NOTES: We're back for chapter four! I'll make this short and sweet, kind of like this chapter: I've decided to have Detective Angell appear here – anyone else a WINGS fan? That the term that's kind-of been applied to the Hawkes/Angell pairing ( since both hawks and angels have wings ). It might grow on me – I think I need to see more of Angell to decide for sure. At any rate, I'm hoping this chapter ties up some loose ends and propels the story even further at the same time – I'm anxious to hear your thoughts cuz this is a big one, so please do review!

THANK YOUS:
Mj0621: Man, I'm sorry. must have been acting up that day or something. But it makes me happy to be on your alert list. Thank you so much – it's fun for me to write smething that people grow more and more enthusiastic about. I certainly love reading your reactions to the new chapters. Peyton is here…probably not much, but definitely to stir up trouble for Mac and Stella. And Angell is gonna make an appearance or two, starting with this chapter. And, thanks! The chess part was a fun little Hawkes/Lindsay moment for me!
Peanut2lb: I'm so glad you think so! It's not easy to keep track of the details – the show's writers have quite a job! I hope it at least sounds like the show! Toying with the romantic pairings is especially fun. I hope you continue to read and let me know what you think! And your pen name is so cute!
Xbexyboox: Thank you! I hope you keep reviewing my chapters so I know if you're enjoying the story! I love seeing your name in my alerts!
Hannah2005: I'm glad this story caught your attention. I'm happy to hear you're hooked! I'm especially flattered that you think it's show-quality. I hope you keep reading and I can't way to hear more of your thoughts as the story progresses.
Chili-peppers: I'm so glad you're having a good time with this fic! Pleas stay tuned and keep letting me know what you think! By the by, are you the chili-peppers on the TalkCSI boards? If you are, this is detectdevotion! Good to see you around!
Carolannw5: You're so sweet! I hope you'll let me know if I keep up the good work! Stay tuned for more action!
Adamsgirl: Wasn't he awesome in "Not What It Looks Like"? I loved seeing him outside of the lab. I'm really excited that you now love both the beautiful Adams. Yay for hot guys in lab coats! I can't wait to hear from you after this chapter, definitely let me know your thoughts! Take care!
BrokenSkye: Thank you so much for saying so! I'm really glad that you're enjoying the case as much as the personal stuff – I don't want the fic to get technical and boring, but I also want to keep it realistic. It's definitely a relief to hear such a positive response! Please tell me what you think of this chapter, too! See you soon!

Again, thank you to everyone who's placed either myself or this story on their alert lists, and a special thank you to those who placed me/the story on their favorites lists! I'm very flattered!

LYRICAL CREDIT: A Day Late by Anberlin and Monsters by Matchbook Romance

A DAY LATE
could have been lovers

Chapter Four
You Bleed For Me I Bleed For You

"Ten-thirteen, ten-thirteen, multiple officers down! Repeat, officers down!"

Stella was gripping the dashboard, straining to see past the flood of other responding squad cars as the ten-call repeated over the radio. The precinct was flooded with activity, and Mac knew she was hoping for the best and assuming the worst: this was Flack's precinct, and they were there thanks to a second deadly shooting, trying to get onto the scene as confusion clogged the radio signals. Mac doubted seriously that Flack was involved, but their phones had been ominously silent since the radio hail.

"Ten-fifty-seven, come on guys, where the hell are you?" Mac stiffened. They'd called for an ambulance a second time; things were serious. He knew at least one person was dead, which was why they were responding. He and Stella had already been on their way when they'd officially been called to the scene – by the time they'd gotten the 'official' word to go in, the scene had been secured and there was no sign of the shooter, but the chaos he left in his wake meant that there were people unable to receive medical help. The area was currently flooded with uniforms. Frustrated, unable to get his car any closer to the scene, Mac slammed down the brake and climbed out of the SUV. Stella followed his lead, grabbing her kit and searching the crowds for a specifically familiar face. Mac spotted the tall detective before she did, barking orders and looking furious – and scared.

