A/N: I realize that I have other stories to work on, I do. But I love CSI and I had to get in on doing a story. Besides, after my seriously long hiatus for most of my stories, I'm coming back— so, anyone that reads any of my other stories should be glad because of it. Since I intend to get involved in Forensics/Lab Technician (or anything relatively similar to CSI, I'm still working out the details) now, I figure, writing a story would be a good way to practice my solving skills— only, in the sense of making it more realistic. OH and this also has a bit of a link to the game "Silent Hill," in the sense that it refers to the numerical system for their victims. I can't explain how just now, because it's part of the storyline, but it's like a... copycat sort of killing. You'll see.

Disclaimer: Oh heavens, I wish I could say CSI belonged to me— talk about a success! But this is a fanfiction for a reason— it's wrote by a mere fan. Sorry to say...

!!SPOILER ALERT!!

I frequently watch the new CSI episode every week, so if you haven't been keeping up to date with the latest episodes and don't want it spoiled, don't read. I'm not quite sure to what extent this will go to actually revealing anything, but it's because of that I warn you now not to read. There will be a bit of a Fannysmackin' and Post Mortem spoiler. Maybe more, depending on how the story progresses.

Full Summary: After the trial, Greg is glad to be found "excusable" and to be back at work. But crime doesn't take a break in the busy streets of Las Vegas, and soon Greg is thrown on a new case with only one other CSI— there's just too many cases and not enough CSI's to help out. But when the case involves none other than the brother of the young man Greg hit with his car, it's questioned whether the case might get a little too personal for the still sad and guilt-ridden (no matter the circumstance) CSI. But maybe he's just desperate to prove himself to the family of the young man, that he does feel guilty even if in the minds of many it was justified. Maybe he instinctively knows that the brother is innocent. Or maybe he's just desperate to be right, afraid of bringing any more grief to the family that he never meant to hurt.

CSI: Murder By Numbers

EilayAdnayVolieay

Chapter One: Victim 01112

She walked along the side of the road, feeling a little woozy. She had been walking, she didn't exactly know for how long but it felt like ages to her. It didn't help that she was starting to get paranoid— thinking every car that slowed down was going to have some creepy rapist inside, or just a creep in general trying to get a little action from what would appear to be a vulnerable young woman. She wasn't vulnerable— she was just abandoned by her boyfriend in the middle of the road, in the middle of nowhere. Right.

"Damn it all to hell," she muttered under her breath as she thought she heard a twig breaking behind her. "There is nobody following you!" she told herself. "You have got to stop being so paranoid or you'll never get home." Even still, as she heard another twig breaking and told herself it was just some animal in the bushes, or her imagination, she began walking a little faster. There was no harm in that, and it didn't mean a thing. She was just speeding things up a little, trying to get home a little quicker. No harm in that.

Crunch.

That was definitely not the sound of an animal. It sounded as if an entire tree had been split in half! Well, maybe that was exaggerating a bit, but it was too loud to be just a rabbit or... even an animal the size of a large dog. Leaves were being crunched down, and she heard footsteps. There was definitely someone behind her. Calm down, she told herself. Don't act like you notice, just keep walking and pretend you don't... the woman stopped as a hand was held over her mouth. She tried to scream, but what good was it anyways? She was in the middle of nowhere. The man— she assumed it was a man because although she was no body builder, she was pretty strong and the person holding her wasn't exactly struggling to maintain control of her— turned her around, but she still couldn't see his face. It was so dark out, and he seemed to have a mask over his face. Suddenly, he was pointing a gun at her face, and her first thought was that she wished she had never agreed to go out with the creep who had abandoned her on the road. Maybe then this wouldn't have...

Bang.

The woman fell, and the man caught her swiftly before she hit the ground. This was only the beginning.

—

"What do we have here, Doc?" Sara asked, surveying the body that was on the table in the morgue. Doctor Al Robbins came over, putting on his gloves and looked at the body as well.

"At the moment, Sara, you know about as much as I do. Female victim, looks to be in her twenties but with the makeup and surgery availabilities these days it's really hard to say for sure. I haven't actually done any work yet to determine the time of death, but you can see a gunshot wound directly in the head. I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that the victim died from that," he added.

"Yeah, sounds good to me. So, I guess I'll have to come back to find out the time of death, and maybe the angle the vic was shot at?" Sara replied, looking from the victim to Doc Robbins.

"Yes, but there is something I can show you now— I'm not sure how it will relate to the case, but it doesn't exactly come off as a birthmark. If you look at the victims neck," Doctor Robbins turned the victims head carefully, and pulled the hair back. "You can see a number." he pointed at the number literally scratched into the victims neck. Sara walked over to one of the tables in the morgue and grabbed her camera, snapping a photo.

"'01112,'" Sara read aloud. "A bit strange to have a number scratched on her neck like that— any ideas what it means?" she asked.

"I'm only supposed to tell you how the victim died, get the DNA for you, and other death-related things. You're supposed to figure out everything else." he added. Sara sighed and walked towards the door.

"Yeah well then I guess it's time I do my job; just let me know when you've finished yours." she told him. She walked out of the morgue and headed over to the lab. This case she was working with Greg Sanders, the lab-tech turned CSI. None of that mattered to her though— he was a CSI now and good at what he did. He was already at the crime scene, gathering evidence. She had stayed behind to check out the body. Now, she was on her way to help.

