October 3

New York

The drab, prison-like walls of the rehabilitation place where Louie had been sent to live after waking from his coma made Danny cringe, but he needed answers only his brother could provide. He was footing the bill for Louie's care and also was helping Lindsay prepare for the baby, so he didn't have a lot of money left over for himself. Danny had used several sick days to be by himself and had avoided calls or places where he might run into his colleagues so that he could take time to process things.

"Danny?" Louie, who was sitting at a table working on hand exercises, asked in a quiet voice as he saw his brother come into the visiting room. "I was surprised when you called. Whaddya want?"

Danny sighed, "I wanted to talk about when we were little," he spoke quietly. "Do you remember?"

Louie nodded and sighed, "Do you know if Mom and Dad ever talked about when I was born?" Danny asked in a concerned, somber voice as he joined Louie at the table. "I know you were little, but…"

Silence filled the room as Louie paled, "Why are you askin these questions?" he asked softly.

"This woman named Ellen Seville was arrested for dealing and I was on the case," Danny explained in a quiet voice. "She knew me by name and claimed I was her son that she was forced to give up…"

Louie whistled and sighed, "Dad had some on the side," he admitted softly. "This Ellen Seville…I was just a little kid when this woman came by with you and gave you to Mom and Dad, saying she couldn't keep you. She said some bigwig cop was going to put her away if she didn't give you up…"

Danny swore, "I was a little kid and asked Mom and Dad about it, but they told me to shut up and never talk about it," Louie spoke in a quiet voice. "You're a CSI; did you get a DNA thing to check?"

"I've been scared," Danny admitted softly. "I…she also had a daughter, so I would have a sister…"

Louie gave Danny a look and promptly offered him a key, "The stuff you want to know about is in my apartment," he spoke quietly. "Danny, you gotta face this and learn the truth even if it hurts a bit."

Las Vegas, Nevada

"You wanted to see me, Doctor Grissom?" Grissom heard a quiet voice ask as he sat in the hallway of Desert Palm Hospital reading a book on bugs while waiting for Greg to finish being cleaned up.

Grissom looked up and was relieved to see John standing there with his CSI kit in hand and his backpack on his back, "I hope I didn't infringe on your study time?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"No, sir," John replied quietly. "Nick was off today, so he's at home with Parker and I have the truck."

Grissom nodded and got up, slipping his book back into his shoulder satchel as he did, "Greg was dosed with a near-fatal level of GHB and tranquilizers before he was beaten and he's finally coherent enough to talk to," he explained in a quiet voice. "I know this is one of the days off for students, but even Conrad Ecklie thinks you would be the best to help me talk to Greg. Are you up for it?"

John nodded, but said nothing, "I know you don't care about accolades and stuff like that, but this will count as an extra credit assignment and Doctor Langston will be told," Grissom spoke quietly, sighing as a nurse came out of Greg's hospital room. "I take it that Greg Sanders is ready for visitors?"

The nurse nodded and Grissom silently entered the room with John at his heels. Greg was laying in bed sporting a bandage around his head, bad bruises and cuts on his face, and a cast on his left ankle. His arms and hands, both of which were sporting bandages, also had IV lines in them. A blanket and gown covered his body and he was awake, but didn't look comfortable, "Hi," Greg spoke in a tired voice.

"How are you feeling?" Grissom asked in a concerned voice. "You're looking a little better."

Greg sighed tiredly, "They might let me out in a day or two," he spoke softly. "Did we need to talk?"

"I invited John Boscorelli to come help me talk to you about what happened," Grissom spoke gently, gesturing to John, who immediately placed a recorder on the portable table and turned it on to record Greg's words. "We need to know what's happened so we can deal with those responsible…"

Greg sighed, "Masked men dragged me from my car when I was stopped at a red on the strip and they jammed water down my throat," he spoke groggily. "I was dragged around and beaten up. They never took off their masks, but I knew their voices and they mentioned that Doctor Pride said hello."

Grissom nodded, "James Scott and Darin Mitchell?" he asked softly, sensing that he had made a grave mistake in not letting Ecklie kick both of them out of the program. "Were they the ones who…?"

"Yeah," Greg spoke in a tired voice. "They said they had been following me and learning my steps and that Doctor Pride was going to pay them if they beat me up. I ran, though, and I heard a scream..."

John paused, "The homeless guy in the park?" he asked softly. "Do you think they killed him instead because they thought he was Greg? It was dark and I'm sure those two guys were drunk…"

"It's possible," Grissom spoke quietly. "John, I need to step out and relay this info to Ecklie."

