Hi guys. Cue the usual 'I've been slammed, work and life constantly get in the way, I've been so blocked with this it's unreal' excuses. Sorry, hopefully there's still someone out there reading this. I'm ashamed to say I've only got one page of chapter sixteen written, it's proved a real struggle to actually get out what I want to happen. I have a vague idea, I just need to translate that to actual words.
Anyway, here's this chapter

An eerie silence had fallen over the den and its three occupants. Normally Grissom craved the quiet but the weight of this noiselessness felt oppressive. Coupled with the fact that Martin had been silent since his pronouncement of the fun they were going to have, had Grissom balancing on a knife edge.
"Now what?"
"I honestly have no idea Jim."
"Well we can't just sit here, we need to find a way out!"

Grissom shook his head once, inclining it towards the laptop and the still illuminated web cam light.
Brass made a sound of frustration low in his throat and stood, pacing around the room like a caged animal.
Grissom sighed and turned his attention to Catherine. She hadn't spoken a word sinc entering the den and was currently wedged into the corner of the sofa with her legs tucked underneath her and her right arm wrapped around herself. He could see the dried tear tracks streaking her cheeks, as well as the reddish brown smears on her arms and across her pale t shirt. Warrick's blood. His heart broke for her.
"Cath?" He called her name, loudly enough for her to hear but not so loud as to startle her. She barely blinked. "Catherine honey I need you to look at me." She raised her head and met his blue eyes with her own watery ones. "We're going to get out of here."
"How? We've got no way to contact anyone outside, and if we step foot near a door or window this psycho will blow us all to hell. He's probably watching us as we speak."
"She's got a point," Jim interjected, earning him a stern look from Grissom.

The strawberry blonde sighed and brushed some hair out of her face, her fingers dancing gently against the skin of her forehead. The movement caught Grissom's attention and he froze, an idea hitting him like a freight train.
"Catherine?" He waited until her eyes were on him before testing his theory. He kept his mouth shut and let his hands speak for him, forming the signs fluidly and at a steady pace.
Do you remember any of the sign language my mother taught you?
Her eyes widened slightly, one corner of her mouth quirking upwards as she clenched her right hand into a fist, raising it to shoulder level before rocking it back and forth.
Yes.
Grissom smiled and began signing rapidly, his excitement making his hands fly at such a speed it made Catherine's head spin.
"Gil!"
He paused and watched as she raised her cast arm palm down and moved her right hand slowly from the tips of her fingers to the bend in her arm, then placed her palm on her chest and moved it in a clockwise circle a few times.
Slow down please.
His expression became sheepish as he brought his closed fist to his chest, making a similar motion before starting his explanation again.
Sorry. We can't talk openly because he can hear us, but even though he can see us I doubt he can understand enough sign language to figure out what we're saying. Anything we need to say that we don't want overheard, we use our hands ok?
Catherine returned his smile and copied his last sign.
Ok.

"I have no idea what you just said but I'm in," Brass mumbled loud enough for them both to hear.
Grissom smiled.
Great. Let's get started.

Archie was beyond exhausted; he was pretty sure he'd lapsed into some semi catatonic state before Vartann called. Now as he hung up he ran his hands through his hair, willing his brain to function. Flexing his fingers he opened the case file database on his screen and began typing search parameters; all cases Grissom, Brass and Catherine had worked, excluding any other team members, starting the time frame from when Catherine began working in the lab and capping it at five years ago before hitting enter. A few minutes passed before the computer yielded its results, making the lab tech groan and drop his head to the desk in frustration.

638 cases. This wasn't a needle in a haystackm it was a specific needle in a stack of needles.
"You look like you need this."
Archie lifted his head and was greeted by the sight of Wendy entering his lab, tow mugs of coffee in her hands. She placed one in front of him before dropping into the spare chair at the desk.
"Is there anything stronger?"
The brunette chuckled as he took a grateful sip.
"There's a rumour Brass keeps a bottle of scotch in his bottom desk drawer, we could go raid that?"
"No time," Archie replied, gesturing to the screen. Wendy let out a low whistle as she scanned it.
"That's a lot of cases."
"And I have no idea where to start."

