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Darkracer - Fear not, I never post a story that I haven't already completed, so rest assured this does have an end.
Chapter 2
"And we have some breaking news as we speak. It appears that a cruise liner was hijacked last night and several people have been kidnapped. We go live now to our reporter at the dockside, Lisa Caukwell. Lisa."
"Yes thanks Jeff. The cruise was a fund raising trip organized by jewellery designer, Madaline Engles. It appears that masked gunmen have allegedly taken at least twelve people from the cruise liner. One of whom is believed to be the host herself. The authorities were alerted to the kidnappings when passengers broke out of the ballroom where they had been held. There's no confirmation on the identities of the other victims at this time. The FBI has taken control of the situation and is expecting ransom demands to be made. Reporting live, this is Lisa Caukwell. MDC News."
-----
Calleigh searched desperately for a face she knew amongst the throng of FBI and uniforms. Finally, she caught sight of Agent Sackheimer. He was stood off to one side observing the milieu. Calleigh pushed her way past a couple of suited men and called out to him.
"Dennis."
He looked up and did a double take. "It's okay." He waved off the men who were trying to block her path. "Calleigh, what are you doing here?"
She gave him a look of disbelief and gestured at her attire.
"You were on the cruise?"
"With Horatio," she confirmed.
He nodded and was about to turn away when she grabbed his arm.
"I want in on this." Something about the intense look in her eyes stopped him from immediately brushing her off.
"This is an FBI matter, Detective," Sackheimer replied.
She tightened her grip on his arm. "Dennis, they took him. They took Horatio." There was a sense of urgency about her. He opened his mouth to object. Calleigh held up a hand to silence him. "Look I'm not asking for jurisdiction, just a chance to help find him. Please. Come on. You owe him. Please." She looked at him pleadingly.
Sackheimer found himself ambushed by beseeching green eyes. Sighing he relented. "Okay. We do this my way though. You will not directly work on Horatio's case, right?"
"Absolutely. Do you have a phone? I need to call the lab and let Delko and Speed know."
"Fine." He handed her his phone and began to walk away. "Wait a minute!" he said, realizing what he'd agreed to, but Calleigh was already busy dialling the phone. "Fine," he said again. He shook his head and called over his lead agent telling him the new arrangement.
"Oh, Dennis one more thing," she said as she dialled the Lab.
He turned to her in disbelief, "Only one?"
"Well actually two. Yelena is going to want to be part of this too."
"Okay, same rules apply to her. What else?"
"Could you be a sweetie and arrange for me to get back to the lab? I need a change clothes and it's closer than home." She pressed call and put the phone to her ear giving him the sweetest smile she could muster.
He gave another exasperated sigh and turned away so she wouldn't see his smile. A least two of the families of the kidnapped only spoke Spanish. He had planned on getting an interpreter but this was so much better. Not only did Calleigh speak the language but she would also empathize with the situation a whole lot better than some of his guys.
"Agent Howell, see that Detective Duquesne gets back to the CSI lab, discreetly. The rest of the witnesses stay on board until they've been interviewed. That includes the crew. Some of them may have been in on this."
The Agent nodded and walked away.
Sackhiemer glanced back at Calleigh, who was still speaking into the phone. She looked calm and composed but the single tear that trailed its way down her cheek as he watched told him otherwise.
-----
Horatio groaned as the world came slowly back into focus. The blur coalesced into a tall, off white wall and a gray roof. Small skylights let in natural light. Dusty strip lighting swung slightly and an air conditioning unit rumbled quietly somewhere.
He rolled to his side and tried to gather his legs under him. He met resistance from his right foot. Sitting, Horatio pulled up his pant leg. A small length of chain was wrapped tightly around his ankle and secured with a sturdy padlock. The other end was set into the concrete of the floor. A telltale pale circle showed where a hole had been hacked out of the floor and filled with fresh concrete. The CSI part of his mind noted that this had been planned well in advance.
"Are you okay?" a feminine voice whispered from his left.
He turned a little; Madaline Engles was seated next to him. He gave her a nod and what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
Her previously immaculate dress was dusty and she had lost one of her shoes. Tears stained her cheeks. Her hand absently brushed her neck.
Horatio recalled that Calleigh had admired an intricate necklace she had worn before their abduction. He patted himself down checking in the pockets of his dinner suit. He had a brief moment of relief as he felt the cold metal of his silver chain against his chest. But his tie and watch were gone, and his pockets were empty. His keys and the velvet jewellery box where gone.
Pushing that aside, he began to taking in the surroundings. Opposite, boxes were stacked on crates and wrapped in plastic. A warehouse. A set of double doors were beside the crates. There was another door and a large plate glass window further along the wall. A burly looking man was seated with his feet on a desk making a phone call.
