Hi ya!

Okay since I only just posted my last chappie, like, five minutes ago, I'm sure no one has had time to review (or even receive an alert about) it yet. SO lets just move on.

I can't think of a witty disclaimer right now cuz I'm falling asleep at the keyboard, so… I don't own, and never will own, CSI.

Chapter seven: A False Hope

XxX

Greg was falling deeper and deeper into his state of shock. His only link to his friends was now dead, and he was now breathing much too fast for the machine to puff out enough smoke to fill his starving lungs.

His thoughts were changing as quickly as he was breathing, but one thing kept coming back.

"What did I do to deserve this? I only identified DNA and fibers for the case. I didn't even know the guy."

His breathing hitched again, now breathing too fast for any of the air to reach his lungs.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

His heartbeat had become erratic trying to keep up with his breathing; he felt like it would explode at any moment. Tears began to fall freely, mixing with the dark crimson blood pooling underneath his head and upper body.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-"

Greg's eyes snapped open as he heard noises above him. Listening as best he could, his heart jumped as the sound of digging became louder and louder.

"They found me! They…found…me."

The last thing Greg remembered was the lid of the coffin being swung open and someone standing over him before he blacked out.

XxX

The quiet night air of the abandoned factory district was pierced with the loud shrill of three different sirens.

Jim Brass, along with Grissom in the passenger seat and Catherine and Archie in the back, led in a squad car. Directly behind them, Warrick drove one of the lab's Tahoes, with Nick in the passenger seat and Sara, Jacqui and Hodges in the back. The final siren came from and ambulance bringing up the rear.

No one spoke throughout the entire trip, each too lost in their own thoughts of what their best friend would look like when they reached him.

Out of everyone, Grissom was the one who seemed to have his thoughts focused the farthest from the scene. His mind kept replaying the fight he had had with Greg the night before the kidnapping. He thought he had been helping Greg by keeping him hidden and away from the case, but he should have known the young CSI wouldn't listen. And even if he had listened, Chris Jackson had his targets picked out, and he would have gotten Greg anyhow.

Tires screeched to a halt and six doors slammed. Catherine and Warrick ran ahead, each towing a heat sensor.

"Look for any signs that the ground has been disturbed recently!" Grissom yelled to everyone in the area.

Several voices could be heard throughout the area, yelling Greg's name as loud as they could; hoping the young man could somehow hear and respond to their calls.

Warrick and Catherine worked feverishly, looking for any trace of a heat signature under the ground.

"You finding anything!" Archie yelled across the clearing.

Catherine sighed and shook her head.

Archie's shoulders slumped in defeat, before he raised his hands to his mouth and rejoined the chorus drifting through the air. "Greg! Where are ya?"

"Come on Greggo. Hold on just a little longer." Nick thought as he searched the ground for clues. "We aren't finding anything Grissom!"

Refusing to listen, Grissom tuned out into his own thoughts. "This just seems too easy. Jackson must have went through a lot of trouble to make sure Greg was at that house just to lead us straight to him. It's like he wanted us to find Greg after awhile."

"I've got something! Hey! I've got it!"

Everything became dead silent as Warrick's voice rang through the grounds.

Grissom had never run so fast in his life as he made his way to where the voice had some from, followed by the rest of the group.

Warrick had already abandoned his heat sensor and was furiously throwing dirt to the side with his hands.

As Grissom reached Warrick, he saw Nick, Archie and Hodges running toward them with shovels. Grissom reached down and pulled a flailing Warrick out of the way just in time.

Everyone else had gathered around also, leaving a radius just big enough for the shovelers to throw their dirt.

Warrick fought frantically to get back into the rapidly growing hole, to the point where Brass and Catherine had to help Grissom hold him back.

"Warrick! They've got him now! You need to settle down!" Brass yelled.

"No! You don't understand! I need to help!"

Sara ran in front of him and put her hands on his chest. "Warrick. There's nothing you can do."

"Greg might be dead!"

Everyone's' grips fell, but Warrick didn't attempt to run as he turned to face them.

"The heat reading. Greg's body temp should at least be 98 degrees in there if he hasn't been getting overheated from the close space. It's at 88 degrees now."

No one moved as this information sank in.

"H-how?" Catherine whispered. "We just talked to him. A DB only loses one degree every hour! How could his temperature drop so much in less than an hour?"

"I-I don't know," Brass stuttered.

Grissom's gaze never left the three digging, and they had to be at least five feet deep by now.

Nick's shovel suddenly bounced back at him with a hollow thud.

"I hit something! Keep going!"

Nick uncovered a corner of the coffin, and within ten minutes, they had the whole thing surfaced.

Archie and Hodges jumped out and went to stand with the others as Warrick jumped in to help Nick lift the lid.

"Greg!" Nick yelled as the lid fell against the ground. "Oh no."

Sara and Catherine were both now fighting Grissom and Brass so that they could reach the hole and see in, but the two males wouldn't let them anywhere near until Nick and Warrick knew the situation.

"Nick!" Catherine cried. "Warrick! Please, is he all right!"

Warrick staggered drunkenly out of the hole and over to his team as Nick fell to his knees in the hole.

Sara's tears were falling freely now as she watched her friend approach. "Oh God. Please no!"

Grissom looked at Warrick as he drew closer, noting the look of confusion in the younger man's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Warrick looked up at the group slowly. "Greg isn't in there."

XxX

DUN DUN DUN! I am SO EVIL! No, really, this is the farthest I have gotten on this story, even in my notebook! So I don't even know what happens next! DON"T KILL ME! I have been working very hard to get this thing written, so I promise I won't leave it at such a deadly cliffhanger for long!

I have to say this chappie was the easiest to write. Everything just flowed perfectly as I wrote it, not having to stop and think about it at all. The words just seemed to appear on the paper of their own accord. I hope nobody sounded too OOC (Hodges doesn't count), especially the girls for crying so much. I just felt like this would be a time where they would break down, and like I said, the words just seemed to appear on the paper by themselves!

HEY! For once I finished updating at its only 12:55 A.M. I can sleep tonight! C ya all in the morning sometime, and I hope I can get many more reviews! I only need ten more to beat my number for my YuYu Hakusho story that has nine chapters already! Thanx all, you're the greatest!

C ya!

Kittyluv