Shelly Gordon locked nothing like Horatio. She had green eyes and brown hair. Natalia and Ryan couldn't see any resemblance at all. So just to be on the safe side they had done a DNA test and it proved that Shelly Gordon was in fact Horatio's aunt.
"So tell us about your job at "Alman Shoes Factory", Ms Gordon." Ryan said politely.
"Well, I didn't work there for long since the factory closed down quickly. I made shoes all day long." Ms. Gordon said.
"Tell us why the factory closed down." Ryan said.
"Well it started when we didn't get paid. My collogues sued Allan Mason, the owner, and they hired lawyers. They won and Mr. Mason had to pay them 50 thousand each." Shelly said, "I didn't sue Mr. Mason, because I simply didn't feel like it. Instead I moved out of town and got another job at a kinder garden. I've been working there since." She said.
"Allan Mason? That's the owner's name?" Natalia asked, finally they knew the name of the owner, even though he was dead.
Ms. Gordon nodded, "Yes."
"Was there ever a woman involved somehow? Maybe someone with the same name as you, Shelly?" Ryan asked.
Shelly thought for a second.
"No… I don't remember anyone named Shelly, but I do remember that Allan had a sister. I think her name was Bethany or maybe Beatrice, something with a B." Shelly said, "She was quite strange."
"Strange how?" Natalia asked.
"She used to walk around the factory and talk to herself and she was always wearing a night gown." Shelly said, "I think she scared a lot of customers."
"Any idea if she was submitted to a mental facility?" Ryan asked.
"No, sorry, I don't know where she is or where she came from." Shelly said, "Could you please tell me why I'm here?"
Ryan sighed, "It's a long story."
"Make it short." Shelly said.
"Alright. Alan has been taking revenge on the people that sued him many years ago, killing their children. He kidnapped your nephew Horatio and another CSI, who is also Horatio's girlfriend. Ms. Duquesne." Ryan said, "We managed to find Alan and talk to him a little before he blew himself up. He didn't tell us much, except that he was after you, and Horatio was kidnapped simply because he happened to be related to you." He said.
Shelly locked shocked and didn't say anything so Ryan continued.
"What I don't understand is why we haven't found Horatio's body yet. Why would he kill all the other victims to fast and not Horatio? Do you have a special connection to Alan? Ryan asked, "And why would Alan want to go after both you and Horatio?" He asked.
"Alan and I had a love affair for a few years before he started his factory. Then I ended our relationship just before he had to close down." Shelly sighed.
"So somehow you betrayed him more then the others?" Natalia asked.
"Yes, I didn't help him when he needed me. Imagine when your great love breaks up with you and then leaves you hanging when your lives work is ruined." Shelly said, "I just didn't care back then."
Ryan and Natalia sighed. They told Shelly that she would get protection, since there was a big risk that Bethany or Beatrice would continue what Alan had started. They ended their interrogation and went to the lab.
As they stood in one of the labs trying to find a Bethany or Beatrice Mason, they both seemed to want to speak but none of them wanted to be the first one to say something.
"Looks like you got something to say?" Ryan asked nervously.
Natalia glanced at him.
"Yeah, you do too." she said.
Ryan shrugged, "You first."
Natalia nodded, "Okay, a few days ago you where nice to me, you know, like around the time we found Cal. And then earlier today you just blew me off and told me how much you disliked me, so I just want to know, honestly, what our relationship should be towards each other. Are we going to hate each other or can we actually be friends?" Natalia asked. She was nervous about Ryan answer, but the question had needed to be asked. Ryan cleared his throat.
"I umm… I guess we should be friends, I'm sorry for what I said." Ryan smiled.
"Why did you say it?" Natalia asked.
"Honestly? I don't really know." Ryan said.
"You don't know?" Natalia asked, not quite believing it.
"Look Nat, it was just something I said, it might have been the pressure from this case, I don't know. But I know that I regret what I said." Ryan smiled.
"Okay, let's be friends." Natalia said and they shock hands on it.
Natalia felt relieved, it would be much more fun to come to work now, without having to get death glares from Ryan.
After they had been running the name through every single database and coming up empty they just sat in the lab, doing nothing. Until Ryan's phone rang. It was Tripp.
"Tripp, what did you find?" Ryan asked as he answered his phone.
"We found him! But he's hurt badly, I called an ambulance, but you should come here for processing and all that stuff you do." Frank said on the other end.
