August 1

Miami-Dade Police Department/Crime Lab – Miami, Florida

It was early in the morning, but Horatio was wide awake and in the locker room of the lab with an anxious looking Tim and Robert. Several days ago, Dr. Vatelli had called Horatio privately and said he and his nephew were welcome to come visit the hospital and search for Maritza Boscorelli; he had cautioned them on bringing uniformed police because their presence would spook his patients.

Horatio found the whole invitation suspicious, but agreed to come anyway. He was not, however, going to involve his nephew because he sensed it was a trap, "Speed, you and I are going to go to the hospital and meet this Doctor Vatelli," he explained softly. "Bobby, I don't know why you were invited, but I smell Ray all over this one. Speed, you look enough like Bobby that perhaps we can fool Vatelli."

"Does anyone else know what you and Speedle are planning to do?" Robert asked in a worried voice.

Horatio shook his head, "No," he replied quietly. "I left a written explanation on my desk, with IAB, and with the chief for if this goes south. If I had told the other CSI's, they would want to be involved..."

Robert nodded and swallowed hard, "I feel like something will go wrong," he spoke anxiously.

"It most likely will, so it's better for you to stay here," Horatio replied softly. "Out of the line of fire."

Horatio silently gave Robert a hug, "Someone will call," he promised softly. "Just be safe."

Nodding, Robert silently watched his uncle and Tim leave out a back entrance before going upstairs to the staff room to wait for the call. It would be awhile til the call, but the silence would help him think.

Manhattan, New York

"Why does court have to be so early in the morning?" Bosco grumbled as he led Danielle and John up the steps and into the front foyer of the courthouse. "I don't even know why we had to come to court."

John sighed tiredly and sat on a nearby row of chairs, "Emily Yokas wanted a hearing," he replied.

"There's video evidence of what happened, so I don't know why," Bosco grumbled. "I think..."

A set of doors suddenly opened and a shocked looking Faith came out of the courtroom holding Alex in her arms while Captain Miller walked beside her, "Faith, is the hearing over?" Bosco asked worriedly.

Faith sighed and looked at Captain Miller, who nodded patiently, "Um, we were called into court over something else," she explained calmly. "Emily and her legal counsel will be here really soon."

"Aren't you staying for the hearing, Faith?" Danielle asked softly. "Emily would expect you to..."

Alex started to cry and Captain Miller took him, "I'll go change him," he said softly.

Faith nodded and sighed as her husband walked off with their grandson, "Emily chose to become emancipated and Caroline helped her do that and gave her access to money that Fred left her in his will," Faith spoke in a distressed voice. "The judge...the judge decided to give custody of Alex to us because Emily was on drugs the day she assaulted John. That's what blood tests found out."

"How did Emily get drugs?" Bosco asked in an upset voice. "I thought she was done with that."

Faith shrugged, "We have custody of Alex til January at least," she explained. "Fred left Emily some money if she ever wanted to stop living with me and Emily took it. She's got her own place now..."

"I feel responsible," John spoke quietly, stunned that Emily had been using drugs. "If I had agreed..."

Faith nodded and sighed heavily, "Emily dabbled in drugs before she met you, John," she replied softly.

"Did you hear that John here got into the LVPD pilot program?" Bosco cut in, his voice pleased.

Faith smiled, "He has to be out there by September 10, just after his birthday," Danielle explained.

"Good job on that," Faith replied in a pleased voice. "That's a tough program to get into, I heard."

John nodded as Captain Miller returned with a happy, sleepy Alex, "Faith, Alex is falling asleep on me," Captain Miller said in a kind voice, smiling. "I think we should go home so he can nap."

"And you have to get ready for work," Faith replied, waving to the Boscorellis as they left.

Bosco looked upset, "I thought she quit that after she overdosed the first time," he grumbled angrily.

Danielle looked concerned, as the mention of Emily Yokas on drugs had obviously hit her husband very hard, "Maurice, did you want to stay for this?" she asked softly. "You've known Emily a long time..."

"Since she was a kid," Bosco spoke in a quiet, somber voice. "I...I'm not sure why she went this way."

Miami, Florida

"It's not yet at an advanced stage, but it will become untreatable if you ignore it," Dr. Vatelli spoke in a quiet voice as he looked at Ray, who was staring at an x-ray of his lungs. "Lung cancer is serious."

Ray scoffed, "My old man smoked like a chimney for years and I spent the most time around him and I also lived among tweakers," he hissed. "I'm surprised I don't have cancer in more places than that."