Two huge roll-up doors dominated the front of the building. Sunlight crept in underneath, highlighting the uneven concrete floor. There were more stacked boxes to the right of the doors. It was here that Horatio and the rest of the captured were chained. He cast his eye down the line of six people. All were sitting. Aside from Madaline, there was only one other woman. The rest were men. The three on the end obviously knew each other and had moved as close together as their chains would allow. The two men were comforting the woman and speaking in hushed whispers. Every now and then they would give the various guards wandering around nervous glances.
Horatio turned his attention to them. He counted seven in all, including the one in the office. They varied in age and race but all carried guns prominently displayed to intimidate. He scratched his chin and rubbed his eyes. He could feel the beginnings of a headache. There had to be more guards outside the double doors. Maybe some outside, better err on the side of caution and estimate fourteen guards. None wore masks; what that boded for the future he was unsure. Either they weren't concerned about being recognised or they wouldn't be around to tell.
He stored the information for future use and glanced to his immediate left. Mr Gurung was leaning back against the wall, his eyes closed. Horatio shuffled over to him and touched his arm lightly.
He opened one eye then the other and gave him a serene smile. "At least I have some polite company for our little adventure."
Horatio looked confused.
Mr Gurung nodded in the direction of the three other captives, who had left a significant gap between them.
"Mr Gurung," Horatio began.
"Sijan, please"
"Sijan, I'm afraid money is no guarantee of manners."
"Indeed. Would it be impolite to ask where you are from?" Madaline's slightly accented voice startled Horatio, who had not realised she'd scooted closer.
Mr Gurung gave her an appraising look. "I am from Nepal"
Madaline smiled softly "Oh we went there last year. Kel loved Katmandu…" she trailed off. "It was very beautiful," she said, quietly lost in memories.
"That it is," Mr Gurung replied with a warm smile.
The screeching sound of a metal chair being dragged across the concrete floor startled them all. The man from the office was coming toward them. He stopped a metre away and flipped the chair around. Straddling it, he studied them, letting the silence stretch.
"Now you're all finally awake. I'll make this short. Those of you who are able will, in three days, make an electronic payment into an account. You will then be taken to a location and released. Those who cannot, your relatives have those three days to make payment arrangements. After that time, if a payment is made you will also be released." He paused and scanned up and down the line.
The three people on the end were cowering. The woman sniffled unattractively. The foreigner seemed unflustered and sat leaning against the wall, calmly listening. The woman on the end seemed a little more together, her face was tear stained but she sat straight as if determined to be stronger than the snivelling wimp at the other end. The guard from the office levelled his gaze at Horatio, who returned the gaze coolly. Sharp that one, the guard noted to himself, best to keep an eye on him. He didn't know what the boss was thinking bringing Caine along, still as long as he got his pay he didn't much care.
"You will be fed and given water twice a day." Another guard with spiked black hair came up the line and dropped a blanket at the foot of each of the captives; another in a Meatloaf Tshirt followed, dumping bottles of water.
"Five star toilet facilities are behind you." Seated Guard pointed to a couple of buckets against the wall. "You will not speak to any of us unless spoken to. Behave yourselves and there will be no lasting consequences for you. But know this, I have no qualms in killing any one of you." He directed this last comment to Horatio then stood and pushed the chair over with a loud clang making most of the prisoners flinch. He nodded to the man to his left who pulled a digital camera from his pocket and walked down the line. Pausing in front of each captive he clicked off a picture. He strode over and handed the camera to his boss, who took it without another word and returned to the office.
-----
It was a good two hours before Calleigh got into CSI and was debriefed, showered, changed, and ready to get to work. Sackheimer spoke to Yelena while Calleigh got cleaned up. There were no tears, just a quiet determination to get her brother-in-law back safely. Just as Calleigh had predicted, Yelena demanded to part of it. Sackheimer then commandeered Horatio's office to make some calls, which caused a great deal of grumbling from the CSI personnel, until the list of the kidnapped was published. Calleigh pulled Alexx aside as soon as she was able to explain. She accepted the tight hug and promised to keep her and the boys up to date. Eric and Tim quickly agreed to split the workload between them whilst Calliegh 'helped' the FBI.
Yelena was waiting in the break room when Calleigh emerged from the locker rooms, hair still damp. Calleigh had always been somewhat unsure of Yelena's feelings towards her. Ever professional at work, she had always been a little cool otherwise. Calleigh hesitated on the threshold. They stood awkwardly for a moment before each tried to speak.
Yelena held up her hand. "Let me just say this. Thank you for having Sackheimer bring me in on this. You could have left me out. I'm not sure I would have done the same."
"Sure you would. Look it doesn't matter, we both know Horatio wouldn't want us to fight. He would want us to do our best to get back all the victims, and not just worry about him. Okay?"
Yelena bit her lower lip for a moment then nodded.
Sackheimer knocked and stuck his head around the door. "Ready to go ladies?"
