Chapter 23

" Novak. This is the FBI I want you to come out with your hands up. "

Mac looks back and sees a guy with a megaphone beside the swat guy. Mac walks over and glares at him. He pulls the megaphone out of the guy's hand.

" What the hell are you doing ? "

" This is Miami Dade jurisdiction. I don't know what you are doing here Detective Taylor but this is not NYPD jurisdiction and we have a wanted fugitive here. "

Horatio looks over at Special Agent Cole.

" Agent Cole what are you doing here ? "

" I should have been here a long time ago. Horatio you know that the FBI is supposed to be called in on a kidnapping case. Sergeant Stetler called me. You know that with a kidnapping the FBI is supposed to be notified. "

" Well, thanks to you you've probably gotten our guy killed in there. "

" You sent someone in there ? "

Horatio looked at Cole.

" No. We followed Mr. Brown here. He was coming after his daughter. "

" Ms. Willows daughter from what I understand. You are way too close to this case. "

" I'm way too close. So help you Cole if Warrick was killed. I don't want to have to go back and tell Catherine that. Warrick loves that little girl like a daughter. "

" See you just proved my point you are way too involved in this case. Why didn't you follow protocol ? "

" We had wasted to much time as it was. Novak shouldn't have been released in Las Vegas in the first place. He followed Mr. Brown here to Miami. We have evidence showing that Mr. Brown was the original target of the kidnapping that nearly killed CSI Stokes. When we realized the stakes of the situation we made our first priority to find Catherine's daughter. Look I called in Det. Taylor because he would have a biased view on the case. "

" Well that was the wrong call. "

" Then bring me up in front of the IAB. My first priority was bringing that little girl home to her mother. She's out of there thanks to us."

" She's out ? "

" She's been sent to her mother. Now we are trying to get Mr. Brown out of there. He chose to exchange himself for his daughter. "

" That wasn't the right move. "

" Well he made the choice so deal with it. Look you wouldn't have found Novak if we didn't follow the evidence that was left behind. We followed everything by the book. "

" Well we will take over now. Hey where's Taylor ? "

Horatio and Cole both look around. Mac was nowhere to be found.

Novak looks at Warrick and starts fidgeting. He was grabbing his fingers. He brushes a hand through his brown hair. He was so close he wasn't going to lose his chance again. Warrick watched him move around.

" I told you no cops. Get into the boat. "

Warrick looked at him. He knew that if he got into the boat. He wouldn't come out alive. Novak goes to move to the boat. If he got away whose to say that he wouldn't go after Catherine or Lindsey or their baby again. Warrick wasn't going to let that happen.

Warrick runs at Novak and hits him with a football tackle. Novak hits the ground hard. The gun goes flying. Novak is stunned for a moment. He goes to reach the gun beside him but Warrick has his foot on his hand. Novak looks up down the barrel of a gun at his face. Warrick cocks the gun. Why shouldn't he kill Novak. He went after Catherine. He nearly killed Nick. He went after Lindsey. He got away the first time. Whose to say he wouldn't get away a second time.

" Do it. I can tell that you want to. You're just a no good gambler. You don't deserve Catherine. "

" Why shouldn't I ? If I let you live then Catherine will always be in danger. I will not let you hurt her again. "

" I got out once I'll get out again. You know that. The system doesn't work. "

Warrick pulls back the trigger on the gun.

" I hope that Catherine liked my little present. "

" What did you do to her ? "

" I just sent her a single rose. A black rose that is. " Novak starts laughing. " I've had this planned for so long. You just had to get in the way didn't you. Catherine was so close to being mine. "

" You were watching her before the Highball ? "

" I'd seen her come in a couple of weeks before and sit down. She ordered a glass of vodka. I had wanted to approach her but decided not to. "

" The night of the Highball ? "

" I finally get up the nerve to come and look at her and she brushes me off. I mean she was asking for it."

" Shut up."

" I knew there was something between you two. I always knew. I could tell the way that you were around her. I had to get you out of the way. Tina worked so well. "

Warrick looked at Novak stunned.

" What are you talking about ? "

" Oh you didn't know that little fact did you ? " Novak starts laughing " You think it was by chance that she came and met you at that dive of a club that you were a DJ at. No that wasn't by chance. Why would a high class woman like her stoop to your level ? Because she was handsomely paid."

Warrick had thoughts running around in his mind. Tina. She acted like she cared about you.

" You're probably questioning now if she ever cared about you ? The irony is she did. She fell for you. I don't know why some high class woman did. I mean she had to question why I wanted the schedule for the lab. She gave it to me though once she was paid handsomely. Tina just wanted to see what the other side was like. But Catherine ? You never had a chance with her. You have to realize that. It was just pity. That's only the reason that she slept with you. When she realized the error of her ways she pushed you away. She wanted more from her life. "

" Shut up. "

Warrick gets ready to pull the gun.

" Go ahead you know that the cops will never be able to stop me. They tried once and I got out. I will again and Catherine will be mine. It's only a matter of time. "

" Warrick that's not true and you know that. He's just trying to push you. "

Warrick looks over and sees Mac looking at him.

