Two Days Later
Plaza Hotel – Manhattan, New York
"…I'm going to the restaurant to have some coffee, Greg. If Nick wakes up, give him some juice."
As the room door closed, Nick groaned softly and opened his eyes; he was in warm clothes and securely tucked into a soft bed with pillows behind his back. His head pounded mercilessly and he felt like he had been run over.
Wondering what trouble he had gotten into while drunk, Nick slowly sat up in bed and frowned when he saw Greg sitting on a nearby chair, "Where am I?" Nick asked in a groggy voice. "Did I do anything supremely stupid?"
"You're in our room at the Plaza," Greg replied calmly. "You've been dead to the world for two days."
Nick frowned, "How did I get here?" he asked in a confused voice, gazing at his clothes. "These aren't mine…"
"Grissom and I brought you back here, gave you a shower, and he bought you some clothes from a nearby store because you didn't bring much," Greg replied calmly. "Besides, you puked all over what you did bring and Grissom sent your stuff to get dry cleaned. He also bought you some pain meds and stuff from a nearby pharmacy."
Nick nodded, the movement worsening his headache enough that he had to lie back down, "Am I fired?" he asked.
"No, but we're going back to Vegas once you're feeling better," Greg replied calmly. "Hearing's been postponed."
Nick sighed as Greg got him some painkillers and a glass of juice, "Why?" he asked in a confused voice.
"Catherine's not mentally fit right now and neither are you, so Grissom is going to deal with it," Greg replied softly.
Nick scoffed as he downed the painkillers and the juice, "I'm fine," he replied coldly. "Where's my wallet?"
"Grissom has it," Greg replied calmly. "He thought you might try to leave when you woke, so he took it."
Nick scowled, but didn't move because he felt like crap and just wanted to stay in bed, "You owe him like 100 bucks anyway," Greg continued, seeing that Nick was upset. "Going to a bar and getting drunk enough to die isn't exactly responsible, Nicky. You still get to work, but you gotta go see the department shrink when we get home."
"What, Grissom thinks I was trying to kill myself?" Nick asked in a tired voice, drained from sitting up.
Greg gave Nick a look, "Were you?" he asked softly. "I thought the therapy was helping."
"Being here brought everything back," Nick replied softly. "It…I was going to apologize to Catherine for not being stronger after I left the hospital, but I needed a little liquid courage. I just wasn't strong enough to endure it…"
Greg sighed, "Get some rest, Nick," he said calmly, seeing that Nick was tired. "I'll sit with you, okay?"
Grocery Store
"Jimmy, don't you have things to do?" Carlos asked as he pushed a shopping cart full of food down the aisle with Jimmy at his heels. "I know you took disability, but I'm sure Kim has things for you to do with the kids…"
Jimmy sighed, "They are school shopping," he replied calmly. "I know you were given a couple days off."
"Rick Stetler thought it would be a good idea for me to decompress from helping his wife and requested it," Carlos replied in an annoyed voice. "I'm grateful for the time off, but it gives me too much time to think about what I went through."
Jimmy nodded, "You're not going to counseling anymore, are you?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"Can't afford it," Carlos replied softly. "Maybe in a few weeks when I've earned enough salary, I'll go."
Jimmy frowned as Carlos moved the cart to the checkout, "That should be enough," Carlos said softly.
"Enough for four people, Carlos?" Jimmy asked in a concerned voice. "Do you guys have enough food?"
Carlos sighed and remained silent as he ran the groceries through the till and paid, "We're managing," he replied as he and Jimmy carried the groceries outside and put them in the trunk. "We both work very odd hours."
Jimmy shook his head as they got into Carlos's vehicle and frowned when he heard the click of a gun, "Dimitri said you would be hard to find, Carlos, but I find you," a thick Russian accent said. "Dimitri needs your talents again."
"He wants me to kill someone else?" Carlos asked in a toneless voice, feeling a gun poke him in the neck.
There was a laugh, "He needs to you give medicine to his son," the voice replied. "Robert LaRusso."
"LaRusso's here?" Jimmy asked in a surprised voice. "Why…why don't you just call paramedics?"
The voice swore, "Vat, and have ze cops come too?" he replied coldly. "All I need is Carlos, but you must stay."
"Jimmy, just shut up before you get me shot," Carlos interjected as he started the car. "Where's LaRusso?"
A chuckle rang out from the backseat, "I will direct you," the voice replied. "Just start driving."
Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida
"How's the search for H's nephew going, Emily?" Ryan asked softly as he lay in his hospital bed on his right side with a pillow behind his back with his access arm out while he waited for his chemo. "My phone was hacked too…"
Emily sighed, eyeing Ryan's phone as it sat in an upright device that would send all the video feed to the lab like the other phones that had been hacked, "…I have no idea who would wire a Russian van to transmit a video feed that could overtake the phones and computer technology of law enforcement officers," Ryan said tiredly. "I…"
There was a silence, "The news is going crazy over this whole thing," Ryan spoke softly, suddenly feeling tired.
"You don't need to stay awake and watch the feed, Ryan," Emily replied gently. "You should sleep."
