Title: Club Descent: Taken (4/13)
Author: Aeon Cole
Beta: sharpiesgal/Dino
Rating: FRAO
Genre: AU
Warnings: This story is slash and contains graphic depictions of violence, abuse, bondage, and rape. If you are bothered by any of these things then please don't read this.
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Horatio/Speed
Challenge: 50 Dark Fics
Prompt: #12 Bound
Word Count: 1940
Summary: Tim's past comes back to haunt him.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: This is the second part of the Club Descent series. Read the first part for this one to make sense.
ooo
"They're business cards, Lieutenant, from several different clubs around Miami," she told him.
Horatio stood in front of the table in the questioned documents lab listening to the tech's report on the papers found on their murder victim the day before. She had separated each card into its own clear plastic evidence bag and handed them to him one at a time. He stopped her after she handed him the third card, immediately recognizing the logo of Club Descent. He looked at his watch and realized it was too early to call Max so he took the rest of the cards and headed over to the layout room.
He laid out all of the cards on the table and looked them over. He recognized most of them as being from gay clubs around the area and was immediately struck by the idea that these murders could easily be hate crimes. But at the same time he realized that they might have just found the connection between all of their victims.
Eric walked into the room. "Prints are a bust. They belong to the victim but he's not in the system, anywhere," he said sounding a little disappointed.
"Well, I might have something," Horatio said as he gestured toward the table.
Eric looked over the contents of the bags. "What's all this?"
"The papers we found on the body from yesterday," he explained. He pointed to the first card, the one belonging to Club Descent, and Eric raised an eyebrow. "I recognize most of the others as similar type clubs."
Eric looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
Horatio rolled his eyes. "We need to canvas these clubs and see if anyone recognizes any of our victims."
Eric looked at his watch. "I think it's a little early for clubs, H," he said.
Horatio nodded. "This afternoon. Most of these places open their bars around two-thirty."
Eric stared at him for a moment. "Do I want to know how you know that?"
One side of Horatio's mouth quirked up and he raised an eyebrow. "Probably not," he said.
ooo
Tim leaned his head against his left arm. That was the only rest he could give his aching neck with the collar wrapped around it. He heard the door open behind him but this time he didn't turn to see who it was. He heard footsteps approach from behind him then he felt a hand run down his side. He jerked away from the touch. Simon slowly walked around him, taking in every inch of him with his eyes. Still he said nothing. Tim knew that this was part of his game, a battle of wills. The first to speak or make a sound would lose. Simon reached out a hand and ran one finger over Tim's cheek then down his neck as Tim scowled at him. He began unbuttoning Tim's shirt as Tim struggled against the bonds, but always keeping silent. Even a protest meant he'd lost the battle. So, instead, he kicked out and connected with Simon's shin causing him to grimace and take a step back. Simon raised a hand in a gesture to call someone over and it was then that Tim realized that they weren't alone in the room. He struggled as he felt a pair of hands grab onto his ankles and strap his legs into restraints on the floor.
Once he was fully restrained Simon cocked his head and Tim heard footsteps heading out of the room. The two were alone. Simon took a step toward him and continued unbuttoning his shirt. He ran his fingers down Tim's chest and abdomen. His touch was gentle, almost reverent. It had been eighteen long months since he'd been able to touch his prized possession this way and he was going to take his time with him. Tim began to struggle again when Simon reached the waistband of his jeans.
Simon looked up at him and raised a single finger to his lips in a silent gesture to quiet him but Tim continued to struggle to the extent he was able. Simon's expression hardened just a bit. It was enough to scare Tim into ceasing his efforts. After all he was bound tight and couldn't get away. And the longer he could keep Simon calm, he knew, the better off he would be. Simon's expression softened when he stopped struggling. He smiled and brushed a hand over Tim's chest then walked out of the room.
ooo
Horatio walked out of his office and into the print lab. Eric was leaning over a magnifier comparing fingerprints. "Eric," Horatio said and the younger man looked up. "Feel like going for a ride?"
Horatio pulled his Hummer into the parking lot of Club Descent and glanced around. The lot was about half full and he saw Max's motorcycle parked at the side of the building. He and Tim still frequented the club as regulars two or three times a month. They had started to think of it as their place, the place where they'd met, where they'd shared their first kiss, their first dance together.
They walked through the front door and were greeted by Max as he stood behind the bar. "Horatio, Eric, good ta see ya." He held out his hand and each man shook it.
"Max, we need your help," Horatio said.
"Anythin' ya need Horatio. Ya know that."
