Day and Night (7)
Title: Day and Night (7)
Rating: R
Summary: The team works to find Catherine.
Pairings: Ryan/Natalia, Eric/Calleigh, Sara/Nick, Warrick/Catherine
A/N: There will probably be one more chapter and an epilogue. Probably. Thanks to
tidbit2008 for the beta.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"You wanted to see us?" Nick asked as he and Natalia walked into Grissom's office.
Gil nodded. "I think it's time we went over what happened to you. Maybe one of you remembers something that could help us find Catherine and her daughter."
"What about Eric?" Natalia asked.
"Horatio is at the hospital now. We thought it best if he talked to him."
The two C.S.I.s nodded as they sat down in the chairs facing Gil's desk. They sat there for a moment, none of them knowing exactly where to start. Finally, Grissom cleared his throat.
"What do you remember?" he asked.
"I was in bed," Natalia started, her voice sounding far away. "I must have been asleep, because I remember my eyes snapping open when something was put over my mouth. I tried to move, but there was something on top of me…I couldn't do anything. The…the next thing I knew was waking up on that table, and realizing that I was moving closer to the flames."
"When you opened your eyes…did you see anything?"
Natalia frowned, trying to force her mind back to that moment, but finally she had to shake her head. "No. There weren't any lights. I couldn't see anything."
"What about when you woke up at the crematory? Was there anyone still there?"
This time she shook her head right away. "No. As far as I could see, I was definitely alone."
Grissom nodded, inwardly frustrated at the lack of information that she had been able to give them. Swallowing his disappointment, he took what he could from it.
"So we know that chloroform was probably used," he reasoned. "And there's a good chance that there's more than one person involved in this. It's hard to subdue someone by yourself." He looked over at Nick. "Especially someone your size."
Nick shook his head, his frustration evident. "I don't think I woke up."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, Nick," Gil said, his voice calm. "They could have filled the room with a gas to knock you out, or you may simply sleep heavier than Natalia. We can ask the bastard when we catch up with him."
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you out more," Natalia said quietly.
"Don't," Grissom said firmly. "What about Warrick? How is he holding up?"
Nick shrugged. "He's not letting much show. But he's worried. He…he really cares about Cath."
"He loves her. We don't need to mince words here, Nick. We all know how those two feel about each other."
"If we don't find them soon, Gris…he might snap."
Gil nodded. "Then let's find them."
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Warrick kept his eyes firmly on the floor as he walked down one of the lab's corridors, his mind a whirlwind of thought and emotion. The realization that the lunatic they were chasing wanted Cath and her daughter dead struck him like a bullet to the chest, and at first he had had trouble breathing.
Now desperation and anger raged within him, both vying for his attention. He knew though, deep down, that if he gave in to either, he would lessen his chances of finding Catherine and Lindsey before it was too late. So he took a deep breath and stepped out of the lab, letting himself calm down before he went back to the little evidence that they had.
He was so fixated on his thoughts, that he didn't even see the other person as he rounded the corner. They collided into one another, and a file folder flew out of their hands, sending papers all over the corridor.
Warrick bent down immediately, reaching out to gather the papers. "I'm sorry, I -" He broke off and looked up then, seeing who he had bumped into. "Hey, Ronnie."
She gave him a tight smile. "Hey."
The papers gathered, they both stood up. Warrick frowned, confusion clear in his eyes.
"I thought you had transferred to New York."
Annoyance flashed across her face, but it was quickly gone. "Not yet. I still have a few things to sort out here before I move."
"What made you want to move out east?"
Ronnie stared at him for a moment. "You're kidding, right?"
"What?"
"I didn't want to transfer. I was told that new C.S.I.s were coming in and that they would find me a job in another lab - something about Horatio Caine refusing to come without his team."
Warrick looked uncomfortable, obviously caught off-guard by her rant. "I'm sorry…I just…I didn't know."
"Right," she said, a hint of bitterness lacing her words. "You didn't even notice I was still here." When he opened his mouth, she put up a hand to stop him. "No…I get it. I know you're going through a lot right now, Warrick, what with Catherine being taken from right under your nose."
He looked down, her words striking a chord. "We'll find her."
Ronnie gave him a sad smile. "Of course you will. Look…I should…I have some stuff to do, and you…you'd better get back to finding your girl."
Before he could respond, she walked away, leaving him alone in the corridor once again.
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Greg sighed as he once again took up the picture frame that they had found on the floor at Catherine's place. He was beyond exhausted, his eyes sliding shut now and then as his body craved the rest that he was steadfastly denying it. But every time his eyes closed, he was faced with images of Nick in that box, and he would jolt awake, reminded that Catherine and her daughter were probably in an even worse situation.
