Sara had serious knots in her stomach when she saw Manny's Escort pull into the well-lit parking lot. Her fingers rose once again to trace the tracking device that was concealed in her necklace. Brass and his team had decided that a wire could be easily detected and they weren't sure how Manny would react to that. So although the detectives wouldn't be able to hear her conversation, they'd be able to pinpoint her precise location and follow her at a strategic distances.
She stretched her neck and shoulders, trying to lessen her rising tension. The past few hours had been a whirlwind as the police experts had given her an intensive crash course in undercover work, along with detailed instructions on handling dangerous suspects, throwing in self-defense tips along the way.
At first, Grissom had been glued to her side during those meetings, glaring at anyone who dared suggest he leave. Sara had expected to be annoyed by his over protectiveness, but found herself warmed and comforted by it instead. Her heart was still reeling from his confession of love.
His odd behavior, while endearing to her, had alerted Brass to their new relationship, along with the fact that he'd seen their embrace in Grissom's office. With his own streetwise flair, the police captain discretely cornered Grissom, firmly clasping his hand to offer his congratulations. As commander of Sara's decoy operation, and as Grissom's friend, he'd recommended to the graveyard supervisor that it was best to remove himself from the case due to his conflict of interest. Despite Grissom's initial protests, Sara was finally able to convince him that she could focus on the case more completely if he wasn't involved.
Under the glare of the fluorescent lights in the parking lot she wistfully glanced over her shoulder, even though she was aware that Grissom was no longer there. About fifteen minutes ago, he surprised her, stopping by to check in with her, ignoring Brass's strong urging to stay away. Their conversation hadn't been earth shattering but he'd managed to wish her luck and sneak an intense furtive kiss.
"You ready?" Catherine asked. She'd be accompanying Brass and his entourage as they tailed Sara, later she'd take charge of the investigation at the crime scene that Manny was presumably leading them to.
Sara shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be." Unfortunately, as the moment grew closer, her anxiety level was increasing. But she'd do it. She forced herself think of all of his victims. It would be worth going through all of this to ensure there wouldn't be any new ones.
Catherine placed a supportive hand on Sara's shoulder. "You'll be okay. You don't have to do anything heroic, remember? If you're smart, run like hell the minute he identifies the location, we don't need you getting hurt. Remember, we've got your back."
The older woman's concern was surprisingly reassuring to her.
The two women watched as some detectives chatted with Manny while a uniformed officer searched his car and then his person for weapons. Grissom had insisted on that precaution, although Sara knew it wouldn't necessarily guarantee her safety.
Suddenly, it was time. She slid into the passenger seat of Manny's Escort and they drove off. She remained silent not wanting to provoke this odd man, not wanting to distract him from his mission. The experts at the station had reminded her that the time to get him talking was when he was showing her the evidence. In addition to discovering more details about the crime, it would also buy them time to get her out of a situation that had the potential of becoming increasingly dangerous.
As they drove, Sara maintained her bearings by paying close attention to street signs and landmarks. They were headed west, towards Manny's neighborhood. Certainly they wouldn't be going to his home. She and Nick had searched his place extensively and come up with no viable leads. She was beginning to wonder if Manny had any valid information to share, or if Grissom was right. Perhaps this was a wild goose chase.
Manny had begun a long, disjointed ramble about nothing in particular, deliberately throwing out a few vicious invectives about women in an attempt to provoke her. Sara strove to appear mildly bored, and wisely held her tongue.
He took several turns, leading them through a business district and then into a seedier part of town, towards some faded warehouses that had seen better days. He pulled the car up to one of the garage doors and stopped.
"Get out."
The harshness in his tone sent a chill through her, reminding her of what this man was truly capable of doing to her. Sara complied, a little confused, wondering if this could be the primary crime scene. Yet it didn't fit their model and it didn't feel right to her. Was he just playing games with her?
"Hurry up."
He grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her towards the building. After opening the door, she knew at once that while this wasn't the crime scene, there was another finding of major significance. The elusive Ford Ranger, freshly painted dark blue, stood before them, its bed stuffed with boxes and other assorted belongings. Sara was willing to bet money that the left front headlight was cracked.