"Flack!" Mac held up an arm, and the detective's sharp blue eyes spotted him. He pushed his way through police personnel as the medics arrived, swiftly seeing to the wounded. They were spread out over the stairs leading from the precinct to the sidewalk, but it was hard to make out much from behind a solid wall of responding uniformed personnel.

"How bad is it?" Mac asked as Flack drew near enough to hear. The detective shook his head, for a moment beyond words. Stella was watching as the paramedics hit the ground running, fanning out to see to the victims.

"We got four down, one dead." Flack shook his head. "People are panicking, Mac – they wanna know if it's the same guy. If it is, we gotta catch this sonovabitch before this thing gets worse. My guys don't wanna go out on their beats, and I can't blame 'em. I've got angry wives calling up at all hours of the day, demanding to know if their husbands are safe out there with this crazy on the loose, and what am I gonna tell 'em?"

Stella could understand his frustration. The shootings had left everyone feeling edgy. She was about to comment again when a familiar car pulled up. The rest of the team had arrived and they wasted no time in moving out. Hawkes dashed immediately for the paramedics, quickly identifying himself and his qualifications as he began helping the wounded. Meanwhile, Danny and Lindsay made their way directly for Mac and Stella. Danny's face was a twisted mask of fury. The Bronx native had never been good at concealing his emotions, particularly not in these situations. Lindsay, beside him, looked more worried than anything else as she all but jogged to keep up with his long, determined strides.

"This the same guy, Mac?" Danny demanded, coming to a stop but shifting agitatedly on his feet. He looked like a boxer about to go in the ring, and Stella laid a hand on him, trying to soothe that barely-caged fury.

"We don't know yet." Mac nailed the younger detective with a hard look. "I don't want you to jump to any conclusions. You collect evidence without bias. I shouldn't have to remind you."

Danny shifted, shook his head. "You don't," he replied, in steely tones that betrayed his resentment for the unnecessary reminder. Mac sighed. They were all under a considerable amount of pressure, but he didn't want Danny to crack. He gestured toward the scene, and Flack began clearing a path for the CSIs as the crime scene tape went up. The paramedics ignored them, strapping people to gurneys. The body they left in place, untouched, for examination, photographs and eventual transport to the morgue. Hawkes looked ragged already. He pulled off his sullied gloves as Danny handed him his forensics kit.

"Shots were fired from somewhere high, no one's sure exactly. I sent some guys up into the buildings across the street to see if they could find anyone." Flack shook his head. "Nothin'. Not even a shell. Guy's long gone."

"Danny, Lindsay, as soon as we're done here, I want you across the street pulling any security you can from those buildings. I want every frame of footage from the last twenty-four hours. And talk to the security guards."

Both nodded, although they both very resolutely kept from looking at one another. That, Mac realized with a sigh, was an issue he was going to have to address later. Pulling on his own gloves, he proceeded toward the body, focusing as his team prepared to thoroughly sweep the area for any clues.

"The shooter isn't coming back for the bullets in these victims," Hawkes noted quietly. "We may be able to find something."

"It's a start," Stella agreed, "but if he wasn't worried about these bullets, he's probably not worried about IBIS."

Danny shook his head as he started combing the area where the other victims had fallen, trying to ignore the still-glistening blood on the pavement as he searched for anything that might give them an indication of where the shots had been fired from. He'd just began to walk the perimeter when another familiar figure appeared. Walking quickly, Adam appear through the crowds, carrying in a laser scanner, which he would use to determine the trajectory of the bullet. He also had a Scansphere Laser 3D Scene Digitizer to take a 360 degree view of the crime scene to recreate at the lab. He looked anxious and edgy, in no way happy to be out of his lab and at the scene of a second cop shooting. His eyes fell on the body, then jerked away, and he immediately began to set up shop, carefully not looking at anything or anyone but the equipment.