—

Greg looked around the crime scene— the middle of nowhere, or more specifically, a less than busy road surrounded by woods. Which means a good chance there's no witnesses. Little evidence, too.

"Having fun yet?" a voice came from behind him. Greg turned around and saw Sara walking towards him.

"Oh, tons. I've found pretty much everything but anything that could possibly be relevant to our case." he told her. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Leaves, twigs, grass... nothing too special. I could say that the area here is a little disturbed, but not necessarily by our perp. Could be from an animal, or even the vic herself." Greg added. Suddenly, he squinted his eyes and then got up from where he had been kneeling and walked towards a tree. There were numbers etched into the tree— 01112.

"That's strange," Sara replied, looking at the numbers in the tree. "These are the same numbers that were etched on the back of the victims neck. Coincidence?" she asked. Greg snapped a photo and then smiled at her.

"How many times do we come across a coincidence in this job?" he asked. He looked around the tree and knelt down. It was barely noticeable, and it might be nothing— but it could also help them with their case. A tiny cigarette butt was lying in the dirt, so Greg picked it up with the tweezers and placed it in a plastic bag. Finally, more evidence.

"Any idea why the vic would have the number on her neck? Sounds like..."

"A signature of a serial killer?" Greg finished. He stared off thoughtfully. "You know, it just might be. I say we look around the area for something that might have been used to scratch the numbers into the tree. A knife, a... well, anything sharp really."

"But also keep our eyes open for anything else. A lighter tossed away, a Kleenex... we don't really have too much to go with, and this is one place where there doesn't seem to be so much of the physical evidence." Sara added. It was going to be a long investigation, but the most rewarding ones usually were.

—

Greg sighed as he walked into the lab. DNA results were back on the cigarette butt, and that was pretty much all they had at the crime scene. That, and a strange substance found underneath some leaves at the tree the numbers were etched in, but the chemical analysis wasn't back on that yet.

"Make me happy," Greg replied, walking into the lab. Hodges spun around on his chair holding up the results.

"We actually... found a match. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty hopeless. Although technology is better now than it used to be, it still isn't quite as easy as it should be to find DNA without anything to compare it to. This time, however, we got lucky. A cigarette butt belonging to a Vincent Lloyd. I figured I'd do a little more research on the guy since I had some time on my hands—"

"So that's what you do when your mom goes out for bridge night," Greg teased.

"Well, yes, sometimes—" Greg gave Hodges a questioning look and then shook his head. "You were joking, weren't you?"

"Just tell me what you found on the guy. Criminal record? Is the guy into cutting numbers into people?" Greg asked. Hodges gave him a funny look.

"Uh, no, I don't believe he is. No, he's the vic's boyfriend." Hodges replied. Greg smiled and nodded.

"Alright! Good job, Hodges! So, was he with her the night she was murdered?" Greg asked.

"How should I know? I said I had some time on my hands, not a whole day. You can figure that out, Mr. Hotshot CSI. But I have another case to analyze evidence for. Catherine and Warrick's case. Actually, I think you might want to go check it out. Body's in the morgue." Hodges added. He turned back to the microscope and peered into the lens. Greg stared back at him, confused.

"Why would I want to go see it? I'm on a case of my own." he added. Hodges stopped and turned back to face him.

"Trust me. You WANT to see this."

—

Catherine stared down at the body on the bed in front of her. Warrick was inspecting a body next to it, and then backed up looking at both.

"Vic's don't seem to really have anything in common. Nothing that would connect them to the same killer." Warrick commented. Catherine forced a weak smile.

"Yeah, other than their both dead. Nothing special about that." she added. Catherine and Warrick both turned around when they heard the morgue door open and saw Greg Sanders stroll in.

"Hey, anybody know why Hodges said I might want to check out the latest victim to the morgue?" he asked. Dr. Robbins nodded and walked over to the second victim. Greg came over, nodded a brief greeting to Catherine and Warrick, and stared down at the face of a young man, probably in his late teens.

"This is the latest victim that we got here at the morgue. He was actually found abandoned in a house that was scorched with flame marks."

"So as if the house had recently caught fire, but the fire was put out. The body doesn't look badly burned..." Greg trailed off.

"It isn't. Not in the slightest. But there is one thing that I think you may find interesting about our victim." Dr. Robbins told him.

"What's that?" Greg asked, looking from victim to victim. Dr. Robbins carefully placed his hand underneath the second victims neck and turned the head slightly. On the back of the young mans neck, there was a number cut into his skin.

02112.

A/N: There's the first chapter, dunno how good it is, this is my first attempt at a CSI story. Anyways, I still have to find out what the victims name was (the one Greg hit with his car) and what the brothers name is. Can't remember. If you know it off hand and care to save me some time, you could mention it in a review. But I can look it up easily enough as well. Anyways, I don't mind constructive criticism, but I don't want any flames. Thanks. Anyways, dunno when the next chapter will be up but hopefully soon. Oh and I realize I messed up a bit in it with some things, but I'll correct that in another chapter once I figure out a way to go about it.