Horatio was exhausted as he pulled up in the beach car park. He was glad for his silhouette shades this morning as they hid his bloodshot gaze from view. Last night had been what he deemed a 'bump night', which was a combination of Cassandra suffering nightmares and sleepwalking. Usually he was able to wake her up and settle her back with ease but this time no sooner than she was asleep she was struggling with another variation of her nightmare. The trouble was it stemmed from an all too real memory- the day Cassandra had been forced to kill a man who had not only been hell bent on killing her brother and torturing her but had previously kidnapped and tortured them with help and was responsible for murdering her half-sister Gillian and her mother and stepfather. It was a horrifying memory Cassandra had largely tried to push away but every now and then it bubbled to the surface, usually coming to plague her sleep.

Horatio hadn't had a chance to discuss it with her this morning. She had been in a rush to get Marissa sorted for her doctor's appointment and purposely evaded the topic of her night terrors, instead light heartedly suggesting songs for their first dance. When she had suggested The Sound of Da Police with a wily grin Horatio had been unable to subdue a smile before he shook his head.

Horatio glanced up to his rear view mirror, satisfied that there was no tell to his fatigue, he got out of the car, ready to confront another homicide. The call had come through just after seven in the morning, an unlucky jogger had found the body on an early morning run. Frank had called Horatio whilst Detective Frost had contacted Rick, both in agreement that this body was a little unusual to the norm and probably in need of the lieutenants' attention.

Rick had arrived just a minute before Horatio and spying his arriving Hummer, he had opted to wait in the car park for him. He was in a navy suit and his dark hair was turning curly as sweat from the rising humidity of the day started to dampen it.

"Morning Horatio," he greeted bluntly as the redhead walked over to him.

Horatio gave a small grin, the fact that Rick bothered to say 'morning' at all was a marked improvement. The redhead knew it was Natalia's influence, an argument that just because people knew what time of day it was did not mean it was stupid to acknowledge it.

"Morning Rick," Horatio retorted politely. "How is Annabelle?"

"Better," Rick murmured bluntly.

Horatio believed the man sounded as tired as he felt and knew there was more to it. He could see the fatigue adding a heavy shadow to Rick's dark eyes and the grooves at the corners of his mouth that promised his frown was going to stay for the day.

"Has she stopped being sick then?"

"Yeah, stopped last night." Rick reached for the knot of his silver and blue brocade tie. "I think it was maybe around twelve."

"You sound tired Rick." Horatio decided to go for the obvious in the hopes of getting more details.

Rick glanced in the direction of the beach, it was just out of sight behind a row of carefully cultivated palm trees. He was losing track of how many beaches had become crime scenes. It was difficult to avoid the images of half-buried bodies beneath sand whenever Marissa asked when their next trip to build sandcastles would be.

"Yeah, she was upset," Rick murmured. "She was crying for her dad, I didn't really know what to do." Rick's grim gaze returned to Horatio as let out a laboured sigh. "Just kind of kept responding when she cried, I don't know if that's the wrong thing to do or not, it's not like she's a baby crying or anything. Anyway, I ended up sitting in her room until four in the end, at least I think it was four."

Horatio felt a certain amount of empathy although he couldn't voice it as he wasn't going to have Rick worrying about Cassandra as well.

"We're keeping her off school today," Rick explained, "as a precaution. Nat's minding her today. I'm intending on going through the original case notes on the Bracker case after this," he added stubbornly.

Horatio held back a smile as they started to walk at last. He knew there was no point in suggesting Rick took it a little easier today, the man was determined to prove that he was worthy of the title of homicide lieutenant.

"What's your feeling on that one?" Horatio queried.

"Benjamin Bracker didn't die then," Rick said bluntly. "It doesn't stand to reason that he's the only one in the family who didn't turn up. Also, his father and brother Bruce were chopped up but we're to believe his blood was...harvested," he added awkwardly. "I know you can preserve blood but for five years after you've gotten it? Why five years?"

Rick glanced at Horatio curiously before shaking his head. "I don't know, none of it makes sense. I know this goes against what CSI Speedle concluded but I have a lot of queries about the Bracker business. At some point I want to speak to Henry Bracker and I have to speak to Bill McCoy again," he added moodily. "He's the only connection right now, tentative as it is."

Horatio suppressed a sigh. It was hard hearing Speedle's name again and harder thinking that it was because he might have come to the wrong conclusion with a case.

"I'm going to see if our M.E is ready to release Kara's body to her family," Horatio admitted. "The senator would like it and I don't think we've much more to gain from it. Eric should have the results back on the liquid on her as well."

"Have you told him yet?" Rick's question was sudden and blunt.

Horatio halted and gave Rick a serious stare. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the small grouping of detectives of the pale white sand gathered near the trees. Flickering yellow danced in and out of vision indicating the hazard tape fluttering in a light breeze.

