Kidnapped
Chapter 9
By: Harold Finch and Grace Luvr
Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you all had a Happy Easter last Sunday. Thanks for all of the aspiring reviews as always! You guys rock! I don't really have much else to say, so please enjoy a new chapter for kidnapped! :D
Beads of nervous sweat quickly formed on Carlos's head as he stared at the two law enforcers before him. Unbeknownst to Carlos, his hands began to shake with fear. Horatio looked at him with a coy smile.
"I'm sure you don't want for me to dig up your past Carlos, so why don't you just tell me what you saw."
Carlos balled his shaking hands into fists.
"I didn't see nothin'!"
Horatio shook his head slowly.
"Your body is betraying you Carlos. You're shaking like a leaf and sweating like a pig. I know you saw something. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. How this goes is entirely up to you Carlos."
Carlos kept his mouth shut.
"What. Did. You. See.?"
He still refused to talk. Frank slammed an angry fist down on the metallic table top, causing the younger Hispanic man to jump in his seat.
"Answer him you low life son of a bitch!"
Horatio turned to him.
"Frank. Cool it."
Carlos still remained silent. Horatio took the folder in front of Carlos.
"Fine, hard way it is then."
Horatio started taking pictures and typed sheets of paper out of the manila folder. He threw down a picture of badly bruised and beaten man in front of Carlos. His face was swollen beyond recognition.
"Orlando Florida 1992. You're 35 now, so that would've made you… 13 years old at the time. And that would've made you're older brother Eddie 18 years old. You both lived with your mother Maria. Your father had been sentenced to life in jail for the murders of three young girls. Your brother got in deep with the gangs and didn't have the sense to try to get himself out of it. Unfortunately it wound up costing him his life."
Horatio pointed down at the photo and saw Carlos tense up.
"On October 11, 1992, Eddie and his buddies were making a drug deal with a rival gang. That wound up being a huge mistake, it was a set up. The gang pulled knives on Eddie and his boys. They took off running into an alleyway where they had to climb a tall chain link fence. They all made it over accept for Eddie. A rival gang member threw a knife which penetrated Eddie's left leg. He fell down the 15 feet onto the cement, breaking his right arm when he landed on it. His friends left him behind, and Eddie was beaten to death. His arms and legs were broken, his fingers dislocated, and they finished him off by bashing his head in with a crow bar. The police never found the gang who killed Eddie, so they dropped the case a year later, which would explain why you say you don't talk to cops. You left Orlando with your mother a few months later and came to Miami. Maria Maldando, and her now only son, who was determined to follow in his brother's footsteps. Did I miss anything Carlos?"
When Carlos stood up to lunge at the red head, Frank was up in an instant, pushing the young man back down. Horatio's blue eyes burned into Carlos's brown eyes, the tension in the room growing increasingly thick.
"You shut your fucking mouth! You don't shit about my brother you arrogant son of a bitch!"
"You've got a bit of a temper don't you Carlos? Well, it won't be the first time it's gotten you into trouble."
Horatio pulled out another picture of deceased man and sheet of paper.
"Miami, 2003. You were 24 years old and still living with your mother. Hell, you're 35 and still living with her. Anyway, you were accused of the murder of 28 year old Nicholas Morton. He was killed on the night of January 28 2003. All it took was a single bullet to the head to end that poor man's life. His 3 year old daughter was going to have to grow up without a father, his wife without a husband, and his parents without a son. And they were all convinced that you had done it. However, the jury didn't see it that way. You were found not guilty of all charges due to lack of evidence. The family wanted a retrial, but was denied. Had they obtained more power, they probably would have received the retrial they had asked for. Now I on the other hand, I have more power than you could ever imagine. I have friends in very high places. If you don't tell me what you saw happen to my nephew, then I can make that retrial happen. I can put you through another year and a half of living hell. And I can promise you that this time, you will be found guilty. Then your poor old mother will have no one. She'll have lost both of her sons due to their stupidity. Now if that's what you want for your mother then go ahead, keep your mouth shut. Or, you can be helpful and go home to your mother. It's all up to you Carlos."
