Summary: Strange events in the form of murder leave nothing, but trouble and confusion. Nick and Warrick are pulled into a world they were not ready for. It threatens not only their lives, but their sanity.
Disclaimer: This is all written in fun and trial for something new. Everything CSI is not mine and never will be. It belongs to the creative talent of the actors, the writers, the directors, and producers. I am not making any money off of this. Only meant to offer something new on something already so great. No reason to sue.
Author's Note: Hello, hello! Here we are once again. Thank you all for joining me again for this chapter. More of the team, more Nick, and oh yeah…dead bodies! I really don't have anything clever to say so I will just shut up and get out of the way. Enjoy and have fun as always. See you all next post!
Title: Poisonous Fear
By: duffshel
#2
Catherine took a deep breath and readjusted the beam of light from her small flashlight. The young male on the cement was a sight to see. It had taken a few minutes to even figure out it was a male they were dealing with. Whatever had attacked this kid had done a real number. Bile kept rising into the back of Catherine's throat.
The latex gloves felt warm on her hands as she reached down to the mess. The body was almost to the point she didn't think it could be called a body any longer. Both arms were barely attached at the shoulders any longer and the right leg was turned completely around in its socket. Skin, muscle, and bone were missing in numerous places. This poor guy had been a meal ticket for something.
David Phillips crouched at the other side of the victim and was busy getting his readings. His hand was flying over the notebook paper as he took notes on what he was seeing. This was something he had never seen. Mauling happened, but never to this extent around here in the past few years. The body temperature was warm. This happened about an hour ago.
"What else do you need with him here, Catherine?"
The blonde woman looked up into the field coroner's eyes, "If you are ready to move him, give me just a sec. I have the pictures I need here, but I need a few swabs samples from the…bite marks..."
The young man nodded and stood up. He quickly gathered his gear and headed over to the ambulance that was waiting for transport. The black bag felt heavy in his hand as he pulled it out. He blanked out his mind as he headed back over to the body. Two medics followed and the three of them managed to get everything into the bag once Catherine gave them the go.
Catherine didn't bother watching anything occurring with Dave and his team. Her eyes were raking slowly over the ground underneath the body. Blood stains and pools were everywhere. The edges were not solid and there was no pattern to how it seemed to spread. Catherine had to guess the blood just poured from everywhere. It was heavy in too many places.
Her body started at the hand that lay softly down on her shoulder. Grissom stayed still as Catherine collected herself. Only his eyes remained active as he took in the mess on the cement in front of the two.
"Any thoughts?"
"Not yet. There is a lot of blood here. I was going to swab it to make sure it was all from our victim. I haven't checked the parameter yet. David just left with the body,"
"Alright. You finish up with the swabs here and I am going to check around this ramp and see if I can find anything."
Catherine nodded as she watched Grissom walk away. Her kit was close and she only had to reach over with her right hand to grab the packet of swabs and their plastic covers. There was little wind or disturbance to the blood pool due to the location. The body was found next to the pyramid ramp covered in spray paint. A group of young Mexican children were the ones unfortunate enough to come across this mess. Vega told her that he had called their parents and took them down to the station already.
The swabs soaked up the blood. Catherine worked in a tight circle as she took her samples. She would move out from the main spot to the splatters. It was a lot of blood.
!#$&()!#$&()!#$&()+
The lights of the park were off. Grissom asked a police officer he passed to bring him some flood lights. He couldn't seem much with the beam his flashlight was offering. The young officer ran over quickly and set up one on the cement next to where the CSI was standing.
The gray was lit up, "Hey, before you run off, could you see if the lights could be taken off their timer and turned on?"
Grissom's question to the officer stopped the man in his steps. He was new to the force and didn't know what to do. Taking the easy route, the officer nodded and ran off to find Vega.
The CSI immediately began searching the ground for anything. There had to be something. A blood splatter, a footprint, a tire mark. Something had to show how the man was placed in the middle of that park for the kids to find when they came to skate.
The skating park wasn't very large. It was approximately 8,100 sq. ft. which was decent size, but Grissom had heard of larger ones. And when encased in the seventy acre park with the baseball field, it was just a small feature. The park itself had no open land due to dust problems in the area so there wasn't much dirt to rely on for treads.