Just then a nurse came in with a familiar machine, "Good morning, Ryan," she said in a cheerful voice.
"Hey," Ryan replied softly, sighing as the nurse quickly hooked up the machine and pressed some buttons.
The nurse smiled, "Thank you," Ryan spoke in a sleepy voice, his eyes drooping. "I hope this helps."
"You seem healthy enough and that helps," the nurse replied softly. "Would you like anything?"
Ryan sighed, "Could I have some cold water for after, please?" he asked softly. "It helps with nausea."
Nodding, the nurse silently left the room, "I hate being on the sidelines," Ryan said in a tired voice, eyeing the machine with distaste. "Before Carlos went home with his wife, he suggested I should come stay with them in New York maybe around Christmastime if I'm feeling better. I've been thinking about visiting Dad's grave too."
"Cancer does funny things to people," Emily replied softly. "Jason and Jenny told their mom and Diana's been phoning me to ask what she and her family can to do help. Diana's also planning to visit the prison today."
Ryan nodded, but didn't speak because he and his brother hadn't been on good terms for years, "You should get some rest, you know," Emily spoke gently as she took a seat. "I'll stay for a bit before I go home and wake Tim and the kids up. Tim was working until four a.m. on this case. Eric will probably be here when you wake up…"
Too tired to argue, Ryan sunk into his pillow and his view of the chemo machine slowly darkened to nothing.
Miami-Dade Correctional Facility
"What the heck are you doing here for a visit, Diana?" Tommy Wolfe asked in a surprised voice as he entered the private room where Diana sat at a table looking very somber. "I know I haven't gotten to the papers yet and…"
Diana sighed softly, "Forget the papers for a minute," she replied softly. "I need to talk to you."
"I've been doing these courses in auto mechanics," Tommy explained calmly. "They're part of my therapy."
Diana frowned in confusion, but said nothing, "What, you really think Ryan and Emily were the only one to get abused by our father?" Tommy continued shakily. "Mom told me never to talk about it, but my counselor here has been encouraging me to write therapy letters to the people I've hurt because I didn't know how to deal with stuff and I'm also going to the prison AA meetings. I'm also willing to share who hot-wired Jason's hearing aid."
There was a silence as footsteps approached, "Yes, that's what I hear," Horatio said as he came into view.
"Diana, what are you even doing here?" Tommy asked softly. "I wasn't expecting to see you again…"
Diana sighed, "I just thought you might want to know that your brother's got thyroid cancer and he's currently undergoing chemotherapy," she spoke calmly. "Emily says it's Stage 2A and is also in the lymph nodes."
Tommy swore, but remained seated and eyed Horatio uncertainly, "My nephew was kidnapped two days ago and he's in some sort of van driven by the Russians and he's being monitored on a live feed through webcams that were jerry rigged to run 24 hours a day," Horatio said calmly. "In a similar way that Jason's hearing aid was."
"I didn't know that Dan Cooper had a thing with any Russians," Tommy replied quietly, deeply shaken.
Horatio frowned, "Dan Cooper from the AV Lab?" he asked suspiciously. "That is very interesting…"
"I paid Cooper to turn my son's hearing aid into a GPS so I could make sure Jason stayed out of trouble and Cooper fixed it so Jason would get manic at specific sounds," Tommy explained, scowling. "I'm willing to testify on that."
Horatio nodded, "My psychotic mother tried to get it on with Jason and I walked in on her trying to tear his clothes off thinking he was my father," Tommy explained angrily. "I put her in that hospital to keep her away from him."
Diana sighed sadly, took shaken to speak, "I know where Cooper and that doctor chick he bangs are living if you want the address," Tommy said before Horatio or Diana could speak. "I don't expect any favors for it cause I know I screwed up hurting Danielle Boscorelli when I was drunk and I endangered Emilio, so this is what I deserve."
Overwhelmed, Tommy started crying and didn't hesitate when Horatio slid a pad of paper and a pen across the table, "I know that chick raped some cop from New York," Tommy said softly as he wrote down the address. "The paper..."
Horatio silently took the pad and paper while Tommy massaged his forehead, "I'm sorry, I'm getting a migraine and I need to process some stuff in my head before my next therapy session," Tommy said apologetically.
Without saying a word, Tommy got up and silently returned to his cell, prompting Horatio and Diana to silently leave the cell-block, "I never knew any of this," Diana spoke softly as they walked together. "I feel sick."
The warmth of the sun shone down on the two of them as they walked outside, "I cancelled the divorce proceedings and I want to see if I can get him released on good behavior, but I have to talk to Danielle Boscorelli first to see if she's willing to write a Victim's Impact Statement to support rehabilitation outside of prison…"
"That might be a good idea," Horatio replied calmly, putting his sunglasses back on. "I'll be giving this information over to the PD and then I'll be resuming the search for my nephew. My hope is that he's found alive."
Plaza Hotel – Manhattan, New York
"You should eat something," Nick heard a quiet voice say as he lay in bed, quietly staring out the window.
