Chapter 25

Tuesday morning, Kyle dropped Colin off at Horatio's on his way to work as arranged, and just after his arrival, Horatio phoned Frank, and instructed him to put a BOLO out for a Nissan Altima, with a Florida Licence plate TRE- 581.

"How did you find that out Horatio?"

"Tommy was able to tell us Frank - I also spoke to Marilyn Walsh last night and she was able to tell me it is probably a rental car, as she saw an Alamo rental sticker on one of the side windows."

"Okay Horatio, getting straight on to it."

"Frank is Eric in yet?"

"Yes."

"Could you ask him to arrange an unmarked pool car for Cobras use, and tell him it will be a while before I am in today? I am going to the Coral Park Elementary School before coming in, but Cobra will be with me."

"Okay Horatio, will do."

Thirty minutes later, Horatio and Cobra were on their way. When they arrived at the school Cobra stayed in the car keeping his eyes open in case he could spot Saris while Horatio went to see Mrs Cole...he had phoned her on the way to say he would like to speak to her. Rushing into the school building, he announced himself to reception and went straight up to her office on the second floor.

He knocked on her door, which Mrs Cole opened immediately, and shaking hands with him she said," Good morning Lieutenant Caine," and then asked, "Is this something to do with Tommy? I see he isn't with you."

"Yes it is Mrs Cole. My wife and I need to keep him away from school for a few days, hopefully not many, and I felt it best to come and see you about this personally rather than talk on the phone just in case you have any questions."

"Is there a problem here at the school? I haven't heard of there being any problems for your son."

"I assure you it is not because of a problem here Mrs Cole, but one in my personal life right now. Tommy may be in danger because of that and I need him protected for a while and we can't do that while he is at school."

"Well we could, but I am sure having officers around watching him all day would be too disruptive to the school and the other pupils. The person I need to protect him from was outside the school last Friday, watching who came through the gates at the end of the school day. As soon as he saw my wife pick Tommy up, he followed her although she was not aware of it at the time; one of the other mothers saw him and told her yesterday."

"Tommy is disappointed, as he loves coming to school, but my hands are tied, his safety has to be my priority."

"Of course it must, I understand that Lieutenant Caine."

"Do you think I should close the school for a few days?"

"No I don't think there is a need to do so. We know who he is. Posters have been dotted around the county, and we know what make of car he is driving. We hope to find him sooner than later."

"Oh, I saw one of those posters driving in this morning, he looks evil."

"He is, but as long as no one approaches him they will be in no danger from him."

"Mrs Cole, Tommy is worried about missing school as he is apparently doing some revision work for next week. Is there any chance I could take some work home for him to do in the meantime?"

"Yes, that would be good; bear with me a minute Lieutenant Caine, I will just go and talk to his class teacher."

Mrs Cole returned ten minutes later just as Horatio was getting restless. She gave him four books and a list of what Tommy should be revising. Then thanking her he left rapidly, he had just seen something from Mrs Cole's office window that had disturbed him.

Elsewhere, Ron Saris who had intended to lay low for a couple of days, waiting for things to quieten down was just one day later, getting fidgety. He was feeling better, a bit queasy, but he no longer had a headache, so decided he would go and have another look at the school Caine's stepson attended. Following a toast, and coffee breakfast, he stepped off his boat on to the marina pathway, and strolled along casually in the morning sunshine, stopping suddenly when he saw a poster showing a picture of him pinned to a tree in the garden beds lining the pathway on the opposite side to the boats. Instantly angered he mumbled, "FUCK." Looking around furtively, to see if anyone was around, he ripped the poster from the tree and angrily tore it in shreds and flung it in a waste bin, close by.

He pulled his baseball cap further down over his forehead, and with head bent low, he made his way up the ramp to the upper pathway, and to the car park cussing Horatio Caine as he did so, and damning Yelina Salas for living. Deep down he knew that there would be major alerts out for him now, but the poster had stopped him in his tracks. He was going to have to be very careful now, but he would still go to the school to see if the boy turned up.

