Overkill

Twelve

"Grey is on his way there," Mark stated, eyeing how close Sarah's legs were in between Scott's.

Sarah jumped to her feet, followed by Scott. They followed Mark through the building and rushed towards Mark's car. Sarah reached for the passenger door handle but was stopped by Scott.

"We'll take my car," he told Mark who looked at Scott confused.

"Why? My car is right here, we have to hurry."

"My car is right there," Scott pointed two cars ahead of them, "We'll need two vehicles in case someone needs to leave before the others. Sarah, you're under my care, you're going with me."

Both Mark and Sarah glared at Scott, but Sarah didn't disobey him. She looked at Mark apologetically and followed Scott to his car. Once she was in, door closed, seatbelt buckled, she seethed at Scott as he pulled out behind Mark to follow him.

"Before you say anything, Sarah, trust me."

"And why should I do that? What is your deal with Mark? You can't coddle me, Scott."

"Sarah,"

"No, I don't know what's going on with you and Jenny, but you're not—"

"Sarah!" he yelled. She closed her mouth quickly; he'd never raised his voice at her in that tone. It was urgent, more fearful than mad. "There's blood on his door handle. That's why I stopped you from touching it."

"There's what?" she covered her mouth as she stared straight ahead, trying to convince herself not to throw up the contents of her lunch. "No."

"Just act normal when we get there. Keep arguing with me, yelling at me, whatever you have to do so he doesn't get suspicious." He stared ahead, eyes on the road.

"We don't know if it's linked to anything, Scott." She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Scott.

"No. You're right. That's why while you are in there with him, I'm going to break away with an excuse to look at something and swab his handle."

"Scott, what if... I've been staying at his place." The events of last night and this morning replayed, "I almost, if I hadn't of stopped him last night... Oh God, Scott," she doubled over, "pull over," she urged.

"Are you ok?"

"Pull over," she was unbuckling the seatbelt. As soon as he pulled off to the side of the road, she lunged out of the car before it was fully stopped. She bent over with her hands on her knees and emptied the contents of her stomach out onto the grass below.

She heard another car door and voices getting closer, but her stomach heaved again and she was once more, emptying her stomach. Hands were on her shoulders, patting her back. When she was able to see again through watery eyes, she found Mark kneeling next to her. Panic began to rise within her, her eyes widened as she tried to stumble away.

"Sare, I'm grabbing my kit out of the truck, I'll have you an ice pack for your forehead in just a second," she heard Scott calling form behind her. She knew that meant he was grabbing the materials to swab Mark's door handle so, she reluctantly allowed him to comfort her.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, rubbing small circles on her back.

"I don't know," she lied, shaking her head. She was now sitting on her knees trying to stay calm. Mark tried to pull her close to him, she freaked out and lunged forward.

Alarmed, he asked, "Sarah, what's going on?"

Now on her hands and knees, she shook her head, "Sick. Feeling like I'm going to get sick again," she lied, doubling over on herself.

"I'll go grab some water from my car."

Worried he would stumble upon Scott collecting samples from his door handle, she reached out and pulled him towards her, "Just help me so I don't fall."

He slid his arms around her waist and helped her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest. Shuddering at the thought of him hurting someone, she fought the instinct to pull away and run. Finally, she heard Scott behind them.

"Here, Sare, I wrapped it in a cloth for you," she turned towards him, pleading for him to give her a reason to get away from Mark. She accepted the ice pack, placing it against her forehead. The coolness instantly making her head feel better.

"Mark, why don't you go on ahead, I'll get Sarah here back to the station, and I'll call in backup to send your way."

Mark studied Sarah for a moment, but eventually nodded in agreement.

"Mark," Sarah stopped him, "Do you mind if I stop at your house and grab my bag so I can shower at the station?"

He hesitated, looking from her to Scott.

"Please? I just really want to get out of this pants suit if I'm not working," she pleaded. She had to find a way to get into his house and grab her bag so she didn't have a reason to go back there.

"Yeah. Ok," he reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and took a key ring off of it. He tossed the keychain to her and said, "Just stash it under the cushion on the porch swing when you leave." She caught the key and thanked him. He turned back towards his car as Sarah glanced at the key. The key chain was the same Iron Man key chain from the evidence photos.

Panicked, she looked up at Scott who immediately wrapped his arm around her as if she was unsteady. He dipped down to her level and whispered, "Stay calm. Don't bring his attention back to you." He helped her to his car, but once Mark's car was no longer in sight, she rushed to open the door while Scott ran around to the driver's side and rushed towards Marks's house.

"Does he know about the keys being in the photos?" he asked.

"No. Every time it came up and I was going to mention it, someone interrupted me."

"Good. Once we get to his place, you're to grab your things and get the hell out. Don't touch anything that isn't yours."

"But I already have. I've been staying with him," the thought of the night before flashed in her mind again, "Oh, God, Scott, I let him touch me." she cried.

"What do you mean?"

"He was massaging my shoulders and back. He started kissing my neck, I leaned back into him and it turned into a pretty intense make out session, and—"

"—Spare me the details."

Ashamed, she nodded and watched as Mark's house came into view.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," she answered quietly.

"Sarah,"

"Please, let me just get my stuff out of here and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Nodding, he walked her to the door, but stayed out on the porch. She ran up the stairs, gathered her belongings, thanking herself for not being an over-packer and only packing what she'd need, and ran back down the stairs.

She locked the door, stuffed the key under the cushion just as he instructed, but not before Scott took a picture of it and hurried back to his car.