Shaking his head, Nick didn't move and continued to stare outside at the rain with his fingers gripping the blankets as if they were the only comfort he had. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep and his mind was reeling because he wanted to apologize to Catherine for not being stronger when she had expected him to endure it quietly. Edward had reamed him out during the molestation, saying that he was going to die in Danielle's stead...
A hand gently touched Nick's shoulder, "As Head of Victims Assistance, I said I would handle the situation and I am," Grissom said in a quiet voice as he sat on the bed. "There's a detective from the New York Crime Lab in the living room taking copies of the evidence Greg processed and the detective also wants to take a statement…"
Nick sighed as Grissom got off the bed, ignoring the shaking in his body as he slowly got up and frowned when he felt Grissom put an arm around him, "I ordered you food and I expect you to eat it while you're talking with the detective," Grissom said firmly as they walked out into the living room area and saw Greg helping Mac go through the evidence that had been collected. "Detective Taylor, this is CSI Nick Stokes. Nick, this is Detective Mac Taylor."
A plate filled with breakfast food greeted Nick as he sat on the couch, frowning when he suddenly noticed a uniformed Ty lingering by the door along with Sully, "Am I under arrest?" Nick asked in a worried voice.
"An interview of this delicate nature requires witnesses," Mac explained calmly. "It's standard protocol."
Nick sighed, but nodded as he reluctantly collected a small pastry from the tray and took a bite, "That tastes like metal," he replied, returning the pastry to the tray. "Greggo, I did not drink enough to die nor was I trying to."
Greg didn't reply as he silently closed a folder and handed it to Mac, "That should be enough," he said calmly.
Anxiety filled Nick and he suddenly felt like he was enclosed under a microscope with so many people staring at him with anticipation. Shaking, he got to his feet and quickly hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door.
"Nicky gets nervous around crowds," Greg spoke quietly. "He has been since Edward and Catherine's visit…"
Sully silently excused himself into the hallway and Grissom could hear muttered curse words, "Wait, Edward did a number on that guy too?" Ty asked in a confused voice. "I was just asked to come over here by Anti-Crime…"
"I never met the guy, but Nick said he was controlling and cruel," Greg spoke softly as he got up and moved over to the closed bathroom door. "He can barely handle two at a time, but any more than that makes him uneasy…"
Grissom nodded, "If you all just back off, maybe I can talk him into coming out," Greg spoke anxiously.
"Is that why he likes going out in the field alone?" Grissom asked curiously. "Social anxiety?"
Greg nodded and rapped on the door, relieved when he tried it and found it unlocked, "Nicky?" he called out.
There was a heavy silence and Greg silently enclosed himself in the bathroom, sighing patiently as he saw Nick seated on the dry floor of the shower looking like a lost child, "Grissom tricked me and they're going to haul me down to some germy police station and lock me up for being crazy," Nick said in a quiet, anxious voice. "They probably think I'm lying and that I need professional help. There's too many cops here to make me think…"
Greg silently sat on the toilet lid, "You're Stockholming because you and Catherine were friends before she suddenly quit and went crazy," he spoke calmly. "You don't want to say or do anything that will bring harm to her because you guys had a level of trust. She broke that by taking a rapist to your house and asking to come in posing as your friend, Nicky. She shot you up with some drug and helped Edward tie you up so you were helpless."
"I was never fully unconscious," Nick replied softly. "I could hear her apologizing as she tore my clothes off…"
Greg looked incredibly sad as Nick slowly got up, "I…I just needed a moment," Nick spoke shakily.
Nodding, Greg got up and followed Nick out of the bathroom, surprised when they saw that Grissom and Mac were alone, "Sergeant Davis got a call from a Jimmy Doherty that he and Carlos Nieto are being held hostage by a Russian just outside the city," Mac explained calmly. "Sullivan went home to check on his grandkids."
"I…I think I'm ready to talk now," Nick spoke shakily as he sat back on the couch. "I can remember everything."
A shot rang out as Dimitri blasted Jimmy's cell phone into pieces after snatching it from Jimmy's hand and forcing Jimmy from the car, "You are lucky that is not you on the ground in pieces," Dimitri snapped angrily. "You…"
"Jimmy, I need some help over here!" Carlos called out, desperate to keep Jimmy from getting killed.
Dimitri scowled and grabbed Jimmy by his shirt collar, "Hurry it up," he snapped, watching as Carlos administered some liquid aspirin to Robert, who was sitting in the chokey semi-conscious. "What did you just give him?"
"Liquid aspirin," Carlos replied as he tossed the cup aside. "I only keep a limited amount of stuff in the car…"
Dimitri scoffed, "Less talking and more medicine," he hissed coldly. "Your idiot friend called cops."
"His left wrist is swollen, Dimitri," Carlos replied in an anxious voice. "You need to take the cuff off."
Muttering something in Russian, Dimitri came over to the chokey and used a key to unlock the cuff around Robert's wrist and re-secured the cuff around a pipe in the cage, "Jimmy make a splint," Carlos said in an anxious voice, gently touching Robert's bruised face. "Officer LaRusso, I'm just examining your face for injuries…"
"Okay," a faint whisper came from Robert's lips as Robert's eyelids fluttered. "I can't feel anything anyway…"
Quickly grabbing supplies from Carlos's emergency bag, Jimmy made his way over to the van and ducked under Carlos, "LaRusso, I'm gonna splint your wrist," Jimmy said in a concerned voice as Carlos moved away.
