"Delko."

"H-hello?"

"Who is this? And how did you get this number?"

"Please! Please you have to listen to me! I only have this much time. I've been kidnapped and..I'm in an attic near the waterfront...Th-"

For a few seconds Eric only heard the muffled sounds of movement and a door opening. Then there was a flurry of anger and voices.

"Fucking bitch! How dare you?!"

A loud thump was followed by a sickening crack and a yelp followed by sobbing.

"Hello? Hello? This is the police!" Eric yelled as loudly as he could into his phone. He heard the outher line being picked up.

"Who the? Fu- You are so dead bitc-" Was all Eric heard before he was hung up on.

The entire breakroom looked up in shock when Eric crashed in, looking very frazzled.

"Where's H?"

"Right here Delko." Horatio stepped into the room behind Eric.

"H...This guy...Called my cellphone...Says he got kidnapped and..I heard...Sounds of beating..."

"Calm down Eric...Tell us everything you know and heard."

"This guy...Young..sounded young at least..called my cellphone. I have no idea how he got my number... I think...judging by the way he talked...caucasian...from around here.. He told me he didn't have much time and that he had been kidnapped and that he was locked in the attic of some house near the waterfront... Then someone came in...Person called the kid who called my cell a bitch...Then there was a...a...sounded like there was beating...a crack...I yelled that I was police into the receiver and...the kidnappersaid the kid was gonna die..."

"You sure Eric?" Speed asked, studying his friend. Calleigh was obviously thinking along the same lines as him and sat up a little starighter.

"Yeah...Oh god...I'm sure...You should have heard the kids voice...He was scared man...And the beating...I swear...I swear I heard a crack...Like a bone breaking...And the kid's pain...was so raw... It felt so...real..." Eric choked out, running a hand through his hair. Sure he was a cop and was supposed to be used to things like that, but the boy's pain had seemed so real to Eric, it was as though it was happening to him.

"Alright...Eric, I need you to give your phone to the A/V lab and have them trace the call. And the waterfront...Attic of a house on the waterfront...Calleigh, Speed, go call to check if any of the houses on the waterfronts are not occupied officially."

All three CSIs immediately went to their designated venues to do their designated jobs.

Ryan whimpered and cried in painas best he could with the gag in his mouth. The gag tasted foul. Of mould and rotten things Rysn did not want to imagine. The sticky heat of the large male body over an inside him made him feel like vomiting, the stench of rape hanging thickly over them. He could feel the blood slipping down his thighs from his entrance. More blood dripped onto the floor from the various cuts over his body. He could hear the grunts and curses of his assailant. But worst of all, he was forced to watch his humiliation. The large mirror in front of him mocked him. He watched himself be taken violently and brutally. He never even realized the tears slipping down his cheeks.

Two agonizing days had passed. Two agonozing days since that fateful phonecall. The kidnapper had moved. From the empty house on the waterfront which they had raided. He was somewhere alse and there was no way they could track him. They had enough DNA to find the kidnapper on the system. ERic stared darkly at the file in front of him. The kidnapper was a Jeff Goodall. A burly caucasian male who was a repeat sex offender. But all his victims so far had been women. The boy who had called him was the first change. He was just about to put down the file and get coffee when his phone rang.

"Delko."

"Hello?" THe boy's voice was barely over a whisper, but Eric recognized him immediately.

"Are you okay? Where are you?" Eric stopped when he heard a soft sob.

"Please...Help me...I'm in a warehouse...I think it's near a train track...I hear trains every few hours...Help me please..." Eric signalled violently at Cooper to start tracing the call.

"Okay..Okay kid that's good...You gotta keep calm okay? Are you still with him? What's your name? Are you hurt bad?"

"I don't have much time...He went out to talk to someone...I'm Ryan...Ryan Wolfe..."

":Okay Ryan...i'm coming to get you soon okay? You just remember that I'm gonna come and get you..."

"Thank you sir..."

"My name's Eric...You keep cool...We'll be there so-"

"I have to go."

Eric turned to Cooper the moment he hung up.

"Got it. He used a cell phone. Registered under a Ryan Wolfe. Traced it to a warehouse near the old railroad on 31st."

"Thanks." Eric was off to tell Horatio before Cooper could even return the greeting.

They infiltrated the building silently, Eric and Horatio from the front entrance, Speed and Calleigh from the back. The sounds emitted from the small loft on the second floor made their stomachs churn, but their fury to burn. The groans and moans contrasted sharply with the whimpers and sobs. With a loud bang, Eric kicked the door in and yelled, "Freeze! Miami Dade P. D.!"

The sight before him made him want to shoot Jeff. The foul man had Ryan on all fours, his blood stained hands gripping the boy's hips with bruising force. Jeff pulled away from the young body beneath him with a gasp.

"Don't move! Put your hands behind your head!" Horatio ordered as Eric and Calleigh rushed forward to tend to the boy who now lay in a crumpled heap. Speed cuffed the man and dragged him off.

Eric looked down at the bleeding, battered and bruised body.

"Eric?"

"Yeah...Yeah Ryan...It's me...Sorry I got here late..." ERic whispered back softly as he wrapped a soft cotton blanket around the boy.

"No...THank you for finding me..." Ryan breathed out, before blacking out.

"Poor baby... Alexx whispered, studying the lean figure. "Been through so much..."