John nodded and stayed behind as Grissom left the room, "I…I asked Hodges to take over what I was doing since I won't be able to come back to work for a bit," Greg spoke in a tired voice.

"I honestly didn't know they had done what they did," John spoke softly. "If I had known…"

Greg coughed as Jenny, who had been getting an ultrasound, came into the room with her mother, who was carrying a bag, "Oh, Greg," Jenny spoke in a quiet voice as she went to his bedside and sat.

"Grissom and John were talking to me about what happened and he's going to make an arrest," Greg spoke tiredly as John turned off the recorder and pocketed it. "They…they know who did it now."

Jenny silently sat on the bed and Greg immediately snuggled close to her, "Um, I should let you all visit," John spoke quietly, rising from his chair and grabbing his kit. "Feel better, Uncle Greg."

John silently went into the hallway just as Grissom was pocketing his phone, "We need to take Greg's statement to the lab," Grissom spoke anxiously. "Ecklie's going to send uniforms to the dorms to pick James and Darin up for questioning. I hope you don't mind helping me out a little longer?"

"No, sir," John replied quietly. "I'm eager to do whatever I can to help out with this situation."

The UNLV dorms were quiet, as it was the weekend and most students were either off enjoying what Vegas had to offer, or they were sleeping in after working hard all week. Colin Jamison found himself not only awake, but full of anxiety because he had been up to LaRusso Ranch and Lieutenant Caine looked very sick and hurt; he was strong, but it wouldn't be long before his body gave out.

Ray and Dr. Pride had obviously put the man through more intense torture, but even Ray was looking sicker as the days went on. Sam Braun was fully intent on executing Lieutenant Caine by Halloween if Ray and Dr. Pride didn't finish him off, but Colin found himself questioning if that was necessary.

Even Anya had backed off from it and had been unreachable, which told Colin that this whole mess was a bad idea. As Colin was staring at Horatio's wallet and badge, debating what to do, the sounds of shouting and knocking suddenly filled the residence hall. Colin quickly put the items in his bag and stood up to see what was going on; he wondered if someone had ratted him out for what he did.

Quickly gathering his bag and ID, Colin silently went out into the common area and was shocked to see Officer Fromeyer and Detective Vega standing outside of the dorm belonging to James and Darin, "James Scott and Darin Mitchell, open up!" Fromeyer shouted, rapping on the door. "Police!"

As people poked their heads out of their dorms to see what was going on, Fromeyer and Vega kicked the door in and stormed into the dorm room. A few moments later, the two emerged from the dorm seemingly frustrated, "Jamison, where are your classmates at?" Fromeyer snapped, looking at Colin.

"I haven't seen them in several days, sir," Colin replied quietly. "They haven't been to class."

Vega nodded and Fromeyer scowled, "Keep an eye out for them," he ordered. "Call us if they return because they're gonna be arrested for drugging and beating the crap out of CSI Greg Sanders..."

Colin nodded, "My sister went out food shopping," he spoke softly. "Can I let her know too?"

"You can do whatever you want as long as it helps us find them," Vega replied anxiously.

Sighing, Colin pulled his phone out and texted Caira the information he had been told and then put his phone away, "I'll let you know if they come back," he promised, relieved that the LVPD was distracted.

Fromeyer and Vega nodded before leaving, both of them determined to go talk to Ray Langston and see if Colin's statement was true. While the other students returned to their dorms, Colin silently left the residence hall and filled his car with his things; he needed to drive and to think long and hard.

Anxiety crippled Colin as he drove off campus and he froze when he suddenly saw Grissom's car come down the road, followed by Nick's truck, both vehicles headed in the direction of the Crime Lab. Realizing that he had no choice but to involve John Boscorelli, Colin silently began to follow them.

Grissom and John quickly became separated when Grissom got through a changing light, but John didn't make it and stopped. Sighing, Colin reached into his bag and tossed Lieutenant Caine's badge and wallet into the back of Nick's truck before making a quick turn so he wouldn't be seen. He intended to hide at the Crime Lab and ask John for help when nobody else was around.

Unaware that he would soon be in trouble, John quickly arrived at the Crime Lab and immediately checked the back of the truck, as he had seen debris flying at the traffic light. To his surprise, he saw the wallet and badge in the back and knew something was wrong, as they were stained with blood.

Swallowing hard, John silently went inside the Crime Lab and found it mostly empty because it was the weekend and shift change. Hodges, however, was in one of the evidence rooms looking at something under the microscope, "Hodges?" John asked softly. "I found something weird in the back of Nick's truck and I need you to help me with it. Doctor Grissom is on his way, but…this really can't wait."

