Out of Time

Chapter 5

RJ slipped out of the viewing room once he heard the confession that Mandeville gave and headed for the garage. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he had to do something. He hoped that he could get out of the building before anyone spotted him and he thought he did. But he didn't see a certain ballistics expert as she came off of the elevator. Instantly , Calleigh saw and recognized the undeniable Speedle stubbornness. RJ was up to something and she thought that she should trail him, just to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Calleigh kept her distance as she watched RJ get into a Hummer and pulled away. She quickly got into her Crossfire and followed him. If anything went down, she would be his back up.

TNR

" Okay, so we now have the location of where Clavo is," Maddison said as she addressed the team in the layout room. It was almost four o'clock in the morning and it seemed as if the team was running on pure adrenaline. Maddison glanced over them, feeling a sense of admiration for them. She had not required them to stay the extra hours, the night shift could've picked up where they left off. But the family atmosphere reigned supreme, none of them wanting rest until the man responsible for so many unnecessary deaths and taking the most integral part of their unit, was captured.

" I want to split us up and go in groups of two. Speed ,Delko , you two take the rear of the warehouse. Jen and Jacinda you guys take the north side, and make sure we don't have any surprises. Maddison and I will take the front. If anyone finds Horatio or Clavo radio for back up. Everyone wears kelvar," Raymond said as he gestured over the blueprints .

Jacinda glanced over the room, noticing that RJ wasn't there and she asked, " Has anyone seen RJ?"

" He was in ballistics earlier," Maddison said as she walked to the edge of the table.

" Didn't you call down there?" Jacinda returned, feeling a hole open in her stomach.

" Yeah Camden said that he was the only one down there. RJ had left almost an hour ago."

" Maybe he went home?" Speed interjected all of a sudden feeling the same pit in his stomach.

" RJ? Going home? That doesn't sound like him, Mr. Speedle," Jacinda said as she pulled her cell out. She dialed the number and waited.

Hi, you've reached RJ , you know the drill...

Jacinda sighed heavily as she flipped the phone down; she knew exactly what that meant.

" He's got his phone off," Jacinda said softly.

" Do you think that he heard the location?" Maddison asked.

" I'm willing to bet that he is on his way there," Speed replied as let an irritated breath out. Why was his son so impulsive? " And if I know a certain someone, Calleigh is tailing him."

The team looked at each other and then moved into action. They had to diffuse the situation before it became something more serious.

TNR

RJ noticed the Crossfire almost immediately after he had gotten onto the causeway, but he kept going. He couldn't just sit around and wait until a call out had been made to find Horatio's body. As he drove he thought of the years he had spent with his father in the CSI lab. And in every memory, Horatio was prevalent. It was what fueled him.

When he finally pulled onto the docks, he stopped and got out of the Hummer. He walked a couple of hundred feet until he came to the silver Crossfire. He knocked on the window of the tinted car and watched as Calleigh's face appeared as she rolled the window down.

" So, I'm not a good follower."

" Actually, I didn't see you until I got to the causeway. Why are you following me?"

" I saw you when you came out of the viewing room, and I know that look ..."

" What are you talking about? What look?"

" The same look your father used to give me when I told him not to do something that he really wanted to do. You can't hide where you come from," Calleigh quipped lightly. " Besides, you are going to need back up, superman."

Calleigh got out of the car and grabbed her mag lite from the back seat. She then closed her door and smiled at RJ, " Are you ready?"

" Calleigh, I was born ready," RJ said as he brandished his gun.

" So cliche. Take it easy cowboy. Let's remember that this is not a playground. Clavo Cruz is a very dangerous man, and his father is even more dangerous. Be alert."

"Yes mom," RJ said as he started to walk away. Calleigh smiled weakly at the sentiment, knowing how close she had come to making that true. Now it was her job to lookout for him.

TNR

Horatio lifted his head tenderly and squinted as the pain became evident . He had no idea how long he had been out or what was going on around him. The room itself was quiet, but he could faintly hear noise in another room. He still smelled the sea breeze which meant that he hadn't been moved. He tried the ropes feeling that they were still tied very tight. He decided to save his energy for when he really needed it, because he didn't know what was going to happen next.

TNR

Jacinda glanced at the blackness of the night as they passed minimal cars on the causeway. She had the worst feeling that something was going to happen tonight. She tried to force it down, but it was powerful. She wiped a stray tear away from her eye and whispered his name. He has to be okay, she thought to herself. Looking back into the Hummer she felt Jen's hand as she touched her arm lightly.

" He's going to be okay, Jacinda. Your mom is with him."

Jacinda glanced at her with a strained smile and nodded, "I'm sure you are right, Jen."

No matter what she said, her heart was telling her differently.

TNR

Calleigh and RJ walked to the warehouse that RJ had heard Mandeville say and saw a light on in an office. Calleigh clicked off the mag lite and motioned for RJ to follow her.

"Seems funny that this is the only light on at this time of night?" RJ said as he took the safety off. He saw as Calleigh pulled out her gray nine mm and did the same.

" I doubt that it is an eager employee," Calleigh returned in her thick accent. She then nodded to him and he moved to the opposite side of the door. Calleigh tried the door to find that it was unlocked. She pushed it open and pointed her gun into the darkness and stepped forward. RJ followed behind her brandishing his weapon in the same fashion. Calleigh clicked on the powerful beam and illuminated the room that they had entered.

