Chapter 4
Sara got out of her Jeep. She was wearing jogging pants and a tank top, her hair hastily swept back. A feeling of excitement rushed through her, and she told her self it was because she hadn't climbed since she was living in San Francisco. She carried the empty yellow back pack in one hand, and her gym bag in the other.
Checking her watch and noting that it was nearly ten, she hoped she hadn't missed Tucker. Reaching the doors, they opened with ease, "Tucker?" She saw no one, and half the lights were turned off.
She leaned over the desk. "Tuck—" her words were cut short as someone attacked her from behind, pinning her upper body to the counter, grabbing her hair and slammed her forehead against the desk.
She struggled against the weight, but both arms were pinned underneath her, and her vision was blurred from the force of the blow. "Get the hell off me!" she yelled.
The weight on her shifted slightly, but not enough for her to escape. She pushed up, hoping to free an arm, but a gloved hand shot forward, allowing her to see a revolver in their hand. "No way in hell bitch."
--/--
Grissom walked into his office, and sat down in frustration. He took off his glasses and massaged his temples.
"No warrant?" Catherine's voice fill the room.
"No, the judge was leery about the collection procedures. There was no definite proof it belonged to Kelly James," he explained, controlling his anger. He had gone ten rounds with ten different judges, desperate for help. "Is everyone here?"
The blonde shook her head, "Greg went home to sleep, and Sara hasn't come back yet."
His eyebrow rose in question. He hadn't actually expected Sara to stay away from the lab until 11:00. A shot of jealously and worry reminded him that she was climbing with their suspect's brother. "I told her I'd call her if anything came up regarding the case," he explained and picked up his cell phone.
--/--
Sara froze, stunned as she identified her attacker; Kelly James shoved the gun into the back of her head, eliciting a growl of pain. He stood, and grabbed for her bag, "What's in here?" he asked his voice full of menace.
"Where's Tucker?" she demanded.
He pushed the muzzle of the weapon harder against her head. "I get to ask the questions now," he shot back, and unzipped the black gym bag. Rummaging through her items, he found her bra. He roughly spun her around, pressing the revolver against sternum.
She stared him down, weighing her options. If she knew where Tucker was, and if he was unharmed, her decision would have been simple—go for the gun.
"What are you thinking about there lovely?" he asked bringing her bra to his nose.
Rage flared within her, she shot her hand out knocking the gun away from her, but he held on, using his shock, she leaned in and rammed her shoulder into his midsection. They both toppled to the ground, struggling for leverage. Sara knew she would loose given their obvious weight differences. Her only hope was to either get his weapon, or get to her Jeep. She had no idea where her keys were, making her latter option more difficult. 'Going for the gun it is,' she yielded.
Before she could reach for his hand he flipped her, body slamming her below him. Struggling for breath, she squirmed eliciting a groan of pleasure for Kelly, "You're going to put up a fight."
With a scream of rage, Sara's nailed scrapped across his neck, taking chunks of blood and skin with it. Kelly grabbed both wrists, the fury in his eyes scared her to the core. Somewhere in the background, Sara could hear her cell phone ring, and she hoped it was Grissom. If she didn't answer, considering the case they were working on, she knew he'd come find her.
--/--
He shut the cell phone in irritation. She was on a date, and not answering her phone in the middle of a huge case.
"She didn't answer?"
Grissom had forgotten Catherine was still in the room. He exhaled harshly, "No, she said she was going to the climbing gym before she came in tonight."
She tried not to laugh at his reaction given the circumstances, "I don't think those harness have much room for a cell phone. If she's on the wall, she'll check her phone when she gets done. Let her have some stress relief Grissom," she scolded him, and walked away.
'I'm giving you fifteen minutes to answer your phone, and then I'm coming to find you,' he insanely thought to himself. He had no idea where the emotions were coming from, and he couldn't even name the emotions.
--/--
Sara was pulled to her feet, and pushed over to one of the climbing walls. She kept her right fist closed, protecting the DNA she had collected. He slammed her up against the wall, her back colliding with a handhold, knocking the wind from her again. She slid to the ground, and watched Kelly, unhook one of the top ropes.
He approached her, and looped the rope around both wrists. "The best thing about learning to climb is learning how to tie knots no one can escape from," he told her as he finished his work. Standing, he took the other end of the rope in his hands, and started yanking on it.
Sara could feel the tension, as her arms were pulled over her head. She tried to stand but never got the chance. The strain on her shoulders was becoming painful, and she was soon dangling just off the ground so that she was eye level with James.