"No," Horatio admitted, knowing exactly what Rick was asking.

"Do it soon," Rick grumbled, almost in a scold. "Natalia wants to do some celebration thing," he added moodily, "for Cassie."

"Oh, well I'll tell him today."

"Yeah. Don't think I'm doing anything for you," Rick added pointedly, "you don't even have a date yet."

"Actually we're hoping to do that this week," Horatio confessed, "sort the date that is. We were discussing a small ceremony so we could do it soon, on the beach maybe."

"Right."

Rick gave Horatio a mocking grin.

"She'll have you tormented with colour schemes and themes," Rick taunted. "Think of the rest of us before you give into nonsense."

"I have to live with her Rick," Horatio reminded him softly. "Besides, she does consider your needs," Horatio gave a small smile, "she was talking about peanut butter cookies just for you."

Rick let out a swear. "Cookies?" he snapped.

"Mmm hmm."

Rick shook his head scornfully before he started walking again towards their latest victim.

Jack glanced from the corpse to Tobias and then over to the approaching lieutenants. The body's eye sockets were singed and the detective found the smell nauseating. His sympathies went out to the young woman who had found the body. She was still crying against Tobias who cradled her awkwardly against his shirt having giving up questioning her for the moment.

They were in a secluded spot on the beach, shaded slightly by the palm trees that bordered with the path. The salty smell of the ocean wasn't enough to overpower the stench of charred flesh and the soft lull of the early morning waves crashing against the sand couldn't quieten the wails of a traumatised woman.

"Do you think it's related to the Watkins' case?" Jack quipped at last as his stare focused on Horatio and Rick.

"What makes you think that?" CSI Wolfe pried. He was on the ground, closer to the victim than Jack wished to be, taking photographs of the coals on the victim's ruined eyes. The coals had been jammed in there tightly.

"Well," Jack began awkwardly as he rubbed at his scruffy hair and stared at the body once more, "we had an angel, now we've a demon. Both victims left naked with traces of blood on them, and damaged eyes."

Rick took in the victim as Jack talked. It was a male left nude just as Kara Watkins had been with a splash of blood on his chest depicting an inverted cross, eyes ruined by the coals and ornate red horns attached by a band in his dirty fairy hair and a pointed tail sticking out from underneath the body, held there by a band about the waist.

"And he's bruising about the neck, just like Miss Watkins," Jack concluded.

Rick gave a small, thin smile. He was pleased with Jack's summary and felt a small flurry of pride at how far the former narcotics detective had come.

"I wonder whose blood it is?" Ryan queried sardonically as he swabbed a sample and sealed it up.

Ryan glanced up to Horatio and gave a small smile of greeting. "Should I say it's a coincidence we all got called to this one? If they are connected seems certain someone wants us all to be on the case."

Ryan's smile widened whilst Jack visibly grimaced.

"Oh for a normal murder," Rick grumbled.

Ryan laughed at this. "There's no such thing in Miami." Ryan leaned forward to the body with another swab in hand. "This guy has a liquid on him too," he murmured as he squinted at the thin sheen coating on the torso. He figured it could be the remnants of a tanning oil but the figure was pale and Ryan knew it wasn't just from expiring, the man didn't match up to a sunbather.

"You know it smells vaguely familiar but I can't work out what it is," Ryan murmured.

Curious, Horatio crouched by the form and dipped his sunglasses slightly to inspect the figure. "An angel, a headless man, and a demon, is it symbolic or just to throw us off the scent of something else?"

"A fallen angel," Rick corrected as he frowned. "They're all damned."

Ryan, Frank and Jack all looked at him curiously.

Rick shrugged at the stares. "I spent a lot of time seeing demons," he reminded them coldly.

"Happy thoughts Rick," Ryan murmured as he continued processing the body.

"You have a point," Horatio mused. "A fallen angel is cast from heaven to earth, folklore about headless men suggest they are doomed to roam earth until they find their head, and demons are also banned from heaven. The final destination for all three is usually concluded to be hell."

"Happy thoughts Horatio," Frank repeated Ryan's sentiments sardonically with a flicker of a smile.

Frank stood with his hands slightly raised to his hips already appearing heat fatigued despite the early hour. He kept darting glances over to Tobias and the traumatised woman who had found the body, wondering if he should help Tobias with the woman or if he was better staying away.

"It's probably personal then," Rick suggested. "We need to try and identify this man ASAP and see if he's connected to Kara Watkins and Officer Quentin McCoy."

"Well whoever's doing this they obviously want us to know about it," Frank remarked, "they aren't going to much effort to conceal the bodies."

"Bodies," Jack repeated darkly, "I wonder what target they have for that."

The men glanced up again as they heard voices indicating the Medical Examiner Tara and her crew approaching. Jack offered a faint smile for the examiner as she stepped onto the pale sands with a slight wince.

