We would like to thank ALL our loyal readers for your support while we have been away. In the next few weeks, you will see our stories being reposted here for all of you to read along with several NEW stories we've written while we've been away.

We appreciate all the kind messages we've received for our readers...we didn't realize how many of you were reading our stories, lol. It has brought HUGE smiles to us and we hope you'll continue to stick with us as we re-post some old favorites and hopefully new favorites. Thanks again!

CaineSpeedle & Speedfanatic05

Now for the good stuff!

**WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE! You Are Warned**

"The year had been a year of terror, and of feelings more intense than terror for which there is no name upon the earth. For many prodigies and signs had taken place, and far and wide, over sea and land, the black wings of the Pestilence were spread abroad."

From "Shadow" by Edgar Allan Poe

Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, Tim watched the scenery pass, his thoughts millions of miles away. There was so much that he had to contend with, his decision to leave the team years ago, the presence of his daughter in his life, and now, Calleigh's abduction. All of it had begun to roll into one and heave itself on to him, making him anxious. It seemed as if they couldn't get to their destination quick enough, it was as if they were at a standstill as the world progressed on, and it wasn't enough. Someone he cared about was in danger, and he was unable to help, binding him to his own anxieties.

Looking to Horatio, he stared at the solidarity of his stature, wondering just what was going on inside his mind. It was very obvious that he felt something for Calleigh, but he couldn't understand how he could remain so calm in the face of the turn of events. He wondered if it was his control that kept him on the sharp edge without allowing him to teeter over.

Clearing his throat, he turned to him fully, "Can I ask you a question, Horatio, and I mean, you can tell me to go to hell if you like, but I've got to know. Are you and Calleigh involved?"

Taking his eyes off the road for a brief second to glance over at Tim, Horatio rested his left hand on the steering wheel as his other reached for his drink. Flinching some at the tenderness of his ribs he exhaled, "And if we are, Speed? Would that make a difference?"

Shaking his head slightly, he glanced away, "No, I'm just wondering how you can be so calm, knowing that the woman you love is out there, with a maniac who is trying to resurrect his dead wife through her. There would be no door that I wouldn't kick down, no question that wouldn't be answered. Hell, I'm furious with myself for allowing her to slip through my fingers. I was supposed to make sure she was safe…"

"You also had charge of your five year old daughter, Speed. I think even Calleigh would agree that she needed to be priority number one with you, not Calleigh," Horatio replied as he took a sip of his drink and then set it back. Trying to get comfortable again, he sighed, "We'll find her, Speed. If I have to go to the ends of the earth, I will."

"Yeah, well, let's hope that we don't have to follow this maniac that far." Falling back into silence, Tim turned to his window again, more questions filling his head. Deciding on keeping them professional, Tim arched a brow, "So what can you tell me about this motel? It's out in the middle of nowhere, can we be sure that they even stopped here?"

Looking out at the forest of pine trees passed them, Horatio shook his head, "From what Mac could tell it was in town on the main drag through. Signal indicated they had been stationary for several hours…so, even if they didn't stay they, maybe someone saw something."

"So that means knocks and talks. If the town is as small as it is, this shouldn't take that much time at all. We could catch up to them."

"We'll start at the hotel. If they got a room, maybe something was left behind. Calleigh…" he breathed out as he remembered back, "Calleigh's been know to leave a trail unseen to anyone but a CSI."

Hearing the wistfulness in his voice, Tim arched a brow, "Been known…Horatio, what has she been through?"

Sighing, Horatio shifted some in his seat, groaning slightly in the process, "She uh…she was kidnapped last year and forced to cover up a murder. I had been extradited back to Brazil for the murder of Antonio Riaz…the man that killed Marisol. By the time I got back, they had just found Calleigh's hummer."

"She was okay though, right? I mean…she didn't get hurt did she?" Tim asked, fixated now. He studied Horatio's features, seeing a modicum of pain etched within his expression and he sighed heavily and shook his head, "How long have you had feelings for her, H? Has it been all of this time?"

Keeping his eyes forward as he drove, Horatio nodded slightly and then looked into his side mirror, checking the other lane, "For a long while, Speed."

"A long while? I'm not sure I understand, you love her, but …you married someone else? What am I missing here, H?" Tim kept his eyes on him and scratched his temple, "How could you have married Marisol if you loved Calleigh?"

