A/N: By huge demand to post this chapter Thursday (and because I already promised I would do so:-) here´s the next chapter.

Enjoy!

Trapped

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 15

Jim Brass never believed in evil, he saw too many people doing worse things to their own kin. But he was tempted to say a prayer, if it would stop the things that happened tonight. If it would´ve been just him - Brass could´ve taken it without more than a twitch of his eyes. But it was his colleagues - his friends. And an innocent life was already lost to what - just to get all of them here.

Feeling the fear for his friends changing into a white anger, Brass pulled himself off the floor, where Kevin pushed him in his haste to get out.

He made it as far as the corridor, where he could still hear noises of grunting and Grissom´s voice talking in a hushed tone. He was about to follow them, but after several steps, his back to the lights, he saw there were two shadows on the ground. Brass stopped, dead in his tracks, then slowly turned, the nerve endings across his skin practically screaming a warning. But what was there to do?

He came face to face with a gun.

"Ah, ah, you don´t want to get your friends running here to the sound of shooting now, do you? Drop it." The long forgotten voice drawled warningly, and Brass´ hand with the gun went still, then slowly, he let it fall from his grasp.

"Brennan," he all but spat out the word. Despite the situation, he couldn´t quite get himself to believe that all this was a doing of a cop. It made him sick, to see how low the man fell. "And I thought it was only your brother. Who could´ve said... maybe you were the one all along. They should´ve locked you up, too."

The comment was meant to get some reaction, but all he got was a sneer that made him nervous.

"You know my brother was weak. He should´ve never let you get so close, but he kinda liked you. Never figured out why. Guess he learned his lesson, huh?"

"What, about not killing other cops? Or innocent people?" this time it was Brass who sneered. "Guess you didn´t learn that lesson yourself."

"It´s not like Steve had much time," Brennan said through clenched jaws. "He lived in that hole for ten years. He was so close to being let out on parole, when some stupid thief killed him in a brawl. Do you know how it feels, when your older brother is killed by scum that doesn´t even have the right to breathe the same air as him? When he was so close to getting out!"

Despite his brain´s effort to shut him up, Brass still opened his mouth.

"I am sorry that Steve died in prison. But he killed a good cop, and that couldn´t change."

"Yeah well, it seems like there´s more people to die today. By the way, how´s your young friend doing? Kevin is his name? I think I can still hear him scream. Tsk, tsk, must be bad, that drug. You know they warned me about using it? Said they would give it only to their worst enemies. Think Kevin qualifies enough, huh?" Josh Brennan smiled as he saw the tight set of jaw and the slight tremble of the detective´s hands, indicating the struggle inside the man to try and stay calm.

Brass had to take several deep breaths to stop himself from lashing out, but he knew it wouldn't help for long. Brennan was taunting him, doing a good job of it despite all his efforts to not let the man get to him. Still, the man was standing just out of reach and he would probably be dead before getting his hands around the scum's neck. And then there were his friends, still trying to stop Kevin from killing someone, preferably himself. And Jim knew he couldn´t endanger them anymore.

Brennan watched as the cop before him tried to relax and silently congratulated himself.. How he wanted to see the man sweat, and know he would be the one to end his life. Oh, how sweet a moment.

But then Brass recollected himself and the satisfaction he felt was suddenly gone. The man still wasn´t broken.

"I will kill them, you know that. I will kill each one of them, slowly and painfully, but first, I want to see the pain in your eyes. I want you to realise, that you are the one responsible for their deaths."

He rejoiced in the look of fear that crossed Brass´ face, but then he realised that Kevin´s shouts died off and the corridor was eerily silent. He could´ve ended it right then and there, but it would´ve been too quick, too easy.

"Move. If you don´t want to see them dead right now, move!" he hissed and nodded towards the corridor from which he came. Brass shot a quick look back, then without a word moved. He, too, don´t wanted to finish it there, not where his friends could´ve been caught in the crossfire. No, this was something Jim had to deal with alone and as far away from them as it was possible.

xxxx

"Why are you doing this, Josh?" Brass asked quietly, when they were far enough away not to be heard. He thought they could be heading back to the elevators, but after a while he realised they were going deeper into the complex. It made him only slightly nervous - he felt it was better for everyone involved to be as far away from Brennan as it was possible. Even if it meant he was the one at gunpoint.

"You have to ask?" Brennan stopped, momentarily stunned.

