August 15

Calle Ocho - Miami, Florida

"All police agencies in the western United States have been notified of Lieutenant Caine's disappearance and have promised to assist with the investigation, but there is very little evidence pointing to where he's been taken," Chief Burton spoke to a scrum of media who was gathered outside of the Miami-Dade Police Department/Crime Lab. "The crime scene investigators are working on it."

Tim, who had gotten up early, sighed as he sat on his parents' couch with a cup of tea in his hands and continued to watch the news report. His wounds were not completely healed yet, but he was well enough to at least go and supervise from the lab. MDPD had been on high alert ever since Horatio had been taken, but the CSI's had also been kept on a tight leash because of the fight at the crime scene.

As the news report continued, Tim sipped his tea, "Up already?" he suddenly heard a voice ask.

Tim turned and saw Emily come into the living room with a robe over her pajamas, "Hi," he said softly.

"Are you nervous about going in today?" Emily asked softly. "You'll be the supervisor..."

Tim nodded, "I hate the idea, but I'm pleased that H trusts me enough," he replied in a quiet voice.

"I'll be in later because I have some appointments and I have to make sure Sergeant Stetler isn't going against medical orders and overworking himself," Emily explained. "Did you want an appointment?"

Tim sighed softly, "Do you have time now?" he asked softly. "Calleigh and Delko are going to expect me to be on their side in this whole situation and I think Delko attacking Bobby was inappropriate."

Emily nodded, "The CSI's shouldn't be taking sides against each other," she replied softly. "It should be a team and you all should be focused on trying to recover from what happened at the crime scene."

Just then, a whimper came out of the baby monitor that Emily had clipped to her robe, "Jesse's awake," she spoke gently, sighing. "Let me get him up and then I'll make you something hearty for breakfast."

Nodding, Tim silently returned to watching the news while Emily went to get Jesse out of his crib.


Coconut Grove – Miami, Florida

Natalia frowned when she woke and found that she was the only one in the double bed that she and Bobby had bought after their wedding. Ever since Horatio had been taken, Bobby had struggled with his emotions, sleep, and eating enough; he also hadn't gone into work since Delko had attacked him, but the police department had understood enough to grant him a paid leave until he was ready to return.

Sighing, Natalia got out of bed, donned a robe, and was greeted by the smell of baking coming from the kitchen downstairs. She silently made her way downstairs and saw Bobby sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea while watching the oven, which was filled with something being baked. The kitchen was also clean, which surprised Natalia, as Bobby wasn't one for cleaning before meals were eaten.

"When I was a kid, I'd have a lot of times where I was sad over my mother," Bobby spoke, gazing at Natalia through tired eyes. "I couldn't sleep or eat very well, so my uncle would get me to help him bake something and we'd share it when it was done. I made a few trays of different muffins..."

Natalia silently walked over to the kitchen table and hugged her husband, "Thank you for putting up with my mess of a head," Robert whispered softly, returning the hug as he stood. "Tea?"

"Horatio raised you when you lost your mother and he's missing," Natalia replied softly, following him over to the tea kettle. "As for what happened between you and Delko, you have a right to be upset."

Robert drank his tea, put the cup in the sink, and nodded, "I have full confidence in Speedle's ability to run things while my uncle is gone, but I don't know if I can work with Delko anymore," he explained in a quiet voice. "I have to make a decision about that by the end of the month...IAB's orders."

"If you want to go back to Homicide, I won't be mad at you over it," Natalia replied softly. "Promise."

Just then, the phone rang and Robert silently answered it, "Bobby Caine," he said in a tired voice.

"Bobby, you're up early," Yelina's kind voice spoke. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to come see you and your family, but the doctor won't let me do lots of traveling until after the colostomy is out..."

Robert sighed softly, "Aunt Yelina, I don't want you to do anything to jeopardize your health," he replied in a tired voice. "I know you care and due to what happened with Ray, to know is enough..."

There was a sigh as the doorbell rang, "I did send something," Yelina spoke softly. "To show I care."

Robert frowned, deeply confused, and Natalia gently guided him to the front door, "I hope that didn't wake anyone up," he spoke worriedly. "Rick's got to go into work early this morning..."