Reaching the marina car park, he looked all around him, and then walked across the park to his car, secluded in between two bushes, plate number to the rear, so well hidden. He doubted anyone had his plate number anyway. He was feeling confident he could move about in the car well enough.

Sliding into the car, he drove to the Coral Park Elementary School but didn't park right outside the school as he knew that if the boy was coming in Caine would be driving, and he was not going to attempt anything right under his nose ...too risky, this was just another surveillance exercise for now. If the boy came in, he would come back in the afternoon when the mother might be driving.

He had found a spot in a road just behind the main street last Thursday from where he could see everything without anyone being able to see him, the best he could judge, and this is where he was parking now, although on the Friday he had risked parking right outside the school. He got out of the car and stood there watching for some thirty minutes and saw no sign of the boy arriving at school during that time and was just about to leave when he saw Caine's car draw up, but no one got out of the car with him. Caine had gone into the school though. So that settled that, the boy was not coming to school, but being curious, he decided to keep watching for a bit longer.

Then he got a shock, he saw Cobra get out of Caine's car and look around. What the fuck was he doing with Caine he wondered, Cobra, should have been arrested with the others at the raid, and then he threw up, probably another migraine coming on he thought.

A few minutes later, he saw Caine rush across the school grounds get in his car and take off, so he jumped in his own car and drove away fast suspecting Caine had somehow spotted him.

Back at the school, Colin seeing Horatio rushing across the school grounds leaned across the front of the car from his seat and pushed the car door open for him. Horatio immediately slipped into his driving seat, threw the schoolbooks on to the back seat, and clicked his seat belt on, Colin doing likewise. Then he drove like a demon along the main street away from the school, turning into a left side turn off about a mile away, and continued for almost another mile, before stopping with a squeal of brakes. Then he thumped his hands on the steering wheel, and said, "Damn it...Damn it...he has gone."

Then looking at Colin who had not had a chance to speak yet, Horatio gave him a wry grin and said, "Sorry about that, I guess you are wondering why the take off."

Colin grinned, "Well yes I am Horatio. What's happened?"

"Saris – he was right here, a few minutes ago."

"How do you know that? I never caught a sight of him at all, and I did get out of the car and wander around a bit, never letting your car out of my sight though - no sign of him anywhere."

"You wouldn't have seen him Colin. I happened to spot his car from Mrs Cole's office on the second floor; you can see quite a distance from her window."

"Are you sure it was his car?"

"As sure as I can be from that distance without seeing the plate number, but he was standing outside the car looking across at the school...my short sight is not so good these days, but my long sight is as good as it ever was. I know it was him...I just know it was him."

"I don't know if you noticed but this turn off runs immediately parallel with the main street, so he was actually near the school, without being on the main route, that's why I was able to recognise him. At that point he was not visually that far away."

"Horatio there are some tire marks in the dry road dust just ahead...looks like that may be where Saris actually parked. Stepping out of the car Horatio and Colin walked a few yards, and looking at the tire marks Horatio took some pictures with his cell phone. He had no other equipment with him, and decided it was not worth calling anyone out from his team. He stood there for a few moments, with his hands on his hips, generally looking around, and then walking forward a few more feet, he found a gap in a hedgerow and stepping through he raised his eyebrows. "Hey Colin – look at this. You can clearly see the front of the school, the gates and car parking area from here."

Then Colin taking a step further through the hedge muttered, "Yuck, there is a pile of vomit here and it looks fresh."

"Think I'll call Eric to send one of the team out after all," said Horatio with a look of distaste, "We had better have a sample of that just to prove he was here for certain, and to back up my sighting of him."

He phoned Eric, telling him where he was and that he wanted one of the team to get there as soon as possible to collect some evidence.

Twenty minutes later Eric drew up and jumping down from the hummer said," Thought I would come myself H. Nothing much going on. No reports of sightings of Saris coming in yet."

"Except, I think I have just clocked him Eric," said Horatio drily.

"Okay Eric...I want pictures of the tire marks. I did take some with my phone, but then we found other indications Saris has probably been here, so you might as well get some better pictures. Then take a picture of the gap in the hedgerow and of the view across the way please. Mind you don't step on the vomit as you walk through the hedge, I also want a sample of that, and we don't want it contaminated," said Horatio with a glimmer of mirth in his voice.