"You should be in a hospital getting treatment, not going through with today," Dr. Vatelli argued.

Ray sighed irritably, "All I have to do is shoot Horatio, chloroform him, and get him into the back of the truck," he hissed. "I will be joining Ivan for the drive to Vegas, but I am not driving at all."

"I wish you would reconsider and not go," Dr. Vatelli spoke anxiously. "Anya is already back in Vegas and she and Sam Braun have their plant in the program who can distract anyone from looking for..."

Ray sighed, "It doesn't start for another month," he hissed. "Vatelli, just let me get this done."

"I'll get in touch with Sam Braun and make him arrange treatment for you once you're out there," Dr. Vatelli spoke in a quiet voice, seeing that Ray would not be swayed. "Is Ivan even here yet?"

Ray nodded, "The truck is just inside the gate in the bushes where it can't be seen and Ivan and his men are waiting outside," he replied softly. "Horatio and my beloved nephew should be here..."

Dr. Vatelli silently followed Ray down to the front doors, "Jill is already in the truck and Tara has been sequestered in her room with her child, but they are aware of what is going on," he said anxiously.

The sound of a car prompted Dr. Vatelli and Ray to look towards the road that led into the property and Ray smiled when he saw a Hummer come to a stop just outside the gates. His smile faded, however, when he saw Tim Speedle get out of the Hummer with Horatio; Bobby had elected not to come.

"Good looking man, your nephew," Dr. Vatelli spoke quietly. "He seems very serious."

Ray swore, "That's not my nephew!" he snapped, throwing the doors open. "Horatio, Speedle!"

Horatio and Tim froze, quickly drawing their guns as Ray advanced on them and grabbed a gun from the bushes on the way to the gate, "ATTACK!" Ray screamed, infuriated that Bobby wasn't here.

The sound of an engine starting filled the air and Ray dove into the bushes as the truck drove out of the greenery and smashed through the gate. Tim and Horatio quickly dove out of the way of it, however.

Ivan's men quickly emerged from the bushes, all of them armed, and that caused Horatio to quickly go for his radio. He had been expecting an ambush and his nephew was expecting him to call.

Ray, however, shot Horatio's radio and the bullet singed Horatio's hand, "You're under MY power, big brother!" he crowed as he approached Horatio. "How does it feel to be at my mercy?!"

Bullets suddenly began flying as Tim and Ivan's men exchanged gunfire, all of them wanting to get to Horatio and Ray. Dr. Vatelli quickly locked the doors of the hospital and bolted upstairs to evacuate Tara and Maritza, not wanting either of them to get hurt in what was proving to be a vicious battle.

Swearing, Ray grabbed Horatio by the neck, instituted a headlock, and grabbed a rag out of his pocket that was soaked with chloroform. Horatio struggled, but Ray quickly pressed the rag to his face.

Horatio, however, broke free and rolled across the dirt towards Tim, getting a handle on his gun again in the process. Swearing, Ray promptly fired at Tim, hitting him once in the bulletproof vest, once in the shoulder, and once in the leg. As Tim fell, Ivan's men stopped shooting and ran to grab his gun.

Ray swore and promptly shot Horatio in the abdomen, quickly downing him, "Game set and match," he hissed, walking over to his fallen brother. "It's time to put you to sleep for your ride, big brother."

Before Horatio could respond, Ray pressed the chloroformed rag over his face and smiled as Horatio quickly succumbed to unconsciousness. A car suddenly came around the back and it stopped where the unconscious Horatio lay. Dr. Vatelli rolled down the window and eyed the mess before him.

"Ivan, I am evacuating Tara and Maritza," Dr. Vatelli said anxiously. "Do you have another doctor?"

Ivan nodded to one of his men, "Doctor Kellin," he said calmly. "Help load the package into the truck."

Tim, who was fighting to stay awake, was powerless to do anything but watch as Horatio was picked up and forced into the back of a box truck by Ivan's men, "What about Speedle, Ray?" Ivan asked.

"What threat is he?" Ray hissed coldly. "Leave him here to die and let's get a move on from here."

Noise filled the air as Ivan's men packed themselves into the truck and the truck drove off into the Everglades at the fastest speed possible. As Dr. Vatelli rolled his window up, he could see Tara cuddling a sleeping Maritza in the back, but he had no gun and no balance with the injuries he currently had.

