CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Chapter Three:

Warrick Brown

"Soaked To The Bone"

Finally the Triathlon date arrived and the team were gathered together in their space amongst the maze of different competing teams. It was a boiling day in Vegas, as it always was. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, the sun battering UV rays down onto the earth. It was exactly the kind of day you would return home from, with skin tinged an ugly pink.

"Alright guys, do your best" Ecklie was saying, they all threw him a dirty look; "First prize is a sum of $50, 000 for the winning Crime Lab. And that's new equipment we certainly need" he smirked, "But don't feel too bad if nothing extraordinary happens, night shift have never won one of these things. That team over there have won for 8 years in a row. Don't expect a miracle."

Ecklie shook his head in amusement and walked away. Sara, Greg, Nick, Catherine and Warrick all looked over at the team Ecklie had pointed out. They wore bright yellow, each and every one of their members was tall, thin and blonde with thick tanned muscles. They looked more like an athletic team from the Olympics rather than a bunch of Crime Scene Investigators.

"San Francisco" Greg read out loud from their banister, and turned to Sara, "Hey! It's your old team."

Sara looked away, "Yeah. So."

One of the San Francisco members, a pretty woman with pale hair and dazzling blue eyes, looked up and caught all the gazes they were getting off Las Vegas. Her eyes traveled over each of them, and when they spotted Sara, she smiled, got up and walked over to them. Sara was looking off into the distance when she felt a finger tap her shoulder. She spun around, on full alert.

"Hiya Sidle"

"Oh, hey" said Sara, hiding her bitterness, "Never thought we'd run into each other at place like this."

"Surprises alway come and go" the blonde woman smiled, "So look at you now! Apart of the best Crime Lab in the States" the woman glanced around at all of the others, beaming.

Sara rubbed her nose, "Yeah. Guys this is one of my old colleagues, Cynthia Carter. Cynthia these are the people I now work with. Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Greg."

The others nodded their heads politely. Catherine noting interestingly that Sara had said 'people I work with' instead of 'friends'. She pursed her lips but decided to let it go, for now.

"Pleasure to meet you all" Cynthia said, "It's nice to get a look at the some of the countries best detectives."

She certainly was the sucker.

"Wall, anyways I should be getting off now" said Cynthia, "It's about to start."

To prove her point Grissom walked over his head bent over a clipboard, "Alright guys, race is about to start. And there's around 50 odd Lab teams competing so heads up."

He himself looked up and spotted the new addition to his group, eyes traveling back and forth between her and Sara looking for an explanation. Sara's stomach sank.

"Uh, Grissom this is –"

"Cynthia Carter" the 32 year old woman walked past her friend confidently to shake Grissom's hand.

"Gil Grissom" he said smiling.

"Pleasure" Cynthia bowed her head.

An awkward silence settled over them all, despite the loud noises everyone else was making. Grissom cleared his throat.

"Anyway team, you should be getting off to your checkpoints. It's starting in ten. Good luck to everyone and remember," the edges of his cheeks crinkled, "It's just a stupid race."

They chuckled, Cynthia joining in uncertainly.

"Shall I show you over to the team leader's area?" she asked him, her eyes gleaming. Sara glared at her.

"That would be nice" Grissom smiled at everyone, giving them the thumbs up, then walked off with Cynthia who looped her arm through his as soon as she could. The rest of them watched the two walk away.

"Always quick to latch on, that one" said Sara bitterly.

"Who was she anyway?" Catherine asked.

"It's your twin Barbie?" murmured Greg, behind his coke can.

"Wrong answer Greg" Nick said gleefully.

Catherine reached over and smacked Greg across the head painfully. Warrick smirked. What the poor guy had said was in a way true. Catherine in bright pink, with her strawberry blonde hair and pale skin strongly resembled the plastic doll which was every young girls dream.

Sara ignored them and turned to Cath, "She was one of my old colleagues"

"You don't like her?"

They all looked at Sara for an answer.

She sighed, "Nope. She's a bitch."

*

Warrick cursed as he walked out of the dressing room, his bright fluoro costume really stood out. The other competitors eyed him and parted as he walked outside into the bright sun. This wasn't good. There were hundreds and hundreds of people, competitors, coaches, audience and helpers packed everywhere preparing for the beginning of the race. Warrick looked over at the wide river bed; there were lots of narrow canoes waiting on the shore. He could already see his, typical.

"Are you ready?" asked Grissom.

Warrick had to clamp his teeth together to stop the laughter following through. But the bubbling sound ended up erupting from his nose.

"You look-" he just couldn't finish the sentence.

"Well thanks for the note of confidence" Grissom shook his head, "You don't look too bad yourself."

Grissom was wearing a fluoro pink jacket the same colour as Warrick's wetsuit. His pants were long and black, made of a soft material. It was something Warrick had never seen his boss wear once. Now he was strolling across the river shore as if he always stepped outside his comfort zone.

"Well thanks" said Warrick.

