Chapter 4

Ryan's eyes didn't meet Horatio's once while he was telling his story, "You know I was born in Boston. My father, Duke Wolfe, is a soldier. The third one in the family. It's a tradition. It's always the oldest son that signs up. So, it would have been my turn. My father made pretty damn sure that I was strong enough to sign up when the day came. He started training me when I was barely old enough to walk. I don't remember a lot from the first ten years of my life, just some random moments. When I was 16, I decided that I don't wanna be a soldier. Some things happened before that decision and they made me choose to become a cop and criminalist. I told my father. The result is what you have discovered on that belt... He beat me up and threw me out. I grew up with my uncle."

"How did your uncle get the belt?"

"I have no idea. The last time I've seen the belt was when I had to clean it."

Horatio watched his youngest CSI. He had always known Ryan as an eager, young and, overall, very emotional person. He had let his emotions interfere with his job already too often. From shoving people to almost beat them up, Ryan had gone through every state of negative emotional behaviour. But Horatio also knew the other side. The side that had pushed Ryan to take over a case others wouldn't even have noticed. Like with Bethany, the young toddler. No one had noticed something was wrong; Ryan had. Because he cared. Horatio had guessed something had gone awfully wrong in Ryan's past just by the way Ryan acted sometimes. The absolute will to succeed, the urge to not bother any other people when he had problems, the way he took orders from superiors without objecting, no matter how things turned out for him. He was used to obey. And now Horatio knew why. But what bugged him the most was the way Ryan was talking about this now. No pauses, no thinking, just reporting. Coldly.

"Why did you never reported it?"

"I have a mother and a sister. When I was thrown out, my sister was eleven years old. I didn't want to take her father away from her. And my mother loved him with all her heart. I didn't want to ruin my family. I had my uncle, and he cared for me like I was his own son."

"Have you seen your father again?"

"No. He told me the day he would see me again, he… I wouldn't be able to walk on my own two feet anymore. I guess now the time has come to fulfil his promise."

"Times have changed, Ryan. You're equal. And he won't lay a hand on you. That much I promise to you."

Ryan chuckled, "Thanks. But I don't want you or anybody on the team to stand up for me. If I have to face him, it'll be me alone. And I would be glad if you didn't tell him I told you. It's over."

"I see… but you know I'm gonna have to tell the team."

"I do."

"But you can also tell them, if you want."

"I don't. This is part of a case I'm not on. I don't want this to turn into some 'Ryan Wolfe and his bad childhood' theatre play with me as the protagonist. And I surely don't want to be looked at with the CSI look." He got up, "I would appreciate if you told me when my father is around… I haven't seen him for over ten years… I just want to know what he looks like, now…"

"Of course, Mr Wolfe."

--

Horatio kept his promise. He gathered Eric, Calleigh, and, just because he had to, Stetler. And in a moment of silence, down at the morgue, he told Alexx. He didn't know why he chose to speak to Alexx alone. Mainly because when talking to Alexx, he could not only tell her the story, but also the way Ryan had told him. He knew that Alexx would understand, and she would know how to react. Not that Horatio didn't. Having been through a tough childhood himself, he knew what Ryan needed and what he didn't want at all. And he knew that the warm support Alexx would give him would help.

The team's reaction had been like he'd expected. Calleigh was sort of shocked. Eric's reaction surprised him, tough. Given the tension between him and Ryan, Horatio didn't expect him to say 'I cannot believe I never noticed. I thought he was just an ambitious dork, but I'd never thought somebody beat that into him'. Stetler, of course, didn't think very much of the whole thing. He had always known Ryan as a troublemaker, and if he was honest, although he couldn't stand the entire team, Ryan was probably the one he resented most, next to Horatio.

"Horatio, I know you want to protect him, but if his father is in that kidnapping…"

"I know, Rick…"

"We can keep him here for as long as we need if Ryan will press charges against him."

"He won't, Rick."

"Horatio. If this man is an accomplice to the terror organisation that wants this nerve toxin, we need to keep him here. And especially if we can prove it…

"Rick, here's what we gonna do. You leave my CSI alone. I don't think he will press charges, even if he could. I don't want you anywhere near Ryan, you understand me?"

"Horatio…"

"My last word." Horatio turned around and left the room.

--

The conversation with Alexx was longer and way more emotional. He knocked at the door of the morgue. Alexx was just finishing her autopsy on a murder victim. Old woman, robbed and killed in her home. Horatio was reluctant, but right now, this victim wasn't top priority.

"Alexx, you got a minute for me?"

Alexx raised her head, "Sure, Horatio. Margret Smith won't go anywhere. What can I do for you?"

"It's about Ryan."

"He hasn't gambled again?"

"No… His uncle has been kidnapped. When we searched the flat, we found a belt. It had Ryan's blood on it. And epithelials from Ryan's uncle and his father…" He didn't continue. He didn't have to. He could see in Alexx's eyes that she had understood.

"He loves his uncle. What did his father do to him?"

"Apparently… apparently he wasn't too satisfied with Ryan's career choice. He wanted his son to continue family tradition and sign up for military. Ryan chose a different path, and apparently had to pay a high price for it… His father threw him out after severely beating him up... Now, I know what happened in that situation.... But only God knows what Ryan has been through before that day..."

Alexx's eyes showed the sadness about what she had just learned, "I always wondered why he is the way he is. I knew something must have happened to him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Horatio…"

"I know, Alexx. We have to be careful what we do now. I have to bring Ryan's father in for questioning. And I want you to have an eye on how Ryan deals with the situation. You know him more than anyone else on the team."

"And still not enough for him to tell me about it… But I will take care of him if he needs me…. And in the meantime, you try and get his uncle back. I don't want the only person that has ever cared for him to die…"

"Neither do I, Alexx…." Horatio turned around and left the morgue. Outside, he dialled a number on his cell phone, "Mr Wolfe? This is Horatio Caine, from the Miami Dade Crime Lab. I'm calling about your brother…"