Eric smiled - Horatio seemed in fine form, considering the circumstances.

While Eric was working, Horatio and Colin kept an eye on the traffic, which was not over heavy being a back road.

Ten minutes later when Eric was finished Horatio said, "I just want to try something before we leave. I am going to drive back to the school and I want you both to see what you can see when I park up."

Horatio drove off fast, and was outside the school within minutes. Stepping through the gap in the hedge, Eric and Colin saw him park, get out of the car and look their way, and they waved, but he did not wave back in acknowledgement. Then they saw him walk forward and disappear out of sight for a few seconds and then he re-emerged and waved...they waved back, and this time he responded giving them the thumbs up sign. They saw him get back into his car, and within a few minutes, he was back with them.

Getting out of his car he asked, "So what could you both see?"

Eric replied, "We saw you arrive, and park, but when you got out of the car you didn't seem to see us when we gave you a wave. Then you stepped forward and we lost sight of you, and then you came back into sight and this time we saw you wave, and when we waved back, you gave us the thumbs up."

"Okay, thanks for your patience with me, I just wanted to suss out why he could see from here, and yet he was not visible to us other than from Mrs Cole's window. The reason is there is just one small gap in a bush opposite the school where I could see directly across to you. Strange, must just be the angle of this road."

"How crafty of him to have found just this spot, so he must have seen us arrive at the school Colin, and when he saw me rushing to the car, he took off."

"Well this means Saris now knows Tommy didn't come to school this morning so he will not come back here this afternoon. He will suss out we are keeping him away for now. That is good news in a way, as we know the school will not be under his scrutiny anymore."

"I wonder what made him sick though."

"Poison I hope," said Colin. "If ever a man deserves to die it is him."

Then they made their way back to the station.

On arriving back at the station Eric got straight on to handing the vomit sample over to Natalia to test for DNA, and Horatio asked Colin to sit in his office while he had a very quick look around the lab. Nobody needed him so he returned to his office, picking up two coffees from the coffee machine on the way.

While they were sitting there, Frank joined them.

"Horatio, we haven't had any reports coming in of sightings of Saris yet, but we have checked with the Alamo Rental Car Company, and the Nissan Altima had been rented to a Ronald Saris for six weeks, due to be returned in four weeks time. They apologised for their company sticker being in the car window, and told me they would remove it once they get the car back. I gave them a warning they would be fined heavily if it wasn't."

"Your Tommy did well in remembering the licence plate number Horatio."

"Yes, he is a bright kid Frank. I had to tell him something as I decided to keep him away from school and as the conversation developed, I learned he had walked round the back of the car last Friday, and remembered the number."

"Did they have an address or phone number for Saris?"

"Yes, but the address was a false one, some derelict building, and the phone number is unconnected."

"Frank, is Kyle with you?"

"Yes Dad, don't worry," said Kyle as he poked his head round the door laughing.

"Come on Frank. I will treat you to lunch today."

"Do you want something brought back Dad?"

Horatio looked at Colin, "Do you fancy something?"

"A ham or cheese roll would be nice."

"Okay, two ham rolls, two cheese rolls and two decent cups of coffee Kyle, this stuff is muck," said Horatio as he pushed his half-drunk coffee away.

While waiting for Kyle to return Horatio checked in with John to see if all was well at the apartment, John confirmed it was so he relaxed. Then speaking to Colin he asked, "I'm calling you Colin when we talk together, but in public would you prefer we all continue to call you Cobra?"

"You can use my real name now Horatio."

Then chuckling he added, "I decided it was time to get familiar with my own name again, especially down here, where I have no connections apart from Saris. John has always know my real name of course."

Fifteen minutes later Kyle dashed back with their order, and while they were sitting there with their rolls and coffee, Horatio suddenly asked, "Did you enjoy undercover work Colin?"