Both straightened and turned to face him. Seeing them standing side-by-side Sackheimer began to think he might have made a mistake in agreeing to this. Alone each woman was formidable, together…
Calleigh's phone began beeping. She glanced down at the screen. "Would y'all excuse me a moment, I apparently have a visitor."
The gentleman waiting in reception was a middle aged, well groomed individual. He turned on a wide, white smile and offered his hand as she dodged around a courier delivering a package.
"Calleigh Duquesne," she said as they shook hands.
"Anton Ortega. I apologise for intruding at this time. Let me come to point. I am a man of some wealth and despite the good work of your Lieutenant Caine; I am sure that as a public servant he is not. I wish to offer my assistance is securing his safe return, financial assistance.
For a moment Calleigh was speechless. "Thank you, Mr Ortega, for your very generous offer. I don't know if we can accept but I will certainly pass it on to the people who need to know."
"Please," he said, taking her hand again. "Don't thank me for your department, thank me for yourself."
"Excuse me?" Calleigh was confused.
"You were on the cruise were you not? Were you not accompanying Lt. Caine last night?"
Calleigh looked away. "I was, " she said quietly. Then more sharply "How did you know?"
"I believe I saw you on the news footage." He patted her hand in a comforting manner. "I am sorry my dear I did not mean to cause you upset. Please accept my card." He dropped her hand and plucked a pen from the desk and scribbled quickly on the reverse. "This is my home number, if the city does not wish to accept my donation perhaps you can." He pressed the card into her palm. "Do not hesitate to call me." He gave her hand a small squeeze and collected the silver capped cane that had been leaning against the front desk. "At anytime," he added and strolled away from her his cane clicking rhythmically all the way to lift.
Calleigh watched his retreating back with a thoughtful look. She was so focused on her thoughts that she almost missed the smug look of amusement that crossed Ortega's face as the elevator doors closed.
Almost.
Yelena tapped her on the shoulder. "Who was that?" she said, smiling and nodding at the desk clerk who handed over a package.
She shuddered, "I'm not entirely sure but I suddenly feel the need for another shower."
Yelena smiled. "What did he want?
"To pay for Horatio's Ransom."
Yelena was silent for a moment, emotions warring insider her "You know the city probably won't accept," she said, ripping open the package.
"Uh huh. Well here's the thing that's bothering me. He said I should accept it personally and implied that he knew about Horatio and I. He said he'd seen me on the news about the kidnappings."
Yelena nodded.
"The thing is, I was never on the news. Dennis got me back here with out any of the news crews seeing me."
"May be we should run a background check on Mr...?" Yelena tipped the contents of her package on the reception desk.
Calliegh looked down at the card still clutched in her palm. "Ortega," she said. "You know his prints are probably on this."
"Run them. Let's see what we can….."
Calleigh looked up.
Yelena was staring at the contents of the package. A watch, a burgundy tie and a photo. "I have to sit down." She crossed to the seating and sat down, her head in her hands.
Calliegh pulled a pair of gloves out of her pants pocket, snapping them on. She ignored the curious look from the receptionist and carefully put everything back in the packaging. She looked at the photo for a moment. A defiant looking Horatio stared back; he was sitting against a white wall. She held it a little closer studying the background. No shadows, except for Horatio's. Nothing remarkable that could give a hint to where he was. She felt tears welling and she fought them back. She flipped the photo. It was generic photo paper, nothing that wasn't sold in every Walmart from here to LA. Stencilled on the back of the photo was a message.
$500,000. YOU HAVE TILL 6 PM TUES YOU WILL BE CONTACTED.
Cal tucked it back into the packaging and walked over to Yelena.
"We need to give this to Dennis. Maybe the FBI labs can come up with something."
Yelena looked up. "You really trust them with this?"
"If we want to remain on this case then we have to, okay?"
Yelena nodded, sighing. "I'm sorry, all this just became real for me."
She saw Sackheimer approaching and held up the package for him to see. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully took it from them. Wordlessly, he turned around and headed for the layout room. He took a pair of gloves from the box on the shelf and tipped the package contents out. He looked up at them waiting for someone to speak.
Yelena cleared her throat. "I gave him the watch last year."
"The tie?"
"He wore both last night," Calleigh confirmed.
Sackheimer nodded. He gave the photo a cursory glance and turned his attention to the package itself. "We'll check for prints and I'll have my guys trace this company." His phone began to ring. "Sackheimer. Yes, we got one here. How many? Right we're on our way." He snapped his phone shut. "Six of the other families have received something similar," he said, gathering the items on the table. Calleigh held out an evidence bag and he slipped the items into it. He pulled a pen from his pocket and scribbled on the front. "You two are going to be my liaisons with the Spanish speaking families."
"Still not learned the language, Dennis?"
He gave Calleigh a wry smile. "Two hours every Monday night. My teacher says I've improved."
She remembered the card in her pocket. "There's one more thing I need to deal with."