It was Lindsay that spoke to him, saying something low and quiet that only he could hear, and Danny felt a flash of heated anger. The two had never been particularly close – Lindsay was usually more disgruntled with Adam than anything else, always pushing for results. And Adam had never taken kindly to being rushed, as Danny himself had found out the hard way on several occasions. Still, there she was, with a delicate hand placed a comfortingly on the tech's tense arm, saying something that had his shoulders relaxing a little, and as he turned more toward her to say thanks, Danny had an almost painful urge to walk over there and punch Adam in the face.

Christ. He shook himself out of it. Lindsay had said no, and besides, Adam was into Aspen. But what he didn't understand was why Lindsay had turned him down. Dragging his eyes away from the pair, he reminded himself that the cop behind him dead on the pavement was the reason he was here, and the reason he needed to focus on his job. Before long, Lindsay was at his side anyway, leaving Adam to his work.

"We should probably get that security footage Mac wanted," she said gently, noticing his edgy, dark mood. Danny nodded, standing and peeling off his gloves. The crowd was very slowly dispersing, with help from an impatient Mac, and he tried to shake the last of his jealousy as together, he and Lindsay made their way across the street.

They weren't speaking, that was the first thing Lindsay noticed. She and Danny walked together in silence, and it felt unnatural and uncomfortable. Where was the man that used to tease her the instant she walked into the room or onto the scene? Where were the 'Montanas' and 'Miss Monroes?' Where were all the things that would ease this horrible discomfort? She hadn't thought he'd felt so strongly for her, and turning him down hadn't been so much out of any desire to hurt him than preventing him from being hurt. He didn't understand, and she knew explaining would only lead to argument. That was Danny – he didn't like to lose.

"Maybe one of the cameras got a good shot of the guy."

Danny made a noise. "How often does that happen?"

"It happens," she murmured quietly and defensively, feeling guilty somehow. That feeling of guilt also made her a little mad – why should she feel guilty? She'd made a rational decision to do what was best for the both of them, and just because he didn't understand, that didn't give him the right to sulk like a child.

But at the same time, it was rather flattering to know he was deeply affected. She couldn't remember the last time she'd let someone close enough to be so emotionally wrapped up in her. She curled her fingers into her palms.

"Look, I really am sorry about standing you up, but I just—"

"I know." Danny sounded a little drained, a little hurt. "I know." He didn't want to hash it out again, not if she wasn't going to give him any other answers. It was just easier not to. She took a quick, silent breath and told herself she was okay with that, although she wasn't. At some point, whether they wanted to or not, this conversation was going to happen.

But for now, they didn't have to talk about it – she found herself grateful for that at least. She put her mind back on the task at hand, following Danny into the lobby of the office building that was directly across from the precinct. He leaned against the desk, immediately catching the attention of the woman behind it, and almost lazily inquired about the security tapes. She had obviously been shaken, and though uniformed officers were now all over, she didn't appear to be very comforted. Lindsay could hardly blame her. From here, the gunshots and sirens and shouts had probably been terrifying.

Danny's act wasn't comforting her, either. Lindsay recognized the tactic – act calm, and maybe she would calm down, too. With something so traumatic happening so near, however, meant the normally excessively charismatic detective wasn't having much luck. The woman got onto the phone with the building's security, her hands still shaking. Lindsay sent Danny a glance – he'd been taking these cop killings quite personally, and she found herself wanting to comfort him, or at least to say something soothing.

Bad idea, Monroe, a voice told her. She sighed, then turned as the doors to the lobby's elevator opened. There, in the doorway, was a security guard, and with him the tapes that – with a lot of luck and a few hours in the AV Lab – would crack the case.

They moved like this from building to building along the opposite side of the street, trying not to glance at each other at the same time, or say anything too personal. As their collection of videos grew, Danny made impersonal conversation – mostly angry commentary about the sort of rat bastard that could do something like this. Lindsay took heart in the fact that, as awkward as things were between them, he wasn't ignoring her completely. They headed back toward Mac, intending on informing him that they were going to check out other buildings that might have offered a perch for the shooter when Hawkes flagged them down.