'He's leaving town. And taking me with him?' she momentarily panicked.
The change in plans had thrown her. This wasn't what she'd expected. If he planned to get her into the truck, although the police could track her, they wouldn't be as close as she would've preferred. It would take them some time to determine that Manny had switched vehicles. That time could be vital for her survival. This was becoming more dangerous than she'd anticipated.
Sara's options were few. She could cut her losses and bolt, counting on her police surveillance to swiftly catch up with her at the Escort. Since this truck was most likely the vehicle involved in the abductions; that alone could provide sufficient grounds for the police to hold Manny. She was willing to bet that there'd be blood or hair samples of the victims beneath his mountain of possessions. The only problem was that it would be useless if he drove away in it, which is precisely what he'd do if she fled. Despite her nagging reservations, she held firm, for she doubted the warehouse held any thing else of significance to the case.
"You didn't think I was gonna stick around?" he leered and shoved her towards the passenger door of the Ranger. "I'm not stupid."
To maintain his sense of control, Sara agreed with him. No wonder he consented so easily to a weapons search, his highly prized bone handled jagged edged fillet knife was most likely concealed within this vehicle.
Her heart sank as she climbed into the truck, and she strove to control her rapidly accelerated breathing. The police could locate her; her homing device was still functional, she assured herself. She was prepared, she'd just need to buy herself some time when the moment to escape presented itself since she couldn't expect a quick response from her backup.
To make matters worse, Manny opened a garage door on the opposite end of the unit, and then floored the gas pedal. Now it would take the police even longer to physically locate her. They took off in the truck, heading farther away from the bright lights of Vegas. Sara had lost her orientation, but if the Lake Mead theory was correct, then she assumed that she was on her way to the primary crime scene.
When they passed the outskirts of Vegas, her hopes continued to plummet. Manny started a diatribe about how horrible women were, but fortunately he didn't expect much in the way of feedback, other than an occasional nod or 'yes' to convince him that he had a captive audience. Sara's thoughts wandered to other matters, not wanting to be mired down by his disturbing theories.
Was this how Manny treated his victims? Did he force them out of their cars at knifepoint and then into the passenger seat of his Ranger? Or did he knock them out and carelessly toss their bodies into the back of the truck? Did those women have any idea what fate held for them? Did Manny spell it out for them or had he let them stew in their thoughts and fears as he ranted on about the evils of women? Like he was doing now.
She took a breath and mentally corrected herself. She was not a victim; she had options. Even though she couldn't see them, the police were tailing her; she wasn't alone. It crossed her mind more than once that Manny could be taking her to a completely unrelated site to rape and then kill her. She tried to ignore that thought.
Had he raped and murdered them in the bed of his truck then dumped the bodies when he was finished? She was eager to process that truck, certain it could fill in many of the holes in the story. However, if that were the case, she would've expected the victim's belongings to be disposed of with the bodies. Other than jewelry, all of the corpses they'd uncovered were bound at the wrists and completely naked. A psychopath like Manny most likely would keep some of their belongings as souvenirs. She was counting on finding some of them tonight.
The desolate nature of the dark narrow country roads disturbed her, making her feel even more isolated. It would be difficult for the police to follow her closely without drawing undue attention. Then to complicate matters more, Manny pulled off the main route on to an unmarked gravel road. How would the police even see it when they drove by in the dark? Her stomach knotted in protest and her heart rate hitched up another notch.
After traveling on the gravel road for about ten minutes, Manny pulled up to a cabin. The investigator in her snapped to attention, itching to grab her kit and process the scene. It wasn't much of a cabin; it certainly wouldn't have been listed on the tourist registry of rental properties. Most likely, some weekend warriors who cared more about drinking and fishing rather than aesthetic appeal had thrown it together.
"Get out."
Sara shuddered, seeing his grin. It made her skin crawl. She scanned her surroundings. The flat terrain offered little suitable cover for an adult female, though the darkness could partially conceal her. Her options continued to become more limited; yet she sensed this was it. There was going to be a payoff after all. Having no other viable options, she nervously followed Manny inside the building.
It was show time.
TBC