Chapter 8
Grissom and his team started sifting through the evidence. Nick and Sara were assigned the car. Greg was still running the DNA samples. Grissom and Catherine started to study the file on Sean Martin to see if there was anything in his pattern that they might be able to use. Brass, the LVPD and a few FBI agents were canvassing the area around where the car was found with pictures of Martin to see if anyone had seen him.
Nick and Sara started with the trunk area of the car. The damage was higher up on the trunk, indicating that the car had been hit with a vehicle that had a higher up hood, such as a truck or SUV. There also didn't seem to be any paint from the vehicle that struck Alex's car anywhere in the damage.
"You think the perp had a grill guard?" Nick asked.
"That's certainly what it looks like," Sara replied. "Think it narrows our search any?"
Nick just shook his head. "It explains how the perp was able to drive away. He rams her from behind, his car protected by the grill guard. It smashes up her car, but his has barely a scratch."
"Makes sense," Sara agreed. They continued to work, but didn't find anything else that was useful. It was disappointing.
Grissom found the files on Martin's crimes disturbing. Martin had snatched his victims, with little fanfare. Normally there wasn't any sign of abduction. He's already broken his pattern, Grissom thought. The victims were found all found within 72 hours of their last sighting. He doesn't keep them long. The condition of the victims when found was horrible. Each was beaten, there were signs of torture, broken bones, and strangulation marks. But strangulation was not the cause of death, a single gunshot wound was. It wasn't the condition of the victims that Grissom found disturbing. It was the fact that this was the man who had Alex.
"So, he has to be somewhere where he can make a lot of noise but no one can hear," Catherine thought aloud as she read the files.
"Which is a lot of places in Vegas," Grissom replied. "If there still in Vegas."
Catherine's frustration was getting the best of her. "Don't they have any idea where he might be? They have to know at least one of his contacts!"
"Catherine," Grissom tried to soothe her. "The FBI is doing all it can."
"You don't honestly believe that!" She retorted.
"No, I don't," he was being truthful. "But we have to stay calm or we're not going to be of any use to Alex."
Catherine knew Grissom was right, but it didn't quell her indignation.
Special Agent Thompson walked into Grissom's office. "Grab your kits," it was an order. "They found the motel where he's been staying. I assumed you'd want to be the one to process
it."
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"Where did we go wrong?" Sean asked the bound Alex.
"There was never any we," Alex stated.
"Aw, but what about all the time we spent together?" he asked, trying to sound hurt.
"I was just doing my job," she replied.
"Well, if you get paid to spend time with someone," he questioned, moving back to his squatting position in front of her. "You know what that makes you?" he smirked.
"Well, I thought that was the only type of woman you got?" she shot back at him.
He furrowed his brow and stood up. He swung his arm, connecting the back of his hand with her check. He hit her so forcefully that she fell over, chair and all. She thought she heard a crack, like her cheekbone breaking.
"You should watch your tongue," he reprimanded her. "I'm the one in control now."
"If you were really in control," she chided him, "You wouldn't need me to be bound."
He half smiled, seemingly amused at her remark. Then, he swiftly kicked her in the ribs. She tried not to flinch. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
"I don't need you to be bound," he corrected her. "I like it when you're bound. It's symbolic."
"Symbolic of what?" she humored him.
"It's symbolic of the fact that you won't allow yourself to be free," he said, as if revealing some deep insight into her soul. He lifted her and set her upright in the chair again.
"Free from what?" she didn't quite understand where he was going.
"From the things that bind you, of course," he said, being enigmatic. After a slight pause he continued, "Now, you need to get some rest before the fun really begins." He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Alex was once again left in the darkness. Her only thoughts were of Gil and Greg. She would never get her second date with Greg. She hadn't gotten to celebrate Father's Day with Gil. She'd never get to say good-bye to either of them. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. She knew she wasn't going to make it out of this alive.