Just as Grissom was about to move the flood light he was working with, the lights over head came on. The entire area was lit up with the fake white wash of high watt bulbs. It took Grissom a second to adjust his eyes to the new situation before he began his search again. There was nothing in this region of the park.
Slow footsteps lead the CSI to the parking lot side of the skate park. There were a few cars that weren't squad in the lot, but nothing that screamed for attention. But there were some odd tire marks that did catch Grissom's attention.
Large tread were leaving the skating park in what looked like two directions. Grissom knelt down next to the black designs. They led in once and out once. Following them into the skating arena, they led right up to where Catherine was bent over a large red pool.
Grissom walked over to Catherine and didn't say a word as he grabbed her camera and a few markers. Carefully he placed them along the treads and took pictures as he walked. It didn't look like the vehicle turned around anywhere. Whoever had been driving simply reversed and backed out once the body was out. The speed hadn't been that great. The treads were pretty clear with little smudging.
Detective Sam Vega took that opportunity to find the CSI and walk up to him, "Hey Grissom. How are things going?"
'Well, I just found these tire marks leading to where our victim was placed. Do you know if there are any cameras over this area?"
"Nah, they just redid the pavement and added a lot more lights during the renovations. This is a heavy Hispanic part of town. Cameras were out of budget."
Grissom nodded at the information, "Could you spare an officer to see if this trail can be followed further than this? I doubt it, but it is worth a try."
"Sure. I can get two over here for you. We aren't really having problems keeping people away being this late a night. And the kids that found the body, I have had them taken to the station. Their parents have been called. I will head there soon to question them."
"Yeah, I would love to know what they are doing here at this time of night."
Vega nodded his head and turned to walk away. Grissom waited until two officers ran over to give his instructions before he walked back over to Catherine. She had just finished up with her samples and was packing her kit back up. She turned to Gil when she heard his approach.
"So what do you want to have done now?"
"Well, I think I found where the vehicle came in. Vega has some officers following the trail, but I don't think we are going to get anywhere with it. We should leave the area taped and watched while we head back to the lab."
Catherine nodded and picked up her bag. The two CSI's walked in silence back over the truck. And the silence tagged along during the ride. The blonde woman couldn't help, but wonder what had happened to lead that boy to that park in that situation. Something happened and she could only hope they could figure out what it was.
!#$&()!#$&()!#$&()+
Greg almost couldn't keep his disappointment to himself when they arrived on the scene. There had been a car accident on the freeway and it had stalled them for almost forty minutes. The fire was completely out when they finally pulled in. Only smoke still left from the destroyed roof.
The young CSI dragged himself from the truck and opened the back door to grab his stuff. He could almost feel the grin that Warrick was giving him. During the jam, Greg had mentioned he had never seen a house on fire before and he was excited to see something new. But he had missed out, again.
Both men walked from the truck and past the yellow tape with a flash of their badges. Warrick's green eyes darted around as he tried to locate his friend. All he saw was the happy-go-lucky face of one Jim Brass. He resisted the eye roll as he pulled Greg over to the detective.
"Hey Jim. What happened here?"
The solid, dark haired man turned to face the new arrivals with a raised eyebrow, "I though that was your job, Warrick?"
"Doesn't mean you can't help out every once 'n awhile. Where's Nick at?"
"Oh, he decided to go off with the fire chief and get a full tour of the place."
Warrick chuckled and shook his head. Poor Greg just looked confused. He couldn't figure out was so odd about Nick wanting to get in and check things out. And who better to take him in than the fire chief himself.
"What's wrong with that?"
The two older men looked at him, but neither said a word. Warrick just grinned at him again and Brass gave another eyebrow raise. "Whatever guys."
"So, you two ready to get in there? I am told it is clear for entry though those fire guys are still working out which rooms are safe to process."
"Just take us in Brass."
The detective turned towards the house and set a fast pace to the front door. Warrick had no trouble keeping up, but Greg felt like he was jogging. The smell of burnt wood and carpeting was strong and the night wind had no problem in moving it around. Greg wanted to hide his nose in his shirt, but didn't want to look like a wimp to the other two men.
