Chapter 5

Nick watched as Catherine carried a huge bag in the direction of Grissom's office. Nick followed her into his office and stood at the back of the room. Catherine put the bag on Grissom's desk in front of him.

"I got the money," Catherine said, stepping back into Nick, who was looking over her shoulder at the bag. He gave her a small smile, grabbed her around the middle and started whispering 'thank you' over and over.

"From where?" Grissom asked, opening the bag and looking into it.

"Where do you think?" she replied, patting Nick's arm before unlatching his arms from around her. She turned her head to look at his face and whispered; "you're welcome. He'll be back soon and in your arms." At this Nick smiled more, stepping backwards and sitting down on the edge of a cupboard.

"Catherine, if the press finds out about this, it'll look like Sam Braun bribed the lab," Grissom said, closing the bag and standing up.

"It doesn't matter," Nick said, staring at Grissom as if he had just said he was having a sexual affair with Ecklie. "If it gets Greg back, then it doesn't matter."

"He's a casino owner," Catherine responded. "A leader of industry, never convicted of any crime, and right now, I don't care about the integrity of the lab at the moment. I care about Greg."

"Yeah, well, so do I, but nonetheless ..." Grissom started, but didn't finish.

"Well, you're sitting here like Jack Handy with your deep thoughts, staring at a coffee cup. You got a better plan, I'm all ears," Catherine stated, turning to see Nick staring at something in his hands.

Grissom, seeing this as well, sighed and uttered; "All right. But I make the drop. You're hands off."

Nick jumped up from his resting place. "I want to come with you."

"That's my money," Catherine said, raising her voice over the noise Nick was making behind her.

Grissom turned to Catherine and asked, "You can't be seen anywhere near this money. It was given to the lab anonymously. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Catherine answered, looking at the money, then at Grissom and then at Nick. "Is Nick coming with you to the drop off site wherever that is?"

"Yes," Grissom replied, glancing at Nick.

Gil and Nick stared at the monitor as the words of the drop of point came on to the screen.

4672 CARNEY LANE - BOULDER HWY

BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES

OR DON'T BOTHER COMING.

Grissom and Nick made their way into the building. Once inside the building, they see a Ford parked inside. Grissom takes his sunglasses off and Nick sighs holding the bag tightly in his hands. He puts the leather bag on the floor near the door and takes out a flashlight, Grissom does the same. He looks around the sparse building. Nick turns to his left and sees a dead dog and thought back to Greg's kidnapped scene; 'the organs'.

"Las Vegas Crime Lab," Grissom yelled into the darkness.

"Through the door," shouted a voice from another room. Nick picked up the bag and he and Gil made their way farer inside, to a door on their right.

Inside the next room, a man was sitting behind a desk appeared to be watching something on the monitor in front of him. "Pretty quiet outside. Almost sounds like you two are alone."

"We've got your money," Grissom said, taking the bag out Nick's strong grip.

"So, gave us back Greg," Nick shouted, appearing to think about how he should act to this man. Should he run at him and kill him now or should he wait and see if he was really going to tell them where Greg was. . . . . Wait.

"Hold on, cowboy," the man said, smirking at Nick, he turned to Grissom. "Put it down." Grissom put the bag down on the ground. The man walked around the desk and stood in front of it. "Slide it over." Grissom kicked the bag over to the other side of the room. The bag stopped a couple yards away from the man. The man walked up to the bag and turned on his own flashlight. "You're telling me there's a million dollars in here."

"Yes," Grissom said, watching as the older man knelt down next to the bag.

"Along with some cute little booby traps? Which is it -- a tracer, a dye pack?" the man asked, pulling the bag closer.

"Normally, you'd be 100 right, but this time, you're 100 wrong. We want Greg back, no tricks," Grissom interrupted, barely hearing the common Nick was muttering; 'I wish we did do tricks'.

The man zipped the bag open; he reached inside and pulled out a pack of 100 bills. He smiled, threw it back into the leather bag and chuckled. "This looks real."

"It is real. Where is Greg?" Nick shouted, starting towards the man, but being held back by Grissom.

"You know, I was under the impression it was against departmental policy to negotiate with terrorists," the guy stated.

"Are you a terrorist?" Grissom asked, pulling Nick behind him.

"Depends," he said, he shined his flashlight on Grissom's face. "Are you terrified?"

"Look, I really don't want to talk to you. Where is my guy?" Nick asked, raising his voice higher.

"Oh, so ... he is 'your guy', huh?"

"Yes, he is."

"Where is he buried?" Grissom asked.

"Are you two close?" the man asked, ignoring Grissom and turning to Nick, who was now standing next to Grissom not behind.

"That's none of your business," Nick snapped back.

"What does Greg Sanders mean to you? How do you feel when you see him in that coffin? Does your soul die every time you push that button? How do you feel, knowing that there's nothing you can do to get him out of that hell? Helpless ... useless ... impotent?" Nick and Grissom don't say anything, but their looks answered his question. "Good. Welcome to my world." The man unbuttoned his jacket and showed the two red bars of High Explosives / Semtex hooked up around his waist, his thumb over the detonator. "Uh, if I were you, I'd back up a little."

Grissom grabbed Nick's arm and started to pull him to a farer distance, a couple of feet back. The old man presses his thumb on the bottom and explodes.