Chapter 17

Sara was just about to leave work, she was so excited, in just a few hours she would be in her husbands arms.

"We need all hands," Ecklie said, sticking his head in the break room. "I know you are supposed to leave but I really need you to," he said looking at Sara.

Sara nodded and sent a quick message to Betty telling her she would be a little late - there was still plenty of time to get to the airport, she had been packed for two days now.

In the car on their way to the scene Brass explained that an FBI task force had raided a suspected drug house. There they found plenty of drugs along with two men who were packaging the drugs. In the process of interrogating them the FBI agents discovered that four or five men had taken off to the desert to meet a buyer. When the agents descended on the spot in the desert a gun battle broke out. CSI and local police were called in to investigate.

The team arrived to find several police cars and two ambulances along with two more federal agents were already there.

Catherine walked up to the agent in charge, "Catherine Willows, CSI. This is my team, Nick Stokes, Greg Sanders, Robert Green (who was borrowed form swings) and Sara Grissom."

The agent took her hand and introduced his team. Brass made the introductions of his people. Catherine and Jim were told what needed to be done, jobs assigned and people started seeing to the job at hand.

From out of nowhere three ATV's came speeding onto the scene, firing automatic weapons. People either hit the ground, or hid behind vehicles. Several were hit. Fire was returned. Five minutes later it was over.

When the battle started there was a total of six agents - four police officers - five CSI and seven drug dealers. Two of the agents were killed and two were injured. Three of the officers were injured. One of the CSI's was killed and three injured. All seven of the drug dealers were killed.

The four paramedics, who all managed to stay out of the line of fire, quickly attended to the wounded to decide who needed to be transported immediately and who could wait. Doc and his team was called along with another ambulance crew, four more CSI's and two more squad cars.

Jim stood over the body of Robert Green and shook his head.

"I hardly knew him," he said to Catherine, the only member of the team not injured.

"Me either," she replied, "He has only been on the job a few weeks. How are the rest of your guys?"

Jim nodded toward the ambulance, "Only one serious. How is Nick, Greg and Sara?"

"Nick took one in the leg, there taking him first because the bullet nicked an artery. Greg has an injury to his wrist, they think he broke it when he hit the ground. Sara was crouched behind one of the doors when the glass broke, she has several cuts from flying glass," Catherine explained.

Sara walked over to Catherine, "Tell this guy I don't need to go to the hospital? All they need to do is bandage me up, I want to go home."

Jim looked at her, "Get your ass in the ambulance, get to the hospital and get fixed up, I'll call Grissom and fill him in. If he hears about this on the news you know he will freak."

Sara reluctantly went with Greg to Desert Palm's emergency room.

Gil was already aware of what went down. The gentleman in the next room was a police officer who had heard about it over his scanner.

"You from Vegas?" the man had asked after he knocked on Gil's door.

"Yes," Gil told him.

The man filled Grissom in on what he had heard. Gil was visibly shaken, first Gil first tried to reach Sara - no luck. Then he tried Brass - again no luck. Not wanting to alarm his mother he called Ecklie and was immediately filled in on what Ecklie knew, which wasn't much.

"I'll take the next flight home," Gil said, "I can't reach Sara on her phone, please tell her I'll be there just as soon as I can."

Ecklie assured Gil he would. Gil hung up, called the professor in charge and explained why he had to leave, then he called the airport. Things were in his favor, there would be a flight leaving for Vegas in half an hour. In three hours he would be back in Vegas.

In the emergency room Sara's cuts were evaluated, they would need to be stitched and dressed. Just as the paramedic thought, none of them were serious, so they could wait, others needed to be tended to first.

Flying glass had hit her just above the right eye and on her right shoulder, when she fell to the ground her hand landed on some of the glass so that too was tended to. The nurse said the doctor would be in shortly.

Sara first tried to call Gil but with no luck, she sent a text to his mother, she wanted her to be filled in.

Nick went immediately to surgery for his leg and Greg's wrist was and arm was put into a cast, fortunately for him the break was one of the small bones near his thumb.

When he landed in Vegas Gil grabbed a cab and headed to Desert Palm. Gil was on his way to the hospital when he was finally able to reach Sara.

"Stay where you are," he said, "I'm almost there."

Sara told him she was finished and would wait for him in the emergency room waiting area. As soon as Sara seen Gil she flew to his arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Dr. Grissom?" a nurse asked.

Gil nodded.

"Here is the paper work on Mrs. Grissom," she said, "Along with instructions for wound care and a prescription for an antibiotic."

Gil took them and thanked her.

One their way out Gil ran into Brass, "What happened? Ecklie was a little sketchy."

Jim filled him in all the details including everything that happened to all the rest of those involved.

"I only meant Green once," Gil said, "Have his parents been notified?"

Jim assured him that they were.

"I'm taking Sara home," Gil told Jim.

Sara touched his arm, "After we pick up Amelia, I need my daughter."

Gil opened her door, "Yes dear."