Early update (I think.) :P
I've written the ending for this fic… finally. Now I only have to write the chapters that will help me get there. Sweet.
Sara Sidle shifted uncomfortably when the lights underneath the elevator lit up. With only two wires holding her up, the ride to the tenth floor made her even more nauseous- if that was even possible.
She'd heard of their plan and it seemed too good to be true - the fact that Gil Grissom was having doubt concerning it didn't help matters either. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved towards the last two wires loosening the last two bolts just enough for her to pull them out with about three twists just in case anything went wrong.
She wasn't the type of person who'd put blame on others and she'd be damning herself through hell and back if she ever started now.
She heard something creak open and she looked up to find Grissom and a couple of FBIs looking down at her.
"See? Nothing happened." One of the agents exclaimed and her eyes immediately snapped towards the explosives. Nothing did happen. The digital 2:00 continued to mock her.
Forcing a smile, she cringed slightly at the look of concern on Grissom's face. He looked as if he were studying every bruise, every broken bone in her body and it made her feel somewhat weaker. Frowning, she decided that she'd give anything for one of his poker faces. At least she didn't know how he felt then.
'Do I look that bad?' She signed and confusion registered on the entomologist face.
'Where did you learn how to sign?'
She twitched her lips realizing how she'd deliberately forgotten to tell the entomologist about the sign language class she'd been taking. She knew he would be against it because it gave her less sleeping time.
'Right after I found out you were going deaf.'
'I never told you that.'
'There are other ways to know.'
He cocked his head. 'I had an operation.'
'I know.' She replied, remembering those times she'd leave the lab frustrated because she thought Grissom was ignoring her.
An ironic smirk appeared on his face. . 'What else don't you know about me?'
She smiled faintly, eyeing the timer at the same time. She searched her mind for anyone, anybody whom she could've done anything this wrong to but could not find any. She tried placing herself on the position of all the murderers she'd caught- but could not think of anyone smart enough to pull everything that was happening off. She closed her eyes. The digital screen continued blinking. 2:00.
'This is a bad idea, Grissom.'
'I know but it's not my call.' He signed. He caught a sight of Sara's leg and cringed slightly, knowing that she would not be able to walk in it for weeks. It was amazing how she had managed to stay conscious. If the bloody wound on her head, in her forehead had not sent her to dreamland- the surely the pain on her left leg would.
She shrugged at the look on his face. 'It stopped hurting a couple of hours ago.'
'Liar.' He mouthed.
Her expression softened. 'If I die I want you to have the entomology text book you gave me.'
With a pause, she continued. 'The plant you gave me stays on top of my grave.'
He hesitated for a moment before signing back. It annoyed him that she was even thinking about dying. Dying was not an option he had wanted to be have. 'You aren't going to die.'
'I-
"Miss Sidle, were going to go throw you a safety rope and pull you up." One of the agents stated, interrupting their exchange. He did not know what they were signing on about- but he knew that it definitely wasn't about professional matters. There was a bond that he could not put on between the two, one that could not be created merely by being co-workers.
"Do you think you can handle it or do you want one of our men to jump in there and help you?" The agent continued, eyeing the CSIs injured leg. He was not surprised when the CSI refused. They'd done a background check on her hours ago and from what he had seen, she was too much into her independent streak to start being dependent- even at a time like this.
'What about the explosives?' She signed, and Grissom immediately repeated her question allowed to the agents.
"You're our first priority now."
She raised her brow and eyed Grissom.
'This is all over the news. It's good publicity if they get you out first.'
FLASHBACK:
"Where's Sara?" Michael Shapiro asked, a confused frown on his face. He had been bombarded with questions for two whole days and he had not once seen the CSI who had spent the past few months questioning him on the case.
"She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
The man offered a hand. "My name is Ben Daniels. I'm replacing Sara-
Shapiro's eyes widened. Things just too a turn for a worse. He had spent months believing that Sara was his ticket to freedom and now- she was gone. Replaced by a man who probably had no empathy whatsoever for all those years that he'd dealt with his wife. Not that Sara had ever shown it. She hid it well- but one look in her eyes showed the he understood him. Abusive mother maybe?
"Replaced?" Shapiro cut in, shoving the Daniel's hands aside. "How are you supposed to compare to her? You're-
"I assure you I am just as good as her- if not better." Ben Daniels paused.. "As a matter of fact, I've read the evidence you gave Sara and I noticed the resemblance it had with a couple of serial killings that happened months ago. Do you know anything about the elevator murders?'
'Do I? I based my wife's whole murder on that!' He was tempted to say but he held his ground and pretended to hold feign interest for the serial killings. "I'm sorry but no. I can't say I've heard of them."
"Well, the killer calls himself 'Charlie.' His victims were murdered very much like your wife."
"You think Charlie killed my wife?"
The CSI shrugged. "All of his victims are male. Your wife is a first."
"I didn't kill my wife." He repeated. For a second there, he'd thought that he had spun the new CSI onto his web of lies. If he'd had known that all of 'Charlie's' victims were all male he would've chosen someone else to copy cat. He decided then and there to never trust the news.
Had Sara read the note? He doubted that she did. If she had, she never would have left. He was slightly annoyed that he had to put up a show for the CSI. He'd spent hours trying to duplicating the killer's writing and he had put on a crying show in the interrogation room one he'd thought would break-
"Sir, I need you to show me the note that you were holding in the interrogation room."
He blinked. Maybe there was hope. "Note? I gave it to Sara." He gave a look of mock confusion.
"There was another note. I saw you holding it in the interrogation room. I have a video tape of it."
"Here." Shapiro sighed. He had to disappear while there was still time. Sara was gone and it looked like there was no way that they would believe him with the astonishing amount of evidence that they had against him. It was a miracle that they haven't arrested him yet.