"Rick took Lindsey and Lenny to a hotel yesterday for some family time," Natalia replied softly.

Robert frowned, "I'm going to rent my house to Rick and his kids so they have enough space," Natalia explained with a smile. "Now, are you going to open the door while Yelina is on the line?"

"What are you and my aunt up to?" Robert asked as he opened the door and gasped when he saw Flack standing on the doorstep with a small suitcase. "Donnie...Donnie, what are you doing in Miami?"

Flack frowned at how tired and drained his friend looked, "Your dear aunt was worried about you because of what happened on the news and she asked me to come down here since she's on a travel restriction," he explained in a concerned voice. "She asked Natalia for permission too..."

"Aunt Yelina, thank you," Robert spoke into the phone as he stepped aside to let Flack in.

There was a sigh, "Hang in there," Yelina spoke in a concerned voice. "I'll call again soon."

Robert suddenly switched to Spanish and spoke a few words before hanging up, "My aunt wanted to give me encouragement," he explained with a tired sigh. "Do you want some coffee, Donnie?"

"Spend time with him," Natalia spoke gently. "I'll go wake our boys up for school, okay?"

Before Natalia could climb the stairs, however, Adam appeared at the top of the staircase, "Daddy, Mommy, BJ doesn't feel good," he said worriedly. "He had bad dreams and is puking..."

Robert frowned, "Donnie, sorry, but my dear wife and I need to go check this out," he spoke in a concerned voice. "Adam, why don't you come down here and spend time with your uncle Donnie?"

Nodding, Adam silently came downstairs while Robert and Natalia hurried up to the bedroom that BJ and Adam shared. BJ was curled up in his bed with his face hovering over a trashcan filled with vomit.

"Hey there, champ," Robert spoke in a worried voice. "Adam said you were throwing up?"

BJ sighed softly, "My stomach started hurting a few hours ago," he spoke softly. "And then the puke."

"You could have appendicitis like Adam had," Robert spoke softly. "Amanda...it was from her."

Natalia sighed, "Detective Flack can babysit Adam and we can take BJ to the hospital to get checked out," she spoke softly. "I...I know I have to work, but these boys are more important than my job."


Riker's Island Prison – Manhattan, New York

It was early, but Mac Taylor was wide awake and had a singular goal in mind with his visit to the dreadful prison that morning. He hadn't told Stella or anyone else that he was coming or that he had been asked by Faith Miller, who had gone to higher authorities, to reach out to his former second.

Getting through security was easy enough and Mac quickly found himself in the visiting area of the cellblock that Stella was in. He sighed as two female guards brought Stella into the room; Stella's hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her blue jumpsuit and sneakers were unusually immaculate.

"Nobody told me you were coming," Stella spoke quietly. "I...I was just finishing a session."

Mac raised an eyebrow, "The prison...it offers counseling services and I guess I did have some emotions about Aiden's death that I didn't deal with," Stella spoke quietly, her expression one of embarrassment and shame. "I don't know if they told you, but Danny and Lindsay were here a week ago and I had a talk with Lindsay about why I wasn't as warm to her as I could have been..."

Nodding, Mac sat at the table, "Have a seat, Stella," he replied . "I did have a reason for coming."

Stella nodded and quickly joined Mac at the table, "Is this about Ray Caine or Maritza Boscorelli?" she asked in a concerned voice. "I see the news and papers, but I don't know anything about those things..."

Mac shook his head, "Nobody thinks you do," he replied calmly. "This is about Emily Yokas."

Stella frowned, but said nothing, "Emily Yokas recently went to jail for assaulting John Boscorelli and for being on drugs," Mac explained. "She's in a juvenile facility for at least the rest of the month and she is not making much progress. Her mother, Faith, thought I should ask you to mentor Emily."

"That's kind of hard to do if Emily's in a juvenile facility," Stella replied in a concerned voice.

Mac nodded, "It would be a work release arrangement and you'd spend time with Emily at the facility and help her with her programming," he explained softly. "The higher-ups will allow it to happen..."

"I'm not much of a role model after what I did," Stella spoke quietly. "I hurt and killed people, Mac."

