Hi guys. Yet another chapter beginning with apologies. I completely suck I know. I literally just finished typing this up now, I wanted to get it uploaded ASAP for any lingering reader that hasn't totally given up on this story. Despite the persistent writer's block, I'm two days away from getting the keys to my new house so packing and sorting through all the crap that moving house entails has also taken up a lot of my time. I do have another two chapters complete in my notebook ready for typing, and I've made a small start on Chapter Twelve. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. To anyone still reading, thank you.

The sun was barely peeking above the horizon as Sara stepped out onto the patio, steaming mug of coffee in one hand. Sighing, she pulled the glass door shut with a soft click and crossed to the stone steps leading down to the vast lawn, the hedges and fence just visible in the gloom.
She sat down, glancing around her and pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her jacket pocket. Lighting one she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and exhaling through her nose, the plume of smoke mingling with the crisp dawn air.

"Didn't you quit years ago?" The brunette jumped as the sound of Catherine's voice, shifting slightly so the older woman could sit.
"I found these in the drawer in my room. Didn't think a beer was a good idea given the circumstances so these were the next best thing."
Catherine nodded her understanding and picked up the packet that lay between them. Sara had to admire the dexterity with which the strawberry blonde removed a cigarette one handed and brought it to her lips, lighting it with the glowing end of Sara's before exhaling.

"I didn't think anyone else was up."
"I couldn't sleep." The younger woman offered her mug to Catherine, who took a grateful sip and handed it back.
"Me either."
"Arm still bothering you?"
Catherine shrugged, taking another drag. "Not so much now I'm taking the pain meds regularly."
"Grissom seems to enjoy playing nurse." Sara chuckled at the flush that spread over her friend's face. "So... Anything I should know?"

Catherine shook her head once, flicking ash into a crack between paving slabs.
"Not ready to talk about it, gotcha."
The brunette took one last drag on the cigarette before crushing it against the step and tucking it into a hole in the low wall next to her. Catherine followed suit, smiling as she accepted Sara's helping hand and stood.
As they turned and reentered the house, they missed the slight glint of the early morning sun catching the binocular lenses that were focussed on their retreating backs.

Detective Vartann moved slowly through the lab corridor. Something about the seemingly innocent actions he's witness hours earlier didn't sit right, and that unnerved him.
Just as he was about to pass an empty computer lab the glowing of the monitor reflected against the wall snared his attention, making him change course and enter. The log in screen seemed innocuous enough, but that nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach remained. Pulling out his cell phone he keyed in a number, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk as he waited for it to connect.

"Hey Archie it's Vartann. I know you're swamped but I need you to meet me in computer lab three and bring your list of phone calls from the time of the explosion. I've got a hunch."
A few minutes later a weary looking Archie appeared, balancing the file, his laptop and a mug of coffee. Vartann relieved him of all but the latter which the exhausted lab rat clung to as he sank into the closest chair.
"What do you need Detective?"
"Can you pull up a list of everyone that's worked on this computer in the last 24 hours?"
"Piece of cake, even if I am running on fumes."

As Archie's fingers moved over the keys Vartann was sure that his words per minute was still double his own on a good day.
"Ok, here are all the people who worked on here in that time frame." Only five names. Vartann's eyes scanned them, stopping on one. He could feel a puzzle piece shift in his brain, half sliding into place.
"Any cross over with the phone calls placed prior to the explosion?"
Archie flipped open the file next to him and flicked between page and screen.
"Yea..."

Preempting Vartann's next request Archie accessed the person's log. A few more keystrokes and everything that they'd worked on last filled the screen. Vartann cursed under his breath, that last puzzle piece slamming home.
"Where are they now?"
"Shift finished an hour ago. This information was accessed twenty hours before that."
"Shit." The detective yanked his phone from his pocket, hitting speed dial as he brought it up to his ear. He dispensed with any pleasentries as the call connected; they couldn't afford to waste any more time.
"Sofia I've found the mole. I need to get hold of Brass. You pick her up."

Dusk was falling over the safehouse. Grissom was in the lounge, laptop open before him. Despite being somewhat of a self confessed Luddite, he was suddenly very grateful the lab director had forced everyone to upload all their casefiles into a database. Grissom was almost certain the person behind this was targetting them over a case, but the sheer number of cases Graveshift had dealt with over the years made narrowing potential suspects down an incredibly daunting task. And that number increased exponentially if you took into account the cases he and Catherine had worked prior to the arrival of the younger team members.
He huffed a frustrated sigh, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Going well I take it?" Brass entered the room, settling next to Grissom on the couch and passing him one of the mugs of coffee he held in his hands. It was accepted gratefully, despite the grunt that accompanied it.
"It's like trying to find a specific needle in a stack of needles."
Brass chuckled, leaning back against the cushions. They lapsed into silence, punctuated by the odd click of the trackpad as Grissom scrolled through cases.
"It's pretty quiet, where's the rest of the team?"
"They all went their separate ways a few hours ago. Catherine's probably resting, I'm not sure what the others are up to."
"Surprised you're not up there with her playing nurse."

Grissom rolled his eyes, mouth opening to deliver a retort. It was replaced by an exclaimation as the lights in the room - and presumably the rest of the house - cut out, plunging them into a semi-darkness broken only by the eerie glow from the laptop screen.
"What the hell?" Brass was on his feet, weapon drawn by his side and glancing around the gloom.

"Jim." Grissom yanked his friend's sleeve, pulling him back down onto the couch and gesturing at the computer.
The arrow moved of it's own accord, hovering over the dearch bar before being replaced by the flashing cursor.
"How the hell are you doing that?"
Gil shifted the hands that were resting on his knees, eyes not leaving the screen.
"I'm not."

Hope ya'll like it.

Lily
-x-