The New Recruits

Chapter 12

" Alexx, what can you tell me about the body?" Maddison asked as Alexx flipped the sheet from over the body on the slab. The rest of the team was still at the pier, with the exception of Jacinda who was at the hospital getting checked out.

" Before or after the shark got to it?" Alexx asked as she snapped on the gloves. She began to make the Y incision and then peeled back the skin.

" Let's try before. How long had the body been in the water?" Maddison asked as she followed Alexx's hands.

" It's kind of hard to pin point that, because of the trauma that the shark caused, it took over forty percent of the body, along with some organs including the liver. But telling by the skin and the fact that it hadn't started to float yet, I'm going to ball park it at six to eight hours."

" Fair enough. Can you tell me the COD?"

" That one's easy. I found a GSW in the back of the head. There's some stippling on the entry wound which tells me that this poor guy was shot from no more than four feet away. Mafia style. I haven't tested the trajectory of the bullet yet, but I'm sure that he was kneeling."

" So this was an execution? Any idea who this is?"

" No, but I got a ten card to Eric and he's running it through AFIS. He doesn't look any older than twenty. Life's just starting and he ends up on my table."

" Sometime's Alexx it's the young ones that have done the damage to themselves. Did you happen to notice his teeth?"

" Yeah, you know you are just as astute as your Uncle," Alexx said as she looked up at Maddison.

" Thanks."

Alexx nodded and then pulled back the lips to show Maddison the teeth, " They are rotted. This boy hasn't been to a dentist in ages."

" A sure sign that he was a friend of Tina," Maddison said as she sighed heavily. She knew the signs from dealing with her mother.

" A meth head?" Alexx asked.

" Yes, a meth head. I think I know who this guy is."

" Maddison, what are you thinking?"

" I'll let you know Alexx. Send his blood to DNA and page me if something else arises, ok?" Maddison said as she turned to walk out.

" Sure, I'll send it by Timmy when he comes to get his trace," Alexx said as she heard the doors open. " Speak of the devil."

" Hey Alexx, you ready to give me that trace?" Tim said as he walked to the slab. He glanced and nodded to Maddison as she passed by.

" Sure suga. I found some skin cells under his nails. Maybe we can trace this to someone," Alexx said as she handed him an envelope.

" Anything else, Alexx?"

" Yes, his clothes. I bagged them when I found some kind of vegetation that isn't indigenous to the sea water. Could tell us where he's been."

" Thanks Alexx," Tim said as he grabbed the bag.

" Anything for you. How are you doing by the way?"

" My ankle is better if that's what you are wondering."

" I notice that you are limping. You sure everything's okay?"

" Yes, mom, everything's fine," Tim assured her. No matter how old he got he realized that he would always get the 'mommy' treatment from Alexx.

" How's Robin doing? I wouldn't know because it's been ages since you've called or we had dinner together..."

"Okay, point taken, Alexx. Dinner at our house, tomorrow. Is seven good for you?" Tim said giving up.

" Fine for me. This will give us a chance to catch up," Alexx returned with a smile.

Tim smirked at her then turned to walk out of the morgue. He was happy to be back.

TNR

RJ paced the floor of the emergency room, worried. Jacinda had gotten out of the water safely , but she had some deep cuts that resembled bite marks. She was lucky that she had gotten out of the incident alive and not ending up on Alexx's slab. RJ saw the doctor as he approached him and stopped pacing.

" Mr. Speedle, Ms. Willison suffered only minor cuts. I didn't see any bite marks , so she's getting cut loose. I gave her some antibiotic cream to put on the cuts, but other than that she's okay."

" That's great news , doc. Is it okay that I go see her?"

" Sure . I'll be back with her discharge papers," the doctor said as he nodded to the nurse to buzz him back .

RJ walked through the door and began searching for Jacinda's room. When he came to it, he found her getting dressed.

" You know , you gave us all a scare there for a moment," RJ said as he opened the door quietly.

Jacinda jumped slightly and turned quickly to face him, " Robert James, you have to stop sneaking up on me like that."

" Hey what's up with the full name?" RJ said as he walked over to her.

" Just be glad I didn't call you something else," Jacinda said with a twinkle in her eyes.

RJ took her in an embrace and held her longer than he expected. She had come so close to death...

" RJ, I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere."

" Can you promise me that?" RJ said as he continued to hug her, taking in her essence.

" Yes. I promise that I'm not going anywhere. Not for a while at least," Jacinda said as she pulled away from him. The love that she saw in his warm brown eyes melted her to the core.