Hodges frowned, "I was at a stop light and someone threw something into the back of Nick's truck and I'm feeling uneasy about it," John continued. "I know I'm a trainee, but I think I need help…"

Eager to make points with Grissom by helping the trainees succeed, Hodges gloved up and followed John outside to Nick's truck, "Look at that," John spoke, pointing to the bloodstained badge and wallet.

Hodges's eyes went wide, "Get your camera and document it," he spoke anxiously. "This is…"

John quickly retrieved his camera from his crime scene kit and took photos of the badge and wallet before giving the camera to Hodges, who took the items from the truck, "I'll check these and your photos into evidence," Hodges spoke anxiously. "When Grissom gets here, bring him to me…"

As Hodges hurried off into the Crime Lab to document the evidence, John leaned against Nick's truck to wait for Grissom to arrive. Just out of sight of the building, Colin had watched the entire thing unfold and decided that now was the time to act. He had written up a note explaining the abuse that Sam Braun had administered after he had originally refused to help with the Horatio Caine situation and that Dr. Pride had threatened to take his mental health medicine away. Colin drove into view and parked next to Nick's truck, sighing wearily as he approached John with the note in hand.

"Hey, Boscorelli, is Grissom around?" Colin asked softly. "I'm in a bit of a pickle."

John shook his head, "I need to resign before they find out," Colin spoke, tears filling his eyes.

"What's wrong?" John asked in a concerned voice, concerned for his fellow student and friend.

Colin sighed anxiously and showed John the letter he wrote, "I was tortured and forced to do some bad things," he spoke anxiously, tears streaming down his face. "I need help…they won't understand."

"Grissom's on his way," John replied softly, stunned by Colin's confession. "He…he can help…"

At the mention of Grissom, Colin backhanded John in the face with such force that John's nose started bleeding and John slammed into the truck, "Dude," John spoke in a pained voice. "What…?"

Colin reached into his bag and pulled out his student gun, striking John hard enough that John slumped against the truck unconscious and his diabetes bag slipped off of his shoulder. Anxiety filled Colin as he opened the door and stuffed John's unconscious form into the back of Nick's truck with the kit before slamming it hard. Quickly throwing the letter on the ground next to the bag, Colin got behind the wheel and tore out of the parking lot as fast as he could, intending to go to LaRusso Ranch.

Twenty minutes later, Grissom pulled into the lot after taking a way to the lab with less lights and he frowned at the sight of a familiar backpack, a letter, and blood in a nearby space. He quickly got out of the car and took photos of the blood, backpack, and note with his phone before gloving up and picking up the note, "Oh…oh no," he breathed, his eyes widening in shock as he read through Colin's letter.

Anxiety filled Grissom as he hurried inside and found Hodges in the evidence room with Horatio's wallet and badge, "John Boscorelli found these things in Stokes's truck," Hodges explained. "I…"

Grissom frowned, "I ran the badge number and it belongs to Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab," Hodges explained, gesturing to the computer. "That's the guy that's missing."

"There's signs of an altercation in the parking lot and Colin Jamison left this," Grissom spoke anxiously, showing the letter to Hodges. "He told me you two had some kind of tiff in Los Angeles."

Hodges frowned and sighed, "Colin Jamison was a student at UCLA and doing a co-op at the lab where I worked and he was fine until his girlfriend OD'd on drugs one day," he explained in a concerned voice. "After his girlfriend's death, Colin was investigated and cleared, but I had concerns about his mental fitness. I shared those concerns with the director and he ordered Colin to counseling, but Colin brought a false claim against me that I was a bully. I simply told Colin he should get counseling…"

Grissom sighed, "After I was fired, I had no idea what happened to Colin until I heard he applied for the pilot thing and I tried to go to the higher-ups with my concerns, but they dismissed me," Hodges explained in a quiet voice. "Colin has some serious mental health issues and should not have been accepted based on that alone. I know he's been in a study group with John and Caira, but…"

"I need you to go outside and process the mess and I need to call all shifts in for a meeting and all of the students," Grissom spoke in a serious voice, his expression grim. "Something bad has happened that needs immediate investigation. I also need to get Conrad to phone Boscorelli's NYU advisor."

Hodges nodded, "Whatever I can do to be of help," he replied, deeply concerned about the situation.

Manhattan, New York

A baby's coo filled the air and Brendan smiled as he sat at the desk in his office at NYU, silently watching Grace and little Brendan on Skype, "He's so cute," he said in a kind voice. "How are…?"

"I'm feeling better," Grace spoke in a kind voice. "Holly's off today, so she and Carlos are going to bring Tommy and Kylie over for a visit after they have breakfast. Your mom's also a lot of help…"

Brendan smiled, "Jimmy phoned and he and Kim want to come and visit us sometime," he spoke in a kind voice. "Kim's been working at a rehab hospital in Manhattan a lot, so they want to stop by."

Suddenly, Mac came into view and knocked on the door, "Sergeant Finney?" he asked quietly.

"Um, Grace, I have to go," Brendan spoke quietly. "I'll see you later on. I love you."

Without waiting for a reply, Brendan ended the call, "Is there an issue, Detective Taylor?" he asked in a concerned voice. "People have asked when I'll be back on the street, but my ankles were broken badly enough that I get arthritis and can't do street work anymore. I know the NYPD's annoyed…"

"This isn't about you being on disability permanently," Mac replied. "This is about your father."

Brendan frowned, "He's been dead for a few years," he replied. "You know that, right?"

Mac nodded and sat down, "A dealer we arrested made a claim that your father forced her to give a son up for adoption years ago in exchange for freedom from jail," he explained. "I was wondering if…"

Suddenly, Brendan's office phone rang and he answered it, "Sergeant Finney," he said in a formal tone.

There was silence as Brendan listened to Ecklie explain that a situation involving John Boscorelli had arisen and that John had been separated from his medicine; his parents needed to be told and more information would be relayed as the situation developed, "I understand," Brendan replied quietly.

The call ended and Brendan swore, "John's in trouble and separated from his medicine," he spoke in an anxious voice, his ankles aching as he got up. "I need to go to Bosco's apartment and tell his family."

Mac frowned, "Did Las Vegas give you much information?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Shaking his head, Brendan grabbed his walking stick and satchel before leaving the office with Mac at his heels, "No, but Conrad Ecklie wouldn't call if it wasn't serious," he replied. "He's the Director."

Nevada Desert

The ranch was quiet when Colin pulled up in Nick's truck and got out, "Hello?" he called out.

Sam, who had come to bring a weak Ray back to the hotel for a rest, came out of the barn and frowned at seeing Colin, "Sam, I screwed up bad," Colin stammered anxiously. "I kidnapped John Boscorelli."

"You…kidnapped someone?" Sam asked in a quiet voice. "Colin, why did you do that?"

Colin swore, "I asked John for help because this is way more than I thought it would be!" he yelled anxiously. "I didn't know you guys were planning on killing him! I thought you were just going to…"

"I have no reason to kill Horatio Caine, but Ray does," Sam replied. "I was just leaving with Ray…"

Continuing to spew profanities, Colin opened the back door of Nick's truck and found that John had regained consciousness, "Sam, please!" Colin spoke anxiously. "John, get out of the car!"

Still slightly groggy from being assaulted and knocked out, John slowly got out of the car and Sam flinched, "Who's that skinny brat?" Ray asked as he came out of the barn and saw John.

"He can keep Lieutenant Caine company," Sam spoke quietly. "Let's go, Ray."

Ray, however, swore at Colin, "You tattled!" he snapped. "Now they're going to find out!"

"Colin is going to take this truck and hide himself while we leave, so this young man has no way to escape," Sam spoke in a quiet, but firm voice. "Young man, please do not try anything stupid because I will kill you if you do and I have no desire to hurt you. Ray might kill you and Horatio if you try…"

Ray spat at Colin as he made his way over to Sam's limo and quickly grabbed John, swearing as he dragged the younger man to the barn, "There's a kit in the back," Colin said anxiously.

"Empty the truck," Sam ordered as Ray let John in the barn. "Doctor Pride should be along later."

Colin quickly emptied the truck of Parker's carseat and John's things while Ray, who was slightly high from medical marijuana, forced John inside the barn where Horatio was, "If you try to escape, I'll kill Horatio right in front of you," Ray spoke in a cold voice. "You don't want his blood on your hands…"

Giving John another shove, Ray stumbled out of the barn and John winced as he heard the sound of vehicles driving off, "Who's…there?" a faint voice suddenly spoke from the corner of the barn.

John's eyes widened as he followed the voice and saw a battered, bleeding Horatio laying on the cold floor in the corner with one hand cuffed to a set of pipes while the other, very swollen hand, sat on the cold floor, "Lieutenant Caine?" he asked in a surprised voice. "Lieutenant, what happened?"

