Journey Through the Past- Chapter 30
As they emerged from the building, Brass and the two senior CSI's spread out and made their way towards the gardens. Scanning the area, they saw Sheriff Taylor approaching them from the direction where their vehicles were parked. His deputy was not with him.
"Captain Brass, you said there was an officer down? Where's McKeen? My deputy is guarding the two men we have in custody. Do we have another prisoner for him to guard?" asked the sheriff.
"McKeen is dead…shot through the neck. Pritchard, for the time being, is cuffed and contained in what seems to be Lucas Mallory's lab. He and the under sheriff apparently have been on the take. I suspect that whoever was pulling their strings wanted them to take care of Grissom, Sidle, and Mallory. It appears that Grissom shot the under sheriff, but the circumstances are unclear. I'm taking charge of this operation," reported Brass.
"The under sheriff is dead and you have Pritchard, one of your own guys, in custody? There'll be hell to pay in arresting a fellow officer on just suspicions. This is not making much sense. Warrant or no warrant, a murder has been committed in my county and you have no jurisdiction here. I have back up coming and I will not be putting my men in danger here. It appears that we have a perpetrator who is armed and dangerous," said Taylor.
"Sheriff, the man we're looking for is Dr. Gil Grissom. He's the graveyard supervisor for CSI in Vegas. He is a prominent member of the law enforcement community in Las Vegas. The escaped convict we are searching for is Lucas Mallory. We don't have time to go into all the details, but we believe that Mallory has used hypnotics and hallucinogens such as ecstasy in an attempt to destroy Grissom's mind and reputation. Grissom is on one helluva acid trip right now, and, from what I can tell, he has developed a physical addiction to what Mallory has been giving him. He's out there in a paranoid state of mind, but I know the man well enough that he won't shoot unless provoked," said Brass forcefully.
"He shot a fellow law enforcement officer, Brass!"
"Look, there isn't time to argue about this. We need to spread out and find him. Scott, Grissom's son, Jones, and Sidle are with him. Sidle is injured, and, no, he didn't shoot her. Right now, I think his priority is to protect his son and Sidle. I guess from that stand point, yes, he is dangerous."
"Captain Brass, I understand your concern for your friend, but there are others to consider here. Remember, this is a treatment facility. The patients and staff are under lockdown and so are relatively safe for now. What if Grissom breaks into one of the buildings and perceives a threat. Let's not even think about the patients' doctor being MIA and the patients' care is being disrupted by the lockdown. I'm thinking of the safety of the civilians here and of the law enforcement officers on the way here."
"All right I see your point," snapped Brass, "but no one fires unless given the order."
Reluctantly the sheriff nodded his head and turned his head to the sound of sirens in the distance.
"C'mon. Looks like help is on the way," said Brass quietly. The four men hurried down to the road to greet their back ups and to coordinate a search perimeter. Meanwhile, Warrick Brown hit speed-dial on his phone.
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Catherine Willows nervously paced back and forth the length of Grissom's office. Brass had phoned her a few hours before to let her know that McKeen had arranged a surprise search and seizure raid at the Nevada Center for Addictions. They were to raid the small isolated complex just before dawn. Catherine checked her watch. It was a couple of hours after sunrise, and she was anxious to hear from Brass.
Greg came into the office to let her know that he had just wrapped up the B and E case that she had given him the night before and to find out if there was any news on Grissom and Sara.
"No, Greg, I haven't heard anything. I'm expecting to hear from Brass or the guys any minute now," said Catherine in an exasperated tone. "If it was a dead end, we should have heard by now. The only conclusion is that they found Grissom, Mallory, and/or Sara and there have been complications. I have half a mind to run up there myself. Just sitting here is driving me crazy!"
As if her words had been heard, Catherine's cell phone chirped. Catherine quickly grabbed it off her belt and checked the ID- Brown.
"Finally!" she exclaimed, ready to give Warrick a piece of her mind for keeping them in the dark for so long.
"Hey…" Catherine said into the phone.
"Cath…Listen. We don't have a lot of time. We found Grissom, Sara, and Mallory, but…I don't know exactly how to explain this. McKeen is dead. Griss apparently shot him. Sara is injured. Right now, Brass wants you and Greg to come up here with a search and rescue helicopter. Gris is on the run and we've got to find him before the situation gets any worse," Warrick said, the urgency apparent in his voice.
"Whoa…wait a sec, Rick…You're going too fast. Slow down. McKeen's dead, and Grissom shot him? Grissom is on the run. From whom? You're not making any sense."
