A/N Hey y'all! How's life? Mine's stressful! Hee! Here's Chapter 17...Thanks for the reviews again! Gotta love you guys! 3 csi-addicted
Chapter 17
"Lieutenant! I've got something off the security camera," Tyler Jensen called out the open door to the AV lab.
"I thought it was ripped out?" Horatio inquired.
"It was. The security system MDPD uses transmits the feed directly to be videotaped. I checked with surveillance and I got the tapes for outside the hallway to the interrogation rooms about 5 minutes ago."
"Good work, Tyler."
"That's not all. I think I may have a face for you."
Horatio's eyebrows raised, the slight buzz of anticipation shooting through his body.
"Whoever ripped out the outside security camera did it after 9:30 which is the last time the feed was transmitted. I'm guessing either it's an inside job and the kidnapper is unintelligent or it was an outside job because they went through the effort of taking the outside camera but not the actually video tapes or the inside video camera," Tyler informed Horatio, small smirk playing on his lips.
"Calleigh's interview must have finished at around 9. Do we have the feed from then?"
"We do."
Tyler expertly tapped the keys rewinding the tape to the 9 o'clock spot on the tape. The security camera was turned away from Interrogation Room 9 for most of it but...
The AV lab tech quickly zoomed to the right bottom corner of the video screen. Tyler zoomed to what seemed to be a glass window. Catching the reflection, he flipped it, enlarged it and cleaned it up. Rick Stetler could be seen with his arm extended feet in an aggressive stance. Calleigh was on a 45 degree angle, ready to fall to the floor, blonde hair flying wildly.
"Um, Lieutenant."
"I know!" Horatio growled, ineffectively trying to calm the rage building up inside of him like superheated lava.
In a flash, Tyler had fast forwarded to 9:05 and the pair was gone. Flipping to the tapes for the outside you could see a black haired man, with Calleigh over his shoulder.
"Dammit, Stetler!" Horatio roared, although it escaped from his lips much quieter in his intense restrained fury.
"Print me a copy of those two frames, please. And Mr. Jensen, I would like to keep this quiet if possible. Good work."
Horatio stormed out of the lab, anger being exuded in every step, fury oozing out of every pore. He eyes had darkened and iced. Bright blue appeared frosted and cold. As if parting the Red Sea, the busy bustling hallways of the crime lab spread to allow the enraged man to pass through the center. The
whispers were momentarily halted and the glass walls acted as an insulator to the strong feelings radiating from him.
Flipping his cell phone open, he made a quick call to the Chief and arranged an emergency meeting.
15 minutes later, Horatio walked into the Chief's office, grim face, cold eyes, and evidence burning a hole in his pocket.
Silently, he stepped up to the desk and placed the incriminating photo on the table. The Chief's eyes widened.
"Horatio –"
"He ripped out the security camera, but left the tapes. We found this image and reflected it and this one is obviously him carrying Detective Duquesne," Horatio snarled, seething.
"Horatio, this is a very serious matter. I assure you, disciplinary action – "
"Chief, Lieutenant Caine should not be...," Stetler complained, trailing off when he saw the two superior officers standing at the desk.
"Sergeant Stetler. It has come to my attention that some incriminating evidence has been found in the Duquesne case," the Chief said calmly.
Horatio looked like he would be the IAB officer to a pulp but the warning in the Chief's eyes reminded him that if he wanted this done, he would have to do it right.
Stetler's brown not-so-innocent widened and he felt as though Horatio could see right through to his rapidly beating heart.
Horatio's cell chirped a noisy contrast to the silence cast in the Chief's office. He stared at it, annoyed, before flipping it open his blue eyes tightening imperceptibly as the message Ryan sent him brightly splashed itself across the screen.
"I have to go. Excuse me Chief," Horatio informed the men, eyeing Stetler like an annoying mosquito buzzing around his head.
He put his sunglasses on in his usual Horatio fashion and stalked over to the door purposefully, stopping only to whisper in his rival's ear.
"I know you're in on this. I will find whoever you're working with and I will hunt you two down," Horatio threatened softly.
Stetler's breath caught in his throat briefly simply from the anxiety this whole ordeal had brought him.
--
"H, I got a blood trail."
A/N Okay...so it is gonna come together soon, I PROMISE! Probably in the next 3 Chapter MAXXXX! Love you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter!