Chapter 5: On The Move - part 2

The darkness of the night surrounded the old dusty room in which they stayed. Only the light from the crescent moon was allowed through the window. The two sat at opposite corners of the hard stone wall. A lighter flickered on and off revealing his nasty expression each time the luminous flame was made. Eventually he lit the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. The other man sat in the corner where the moonlight was shining, eating a sandwich.

"What are we gonna do now?" he asked nervously biting another piece.

"I don't know," he answered flatly.

"I thought you had revised a plan?"

"Yes I do..."

"So what're we gonna do, what if they find us...?"

"Shut up!" Marc rose from the ground and neared the other one who was now shaking. "We wait 'till tomorrow, then I'll explain my plan and you better not screw this up, doc."

She awoke to the heavenly scent of breakfast floating from the kitchen. The smell sent her rushing into the bathroom and slamming the door. Soon she came dragging her feet slowly to him.

"You okay?" he switched off the stove. Her eyes were still tired and had bags under them and she seemed exhausted. She nodded, he smiled, they embraced. "So," he pulled apart, "do you want pancakes, or eggs, or pancakes with eggs? Anything, anything at all?" He waited on a reply then added, "Oh sorry, eating for two, so you'll be having everything, have a seat." Calleigh laughed then went to the glass table just outside the kitchen. He came and sat beside her placing the food in front of her.

"Thanks," she picked up the fork to eat then placed it back down, "you know - I wonder how the case is going?"

"Oh boy..." he rolled his eyes.

"No, I just wanna know," she made the cutest puppydog eyes.

"Eat first."

The sun shone brightly in the brilliant beautiful blue sky. Eric and Horatio were the first ones to arrive back on the scene in front of the mini mart. The yellow tape surrounded the front of the store: tied to the mirror of the hummer to the curb where poor Ryan was knocked out. Horatio went inside and he began to put on his gloves. Then his phone rang and he answered...

"Hey, Cal., how you feeling?"

"I'm okay, big, but okay," she giggled, "I miss you, Eric, all you guys!"

"I miss you, too."

"How's it going?" her voice got calm.

"Now you know I can't tell you about the case."

"I'm not asking about the case, well, not really. How are you guys holding up?"

"I'm fine, and Natalia and Horatio are too, but something happened to Ryan."

"Oh, is he okay?"

"He's at the hospital, he'll be okay. I'm at the scene where it happened, trying to get some evidence."

"Okay, I hope you get a lead."

"Thanks, bye." They hung up their phones. Just as Eric was returning to the scene Natalia joined him.

"Good morning," she smiled, "who was that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Calleigh, she's holding up," they began putting on their gloves, "How'd it go with the guard?"

"He did it and I arrested him - Miami is unbelievable." They looked across the pavement to see the blood still there from the day before.

"It is."

Inside, Horatio questioned the owner. He was a short stuby guy with short black hair and he was standing on the other side of the counter.

"What time did this happen?" Horatio asked.

"I don't know, uh, about six something. The guys, they were wearing orange and one pushed me down, and the other took some stuff," he said nervously, "and when they heard sirens they ran. I don't know anything after that."

"Are these the men?" he showed him the mug shots of them.

"Ah, yes I recognize them, those were the men."

"Did they say anything?"

"Not really, this one was shouting at the other and uh - he called him doc."

"Do you remember what they took?"

"Mmm, no, the one with the black hair pushed me down, I-I couldn't see. Sorry I can't help."

"No, you're doing great, but what would really help, is if you give me the tapes from those cameras."

"Sure." Horatio received the surveillance tapes and carried them straight to the A.V. lab.

Eric was in the lab staring at the computer trying to work the tapes his boss retrieved and it wasn't working at all; but he had to act like he did because you know who was outside. Meanwhile outside in the hallway, he was wiping off his sunglasses, when he saw his C.S.I. approaching him.

"Mr. Wolfe," he said surprized. Ryan smiled and stopped next to him. All he had was a white bandage above his left eye. "How are you feeling." His boss' expression became caring.

"Good," he answered uneasily, "but not great."

"Good, don't ever take a situation you can't handle, you understand?" He nodded and went to find the lab. As he entered the room his colleague stared at him. He took a seat and explained:

"I don't want the sympathy, so let's just get back to work."

"Thank God you came, because I don't know what the hell I'm doing here," Eric surrendered rolling out of the way on his chair. Ryan began typing right away. "You ARE okay though?"

"I got a concussion, big deal - I'm okay, Eric...anyways what am I looking at?"

"Surveillance tapes from the store. Horatio wants to see if they caught anything."

"Okay, this is some horrible footage, I can't see a thing. It's gonna take long," he turned towards him.

"Just, do what you have to do." The video was grainy, dark and they could bearly make out anything going on in it. As he took his time in clearing it up, Eric asked him questions:

"What do you remember?"

"Um - I heard the call out in the hummer so I raced there, took out my gun, identified myself and they managed to over power me - I couldn't move, and then it just went black. Hey, do you have my gun?" Eric shook his head. Suddenly the video was clear enough to see and he played it. It revealed the two men running into the store. One ran out of sight into an aisle in the distance. Marc jumped the counter and pushed the owner down and took something from under the counter and placed it on the table.

"Wait pause that," Horatio popped up behind them, "and get me closer."

"It's a pack of cigarettes," Eric stared up at him then back.

"Zoom out and play it slowly." Marc stole money from the cash register, a pocket knife, then the other person came back into sight with some supplies in his hands and they ran out with them. "Okay, rewind to the second guy, give me a close up on his face."

"Let me try...there he is."

"Doctor Mike Lasker: we arrested him for murder a year ago."

"He was Marc's cell mate, that's how he got out with him."

"The thing I can't understand is why they didn't hide their faces, they're smart enough to know about the camera," Eric asked.

"Because, gentlemen, they know we're onto them," he left the room leaving them blank.

Night arrived very quickly and that was when Jake came home. He entered through the door whistling. There were no signs of Calleigh in the living room but he found her in the bedroom fast asleep. He tiptoed over to the bathroom and took a five minute shower. After this he went into the kitchen to find something to eat. It was quiet that if a pin dropped you would hear it loud and clear. He shook the mysteriousness off his mind and looked into the fridge, then there was a knock at the door. The same feeling came again making him move slowly towards it, then knocking stared again frightening him. After looking through the peephole he realized it was the security.

"Sorry about that, Sir, but this letter came for you today," the man in black handed him the envelope.

"Thanks," he locked the door then went back into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He tore it open:

Dear Jake,

I haven't seen you or your precious Calleigh since almost nine months now. How are you guys? I hope you're doing fine and best wishes to you two and of coarse and the baby.

Yours truely,

Anonymus.

P.S. - Who's the child's father?