Still groggy from the latest round of drugs forced on to him by Dr. Pride, Horatio didn't reply and John immediately knew that the man was in severe pain. He quickly hurried outside and was shocked to see his crime kit and Parker's carseat sitting where the truck had been, so he collected both to see if he could somehow use them to his advantage. He knew the tools might also help Horatio somehow.

Ignoring the aches in his body, John wandered back into the barn and quickly found some wire cutters in the mess of old tools that were around. He shakily brought all of the items back to Horatio and quickly took photos of Horatio's injuries and the handcuff with his phone before turning it off to save power in case he needed it later on. He also pulled out his tape recorder and turned it on.

"I know this is going to hurt, but I think I can break that cuff," John spoke softly. "Just hold on."

Horatio mumbled a reply, but didn't pull away when John put the cutters around the chain and freed the handcuff from the pipes. Setting the wire cutters down, John gently forced the handcuff open and placed Horatio's freed hand on his chest. In the other corner of the barn, John could see a rough blanket covering some dusty crates and knew he needed to get Horatio warm or else he could die very quickly.

It didn't take long for John to get the blanket and Horatio twitched slightly as he felt the blanket being placed over his body, but the drugs made him tired and weak. Exhausted and sore from the damage Colin had done, John silently sat down next to Horatio and promptly lay down to take a little rest.

Manhattan, New York

Brendan swallowed hard, ignoring the aching in his ankles as he knocked on the door leading to the Boscorelli-Sullivan apartment. He sighed as the door opened and Sully stood there looking calm.

"Finney, what is it?" Sully asked in a tired voice. "Everyone's just getting up and started…"

Brendan sighed, "Las Vegas called," he spoke quietly. "There's been an incident…"

Sully swore and opened the door further to let Brendan inside. Brendan came in and saw that Bosco and Danielle were sitting at the dining table with Ray Jr., David, Ellie, Michael, and Emily while Yelina sat in a chair cuddling a sleepy Nicolas, "Finney says Vegas called," Sully said anxiously.

Bosco paled and Danielle sighed, "Conrad Ecklie called me and said that there was an incident," Brendan explained in a quiet voice. "Doctor Grissom pulled into the parking lot at the Crime Lab and there was evidence of a struggle and John's backpack was there," he explained softly. "And blood."

"John's separated from his medicine?" Danielle asked in an upset voice as she stood up. "Maurice, give me the credit card right now. I think we need to go out there and see what the heck is going on."

Bosco sighed and got up from the table, his appetite gone, "How about I get dressed and pop down to Mac Taylor's office to talk to them about it?" he asked worriedly. "Finney, you told him, right?"

Not wanting to share that Mac had been asking him questions about Cathal's lack of ethics, Brendan nodded stiffly, "We might interfere with the investigation if we go charging off right now," Bosco spoke in a concerned voice. "I'll get dressed and go to the Crime Lab and we'll take it from there…"

Danielle nodded and sighed wearily, "David, Ellie, eat your food and then you two can play in your rooms for a while," she spoke anxiously. "I had hoped Maritza would be the last child to go missing."

Ray Jr. suddenly looked uneasy, "Do you think Uncle Horatio's there too?" he asked. "In Vegas?"

"I'll ask while I'm down talking to Taylor," Bosco spoke anxiously as he went into his bedroom.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Every space in the Crime Lab's parking lot was full except for the spaces where the altercation had taken place; it was sealed off by police tape and Grissom had processed the evidence himself while Hodges processed Horatio's badge and wallet inside. Ecklie had been immediately alerted to the situation and had locked himself in his office to phone New York about what happened. He had also phoned every CSI on staff, including Greg's cell, and had explained that there was an emergency.

Now, the waiting area was full of uniformed officers, CSI's from every shift, lab techs, students, and a concerned Ray Langston. The sheer amount of people sitting in the room stunned Nick as he came into the lab with Parker, as he hadn't been able to find a babysitter on such short notice. Sara had left Gregory and Danielle with Gil's mother and was now on her way, but she was stuck in traffic.

Deeply concerned for both John and his truck, Nick joined Sara, Ryan, Sofia, Morgan, Catherine, Brass, Hodges, and the other lab techs in the chairs at the front of the room. Caira, Michelle, Adriana, Kimoyah, Lisa, and Tyler sat in the front row with Ray, all of them deeply concerned as to why they had been called in on a Saturday; they wondered if the lab was going to dismiss some students.

Grissom let out a tired sigh as he, Ecklie, and an irritated Sherriff Mobley came into the room, "I'll make this very brief and to the point," Grissom spoke quietly as noise suddenly filled the corridor.

