4

Chapter 7

"Hey, guys come here," Sara shouted to Catherine, Warrick and Nick. "I found something." Catherine, Warrick and Nick headed over to Sara. "Look at this." Taking the bent-out-of-shaped jug that Warrick kicked, Sara poured some of the liquid on the ground and saw the outline of something there just under the dirt. "There's something underneath there."

Warrick, Catherine, Sara and Nick started brushing away the dirt from the lid. "Oh, got an edge right here. All right."

"Another over here," Sara said, dusting the last of the dirt away.

"Sara, get some crowbars," Catherine shouted at Sara, who started running to her car that was close by. Warrick, Nick and Catherine continued to brush the dirt away from the lid. Sara returned with she crowbars, she handed Warrick one. They lifted the concrete lid up and off the patch of dirt. "Greg could be under here, if he's buried him lengthwise, and who's to say he didn't ... he could be."

Suddenly, there's a very real urgency and they started to dig really fast. Catherine put her mask back on and started digging. Warrick, Nick and a couple of others dug out the area with their shovels. Catherine and Sara stood on the side just behind some lights and watched the others digging.

Warrick hit something and stopped, "I hit something!" He used the tip of the shovel and tapped at it, there was a hollow sound underneath it. Warrick and Nick put their shovel aside. Nick sat in the hole and started digging with his hands; Warrick did the same but at the opposite end. Catherine and Sara stood just outside the hole and watched.

Underneath Nick's hand a clear wall began to show as he flung the soil away. Seeing this Catherine yelled, "It's Plexiglas!" Catherine reached into the hole and helped dig out the rest of the dirt.

"Greggy!"

"Greg!"

"Greg?"

"Greg! Hold on there, Honey!" Nick shouted, brushing away the rest of the soil. "Just a few more minutes now and you'll be out of there. I'll do you anything you want, just hold on for a little longer, doll… I remember when I called you doll in the lab, remember that, the look on your face, and you being so scared anyone had over heard and found out about us. I'll look after you would you're out of there …. I love you, Greg, remember that, okay."

The soil cleared; they looked inside the box and saw a dead dog laying in the box. "It's a dog," Catherine said, disappointed. "It's a dog."

Nick shook his head in frustration, stood up and got out of the hole. He kicked some of the dirt back into the hole, as he did this his phone began to ring, he picked up the phone and held it to his ear.

"Nick! Nick!" Archie said on to the phone. "Something is happening to Greg…. I don't know what, but something is happening…… He keeps looking to his feet, it looks like he's saying something like 'no'…… Wait! Wait! The glass it's cracking, the pressure is making it crack!"

Nick watched the live feed with Grissom, Sara and Archie, as Greg picked up the tape recorder in his hand and clicked it on. Greg began to say something but only one of the four could understand what he was saying. Grissom sighed when the rest of the group looked at him.

"Alright. He is saying the following: My name is Greg Sanders. If anybody finds this tape, turn it in to the Las Vegas ... PD. There should be a reward. Papa Olaf …. Grandma …. well, this is a lousy way to say good-bye, but it's all I've got. I love you. You raised me the best you could... and I'm going to miss you. …. Do one thing for me …. Tell mom and dad ….. that …. They are the worst parents alive. …. As for the rest of you guys, I know you did the best you could to find me. …… Nick ….." Grissom stopped his voice braking.

"What did he say," Nick said raising his voice. "What was he saying to me! You have to tell me! You can't stop, please Grissom …. Gil …. Please."

"Alright Nick," Grissom said, "He said that he's sorry about the argument, he wishes you a happy life, that he will miss you a lot and that he loves you very much." Grissom turned his attention back to the screen, Nick sat there staring into his hands.

Suddenly, Greg looked down at his feet and appeared to lose it. He dropped the tape recorder and it fell near his head. He continued to look down at his feet. Sara and Archie watch the monitor.

"He's going into convulsions," Sara said, worriedly, her voice growing louder as she continued "He's losing it." She turned and looked back at Grissom. Grissom continued to look at the monitor. Greg indeed appeared to be in full-mode panic.

"What's going on?" Nick cried, now looking at the monitor not his hands. "Don't say it's another fit, please don't."

"What is …..?" Grissom said staring at the monitor, after a while, he saw something. "Wait a minute." Grissom enhanced the view on the live-feed, zooming the camera's focus on the wall near Greg's head. He saw it, "Ants." They all watched as Greg panicked and screamed. "My God, he's being eaten alive."

Nick watched silent tears falling on to the desk in front of him as Greg struggled in the box, his pants legs covered with ants as the insects made their way into the box. Even through there was no sound Nick could imagine the screams of pain inside his head.