Disclaimer
I don't own CSI or any of the characters except for those I've created.
Challenge
I have multiple cases in this story and there is time in between each one. We'll see if you can guess where I'm going with this. I'll tell you when a case is done
Alexx finished bandaging Karlie's wounded leg, the wound looking like it was only a scratch surrounded by bruises. Karlie had healed it to that point. She was explaining UV equipped weapons to them. The bullet set in an evidence bag beside her, cleaned of blood.
"These weapons look almost exactly like normal firearms, most people can't tell the difference between them. You have what to look for and where to look," Karlie said as she unloaded her own before handing it to Horatio. "There's a mechanism in them that absorbs the sun's UV rays and forms them into a type of shell around the bullet. It has very little to no effect on most humans, but they burn most vampires to no end, adding to the damage. I'm a type of vampire that isn't affected much by them, just enough to irritate, but one grazing shot can nearly disable some. I have this handgun and a sniper rifle that are fully equipped with the technology, Wolfe has one, I think it's his main firearm. There's a florescent circle around the barrel exit, that's the only part of the mechanism that's visible."
"So they burn the target, if it's a vampire," Horatio said as he carefully examined the weapon.
Karlie nodded. "We use them because they're super effective against most vampires, and that's easier than actually fighting them. Easier to hide as well."
"Why are you not affected as much?" Horatio asked.
"I'm a special case. Being a Misolu, I am technically several different races. Some of the vampire forms of those races aren't affected much, if at all. Misolu is one of those," Karlie explained. "If I wasn't, it's likely I wouldn't be able to stand, if I was even conscious."
Something banged against the refrigerator doors, making all of them jump. "What was that?" Alexx asked, unable to hide the worry in her voice.
Karlie sniffed at the air, a low growl working its way up her throat. "Get behind me, one of the vics wasn't as dead as we thought."
"Are you saying that one of them changed?" Alexx asked.
"Changing," Karlie growled as she shifted into a low crouch on the table. "There are two possible ways for a creature to be changed; I'm guessing the more common way applies here. Vampires secrete venom in their fangs, its strength varies from one to another but most can change a victim if they don't drain them all the way. Most cases of changing are accidents, reckless feeding. Most cannot stop themselves from killing the victim. A few changelings are from vampires who did the only thing they could to save someone dear to them, changed them just before they died. The second way is for another creature to get vampire blood into his or her system. It's rare that happens because we do everything we can to stop it when we can. Those Vampires that cannot change someone with their venom use that method if they're desperate to save someone. It can hurt the vampire who is donating the blood; kill them if they're not careful."
"What should we do?" Horatio asked, drawing out his weapon as another bang echoed throughout the room.
Karlie handed Alexx her phone and picked her gun up, putting it back together faster then human eyes could follow. She handed it to Alexx as well. "Stand behind me, use the gun only if he attacks. Use the speed dial on six, its Snow's personal phone. Tell her the situation and who you are. Lieutenant, I want you to go stand by that door and open it when I say, make sure that you have your weapon ready just in case. If this works, I'll be the first thing he sees and he'll freeze. He'll be running mostly on instinct right now, he should sense that I'm a threat and stand down."
Alexx moved to the back of the room rapidly as Horatio crept toward the shaking refrigerator door. Karlie dropped into a low fighting crouch in front of the door, angling herself so that she could be seen from the moment it cracked open. She let her growl grow in volume. She nodded to Horatio. He undid the latch slowly.
The teenager leapt out of the small chamber and froze when he saw Karlie, in a fighting crouch and snarling. He looked around, panicked. Karlie shifted, drawing his attention back to her. The teen made to run.
"Don't move, I'm going to help," Karlie growled, making him freeze again. "You have to let me though."
"What's happening to me?" he asked with his voice cracking as he shook.
"You were put a situation no human ever should be," Karlie said as she slowly approached him. "I'm going to get you somewhere that can help you, the people there will tell you everything when you get there, I need you to focus on me right now. What's your name?"
"What's that smell?" he asked.
"Nothing of importance," Karlie said. "Focus. What's your name?"
"It's… John. John Markano," he replied as she cuffed him. He didn't fight her.
"Good, John. I need you to stay calm," Karlie told him. She noticed that Alexx was off the phone. "What did she say?"