Murmurs filled the room as Greg, who was in sweats and a button-up shirt, was wheeled into the room by an anxious looking Sara, "Greg?" Grissom asked in a confused voice. "I just saw you earlier…"

"I notified Sanders of the situation and he got a pass," Ecklie cut in. "He insisted on being present."

Grissom raised an eyebrow at Sara, "Stuck in traffic?" he asked softly. "Interesting story."

Greg looked at Nick worriedly, "I heard your truck's missing along with John," he spoke tiredly.

"Danielle's going to kill me," Nick spoke anxiously. "I promised I'd keep John safe out here."

Greg sighed tiredly, "There was clear evidence of an altercation in the parking lot that included blood, a note, and John Boscorelli's bag of diabetes medication," Grissom explained. "I processed the blood that was on the ground and it's a match to John Boscorelli. Colin Jamison left a note that is rather disturbing and it leads me to believe that he was a victim of torture and coerced to do some very terrible things connected to the kidnapping of Lieutenant Horatio Caine. We don't have Colin's prints on anything…"

"Colin Jamison always wore gloves," Hodges spoke up. "He has some bad mental health issues…"

Caira sighed heavily, as she had been separated from Colin when she was a teenager and hadn't been able to keep in touch because Colin had spent time in a mental health facility due to an emotional breakdown and her foster parents had thought it best that she focus on her own healing. Now, to hear that Colin had suffered another mental breakdown that had led him to potentially hurt John and Lieutenant Caine had prompted her to get up and leave the room. She needed a moment alone.

Ignoring the tears that streamed down her face, Caira silently hid in the locker room and sighed heavily as she stood at her locker, staring at photos she had taken while in the pilot program. She had been excited about reuniting with her brother after losing contact five years ago, but he had turned into someone she didn't recognize and she was horrified about losing him and possibly losing John.

Footsteps entered the room and Caira sighed, "I know the whole blasted lab wants to ask me if I saw this coming, but I really didn't," she spoke in an upset voice. "I was only 13 and Colin was 20 when our parents OD'd on some hard stuff. I went into foster care and lived with the Russells til recently…"

There was a sigh, "I get you," Sara spoke softly as she came into view. "I peeked at your file."

Caira nodded as she looked at Sara, "I was also in the system and it sucks," Sara spoke quietly. "I also figured that that DB guy who was here was your foster dad. He seems like a good role model."

"He and his wife and their kids are awesome," Caira spoke softly. "But when I heard Colin was here, I asked for the time here to not only learn, but to reconnect with him. He's like he was when our parents died, though, and that sucks. I feel funny about sharing this, but Colin had a breakdown and spent some time in a mental health facility after our parents died. I was so young then, but I remember visiting him and he went psycho, so DB stopped the visits and paid for Colin to resettle in a new environment…"

Sara nodded and silently gave Caira a hug, "And the fact that Colin might have done something to John makes me even more worried," Caira spoke softly. "I don't know if anyone's noticed…"

"That you two are dating?" Sara asked softly. "You haven't been inappropriate, so it's fine."

Caira nodded and sighed tiredly as Grissom came into view, "Um, the meeting's over," Grissom spoke in a quiet voice, seeing Caira's distress. "If you feel up to working, Caira, I'd like to put you and Tyler to work on the case against James Scott and Darin Mitchell. Sara, Greg needs a ride back…"

Sara nodded and Caira silently collected herself before leaving the locker room with Grissom and Sara to get to work. While Sara went to find Greg, Grissom led Caira to Ecklie's office where Ecklie, Tyler, and an anxious looking Catherine waited, "We've got a lead on where James and Darin are," Ecklie spoke sternly. "Security at the Rio reported seeing two boys matching their descriptions there. Grissom, you contact Miami about Lieutenant Caine's items being found and Catherine can take Brass, Caira, and Tyler with her to the Rio. The other students are going to stay here and work on homework."

"That seems odd," Grissom observed in a confused voice. "Shouldn't we keep them busy?"

Ecklie scowled, "Michelle and Adriana are social contacts with our two little fugitives, so I'm keeping them here so they can't warn their lovers," he spoke sternly. "Kimoyah and Lisa are going to talk with Ray and other detectives about unusual behaviors. Everyone stayed in the dorms except for Boscorelli."

Grissom nodded and sighed as he made a beeline to his office to let Miami know about Horatio.

Miami, Florida

"Detective Caine, do you have a moment?" Robert, who was sitting at a table in the lab doing paperwork to keep his uncle's case open despite the lack of evidence, heard a quiet voice ask.

