You're My Only One, the Only One I Ever Cared For
X
Grissom’s POV
According to Nick, who was constantly checking his phone, it had now been two and a half hours since everything had happened at the initial scene. Just from experience i knew that was more than long enough for one person to kill another. As i sat in the back of Brass’ Sedan with Nick in the seat beside me i glanced over occasionally. Seeing the worry in his face tore away at me. Not only was this a team member to him but someone he cared for on a more personal level.
My mind was soon back on the job at hand however. I knew we had to be careful as we arrived at the scene. If steph was at this location and we ran in guns blazing there was more than a high chance it would be our own person we would take out. We were about 15 minutes out from the location when both mine and Nick’s cell phones received a new message.
I noted it was a video file that had been sent through but also looked over t see Nick had received the same file but his was already downloading. Brass pulled the car to a gentle stop at the side of the road as he turned in his seat clearly wanting to know if this video was useful to us. I leant closer in allowing myself to see nick’s cell phone screen a little easier as the video finished it’s download.
As the screen started to play the video i watched as Steph’s face came into view. Nick turned up the volume as it battled against the heavy downpour that had been hammering the street’s for a while now. As i watched and listened i took in Steph’s appearance, she seemed soaking wet and her face seemed ghostly white but i wasn’t sure if that was just the camera this had been recorded on. As i listened to Steph’s words i couldn’t believe what was been said.
"I'm not going to drag this message out, I just want to tell you all that I love you and that I've enjoyed working with each and every one of you...yeah, even you Hodges. The point of this message, is to tell you, Nick Stokes, that I've never really loved you. In all honesty, you were just a way for me to get my dream job, to stay in a place that was warm, but my feelings for you...they were all fake, each and every one of them. My heart was truly yearning for someone else...someone who I've just had sex with...yeah, the one you all despise. It may have seemed that I hated him myself, but I was just trying to convince myself otherwise. I'm not sorry for putting you through this, but now I'm done, there's nothing else left for me. Goodbye, CSIs."
I felt a lump form in my throat as the video cut off. I turned to face Nick to see tear’s already making there way down his cheek’s, his skin pale. He quickly threw the car door open it seeming like it was going to come off it’s hinges as nick jumped from the car and onto the sidewalk before his lunch hit the pavement. As he stood there, hand’s resting on his knee’s and his breathing a little heavier than normal i slowly slid along the back seat before standing beside . I rested my hand gently on his back before he slowly stood up right before hugging me. I wasn’t normally one to accept being hugged by my colleagues but on this occasion that was forgotten as i tried to calm Nick.
“Nick she need’s our help. That video would of been Ecklie trying to get under our skin. You know how twisted he is it has to be forced, like the Millander cases. When she was with you i saw how much she cared about you, how much she loved you.”
“I want to save her but i can’t right that off as a fake message. What if it’s the truth that this was all an act. There’s more chance of that than someone like steph ever loving me. You’ve bore witness to my previous relationships you know i never get much luck.”
“Nick you need to calm down. She loved you and deep down somewhere you know that too, your emotion’s are just running on high at the moment. You need to focus on helping her. You saw her face she looked like she was suffering we need to be there for her, at the end of the day she’s a colleague who we trusted at the least.”
Nick pulled back from me. A look of determination became etched into his face as both climbed back into the car. Our clothes were soaked from the rain but that didn’t bother us as brass pulled onto the road again. Within fifteen minutes the start pulled to a stop once more and the three of evaluated the location Steph’s pager had been traced to. It was an old derelict house, with a dirt garden. The three of us soon stepped form the car guns drawn as we stepped up to the front door.
Brass clearly decided he didn’t want to be polite and went straight into kicking the half broken door in causing it to break away from the frame completely and fall to the floor with a loud bang and a small cloud of dust.
“LVPD, show yourselves. Ecklie we know your here.”
There was no response from within the house nor was there any form of movement. We decided to search the house and check everywhere was safe as we went through and so started on the ground floor. Once that floor was cleared we slowly ascended the stairs all still with weapons raised before i came to a standstill my eyes scanning across the whole hallway and the connecting door’s. As we stood there in silence i heard a slight whisper from behind hat appeared to be the bathroom door and pointed in that direction allowing brass past me as we surrounded the door.