As Dr. Vatelli's car tore off in another direction, Tim shakily reached for his radio to call for help.

Manhattan, New York

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Halstead," a voice rang out through the courtroom.

John sighed as he rose, surprised that only his parents, Flack, Brendan, Mac, Danny, Emily, lawyers, and a few uniformed police were in the room, "Please be seated," Judge Halstead said as she took the bench and smacked her gavel. "This closed hearing is now in session. Detective Flack, you may begin."

Flack got up and walked to the front, "On July 10, 2006, John Boscorelli and Emily Yokas met up at the library and there was an altercation initiated by Miss Yokas," he explained firmly. "My..."

"That's a lie!" Emily snapped, glaring at Flack. "John told me to do something and I did it!"

Judge Halstead cleared her throat, but said nothing, "My colleague, Officer Danny Messer, collected the footage from the camera at the library," Flack continued. "With your permission, we'd like to..."

Emily swore and stood up, "He told me to get my baby's father involved and I did!" she snapped.

Judge Halstead eyed Emily, "According to the information provided to me by the Crime Lab, the father of your son is Derek Stokes?" she asked sternly. "I'm sure Mister Boscorelli wasn't aware of that."

"I wasn't, Your Honor," John replied softly. "Emily wanted me to marry her and take on the responsibility of being Alex's father, but I am striving to get my education right now and I don't feel I'm ready to be a father for a long time yet. I just want to focus on healing and building my life."

Emily swore and picked up the water glass on the table to throw at John, but Flack immediately stepped over to her and ripped the glass from her hand, "Are you high, Miss Yokas?" he asked sternly.

"I've seen enough," Judge Halstead spoke firmly, appalled by Emily's behavior. "I find Emily Yokas guilty of assault on John Boscorelli and sentence her to 30 days in a juvenile correctional facility and another 30 days in an inpatient treatment facility. I remand Miss Yokas into custody immediately."

The uniformed officers moved over to Emily and Flack stepped away to let them work. John stood up and silently followed his parents from the room, deeply relieved that he didn't have to take the stand.

Miami, Florida

Tape cordoned off the entrance to the mental hospital to preserve the ground that had been decorated by bullets and blood. Police cars, an ambulance, and CSI Hummers were behind the tape while Calleigh, Eric, Natalia, Robert, Jesse, and Walter, were surveying the scene. Media had also arrived on the scene and were filming because they knew it was a good story. Tim was in the ambulance with an anxious Emily and Alexx, refusing to leave until he was able to share his account of what happened.

"Why was Speedle here?" Calleigh asked in a stern voice. "Why did Horatio not ask for more backup?"

Robert sighed, "Uncle Horatio was invited to come to this property weeks ago and specifically told not to bring any uniforms, but to bring me," he explained firmly, very much shaken by the news that his uncle was now in the wind. "He didn't like the idea and so he asked Tim to go because he resembles..."

"This was a plan put together by Felisa and Anya LaRusso, wasn't it?" Eric snapped. "You're the reason that the whole lab was put in danger! You should have just let it go after your father died in Vegas!"

Deeply taken aback, Robert flinched as if Eric had slapped him, "Eric!" Natalia snapped angrily.

"You ran away when you were expected to protect him!" Eric snapped. "Like you ran from New York!"

Natalia's eyes widened, Jesse swore under his breath, and Walter looked angry, "I left New York because my daughter was brutally murdered and I couldn't tolerate the memories of that and my unhappy marriage!" Robert shouted, resisting the urge to hit Eric. "Are you sure you're fit to work?!"

Eric swore and lunged at Robert, knocking them both to the ground, "Eric!" Calleigh shouted. "Stop!"

Just then, Emily stepped out of the ambulance with her camera and a recorded statement from her husband that explained what happened before Horatio was taken. She was shocked and angry to see Eric trying to beat Robert up while Robert did his best to not fight back, but get away from Eric.

"What are you doing brawling in a crime scene?!" Emily snapped sternly. "Eric, get off of him!"

Calleigh and Jesse quickly pulled Eric off of Robert and Robert quickly got up as the ambulance holding Tim took off at a fast pace, "I'm reporting this incident to Stetler and he can deal with it back at the lab," Emily spoke firmly. "Eric, your behavior was extremely inappropriate. Detective Caine..."

Robert, however, was already headed back to his truck because he was both hurt and angry over Eric's comments. He didn't care if he got written up, but he couldn't see himself working with Eric anymore.

