Journey Through the Past- Chapter 32
As the helicopter zoomed northwest, Greg shouted through his headset and pointed, "Looks like Brass and company have picked up speed. They're headed to those mountains. Can you see any sign of that jeep?"
Catherine shook her head. "I'm sure that we'll sight it in a moment." Catherine glanced behind her at Sara and Scott. Sara's color was much improved. Jones had given her something for the pain and she was gingerly sitting up, anxiously staring out at the passing scenery. Scott, too, was looking out the windows of the helicopter, hoping to spot the fleeing jeep.
Suddenly Greg shouted, "Catherine, look up ahead- about a quarter mile ahead of Brass. That's got to be the jeep. It looks like it's been rolled."
"Yeah, I see it. Greg let Brass know they're coming up on them off road," said Catherine as she signaled the pilot to find a place to as close as possible to the battered jeep to land.
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"Nick, Greg says the jeep didn't make the sharp turn just around this bend. It rolled down the embankment," shouted Warrick over the roar of the truck engine.
Nick quickly glanced back at his partner and nodded his acknowledgement. Slowing around the bend and then taking the sharp turn, Nick eased the Denali to the edge of the road and cut the engine. Brass lit out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop and peered over the edge of the embankment. Within the seconds, the other law enforcement officers joined them at the edge of the road.
The battered jeep had indeed rolled down the steep slope and was balanced precariously on the edge of the precipice. The driver's side door was open but there was no sign of Grissom or Mallory.
Warrick flipped out his phone, "Catherine, we're making our way down to the jeep, but we don't see Mallory or Grissom."
"Copy that. I'm scanning the area, but I'm not seeing much. The sage and creosote bushes are pretty thick out there. If either of them were thrown from the jeep when it made its tumble down the grade, they could be caught up in the underbrush," reported Catherine.
Brass ordered the sheriff and his deputies to spread out. "Gentlemen, I don't know what exactly what we're up against. Use extreme caution. Protect yourselves but don't fire unless I have given the order or that you have been fired upon. All of you got that?"
The officers nodded in compliance and proceeded to spread out in search of the two men. Brass, Warrick, and Nick slid down the slope followed by three of the officers. They cautiously made their way to the jeep.
Nick and Warrick did a quick examination of the interior of the jeep, taking note of the broken seatbelt and blood spatter.
"Looks like at least one of them was injured. I hope to God it was Mallory whose blood this is," muttered Nick under his breath.
"Amen to that brother," replied Warrick. "Brass, one of them is injured. There's blood transfer here. Wasn't Grissom spotted on the passenger-side?"
"Yeah, we're pretty sure that Mallory had to be the one is driving since Jones and Grissom's son are accounted for," said Brass as he scanned the area for signs of where the two men could have gone.
Checking the ground near the jeep, Nick crouched down and examined the ground closely and traced the disturbance in the dirt to the jeep. "Jim, I've got blood. Looking at the way the dirt is disturbed, I say there was a brief struggle here. From the footprints, this person was dragged and pushed or pinned against the jeep."
Warrick followed Nick's reasoning and quickly looked over the driver's side of the jeep. "Looks like there's blood transfer here against the jeep, and my bet is that it's probably Grissom's, said Warrick in a grim voice.
"Yeah, well, they're not here now. What direction did they go? There's brush all around," Brass said as he scanned for any movement in brush.
"That direction, Jim," said Nick. "By the looks of the tracks, it looks as though one of them was being half dragged, half carried. It's for certain that one of them is in seriously injured. My guess would be that Grissom is the one that is injured. Although depending on Griss's state of mind, it could be Mallory who's hurt."
"Let's hope it's Mallory who is hurt. If it's Grissom calling the shots and Mallory is hurt, no one else gets hurt. He'd probably be trying to get him some help, especially if he thinks we are the ones who are trying to kill them. On the other hand, an uninjured Mallory will be using Grissom as a bargaining chip, and it wouldn't matter what condition Grissom would be in," speculated Jim Brass.
Pointing to the brush and rock that Nick had indicated, Brass signaled that the two senior CSI's should spread out and follow the trail into the rock-strewn area. Brass, who had obtained another Glock from one of the deputies, Nick, and Warrick held their weapons in front of them as they cautiously entered the sagebrush covered area. They silently made their way forward. Years of working together as a team under Grissom's tutelage had the three men working the brush intuitively without the need for verbal communication.