"I loved Marisol…but with Calleigh…I didn't think I could have her. She was in and out of relationships…" she said as he trailed off thinking to the time that had pasted between them. "Call it bad timing."

"Bad timing… that's an interesting way to put it. Why didn't you just talk to her? If I can remember straight, you two were always flirting. It seemed as if this would've been easier between you two." Running a hand through his hair, he shrugged his shoulders, "I guess you're right…bad timing."

Slowing the vehicle down as they entered into the town limits, Horatio pulled out the paper with the address and handed it to Tim. Clenching his jaw for a moment, Horatio finally spoke up, "In and out as fast as we can, Speed."

"Sure," Tim responded, looking to the paper. As Horatio drove slowly, he looked for the address, finally finding it on the side of the motel. Tim arched a brow and pointed, "I think this is where we're supposed to be."

Pulling into the small establishment, Horatio brought the vehicle to a stop in front of the office. Shutting off the engine, he reached for the file containing the photographs of Larken and Calleigh. As they got out, Horatio looked around as his free hand went to his ribs, grimacing at the pain that resided there. Noticing Tim waiting for him, he closed the door and began to walk slowly, "I'm fine, Speed."

Tim nodded and then gestured towards the building, "Well, after you. I'm sure your ribs will tell you when to sit it out. You want me to do the talking?"

Handing him over the file, Horatio nodded, "Yeah…and your probably gonna drive next."

"No problem, it's what I'm here for," Tim answered as he took the file. Pulling out the pictures, he stepped through the door, holding it open for Horatio. Turning his attention to the desk, he noticed a woman sitting there watching television. Glancing back at Horatio, Tim cleared his throat intentionally and placed the photographs on the counter, "Um…excuse me ma'am. I was wondering if you could give us some help?"

Getting up from her desk, Gail came over, giving the dark haired man a smile, "Well, I can try, hon. Whatcha need?"

Gesturing to the pictures, he smiled widely, "I was wondering if you've seen either of these people? They could've been in between last night and yesterday, driving a dark late model Cadillac."

Looking at the photo's, Gail raised a brow, "I haven't seen that woman…but that guy was here, last night. He got a single cottage from me." Looking back up at him, Gail raised a brow, "Why? What's going on?"

Trading looks with Horatio, he arched a brow, "Can you tell which cottage it was?"

Going over to the log book, she looked back at him, "Are you the cops or something? I've never seen you two in town before and I'd know, I grew up here."

Producing his badge he showed it to her, "Miami Dade. We're investigating an abduction of one of our own, the woman. She's a detective as well, and her abductor is a professor for the University of Miami. Very well mannered, eloquent and clever. It's important to find her."

"Oh…" she said as she grabbed the book and brought it over. Opening it to the page, she sighed, "He seemed so nice and respectful. All he asked for was a single…" Finding the name, she turned the book to them, "Here it is, Curtis Lawson."

"Curtis Lawson, huh? Do you think we can take a look at the room?" Watching as she reached for the key, he asked, "Did he check out on time, was there anything that you saw out of the ordinary?"

Handing him the key, Gail shook her head, "I don't know. I didn't go in there. But my cleaning girl, Stacy did. I think she's still out there around that cottage. You could ask her. He'd turned in the key early, before I opened up the office."

"At the cottage?" Tim shot a look to Horatio and then bolted out of the door. Heading towards the back, he spotted the cart and pushed himself. Stopping at the cottage, he burst into the room out of breath, "I…I need you to…stop what …you're doing. Miami Dade police…"

Letting out a small cry and gripping the sheet she had in her hand, Stacy's eyes grew wide at the man that had burst in. Seeing the badge he produced, she shook her head, "I…I work here…I wasn't doing anything but cleaning…"

"I need you to stop right now, and move out of the room," Tim instructed as he gained his breath a bit more. He eyed the room and narrowed his eyes, "How long have you been in this room? What have you cleaned?"

"I…I did the bathroom so far. I just got to this cottage about fifteen minutes ago," Stacy said as she dropped the sheet I her hands. "Does Mrs. Gail know?"

"Yes, she knows. What have you done to the bathroom?" Tim walked around the cottage "I need to get in here."

Moving out of his way, Stacy ran a hand through her messily pulled back hair, "Uh…I mopped, cleaned the toilet…oh, and the trash. It had hair in it."

"I'll need to see that as well, can you leave it at the door?" Tim walked towards the bathroom and looked in, "I'll need you to leave me to this, please."

