good shape. I don't think it was out here last night."

"Bag it," Catherine said feeling hopeful for the first time all day.

She looked at Brass and could tell he felt the same.

"They were here this morning at least," Catherine said, "They could be nearby even."

Brass was nodding even, but looked up gravely.

"I don't think we're going to have time to keep looking tonight."

"You're joking right?" she asked sounding nothing short of amazed, "Jim, they were here. We've got to keep looking. If we stop now we'll have to start over again tomorrow. We've lost enough time. It took us…"

She stopped as she felt the first rain drops hit her head.

"Son of a bitch."

"Catherine," Brass said trying to calm her down.

"We need to get back," the ranger was telling them now, "once the rain starts really going it rushes through these creeks at break neck speeds."

Catherine let out a sigh of frustration as she pulled up the hood of her jacket and prepared herself for a long ride back. She was not looking forward to the rest of the night.