"Yeah, I have to. Why after twenty years, Josh? It´s long enough for you to forget."

Brennan snorted, the sound close to a laugh, but there was no amusement on his face.

"I can´t forget my brother, no more than Collin can forget his father. Damnit, can you imagine what it's like for a kid to grow up with a father in jail? A cop at that? He practically prayed for the moment his father was released-" the anger cut through Brass and he flinched.

"Steve didn´t had a son," he objected.

"Collin was born eight months after you put him in jail!"

Brass nodded, not allowing his feelings to show. He really was sorry for what happened and that the kid had no father, but truth be told, Steve killed a good cop and allowed several dealers to continue their dirty work, without thinking about the consequences. Brass highly doubted that with Collin´s birth Steve would´ve changed.

"Still, twenty years?"

Brennan shook his head, looking almost disgusted by the lack of reaction from Brass.

"I was looking for you, right after Steve died. But then you had nothing," Josh spat and with a sneer added: "nothing that I could´ve taken from you. Your wife left you, your kids turned away from you. Hell, you did half my job anyway. Nothing to take. So I returned home."

The words cut deep into Brass, maybe because they were truthful. At that time, he had nothing but his work. But what changed?

Anticipating the question, though it was never really uttered, Brennan looked at Brass almost with contempt.

"Now I have something I can take from you. And Collin can get his revenge for his father."

"T-the kid is here?" Brass stuttered, his eyes widening. Of course, it should´ve made a sense! He just remembered the description of the second guard and his name. Now he was sure it was false, but the description of a twenty year old guy, who looked rather young, with reddish hair, just fit the image of Collin he had in his mind. Yeah, reddish hair like his father.

"He was the guard," he stated and the smile on Brennan´s face was all the affirmation he ever needed. "You want your revenge, but you use a kid to do it? Just how low did you sink?"

Even before the last word left his lips, Brass saw the fist moving toward his face and he was laying on the ground, flat on his back.

"Enough!" Brennan screamed, the rage getting better of him. He stuck the gun into the detective´s face and Jim felt the cold metal sliding down his cheek, finally settling under his chin, firmly pushing into his neck.

"Collin has the same right for revenge as I do, maybe even bigger! Now you shut your mouth, or I will end it right here and now."

"Do it," Brass hissed out, the pressure on his throat making it a little hard to breath. "Well? You want to kill me, so do it! Then leave!"

"Oh no," Brennan shook his head, the smile on his face widening. "I won´t leave them here. You know, I watched you for almost a year. I know about every damn case you solved, right along with this team of yours. Saw how good you were getting along. And guess what, Jim? I just realised they were your people. Your family, the only one you had left. And finally, I had something I could rob you of. Isn´t this great? After so much time, you gave me the key."

"You won´t kill them, Josh. You´re not capable of that," Brass spoke, but even he knew it sounded lame.

"I think that body in the store room says something else. You know what I told him before I killed him? That he would die because of you. But don´t let it bother you, you´ll join him soon enough."

With that, he dragged the detective to his feet and through another set of corridors.

"Why don´t you just end it now?" Brass asked, but didn´t get an answer. He silently wondered where they were heading. The lights weren´t as bright as before and he was starting to get a bad feeling about it. Maybe the elevators and the staircase weren´t the only way out of the building. As if to prove him right, Brennan paused before a bare wall and for a moment just looked at it. The paint was blue and white and looked rather old. Still, Brass took a startled step back when Brennan pushed at the place where both colors merged, just about shoulder height. Something plopped and the "wall" moved. Not much, but it was enough for Brass to see a crack that allowed him to see behind.

"Open it up," came the command and Jim, out of sheer curiosity, obeyed. The corridor there was dark, but he could already see the steep stairs leading up.

"Secret exit? Wow, I am impressed. Just what were those guys doing here?"

Brennan shrugged, not at all interrested in the usage of the complex. He none too gently nudged Brass in his ribs, and the detective took a few tentavie steps, then stopped. Something about this just didn´t make sense.

"Why are we getting out of the bulding? I thought-"

"My, my, aren´t you a little impatient? Don´t fear, your friends won´t suffer for too much longer. Then you´ll join them. Now, continue," he snapped and waited until Brass started walking again. But he didn´t follow him, instead, he reached for the radio.