They moved through the room methodically, making sure to check every area. Soon they came to a stairwell. Calleigh looked up, then down, moving to go up. RJ put a hand out to stop her, as he heard something coming from above. He motioned for her to descend down the staircase quickly. When they got to the bottom floor, they saw as a long corridor stretched , several doors lining it.

" I'll take the left side," RJ said as he started to move. Then a noise came from upstairs. Whoever was in the warehouse was coming down the stairs. RJ and Calleigh split up and quickly went into the first doors that were open.

RJ found himself in a dark room with no way of being able to see. He turned to see the window that was positioned above his head and started to walk towards it. He heard a noise that was coming from the corner. What he wouldn't have given for a flashlight at that moment.

" Horatio?" RJ called out .

Within seconds, a weak voice returned, " RJ?"

"I can't see you, H. Keep talking."

" How did you find me?"

" Scott Mandeville gave up Clavo. Hey, you'd be happy to know that we solved the three murders," RJ said as he continued to walk, " am I close to you?"

" You are right on me," Horatio replied with some humor.

RJ put his hands out in front of him and felt the shoulders of his 'grandfather'. He smiled wildly as he felt for the binds that held Horatio to the chair. After wrangling with the ropes, RJ was able to free Horatio and he stood him up. Horatio fought to gain his balance and RJ used his weight to support him.

" Are you okay, Horatio?"

" I think I have a concussion, Clavo used my head for a baseball with a 2x4. But other than that, I think I'm okay to walk. Are you here alone?"

RJ smirked at the question. Seconds after being freed, Horatio had shifted his concern away from him.

" Calleigh's in the other room across the hall. We heard someone coming," RJ said as he slowly walked back to the door. He leaned his head to the door, straining to hear anything. He stood back slightly and cracked open the door to peer out. In the darkness , he saw faintly as two people passed the door, each brandishing a gun. He then turned back to Horatio to make sure he was still okay. " Two just passed."

Horatio remained silent, wishing that he had his gun, he felt helpless. RJ then opened the door wider and stepped out into the corridor. When it was obvious that there was no one , he crossed the corridor and knocked on the door. When nothing happened, he opened the door, seeing that the room was empty. Where was Calleigh?

Calleigh had waited until the men passed the door before she walked out into the corridor. She started to cross the corridor to get RJ but someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth, pulling her towards another room. When the door closed, a bright light clicked on her and blinded her. Then she heard the radios.

" Identify yourself," a commanding tone called out to her.

" Detective Calleigh Willison, CSI. Could you please drop the light?"

" Show us some id," the voice commanded again.

" Kill the light," Calleigh returned quickly.

With a sudden movement the flashlight was dropped and Calleigh stood face to face with six FBI agents. She recognized one of them.

" Sackhiem? What are you doing here?"

" I could ask you the same thing, detective. We are trying to make a case against Clavo and the general. They have racked up several federal charges which doesn't exclude murder..."

" Or kidnaping," Calleigh stated bluntly.

" What are you talking about?"

" You guys don't know? Clavo snagged Horatio yesterday after shooting Detective Salas to death. You are the FBI, Dennis. You should know everything."

" Our priority was the materials that they are trying to move. The rest is collateral damage."

" Collateral damage? Detective Salas was retired, Dennis," Calleigh said as he temper rose.

" We have a good chance of getting these two and putting them away for a very long time. We couldn't risk it."

" Well while you were playing it safe, the Cruz family has been allowed to wreak havoc in Miami. I for one am here to stop it," Calleigh said as she moved to walk out the door.

" Detective, don't move another muscle. We cannot have you compromising a federal investigation," Sackhiem ordered. Suddenly, Calleigh found herself surrounded by agents as they took her firearm from her.

" Dennis , don't do this. I have a partner out there."

" We will look out for him. In the meantime, you stay here. Micheals, you are going to watch her."

The agent to her left nodded and placed his hands on her arms lightly. Calleigh sighed and stood by as the remaining agents filed out of the door quietly. In the faint light of the room, Calleigh smiled brightly at the agent.

" Could I have my gun back? Just in case something goes down?"

The agent shook his head and remained silent. It was worth a try, Calleigh thought. She shrugged and took a seat. If there was anything she remembered her father had said to her growing up, it was that she didn't put all her eggs in one basket. If something went down, she would be prepared.

RJ stepped into the corridor with his gun drawn and Horatio behind him. He needed to find Calleigh before he went back upstairs, but he had no clue where to start. He thought to call her, but the ringing cell phone would provide unnecessary noise. RJ moved further down the dark corridor, straining his eyes to see in front of him. In this light, he could easily be ambushed. Horatio glanced behind him, thinking the same. This was a volatile situation. They could be picked off without any effort.

Coming halfway down the corridor, RJ heard voices and footfalls as they descended the stairs. One voice was angry as it hurried into the room that they had just come out of.

" I knew I should've taken care of Mandeville. He's talked to the cops." RJ heard before the door opened. He knew he had just seconds before the angry voice found out that Horatio was free.

There was a loud scream as RJ heard, what was probably the chair that Horatio was tied to , crash against the wall. RJ looked in front of him and saw something move. Then he heard the radio crack to life. Instantly, RJ looked up to see the man come out of the room and shine a light down the corridor, illuminating him and Horatio. RJ lifted his gun, but was blinded by the powerful light that blocked his view.

From behind him, he heard, " FBI! Drop your weapon!"

In seconds, the corridor filled with gunshots.

TBC...