A/N: Thanks so much for all the great reviews! You´re just great, folks:-)

Trapped

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 14

He wanted every detail, but as it was, Warrick felt a sickening urge to rush into the building before Collin even breached the subject of his uncle´s plans. Catherine dropped the "good cop" act a while ago and now she couldn´t stop frowning at the boy. Because that was all that Collin was. He was nineteen, although he looked like a fifteen year old. And it made her want to cry to hear the youngish voice speak so calmly about the traps that may cost her friends their lives.

"We need to get in!" she snapped, stopping Collin in the middle of a sentence. He gaped at her with a look of shock on his face.

"Are you nuts! After what I just told you?"

"Because of what you told us. Those people are our friends and you talk about them like characters in some bad video game!" Catherine shook her head, frustrated by her own outburst. But hell - inside was her whole team - her family. And the kid was almost shining when he described the variety of traps his uncle had planned.

Collin would´ve laughed but fear of the big guy still holding the gun and self preservation stopped him from that. Just as well, because Warrick was already contemplating what they would with him, while they went inside.

"Okay. Should we bring him with us?" He nodded at Collin and the boy´s face blanched.

"N-no, you can´t!" he shouted and started scrambling away, but he only ended up pushed against the rock and was none too gently reminded of his status as a prisoner.

"You will do what we tell you," Warrick growled, having had just enough of the whining kid. What was it with him, anyway? One moment he was ready to blow off someone´s head, the other he was afraid to go into the building?

"Do you know where these traps are?"

"N-no, I wasn´t inside. He just told me to take c-care of anyone who came my w-way," Collin stuttered, twitching.

"Warrick, he said something about people coming out. You think Grissom and the others managed to get away?"

"We'll see. Now come on, I won´t drag your sorry ass the whole way." Saying that, Warrick none too gently hauled the youngster to his feet and shoved him toward the building. Collin couldn´t even protest, he had enough to do to keep himself upright, cursing the handcuffs and Warrick for putting them on.

xxxx

"What did you do?" Jenkins asked, frowning at the displays in the control room. They were blank, but the lights in the room were on and he heard a distinct sound of opening locks, at least that was what Sara told him.

"Just added some commands to the computer. It practically reversed all the earlier commands."

"So the doors are open and we can communicate?"

"I'm not sure about the phones. The jammer can be independent on the main computer. But you can try."

While Jenkins tried out his cell phone, Sara leaned over the computer and frowned at the dark screen. She would´ve liked to know what was going on with her friends - it was infuriating not to know, but at least she disabled the cameras not only for her, but for the bad guy too. Maybe now they had a chance.

"Damn it, they´re not working!" Jenkins angrily threw the phone across the room and looked at Sara.

"We should get back and help them."

This time, though, she was the one to shake her head.

"There cold be more traps we know nothing about. Believe me - that man is crazy, but he thought about everything. My guess is - he will either come here-" she pointed at the elevator that brought them up, "or he will stay down and try to get the others. I would bet he stays."

"And that´s supposed to make me calm?"

"No! It´s supposed to make you realize our situation. Communications are down. I think one of us should try to get away from the complex, preferably behind the gate. Our cells still worked there."

"Yeah, and how do you propose to do that? If you didn´t notice, two other people are somewhere outside, probably getting shot at." The hard words cut Sara to the core. Jenkins was right and she felt as if she was slapped. Catherine and Warrick were outside - with the sniper.

"There´s another shooter!"

Jenkins only nodded. He didn´t had time to exchange too much informations with Sara while they were down, but now was as good a time as ever.

"First tell me exactly what you did to the computer."

"I don´t know," Sara replied irritated, not having the time or inclination to get into the details of what she had done.

"That means?"

"It means that if he said the doors were locked, now they´re open. Same goes with the light and practically everything that could be controlled with the computer."

"Traps as well?"

Sara blinked, not sure where it was heading.

"Y-yeah, but-"

"So if say there were a bomb or something..."

Sara´s eyes went wide with the implication. Up until now she didn´t think about the possibility of any explosives. Pushing back the urge to simply leave the building, Sara shook his head.

"I don´t know. But... I don´t think he would use something like that. He seemed pretty intent on getting his point to Brass. I think he would likely want to end it eye to eye."

Jenkins accepted her thoughts, even though he had his doubts. But they didn´t had time for that and he realised that even if there was some bomb, they ddn´t had a chance to find it without some help.

"So... what are we gonna do?"

"Go take a look outside. I'll stay here and guard the elevator."

"I´m sorry, but we can´t split up," Jenkins said resolutly. "Sorry, but the fact is we have only one gun, and neither of us should stay unarmed," he quickly said before Sara could protest. "So either you´re coming with me and we leave the elevator unguarded, or we´re both staying here."

Biting at her lower lip, Sara glanced toward the elevator, then at the blank screens. She doubted the man would try to leave - surely not before he achieved what he came for in the first place. She also knew there was a minimal chance that one of her friends would use the elevator.

"You´re right. We need to go out and try to help Warrick and Cath." If there´s still someone to help, she thought morbidly.

Without a word, Jenkins opened the door and they walked out of the control room.

xxxx

"I really think we should leave him here," Catherine muttered, not at all glad that they were dragging the kid with them into who knew what situation. "It´s enough we have to watch out for his uncle, now we have to watch him, too."

"I know it´s not the best solution, but what if his uncle calls again? I don´t want to tiphim off that something´s wrong with his plans. Not until we know more about the situation. And I am not risking that he will get away. If his uncle givesa damn, we can use him as a bargaining tool." Warrick didn´t even believe he said those words, but truth to be told, he was afraid for his friends. And the dull pain between his shoulders was a good enough reminder that the "kid" wasn´t as harmless as he looked. Warrick still had to push back the urge to whack him for that, but now was definitely not the time nor the place.