Robert looked up and was surprised to see Alexx standing in the doorway, "I've noticed you in the lab a lot and I was wondering if everything's okay?" Alexx asked softly. "Eric's been cleared to go back in the field, but I notice you don't do anything in the field. I can't help but be worried about you."

"Ever since Valera revealed that she had been using me to stay out of jail, I haven't trusted myself to go in the field," Robert replied softly, unable to lie to Alexx. "I haven't worked in the lab for years like Tim, Eric, Calleigh, and Jesse have and I don't have the skills that Walter has to do the job."

Alexx scoffed, "Bobby, that's a load of crap," she replied in a concerned voice. "Natalia…"

"Natalia is my wife and she's being incredibly supportive of how I'm doing ever since that and ever since my uncle disappeared, but the department wants to close the case because the lead on Doctor Pride went cold," Robert replied in an irritated voice. "I'm applying to fund the search myself because the chief says that tax dollars are being used on a case that turned cold when they could be used…"

Eric suddenly came into view, "Speedle wants us all in H's office right now," he replied anxiously.

"If he's going to tell me to let the case go, he can forget it," Robert replied irritably. "I'm filling out paperwork to provide funding so that the investigation will continue. I know what the chief said."

Eric sighed, "Nothing in Doctor Pride's belongings shared where H might be and this is only stressing everyone out," he replied anxiously. "You know what Ivan Sarnoff is capable of and he might have…"

"Just shut up, Delko," Robert snapped, slamming his hand on the table. "I'm not giving up."

Just then, Calleigh and Natalia came down the hallway and saw the broken table, "Did y'all hear that Tim wants to talk to us?" Calleigh asked softly, concern in her voice. "I think it's about Horatio."

"I'm going to take over funding the case since the PD wants to drop it," Robert replied stonily.

Calleigh's eyes widened, but Natalia looked thoughtful because she and Robert had discussed it and she had let him do whatever he needed to until they found Horatio or his body. Robert had so little family that she wasn't going to stand in his way in his attempts to find the man who raised him.

Before anyone could speak, Tim and Jesse came into view with Walter, "As soon as I finish this paperwork, I'm taking it to Rick," Robert spoke sternly. "Oh, Speedle, what did you need?"

"I just got a call from Vegas PD," Tim replied softly. "H's badge and wallet were found."

Natalia immediately went to Robert's side and gently held him, "So H is in Las Vegas or he was?" Eric asked in a concerned voice. "What are they going to do about what they found? Are they going to…?"

"They're currently looking for someone who might be involved in Horatio's abduction and they will call again when they have more information," Tim explained. "I was about to take the info to IAB."

Natalia gently rubbed Robert's back, "You were right to not give up," she spoke softly.

"I would go out there and help, but there's nothing to say that he's still there," Robert spoke anxiously, his nerves getting the better of him. "When I know for sure, then I'll go out and deal with it."

Manhattan, New York

After visiting his brother's apartment and going through old things of his parents that indicated his birth mother was possibly Ellen Seville, Danny had decided to return to the Crime Lab, apologize, and offer to give DNA to settle the mystery once and for all. As he stepped off the elevator, however, he noticed that Mac, Jo, Lindsay, Sid, Hawkes, Flack, and Adam were all gathered in Mac's office.

Figuring he was in for a reprimand, Danny went to the office, "I want to apologize for my behavior over the past few days," he spoke anxiously. "The news hit me hard and I had to talk to Louie…"

"Danny, we'll address that situation later," Mac spoke in a serious voice. "Shut the door."

Danny shut the door and Mac sighed, "Sergeant Finney got a call from Las Vegas Crime Lab and there was an altercation involving John Boscorelli," Mac explained in a serious tone. "There was evidence of an altercation there and John was somehow separated from his medicine. I have limited information…"

"John's missing and doesn't have his medicine?" Flack replied in a concerned voice. "Seriously?"

Mac nodded, his expression grim, "The Boscorelli's are aware of the situation," he replied softly.

"Is anyone going out to Vegas to help?" Danny asked anxiously, worried about his young prodigy.

Before Mac could reply, he spotted Bosco coming off the elevator, "Sergeant Boscorelli just arrived, so we'll bring him into the meeting and tell him what we know," Mac said in a concerned, somber voice.

Nevada Desert

Fury filled Dr. Pride's heart as she stepped out of her car and walked across the deserted LaRusso Ranch towards the barn. She had delivered Ray's chemotherapy to him and he had told her about John Boscorelli being a fellow hostage and she knew she had to stop him from being able to save Horatio.

