Chapter 11

The team spent over 4 hours searching and collecting evidence from the victim's apartment. Sara was exhausted and very frustrated by the time they returned to the lab. It seemed that the killer had left them little to work with yet again.

Sara and Nick had spent all of their time going through her paper records. They knew there was a common link between the murdered women but they hadn't found it yet. The murders were not random. They had been planned. The killer had to have staked out each of the victims' homes before hand. He knew the easiest way in and out. He was familiar with the set up of each of the residences.

Sara paced back and forth as Nick laid out the woman's receipts, bills, letters etc. on a table next to the other two victims' tables. "What are we missing?" Sara growled, "He's seen them all somewhere and followed them home, studied their daily patterns. But where?"

"Sara, we'll figure it out. Las Vegas is a big city. There's lots of places he could have seen them. But we're going to narrow it down. It's what we do best." Nick said trying to calm her down.

"But we don't have any time, damnit! He's out there now planning some other innocent woman's death. I can't let it happen again." Sara snapped.

Nick took a step toward her and she held up her hand. "Please don't try and comfort me. It's not what I need right now." "Fine," he said quietly, "I'll give you some time alone. I'm going to go see if Greg as found out anything on that hair sample Warrick found. I'll be back."

Sara groaned as she watched Nick head out the door. She hadn't meant to push him away. She was tired and scared. She sat down in a chair, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She just wanted this nightmare to end.

She stood slowly to begin looking through the paperwork again when her cell phone rang. "Sidle," she answered. "Sara," a voice hissed. She felt her blood run cold and her knees go weak. It was him.

"You Son of a Bitch!" she cried.

"So you know who this is. Good. Did I make you cry earlier out on the porch? It was my intention."

Sara felt her heart rate accelerate. He had been there, at the crime scene, watching! Oh my god!

"We're going to catch you, you Bastard!" Sara growled.

"Not before I have you Sara." He laughed.

Sara scrambled out the door, looking for anyone to help her. The bile rose up in her throat. She wanted to scream.

"I have dreams about you Sara. My hands sliding around that long slender throat of yours and squeezing as you thrash underneath me. Those other girls were so unworthy but you my sweet, I will savor you right down to your last gasp of air."

"You sick son of a bitch. I will stop you if it's the last thing I do!" Sara screamed into the phone.

At the sound of the yelling Nick and Catherine stuck their heads out of a lab's door. Other people were doing the same.

Sara stood there clutching her cell phone to her ear. Her eyes were wild and her face was extremely pale. Her whole body was trembling.

"Is your knight in shining armor close by Sara? Will he be there to rescue you again? Or will he be flat on his back on an autopsy table?" he laughed.

"Bastard! Don't you dare!" Sara screamed hysterically.

Nick flew down the hall toward her, his stomach rolled violently. It was him.

"Will you miss his big brown eyes, his slow Texan drawl? Will you miss your Cowboy and the way he makes you moan? I'm sure he prefers sleeping in your bed. The couch was definitely too small for him"

Sara's eyes went wide with horror. He knew. But how? Her mind raced frantically, searching for an answer.

Nick watched as Sara's face filled with terror. Her eyes locked onto his for a moment and he saw the depth of her fear embedded in there. He tried to grab the phone from her but slapped his hand away.

"By the way Sara, did you like the 2 bouquets of flowers I sent you?" the killer laughed wickedly.

Sara screamed in revulsion as she threw her cell phone furiously against a wall. She harshly pushed Nick out of her way and ran down the hall.

Sara raced into the break room, startling Greg as he pulled a bag of popcorn out of the microwave. He turned to face her and gaped at her wild appearance. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, her skin pasty and pale and she was breathing heavily. She moved quickly toward the vase of flowers, picking it up and hurling it fiercely against the wall, screaming "Bastard!" Greg reeled back in shock. He had never seen Sara so upset.

He watched as Sara turned, her eyes slowly registering his presence. She looked at him with defeated eyes and collapsed to the floor in tears. Greg stood there froze for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder and realized he was the only one there to help her. He moved to her quickly and gathered her in his arms. He sat there as the floor as she clung to him helplessly, crying her eyes out. He soothed her as best as he could. He could feel her vulnerability and it broke his heart.

