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Chapter Twenty Five # Carry Me#

"Now what are we gonna do?" Diego yelled at Pedro.

"Calm down." Pedro sighed, driving steadily.

"Calm down? I'm not gonna calm down! If they are coming for us, then they're not going to pay the ransom."

"They will. They need a little persuading but they will pull through." Pedro soothed. "Now sit down before we crash."

Diego slowly sat down in the chair. "What are we gonna do?"

"Go to my choice of place."

"Shit, man, they're following us! Go, go, go!" Diego yelled suddenly.

"Sit down, shut up and buckle up." Pedro said, stomping on the accelerator.

The three children tumbled around in the back of the car as he started to swerve a little. Suddenly the car crashed into something in the front of them.

All three children screamed, and Kristy pressed her face up against the back window of the car and her little heart almost stopped beating.

"Daddy!" she gasped as she watched Nick jump out of the car, drawing his gun. She pushed her hands up on the cold glass of the back windshield. "Daddy! Daddy help us!"

Nick swallowed the lump in his throat as he approached the car. "Get out of the vehicle!"

The door snapped open and Pedro Martinez jumped out, aiming his own gun at Nick. "Put your gun down, Mr Stokes."

"Let the kids go." Nick ordered.

"Look in the back, Mr Stokes." Pedro pointed to the truck.

Nick stopped breathing when he saw Diego in the back, his gun shoved against Kristy's head.

The next thing he knew Pedro smashed into him, bringing his gun onto Nick's head. Determined not to go down without a fight Nick swung his fist into Pedro's jaw. The two men burst into a deadly battle of fists and feet.

"Daddy!" Kristy screamed as Nick fell to the floor, motionless. "No, dats my Daddy! Daddy, peese!"

"Shut up!" Diego yelled as Pedro wrenched the back door open, pulling Eli and Loeila out of the back of the van and racing over to Nick's SUV.

Diego dragged Kristy out of the van but she gave him more trouble than the other two had given his brother combined.

"Daddy!" she wailed, leaning towards Nick, stretching out both of her arms. "You hurted my Daddy!"

"Jesus!" Diego cried, struggling to get her into the car. Finally he smacked her, hard.

Kristy screamed but she stopped suddenly, terrified. Diego shoved her in the back seat, ripping duct tape off out of his pocket, holding it toward her mouth. She turned her face away but Diego grabbed her chin and smoothed the tape over the girl's mouth, taping her hands together, before locking her in the back of the car with the other two, who were already gagged and taped.

Loeila was leaning on Eli, who was doing his best to look after his two 'cousins', who he truly believed were more like siblings. Kristy started crying from fear again, choking on the gag. Eli dropped his head onto hers, allowing her to nestle into his side.

Eli squinted up through the windshield at the stars above and directed his thoughts to them as hard as he could.

Mommy? Dad? I dunno if you can hear me, but Mom you told me to believe in angels. We could really use some angels now… Mommy? Daddy? Please?

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Nick slowly opened his eyes. There was a woman swimming into his vision.

"Sara?"

"Yeah…" the brunette swallowed.

"Kristy?"

"There're gone, Nick. We don't know where they've taken them." Sara murmured.

"No, no, no…" Nick murmured, glancing at the clock before trying to sit up as memories flooded his brain.

"Nick, lie down."

"No, no, there's no time left Sara, the deadline ended an hour ago, there're gonna hurt her, Sara-"

"No they're not." Sara smiled a little, shaking her head.

"Sara, you didn't hear the phone call, you didn't see them-"

"That's not what I mean. Nick, Greg got the first one million."

Nick frowned. "Wh…what?"

"He called his grandfather, who wired over two million to go toward the ransom demands for all of them. Greg wired the money to the account they emailed over." Sara explained.

Nick blinked, remembering something else. "Conner Turner, my brother in law, he's in the army, was a pilot for years but he's a Commander now. He's reaching out to people he knows, trying to see if we can borrow an old plane. He's doing his best but he said that it's unlikely that the army are gonna fund a terrorist attack."

"We all expected that." Sara nodded.

"Has Russell said what they want for Eli yet?" Nick asked.

"Yeah… they want Mario Lorenzo and Jose Martinez to be released from jail." Sara whispered. "Nick, they've set impossible targets. We're trapped at the hospital; the others are running around in circles. The only reason I don't have a bullet in my brain right now is that my neighbour is a genuine good Samaritan with a Glock in his drawer… and none of the stuff they want we can get."

"But we gotta keep hoping, right?" Nick asked desperately.

"Yeah…" Sara whispered, trying to remember what hope felt like.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"So why are you here? Really?" Brass asked his daughter kindly, curiously and cautiously in his office.