Eric watched the young man unconscious on the hospital bed. He was pale, his skin almost blending with the off white sheets. In Eric's opinion he was beautiful, lean, pale, soft,floppy brown hair and full, pink lips. But that purity was now tainted. If he could, Eric would have shot Goodall. Or even better, make him die a horrible, painful death. But unfortunately, all he could do was ake sure that Goodall was put safely behind bars. Which he made sure happened. Eric turned his attention back to the young man in front of him. Ryan Wolfe looked a lot ounger than he actually was, 23. In Eric's opinion he didn't look a day over 17. Ryan was studying genetics and chemistry in university while having a part time job at a pet store. He was said to be a nice guy, a bit of a nerd at times, but a good friend nonetheless. Records showed that he did not have any living relatives. Eric felt guilt worm it's way into his gut as his eyes caught the white of bandages under the hospital gown. If only he had been fatser, if he didn't panic so much, they might have been able to get to Ryan before he was hurt so badly.

"I'm sorry kid...I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner... I'm so sorry for what he did to you..."

"Not your fault..."

Eric looked up to see twin hazel eyes flicker open before closing tightly again. Eric turned off the lights and shut the blinds before returning to Ryan's bedside. "You feeling okay?"

"Water?" the boy's large hazel eyes reopened and turned to Eric pleadingly. Eric slowly adjusted the bed so that Ryan was sitting up slightly and raised the straw to his lips. "Slowly..."

After a few sips, Ryan pulled away and slumped back against the pillows, tired from just sitting up. Eric put the glass down and asked "Want me to get the doctor?"

"No...I wanna enjoy this for a while before I get fussed over." The boy puted a bit before smiling slightly at Eric. Eric almost believed that he was alright until his trained eyes caught the emotional strain well hidden behind those hazel eyes. Almost too well hidden. Eric had almost missed it if not for the slump off Ryan's slim shoulders and the torment and rage of emotion in his eyes. "Want some time alone?"

Ryan coyuld only nod.

Eric left the room and went to fetch Ryan's doctor.

The moment the CSI was out of the room, Ryan allowed himself to crack. Tears slipped sown his cheeks and a sob wormed it's way out. Ryan drew a shuddering breath and allowed his fears to consime him. What was he going to o now? His whole life felt as though it was crashing down around him. He would be too scared to let anyone touch him, he would be too scared to go out alone, he would be too scared to have any relationship with anyone, he would be too scared to do anything. He felt so dirty and used, as if he'd never be clean again. Eventhough all the wounds his rapist had left on him were already treated and on the road to healing, Ryan still felt as though they were knawing and tearing at him, hurting him. He curled himself into a tight ball, not heeding the aches and pains all over him and even ignoring when his IV was yanked out of his arm. He just wanted to be swallowed by the ground, and never have to face the torrid world again.

Eric sighed as he sat down on the horribly happy yellow chairs in the waiting room. The doctor had told him to stay outside while he checked on Ryan. Eric rest his head in his hands and released the shaky breath. He had no idea why he felt so attached and so worried about Ryan. He had never been so worried about any vuctim, ever. Was it because Ryan had no one else to rely on? That wasn't it. There were earlier cases when younger victims were left alone in the world and Eric had never felt the same attachment. Why Ryan? Maybe because it was him Ryan called. Eric just allowed his thoughts to mull and his worry for Ryan's well being to overtake him when he felt a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up and met the warm eyes of Speed and Alexx.

"How you holding up bro?" Speed asked, sitting down ext to him.

"What're you talking about? I'm fine..." Eric attempted, but knew he would fail miserably at trying to fool Alexx and Speed.

"Stop shitting us man. We know you're worried bout the kid...How is he anyway?"

"Yeah...Is he alright?" Alexx joined in, settling down on the other side of Eric.

"Yeah...He just woke up...Seems fine..."

"But you don't think so do you honey?" Alexx finished for him, resting her hand gently on his arm.

"Of course not..I mean...who would be fine after something like that happened to them?" Eric let out. Just as Speed was about to say something, there was a scream and loud crashing down the hallway, directly from Ryan's room. Eric bolted up and ran to the room.

Ryan was screaming and thrashing wildly as the doctor and a few nurses tried to restrain him. What Ryan was screaming broke Eric's heart.

"No! Please don't touch me! Don't! Please!"

His screams turned into sobs which wracked his entire body. He was tossing his head wildly but stopped when his wide, tear filled eyes landed on Eric. Those same eyes seemed to beg Eric to save him. Again. Eric moved swiftly over to the bed and pulled the doctor and nurses away from the young man. Ryan immediately latched himself onto Eric and cried into his chest, begging him not to let anyone hurt him. Eric instinctively wrapped his arms around the boy and whipered words of comfort to him, hoping to soothe the boy.

Eric watched the sedated boy from behind the window. His heart ached painfully to go back into the room and sit by the boy's bed and wait for him to wake up. Ryan had to be sedated after his outbreak with the doctor. But his pride, ego, image and most of all fears refused to allow his heart to have it's way. Already, in the eyes of some of the team, Eric was not seen as equal, what with being Cuban and all. He was scared what speculations that would occur if he decided to care for Ryan. He turned away from the window and stalked off silently, as much as his heart screamed at him to turn back.

Calleigh looked up when the lab doors opened, letting in her newest teammate.