Hey guys, thanks so much for the reviews I've had. It's lovely to know that people are still interested in this story, or just discovering it, despite my long absences. Ya'll will be pleased to know I've got chapter thirteen written and have just made a start on chapter fourteen. I've got no idea how long this will be as it seems the more recent chapters have been somewhat shorter than the first ones, it's just the way things have fallen in the story. I know how things are going to end, I'm just in the process of figuring out how to get there. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

"So glad I've been able to refresh your memory Dr Grissom. Wouldn't want all of this to be in vain."
"What do you want Martin?"
There was a moment's pause from the speakers.
"You remember my name." There was a note of surprise in the younger man's voice.
"We remember the case," Brass spoke for the first time.
"Detective Brass. Or should I say Captain now. I remember you interviewing me, asking me about my brother's alibi. Did you enjoy ripping a thirteen year old boy to shreds?"

Jim opened his mouth to answer but Grissom raised a finger, his hand low and out of the view of the web cam.
"We're sorry you had to go through that Martin, but we were only doing our jobs."
"'Only doing our jobs'" he mimicked, venom seeping from every word. "I lost everything when you sent my brother to jail."
"Martin, David raped and murdered a young woman. He broke the law, he had to be punished."
"He was framed!"
"The evidence was conclusive. Nothing pointed to another person being involved."
"You need to pay for what you did to him! And for what losing him did to me!"

"Martin..." Brass began, but the rest of his sentence was cut off by an ear piercing scream from somewhere in the house. Both men jumped to their feet, Jim's hand instinctively going for his gun until a small gesture from Grissom stopped him, save they lose the only leverage they had by showing their captor he was still armed.
The low rumble of a menacing laugh filled the silence following the scream.
"Seems like they've found my little surprise."

The laptop screen flickered and grainy CCTV footage replaced the search results; Grissom quickly recognised it as one of the corridors upstairs but the images were hazy, as if being viewed through fog. His breath caught in his throat as Sara crawled into view, a gun in her hand and a grim expression on her face. Greg appeared next, crawling awkwardly while dragging a visibly upset Catherine. There were streaks of something on her arms and face but the black and white footage made it impossible to identify.
Ice flooded Grissom's veins and his chest constricted as the realisation hit him - there were only three people on the screen.
Jim asked the question before Gil could form the words, the captain obviously sharing his friend's thought process.
"Where is Warrick?"

The footage faded, replaced by a picture. Grissom swallowed hard against a wave of nausea, while Jim's reaction was masked by a sharp intake of breath. Warrick's lifeless glassy eyes stared back from the screen, blood pooling around him from a gaping slash across his throat.
"Never underestimate the element of surprise."
"You bastard." Jim's jaw was clenched and he was fighting the urge to rip this whole house apart to find the murdering son of a bitch and feed him his gun.
"Warrick had nothing to do with your brother's case," Grissom spoke up, sounding far calmer than he actually felt. "In fact, half the people here weren't even working in the lab at the time."

There were a long few moments of silence.
"You raise a valid point Dr Grissom, but I had nothing to do with my brother's crime and it didn't stop you from ruining my life in the process of your investigation."
"Then be better than me!" A hint of desperation tinged Grissom's voice as a plan began forming in his mind. "Let the innocent parties here go and keep me. I was the lead investigator, I took the stand and presented the case against your brother, I'm the guilty one here. Punish me."
"Gil..." Jim began softly, but was cut off by a swift shake of the other man's head.

The lack of response was palbable, filling the room and making the soundless seconds drag on for days.
"That's a very valiant offer Dr Grissom."

The next time Martin spoke his voice came not from the laptop but from the sound system speakers that covered the entire house, booming throughout each room.

"Sidle and Sanders, you both have precisely 60 seconds from the time I finish speaking to make your way downstairs and leave through the front door. If, once the 60 seconds are up either of you are still in the house, or anyone else tried to leave with you, I will detonate an IED I have hidden somewhere in the house and everyone will die."

"Wait!" Grissom interrupted. "I said punish ME, let everyone else go!"
"So sorry Dr Grissom, Ms Willows and Captain Brass worked my brother's case with you. They stay."
Grissom was about to protest again but was cut off.

"Sidle and Sanders, your 60 seconds start... NOW!"

Bit tense, and don't hate me too much lol! He was the easiest character to kill.

Hope ya'll enjoyed it, despite what I did to Warrick!

Lily
-x-