Horatio looked from the grisly scene to Eric Delko with the calmest expression he could muster. The metallic smell of blood was strong and fresh in the air, an all too familiar odour to the lieutenant and yet it still unsettled him. He avoided looking at its source again, there was no point.
Horatio's role today was not investigator, it couldn't be.
There was a distracting metallic flash behind Eric as silver balloons spelling out 'Welcome Back' bobbed up and down in the hot air. There was a glint of red on some of them, blood spatters, which turned them from decorative objects of joy to evidence.
"Eric," he remarked in a quiet and serious voice, "you will take care of her won't you?"
Eric gave his superior a sympathetic stare in answer and nodded. "You know I will Horatio," he promised.
Horatio gave a stiff nod before making himself turn away. He started to walk, tensing up as Alexx arrived on the scene. He gave the medical examiner a brief glance before passing by her. Alexx seemed to understand as she gave him a polite nod and kept walking.
Horatio headed through to another room where Rick Stetler sat, quiet and full of rage. The IAB officer was still suffering the injuries from his kidnapping and torture in Garrett House. He was sitting only because he was too weak to stand, pale faced with a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.
Hearing Horatio's footsteps, Rick glanced up and fixed a hateful brown glare on the man. "This should have never happened to her," he growled out. "You and I were meant to stop this. It should have been one of us."
Horatio nodded in a rare show of agreement with Rick. "I know Rick and I will never forgive myself for allowing it to happen to her," he said sombrely.
Eight hours earlier
Cassandra stood in the shop anxiously bobbing from balloons to banners and then to the cards. Every so often a noise of frustration would emit from her and she would bob back to an item she had already looked at six times.
Marissa and Horatio stood watching at the sidelines hand in hand. Occasionally, Marissa would lightly tug the redhead in the direction of something colourful or shiny but she didn't show her aunt's passion for anything, just a subdued interest, tempered by a quiet wariness one wouldn't expect from a child so young. Horatio watched Cassandra with amusement, delighted to see the blonde out and about for a change and having swapped self-consciousness and anxiety for determination. He figured it was no real surprise that it was Rick who unwittingly helped Cassandra to push aside her negativity.
Rick was why they were all here in the mall. He was finally getting released from the hospital and was being brought to Natalia's home, not that he knew it, before he would be heading to the apartment Horatio, Cassandra and Marissa were currently sharing. Cassandra wanted to do something to acknowledge Rick's release, have some sort of 'welcome back' party. Natalia had offered up her home as the venue for the party, reasoning that it was more welcoming than the safe house. She had also insisted that for a few hours it should be secure enough, arguing with Ryan that it wasn't like Josh Silverstone would have any idea where she lived or any clue that they were planning a party there. Ryan had insisted on checking the premises over anyway.
It had been over a month since the Garrett House incident with Rick and Cassandra, not that the media had lost any interest. Josh Silverstone was widely believed to be in the wind but Cassandra continued to show fear that he would return to torment them again.
The young blonde was on a cocktail of prescription medication for her pain from her injuries, her cluster headaches and to help her sleep. Sometimes they helped and everything seemed good and she smiled and she slept but other days she seemed to be in constant pain, groaning about a burning in her eyes and never ending headaches. Those days she almost always suffered nightmares after or a spell of sleep walking. She had been to the optician a few times but like the doctor he had said it was too early to tell if the damage to her vision was permanent. He had offered her glasses in the meantime to aid the blurriness in her right eye but Cassandra had gotten angry, complained that she didn't want to draw any more attention to her eyes and refused to take them.
Horatio knew Cassandra had had more than a few arguments with her brother over her welfare. The hospital room door and walls were thin after all and Horatio had almost always been waiting nearby with Marissa when they visited. Rick had snapped at Cassandra for not taking better care of herself, scolded her insecurities and warned her to watch her medication intake. Cassandra had bit back most of her heated retorts but only because she wasn't willing to fight too hard with her brother while he was still in a hospital bed.
Cassandra pushed her hands up into her blonde hair before whirling round to face her niece and Horatio with a look of frustration. "I don't know," she lamented. "It's a bit too late for get well, premature for happy birthday by about three months, good luck is just bad karma." She looked to Marissa with a grin. "Any ideas Mari?"
Marissa pointed with a handful of Becky to the cards. "That one, it has a policeman like Uncle Rick," she said softly.
The young girl never went anywhere without Becky now, she and the doll were always hand in hand even if it was a trip from one room to another. She had dropped her twice, once when out at the park with Cassandra and Ryan but luckily Ryan had noticed, and once when at the beach with Cassandra and Horatio but Cassandra had noticed. She wouldn't even be swayed by Cassandra to let her go through the washing machine despite bearing several stains.