Leaning back in his chair Colin replied. "Yes and no, but mostly yes to be honest with you, I liked the excitement of working my way in and getting peoples trust, and providing evidence leading to many arrests over the years. I somehow had a charmed life, as no one ever suspected me of being an undercover cop. I also managed not to dirty my hands too much. I knew when to look the other way when I had to. Sometimes it was necessary to catch bigger fish and I loved my wife and son too much to put my life in danger. Not all undercover operations were dangerous though."

"Did your wife actually know you worked undercover?"

"Not initially Horatio, but because I started working odd hours on one of the jobs Helen suspected I was having an affair. I just had to tell her the truth. I could not have her believing that I would betray her for a single minute; she was the love of my life. She took it well at first although she would have preferred me not to be doing it of course, but later on she started complaining I was not at home enough, so I became much more selective in what jobs I was prepared to do. Then, I had some stints of being a straight cop, and going back undercover every so often."

Pausing to take a sip of coffee, he then continued, "Then Peter, my son, became addicted to drugs, and do you know what Horatio, whilst I was helping to take drug dealers down, I couldn't get my own son to kick the habit. We were devastated when we realised he was taking drugs...we had a very rough time trying to help him. In the end, he overdosed, and my poor wife found him, and never got over her grief. Within two months of his death she committed suicide."

"So, even though retired from the force now, I have taken it upon myself to bring as many drug dealers down as I can. By infiltrating among the low life of New York, I have been able to do that with some success."

"I'm so sorry Colin; you have had a tough time."

"I did one undercover job many years ago, but hated it so got myself out of the system."

"But my late brother, Raymond, was a cop, and went seriously undercover, he liked it, but he crossed over to the dark side and never came back. Like you, he had a wife and son, Yelina and Ray junior, but never cared enough about them to know when to draw any lines under what he was doing. I tried hard to get him to change his ways, pointing out he had a family to care about, but it all fell on deaf ears; I failed. In the end, it was Eric, and I, who had to cut him down, barely alive after being tortured and hung upside down from a rafter and left to die. He was just able to whisper a name to me before he died."

"That man is no longer alive."

Colin nodded his head. He understood what Horatio was telling him.

"But it is a long story," Horatio added sighing.

"Horatio, you still feel angry don't you? Try to let it go...it is a very thin line that undercover cops tread...it is easy to cross to the dark side. I never got tempted, but it happens, and to some of the best of us."

Before Horatio could respond, his cell phone vibrated on his desk.

With a look of concern on his face when he noted who was calling Horatio accepted the call.

"Alexx – is Yelina feeling worse?"

"No Horatio, not any worse from her wounds anyway, she is doing well, but she is fretting a bit. It is lonely for her here not having any visitors to brighten her up. We need her to be as mentally happy as she can be in the circumstances. Falling into a depression will slow recovery down."

"I was wondering if there is anyone, who can possibly come and talk to her for a while today. It is a shame Raymond is not here, but I understand why not. She has had a couple of calls from him, but there is nothing like seeing someone personally to make you feel better."

Looking at his watch and registering it was just a little after 2.30pm, he answered, "Alexx, I'll call in myself, I wanted to pop in sometime today anyway. However, I may have to leave at very short notice."

"Okay Horatio, understood, and thank you."

"Give me about forty five minutes, need to check a few things out here first."

Closing his cell phone Horatio said, "Sorry about the interruption Colin. Do you fancy a trip to the hospital with me? You can meet Yelina. She is fretting a bit, and the least I can do is go and see her right now."

"Sure Horatio, if that is what you would like?"

Then Horatio made a call, "Eric, did you arrange a pool car for Colin if he needs it?"

"Yes H, I managed to get him an unmarked surveillance car; it is the dark blue one sitting next to yours out in the car park - On my way to you with the keys as we speak."

Eric arrived just a few seconds later, handed the keys over to Colin, and Horatio explained to him he was going to the hospital taking Colin with him, and asked him to keep him posted if anything significant arose while he was at the hospital.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you H?"

"I'm sure Eric. Colin is carrying a gun, so we can cover each other if the need should arise. Moreover, I want him to meet her so they both know each other in the event he needs to protect her at any time."