"Is it broken?" Robert asked in a groggy voice. "Jimmy, I can't feel anything and I'm fighting to stay awake…"
Jimmy gently splinted Robert's left wrist and set it on his lap, "I'm probably going to die soon," Robert mumbled.
It was then that Jimmy noticed the webcams, "Inviting people to watch me die…" Robert mumbled groggily.
"Zat is enough medicine," Dimitri said coldly as he marched over to Jimmy and Carlos. "Get back."
Growling, Dimitri shoved Carlos and Jimmy back before slamming the door, sealing Robert back in the cage as sirens filled the air, "Now I get to blast you into pieces like your phone," he hissed in a heavy accent.
Jimmy's eyes widened as Dimitri cocked his gun and fired, but he suddenly felt himself shoved over before the bullets could hit him. Swearing, Dimitri ran and got into the van as the sound of sirens grew louder and closer.
The van peeled away and Jimmy quickly looked around, horrified when he saw that Carlos had shoved him out of the way and had taken a bullet in his back and in his lower leg for his trouble, "CARLOS!" Jimmy shouted, running over to the bag where Carlos's supplies were before returning to his friend's side. "Carlos, come on, speak to me…"
"He was going to kill you," Carlos spoke in a faint, shaky voice. "When you happened to be an innocent…"
Police cars, a CSI car, and an ambulance suddenly flooded the area and Jimmy was shocked to see that Danielle was partnered with Grace, "I thought you took mat leave?" Jimmy asked in an anxious voice as they approached.
"I'm doing a few shifts here and there to help with bills," Danielle replied, gasping as she saw Carlos was injured.
Bosco swore loudly at seeing Carlos injured and glared at Jimmy, "What happened?" he asked in an angry voice.
"Hurts…" Carlos spoke in a shaky voice as he was surrounded by Grace and Danielle. "What…are you working?"
Danielle nodded, "I can't feel my legs," Carlos spoke shakily as he felt himself being examined. "Dimitri…he was going to kill Jimmy for phoning the cops about LaRusso and I…I couldn't let that happen cause he wasn't…"
Carlos trailed off as Danielle put a mask over his face, his eyes wide as he saw CSI Danny Messer walk past the paramedics over to where the van was, "No doubt that all of this got caught on the cams," Messer spat bitterly.
Miami-Dade Crime Lab/Police Department
The lab was silent as everyone on shift stood there, silently processing what they had just seen because a webcam had also somehow captured the shooting, "Let's get back to work!" Horatio snapped, breaking free of the crowd and angrier than ever because he knew that Dimitri was now heading to Vegas. "This isn't a movie, everyone!"
A printing sound broke through the air and Horatio suddenly found a piece of paper in his hand, frowning as he looked up at Eric, "It's an airline reservation on a flight to Vegas this evening through JFK," Eric said calmly, having been called to do light lab duty because Speed had been overworking himself. "I know how much Bobby means to you, H."
"Thank you, Eric," Horatio replied calmly. "I…I don't intend to come back til my nephew is found…either way."
Eric nodded, "I'm back to being my own guardian, but I'm staying with my parents for now," he said quietly.
Horatio's eyebrow raised as Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet, "Passed proficiency yesterday," Eric continued in a pleased voice. "Emily's at the hospital with Ryan and I was supposed to go over there…"
"That's right; it's a chemo day and the doctor wanted to do this session with Ryan in the hospital," Horatio mused as he and Eric left the AV lab along with everyone but Dave Benton. "I sent Speed home at four to rest…Jesse!"
Jesse, who was reeling from what he had seen on screen, nodded and came over to Horatio, "I need you to see if you can help Dave Benton track Dimitri's van using the webcams," Horatio spoke shakily. "I've sent out a national alert that no police are to stop the van from getting to Vegas because my nephew might die if that happens."
"Are you going to Vegas?" Jesse asked, seeing the paper in Horatio's hands. "To look for your nephew?"
Horatio nodded, "That's what's keeping Robert alive," he replied calmly. "Dimitri wants to meet me there."
Angel of Mercy Hospital – Manhattan, New York
"Rick, honey, I just need some sleep," Catherine spoke in a tired voice. "You take a breather."
Nodding, Rick planted a gentle kiss on Catherine's forehead before leaving the room knowing that she was safe simply because NYPD sent a guard every four hours to serve as protection detail. The hearing had been cancelled, but someone would eventually be sent over to talk to Catherine about what she and Edward had done to Nick Stokes a few years ago.
With some money and some cajoling, Rick had managed to get in contact with Lenny and was relieved that Natalia had taken up residence in Robert's house and was looking after his son and Robert's sons for the time being. The whole fiasco had taken an emotional toll and Rick found himself wandering into the ER to go pray in the ambulance bay simply that Robert would not join his mother, his ex-wife, and his daughter in death's clutches.