"Look, man, just get a search and rescue helicopter up here. We're going to need all the help we can get. The situation is fluid. Griss isn't himself. He doesn't know who to trust. He even had Brass handcuffed and bound. Gris is hallucinating and he believes that Brass and McKeen are out to kill him, Sara, and Scott. Look, just get here as soon as you can. Let us know when your ETA is. See you in a little while."
"Wait, Rick…Rick," shouted Catherine, but the connection was already broken.
Turning to Greg, Catherine explained what she understood from her brief conversation with Warrick. With every word that Catherine uttered, Greg became more confused.
"All I know Greg, is that we need to get up there. Grissom and Sara are in trouble and it doesn't sound good. Get our kits together and make sure your service weapon is loaded and ready," said Catherine as she headed out the door in search of Conrad Ecklie, the assistant director, to get permission to order a helicopter.
Catherine returned a few minutes later, and helped Greg with the equipment they anticipated they would need in a remote location. As she was doing a last minute check on her kit, her phone chirped again. Checking the ID, she quickly opened the phone.
"Hey, Ji…," as Catherine attempted to finish her greeting she was interrupted by a strange, weak sounding Gil Grissom.
"Catherine, it's me, Gil," a shaky voice came over the speaker. There was a long pause and Catherine checked her phone to make sure that she had not lost the connection.
"Gil…I can hardly hear you. Where are you? Gil…talk to me. We've all been worried about you. You're on Brass's phone. Where's Jim?" said Catherine. She signaled to Greg that she wanted him to get Archie in the AV lab to try and track down where the signal was coming from.
Greg nodded and sprinted out the room.
"Cath…I don't know what to do, who to trust. I found him, Cath. He's alive."
"Gil, I don't understand. Who's alive? Who did you find?" asked Catherine trying to stall for time.
"My son…I found my son, Scott. He's alive. He knows who I am. Cath, he doesn't hate me for abandoning him or Rachel. Catherine…" Grissom seemed as if he were gasping for breath.
"Gil, that's great. Sara…is Sara with you? Gil, are you still there?" Catherine said when she was met with more silence.
"Gil...are you with me?. What's happening? Tell me what's happening. You need help. Tell me how I can help you," said Catherine in a steady voice so that he could draw strength from her.
"I…I have to protect them, not like before. I failed them before. I have a chance to do it right. I have to keep Scott and Sara safe. I…I had to shoot McKeen. He wanted to kill Sara. Br…Brass was with McKeen. They've come to take me and my family. Cath, Sara was shot. Sh…she needs medical attention. I…I have Mallory with me. I'm going to lead them away from Scott and Sara, but Sara needs more help than Jones can give her. Cath,…help me to get them away from here."
"Okay Gil, I will. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it or make sure it gets done. Gil, just tell me."
"I…I…need to take them away from here. Yeah, take them away Cath," came the desperate whisper.
"Gil, I'm on the way up there. I'll come by chopper. Greg and I are coming up there to get you, Sara, and Scott, okay?"
"Okay," Grissom whispered.
"Grissom, hold together until I can get to you. Keep the phone on so that I can contact you, okay? Gil? Grissom?" Catherine checked her phone, but the connection was broken.
Catherine entered the AV lab where Greg and Archie was attempting to triangulate the signal from Brass's phone to the nearest tower.
"Archie, any luck? Are you able to triangulate Grissom's position? Is he on the move or is he stationary? We should let Warrick or Nick know what his precise location is asap," said Catherine.
"Yeah, I've got it. I'm transmitting the coordinates now and will update them as Grissom moves."
Catherine tapped Greg on the shoulder that they needed to get going. Grabbing her kit and with Greg in tow, they both headed towards the police department helipad to board the waiting chopper.
Flipping open her phone, she hit speed dial and waited for Warrick to answer. Catherine quickly related to the senior CSI her brief conversation with Grissom.
"Warrick, I don't think it would be a good idea for anyone to approach him until Greg and I get there. If he sees you with Brass, it might get him to think that you and Nick are part of this conspiracy that he has fashioned. He's trusting me to carry Sara and Scott out of there. Our ETA will be approximately 45 minutes to an hour."
"Yeah, that makes sense. I'll relay everything to Brass. We'll stay back and let him run. As long as Archie can track him using Brass's cell, everything should be okay."