Cassandra plucked up the card and read it aloud, "happy fiftieth birthday, have a look at this big bust." Cassandra opened it and laughed before closing it quickly and returning it to a high shelf. "Yeah Mari, I don't think Uncle Rick would appreciate being called fifty."
She turned and glimpsed a card saying 'Welcome Home'. "Ah now there's an idea," she said as she snatched it up and showed it to Horatio. "Well not welcome home," she frowned, "ah maybe not." She returned the card.
"How about welcome back?" Horatio ventured.
Cassandra let her hands slide down to rest on her hips as she pondered this. "Hmm, you know that could work. What do you think Mari?"
The girl nodded. "Can we get balloons?
Cassandra smiled back and nodded. "Oh that's a given, letter balloons I think, big and bright."
Horatio waited patiently as Cassandra and Marissa hunted for 'Welcome Back' cards, party hats and large balloon letters that spelt out 'Welcome Back' in silver. After everything was purchased they headed into a suit store where, after much debating, Cassandra picked out a red tie with silver dinosaurs patterning it.
They broke for lunch at a pleasant cafe, sitting outside to soak up the afternoon sun. Cassandra, after having endured several pointed stares in the shops, donned a large pair of sunglasses to conceal much of her scarring. Horatio kept his own shades on partially out of habit but also in a show of camaraderie for the young woman.
Marissa seemed happy as she shared a bun with Becky and observed a few bold seagulls keenly.
"I hope Rick likes this," Cassandra murmured, "but he probably won't." She sighed. "He's hardly a people person but he's suffered enough, he deserves something good."
"You all do," Horatio answered sincerely.
Cassandra glanced to the right, catching the television high on a bracket on display for people drinking and dining outside. She frowned as she saw the image of Garrett House.
The blonde's hands started tapping up and down on the table until Horatio placed one of his hands over her right. Cassandra tensed and glanced across to him instead.
"It's alright," the redhead assured her.
Cassandra shook her head and turned back to the television, determined to see what they were saying about the house now.
"In a surprise turn of events," a brunette newsreader began, "this infamous house has now been declared Condemned by authorities, allegedly due to a weakened exposure discovered with the finding of the basement. Authorities have advised that given it was already unsecure on a man made hill, the basement has only ensured collapse could happen at any time. Curious, given how long this house has stood without incident. It has been suggested that the basement was perhaps a recent addition. The question now is, what will happen to the secrets within the house and who will inherit its treasures, if anyone?"
Cassandra turned back to Horatio with a look of surprise barely visible behind the tint of her shades. "Condemned?" she queried quietly.
"I've only recently heard about it," Horatio retorted vaguely. "They have a judge to push the inheritance issue so it can be destroyed sooner rather later, in case it collapses," he added. "It might be that everything is taken into storage in the meantime."
Cassandra studied his face carefully but he kept it purposely blank. She nodded. "I don't know if you have anything to do with it," she said softly, "but thank you. God thank you, I never thought that place would ever be destroyed."
They finished their coffee and buns tranquilly before heading to their last stop, a bakery just next door. There they got a cake and buns. Marissa picked out a chocolate cake with stars on it.
With their shopping done, Horatio then drove them to Natalia's house so they could begin setting up for the surprise party.
Natalia greeted them with a bright smile. The young CSI was dressed in a flattering pale yellow, sleeveless top with an ornate brown circle at its middle pulling in the material to highlight her curves, white trousers and heels. What stood out the most was the highly unflattering, large, garish necklace exposed at the V gap in her top at her chest. It was an ugly work of wood and metal with enough bright colours to draw the eye straight to it.
"Welcome guys," Natalia said happily. She glanced at the small watch on her wrist. "You've got about an hour before Rick and Ryan arrive."
As Ryan was on protection duty with Rick anyway it was agreed that he would bring him round. Rick hadn't argued about it as he was all too eager to get out of the hospital and wasn't expecting anything except to be taken to a safe house he had little interest in.
"I spoke to Ryan earlier," Natalia admitted, "Rick is all too eager to get out and see you guys."
Cassandra smiled at this. "All too eager to get out you mean, he kept complaining about the food last time."
"He'll like the buns then," Marissa said happily.
Cassandra ruffled her niece's hair gently. "He certainly will."
Natalia didn't admit that Ryan had told her that Rick was acting more nervous than he was wiling to confess. He was still struggling with his crutches and had fumbled this morning with the menial tasks of putting on a tie and a jacket. A tie, Ryan had said was meant to show stars and moons, but was really just an ugly mess of blue with gold and silver spots that were metallic and tacky.