He watched as Carlos looked down at his feet. Horatio softened his tone.
"Be wise Carlos. Don't make a decision that you'll regret later son."
After several more minutes, Carlos hadn't looked up or even uttered a word. Horatio's own patience was wearing thin. 5 minutes later Horatio stood up and looked over at Frank.
"Frank I need for you to get me in touch with Judge Eric Geofrees. Tell him I want him to consider a retrial for the Morton case in 2003."
"Sure H."
Carlos's head shot up.
"Wait! I'll tell you! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
Horatio and Frank both exchanged glances and sat back down in front of Carlos.
"Tell me what you saw."
"It was around 5 o'clock in the evening. Mama had been gone all day with her friends shopping. So I was sitting on the front porch. I saw this black sedan that I've never seen before pull up across the street."
"What kind of car was it?"
"A black BMW M6. 2013 I'd say. It was real nice and expensive looking. That's why I was so confused when the driver got out."
"Why how did he look?"
"He was this middle eastern guy, he had thick black hair, I was too far away to see what color his eyes were. He had on some muddy work boots, some dirty wrinkled jeans, and a gray t- shirt. He looked like too much of a bum to drive such a nice car. Anyway, he walked over to the little boy across the street, said a few words to him, and the boy walked away happily with him. The boy got in on the passenger side, and the man looked right at me before he got into the drivers seat and pulled off. I went back in the house."
"Did you get the license plate number?"
"Only the first three letters. B.F.D."
"If we put you in a room with a sketch artist, would you be able to describe this man."
"I think so."
Frank took out a notepad and wrote down the letters and description of the car. Horatio looked Carlos in the eye.
"You saw a 6 year old boy wander off with a complete and total stranger. And you did nothing!?"
"Hey don't get mad at me! The boy looked happy, so I figured the guy was a family member or family friend."
"There is no family resemblance between that boy and the man you just described. You've never seen him before, so he couldn't have been a family friend. And the boy's mother wasn't even outside when he came and got him!"
"Well maybe she should've been."
Horatio swallowed down a growl of anger.
"Why didn't you tell us from the start? And don't say because of your brother's death causing your dislike for cops. There's something else."
Carlos let out a deep sigh.
"About a half an hour after the boy wandered off with the man, somebody rang my doorbell. When I answered it, I saw a black S.U.V. pull off, but they were gone so fast that I didn't get to see the license plate. They had had left a large box on my porch. I took it inside an opened it up. It was filled with cash. At least 5,000 dollars worth. There was also a note."
"What did it say?"
"Keep quiet or we'll come back for you.' The money's still at my house, I didn't even have the chance to touch it. You can take it if you want. That's all I know, I swear."
Horatio and Frank stood up.
"Thank you Carlos, you've been very helpful. You can leave as soon as you sit down with our sketch artist."
Carlos looked shocked.
"I tried to attack you with a knife."
"Well, I'm willing to forget that since you've been so forthcoming."
Carlos nodded his thanks. Horatio walked over to the younger man and looked him sincerely in the eyes.
"Carlos, I know what it's like to loose your brother to his stupidity. I also know what it's like to have to take on his responsibilities. But don't let that destroy you son. If anything, let it make you stronger. You can be different than your brother. You can be better."
Horatio patted Carlos on the shoulder and walked over to Frank. Horatio and Frank walked out of the interview room closing it behind them. No sooner had they left the interview room that Ryan ran up to them.
"Nat and I found a match on the boots and tires. You should come and see."
"Just give us a few minutes Mr. Wolfe."
Ryan nodded and headed back towards the lab. Frank turned to Horatio.
"So, do you believe Carlos's story?"
Horatio played with his sunglasses in his hands.
"Funny enough I do Francis. It's just a wonder to me how a man who looks down on his luck, gets a hold of such a luxurious car."
"Yeah you're right."
"However, the thing that intrigues me the most is what the note read. Carlos said the note read 'WE will come back for you.'"
"So there's more than just the one guy?"
"It seems that way Francis. It looks like our mystery man has friends in higher places as well."
Author's Note 2: Let me know what you guys thought! :D
