"Horatio we've tracked down the four remaining survivors and they're being brought in now," Calleigh declared. "Good we'll need a protective unit on them at all times," he stated. "Even in headquarters," she asked but only nodded as he gave her a look. "Surely no one would be absurd enough to try an attack here," Natalia chimed in. "We're dealing with monsters above Milvickie on the food chain; I wouldn't put it past them." Eric Delko always had a touch of humor to these types of difficult truths.
"They're coming up now," Calleigh confirmed as she walked at Horatio's side to the elevator, the others followed closely behind. "Sir I think I've found something," detective Ryan Wolfe called as he made his way to the group. "Is it important Ryan," Detective Tripp's voice was aggravated and stern. "I'm not certain but it could be," he offered. "Here see in this photo," he extended it out to the group; all eyes on it.
"What about it," Natalia questioned still searching the photo for the clue. "There was a total of eight women who survived," he paused for a moment as he pointed a finger at a blonde woman with her back facing the camera. "This woman wasn't listed and wasn't present for questioning; she makes nine." Horatio took the photo from the detective's hand and focused harder. "She's covered in blood," Calleigh breathed. "She could have been a part of the group who saved them," Eric added.
"This is an excellent lead; Ryan I'd like you to join me in questioning the woman with her in the photo, Melina Juarez." Ryan nodded and handed out three more of the same photo for the others to use in questioning. Finally the elevator rang and out walked the women with an excessive safety detail surrounding them. Everyone took their survivor and headed off to different interrogation rooms; Ryan following behind Melina and Horatio.
"Miss Juarez we believe someone is killing the survivors," Horatio began but she put her hand up for him to stop; he obliged. "I'm aware lieutenant otherwise I would not have come at all." She sounded displeased and held tightly to her clutch obviously trying to hide her fear. "We're going to find who's doing this," Horatio declared. Wolfe shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He never made promises he really couldn't control from breaking. He would have said something more along the lines of, 'We're going to do everything in our power...'
"We've got a few questions to ask you in case they might help determine who is doing this," Ryan explained. "I understand," Melina nodded easing her posture slightly. In every interrogation room it looked the same. Two detectives sat across a very tense Hispanic woman trying to sooth her as they reminded her of the life that she lived only months ago. The glass dividers gave Ryan an uneasy vantage point as the women one by one broke into tears.
After nearly two hours of questioning Calleigh stepped into the room after a quick knock and handed Horatio a slip of paper. Ryan leaned over to read 'When asked about the woman they all said they didn't know. We all believe they're lying.' Horatio nodded and handed her back the paper as Calleigh exited the room. Ryan sat up straighter as Horatio pulled the photographic evidence from the file folder and slid it over to the woman.
"Who is the woman you are speaking to in this photo," Horatio asked kindly. The woman noticeably stiffened before fully relaxing her body for the first time since the beginning of the interview. "I don't know," a warm smile spread across her lips and her shining eyes remained on the photo. "Miss Juarez...Melina," Horatio insisted. Still silence. "She saved you, all of you didn't she," Wolfe spoke up.
"Is she in trouble," Melina avoided answering the question still playing it off at least well enough they couldn't do anything about it. "No Melina but I believe she is in danger," Horatio sighed. Melina seemed to think about this a moment as she peered at the photo and chewed on her bottom lip. Her eyebrows pulled together and Ryan was certain she couldn't even hear Horatio explaining how important the truth was and how this could very well lead to the murderer after them.
"I don't know her name," she finally answered looking back up to the two waiting detectives. "Tell us what you do know," Wolfe urged leaning forward using his body language to further entice her to talk and feel comfortable. "I don't really know where to start," she sighed glancing at the photo again. "Just start from the beginning Miss Juarez," Horatio offered. She laughed, not a warm laugh that would've matched her loving expression but a cold and somewhat annoyed laugh.
"Well a rumor started to circulate among the girls about why so many of us were disappearing. Apparently a John had told one of his girls not to get a prostitution charge because they'd get taken and killed. Sadly a week after I'd heard this I got one," she chuckled flatly. "I was scared but I kept working hoping it was just a rumor. A few days later I was ordered to meet a man out by the docks at two in the morning. I was told he was a special client and to get in the black car as soon as it pulled up. I knew it then that I was going to be killed like the others."
"She," Melina pointed to the blonde in the photograph," found me at midnight. I was thinking about running but I knew it was no use they'd find me and it'd be worse. I hadn't heard her enter my room so when her hand went over my mouth I was terrified thinking someone was there to kill me." Miss Juarez chuckled again this time a little amusement apparent but not much.
"Don't scream I'm not going to hurt you," a woman's voice whispered in my ear. Her fingers slowly removed themselves from over my mouth and I turned around slowly to see her. She was just barely taller than me dressed in all black with long blonde strands sticking out from under a beanie. "Who are you; what do you want," I stuttered. "Sit down," she demanded in a hushed voice trying to make me quiet my own.