Horatio took a breath before he said anything as he decided just how much to tell Max. "We've managed to keep this out of the papers so far but over the past few days we've found the bodies of four men all killed within the past few weeks and all, it would seem, killed by the same person," Horatio explained. "On the most recent body we found a card from Club Descent."
"Really? Ya think it's someone from here?"
Eric looked at him. "Are you missing any regulars lately?"
Max closed his eyes and let out a long breath as he thought, going over the list in his head. "I can't thinka anyone who's been missin' lately. Only one who hasn't been around is Theo, the other guy who tends bar, but he went north ta visit family. I talked ta him about," he thought for a moment, "maybe two, two and a half weeks ago. He said his father was ill and he'd be stayin' there for a while."
"Where is home for him?" Eric asked.
"Canton Georgia, If I'm rememberin' right," Max answered.
Eric looked over at Horatio. "Well that would explain the trace I found, if it's him."
"You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Theo, would you Max?" Horatio asked.
Max dug around under the bar and pulled out an envelope. He took a photograph out from a pile and passed it over to Horatio. "From New Year's Eve. We were both sorta drunk, I recall."
Horatio regarded the photo for a few moments then handed it over to Eric. "What do you think?"
Eric stared at the picture. "Hard to tell, H. With the decomp, I don't know, it could be him. Better if we had DNA to compare or dental records."
"Hang on a minute," Max interrupted. "Before y'guys get too far, can I try somethin'?" He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "If he answers…"
Horatio nodded. Leave it to Max to be practical, he thought. He watched as Max's face grew concerned then he heard him say, "Bro, gimme a call when ya get this. It's important." He flipped the phone shut. "Okay, now I'm worried," he said.
"Did he keep anything here, toothbrush, hairbrush, something that might contain his DNA?" Eric asked.
Max walked around the bar. "Follow me," he said as he walked toward a door at the back of the club. The door opened onto a locker room. Max walked up to one of the lockers, pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. "This one's Theo's," he said as he stepped aside.
Eric pulled on a pair of gloves from his kit before pushing the locker door fully open and examining it's contents. Inside, amongst the locker's other contents, he found a hairbrush, a towel, and a toothbrush. All had the potential to contain DNA. He bagged each item separately.
"Thanks, Max," he said. "These will help us."
"Well, all I can say is I hope yer wrong."
"I understand. I hope we are too, for your sake," Eric replied.
Horatio's cell phone rang and he stepped away from the other two men to answer the call. After a moment he hung up and turned to Eric. "Dispatch got another call, Eric. We've got to go."
"Another body?" Eric asked. Horatio nodded.
As they walked out to the front of the club Max asked, "Horatio, I've been tryin' to get a holda Tim. He's not answerin' his cell phone."
Horatio glanced at his watch and noticed it was not quite three in the afternoon. "He's in class, Max. He turns his phone off when he's teaching. If we're lucky he'll remember to turn it back on before I get home tonight. Do you want to me to give him a message?"
Max chuckled, knowing how forgetful Tim could be when it came to things like that. "Just ask'm ta gimme a call when he gets a chance."
ooo
The door opened and Tim heard footsteps heading toward him. He felt something being locked to the d-ring on his collar then his arms were released from the hook overhead. He winced as he lowered them and rolled his shoulders. His feet were still shackled so he couldn't go anywhere but he was now able to turn just enough to see who was behind him. It wasn't Simon. He saw a man, barefoot and shirtless, dressed in leather pants and a leather mask that covered his face except for his eyes and a hole for his nose. He wore a collar similar to the one Tim was wearing.
The man pulled at Tim's shirt trying to remove it. Tim pulled away but the man yanked at his collar almost choking him. His shirt was pulled off of him quickly. The man pulled Tim's arms behind his back and held them firmly as he bent down and freed his legs. He pulled at the chain that he'd attached to Tim's collar forcing him to walk with him. He led him over to one corner of the room where there was an old mattress and a bucket. The man locked the end of the chain to a d-ring on the wall with a padlock then walked away.
He returned a few moments later and tossed Tim a pair of leather pants. Tim stared at them for a moment then flung them back at him. The man took a step toward Tim and pushed him backward onto the mattress and held him down with a knee on his chest while he forcibly stripped him of his remaining clothing. He tossed the jeans, boxers, and shoes out of his reach then stood up and handed him the leather pants. Tim lay there naked for a few moments glaring at the man before he struggled to his feet and pulled the leather pants on.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping him?" Tim asked.
The man didn't answer him. He simply turned and left the room. Tim stared after him for a moment then he sat down on the mattress and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Where are you Horatio?" he muttered.
TBC