Calleigh sat stirring a spoon around her coffee the next morning while she waited for Horatio to arrive. She had got to the café thirty minutes early before she chickened out. She had tossed and turned for most of the night thinking things over and finally reached a decision.
"Calleigh." Horatio said coming over to the table taking off his sunglasses.
"Horatio."
"I think we have something to talk about."
"I think we should. I'll go first. I'm sorry I kissed you like that and I'm also sorry that I ran off."
"You did nothing you need to apologise for." Horatio said. "But your explanation was a little confusing."
"Which part?"
"You said you were trying to disprove a theory, but you never stated what your hypothesis was or whether you collected enough evidence to come to a conclusion."
Calleigh paused and looked at him before responding.
"Do you remember a couple of years ago we when that team from the Las Vegas Crime Lab came out, a Catherine Willows and I think the guy was called something Brown?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with this situation?"
"I asked them if they had a theory and Catherine said in Las Vegas they didn't work theories they worked the evidence."
"I remember."
"You know I met the boss of their lab, Gil Grissom, at a conference last year. He was giving a lecture, he's one of the countries few forensic entomologists. It was actually quite fascinating as to how..."
"Cal, I think we're getting off topic here and we have to be at work in less than an hour." Horatio pointed out.
"Sorry where was I?"
"Something about working the evidence not theories." Horatio supplied.
"Right. Alexx, Eric and Speed all have these theories about what they think is going on, so I decided I needed to look at it from an evidentiary point of view."
"And you were collecting additional evidence." Horatio said.
"Yes." Calleigh agreed.
"And did you reach a conclusion?" Horatio prompted.
"You know this is an odd way to have this conversation." Calleigh pointed out.
"We're scientists Cal, we work best with evidence."
"You and I are also cops which is why we like theories." Calleigh pointed out. "We know that sometimes you can't just get straight from A to B sometimes you have to go via X, Y and Z to get to where you need to be."
"Which is also true. But you didn't answer my question."
"After talking it over with Alexx and Tim, and studying the evidence for most of last night, I did reach a conclusion."
"Which was?"
"You shouldn't try to disprove something you know is unequivocally true."
"I see and where did you see your conclusion leading?" Horatio asked.
"I think a little more research into the evidence we were discussing last night is called for, but I'm going to be in need of a little assistance from you if you're willing."
"Calleigh, I'm inclined to..." Horatio's cell phone rang stopping him from completing his sentence. "Excuse me a moment." He plucked his phone off of his belt. "Caine... What about... I see... I'll be right there." He hung up. "I'm sorry I've got to go."
"Who was that?" Calleigh asked.
"The bomb squad, they've found a series of bombs on school buses all over the city and they need all hands on deck to defuse them before they go off."
"You're going to defuse a bomb?" Calleigh questioned.
"It's what I'm trained to do. We'll finish this discussion later." He slipped his sunglasses on. "I'll see you back at the lab."
"I'm coming with you. Just let me pay for my coffee."
"Fine, I'll meet you in the parking lot." Horatio agreed.
"What have we got?" Horatio asked the assistant bomb tech who had been assigned to check over the bus and help out, but wasn't fully trained in bomb disposal.
"As far as I can tell a pipe bomb sir." She timidly replied. "Which is consistent with the other bombs found on the other buses."
"What happened?" Calleigh asked.
"Some called it in saying there were bombs on eight school buses through out Miami and that they would go off at 0830 unless we stopped them."
"The kids would be in school by then." Calleigh pointed out.
"Whoever set the bombs doesn't want to hurt the children; they want to prove a point that they have access and ability. They're bragging, challenging us." Horatio said. "Are you okay?" Horatio asked the tech.
"It's only my second week on the job." She admitted.
"Take a slow deep breath for me. I'll you what we're going to do, I'm going to suit up and go and take a look at the bomb and attempt to diffuse it. All right?"
She nodded.
"Horatio." Calleigh said.
"I know, be careful." Horatio smiled.
"That was given, I was going to say while you're defusing it, try not to disturb it too much, there could be transfer evidence, fingerprints that could help us catch whoever planted these bombs as well as their signature."
"Switch your cell phone off but take the radio and go a couple of blocks away and have them patch you through to Delko and Speed. Have them go and process the bombs and the underside of the buses where they have defused them. The buses are ours now until they have been processed."
"I'm on it and Horatio."
"Yes?"
"Be careful."
"He does know what he is doing right?" The woman from the bomb squad named Marcy asked.
"Horatio used to be one of the best on the bomb squad before he joined CSI. He prefers being able to give people piece of mind after a tragedy, by telling them how and why something happened. It's what he's good at."
"This is the first bomb I've had to deal with since I joined the bomb squad."
"Why the bomb squad?" Calleigh asked.
"It was where I was assigned." Marcy replied. "I used to be a detective in small town Virginia."
"Why move to Miami?" Calleigh asked.
"I got married and my husband got transferred here. I put in for a transfer and ended up with the bomb squad since it was the only opening. Truth be told bombs scare the hell out of me, they are so unpredictable."
"Bombs aren't unpredictable; it's the bomb makers that are unpredictable. Bombs are simple, a timer, trigger and a propellant. But every bomb maker has a signature, a way he puts the bomb together, it can be as simple as the way they twist the wires together. They tell a story, who the bomb maker is, where he shops which leads us to catch them."
"Sounds like you know a lot about bombs. Did you do a stint in the bomb squad too?"
"No, being a CSI you pick up information on a whole range of areas, working with Horatio you understand bombs and the mindset of bomb makers. You learn anatomy, physics, chemistry, biology, botany, the list goes on. But my area of expertise is ballistics."
"Guns."
"Guns." Calleigh confirmed. "Horatio was looking for a ballistics expert which is why I got the job."
"We're clear." Horatio called.
"Dispatch." Calleigh said turning the radio on. "This is Duquesne we're clear."
"Copy that." Dispatch replied.
"I've got the bomb." Horatio said.
"I'll process the bus." Calleigh said.
"There's a spare jump suit in the back of the Hummer."
"Thank you." Calleigh smiled.
"Did you get a hold of Eric and Speed?"
"They're on their way out now."
TBC