Mac sighed, "Post-traumatic stress disorder, Stella, can affect people to the point where they do terrible things," he replied. "I know you've been working on letters to the university to go to the people affected by what happened, so that indicates remorse. None of the men involved have expressed remorse."

"Sergeant Finney told you," Stella replied quietly. "I...I apologized to him for hurting his advisees."

Mac sighed, "If you do this, you could be considered for parole next year," he replied, wondering why Stella suddenly seemed reluctant to talk. "Doesn't the thought of getting out of here entice you?"

"Mac, do you know how many people would show up to that in protest?" Stella asked softly.

Mac said nothing and Stella sighed, "When would this job begin?" she asked reluctantly.

"As soon as I call and tell the higher-ups you've accepted," Mac replied in a calm voice.

Stella sighed, "All right," she replied quietly, eager to help another who had made mistakes.


Las Vegas, Nevada

The sky was dark and the desert air was unusually cold as the truck came to a stop in an alley not far from the city limits. Several stops had been made between New Orleans and Vegas because it was too risky to travel by day and Horatio had become very weak and sick from the wound and operation, so Dr. Pride had been forced to 'borrow' antibiotics from clinics using fake credentials to do so.

Most of Ivan's men had quickly dispersed from the truck and into the nearest casino for drinks, gambling, and refreshment because all of them were exhausted from hauling and babysitting their cargo. Ray, however, simply got out of the truck and watched as Dr. Pride silently tended to the semi-conscious Horatio, who was laying on an army cot near the front of the medium sized box truck.

The doors at the front of the truck opened up and Ivan got out with an anxious looking Jill, who had been forced to ride up front with Ivan and the doctor since the last evening stop, "You know I can't let you go until school begins," Ivan hissed coldly. "I want you to contact New York and say you're fine."

Jill sighed irritably, but nodded, "When we get to Anya's, she will let you use the computer with supervision and you will stay there until term begins," Ivan spoke sternly. "It's comfortable enough."

"How long are we going to be here?" Dr. Pride asked anxiously. "Lieutenant Caine needs rest."

Ivan smirked, "The men are now under the watchful eye of Sam Braun, as this is one of his casinos," he explained in an amused voice. "We can go to Anya's now and drop Lieutenant Caine off..."

Ray spat and swore, but got back into the truck, "Miss Adams, in the back," Ivan ordered quietly.

Jill gave Ivan a look, but got into the back of the truck, sighing as Ivan closed and locked it. Ivan quickly got behind the wheel and tore off out of the alley to make the most of the pre-dawn hours.

Side streets were Ivan's friend as he made his way through the city and into the gated area that held mansions belonging to city moguls. Anya's residence was near roads that led up to a mountain ranch she owned, a place that would be perfect to stash Horatio and later administer torture to him.

Ivan smirked as he passed Anya's brick mansion, left the city limits via another side road, and went up the dirt road to the mountain ranch that hadn't been used since Anya and Pavel were small. The LaRusso children had once kept horses there, but now the buildings sat there uncared for and still full of the supplies from the older days. As the van came to a stop outside a rustic barn, Ivan felt gleeful.

"Welcome to your new home, Lieutenant Caine," Ivan hissed as he got out and opened the back of the truck. "A bed has been prepared for you, but you'll get something less comfortable when you recover."

Horatio let out a pained groan as Dr. Pride and Ray forced him to his feet and out of the moving van, "I know it doesn't seem comfortable, but you'll grow used to it," Ivan crooned, leading the way into the large barn where a cot was set up in the corner beside a large box. "Dump him on the cot..."

Pain shot through Horatio's weakened body as he was forced to walk over to the cot and he promptly passed out cold once his head hit the pillow, "That crate of supplies was provided by Sam Braun and he'll provide more when you ask," Ivan explained, gazing at Dr. Pride. "It isn't far from Anya's..."

Dr. Pride silently opened the crate and did her best to make Horatio comfortable with the medical supplies in the crate, "I'll watch my big brother," Ray hissed. "I'll even do my chemo up here..."

"That is not a good idea, Ray," Dr. Pride replied anxiously. "You need a sterile environment..."