Emily sighed irritably as Tripp and other uniformed cops crowded around Robert and began talking to him quietly, seeing how hurt the young man was by Eric's comment, "We need all hands on deck for this crime scene, Eric, but I want you to report to IAB when you get back to the lab!" she spoke sternly.

Before Eric could reply, Emily walked over to the crowd of cops, "Detective Caine, if you don't feel comfortable working around Eric, you can go back to the lab," she spoke in a quiet voice.

"Would you like me to take the recording of Speedle's statement?" Robert asked in a quiet voice.

Emily sighed, "Are you sure you're emotionally okay?" she asked softly. "Eric's words were cruel."

Robert nodded silently, unaware that his fortitude was earning him respect from the cops, "Since you don't have an emotional connection to Tim, I'd like you to go to the hospital and collect his things," Emily explained in a quiet voice before looking to the group. "Get started and be thorough."

Eric scowled, but joined Calleigh and Jesse in getting to work, but Walter and Natalia walked over to Robert and Emily, "Do you want some company?" Natalia asked softly, gazing at her husband.

Robert responded by offering Natalia the keys to the truck, "You okay, buddy?" Walter asked softly.

Natalia took the keys and Robert silently walked with her over to their truck, "He's gotta be angry," Walter spoke anxiously. "I've hung out with him a lot and he gets super quiet when he's upset."

Emily looked over at the mental hospital, "Tripp, do you think we should search that?" she asked. "I remember Horatio mentioning that Doctor Price was at a mental hospital. Maritza might be with her."

Tripp looked thoughful and Walter looked concerned, "You think Doctor Price is here?" he asked.

Emily nodded and sighed as Robert's truck took off down the road, "I don't know," she replied, handing Walter the camera. "Put this with the rest of the evidence. This is Detective Speedle's statement."

Walter took the camera with his gloved hands while Tripp turned to the uniformed officers and instructed them to search the building. Calleigh and Eric watched with surprise as the uniforms proceeded into the mental hospital; none of the officers had asked either of them to go along.

Manhattan, New York

"How was court this morning?" Yelina, who was resting in a chair in the living room watching TV asked as Bosco, Danielle, and John came into the apartment. "I take it the hearing was fast?"

Bosco sighed tiredly and shook his head before silently disappearing into his and Danielle's bedroom, "Maurice has known Emily Yokas since she was little and the way she is now has upset him," Danielle explained in a quiet voice. "John, honey, why don't you go have a nap since you had to get up early? If David's awake, tell him to go wake Ellie and Ray Junior so you kids can get ready for the program."

Nodding, John went to the bedroom he and David shared, "Emily got herself emancipated through the help of her stepmother and she's using her late father's money to live in an apartment on her own," Danielle explained quietly. "Faith and her husband have custody of Alex because Emily is on drugs."

Yelina's eyes widened, "Emily's 17, right?" she asked softly. "She...she's using drugs at 17?"

"Looks that way," Danielle replied softly. "Maurice...he requested a personal day to rest."

Just then, the phone rang and Danielle answered it, "Hello?" she said, hearing a voice on the other end.

"Where's Maurice, Danielle?" a smooth voice spoke softly. "I wanted to talk to him."

Quickly recognizing the voice as Doctor Price's, Danielle put the phone on speaker, got her phone out, and pressed RECORD, "In case you don't remember me, this is Tara Price; the real mother of Maurice's daughter," the voice said in a colder tone. "Tell Maurice that Maritza is being well taken care of and that she's quite safe from your interference. You can also tell him that my doctor decided to transfer me to a different hospital for my safety and Maritza's. It's nice and warm here...Goodbye."

Shaking angrily, Danielle ended the recording and hung up the phone, "When your dad gets back from his walk with Ray Junior and Nicolas, he can walk you to the police station if you want to inform them," Yelina spoke in a concerned voice, her eyes wide. "Do you want to wake Maurice?"

"I'll tell the police to come here," Danielle spoke in an anxious voice. "Mikey and Emily are still..."

A NEWS ALERT suddenly flashed on the screen, "We've got some breaking news from Miami-Dade County, Florida where a Lieutenant Horatio Caine and Detective Tim Speedle of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab were ambushed at a mental health facility in the Everglades while investigating a crime," a voice said. "Detective Speedle was shot and rushed to hospital, but Lieutenant Caine is missing..."

