DISCLAIMER: "CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and (c) by ANTHONY E. ZUIKER, JERRY BRUCKHEIMER Television, CBS Worldwide Inc., Alliance Atlantis Corporation, CSI Productions and CBS Productions, All Rights Reserved. This is a purely an outlet of creative writing inspired by a superb TV series and out of respect for my favorite actor, Paul Guilfoyle. The character of Iris King is my own creation.
A/N: . Brass and Iris embark on a case where she will support Brass who must shoulder a unique responsibility that will result in significant stressors. Will their friendship be strengthened or become a casualty as a result?
"Special Delivery"
Acknowledgements: "Anybody Out There"; artist – Rissi Palmer; writers - Lisa A. Drew, Shaye Smith. "Just As I Am"; artist – Faith Hill; writers – Karen Staley, Bob Dipiero. Excerpt from "Forrest Gump" – Novel by Winston Groom; screenplay by Eric Roth. Excerpt from "The Truth About Cats and Dogs"; written by Audrey Wells. Special thanks to Joan P. for beta patrol and Mel-O for listening to my thinking out loud.
Chapter One
Not again, thought the man. He peered through the peephole of his apartment door at the scene that was now all too familiar. The man and woman who lived across from him were arguing again in the hall. His wife sat anxiously on the couch near him, wringing her hands at the sounds they both heard.
"Bitch! You holdin' out on me again? Won't get your sorry skinny ass out there to work when I tell you! Knocked up again too. Who wants to ride a pregnant 'ho? What use are you to me now? At least you got that pretty mouth of yours and back end to make some scratch by…"
"Please, Dice, I'm sick…I need to see a doctor about the baby," the woman's voice pleaded.
The man inside his apartment tensed, watching through the peephole as the young, auburn-haired, slender woman was slapped repeatedly by the taller, heavily-built, blonde-haired and goateed man called "Dice." The young woman was doing her best to duck his blows by bending over to protect her midsection but he moved more quickly than she and took advantage of it. The man's lips met grimly while his hand reached down toward the door knob to intervene. It was the young woman they saw little of and their efforts to introduce themselves had been fruitless. The young woman would smile shyly and say little more than hello and good-bye.
"Baby, I'm going out there, I can't stand that a-hole's abuse of that poor girl no more," he told his wife.
"Charles, please, you can't go out there. That Dice is bad news! What if he's got a gun or a knife? Don't get involved!" his wife begged, her voice breaking, as she got up and grabbed his arm.
"Neecie, he's gonna do worse this time I can feel it. She's pregnant too. I can't just stand by," Charles growled back.
"Honey, we can call 911 in a little bit," Neecie coaxed in a strained voice.
Charles glanced back and saw her expression, causing him to relent but he struggled with the decision just the same.
"Okay, I'm willing to give a short time here but just this much," Charles indicated as he held his thumb and forefinger up fractionally apart. He resumed his vigil through the peephole as he watched the man called Dice open up the apartment door across from their own then push the young woman through the door and slam it shut.
"Neecie, you better pray we did the right thing," Charles sighed as he sat down by her on the couch. They resumed watching their movie and eventually went to bed.
X X X X X
The sound of shattering glass and a high-pitched scream brought Charles out of an already restless sleep and, Neecie sat up with him in their bed. There was silence for several moments followed by a barely heard scratching sound that became a faint knocking at their front door. Charles was up in seconds with Neecie following fearfully behind him as they approached the door. He picked up the baseball bat he kept by the door for those "just in case" possibilities. Keeping up his resolve, he gripped the door knob and opened the door slowly only to look down when his mouth gaped in disbelief.
Propped against the door frame was the young woman whose face was battered and nearly unrecognizable. Her clothes were ripped and torn as she tried to keep herself covered. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth as dark reddish black marks masked her cheeks and chin. Three irregular lacerations marked her face in the mid left cheek that oozed dark red blood. The young woman gazed up at Charles with beseeching eyes and one weakly raised hand that emphasized her plea. She groaned in pain as her other hand went to her gravid abdomen protectively. Charles swallowed hard as he realized he didn't even know her name. He knelt down by her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder to reassure her.
"Dice do this to you?" he asked in a hoarse whisper after several moments.
The young woman nodded mutely as the other apartment door swung open and Dice strode out menacingly toward them. Charles stepped in front of her protectively but casually. He held the bat by his side as he said with a shade of sarcasm. "Neecie, see to our neighbor girl here while I talk to this…gentleman."
"Get out of the way, old man, my business is with her," Dice sneered as he came to stand a foot away from Charles.
"Sorry, I can't do that," said Charles as he maintained his stance, blocking Dice.
"Says you and who else?" snarled Dice agitatedly as he pushed at the older man with one hand and pulled a switchblade knife from his pocket with the other to threaten Charles with. His intent to get at the young woman cradled by Neecie was his only focus. He didn't count on what followed to happen.
"Me and my friend Mr. Louisville Slugger," replied Charles as he whipped the bat up, gripped firmly between his fingers, and hit Dice with two fast but solid swings – one to Dice's hand carrying the knife causing him to cry out with an agonized yelp that was cut short when the other went to his jaw. Dice collapsed in a senseless heap at Charles' feet.
"Home run, baby," Neecie cried out in relief before she felt the young woman slump against her. "Honey, she's fainted!"
"I'm going to carry her inside and lay her on the couch. You call 911 for the police and ambulance, then I'm going back out to keep guard over that dickless wonder out there," instructed Charles as he carefully picked up the young woman to take her inside, followed by Neecie. Dice never even twitched.