Disclaimer: I obviously do not own CSI: NY. I just own my car, my laptop and my crazy muse who seems to want to write 4 different stories at a time. I also do own any characters that you do not recognize. You can borrow them if you ask permission first!

A/N: Here's the next chappie!! Thanks to all who reviewed. As always, please R&R. My muse loves the attention. :D I still don't own Taylor! No song title for this one...But much thanks for Aphina and Axellia for betaing this...especially since I rewrote is 3 times!!!!

Chapter 38.

The Plot Thickens

A couple of days later, Cory had put the nightmare out of her mind. She was busy trying to track down what Montoya had smuggled into the country, which even Cruz couldn't tell her. Hearing her phone beep, she looked down at it and realized that she had a text message. Need to talk. Central Park Zoo. 8pm. Puzzled she checked the sender and realized that it had come from Cruz.

Grimacing, she realized that she would have to cancel her plans with Taylor, Marty and Danny. Picking up her phone, she quickly dialed Taylor.

"Hello?"

"Tay. It's Cory. I have to cancel tonight," she said.

"Why?"

"I have to meet up with an informant. Can we rain-check it?" Cory didn't get a response from Taylor. "Tay? You there? Please don't be mad at me," she begged.

"Oh, sorry. I got distracted. I think it might be good that you are canceling. I seem to have a bloody visitor."

Cory breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll call you and see if we can get our schedules to match up again."

"Okay. Bye," Taylor said, still distracted by the ghost standing in front of her.

Cory shook her head as she hung up the phone, glad that she didn't have constant visitors like Taylor did. Looking at the clock, she realized that she had just under two hours before the meeting, so she sent a quick text to Danny and went home to change.

Meanwhile, Taylor was staring at the ghost standing in front of her. He had yet to say anything, so she was getting impatient. "Maddy?" she asked. "Why won't this guy say anything?"

Maddy shrugged. "I have no clue," she said just as the man disappeared. Maddy shook her head. "False alarm, maybe?" she quipped as she vanished.

Taylor just shook her head. "God, I need a vacation."

Cory took care while she was dressing. She strapped on her ankle holster and put her back up Smith and Wesson .22 in there. Then she made sure that her Glock was strapped securely at the small of her back, in easy reach. She had just pulled her shirt back down, when she heard the door open.

"Cory?"

Cory walked from the bedroom into the living room. "Hey," she greeted Danny with a small kiss. "I'm just getting ready to leave. I'm sorry that I had to cancel tonight."

Danny brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I understand. Are you meeting your agent?"

Cory nodded her head before turning and walking into the bathroom. "Yeah," she called out. "I'm hoping that he has some info on the merchandise for me." She quickly finished braiding her hair, so that it stayed out of her face. "I really need a break here. I'm…" she trailed off in her frustration. "I just want to catch the bastard."

Danny nodded his understanding. "I know, bella. I want you to catch him, too." He eyes locked with hers. "Please, be careful."

Cory grinned. "Always. I'd better go," she said as she walked out of the bathroom. As she was putting on her coat, she turned to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Cory shivered in her jacket as the wind made its way into her collar. I hate winter! She shivered again as she checked her watch for the tenth time in the previous four minutes. It was five after eight. Come on, Cruz. You're never late. Where the hell are you?

She turned as she heard the unmistakable sound of erratic footsteps on the concrete. Unconsciously, she drew back into the shadows for protection as the person shuffled towards her. She quickly drew her gun from the holster, taking off the safety in stealth.

Quietly, she readied herself as the figure walked into a pool of light. As she recognized the beaten and bloody man, she quickly holstered the gun and ran towards him. "Cruz!" she cried out in surprise as he collapsed to the ground. "Ovidio?" she said softly, quickly checking for a pulse and breathing a sigh of relief to find one, however faint it was. "Come on. Stay with me," she urged him, checking him over for wounds.

As her hands passed over his left shoulder, they came away covered in blood. Shit, she thought as she realized he had been shot. Working quickly, she stripped off her coat and the long sleeved T-shirt she had on underneath her sweater. She folded the material up and applied the pressure to his shoulder, trying to control the bleeding. Once that was done, she picked up her phone and dialed 911. "This is Special Agent Corrine Reid, FBI. I need an ambulance at the entrance to Central Park Zoo. We have an agent down. He's bleeding heavily from a shoulder wound."

The operator promised her that the ambulance was on its way just as Cruz's eyes fluttered. She looked down at him and saw his lips moving, slowly. "What?" she asked, automatically lowering her head to try to catch the words before the wind stole them.

"C4. Bomb, on subway. Trap," he managed to whisper.

Cory's eyes widened in surprise. "Shit." She pulled out the phone again, this time dialing Lydia. She cursed under her breath in French as it went straight to voicemail. "Lydia, it's Cory. Cruz's cover has been blown. The shipment was C4. There's a bomb on the subway. I'm about to call it in, please call me back when…" Cory trailed off as her senses picked up a shadow moving.

Before she had time to react, she felt a blow to her head and darkness engulfed her.

AN: I know. I'm evil. (lol) Trust me...I tried to continue the chapter, but it just didn't feel right, so I ended with the cliffie!!!! Anyway...I'll make y'all a deal. Since I just finished writing the end to this evil plot line (or fairly close to the end of it), I will post another chapter once I hit a total of 190 reivew (that will be at least 7 review. I have faith in y'all. You can do it!) or next Friday, whichever comes first!!!

CSI junkie - Please don't hit me! Honestly, I really tried to continue with this chapter, but it just didn't feel right. The next chapter is a lot longer! I love Taylor, too. I'm so grateful to Axellia for letting me play with her! She does become an important part of the next ten or so chapters (I just started writing chapter 49, which will definitely be the culmination of a couple of plot lines and probably introduce a new one...I can't seem to stop writing on this!)

Soccer-Bitch - I'm glad you liked it! I hope everyone likes the next 10 or 11 chapters. It's definitely what I've been building towards since chapter 1! I hope that your weather is better than mine, right now. The temp can't decide what it wants to be. Warm one day, freezing the next. No wonder I'm sick right now:D

Axellia-Yeah!!! You're caught up (and I sent you 48!!) Don't feel bad...I haven't shopped either! (:s) I am so far away from the wedding right now!!! You know what's coming up...I need to plot it out again. I may bug you if you're online this weekend! I know...I can't believe that I'm 10 chapters ahead...I think I'll give my muse a break on this for a week or so and maybe expand on my Adam story. For some reason my muse wants to continue it even though people haven't really responded to it...Yeah, I love that line! You do put Tay through a whole lot! I'm wondering if it's obvious to us because we know what's coming up? But this plot has been living in my head for a year now. Can you believe that I started posting this almost a year ago (gasp) and I still don't see an end in sight! You've rubbed off on me...It's becoming a never ending story!

Note to all my lurkers: Y'all are great! If you have any questions, comments or suggestion...Just review and I promise, I do respond back!!