Chain of Command

The new day found Horatio and his team working a crime scene in North Miami Beach involving the brutal murder of a young lady. As Horatio stood and looked around where the body was found at the water's edge by an early morning jogger, the ambiance was surprisingly serene, but he knew that would change soon. The ocean was calm, almost appearing as a large lake, darkened by the dreary sky. The morning sky was filled with dark, ominous clouds, threatening to unleash torrents of rain, just what they needed while trying to complete their job. Later in the day, he would think back and realize the weather was appropriate for what they were about to discover.

Realizing they had a limited amount of time to collect evidence before the impending storm destroyed possible clues, the team was scouring the beach surrounding the scene, bagging everything that could possibly be related to the murder. Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner, Tom Lohman was performing his initial investigation of the body to determine a tentative COD when Horatio walked over to the bruised and battered body. Hesitating for a moment, he glanced over at Calleigh who was interviewing the jogger over by the Hummers.

"Have you determined COD yet Tom?" Horatio asked, while quietly easing down on one knee beside the girl's body, resting his crossed arms on his knee, with his sunglasses dangling from one hand.

"Not yet." Tom Lohman answered as he shook his head. "What I can tell you right now is that she was not murdered here. She has not been sexually assaulted, but what I've found interesting are these lacerations under each of her arm pits…they are deep, perhaps to the bone. It's almost as if the killer intended to dismember her, but stopped for some reason. Those wounds are post mortem by the way." He said as he looked up at Horatio. "There is also significant bruising evident on her neck, but for now, cause of death for this one will have to wait until I can examine her on the table. Hopefully, I'll be able to help ID her then."

Horatio stared intently at the young girl's hazel eyes that were still open, realizing they were portraying a desperate, pleading expression…as if she was still attempting to persuade her killer to stop hurting her. Suddenly, he looked down at the sand beneath his feet, shaking his head to clear the image. He wondered how many times he'd seen this same picture in his years on the job; too many he thought.

"Alright Tom, let me know when you've determine something," Horatio said as he pushed up on his feet. Then he heard Ryan shout,

"H, over here, you need to see this." Ryan stood partially behind a sand dune about twenty-five yards back as Horatio turned and walked through the sand to join his young CSI. Calleigh, finished with her interview, heard Ryan's call to Horatio and began walking toward them.

Horatio stepped up next to Ryan and looked down at a partially buried young lady in the sand. Moving closer, Horatio kneeled down to get a closer look at the battered girl's body when he suddenly realized who it was. Denise Burton, daughter of Miami-Dade Chief of Police Tom Burton, a long-time friend before they were even in police work together. Horatio squeezed his eyes closed, hanging his head as he pulled in a deep breath attempting to retain his composure from the impact of sudden recognition. He'd known Denise since she was born. Calleigh walked up and stood beside Horatio, quickly noticing the identity of the victim who was lying before them.

"Oh Horatio, its Denise…I'm so sorry." She softly declared in shock, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

After a few moments, Horatio pushed himself up to his feet, easing on his sunglasses even though there was no sun, trying to make an effort to hide the sadness and tears that were evident in his eyes.

Calleigh feeling his sadness asked him, "Do you want me to go with you to tell her parents?"

Horatio almost whispered his response, "Thank you Sweetheart, but…" swallowing hard he continued, "I need to do this alone." Calleigh nodded her head that she understood.

"Get Tom over here when he's finished with the other girl," Horatio said after turning toward Ryan.

"Seems they may have been together when they were murdered since their wounds look similar," Ryan stated as he glanced back toward the location of the other girl.

Eric had finished the area he'd been working on and had joined them, staring at Denise's remains, thinking what a shame she had to die like this. "We'll get right on the evidence H, once we get everything back at the lab. Do you want me to go with you to the Burton's?"

"Thanks Eric, but this is something I have to do alone."

Horatio turned to Calleigh and gently took her elbow leading her away from the rest of the team. "Sweetheart, I'm going straight over to Tom and Jenny's. Would you mind if we skip lunch today? I…I just feel that I will need to stay with them for a while. Denise's death is going to affect them hard."