Warrick Brown's eyes swept over the slope above them, and noted the armed deputies as they scanned the area below. Warrick waved to them, and, in return, they indicated that they not sighted anything significant. As the three men worked their way through the area, they noted that the steep hillside was rising and getting steeper while this part of the canyon was widening to reveal a rolling desolate valley.
Nick continued his way through the brush and observed the trail of footprints and broken branches of the sage and creosote brush that were leading away from the crash site. Signaling Brass and Warrick, the three men concentrated on heading the direction where the trail was leading them. The three deputies had their weapons ready and were flanking the three men as they made their way slowly towards the widening valley.
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Mallory tucked the Glock into his pants pocket, freeing both hands so that he could half-carry, half drag a trembling, semi-conscious Gil Grissom through the brush. Mallory kept to the shadows along the side of the cliff. The temperature was making a steady climb upwards and Mallory was tempted to dump Grissom in the brush and take his chances on his own. The fact that he could hear the pursuers in the distance behind him caused him to abandon that idea. He would have to find a place that would afford him some protection while at the same time be able to hold Grissom hostage so that he could bargain his way into finding a means of escape. However, Grissom was being of little help in being able to quicken their escape. Whether it was from injuries he had suffered from their horrific roll in the jeep or because of the wearing off of the countermeasure Kenny had given him, Mallory didn't know. Their pursuers would soon be caught up with them, and Mallory was beginning to grow desperate.
Mallory spotted a half-hidden overhang up the side of the western slope of the hillside. Taking a firmer hold on Grissom, he dragged the injured man up the slope towards the overhang.
Gil Grissom felt himself being dragged and pulled through prickly brush. The branches and stickers from the brush were scratching and piercing him. His arms and legs felt like rubber and his whole body felt like it was on fire. The pneumatic pounding in his head was thunderous and he couldn't tell whether the hammering he heard was coming from within his skull or outside it. His breaths were coming in great gasps between fits of coughing. Grissom tried to focus his eyes on his surroundings, but the bright sunlight seemed to be piercing his skull and so he squeezed his eyes shut to try to block out the offending glare of the sun. He felt like he was drowning as blood dribbled from his lips with each cough.
Finally, the dragging and pulling stopped, and he was thrown roughly on a smooth warm surface. Grissom slowly opened his eyes as he lay sprawled on a ledge of rock. He lay on his back, blinking to clear the dust and grime from his eyes. Grissom turned his head and his eyes gradually focused on Mallory, who was crouching down a few feet away from him. Mallory was scanning the area from this vantage point, trying to discern any movement from below. Grissom could hear voices, familiar voices, but he couldn't quite place them. He wasn't sure whether he was imagining them or whether they were really out there.
Mallory had found a slight indentation into the side of the hillside that had an overhang of rock. Hauling the half-conscious Grissom through the brush had sapped his energy, and Mallory needed to rest and figure out the rest of his strategy. The overhang would prevent any approach from above. The only way any of their pursuers could reach them would be to climb the steep incline to this outcropping. Unfortunately, the ledge he had situated them faced the sun and afforded little shade. The temperature was well into the 100's and it was not yet noon. The day would only get hotter; however, Mallory would use Grissom's deteriorating condition to bargain for water and the use of a vehicle to escape.
Wiping the sweat from his eyes, Mallory heard the faint beating of the rotors of an approaching helicopter before he actually saw it. The helicopter was flying up from the south, into this part of the desert landscape. Its occupants had probably already spotted the jeep and were surveying the area for the both of them. Mallory quickly turned around and crouched low over Grissom. The man was in the basically in the same position where Mallory had dumped him. Grissom was weakly waving his shaking arms about as if he was warding off blows from some unseen attacker. Mallory reached under Grissom's arms and dragged the man across the small opening and roughly pushed him against the side of the alcove where he wouldn't be immediately be seen by the searchers in the helicopter.
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Greg Sanders, using his binoculars, scanned the area ahead of the searchers. He carefully scrutinized the desert floor and along the steep hillside. The brush was thick due to the natural drainage that flowed down from the mountains. The aerial view would help them locate the escapees. A sudden movement up ahead along the canyon side caught Greg's attention. Focusing his binoculars, he spied a figure along the edge of an outcropping that had a slight overhang to it. The entrance to the alcove was halfway up the side of the hillside and that would be hard to see from the desert floor because of the thick vegetation. Greg reached over and touched Catherine's arm and pointed out the window.
