Disclaimer: I don't own CSI...if I did I wouldn't need a degree because I'd have money in the bank.
Summary: The CSI's received a letter and are working out what to do next. This takes place at the same time as the last chapter is taking place if that makes sense :D
A/N: Thinking of renaming myself Queen Meanie. Lol. Again, thanks for the reviews. It's nice to think that people like the stuff you write.
Chapter 6: Turbulence
Catherine, Grissom and Brass were leaving the steel gates of the prison where Marty Silver was being held and proceeded to get into the Tahoe. Grissom got into the back and Brass the passengers side, while Catherine got into the drivers seat. She turned the key and started the engine. With the handbrake still on, she fastened her seatbelt. Making sure the others had done the same, she took the hand brake off and drove away.
"That seems to have been a waste of time," Brass said. "He didn't give us a damn thing."
"Well what did you expect," Catherine replied, eyes on the road. She put her foot on the brake as they approached a red traffic light. She faced Brass. "I mean, to him, it's Nicky and Warrick's fault. It wouldn't surprise me if he is hiding something." The traffic light turned green again.
Grissom, who had sat silently in the back, deep in thought spoke. "Neither of them are responsible. They just did their job, which is to interpret the evidence. The only one responsible is Marty. He committed those crimes."
"Yeah well, I've been thinking." Brass started. "I know Nick is your CSI, but you've already lost one team member, and we still have no idea who it is. I want to put a couple of my guys on watch outside his house, just in case they try anything on him."
"Mm. I'm not sure how he'll react to that."
"O come on Gil. Better to be safe then sorry eh?
"I'll talk to him when he comes into the lab. I'm thinking of taking him of this case," Grissom said.
"He certainly won't like that Gil," came Catherine's voice from the front seat. "He wants to help. We all do."
"He's too emotional. You saw how he acted earlier. We can't compromise this case. Yes, it's someone close to us, but we have to treat this like any other case." Nobody said another word as Catherine continued driving back to the lab.
Nick was back at the lab. He'd only been able to sit at home for a few hours. It was driving him insane. How can I sit there and do nothing when my friend is in trouble? He'd been having trouble sleeping, kept reliving that night over and over again in his head. He headed to the break room, and saw Sara sitting there, hunched over a cold cup of coffee.
"Hey," Nick said weakly, dropping down into a seat opposite Sara.
"Hey Nick. You back already?"
"Yeah. I couldn't sit at home and not do anything. I feel," he paused, "I feel guilty. As though I'm responsible." He put his hands up to his head, letting his arms take its weight.
"You know, you're not responsible. Neither of you were to know what was going to happen. Don't beat yourself up over it. You'll only feel worse. You'll make yourself ill. Then you won't be able to work and you won't be able to find this guy."
"I just, I don't understand why he didn't fight back. There was nothing at the scene to suggest any sort of struggle. I just keep thinking that if may be we hadn't have gone to the bar, or if we'd stayed out later we wouldn't be in this. Geesh, it should have been me."
"Slow down Nick You don't mean that. He wouldn't want you to be in that situation just as you wish he weren't." Sara stood up. "I need to see Greg. See if he's found anything." She put her hand on Nick's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find him." She left the break room and headed down the corridor to Greg in the lab.
The DNA lab was normally a noisy place when Greg Sanders was around. He always had some music on, the volume at its highest. Not today though. It felt inappropriate. He'd scrutinised every part of the letter for foreign DNA, but so far had nothing. 'It's like he's invisible. As though he's a ghost.'
"You got anything Greg?" asked Sara as she walked up behind Greg. He shook his head.
"Nothing. No foreign DNA whatsoever."
"They knows what they're doing. I'm going to try to get some prints off of it. You never know, they may have slipped up." She picked up the evidence bag which contained the letter and then left Greg along in the silence of the lab.
Grissom, Catherine and Brass got out of the Tahoe and walked into the lab, heading past the break room. As they did, Grissom noticed Nick sitting at the table, lost in thought. He motioned to Catherine and Brass. "Go on ahead, I'll be in my office in a few minutes." He walked into the break room, closing the door firmly behind him. "You okay Nick?" he asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I couldn't stay at home."
"Nick." Grissom sat down at the table where Sara had sat earlier. "Brass is getting a couple of his guys to shadow you and stand guard at your house."
Nick looked up. "Why?"
"Because we don't know if they'll be after you next. We've already got one CSI missing and we don't want another. The cards are already in their hands. I'm also taking you off the case."
"What? Why?"
"You're not doing anyone any favours in this state. We've got two days Nick. Two days to find out who's behind this. If we don't, then, well, I don't want to think about it."
"But I want to help. I..I have to."
"If you wanted to help, you'd go home and let us deal with it."
Nick's face was flushed red. He didn't know whether to be angry, upset or both.
"Fine," he shouted at Grissom as he stood up, sending the chair flying and storming out of the break room.
Grissom felt guilty. He's always been accused of lacking emotion. It's not that he didn't have emotions, he'd just learnt to separate them from the job. Emotions can destroy you in this job. He rubbed his hand over his eyes. There was no denying that he was tired. At that moment Sara came rushing into the lab.
"I have it," she said triumphantly.
"Have what?" he asked puzzled.
"Well, Greg didn't pull any foreign DNA of off that second letter or envelope, so I tested for prints. There were none on the actual letter, but I found a partial on the envelope." Grissom's eyes lit up
"And?"
"And I'm running it as we speak."
Ok, sorry this is...short. Just to warn you, I may not be updating until Sunday at the earliest, unless I can tap out a chapter tomorrow. Just my friend is coming down and we're going to see We Will Rock You and shop on Saturday and then I'm going home for the Easter. But I'll try not to keep you waiting too long.