"Your theory on the assault charges against Carter and Morelli? You were right, the handwriting is the same, and the analysis from Ask Sam – that's a handwriting database – came back with a hit," the doctor told Lindsay. She frowned in confusion.

"But Luke Casimir is dead—"

"It wasn't a match to Luke Casimir." Hawkes' dark eyes danced – he loved this part. Lindsay and Danny exchanged glances, both well familiar with the other's tendency to "save the best for last," as he put it.

"So, Doc, you gonna tell us who it did match or leave us hangin' here?" Danny demanded finally, his hands on his hips. Hawkes' smile only widened.

"Daniel Masterson. Aspen's got more info at the lab. Mac's already sent Flack and Stella to see If they can shake him down, and he wants the rest of us back at the lab for a meeting pronto. Also, Adam's done scanning the steps and buildings into to computer. He's going to mock up the shooting for us based on the trajectory from our vics' wounds, meaning –"

"We'll know which building our shooter was hiding in, so maybe our security footage might help out after all," Danny finished, beginning to return Hawkes' vibrant grin. The other man nodded, looking back and forth between his teammates.

"Precisely."

"I put out a discreet APB for our friend Daniel." Aspen braced her hand on the table as she pulled up his record again – it was a long one, full of petty crimes with violent twists. "Trouble is, everyone's in such a panic over these shootings…it might leak out, especially if he's paying attention to police frequencies."

Mac nodded, peering over the tech's shoulder at the screen. "If he's our shooter, he's paying attention."

Aspen sighed and returned the nod. "I can call the local networks and get his face splashed all over the five o' clock news if you think it'll help."

"It can't hurt," Hawkes commented, glancing around the table at the rest of the team. "If he's got any idea we're after him, we might need to get the word out to the public to even have a chance of catching this guy."

Mac's mouth and eyes tightened. He thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head and looked around the table, noting the prolonged absence of Flack and Stella as he did.

"But if he doesn't know, we've lost any advantage of an element of surprise. Not to mention that if his name goes out on the wire, we risk someone else getting to him before we do. This city isn't friendly to cop-killers. We keep this internal, and I don't want anything else leaving these labs. Not a word to anyone, not even IAB, unless I give you the okay. Clear?"

Adam, Aspen, Danny, Hawkes and Lindsay nodded solemnly, although Danny looked as though he felt that comment had been specifically aimed at him. Mac ignored the look on his face – it was a clear warning to all of them that he didn't want to find out case details on the news. He turned to the female lab tech. "Retract the APB, then meet Adam in the AV labs to recreate the scene from the scanner. Flack and Stella will be reporting in any minute with anything they've learned about this guy. Danny, I want you on the new victims – I want to know if these were random targets or not. Look for connections between them; Carter, Morelli, Luke Casimir or Daniel Masterson, just find me a connection."

Danny rubbed his hands together, his stance cocky as he flicked his tongue out over his lips. "You got it, boss."

"Lindsay." She perked at the mention of her name. "I want you and Stella on the new bullets as soon as she gets back with Flack. Hawkes – you're with me."

"Where are we going?" the doctor asked, skirting the table quickly as he scrambled to catch up with their departing leader. Mac's lips twitched into a barely perceptible smile.

"Jersey."

The Audio/Video ( or AV ) Lab's huge monitors glowed as, chewing on a sharpie, Adam keyed up the program and began to download the crime scene scan he'd gotten from the Scansphere Laser 3D Scene Digitizer. Beside him, Aspen watched as the screens began to fill with the image of the Midtown street the precinct was on. He watched as the screens lit her face, then focused on them himself.

"We've got a tiny little problem, or…well, things aren't adding up the way they should. I'll show you. According to Hammerback, the bullet entered the vic's body at a downward angle, like we'd expect. But it's just…look, watch the screen real quick and I'll run the scenario for you."

