Chapter 9

"Hey look at this," Archie pointed as he looked at the images on his big screen.

Sage was finishing her phone call, "Yeah. Thanks Bobbie for the overnighter. The front had it. I'll have it up but you know how the chain of command works."

Like you ever follow that. Tell your tech guy that it's on loan… indefinitely.

"You're too generous Bobbie."

I squared it away with your new lab and that Sheriff Mobley seemed surprised that it was coming because of your association with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. So have fun with it.

"Thanks Bobbie. Next time you're in Vegas give me a call."

Will do Spice Girl. Later.

Sage hung up the phone and walked over to Archie. "Sorry Arch. Whatcha got for me?"

Archie gave a slight smile which turned serious as he brought up the footage she brought that was in the parking garage. It showed the image of their man getting into a vehicle, SUV. He had the still of their guy from inside the hospital up on another screen for comparison. "Well thanks to your new friend at Desert Palms, I managed to get the security footage of the parking lot and garage."

"He's not my friend," Sage retorted.

"Not my fault you seem to get cooperation wherever you go," Archie teased.

"Not everyone likes me Arch," Sage replied soberly. "Southern charm doesn't always work." She sighed as she looked at the images. "So you were able to get something?"

"Yeah I tracked your guy to this SUV, Ford Escort, black and…" Archie punched in a few keys and enhanced the license plate number. "Maybe you might have an owner." He looked at Sage to take in her expression.

Sage watched the footage. She had been paying attention to their mystery guy. She noticed his hand go into his pocket and fish out the key to the vehicle. When Archie isolated the plate number she gave a full blown smile. She couldn't help it, "Arch you're the best. I love you." She gave a kiss to Archie's cheek and said, "Get that to Brass right away. We may just get this guy." She took off down the hall.

Archie blinked as he tried to process what just happened. He was used to Sage's unique way of talking with the lab techs. It was especially funny the way how she and Greg interacted. This though was unexpected. She just kissed him and all because of this. He looked at the plate number he had isolated and printed it out. He made a slight face, still trying to process what happened and continued with his work. He only turned when Sage came back in and said, "Oh and that face recognition program is on loan… indefinitely."

Archie looked at her as she leaned into his lab. He grinned, "Thanks Parker. I'll give a trial run on our guy. You're the best."

Sage gave a slight shake of her head. Archie chuckled a bit as he watched her take off. He didn't know how she did it but she always seemed to get new things into the lab to help out. How she managed to convince the sheriff to spring the money for it… he wasn't going to go poking at that. He liked Sage Parker and she never hesitated to give a word of praise to the lab techs.

Sage was walking through the halls when Lockwood caught up with her. She paused, "Detective, what do you have?"

Lockwood had been startled when he walked through the halls looking for her. He had heard that she was like a whirlwind when she went through the lab. It was like she was full of boundless energy. He took a moment to compose himself from his brief surprise and replied, "I checked into the two survivors. Now Robbie Callen is on his own."

"So nothing from the foster parents?" Sage looked at the detective for an answer even though she was certain that she knew the answer to that question.

"Technically he is an adult," Lockwood replied. He didn't like it either. "And the foster parents have another set of kids in the house. There is no room for him with him."

"I sort of expected that. I guess it was too much to hope for acceptance out of the kindness of the heart," Sage replied with a slight sigh. She looked off in the distance as if to think before looking back at the detective. "Anything else on Robbie's next of kin?"

"There was talk of a grandmother possibly. Still working on it."

Sage nodded at that. That was a start but she didn't look forward to telling that relative why they were only getting one grandson and not two. Actually she never liked any of those interviews of informing the families. That was the hardest part of the job but she always kept in mind what Grissom was fond of pointing out; that they not only spoke for the victims but for the families.

Lockwood could see the look on the CSI's face. He hadn't had too many opportunities to work with the CSI from DC Metro but he had heard that she was someone who was considered pretty much a workaholic but dedicated. He pulled out the other report that he was looking into and continued, "The girl, Rachel Lawson, there was a grandfather on file… Richard Lawson."

"He still alive?" Sage turned with an interested air. That was something. At least one of these kids could get a normal life.