"Alright, we'll be right there." Ryan said and hung up, "They've found him!" he smiled and Natalia and the two of them rushed out of the lab.
-I-
Frank and Eric had found Horatio in the bathroom, laying in the bathtub full of ice. He has deep cuts on his back and chest and an ugly gash on the back of his head.
They had found a weak pulse and gently placed him on the floor.
"He's not looking to good. He's pale and barely breathing." Eric worried.
"The ambulance is on the way." An officer said.
"Horatio can you hear me?" Frank asked, there was no response.
"Wait, I think I just lost the pulse." Eric said.
"Shit!" Frank cursed and opened Horatio's mouth to start CPR. Eric was too shocked to do anything at the moment. His father had died and he could loose his father figure and friend right at the moment. Horatio could die right in front of him.
"Eric check for a pulse dammit!" Frank yelled. Eric snapped out of his thought and checked Horatio's wrist for a pulse.
"He has a pulse." Eric said. Just then the EMT's arrived. They placed and IV in Horatio's arm and an oxygen mask over is mouth. Frank and Eric could only watch as their friend was loaded onto a stretcher and carried inside the ambulance.
"What hospital?" Frank asked one of the EMT's.
"Dade Memorial." The EMT answered.
The ambulance quickly drove off. Frank and Eric were close behind.
It didn't take very long for the ambulance to arrive at the hospital. And Horatio was rushed into the ER.
"He's hypothermic!" A Dr called out.
"His pulse is too weak." A nurse said.
"Go get some blankets to warm him up with please!"
"We need to put a tube down his throat to help him breath!"
Frank and Eric arrived just a few minutes after Horatio had been brought into the ER.
They watched as a doctor and several nurses gave him different medicines and helped him breath by putting a tube down his throat.
Soon a nurse told them to wait in the waiting area. Eric however refused to leave.
He stood outside the ER room and watched. He had to make sure that Horatio would survive. Frank had left to call the rest of the team. Eric hadn't prayed in many many years, but now he prayed silently and asked God to save Horatio. To let someone else die instead of him. He had never wished someone would die before, except for now.
"Okay, people he's stabilized, let's get him to X-RAY." A Dr said.
Horatio was pushed outside the door passed Eric. Horatio was pale, he looked dead. Eric couldn't help but to think that he looked like the victims that ended up in Alexx's morgue.
Eric wanted to go with Horatio, put when he started walking with the nurses he was stopped by the doctor.
"Sir, why don't you come with me to the waiting area?" The Dr. said.
Eric nodded and followed the doctor. The doctor was and old man, he was limping slightly, but his face looked friendly.
Frank soon joined Eric in the waiting area.
"Are you family?" The Dr asked.
"Well, not by blood." Frank said. The doctor nodded.
"Alright, does he have any blood related family?" The Dr asked.
"No, he has a girlfriend. Look Dr, we all work together and we are a family." Eric said.
"Alright, that's fine by me." The Dr said. "Now if I'm not mistaking it is Lt. Caine that just became my new patient."
"Yes." Frank said.
"Okay, well, I'm Dr. Steven Harper and I will be in charge of Lt. Caine during his stay here at Dade Memorial. I haven't gotten a chance to look at any X-RAY photos or any head scan photos. But from what I saw, he has broken ribs, he hypothermic and has a lot of cuts and bruises on his body." Dr. Harper said. "And he has an ugly gash on the back of his head."
"Is he stabile?" Frank asked.
"Yes, he is. His body is clearly exhausted and needs to rest, so I won't allow any visitors until tomorrow. I'm going to take a look at the X-RAY photos and head scanned, and then I'll get back to you." Dr. Harper said and left.
Frank sighed, "Ryan, Natalia and Alexx are on the way. And we got another problem."
"What's that?" Eric asked.
"Stetler." Frank said.
"What do you mean? Why would he all of a sudden be a problem?" Eric asked, "He hasn't been so far."
"Yeah, well he has been on vacation in Spain. He got home today and now he knows what's going on. I hope he doesn't know about Calleigh and Horatio. The bastard will probably try to get one of them fired." Frank said.
Eric didn't answer.
"Are you alright?" Frank asked.
"My dad died." Eric said, "And I didn't even say goodbye. I wouldn't have taken me a long time. But I just didn't find the time to go and see him." Eric sighed.
"I'm sorry." Frank said, "But I'm sure he died knowing that you loved him."
Eric nodded, "I… I, um, I think I need to go see my mother. Just for a minute, I'll come back." Eric said.