"Uh, sure thing, officer," Stacy said as she went to the door and was met by a red haired man. Giving him a nod, she moved quickly, getting the trash bag and placing it at the door and then heading towards the office.

With a kit Mac had lent them in hand, Horatio walked into the small cottage and took off his shades. Looking around some, he spoke softly, "What have we got, Speed?"

"A very meticulous person. The only thing left was a trash bag full of hair. It's over there." Moving back towards him, he sighed heavily, "I'll go through the bathroom, you think you can handle this out here?"

"Yeah." Placing the kit down, Horatio looked over at him, "Speed, be sure to check the counter and the walls. Last time Calleigh was taken she left her fingerprints on the wall letting us know how many suspects we were looking for."

"Okay, I'll do that," Tim answered slightly sarcastically. Moving fully into the bathroom he closed the door and sighed, "Alright, walls and countertops." Bending, he opened the kit and took out the fingerprinting powder. Taking the brush in hand, Tim began to dust lightly, arching his brow at what began to develop. When he was finished, he stared at it and then went for the door, opening it, "H…you're right, she left a message…" Seeing his expression as he looked into the bag, Tim frowned, "H…what is it?"

Reaching it with a gloved hand, Horatio brought out long locks of blond hair, his heart seemingly dropping. Looking at Tim, he raised a brow, "He's altered her appearance."

"He cut her hair." Tim sighed and narrowed his gaze at the bag, "We knew he was going to do that, Horatio. It just shows how fast we have to be. He's already altered her appearance, what's next is to take her where it started. I have the answer to that in the bathroom, if you want to see it?"

Placing her hair gently back into the bag, he moved to the door and looked in. Seeing the wall and what she left behind, he raised a brow, "So, he's taking her to Nevada…I'd better call Ray and Catherine and let him know we're coming."

Tim nodded and turned, heading back towards the bathroom, "I remember Catherine, but…who is Ray?"

"New guy there at the Vegas Crime Lab. Help him with a case when one of his murders ended up in Miami," Horatio said almost absently as he saw something. Going over to the bed, he bent down on one knee, taking in a painful breath and then reached for the item. Bringing up the necklace he found, he sighed, "This is Calleigh's. We gave it to her on her birthday."

The sadness in his voice caught Tim off guard and he sighed heavily, "We're going to catch up to them, Horatio and we're going to find her. We now know where they're going to be, and now that we know that they are driving, we can beat them there. You have to keep the faith, H."

Nodding, Horatio sighed, "Let's get finished here and back to the airport. I'll call Jesse and see where in Nevada that Larken has been. I'm sure Ray and Catherine will back us up there being they know Calleigh so well."

Tim stopped and looked back at Horatio, seeing the determination building. Along with that determination, however, Tim saw a certain amount of despair as well, as if he knew that they were running out of time. Going back into the bathroom, he took fingerprints and then bagged a few hairs that were not Calleigh's. Finishing up, he closed the kit and left the bathroom, catching Horatio staring out of the window. Not wanting to startle him, he cleared his throat and spoke quietly, "H…I'm done. Are you ready?"

With Calleigh's necklace still in his hand, he nodded and then turned, looking back at him, "When we get to the airport, they should have a FedEx drop there. We'll send what we collected to the lab so they can start processing it all." When Tim pulled out an envelope and held it open, Horatio looked at the necklace and then placed it in, looking at the younger man, "Let's get going."

Tim sealed the envelope and nodded, placing it within the kit. Now more than ever, time was of the essence, and they had not a second to waste. Following Horatio out to the car, he placed the kit in the back and then looked to Horatio, smirking, "I thought you said I was driving?"

"I just got my second wind," Horatio replied as he pulled open the driver side door and got in. Slipping the key in, he started the car as Tim got in and then placed it in gear, pressing on the gas and pulling out. With the information Calleigh had left for them, he had to get them to Nevada and find out where exactly Larken would be taking her. Time now was dwindling and the last thing he wanted was to loose Calleigh forever.

Tim smirked as he settled in, and shook his head, chuckling lightly. He didn't know what had happened between the ride to town and now, but the new determination in his eyes was a welcomed sight. It was then that he knew that Horatio wouldn't stop until he found her, and made Larken pay.