Brass stepped in the charred doorway and stood to the side as the two CSI's walked in, flashlights in their hands. There was nothing, but black and ash. Warrick could hear voices towards the back of the house, but he couldn't help standing there shocked for a few seconds. Fire was not something he would ever want to mess with.
"It was a hot one. I am surprised they got it out at all," Brass commented as he took a look at the inside for the first time.
The fire chief saved the three men from having to go looking for him. He burst through what must have been a kitchen at one point with a frown that put Brass to shame, even on his best day. No one had to prompt him for any information about his foul mood.
"We found the body. Your guy's in there. See if you can convince him to wait until we make sure this damn thing is safe before he starts going nuts."
Warrick couldn't help it. A smile broke across his face showing his white teeth, "That would be Nicky. I'll go see what I can do."
The tall CSI walked past the fire chief and soon found himself looking into a large kitchen. Nick was standing with his back to the entrance. It was clear to make out the tension built up in those shoulders. Warrick made his way to the other man's side, but was stopped in his tracks when he saw what held Nick's attention and light beam.
A charred body was slumped over on what was left of a table chair. What little skin was left clung to the brown bones. Nothing was left that Warrick could see of the clothes or shoes.
"Damn!"
Nick jumped slightly and whipped around to face the disturbance, "Shit 'Rick. Make some damn noise next time, will ya? And get that damn light out of my face!"
"Sorry, man. Didn't realize you were going deaf on me."
"Just shut up. When did you get here?"
Warrick took another step closer to the victim, "A few minutes ago. I cannot believe someone would just sit in a chair and wait for the fire to hit them."
Nick didn't answer his friend. There was something wrong with all of this. The body looked as if it never moved during the fire. He looked around and couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine. From the pattern of the fire, it started right there with the body.
"I'll take this room. Why don't you see if you can find anything outside."
"Sure, I'll have Greg help me with the yard. It looks to be a big one. What about the upstairs?"
"Have to wait until the chief gives the okay on it," Nick finally looked over at Warrick.
Warrick nodded and with a pat on a muscled shoulder, he left the room. The only person left in the front room that he knew was Greg. He nodded his head at the younger CSI as he walked past. Greg didn't hesitate. He followed Warrick out of the house.
"Nick's going to take the inside of the kitchen, you and I are going to scope it out here. Find anything, photo and bag it."
Once Greg nodded and headed to the left side of the house, Warrick turned and took the right. There was a lot of yard to this damn house. It was green and rich. Lots of money to buy those looks in Vegas. Yards like these were what were draining the Nation's rivers and lakes. People didn't seem to realize what a green lawn in the desert cost to the planet.
The front part of the yard was totally ruined. Whatever might have been there was trashed by the tracks of firefighters, hoses, and water blasts. Even though Warrick hadn't been at the house for the fire, the evidence of the battle was clear. It had been a big one.
But once he walked around to the back and the large patio, things began to show up. Warrick completely ignored the spacious pool and focused on the dirt smudges that covered the pale cement that surrounded it. The moonlight was enough to make out that there was a path and many people had moved back and forth in that area.
His flashlight lit up the mud and there were skid marks. Someone had slipped when walking from the house. Probably running too quickly from the fire. Warrick grabbed the camera around his neck and began snapping pictures. Once he was satisfied, he followed the rough path towards the grass and dirt. There was nothing behind the house, but more yard and a large wooden fence. With a sweep of his beam, Warrick saw the fence was intact.
"Hey Warrick!"
Greg walked briskly towards the other man. He was excited.
"What's up man?"
"They drove out on that side. The trail leads to back here."
Warrick nodded and swept wider. Sure enough, there were depressions from a large vehicle. They were deep and heavy in the grass. There was a lot of weight to something to do that. And from the width of the impressions, the vehicle had to be fairly large, one of those SUV's that could pass for a bus possibly.
"It fits with these foot tracks I found by the pool. They lead from the grass to the back of the house. Must have parked back here and broke in."
Greg listened with a slight frown on his face, "But wouldn't the owner know someone was here if they drove around the entire house? I mean, the headlights would flash through several windows."