As Rick wandered through the ER, however, he saw Danielle and another female paramedic rush into the ER with a badly injured Carlos on a gurney while Bosco and another uniformed officer helped a shaking Jimmy walk, "What the crap?" Rick asked in a shocked voice, paling as Carlos was rushed into a trauma room. "Tell me that wasn't…"
"Some Russian took Carlos and Jimmy hostage to help treat Bobby LaRusso and Carlos took two bullets saving Jimmy," Bosco spoke in a gruff voice. "The Russian was gonna kill Jimmy for calling the police about LaRusso."
Sighing, Danielle walked over to Jimmy, "My ears," Jimmy whispered shakily. "What…what was he thinking?"
"Bring him over to this gurney," Danielle said in a shaken voice. "Grace, go find a doctor right now."
Jimmy trembled as Bosco and the other cop helped him sit on the gurney, "I feel…dizzy," he whimpered.
Bosco and the other officer helped Jimmy lie down and Jimmy immediately went into a ball with his hands over his ears because the ringing was so intense, "I put in a page to that Mac Taylor guy," Bosco explained in a quiet voice.
Grace returned with Mary Proctor, "I think there's ringing in his ears," she explained in a worried voice.
"I gotta get a hold of Grissom," Danielle said in an anxious voice. "Grissom knows how to lip read."
Plaza Hotel – Manhattan, New York
"…What do you mean Carlos and Doherty got in the middle of it?" Nick heard Sully's voice ask angrily.
Frowning, Nick looked up from the statement he was writing out just in time to see Ty and Sully come into the room looking mad. Nick had ended up not being able to verbalize much except the basics without triggering panic, so Mac had allowed him to write the detailed version out while he, Grissom, and Greg waited in silence.
"We're in the middle of an interview," Mac said in an annoyed voice. "This had better be important."
Grissom's phone suddenly went off and he checked it, "Danielle Boscorelli just texted me asking for someone who can communicate with a guy who's suffering from a temporary hearing loss at Angel of Mercy," he reported.
"According to Sergeant Davis, some Russian took Carlos Nieto and Jimmy Doherty hostage and forced them to drive to a truck where Officer LaRusso was being held and medically sustain him," Sully explained. "Jimmy called the cops on his phone, so Dimitri LaRusso destroyed his phone with bullets and then tried to shoot him, but Carlos pushed Jimmy out of the way and took a bullet in the back and in the leg. CSI Messer is processing the scene with uniformed protection and everyone else is at the hospital. Danielle was one of the responding paramedics…"
Grissom swore, "And LaRusso?" he asked in a concerned voice as he stood up. "What happened to him?"
"On the way to Vegas, I guess," Ty spoke up anxiously. "I sent a uniform to find Holly; she was school shopping with the kids with Kim and her kids went too. I also think Sully's lady was shopping with John, David, and Ellie."
Grissom nodded, "Greg, Nick, get your stuff together and get back to Vegas as fast as you can and tell Ecklie and Brass to be ready for what's coming," he said sternly. "Nick, I understand if you need a break and you can bow…"
"I'm good," Nick replied softly. "A cop's life is on the line and we need to use our skills to help save him."
Grissom gave Nick an encouraging look, "Don't overwork yourself," he replied anxiously. "I gotta go."
As Grissom left, Nick handed Mac the paper with his statement on it, ready to focus on being a helper.
Angel of Mercy Hospital – Manhattan, New York
"…Carlos has been rushed to surgery, but he's stable…"
"…Yeah, well Jimmy's pressure tanked so suddenly and he wasn't even hit with any bullets…"
Jimmy suddenly felt something being slid on to his index finger and he tried to move it because it felt unnecessarily heavy, "Jimmy?" he heard a worried voice say as he felt a familiar hand take his own. "What happened…?"
Dr. Fields frowned as Jimmy's eyes slowly opened, "You went into shock and your pressure tanked," he explained, seeing Jimmy's confusion. "It was a good thing that paramedics were right there to help you til I could…"
Kim sighed and gently kissed Jimmy's forehead, "The ringing's still there, but it's not as bad," Jimmy spoke.
"The police want to talk to you about what happened," Dr. Fields replied calmly. "Are you up for that?"
Jimmy sighed groggily, "Carlos?" he asked in a worried, shaky voice. "He…he pushed me out of the way."
Kim sighed as Bosco came into the room, "The food's still in the back of Carlos's car," Jimmy suddenly spoke.
"It's evidence now, but someone will make sure Holly, Tommy, and Kylie eat," Kim replied gently.
Jimmy nodded, "You might have a small hearing loss for a while," Dr. Fields said, sighing as Mac and Grissom came into the room and stood at the foot. "Your vitals are still shaky, so you're gonna be here for a while longer. I know the police need to talk to you about what happened, but if you start to feel bad again, they'll have to leave."
An anxious sob filled the ER and Jimmy immediately flinched because the noise made his ears hurt. He turned his head and saw uniforms in the waiting room with Holly, who was sobbing in Tommy's arms while she held Kylie close and Danielle stood nearby with a shaken looking Ty, Brendan, and Grace. The sight of Holly made Jimmy's heart sink; he should have just let himself get shot, as Carlos and his family had already been through enough.
