Chapter Three

European

"Okay, you'll need this, and this, and this, and this." Grissom said quickly, handing Liz a cellphone, a bottle of water, a snack, and a set of car keys.

Liz, Grissom, and Sara stood around the steel interrogation room. Sara leaned against a far wall, holding the same plate of broccoli, the same spork, and eating with the same greed as when Grissom had been here with her two days before.

"One question Grissom," Liz began, staring over at Sara, who was eyeing both of them casually.

"What?" Grissom's eyes widened.

"Why is she eating—"

"Uh-bup-bup!" Grissom's hand shot forward and covered Liz's mouth. "Whatever you do…don't…say…the 'b' word."

"Why?"

Grissom gave her a stern look, then turned to Sara with a somber look on his face.

"Grissom, what are you going to do?" Sara asked him, one eyebrow raised.

"Sara, I'm very sorry about this."

"Grissom—"

"BROCCOLI!"

Sara screeched, "It's mine all mine!" She crouched backwards where she stood against the wall, rocking back and forth with the plate of broccoli still in her tight grip.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Grissom asked her.

Her composure changed. She stood up, hands loosening and gaze softening.

"I'm fine."

Liz was staring at the two, mouth open, and her eyes asking the question for her.

"You say the 'b' word," Grissom began, "she flies into a small fit of hysteria."

"Uh-huh…" Liz still looked shocked.

"And when you ask if she's sure she's all right, she'll change back to normal. But she won't put those vegetables down."

Liz opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly the doors leading into the interrogation room opened. The three in the room turned to see who had entered.

"Liz, we parked the car and—" Mindy stopped speaking long enough to look Grissom's black adorned self up and down. "Dude…Liz. This is your ex?"

"NO!" Liz and Grissom shrieked at the same time.

"Phew…good because he's really old."

Liz turned to Grissom, her face screwed into an apologetic, embarrassed look. "Please, forgive Mindy. She's a…well…a blonde in redhead clothing."

"I know plenty of very intelligent blondes. It's the redheads I'm afraid of. They give me hives." To demonstrate, Grissom raised his black left-arm sleeve to reveal a red bump.

"Grissom…that's a mosquito bite…" Liz pointed out.

"So! It's what the hives would look like if she ever touched me!"

"Look, do you want us to go find Nick?"

"He's hot!" Mindy shouted.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted your power." Grissom apologized.

Then suddenly, Molly appeared in the open doorway behind Mindy. She pointed at Grissom, and then at Liz accusingly.

"NO! Grissom and I are not together and NEVER will be!"

Liz turned to Grissom, then said, "Sorry Griss, you're not my type."

"No offense taken. I may like blondes, but you aren't my type either."

"Glad that's settled." Liz then turned back to Molly and Mindy. "Girls, I want you out of here. Go to the garage. The car should be there."

Molly grunted, as if to say 'Why should we listen to you?'

"Because, Molly, even in another state, I can still fire you."

Molly furrowed her brow and grunted, Mindy stuck out her tongue, but both women turned to walk out of the interrogation room.

"Liz, find my guy, please." Grissom whispered. "It's been a whole two days and I bet he's dead by now, but find him anyway." Liz gave him the thumbs up then walked out of the interrogation room.

"Okay…umm…which one is ours?" Liz asked aloud, as if somebody who would know the answer was right there. The garage was filled with numerous cars, tractors, and airplanes, parked along a very long building with a road leading through the middle of it.

"Over here!" It wasn't Mindy who had spoken, and it definitely wasn't Molly. In fact, it was a man's voice.

Liz followed the voice, to see Hodges standing there next to a tan jeep with no top other than a windshield.

"Umm…Hodges? I presume?" Liz addressed.

"You got that right." Hodges reached forward with a hand and shook Liz's. "Anyway, Grissom told me that you'd be here and that I should get your jeep set up for you."

"Umm…" Liz pointed at the jeep, whose steering wheel was on the literal right side of the vehicle. "Why is it on the wrong side?"

"Oh that's because we had a bunch of American versions, you know with it on the left side. But then Ecklie decided he wanted to have a demolition derby with them in that bomb detonation site so we had to import some European ones."

"Ha-ha!" Mindy laughed, pointing at Hodges. "You said 'You're a peein!' Ha-ha-ha!"

Liz shot Hodges an apologetic look.

"Good luck finding Nick." Hodges said.

"Thank you. Girls, get into the jeep."

Molly, who had been curiously looking at a tractor, and Mindy, who had taken to surveying an airplane, turned back to Liz and ran as fast as their stocky legs would carry them to the jeep.

"You two are in the back."

"Aww, why?" Mindy whined.

"Because I said so."

"Fine."

Mindy and Molly piled into the backseat. Liz struggled for a moment to start the car and get used to the feel of it while it stayed in the garage. Hodges watched her interestedly, hands in his labcoat pockets and head tilted to one side.

"Okay, I think I got it."

"Good. Have fun."

"Oh I will," Liz pulled the European jeep out of its parking spot and drove out of the garage. Hodges walked out into the center of the road and watched the vehicle fade into the distance.

Liz had found the rainforest, lingering just off the strip,within a few minutes of driving, and at the current moment was driving wildly along the twisting, dirt road surrounded by tropical vegetation.

"Hey! Liz!" Mindy shouted above the noise of the jeep. "Pop in some tunes, will you?"

"No!"

Mindy let out a whining groan. "Whhyy…?"

"Because! There's no radio!"

Mindy leaned back in her seat, folding her pudgy arms and sticking out her lip. They were all silent for the next five minutes, Mindy's beady blue eyes sweeping the landscape around the moving vehicle. Then suddenly, something tan and mud-caked caught her eye. Lying there, was a toppled over jeep.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S THE HOTTIE'S JEEP!" Mindy shrieked. She thrust herself into the front seat, wrenched the wheel out of Liz's grip, and turned a hard left.

"Mindy!" Lizscreamed, right before the jeep crashed headlong into a tree, sending all three of the passengers through the wall of trees.

What will happen now that the rescuers have crashed? Why has Sara become obsessed with the 'b' word? And most importantly, what is Ecklie doing holding a demolition derby at a bomb detonation site? Stay tuned!