Chapter 18

Nick and Sara sat at a table in the break room in deep thought. It had taken a little bit of effort on Nick's part to persuade Sara to talk about that night. But once she began to open up she seemed to immerse herself in her memories. Little details came back. As she talked, he would write things down that seemed important.

Nick had to keep his emotions in check when he listened to what the bastard had physically done to her. It angered him deeply that she had been touched in such a violent way.

Every now and then, Nick would ask Sara a question that forced her to reach into her memory. So far they had learned some very important facts. The suspect was a smoker. Sara could distinctly remember his foul breath when he had leaned in close to her. He had worn a watch of some sort on his left wrist. She could remember hitting it with her hand. He had also worn musky cologne, one Sara did not like.

Nick and Sara both agreed that the jacket the perp wore had been a windbreaker pull over, dark in color. There had been some sort of lettering on the left shoulder area.

Sara was most disturbed to remember that the SOB had called her Sara before he had ripped off her CSI badge. She was very upset that she had pushed this vital information out of her mind. This changed everything. The suspect already knew her.

Nick could only sit helplessly and watch as she paced the room. She was becoming more and more anxious by the minute. She felt powerless and hated it.

Warrick headed down the hall in desperate need of coffee. He had just run his search and found some promising leads. He entered the break room and saw his two friends looking anxious. "Hey," he said. Nick gave him a tired smile. He turned to Sara and asked, "What's up?"

She started to speak but her eyes filled up with tears and she choked on her words. Warrick's eyes flew to Nick's. He stood up and went to Sara. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "We were talking about that night, trying to piece together some more details when Sara remembered that the suspect called her by her first name before he took her badge. The bastard already knew her man. It changes everything Warrick. It's personal." Nick said heatedly.

Warrick stood there for a moment. His instincts had been right. They had been looking in the wrong direction. Nick watched his face and knew something was wrong. "What do you know?" he asked Warrick.

Sara turned to face him, her eyes filled with anguish. Warrick rubbed his face wearily. "Grissom and I both were beginning to think it was personal." he said. "Why?" Sara demanded. Warrick sighed. "Grissom said he wants to wait until we're all together to talk about it."

Sara's eyes locked onto his. She saw it in his face, something else had happened. She pushed herself out of Nick's arms and came at him. Warrick had never seen her look so furious. He prepared himself for her full rage. "Tell me! Tell me now!! What's happened?" she yelled.

"Sara," he interjected. "No Warrick you tell me now!" She watched the muscles in his face tighten. She knew he was not going to tell her. "Damn it Warrick! Why won't you tell me?" She began to hit him in the chest with her hands out of frustration. "Tell me! Tell me!" she cried. He gently grasped her hands and held them against his chest, her big brown eyes pleading with him.

"I'm sorry Sara," he whispered. She broke into tears then and Warrick pulled her into his arms. He met Nick's worried eyes. Both men felt powerless. There was nothing they could do to console her.

Warrick gently rubbed her back as he held her. After awhile her crying quieted. She pulled away from him and hiccupped, "I'm sorry." "It's okay Sara. You have every right to be upset."

Nick came over and handed her some tissues and placed a comforting hand on her back. She gave him a grateful smile. He gently led her over to the couch and sat her down.

Just then Grissom and Catherine walked in. They both noticed Sara's tear streaked face. "I'm okay," she said shakily. Warrick spoke up and said, "She just remembered that the perp called her by her name before he took her ID badge."

"You were right, Warrick, in thinking that this is personal." Grissom said solemnly. "What made you guys start to think that?" Nick asked. Grissom gave him a small smile and said, "Greg found out some interesting information. The listening devices were stolen from the SFPD's warehouse 2 years ago." Sara's eyes grew wide with surprise. "We're thinking someone from one of your old cases has a grudge against you. Warrick did you run that check on similar cases in the San Fran area?" Grissom asked.

"Yes. Seven cases popped up with the same MO: strangulation, stabbing and rape. Two cases were from 1999. Both were hookers killed in an alleyway. Sara worked both cases. Two more murders in 2000 with hookers in motel rooms. Sara started on one but left to come here soon after. The last three cases, one in 2001, one in 2002, one in 2003, all involved professional women murdered in their homes." Warrick said somberly.

"Ah he was perfecting his crime," Grissom said. "So the question is why did he leave San Fran and come here?" Catherine said. "We're missing something. Sara wasn't even there for the last 4 murders. Are we positive he's targeted her? Maybe he just recognized her at the crime scene and decided to have some fun at her expense." Nick said optimistically.

Warrick and Grissom exchanged a look. "What aren't you telling us?" Sara asked suspiciously. Grissom sighed and said, "Catherine I want you on the phone with SFPD. Talk to the detectives and CSIs from those cases. See if they'll fax you what they have. Warrick I want you to check cities outside the San Fran area and the Vegas area to see if you get any hits on similar cases. Nick and Sara come with me."