A shot of the mental health facility suddenly appeared on the screen and Yelina's eyes widened in shock as a clip of the group talking appeared on the screen, "With Lieutenant Caine missing, it didn't take long for the rest of the Crime Scene Investigators to lose their professionalism," the voice said.

"You ran away when you were expected to protect him!" Eric snapped. "Like you ran from New York!"

Natalia's eyes widened, Jesse swore under his breath, and Walter looked angry, "I left New York because my daughter was brutally murdered and I couldn't tolerate the memories of that and my unhappy marriage!" Robert shouted, resisting the urge to hit Eric. "Are you sure you're fit to work?!"

Eric swore and lunged at Robert, knocking them both to the ground, "Eric!" Calleigh shouted. "Stop!"

Just then, Emily stepped out of the ambulance with her camera and a recorded statement from her husband that explained what happened before Horatio was taken. She was shocked and angry to see Eric trying to beat Robert up while Robert did his best to not fight back, but get away from Eric.

"What are you doing brawling in a crime scene?!" Emily snapped sternly. "Eric, get off of him!"

Danielle gaped at the television and froze when she heard swearing, "What is this?" Bosco whispered.

"Maurice, Doctor Price just called and she and Maritza have been moved," Danielle spoke somberly.

Bosco paled and suddenly sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably into the carpet as the scene changed to a newsroom, "The scene is under investigation and we will update the public as the situation develops," a newscaster said grimly. "The mental hospital is currently also under investigation..."

Danielle walked over to Bosco as she dialed 9-1-1 while Yelina, who was crying, continued to watch the news. While Danielle was on the phone, the door opened and Sully came in with Ray Jr. at his side and Nicolas in a stroller. Sully froze at seeing Bosco sobbing and Yelina in tears.

"What happened?" Sully asked, quickly locking and closing the door. "Why is everyone crying?"

Yelina sighed and gestured to the news, too shaken to do anything but sit there and cry.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"I'm a little nervous to go back to work," Sofia spoke softly as Ryan, who had driven Sofia into work from home after getting off work. "Are you and Carlos going to be okay while I'm on Days?"

Ryan nodded and smiled, "I hope your mom doesn't mind watching Carlos while I run some errands," he spoke in a quiet voice. "I also want to walk you inside, settle you in your office, and make sure..."

Sofia smiled and sighed, "I won't be in the field, but you can," she replied softly. "I love you, Ryan."

"Love you too, Sofie," Ryan spoke as he got out of the car and proceeded to help Sofia from the car.

As Ryan and Sofia entered the Crime Lab holding hands, Ecklie came to the front desk, "I need to see you two in my office right now," Ecklie spoke anxiously. "Grissom's already there and waiting."

Frowning, Ryan and Sofia followed Ecklie to his office and were surprised to see Sheriff Atwater and Grissom both there, "Ryan, there was an incident in Miami a little while ago," Grissom explained in a somber voice as he picked up a remote. "This...this incident made national news very quickly."

A NEWS ALERT suddenly flashed on the screen, "We've got some breaking news from Miami-Dade County, Florida where a Lieutenant Horatio Caine and Detective Tim Speedle of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab were ambushed at a mental health facility in the Everglades while investigating a crime," a voice said. "Detective Speedle was shot and rushed to hospital, but Lieutenant Caine is missing..."

A shot of the mental health facility suddenly appeared on the screen and Yelina's eyes widened in shock as a clip of the group talking appeared on the screen, "With Lieutenant Caine missing, it didn't take long for the rest of the Crime Scene Investigators to lose their professionalism," the voice said.

"You ran away when you were expected to protect him!" Eric snapped. "Like you ran from New York!"

Natalia's eyes widened, Jesse swore under his breath, and Walter looked angry, "I left New York because my daughter was brutally murdered and I couldn't tolerate the memories of that and my unhappy marriage!" Robert shouted, resisting the urge to hit Eric. "Are you sure you're fit to work?!"

Eric swore and lunged at Robert, knocking them both to the ground, "Eric!" Calleigh shouted. "Stop!"

Just then, Emily stepped out of the ambulance with her camera and a recorded statement from her husband that explained what happened before Horatio was taken. She was shocked and angry to see Eric trying to beat Robert up while Robert did his best to not fight back, but get away from Eric.

"What are you doing brawling in a crime scene?!" Emily snapped sternly. "Eric, get off of him!"