"Right, let me show you guys around," Natalia said merrily, "my place is your place today."
"Thank you," Cassandra replied sincerely, "you didn't have to do this."
Natalia gave the younger woman a warm smile. "It is the very least I could do," she retorted. "Now come on, I'll put some music on and we can get decorating."
If you had told Ryan Wolfe a few months ago that he would be taxing Rick Stetler to a surprise party he would have laughed and queried sardonically if it was a going away party. Yet here he was driving Rick from hospital to Natalia's house for a surprise 'welcome back' party. The oddest thing about it was that Ryan was actually glad to do it because he felt that Rick deserved some happiness in his life after everything he had been through lately.
Ryan glanced over at his quiet passenger. Rick was tensed up with a wince on his face. He had been forced to leave in a wheelchair as it was hospital policy before limping to Ryan's car in a set of crutches. It hadn't been far but the brief journey with crutches had taken its toll on the man. He had lost a lot of weight in the hospital and looked pale and gaunt, which was all too telling given he hadn't had much weight on him to begin with.
Seeing the sheen of sweat glinting off Rick's skin prompted Ryan to turn up the air con. Ryan didn't know if Rick's perspiring was caused by the heat of the day, medication, nerves or a combination of all three. It had been on the radio earlier about Garrett House getting condemned but instead of appearing joyous or relieved, Rick had gazed at the radio with disbelief and shook his head. Ryan figured it was probably too difficult for the man to accept that the main setting of his nightmares could be banished so easily.
"Wolfe could you pull over a sec," Rick remarked bluntly.
Ryan glanced at him again, he was sweating more and his skin had turned an odd shade of grey. Ryan indicated to the side of the road and pulled over. They were on a main road, the last one before they turned into the residential area that led up to Natalia's street. Traffic was mild but getting busier, in another twenty minutes or so the school traffic would begin and Ryan didn't want to get caught out trying to manoeuvre around school buses and impatient parents.
Rick unbuckled his seatbelt hastily and opened the door. He swung round his legs and gave a cry of pain along with a yell of, "Christ!"
Ryan watched as the man tried to put weight on his feet anyway, cried out in pain somewhere and then doubled over to ungracefully vomit onto the tarmac.
"Eww dude check it out!" a teenaged boy called out to his friends.
Ryan glanced ahead, spying three teenagers approaching on foot, one shouldering a school bag, all three dressed down in long shorts, loose t-shirts and baseball caps. Ryan sighed before unbuckling his own seat and dismounting from the car. It was in time to hear the teenagers making jibes and mock sounds of disgust as Rick continued to empty his stomach onto the street.
Not that long ago Ryan would have considered the scene entertaining, Rick Stetler of all people humiliated before mocking teenagers but now he could take no pleasure in it. To the young CSI it seemed like a lifetime ago that he had viewed Rick as a pain in the ass sorely in need of karma dealing him a blow. Given everything that had happened Rick actually seemed to be owed some good karma.
Ryan pushed back his brown blazer so his silver badge was on display as he stepped round the car and took a stance in front of Rick as the teenagers halted.
"Afternoon fellas," Ryan greeted as he rested his hands akimbo and regarded them with a cool stare.
The middle teen frowned and glanced pointedly at Ryan's badge.
"Oh shit, are you cops?" the boy on the right gawked. "Holy shit guys that's a cop puking up!" He let out a snicker. "What's the matter, did he have too many donuts?"
The one on the left laughed as well but the middle teen continued to frown and even elbowed his friend. "Shut up dick," he ordered.
"Shouldn't you three be in school?" Ryan queried pointedly.
"We've a day off," the chief mocker retorted boldly.
"Really and what school happens to be closed today?" Ryan pried.
"I didn't say closed," the boy responded.
Rick had finished vomiting but he remained doubled over as his legs trembled and throbbed and he seemed uncertain of them supporting him upright.
"No, you said off," Ryan retorted, "and unless you have a good reason for it that's illegal." He glanced at them hostilely. "Now, I can get you family details and make enquiries if you want."
"Not if we don't tell you," the main talker interrupted.
"Yeah? What if I run your descriptions through to my dispatch?" Ryan suggested. "You three won't flag up as being on the police's radar? Never had any trouble before?"
"Look we'll keep going," the middle boy said bluntly. He elbowed his friend again before he could answer. "Seriously man just shut up," he ordered.
Ryan nodded. "It's almost home time anyway I'm sure."