"She sent a team to meet us somewhere in the Glades," Alexx said. "She said that you should know where and to bring Wolfe, the lieutenant and me with you. I can't get away right now."
"Wolfe is on another case at the moment, we won't be able to pull him without a fuss of some sort," Horatio said.
"Snowy will have to deal with one out of three then," Karlie growled. "You're driving, Lieutenant, I can't hold onto him at the same time."
"I'll see you in the hummer," Horatio said.
"Nothing, still," Natalia exclaimed. She had run every test she could think of, run the results through every database they had access to, everyone had come up blank. "This guy is either a first offender or else really good at covering his trail."
"My guess is that he's really good at covering his trail," Calleigh said. "Have you met the new girl?"
"Not yet, why?" Natalia asked.
"She used to be an undercover FBI agent," Calleigh said. "She was tracking down a major serial killer most of her carrier there. According to her file, she never found him and finally broke under the stress. She blew her cover and their chances of catching the murder. She was released not long after."
"You don't think that she's still with them do you?" Natalia asked.
"I don't know. No one ever heard of her coming until we reported the case in this morning. Maybe this fits his MO and she is still under cover and looking for him." Calleigh replied.
"She went with Horatio to look in on another case a few minuets ago; do you think that has anything to do with it?" Natalia asked.
"Let's ask them when they get back," Calleigh said.
Horatio shielded his face as the black helicopter stirred up a cloud of dust. Karlie used her wings to shield all three of them from it. She approached with the new teen vampire as soon as the blades had slowed enough for safety. Three vampires steeped out to meet her. Two of them took the teen into the chopper while the third shook her hand.
"You should feed soon, Captain," he said quietly.
"Not until night falls, at least," Karlie replied. "I'll be fine for a while."
"My forces were unable to find the one who shot you," he sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue with her.
"Which means he's still out there," Karlie growled. "What does Snowy say?"
"She didn't expect the situation here to be this bad already," he replied. "She's coming with E, Darkflare, Irianca, Lanyll and Rainal in the morning. Norv will be with them if they find him by then."
"Great," she said sarcastically.
"Did you bring the humans?" he asked. "She wanted me to meet them."
"Be gentle, Sergeant," Karlie growled. "I could only get one to come with me and he is the leader of the others. I still need their help here. Don't chase them off like you have others, not all of them your own."
He stiffened, and then nodded curtly. Karlie motioned to Horatio to join them. "I'm Sergeant Corainar Kaliem, newborn retrieval specialist," he greeted him.
"Lieutenant Horatio Caine," Horatio said, shaking his hand. Both vampires raised their eyebrows, impressed. "Is there any way I could come in to question the boy?"
"Perhaps," Corainar said, impressed with the way Horatio went strait to business and showed no fear in the presence of so many vampires. "If you come with the captain, we can almost certainly arrange it."
"Thank you," Horatio said. "Is there anything else I should Know bout my investigation?"
"If there is, Captain Maloun will inform as she sees fit," Corainar informed him.
"Did you bring my sniper and laptop?" Karlie asked suddenly.
"Yes, just like you asked. Snowy wasn't too pleased," Corainar growled.
"Get the sniper out and put it together, now," Karlie growled. "Someone has gotten very sloppy with their hunting. There's a vamp panther out there."
"Yes, Ma'am," the sergeant said as he turned to the helicopter in a blur.
"Vamp panther?" Horatio asked.
"Remember how most vampires are created? On occasion, a careless vampire won't completely kill their pray when it's an animal and it'll be changed. They operate on pure instinct, so the have no control and it rarely ends well for anyone involved," Karlie explained. "I may need a favor from you, Lieutenant, but it'll be risky, especially in this situation."
"If there's anything I can do, name it," he replied.
Corainar handed her a sniper rifle unlike any Horatio had seen before. "We don't have any bait with us, Captain," Corainar growled.
"Make sure the newborn is secured in that chopper and that you and your men can handle blood," Karlie said, drawing a knife from its sheath on her ankle and handing it to Horatio. "Lieutenant, get behind me and use this to draw blood. It won't take much. I would ask someone else, but vampire blood doesn't usually work unless the critter is starved and I really doubt that it is."
"How am I going to explain this when we get back?" Horatio asked.
"You can either let me seal it or make up some story about it, your pick," Karlie said as she scanned the area. She lifted the sniper rifle into position. "Ready when you are."