Warrick and Cath gave them each a sympathetic look before they left the room. "Let's go see Doc Robbins." Nick felt his stomach tie itself up into a hundred little knots. This was not going to be good. He could just feel it. The three of them walked down the hall in silence. Sara tried mentally preparing herself for the worst.

Grissom stopped and faced them outside the autopsy room. "I want you to prepare yourselves. You'll understand why Warrick and I think that it is directed at Sara. What was done to the girl is very disturbing." Nick and Sara nodded gravely both trying to calm their rolling stomachs.

Doc Robbins looked up as they entered the room. He looked at Grissom with questioning eyes. "It's all right Al. They need to see her to understand." The coroner nodded and pulled back the sheet covering the girl.

Nick's eyes widened with horror as he sucked in his breath. The girl looked strikingly similar to Sara. A huge wave of nausea rolled threw him when he saw the carved words covering her body. The words ran up and down her legs, her arms and her upper torso. The same words over and over again, SARA & DEAD.

His eyes shot to Sara and he reached out to touch her more for his own comfort then anything else. Her eyes were frozen wide, her skin deathly pale and she was visibly shaking. "Sara are you all right?" Grissom asked her softly. She didn't speak, her eyes never leaving the body as she slowly nodded her head.

Doc Robbins rolled the girl over and Nick cried, "Sweet Jesus." Her backside was worse then her front. "Cause of death was a single stab wound to the heart. I'd say the blade was at least 6 inches long. I'll know more when I remove her heart. I believe she was drugged and the carvings were made while she was still alive. He wanted her blood to clot in the wounds. I do not believe she was cognizant when any of this happened. The pain alone would have made her loose consciousness. I'm still waiting on the tox screen but I believe it would have had to have been a powerful drug to keep her from feeling these brutal inflictions." Doc Robbins said.

Grissom watched as Nick's eyes locked on to the dead girls face. He knew he was imagining Sara lying there in her place. He had been there before and done the same thing. "Nick," he said sincerely, "It's not Sara."

Nick's eyes shot to his then Sara's. She turned to look at him slowly realizing what he was thinking. "I know but…." His voice cracked. Sara's heart broke at the pained look on his face. "I'm okay Nick," she tenderly said pulling him into her arms.

Nick latched onto her tightly and fought his urge to weep. The threat on Sara's life had suddenly become shockingly real. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it if something happened to her.

Grissom cleared his throat and they stepped out of their embrace. Nick immediately reached for her hand and she gave his a reassuring squeeze. Just touching gave them both a sense of security. "Let's go to my office," Grissom said. They nodded to Doc and headed out the door.

They all took a seat in Grissom office and their boss steepled his hands on his desk. "I'm not sure what to do in this situation. It has escalated out of control. He's killed 4 women and I don't think he's going to stop. Tonight's murder was full of hateful passion. It scares me to think that it's all directed at Sara." Grissom stopped and met her eyes. She gave him a small smile for his heartfelt words. She knew he rarely expressed his feelings out loud.

"I need you think Sara, long and hard. The answer is in you somewhere, it maybe a very insignificant thing to you but means the world to him. It may not be a case you've worked on. It could be someone you dated, met in a bar, anyone. I want you to write everything down you can remember. Okay?" Grissom said. She nodded her head slowly, her mind all ready going into rewind.

A knock sounded on the door and Brass stuck his head in. "I'm here to take Cinderella and Prince Charming to the ball. Their carriage awaits." He said with a huge grin. Nick chuckled and squeezed Sara's hand. She smiled at him and stood up. "Guys I need to talk to Nick alone for a minute. Can you excuse us?" Grissom nodded and followed Brass out the door.

Nick raised a curious eyebrow at her and asked, "What's the matter Sar?" She sighed and reached down to gently stroke his cheek. "I need to be alone tonight so I can think Nick." "I know I'll just sleep on the couch. It's okay." Nick said.

"Nick, I need to be alone. I'll never be able to concentrate knowing you in the other room. I don't need any distractions and you are a major, sexy one. Do you understand?" she asked softly. "Sara," he protested. "I need to do this please." Nick looked away, hurt that she did not want him with her. But he understood she felt she had to do this alone. "Okay," he said wearily, "I just don't like not being by your side. I can't protect you when you're not with me."

She leaned down and tenderly kissed his lips, touched by his concern. Nick stood up and wrapped her in his arms. "I'll see if Brass will let me go home," he said somberly. "Thank you for understanding." she whispered in his ear. "I'd do anything for you Sara." He replied softly as he kissed her on the cheek.

Sara was up for almost 2 hours in the hotel suite making her list. She finally fell into an exhausted sleep after 3:00 in the morning.

Sara could feel his thick fingers wrapping themselves around her neck. She struggled violently against his choking hold. She was going to die, die all along. She sobbed out Nick's name, frantically reaching for him but he was not there. "Please Nick I need you. Help me!" she sobbed. She thrashed her legs against the sheets. Her hands desperately clawing at the vice grip on her throat. "He's not coming! I made sure he'll never come," she heard the monster laugh.