He went over the frame millimeter by millimeter, determined not to miss anything. He reasoned that there was no way this kidnapper could leave absolutely no trace of himself, and the key to his identity had to be in one of the things that they had found in Cath's home.
After finding nothing on the front of the frame, Greg turned it over, taking out the back and the picture that it housed. His eyes slowly slid shut again as his body reminded him that it could not be ignored forever. But then they snapped open as he caught sight of something stuck in the inside corner of the frame.
"What the hell?"
He picked up a pair of tiny tweezers and reached in with a shaky hand, removing the object. When he held it up under the light, he saw that it was a hair - one that was far too dark to belong to either Catherine or Lindsey.
Smiling, he put the hair in an envelope and practically ran out into the hall. The sooner they got the hair tested, the sooner they would know who had taken their friend.
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When Hodges walked in, he was surprised at what he saw. Greg was sitting at one of the long tables, practically bouncing up and down on the stool. Frowning, he walked closer.
"Are you okay, Greg?"
The younger man jumped at the intrusion. "What? Oh, yeah…I found a hair!"
Hodges' eyes widened. "On something we got from Catherine's house?"
Greg nodded. "I'm running it through the machine now. If we get a hit, that means we know at least one of the attackers, and that'll be the first real lead we have on this guy."
Greg's phone rang then, once again causing the C.S.I. to jump. Cursing under his breath, he answered.
"Hello? Yeah…what? Right now? But…fine. I'll be right there."
He sighed, looking over at Hodges. "Apparently Horatio and Grissom need to see me right now. Can you…?"
The other man nodded. "Absolutely. I'll stay here until the results come in."
"Thanks, man."
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"Hey Hodges."
He looked up to see Ronnie walking into the room. Giving her a tight smile, his gaze went back to the computer screen in front of him. "Hey Ronnie."
"What's up? You seem really…focused."
"We found a hair."
She stopped suddenly. "What?"
"We found a hair," he repeated. "At Catherine's house, in the picture frame. We think Lindsey hit her attacker over the head with it and the hair got caught."
"And…you're sure that it's not Cath or Lindsey's?"
Hodges shook his head. "Too dark. They're both blondes, and this hair was almost black as night."
Ronnie watched him for a long minute, apparently lost in thought. Then she began to move closer.
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"You wanted to see me?" Greg asked as he burst into Grissom's office.
Both Gil and Horatio looked up in surprise at the intrusion.
"No…" Grissom said slowly. "Why would you think that?"
Greg frowned in confusion. "Because Ronnie called me and said…" He trailed off as a sudden thought occurred to him.
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The computer beeped and Hodges' eyes snapped to the screen, anxious to find out what the results had to tell him. As he read the name that came up, his eyes widened in disbelief and shock overran him in waves.
"What did you find?" Ronnie asked.
Hodges looked up to see her standing right beside him. Her gaze locked on the name and picture on the screen and then she sighed sadly.
"I'm sorry, Hodges," she said quietly.
Fear flooded his eyes just as Ronnie pulled a hunting knife out of her waistband. Without any hesitation, she thrust it into him, sliding it up and in between his ribs. Hodges opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as blood began to pour from the wound. His body suddenly refused to hold him up anymore, and he slid from the stool, crashing onto the cold floor.
Not sparing him a second glance, Ronnie pulled out a pair of gloves and moved to the computer, quickly deleting the results. She grabbed an evidence bag and took the hair as well, tucking it deep into her pocket. Satisfied that she had covered her tracks, she turned and walked out of the lab.
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Hodges was painfully aware of the silence that had settled over the room. No one was walking down the corridor, moving toward him with the prospect of rescue. He could feel the blood seeping out of him, soaking through his shirt and spreading across the floor.
Taking in a wet and painful breath, he moved his hand down to his waistband, fumbling for the phone there. When he had finally detached it, he flipped it open, his shaking fingers pressing the keypad for the last time.
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Greg, Horatio and Grissom raced down the corridors, fear driving them on. But when they finally reached the lab where Greg had left Hodges, it was obvious that they were too late. Grissom walked over to their fallen colleague, but shook his head as he searched for a pulse and came up empty. Greg moved to the computer instead.
"Dammit!"
"What is it?" Gil asked.
Greg clenched his jaw in frustration. "The results…they're gone. And so is the hair."
"Don't lose hope yet, Greg," Horatio said carefully. He stepped over to Hodges, putting on a pair of gloves before plucking the cell phone out of his hand. After reading the message, he turned it around so the other two could see. "He died typing this out, telling us who his killer was."
"Ronnie," Gil whispered.