" I promised you that I would bring your daughter home. She's with her mother right now. Now let me bring you home to Catherine. "

" But if I let him go he will go after Catherine again and again. "

" If you kill him then he wins. You realize that right ? If you kill him then you are no better than him. You go to jail. Catherine loses you. Isn't that why you came to Miami to stop that from happening because you love her ? You want her in your life. Don't throw it away because of him. Don't let him have the satisfaction. We have him. He will never harm your family again. "

" Like he can really do that ? I will get Catherine again and there is nothing that you can do about it. "

Warrick looks between Novak and Mac.

" He's lying. We have all the proof that is needed. Grissom found the surveillance photos and money list in Novak's place. We have everything. Tina is going to testify against him. "

" Tina so she was involved in this ? "

" Yes she was. Novak blackmailed her. "

Novak looked at Mac nervously. He realized that they had the evidence that they needed this time.

" Give me the gun Warrick. Go back to Catherine, Lindsey and the baby. Start your life with them. Enjoy every day that you have with them. I wish I had more time with my wife. I wish that everyday since my wife was killed on 9/11. You have that second chance I never got. Don't let it slip out of your hands. Don't let him win. "

A loud megaphone comes over the outside.

" NOVAK GIVE YOURSELF UP. WE HAVE THE PLACE SURROUNDED. "

The voice startles Warrick and Novak pulls the gun out of his hand. Warrick tries to pull the gun away from Novak. The gun goes off.

Horatio pulls the megaphone out of Cole's hand. They hear the gunshot.

" Do you realize what you are doing ? So help you if my guy was killed... "

" Take your hand off of me Lieutenant Caine or I will have you suspended. "

" I don't care. "

" SWAT move in. Move in."

The SWAT team is about to move in when Mac and Warrick walk out. Mac looks at Warrick.

" Let me take care of it. Go back to Catherine and your family. "

" Thanks Mac. "

" Just doing my job. "

Agent Cole looks at Mac.

" Where's Novak ? "

" He's dead. He fired on me. I had no choice but to fire back. "

" What ? "

" I had no choice. Officer I want you to take Mr. Brown back to Jackson Memorial Hospital."

" Sure."

" I want him here. He needs to answer questions. "

" I'll do that. He needs to go back to his family. "

Warrick gets into the car and looks back at Horatio and Mac. Warrick brushes a hand through his hair. It was over Novak would never hurt him or his family again. He had to let the system do it's job no matter how imperfect it was. He needed to put that in the past and move on. He had to go home to Catherine and the children.

Catherine brushes tears away. She rubs her hands together. Warrick had to be o.k. She couldn't lose him. Grissom hugs her and rubs her shoulder. Sara watches them. She was stunned when she saw how pregnant Catherine was.

" Warrick will be fine Cath. He's not going to lose the chance of having a life with you. " Sara says.

" I know..." Catherine looks at Sara. She could see the concern on her face.

" Horatio and Mac will bring him back to you. " Stella remarks.

Just then the door opens. Catherine looks up and sees Calleigh and Wolfe.

" I think we have someone that wants to see her mother. "

Catherine looks up and sees Lindsey. Grissom pulls back. Lindsey rushes over into her mother's arms.

" Mom! "

" Linds baby. " Catherine hugs her daughter close. The tears fall down her face. She can't stop crying.

" I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone. " Lindsey says through tears.

" It's o.k. Linds. Are you o.k. ? " Catherine pulls back her daughter and looks at her. She touches the pale blonde hair and looks into the blue eyes. She looked o.k.

" Yeah Warrick... "

" He'll be fine. "

" Lily ? "

" She's going to be o.k. " Catherine hugs her daughter close to her. Lindsey looks down at her mother's stomach and touches her baby sister. Catherine smiles through her tears. She was never going to lose Lindsey again.

" Yeah Warrick got me but Warrick... Mom he knows about Lily. "

" I know. He's very happy. "

" He is. ? "

Just then a voice.

" Yeah squirt I am. "

Catherine looks up and sees Warrick standing by the door. She gets up. Lindsey rushes into his arms. Warrick hugs the little girl close to him.

" See squirt I came back just like I told you I would. "

Warrick kisses the top of Lindsey's head. Warrick walks over to Catherine. She has tears just streaming down her face.

" I thought... "

" I know I'm fine. It's over."

" Novak ? "

" You never have to worry about him again. It's finally over."

Warrick wraps his arms around Catherine and hugs her close. She shakes and the tears just fall down her face. Warrick kisses the top of her head and whispers to her.

" I'm fine. "

She looks up at him with her pale blue eyes. She touches his face caressing the strong chin and brushing a thumb over his lips.

" I thought I'd lost you. I thought I was never going to see you again."

" That's not going to happen ever. You not getting rid of me that easy. I love you Cath. I have for so long. I can't imagine my life without you in it. You are my life."

" I love you. "

Warrick hugs Catherine close to him.