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Grissom slowly stood up and waited for the dizziness to pass. Turning to Scott and Jones, Grissom softly said to the two men," I have an idea, but I have to use Brass's phone. I'll be back in a minute. I won't go far."
Grissom walked along the path away from his son, and hit speed-dial. The tremors were increasing ever so slightly. He swallowed hard as he waited for Catherine to pick up. He knew he could trust her. Their relationship was deeper than anyone realized though not in a romantic way. They knew each other too well, and Grissom knew that Catherine would do everything in her power to protect his son and Sara. He didn't want to involve Catherine, but she needed to know about Brass and McKeen.
Grissom quickly cut off her greeting. Drawing a shaky breath, he identified himself, "Catherine, it's me, Gil."
Grissom held the phone tightly and shut his eyes as he tried to focus his attention on Catherine's voice. His mind was swirling with wild images and he was trying to keep them at bay. He was hovering between what was real and what was hallucination. With quiet desperation, he relayed to Catherine everything he thought was happening. Catherine's strong voice reached him like a beacon and he reached for it. She was coming with help. He wouldn't have to do this alone; she would help him. He sighed deeply with relief and closed the phone.
Stumbling his way back, Grissom made his way back to Scott and the others. He leaned against a boulder, holding his side, trying to control his breathing and to support his aching ribs. Jones walked over and touched Grissom lightly across his forehead.
"Grissom, you're burning up, and it's not because it's getting hot out here. You'll never make to the other side of the compound where the jeep is."
Grissom, using his sheer strength of will, straightened up and tried to keep his breathing under control.
Locking eyes with Jones, Grissom said with determination, "Help is on the way. Scott, take this cell phone. Don't turn it off. If it rings, only answer it if the ID reads WILLOWS. Catherine Willows is a friend of mine. Sh…she is going to take care of you and Sara."
Grissom handed Scott the cell and then directed Jones and Scott, "Head towards the mining shaft. There will be a search and rescue helicopter here with…within an hour or two. Scott, I doubt that you will get to the shaft before the copter gets here, but if you do, you'll need to stay outside the shaft in order for Catherine to find you."
Scott studied his father for a moment and then asked, "What about you? You can't possibly think that you'll be able to get away with that?"
Scott pointed the gun at Mallory, who winced as if the young man was about to pull the trigger.
"Scott, this is the only way. Just do what I say. It'll be okay, I promise," pleaded Grissom quietly.
Jones stepped up behind Scott and gently touched him on the shoulder. "C'mon. We've got to get Sara out of this heat."
Scott attempted to hand the gun back to Grissom, but his father waved him off, and, instead, reached into the medical bag and retrieved one of the other Glocks. Tucking the firearm into his own waistband, he stepped up to his son and wrapped his arms around him.
Grissom squeezed his eyes shut and whispered fiercely into his son's ear, "I'm not abandoning you. I swear it. I…I just found you. I will find you when this is over. Promise me that you'll stay safe. Promise me that you'll look after Sara for me."
Slowly pulling away from Grissom, Scott nodded his head slowly and backed away, picking up the medical bag and then assisting Jones as he picked Sara up. Grissom pulled the Glock out and pointed it at Mallory while he watched Scott lead Jones around the base of the cliff.
"Ge…get up. We need to get to that jeep," Grissom said in a hoarse whisper.
Mallory eyed the man standing a few feet from him. Serious thoughts of rushing the man and wrestling the gun from him ran through his head until Grissom cocked the trigger.
"Don't make me shoot you," said Grissom as he turned his head and looked down at the handcuffed man.
Slowly and deliberately, Mallory got to his feet. "Grissom, it's just you and me now. You must realize that we need each other right now."
Lucas Mallory realized what a precarious position he was in. He could no longer trust or manipulate his cousin to do his bidding. The leaders of the 5th Street Knights obviously wanted him dead which was made evident when McKeen appeared on the scene. The organization had decided that he had outlived his usefulness because of his obsession with revenge against Grissom. At first, they had gone along with his little plan to make it look like Grissom was the mole and leading any suspicion away from the under sheriff. Something had changed the minds of the 5th Street Knights and so it looked as though both he and Grissom were targets. However, Grissom had the gun and clearly knew that he, Mallory, did not have Grissom's best interests in mind.
Of the small group of escapees who left the lab, Mallory was the only one who knew for sure that Brass and the accompanying law enforcement officers were there to return him to prison. Sara would probably know who to trust, but she was clearly shocked by McKeen's actions. Should Sara regain consciousness, she might be able to convince Jones and Scott to surrender to the law enforcement officers searching the complex. At any rate, his only chance of escape was to throw his lot in with Grissom until they could get away from the men hunting for the both of them. Then he would take care of his nemesis.