Everyone stood there stunned for a moment. Nick rubbed his throbbing shoulder where Sara had pushed him. He cursed silently to himself for taking his sling off earlier in the evening as pain raced down his arm. Catherine bent down and picked up the phone. It was smashed. Grissom stormed down the hall yelling, "What the hell is going on?" Warrick was right behind him.

The sound of breaking glass sent them scurrying down the hall toward the break room. As they entered they found a sobbing Sara wrapped up in Greg's arms on the floor. He was gently rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair and saying, "It's all right Sara. It's going to be okay," over and over again. A few feet away from them was the crystal vase, broken into a hundred pieces and the flowers scattered across the floor.

Greg raised his eyes and met Nick's worried ones. Nick gave his friend a small smile letting him know it was okay that he held Sara. Greg's eyes flashed with relief. No one said anyone as Sara continued to cry. Finally Nick came forward and bent down beside them. He gently laid his hand on her head and quietly said, " Sara, honey it's okay. You're not alone."

Sara's crying slowly stopped as Nick continued to talk to her. She turned slowly to look up at him and hopelessly whispered, "Nick". "Darlin' I'm right here." he whispered back. She slowly crawled out of Greg's arms and moved to Nick. He helped her up and she swiftly pulled his body up against hers. She took his face in both of her hands and gently glided her fingers across his face as if she were trying to memorize all of his features.

The others watched in fascination as Sara whispered Nick's name again and slowly drew his face down for a long sweet kiss. Grissom turned his head away. He couldn't look at the display of deep affection Nick and Sara had for one other. Sara wasn't his star anymore. She had finally moved on. He felt Catherine's eyes on him. He looked over at her as she gave him a sad smile. He returned it. His chance was gone.

He turned back to look at the couple. Nick held her securely in his arms and she snuggled firmly against him. "Nick why don't you take Sara home." Grissom said. Suddenly Sara pulled out of Nick's arms and stammered wildly, "No! We can't go there. He's been there. He's listened to us. He sent the flowers. He knows too much." She turned and grasped Nick's arm, her eyes filled with panic, "He's been listening Nick, to us, he's heard what we've said to each other. The bastard knows everything Nick." Tears began to stream down Sara's face again. Nick pulled her up against him. He looked at his friends' shocked faces.

Catherine was the first to take action. "Let me call Brass." she said as she headed out the door. Greg moved next and took Sara's cell phone from Grissom's hand. "Let me see if I can track where he was calling from." Warrick walked over to where Nick and Sara stood. He placed his hands on both of his friends' backs and said with conviction, "This guy's ass is ours. I promise Sara." She gave him a grateful smile. He turned and headed out the door telling Grissom, "I'll be working on the hair sample if you need me."

Grissom stood there uncomfortably for a moment before he said, "Sara I'll need you to write down everything you can remember from your conversation." She looked over at him with sad eyes and nodded her head. "Nick you stay here with her." Nick met Grissom's eyes. "Take care of her Nick." Nick could read the silent message Grissom was sending him. He was saying she was his now and he wasn't going to get in the way. Nick nodded his head in understanding and said sincerely, "I swear on my life I will." Grissom watched as Sara turned to look at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before he gave her a remorseful smile and silently left the room.

Nick gently led Sara to the couch and pulled her down next to him. He looked at her and had never seen her look so defeated. "Sara are okay?" he asked. She shook her head no. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She stared at their joined hands and felt the tears begin to fall again. She looked up at him and whispered, " He told me he was going to take you away from me. He was going to kill you Nick." Her breath hitched as she tried to continue. "I can't let him hurt you Nick. If anything happened to you because of me I couldn't live with myself."

Nick gripped her hand tightly and fiercely said, " Don't even think like that. He's not going to get to me and he's never going to touch you. I won't let that happen. I won't let him hurt you anymore Sara." He pulled her into his arms and held her. After awhile he urged her to put her head in his lap to try and sleep. Before he knew it she had fallen into a restless sleep. He stroked her hair and gazed down at her beautiful face. He felt his eyes fill up with tears as he whispered, "I love you Sara so damn much. I swear on my life I will protect you. I need you darlin'. You're my happiness." He wiped at his eyes and for the first time in a long while he felt the grip of helplessness pulling him under. But he realized this time was different. This time he wasn't alone. He had Sara and she was all the strength he needed.

TBC