Ryan frowned as Grissom turned the TV off, "We know Horatio was your former boss and you two had a spat, but I want you and Sanders in tandem on this case," Ecklie spoke firmly. "This has Sam Braun written all over it. I want you to get copies of the evidence from Miami and work the case."

"Eric and Calleigh aren't just going to share evidence," Ryan replied quietly. "They hate me."

Ecklie nodded, "Grissom's going to contact their IAB department and make them play ball because if it is Sam Braun, we need to work together," he replied. "Remember what Sam did to their IAB...?"

Ryan nodded, "You'll have some evidence by your shift," Grissom promised. "See you tonight."

Sighing, Ryan left the room, but Sofia remained, "Can I talk to you?" she asked softly.

Miami, Florida

Noise filled Tim's ears as he slowly regained consciousness and found himself in a trauma room within a hospital. He could feel people touching his body and he could hear voices throughout the room.

As Tim's vision cleared, he suddenly heard a gasp, "He's awake," a brisk voice said. "Lift it."

Tim winced as he suddenly felt the gurney being raised and he was shocked to see Alexx, an unfamiliar looking female doctor, and several nurses working on him, "Hey there, Timmy," Alexx spoke softly.

"Alexx?" Tim asked groggily, wincing as he felt people touching him. "Everything...hurts."

Alexx nodded, "Horatio...he was taken," Tim breathed weakly. "In...in a box truck...headed west..."

"Doctor Woods, there's a detective and a CSI outside," a voice spoke. "Should I let them in?"

Alexx turned and looked surprised when she saw Robert and Natalia outside the doors, "They probably came for Timmy's clothes," she replied softly. "Doctor Stokes, could you take the clothes and things out so I can stay with Timmy til he goes up to surgery? They're in that bag on the chair by the door."

Candace, who had only been working at the hospital for a few days, nodded and collected the paper bag of the detective's belongings before going into the hallway, "Hello there, my name is Doctor Stokes," she spoke in a quiet, but nervous voice as she looked at the two. "I assume you want this?"

"You're working here now?" Natalia asked in a quiet, but impressed voice. "How are you feeling?"

Candace sighed and shrugged, "Stokes?" Robert asked quietly. "Are you related to Nick from Vegas?"

"He's my baby brother," Candace replied softly. "I'm recovering...this is just per diem right now, but I'm looking for a more permanent position. Detective Tripp is also letting me stay in his spare room."

Natalia nodded, "Nick's the only one that knows I'm here," she spoke softly. "It's complicated..."

Clearing her throat, Candace held the bag of clothes out to Natalia, "Here," she spoke softly.

Robert sighed softly, "I...I'm beginning to hurt from when Eric tackled me," he spoke quietly.

Natalia frowned worriedly, "Natalia, you need to get that to the lab," Robert said. "It...it can wait."

"Where do you hurt?" Natalia asked softly, deeply worried. "Eric doesn't know his strength."

Robert sighed quietly, "My back and ribs," he spoke quietly. "Natalia...chain of custody..."

"Then stay here and get checked and I'll come back after I visit the lab," Natalia replied firmly.

Robert gave Natalia a look and nodded, "You need time to process anyway," she stated. "Horatio..."

"I hope they find him," Robert spoke in a pained voice. "He's...he's like my father..."

Candace frowned at the mention of 'Horatio,' "The man in there mentioned a Horatio being taken in a truck that headed west," she spoke softly. "I don't know if that means anything or not..."

Robert frowned, "West?" he asked softly. "I...I don't know why he would be taken west."

"I'll mention it to Stetler when I get back to the lab," Natalia spoke softly. "Stay here and get checked."

Sighing, Robert nodded and shared a gentle kiss with Natalia before she left, "If you don't mind, sir, I can examine you just down the hall," Candace spoke quietly as Tim was rolled out of the trauma room.

Manhattan, New York

"It was smart of you to record Doctor Price's call, Mrs. Boscorelli," Mac spoke in a calm voice, holding Danielle's phone in a secure evidence bag as he sat on a chair in the apartment across from the couch where Danielle and Bosco were sitting. "I hope you don't mind being without your phone for a bit."

Danielle shrugged and sighed as John, who had woken up at the sound of crying, brought mugs of herbal tea over to them, "Well, we'll just have to take John shopping without it," she replied, taking her mug and sighing. "John, despite all this, your father and I think you should still go in September."

"Yeah, kiddo, you earned the spot," Bosco spoke softly. "I can see in your eyes you're doubting it."

