Sara Sidle was outstretched across the floor using the tips of her fingers to slowly loosen the screws in the metal grate. She had managed to unscrew two that were diagonal from each other and she just needed one other before she could slip out. The chains on her ankles were going to be the big problem. She imagined herself waiting until morning and springing on Thick Beard with a rusty nail.

"What are you doing?" One of the young girls asked, crawling to the end of her bed.

Sara looked back. "I am going to get us out of here," she said.

Sara turned back to the grate and continued her efforts. She prayed she wasn't talking nonsense to the young girl and that she would be able to help them. She was much older than the rest of the group and felt protective.

"Can I help?" The girl asked after a long moment.

Sara looked back at her. "Yes," she said. "Wake up the other girls. I have a plan."

~()~

Gil looked through the two-way observation mirror at Judge Milton. It took every ounce of strength that he had not to strangle the man until he gave up everything he knew, but in his heart he knew that it could get Sara killed. So there he stood, watching the man and pursing his lips. Brass entered with a file and took a seat in from of the judge.

"Have you met CSI Sidle?" Brass asked the man nonchalantly.

The judge tried his best to feign reserve, but Gil saw his jaw twitch and he shifted in his chair. His eyes swiveled to the two-way mirror and Gil wondered if the judge could feel his eyes on him.

"I scarcely remember," he said. "Is she the brunette?"

Brass opened the file. "Yes," he replied. "The brunette."

The interrogation room opened and D.B Russell walked in with his own file and took a seat beside Brass. The detective slid a photo of their Jane Doe in front of the judge.

"Do you recognize her?" D.B asked.

Gil watched as Milton picked up the glossy photo and examined it. His jaw was clenched and Gil thought that for a judge he was very transparent.

"I've never seen her before," Milton replied, sliding the photo coolly across the table. "I am here as a courtesy. If this is all you need then I need to go."

"You sure you haven't seen this young lady before," Brass asked, tapping the photo impatiently. "I have a hunch that you need to rethink that statement."

Milton looked Brass in the eye. "I have nothing to hide," he said. "I am telling you I do not know her."

D.B opened his own file. "Did you know that seamen can live up to three days?" he asked, sliding over a DNA printout. "And that all city employees have their DNA in CODIS?"

Brass smacked his hand on the table. "I am going to ask you again," he said loudly. "Who is this girl?"

Milton picked up the photo. "So I had a one night stand," he said. "I don't even remember her name. Judges can still have a life. I am not under oath in my bedroom."

D.B tented his fingers and rested his chin. "You DNA was one of several city employees," he said. "A message to us was also written in blood on our Jane Doe's stomach; in Sara Sidle's blood."

Brass slide a photo of one of the stills Archie printed from the ruined security footage. "We've got the hotel on lock down," he said. "On way or another I am getting to the truth. Who is the man in this photo?"

The Judge held up his hands in defense. "I need a lawyer,'" he replied.

Brass nodded. "Yes you do," he said, waving an officer over. "Because you are under arrest."

~()~

"He's powerful," Ecklie explained. "He'll be out in a few hours and we can't deny him his phone call."

Gil racked his brain. "What if we put a tail on him?" he offered.

Brass looked doubtful. "We can try," he said. "But I am just more concerned about who else he has on his pay roll."

Ecklie looked at Gil. "I am letting you make the call," he said. "I know Sara is important, but I can't figure out what else to do."

Gil rubbed a hand over his face. "Release him," he said. "Brass and I will tail him."

~()~

Before morning, Sara had been able to organize a plan. With a nail, the females had been able to pry the grate off the wall. Since all of them could not act at once, Sara decided that she would be the one to go. It was best if no one assumed the other girls were involved. In the early morning hours, Sara heard a landline ring. Everyone stood still as it was answered.

"What?" Sara heard Thick Beard say.

Sara felt panic and her intuition told her to raise an internal alarm; Had her cry for help been discovered by the wrong people? Had D.B, Brass, and Gil heard her plea?

"What!" Thick Beard thundered. "Get back here. We need to take care of this."

Sara gasped. "On the beds," she instructed the other girls in a hurry. "Don't react to anything. "

Sara pried the grate off the wall and attempted to pry the giant chain off the bed. If she couldn't get it off her ankles then she could take it with her. She heard heavy boots pounding down the hall and the door to The Sleeping room flew open.

