Entreaty
Chapter 18
Side note: Thanks to everyone who is still reading this. My apologies for
the time between chapters.
Thanks to Alison, for prodding me to continue this.
Sara wanted to wrap her arms around Grissom and transfer her own strength to him. Apparently, Grissom had the same thought because after removing his long sleeved soggy shirt he stretched out on his back beside her. Quietly he reached for her hand and they interlaced fingers as he stared up into her face.
"You should really take your jeans off." Sara suggested with a sincere frown.
A chuckle escaped from Grissom. He knew that was not a proposition, but after the past evening and preceding morning he could not prevent the thought from intruding. It was a welcome relief from the horrendous discovery of his half brother.
"Don't even think about it. We need to drink plenty of water and conserve energy."
"That's what I was thinking." Grissom said with mock defensiveness. With one fluid motion, he stripped his jeans off and turned onto his side to face Sara who was following his example.
The hours slipped into one another as water was consumed and energy was depleted from the sheer heat of the day. They spoke very little and found comfort in little touches.
It began as a low humming. The silence inside the tent interrupted by the slowly growing sound of chopping blades through the air.
Grissom was the first to hear it and quickly scrambled to his feet. He moved to the tent flap and peered outside and into the horizon. A black helicopter was moving across the desert skyline. He debated with himself on whether he should move outside the tent and wave his arms or grab Sara and run to the relative safety of the rocks.
"What is it?" Sara asked from beside his elbow.
"Honey, you should get dressed."
Sara wasted no time pulling on her blue jeans and then her shirt. Grissom kept his eyes on the chopper as it drew closer.
"I think that I can see writing on the tail." Grissom stepped outside and felt Sara move to stand beside him.
"LVPD." Sara breathed in relief as the chopper turned slightly and settled with flare of sand near the Tahoe.
Grissom glanced in her direction. Together they walked slowly towards the men emerging from the welcome sight of the chopper.
Brass was the first person they recognized. They watched him stare at the battered Tahoe as another figure stepped from the chopper. Sara caught her breath and glanced quickly towards Grissom's grim face.
Brass spotted their approach and gave a half smile and wave.
"Decide to take your car to a firing range?" Brass quipped as they walked within earshot.
"Apparently," Grissom held out a hand to grasp Brass's outstretched one. "Good to see you, Jim."
Sara gave Brass a nod and turned to look with bewilderment at Tom, who stood with comfortable ease behind them.
Grissom followed her gaze and his eyes locked on Tom. "What are you doing here?"
"I called him." Brass interjected. "When I couldn't reach you on the phone I was concerned."
"I never gave you his number." Grissom did not want Tom Giles here; not when Kyle was less than 100 feet away.
"I called Elaine's number and Tom, here, answered." Brass glanced towards Sara. "Imagine my surprise when he informed me that you and Sara went exploring in the Mojave."
Grissom made a motion towards the car. "Someone else knew we were out here. I would like for you to call my team in, Jim."
"To investigate your car?"
"No." Grissom gave Tom a pointed stare. "I don't think you should be here."
Tom blanched. "What have you found?"
Grissom searched for the appropriate words. He felt Sara's hand on his arm and it helped steady his emotions.
"Tom, I'm sorry." Sara let go of Grissom's arm and walked over to stand in front of the now anxious man. "We discovered a body that we think may be Kyle."
A sickly pale chased all color from Tom's face. "Where is he?"
"I don't think that it would be a good idea for you to see him."
"I need to see him."
Sara frowned. "I think that you should wait, Tom. The scene shouldn't be compromised."
Tom gave her an incredulous look. "Kyle is my brother. I need to see if it's him." He turned to Grissom. "Take me to him."
Grissom nodded. If he had felt so compelled to see if it was Kyle, then someone who knew the man, loved him, would feel that much stronger. He expected no less.
"I'll show you where we found a body." Grissom led them back to the spot where he and Sara had discovered the source of the beeping watch. "I don't think it would be wise for you to go near the body, Tom. We already have to contend with our own footprints around the scene and I don't think we should add any more confusion."
Grissom's words fell on deaf ears as Tom drew in a shaky breath. He took in the sprigs of blond hair mingled with the sand and could not halt his impulse. Before Grissom or Sara could stop him, Tom moved closer to the site and squatted down to touch the protruding fingers, his eyes taking in the watch. A sound pierced the desert. A loud bleep that caused them all to jump out of their skin.
Swallowing over the lump in his throat, Tom returned his hand to Kyle's wrist and turned off the sound. Tears glistened in his eyes when he looked up at them.
"I would like to be alone. I promise that I won't contaminate the scene."
Sara placed her hand in Grissom's and tugged him away from the brothers. Grissom opened his mouth to protest. It was one thing to show him the body; it was another to leave him alone with it before they could process anything.
Reluctantly, he let Sara lead him a short distance away, where he could keep a close eye on the man without hovering around him. Brass approached them and observed the intimate way Sara clutched Grissom's hand. He cleared his throat and stared towards the crime scene.
"You called Catherine?" Grissom acknowledged his presence as he let go of Sara's hand.
"She, Warrick, and Nick are on their way." Brass assured him. Sara moved away from the two men and walked to the car.
"I have information, Grissom." Brass added as he watched Sara return from the car and hand Grissom an opened bottle of water.
Grissom took the water from her, but his eyes remained on Tom.
"What is it?"
Brass took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at his brow. "I don't know how you two managed out here."
"Air conditioner in the tent." Grissom snapped. "Jim, tell me what you found out."
