16. NOT AGAIN?

"Okay, what could be so important that Frank called us out here?" Calleigh asked that Sunday early in the afternoon when she entered the break room. Speed and Eric were already present, sipping their coffee.

Eric shrugged. "He didn't say, but he sounded upset. He'll be here in a minute."

Calleigh threw a glance at her watch. She'd slept in late and had planned to visit Horatio in the hospital, but apparently something important was going on. She grabbed a mug and tapped some coffee as well.

The solid strides of Tripp announced his arrival before he stepped inside the room. "Morning, people. We have a situation," he announced.

Three pair of eyes questioningly stared at him.

"Ned Sante is missing."

"Ned Sante is missing?" Speed repeated with a deep frown on his face. "I thought you were confident he wouldn't run. It doesn't make any sense."

"What about the rest of the students?" Calleigh demanded, immediately sensing trouble.

Frank rolled his eyes. "We can't find them either."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" muttered Calleigh.

"This is a very unpleasant case of déjà-vu," Eric commented. "So what are you thinking?"

"We've been interrogating all the students, except Ned Sante. Ned called in sick, so they didn't have the opportunity to talk to him..." Tripp started to explain. "Not to mention the fact that Ned didn't go with them to the Larry and Thomson campsite. So what if they want to make sure Ned isn't going to talk about their activities?"

"They still don't know Horatio is alive, right?" Calleigh asked worriedly.

"Correct. I deliberately kept that a secret. Both for H, and for Ned's protection. They also haven't been back at Chekika, I have permanent surveillance posted at that campsite."

"They're not that stupid. They wouldn't go back there," Eric reasoned. "Not if they think a dead body is waiting there to be discovered by somebody."

"So where would they take Ned?" Speed asked the obvious question.

"Here we go again," Calleigh remarked, sighing. "I'll check the backgrounds again, and see if I can find any other connected camp grounds."

Frank nodded in approval. "I'll send some men to the Larry and Thompson campground. Why don't you two," he addressed the male detectives from the crime lab, "go over to Cabrerra University. The place is deserted this weekend, so they could have chosen that. And check that other campsite they've mentioned as well, what was it... the Long Pine Key campground."

"How about their homes?" Speed wanted to know.

"They're not at home," Frank responded.

"I know that, but do we have a warrant to search their places?"

"Not yet. I talked to the judge on Friday, and he made it perfectly clear that we need more for that," Tripp didn't look too happy. "Although I'm sure we can get one by tomorrow. So. What are you waiting for? We've got a kid to find."

XXX-XXX-XXX

"What's up?" Horatio demanded. "What happened?"

"Well, hello to you, too," Alexx rolled her eyes. She'd hardly set a foot inside his room and he was shooting questions at her.

"Something is going on," he persisted, and tried to sit up straight. Groaning, he gave up, uncomfortably leaning back in the pillows.

"Now calm down, honey," Alexx tried. "There's no need for you to rip some stitches."

"Calleigh planned on coming this morning, and she didn't show up. You have this look on your face..." Horatio's face was a mixture of annoyance, frustration and concern. "And when you have this look on your face, I'm not going to like what you're about to tell me. Am I?"

Nothing passed by him, Alexx thought. She sat down, tried to show him a calm face and hoped he wouldn't get too upset, something he didn't need in this early stage of his recovery. Not telling him wasn't an option, though. They had a pretty straight-forward relationship and one of its foundations was trust. Trust meant the truth, and she wouldn't withhold it from him.

She grabbed his hand and sighed. "Ned Sante appears to be missing."

His eyes were now filled with surprise. "What?"

"Frank's called in everybody he could find. The kid is missing and the other students aren't where he thought they would be either."

"They have him?" Horatio closed his eyes. "They have him. Ned wasn't playing their game anymore. He broke the rules."

Alexx stared at him in concern. She felt him trembling under her touch.

"Who breaks the rules shall be punished," he whispered. His eyes shot back open, looking for her. "We have to find Ned before it's too late," he urged.

Alexx patted his arm. "They're trying to, Horatio. They're doing whatever they can."

Horatio wasn't listening. Instead, he shifted restlessly, the pain his movements caused etched clearly on his face. "You don't understand. You don't know what these people are capable of," he protested.

"I saw what they did to you," Alexx replied sharply. "I think I have a pretty good idea. Now calm down. In your condition, there's nothing you can do."

Her voice seemed to reach him, as he stopped moving around. His breathing had increased, and his face was still screwed up from the pain. He tried to clench and unclench his hand, but his muscles still not fully cooperated.

"Look. I know you hate not being able to do anything. But I'm afraid you're going to have to sit this one out, okay?" Alexx grabbed his hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. With her fingers on his wrist to take his pulse she sat quietly, patiently waiting for him to relax.

It took some time, but finally the trembling ceased and he threw her a resigned look. "All right," he sighed.

"Are you okay?" Alexx asked worriedly, studying him closely.

Horatio didn't answer, but gave her a sad smile.

"I'm going to get you something to relax," she decided. "You need to rest."

He didn't object, so she got up and left the room, only to return shortly with a nurse. The nurse injected something in Horatio's IV-line then left them alone.

Alexx waited silently as the medication did its job. Slowly, the tension in Horatio's body disappeared, the cramped muscles in his shoulder eased out and he visibly relaxed.

It was becoming difficult for him to keep his eyes open, but he still fought against the effect of the drug as he turned his head and looked at her, pleading.

She understood. "As soon as we know something, we'll come and tell you. I promise."

XXX-XXX-XXX

"I've got something," Calleigh called out suddenly. It was nearing midnight and so far, they hadn't found anything.

Speed and Eric had returned from searching the campgrounds and had come up empty. Tripp's men hadn't found anything at the Larry and Thompson's campsite either.

"What have you got?" Tripp lifted his tired head and looked expectantly at her.

"Well, it's a long shot," Calleigh hesitated. "That's why I didn't see it right away."

"Let's hear it," Speed said impatiently.

"Okay, remember we found Horatio's cell phone in that dustbin on Biscayne Boulevard?"

Four pairs of eyes were looking at her, urging her to continue.

"Jenny's fingerprints were on it, yet she doesn't live near that area. So that left me wondering. Why would she have thrown that phone away there?"

"And?" Eric demanded.

"Jenny isn't living with her parents, like the other students. The Connors live somewhere in Wisconsin. So Jenny has her own apartment. And... She has a roommate." She triumphantly looked at the four people waiting for her to explain. "Her roommate is Kathy. Kathy Wilson. And guess where Kathy's parents live?"

"Biscayne Boulevard?" Alexx reasoned.

"Exactly. Well, only one block away."

"And this helps us how?" Tripp wondered.

"Kathy's parents own an RV. I checked it out. They have it stalled at the Everglades KOA."

"This is the only connection you've found?" Speed wanted to know.

"Yes," Calleigh rolled her shoulders in an attempt to relieve the strain. "It's the only thing I could come up with. I tried to contact Kathy's parents, but the person I talked to on the phone said they were in Europe. This nice lady also told me Kathy and her friend were free to use the RV whenever they wanted. I think we should try it."

"Does this camp ground happen to be surrounded by a forest area?" Eric asked, not doubting she had checked that already.

"Yes. They also have an area for tents. Frank?"

Tripp was already on the phone, barking out some orders. Snapping the phone shut when he was done, he got up. "I've just sent fifteen officers off to meet us there. I'm not taking any chances. Let's go."