Hunters and Collectors

Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI

A/N Due to mixed reception with reviews, one for and one against killing off Sara, I'll only say that I came to a conclusion. But hopefully none of you will be disappointed.

Chapter 6

God knows she tried, she managed to finally reach her gun and drag it to her left hand, agonizingly slowly, and had managed to raise it up only to have it kicked out of her hand savagely and removed from her possession. She was then faced with two people, the ones named Heather and George, both pointing guns at her, she didn't dare move again.

"Finally you have decided to see reason Ms Sidle," George said, reading her name off her vest, "now we can get better acquainted because I need you as insurance, I would have preferred the blonde that Nic was talking about, but you'll do. Heather if you don't mind, she'll need some help standing then we can get out of here."

Heather helped Sara stand up, although she was shaky on her feet, quickly taking out the cuffs previously worn by Nicola and cuffing both wrists behind her back. The wound in her shoulder started bleeding more profusely and the pain getting worse due to the awkward position. Heather went through Sara's pockets, removing her cell phone and wallet.

"I think I just found us a nice place to stay tonight George, Nic can rest up before we head north."

She read out Sara's address before placing her pain wracked body into the trunk of the sedan and driving carefully off to Sara's own apartment, missing the police cars by mere seconds. They'd had a stroke of luck and this was genius, no one would think to look for a missing CSI in her own apartment. Or would they?

-/-

Jim Brass had gotten the call and called all available units to the area to block off the roads and all other exits, Jim himself had gone to the room and found the two officers, released them and had Fletcher tended to, Rogers was tripping over her tongue apologizing but was stopped when Jim raised his hand.

"Eva don't apologize for something you couldn't prevent, this is a hospital, it's quite common to see doctors and nurses around and I certainly would rather see you two alive than have to explain to your families how you died."

"Captain Brass, Sara came in and raised the alarm then she bolted out of the room talking about delaying them until you got here, or should I say, down there to the parking lot, we've heard nothing since. What's happening?"

"I don't know yet, but we'll find out, right now I want you with a sketch artist then go home and rest, I'll keep you updated and involved personally ok?"

"Thanks Captain Brass, it's appreciated."

Jim hurried down to the parking lot to find Catherine there already.

"What do we have here Catherine? Looks like things got messy."

"Messy is one word for it but I'd almost say bordering on tragic. Sara's ID, one gun, probably hers, her wallet minus driver's licence and her cell phone. Makes me worried about the blood here, there's quite a bit and her weapon hasn't been fired. Leads me to only one conclusion, she's hurt and probably being used as a hostage. They are escalating Jim and not worried about who gets hurt as long as they get away."

Concern filled her face and voice but still she did her job, swabbing the blood, bagging the weapon, wallet, ID and cell phone to check for prints. She also got hold of the parking lot security camera footage for Archie to work on then went to cross check connections to Nicola Fremont. Two came back.

"Heather Fremont, her younger sister, and George Ross, no relation but priors for fraud and burglary. Neither of them had a history of violence but when something gets out of hand, violence becomes the cowards way out." Catherine was really talking to herself and the computer but when Grissom came and heard her he had an idea.

"What's the latest news Cath?"

"Archie is going to page me with anything from the security footage, as will the others when they get the results back, but for now we are proceeding on the assumption that Sara was taken as a hostage and is hurt, all we need to know now is where. Why take her driver's licence Grissom?"

"What details does it have on it apart from her name?" he replied thinking what seemed to him to be the obvious answers.

"Her age, and address, oh god why didn't I see that earlier, it would be a really stupid move but it's possible that they all went to her apartment to hole up for the night while we are out chasing our tails."

"I'll call Brass and get him over there now, we could also be wrong but exploring all options helps."

Catherine's pager went off several times, the results were back and not encouraging. The blood proved to be Sara's and Archie had graphic blow by blow footage of the entire parking lot scene. It made both Catherine and Grissom cringe when they watched Sara being shot and thrown into the trunk, they were now on a race against time, to stop her bleeding to death.

Heather and George were smart, they had figured out that going directly to Sara's apartment would get them caught so they waited, out of sight, the car parked a few blocks away in an alley to wait for the police to show up and sweep the apartment. Once it was cleared and checked it would be safe for them to use.

Sara felt claustrophobic in the car trunk, she was trapped, bleeding, in pain and not a damn thing she could do about it, she tried moving around but that only hurt more and the tyre lever dug into her side. To make matters worse they had put her in on her right, injured side, and now she was lying in her own blood, passing out every so often only to reawaken in the same nightmare.

Eventually they came and dragged her limp form out of the trunk, releasing her hands to avoid nosy neighbours, they'd think she was just drunk and friends were helping her home.

"Welcome home Sara, for tonight at least, hope you have some food in here because we are starving and take out is not really an option."

"Shit, rabbit food, soy milk, eggs and cheese, please don't tell me you are a vegetarian." George groaned.

"Ok I won't, but I am, guess you should have chosen someone with a more gourmet taste in food," replied Sara sarcastically.

Heather slapped her across the face after that remark not caring if she lived or died, they were all hungry for real food and Sara's larder and fridge didn't not show much in the way of appetizing ingredients.

"Oh cut it out you guys, leave her be, if we don't do something about her shoulder she'll bleed to death and we won't have any hostage at all," was all Nicola could remark.

"Yeah Nic, but perhaps after tonight we won't need one, they know our faces, probably know the car as well off the parking lot tape, I'd say ditch this weird bitch and hightail it north, fast, unless you want to head south."

"Ok so maybe we don't need her, what's next George, you want to kill her? Or maybe just leave her here to die, they've checked this place already so they won't be back anytime soon."

"Hey great idea Nic, that way we aren't killing her, we just rip out the phone line leave her here all neatly packaged for the morgue."

Sara didn't like where any of this was heading, since bringing her into her own apartment they had recuffed her and she was now sitting on one of her own kitchen chairs, at least she knew her own apartment better than they did.

'Ok Sidle, you know where all the skeletons are in this place, you only have to get these cuffs off and you're home free, oh yeah the cuffs, hmmmm.'

A/N Seems she might only have that one small problem if they leave her like that, the next question is….will they? They are now hungry and desperate. What would you do in their place?

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