"Yeah. Still the same residence. In fact he has been consistently coming in the last five years looking for any updates," Lockwood replied. "I can call him and tell him we found her."

"Better you than me," Sage replied.

"I thought you were the one who had the shrink degree."

Sage made a slight sound at that. She gave a slight look at the detective and replied, "Seems like gossip is the same here." She chewed her bottom lip before continuing, "So you'll call?"

"I can do that. It'll be a while but I think that he'll make it here in record time," Lockwood replied, "He is coming from Laughlin."

Sage nodded, "That'll be good. Just be careful about mentioning Rachel's condi—"

At that moment, Sage's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and then at the detective and excused herself. "Excuse me detective."

Lockwood waited while she spoke on the phone. He was startled a bit when she turned around quickly and started speaking fast. He asked, "Everything all right?"

Sage finished her call, "Thanks Doc. No. I'll be right over. I understand. Thank you." She hung up and looked at Lockwood. "Our girl's awake. Feel up to a ride?"

"Sounds good," Lockwood replied.

Sage gave a slight smile. She knew that the girl was okay since there was a uniformed officer watching out for her. She didn't want to take any chances and Dr. Brewer was under orders to restrict her visitors to approved visitors and the LVPD and crime lab people. Besides if Lockwood was there, they could do this by the book. "Meet you out front?"

"Sounds good."

Sage nodded and dialed a number. Warrick was the lead on this and she knew he would fill Nick in on this. She got Warrick on the next ring and said, "Hey Warrick, our girl's awake."

Really?

"Yeah. I'm heading down there now to talk to her. I'm sure how much we're gonna get but it will be something."

Alright. Nick and me are going to talk to Robbie again. See what he can remember.

Sage thought for a moment. She then said, "Archie has stills of a possible suspect. He came to see our girl earlier and left something behind. Sara collected for me and running prints with Mandy. See if he remembers. If you get a reaction, anything, we're getting closer."

Maybe you should be doing this. You know what to look for.

"You're flirting with me now?" Sage couldn't help but tease Warrick. "I don't know if I could keep up." She sobered quickly and explained, "I think Robbie has that survivor instinct. He is very careful who he gives information to. He was burned by Brian so he is not going to talk."

Nick came up with the same conclusions.

"Really? Then I guess I am rubbing off on you guys. And I'm guessing he was talking about things that would be embarrassing."

You're good Parker.

"Well the benefits of working this gig many times before," Sage replied as she walked out to meet Lockwood in his police issued Taurus. "Find out what you can and maybe we'll be able to catch this guy."

Alright. Catch you later.

"Will do," Sage replied and she hung up to get into the Taurus.

Robbie was sitting in the interview room. It was becoming a familiar sight for him… much like the place where he had been held. The difference was that this place had a different air to it. He didn't feel threatened in general and there were a few that he could trust. He felt that he could talk a little more about what happened and they would be able to…

The door opened and Nick came in with a file folder. He was alone this time but he could that someone was watching. He wasn't stupid but it was comfortable in terms of personal space. He tapped the table as the CSI took his seat. He asked, "You find Rachel?"

Nick looked at the kid. "Yeah we did. We found the house that you took the SUV from."

"Not a nice place is it?" Robbie gave a wry look at Nick. He tapped his fingers on the table to relieve his anxiety. "While there is some truth, it is twisted. It is not how God commands it." He looked down feeling a bit shy about that part.

Nick listened to the kid. He had heard initially from Warrick about what they found in the house and even he was disturbed by that. "I get that."

"Do you really?" Robbie looked at Nick in the eye.

Nick took in the look he was getting. The kid had reacted to that and narrowed his eyes at him as if questioning him and his response. Most of the time such responses were uttered to reassure the person being questioned but Nick got the feeling that this wouldn't apply to Robbie. The kid's posture had become a little stiff and he was aware that he was being scrutinized.

Robbie studied the CSI. He took in everything that he was wearing, the expression, the posture… everything and studied it. His eyes narrowed and he shifted them to the CSI watching through the glass and then back towards Nick. "No you don't."

"Excuse me?" Nick frowned in response.

"You don't understand," Robbie countered. He sat back and folded his arms across his chest and studied Nick some more. "You don't understand at all. Let me ask you something: are you always agreeable to people you interview?"