John sighed and finished handing out the tea before going to the kitchen to get himself some, "We don't have a lot of information at the moment, but we do know that Doctor Price was most likely moved due to Lieutenant Caine and his group closing in on them," Mac explained. "We'll know more when..."

Just then, the door to the apartment opened and Yelina, who had insisted on talking privately with Flack when he and Mac had come over, came back into the apartment with Flack at her side and Sully helping her walk, "Mac, is there any way I could take some personal days?" Flack asked softly.

Mac frowned in confusion, but said nothing, "Detective Sullivan here shared with me what happened on the news and she would like to visit him herself, but she's on a travel restriction for the rest of the summer," Flack explained. "I just want to take a few days to make sure that Bobby's all right..."

Bosco sighed, embarrassed that he couldn't bring himself to go to Miami himself, but the thought of returning to the place where he had been raped made him feel almost ready to vomit, "Boscorelli, Bobby knows you care," Flack said, seeing Bosco's reaction. "Don't get upset over it."

"I just can't go back there yet," Bosco admitted. "I'm...I went back to therapy over what happened."

Flack nodded, "After we're done here, I'll help you make your case to your boss," Mac promised.

Whimpering suddenly filled the air and Danielle got up, "Mikey and Emily are up from their nap," she explained in a quiet voice, relieved that David and Ellie had taken Ray Junior, her father, and Nicolas with them to the reading program that day because John had court. "I'm glad I talked Dad into going to the reading program with the other kids because they didn't need to be around to know about this."

Miami, Florida

Hours later, after watching a replay of the fight on the news, Rick Stetler stood in the lab's conference room, silently regarding the view. He was tired and nauseous from chemo, but the chief had requested his presence after seeing Eric attack a fellow CSI in front of the media at a dangerous crime scene.

Through the glass walls, he could see Lenny and Lindsey in the break room doing bookwork that he himself gave them to make sure they were prepared for school in less than a month. He hadn't been able to get a hold of Bobby or Natalia since seeing the incident on TV and he was very worried.

As Rick turned to see if anyone had reported in yet, however, he saw Natalia in an evidence processing room with bloodstained clothes. Sighing irritably, Rick silently walked over to the room.

"What are you doing back here alone?" Rick asked sternly. "You and Bobby left together."

Natalia's eyes went wide at seeing Rick, "The chief saw the fight on the news and insisted that I come in to greet Duquesne and Delko when they come in from the field," Rick explained in a tired voice.

"You just had chemo today," Natalia replied worriedly. "Are Lenny and Lindsey with you?"

Rick sighed irritably, "Anthony Speedle just dropped them off when I got the call, so I had to bring them with me in a cab," he spoke sternly. "Do you know how expensive a cab from Coconut Grove..."

A ding sounded through the lab, indicating that someone was getting off the elevator and Rick stormed over to it just in time to see Eric and Calleigh get off with boxes in their arms, "Have those been logged?" Rick asked in an angry voice. "Leave them with Natalia and come with me right now."

"We have a lot to do," Eric replied firmly. "Calleigh's already given out assignments."

Rick scoffed, "What makes you think Duquesne is automatically in charge?" he asked coldly.

Eric and Calleigh exchanged a look, "I'm not going to do anything about your team dynamics this evening," Rick spoke sternly. "Delko, however, is grounded from the field until further notice."

"We're still investigating two different crimes!" Delko snapped, his anger growing.

Rick scoffed, "You can still work in the lab, but the chief is not too happy with you attacking Detective Caine in the field," he hissed, his voice tired. "Duquesne has no say about when you'll be cleared."

"Are you taking control of the lab until Horatio's replacement is hired?" Calleigh asked softly.

Rick glared at Calleigh, "You're already giving up on your precious boss and he hasn't even been missing for 12 hours," he spat as Natalia came into the hallway. "Are you that desperate for his job?"

"I'm Horatio's second in command," Calleigh replied in a quiet voice. "Didn't you know that?"

Rick smirked as Walter, Jesse, and several uniforms came off the elevator with boxes of evidence, "Horatio put it in writing that if anything happened to him, Speedle was to be put in charge of the lab and Speedle recommended Cardoza as his second," he spoke sternly. "The chief also got a call from Vegas to send them copies of the evidence from today because they have an idea of who is involved."

"Wolfe's in Vegas," Eric snarled. "Why do we want to involve him in our investigation? Horatio..."