"Nick!" she cried, sitting up in the bed trembling. She looked over at where he should have been. She was a fool. She sent him away thinking she could handle the memories alone. She had been wrong. She ran her shaky fingers through her sweat soaked hair and shivered.

Sara realized how much he had helped her the passed few days. He had been her sole support, the one person she completely trusted and she had pushed him away. She looked at the clock. It read 4:06. She picked up the cell phone debating whether or not to call him. Her heart won the fight.

She dialed his number. It hadn't even finished ringing once when he answered. "Darlin' are you all right?" She couldn't help but smile at his sweet endearment. He had been calling her that a lot lately and she liked it. "I just wanted to say hey," she said. "Sara?" he said uncertainly.

"I should have let you come with me. I'm sorry." she said quietly. "It's okay Sara. I understand you needed the alone time." he replied. "I had another nightmare Nick." "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"I reached for you but you weren't there." She was quiet a moment before she continued. "I wish you were here Nick," she said honestly. "I'll be right there Sara." "No Nick. I can't ask you to drive across town. I'm fine."

Nick started to chuckle. "What's so funny?" she asked. "I can be there in 2 minutes." he said still laughing. "What?" she questioned. "I made Brass get me a room at the Hard Rock too. I'm right next door Sara." he said with satisfaction. "Nick Stokes you are way to over protective. But I'm glad. Get your sexy ass over here now!" she ordered. "I just need to put some clothes on my sexy ass and I will be there. I promise." Sara hung up the phone and smiled. She really didn't know what she'd do without him.

Sara hurried out of bed and headed to the door in one of Nick's Texas tee shirts she had secretly borrowed. A knock sounded on the door and she pulled it open. He stood there unbelievably handsome at 4:15 in the morning, in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. His arms were folded across his chest and he looked very annoyed.

"Sara you didn't even check to see who it was." he said irritably. "Nick, Officer Woods is right there." she said waving at the policeman seated across the hall. "Sara you need to be more careful." "Fine, I'm sorry. Get your ass in here," she said, grabbing hold of his arm and yanking him in the room.

Once the door was closed, she threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He smiled and buried his face into her neck, inhaling her unique Sara smell. He pulled away slightly and whispered, "I've got you Sara." Her arms tightened even more around him and he felt her kiss his neck.

She pulled away after a few moments and teasingly said, "Take me to bed, handsome." "Nothing would give me greater pleasure." he said seriously, his dark eyes shining. She felt her cheeks flame red at his real meaning. She smiled at him and led him into the bedroom. "By the way nice shirt." he said with a smirk. "It is isn't it," she said with a grin.

She climbed into bed and watched with heated eyes as he striped off his tee shirt and jeans. He stood there in his boxers for a minute letting her look her fill. "God Nick," she sighed heavily. He laughed softly trying to ignore the rush of hot need the raced threw his body at her passionate gaze. He climbed into bed and rolled over to face her.

Nick reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She looked away unsure of how to answer. "Sara," he prodded. She looked back at him and met his concerned brown eyes. She sighed quietly deciding to tell him what she was really feeling. "It was the nightmare from before, that monster wrapping his hands around my throat. I can remember calling you this time, struggling to get to you."

Sara stopped and closed her eyes in embarrassment. She felt his fingers gently glide across her skin. She loved that feeling. She opened her eyes and met his. He was so damn patient with her. "I need you," she whispered.

Nick's eyes widened in surprise at her confession, he hadn't expected her to be so readily honest with him. She watched his shocked reaction and made herself finish. "I've never felt this kind of need before and it scares me. I don't know how to handle what's happening between us. These feelings are all new to me Nick. And they're very intense." She watched his eyes soften at her words.

"You're not alone with your feelings Sara. I need you too. I don't think you realize how much you mean to me or how much I want us to work." He leaned over to tenderly press his lips against hers, hoping his kiss would convey all his feelings and the power of his emotions that he was unable to say just yet with words.

Sara's heart filled with happiness when she realized what he was trying to express with that intimate soul touching kiss. She was thankful he hadn't said the 3 words out loud. She wasn't quite ready to hear his affirmation. She knew what she felt for him was very strong but she was still scared to give herself to him completely.

As Nick pulled away, his eyes sought hers out. He wanted to make sure she understood the full implication of the kiss. She smiled at him tenderly and whispered, "You've gotten the closest to my heart Nick." He flashed her a grateful smile for those words. They meant a great deal to him. He knew how difficult it was for her to open up and by doing so she was slowly letting him in. He was finally breaking down the wall she had so carefully built around herself.

He kissed her lovingly on the lips and said," Let's get some sleep Darlin" "Okay baby," she playfully smiled. She snuggled in close to his protective warmth and drifted off to sleep. She knew the nightmare would not be returning. She was safe in Nick's arms.

TBC

Please review!!!!!! I'm very sorry for the delay. I may have to post shorter chapters to get them up sooner.