"Well…" she sighed, fidgeting. "Honestly, I saw the kids on the news and remembered them and…it reminded me of…of my son." She hung her head.

Brass' eyes widened. "You have a son?"

"Yeah, I do…" Ellie admitted, before interrupting her dad's reply. "Look, Dad, I was gonna tell you. Just listen to me before you judge for once, please!"

Brass nodded slowly.

"I got a job as a secretary, I got a steady boyfriend, a fire fighter called Pete O'Hannagan…then I got pregnant. When I told him, I thought he'd leave me but no. He dropped down on one knee and proposed. I was going to ask you to walk me down the aisle." Ellie wiped a tear away from her eye.

"What happened?" Brass asked gruffly.

"He was killed. Pete was killed. In a car crash… no foul play…no nothing. That's what the cops told me. I was nine months pregnant, I had went into labour right there in the morgue…anything relating to the wedding went under the floorboards in our… my house in LA. It got too much about a week ago, so I left LA for a trip here… My son… Chase, he's two now… I was going to come in tomorrow…then I got a call from Diego, saw the news… you know the rest." Ellie finished, wiping her face.

"Ellie, I'm so sorry." Brass swallowed.

Ellie nodded. Looking at her, Jim could see a change in the last time he saw her. The tiny skirt was gone. In its place were jeans, a printed t-shirt and a denim jacket. She looked like…she looked like a regular, young mom.

"I have to ask…why now?"

"Because Chase was asking about his dad. If his dad loved him. Then he asked if my dad loved me and I just…I had to come back."

"I'm so sorry, Ellie. I was a lousy father." Brass began, before he was interrupted by small feet running into the room. Reuben raced to Brass and pulled himself up into his lap. "Hey, Reuben. What are you up to, huh?"

"Uncle Jim, Daddy says dat de pizza will be hewe in ten minutes." Reuben said, wrapping his arms around Brass' neck, before shyly peeking at Ellie who smiled. "Who she?"

"This is Ellie. She's my daughter, and she's helping to find Kristy and Eli and your sister."

"She pretty." Reuben said, though he lacked his usual enthusiasm.

"Hey buddy, how're you feeling?" Brass asked.

"Sad." Reuben sighed. "I wan' my sister back."

"I know, buddy, me too." Brass said.

"I hope you find her." Ellie said honestly.

Reuben nodded and Greg poked his head around the door. "Come on Reubs, let's let Uncle Jim talk to Ellie alone."

Reuben hugged Brass tightly before skipping down and following his dad out.

The two Brasses stared at each other, each pondering over the changes in the other.

"You were a lousy father. But, I was an even lousier kid. I think…" Ellie closed her eyes. She'd known it would be hard, but she had no idea it would be this hard. "When you have time, when you find those kids… I'd like to try again."

CSIVCSIVCSIV

They opened the door to the old house, picking carrying in the now sleeping children. They walked through the house and left them into the living room. Then Pedro picked up Kristy and jogged down to the cellar, opening the small coat closet that there father used to use to hang his old wet clothes.

"Mm!" she protested tearfully as he pushed her down.

He ripped the tape off of the toddler's mouth.

"Peese, let me go home, peese! I dust wan' my daddy!" she whispered.

The man pulled out a small lunchbox. He opened the lunchbox and opened a small tin of mushed up fruit. Baby food.

He tilted her head back and started to pour it into her mouth, before letting it choke down. Then he took a bottle of water and shoved it into her mouth, tipping her throat back. She protested, pushing away and choking.

"No!" She moaned.

The man covered her mouth with tape once more, and looped a rope through her bound hands, tying it to the coat hooks.

Then he shut the door and left her in the dark.

Next he took Loeila and repeated everything. The forced food. The forced drink. Expect he locked her in wardrobe in the attic.

Eli was left in the kitchen, locked in the empty pantry.

Then Diego and Pedro went into the living room and started to play poker

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Morgan walked into the break room. At the moment the word 'break' didn't represent a moment of relief in a heavy work day. It represented the heartbreak felt by each of her colleagues.

They were a team breaking.

One week, seven whole days had passed. Nick's brother in law couldn't get the plane. They couldn't get the prisoners released. And they could only get one million more in dollars.

And they had received one horrifying phone call.

"This is Russell."

"Put the phone on speaker and call your people in."

Russell glanced around the break room and put the phone on speaker. "We're all here. With whom and I speaking?"

"Pedro Martinez. You have ignored me."

"No, no, we haven't ignored you, we just need more time." Russell said quickly. "We're working on what you want."

"And you won't be able to get me what I want, will you?"

"I didn't say that-" Russell began.

"I know that you won't. Why do you think that I asked for those things?"

The CSI's exchanged worried glances. Mandy scooped Reuben up off of Greg's lap and took him away to the prints lab.

