A/N: Here goes the second chapter. Thanks very much for the reviews.

Trapped

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 2

"Do you think it´s a good idea to split up?" Nick asked in hushed voice as his eyes followed the retreating form of Jim Brass and the rookie Kevin. He was starting to feel the growing tension and didn´t wanted to anger Grissom, but he didn´t felt really comfortable with them separating. Something just made his stomach shrink and he didn´t like it.

"We need to search the place. I am sure Brass is quite capable of taking care of himself," Grissom replied, not really paying attention to Nick. He was trying to follow the trail but he couldn´t seem to find it.

"Nick," he growled and Nick turned to him, eyes wide. Grissom barely stopped the sigh escaping his throat when he realized he had startled him.

"Huh? Sorry," Nick apologized, feeling like an idiot. He was starting to act worse than the rookie.

"You see any trail? Blood drops?" Grissom paused, frowning. Nick scanned the hallway but couldn´t see any blood.

"Weird," he mumbled. "Nobody stops bleeding just like that."

"Not even a dead body," Grissom added.

"You think someone cleaned it up?"

"Why leaving the mess in the hall?" Grissom objected.

"Maybe he didn´t had time for that. He heard the cars approaching and get himself scarce," Nick mused, but looking at Grissom he saw the man´s eyebrows rose in doubt, though Grissom never voiced it. Instead he shined the flashlight to the end of the hall.

"This should lead to the stairs." Grissom´s voice softened and Nick nodded his understanding as he saw him pull out his gun. He followed his example, and they both approached the door in silence. Once there, Grissom took a look at the knob, unconsciously searching for bloodied handprints. He found none.

"I´ll open it slow," Grissom whispered and was satisfied when Nick assumed position, both the flashlight and the gun poised at the door. As Nick nodded, Grissom reached for the knob, slowly turning it. He pushed the door open and Nick scanned the staircase, feeling his heart beating hard in his chest.

"It´s clear," he said, keeping his voice low and stepped in.

xxxx

Kevin swallowed another curse as he realised his mistake. He was on the force for two years, still driving the streets in the police cruiser, still considered to be a rookie. He hated it. Not the work, just the funny looks he got from his family every time he woke up and prepared for work. From the people in the neighborhood, who all knew he could´ve been a lawyer or a doctor, whatever he wanted, because his family had enough money to pay for school and Kevin wasn´t stupid. But maybe he was, taking instead this job where you could beso easily killed.

Today he got a chance to go on a real case. Not chasing after some little thief who pick-pocketed some older lady. But to see how the real detectives work. He practically begged Jenkins to reply to the dispatch call and he felt almost ecstatic when he saw Jim Brass climbing out of his car. The man was a legend, and a confirmation thathe would indeed be part of an investigation.

But the body was missing. And he started making stupid mistakes. Like the one with leaving Jenkins alone. Or the last one, when he stumbled and knocked into Brass. The man growled and shot him an angry look. Kevin felt like crying, and not for the first - or the last - time this day, he cursed his own eagerness. He just wasn´t ready.

"Kevin!" Brass hissed, trying to gain the kid´s attention without being too loud. He cursed, seeing the startled look on Kevin´s face and knew part of it was there thanks to him. But hell, they weren´t in kindergarten and he didn´t have time or patience to train rookies. He couldn´t treat anyone with kid gloves and he sure as hell won´t start now.

"I-it´s clear," Kevin stuttered as he checked behind another box.

Brass gave a curt nod and walked ahead. He wasn´t comfortable with Kevin guarding his back, but it was still better than let the kid go first and see a bullet pierce through his body. Brass saw enough of that to last for a lifetime.

"That plan was old," Brass muttered, securing another corner. "This part of the building wasn´t even mentioned in it."

It was a surprise to the detective. After they separated from Grissom and Nick, they headed to the left, looking through the rest of the rooms. They were already by the elevators when Brass spotted another door. It wasn´t on the plan, he was sure of it.

When he and Kevin walked in, guns poised and ready to use, Brass let out a sigh. They were in a storage room. A really big, fully packed storage room. He just couldn´t believe that something like that wasn´t in the plan. He started to doubt if the plan wasn´t there to confuse them. Seeing as everything turned to be different from what they anticipated, Brass started thinking if this wasn´tjust some kind of hoax. Maybe they should´ve tested the blood to see if it wasn´t animal.

Then he shook his head. No, there was still the car and two missing guards. So as they searched through the big storage room full of crates still smelling from animals that resided in them at some point, and dusty boxes behind which could lurk a whole army, Brass prepared himself for trouble.

xxxx

"I could use some light," Sara muttered, flicking her eyes at Jenkins while she crouched next to one of the bloody footsteps. She put a yellow L-shaped photo scale next to it and picked up the camera.

"I´m sorry, but I couldn´t find anything wrong with the generator," Jenkins said defiantly, while Sara took the shots. The photography flash illuminated the place in almost ghostly quality and Jenkins started blinking, trying to clear his vision. The sudden darkness after Sara finished was a welcome relief for his eyes, though he still saw several white spots in the line of his vision.

