Re-Evaluation
Disclaimer: I don't own Grissom, worse luck, Catherine or any of the gang. I just play in their sandbox.
Dedication: Thanks to AbyKitten for being patient and betaing and vividlyblue1 for giving me back my muse!
Chapter 1
Grissom was second to arrive at the crime scene. This wasn't unusual, he was often there with only the duty officer. He'd been told it was Lt. O'Riley on this one and as he arrived he drew up behind the other man's car.
Warrick should have been with his boss but a call had come in for him just as they were preparing to leave and Grissom hadn't wanted to waste time waiting around, so he'd told the younger man he'd meet him at their destination.
Turning off the engine and headlights, he leaned over to the passenger side, retrieved his crime kit and flashlight then left the Tahoe. It was a lovely clear night, just the sort he liked with not a cloud to obscure the stars and the moon as they kissed the darkness. He looked for O'Reilly but couldn't see him. 'Strange,' he thought. He could see where the officer had already taped off the area surrounding the body so he decided to make a start while he waited for Warrick and young David from the coroner's office.
Carefully quartering the crime scene, slipping on his gloves as he did so, he started his usual thorough walk through of the scene. He was brought up short in surprise when he heard a soft pfuff sound and felt something hit him in the chest. He looked down astonished to see a bronze dart with green feathers sticking out of his jacket. He raised his flashlight to see if he could discover who had fired it and why. It was only when his vision began to blur and he felt his head swim that he realised the dart had actually pierced his skin. His last waking thought was, 'Shit!' and then everything went black.
When Warrick Brown arrived at the scene he immediately knew something was wrong. His headlights illuminating the sliver case of a crime scene kit lying at a curious angle was all it took. A flashlight still shining lay nearby.
He found Grissom's Tahoe and O'Reilly's car but neither man was in evidence. He didn't like this. Grissom wouldn't just up and leave without telling one of his team where he was going and he always carried his cell phone with him.
He jumped out of his car, keen to see what the evidence would tell him about his boss' whereabouts. The sound of thumping and muffled shouting coming from the cop's car stalled his motion. Rounding the front of the car he found the keys still in the ignition and quickly used them to open the trunk, there he found O'Reilly. The man was clearly dazed and upset but other than a lump on the back of his head he seemed unhurt.
"What happened, man?" Warrick asked hoping the explanation would stem the flood of fear in his stomach, 'Where the hell is Grissom?'
"I don't know," O'Riley answered, "I'd just taped off the scene and radioed it in," he continued, rubbing the back of his head and hissing when he touched the lump. "I was just leaning against the car waiting for you guys to show when bang something hit me from behind." He was clearly annoyed and felt rather foolish at being taken so easily. "I don't know who or what, there was no one in sight when I arrived," he was never going to hear the end of this one, "next thing I know I'm wakening up in the trunk." He looked around and spotted the two Tahoes, the cars assigned to the criminalists, "At least you're both here now, so we better get started."
Warrick growled and hit the car with the palm of his hand, "Dammit!" he cursed. Ignoring O'Riley's amazement he walked toward the scene, maybe processing it would explain what happened to his boss?
All too soon he came across marks in the sand unlinked with the dead body. They showed where a body had fallen heavily and awkwardly. There were scuff marks leading away suggesting someone had dragged the person off, these marks led to a set of tyre tracks that showed someone had left in a hurry.
O'Riley came up behind the younger man making sure not to trample any of the evidence, he'd been chewed out once to often for not taking care. "What's the problem?" he asked, "who's the other CSI assigned to this one?" He looked about to see where Warrick's partner could be a frown creasing his brow.
Rubbing his hands over his face and up into his hair Warrick did not want to believe what the signs were telling him. He gave a deep sigh and answered. "It was Grissom... and someone's grabbed him."
"Shit!" He heard O'Riley snarl, "Brass'll have my head for this!"
Warrick nodded his agreement, 'Yeah,' he thought, 'right after Catherine has our balls.' He didn't want to be the one to tell her but knew she'd kill him if he didn't.
As O'Riley took out his cell phone to contact Brass with the bad news, Warrick dug out his own. Reluctantly he dialled Catherine's number.
Chapter Two