"Kyle Giles was clean from everything I could find. His partner, well, that's another story."
TBC
Sara wanted to wrap her arms around Grissom and transfer her own strength to him. Apparently, Grissom had the same thought because after removing his long sleeved soggy shirt he stretched out on his back beside her. Quietly he reached for her hand and they interlaced fingers as he stared up into her face.
"You should really take your jeans off." Sara suggested with a sincere frown.
A chuckle escaped from Grissom. He knew that was not a proposition, but after the past evening and preceding morning he could not prevent the thought from intruding. It was a welcome relief from the horrendous discovery of his half brother.
"Don't even think about it. We need to drink plenty of water and conserve energy."
"That's what I was thinking." Grissom said with mock defensiveness. With one fluid motion, he stripped his jeans off and turned onto his side to face Sara who was following his example.
The hours slipped into one another as water was consumed and energy was depleted from the sheer heat of the day. They spoke very little and found comfort in little touches.
It began as a low humming. The silence inside the tent interrupted by the slowly growing sound of chopping blades through the air.
Grissom was the first to hear it and quickly scrambled to his feet. He moved to the tent flap and peered outside and into the horizon. A black helicopter was moving across the desert skyline. He debated with himself on whether he should move outside the tent and wave his arms or grab Sara and run to the relative safety of the rocks.
"What is it?" Sara asked from beside his elbow.
"Honey, you should get dressed."
Sara wasted no time pulling on her blue jeans and then her shirt. Grissom kept his eyes on the chopper as it drew closer.
"I think that I can see writing on the tail." Grissom stepped outside and felt Sara move to stand beside him.
"LVPD." Sara breathed in relief as the chopper turned slightly and settled with flare of sand near the Tahoe.
Grissom glanced in her direction. Together they walked slowly towards the men emerging from the welcome sight of the chopper.
Brass was the first person they recognized. They watched him stare at the battered Tahoe as another figure stepped from the chopper. Sara caught her breath and glanced quickly towards Grissom's grim face.
Brass spotted their approach and gave a half smile and wave.
"Decide to take your car to a firing range?" Brass quipped as they walked within earshot.
"Apparently," Grissom held out a hand to grasp Brass's outstretched one. "Good to see you, Jim."
Sara gave Brass a nod and turned to look with bewilderment at Tom, who stood with comfortable ease behind them.
Grissom followed her gaze and his eyes locked on Tom. "What are you doing here?"
"I called him." Brass interjected. "When I couldn't reach you on the phone I was concerned."
"I never gave you his number." Grissom did not want Tom Giles here; not when Kyle was less than 100 feet away.
"I called Elaine's number and Tom, here, answered." Brass glanced towards Sara. "Imagine my surprise when he informed me that you and Sara went exploring in the Mojave."
Grissom made a motion towards the car. "Someone else knew we were out here. I would like for you to call my team in, Jim."
"To investigate your car?"
"No." Grissom gave Tom a pointed stare. "I don't think you should be here."
Tom blanched. "What have you found?"
Grissom searched for the appropriate words. He felt Sara's hand on his arm and it helped steady his emotions.
"Tom, I'm sorry." Sara let go of Grissom's arm and walked over to stand in front of the now anxious man. "We discovered a body that we think may be Kyle."
A sickly pale chased all color from Tom's face. "Where is he?"
"I don't think that it would be a good idea for you to see him."
"I need to see him."
Sara frowned. "I think that you should wait, Tom. The scene shouldn't be compromised."
Tom gave her an incredulous look. "Kyle is my brother. I need to see if it's him." He turned to Grissom. "Take me to him."
Grissom nodded. If he had felt so compelled to see if it was Kyle, then someone who knew the man, loved him, would feel that much stronger. He expected no less.
"I'll show you where we found a body." Grissom led them back to the spot where he and Sara had discovered the source of the beeping watch. "I don't think it would be wise for you to go near the body, Tom. We already have to contend with our own footprints around the scene and I don't think we should add any more confusion."
Grissom's words fell on deaf ears as Tom drew in a shaky breath. He took in the sprigs of blond hair mingled with the sand and could not halt his impulse. Before Grissom or Sara could stop him, Tom moved closer to the site and squatted down to touch the protruding fingers, his eyes taking in the watch. A sound pierced the desert. A loud bleep that caused them all to jump out of their skin.
Swallowing over the lump in his throat, Tom returned his hand to Kyle's wrist and turned off the sound. Tears glistened in his eyes when he looked up at them.
"I would like to be alone. I promise that I won't contaminate the scene."
Sara placed her hand in Grissom's and tugged him away from the brothers. Grissom opened his mouth to protest. It was one thing to show him the body; it was another to leave him alone with it before they could process anything.
Reluctantly, he let Sara lead him a short distance away, where he could keep a close eye on the man without hovering around him. Brass approached them and observed the intimate way Sara clutched Grissom's hand. He cleared his throat and stared towards the crime scene.
"You called Catherine?" Grissom acknowledged his presence as he let go of Sara's hand.
"She, Warrick, and Nick are on their way." Brass assured him. Sara moved away from the two men and walked to the car.
"I have information, Grissom." Brass added as he watched Sara return from the car and hand Grissom an opened bottle of water.
Grissom took the water from her, but his eyes remained on Tom.
"What is it?"
Brass took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at his brow. "I don't know how you two managed out here."
"Air conditioner in the tent." Grissom snapped. "Jim, tell me what you found out."
"Kyle Giles was clean from everything I could find. His partner, well, that's another story."
TBC