"Well, something is wrong if it doesn´t work," Sara said and reached for her kit. She already made a sketch of the scene, took samples of the blood from several places, photographed it. Now it was time to take some fingerprints. "Maybe you could take another look at the generator?"

"Oh, no, I don´t think so. I am sorry Ms. Sidle but detective Brass was clear enough. I am not to leave you alone, under any circumstances. I´d like to keep my job a little while longer."

Sara grinned.

"So Detective Brass is in a bad mood tonight, huh?" she stated the obvious and got a flashing grin from Jenkins.

"Well, I would be angry too if I was called out on my way home."

"So he´s pulling a double?" Sara frowned. "Why didn´t they send another detective?"

Jenkins only shrugged.

"Guess it was bad luck."

Sara nodded. She would be just as angry to get called out from home to a case that was turning to be much more complicated than it looked at first sight.

"Well, can you give me a hand? I need you to keep the flashlight shining there." When Jenkins took it, she pulled out the brush and started the meticulous job of looking for the fingerprints on the admission desk.

xxxx

The monitor blinked as the timer counted down the last minute. The room was dark and empty, the only movement on the screens across the wall, showing the offices, hallways and laboratories. One of the cameras was pointed right at the admission desk in the lobby, showing the two people quietly working over the pool of blood. If someone would´ve walked into the room and looked at the screen, he would surely spot the third figure lurking in the shadows, waiting. And the seconds ticked off.

xxxx

"Here´s a good one," Sara mumbled, taking down the tape with the print.

"You really like your job, don´t you?" Jenkins asked, fascinated by Sara. "I saw you guys working on several crime scenes," he added as Sara looked at him with raised eyebrows. She almost chuckled as Jenkins tried to clear his throat and turned in embarrasment. He wasn´t a bad looking man, had a good figure too, but he definitely wasn´t her type.

"Yeah, it has its good moments," she replied, trying to sound normal. If she´d thought about it, she would´ve said something else. Maybe something like - I love this job because I can help put bad guys behind bars. Or clear an innocent suspect. The evidence had big power over peoples' lives. But in the end she would probably agree with the simple fact that she liked her job.

Jenkins let a small smile slip on his face, but it quickly changed into grimace when the sharp light hit his eyes.

Sara gasped as the lights came on and stabbed her sight, eyes already used to the darkness. The sudden change startled her and she could hear Jenkins utter a curse as his hands shot up to shield his eyes. Sara copied his motion.

"Seems that the guys found the problem," she hissed, blinking.

"But damn, they could´ve warned us," Jenkins replied annoyed.

Sara only smirked in reply, inwardly agreeing with the cop. It took them several minutes to adjust so that the light didn´t hurt their eyes. Sara stood up and turned, looking for the first time through the hall. Try as she might, there was nothing more to see - at least not from the place she was standing. Picking up her kit, she moved toward the hallway where the trail vanished, but she was stopped quickly by the hand on her arm.

"What?" she snapped and Jenkins recoiled, but didn´t let go of her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"Just want to take a better look. Why?"

"Shouldn´t go anywhere alone," he reminded her and she let out a sigh.

"So then come with me," Sara looked at Jenkins pointedly and he let go of her arm.

"Just for the record, I don´t like this." And he didn´t. He knew well enough where the generator was and there was no way Brass or Kevin could get there, not to mention the two CSI´s. And if they didn´t repair the generator, then who did?

Sara must´ve come to the same conclusion, because she abruptly stopped.

"Where is the generator?" she asked, her voice suddenly low.

"This way," Jenkins nodded toward the security room. "There´s a small corridor, on the end is the generator."

Without more words, they turned and headed towards it. They made it as far as the security room, when the lights went out, leaving them in total darkness. Sara instinctively grabbed for the flashlight, but she had left it by the desk.

"What the-" she heard Jenkins and spun around, reaching for her gun as something heavy fell to the floor with a resounding thump.

"Jenkins?" she called out, the gun already in her hand, but she didn´t see, didn´t know who´s where. She still made a move to the left, not wanting to be in the same position.

There was no reply. Only someone breathing not far from her. Sara´s own breath got caught as she considered what to do. In an instant, she bolted and made a run for the hallway, towards Brass and the others. But she wasn´t fast enough. A hand grabbed her waist and stopped her, almost sending them both sprawling on the ground. Sara, on the verge of panic now, started kicking and fighting.

"Let go - of me!" she gasped and tried to use her elbow, but her attacker took it without as much as a grunt of pain. He only let out a strangled laugh, which scared Sara more than anything else.

"Help!" she yelled and the man stopped laughing. It was enough he had bruises over his whole body from Sara fighting, he wouldn´t let her yell. With a swift move, he grabbed her neck, pulling her so close to him that she could smell the peppermint in his breath.

"Stop it or I will kill you," the voice was soft and it made it even more threatening. Sara felt the cold pressure of the gun on the back of her neck and she instantly went still.

"That´s it. No reason to fight. I won´t hurt you, not unless you give me a reason. Now be a good girl and join me in the theatre. I´m sure you´ll enjoy the program."

TO BE CONTINUED

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