WTCK Chapter 4
Forgoing the shower, Nick and Greg changed and ran out the door. Halting just outside the apartment, they looked to each other in bewilderment. There wasn't a car to be seen. "How the hell…?"Nick wondered aloud. A tapping of a horn brought his attention to the street corner. The redhead sat in an idling Taurus. She beckoned to them.
Maybe she is clairvoyant." Greg chuckled as he jogged over to the car. "Stop being an ass and come on." He called, climbing into the front seat. With a heavy groan, Nick came over and climbed into the back seat. As soon as his seatbelt was buckled the car sped off.
"Where too?" She asked Greg. Greg rattled off the address of Jillian Holcomb.
"What about the lab?" Nick asked as she headed off in the direction Greg pointed her in.
"Warrick's gonna have a vehicle there. We can't just keep leaving our cars everywhere, wily-nily. We can drive him to the hospital in it then return to the lab from there." Greg explained.
"We're taking a potential suspect to a crime scene. That's a great idea, Greg." Nick grumbled. Lucy looked at him in the rear view mirror, not pleased. He figured that she was tempted to pull over and kick him out of the car.
He worried about Gemma. He worried about what he would tell Warrick. He worried about how Warrick would react. He worried about what Grissom would think about having a clairvoyant in the mix. He worried.
"Mom, can I get a wing fwom the machine?" Jessica asked as they entered the store. Gemma sighed, lifting her daughter into the cart. Pretty soon, the four year old would be too heavy for her to lift. Warrick already worried about her lifting Jess in her condition. With a sly smile, she touched her stomach. It was too soon for anyone to know, but she felt the pride. She and Warrick had created a child together. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be married to such a man, and part of such an extended family, she would have laughed.
"If you behave and I have a quarter, you can get one on the way out." Gemma agreed. She had decided to make a casserole for the night shift. She knew the guys, they wouldn't be eating much less sleeping. They'd be surviving on coffee as they usually did on a big case. She'd watched the news, she knew what case they were working. Glancing down at her daughter as she began to head through the store, she felt a twinge of pity for the mother of the missing girls. "Jess, do you know how much I love you?" She smiled down at her daughter.
"Bunches and Bunches!" Jessica crowed with a giggle.
"You betcha!" Gemma leaned down and kissed her. "Now, let's get stuff to make Daddy and the gang some food."
"Cookies?" Jessica questioned hopefully.
"Sure, why not." Gemma agreed happily. "We can make some cookies for them too." They made their way through the store and the checkout line.
"Need help out with this Mrs. Brown?" Joey, the bagboy questioned politely.
"I think we've got it Joey." Gemma shook her head. "I'll take you up on that on a later date."
"Sure thing Mrs. Brown." Joey nodded with a grin. Gemma stopped at the little red machines, giving Jessica two quarters. Jessica put the quarters into the machine twice, coming out with two cheap plastic rings. She crowed with delight when she saw the second one. It had a little pink lady bug on it.
"Look Mommy!" She showed the ring. "Gwampa loves buggies!"
"Yes he does!" Gemma agreed, taking the little girls hand with one hand, pushing the cart with another. "You'll have to show him next time we see him."
"I wanna wear my wing when we take dinner to him and Daddy." Jessica declared as they got to the car. Gemma released her hand as she popped open the trunk.
"Start getting into your seat baby." She told her, loading the groceries into the trunk.
"Gemma Brown?" A deep masculine voice startled her. Turning, she found a man she didn't know standing nearly on top of her.
"Yes?" She asked timidly.
"Tell your husband to lay off the Holcomb case." The man threatened a second before he hit her. The man's meaty fist connected with Gemma's jaw, sending her flying to the ground. The pain blurred her vision, and caused a ringing in her ears. She tried to stay conscious as his foot connected with her ribcage.
"Mommy!" Jessica screamed. Gemma's last conscious thought was of her daughter.
"Gemma! Gemma! Wake Up!" Catherine Willows demanded of the unconscious woman lying in the hospital bed. "Come on Gemma-girl, wake up! Wake up before Warrick gets here." Catherine saw a fluttering of eyelids and felt a sense of relief. "Good girl. Yes, that's it girl. Warrick's on his way. Wake up for him."
Gemma didn't open her eyes, but she was able to make a moan, "Jess?"