Aspen glanced at him, questioning, and he fought not to smile – he was trying to be a professional, but she made it hard when she was so close. He stared for perhaps a moment too long, then jerked back into the present and hit a few more buttons on the keyboard. The computer-generated victims and the simulated morning crowd on the digital street ran backwards on the screen from the time of the shooting, as if rewinding.

"Okay, so using some eyewitness testimony and based off of where each of the four victims ended up, I ran the simulation – complete with weather conditions and wind speeds, I might add – through a few tests, ya know, to find the most likely area of origin for the bullets. I thought I had if figured out, and then Hammerback sent word up from the morgue."

He paused, either gathering his thoughts or building suspense, and twirled the sharpie between nimble fingers. Aspen wanted to scream and laugh as the moment stretched. He flicked his eyes to her, feeling her eager gaze on him, and then glanced back for a longer second look, a smirk spreading over his lips before he could control the reaction. He shook his head.

"The trajectory from the bullet wound in the vic doesn't match the simulation."

Aspen lifted a brow, trying to hold back a smile of her own. Her eyes were all innocence. "Perhaps you did it wrong?" she suggested. Adam rolled his eyes in exaggerated exasperation.

"No respect," he muttered, following her line of teasing, and then he keyed up the simulation. "Okay, watch…" He used his sharpie as a pointer, following the four victims as they exited the precinct and started down the stairs. As the attack started, red lines appeared showing the estimated trajectory of the bullets as they struck the victims on the screen. "That's what I assumed happened. I estimated a high perch for the sniper and guessed the trajectory at about fifty degrees."

Aspen nodded. Given the height of the buildings and the width of the street between the precinct and the buildings, she decided it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion. But Adam chomped down on his sharpie and restarted the simulation. This time the bullets impacted the victims at a much shallower trajectory.

"I did this one with the numbers Hammerback gave me to crunch. Given the height and downward angle of the wounds in the bodies, the shooter would have had to been on the second story of that building." He pointed to the one directly across from the precinct, then glanced back at Aspen.

"That doesn't…the first three floors of that building are an insurance company, those are personal offices," she murmured.

"Exactly." Adam reached around her to pull up the company's website. "I made a few calls, and the only person with an office that's compatible with the recreation is Marcus Clarence. He's a sales associate, been with the company for fifteen years, has a wife, dog, two kids, and a nice place in the 'burbs." He gave her a meaningful look. "According to his secretary, everybody loves him."

"So why is it looking like his office is our next crime scene?" Aspen asked. "Did you tell Mac?"

He tapped the phone with his sharpie. He started to pick it up, and then stopped. He glanced at her through the fringe of his eyelashes, but her thoughtful attention was on the simulation, which had come to a stop with the victims lying on the street.

"I…today, when I went out to the scene and saw that cop lying there, dead…I couldn't keep the image of Carter and Morelli out of my mind, and I just…Do you…?" He swallowed. "Are you having nightmares about that night in the bar?"

Her eyes flashed to him, and for a moment he felt very, very, very stupid. Then she cleared her throat and nodded, and he breathed out slowly in silent relief that he wasn't alone.

"It's getting better, but…yeah." She nodded.

"Mac wants me to go for a psych eval…maybe you should get one, too, I mean…ya know. It might help."

She nodded, there was a pause, and then she dropped a minor bombshell on him. "Adam, Danny...kinda asked me out for a drink when this is all over."

He froze for just a split second, then he shut the laptop he'd set on the table and began to close out the simulation on the screens. He had to give himself a moment to process that. Whatever Danny was going through with Lindsay, it obviously wasn't keeping him from chasing other skirts.

"When?" he asked softly.

"He called me last night." She bit her lip, looking a little nervous. Adam stared down at the keyboard beneath his fingers for a long moment, then he looked up with an almost painfully calm expression. He imagined this was what it would feel like to be shot, at least the shock part of it.

"Are you gonna go?" He hated himself for asking, but he knew if she went, that'd be it. He wouldn't have a chance, not against Danny. He'd seriously thought that it wasn't going to be a problem, that the charismatic Italian had his sights set on Lindsay, but obviously that had been a mistaken assumption.