They arrived at the hospital some thirty minutes later, Horatio having stopped to pick up some flowers from a local florists shop on the way. He introduced Colin to the hospital security manager and told him that he had authority from the MDPD to enter the hospital to see Yelina Salas at any time of the day or night, and that he would be wearing an identity tag next time he visited.

Following this Horatio and Colin made their way to Yelina's room. Horatio nodded to the officer standing outside, and told him to go and have coffee break for half an hour.

"No sir, my job is to stay here until relieved by another officer, in one hour's time. No one is going to get by any of us except you Lieutenant Caine."

Horatio nodded his head in acceptance...the officer was doing his job.

"Thank you officer..."

"Bates...Sir..."

"Officer Bates, let me introduce you to Colin Johnson, or you may already know him as Cobra."

"Yes sir, I know of him. All of us not involved in the warehouse raid heard all about it soon after."

"Well, he is to be allowed in here any time in my absence. I will be giving that instruction to Detective Frank Tripp."

Now looking at Yelina through the window, Colin gasped, "The bastard."

Horatio was thinking she looked worse than the previous day, the bruising on her face was much darker, and he gritted his teeth in anger.

Turning to Colin, he said, "Now you know why my family has to be protected. And why I damn my brother for not being around to protect her."

"Yelina is a beautiful woman under that bruising."

"I can see that Horatio, even with the bruises."

Horatio opened the door and entered the room, Colin close behind him.

Yelina, who had been lying on her back facing away from them, turned her head when she heard the door open and her eyes lit up when she saw Horatio. He smiled at her softly, and moving across to the side of her bed, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

Still holding a bunch of flowers in the crook of his arm he added, "These are for you."

"Thank you Horatio, they are lovely," said Yelina as he stood them on a small table by the bed. They were in water already, so need to find a vase for now.

Yelina made an effort to sit up, and Colin said," Here let me help," and he placed an arm around her shoulders and plumped her pillow up behind her, and resting back in the pillow Yelina smiled as she said, "Thank you."

Then Horatio formally introduced her to Colin. They both pulled chairs up to the left hand side of the bed and had a general chat with her for a while. Thirty minutes later, seeing Alexx looking through the window at them, and as Yelina and Colin seemed to be getting on well, Horatio left the room and had a quiet word with her.

"How is she really doing Alexx?"

"She seems to be doing well physically Horatio, but she naturally wants to go home, no one likes being in hospital. However she is not ready for that just yet."

"Alexx, she seems to have only the bare necessities in that room. I would like to get her into a private room if there is one available."

After pausing for a moment, he added, "But, on the other hand she is best where she is, this is logistically a much better area in which to keep her protected."

"Horatio, she can have things brought in for her. I know she hates those hospital gowns to start with."

"Okay Alexx, I will see if I can get to her place to pick up some things. Or maybe Aileen can dig out something for her."

"Can you come into the room with me now Alexx, I want to introduce you to Colin...he is here to help. He is a friend of John Kelly's, who is also here. John is protecting Aileen and the children for me while I am working."

"That's such good news Horatio."

Soon after, Horatio and Colin left, but before returning to the lab, Horatio drove to Julia's next and introduced Colin to her, and explained that Colin would be with her the next day, while Craig was at his medical conference. He thought Julia was surprisingly compliant for once, but she had improved so much under Craig's care initially as her doctor, and now her husband.

Then they returned to the lab. It was now 4.30 pm, and the first thing Horatio did on their return was to have Colin provided with an MDPD Identity tag so he could move around freely

Eric hearing he was back came to see him, "H, we have had a few sightings of Saris reported, but each time anyone went to the spot where he was seen - he had disappeared. Not one of the places gave us a clue as to where he really is, and no sign of the rental car either. He must be on foot now, or he is catching cabs. Ryan was not busy, so he is checking with the cabbies as we speak. I did not bother to phone you while you were at the hospital as nothing positive to tell you yet. But I can tell you that Natalia has confirmed the vomit sample matched Saris's DNA that we already held on record, so it was definitely him you saw this morning."

Then Horatio's cell phone vibrated, it was Frank.

"Frank, I hope you have some good news for me."

"Well good and bad news."

Horatio sighed. "Okay Frank, tell me what you have."

TBC