The scent of blood filled the air; every vampire tensed, except Karlie. She remained calm and focused, not moving. She kept her attention on her target.
Horatio and the other vampires never noticed that anything was coming until Karlie had fired three shots and tossed her knife into a charging panther's chest. It fell at her feet and didn't move again, a silent snarl still on its face. Horatio noted the overly extended canines. "Where did it come from?" Horatio asked, surprised.
"It was running straight at us, going almost as fast as the captain does. We didn't even see it coming," Corainar said, an odd note in his voice. "Most vampires move too fast for most humans to really see, they only notice a streak of color. The captain can run fast enough that other vampires won't even notice that much."
"Get in the helicopter, Sergeant," Karlie growled after she had made sure that the cat was dead. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye. "You may want to make sure I stay between you and him, Lieutenant."
"We need to…" Corainar began.
"Just because I did not comment on the glamour does not mean that I did not notice it and see what it is you are trying to hide. I am not deaf either," Karlie half snarled.
"What's going on?" Horatio asked, not moving but reaching for his weapon with his uninjured hand.
"I'm not the only one who should feed soon," Karlie growled, "but it appears I am the only one who still has complete control of myself." He has a glamour on his eyes so you can't see it, but his eyes are somewhat red. The more red that's in a vampires eyes, the more they need to feed and the more blood it'll take for them to be in control again. Get to the hummer."
"We're not done here, Captain," the sergeant snarled, dropping into a hunting crouch. Karlie was instantly between him and the lieutenant, taking a defensive stance. "You're wounded and at least half drained, I'll beat you in a fight."
"No one said I had to stay wounded," Karlie growled as her own eyes grew more red themselves. "and even if I did, you wouldn't stand a chance. I've more then earned my rank."
"You already sacrifice your own comfort to protect him?"
"I do what I have to, Sergeant, something you could learn from. Take care of the cat's body and get out of here, now."
The cat's body burst into flame. "Very well, Captain, perhaps you're right." He growled and turned slowly to the chopper. Horatio had backed nearly to the hummer, never letting his aim falter. Karlie followed at an even slower pace, her eyes on the other vampire. Horatio was three feet from the door when both vampires became blurred streaks of color. What sounded like a crack of thunder rang though the air followed by enraged snarls. More blood drenched the ground.
Ryan walked into the lab to find Eric, Calleigh and Natalia waiting for him. "What's going on?"
"Do you know anything about the new girl?" Calleigh asked.
"Not really," Ryan replied. "Why?"
"We got a look at her file," Eric replied. "We think she may be an undercover FBI agent."
"How would I know?" Ryan asked. "She just got here; I only talked to her at the crime scene this morning."
"Did she act strange, like there was something she was trying to hide?" Natalia asked.
"Not that I noticed," Ryan said honestly.
"Let us know if you see anything," Eric said. "I don't trust her. There just isn't enough to explain her sudden appearance."
"GET-IN-THAT-CHOPPER!" Karlie snarled, reappearing in front of Horatio and throwing the other vampire towards the aircraft. Her claws and fags were fully extended and her tail twitched in agitation. Corainar landed in a crouch by the helicopter. Karlie crouched down, half spreading her wings and snarling.
"How do you stand it?" Corainar exclaimed.
"Simple, self control," Karlie growled. "Go back to base."
"But…"
"We both know the outcome of an all out fight," Karlie warned. The other vampire hesitated another moment, regarding one of his hands, the one that Karlie had nearly torn to shreds. He vanished into the chopper. Karlie didn't relax until it was out of sight. She stood and healed her own wounds, only a few scratches really. She then retrieved her sniper rifle, returning it to its case before placing it and a laptop in the back of the hummer. Horatio watched as she claimed into the passenger seat.
"Do you think you can handle being on call?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Lieutenant," Karlie sighed. "I have far more control than most. I can go hunting after I'm off and the sun is down, it's easiest to go unseen. I can easily last that long."
"How's your leg?"
"Completely healed now, I'm just keeping a bandage there for show."
"How do you heal yourself?"
"Misolu vampires can turn their blood cells into other cell types; it's useful but a bit annoying."
"You have to lose more blood to do it," Horatio noted, slowing down.
"It's worth it, if it can minimize the blood loss."
"Are you sure you're okay, Miss Saloman?"
"I've been better, but I've also been through a lot worse. Why did you stop?"
