Title: Vendetta

Author: innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/Miami Heat/LJ)

Summary: Clavo Cruz escapes from prison and goes after those Horatio holds dear in order to really get back at him. Clavo sees that there's more between Horatio and one of his co-workers, and takes Calleigh... (takes place before current season - I swear this was thought up before "Man Down")

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

Genres: Angst, Drama, Episode Related, Established Relationship, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, Suspense

Characters: Calleigh Duquesne, Eric Delko

Warnings: none

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 9 "The Charmer"

Author's Notes: resurrects Vendetta EHEHEHEHE I have returned!!!!

…………………………

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Eric said as he drove the Hummer into the parking structure at the crime lab. He had been chanting it in his head the whole time, and had to finally say it allowed. He had no idea how he'd been talked into it, but there he was against all his wishes.

Calleigh just smiled, "I told you I'm fine," she told him as she unbuckled her seat belt as Eric pulled into a parking spot. "It wasn't like there was somethin' physically wrong with me," she defended once the car was parked and she was able to open her door.

"What do you call your inability to remember everything that happened?"

"Fog? It'll clear," she told him matter of factly.

He watched as she got out of the Hummer and shook his head before getting out on his side and locking up the company vehicle. "The minute we find Horatio, you're going home and resting…"

Calleigh just smiled and walked along with Eric.

……………………..

Clavo's hand connected with Horatio's cheek, splitting the skin open and splattering blood flew every which way. He kept a tight smile as he continued. "Calleigh Duquesne won't even be able to recognize your face," Clavo told him cheerfully. "It'll give your DNA lab something to do."

Horatio didn't take the bait. His thoughts were on Calleigh and how she was safe with the team. Clavo couldn't touch her or use her against him anymore. It was that knowledge that he clung to through each blow.

"You're not thinking that your CSIs are going to come and rescue you, are you?" Clavo asked, but then just studied Horatio when he stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if he saw hope in Horatio Caine's eyes or if it was just general not caring what happened to him. "They're not," he said getting up and leaving Horatio again.

They were only words. Clavo hadn't gone through with his previous threat. He wasn't parading a damaged Calleigh Duquesne around and putting a gun to her head. She was still alive and so was he. He simply reminded himself that Calleigh was in a safe place with friends who cared about her and would protect her against Clavo.

……………………

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital still? Or at the very least resting?" Natalia questioned shocked at the presence of the day shift's ballistics expert and Horatio's second-in-command. She hadn't expected Calleigh to be in the lab for at least a couple days…

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" Calleigh asked slightly annoyed. Her head was starting to pound; she blamed all the questions of her well being.

Maxine Valera stopped and looked to Natalia, "That's what I said…but it's Calleigh…" She shrugged and gave Calleigh a smile before walking off.

"I'm fine," Calleigh lied. She had managed to ditch Eric, at least for the time being. She had told him she needed to use the lady's room and then had slipped out and headed off on her own to find out what she could on the case involving Horatio's disappearance. There wasn't much on it, which made her worry more about her boss and friend.

Natalia frowned, "I'm not sure what more help you can be for Horatio here, Calleigh… There are no leads… We're at a dead end…" She tilted her head and studied Calleigh for a minute thinking she noticed a change in the other woman's pallor, "You look pale…"

"I'm fine," Calleigh repeated a bit uneasy at the thought of being read so easily. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and kept her eyes leveled on Natalia. "We need to find Horatio…today…"

"How do you plan on doing that?"

Calleigh thought for a minute. How was she going to do that? With no leads to go on, how was she going to rescue Horatio? To find him just to make sure that he knew the things he should have known…what he should have heard from her… "Have you done a search on all properties related to General Cruz? Anything at all? Even if it's a shack, it's a lead."

"We've looked at the list…we've searched them all with the general's permission and have come up with nothing…" Natalia reported. She knew Calleigh was behind in the game, but she also didn't seem to be fit enough to be back in the game either.

"How about under his brother's name?" Calleigh asked tilting her head just a bit and reached up with one of her hands to rub her temple. "He's been in jail for some time now, but maybe Clavo decided that we wouldn't look there…or even under Clavo's name?"

"We looked under the last name Cruz, not only sticking with family… Most have been checked out…the others there's no way."

"I don't think that's good enough," Calleigh spoke up louder a bit pissed off. Not only was her headache worsening, but it didn't seem like anyone cared about getting Horatio back. "Pick the most UNLIKELY place and search that! We might actually get a decent lead," Calleigh snapped before walking off. She needed some Tylenol or Motrin…or even something to eat…caffeine…coffee… Anything that would make it stop. She saw Eric approaching her and tried to make a quick turn into a lab nearby, but heard Eric calling her.

There was no escape.

Calleigh dropped her hand from her temple and turned to face Eric. "I just needed some air," Calleigh told him before he could say anything. She didn't want Eric to go off about her sneaking off and him being worried about her. She needed her space.

"Why'd you yell at Natalia?" Eric asked. The he explained, "Everyone could hear you… I was in A/V with Cooper and we could hear you loud and clear."

Her head dropped, and her hands tightened into fists. She took a breath before continuing. Looking up at him, she kept her voice down, "Horatio's out there… She wasn't doing her job."

"The trail is COLD, Calleigh."

She didn't want to hear that. She wasn't going to give up on him. "You follow that trail then," she told him bringing her head up and staring him in the eyes. Her blue eyes meeting his brown ones. "I'm going to find Horatio…"

"Calleigh—"

……………………

TBC…