Chapter 20

Nick, Greg and Sara were in the break room when Gil came in. "Grab your kits and let's go," he told them. They looked at each other. "Today!" he said.

They stood up and followed him out. Gil got into the Danali, the others were right behind him. As he took off Sara said, "What's up?"

"Brass called me," he said, "We're on our way to a home invasion."

"Who's?" Sara asked. She knew it was not JUST a home invasion by the way he was acting.

"Warrick and Catherine," Gil said. Sara's mouth fell open, she looked at Nick.

At the house Brass was standing outside, there was an ambulance and other police cars.

"What happened?" Gil asked Jim. "Lindsay said that they had come home from dinner. When Warrick opened the door he was jumped and knocked unconscious. She is shaky as to what happened after that. Lindsay's friend showed up to take her to school the next morning, the door was ajar. When she pushed it open she seen the blood and called 911."

"How are they?" Nick asked as they walked to the house. Jim shook his head. "Warrick has a bad head wound, someone beat the crap out of him. Catherine and Lindsay had both been hurt too." Jim pulled in a deep breath, "I think they were both raped."

The team had to step aside so the paramedics could get the gurneys out the door. "Sara, take over. I am going with them," Gil said. "You know what to do. Ecklie is sending a couple of people from swing to help."

Sara nodded. She told Greg to check outside while she and Nick started inside.

A little latter two people came to Sara, "Mrs. Grissom?" Sara turned around. "Beth Jenkins and Frank Little, Ecklie said you needed some help." Sara told Beth to hook up with Greg on the outside. Frank stayed inside with her.

At the hospital Grissom collected clothing, "Make sure you get a sexual assault exam on both the ladies." The doctor nodded, Gil stood in the waiting room.

Sara called him, "How are they?"

"They are still being checked out," he said. "I am waiting for a report."

"Were they?" Sara asked not being able to say the word.

"Brass was not wrong," was all Gil said.

"We're about done here," Sara said. "I'll be there in a few." Sara turned to Nick and shook her head YES. "Someone is going to pay big time for this one," he said.

"Mrs. Grissom," Little said, "both of their weapons are missing. And look at this." On the bedroom wall someone had written DEATH TO ALL PIGS.

"That explains the beatings," Nick said. "They discovered that Warrick and Catherine were LVPD." "Make sure you photograph that," Sara said.

Little was holding an empty bottle of nail polish, it matched the writing on the wall.

"Bag that too," Sara told him. Evidence was bagged and tagged. "Greg, get this back to the lab," Sara said. "Nick and I will go to the hospital. Call me when you find something. Beth, help him." Sara told Frank to go with them and get whatever evidence Gil had collected and get it back to the lab to be processed.

At the hospital Sara went to Gil, "Have you heard anything yet?"

Gil shook his head NO. He handed Little what he had collected. Gil, Sara and Nick were talking when Brass came in. "No word yet," Sara said.

A doctor came out and introduced himself. "Mr. Brown took the worst of it. He has several broken ribs. His whole upper body and face had been kicked. The last time I seen injuries like this was when a man got kicked by a mule. Someone did not want him to live. He lost quite a lot of blood from the head wound. Both of the ladies were also kicked and beaten, Mrs. Browns injuries are much worse then the young ladies. Both were raped. Positive for semen. I gave the other gentlemen the kits."

"When can we see them? I need to check them for evidence." Gil asked.

"One can go back now and take care of that," the doctor said. "The rest will have to wait." Nick was three feet in front of the rest, "I will take care of it."

Nick fallowed the doctor back, he went to Warrick first. "Hey!" Warrick said.

"Hey yourself," Nick said. "How are you?"

"I've seen better days," he said. Nick opened his kit, "You know what I have to do,"

"Yeah," Warrick said. "Kind of creepy being on this side of it."

They talked as Nick processed him. "I think you should take care of the ladies," Gil said to Sara.

Sara went to Catherine first. Catherine looked at Sara and tried to smile. "It is ok," Sara said.

"This is a little awkward," Catherine said.

Sara smiled, "Only a little." After all Sara had been through in the past she knew just how Catherine felt.

After all the "official" CSI work was over Sara sat next to Catherine and talked. "I don't even know what happened," Catherine said. Sara filled her in on what she knew. Lindsay came in to her mother, tears were in her eyes. Catherine took her in her arms. Sara knew this was her clue to go. Jim was in the waiting room, "They are going to be ok," Sara said. "Bruised for sure and very hurting. I am on my way back to the lab to see if we can catch the SOB's who did this. Tell Gil for me." She planted a kiss on Jim's cheek.

At the lab she went into DNA where she was told Greg was. "Lucky for us they were to stupid to use condoms," Greg said.

"Yeah, not to lucky for Lindsay and Catherine," Sara said. "BINGO!" Beth said. "A hit?" Sara asked. "Yes," Beth said and handed Sara a paper.

Sara was on her way out the door when she ran into Nick. "We have three DNA hits," Sara told him. "Let me see," Nick said. He compared them to the hits he got off prints.

"Three hits. Three matches," he said. DNA and prints matched three ex-cons, they were all cell mates.

Sara called Brass who then called their PO's. She got three addresses, with in 15 minutes the three men were in custody.

Sara and Jim were questioning one of them, Gil another and Nick the third one. No one was saying anything. Sara, Gil, Jim and Nick all meant in the hall, "We have enough evidence for an arrest with out a confession," Jim said. All three were arrested.

Gil and Sara went to the hospital. They picked up Warrick and Catherine. "You guys are going to stay with us for a while," Sara said. "You can't go back to your place anyway."

"I doubt I ever can," Catherine said. "I already got enough stuff for a few days, "Sara said.

"I called your mother," Gil said. "She said she will catch a flight back from Florida and be here as soon as she can."

"I hate she is having to cutting her vacation short, "Catherine said. Lindsay had already gotten permission to stay with a friend.

"I hope she is going to be alright, mentally?" Gil said. "This kind of thing can be traumatic." "Casey's mom is a physiologist," Catherine said. "They have a very good relationship. She said she would talk to Lindsay."

At the house Gil and Sara helped get the Brown's settled in. In their room Sara lay close to Gil, "I can't get the picture out of my head. Warrick, Catherine and Lindsay all bloody and bruised."

"I know," Gil said. "They are lucky. It could have been a lot worse."

Sara pulled closer to Gil. He kissed the top of her head, "Try and rest."

Just then one of the babies moved and kicked him. "Hey you," he said. "Hold still, Momma needs to sleep."

In the guest room Warrick was trying to get comfortable. Catherine was sitting on the side of the bed. "You ok?" he asked when he finally found a halfway comfortable spot. "Yes and no," she said. "I was thinking of all the ladies I have talked to who were victims of rape. Each time I would say - I understand how you must feel - well NOW I do know."

"Come here," Warrick said. Catherine got as close to him as she could without hurting him. "You know this does not change how I feel about you," he told Catherine.

"I know," she told him, "It does defiantly give me a different outlook as far as the job goes."

"Mrs. Brown," Warrick said. "When was the last time I told you I love you?"

"I don't know," Catherine said.

"I love you, Catherine Brown." "I love you, Warrick Brown." Both couples finally slept.