"Catherine, do you see what I see halfway up that slope?" said Greg into his headset.
The senior investigator peered towards where Greg was pointing. She smiled grimly and nodded to the young man. She immediately contacted ground team who were some 500 yards behind them and making slow progress forward.
"Warrick, about 500 yards ahead, halfway up the slope on your left, there's movement in a slight overhang. Unless you're looking for it, I'm not sure that you will see the overhang. We saw movement up there. Do you copy?"
"Roger that Cath."
The searchers continued their way down the desert floor. Warrick signaled to Nick and pointed to the general area up ahead on the left. Both of them scanned the slope looking for the outcropping. After several minutes, Nick spotted the outcropping first and nodded back to Warrick and pointed to the rock formation.
Meanwhile, the helicopter circled around in search of a place to land. Finding a relatively flat area, the pilot lightly set down and cut the engines. Catherine turned to Scott and Jones.
"Both of you need to stay on board. If Grissom is in control of Mallory, I think we can diffuse the situation. However, if Mallory has taken charge, the safest place will be on board here. The pilot has strict orders to take off and head to Vegas should the situation obviously turns dangerous. Do you understand?"
Jones nodded, but Scott simply stared at Catherine. The thought that his father might, once again, be at the mercy of Mallory didn't sit well with the young man. Seeing the look on his face, Catherine instinctively knew what was going through his mind. Very much like his old man, she thought. She tried to let Grissom's son know that the best thing he could do for his father was to stay safe and to make sure that Sara was taken care of.
"Scott, we're going to get to you dad, but you've got to stay on board in case anything happens. You've got to trust us that we know what we're doing. Grissom would not want you to risk your life for his. He needs you to make sure that Sara gets taken care of."
Scott looked back at Sara who was sitting up with the help of Ken Jones. "Catherine's right, Scott, said Sara softly, "Let them do their jobs."
Scott looked from Sara to Catherine and reluctantly nodded his head. He sat heavily next the Sara and gazed out in the direction where they indicated his father was. "You'll keep us updated on what's going on?" asked the young man in a low voice.
"Yes, we will. We'll bring him back, Scott; I promise," said Catherine solemnly.
"Okay," said Scott quietly, not looking back at the senior investigator but continued to stare out in the direction up the canyon.
Catherine nodded to Greg and they both started out to meet the rest of their team. The helicopter had been able to land relatively close to the overhang and Catherine was sure that the occupants of the alcove had seen the helicopter land. The question was whether Grissom or Mallory was in charge up there. They would find out soon.
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From the protection of the brush near the entrance of the alcove, Mallory could see five searchers making their way down the widening canyon. He recognized Jim Brass among the four other men, two sheriff deputies and two men with black vests. All five men were armed and had their weapons in front of them. Glancing further down the canyon, Mallory watched as the search and rescue helicopter circled the area and then lightly touched down a few hundred yards away the men. Alighting from the helicopter were two figures making their way towards the five men coming down the canyon. All seven of them looked up towards the overhang.
"Well, they know where we are, Grissom. I've got to play our cards right," muttered Mallory to himself.
Crouching down beside the injured man, Mallory grabbed Grissom's shirt with both hands and shook him.
"Hey, I need you to be with me right now. C'mon Grissom. Open your eyes, " said Mallory through clenched teeth.
Grissom heard a familiar voice but it was if it was from a great distance. He struggled to crawl his way to full consciousness. The pounding in his head intensified as Mallory continued to shake him, and Grissom reached up and shakily tried to push away the hands that were shaking him so violently.
"St..stop, stop it," gasped Grissom. Pain and the tremors that were wracking his body were the only things that seemed real to him. The desire to curl up in order to control the red-hot pain that was coursing through his body was overwhelming as he tried to roll away from his captor.
Mallory wasn't about to let Grissom roll away from him and hauled the suffering man to his feet and draped Grissom's right arm across his shoulder and then wrapped his own arm around Grissom's waist. Perspiration soaked through his shirt as a feverish Gil Grissom tried to stand up on his own but found that he lacked the strength. Instead, his head lolled forward as he slumped against Mallory.