Rating: R
Summary: The team works to find Catherine.
Pairings: Ryan/Natalia, Eric/Calleigh, Sara/Nick, Warrick/Catherine
A/N: There will probably be one more chapter and an epilogue. Probably. Thanks to
tidbit2008 for the beta.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"You wanted to see us?" Nick asked as he and Natalia walked into Grissom's office.
Gil nodded. "I think it's time we went over what happened to you. Maybe one of you remembers something that could help us find Catherine and her daughter."
"What about Eric?" Natalia asked.
"Horatio is at the hospital now. We thought it best if he talked to him."
The two C.S.I.s nodded as they sat down in the chairs facing Gil's desk. They sat there for a moment, none of them knowing exactly where to start. Finally, Grissom cleared his throat.
"What do you remember?" he asked.
"I was in bed," Natalia started, her voice sounding far away. "I must have been asleep, because I remember my eyes snapping open when something was put over my mouth. I tried to move, but there was something on top of me…I couldn't do anything. The…the next thing I knew was waking up on that table, and realizing that I was moving closer to the flames."
"When you opened your eyes…did you see anything?"
Natalia frowned, trying to force her mind back to that moment, but finally she had to shake her head. "No. There weren't any lights. I couldn't see anything."
"What about when you woke up at the crematory? Was there anyone still there?"
This time she shook her head right away. "No. As far as I could see, I was definitely alone."
Grissom nodded, inwardly frustrated at the lack of information that she had been able to give them. Swallowing his disappointment, he took what he could from it.
"So we know that chloroform was probably used," he reasoned. "And there's a good chance that there's more than one person involved in this. It's hard to subdue someone by yourself." He looked over at Nick. "Especially someone your size."
Nick shook his head, his frustration evident. "I don't think I woke up."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, Nick," Gil said, his voice calm. "They could have filled the room with a gas to knock you out, or you may simply sleep heavier than Natalia. We can ask the bastard when we catch up with him."
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you out more," Natalia said quietly.
"Don't," Grissom said firmly. "What about Warrick? How is he holding up?"
Nick shrugged. "He's not letting much show. But he's worried. He…he really cares about Cath."
"He loves her. We don't need to mince words here, Nick. We all know how those two feel about each other."
"If we don't find them soon, Gris…he might snap."
Gil nodded. "Then let's find them."
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Warrick kept his eyes firmly on the floor as he walked down one of the lab's corridors, his mind a whirlwind of thought and emotion. The realization that the lunatic they were chasing wanted Cath and her daughter dead struck him like a bullet to the chest, and at first he had had trouble breathing.
Now desperation and anger raged within him, both vying for his attention. He knew though, deep down, that if he gave in to either, he would lessen his chances of finding Catherine and Lindsey before it was too late. So he took a deep breath and stepped out of the lab, letting himself calm down before he went back to the little evidence that they had.
He was so fixated on his thoughts, that he didn't even see the other person as he rounded the corner. They collided into one another, and a file folder flew out of their hands, sending papers all over the corridor.
Warrick bent down immediately, reaching out to gather the papers. "I'm sorry, I -" He broke off and looked up then, seeing who he had bumped into. "Hey, Ronnie."
She gave him a tight smile. "Hey."
The papers gathered, they both stood up. Warrick frowned, confusion clear in his eyes.
"I thought you had transferred to New York."
Annoyance flashed across her face, but it was quickly gone. "Not yet. I still have a few things to sort out here before I move."
"What made you want to move out east?"
Ronnie stared at him for a moment. "You're kidding, right?"
"What?"
"I didn't want to transfer. I was told that new C.S.I.s were coming in and that they would find me a job in another lab - something about Horatio Caine refusing to come without his team."
Warrick looked uncomfortable, obviously caught off-guard by her rant. "I'm sorry…I just…I didn't know."
"Right," she said, a hint of bitterness lacing her words. "You didn't even notice I was still here." When he opened his mouth, she put up a hand to stop him. "No…I get it. I know you're going through a lot right now, Warrick, what with Catherine being taken from right under your nose."
He looked down, her words striking a chord. "We'll find her."
Ronnie gave him a sad smile. "Of course you will. Look…I should…I have some stuff to do, and you…you'd better get back to finding your girl."
Before he could respond, she walked away, leaving him alone in the corridor once again.
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Greg sighed as he once again took up the picture frame that they had found on the floor at Catherine's place. He was beyond exhausted, his eyes sliding shut now and then as his body craved the rest that he was steadfastly denying it. But every time his eyes closed, he was faced with images of Nick in that box, and he would jolt awake, reminded that Catherine and her daughter were probably in an even worse situation.