"Listen to me Melina," she looked through me. "They're going to kill you. When you get in the black car they're going to take you somewhere with others and they're going to kill you." The tears had already begun to roll down my cheeks but I suppressed my sobs. "I need you to take these," she held out a small silver ring and a pair of underwear. My face twisted into sickened confusion but she merely gave a small laugh. "Now is not the time to be shy."
"You're going to die but these will make sure others won't. You don't have to die in vain, you can save them." I was shaking my head trying to deny myself the truth I already knew. I hated how easily she told it to me, how she could look at me without a sign of shame. Was she helping them? "I won't do it...I won't help you." I hated this woman and had come to the conclusion myself she was the devil. "I'll leave it up to you then," she said without the slightest bit of emotion before exiting out a window in the hotel bathroom.
I cried for a whole hour before I started getting ready. I'm not sure why I bothered to wear the ring or the underwear but I put them on. I tried to assure myself nothing was different, that it was just a regular client but my body defied me and wouldn't stop shaking. I'd been right, the devil had been right. When I got to the docks and the black car pulled up I was knocked out.
I woke up in a hot and damp concrete room. The smell was awful and the sound of dripping water and muffled sobs was all I could hear. Looking around I saw seven others, all like me. We didn't dare speak but a few of us prayed in Spanish silently. The loud thuds and knocks above us made us quiet completely before one of our sobs would erupt. I'd been there awake at least a full day and it was night time once again.
It had caught me; it caught all of us by surprise when the first gun shot was heard. The whole place seemed to go into chaos above us as gunshots and screams echoed down to our cells. I thought it was death coming to claim me, perhaps the big John Milvickie had decided to kill all of them too to further cover his tracks. A man entered the room, opened my cell, and dragged me out by the hair. We were all screaming and crying by then thinking it was the end.
He held me in front of him like a shield as we faced the door, the only door into the room. Everything got really quiet before I heard a choked scream come from the man holding me and then his body fell taking me with it. It was her, I knew it the moment I saw her eyes. She was in all black again and soaked in blood. She pulled her mask off and helped me stand with a bright smile on her face.
Miss Juarez got quiet as she closed her eyes and smiled remembering the moment the woman saved her. "What did she say outside," Horatio inclined. "She took off the black clothing and had clothes on like we wore. They had blood on them but she still seemed to blend in with us. The police arrived almost immediately and led us all outside, she never let me go...The first responders gathered us by an ambulance looking for injuries that's when I felt her leave me." "What about in the photo," Horatio pushed making detective Wolfe place a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "It was just before you showed up that she came to me once more."
"What's your name," I pleaded her, my savior. "I can't say," she smiled slightly. "I'll call you Angel then," I smiled proudly. "An angel with horns and a tail," I added before taking her in an embrace. "Do you understand now why I told you you'd die?" She asked her voice a little sorrowful. "Yes, I have died. You've given me a new life," I exclaimed. She let her head tilt back and she gave a good laugh.
"That's too poetic for me," she declared. "I told you so because I knew you'd be that much happier to be alive Melina. I've helped you get your life back so you need to do something worthwhile with it." I turned to see the crime scene investigators were pulling up now and a red headed older man was yelling out orders. "I've got to go now Melina," she said from behind me. I turned but she was already gone and soon a young officer was directing me to take a seat and get looked at by the medics.
"That's all she said," Horatio seemed bewildered there wasn't much to go on. "Can you describe her," Detective Wolfe took the lead. "She was maybe two or three inches taller than me. She had long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her smile was perfect and white, and she was definitely Caucasian. Her voice was soft and young maybe early to mid-twenties. Honestly she looked like your average young college student." Ryan Wolfe nodded as he led Melina out of the room back into protective custody to be taken to a safe location.
"It's hard to believe one woman killed thirty six people to save eight girls she'd never met," Natalia declared. "Eric look into the girl's families see if any of them have enough money to hire someone like this." Horatio was deep in thought staring at the photo. "Get the lab to go back over the evidence and find the clothes she'd been wearing." Natalia and Calleigh left the room. "Ryan great job finding the photo," Horatio added just as Ryan stood, he nodded and returned to his former work.
"Sir none of the families seem to have any connection to the vigilante. If she was hired it was someone else entirely," Eric announced as the CSI team gathered. Horatio nodded seemingly deep in thought his eyes transfixed to the photo that started it all. "Well I've got something," Calleigh sighed. "The clothing she wore has been seized from the evidence locker by the FBI." Everyone sat up straighter and looked towards her disbelieving. "Does the seizure report have a name," Horatio asked. "Robert Blackwell," she answered looking over the report.
"That's a codename," Horatio said looking back to the photo in his hands disappointed. "A codename for what H," Eric asked. "Robert Blackwell doesn't exist, the feds use it when they want something to disappear forever," Natalia answered. "That's correct Miss Boa Vista; we've hit a dead end I'm afraid." Ryan Wolfe stayed quiet as he leaned back in his chair and studied his colleagues. "Maybe this woman is being protected by them," Eric began. "They better be," Horatio declared as he stood and exited the room.