Gil glanced down at his watch, cursing as he slid on his shoes. ‘I’m going to be late again.’ He had just reached the door when his phone rang. Stopping in the hall, he glanced at the door then back to the phone. Sighing, he turned and walked back to the phone.

“Grissom.”

“Where are you?”

“You called me at home, Cath. Where do you think I’m at?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m on my way. Overslept again.” He explained shortly. “Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be there.” He glanced back at his watch again. “I need to get out of here, I’ll call you on my cell in a few minutes. I’m guessing you’ve already looked at the case files, you can update me on my way in.”

“Talk to you in a few.” Catherine sighed as she hung up the phone, taking the case files and walking the short distance to the break room.

“Where is he this time?”

Catherine looked up a slight smirk on her face as she shut the door to the break room behind her. “He’ll be here soon. In the mean time, I’ve got cases for everyone.” She flipped through the folders and pulled one out, passing it to Sara. “You and Greg have a missing person. Sophia is waiting for you over at the Tropicana. Nick…Warrick, your person isn’t missing. Dead body over on Paradise Road. Detective Vega can fill you in on all the details when you get there.” She passed the file over to Warrick and turned to leave the room.

“Cath?”

She turned at the sound of her name, eyebrow raised in question.

“What’s your case?”

Catherine shook her head at Sara’s question and held up the remaining case file in her hand. “I’ve got a case. Breaking and entering. Once Gil gets here, the two of us will head out.” Catherine stood in the doorway, glancing at her watch as everyone filed past her on their way to the parking lot. Watching as the minute hand passed the twenty minute mark, she took a few tentative steps towards the parking lot, stopping the reach for her cell phone. She looked at the display, frowning as she slid the phone back into position at her hip. With a determined step, she moved to the locker room, retrieving her purse before making her way to her Denali.

Once inside the vehicle, she grabbed her phone, blindly dialing the familiar number as she turned the engine. She shifted the car into drive, pausing at the edge of the parking lot as she waited for an answer. “Come on, Gil. Pick up the damn phone.” She pulled the phone away, ending the call and quickly calling a second number. “Damn him,” she muttered as she ended the second call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. She steered the car to the left, making the familiar drive towards her friend’s house instead of turning towards the crime scene where Brass was waiting.

- - -

Catherine pulled into the driveway, noting Gil’s car still parked in its usual location. Grabbing her phone, she placed it back in the holder on her hip as she stepped out of her own car, walking to Gil’s and glancing around and taking note of the coolness as she put her hand on the hood. “Well he didn’t get far.” She walked up to the door, ringing the bell and waiting for his answer. “Come on, Gil, I know you’re here!” She pounded on the door before flipping through the various keys on her key chain, quickly locating the spare she had been given years ago.

“Catherine, hi.”

She looked up at the partially opened door, Gil’s grimace meeting her gaze. “What are you still doing here? You were supposed to call me. And why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“Sorry about that. Something came up. Can you handle shift yourself tonight?”

Catherine glanced up and down, taking in Gil’s slightly rumpled work attire. “Do you feel alright?”

“No, um… I’m sick. Just came down with something after I talked to you. Sorry I didn’t get you called back or answer the phone I was… indisposed.”

She stepped forward, reaching out and placing her hand against his forehead. “You don’t feel warm, you are flushed though. It’s not like you to just not show up. Are you sure…?” Catherine trailed off as a hand grabbed her wrist, the door quickly opening. She felt herself being pulled through the door then pressed tightly against the wall. The door shut revealing a man. “Gil…?”

“Gil’s not in charge here anymore, Catherine. I’m glad you decided to join our little party.”

“I’m sorry,” Gil mouthed, quickly assessing Catherine for any injuries.

“Aww… isn’t that sweet, Gruesome Grissom actually has feelings after all.” The man sneered to his partner, “let’s get them in the living room.”

Catherine remained silent as the bruising hands dug into the tender flesh on her upper arms and she was led into the unusually messy living room. She found herself on the leather couch, Gil resting against her seconds later. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you what’s going on. You’re friend here has made a mistake… and we’re all going to make sure that it gets corrected.”

She raised her eyebrow, a frown marring her features as she turned her gaze to Gil.

“I told you he wasn’t in charge anymore. He’s not going to help you. You two are going to help me.”

“How are we going to help you?” Gil asked, straightening slightly into a full sitting position.

“It’s simple. You got my father put behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit, so now you are going to get him released.”

“We can’t just get someone released from prison.” Catherine said.

“The head of the night shift… the person who presented the false evidence that imprisoned him in the first place? I think Grissom can find a way to get my father out of prison.”

The sound of Catherine’s cell phone ringing drew everyone’s attention.

“Don’t answer that.”

Everyone sat quietly listening to the phone until it finally went silent. The man reached forward, snatching Catherine’s phone. Pressing a series of buttons, he looked at the display and then back at Catherine. “Who’s Brass?”

