Stupid fluffy snow...GAH! Now I can't go take my learners cause my mom is afraid of crashing the car, now I have to reread the stupid book...AGAIN!
Anyways...how are you guys?
karmine: I'm so glad you like this story...and I'm updating as fast as I can...
Secret Whispers: Chapter Twenty Six Shot
She smiled ferally at Grissom and gave him a cheeky wink. He was already slamming his way out of the house, he took the short cut to and out of the kitchen back door. He stood on the stoop for a moment, the snow puffing up from his hurried feet. Grissom searched for Andrea, his eyes made a wide 180 arc, he saw her leaning against the street light. He approached with all caution, but she just smiled and darted down the street. He swore and wished for once in his life, he had his gun handy. But no, it had been left back at Yan's house, in his room, under the pillow. He mentally cursed himself for his stupidity now more then ever, when he realised that he wasn't wearing his jacket either. 'Great.' Gissom thought cynically, 'They'll find me either murdered or an ice cube.'
Andrea always seemed to stay out of his reach, if he got too far behind then she would stop for a mere few seconds until he was about 50 yards away, then she would slip away again. Grissom's legs pounded against the sidewalk, pushing for his best speed. However Andrea being more in shape and lithe she could and did crawl though a hole in a chain link fence with no difficulty. Grissom had more difficulty, his clothes kept catching on the jagged edges and it didn't help much that Andrea was sitting only a couple of feet away laughing at him. Finally untangling himself, Andrea got up and flew through the snow covered field. Grissom reached for his back pocket, his cell phone had to be there somewhere, but he couldn't find it. Andrea stopped by one of the outer trees of the park, she held up his cellphone and shook it, "Looking for this?" she yelled at him from across the clearing.
Grissom didn't bother wasting his breath, he could feel a stitch starting to needle its way into his side. He braced his ribs but didn't slow down, he saw rather then heard Andrea giggle as she darted up the leaf covered trail. Grissom followed her without hesitation. It seemed like he had chased her for hours, but in reality maybe no more then half an hour. She seemed tireless, darting and twirling among the dark shadows cast by the trees. Grissom just stumbled after her, crashing through the undergrowth. Grissom could feel the beads of sweat pooling down the line of his back and forehead. He felt decidedly too hot, even though it was well below minus ten degrees celsius.
Suddenly the glimpses of Andrea's black swirling overcoat disappeared altogether. He stopped and bent over breathing hard, the stitch came back with a fiery vengeance and he winced at the pain. He glanced around and picked a random direction he forced his way one handed through a bush and found himself in some kind of clearing. Andrea was standing in the middle of small clearing with her head bowed, her short hair covered her face. Grissom stood there stunned slightly, he didn't know what to say, but one word did come forth from the turmoil in his mind, "Why?"
Andrea looked up and drew her hand out of her pocket. Grissom found himself staring down the nose of a glock. Andrea moved forwards as Grissom leaned back slightly, "Don't move." she growled at him.
Grissom froze in a very awkward position, it was as if he was leaning to avoid a very unpleasant poke then dodging a bullet to the head. Andrea gestured at the ground, "Have a seat, I think we'll be here a while."
He looked behind him and sat on the stump that had probably been some huge evergreen. Andrea sat on a stump opposite to his and laid the gun on her dark slacks, she placed a hand over the gun, it seemed relaxed enought but he knew she could snatch it up within seconds and shoot him. The silence dragged on for minutes, both staring at each others eyes. Grissom didn't know what Andrea was looking for in his eyes. He himself was looking for a shred of humanity left in those once beautiful eyes full of fun and friendship, now they were steely and emotionless, Grissom could recognize nothing of the woman he once knew to be a laughing, bubbly lab tech. They both started as a small bird chirped out its morning song, "You didn't answer my question, Andrea." Grissom said quietly.
She leaned back her sharp eyes never taking them off of his, she crossed her shapely legs and tucked the gun by her side. "Why should I explain myself to you?"
Grissom knew he was playing a dangerous game, but nontheless he plowed on, "You didn't drag me all the way up here just to kill me."
"You think I'm the one to gloat?" she asked raising a skeptical eyebrow.
He shrugged, "If not that then why haven't you killed me yet?"
Within a tenth of a second, Andrea had grabbed the gun and pointed it at Grissom's head, she clicked the safety lock back. "Silence," she hissed.
Grissom kept his mouth closed dispite the fact that Ryan was probably bleeding to death. The gun lowered, "You're right." she said blowing out a steam of air, "This is a revenge-"
"Revenge?"
Andrea scowled, "Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"
"What's the point? You are going to shoot me anyways. I'll be the last to hear your fascinating history, a few minutes won't hurt."
She sighed, "I guess you're right. Stupid really, me cold hearted murderer craves the attention of a listening buddy."
"Not really." Grissom said, "Killers want their story to be remembered, either by the dead or the living."
Andrea nodded, it made sense, "So," she said once again tucking away the gun, "How's Greg? Is he still alive?"
"Yes, Greg is doing just fine."
"Figures." a smile danced on her lips, "If that guy can survive an explosion and a fire within his time of lab rat to CSI he can probably survive a little allergic reaction."
"That reminds me." Grissom said, "How did you know he would be allergic to that certain drug?"
"Ah, the wonders of hacking into someone's medical files is no mystery." she said sneering, then, "Do you care about Ryan?"
The abrupt question had Grissom's train of thought colliding with another, he recovered very nicely, "I guess you could say I do. I care about all my co-workers."
Andrea pursed her lips, "But not murdering co-workers."
Grissom shook his head, "I can get you help-"
"I'm not seeing a damn shrink. They don't fucking know anything." instantly Andrea's little tirade disappeared, "Do you know why I do these things?"
"No, do you?"
"See that's the funny thing." she sighed and hugged one knee while the other leg dangled off of the tree stump, "I don't know why I do it. Those reasons I gave Greg, those were more like...excuses."
"Many people don't know why they do what they do." Grissom tried to be soothing.
Andrea sighed, "I know, but it's just not good enough. I mean I'm taking lives here, sending them off to their own personal hell before their time is up. I don't think it's right that I don't have an explanation."
"Some people never do find the answers to their questions before they die, supposedly everything is answered up there." Grissom raised his eyes skyward, "We can still help you, just tell me where Ryan is."
"He'll come to you in time." she said detached, "And...that's bullshit. No one can help me at all, I will never be locked up in one of those padded room, ever." her laugh was hysterical as she raised the gun.
"Andrea, calm down. Give me the gun."
"No, this little outcome of our conversation doesn't depend on who has the gun." she said, "Do you ever wonder about how it's gonna end?"
Andrea stepped forward, pressing the cold muzzle to his chest. Grissom swallowed, his mouth was suddenly too dry. He couldn't help but think about the freezing little circle pressed against his heart. His fate was in the hands of a mad woman who's finger was now tightening over the trigger. Grissom tried not to flinch, flinch and he could die, flinch and other people could die. That one little sentence gave Grissom the strength he needed.
"No." it came out soft.
"Really? Not even one quick glimpse into the future?" Andrea said cocking her head sideways, while reinforcing her grip on the gun by adding her left hand.
"Never. When it's time, it's time."
"Pity, cause I know how it'll go down. Who dies, who lives in their own private hell for the rest of their mortal lives, and sometimes very rarely an innocent who did nothing will die." she glanced sideways and smiled before turning back to stare Grissom right in the eyes, "Let me show you."
A gun shot echoed deafeningly through the quiet forest, startling birds into flight and small creatures back into their snug little homes.