Brass kicked the door it swinging open with force as we all pointed our weapons into the room where Ecklie sat. Ecklie was sat against the back wall but lay limp and seemingly lifeless in his arms was steph. Were we already too late.
“Her life is pretty much over, there’s possibly a few minutes left in her. Such a precious life to at least one of you, or should i say she was until she revealed the truth.....isn’t that right Nick?”
Nick let out a slight growl behind me but never moved an inch form where he stood. I placed the safety back onto my weapon and placed it in it’s holster it would just cause damage in this situation.
“Conrad, this isn’t the way to go. Allow us to have steph from you. Correct what you did wrong your not a bad person deep down.”
“Oh how wrong you are Gil. She deserves to die and so she will. She deserved every last bit of torture she received in-fact you should receive the final part any moment to your phone. It let’s you see what exactly ended such a worthless life.”
Nick moved slightly in-front of me as he holstered his gun. He knelt down onto the soaking wet floor and i watched unsure what he was going to do next.
“Ecklie, please i beg with you to allow me to hold her in my arms one last time. I love her and even if she doesn’t love me in return my feeling’s for her will never change. Please give me this last moment.”
Nick’s voice was shaking as he watched Ecklie who continued to stay where he was. Within seconds gun fire erupted from outside the house and broke through the bathroom window sending glass shattering to the floor as everyone ducked. As i glanced up Ecklie had taken hold of a metal fire poker and i watched as he struck steph once between the shoulder blades with it before Brass had jumped forward pinning Ecklie against the wall before handcuffing him.
I had my weapon raised at Ecklie as Nick turned with his weapon aimed at the stairs as footsteps started to ascend them. A young voice erupted half way up the stairs.
“Your a liar Ecklie there’s no ash there.”
The voice soon quietened as he was greeted by nick’s gun and the presence of the three unfamiliar faces. Brass had restrained Ecklie now and i turned also pointing my weapon at the young teenage male stood in-front of me frozen to the spot.
“Drop your weapon and on your knees.”
The boy quickly followed what he was told as brass used his set of flexi-cuffs to arrest the young male. Brass dragged Ecklie form the room the male staying where he was as he cried at his own stupidity. I placed my gun away and turned to see that Nick had moved to steph and had was now holding her into his arms. Tears ran down his face as he just stared at her motionless body. I stepped towards them and placed finger’s against Steph’s neck just hoping i would find a pulse. I managed to find the lightest trace but almost as quickly as i found it, it was gone.
“Nick she need’s CPR now or we will lose her.”
Nick lay steph on her back and quickly started chest compressions as i heard Brass return up the stairs.
“I’ve sent for a helicopter should be here within five minutes.”
Brass looked past me then and i knew he could see Nick trying to keep steph alive.
“Has she.....will she.”
“we are doing all we can. “
I heard the siren’s of a second police car outside and before long the young lad was being escorted downstairs by another officer. Brass informed me both were now been transported to lock-up. I turned kneeling down beside Nick as he tried to find Steph’s pulse.
“She’s back with us but her pulse still isn’t strong.”
Before anymore could be said the helicopter roared from the sky. Paramedics in their jumpsuits quickly appeared into the bathroom. As me, Nick and brass stood there the paramedics helped steph, unable to fly her to hospital until she was stable. I watched as they used a defibrillator after losing her once more. I was grateful however when they finally got her loaded onto a stretched and moved her down to the helicopter.
Nick was going with steph in the helicopter where as me and brass were going to drive to the hospital. On the way i would phone the rest of the team and inform them of what i knew hoping that they hadn’t been sent the same two videos as me and nick.
Half an hour alter and me and brass arrived at the hospital and headed straight for the waiting area. The rest of the team hadn’t gotten there yet since i had only phoned them ten minutes ago after forcing myself to watch the second video. In the waiting room no though i watched as Greg tried to calm down nick a little who was pretty torn up right now. Me and brass focused our attention on little Brandon who looked just about ready to burst into tears himself.