Lucas Mallory staggered forward, shifting Grissom's body so that he was now supporting the half-conscious man from behind. Pulling the gun from his pocket, he brandished the weapon and slowly made his way to the lip of the alcove so that the law enforcement officers below could clearly see the both of them.
"Captain Brass! Hey Brass! I got your boy right here!" shouted Mallory as he pressed the Glock against Grissom's head.
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Both Catherine and Greg met up with Brass and the others as they surveyed the area below the overhang. The disturbed vegetation below and leading up to the alcove indicated where and how the Grissom and Mallory had made it up to the overhang. There was no way anyone would be able to make it up there without being seen, so surprising them was out of the question.
"Captain Brass! Look up!" exclaimed one of the deputies.
All eyes turned to look up at the overhang. Mallory was standing behind and holding up a barely conscious Gil Grissom. The ex-convict was holding a gun pressed up against Girssom's head as it rested against Mallory's shoulder.
"Captain Brass! Hey Brass! I got your boy right here!" shouted Mallory.
Jim Brass looked up to see Grissom's head loll forward. Anger seethed through the police detective as he watched Mallory tap the gun around forcing Grissom's head back.
"Lucas Mallory, you know that you're not going to get out of this," as Brass shouted back his warning.
"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Captain. I'm sure that you want to do what you can to save your friend here," said Mallory as his voice echoed out from the alcove. "He's not feeling well and, to tell you the truth, I'm a little tired myself which means that I am a little short on patience."
"Mallory, let's just cut to the chase. What is it that you want?" shouted back the police captain.
Mallory grinned widely and looked towards the helicopter. His attention was momentarily taken away from Brass when he saw two familiar figures emerge from the chopper.
"Brass, I see that the helicopter over there has some passengers. Tell you what…I want some water and my cousin's medical bag. That's not all. I want Grissom's boy to bring the water and bag here."
Brass angrily turned towards the helicopter and upon seeing Jones trying to restrain Scott, Brass hissed, "Catherine, didn't you tell them to stay put?"
"Yeah, I did. Scott's is Grissom's son through and through. I should have handcuffed him to the gurney," said Catherine drily.
Jim Brass shook his head. This put a slightly different spin on things.
"No way, Mallory. I'm not giving you another hostage," shouted Brass.
"Fine, Brass. I really have nothing to lose. I'm dead either way. If I'm sent back to prison, I'm dead because I'm sure the leaders of the Knights have a contract on my head since they sent McKeen after me. I don't plan on returning to prison," said Mallory as he cocked the Glock in preparation to shoot Grissom.
"Wait…hold on Mallory. I'll bring you what you need. Leave Grissom's son out of this," shouted back Brass.
Mallory shook his head. "No, Grissom's son will be the only one I will accept. Grissom needs water. He'll not last another hour in this heat. No tricks. Don't try to doctor the water. Grissom will be the first to get any water so don't try anything. I also know what's in that bag since I helped pack it. Brass, the ball is in your court."
"Okay, just hold on Mallory. We've got to get Scott and get the medical bag."
"Catherine, get Scott over here. Load Jones' bag with water," Brass ordered.
"Jim, you can't...," countered Catherine.
"I can, and I will. Look, Mallory is right. By the way Grissom looks, he won't last much longer in this heat. Getting him some water will maybe buy us some time. I just wish we didn't have to use Scott. All my training says this is wrong, but we don't have a choice. If we don't do what Mallory says, we're basically signing Gil's death warrant,' snapped Brass.
Brass then turned to Nick and Warrick. "I need a long range sharpshooter. Find out which of these guys can shoot a long range rifle."
Reluctantly, Catherine backed away and hurried to the helicopter. She quickly told Scott and Jones the situation.
"Scott, you need to keep that flak jacket on. You're going to climb up to that alcove and bring water and the medical bag to Mallory," Catherine said quickly.
"How's my father? How bad is he?" asked Scott anxiously.
"I don't know, but he must have sustained injuries when the jeep rolled. Scott, whatever happens, keep down and, if you can, stay out of the way. Do you understand?" Catherine said with all seriousness.
Scott nodded, but neglected to tell Catherine about the Glock that was still hidden under the flak jacket.
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A/N: Okay we're almost there. Your reviews have been terrific. Please keep reviewing as it really motivates me into continuing. Let me know what you think.
Since I haven't done a disclaimer for a while, I guess I should include one. I don't own any of these characters with the exception of Scott and Mallory. All mistakes are mine, all mine.