As she stormed into the barn, however, Dr. Pride was stunned to see a young man sleeping on the floor next to Horatio. She was so stunned and horrified that a young man close to the same age as her own son had been forced into the mess, "Hey, you," she spoke in an upset voice. "Who are you?"

John groaned as he opened his eyes and frowned when he saw an unfamiliar woman standing above him, "Who are you?" he asked groggily, wincing as he slowly sat up. "Are you…Doctor Pride?"

Dr. Pride nodded, "You hardly look older than my son," she spoke sternly. "Why are you here?"

"Colin Jamison beat me up and dragged me here and these other guys let him do it," John replied in a quiet voice. "They took the truck I was driving and my diabetes medication. I…I don't know why…"

Dr. Pride frowned, "Sam Braun and Ray Caine let you stay up here without food or your medicine?" she asked in a confused voice, her instincts as a doctor taking over. "I need to take you to a doctor."

"I'm not leaving Lieutenant Caine alone," John replied firmly. "He's not in very good shape."

Dr. Pride swore, "He's old and useless," she hissed. "Don't make me force you out of here."

John spat at Dr. Pride, "I don't know who exactly you are, but I can tell that you probably helped make Lieutenant Caine like this," he spoke sternly, unaware that Horatio was waking up and listening in on the argument. "I know I'm probably going to get sick, but I'm not going to leave a good man to die."

Cursing loudly, Dr. Pride stormed out of the barn and got back in her car, intending to get food and medication, and then come back to try and get John to leave. As the car sped off the property, John sighed and rubbed his aching head, "You…you didn't leave?" Horatio asked in a tired, weak voice.

John looked at Horatio, "How are you feeling?" he asked nervously. "I…I tried to make you comfortable, but there's not really a lot around. I don't know if there's food or water up here."

Horatio exhaled weakly, "I know there are things in the crates," he managed to say in a pained voice.

Nodding, John got up and began rummaging through the crates, sighing when he found some flimsy juice boxes and snack packs among other supplies like bullets, peroxide, rags, a gun, and other items that seemed useless. Next to the crate sat a wheelbarrow and a shovel, which made John worried.

John silently grabbed a handful of the snack packs and juice boxes and brought them over to Horatio, "Do you think you can eat or drink?" he asked, sitting near Horatio. "I found these in a crate."

The thought of food made Horatio's stomach church and John could see that, so he opened a juice and held it for Horatio so he could drink something. Once Horatio had drank the juice, John helped himself to a juice box and sighed tiredly, "What's with the shovel and wheelbarrow?" John asked softly.

Horatio sighed tiredly and quickly drifted off, the sudden rush of liquid into his system quickly tiring him. John got up again, went back to the crate, grabbed the gun, and began to load it so that he would have a way to protect himself and Horatio should anyone come back and try to harm either of them.

Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino

Uniformed police trailed behind Catherine, Brass, Caira, and Tyler as they entered the lavish hotel with Caira wearing her special pass so she could enter the casino area. Just as casino security had said, James and Darin were sitting in the All-American Bar and Grill sharing shots and a plate of nachos. They both looked hungover, exhausted, and as if they hadn't done any washing in a long time.

"James Scott and Darin Mitchell, you're under arrest!" Brass snapped, glaring at them. "Hands up!"

James promptly passed out at the table, but Darin got up and bolted, only to be caught by the uniformed officers, "You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Greg Sanders," Brass snapped. "James!"

"Did you two have anything to do with Colin going crazy enough to kidnap John?" Caira asked sternly.

Darin's eyes widened in shock as Brass went into the restaurant and cuffed James up, "Your brother is buddies with Sam Braun, you stupid bimbo," James slurred, glaring at her. "He's gonna get killed."

Catherine's eyes widened at the mention of Sam, as she was already upset with him for him nearly killing Rick; she was now infuriated that he was possibly involved in John Boscorelli's abduction.

"Let's take you down to the station so you can sober up in a cell," Brass grumbled coldly.

Catherine sighed as Brass and the uniformed officers led the two boys out of the Rio, "Who's Sam Braun?" Caira asked in a confused voice. "I don't know why anyone would want to hurt John…"

"Once James and Darin sober up, maybe they can lead us to Doctor Pride," Catherine spoke in a concerned voice. "I have a horrible feeling that Doctor Pride may end up leading us to Horatio…"

Determined to help solve both cases, Caira and Tyler silently followed Catherine out of the Rio.

Please read and review!