Collin for his part was keeping quiet, sensing the anger coming from the other man and having enough sensenot to provoke him. So he obediently followed, and while he cursed that the bullet he fired was stopped by the backpack, he wasn´t about to display his thoughts openly. His luck.

He couldn´t help but falter as they reached the entrance. As Warrick warily touched the door, already knowing about the "traps" Brennan older set, the kid winced. He didn´t anticipate any jolt, but he was sure the door would be locked.

It wasn´t.

xxxx

Sara tensed. Did she just hear something? A quick look at Jenkins and she was sure it wasn´t just her imagination They were in the middle of the lobby, heading for the exit, when they stopped. Someone was coming and by the sound of it, it was more like several someones. Slightly panicking, Jenkins looked around and saw the reception desk. With a nod of his head, he ushered Sara behind it. As they both crouched, suddenly wishing that the lights weren´t so bright, Sara idly realised that they just contaminated the crime scene.

They were practically sitting in the pool of blood, but Jenkins didn´t even notice it, until the coppery smell hit his nose. He cringed and swallowed the rising bile and Sara only prayed he wouldn´t get sick. To his credit, Jenkins only gulped and with a slight nod of his head indicated that he has everything under control. Well, everything related to his body functions, because as it seemed, he had not much control over anything else.

The noises intensified and Sara could discern a nervous mumbling. It was heading right towards them and she wondered how many of the bad guys were out there. She didn´t even allow herself to hope it wasn´t the enemy approaching.

If the puddle of blood she was sitting in was making her fidgety before, now she went deathly still.

The voices grew louder. Someone hushed them, there was a sarcastic reply followed by what Sara could identify as a slap. Then an angry Ouch! and a warning hiss. She frowned, her left elbow slightly nudging Jenkins. He jerked and looked at her with a question.

"What?" he hissed.

"I think I heard a woman. Could be Cath," she replied in equally silent voice. Jenkins only nodded. Maybe the sniper didn´t kill them after all, but he still could´ve captured them. They had to be careful.

With that in mind, Jenkins waited several more seconds, until the noise warned him that someone had entered the lobby. Sara saw his jaw clenching and the knuckles of his hand go white as he gripped the gun. Turning, Jenkins prepared to shoot without warning, expecting to see the two CSIs being led at gunpoint.

Instead he saw the two CSIs pointing their guns at him. To say it was a surprise would be a rather simplifed term.

"Freeze!"

"Police!"

Both Warrick and Jenkins shouted at the same moment, before their brains could accept the reality of what they saw. Then, as if a rock was rolled off his shoulder, Jenkins lowered his gun with a relieved sigh. Warrick did the same, although his actions were much slower - he didn´t immediatelly recognize Jenkins. But Sara´s head popping out from behind the receptionist desk quickly erased all his doubts and he smiled.

"About time you got here," she let out and stood, grimacing at the sucking sound when she stepped out of the blood puddle. She made it as far as three steps before she realised that Catherine and Warrick weren´t alone. She frowned at the kid, who had the grace to look anywhere but at her.

"The sniper?" she uttered in disbelief. Catherine nodded in understanding.

"Are you guys okay? I thought... well, the last I saw of you was Warrick getting shot," Sara sputtered, her eyes scanning both CSIs for injuries. She was relieved to see them in good shape, but her eyes narrowed once she get a better look at the kid. He definitely had something in common with the man that captured her, if nothing else than the reddish tint to his hair and the rather pale skin.

"God, are you hurt?" Catherine gasped as she saw the red painting Sara´s legs.

"What?" Sara looked down and cursed as she realised the blood from the scene ended up on her pants. "Damn, and I liked these," she muttered, then sheepishly smiled. "I´m okay, Cath. Just didn´t watch were I was crouching."

"I'm sure there´s a good story behind it, but... where are the guys?"

Sara´s look darkened.

"In the laboratories two floors underground," she replied and shortly told them what happened.

"So his name is Brennan. And he wants revenge on Brass," Catherine summed up. "But instead of going right after Jim, he targets our team. That´s plain crazy."

"Yeah. Look, I know we should probably contact someone from the outside, but right now... none of the guys have much time. Nick was already hurt and I know Brennan used my ID card as a trap. I wasn´t around long enough to see just who got drugged, but I'm sure one of ours got the short straw." Sara could see the concern on each face, including that of Collin, although he was probably more concerned over his own wellbeing than over those around him.

"Okay, it´s time to make our presence useful," Warrick said grimly. "Jenkins, you´re coming with me. Sara, Cath... you two stay there and guard the kid."

"Now wait just a second, ´Rick,"

"I´m not staying here!" Both women started to protest, but it was Sara who faced the tall CSI without flinching.

"You´ll need me there. I know their last position, and can tell you where to go better than Jenkins. He should stay here with Catherine to guard your sniper and the elevator in case Brennan makes an appearance."

Warrick didn´t like it one bit. He looked at Jenkins, as if waiting for his comfirmation.

"She´s right, sir," Jenkins glumly admitted. "I wouldn't know where to go. But I still can-"

"Cath?" Finally Warrick realised that it wasn´t his call to make and turned to Catherine. She, too, was looking rather grim. Sara was right in some aspects, but it didn´t change her own feelings. She wanted to help, to make sure that her friends were safe. But standing here and arguing wasn´t helping anyone and it was her choice to make. She just hoped it wasn´t the wrong one.

"Go with Sara. Jenkins, show me to the control room."

TO BE CONTINUED

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