Brass turned, surprised when he heard a familiar crackle, but his eyes got much wider upon hearing what Brennan said.

"Collin, get as far away from the building as you can, and make it fast! It´s gonna get hot in here."

But there was no reply and Brennan frowned.

"Collin!" he shouted into the radio and Brass felt a spark of hope. He now knew what Brennan planned. To get out of the building, then blow it up. He had it planned all along. The only reason why Brass wasn´t dead yet was that Brennan´s craving for making him suffer was bigger than his deasire for Jim´s death. But now the tables were turned. If Collin was in the building, and somehow, Brass doubted he was anywhere else, then Brennan couldn´t blow it up. Not if there was anything at all to his feelings for the kid.

"Damn it!" Brennan threw the radio at the detective, hitting him in the shoulder. Brass shrugged it off, feeling only a distant throbbing.

"What now, Josh? You ready to kill your own nephew?"

"He isn´t in the building. I told him to kill the other CSIs then get the hell away. He´s gone, that´s why I can´t contact him," Brennan spoke, his confidence back. "Or he just panicked and ran. Either way, he´s far away from there."

"What if he isn't?" Brass taunted him, seeing that his chance was floating away and desperately grasping at it. "What if, say, Collin didn´t kill the others? What if they caught him and dragged him back to the building? Huh? What then?"

"That´s not possible," Brennan replied, but his facade was cracking. The kid meant the world to him. He should´ve never brought him here, but Collin was a good shooter, already won several contests. And he felt the need to avenge his father. If nothing else, Josh made sure enough that the kid knew just who was responsible for every bad moment in his life. No, if Josh knew one thing, it was the fact that Collin wouldn´t leave.

Brass saw all of this transpiring on Brennan´s face and wondered if he was right. Then he felt almost dizzy when he realised just who those two CSIs were and he hoped that Collin wasn´t as good a shooter as was his father.

xxxx

"Shut up!" Brennan shouted. He was sure that Collin was safe and far away from the complex, but Brass kept planting doubts in his head. The nagging feeling only intensified and Josh found himself unable to continue. Not until he knew for sure that Collin was safe.

But how? For all he knew, Collin was on the surface. Even if he had failed, he wouldn't be taken down to the laboratory. Now he truly cursed the woman who broke his computer and all the monitors. There was no way to find out where everybody was and returning to the lab was a bigger risk than Josh wanted to take. No, they had to get out and once up, he would find Collin.

xxxx

Each step he took was harder to make, each sent a stab of fear through his body. Brass already saw the exit and had to force his legs to move. He knew the closer the surface, the closer was the chance that Brennan would kill him or even worse - blow up the whole building.

He played with the idea of unarming Josh, but the distinct threat of the detonator made him think about it. There was a great possibility that if he attacked Josh now, they would both stumble down the stairs. It usually doesn´t take too much for a detonator to go off, and there were too many stairs to bump into.

"Why did you kill that guard?" Brass spoke up, breaking through Brennan´s own thoughts. For a moment there was silence, then came a weary reply.

"I had to bring you here."

"You didn´t have to kill him. We came anyway. And how did you know it would be me?"

"I specifically asked for you, detective," Brennan replied, a hint of amusement coloring his voice. Brass swore and promised himself he would have a talk with dispatch. They should´ve mentioned the caller was asking for him.

"Still, I didn´t have to come. I was on my way home."

"Yeah," Josh snickered. "As if that stopped you before. You don´t have a home, Brass. Your wife and kids left you. Ring any bells?"

Brass shrugged. He had plenty of years to realise that a wife and family wasn´t for him. He knew that most cops were divorced and alone, and he had long ago come to terms with it. It wasn´t Josh´s taunting that made him angry, but the fact he was so predictable. And he should´ve known that someone was watching him.

"Still, if it wouldn´t have been you, there simply wouldn´t be anything to find."

"Cute," Brass muttered. "And what are you planning to do after this? Go after the judge that sent your brother to the prison? Or will you just track the agents from Internal Affairs who set it all up?"

"The only thing I want to do is to see you die. If that should be the last thing I do, then so be it."

That wasn´t exactly what Brass wanted to hear. Until now, he hoped that if the situation arose, Brennan could be reasonable. But if something scared Brass, it was an opponent who wasn´t afraid of death.

TO BE CONTINUED

Last chapter is coming tomorrow. Don´t miss it:-)

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Pretty please?