So it's almost Christmas and I just went on holiday so I'm feeling generous. Here is the last few chapters of Murder One. Don't worry I will be back soon with the next installment of my Guardian series.

Xxx

IronAngel 240.

Grissom cut the engine and just sat in the car for a few moments, preparing himself. He was parked outside a simple, log-cabin built next to a small, man-made pond. Trees were dotted here and there, but the landscape was, otherwise, utterly exposed. Grissom saw a curtain flicker inside the cabin and he decided it was time. He grabbed the duffel bag that rested on the passenger's seat and opened the driver's side door. He got out of the Denali and waited. For what, he did not know. The door to the cabin slid open with a tortured squeak. Grissom took a deep breath and made his way over to the cabin. The desert sand driveway crunched beneath his feet as he walked up to the porch. He ascended the two steps and paused at the door.

The door stood wide open and Grissom could see inside. The first thing he saw was Sara – alive, thank God. Lander had his left arm wrapped around Sara's neck and his right hand held a gun to her right temple.

"Unholster your gun and drop it into the flower pot!" growled Lander. Grissom slowly held up his right hand and transferred the bag to it, he then reached down with his left hand and unholstered his Glock and threw it into the flower pot that was next to the door. He slowly lowered his hands to his sides.

"Come in and shut the door."

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Griffin hunkered down on the grassy hill. She then set up the stand for her rifle and secured the rifle in place. Griffin checked the wind speed and direction. She calculated the range and took note of the barometric pressure. Looking through the scope, she aimed it at the cabin. Griffin smiled when she saw that a curtain had been left open. It gave her a perfect vantage point. Through the scope she could see Lander holding Sara around the neck and pressing a gun to her head. He seemed to be talking to someone, and judging from the Denali that was parked outside, Griffin assumed it was Grissom. Griffin clenched her jaw in raw fury as she manoeuvred the target until Lander's head fit nicely in the centre of the cross hairs.

"I warned you, Lander," she said to herself as she placed her finger on the trigger and gently began to squeeze.

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Grissom entered the cabin, without turning his back to Lander; he pushed the door shut with his foot. Lander had Sara in a chokehold with a gun pressed against her neck.

"Sara, are you alright?" asked Grissom nervously.

Sara shrugged, "Same old, same old."

Lander pressed the gun harder against her head and hissed through his teeth, "You don't talk to her, you talk to me!"

Grissom held up a placating hand and said calmly, "Alright, alright, Derrick. Relax, I'm talking to you."

Lander nodded his head and asked, "Do you have my money?"

Grissom held up the bag and said, "Right, here."

"Drop it," ordered Lander.

Gesturing to Sara, Grissom said, "Let her go first."

Lander, still holding Sara around the neck, waved the gun in the air and said, "This isn't a negotiation, asshole. Now drop the bag and slide it over!"

"If only all our politicians were as diplomatic as you," mumbled Sara.

"I said, Shut Up!" growled Lander.

Grissom through Sara a warning glance, silently begging her to remain quiet, not that she ever listened to him. Grissom lowered the bag to the ground, bending at his knees. The bag landed on the ground with a heavy thump.

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Back at the command post, Brass was pacing, waiting for news from Grissom. Nick was standing staring off into space and Warrick and Catherine were doing pretty much the same thing. Brass was feeling irritated with their impassiveness and the irritation grew with every silent second that ticked by.

"That's it," said Brass pulling his gun from his holster and checking the magazine.

Nick, startled, straightened and said, "Brass, what are you doing?"

"He's taking too long. Grissom is either dead or in serious trouble, and I'm going in," said Brass waving a uniform over. The officer approached and said, "Yes, sir?"

"Assemble the men, we're going in," ordered Brass.

"Yes, Captain."

"Brass, please. Give Grissom some more time," pleaded Catherine.

"I've given him enough time with this psychopath," said Brass.

"Griffin is keeping an eye on him, Brass," said Warrick.

"Do you really trust an eighteen year old kid with your Boss and your co-worker's life?" Brass asked.

Everyone remained silent.

"I thought so," Brass said. He then turned to his men and said, "Saddle up!"

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Griffin removed her eye from the scope and looked down into the valley. Something caught her eye outside the cabin, so she adjusted the scope and moved its focus. The cops were moving in, with Brass leading them.

She removed her eye from the scope and said in an exasperated voice, "Brass, what the hell are you doing?!"

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"Open it!" Lander ordered.

"God, you could at least have taken a breath mint before this," quipped Sara as she tried to lean away slightly. Lander yelled and punched her in her side. Sara yelped in pain and Grissom surged forward, but Lander simply pointed the gun at Grissom who had no other choice but to freeze.