According to Nick, who was constantly checking his phone, it had now been two and a half hours since everything had happened at the initial scene. Just from experience i knew that was more than long enough for one person to kill another. As i sat in the back of Brass’ Sedan with Nick in the seat beside me i glanced over occasionally. Seeing the worry in his face tore away at me. Not only was this a team member to him but someone he cared for on a more personal level.
My mind was soon back on the job at hand however. I knew we had to be careful as we arrived at the scene. If steph was at this location and we ran in guns blazing there was more than a high chance it would be our own person we would take out. We were about 15 minutes out from the location when both mine and Nick’s cell phones received a new message.
I noted it was a video file that had been sent through but also looked over t see Nick had received the same file but his was already downloading. Brass pulled the car to a gentle stop at the side of the road as he turned in his seat clearly wanting to know if this video was useful to us. I leant closer in allowing myself to see nick’s cell phone screen a little easier as the video finished it’s download.
As the screen started to play the video i watched as Steph’s face came into view. Nick turned up the volume as it battled against the heavy downpour that had been hammering the street’s for a while now. As i watched and listened i took in Steph’s appearance, she seemed soaking wet and her face seemed ghostly white but i wasn’t sure if that was just the camera this had been recorded on. As i listened to Steph’s words i couldn’t believe what was been said.
"I'm not going to drag this message out, I just want to tell you all that I love you and that I've enjoyed working with each and every one of you...yeah, even you Hodges. The point of this message, is to tell you, Nick Stokes, that I've never really loved you. In all honesty, you were just a way for me to get my dream job, to stay in a place that was warm, but my feelings for you...they were all fake, each and every one of them. My heart was truly yearning for someone else...someone who I've just had sex with...yeah, the one you all despise. It may have seemed that I hated him myself, but I was just trying to convince myself otherwise. I'm not sorry for putting you through this, but now I'm done, there's nothing else left for me. Goodbye, CSIs."
I felt a lump form in my throat as the video cut off. I turned to face Nick to see tear’s already making there way down his cheek’s, his skin pale. He quickly threw the car door open it seeming like it was going to come off it’s hinges as nick jumped from the car and onto the sidewalk before his lunch hit the pavement. As he stood there, hand’s resting on his knee’s and his breathing a little heavier than normal i slowly slid along the back seat before standing beside . I rested my hand gently on his back before he slowly stood up right before hugging me. I wasn’t normally one to accept being hugged by my colleagues but on this occasion that was forgotten as i tried to calm Nick.
“Nick she need’s our help. That video would of been Ecklie trying to get under our skin. You know how twisted he is it has to be forced, like the Millander cases. When she was with you i saw how much she cared about you, how much she loved you.”
“I want to save her but i can’t right that off as a fake message. What if it’s the truth that this was all an act. There’s more chance of that than someone like steph ever loving me. You’ve bore witness to my previous relationships you know i never get much luck.”
“Nick you need to calm down. She loved you and deep down somewhere you know that too, your emotion’s are just running on high at the moment. You need to focus on helping her. You saw her face she looked like she was suffering we need to be there for her, at the end of the day she’s a colleague who we trusted at the least.”
Nick pulled back from me. A look of determination became etched into his face as both climbed back into the car. Our clothes were soaked from the rain but that didn’t bother us as brass pulled onto the road again. Within fifteen minutes the start pulled to a stop once more and the three of evaluated the location Steph’s pager had been traced to. It was an old derelict house, with a dirt garden. The three of us soon stepped form the car guns drawn as we stepped up to the front door.
Brass clearly decided he didn’t want to be polite and went straight into kicking the half broken door in causing it to break away from the frame completely and fall to the floor with a loud bang and a small cloud of dust.
“LVPD, show yourselves. Ecklie we know your here.”
There was no response from within the house nor was there any form of movement. We decided to search the house and check everywhere was safe as we went through and so started on the ground floor. Once that floor was cleared we slowly ascended the stairs all still with weapons raised before i came to a standstill my eyes scanning across the whole hallway and the connecting door’s. As we stood there in silence i heard a slight whisper from behind hat appeared to be the bathroom door and pointed in that direction allowing brass past me as we surrounded the door.