Ray scoffed, "My face is plastered all over the media and I'll be arrested if I walk into a hospital or chemo clinic," he hissed coldly. "It's better for me to stay here and make sure Horatio behaves."

"Fine," Ivan replied irritably, realizing Ray was right. "I'll make sure supplies get to you."

Jill scoffed, "This place is a mess," she hissed indignantly. "I..it's so far out of Vegas..."

Ivan glared at Jill, but sighed calmly, "Let's go to Anya's so you can tell the NYPD to stop looking for you," he hissed, resisting the urge to slap the entitled girl. "Doctor Pride, are you finished?"

"Make sure Horatio eats and drinks," Dr. Price spoke sternly. "You want him healthy, right?"

Ray nodded and scoffed as Ivan, Jill, and Dr. Price left him alone with the now unconscious Horatio.


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

The walk up the stairs to Horatio's office was the longest walk Tim had taken in a long time, but he managed it in silence. He was considered the leader of the Crime Lab due to Horatio's absence and according to the paperwork, the promotion would be considered permanent if Horatio ended up dying.

Due to the information he had provided and that Candace had relayed, the search had been limited to the western states and all crime labs in those states had been relayed the evidence from the crime scene. Unfortunately, most of the labs had also seen the news and were insisting on individual reviews of the evidence because of the situation. Ecklie had appointed Ryan Wolfe as the head of the search for Horatio Caine and had declared that Ryan would have access to whatever resources he needed.

Tim silently cleared his mind and entered Horatio's office; it was now his to use because Horatio had explicitly told him to use it should things happen to him. It wasn't something that Tim had wanted, but Horatio was now missing and he was now in charge. Jesse Cardoza would be his second in command.

As Tim sat down behind Horatio's desk, there was a knock at the door, "Yes?" Tim asked.

The door opened and Jesse poked his head into the room, "Jesse," Tim greeted him nervously.

"Just came to welcome you," Jesse explained calmly. "Stetler said you'd be back today."

Tim nodded, "I'm okay enough to supervise, but I have been ordered to not work scenes yet," he explained in a quiet voice. "The doctor was going to make me stay home longer, but I said no."

"I can work with Calleigh, Walter, and Natalia in the field," Jesse replied calmly. "Delko is grounded to the lab until he's cleared and I have no idea what Bobby's doing. He's on paid leave right now..."

Tim sighed, "Then maybe Delko should have restrained himself," he spoke sternly, seemingly irritated that Eric was mad about getting in trouble. "What time is everyone supposed to get in?"

Jesse checked his watch and frowned as lights downstairs flashed on, "Now," he replied calmly.

Nodding, Tim got to his feet and followed Jesse downstairs just in time to see several lab techs, Eric, Calleigh, Walter, Tripp, and Alexx come off the elevator, "Morning," Tim said in the most official voice he could muster. "As you may or may not know, Horatio filed paperwork that would leave me in charge of the lab if something happened to him and something did happen. I'm off medical leave for the most part, but I'll be hanging around the lab until I'm fully off leave. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Who's going to supervise us in the field?" Walter asked in a concerned voice. "We can't..."

Tim sighed, "Jesse's my second and he'll be supervising in the field until I'm able," he explained in a quiet voice. "I know all of you are used to Horatio, but he's not here and we still have to go on because Miami will always have problems that need solving. You can all get to work now, all right?"

Silence filled the lab as the techs scattered, "Speedle, can you lift my restriction?" Eric asked.

"Did you get cleared by a psychologist?" Tim asked calmly. "If you didn't, then no."

Eric scowled and went off to the break room, "Um, Speedle, got a sec?" Tripp asked quietly.

Robert nodded and moved aside with Tripp, "I got a text from Natalia that says she's not coming in because BJ got sick enough to need the hospital," Tripp spoke quietly. "She sends her apologies."

Tim frowned and sighed, "We'll manage," he replied softly. "Bobby and his family have had it rough."

Tripp nodded, his expression grim, "I have to check in with Ryan right away because he's in charge of the search for Horatio in the western states," Tim explained. "Since Maritza Boscorelli's DNA was also found at the scene, I also have to reach out to New York and see how their Crime Lab is handling that."

