Disclaimer. It should go without saying but apparently it doesn't. But CSI and Alias do not belong to me. Never did and unless someone out in Hollywood gives me a job working on the show, they never will.
Interior of Grissom's SUV. Later That Same Day.
Grissom and Sara sat in his SUV and drove back to CSI headquarters. She was being unusually quiet and didn't even try to badger him into letting her drive. He swallowed a lump in his throat before asking her a question that made him nervous without knowing why.
"Sara? Who is Rambaldi?"
"Gris" She sighed pausing. "I can't"
"Honey, of course you can." He told her think that Rambaldi must bring up some painful memory from her past. Though he could not think of what. She laughed at that statement, surprising him. She looked him directly in the eye.
"That's just the thing Gris. I really can't" They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they pulled into Grissom's parking space he cut the engine but didn't get out of the car.
"Sara, if you have some information that pertains to the case you have to tell me. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but..."
"Gris, that's not it. Well it does make me uncomfortable but that's not the problem." She sighed and bit her lip before looking back into his eyes. "I'm going to make a few phone calls and see what I can do. But I'm not making any promises." She got out of the car and reached into her bag pulling out a cell phone that didn't look like the one she normally used. He watched her as she walked from his car to her own. She got inside and closed the door leaving Grissom alone in his car and very confused.
Walked over to her car and got inside. She sat in the drivers seat of the car starring at the phone in her hands. Jack (her father she reminded herself) gave her a new one every six months or so, when he saw her. He wanted to make sure she had the latest technology and a secure line to reach him. Since quiting the CIA more than 7 years ago she only used it too call her father and sometimes her half sister. She never used it for what she was about to do. She flipped the phone open and punched in the 10 digit number that was long burned into her brain. At the tone she punched in some more numbers until finally she heard the correct prompt for what she needed to say.
"Agent Sidle ID number 6425098724007"
"Agent Sidle this line is secure to whom may I connect your call?"
"Directer Dixon please."
"Hold please." It took a few moment to transfer the call and Sara waited humming nervously to herself.
"Directer Dixon here"
"Dixon, it's Sara. Somethings happened. I might need your help." She filled him in on what she had found earlier at the crime scene. She hoped he didn't think she was overreacting. But Rambaldi here and now after all this time. A sick feeling deep inside the pit of her stomach told her that she wasn't overreacting.
Las Vegas Nevada. The Next Night
Sara drove to work with only a small amount of appreciation. Dixon had promised last night to help out. He was sending in a team to deal with it and she honestly didn't care how or what lies were told in the process. He was going to call back today with more details. She wanted that body out of the morgue and any mention of Rambaldi, his followers or her old life as far away from her as possible.
Grissom was being distant and she knew he was angry at her for not sharing the details about Rambaldi. She smiled in spite of herself wondering what a computer search of Rambaldi might bring up. Not much she knew. His followers were a select group and they wished to keep it that way. A google search of Rambaldi would turn up a few myths and legends but nothing more. The few web sites out there made Vampires seem more real than Rambaldi. But he was real. Whether or not you believed in him or his so called prophesies. His followers believed and that was enough to make him dangerous.
CSI Lab:Las Vegas Nevada
Sara walked to the break room just in time to see Grissom walking in with that nights assignments. She tuned him out lost in her own thoughts until she heard her name.
"Sara, you're with me. Double Homicide at a bar on the strip." She smiled at him with her best "Sara smile" willing him to forget yesterday. They had been doing so well together. She didn't want the ghosts of her old life taking over this one. Not when everything was finally falling into place.
They arrived at the scene right as the officers finished clearing the crime scene. The bar looked smaller than it really was from the outside. Inside there were different rooms leading into each other. Five DB's sat slumped around the table.
"Looks like someone interrupted their game" Grissom noted. Sara nodded, muttering something non-nonsensical. There was something oddly familiarize about this scene.
"Sara, take the perimeter. I'll start here." Grissom watched Sara nob her head with an odd look in her eye. He was surprised that she didn't put up a fight. She usually hated doing the perimeter but tonight she went without a word. Something was bothering her. He knelt looking at each victim looking for trace and dusting for prints. He was so lost in though that he didn't hear the man creeping up behind him or realize that there was a gun pointed at his head.
"Sorry Mr. Grissom" said a man with a English accent, "you seem a reasonable fellow but I really can't have this"
"Sir" Grissom said with his hands in the air, not moving, "I'm sure we can work this out."
"I'm sure we can't" He answered. "Sorry though, I really am. The cleaning crew took too long to get here. Las Vegas CSI's respond much faster than I anticipated." Grissom lieu around trying not too move his head, he was desperately trying to figure out where the officers who had cleared the scene had disappeared too.
"They responded to another call I'm afraid" The voice told him as if reading his mind. "Just you and me and the gigantic mess my latest partner has made. This will take far too many resources to cover up. Not impossible mind you, just more energy than I feel like expending." He sounded like he was bragging. Grissom tried to breath and remain calm, it was working until he realized that he wasn't alone at the crime scene. Sara was with him. He closed his eyes willing her to stay outside until this madman left. He could not watch her die. And he knew that if this man found her, he would kill her. Grissom had a bad feeling that it was only a matter of minutes until the Englishman made good on his promise and shot him in the head.
Sara had finished her walk around the perimeter and decided to go back inside to see if Grissom need help. She hoped that they could just for a moment forget them selves in the crime scene and work together as they always did. As she walked inside it only took her a few seconds to realize that something was very wrong. She drew her weapon flipping off the safely. She walked slowly, not making a noise and than she saw it. Grissom kneeling on the floor with a gun to his head and non other than Julian Sark standing behind him waiting to pull the trigger. He was talking to Grissom and Sara was reminded that Sark was like a cat, he liked to play with his victims before he killed them.
"CSI, drop your weapon." Sara shouted firmly. Sark looked up in surprise. He almost seemed to smile at her.
"Oh my, the plot thickens" He snickered at her
"Drop it Sark" She trained her gun at him. She had a clear shot and she willed herself to take it. But this wasn't the CIA. The protocols were different. Cursing to herself she repeated, "Drop it or I shoot"
"I'll take him down with me if you even make a move."
"You don't need to do this."
"My god Sara. What kind of training have these CSI's given you." His voice sounded almost concerned when he said, "What have they done to you?" Grissom used this moment of distraction to turn around, knocking the gun from Sark's hand. Sara watched with some pride as the gun slip across the floor and Grissom lunged for it. Sark was faster and better trained. They both struggled with the gun leaving Sara without a clean shot. She watched and without thinking ran towards them climbing on the bar in the promise. She would need the height for this to work. She ran to the end of the bar and than launched herself into a spin kick aiming directly for Sark's head. She hit it just hard enough the get him away from Grissom but not enough to knock him out. She grabbed his weapon in the process and landed on the floor with her knees bent. She turned to check on Grissom laying on the ground. It was only for a few seconds but when she looked up Sark was gone. She reach for her cell phone calling the incident in while holding onto Grissom with all of her might.
"This is CSI Sidle. I Need assistance. Officer down. Repeat officer down."