Tears filled Jimmy's eyes and he suddenly felt pain shoot through his ribs, remembering that the same pain had been there when Carlos had shoved him out of the way and he had hit the ground hard. The pain increased and Jimmy closed his eyes to block it out because he had to give his statement even if he was in pain; he had to.
The monitor blipped and Jimmy started gasping to breathe. He semi-consciously placed a hand over his ribs as if it might ease the pain, but he immediately felt his hand being moved, "Wait outside!" he heard a voice shout.
Kim gasped as Dr. Fields lifted Jimmy's gown, revealing heavy bruising around his ribs, "He pushed me out of the way and I hit the ground hard," Jimmy spoke in a faint voice, wincing as he felt pressure. "Ow…that hurts."
Dr. Fields nodded and began to physically examine Jimmy, noting that Jimmy flinched when his right ankle and left arm were touched, "You might have broken some bones when you fell," he said. "I'll order some x-rays and you can talk to the police til you're taken to Radiology if you want, but try and keep yourself calm and still."
Jimmy nodded and sighed as Mac and Grissom returned, "Oh, Kim, I need a new phone at some point," he said in a tired voice. "LaRusso's father shot mine into pieces because I managed to call the cops from Carlos's car…"
"So, you called the cops and Dimitri LaRusso didn't see you?" Mac asked in a confused voice. "How?"
Jimmy gave Mac a look, "Dimitri was too busy making Carlos treat LaRusso and I was forced to sit in the car," he replied in a tired voice. "When Dimitri saw me on the phone, he pulled me out and blasted my phone into pieces before Carlos asked me to help him. Carlos keeps emergency supplies in his car since he's a paramedic."
Grissom's eyes widened at Carlos's diversion tactic, but he didn't say anything, "Dimitri's planning on taking LaRusso to Vegas and into the desert," Jimmy explained quietly. "He kept talking about a shack and an open grave he's gotta dig when they get there. LaRusso's being kept in this little mobile box that Dimitri calls a chokey…"
"Can you describe the chokey?" Mac asked, suddenly thinking back to the movie Matilda and how the crazy principal in the movie used such a place to control the students. "Was LaRusso allowed out of there?"
Jimmy shook his head, "He was held in there by handcuffs, but Carlos got Dimitri to fix the cuffs differently because LaRusso's left wrist was swollen and needed a splint," he explained tiredly. "It was made of walls filled with icicles, nails, bits of glass, and broken boards with bullet holes in the door so LaRusso could breathe, but there was also an oxygen mask on the door. LaRusso must have been dosed because he said he couldn't feel anything…"
"Jimmy, Radiology's ready for you," Dr. Fields interrupted as he got off the phone. "Interview's over."
As Jimmy was prepared for transport, Mac and Grissom left the room to deal with the information they had.
Miami-Dade Correctional Facility
"…Hey, sports boy, we hear you talk to the police about Dimitri," Tommy Wolfe heard a dark voice say as he sat at a table with his lunch, trying to recover from the migraine he had. "I heard you betray Dan Cooper to cop…"
Without warning, Tommy felt himself being lifted from the table and launched through the glass wall that separated the guard area from the pod. Alarms sounded as Tommy fell to the floor covered in glass and blood.
Tommy gasped as three Russian prisoners came over to him and one picked up a large shard of glass while the other two pinned him against the wall by his hair and throat, "Ze rats get stabbed and sliced up for pizza," the biggest prisoner hissed as he raised the shank. "Dimitri will kill you anyway, but we will merely speed…"
A whistle blew and armed guards suddenly swarmed the pod, knocking the Russians off of Tommy and sending Tommy to the floor in a heap, "Wolfe, your neck," he heard an anxious voice say as he gasped for breath.
Anxiety filled Tommy and he suddenly started puking his guts out, shaken that the Russians had found out so quickly about him talking to the police, "…Medics to Minimum Pod 1," he heard a voice say. "Injured prisoner…"
Noise filled Tommy's ears, but he remained still and silent because he could hear footsteps and he wondered if more guys were going to beat him to death, "…He's bleeding all over the place," he heard an anxious voice say. "Breathing's really rapid…"
"Call the MDPD," another voice said as Tommy felt hands on him. "He just provided them with information…"
There was a silence, "SWAT went over and found them there," a voice said. "MDPD wants to offer…"
"Prisoner Wolfe, can you hear me?" Tommy heard as a face came into view. "Don't fall asleep…"
Tommy sighed, gasping as he felt himself being strapped down, "I can hear you," he replied in a whisper.
"We're gonna take you to the infirmary," the face said in a calming voice. "You got beat up pretty bad…"
Tommy whimpered, "Please put me into solitary," he pled softly, weak from blood loss. "Please."
The medic said something to a nearby officer and slipped a mask over Tommy's face, "Just relax and stay awake," he said calmly, having relayed Tommy's request for solitary to the guards. "We're going to take care of you."
Speedle Residence
Emily sighed wearily as she stepped into the house that she, Tim, James, and Julliet shared with Anthony and Rosa simply because it was cheaper and convenient than living on their own and hiring endless streams of babysitters who could be patient with James and his special needs. Eric had shown up with a firearm and a pass on proficiency and was now sitting with Ryan while the chemo session continued; she would go back later with the kids to cheer him up a bit.