"What about the rest of your crew?" Tripp asked, seeing Calleigh go after Eric. "They're..."

Tim shook his head, "Ryan won't talk to Eric or Calleigh," he replied. "When we were arranging the communication, he specifically asked to have someone other than them handle the case on this end."

Tripp exhaled sharply and nodded, "You're going to have to talk to Eric at some point," he replied.

Shrugging, Tim silently made his way to the AV room where Dave Benton already had the Skype set up and on the camera feature, "I'll come get you when I'm done," Tim spoke, gazing at the lab tech.

Nodding, Dave quickly left, but Tripp remained as Tim dialed the number that Ryan had arranged specifically for the case. A moment later, an evidence layout room appeared on the screen and Tim smiled when he saw Ryan talking with Sofia, who was holding a bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Ryan, is that mine and Emily's nephew?" Tim asked in a pleased voice. "Hi there, Sofia."

Ryan and Sofia came over to the computer and Sofia showed Carlos Ryan, who was asleep and sporting dirty blonde hair, a face like Ryan's, and a small sleeper underneath a blanket, "This is Carlos Ryan Wolfe," he explained in a kind voice. "Sofia's mom doesn't get off until later and we couldn't find anyone available to watch him, so Carlos gets to be with us at work today. We're both staying in..."

Tim nodded, "Cute kid," Tripp observed quietly. "Would you and Sofia mind if I sent a gift?"

Sofia looked pleased and smiled, "Thank you," she replied kindly. "We'd appreciate that..."

"How's the investigation going on your end?" Tim asked, suddenly all business. "We know that Maritza Boscorelli and Doctor Price were also at the mental hospital, but I remember them going in a separate direction than the van that took Horatio. The FBI ended up taking that information from me to New York through some telephone interviews since we don't exactly know where Maritza was taken."

Ryan frowned as he moved back and opened a folder that was on the layout table, "The description of the truck you gave me sounds a lot like one that's owned by a moving company called Jetting West," he explained, bringing a paper over to the screen. "It's a company that has offices in every western state."

"I wish I had a picture or something, but I don't," Tim apologized. "I...I wish I had taken one."

Ryan sighed, "You were shot several times," Sofia spoke quietly. "This is not your fault."

Tim shrugged, "Your description was good, Tim," Ryan spoke encouragingly. "I did a sketch and I faxed it off to the company's offices. They'll talk to everyone on their payrolls and their crime labs will investigate any vans that fit the description. It's small right now, but your information helped."

"Emily was talking about maybe taking a family vacation out there for Thanksgiving if you guys don't wanna come here," Tim spoke quietly. "We could get a suite at the Rio again if that's easier..."

Ryan nodded, "Sounds good," he replied calmly. "The unfortunate thing is that the bullets come back to guns that aren't registered, which means they have to belong to people who don't want to be found."

"Doesn't that Grissom guy know guns?" Tim asked quietly. "He seems to know a lot of odd things..."

Suddenly noticing Grissom walk into the room, Tim trailed off and was surprised when Grissom smirked, having overheard him, "You're right, Detective Speedle," Grissom said in an amused voice, coming over to the screen. "I do know a lot of odd things. Ryan, Catherine wants to talk to you."

Before Ryan could reply, Catherine came into the room and Ryan quickly walked over to her. Tim and Tripp watched as the two had a hushed conversation. Ryan nodded and came back to the computer.

"Catherine wonders if one of the men who attacked Stetler was also involved in kidnapping Horatio and she wonders if someone should talk to Rick," Ryan explained quietly. "Is he still on leave?"

Tim sighed, "No, he's coming back to work today," he explained. "Hi there, Catherine."

Catherine waved, "Rick might not want to talk," she spoke softly. "He's still upset about Sam..."

Grissom gave Catherine a look, "You and Rick still talk?" he asked. "I thought you two were fighting?"

Ryan sighed, "Um, that's the update I have for you today," he said quietly, sensing that Catherine and Grissom were going to argue yet again about Catherine and Rick's relationship. "Take care, guys."