The heat of the trunk was starting to get to Calleigh and the sweat poured from her body. It had been hours since they had stopped and she felt her body growing weaker with no water or food since that morning. Blowing out a breath, she tried to concentrate on something else but found it difficult. She was in one of the worst situations she'd ever been in and she was sure it was far from being over.

The feel of the car slowing got her attention and she moaned loudly as the car shifted, her head hitting the side of the enclosed trunk space. Her survival was what she needed to look out for and she decided to go along with Larken, no matter how bad it got. When the car came to a slow stop, she awaited anxiously and quietly for him to come and check on her.

Turning off the car, he sat for a moment and stared in the rear view mirror at the back of the car. He'd driven for hours, knowing that she was sweating, thirsty and famished, the heat of the day doing it's worst. His heart fell for her plight, but if he didn't teach her now, he would never have what he needed from her. Now as he sat and pondered the situation, he decided to try again. If she didn't comply, he would leave her back there again, with the hopes that she would learn.

Getting out and walking to the back of the car, he tapped on the trunk and spoke loudly, "Still awake, sweet? I'm going to open this trunk, and when I do, you're going to comply, or I'll close it again."

Closing her eyes and preparing for him to open it, her voice came out hoarse and dry sounding, "I…understand…" When he opened it, the rush of fresh air hit her hard and Calleigh gasped in a breath. Sweat covered her body, wetting her clothes. Squinting from the light, she looked up towards him, not saying anything.

Pulling the bottle of cool water from his pocket, he opened it and leaned in, lifting her head up. Placing the bottle to her lips, he instructed calmly, "Take it slow, sweetness. Slow." Anchoring her body to his, he moved the sweat laden strands of hair away from her face and poured the water there. Sorrow laced his voice as he spoke again, "Don't make me do this to you again, Evie. I don't want to do this. Please do what I say."

Relishing the coolness of the water, Calleigh gasped as she swallowed and nodded slowly. Her goal was to survive until Horatio came for her and she knew in order to do that, she'd have to do whatever Larken said. Looking up into his eyes, she nodded, "I…I will."

"Good, now that we've established that, we can move on." Bringing her into his arms, he held her close and walked to the passenger side, opening the door. Placing her inside gently, he stopped to caress her face, smiling faintly, "I'm going to get you cool before we stop for the day. I think you need to rest. I'll get your dinner too."

Nodding again, she didn't try to pull away from him, instead staying where she was at. Sweat stilled poured from her and she closed her eyes slowly, "I…I don't feel good."

Feeling her body tense under his touch and taking in the profusion of sweat, Christopher deducted that she had heat exhaustion. He touched her skin and then dropped his head, speaking in a regret filled tone, "I let it go too far. I have to fix this." Moving quickly, he got in and turned on the car, turning on the air conditioning. Careful to not get it too cold, he then started off, in search of a place to rest.

The coolness of the car felt good to her heated skin as Calleigh sat back in the seat with her eyes closed. Licking her dry lips, she fought down the nausea she was starting to have and swallowed hard. Breathing out through her mouth, she mumbled, "Need…water…"

Reaching for another water bottle, Christopher opened it and reached to place it at her lips, "Drink, baby. Drink slowly."

Taking what she could, Calleigh swallowed the cool liquid down, it seemingly hitting her stomach like a ton of bricks. When he took it away, she licked what remained on her lips and whispered, "Thank…you…"

"Just keep drinking" he urged. Driving with more intent, Christopher searched the nearest hotel, pulling into the first one he could find. Parking under the canopy, he turned to her, "I'll be right back, Evie. I'm not going to lose you again."

Too weak to even move, Calleigh simply nodded a little and reclosed her eyes. Her hair was wet with her sweat and even with the air conditioning she was still hot. When the car door opened and closed, she barely opened her eyes, seeing him going inside. Licking at her lips once more, she whispered softly, "Hurry…Horatio…hurry…"

Racing into the lobby of the hotel, Christopher already had his wallet out, fisting the bills into his hand. Placing the money on the counter, he looked to the clerk and demanded, "I need a room, right now. Just give me the key and I'll come back to make definite arrangements." Seeing the expression of the clerk, he pushed the money closer, "Take the money, I'll be back to finalize."

Typing on the computer for a room, she raised a brow, "I'll at least need a name, sir." Finding a open room, she turned, getting the key, "Name?"

"Larken, Christopher," he answered tersely, glaring at her as she typed slowly. Frustrated, he slammed his hand on the counter, "Hurry this up! I need this…NOW!"