Rosa, who was sitting on the couch knitting socks for James and Julliet because those were the kind of socks they wanted to wear to kindergarten in the fall, smiled at Emily, "Timothy's still sleeping and James and Julliet wanted to stay with their daddy, so I left them with some books so they would be quiet," she said softly. "Any word on…?"
Not wanting to talk about Detective Caine, Emily shook her head and silently went to the small bedroom that she and Tim shared that was across the hall from the bedroom James and Julliet shared. She quietly opened the door and smiled at seeing Tim curled up asleep on the far side of the bed facing the door while James and Julliet lay on his feet quietly reading. He had been sent home at four to rest and he probably had no idea what had happened.
Emily smiled at James and Julliet, "Hi Mommy," they whispered in unison, looking up at her with happy faces.
"Hey there, my little lovelies," Emily replied, gently kissing them. "Did you guys have any breakfast yet?"
James and Julliet shook their heads, "Okay, take your books out to Grandma and ask her if you can have some cereal," Emily spoke in a quiet voice as she picked them up off the bed and set them on the floor. "Okay?"
Nodding, James and Julliet picked up their books and left the room. Emily silently slipped her shoes off and climbed into the bed, not hesitating to lock on to Tim's lips because she needed a release after watching the webcams.
Tim stirred and returned the lip locking with equal passion because he could feel something bad went down on the webcams and he could feel Emily crying all over his face. He silently put both arms around her as she stopped.
"I'm so tired, Tim," Emily spoke in a shaking voice. "Ryan was asleep, so I had to watch those cams alone. His phone was hacked and transmitting the feed..."
Tim nodded and kissed her face before simply holding her close, "Get some rest," he whispered in a loving voice.
Nodding, Emily cuddled close to Tim and closed her eyes, his warm body proving a much needed comfort.
Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida
"…SWAT visited the address that was given and both Mister Cooper and Doctor Price are in custody, but I just got a call from the prison," Ryan heard a worried voice say. "It seems the Russian gang found out about my visit…"
Ryan slowly opened his eyes and frowned when he saw Horatio and Eric talking near the door, "Horatio, Delko?" he asked groggily, wondering what had happened now. "What are you doing back? I thought you were busy…"
Horatio sighed and walked over to the bed, taking a seat so that Ryan wouldn't have to move, "I visited your brother, Tommy, at the prison this morning and he provided the address where Doctor Price and Dan Cooper were hiding after committing several crimes," Horatio explained quietly. "He revealed that Cooper also rigged the webcams in the van that my nephew is being held hostage in and has an agreement with Dimitri LaRusso."
Ryan frowned, but didn't say anything, "It seems that the Russian gang in the prison found out what Tommy divulged and they brutally attacked him," Horatio replied quietly. "They threw him through a plate glass window, choked him, and cut him with one of the shards, but they didn't kill him. The prison officials told me that Tommy is currently in the infirmary with stitches in his neck, a fractured leg, broken ribs, and multiple cuts and bruises, but he'll be moved to a solitary cell in a couple of days at his request. They said he cried out for you and Emily while in pain and apologized for keeping his mask up for so many years. He asked if you'd want to visit him at some point."
"Mask?" Ryan asked in a groggy voice, curious as to why Tommy had suddenly been asking to see him again.
Horatio shrugged, "It's up to you, but I think you two should have a conversation at some point," he replied softly.
Ryan sighed sleepily and nodded, "This is the first time since he's been in jail that he's asked to see me, so something must have changed," he replied in a tired voice. "I know Diana visits him every few days…"
There was a silence, "I sent a text to Emily about it," Horatio continued quietly. "It's been determined that Robert is being carted to Las Vegas, so I am going out of town for a few days. I want you to rest and work lab duty only if you feel up to it. Eric's going to stay with you as much as possible and we'll talk more when I get back from…"
Nodding, Ryan quickly drifted off again, "Good luck, H," Eric said as Horatio stood up. "I hope you find him."
"Me too, Eric," Horatio said as he put his shades on and went to the door. "I hope I find him alive."
Manhattan, New York
Silence greeted the apartment as Sully came in and saw John watching TV with David and Ellie, all three of them crying while Yelina lingered nearby doing pregnancy stretches, "…Grandpa, Uncle Carlos got shot and Uncle Jimmy got into trouble!" David said in an anxious voice as he looked at Sully. "It's all over the news and it's freaky!"
"Is Uncle Carlos gonna die?" Ellie asked in a worried voice, tears welling in her eyes as she bowed her head.
Sully scowled and John sighed shakily, "Go check your blood sugar and take some insulin, John," he ordered sharply. "Now."
John sighed and got up off the couch, "The news is saying Uncle Carlos might be paralyzed," he snapped as he went into his bedroom and dug his backpack out of a storage container. "And that Uncle Bobby's gone to Vegas…"
Yelina stopped stretching and she looked at John, "Don't scare your brother and sister," she said firmly.