"She's fine." Catherine sighed with relief. "She's out in the hall with Hodges." It still amazed her that the offish David Hodges could be so devoted to Gemma and her daughter. As soon as he heard that Gemma was hurt, he insisted that he come with Catherine to the hospital. He commandeered the traumatized little girl, entertaining her while Catherine dealt with Gemma and the doctors. For that, Catherine was grateful.
"War-"
"He's on his way. Nick is bringing him in." Catherine saw the younger woman relax at her words. "I've got to ask, Gemma……did you see who did this to you?"
"no….too….fast."
"Damn." Catherine spat angrily. Random acts of violence were rarely easy to solve.
"Voice…….mess…..age……Warrick." Gemma struggled to open her eyes, tears leaking out of them from the pain and effort. "stop……case."
"He wanted you to tell Warrick to stop working on a case?" Catherine pieced the words together and questioned to make sure she understood her correctly. "The Holcomb?"
"Ye…ss" Gemma grunted, finally managing to get one eye open. Her left eye was swollen shut but her right was simply bruised, but heavily bloodshot.
Hearing a commotion in the hall, Catherine knew that Warrick had arrived. She quickly told the injured woman. "Don't say anything about that to Warrick just yet."
Warrick came flying into the room. Jessica clinging to his hip. "Oh god!" He called out, nearly tripping over himself to get to her. "Gemma!" He choked out, leaning over to place a kiss on her lips. Gemma kissed him back, with a cry of pain. After a moment of family togetherness, Catherine eased the girl out of Warrick's grasp and took her out into the hall where Nick, Greg and Hodges stood, looking worried and angry.
"How the hell did this happen, Catherine!" David demanded.
"She just told me that it was a warning to Warrick to lay off the Holcomb case." Catherine whispered, just in case Warrick was listening, although highly doubtful. "I suggest we don't tell him. He's got enough on his plate right now. We don't want him going for blood."
"What do we do?" Nick questioned, his mind whirling with emotions and ideas.
"Greg, you need to go pick up Grams. We can't let them have another opportunity to threaten us." Catherine decided. "I'll get Brass to have guards posted outside this room at all times."
"Warrick's going to know something is up." David told her dryly. . "Even distraught, he's going to notice the armed guards. How do you supposed we explain it to him without telling him the threat?"
"He's not going to leave her side right now, I'll let Gil break it to him when he gets here. He and Sofia are on their way here." Catherine shifted the little girl to her other hip.
"What do I do with Grams when I get her?" Greg questioned. Hodges came over and took Jessica from her. The little girl snuggled into his chest, looking worn out
"Meet me at the Rampart. Jessica and I will go pick up Lindsey. Sam can supply a better guard than we can." Catherine decided. Sometimes it paid to have a high powered father, even if he was a dirty murderer. He cared about Lindsey, and for that she could almost forgive his sins. "Do any of you have any family that could be in danger?"
"With exception of you and Warrick, CSI's don't have personal lives." Nick grimaced. "Times like these, I'm actually grateful for that."
"What about her?" Greg motioned to the redhead standing a few feet away, trying to look like she wasn't listening to them. Catherine looked over at her and frowned.
"Who is she?" She looked from Greg to Nick.
"She's our guide to the other realm." Nick bit out sarcastically. "She's a psychic. She sees dead people."
"I'm Lucy Malone. I'm not a psychic, I'm a medium." Lucy held out her had to the lady, who was obviously the one in charge. "I've come to help."
"She has information about the case." Greg explained, shooting Nick an irritated glare. "She's been right so far. I mean, about Gemma and all." As he said that, his eyes enlarged with dread. "Cath? What about the baby?"
Catherine sighed, glancing at Jessica who was leaning heavily on David's shoulder, without a word, she shook her head sadly. There was a moment of silence as the men took in the information and mourned.
"Poor Gemma." Hodges sighed, his high-pitched voice breaking with emotion.
"Warrick is going to kill whoever did this." Nick groaned, thinking about how happy the man had been, just a few hours before. Warrick was going to be ripped apart, hurting and wanting to hurt someone. "We can't leave him alone for a moment when he finds out."
"Hodges? Can you handle it here?" Catherine questioned.
"Yeah, I'll stay on him. You guys go. Get the bas-" He paused, remembering the little girl in his arms. "Just get them."