Catherine glanced quickly at Gil before answering. “He’s a police officer. We’re supposed to be meeting him at a crime scene.”

“Good. So you two should be missed shortly.” He walked out of the room, returning shortly with a black duffle bag. “It’s amazing the kind of things you can find instructions for on the internet.” He set the bag on the coffee table and unzipped it pulling out a belt and motioning for his partner before pointing to Catherine. “I’m glad you decided to join us today. Mr. Grissom here has gained a bit of weight since my father’s trial. Unfortunately this belt doesn’t have a lot of give to it. But I think this will be better. Put this on.”

Catherine looked at the belt held in front of her, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t think…”

“I didn’t ask you to think. Put the damn belt on now!”

She grabbed the item, shaking slightly as she wrapped the leather piece around her waist. Struggling slightly, she fastened the clasp so the belt hung loosely around her hips.

The man stepped forward, reaching for the end of the belt and tugging it up and hard, smiling as Catherine gasped at the sudden tightness as the belt closed around her waist, knocking her off balance and she stepped forward into the man’s arms. He pulled at the belt, shifting it slightly until the LED display faced the front.

“What’s that?”

Satisfied with his work, he pushed Catherine back towards the couch, watching as Gil quickly reached out to guide her gently back. He pulled a remote out of his pocket, pressing a few buttons and smiling as the LED display set itself. “That, is my timer. There are twenty four hours before my father is due to be executed. If that happens, that belt will explode.” He paused watching the color drain from Catherine’s face as Gil reached for her hand. “And just so you know, I can also remote detonate and if the circuit is cut now that the bomb has been activated it will also explode.”

- - -

Warrick glanced down at his phone, nodding to Nick as he stepped away to answer the offending device. “Brown.”

“Warrick, it’s Brass. Who did Gil assign to my case?”

“Catherine assigned the cases tonight; Gris was running late again. She was going to work your case with Gris.”

“When did they leave?”

He took a few more steps away from the crime scene and lowered his voice. “They aren’t there yet?”

“No, and I can’t get either of them to answer their cell phones.”

“I’m sure I saw Cath heading to her Denali when we pulled out of the parking lot. Maybe she went to pick up Gris and they were delayed.”

“That doesn’t explain why neither of them are answering their phones.”

Warrick turned back towards the crime scene, watching Nick work. “Maybe she went over to Grissom’s to pick him up. Did you try…?”

“Yep. No answer on his home phone either.”

“Something isn’t right. Let me tell Nick I‘m going to help you, then I’ll head over to Grissom’s place and track back to the lab from there.”

“I’ll head to the lab from here and see if I see anything and then meet you at Gil’s.”

- - -

Warrick carefully drove the streets of Las Vegas, taking advantage of his knowledge of his hometown as he took the back roads around the tourist traffic. He turned onto Grissom’s street and slowed down, his eyes scanning the side of the road as pulled to a stop a few doors away from his destination. He reached for the phone while turning the headlights off on the vehicle.

“Brass.”

“I’m over here at Grissom’s house. Cath’s car is in the driveway, I don’t see her though. And it looks like Gris’s car is in front of Cath’s but I can’t be positive.”

“Stay where you are. I’ll be there in five. Can you see any movement?”

Warrick leaned slightly to the left, trying to get a clear view of the home. “Not that I can tell. There’s a light on, looks like it’s the living room.”

“How far away are you from his house?”

“I’m on the right side of the street, about two houses down.”

“Don’t go any closer.” Jim hung up the phone as he pulled to a stop around the corner from Gil’s home. Quickly taking the car out of gear, he hopped out of the vehicle and walked around the corner spotting Warrick’s vehicle in the distance. He stayed in the shadows for as long as he could before stepping into the street and around the back of Warrick’s vehicle, coming to a stop as he knocked on the window. “Any movement?” he asked, once Warrick had rolled the window down.

“Not a thing.”

“I’m going to call again, look for any movement.” He blindly dialed the phone, both men intensely watching the house.

- - -

Everyone’s focus turned to the ringing phone.

“We’re both scheduled to work tonight. Our co-workers are going to know that…”

“I know,” he cut Gil off, moving across the room and pulling the curtain back slightly. “Pick up the phone. Her, not you.”

Catherine reached out, picking the phone up on the seventh ring. “Hello.”

“Cath? What’s going on?”

“Um,” Catherine looked up, not sure what she should say.

“Tell him what’s going on, you‘re going to need their help.”

Catherine cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Gil and I are being held hostage.”

“Are you alright.”

“I’m fine, we both are. I…”

“Catherine!” Brass called into the phone.