The taunter scowled and muttered something under his breath but at his friend's urging he started to walk.
Ryan watched as the trio headed on, waiting quietly until they were a safe distance away. Satisfied that they were gone he turned his attention to Rick. "You need help sitting back down Rick?" he queried.
"Sure Wolfe," he grumbled.
Ryan helped Rick get upright again before sitting him back on his car seat and helping him swing his legs back into the car with several curses and gasps of pain. Ryan closed the passenger door and headed back round to his side.
Back in the car, Ryan glanced at Rick again, the older man now had an unfavourable yellow stain about his mouth. "There's some tissues in the glove compartment," Ryan advised.
Rick sighed before reaching forward. "It's the medication," he muttered.
"I know," Ryan sympathised. "Look, I threw up a lot when I was on painkillers for my eye, at least four times a day."
Rick tugged out the tissues and rubbed at his mouth.
"We're nearly there," Ryan said. "You alright if I start driving again?"
Rick nodded without a word.
Ryan started up the car and pulled back out onto the road.
They continued the driveway in silence though Rick's rage at his humiliation was apparent. Ryan frowned to himself and only hoped it wasn't going to damper the day that Rick wouldn't feel another dent to his pride at having to arrive at a surprise party this way.
It didn't take long for Rick to grow suspicious. He frowned out at the neighbourhood and said, "Wolfe where are we going? There is no safe house this nice, the P.D would not pay for it."
Ryan didn't know what to say so he said nothing, he just kept an eye out for Natalia's house number.
"Wolfe?" Rick queried sharply.
Ryan was relieved as he spotted the house. He had known Rick would figure out something was amiss before they actually arrived, his entire job was based around keen observation for God's sake. He pulled up on the street and could feel the glare turned on him as Rick spied the familiar hummer in the drive behind Natalia's mini.
"Rick it's just quick call," Ryan said as he turned off the engine.
"A call where?" Rick demanded.
"Come and find out."
Ryan got out of the car and went round to the back passenger door, opening it to reach for the crutches inside. Once he lifted the crutches he headed round to Rick's side and opened the door for him.
"Wolfe what the hell is going on?" Rick snarled up at him. "Where are we?"
Ryan smiled down at him and offered out the crutches. "Look Rick, I promise it's nothing bad, please just come inside with me."
Rick's eyes burned with irritation as he looked at the crutches. "I don't like games," he muttered.
"Me either Rick. Look it gets you out of the car, right?"
Rick unbuckled his seatbelt and swung his legs round reluctantly, hissing in pain as he did. He took the crutches with another scowl at Ryan before getting up and limping from the car.
Ryan closed the door, locked the car and then led the way up to the house. He took care to move at a slow pace so Rick could keep up.
Natalia's home was a single storey with a small front garden area that consisted off a petite patch of neatly trimmed grass behind a wooden fence. Rick and Ryan headed up the drive before moving round to the left to the front door.
Ryan rung the bell.
Rick was surprised when Natalia came to the door. He had known the mini looked familiar but couldn't recall who it belonged to until she arrived. She greeted them with a wide, sunny smile and no hint of surprise at their presence in her bright brown gaze.
"Afternoon," she said as she swung the door back. "Come in, come in."
Ryan glanced to Rick and gestured for him to go first.
Rick hesitated, studying Natalia, his stare lingering on her ugly necklace. "Is that one of your mother's gifts?" he pried.
Natalia folded her arms and looked to Rick's tie. "Yes, is that one of Cassie's presents?" she queried.
Rick glanced down before nodding. "Yes."
Natalia's smile widened. "Someone mentioned splodges but it looks nice."
Rick glanced over to Ryan who was deliberately staring at the ground. "Someone?" Rick echoed dryly. He shook his head and turned his stare back to Natalia. "Is this your home?"
She nodded.
"Why am I here?" Rick pried.
"To say hi, now come in and do that," Natalia urged before stepping back from the doorway to let him in.
Rick limped in with effort as he had to take care not to catch his crutches on the threshold. He winced again as he made it into the hall.
Ryan followed and closed the door behind him.
"This way," Natalia said. She began to lead the way down the hall towards the back of the house.
Rick didn't bother prying, instead he winced as his crutches hit off the wooden floor, all too wary of leaving a mark with them.
They headed through an open doorway at the back to the kitchen.
"Surprise!" the chirpy cry came in unison from Cassandra and Marissa who was cradled in her aunt's arms and holding her doll close. The pair looked to Rick with happy gazes and smiling mouths. They were standing in the centre of the room framed by silver balloons that spelled out 'Welcome Back'. There was a cake and pastries on the kitchen table to the left which was occupied with Horatio and Yelina who looked at Rick with subdued smiles.
