Hi guys, I know there's not much excitement in this chapter, but I promise there is some coming soon :)
Hope you're all still enjoying it!

x x x x

"I analysed the smoke bomb components," Nick began, flexing his fingers across his extensive sheaf of notes. It was plain to see that the Texan enjoyed having centre stage – and he was in his element right now. "It was definitely homemade, but this wasn't your usual high-school prank type smoke bomb. This thing was military standard."

"The military?" Greg repeated. "So, the army's trying to sabotage the lab?"

"I don't think so, G." Nick chuckled. "Although that's not to say that whoever made this didn't have military training – it took skill."

"Good for them." Warrick grunted. "Can we get anything off that funky bomb to identify who made it?"

"Oh, no." Nicky shook his head, sobering up again. "I checked every surface; no fingerprints, no DNA. And the chemicals that were used are pretty standard, could have been bought anywhere on the high street."

"Okay." Cath exhaled, resting her hands on the bench. "So, what do we know?"

"We know how they got it in." Grissom interjected, stepping forward. He produced a photograph of an unmarked cardboard box with an evidence label stuck on the front.

"Someone disguised it as a piece of evidence?" The blonde scrunched her nose up, squinting at the photo in an effort to read the label.

"Yeah, this box was found on a trolley full of other evidence that was left in the corridor." The boss explained. "We've checked everything else on the trolley – it was all genuine apart from this box."

"So, where did it come from?" Warrick voiced the question that was playing on everyone's mind.

"We don't know." He breathed. "It appears that someone must have snuck it onto the trolley while inside the evidence locker. But that could have happened anytime in the last week and since there's no CCTV inside the locker..."

"Dead end." Catherine summed up bluntly.

Grissom released a breath, slamming his folder shut.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Hold up a second." Warrick held his hands up. "We still have the bomb itself. I mean, someone must have set it off, right?"

"Yeah, someone did." Nick agreed, clearing his throat as he produced another document for the dark-skinned CSI to peruse. "As far as I can tell, it was activated remotely."

"So, whoever activated it didn't even need to be on site?" Greg asked, furrowing his brow. "That hardly narrows it down."

"Well, not exactly." Nick continued. "You see, remote activation devices typically rely on frequency. They need to be within a certain distance of the device for the signal to register. I would say it would have to be a mile at the most."

"Can Archie track the signal?" Catherine asked, her interest captured again as she leant over Warrick's shoulder to read the information.

"He's working on it now."

A depressed silence fell over the group at the evidence, or lack thereof.

"Do we have a motive yet?" Grissom asked at last, his brow rising in hope.

"No." Catherine flicked her long hair over her shoulder petulantly. "We checked all the inventory, everything's accounted for."

"So," he sighed, casting his gaze around the room at each CSI in turn. "Where does that leave us?"

As a contemplative quiet fell over the group, one member in particular was studiously staring at the table.

It went against every bone on her body to keep evidence from her team, but she just couldn't find it in her to mention the metal box currently lying at the bottom of a trash can in the locker room.

X x x

"Relax, it's not that bad." Sofia joked, tracing a finger around the rim of her coffee mug.

Sara stopped her nervous fidgeting and flicked her eyes up, narrowing them at her ex.

"What did you want to tell me?" She asked at last, although she already had an inkling as to the topic of this conversation.

Sofia looked briefly taken aback by the brusque question.

"Right, um …" she paused, licking her lips. "There's not really an easy way to say this."

Sara quirked an eyebrow impatiently, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Okay, a couple of nights ago I was working with a patrol cop and she mentioned your name."

"Kirsty." Sara cleared her throat. "I know, she told me."

Sofia's expression belayed her surprise at this information, but she quickly hid it behing an apologetic smile.

"Oh. Right, well I just wanted to explain … I didn't mean to tell her about us. It just slipped out."

"It's fine." Sara looked away, casting her eyes through the grease-stained window and across the deserted parking lot.

Sofia scrutinised her for a long moment, trying to guage her mood. It was one thing she had never quite mastered, even when they were dating. Sara had the uncanny ability to hide her emotions and feelings behind a mask of indifference, or a blank wall of silence.

"How do you know her?" She asked at last, re-gaining Sara's attention. The brunette turned her stoic expression back to the detective.

"That's none of your business, Sofia." She stated bluntly, gathering her jacket from the seat and standing up. "Are we done?" The question was rhetorical and she didn't appear interested in sticking around to hear the answer.

"Be careful Sara." Sofia almost shouted after her rapidly departing colleague, launching to her feet herself. Sara stopped, turning slowly back to the booth with a questioning look in her eyes. Sofia swallowed, glancing self-consciously around them. It was mid-shift, so the only people in Franks besides them were the staff and a couple of tourists who'd obviously gotten lost way off-Strip.

"Sara, I don't know what's going on between you two and I don't want to know." She held her hands up defensively, softening her tone. "But just … be careful."

With the cryptic message received, Sara turned around and walked stiffly out into the crisp air. It was nearly dawn and the sky was starting to change colour.

She used to love this time of day, when she lived near the beach. It just wasn't the same in a city where the lights never switched off and the sky was permanently a garish shade of orange.

X x x

The lights from above reflected off the puddles left from yesterday's rainfall. The fusion of colours and the motion of the water together almost had a psychedelic effect.

"So," the cop asked, breaking the awkward silence between them and snapping Sara's attention back from the hypnotic puddles. "Anything interesting happen at work today?"

"No." Sara responded instantly, wrapping her arms around her body. Kirsty had been bored in the flat and Sara didn't want her to get any romantic ideas so she'd suggested a walk along the Strip instead. She just wished she'd put on more layers first.

Despite her instinctive answer to the seemingly normal question, Sara paused.

Actually, something had happened. She turned, cocking her head to side curiously. "What did you get up to tonight?" The question came across as perfectly innocent and Kirsty gladly began detailing her night at work, unaware of Sara's ulterior motive.

When the first note had appeared in her locker, the thought that it could be Kirsty had briefly crossed her mind but she had quickly disregarded it. After all, Kirsty was gay. Why on earth would she slip a homophobic note into her own girlfriend's locker?

But after the effort gone to today to get a second note to her, Sara had given it some more thought. Perhaps this wasn't about homophobia. What if this was just someone trying to mess with her head?

And no one did that better than Kirsty herself.

How better to freak her out than to leave an abusive message for her and panic the whole lab in the process? Because now Sara was in the awkward position of having to decide between her obligation to the lab and protecting her own privacy.

Kirsty was testing her nerve.

And that was one game that Sara Sidle was a pro at.