Natalia scoffed, "Eric, you're already in trouble for the fight and I wouldn't be surprised if Bobby presses charges against you for injuring him," she spoke sternly. "He's at the hospital right now."

Rick's eyes widened in anger, "Get to work," he hissed, turning away. "Expect a meeting later."

New Orleans, Louisiana

"Doctor Pride?"

Andrea Pride, who had been fired from the LVPD after Greg Sanders had complained about her less-than-professional counseling tactics used during the situation with Nick Stokes, swore as she peeked through the peephole on her front door, "What do you want?" she hissed. "I'm out of service."

"Open the door or I'll be placing an anonymous call to your big brother about your illegal behaviors," the voice hissed coldly. "We have a patient who needs help and you have medical skills, Drea."

Sighing irritably, Andrea opened the door and frowned when she saw Ivan and another guy there, "Is this about the fiasco that I went through in Vegas?" she hissed. "Sanders got me fired from LVPD."

"Oh, we heard about that through Sam Braun and Sam heard it from the news," Ivan replied softly.

Andrea scoffed, "Dwayne cannot know I helped you," she replied. "He doesn't trust me already."

Ivan nodded, "The patient's in the truck and we cannot bring him out," he replied anxiously. "Do you have supplies? He was shot while we were kidnapping him and our boss wants him healthy..."

Nodding, Andrea quickly gathered medical supplies from the closet that she kept a stash in, "Who did you kidnap this time, my friend?" she asked softly. "Some yuppie who didn't pay up for drugs?"

Ivan chuckled as Andrea followed him to the box truck that was parked outside, "You're lucky I live in such an isolated area," she spoke in a cold voice. "Where did you get your latest target from?"

"Miami," Ivan said as he opened the truck and revealed Horatio, who was laying on an army cot semi-conscious while an anxious looking Jill sat beside the cot. "The other men are taking a break..."

Andrea silently climbed into the back and approached Horatio. Jill silently lifted a wet rag from a wound that she had been putting pressure on, "Peroxide," Jill spoke anxiously. "The bullet's..."

Horatio, who was drifting in and out of consciousness due to the pain and effects of the chloroform, grunted softly as Andrea silently removed the bullet from his abdomen, "We could use your help in Vegas once we get him there, Drea," Ivan spoke quietly from outside. "And I could use comfort."

"Let me seal and bandage this wound and I'll pack a bag," Andrea spoke softly. "I'll bring the toys."

Ivan grinned like a kid at Christmas and waited quietly while Andrea patched Horatio's wound and covered it with a bandage, "I also have an associate who has lung cancer and needs access to cancer treatments in Vegas," he said, shutting the truck once Andrea was out. "Can you help him?"

"Is Sam Braun funding the treatments?" Andrea asked as she and Ivan went into her house.

Ivan followed Andrea all over the house as she packed some clothes, food, toiletries, and other things she would need to be comfortable, "You're very lucky I own a condo out there," she said smugly.

"I didn't know you actually kept your place after you left the LVPD," Ivan spoke in an amused voice.

Andrea nodded and Ivan helped her take her suitcases outside, "The men are down the road, my dear," Ivan spoke in an amused voice. "Do you want to ride shotgun with me for a little while?"

Smiling, Andrea joined Ivan in the cab of the truck with her suitcases and held his hand tight while they drove down the road, "The men are here," Ivan said, rolling to a stop where a crowd waited.

"Cubans and Russians," Andrea spoke quietly. "Quite a stronghold for one man, my sweet."

Ivan smirked as the men approached the truck, "Get in the back and watch Ray as he spends quality time with his big brother," he spoke in a cold voice. "We'll be in Vegas soon enough and the fun..."

"Who's the hot chick, Ivan?" Ray asked as he came over to the truck. "I didn't know you liked chicks."

Ivan scoffed, "This is the doctor who will be looking after Horatio and after you when we get to Vegas because Anya wants Horatio healthy before he is punished," he replied coldly. "There are cots in the back, so I suggest you all get in so we can get out of here. We don't want Miami getting wise to us."

Murmuring filled the air as the men all got into the back of the truck as they were told, but Ray didn't move, "I don't need rest, Ivan," he hissed. "Anya said I wouldn't need it until we got to Vegas."

"Go lie down in the cot in the back," Ivan spoke in a firm voice. "You'll feel better for it."

Sighing irritably, Ray went around into the back of the truck and got in, taking a seat on the empty cot that was just inches away from where his weak, injured older brother lay in a state of unconsciousness.

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