He went over the frame millimeter by millimeter, determined not to miss anything. He reasoned that there was no way this kidnapper could leave absolutely no trace of himself, and the key to his identity had to be in one of the things that they had found in Cath's home.
After finding nothing on the front of the frame, Greg turned it over, taking out the back and the picture that it housed. His eyes slowly slid shut again as his body reminded him that it could not be ignored forever. But then they snapped open as he caught sight of something stuck in the inside corner of the frame.
"What the hell?"
He picked up a pair of tiny tweezers and reached in with a shaky hand, removing the object. When he held it up under the light, he saw that it was a hair - one that was far too dark to belong to either Catherine or Lindsey.
Smiling, he put the hair in an envelope and practically ran out into the hall. The sooner they got the hair tested, the sooner they would know who had taken their friend.
888888888888888888
When Hodges walked in, he was surprised at what he saw. Greg was sitting at one of the long tables, practically bouncing up and down on the stool. Frowning, he walked closer.
"Are you okay, Greg?"
The younger man jumped at the intrusion. "What? Oh, yeah…I found a hair!"
Hodges' eyes widened. "On something we got from Catherine's house?"
Greg nodded. "I'm running it through the machine now. If we get a hit, that means we know at least one of the attackers, and that'll be the first real lead we have on this guy."
Greg's phone rang then, once again causing the C.S.I. to jump. Cursing under his breath, he answered.
"Hello? Yeah…what? Right now? But…fine. I'll be right there."
He sighed, looking over at Hodges. "Apparently Horatio and Grissom need to see me right now. Can you…?"
The other man nodded. "Absolutely. I'll stay here until the results come in."
"Thanks, man."
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"Hey Hodges."
He looked up to see Ronnie walking into the room. Giving her a tight smile, his gaze went back to the computer screen in front of him. "Hey Ronnie."
"What's up? You seem really…focused."
"We found a hair."
She stopped suddenly. "What?"
"We found a hair," he repeated. "At Catherine's house, in the picture frame. We think Lindsey hit her attacker over the head with it and the hair got caught."
"And…you're sure that it's not Cath or Lindsey's?"
Hodges shook his head. "Too dark. They're both blondes, and this hair was almost black as night."
Ronnie watched him for a long minute, apparently lost in thought. Then she began to move closer.
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"You wanted to see me?" Greg asked as he burst into Grissom's office.
Both Gil and Horatio looked up in surprise at the intrusion.
"No…" Grissom said slowly. "Why would you think that?"
Greg frowned in confusion. "Because Ronnie called me and said…" He trailed off as a sudden thought occurred to him.
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The computer beeped and Hodges' eyes snapped to the screen, anxious to find out what the results had to tell him. As he read the name that came up, his eyes widened in disbelief and shock overran him in waves.
"What did you find?" Ronnie asked.
Hodges looked up to see her standing right beside him. Her gaze locked on the name and picture on the screen and then she sighed sadly.
"I'm sorry, Hodges," she said quietly.
Fear flooded his eyes just as Ronnie pulled a hunting knife out of her waistband. Without any hesitation, she thrust it into him, sliding it up and in between his ribs. Hodges opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as blood began to pour from the wound. His body suddenly refused to hold him up anymore, and he slid from the stool, crashing onto the cold floor.
Not sparing him a second glance, Ronnie pulled out a pair of gloves and moved to the computer, quickly deleting the results. She grabbed an evidence bag and took the hair as well, tucking it deep into her pocket. Satisfied that she had covered her tracks, she turned and walked out of the lab.
88888888888888888
Hodges was painfully aware of the silence that had settled over the room. No one was walking down the corridor, moving toward him with the prospect of rescue. He could feel the blood seeping out of him, soaking through his shirt and spreading across the floor.
Taking in a wet and painful breath, he moved his hand down to his waistband, fumbling for the phone there. When he had finally detached it, he flipped it open, his shaking fingers pressing the keypad for the last time.
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Greg, Horatio and Grissom raced down the corridors, fear driving them on. But when they finally reached the lab where Greg had left Hodges, it was obvious that they were too late. Grissom walked over to their fallen colleague, but shook his head as he searched for a pulse and came up empty. Greg moved to the computer instead.
"Dammit!"
"What is it?" Gil asked.
Greg clenched his jaw in frustration. "The results…they're gone. And so is the hair."
"Don't lose hope yet, Greg," Horatio said carefully. He stepped over to Hodges, putting on a pair of gloves before plucking the cell phone out of his hand. After reading the message, he turned it around so the other two could see. "He died typing this out, telling us who his killer was."
"Ronnie," Gil whispered.