Rick was stunned and then mystified as he tried to figure out what in the hell was going on.
Cassandra stepped up to so Marissa could reach over and grab him into a sloppy hug.
"I missed you Uncle Rick," the young girl said sincerely. "It's been ages and I was worried."
"That and no one can tell fairytales to her quite the way you do," Cassandra enthused.
The blonde caught her brother's perplexed stare and she gave him a warm smile. "I missed you too," she said quietly. "You had me so worried."
Rick nodded dumbly at the pair. "I...what is this?" he queried suspiciously.
Cassandra laughed. "Ah Rick, always wary aren't you? It's your Welcome Back party, well your Welcome Back and Never Ever Ever End Up In Hospital Again party to be precise." She bent over to lower Marissa to the ground before standing up and placing her hands on her brother's shoulders. "Seriously, don't, you had me so scared and this..." She gestured out with one hand. "Well, you've been through hell, I just wanted to do something nice."
"We," Rick corrected, "we've been through hell."
Cassandra looked uneasy at this and shrugged. "Yeah we," she murmured. "So we've earned cake, right?"
Rick gave a small smile at last and nodded. "Right."
The party was an odd but pleasant affair. They stayed in the kitchen for a couple of hours enjoying the food, except for Rick who had only water and a tiny sliver of cake at Marissa's insistence. As the afternoon turned to evening they moved into the living room where they endured disco music courtesy of Cassandra selecting a 60s/70s music channel on the television. Natalia also produced chips and dip for them to enjoy in the living room.
Horatio was mostly quiet whilst Ryan and Natalia provided most of the pleasant atmosphere along with Cassandra's bad attempts to sing along with Abba. They were all relaxed, even Rick, although his pain never left him and he had to limp to the bathroom once to vomit again.
Just after eight o'clock in the evening everything changed.
Cassandra got up and dismissed herself from the living room for the bathroom. Once she had finished in there she headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She froze in the doorway as she arrived just as Josh Silverstone completed his entry through the back door, which had been locked but with no alarm set as Natalia had twice exited out of it earlier to put out rubbish.
"Not a fucking word," Josh ordered quietly as he raised his gun and pointed it at the blonde.
Cassandra couldn't speak anyway. He looked so like his late brother only twisted thanks to the madness fuelling his eyes. She had seen his face on television and in photographs Frank had shown her but she had never seen it in person until now. He was too like Jasper and it disturbed her to her core.
"A party," Josh sneered as he glanced at the balloons with disgust. "My brother gets a basement and yours get this. Well you had better believe I'm going to fix that, your brother fucking dies."
Cassandra moved without thinking, taking a chance whilst Josh was looking at the balloons. She seized upon the cake knife discarded on the kitchen table.
BANG!
Josh let off a panicked gunshot before he could help it.
Cassandra went for him with the knife knowing she had no either choice, to hesitate would be death for her and Rick. Her heart was pounding as she stopped thinking and just acted. The knife was in her hand, striking out for him like a snake.
BANG!
The blade struck out and blood splashed onto the floor and across the silver balloons.
Cassandra and Josh both screamed in pain.
His throat was slit before he could even fathom what had happened.
Many footsteps filled the hallway accompanied by voices yelling.
Cassandra and Josh both fell to the ground stained in blood.
Horatio intruded first, gun out and raised in both hands. He entered in a hurry before pausing to take in the grisly scene. Cassandra had slumped against the kitchen cabinets with her legs sideways and bent beside her. She was quivering and sobbing and clutching tightly at a bloodstained blade.
"Oh God, no, no, oh God," she babbled.
Josh Silverstone was on his back, eyes frozen wide open in horror, gun still smoking and clutched in his right hand. His throat was a mess of dark crimson blood.
Horatio lowered his gun. "Call it in now, get the police and an ambulance," he snapped, not caring who behind him obeyed.
"Horatio you can't touch her," Natalia piped up, "not until they get here."
Horatio stiffened at her words and looked to the trembling Cassandra. He holstered his gun and moved to her anyway, sinking to a crouch before her. "Cassie are you injured?" he pried. "Did he get you?"
She was trembling hard and her eyes watered as she cried and sobbed. "Oh my God what did I do? What did I do?" she squeaked out. "Oh God."
Horatio's cerulean eyes darted over her, he couldn't see any apparent bullet wounds and as far as he could tell the blood on her was a transfer.
Cassandra started to rock back and forth and scream. "What did I do?!"