"No Handsome, that's ok. I understand. I'll be helping with the evidence on this case and I'll cover the lab until you get back."

Horatio lightly squeezed her arm, as he gave her a weak smile and whispered, "Thank you."

Calleigh stood and watched as Horatio walked slowly to his Hummer, feeling so sad knowing this was going to be hard on him. She knew it was never pleasant to have to tell parents that their child, regardless of age, was dead, but this time the death had hit close to home.

Horatio drove up the circular drive to the large Spanish style home, noticing a gardener tending to some shrubbery at the edge of the side patio, and wishing he were visiting for a more pleasant reason. He himself was finding it hard to come to grips with the fact that Denise had so much of life ahead of her, but now she was gone. He remembered Tom telling him she was in the graphic design school at the University of Miami and only had one more year before graduation. She was excited that she already had a job lined up with a large advertising firm located in Miami. He felt sure the other girl was a student as well and perhaps Tom and Jenny would be able to help with a name.

Slowly exiting the Hummer, Horatio walked toward the front door as a light rain began falling, how appropriate, he thought. Hesitating for a moment to collect his thoughts before ringing the doorbell, he glanced over at the side of the house where the gardener had been, but the man was now gone. Horatio rang the bell and waited.

The door opened and an unfamiliar young man stood before him in a dark suit. For a fleeting moment, Horatio wondered who the man could be, but just accounted the reason he didn't know him to be someone newly hired perhaps.

"Horatio Caine to see Mr. and Mrs. Burton, please."

The man nodded and replied, "This way," as he stepped aside and motioned Horatio in. "Mr. and Mrs. Burton are out on the veranda in back of the house." Horatio being familiar with the house assured the young man he could find his way.

Horatio walked from the entryway, down the hall toward the back of the house, skirting the large living area with his mind totally focused on the sad news that he was bearing and never heard the man walk up behind him until it was too late. He abruptly felt excruciating pain in the back of his head and sensed himself falling, and then his body slamming into the hard tile floor. Rolling over, struggling to push himself up on his hands and knees, confused as to what had happened to him, he felt the second blow and then nothing but darkness.

"We need to get out of here," the young man who answered the door said to the man dressed as a workman, "the real staff will arrive soon."

"What about him? He's a cop." The other man asked.

"We were told to take care of the Burtons…this guy just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, another minute and we would have been gone before he showed up."

The two men quickly made their way out to their van which was parked on a service road, located several yards beyond the pool at the rear of the house and drove away before the house staff began to arrive. Within minutes after the men's departure, two ladies, a mother and daughter who had been working for the Burtons for years, drove up and entered the house through a side door using their key, carrying in sacks of groceries. After bringing in all of the sacks, the younger of the two walked out of the kitchen and across to the hallway leading to the veranda, where the Burtons always were finishing up their breakfast, just to let them know she and her mother had arrived.

The hallway was dark so Darnell flipped on a light switch, immediately screaming for her mother when she saw the redhead lying on the floor. Her mother ran through the entryway to see what was wrong with her daughter.

"What, who," the older woman began stammering until she walked closer to the man sprawled out on the floor. Gasping she cried, "It's Mr. Horatio…Darnell, call 911 right now. Then go out and get the Burtons on the veranda," she instructed as she knelt down beside Horatio feeling for his pulse. She grimaced when she noticed the blood in his hair, and began calling his name, "Mr. Horatio, its Pauline. Please wake up."

Pauline was startled by another, more terrifying scream coming from her daughter. Leaving Horatio, she ran out toward the veranda to see why Darnell was screaming. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. Pauline gripped the door frame in order to steady herself, and suddenly couldn't find her voice. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burton were lying in large pools of blood, their throats having been slashed. Darnell was standing beside the couple sobbing, her face covered with both hands, unable to continue looking at the gruesome sight, as she shook her head in disbelief.

TBC…