"Well we aren't getting the trolley here," Tara murmured as she glanced down. She looked back up again and offered the group a smile. "Morning."

"Morning Tara," Ryan retorted chirpily.

"Good morning Ms. Price," Horatio greeted amicably.

"So, just the one?"

Horatio nodded. "For the moment."

"Must you put it like that?" Frank demanded as he gave Horatio a disapproving look. He gestured outwards with his hands. "It's barely sun-up Horatio, don't jinx the rest of the day."

Horatio glanced at his watch. "It's late enough. I'm going to give the labs a call and see what news Eric has on Kara Watkins."

Horatio tugged out his phone and paced off quickly before Rick could reprimand him for phoning Eric rather than going to see him in person. He knew by making the phone call he was adding another delay to telling Eric his news because that definitely had to be done in person, he owed Eric that much. Horatio knew he'd have to do it soon, Ryan and Natalia knew after all and it would only be so long before one of them inadvertently mentioned it in Eric's presence.

The phone rang four times before Eric's voice answered.

"Morning Eric," Horatio retorted politely. "Eric, do you have the results for the substance on Kara Watkins yet?"

"Yes," Eric retorted eagerly, "it's an odd mixture, frankincense oil and olive oil," he explained. "Wolfe was looking into the halo and the wings, he said he believed they were handmade. Something about the feathers, you can ask him."

Horatio nodded as he puzzled over the oils and wondered briefly if the horns would prove to be handmade as well.

"I was looking into the oils, I mean they have a variety of uses but there's one they all have in common," Eric said.

"Religious," Horatio retorted bluntly. "My chapel would use a perfumed olive oil for Confirmation and it would be burned in the altar lamp," he explained. He realised that, that was the familiar smell Ryan was talking about and that their victim on the beach was probably stained in the same substance.

"Right," Eric sounded relieved that he didn't have to go into detail, "and frankincense is sometimes used for anointment for people entering new spiritual phases."

"So, she's removed of her wordly possessions, dressed as an angel, posed in prayer, and effectively anointed," Horatio surmised. "Most strange is the presence of the blood of a man in our system who was thought to have been dead for five years."

"Not thought," Eric grumbled defiantly, "he has to have been H, saying he's been alive and just missing all these years is what doesn't make sense."

The redhead tensed just a little as he stepped into the shade of a palm tree, he could hear the annoyance in Eric's voice.

"Eric," Horatio addressed him calmly as he put his back to the tree and cradled the phone against his cheek with one hand, "I understand you don't want anyone criticising Speedle's work but that is not what is happening here. We aren't doing our jobs if we dismiss the presence of Benjamin Bracker's blood, that does warrant a reinvestigation into his case. We need to find the connection between him and Kara, and now we have a third victim."

"A third victim?!" Eric exclaimed.

"Yes, a John Doe on the beach, left naked and with damaged eyes just like Kara, a substance on him that I'm certain the lab will match to the oils Kara was anointed with, and he has been made to resemble a demon."

"An angel and a demon, not very original," Eric scorned.

"No but effective enough. We need to find the connection between them before the body count rises."

"Well Benjamin was sixteen when the Bracker murders happened," Eric murmured, "which is the same age Kara would have been then. I mean Benjamin came from money and Kara too, could they have known each other?" Eric pondered aloud.

"Find out Eric," Horatio instructed.

"I will H," Eric assured.

"I have to return to our current crime scene," Horatio said, "but I would like to talk to you later about another matter. Could we get coffee in private?" Horatio suggested.

Horatio knew the brief silence that followed was from surprise, it wasn't like he and Eric had gone for coffee often before. In fact, he and Horatio had never really socialised much. Up until very recently Horatio had been a very private man but thanks to this little group Wolfe and the others had going on now Horatio did, on occasion, socialise.

"Sure," Eric agreed.

Horatio gave a flicker of a smile. "I'll call you when I'm free and Eric, you stick with Kara Watkins, see what you can learn."

"Alright H."

Horatio ended the call and turned as he saw Tara heading back to the M.E's van. "Miss Price," he called as he stepped over to her.

Tara paused and looked back to Horatio inquisitively. She bore a mild politeness in her dark gaze but there was a hint of impatience too as she was eager to get the body off the beach before the sand and sun could corrode it. Whilst her predecessor Dr. Alexx Woods seemed to have patience in abundance, Tara was an energetic, brisk young woman and she treated each case as a job lacking Alexx's personal touch.

Horatio did appreciate the young M.E's speed and professionalism but was wary that haste might one day lead to a mistake.

"Is Kara Watkins ready for release?" Horatio queried calmly.

Tara nodded. "Yes, I'm going to contact the next of kin this afternoon," she replied. "I left a copy of my completed notes with Eric this morning," she added.

Horatio nodded gratefully. "Good, thank you."

Flip I didn't think I was ever getting this chapter up- first fanfiction was down, then my internet went down but here we are.