"This is your punishment for your failure. Diego, darme la chica de arriba ahora."

There were a few scuffling sounds, the sound of someone going upstairs. Then the sound of tape ripping away from flesh and Loeila's frightened cry.

Greg's breathing increased dramatically and he grabbed onto Sara's hand. Sara blinked tearfully, and wrapped her arm over his shoulders, squeezing his hand and his shoulders tightly.

Suddenly another distinctive sound snapped down the phone, followed by Loeila's scream.

"Oh, did that slap hurt, little girl?" Pedro crooned, and Loeila started to cry down the phone.

"Daddy?"

"I'm here." Greg spoke up through his tight throat.

"Are you really, Mr Sanders? Didn't I tell you what would happen if you didn't do what I told you?"

"Please, don't hurt her, no!" Greg cried, his heart tumbling out of his chest.

There was another little scream, followed by two more and a collection of unidentifiable sounds.

"No, no, no…" Greg cried. Sara hugged him tighter, the man she saw as her younger brother.

"I can't get a trace." Archie whispered angrily.

"There." Pedro said finally, five minutes later. "Take the little princess back to her castle. You're never going to get us our demands, so you're never going to get your kids back. I guess after, hm, maybe years of abuse or so, they'll forget you ever existed. Then they can go to Columbia, and work for some drug cartel for a few years. Until they're old enough for organ harvesting."

"You son of a bitch!" Nick yelled as the man hung up.

Sara's legs gave way and Greg's weren't strong enough to hold them both.

Four says had passed since then.

Four whole days. They exhausted every molecule of evidence, chased down any lead, visited the last dozen residences of all three Martinez brothers and Mario Lorenzo.

No one had left the lab in days, bar DB who went home to his wife every now and again. A group of cops who were good friends with the CSIs went to their houses a few days in, got their clothes, some supplies. There was a steady flow of detectives bringing in food, escorting people out to hotels for showers.

Finally the Sherriff walked in, taking in the scene before her in shock.

The night shift CSI's were asleep all over the place. Greg was lying with his back right to the back of the large chairs, his arms wrapped around Morgan, who was lying dangerously close to the edge.

Nick was sitting in a chair, his head lolling against his chest, Reuben cradled in his arms. The little boy was also asleep. On the floor next to Nick was a pile of lab techs, and Wendy. Hodges was leaning against the chair; Wendy had somehow fallen into his lap. Mandy was lying on top of Wendy, Henry was leaning on her.

Finn was curled up across another two chairs, covered in a blanket.

The only awake soul in the room was Sara Sidle. She was sitting in a chair, her knees tucked up under her chin, her eyes watching the whole team sleep. Protecting them. She looked like a little kid.

"Hello Sara." The Sherriff said softly. "I see that the rumours about my nightshift squatting in the break room is true."

"Guys!" was Sara's only response, save a respectful nod.

Instantly Wendy woke up, jerking upright and propelling Mandy and Henry up to.

"Hodges did it!" Henry cried at the same time as Hodges woke up yelling, "It was Henry!"

The Sherriff raised an eyebrow and Morgan, Greg and Nick slowly shuffled to life.

"I've made some calls, spoken to some people. You'll be returning to desk duty tomorrow, you're not cleared yet for field work, psychologically, and I understand why, but-"

"We're not giving up." Nick interrupted.

"Not, I never thought for a second that you would, or even should." The Sherriff insisted. "But you need to start working, I'm sorry."

"Sure." Finn nodded disinterestedly.

Suddenly the door flew open, and their world burst to life as Bobby Dawson, now still on Dayshift, burst into the room.

"Guys, I been lookin' around in my breaks, at home and stuff and y'all, I think I might have found them!"

CSIVCSIVCSIV

I am still alone turned into stone
Where did you go?
What did you find?
where did all this come to an end?

Carry me
Embrace me
What I win I lose
This is my truth
Carry me

Do you see me as I see you?
So many tears in me have fallen
So many steps I have been crawling

Carry me
Embrace me
what I win I lose
This is my truth

I am falling, falling (I am falling)
I am drowning, drowning
I am falling, falling (I am falling)
I am crawling, crawling

Of every pain there is, I've felt, this is like never before
I miss your face you are in my dreams I die like never before

Carry me
Embrace me
What I win I lose
This is my truth

I am falling, falling
(Of every pain there is, I've felt, this is like never before)
I am drowning, drowning
(I miss your face you are in my dreams I die like never before)
I am falling, falling
I am crawling, crawling

Note: Those lyrics belong to the Dead by April song Carry Me. Yes I use their music a lot, and I'm really sorry but it's awesome and it's relevant (if you don't believe me ask Karmacomesbackaround.) This is where I got the name for this chapter from, lyrics are an explaination!

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