“Oh she’s fine. Don’t worry about her…yet. Twenty three hours and nine minutes. That’s when you should worry about her. If I don’t get word that my father hasn’t been released from prison than in a little over twenty three hours Catherine is going to find out just what it feels like when a bomb goes off at point blank range. So will Mr. Grissom, for that matter.”

“What…?”

“It’s very simple. Fifteen years ago Mr. Grissom presented false evidence that resulted in my father being falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s set to be executed.”

“Who’s your father?”

“Matteo Bianco. You’ve got thirty minutes to retrieve the file and bring it back here.”

- - -

Brass pulled the phone back at the sound of the slamming from the other end resonating through the line. “We definitely have a problem.” He looked down at his watch, quickly calculating the time remaining. “They’re being held hostage.”

“What?”

Brass shot a look at Warrick and continued, “I need you to go back to the lab.”

“I can’t leave you here alone. What if…?”

“Warrick! We’ve got thirty minutes to get to the lab and back with a case file.”

Warrick pulled out his phone, dialing his co-worker’s number.

“Sanders.”

“Greg, I need you to stop what you’re doing and get to the lab.”

“But…”

“No buts, just listen. Take the Denali. Sara can finish the scene and get a ride later. Don’t explain anything just go. When you get to the lab, Judy will have a file for you. Get the file and bring it to me at Grissom’s house. You’ve got twenty minutes.”

“But…”

“Greg, go!” Warrick snapped the phone shut and motioned to Brass. “Call the lab, tell Judy what file we need and have her make copies of it. Three. One for us, one for the lab and the original for Gris. I’m not leaving you here without backup.”

Brass smiled as he called the lab, relaying all the details to Judy and expressing the speed needed. After hanging up, he turned to watch the house.

“How are they?”

“I didn’t get to talk to Gil. Just Cath, briefly. She sounds a bit shook up. But I think they are alright, for now.”

“Do we know…?”

Brass shook his head. “He never said his name. His father is Matteo Bianco. It doesn’t mean anything to me. Old case of Gil’s. He says that Gil presented false evidence and his father is innocent.”

“They all say that.”

“Yeah, but this guy has a bomb. If we don’t get his father released from prison before he’s due to be executed, than he’s going to blow up…”

Warrick’s mouth dropped open as Brass trailed off. “How long?”

“About twenty three hours,” Brass answered, “I need to call the sheriff. Let him know what’s going on.”

Warrick nodded as he watched Brass make the call.

“Backup is on the way.”

Warrick repeated his nod as he watched the still house down the street. “We need to let the others know…”

“We need them to work their cases.”

“They are going to know something is going on. I didn’t give Nick an explanation. Just said I needed to leave. And Sara…”

“Give them a call. Tell them to work their scenes and make sure they know not to call Grissom or Catherine. I’ll give Greg a call.”

- - -

“What’s going on?” Greg huffed as he ran up to Warrick’s car.

“If you answered your phone…”

“I was two blocks from here. You made this sound like a matter of life and death, I didn’t think I should slow down to take a phone call.” He held up the files, setting them on the hood of the car. “Hopefully these are what you need, I didn’t even get out of the car. Judy just ran up to me, passed them through the window and told me to go.”

Jim took the files, handing one to Warrick and quickly thumbed through the other, stopping when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller I.D. and opened the phone. “Brass.”

“Do you have the file?”

“Right here."

“Good. Catherine will be out to get it shortly. And before you think of any plans, I suggest you look at her newest accessory.”

- - -

“Get up.” He reached his hands out, pulling Catherine from the couch. “Your friends came through. Go out and get the file.”

Catherine looked at Gil, raising her eyebrows slightly before the hands on her shoulders caused her to stumble across the room. She looked back once she regained her footing.

“You don’t need his permission first. I told you I was in charge, now go get the file and bring it back.”

She walked out of the room, tentatively opening the front door and peering out. She took a step out of the door, leaving it open behind her as she cautiously walked down the front sidewalk. Stopping at the halfway point, she looked both directions before finally spotting Brass a few houses down the street.

“That’s far enough, make them come to you.”

Catherine glanced back over her shoulder as she remained where she stood. She shifted her focus back in front of her and motioned for Brass to walk her direction.

“Cath?” he asked, once he was in earshot.

“Do you have the file?”

“Yeah. What’s that?”

She looked down, shivering slightly as she watched the time pass on the clock wrapped around her middle.

“Is that…?”

She nodded, reaching out for the file. “I don’t know what happened before I got here. Looks like Gil put up quite a fight though.”

“We’ve got a copy of the case file with us. Warrick is looking it over now. And Greg…”

Catherine nodded, “they’ll do good. I’m not sure…”

“That’s long enough. You got the file, exchanged some information. It’s now time for Cath to come home and play.”

She took a step away from Jim, shaking her head as he reached out to her. “I can’t. There’s a remote…. If something… can you tell Lindsey….”

