Carpe Diem Chapter 7

A/N Here you go, I hope you like it, thank you to all who review my story I really love every one of them, you are the best!

The sound of a scared little voice brought Calleigh back from the pit of darkness that had engulfed her.

"Cally!, Cally wake up please!" screeched Madison shaking Calleigh as much as a 6 year old could. Her green eyes fluttered open as Maddy's scared blue eyes came into focus.

"Oh baby, I am so sorry," She managed to whisper sitting back up, her sense of relief was brief, a second later a huge hand grabbed her golden hair and pulled her up as Madison was shoved backwards at the same time, the little girl screamed in fright.

"Now Blondie, you will get Bob Keaton for me!" Andropov said shoving Calleigh against the wall again, at the same time he pulled Madison up grabbing her by the arm.

"No! don't you touch her!" Calleigh yelled, not thinking clearly she stood up and charged against the huge mobster making him loose his feet, the Russian let go of the little girl in an effort not to loose his balance; Madison taking advantage of the situation ran away from him, and hid behind some piled boxes.

"How dare you!" He roared standing up taking up Calleigh with him, his fingers were like iron bars clenched to her arm, she screamed in pain as the Drug Lord shoved his fist into her ribcage and fell to the floor gasping for air; Calleigh curled in to a fetal position to protect herself from the next attack, but the blow never came, as in slow motion Andropov killed over in front of her, she looked at him astonished one single bullet hole could be seen exactly in the middle of his forehead.

"Snipers!" she thought "Horatio is here" slowly she got half up and crawled towards where Maddy had run to.

"Maddy, are you ok, baby?" Caleigh said as the little girl ran in to her arms.

"Yes Cally, he hit you" she said between tears, looking at Caleigh's bruised face.

"Horatio is here, we have to be very still until he comes to get us, ok?"

"Uncle is here?"

"Yes angel, he is." Calleigh felt her whole body on fire, and was finding hard to concentrate, but she had to keep Madison out of harms way, Andropov was dead but his 2 goons were not.

As if on queue Bat and Sergey came running into the room; they looked at their boss' body with horror and then towards the back of the room.

Horatio's strong voice filled the entire area making Calleigh's heart swell with joy.

"You have no place to go, let the officer and the girl go! right now!"

The two men exchange looks between them, and then turned to Calleigh.

"Go, go on both of you and don't look back or I'll shoot you" Sergey said pointing his gun at them, Calleigh stood with difficulty and with supreme effort took Maddy into her arms picking her up, she was not about to let them shoot the girl.

"Hang on tight Maddy, we are getting out" she said softly. She could hear the two men moving boxes behind her, but she didn't turn, she walked past Andropov's body and on to the farthest door.

"Don't shoot, we are coming out!" she yelled before opening the door and stepping out into the sunlight staggering as she walked.

She was almost run over by Horatio and Erik who took Maddy from her arms in a second, taking her towards one of the ambulances parked near by. She was like in a daze SWAT men were running into the building , police officers moving on the outside, and Horatio Caine stood right there in front of her, somehow she couldn't think on what to say or what to do, Horatio opened his arms and she just collapsed in them.

He picked her up holding her tight against his chest; he was beyond furious looking at her beautiful face covered with cuts and bruises, her clothes torn and bloody.

Two paramedics reached him with a gurney, so he placed her down gently looking at her as if she could just vanish in front of his eyes, before turning around to look for his niece, who was with Erik inside the first ambulance.

"How is she?" he asked looking at the small girl sleeping on the stretcher. Erik remained at her side holding her tiny hand.

"She is scared, but other than that she is perfectly fine." Said a young paramedic "I gave her a sedative to make her sleep, she is ok Lieutenant."

"Thank you"

"Calleigh?" asked Erik stepping out from the ambulance after him.

"They are checking her up now" Horatio said anger pouring from him.

"They beat her Erik, she is in bad shape."

Erik became as angry as Horatio just thinking on someone hurting their bullet girl.

"We got them?" The young Cuban asked.

"I don't know yet" Horatio answered looking for Frank, he was coming out of the warehouse Bat and Sergey Chernik behind him handcuffed and surrounded by the SWAT team.

"Looks like we did" he added.

Allan Karr walked towards Horatio smiling broadly.

"They were trying to run for it through a tunnel on the back of the building, but we got them Lt."

"Good job Commander, get them out of my sight please."

"Yes Sir!" Karr said signaling his men to put both me on the back of their truck.

"Lieutenant?"

Horatio turned around to see one of the paramedics tending to Calleigh.

"She wants to see you, come quick we have to get her into the OR, she is bleeding internally" he said urgently. Horatio felt his heart skip a beat, as he followed the young man into the ambulance, as soon as he got in; the driver hit the gas pedal starting the race to the Hospital.

Calleigh looked like a ghost; she was very pale and shaking slightly.

"I am here sweetheart "He said taking her hand in his.

"Maddy… where?"

"She is ok, Erik is looking after her, and you know how much she likes him. Try not to talk Cal." He touched her face softly "Thank you Calleigh, you kept my niece safe"

Calleigh smiled, making Horatio's pulse quicken.

"No …. Need" she whisper closing her eyes.

The paramedic looked alarmed as he said to Horatio.

"Try to keep her awake Lt. "He nodded.

"Calleigh, listen to me sweetheart" Horatio said caressing her face again.

"So …. Tired." She mumbled.

"I know honey, but I need you to open your eyes, so I can tell you something."

Calleigh opened her green eyes to find Horatio's blue ones fixed on her, he looked worried.

"I need you to know, that I love you Calleigh, I always have."

She was not sure she heard him right, she felt so dizzy.

"You … love me?"

"Yes, more than you can possibly imagine" He said taking her free hand, the other one was where the IV had been attached.

Both paramedics looking after Calleigh exchange looks between them, they were sure this was not the Lieutenant's idea of a romantic setting but it was working in keeping her alert, so they were fine with it.

Calleigh's face shone with her smile, lifting her pallor for a moment.

"I… love you too Horatio, very ….much" She said squeezing his hand a little, before loosing consciousness again.

"We are here!" The driver yelled and the ambulance stopped, the back doors were opened in a fraction of a second and Calleigh was urgently rolled away from Horatio's sight.

He stood there in the parking lot, his face set with worry, he had told her at last what he felt for her, and she loved him too, it was like a dream, Calleigh loved him and now she was fighting for her life.

Horatio turned around and ran into the emergency entrance more scared than ever before in his life.