Nick was quiet for a moment and then said, "Just trying to find a common ground."

"Then don't lie to me," Robbie replied pointing his finger at Nick. His eyes were narrowed in anger. "Do not pretend to understand something that most people in your profession would scoff at." He sat back and crossed his arms. "At least your partner doesn't pretend. She doesn't have to."

Nick glanced at Warrick before looking back at Robbie. "Alright I get you on that. I'm not like my partner Parker but I do believe in God if that's what you're looking at."

"Belief in God is the first step," Robbie replied as he looked at Nick. He loosened his posture somewhat now that Nick was being honest with him. "You still don't understand because you haven't fully contemplated what Christians, true Christians believe in. Your partner does." Robbie studied Nick some more. He then gestured with his first finger, "Let me guess: grew up going to church, told doing the right thing gets you into heaven, right?"

Nick made a slight movement of his shoulders. This was a complete change from earlier when they talked. It was like Robbie was getting on the defensive but not quite. The questions he had asked were like those that he occasionally got from a suspect that knew the drill and was trying to mess with them. He took a closer look and saw that Robbie was not trying to be an ass and not even acting like a typical suspect. He replied, "Uh… yeah I used to go."

Robbie nodded, "So what happen? You decided that science was more practical and explained more than what Sunday school did?"

"Yeah. Why are you so interested?"

Robbie shrugged his shoulders. "Gotta know how honest you guys are. Brian was supposed to be on our side but… you know what happened there. Plus I picked up a vibe or two from you. You're a nice guy and I'm sure your partner out there is good too but…"

"So you are just interrogating?"

"If you want to call them that," Robbie replied as he observed Nick's reaction. It wasn't the kind of someone that was steadfast in being a nonbeliever. He noted Warrick's expression as well but kept his gaze on Nick. "You know I never used to be this way but five years… seeing what I saw and doing what I did… people can change." He looked at Nick as if daring him to challenge what he was saying but he really didn't care.

"Understandable and ya did what ya could for your brother," Nick replied. He wanted to get the conversation back towards the case. He didn't want to get into his beliefs or anything even though he guessed that it was important to the kid on some level. He cleared his throat, "So we actually found Rachel."

Robbie looked at Nick. The relief tinged his voice, "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's at the hospital," Nick replied in an appeasing tone. "She was found at the house where you took the SUV from. Can you go into detail what you were doing there?"

Robbie looked out the view window. He thought about it for a moment. The memory was fresh in his mind about the events in that house…

It was night as all three were pushed into the house. Old Moses was waiting at the house as Bob shoved them in. Brian was quiet and looked like he had done something wrong. Robbie looked at him and then at Moses.

"This is one time too many. You have been bad."

Robbie grasped Rachel's hand and held on. He held onto Jordan's wrist. He said, "You can't keep us forever. We want to go home."

"You are home. You are the chosen ones. Why would you want to leave?"

"Because you have a pervert of a docent," Jordan spat out. There were tears in his eyes and his features were contorted in anger. "I had enough."

Robbie stepped in to put himself between Jordan and Bob and Moses. He looked at the men and was prepared to fight back. "Look, you've had us for five years. We aren't what you are looking for. Just let us go."

"No. You are chosen but you are a disappointment." Moses looked at the three of them. His eyes then went towards Rachel. "She though is forgiven. You two aren't."

Robbie looked at the Moses and Bob. That was when he saw the gun. It came out and was pointed at him and Jordan…

Robbie blinked and looked at Nick. "You said Rachel was at the hospital?"

Nick frowned slightly at that at question but he hadn't failed to notice the expression on Robbie's face. He had interviewed witnesses, suspects and survivors to know that the kid was remembering something and was thinking about what he saw. "Yeah she's there and she's fine."

Robbie looked down at the table. He felt his temper rise. It was as he thought had happened. He didn't want to believe it but it happened. He always knew that he had been around liars the moment he and Jordan were taken.

Rachel was considered the favorite. She did what she was supposed to do except when she could get away with it. Those were the times when she managed to make things better for him and Jordan especially when Jordan was the one that got into trouble. His little brother was always quick to act first and think things through later but he always looked up to him and depended upon him. Rachel…

Nick noticed that Robbie was frowning and was clenching his hands in fists and releasing them. Something was obviously bothering the kid and it had to do with the condition of the girl Rachel. "Hey Robbie, are you okay?"