The screen went black and Tim, who had been taking notes about what Ryan had managed to come up with, sighed heavily, "It's not much, but it's a start," he spoke in a tired voice. "I hope it helps."


Las Vegas, Nevada

"The email looks very well written," Anya LaRusso said in a stern voice as she hovered over the computer where Jill was sitting with a written email on the screen. "Send it quickly."

Jill did as she was told and quickly got up after it was done, "Are you sure you're all right to do so much?" she asked quietly, gazing at Anya's belly. "You're pregnant and you could use a rest..."

Anya looked amused, "You seem like a good girl, so how did you get mixed up with a scumball like Raymond Caine?" she asked in a concerned voice. "He kidnapped you from Grand Central Station?"

"He was yelling at a baby in the bathroom and I told him to stop," Jill replied softly. "I..."

Anya nodded and sighed, "My parents work in the casino business and they're very preoccupied with their jobs," Jill spoke quietly. "They have to compete with the likes of Sam Braun, you know?"

"Your parents aren't Victoria and William Adams of the Camino Casino, are they?" Anya asked.

Jill nodded, but said nothing because she didn't have an emotional relationship with her parents, but she didn't want to endanger their lives either, "Ah," Anya spoke coolly. "Do they know you're home?"

"They get the emails, but don't respond," Jill spoke softly. "I..what do I do until school starts?"

Anya shrugged and sighed tiredly, "Let me show you your room," she replied. "Take a sleep."

Jill silently followed Anya through the large house and into a small room that had a bed, desk, dresser, and closet, "My suitcases," she said softly, seeing them at the foot of the bed. "I'm allowed my stuff?"

"This is not a prison," Anya spoke quietly. "Ivan Sarnoff doesn't control what I do in my own house."

Jill nodded, "I need to have a rest and then I need help getting baby things," Anya spoke softly.

Without waiting for a reply from Jill, Anya went to the safety of her bedroom and took the phone from its cradle on the bedside table. Sighing, she dialed Pavel's number and hoped he was home.

"Hello?" Pavel's voice spoke in a quiet tone as if he were unsure who was calling. "Who eez zees?"

Anya sighed, "Pasha, it's Anya," she replied softly. "I...I'm staying in Las Vegas for a little while."

"Da, Mama told me vat vas going on," Pavel spoke softly. "She is vorried about you, Anya."

Anya exhaled sharply, as Pavel and their mother knew about Lieutenant Caine's abduction, but they didn't know she had provided the prison for him, "Ray eez not a good man and he should die," Pavel spoke in a cold voice. "He keednapped zat little baby from her family and hurt some cops."

"I only plan to stay in Vegas long enough to hand Ray over to Sam Braun," Anya spoke softly, not mentioning that she had arranged for the dying Ray to be killed by Sam along with Horatio. "I don't know what happened to the baby Ray had, but she isn't here. She's with her mother, Tara Price."


Miami, Florida

"Appendicitis?" Natalia asked in a stunned voice as she stood at the end of the gurney where BJ lay in a gown and blanket while Candace stood on the other side of the gurney with some test results in hand.

Candace, who had worked whatever shifts she could get to keep herself busy, nodded calmly, "It looks that way, Mrs. Caine," she replied calmly. "Your husband mentioned that his former wife was...?"

"Don't talk about that woman," BJ spoke groggily. "She got my little sister killed."

Candace's eyes widened in surprise, but Natalia gently reached down and rubbed BJ's back, "Easy," Natalia spoke in a firm voice. "Your father and I both know how you feel, but just relax...okay?"

"I...I already arranged for BJ's surgery," Candace spoke nervously, stunned by BJ's words.

Natalia nodded, "When's it gonna stop hurting?" BJ asked softly. "I can't get it to stop."

"You're going to have to have an operation," Candace spoke quietly. "To feel better."

BJ sighed, "I'll be asleep, right?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Just like Adam was?"

Candace nodded, "You won't feel anything and when you wake up, you'll feel a lot better," she replied.

Sighing, BJ closed his eyes, "Bobby just went to call home," Natalia spoke softly. "His friend is here."

Just then, Robert came into view, "Donnie got Adam to go back to sleep for a bit," he explained softly. "He also did up the muffins and cleaned the kitchen. Between this and my uncle...I'm just tired."