"Yeah sure, go to her. It's alright." Frank said.
Eric nodded and left. He needed to see his mother, who he hadn't seen for quite some time now. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but Horatio had once told him that: if you don't know what to say, you listen to your heart and it will be a speech no one will ever forget.
Eric would just have to say what was in his heart and hope that his mother wouldn't be angry at him.
-I-
Eric had trouble getting out of the car. He didn't know if he could. Why was it so hard for him to go see his mother, who had just lost her husband? It was his parents for god's sake! Yet it almost felt as if they were strangers to him.
He knew his mother was in the house, and he knew that she knew that he was there.
She had always known where he was. That's why he never liked playing hide and seek with her as a kid. She always found him without even looking very hard.
He slowly got out of the car and walked up to the front door.
He didn't have to ring the bell, his mother opened the door. She didn't say anything. He didn't say anything.
She opened the door wider and Eric walked inside.
"Where is dad?" Eric asked quietly.
His mother sighed, "He's with the undertaker. You'll be able to see him at the funeral." She said.
"Are you angry?" Eric asked.
"No Eric. I don't like what you do for a living; I don't like the way you never seem to take a relationship seriously enough to settle down. I don't like it when you never come around. But you are my son, and no matter how you live your life now or how you will live in the future, I love you." She said and gave Eric a warm motherly hug.
Eric couldn't have asked for a better mother at the time. He only wished she would have been like this when he was a child as well.
"What brought this on?" Eric asked, knowing his mother could very well get angry by the question. She looked stunned, but knew there was no reason to lie and say that she had always been that way. Because she hadn't.
"Your father's death." She said, "When I woke up today I realized that I had missed out on my children's lives. That I don't show you kids how much I love you. I should show it more. No matter how you want to live or with who, I will always be there for you." She smiled for the first time since her husband had died.
"I love you too mom." Eric said and kissed his mother's cheek.
Mother and son embraced each other in a warm hug.
"I have to go mom. Two of my friends are at Dade Memorial and I need to be there." Eric said.
"Yes, you should be there." She said.
Eric nodded and said goodbye to his mother. He was sure his father looked down on them and smiled.
-I-
Ryan, Natalia, Frank and Eric were all seated in the waiting area. Alexx had gone home to say goodnight to her kids. Frank had told her to not go back to the hospital until tomorrow, since the doctor wouldn't let them see Horatio anyway.
"Lt. Caine has a concussion and his gash on the back of his head along with all his cuts is infected. He has two broken ribs." Dr. Harper said.
"You need to do a rape kit test on him." Frank said.
"You have reason to believe he was raped?" Dr. Harper asked.
"Yes, we do." Frank said.
"Alright, I'll get a nurse to do it right away. Lt. Caine is not in coma, but he in unconscious right now." Dr. Harper said, "You may see him tomorrow, not tonight."
"Alright, thank you Dr." Frank said and the doctor left.
"I'm going to process the scene." Ryan said.
"No Wolfe. Let's wait until tomorrow; we all need to rest to be able to perform our best tomorrow. So we should all go home." Frank said.
"Forget it Frank, I'm not going home." Ryan said, "I'm heading to the house where you found H, I'm going to process it and then I'm going to the lab to process any evidence I might find tonight, and you are not going to stop me." Ryan said.
"And I'm going to make sure that Stetler doesn't do anything stupid, I'm going to find out what he knows about the case." Natalia said.
"I'm going to help Ryan." Eric said, "But if you want to Frank you can go home."
Frank looked at the three CSI's.
"Alright, Alright! I'm going to help ya'll." Frank sighed.
The foursome practically ran out of the hospital. The had never been so motivated to catch a criminal before. Nothing was going to stop them from closing this case. Nothing.
-I-
Ryan and Eric arrived at the house where H had been found.
"I'm going to start by checking if there are any shoeprints." Ryan said, "Hopefully we'll find that strange shoeprint here as well." He said.
"I'm going to check out the bathroom for fingerprints and trace." Eric said.
"Wait, do you hear that?" Ryan said.
"What?" Eric asked.
"Listen." Ryan said. Eric and Ryan listened and it soon became clear what they were hearing.
"It's a bomb!" Ryan yelled and ran out of the house with Eric close behind.
Just as Eric was outside the door the house blew up and officers threw themselves to the ground to protect themselves.
The last thing Eric remembered was that he seemed to be almost flying. Then everything went black.
TBC…