thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. i always like reading your comments, they are what keeps me writing, or at least thinking about writing further chapters, lol. have got exams coming up so won't be writing for a while, but i thought i'd give you the next chapter before i go into exam hibernation, lol. so here you go, hope you like it......Chapter 9.
once Catherine had hung up her cell phone, she went looking for the rest of the team, to let them know what was happening. it wasn't easy to find them, so she decided to send them a text, hoping they'd immediately respond. at least that's what she hoped would happen when she included the words 'urgent!' and 'asap' in her group text at least twice. she then went to the break room to wait for them, hoping it wouldn't be too long for them to arrive so they could get out there.
ok, so maybe she was ovverreacting, but all she knew was, if it was Lindsey, and God forbid if that did happen, she didn't want to be sitting around for ages wondering what was happening and where she was. she could only imagine how guilty Sara felt, even though it wasn't her fault. thankfully Catherine didn't have to wait too long before at last Grissom walked into the break room.
"Catherine, what's up. i mean i got your text, but apart from the repeat of the words, 'urgent', 'asap' and 'NOW!' it was kinda vague. where's Sara? actually where is everyone?"
"Sara's with Lindsey. they're both fine Gil. they found Brooke's car. listen i'd rather only tell this once, so can you wait for the rest of the team to get here please?"
"yeah, sure, ok"
"thank you. where are they? they should be here by now"
"they'll be here. didn't you say that Sara sent them all off doing different things? so they're probably on their way back here right now."
"well i wish they'd hurry up. the clock's ticking...."
a few minutes later....
"finally! where have you been. i sent you that text a while ago. i thought the use of the words 'urgent', 'asap' and 'NOW!' made it clear to get back here quickly."
"yeah we know, but we were in the middle of something." Nick said.
"you were in the middle of something? please tell me it had something to do with finding Brooke. it's the only case we're on at the minute."
"yeah i know. listen i was with Brass like Sara told me to. i'm sorry Cath, no-one's seen her, but to be honest we weren't hoping for much, i mean the video still was still kinda blurry, even though Archie had tightened it up a bit...."
Catherine interrupted "ok, ok. look will you all just sit down and keep quiet ok."
after seing the look on her face and the tone of her voice, they all sat down without another word. although they were kinda wondering where Sara was. the way they saw it she was lucky she wasn't getting this treatment. but to be fair Catherine did seem kinda worried...
"ok. i'll get straight to the point. Sara found Brooke's car. but the thing is, erm Brooke wasn't in it, and the car is, well let's just say it's a wreck. and we have no idea where Brooke is, or where she's headed apart from probably as far away from here as possible. however with the amount of damage the car is in, i doubt she's able to get very far, or got out of that car uninjured, so the clock is ticking. bottom line-we need to find her before it's too late, and then maybe Sara can talk to her and get things straightened out and stop herself from feeling so guilty. ok you got all that? good, let's go."
with that she immediately got out of her chair and headed towards the break room door. when she realised no-one was following her, she turned around and stared at them all.
"why are you still sitting there? didn't you hear me? we need to go out and help Sara find Brooke now!"
"where do we start Cath? i mean we know Sara found Brooke's car, but we don't know where. i mean she could've taken any road out of Vegas. we don't know which way she went."
"Greg! are you a CSI or not? i know that, but we do have Archie, i'm sure he probably tracked her car down, so here's an idea, why don't we go and ask him, to tell us where he tracked Brooke's car to and go from there. actually, you can go tell Brass what i just told you. Nicky you go with him. tell Brass to organise a couple of choppers to get up in the air, we might find her quicker that way ok."
"got it. come on Greggo. let's go."
Nick dragged Greg out of the break room and out towards his car in order to drive to LVPD to update Brass on the latest and get the choppers up in the air as quick as possible. on the way he texted Archie to send him the co-ordinates for where Brooke's car was, so at least they had a starting point for when they got up in the air.
meanwhile.....
i had lost track of time. i still had no idea what had happened, or even how i had got out of the car. at least i din't remember getting out of the car. but no-one else was around so i must have somehow. all i knew was that i had to keep walking. i couldn't stop, i couldn't sit down or anything. i knew that if i did i wouldn't get back up again. i had to keep going, i needed to get as far away from Las Vegas as possible. i didn't exactly know why, i mean i had an idea, and all i knew was i couldn't stay here. i was miles from normal, and had no idea which direction i was heading in, or where i was gonna end up.
for the first time in my life, i was free. free to do what i wanted. free to wander anywhere. free of everything that had been tying me down and weighing on my shoulders for so many years. i was free for the first time, and i was loving this new freedom i had. all that was missing was an idea of where i was going. i suddenly realised i could go anywhere. no-one would be looking for me, no-one would be worrying about me-some things never change huh? but the best thing was, i didn't care anymore. i guess after a while i got used to being on my own, and having to care and look out for myself. maybe Sara had done me a favour by not showing up. actually come to think of it, she had. i had no ties or obligations to anything or anyone-i was free to do whatever i wanted. i know i've said that a couple of times before now, but i just love saying it. i am free and i have the freedom to do whatever i want and i love it....