"I intend to protect every member of my team."
"They'll be perfectly safe, Lieutenant."
"My team includes you now."
Karlie stiffened. "No one is even mildly a threat to me. If anything, I'll be more alert to my surroundings."
"Except yourself."
"Not really. Like I said: I've been through far worse then this and maintained complete control."
"I'm not willing to risk it, Miss Saloman."
"The chopper would have scared away any game for a few miles. We don't have time."
"Not necessarily."
"What… no. I'm not going to risk that. There's a difference between resisting the smell of blood and stopping yourself from feeding on of blood, especially fresh. Even just sealing a wound is far different then having blood on the fangs," Karlie hissed.
"You sound like you know from experience."
Karlie nodded, looking away from him. "I paid for both of our folly with her death and the guilt that I've carried ever since. She was too young and no one should have to die like that, in a lot of pain caused by someone you trust and depended on. It isn't pleasant."
"When did this happen?"
"A hundred so odd years ago. I still look in on her family from time to time, just to see if they're all right. They know of our kind, but not the complete truth of her death. It isn't that long for a vampire."
"You've had that long to improve."
"It's been that long since I've tasted fresh human blood," Karlie retorted. "That wasn't the smartest idea on my part, but it's a bit late to turn back now. I'm not going to risk it."
Horatio sighed, seeing that it was pointless. "Can you at least take care of this?" he asked, presenting his cut hand to her. She nodded and seemed to kiss the wound. It was gone when she let him have the hand back. He began to drive again. "What happened?"
"It was covered up, like most of the cases similar to it are. We have to, for obvious reasons. I was put on leave for ten years or so, and then went into a few years of re-training. It was at least forty years after that before I was put in any kind of field position again. I only just began working major cases again. I was lucky, that's a really short time for that kind of mistake. It just didn't seem like it when I was going through it."
"No jail time?"
"Being put off duty and re-training may as well have been. Our system looks at things a bit differently, as you can imagine. We live by a slightly different set of rules. It was an accident, one we can't always prevent."
"But you try."
"We try."
"Was this case an accident?"
"I wish it was, Lieutenant, but I really doubt it."
"Hey," Calleigh called as she spotted Karlie enter one of the lab doors. The new CSI stepped back out. "I don't think I've seen you before."
"I'm new," Karlie said. "Karlie Saloman, tracking specialist."
"I heard that there was a new recruit around, but I wasn't sure of your name," Natalia said as she came out of the lab across the hall. "I'm Natalia Boa Vista."
"I'm Calleigh Duquesne," Calleigh said. "Would you like us to show you around?"
"Thank you, I keep getting lost," Karlie said, smiling at them.
The two women led her farther down the hall to an empty room. "Who are you really working for?" Calleigh asked.
"I…" Karlie said, trying to make it look like she hadn't been expecting something like this. "I'm here looking for an international serial killer. He strikes several times in one country then flees to another before we catch him. I've been trailing him for a few years now."
"And this case could be done by him?" Natalia asked.
"Possibly, all the details fit," Karlie said. "You can't go around telling everyone this, your boss already knows. I'm trying to stay a step ahead of him here. I've got to catch him before he flees."
"How long do we have?" Calleigh asked.
"It's hard to tell, he never seems to have a set time line."
"H," Eric called. Horatio paused at the lab door. "There's been another attack."
"Where?" Horatio asked.
"The beach, but there's a major difference between this and the attacks this morning," Eric replied as they headed to a hummer. "And it's not the location."
"What is it then?"
"The victim is still alive."
"Let's go."
"Ma'am, I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about what happened?" Horatio greeted.
"I'm Rebecca Carn, ask away," the victim replied.
"Can you remember anything of what happened?" Horatio asked the young brunette who sat on the rear bumper of the ambulance as the paramedic bandaged her wounded right arm. He had given her his jacket, which she had wrapped tightly around herself.
"I… went for a walk along the beach during my lunch break, to relax a bit," She began, gazing off into space as she struggled to remember. "I didn't think much about him when I first saw him by the water; I'm rarely the only one out here at this time of day. I didn't even see him move before he'd knocked me down."
"What did he look like?"
"I can't remember… it all happened so fast. He was tall, taller then you, brown hair. The only thing I can remember clearly is his eyes. They… weren't natural. His pupils reminded me of a cat's, and the irises were the strangest color, yellow-green with little specks of red in them…"
"Can you remember anything else?"
