Hey guys. Here's chapter eighteen for you. It's the last chapter I've got written in my notebook and I go on holiday on Saturday so I wanted to get it typed up and posted before I go. I will be taking my notebook with me so hopefully I'll get some writing done while I'm away. Anyway, enjoy

Archie couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Wendy's scream as the bodies had fallen - which still reverberated round the room - had been loud enough to draw the attention of Hodges, Bobby and Jaqui; they were all now crowded behind Archie's chair and firing questions at him a mile a minute. He rubbed his temples, trying to drown them out when Sara's voice crackled through the sat phone, barely audible over the din.

"Quiet!" He yelled, shutting them all up and jolting Wendy from her almost catatonic state. "Sara?"
"Archie! What the hell happened? We've heard gunshots."
"I... I don't know. It was really tense, Palmer had Catherine... There were shots, three bodies on the floor..."
"Oh my god... Hang on Archie..."
He could hear muffled talking, the crackle of the radio. His eyes strayed to the screen and the lone figure as it moved to the first body that had fallen near the couch.

"Archie, Vartann and Vega are ready to breach, they need to know which doors are safe and who's left standing."
As she spoke Archie focussed on the other monitor, zooming in on the patio doors. He exhaled loudly as he swept over it, beyond thankful to notice the absence of any trip wires.
"All doors are clear." He returned his attention to the rest of the room, noting the way the person moves as they approached what looked like the two other bodies, one lying on top of the other.
"It's Brass!"
"Can you confirm that Archie?"

The lab tech swallowed, relief tinged with apprehension as he turned to his colleagues. They all seemed to understand his unspoken question as they wordlessly surveyed the screen. All four nodded in succession before Archie sent his response down the line.
"Captain Brass is the only one mobile."
There was a pause, presumably so Sara could relay the information over the radio to Vartann.
Then all hell broke loose on the screens.

Three shots. Brass knew he'd only fired one. The minute Catherine had made eye contact and pulled a gun from the waistband of her shorts he'd dropped to a crouch, retrieved his gun, taken aim and fired. Now, as he slowly raised himself to standing and peered through the gun smoke he felt his heart plummet at the sight of three bodies.
Instinct drove him to the closest.
Crouching down beside Grissom he took in his closed eyes, the blood pouring from a wound on the left side of his forehead. Brass reached out and trailed his fingers along Grissom's neck, searching desperately for a pulse.

"Come on Gil, don't do this to me now."
He moved to the opposite side of his neck, exhaling loudly as he felt the soft but steady throb against the pads of his fingers. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapping it round Grissom's head and securing it with a knot on the opposite side to the injury.
Rising to his feet he pulled his gun once more and held it by his side as he approached the spot where Palmer and Catherine had fallen. He could barely see the latter under the bulk of their captor, just a leg and a small mass of strawberry blonde hair were the only indications she was even there.
Brass winced as he moved closer, his eyes landing on the large pool of blood that was still spreading across the floor. He kicked Palmer's leg with his foot and, receiving no response he knelt down and was just about to start heaving the body off his friend when all hell broke loose.

Vartann and four officers burst through the patio doors, at the same time as Vega and another four officers crashed through the main door of the den.
"Brass!"
Vartann was at his side in an instant, holstering his weapon and kneeling down, narrowly avoiding the ever growing blood pool.
"Grissom's been shot in the head, pulse is thready and he's unconcious. Catherine's under Palmer. Help me lift this hump off her but be careful, he's still got the explosive vest on."

Gingerly the two men rolled the third over onto his back, noting his glassy eyes and the hole in his forehead as well as the one through his left wrist. There was no sign of life from either him or the bomb strapped to his chest. Vartann slid the body away, motioning to Kip, a bomb tech that had been part of Vega's breach team. The young officer moved swiftly over and got to work making sure the bomb was safe.

Brass meanwhile was completely focussed on Catherine. He carefully slid his arms under her and rolled her so she was face up on his lap. She was caked in blood but neither Brass nor Vartann could ascertain where it was coming from. Her eyes were closed and there were gunpowder burns on her arm, face and neck.
Vartann placed his fingers to her neck, carefully avoiding the injured skin before meeting the other man's worried gaze with a smile.
"Pulse is good and strong, I think all that blood is Palmer's."
Brass sagged back onto his haunches in relief and brushed some of the blood matted hair away from her face.

"Let's get out of here." Vartann lifted Catherine's prone body from his colleague and stood, allowing the other man to get to his feet. "How's Grissom?"
"Stable enough to move," Vega called from the other side of the room where he and two officers had fashioned a make shift stretcher from a table and belts.
"Great. How's the vest coming Kip?"
"Not far off Lou. You guys head on out, get Grissom and Willows to the hospital. I won't be far behind you."
"I'll stay with him." Vega moved from his position with Grissom, gesturing for another officer to take his place. Vartann nodded, shifted Catherine's weight slightly in his arms and made his way out of the room behind two officers clearing the way and the three carrying Grissom. Brass and the final two police men brought up the rear.

As they crossed the entrance hall and the two lead officers opened both sides of the main door Vartann still couldn't allow himself to relax. He juggled the still unconscious Catherine in his arms a little, pressing the button on his radio and hearing the static crackle in his ear piece as it came to life.

"Sara? You copy?"
A few beats passed before she responded.
"We're here Vartann. What's your status?"
"Palmer's down, we're coming out. Make sure the paramedics are ready for us, Grissom and Catherine are injured."
"They're waiting." There was a pause before Sara spoke again. "How bad are they?"
The detective exhaled into the cool night air, throwing a glance over his shoulder as Brass exited the house behind him.
"Both unconscious. We need to get them to the hospital as..."

The rest of Vartann's sentance died on his lips as Kipp's strained voice came over all radios.

"Bomb is active! I repeat, bomb is active! Clear the area..."

The explosion that followed sent a fireball rolling from the side of the house. Flames rose up and out, tongues and fingers that licked and clawed at the inky black sheet of sky above.

Hope ya'll liked it
Lily
-x-