Finishing up, she took the money and handed him the key, "Room five twenty seven…on the other side of the building."

"Other side of the building. Thank you." Racing out to the car, he got in and peeled from the curb. Slinging the car, he looked to her, "Are you, okay?"

"Hot…" she muttered with her eyes closed. Rolling her head side to side, she began to breathe heavily, "I…I feel sick…"

"I'm getting you there sweetness." Finally, he came to the bank of rooms, he jumped out, going to the door and opened it. Going back to her, he saw her head lull back and lifted her into his arms taking her into the room. Placing her down gently, he asked, "How are you, Evie?"

With her hands still tied behind her, Calleigh felt the need to throw up. Rolling onto her side, she breathed out, "Trash…" She began to heave as he placed the small trash can near her and within a few seconds, the water she had drunk came back up. Once it passed completely, Calleigh laid still, breathing hard.

Frantic, Christopher ran a hand through his hair and the launched to untie her, laying her on the bed. Stripping her of her clothing, he then laid beside her coaxing, "Please, be okay. Please."

Laying in the coolness of the room, Calleigh began to feel her temperature coming down slowly. Opening her eyes to mere slits, she looked at him, seeing the concern in his eyes. Swallowing, she spoke softly, "Need…to rest…"

"Okay, we'll rest, sweetie. You sleep, okay?" Caressing her softly, he leaned to kiss her and held her close to him. When her body stiffened, he let her go and sighed, whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm going to treat you better."

As her body cooled in the air conditioned room, Calleigh began to shake. With a quivering chin, she looked at him, "I'm…getting cold…Christopher…"

Rubbing her skin, he kissed her again, the sound of her need running through him. Moving off of the bed, he lifted her up and pulled the covers completely off and then pulled the sheet back. Placing her back down, he covered her with the sheet and then bent to her ear, "I'll leave you to rest, but only to finish our arrangements for our stay. I'm coming right back to you, Evie."

Too tired and physically exhausted to fight, Calleigh nodded and closed her eyes back. Bringing the covers up around her neck, she shivered some, "Can we…turn the air…off…please?"

"Yes, certainly," he responded as he rose quickly. Turning the air off, he stopped at the foot of the bed to watch her before walking out of the door. Hopefully when he had things settled, she would wake better, and be able to eat. As he made his way to the office, he swore to himself that he would be better to her. He knew her loss once, it taking him to deep, dark places. He didn't want to experience that ever again.

Coming off of the concourse, Tim rolled his head on his neck, feeling the strain of traveling as it weighed on him. The flight from Georgia to Vegas provided him with a slight advantage in that it gave him time to sleep, but he found that he couldn't sleep long. When he closed his eyes, he saw Calleigh, her pain, fear filled eyes staring back at him as her bloodied body quaked. Waking up from that infused him with more anxiety and he found himself moving nervously. Horatio never said anything to him, but he could feel his friend's eyes on him, perusing him. Even now as they walked to their welcoming party, he could still sense a bit of tension wafting off of him. When he had a chance, he would try and talk to him, but for now, he had to center.

Giving a nod to their counterparts, Tim smiled at the one familiar face as Horatio greeted the unfamiliar one, chuckling, "Nice to see you again, Cath. How's Vegas treating you?"

"Pretty good, Speed," Catherine smiled and extended her hand to him. "A lot better then Miami is treating you guys right now from what I hear. Any word on Calleigh yet? Where this creep might have her?"

"None, but we think we may have beaten them here. We have a lot of space to cover so we can be ready for them when they come." Looking towards the man standing with Horatio, he asked, "So…who's the newbie?"

Turning towards the dark haired man, Raymond chuckled, the sound resonating from deep within his chest, extending his hand, "Dr. Raymond Langston, CSI level one. It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Speedle. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really? So then you've heard that I don't like to be called anything other than Speed, and that I'm all about my work, oh and that I kick ass in trace, right?" Tim chuckled and shook his hand tightly, "Excuse my sharpness, someone I care for is out there with a manic."

"Understandable," he answered with a bow of his head. Turning more to Horatio, he asked, "So, Lieutenant Caine, what information do you have on the suspect?"

"Name's Christopher Larken. I've got a file on him along with photo's and Mac Taylor with NYPD Crime Lab's tracking him for us with a GPS device that Larken placed in Speed's daughter's shoe." Walking with them, Horatio's palmed his ribcage and breathed outwardly, "We were also able to track him to a hotel he stayed at with Calleigh. He's altered her appearance by cutting her hair so we need to do an altered computer image."