--/--
Grissom counted the rings, and was now starting to worry. He tried to weigh the anger she would have toward him if he showed up at the gym looking for her against the fear growing in his gut. Kelly James had been known to go to the gym, and if the past held true, there would be another rape that night.
He grabbed his keys, and started toward the exit, but decided on two short detours first. The gun locker, and Jim Brass. 'I hope she's just going to be pissed at me.'
--/--
Sara could hear the phone ring again, and realized Grissom had to be getting worried. Now all she had to do was distract Kelly for fifteen minutes. "Where's Tucker?" she asked again, trying to think beyond the pain her punished muscles were now feeling as the adrenaline left her.
Kelly set the gun down, and walked over to her. His hand slid up her inner thigh, and brought his other hand around to the back of her head, "Questions, questions, Sara."
She was frozen in fear, and she squeezed her eyes shut, 'This isn't happening Sara. Wake up, it's the same nightmare you always have.'
"You smell so good Sara," he commented and pulled away. Searching for more rope he continued to talk to her, "You know, all the other girls, they were random. I didn't want to get caught, so I would just drive around and find someone. It was satisfying to take them roughly. Their screams…it was like a drug," he told her taking her left ankle, and tying it to the wall. "But Lydia, oh, that was personal. She got in my way, I wanted to date Lisa." Grabbing the other leg, he tied it and pulled roughly on the rope.
Sara groaned at the pain his actions caused. She was now hanging, spread eagle in mid air.
"And I realized how much more pleasure I got from raping someone who really deserved," James spoke, coming close to her again. His hands roamed her midsection where her top had ridden up. He slipped both hands under her sports bra, and squeezed each breast painfully.
Tears were streaming down her face now, "No, please don't." Her fist closed tighter, protecting the evidence.
He smiled, slipping his hand down the elastic waste band of her sweats.
"No!" Her scream was primal.
--/--
Grissom continued to try Sara's cell phone as he road in the passenger seat of Jim's car. "She's not answering, turn on the sirens." Bile was rising in his throat.
They pulled into the parking lot, and they both spotted her Jeep. 'She's just climbing. She got a diversion like you told her to,' he tried to convince himself, but pulled his Sig out as they approached the doors.
--/--
The sirens drew closer, "Damn it!" Kelley yelled, grabbed his gun and ran to the back, leaving Sara hanging, her sweats resting just under her hip bones.
She gasped for breath, and could feel her entire body shaking.
Grissom ran into the gym, with Brass right behind him. He tried to process the sight before him. 'That's not Sara,' he tried to tell himself, but every sense he had was telling him Sara was hanging from a rope.
He ran to her, not caring about his safety. "Sara?" his voice sounded distant as the blood rushed through his ears.
"Grissom, damn it," Brass reprimand him. They hadn't cleared the building.
He reached out to her but was stopped suddenly by her voice.
"Grissom no, I'm evidence," her voice was strong, but carried an edge of fear.
"Sara, I'm not letting you just hang here," he told her reaching for her hand again.
She struggled, "Grissom, damn you, just go get your kit."
He looked in her eyes, "I don't have it. I came with Brass."
"He's not getting away with this," she began to cry. "Please, I'm not hurt, call Catherine."
"Sara, is he gone?" Brass finally asked gently.
She nodded, "He went out the back when we heard the sirens."
Grissom opened his phone and dialed Catherine's number.
"Willows"
"Cath, I need you to get my kit and yours, and get down to the climbing gym as fast as you can. Use your lights," he tried to sound calm, but was quickly loosing it as he watched Sara start to shake. She was going into shock.
Catherine seemed to hear the seriousness in his voice, and chose not to ask any questions."I'm on my way."
"Come alone," he finished and shut the phone. The CSI in him started to kick in, it was safer. Her pants were pulled down slightly, and she had asked for Catherine.
Stepping closer, he fought every fiber of his being that told him to touch her, comfort her. "Sara, did he…were you raped?"
Time seemed to slow for all three of them. Brass hadn't taken the time to consider the possibility.
All she could muster was a shake of her head.
Grissom wanted to cry out in relief. They had gotten there in time.
"Tucker," she finally spoke.
Rage bubbled over now, "Was it him? Did he do this to you?"
She seemed to tense at his tone, "No find him, I think Kelly hurt him."
He felt like an asshole, "Brass? Can you check?"
Once they were alone, Grissom finally let his guard down, "Sara. God Sara, I'm so sorry." All he wanted to do was hold her, and he suddenly realized he always wanted to do that. In the past he was always the barrier, but now it was Kelly James. He had never wanted to kill a person until that moment.
TBC