“Nothing is going to happen, Cath. We’ll think of something.”

- - -

The door shut behind her as she walked back into the town house.

“Who are you?” Catherine asked as the file was snatched from her hands and she was guided back into the living room and onto the couch next to Gil.

“My name is Donato Bianco,” he answered, glancing through the file that Catherine had retrieved. “Good. They didn’t try anything.”

Gil took the file from Donato, setting it on the coffee table.

“I suggest you begin to reacquaint yourself with that file.”

Catherine leaned forward, looking over Gil’s shoulder as he opened the manila folder. They read the case summary and quickly made their way through the rest of the thin file. They both glanced at each other before looking back up.

“What can you tell us that isn’t here? What is it that I missed?”

“You missed the truth! My father was a good man. He could never have done what you accused him of.”

“His fingerprints were all over the murder weapon.”

“He was framed. And you helped them…”

“Wait a minute,” Gil interrupted. “I didn’t help anybody. I simply collected the evidence and presented what was there.”

“What you wanted to be there.”

“I didn’t want anything to be there. I had never met your father. Or anyone else involved in that case. I had no ulterior motive.”

The corner of Donato’s mouth shot up in a smirk. “Well you have an ulterior motive now. Not only is your life hanging in the balance, but now, so is Catherine’s.”

“Do you remember anything about that night? Anything you can tell us that can help,” Catherine asked, moving her hand to Gil’s knee, silently urging him to control his anger at the situation.

“I was away at university at the time.”

Catherine nodded, taking the file off the coffee table and leaning back in the couch. She flipped through the pages, taking a bit more time to familiarize herself with the facts of the case. “And did your father know the victim, Mr. Smith?”

- - -

“Warrick, fill me in on the case.”

He looked up from the file, watching as Jim made his way back behind the Denali. “How’s Cath?”

“She’s alright, under the circumstances. She couldn’t tell me much and isn’t sure how this started, but she didn’t indicate that either of them were hurt physically.”

“That’s good,” clearing his throat he held the file up slightly, tapping it on the hood of the car. “From what I gather from Gris’s notes, it looks like this was a pretty straight forward case. The victim, Julian Smith, was found in his home. Stab wounds to the chest and his throat was slashed. The murder weapon was found in the neighbors trash can.”

“Matteo Bianco?”

“Yep. His fingerprints were on the knife and there’s blood evidence. Grissom found a towel in the laundry room spotted with blood. Had two different sources on it.”

“Let me guess,” Greg interrupted. “The victim and Mr. Bianco?”

Warrick nodded, glancing between the two men. “Yep. There’s even mention that there was a confession from Bianco.”

“He confessed? And we’re supposed to find some way to clear him by tomorrow night?”

Jim glanced at the two men. “We need to get someone in to interview Bianco.”

- - -

“Without being able to look at the actual evidence, I’m not sure how much we can do from here.”

“Then get the evidence.”

Gil shook his head. “There’s no way the evidence can be taken from the lab.”

“I’m sure there’s a way,” Donato said, shaking the remote trigger in his hand.

“The department doesn’t negotiate with …”

“I am not a terrorist.” Donato looked back and forth between the two investigators. “I don’t care how you do it. Or any of the legalities, just figure out a way to get my father out of jail.”

- - -

Nick hung up his phone, slightly shell shocked as he signed his name to the log sheet in the evidence vault. He made his way through the lab to the front desk, grabbing the file Judy held out to him and made his way back to the layout room. He sat down at the table, quickly reading the file. Looking at the box waiting for him, he removed the lid and peered inside.

“They sent me back from Grissom’s,” Greg said, stepping into the room. “I went ahead and brought the evidence in for us to look over. There isn’t much here.”

“How…?”

“Brass said he’s only talked to Cath, but he thinks they’re fine… for now.”

“So we’ve got twenty-two hours to look over this evidence and find a way to get this guy’s father out of jail?”

“Yep. I can run anything we find, that’s why they sent me back. But Grissom’s notes make everything seem pretty cut and dry. I’m not sure we’re going to find much.”

“Hopefully I’ll learn something when I go speak to the father.” Nick pulled a pair of gloves out of the box on the table and slipped them on before reaching into the box and pulling out the evidence.

- - -

Gil leaned back in the couch, pulling Catherine with him as he watched the men pacing the room. “I’m not sure how to get us out of this,” he whispered, closing his mouth when the men changed the direction in their pace and began moving their direction.

Once the men turned back around, Catherine quickly glanced his direction. “I’m sure there will be an opportunity. Take it when it comes.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

They remained quiet when the men turned back to them again.

“Don’t be a hero, Grissom.”

“I’m not leaving you, Catherine.” He moved slightly on the couch, his side resting against Catherine. “Our team is smart. Jim’s out there. They’ll think of something.”

She took deep breath, nodding in agreement.

- - -

to be continued