"Oh, almost forgot" said Grissom, pulling a pink tube from his jacket, "Don't lose this, you know what to do with it right?"

"Yeah, carry it all the way to Catherine"

"Nervous?"

"A little" Warrick squinted and looked at anywhere but Grissom. Admitting that was like telling his dad he had a crush, it was really awkward.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine" Grissom patted him on the back just as an announcer spoke over the loud speaker.

"All competitors assemble at the start, all coaches gather in allocated area to be air lifted. The Triathlon for the International Crime Labs is about to begin."

"The others are in place" said Grissom, patting the walkie talkie strapped to his chest, "Good Luck."

"Thanks"

Warrick turned and walked off, into the crowd to line up with all the others. It was comforting to be amongst other people who were wearing some of the same shocking colours as he was. Ten minutes later, they were all tensed up, the starter at the head of them, his gun held high. The sponsor of the race, a short stocky little man was standing on a podium was giving his speech.

"-and without further ado, let the best Crime Lab win!" he exclaimed.

The gun was fired in a puff of smoke and all the competitors scrambled over the start line as one big group, trying to get their floats in the water first. Warrick was jostled and bumped, but with his great height he managed to pull away from the main group and run over to his pink canoe. There was a safety helmet lying with a paddle at the bottom, this was something he despised. He pried on the helmet, trying to squash his wild hair into the small ball. By the time he had strapped the pink baton to the side of the canoe and dragged it into the water, there were already a few other people ahead paddling off down the river.

He cursed and jumped into his boat, rowing against the strong current. It was harder in real life, compared to the machines he had been using at the gym. Back and forth, back, forth, back, forth. His canoe sailed down, sliding through the water like a sharks fin. He remembered the techniques he had been learning for the past few weeks. He pushed against the water, twisting the paddle in his hand to push against the other side. But the hardship was lying ahead, rushing to meet him all too soon. A bend in the river.

Warrick's canoe was going to fast to stop so suddenly; he ended up brushing against the bank, the twigs of a tree trapping his canoe.

"Damn it!" he cursed as several other competitors overtook him.

It was with great difficulty that he pulled himself out of the tree and continued to sail on. Why anybody would do this as a sport, was beyond his understanding.

Just as his canoe was running smoothly again, he was suddenly jostled forward. Something had hit him from behind. Twisting around he saw it was a man in a long black float, sneering at Warrick with a twisted mouth.

"Move that trash out of the way!" he shouted, sailing clean past. Warrick glared him down and continued on, resisting the urge to smack the guy in the back of the head with his paddle.

He vowed not to let anymore people pass him for the rest of his run, if they did he might get homicidal. But to say the least, the ride was boring and exciting at the same time. He surveyed the scenery as he went along, enjoying the thin line of rare greenery along the bank shore. The water was very cold and clear enough to see the pebbles at the bottom, maybe being a couple of feet deep. There would be no drowned bodies today.

Warrick had lost track of time, and on more than one occasion he had felt the canoe wobble unsteadily or buck wildly as he went downward at acceleration, twisting his way through the bubbling water. He even capsized once, but luckily the water was shallow enough to quickly drain the canoe of liquid and get back in. He would never get in one of these things again!

Warrick was wondering how far there was to go when he heard a strange noise, the sound of helicopters was cutting at the air like a hurricane. He looked up. There had to be at least 20 or 30 choppers in the sky, flying in a scattered formation. They were all the team leaders. Somewhere up there was Grissom, looking down on the bright pink spot in the river like a god, while Warrick struggled. With this many helicopters it meant he had to be close to the end of his course. With new determination Warrick sped up, pushing harder.

"God damn it" he mumbled as he turned a corner.

There was wonder boy again, his canoe skating the water. Warrick ignored him and led his canoe side to side with the man, trying to gain the lead.

"Lookie lookie here" he snapped, "Isn't a piece of junk after all then?"

He gave Warrick's canoe one good shove with the end of his paddle.

"Yo, what's your problem man!?" Warrick shouted, shoving back.

They raced on, a corner was coming up. Warrick slowed down, not wanting to repeat his earlier performance. The cocky man sped up, grinning back and not seeing the bank coming up to meet his canoe. There was a loud crunching sound as the top of his boat cracked, the man was trapped by a bunch of tree branches, he couldn't budge out of his canoe in anyway. Warrick turned the corner and saw the finish line for his course up ahead. The water was shallow enough to walk in, so he got out and dragged his canoe to shore.

"You were sayin'" Warrick shouted over his shoulder at the frustrated jock.

As he neared the checkpoint Warrick breathed a sigh of relief. The cyclists were waiting a hundred meters ahead for their partners. He spotted Catherine easily, and she looked more like Barbie than ever now. Warrick's long muscled legs quickly covered the distance and he smiled clapping Catherine's outstretched hand.

"Get goin' girl" he said.

She winked and turned to hurry over to her waiting gear…

TBC

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, it's great to hear from you all. As always the next chapter will be up soon, and its Catherine's turn.

Sar'z