"I told him I'd think about it. I wanted to talk to you first."

Adam knew he wasn't too suave, that he didn't know the right things to say, and even if he did, this certainly was not the place to be having this conversation. He scooped up his laptop and looked at her, trying to look like he wasn't worried about losing her to Danny before he'd ever really gotten a shot.

"You…that's up to you, I guess. If you want to, don't let me hold you back."

"Adam—" She winced, obviously not satisfied with the answer. He wouldn't meet her gaze, instead letting his hand fall on the phone.

"I gotta call Mac." He couldn't look at her just yet, but probably the worst part about it was that he wanted to tell her not to go and that please, just to give him a shot even though he was just a scientist and not a detective, and he'd never look that good in tailored jeans and tight t-shirts. But he bit his tongue, and she nodded, and when the silence didn't end, he picked up the phone and dialed Mac's cell number, unable to shake the feeling that he'd just pushed her right into Danny's arms.

Detective Jessica Angell was in the midst of a God-blessed almost-nap when her phone rang. She uncurled from her warm spot on the couch, cocking her head at the phone speculatively. It was, she knew, probably her precinct. She'd heard about the shootings, called the wives and boyfriend, checked in with her chief. Still, she knew that everyone was pulling double time, and she knew the fact that she'd just finished a four-to-twelve tour wouldn't save her if they decided she needed to come back for another shift tonight. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the phone and answered.

"Angell."

She recognized the voice immediately – not the chief or the sergeant, but Danny Messer from the Crime Labs. He definitely wasn't calling her into work, but something about the quality of his voice still had her muscles tensing. A shame, too – the man was gorgeous, definitely someone any girl would want to hear from on her evening off. But this wasn't a social call, and she shook her head to clear it.

"What's up, Danny?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. After the day they'd had at the precinct, it was an effort to keep the paranoia from her voice. She'd half-expected it to be Detective Flack, in all honesty. He was kind of their precinct's legend, especially with consideration to his father's blue-blooded legacy.

There was a pause, and then, coldly, the CSI continued. "When were you going to tell Mac?"

Angell's muscles tightened into painful knots even as ice slid down her spine. "What do you mean?" she asked, although she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You had to notice the connections." The tundra was warmer than Danny's tone of voice. Probably more forgiving, too. "So why haven't you said anything?"

"How did you find out?" she countered, gripping the back of her couch for support.

"Mac ordered me to find any connections between the vics. Well, you're it. With one exception. I can't figure out how you know Marcus Clarence."

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid, Angell. We don't know each other well enough." The last comment was sarcastic, and Angell doubted very seriously that this was the moment to suggest they remedy that little problem.

"Danny, I swear to you, I don't know who Marcus Clarence is, okay?"

"Come on, you came off the beat with Morelli right before you became a detective. And Michelle Santoro? She's in the hospital fighting for her life. Didn't you go through Academy together? What about this morning's vic, Brad Totah? Says here you two did a couple busts with Narcotics not too long back. So what's going on?" There was another chilly pause. "You crooked, Angell? Huh?"

"No, I'm not crooked!" Angry now, Angell began looking for her coat. She had to explain herself, before all the wrong conclusions were made and things were even worse. "Look, I didn't call Mac because I was under the impression that these attacks were random."

"So don't believe everything you see on TV. C'mon, Angell, the names had to ring a bell."

"Of course they did! I'm just as upset as everyone else that knows them!" Then another chilly thought struck her. "Do you think I'm a target?"

Danny didn't say anything, and then: "Christ, Angell."

"Do you?"

"I'd get down here as fast as you can. The shit is about to hit the fan. I'd rehearse my story on the way over if I were you." He sounded flat, betrayed, and deadly serious. She knew she hadn't worked with him long enough to convince him of her innocence, but Mac had to listen – didn't he?

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," she told him. Her only answer was a hollow click and then dialtone. Shaken, Angell replaced the phone to its hook and began a frantic search for shoes. Hopefully, Mac was in an understanding mood…