There sitting in front of them was Natalia, her legs taped to the two front legs of the chair, and her hands taped behind her back with her head down and mouth taped shut.
Soon after, someone wearing a black ski mask made his way into the screen. "Hello Horatio..." The man said in a deep low voice, too low and deep for it to be real.
"Hello...Mr. Falco..." Horatio said back.
The man froze and stared at the camera for a moment before looking down and taking off the ski mask to reveal Brian Falco. He spit out a voice changer and smiled at the camera, shaking his head. "That's what I get for forgetting my gloves at home."
Calleigh found herself leaning on the table clenching her jaw and gripping the table so hard that her knuckles were turning white.
"What do you want Brian?" Horatio asked in a calm voice.
Scratching his head with his gun he looked into camera, "I love trivia games, but not just any type I like challenging trivia games. Which is why I chose Natalia or mainly you guys as a hole for my next challenge." Brian said as he study everyone in the room.
"I mean my previous... 'playmates' were dumb or didn't know how to follow simple instructions. It's easy, I ask you a trivia question every hour, you get right I give a clue that may or may not lead you to where Natalia is. It's an automatic given that I won't be here because I don't want to go to jail. If you get it wrong..." Brain paused and smiled before saying, "Let's just say you won't like the result."
"What do you mean may or may not lead to Natalia?" Frank asked.
"In the words of my Ex I'm a lying, cheating, bastard. 2% of the time I can be a nice guy, and as for the other 98%, well my previous playmates answer that question. But anyways we are not here to talk about past players, we are talking about the present and the faith of Natalia's life." Brian said looking back at Natalia who was still passed out.
"Where was I... oh that's right I ask the question, you answer, depending on the answer will depend on the outcome. Now don't worry I have questions here for everybody and if you guys are lucky, or as good as everyone says you are, you will all get a turn. Now I must insist that nobody try and help anyone, because that would be cheating, and if you cheat there will be consequences. Now that we got that out of the way, the first question is for Ms. Calleigh Duquesne, or the bullet girl? That's what they call you right?" Brian said looking to Calleigh.
"I mean out of everyone here I know how much Natalia really means to you." Brian said with a grin.
"What is he talking about Calleigh?" Eric said now giving his attention to Calleigh.
"Oh, hasn't she told you? Calleigh and Natalia have been dating now for the past year" Brian continued. "I must say that we should give them a hand, because they had you guys fooled for a long time... But after listening to the phone call made this morning and seeing how oblivious Ryan is, I guess it wasn't that hard to stump you guys."
Ryan bit his lower lip in confusion, and rested his hands on his hip and gave a sigh. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Brian grinned and got up from his chair and left the frame. At that time Natalia let out groan, as she slow lifted her head. For a brief moment panic set in on the brunette CSI as she tried to move her legs and hands that were bound to the chair.
"Talia...Talia..." Natalia looked around room, as calmness set in when she heard Calleigh's voice. "Look straight ahead." Natalia looked in front of her to see the CSI team on the computer screen. She realized that they were still in the lab and probably had no clue where she was, so she let out whimper.
"Talia, it's okay we'll find you" Calleigh said trying to calm her down.
Calleigh was about to say something else when Brian came back onto the screen. "Calleigh, you know one of the first rules of being a officer of the law, you never make promises you can't keep. Your just building her hopes up, and now I have to deal with an upset Natalia for the rest of our time together."
"That is promise I will keep. Just like I promise, that when I find you, I will kill you and I will make sure that it is slow and painful if you do anything to her." she responded in cold dead tone with a heavy southern accent.
"Okay" Brian said under his breath with a chuckle. "Like I was saying before, Ryan you are completely clueless, and here is why." Brian pushed play on this tape recorder.
"Boa...Vista."
"Hey, Natalia are you okay?"
"Yeah, I hit my elbow on the nightstand."
"Well, we found another body that fits the MO of our killer."
"What?... We didn't get any clues, this is unlike the killer."
"Yeah, well maybe it's a copycat. I'm heading to the scene right now, actually I will be passing your house in a few minutes, I'll pick you up."
"Uh...I'm not at the house right now I had to run some errands this morning and plus I have to stop the by lab any way. So I'll meet you at the scene in 20 minutes."
"Okay, well the scene is at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn Funeral Home on 8th street"
"Okay, see you in twenty"
"I hit my elbow on the nightstand...Then when you offer her a ride she not at home...That doesn't raise questions for you?"
The room was silent; Brian just shook his head "Your silence is deafening."
"What's the question Falco?" Calleigh interrupted.
"Well I want to see how well you really know your guns." Brian walked up to the computer and pushed a key. Now in front of Calleigh and everyone was a picture of several different guns.
Calleigh smiled to herself, the guns that Brian displayed on the screen were vintage. They brought back memories of sitting on the pouch in Louisiana listening to her grandfather tell stories about mafia in the 1920s.
"I want you to..." Brian started.
Brian didn't get the chance to finish his question when Calleigh spoke again, " From left to right; M1928A1, Thompson .30 Carbine, M1A1, M1, and M1927A5."
Both rooms were quiet, "I'm right" Calleigh started off in whisper. "I'm right" she repeated slowly raising her voice. Till finally she slammed her fist on the table so hard that they almost broke the glass desk, "I'M RIGHT!"
Ryan still had his hand on his hips; he looked down then back up the screen with a grin on his face. "What's wrong Brian, finally dawn on you that up picked the wrong people challenge?"
Brian was quiet and was staring off into the distance, grinning also Eric decided to break the silence in the room. "Your silence is deafening."
Brian was now staring into the camera clenching his jaw and stroking his eyebrow. Calleigh was glaring at him with her fist still on the table, but seeing Eric and Ryan both grinning like idiots was what made him lose his temper.
He walked over towards the table and picked up his gun, he pointed at Natalia and pulled the trigger. Natalia's head slammed back and she let out a scream of pain that could be heard clearly through her taped mouth. She started squirming violently trying to break herself free from the chair.
Thru the other end of the of computer Calleigh screamed "NO_!" loud enough to be heard on the first floor, which caused most people on their floor to look over to the AV lab and wonder what was going on.
"You bastard! She got them right," Eric yelled.
"It's a challenge detective Delektorsky you've got to be able to your adapt surroundings. Calleigh decided to jump the gun, and answer her question before I had the chance to finish. If she would have waited she would known that I wanted the years the guns came out as well as their names."
"That's cheating!" Walter said.
Brian pretended like he was thinking before he gave his response. "Seeing how I'm the one with the gun and your precious Natalia, I would say I'm the one who calls the shots. So, Calleigh got her question wrong." Brian said with smirk.
Eric didn't get the chance to say anything when Brian pushed the spacebar ending their connection. The screen went black expect for a clock in the lower right hand corner that started counting down from 12 hours.