"We can get that done," Ray answered confidently. Noticing the pain he was in, Ray arched a brow, "Lieutenant Caine, is everything alright? I noticed that you're injured."

Walking slowly, Horatio nodded, "I'll be fine…our suspect got the upper hand on me at my place at I have a few cracked ribs."

"A few cracked ribs?" Ray answered with raised eyebrows, "No one can ever call you uninspired." Gesturing the way towards the hub he chuckled, "Let's get you settled, then we can get to work."

"Sounds good," Horatio replied. Glancing back to Tim, he raised a brow, "Speed, when we get to our rooms, call Jesse and make sure he's got everything together to send here."

"I'll do that, and while you are getting settled, I think I'll go back with them to the lab and get set up. You look like you can use some rest."

"I'm fine, Speed. I'll rest later," Horatio replied as he phone rang. Pulling it from his pocket, Horatio saw Mac's number and opened it swiftly, "Yeah, Mac?"

Rubbing his brow, Mac stood facing the vast skyline of the city, staring out. As promised, he had been monitoring the movement of the two from Georgia, and as promised, he reported with updates. Placing his hand on his hip, he sighed heavily, "Lieutenant, I have some news on your two in Georgia. They've stopped, and they've been there for a while now. I think that they are possibly staying over. It's still early, something could've happened."

Thinking for a moment, Horatio shook his head, "We should have stayed. Any idea of the location? Maybe I can get PD there to at least detain them if not get Calleigh out."

"It looks like they've stopped around, Meridian Mississippi. They've been there for a few hours now, and it hasn't moved even once." Running a hand through his hair, Mac sighed heavily, "I'll get on the phone to the local police department and see if we can find them."

"Thanks, Mac. Speed and I just landed in Vegas a few minutes ago," Horatio replied as they reached the baggage terminal. Seeing Tim going for both their bags, he nodded a thank you to him and then focused back on the call. "When you talk to the PD there, let them know that he altered Calleigh's appearance. He'll be traveling now with a short haired blonde woman with green eyes, approximately five foot three and weighing around one hundred five pounds."

"He altered her appearance? Horatio he's taking the next step with his fantasy." A moment of silence fell between them and he sighed heavily, "I'll do my best to connect with the PD in Meridian. Meanwhile, if something goes down, I'll let you know."

Seeing Ray helping Tim and Catherine on her cell, Horatio sighed, "Thank you, Mac. If there is anything you ever need…"

"I won't hesitate to ask. We'll keep you posted," Mac responded succinctly. Shaking his head, his brow knit, "For what it's worth, Horatio, I hope you catch this guy. Good luck."

"Thanks." Hanging up with Mac, Horatio turned as Tim walked over to him, "Mac's tacked them to Meridian Mississippi. They've been stationary he said for a few hours. He's gonna contact the PD there for us."

Tim stopped in his tracks and stared at Horatio in disbelief. It was his suggestion that they fly ahead of them to lie in wait, but now it seemed that they missed the chance to catch up to them. Scratching his head, he asked, "Was there a reason for the stop? How long is a few hours?"

"Mac thinks they might be staying over, but it's hard to tell," Horatio replied softly. "Let's get to our rooms, get settled and regroup."

Shifting his weight heavily, Tim sighed, "I feel like I should be doing something, H. It's my fault, I should've let you do this the way you wanted to do it. Now, she's spending the night with him, having to deal with God knows what."

"We'll see what Mac finds out and go from there, Speed." Looking at the younger man, he nodded his head, and spoke low, "This is not your fault, Speed. Do not blame yourself."

"I'm making all the wrong decisions, H.I wasn't cautious enough with her in Florida, I fought for us to come here instead of staying on their trail…She's out there dealing with this because of decisions that I've made." Moving forward, he mumbled, "All of this is my fault."

"Speed, don't do this. If I hadn't thought you might be onto something then I would have stayed behind and followed them myself. For all we know they could be stopping til it's dark then get back on the road so the car cannot be spotted as easily."

Tim stopped and hung his head low, shaking it minutely. Gripping the kit in his hand, Tim sighed heavily, "I'll get on the phone to the lab." Starting to walk again, Tim headed for the awaiting car, feeling that the road they were going down was surely leading to destruction.