~ Author's Notes ~

Alright. It's been ages since I've touched on this cross-over, but it's one I feel needs the justice of an end. So, the show must go on, as they say! Let's see if I can riddle out where exactly to place my thoughts in this story… XD

~ CSI: MIA/NY/LV ~

"Don't tell me…" Mac and Ryan both were taken away from their other thoughts by the voice, raising their eyes to find a blonde leaning against the wall a few feet away from them. "Taylor and Wolfe. New York and Miami, respectively."

Mac nodded. "Catherine," he greeted. "Good to see you're alright."

Catherine frowned a bit and let out a bit of a soft snort. "For now, at least," she replied.

"Where are we?" Ryan asked, looking around.

Catherine shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Mac turned his attention to where he'd been grazed by one of the kidnapper's bullets. There wasn't much to be done about it, and it certainly could've been much worse than it was. "It can't be too far out of State," he said, turning his attention back to the two CSIs with him, "We weren't on the road too long."

"You guys got the easy ride, huh?" Catherine asked, walking over to take her own look at Mac's arm. "In a perfect world, I'd suggest you get that looked at."

Mac smiled slightly. "Not such a perfect world though, is it?"

Catherine returned the smile. "Not at all," she said, "Not at all."

"So… What do they want with us?" Ryan asked, his gaze shifting from Mac to Catherine.

Mac sighed softly. "I suppose we're part of the end game," he said, his eyes darkening a bit. "I've only got one word of advice for you two."

"And what's that?" Ryan asked.

Mac shook his head a bit, his expression a tad bewildered, seemingly. "Brace."

~ CSI: Miami ~

"Any luck with the tread marks?" Calleigh asked as she joined Eric.

Eric sighed a bit as he withdrew his hands from the table and stood up straight. "I think I might have something to get us started."

Calleigh joined him and looked at the screen as he continued, "2012 Lincoln Navigator," he said. "Wheel base I calculated matches that model. Not to mention the paint I pulled of the driver's side front bumper of Mac's Avalanche."

Calleigh looked at him with interest. "You got a paint transfer?"

Eric nodded. "Their careless driving was their downfall," he said. "Turns out it's a custom-done job. Local shop here in Miami did it. A deep Midnight Blue isn't your typical color on a Navigator," he said, handing her a print-out from his testing. "I called the shop and they said they'd meet us in an hour."

Calleigh nodded and looked back up at him. "Then we better tell Horatio. We've got CSIs to find."

~ CSI: Miami ~

"Did you happen to do a paint job on a 2012 model Lincoln Navigator?"

A medium-built man stood from behind the counter, a black t-shirt with a skull on the front hanging loosely from his fit frame and a red bandanna tied around his head with only hints of his black hair showing underneath. "Who's asking?"

Horatio looked over at the man over the rims of his sunglasses with his hands rested on his hips, giving the man a minute to finally see his badge.

"Miami's Finest, eh?" the man asked with a disinterested frown. "What paint job?"

"Midnight Blue," Eric said. "We're thinking whoever owns that vehicle is involved in the recent murders here in Miami, and also the kidnapping of two Crime Scene Investigators last night."

"The murders?" The man was suddenly very alert. "Man, no way…"

"Unfortunately, that's the way it seems," Horatio said flatly. "Do you have a name?"

"Jason," the man said. "Jason Collins. He's had that Navigator for a while now. I've done some of my top work on that truck."

"Do you know where we could find Mr. Collins?" Eric asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah. He goes down to the Delmon bar in the city almost every night."

Horatio and Eric exchanged a look before Horatio offered a nod to the man. "Thanks for your time. We know where to find you if we need anything more."

The man nodded, looking a tad alarmed at the seemingly suggestive words of the officer. "I'll be here. Ain't like I got a reason to run."

The two CSIs headed back out for their Hummer. "Road trip tonight, H?"

The Lieutenant shook his head. "I'm sending you and Calleigh. Hopefully Natalia will have something for us later."

Eric nodded. "I'll call her up and let her know."

~ CSI: Miami ~

"It's been a while since I wore a dress, you know?" Calleigh asked as she walked in to the classy Delmon with Eric beside her later that same night, readjusting one of the straps that ran over her shoulders on her dress. This was a mix of an undercover task and just looking to see if they could even find their suspect here at all.

"Been a while since I've done something like this at all," Eric replied with a partial frown as he swept his eyes over the crowd.

Calleigh nodded, doing the same beside him. "You said we're looking for a guy with brown hair and dark green eyes? 5 foot, 7?"

Eric allowed himself a smile. "You've got a photographic memory there, Cal," he commented.

Calleigh smiled a bit. "There," she said after a moment with a nod to a man in a black suit jacket sitting at the bar with a thin, brown-haired girl. "That looks like our guy."

Eric nodded in agreement. "Let's see what he has to say about last night's show," he said.

Calleigh and Eric made their way through the crowd and then walked calmly up to the man. "Jason Collins?" Calleigh asked, making the man stop his chatter with the girl beside him to rest meet his gaze with Calleigh's unwavering one. "You have a minute? It's important."

Collins looked over his shoulder at the girl, who looked just a tad over the legal limit at this point. "I'll see you later," he told her quickly, swiftly placing a soft kiss on her cheek before he sent her on his way.

Eric and Calleigh then led him to a silent and deserted back corner of the club. "You happen to drive a 2012 Midnight Blue Navigator, Mr. Collins?" Eric asked.

Jason's gaze shifted between Eric and Calleigh for a few moments. "And exactly what right do you have to be asking?"

Calleigh nearly rolled her eyes. "We're with Miami-DADE PD. I'm sure you're aware of the recent murders?" she asked, her gaze expecting his answer to be a confirmation, "You seem like a well-informed man."

"Two CSIs were kidnapped just last night from outside the MDPD Crime Lab. Your truck was involved, Mr. Collins," Eric explained. "We have paint transfer from your Navigator on one of the vehicles that was parked in the lot last night."

Jason looked at them, seemingly a bit overwhelmed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… What are you implying here?"

"I'm not implying anything," Calleigh said, motioning over two officers that had silently joined them, standing back to give the CSIs room to chat. "You're coming with us. We can continue this back at the station."

"Whoa, wait!" Jason protested as one of the officers tightened cuffs around his wrists. "Kidnapping? Why would I kidnap two CSIs?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't you?" Eric shot back. "The names Detective Mac Taylor and CSI Ryan Wolfe sound familiar to you?"

Jason stared back at him, a bit of a snarl starting to form on his lips. "What the hell has gotten into you?" he snapped. "You cops have gone mad these days! You think you're gonna find them?"

"You think we won't?" Calleigh nearly hissed the question in the man's face. "You know where they are?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders impassively, an evil and cruel smirk replacing the snarl. "Maybe and maybe not, Miss Whoever-you-are. But you best hope the boss don't decide to make you find body parts to complete your autopsy!"

"Hey, that's enough!" Eric snapped, firmly shoving the man in the direction of the two officers. "Hold your tongue until we're back at the station! And get this disgusting freak out of here!"

The two officers then started walking the still uncooperative Jason Collins back out to the squad car as Eric and Calleigh watched with anger mixing with worry in their eyes.

Exactly what the hell kind of plans were in store for all of them? And how could they possibly find their three missing comrades before the worst happened, as it was so blatantly suggested to them?

They were running out of time. Quickly. They needed to find out where those three CSIs had been taken. Soon.