" Good, because I don't know what I would do if I lost you," RJ said as he tilted her chin up, bending to kiss her softly on the lips. He broke the electricity that surged through them both and stared into her clear green eyes. " I love you."

" I love you too, RJ. Now let me get dressed so we can get out of here. I'm anxious to see who I pulled out of the harbor today," Jacinda said as she pushed him playfully away.

" Are you always the go getter?"

"Stick around and find out, slugger," Jacinda said as she buttoned her top.

TNR

" Wait a minute, Maxine, this doesn't seem right," Eric said to his wife as he read the report.

" What is it?"

" This says that the skin cells found under the dead guys nails match the ones that we got from under Tommy Hawkins' fingernails, but it's not a match to any one ."

" The report is right, Eric. There is a donor out there who was in contact with our John doe and Tommy Hawkins."

" The only thing I found on Tommy was a fingerprint on a wallet and that fingerprint belonged to Chaz."

" So whoever matches this samples, is our killer. That leaves one thing still," Eric said as he took the reports and put them in a file.

"What's that?"

" Who is trying to kill Horatio?"

" Find the killer, find the answer to that question," Maxine said. " See you at home?"

" Sure." Eric replied as he walked out of the door. In the corridor he met Tim. " Hey Speed, I got the DNA report back from the skin samples."

" Great. Did you get the results from the blood test?" Tim asked as they kept walking.

" Blood test? What blood test?"

" The blood that I sent along with the skin cells. They were bundled together."

" I didn't get any blood, Speed. All I got were the skin samples that were found under the vic's nails."

Tim stopped then turned around and headed back to the DNA lab. Eric followed close behind, hoping that there was a mistake. Maxine would not had forgotten to give him the report. Tim opened the door to the DNA lab and glanced at Maxine then started rifling through the samples.

" Speed, what the hell? What are you doing?" Maxine said as she put her hands out to stop him.

" There was a blood sample sent to you, and Eric didn't get it. We need that sample to identify the vic."

" You've been out of work too long , Speed. Blood work takes longer than skin samples. I'm still running them. Chill out," Maxine said as she glared at him.

Tim glanced at Eric then to Maxine with a sheepish look on his face, " Sorry. Can you page me with the results?"

" Yeah, if you promise not to barge in like that ever again," Maxine said as she turned back to her work.

" Promise," Tim said as he walked out of the lab. There was so much to get used to.

TNR

" Horatio, are you okay in there?" Yelina asked as she walked by the bathroom. He had been in there for a while now.

"Fine, Yelina." Horatio replied as he winced while turning to look at his bandaged body. He saw the red scars as they peeked above the white bandages and sighed. Whoever wanted him dead, had almost succeeded. He put his shirt down and unlocked the door ,then opened it . On the other side ,he saw Yelina as she was standing with her arms crossed. " what?"

" What? You've been in there for almost an hour. Are you sure everything's okay?"

" I'm fine. Just wanted to get a good look at the damage done."

"You know you are lucky to be alive. When are you going to stop doing this to yourself?"

" Raymond didn't tell you? I was retiring the day that the bomb exploded on the bridge. I didn't want to do it, but a certain red headed niece said that it was time for me to step away."

" Retiring, eh? I didn't think you had it in you. I gave up after serving twenty years, but you kept on going. Looks like now , you have no choice."

" I plan on going back, Yelina. Someone's after me and they are not going to stop until they get to me. Even if it means hurting the one's I love."

" Maddison has got it under control, Horatio. Let her take care of it," Yelina said as she started to walk back up to the living room.

Horatio heard a noise and put a hand up to stop Yelina. She glanced at him then up the hall way. She saw a shadow as it crossed the floor.

" Someone's in the house," Yelina whispered. She took Horatio by the hand and ducked behind a wall.

" You got a spare gun in the house?" Horatio asked as he absent mindedly put his hand on his left side, forgetting that he didn't have his.

"It's in the study, but we have to cross the living room to get to it. Who do you think this is?"

" I don't know , but we are sitting ducks here. We've got to get out of the house."

" I have a patio outside my bedroom door, we can get out that way," Yelina said as she readied herself to walk to her bedroom.

" Okay , let's do this," Horatio said as he turned to follow her. As he turned his back ,he heard a voice that he hadn't heard in years.

" Caine, I remember you saying that you never close," the voice said.

Horatio turned in time to see a gun as it fired and he moved as fast as he could to shield Yelina. He fell to the floor with a thud and felt nauseous. He glanced to Yelina, who wasn't moving and he felt a sticky substance under him. As he faded into blackness he heard the voice say, "Let's see if you are right..."

TBC...

A/N: What's going to happen next? Stay tuned... :)