The taller CSI didn't bother answering. He had no clue what to say to that one. He had no idea. But soon things should begin to fall into place. Both men began processing the tracks without a word to the other. Water was still running from areas of the cooling house. Something could be lost that shouldn't be.
!#$&()!#$&()!#$&()+
The kitchen, what was left of it, was nothing more than darkened steel and tile. Everything about it screamed sanitary and clean before it went up in the hot flames. Nick walked the room slowly and studied all the burn patterns. Something pushed the fire up and out. It started in this room/
The linoleum on the floor was peeling and bending upward. Nick had to watch his steps to make sure he didn't get caught on anything and land flat on his face. His kit was still outside in his truck. He had been so eager to get in the house with the chief, he had forgotten it. Not that he would tell Grissom that. But he did still have a pair of latex gloves in his back pocket. It was sad when a grown man carried a pair in every pair of pants he owned.
Paint was completely melted off in some areas. The fire worked its way upward along the walls, not downward. And there was a smell in the air that was familiar, but the name didn't just jump into his head. Whatever it was reminded him of the cookouts that his family had when he was younger and still in Texas. But Nick wasn't about to jump anywhere with lighter fluid and the works. He could be patient enough to have Hodges tell him what was used to start the fire.
Finally, Nick knew he couldn't avoid the body any longer. With purpose and a downward stare, he left the kitchen and house on the way back out to his truck. His kit bag was sitting in the front seat next to his camera. Both were grabbed and he returned before anyone could say a word to him.
The body was still slumped forward. With a large breath, Nick knelt down in front of it and forced himself to look into the face. The lips and nose were gone. Once white teeth were yellow and brown. The eyes, black sludge dripping down charred cheeks. There were still a few strands of hair on the head. Clothes were gone or melted into bone and brown muscle.
Nick took several pictures and pulled a few hair strands to place in the small plastic baggie he held with his other hand. The hair might have been blonde, but Nick couldn't tell right then and there. Carefully, he reached up with his free hand and grabbed at the jaw. The body fell forward.
"Fuck!"
The Texan jumped to his feet and the body crashed to the floor. The left arm broke off. Nick had to fight the urge to run outside and relive his lunch all over the grass. Deep breaths could be heard in the room. They were enough to cover the sound of footsteps.
"Nick?"
"Hey Super Dave. In here, the back," the reply was thick and weak.
The coroner walked into the room, out of breath, "Sorry it took so long to get here. I just finished up with Catherine before I headed here."
"No problem man. I was just getting down and dirty here…Um…that isn't the original position. Might want to make a record of it. The body was in the chair, but when I went to move the head for a better photo of the face, it fell…the arm fell off!"
David nodded and walked over, unfazed, to stand above the now grounded body. He took it all in and shook his head. There would be no need to take a temperature or call a C.O.D. It was all clear on what caused the death and when the fire took place. If the body was dead prior to the fire, a decent temperature would be impossible to get anyways.
"She suffered before she died."
Nick looked up sharply, "She?"
"Yeah, look at the lower body. It is broad in the hip area. Though I could be wrong. The body is burnt pretty badly."
Both men worked on getting the victim on its back and David stood. This time he had carried the black bag in with him. He got out his cell phone and called in the gurney. Nick helped him get everything in the bag and once again fought the bile when he picked up the stray arm. David nodded to him as they wheeled the body out.
Nick stood up and looked around the room once again. There was a lot to process here, but he hadn't heard anything from the chief about the rest of the house being open. Nothing was jumping out for a cause to all of this. He heard voices out back so he headed to the yellow sliding doors.
Warrick and Greg were both bent over something on the patio. Curiosity got the better of Nick and he walked over to them. "What do you guys got?"
"We found several footprints. There were a lot of people here tonight. And over there," Warrick moved his beam of light to the side of the house, "Is where they drove through."
Nick walked closer, "What happened here?"
Both of the other men looked up and saw where Nick was starring. There was a large mud stain that was wider than the others. Warrick bent down by it and frowned. He looked up Nick when the Texan spoke again.
"Someone was dragged. Away from the house."
TBC…smores anyone? J