"You bitch!" Thick Beard thundered at Sara.

Sara was cornered, she had nowhere to go. Thick Beard grasped her around the neck and Sara struggled to pry his hands away. He walked back with her until she was plastered against a wall. Sara felt his thumbs pressing against her delicate windpipe and knew that he meant to strangle her. She managed to raise one arm and bring it down on his elbow. He loosened slightly and Sara took that small window of time to push him back with her hands and thrust her leg out. She connected with his crotch and felt a satisfying crunch. Quickly she sprang into action and grabbed the chain that secured her to the bed. Without thinking, she wrapped it around the man's throat. Thick Beard attempted to stand up, but Sara put all of her strength into tightening the chain around his neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few of the other girls come to her aid. They all pulled on the chain together and soon the man began to gasp for breath.

"I'll… kill you… all," he said.

Sara kicked the backs of his knees as hard as she could and Thick Beard went down. Soon the other girls, which were within chain length, were helping. Many of the girls held him down and a few of them helped pull the chain that was around the man's neck. Sara could see resentment and months of hate in their eyes. Soon the man went still and Sara loosened the chain. The other girls took their cues from her and did the same.

"I think he's dead," one girl remarked.

Sara nodded. "Better him than us," she said, bending down to pat his pockets.

She found a set of keys and tried each one in the lock around her ankles. When she found the right one and the lock popped open, she smiled with success. She tossed the keys to the girls.

"We're getting out of here," she said.

~()~

Gil and Brass sat in Gil's rental car and waited on the judge to emerge. He had been released after he made his phone call and they knew that he was going to lead them right to Sara if they played their cards right. Gil kept his eye on his watch, time was running out. Finally, the judge emerged and walked hurriedly to his car. They waited until he had started his car and backed out of his parking slot before turning their engine over.

"Keep your distance, Gil," Brass said to his older friend.

There was nothing Gil wanted to do more than to catch up to the man and use his fists to elicit a confession, but getting his revenge would not save his wife. Brass kept an eye on the judge's green BMW with binoculars and gave Gil directions. They wanted to keep more than a safe distance.

"Take a left onto the dirt road," Brass instructed.

"Why do I get the idea that I know where we are headed?" Gil asked.

~()~

Once the other girls were free, Sara opened the door to The Sleeping room and looked both ways. It was still early morning, but it was still dark. The only light she could see came from the corners of the boarded up window in their room. She wasn't sure if Thick Beard worked alone at nights or not, but she wasn't going to chance it.

"It looks clear," Sara said back to the other girls.

She took a tentative step out into the hallway and put her finger to her lips. The other girls nodded and they all walked carefully on the hardwood floor. Sara strained her ears to listen, but heard nothing. They finally entered into a wide room and Sara noticed it as one of the rooms she had been in on her first day.

"Which way is out?" one girl asked.

"We should separate," another suggested.

"No," Sara whispered sharply. "We stay together."

She spotted a gun lying on a small coffee table and assumed that it was Thick Beard's. She ejected the clip, checked it, and slapped it back into place. She looked back at the other girls. Their eyes were wide and most were looking for the way out.

"Do any of you know how to use a gun?" Sara asked.

One girl stepped up. "My dad taught me to hunt," she said. "I can use it."

Sara smiled at her and handed her the gun. "Keep your eyes open."

Sara and the girls walked softly and carefully until they came to a ladder. Sara looked up it and then back at her group.

"I am going up," she said. "Stay here."

She ascended the ladder slowly and when she reached the top, she felt a door with a metal ring. She pushed up and pulled down with all of her might, but nothing happened. She felt around in the dark for a lock, found one, and disengaged it. She pushed up slightly and it opened a crack, but there was something heavy weighing it down. Sara gritted her teeth and pushed up. She heard a deafening crash and below her the girls gasped.

"We should go back?" one said.

Sara did not offer a reply, but instead lifted the door and light flooded inside. She felt as if she was stepping into a portal and it was blinding.

"We're in some kind of basement," Sara said aloud, peeping her head out.

The room that Sara saw was a large, stainless steel kitchen. The thing on top of the door had been a rolling cart that had contained food. She put her hand on the kitchen floor to climb out, but stopped when she saw Mustache stride into the kitchen quickly. The look in his eyes told Sara that he wanted to kill her.

"Go back!" she yelled as she quickly descended.