i had no idea where i was heading, but i continued walking in a straight line. maybe at some point i would reach somewhere where i could get something to eat, or stop for a while. i couldn't stop yet otherwise i would never get up. i needed to keep going, keep going to the new found freedom i now had, wherever that would lead me. i didn't know where i would end up, and that was kinda scary, but exciting too. who knows maybe this is part of the new me, being spontaneous. ok so it was caused by something, something that i don't really remember, but hey it's still being spontaneous right? i think so, and i kinda like that idea.
there was a pain in my wrist and shoulder and also in my stomach that i hadn't been aware of before, but i was becoming more aware of it now. it was killing me. funny how i only just became aware of it. must have been the adrenaline, or something why i wasn't aware of it before. it was then i realised i didn't have anything to take the pain away. maybe there was a way i could make it bearable, at least for now. i took of my shirt, leaving my tank top on, and somehow made it into a sling and wrapped it around my wrist. it seemed to ease the pain, even if it was only a little bit. after making that pain ease a little bit, i continued walking, but the pain in my stomach didn't ease, if anything it was getting worse. it was then i saw a piece of glass peircing my stomach, and then i saw the blood. i knew i had to stop it, i hadn't even realised i was bleeding, i don't even know how much blood i had lost while walking, odds were it was a bit at least. i had to stop the bleeding somehow.
i can't explain how i knew, but i knew not to take the glass out as it would make things worse. i needed something to wrap round it to stop the bleeding. the only thing i could think of was ripping part of my sling off to form a kind of make-shift bandage to wrap round the glass. i knew then that i had to sit down somewhere. i could see a tree not so far off in the distance. i continued walking towards it, slowly know, aware of the blood, and holding my stomach and trying not to move the glass as i was walking. eventually i reached the tree and sat down. i took of the sling, and the pain got worse, i mean i knew it would as soon as i took away the support, but still it was bad. using my teeth i managed to rip a part of my shirt off, and wrapped it around the piece of glass sticking out of my stomach, and hoped it would stop the bleeding, if only for a while. i then redid the sling, adjusting it now part of it had been ripped off and tied it back around my wrist and shoulder. when i felt i could i got back up again slowly, and continued walking.
meanwhile back at Brooke's car...
"Sara!" Lindsey called out "Sara, you might wanna come over here!"
coming over towards Lindsey she said "Lindsey what is it?"
Lindsey pointed towards the ground a bit away from the car where she and now Sara was standing "erm, is that blood?"
Sara looked to where Lindsey was pointing "yes. oh no." Sara's face fell. Lindsey call your mom, tell her what you found. i'm gonna see if it leads anywhere. stay here."
she started walking off, following the blood. it was only a little bit, but she knew what could happen. she needed to find Brooke now. she couldn't wait for the rest of the team to get there, she needed to go now.
Lindsey followed her, and ran to catch up with her. "Sara, wait for me. let me help, after all two heads, and four eyes are better than one and two. i can ring my mom at the same time. and i don't think it's a good idea to leave me all on my own. we're kinda in the middle of nowhere."
"ok. but keep up ok. we need to find her. i need to find her. now call your mom."
Lindsey pressed 1 on her speed dial, and immediately heard her mom's voice. "mom, it's me."
"Lindsey, thank god, are you ok?"
"mom, i'm fine. i'm still with Sara. listen i found something by close to Brooke's car, well blood to be specific, and so me and Sara are following it now. see if we can find her. i'm sorry we can't wait any longer, and neither can Brooke. listen where are you guys?"
"we're almost there, probably about 10 minutes away. and don't worry about it, i get it. just stay close to Sara ok. i don't want to lose you out there too. we'll catch up to you ok. just find Brooke, and stay close to Sara and stay safe. i love you Linds. i'll see you in a bit."
"i love you too mom. and i will. see ya in a bit. love you." and with that Lindsey hung up the phone.
turning to Sara she said "ok so i told mom, and she said they're about 10 minutes away, and that they'll catch us up, and just to keep going and find her. she also said for me to stay close to you, guess she doesn't want me to get lost out here on my own. listen Sara we'll find her ok. we'll find her, she's gonna be ok."
Sara smiled at Lindsey, oh yeah so much like her mom she thought to herself. but out loud she said "i know. i just hope we're not too late."
"we won't be."
Sara and Lindsey kept on walking, following the blood trail, realising the blood trail was getting thicker and thicker. Sara realised that Brooke was losing more and more blood and that if they didn't find her soon, it would definitely be too late. she saw the tree up ahead and ran towards it as fast as she could, hoping that Brooke had sat down by it. Lindsey had to sprint to catch up. when they reached the tree, the found more blood, but no Brooke.
"where is she Linds? where is she?"
TBC?