"You're going to need me to drive the jeep. I want to get away from them as much as you do. We're going to have to trust each other, at least for a little while," reasoned Mallory.
Grissom sighed deeply. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
"C'mon. We've got to get going. Jones said the jeep was on the opposite side of the compound."
Grissom shakily waved the gun vaguely in the direction opposite of the way Scott and Jones had taken. Mallory started down the rocky path with Grissom stumbling closely behind.
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Sara slowly became aware of a gentle rocking motion. Pain was searing her side, and she moaned softly. Sara turned her head into the firm shoulder of the man who held her to block the bright sunlight from her face.
"Scott, she's coming to. We need to find some shade so that I can check on her," said Jones in a low urgent voice.
The young man turned around and noticed Sara's stirring. He quickly scanned the area along the cliff base to find a place whee Jones could lay Sara down that would keep them hidden from prying eyes above. Waving his arm, Scott hurried down the path and found a slight overhang that had a small area where the doctor could lay Sara down.
Gently laying the semi-conscious woman down, Jones checked her vitals and found them to be weak but stable. Her eyelids fluttered as she opened her eyes to see a relieved Dr. Ken Jones staring down at her.
"Wha..what happened?" she slurred, trying to orient herself. Memories came flooding back to her, and Sara opened her eyes wide as she tried to sit up. "Grissom! Griss…"
Jones held her gently down and gave her a half smile. "Easy, Sara. You had us worried. You need to take it easy. You've been shot, but I think that you'll be okay," said the doctor in a quiet voice.
Sara looked around her and seeing both Scott and Jones, looked back and Jones and asked, "Where's Gil? What's…"
"Sara, one thing at a time. Grissom is…Grissom is going to get help for us. There's too much to explain, but friends are coming to take you, us, away from here. He's okay. Right now, since you are awake, I want to give you something for the pain. It won't make you sleepy. It'll just ease the pain," said Jones, trying to keep his patient calm.
"No, Gil's not okay. You're just telling me that so that I won't be upset. Where is he? The last I remember he was tripping, out of control. He was falling apart, so Doctor, tell me what's going," gasped Sara as she fought the pain in her side.
Scott stepped up and crouched down next to Sara. "Sara, McKeen's officer shot you, and McKeen was going to finish you off, but…Father shot and killed him before he could shoot you again. After that, another man came in and apparently he came with McKeen. Anyway, we were able to tie the other man up and escape. There are others searching for us. Father used the other man's cell phone and help is on the way to take us away by chopper," Scott in one breath.
"Griss shot McKeen? He killed him?" Sara whispered as she leaned back to allow everything that Scott had just said to sink in. Jones took this moment to administer an anesthetic which would numb the pain in her side. Then she looked up at the men before her with questions in her eyes.
"I was able to give him something to counter what McKeen forced into him. It's given him a measure of stability," said Jones, but he didn't add but it won't last long.
"What help is coming? Gris is meeting up with us, right?" asked Sara softly.
"A Catherine Willows. He said that she was coming to pick us up with a search and rescue helicopter from Vegas. It should be here soon. He didn't want the men searching for him and Mallory anywhere near the helicopter so I think that they're headed in the opposite direction from where we are. I guess this Catherine is using the signal from this phone to get our position," said Scott showing her the cell.
Sara took the phone and flipped it open. She looked up even more puzzled. "This is Jim Brass's phone. Was Jim Brass the other man who came with McKeen?" asked Sara incredulously.
Jones nodded, "I think so. Grissom called him, Jim."
Sara shook her head, bewildered. "Jim Brass is as honest as the day is long. He may have come up here with McKeen, but it was because he honestly thought he would be able to find us and Mallory- to arrest Mallory."
"So what do we do? Go back to the clinic and turn ourselves in to those men?" asked Scott not quite believing that the men who were searching for them would be meaning them no harm.
Even with the medication Jones had given her, pain was still fogging her thinking and Sara shook her head. "I…I think that we wait to hear from Catherine. I'm sure that she has a handle on the situation. Do you think we'll be okay to hide here for a while?"
Before either man could answer, the faint sound of sirens echoed through the desert air.
TBC
A/N: Another chapter posted. For those who have faithfully stuck with this story, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I should be wrapping this story up soon. becky