"I said: Open it!" ordered Lander.

Grissom knelt by the bag and zipped it open. Lander looked into the bag and asked, "There a tracker in there or something?"

"No, Derrick," said Grissom calmly, "No tricks. Just take the money and let Sara go."

Lander slowly started to relax his grip on the gun and asked, "Is...is Vanessa...alright?"

Grissom wasn't sure how to respond so he said hesitantly, "She's...coping."

Lander sniffed and said, "I loved her so much."

"I know, Derrick," Grissom said gently, he struggled to keep his eyes on Lander and not drift towards Sara.

"But that idiot husband of hers had to go and ruin everything!" Lander yelled. "When she told me she was married, that she didn't want me anymore, my heart tore in half. I have never felt anything so painful in my life. The only reason I got through my prison sentence was by thinking of her."

"Love can get you through a lot of things," whispered Grissom, his eyes flicking to Sara. Her chestnut eyes, so full of fire and tenacity, were locked on his. Grissom tore his eyes away from hers and focused on Lander.

"When I left her office, I drove around for a while then went home and did a few lines. The drugs helped with the heart ache and that's when I got angry. Not at Vanessa, never at her, but at that asshole husband of hers. He was the reason she didn't want me anymore!"

Grissom held up his hands in a placating manner and said, "Your right, Derrick. Why don't you put the gun down and we can talk about this."

Lander seemed to not have heard Grissom, and he continued with his tirade, "I never wanted to hurt Kimmy."

"Then why did you take her, Derrick?" Grissom asked. His eyes dropped to Sara who was still in a chokehold in Lander's arms.

"I thought I could play the hero. You know, find Kimmy in the desert, left there by some deranged maniac," Lander wiped his face again with the back of his hand, the one that held the gun.

"But something went wrong?" Grissom pushed, hoping that if he kept Lander talking he could somehow talk him out of this.

"She wouldn't stop crying! For almost ten hours straight, she just cried and cried and cried. I couldn't take it anymore! I took some more cocaine to try and...cope with what I did, but she just wouldn't stop crying! I just wanted her to be quiet, so I went over to her and the little bitch scratched me! I was so mad and...High, I didn't think about what I was doing. I grabbed a bicycle chain off my bench and wrapped it around her throat. She struggled for a bit, but then she went still...so still," Lander looked up at Grissom and repeated in a whisper, "I never intended to hurt her."

"I believe you, Derrick," said Grissom gently. Grissom raised his hand, palm down and said, "Just put the gun down. You don't want to hurt anyone else."

Lander slowly lowered his gun. Suddenly, there was a flash by the window and Lander looked up just in time to see a uniform run past. Quick as lightning he tightened his grip on Sara and swung the gun in Grissom direction.

Pointing his gun at Grissom, Lander yelled, "You son of a bitch! You trying to trick me?!"

"Derrick, just calm down," said Grissom.

From outside the cabin, Brass called, "Derrick Lander? LVPD! We have a warrant for your arrest. Release your hostages and come out, unarmed, with your hands behind your head!"

Still pointing his gun at Grissom, Lander started shaking and his face was filled with fear. "Tell them to stand down or I'll shoot her," Lander aimed the gun against Sara's head again. Sara tried to struggle but Lander just tightened his grip around her neck.

Grissom said, "Alright, just don't hurt her, please." He then said in a louder voice, "Brass, its Grissom. Back the hell off."

There was no reply which made Grissom very nervous.

Lander looked anxiously at the door then back at Grissom. By the look on his face, Grissom knew that Lander had made his mind up about something, and Grissom was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it.

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Lander asked loosening his grip on Sara.

"Derrick, just let Sara go and maybe we can make a deal," reasoned Grissom.

Lander shook his head and said, "No, there are no deals to be made. You already violated our deal."

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion to Grissom. Sara saw her chance and elbowed Lander in his stomach and dived out of the way just as a window to the left of them shattered and a mist of blood exploded like a fountain from Lander's head. The bullet entered the left side of his temple, exited the right side and hit the far wall. Brass and his team burst in, guns drawn. Grissom was frozen for a moment and in that moment he looked out the window and saw a lone figure standing on a hill about 800 yards away. The sun glinted off something metallic in her hand. She then turned and disappeared.

Grissom shook his head and hurried over to Sara who was struggling to get to her feet. He knelt beside her and cradled her face in his hands searching for any injuries. Other than a few cuts and bruises she looked fine.

"Are you okay?" Grissom asked.

"Dumb question," said Sara in a hoarse voice.

Grissom smiled; she was fine. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said gently, "Let's get you home."