Robbie looked at Nick like he was a crazy man. "Am I okay? Are you shitting me? You're asking me that?"

"Just trying to find out what's eating you," Nick countered using placating tones. He was good with empathizing with victims and their relatives but this was out of his area. Sage was better equipped for this in his opinion and it wasn't just because she had the shrink degree. It was like she could read and anticipate people. Then again it could be that she is like Catherine and that she was a people person.

"What's eating me is the fact that bastard Moses couldn't stop with me and Jordan. He had to go and hit her," Robbie countered as he raised his voice a little. He sat back and remembered the last session before their escape.

He and Jordan had been tied down and hit with fists. After all he and Jordan were spoiled. The rod had been spared when they were kids. That was horse shit in his mind and he mentally asked for forgiveness for his cussing. Turn the other cheek but there were times you had to fight back. No one had the right to treat them as punching bags least of all Rachel. She never was hit.

"Okay and who's Moses?" Nick decided to follow up on that line of questioning. This was the most reaction he was getting out of him so they might be close.

Robbie stopped his fist clenching. It was not good for his hands since he had cut himself with his nails before doing that and that was after Bob slapped her. There was one thing that made him pissed off more than someone hitting his brother and that was someone hitting a woman. He had been taught better than that. He started tapping his fingers on the table to try and calm himself down.

At the non-response, Nick tried again, "Robbie?" He reached over to touch the kid on his arm near the wrist.

Robbie felt the hand close around his wrist and reacted. He bolted out of his chair and knocked it over. He backed into the wall looking at Nick with a wild look and was ready to swing a punch if he got close. It was just him so he could defend himself.

Nick motioned for the uni to stay back once he realized he made a mistake. The kid was obviously worked up about this Moses guy and was probably trying to calm himself down enough to talk to him. He motioned that it was okay since Warrick was still watching and said, "Hey it's okay Robbie. Sorry about that."

Robbie took a deep breath when he focused and realized that he was at the police station and not… wherever he was. He looked and saw Nick and the knocked over chair. He dropped his hands and went to pick up the chair. "Sorry about that."

Nick watched as Robbie picked up the fallen chair and set it back in its place. The kid then sat back down as if nothing happened. "It's okay." He slowly pulled out the still that Archie had made and slid it across the table. "Now who is Moses? Is this him?"

Robbie sat and looked at the picture. He could recognize it clearly. "Yeah. That's the guy. He's the one who did the hitting."

"What about Bob?"

"Cleanup," Robbie replied as he rubbed his wrists like they were aching. He could almost feel the ropes tighten over his wrists as he was strapped to the chair. "He tied us up, made us do the 'chores' and occasionally gave a hit or two."

Nick watched Robbie rub his wrists. He could just imagine what the kid went through and then what happened in this case. "Okay. So do you know where you guys were kept? Any ideas so we could find him?"

"Jordan and me didn't get out much. Rachel was the favorite but she always came to see us," Robbie replied as he looked down. He pulled his covered the worst of the marks on his wrists with his hand. He looked at the picture more. "Was this taken at the hospital?"

Nick debated on what to say about that. He studied Robbie and found that he was looking at him expectantly. "Yeah it was."

"But you have a uniform there," Robbie stated as a matter of fact. "That's good. At least she's safe. Was there anyone else?"

Nick was about to ask when Warrick opened the door and motioned for him to come out. Robbie wasn't a suspect and so far the kid hadn't done anything serious except a typical reaction to trauma. So there was no danger of him changing his answer. He made a motion that he would be right back and came out and said to Warrick in a hushed whisper, "What?"

"Ask him about a baby."

Nick made a frown and it was then that he noticed Greg standing there. Greg elaborated, "I tested the substance you found on Robbie's shirt and the two dolls. Baby drool and milk." He paused a bit and continued, "I also ran a comparison on DNA and found seven out of thirteen in common between the DNA in the baby drool and Robbie."

"So where is the baby?"

A/N: Looks like Greggo found an interesting piece to the puzzle. We'll see where that leads us next time on Desert Secrets...