His colleague was silent for a moment.
"Ugh this is hopeless!"
The AV tech let his head drop to the desk with a dull thud. Wendy raised her hand and patted him gently on the back, still scanning the screen as her mind whirred.
"Maybe start with some of the earliest cases and work from there?"
Without lifting his head Archie tapped a few keys and the screen reloaded.
"215." Wendy exhaled and her friend groaned.
"That's still too many!"
The silence that followed was broken by a ping from the machine in front of them.
"What was that?"
The brunette moved the mouse and clicked on the message bubble.
"Automated email from HR, reminding you to inventory all electronic devices. ALS, phones, pagers, laptops..." She trailed off, almost feeling the lightbulb brushing the top of her head. "Archie, where's Grissom's laptop?"

His head snapped up at such a speed Wendy winced, certain he'd damaged a vertabrae or three. Their eyes locked.
"He took it with him."
"What if he had the same thought Vartann did; that this is all connected to a previous case? He could've access the database using his computer. Can you access it remotely?"
Archie pulled himself closer to the desk and began typing furiously.
"Usually only with cooperation from the operator but that can be bypassed. Let's hope he's left it switched on."
The staccato click of the keys sounded like machine gun fire in the quiet room.
"Access the IP address... bypass the firewalls, good thing I set them up," Archie mumbled under his breath as he worked, something Wendy would've found endearing in any other circumstance.
"Almost there... little more... wrap what I'm doing in the invisibility cloak..."
"Invisibility cloak? Who are you, Harry Potter?"
The lab tech shot her a look.
"I use it when I need to install updates on a computer while it's still being used. Means I can do what I need to do without it showing on the screen; we don't know what's going on in that house, the last thing we need is for the computer to come to life and tip our hand. And I'm in!"

The black and white screen he'd been working on disappeared and revealed another search screen.
"David Palmer." Archie read the name aloud, clicking on the file to open the rest of the information, scanning through it.
"Rape and murder, nasty." A groan followed as he scrolled to the end of the file. "One small problem, he's still in jail. Another dead end."
Wendy made a concilliatory noise while scrutinising the screen.
"Grissom must've been looking at this for a reason though." Moving the cursor she flicked through the rest of the file. "Archie... He has a brother. Martin Palmer.
"You think this is our guy?"
"Why else would the last thing Grissom accessed be this case file? It's got to be him!"
"I'm going to let Sofia know. She might be able to use it in the interrogation."
He pulled out his cell phone and started typing.
Wendy returned her attention to the computer, frowning as she noticed the small box in the bottom right hand corner; she'd been so focussed on the file that it had managed to escape her previous scrutiny. She moved the mouse, hovering the cursor over it before clicking, the dark image filling the screen. She leaned in for a closer look, her eyes widening as she realised exactly what she was seeing.

"Archie..."
"One sec..."
"Now Archie!"
Her colleague turned back to the desk, his own eyes taking in the darkened room, the figure visible on the couch.
"That looks like... is that Catherine?"
"Why is the webcam on?"
Archie turned to a separate monitor and keyboard on the desk, enabling him to work while still keeping the feed open.
Wendy kept watching the original screen, concern and fear for her colleagues, her friends, consuming her. Catherine's attention was fixed on something off screen, every now and then she would move her arms in some pattern that was foreign to the brunette observing. The blonde looked tense but otherwise unharmed, something Wendy was grateful for. A figure pased behind the couch Catherine was seated on; even with the poor quality stream she could tell it was Brass, pacing back and forward. From the angle Wendy guessed the computer was on a coffee table. She just wished they had a visual on more of the room; there was no doubt for her now that this feed was live.

"Someone hacked Grissom's computer before I did."
"What?" Wendy replied, startled. She'd been so engrossed in the screen she'd forgotten Archie was even there. The latter gestured to his monitor, but all his friend could see was a jumble of words and key stroke actions.
"A different IP address to mine remotely accessed Grissom's laptop a couple of hours ago." He hit a few more keys, bringing up a floor plan of the house and grounds. "The IP address pinged as being located on Sam Braun's land. I need to call Vartann."

Movement from the safehouse feed prevented Wendy from replying. Her heart leapt into her throat as the door in the background opened and shut, a meanacing figure creeping closer, the unmistakable shape of a gun glinting in its hand.
"Archie..."
He glanced at her, the sat phone already at his ear.
"He's in the room with them."

Hopefully the fact this chapter is quite a long one will make up for the eons between updates.
Thanks
Lily
-x-