Natalia nodded, "I'm going to get a nurse and then we'll be back to take you up to surgery, all right?" Candace suggested in a kind voice, giving the family a smile before walking off to find a nurse.

Sighing heavily, Robert gazed at his eldest son and then found himself suddenly shedding quiet tears.


Miami, Florida

The sight of Rick asleep on the couch in his repaired, refurnished office prompted Calleigh to pause and wonder if she should come back later. Tim had asked her to approach Rick and ask him if his attackers had mentioned revenge on Horatio at any point and Calleigh was grateful he had asked.

Eric, meanwhile, was in one of the evidence processing rooms undergoing re-training with Walter and under Jesse's watchful eyes. Emily had also come in, but she was busy counseling various members of the department who had been affected by Horatio's kidnapping or the fight between Eric and Robert at the crime scene. Tim was silently reviewing notes from his conversation with Ryan in Horatio's office.

Sighing, Calleigh silently knocked on the slightly open door and Rick opened his eyes, but he didn't get up as Calleigh entered his office, "Duquesne, what do you need?" he asked in a tired voice. "I'm almost done the first round of chemo and it's been tiring, so I thought I'd take a bit of a paperwork break."

Calleigh nodded and Rick sat up, "I actually came to talk to you," she spoke in a quiet voice.

Rick frowned, "Is Doctor Speedle sending CSI's to make sure I don't overdo it?" he asked tiredly.

"Actually, Tim asked me to come talk to you," Calleigh spoke quietly. "He had a video call with Ryan this morning and Catherine brought up an interesting point. She wanted to know if the men who attacked you might have mentioned possibly doing damage to Horatio later on. Do you remember...?"

Rick sighed tiredly, "It was Sam Braun and two guys built like gorillas who attacked me and they did it because Catherine wanted custody," he explained irritably. "We are not going through a very happy patch right now because of her cheating on me and seeing nothing wrong with it. I cannot trust her, but I also think Lenny and Lindsey deserve to stay in touch with their mom. It's very, very complicated."

Calleigh nodded, "And your boyfriend's little spat with my brother-in-law has created an immense amount of paperwork for me," Rick hissed. "The chief wanted to fire Delko outright, but I managed to convince him that Delko just needs a psych eval and retraining. If Robert presses charges, however..."

"I haven't asked," Calleigh spoke nervously. "I haven't seen Detective Caine since the fight."

Rick sighed, "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help in the search for Horatio, but I've had attempts on my life twice and those two obviously got tired of me and moved on to Horatio," he spoke tiredly.

"I...I don't think the car accident was about you at all," Calleigh spoke nervously. "I think it might have been Ray trying to go after Horatio and he just mistook your car for his. I know there's no evidence..."

Rick shrugged, "Ray's in the wind and the FBI can't even find him," he replied in a tired voice.

"I...I should go review the evidence we got," Calleigh spoke softly. "Maritza Boscorelli is in the wind with Ray and there was evidence of her and Doctor Price being at the mental hospital..."

Rick nodded and Calleigh left, shocked that they had shared such a personal, open conversation.


New York City

Seemingly irritated that he had been pulled away from a much needed break, Bosco silently stepped off the elevator and gazed around at the New York Crime Lab. Lab techs were working quietly in various rooms and near the other end of the hallway, he could see Mac talking with an anxious looking Adam.

Sighing, Bosco made his way to the room where Mac was, "...This email is from Jill Adams's UNLV email account and it says she's safe," Adam spoke anxiously. "Don't you think that's odd?"

"Wasn't that the girl that Ray kidnapped along with Maritza?" Bosco asked suspiciously.

Mac and Adam turned to face Bosco, "Miami says that some strange man drove Tara Price and Maritza off in a separate direction than Ray, Miss Adams, and Lieutenant Caine," Mac explained. "I'm sorry."

"Miss Adams says she went to New York to get away from the stress of not getting into the program and is now back in Vegas getting ready for the upcoming semester," Adam explained nervously. "She's a Criminal Justice student with a minor in Computer Science, so I know that takes a lot of preparation."

