Hey everyone.
I know it took a long time but I hope you find that this chapter has been worth the wait. This story is going somewhere - at least it is in my mind - and I think I finally got it to the place where the real plot of this story is about to begin. I think I just managed to get all the characters exactly where I want them.
Anyway - enjoy this.
*******
"We found something!" Speed rushed over to where Horatio and Hagen were standing "We found something in the flower bed next to where the car was stolen."
"What is it?"
Speed pulled out an evidence bag and handed it over. Inside was a small iron bar.
"What is that?"
"It's what he used to brake into the car" Speed told him.
"I've seen those things used before" Hagen agreed before braking away to answer his phone
"We might be able to get something off it" Speed nodded, taking the bag back from Horatio "I'm going to take it to the lab, see what I can come up with"
"Make it fast"
Horatio was about to say something else when John called out to him "H, we got him!"
*
Horatio was sitting in the passenger seat as John drove. They were going so fast the images outside became a blurry smudge. He looked carefully at the man sitting beside him.
"You're taking this very personally" he noted
"What are you talking about?"
Horatio didn't answer but simply fixed Hagen with a look. They have known each other for too long to try and play each other with clever words. Hagen glimpsed away and caught the look on Horatio's face - he sighed, defeated
"She's a member of the team ok?...and she's a friend. I lost a partner and a friend before H, I'm not going through that again"
Horatio looked back at him and said nothing. There was some honesty to that - he knew how hard Ray's death was for Hagen, but he also sensed there was something more then that.
*
Calleigh was lying on the floor, blindfolded again. With her sight gone she was straining to listen to her surroundings.
She heard footsteps before and a noise before that sounded like a heavy metal door sliding shut. Then there was nothing. She listened carefully for what seemed like forever, but there was no sound. Kerner must have gone somewhere.
She tried working on her ropes but every movement caused major pain. She inched closer to the wall and tried sitting up - after a few failed attempts she managed to get herself into a position that was a little more comfortable. She tried shaking off the blindfold and managed to move it enough to get a small glimpse at her surroundings.
It looked like a large warehouse, there was a chair lying upside down and some trash was piled up at the other side of the room. She tried looking for something she could use to cut off the ropes tying her hands but she saw nothing.
Just then she heard the sound of the metal door sliding open and footsteps that indicated Kerner was back.
*
The police cars stopped at the corner of the street and everybody came out and drew their guns. They made the rest of the way to the building in silence, trying not to be seen or heard.
Hagen pointed his finger at the car parked in front of the building and Horatio nodded back. It matched the description of the stolen car they were looking for. He signaled to Speed to get back to the cars and call in for backup, then continued his way into the building after John.
They made the rest of the way up without a sound and stopped in front of a large metal door. Horatio put his ear to the door and tried to listen in, but all he could hear were muffled sounds.
He nodded to Hagen and Erik, on the count of three Hagen shot the lock on the door and Erik pried it open.
From then it all happened pretty fast.
Kerner was holding Calleigh with a gun to her temple, trying to get out through the fire escape. Horatio and Hagen yelled for him to drop the gun and give himself up, Calleigh was screaming from the pain Kerner was causing her as he dragged her with him. They could hear the sound of police sirens coming closer outside.
They were inching closer to him, but he was only pressing the gun even harder into her skull. He pulled her closer to him to shelter himself better but she suddenly screamed and went limp in his arms.
There was a shot and then Kerner was on the floor, in a pool of his own blood.
They all rushed over to Calleigh, Erik was the first on to get to her.
"She doesn't have a pulse!"
I know it took a long time but I hope you find that this chapter has been worth the wait. This story is going somewhere - at least it is in my mind - and I think I finally got it to the place where the real plot of this story is about to begin. I think I just managed to get all the characters exactly where I want them.
Anyway - enjoy this.
*******
"We found something!" Speed rushed over to where Horatio and Hagen were standing "We found something in the flower bed next to where the car was stolen."
"What is it?"
Speed pulled out an evidence bag and handed it over. Inside was a small iron bar.
"What is that?"
"It's what he used to brake into the car" Speed told him.
"I've seen those things used before" Hagen agreed before braking away to answer his phone
"We might be able to get something off it" Speed nodded, taking the bag back from Horatio "I'm going to take it to the lab, see what I can come up with"
"Make it fast"
Horatio was about to say something else when John called out to him "H, we got him!"
*
Horatio was sitting in the passenger seat as John drove. They were going so fast the images outside became a blurry smudge. He looked carefully at the man sitting beside him.
"You're taking this very personally" he noted
"What are you talking about?"
Horatio didn't answer but simply fixed Hagen with a look. They have known each other for too long to try and play each other with clever words. Hagen glimpsed away and caught the look on Horatio's face - he sighed, defeated
"She's a member of the team ok?...and she's a friend. I lost a partner and a friend before H, I'm not going through that again"
Horatio looked back at him and said nothing. There was some honesty to that - he knew how hard Ray's death was for Hagen, but he also sensed there was something more then that.
*
Calleigh was lying on the floor, blindfolded again. With her sight gone she was straining to listen to her surroundings.
She heard footsteps before and a noise before that sounded like a heavy metal door sliding shut. Then there was nothing. She listened carefully for what seemed like forever, but there was no sound. Kerner must have gone somewhere.
She tried working on her ropes but every movement caused major pain. She inched closer to the wall and tried sitting up - after a few failed attempts she managed to get herself into a position that was a little more comfortable. She tried shaking off the blindfold and managed to move it enough to get a small glimpse at her surroundings.
It looked like a large warehouse, there was a chair lying upside down and some trash was piled up at the other side of the room. She tried looking for something she could use to cut off the ropes tying her hands but she saw nothing.
Just then she heard the sound of the metal door sliding open and footsteps that indicated Kerner was back.
*
The police cars stopped at the corner of the street and everybody came out and drew their guns. They made the rest of the way to the building in silence, trying not to be seen or heard.
Hagen pointed his finger at the car parked in front of the building and Horatio nodded back. It matched the description of the stolen car they were looking for. He signaled to Speed to get back to the cars and call in for backup, then continued his way into the building after John.
They made the rest of the way up without a sound and stopped in front of a large metal door. Horatio put his ear to the door and tried to listen in, but all he could hear were muffled sounds.
He nodded to Hagen and Erik, on the count of three Hagen shot the lock on the door and Erik pried it open.
From then it all happened pretty fast.
Kerner was holding Calleigh with a gun to her temple, trying to get out through the fire escape. Horatio and Hagen yelled for him to drop the gun and give himself up, Calleigh was screaming from the pain Kerner was causing her as he dragged her with him. They could hear the sound of police sirens coming closer outside.
They were inching closer to him, but he was only pressing the gun even harder into her skull. He pulled her closer to him to shelter himself better but she suddenly screamed and went limp in his arms.
There was a shot and then Kerner was on the floor, in a pool of his own blood.
They all rushed over to Calleigh, Erik was the first on to get to her.
"She doesn't have a pulse!"