Sully sighed as John disappeared into the bathroom, "David, Ellie, time to take a break from the TV and go do some reading in your rooms," he said in a firm voice, switching the TV off. "I want to talk to Yelina for a moment."
Nodding, David and Ellie got off the couch and silently went to their rooms. Yelina gave Sully a curious look and her eyes widened as he came over to her, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box as he got on one knee.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking and life's too short to not do this," Sully said, holding up the box as he clicked it open and revealed a ring with three small diamonds in it that he had been holding on to for a long, long while. "Yelina Salas, will you please marry me already?"
Tears of shock and joy came to Yelina's eyes as she smiled, "Yes, John Sullivan," she replied, gently kissing him. "I will."
JFK Airport – New York City
As evening hit, Horatio silently got off the plane with a two hour layover before he would jet off to Las Vegas and his connecting gate was very close, so he decided to grab some supper from a kiosk. Smiling at the flight attendant, Horatio gripped his carry-on bag and made his way into the sea of people who were scattered everywhere.
"…Just relax, sir," Horatio suddenly heard a kind voice say. "It's protocol for people who throw up in the terminal."
Horatio frowned and noticed airport medics and a security officer down the terminal trying to talk to an anxious looking guy who was sitting in a wheelchair, "…Greggo, seriously, make them go away," Nick hissed. "They are too close."
"Sir, the Security officer reported that you threw up just outside of the security area and requested a a wheelchair," Horatio heard one of the medics say. "It's protocol that we get a set of vitals and give you IV medication if necessary."
Greg sighed and frowned as Horatio came over to him and Nick, "I was wondering if I could help?" Horatio asked.
Nick eyed Horatio with a look of mistrust, "I haven't been able to eat much today," he finally said quietly. "I was attacked a few years ago and I had to finally talk to someone about it today, so I've been really anxious…"
Greg looked surprised, but didn't say anything as Horatio squatted, "Well, that explains your reaction to the paramedics trying to touch you," Horatio replied calmly. "Here's the thing, though; you're not looking well and the airport medics only want to help and get you well enough to get on an airplane. Will you let them help you?"
Nick nodded and went very quiet as the paramedics went about checking his vitals, "You two must be brothers, right?" Horatio asked, sensing that the two were some sort of family as he gazed at Greg. "You younger?"
"Half-brothers, but we live in the same city as our dad," Greg lied, having been told to keep the roleplaying up until they got back to Vegas for safety. "Our dad bought us the tickets and we're going to meet him at home."
Horatio nodded, "He's Nick Grissom and I'm Greg Sanders," Greg lied calmly. "We had different moms and we were raised apart, but we ended up reaching out to each other. I've been helping him out more since the attack."
"Blood pressure's a bit low, but that's probably from being sick," the medic said as he undid the cuff around Nick's arm and looked at Nick calmly. "Get something to eat before your flight and stay in the chair til you board unless you need to use the bathroom and I won't put you on a drip. Maybe your brother can get you a meal from the Burger King vendor."
Nick sighed, "I'm sorry to be such trouble," he apologized, knowing Grissom would get on his case later on.
The paramedics quietly packed up their gear and left, as did the Security officer, "I'm also waiting for a flight and looking to get a meal, so why don't you come with me and we can eat together?" Horatio asked in a kind voice. "My treat."
Greg nodded and got up, quickly setting Nick's backpack in his lap before putting his own on his back, "That's very nice of you," Greg said before Nick could refuse. "My brother's still a little nervous around big crowds, you know?"
Horatio nodded and silently led the two through the terminal; he was very good at telling when people weren't being completely honest about themselves, but he also could tell that the two weren't planning to do anything illegal with their fake identities. They, to him, were two people who simply didn't want to be found here at the airport for whatever reason.
"I…I was going through a pat down in the security area and I just found myself getting nauseous," Nick said as they approached the Burger Kind vendor and found it surprisingly empty. "I tried to make it to the bathroom, but I couldn't do it. I asked Greg to grab me a wheelchair and Security stopped us down the way and ordered medics over. I've just got a problem with touch."
Horatio nodded as Greg parked Nick at a table and set the brake before sitting down beside him, "Is there anything you'd like specifically or does it matter at this point in time?" Horatio asked, watching as Nick tried to control his trembling hands.
"Nah, it doesn't matter," Greg replied calmly, quietly taking Nick's hands and gently rubbing them. "It's all right, Nicky."
Horatio nodded and silently approached the counter, quietly ordering food and drink for the three of them before turning and watching Greg quietly talk to Nick while rubbing his hands, "…I had a flash of Catherine and Edward touching me when the TSA guys did their pat-down and I knew I couldn't freak out there," he heard Nick say. "I just want to get home to Vegas and see if we can rescue that Officer LaRusso guy."
Quickly realizing that these guys were either Las Vegas Police or CSI's and they were going to help rescue his nephew, Horatio silently vowed to do whatever he could to help them since they were obviously going to be on the same flight. Nick's mention of Catherine and Edward also made Horatio wonder if the dark-haired man had been attacked while helping Danielle or her family and if Catherine Willows had also participated in the attack.
Please read and review!