Mac frowned, "Without any sign of Maritza or Ray Caine," he spoke softly. "Investigate the email."

"I did once I received it and it comes from the UNLV campus," Adam replied worriedly, not knowing that Jill was a mastermind with computers and had disguised her location. "It's a dead end."

Mac scowled and Bosco sighed, "We have no idea where Doctor Price took Maritza, but they're in a different location than Ray," Mac explained. "Prints at the scene identified a Doctor Vatelli..."

"You said you wanted to talk to me about the case," Bosco spoke numbly. "Was this why?"

Mac sighed, "Since Ray was a cop and was undercover at an earlier point in time, the FBI has decided to involve themselves in Maritza's case and the field agent wanted to talk to you," he explained.

"Do we have to tell John about this?" Bosco asked nervously. "He's getting ready to go to Vegas."

Mac shook his head, "Not if you don't want to," he replied calmly. "The agent is waiting in my office."

Bosco sighed irritably, but followed Mac to his office and was surprised to see Jo Danville sitting on the couch in Mac's office with a box in her hands, "Agent Danville?" he asked in a cautious voice.

"Hi," Jo spoke warmly, rising from the couch. "You got promoted since I saw you last."

Bosco nodded, too tired and anxious to be polite, "I can't imagine that the last little while has been easy for your family," Jo spoke in a concerned voice, her expression somber. "I'll do what I can..."

"Danielle keeps busy looking after Michael and Emily while John and Ray Junior take David and Ellie to the reading program ," Bosco spoke numbly. "Sully looks after Yelina and their little boy..."

Jo nodded patiently and Bosco sighed tiredly, "It'll get easier when David, Ellie, and Ray Junior go back to school, but it's a little overwhelming for us right now," Bosco admitted, taking a seat on the couch while Mac grabbed a chair and joined them. "We don't know what to do with Maritza's things..."

"Maritza was a result of Doctor Tara Price sexually assaulting you last year, right?" Jo asked softly.

Swallowing hard, Bosco nodded silently before clearing his throat, "Doctor Price was sentenced to at least 10 years for that," he replied nervously. "Recently, though, Doctor Price had a breakdown in prison that she told DCFS was because she didn't have Maritza. She was moved to a mental hospital."

"Which is not registered with the national accreditation board," Mac spoke. "We checked it out."

Jo nodded, "And the DCFS worker who stirred all this crap up has conveniently taken a leave of absence from work," Bosco scoffed, bitterness in his voice. "I wish I knew if Maritza was still alive. Even that...would help."


Pleasure Island, North Carolina

"You seem so anxious and unhappy," Dr. Price heard a quiet voice say as she stood on the balcony of the room that she and Maritza shared in Dr. Vatelli's vacation home. "Maritza is back with you now."

Dr. Price sighed irritably as she turned around just in time to see Dr. Vatelli reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a prescription bottle, "I know the prison cut you off when they figured out you were faking your anxiety for a fix," he spoke quietly. "I don't know if it was before or after your pregnancy..."

"I snuck some when I was pregnant, but the bare minimum," Dr. Price confessed softly. "I should..."

Dr. Vatelli sighed and handed her the bottle, "Make these last," he replied softly. "I can't get caught..."

Nodding, Dr. Price silently opened the bottle and took a pill, dry swallowing it before pocketing the bottle, "Maritza's napping and I might do the same," she spoke softly. "She gets so tired so easily. I'm worried."

"Maritza is getting over a cold," Dr. Vatelli spoke quietly. "I'll give her another dose of her medicine."

Nodding, Dr. Price went back inside and Dr. Vatelli followed her over to the rented crib where Maritza was sleeping under blankets. Already feeling the high from the meds, Dr. Price quickly retired to bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Dr. Vatelli, however, continued staring down at the sleeping infant with great concern; he wondered how long the little one would actually be safe in her mother's custody. Would Tara eventually tire of her and give her fatal medicine one day?

Dr. Price had been addicted to prescription medications for a long time and she seemed to care more about them then anything or anyone else. Even though he had assisted in Maritza's kidnapping, Dr. Vatelli couldn't help but feel nervous.


Please read and review!