A/N: I like to thank everyone's support and words. I really don't think I deserve any of them as I am not that good of a writer. So thank you to everyone again for your support and encouragement.
As always review is the best gift!
Enjoy
~BW
Chapter 9, His haunting eyes
When Raymond got back to the boathouse that night, Ryan was nowhere to be found.
"Shit." Raymond didn't think Ryan was capable of sitting in his condition and not to mention walking. Raymond should have locked it.
Still frustrated about his lack of judgment, Raymond Caine made several calls to local friends for help.
It was his friends at the DEA that informed Raymond about a drug addict that the Miami Beach Police picked up off the street that fitted his description of Ryan.
"Mandy, DEA said you got someone that fit my informant description. I am coming over to pick him up."
"Yea not a problem, DEA already called about it" Office Mandy said as he looked at Ryan.
Ryan cuddled in the corner of the cell. He was really thirty, but the cops refused to give him water. The bright lights in the cell annoyed him, but Ryan was too tired to care.
Raymond was glad that DEA's connection with the local police paid off. He never used his real name with cops and it was always his DEA agent's name, John Lane. It was simply a way to survive in a world where you weren't sure who was your friend and who was your enemy.
"John, it's good to see you." Mandy said.
Office Mandy used to work for the DEA and Raymond Caine, known only to him as John Lane, was one of his undercover partners. However, Mandy transferred out of DEA long before the mess Raymond got into.
Raymond Caine nodded towards his old DEA buddy. "It has been awhile Mandy."
"Haha yea a long time. Glad to see you." Mandy laughed. "Your informant seems high on drug."
"Yea he has a habit of it. I will take him back and get him clean-up." Raymond said as he looked at Ryan.
"Alright, just signed here and he is all yours." Mandy pointed to the paper in front of Raymond.
"Ok, and also Mandy, I am afraid he is going to act-up, can you put him in zip-ties?" Raymond asked.
'Yea not a problem, John" Mandy motioned the cops by the jail door to get Ryan out.
Ryan didn't want to move because the slightest movement was causing him a great deal of pain.
"No…"Ryan whispered as the cop bended down to haul Ryan up by his arms.
Raymond didn't like how Ryan looked. His skin was pale and covered in perspiration. Ryan could barely stand-up by himself. His lips cracked from the lack of fluid and his eyes dazed around the room. Ryan was showing clear signs of withdraw.
Mandy forcefully put the zip-ties around Ryan's wrists and led Ryan to Raymond.
"Ok, John, good luck with him." Mandy smiled at his old partner.
"Thanks." Raymond said and took hold of Ryan by his shoulders. Raymond half dragged and half supported Ryan out of the Miami Beach Police Department and into the front passage seat of his car.
Raymond quickly pulled out a syringe out of his glove compartment and an alcohol wipe out of his pocket. He rolled up Ryan's sleeve up, a task that was a little difficult because Ryan's hands were bound behind him, and applied the wipe on his shoulder. Raymond unwillingly pushed Ryan's head to the side so that he wouldn't have to look at Ryan's haunting eyes. With one swift movement, he injected a syringe full of methadone into Ryan.
Methadone is an alternative to cocaine and has been used by the medical community as an anti-addictive drug.
Raymond hoped the methadone would relieve some of the withdraw symptoms that Ryan was experiencing.
Ryan coughed weakly. He was simply too tired to fight anymore. His mind was racing at a speed that his body was unwilling to follow.
"I just…want…go…go..home…please?" Ryan begged as tears rolled down his face.
For a moment Raymond was considered taking Ryan to Horatio. But his goal stopped him. He needed to finish want he started, bring down this drug cartel.
"Ryan, I need you to stay awake ok? Can you do that for me?" Raymond asked softly.
At first it didn't seem like Ryan heard Raymond, but then Ryan simply nodded.
Half way through the drive, Ryan moaned softly and turned his head to look at Raymond. The night light illumined Raymond Caine's blond hair and made him looked like Horatio.
"H, why...?" Ryan whispered.
"Why what?"Raymond simply asked.
"I…d..o.n.'t…kn..ow." Ryan answered. Ryan was afraid. In his mind, he was riding with Horatio. He was afraid that Horatio would turn back and leave him at the jail. He wanted to know what happened and why Horatio was acting strange.
"There is no easy answer to this. I am sorry." Raymond said. He didn't want to explain to Ryan.
Raymond tightened his grip on the wheel as he realized one day he has to face his brother and answer for the things he has done.
Ryan took the answer and drifted in and out of sleep as Raymond pulled into a drive way.
Dan was already outside waiting for them. As Raymond parked the car, Dan opened the passage side door and gently pulled Ryan out.
"I gave him a dose of methadone. It should help him until tomorrow morning." Raymond said as he helped Dan support Ryan into the house.
"Ok." Dan nodded and with Raymond dropped Ryan on the couch. Ryan was rumbling about something, but either Raymond or Dan could understand him.
"What about the zip-ties?" Dan asked.
"Keep it; he was able to walk out of the boat house." Raymond answered.
"Ok what next?" Dan asked.
"We take down Al. One way or another he is going down." Raymond said as he picked up the gun on the coffee table and holstered it beside his belt.
"I had to use Ryan to cover up the last operation; we don't have much time before Al figures this out." Raymond looked at Dan and both men headed out the door, leaving Ryan on the couch alone.
Ten minutes later, Ryan managed to roll of the couch and slammed his head against the edge the coffee table. A trail of blood slowly dripped down from Ryan's temple.
"H…H…help…." Ryan weakly called. When Ryan didn't hear a response he believed Horatio had left him.
Ryan didn't bother to hold back his tears anymore.
Horatio: "Tomorrow's what you make of it."