Brass kicked the door it swinging open with force as we all pointed our weapons into the room where Ecklie sat. Ecklie was sat against the back wall but lay limp and seemingly lifeless in his arms was steph. Were we already too late.
“Her life is pretty much over, there’s possibly a few minutes left in her. Such a precious life to at least one of you, or should i say she was until she revealed the truth.....isn’t that right Nick?”
Nick let out a slight growl behind me but never moved an inch form where he stood. I placed the safety back onto my weapon and placed it in it’s holster it would just cause damage in this situation.
“Conrad, this isn’t the way to go. Allow us to have steph from you. Correct what you did wrong your not a bad person deep down.”
“Oh how wrong you are Gil. She deserves to die and so she will. She deserved every last bit of torture she received in-fact you should receive the final part any moment to your phone. It let’s you see what exactly ended such a worthless life.”
Nick moved slightly in-front of me as he holstered his gun. He knelt down onto the soaking wet floor and i watched unsure what he was going to do next.
“Ecklie, please i beg with you to allow me to hold her in my arms one last time. I love her and even if she doesn’t love me in return my feeling’s for her will never change. Please give me this last moment.”
Nick’s voice was shaking as he watched Ecklie who continued to stay where he was. Within seconds gun fire erupted from outside the house and broke through the bathroom window sending glass shattering to the floor as everyone ducked. As i glanced up Ecklie had taken hold of a metal fire poker and i watched as he struck steph once between the shoulder blades with it before Brass had jumped forward pinning Ecklie against the wall before handcuffing him.
I had my weapon raised at Ecklie as Nick turned with his weapon aimed at the stairs as footsteps started to ascend them. A young voice erupted half way up the stairs.
“Your a liar Ecklie there’s no ash there.”
The voice soon quietened as he was greeted by nick’s gun and the presence of the three unfamiliar faces. Brass had restrained Ecklie now and i turned also pointing my weapon at the young teenage male stood in-front of me frozen to the spot.
“Drop your weapon and on your knees.”
The boy quickly followed what he was told as brass used his set of flexi-cuffs to arrest the young male. Brass dragged Ecklie form the room the male staying where he was as he cried at his own stupidity. I placed my gun away and turned to see that Nick had moved to steph and had was now holding her into his arms. Tears ran down his face as he just stared at her motionless body. I stepped towards them and placed finger’s against Steph’s neck just hoping i would find a pulse. I managed to find the lightest trace but almost as quickly as i found it, it was gone.
“Nick she need’s CPR now or we will lose her.”
Nick lay steph on her back and quickly started chest compressions as i heard Brass return up the stairs.
“I’ve sent for a helicopter should be here within five minutes.”
Brass looked past me then and i knew he could see Nick trying to keep steph alive.
“Has she.....will she.”
“we are doing all we can. “
I heard the siren’s of a second police car outside and before long the young lad was being escorted downstairs by another officer. Brass informed me both were now been transported to lock-up. I turned kneeling down beside Nick as he tried to find Steph’s pulse.
“She’s back with us but her pulse still isn’t strong.”
Before anymore could be said the helicopter roared from the sky. Paramedics in their jumpsuits quickly appeared into the bathroom. As me, Nick and brass stood there the paramedics helped steph, unable to fly her to hospital until she was stable. I watched as they used a defibrillator after losing her once more. I was grateful however when they finally got her loaded onto a stretched and moved her down to the helicopter.
Nick was going with steph in the helicopter where as me and brass were going to drive to the hospital. On the way i would phone the rest of the team and inform them of what i knew hoping that they hadn’t been sent the same two videos as me and nick.
Half an hour alter and me and brass arrived at the hospital and headed straight for the waiting area. The rest of the team hadn’t gotten there yet since i had only phoned them ten minutes ago after forcing myself to watch the second video. In the waiting room no though i watched as Greg tried to calm down nick a little who was pretty torn up right now. Me and brass focused our attention on little Brandon who looked just about ready to burst into tears himself.