"He acted like he was going to bite my throat, but I tried to push him away and he bit my arm instead. It hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. I screamed when he began to suck at the blood he had drawn. Something knocked him off me and I managed to escape and get help. I only saw silver…"
"What does the bite mark look like?" Horatio asked.
"Four puncture marks," the woman replied.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Horatio said, turning to Eric. "Find any other witnesses, I want a full description of our suspect and who, or whatever saved her."
"I'm on it, H," Eric said, jogging off.
"H, by the pier," Ryan said, pointing.
Horatio covered his eyes and spotted the large gray dog that stood watching them, cover in blood as if it had recently been in a fight. It nodded to him. "Call Alexx, Mr. Wolfe. Follow me." The two CSIs slowly approached the canine, but it didn't move.
"Do you think it's what saved our vic?" Ryan asked as he hung up the phone. "Alexx is on her way."
"Stop acting, Ryan," the dog growled. "He already knows what I am, just not that I could become a wolf."
"Miss Saloman?" Horatio asked, even though he already suspected.
"He got away, same idiot who shot me. Went into the water and blinded me with a whirl pool of mud," Karlie replied.
"Did you find anything else, Mr. Wolfe?" Horatio asked the other CSI.
"There was defiantly a fight into the water," Ryan said. "I found a blood trail. What should I do when Karlie's profile comes up?"
"It won't," Karlie replied. "There's a false sample tied to it."
"How are we going to explain Alexx coming to see a dog?" Ryan asked.
"Later," Karlie growled quietly as she spotted Frank coming towards them.
"Whoever did this is still out there, Horatio," Frank said as he reached them. "We found another blood trail a few miles north of here that may be his. Must have somehow swum there after escaping a dog that attacked him. I'm guessing it was this one here."
"Someone saw this?" Horatio asked.
"There was another person from her office that saw the entire thing from the pier. Delko is talking to them now," Frank replied.
"Thank you, Frank," Horatio said. "Mr. Wolfe, you're coming with me to follow that trail." His phone went off. "Hello? ... Uhah… I'll be right there." He hung up and turned to Ryan and Karlie. "There's a change of plans, I need you to find Miss Saloman, Mr. Wolfe, and take her with you to look at that blood trail. Our latest victim says that she saw her attacker on the way to the hospital."
Karlie stood up and wagged her tail as Horatio's phone went off with a text message from her: You'll have my gun for the UV capability, I'll have yours. They're already switched. He nodded slightly and ran to the hummer. Karlie ran off, past Frank who jumped as she passed by. She ran by Alexx as she arrived, leaving Ryan to explain things to the medical examiner.
"Look's like you hurt him pretty badly," Ryan said as he heard Karlie approach. He was kneeling next to a small pool of blood that was one of several that lead up the beach.
"I was trying to stop him without giving myself away," Karlie said. "It's harder then you'd think."
"So… you're a self healer and an animal changer," Ryan commented, noting that they were alone.
Karlie chuckled. "In the crude titles, yes. I'm just a misolu, Wolfe. How do you know all this? I knew you were our contact here, but not how or through who."
"One of your agents is a friend of mine, has been for years. I told him to meet us here, figured he could probably track our suspect down better then the dogs we put on it."
"What all did he tell you about my coming here?"
"He knew that on of his higher ups was coming, but not who. He got me my gun and taught me a bit about vampires and how to fight them off."
"Who is your friend?"
"His name is Derek; I'll introduce you when he gets here."
"Great, I hope he hurries because there isn't much we can do here."
"Hey, Ryan!" a tall, dark haired man in shorts and a t-shirt called from the street. Karlie spotted something of interest on the ground and knelt to examine it as Ryan turned and waved.
"Derek!" Ryan called back. He waited for hi friend that he hand met in the park earlier to reach them. "This is Karlie."
"Pleased to meet you, Derek," Karlie said, distracted. "Look at this; it looks as if he stood here long enough for the blood to pool quiet a bit…"
"… and then something licked it up," Ryan finished for her, instinctively reaching for his weapon.
"We may have a vampire animal on the loose in down town Miami, get a search going, it won't have gone far and we don't have long before it starts to cause havoc."
I hope you liked it! Please reveiw, it really does help and it encourages faster updates!