MISSING

Chapter 8

Eric watched the blue eyes trying to focus. Horatio raised one hand slowly and ran it over his face. He didn't exactly groan. It was more a soft and long drawn-out, "Ohhh…" He lowered his arm as if it was too heavy to hold off the bed.

Eric reached out and put his hand on him. "Hello, boss."

He turned his head painfully, and a hint of a smile crossed his face. "Eric." His voice failed, and he cleared his throat and tried again. "Eric." He frowned. "What the hell happened?"

"Just a minute. I promised to tell the nurse if you woke up. Back in a second." He went into the corridor and almost collided with Horatio's nurse. He knew he was grinning. "He's awake."

He went back in and sat down.

Horatio said again, "What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure. What do you remember happening?"

"I don't know. It's… confused."

Eric moved out of the way, as a doctor came in, and quickly examined Horatio. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've died."

"Nearly," the doctor said seriously. He glanced at Eric. "Your friend here can explain it. Now, you're doing okay, but you've got a major concussion and a not-too-serious fractured skull. So rest, sleep, and absolutely no excitement. Does your head hurt?"

"You could say that."

The doctor turned to the nurse and murmured something inaudible. He left, and Eric resumed his place by the bed. He stayed silent while the nurse came back and added something to the IV.

"Can you remember anything?" Eric asked, as they were left alone. "I thought you were following me out of the 'glades – that was the last we saw of you."

"I can remember that bit. I should have got straight in the car. Someone jumped me, knocked me out. I came to on the back seat of the Hummer, duct-taped hand and foot, and with a thundering headache. Why didn't they just leave me?"

"I don't know. Presumably they didn't want you found too quickly. Was Timmy there?"

"Yes, right beside me." He smiled. "Sweet kid – he kept asking if they'd hurt me. We were able to talk in whispers, because the two in the front were having a… monumental argument." He closed his eyes. "I can't… Sorry…"

"Take it easy… Just rest."

"Sorry… I feel like… my head's swimming… Tell you more… later…" His voice trailed off.

He hadn't the energy to keep his eyes open, or to talk, but he tried to get his thoughts in order… He'd persuaded Timmy, by gestures and whispers, to take his badge and poke it out of sight. And he'd promised Timmy… 'We'll get you out of this…'

He opened his eyes again, trying to control the nauseating dizziness and double-vision. "Have you got the boy?"

Eric hesitated. "Not yet. At least, not that I've heard. I've been here, not at the lab."

"Why?"

"Why? Why? Horatio… we thought you were going to die! Where else would I be?"

"You need to find Timmy. I promised him…" His voice faded again, and his eyes closed, a frown wrinkling his forehead. "Oh God…"

"Just rest. We're doing everything we can. Calleigh and Frank are running the case."

Think, you fool… You were there. You have to have a lead on them… Names? He tried to recall any overheard conversation. Every focussed thought seemed to send pain through his head. The urge to drift off was strong. What had the men been arguing about? Him, he thought… But Timmy… He'd promised Timmy…

He tried to concentrate, and a small groan escaped him.

"H, take it easy… Sleep."

He ignored Eric's protestation, but kept his eyes closed. "They were arguing. Maybe I heard something. One of them wanted to kill me. The other was persuading him not to… because I was a cop. I knew they were probably going to dump me… I thought it'd be my chance… But there was the boy… I was thinking what to do when they got the Hummer stuck."

He listened as one of them, the bigger man, the one who wanted to kill him, got out to inspect the problem. Shouting, swearing, words that no boy of Timmy's age should hear. Then the driver got out too, and they felt the vehicle being pushed and rocked.

He'd whispered to the boy, 'I want you to listen to me… This may be my chance to get away…'

'Take me with you. Please…'

'I can't, Timmy, I can't, but I'll come back.'

'You won't.' He saw the hope fade from the child's face. It broke his heart.

'I will, but I have to get help. Trust me, Timmy.'

The boy said nothing, not meeting his eyes.

'I want you to be good. Do everything they say. They won't hurt you.' He prayed he was right. 'Timmy, promise me.'

'Promise.' Grudgingly.

The bigger man opened the back door and pulled him out. Trussed up as he was, he hit the ground hard. Timmy followed, landing on top of him.

'Why not leave them here?' The driver's voice.

'You wanted them to come. You can look after them.'

'This has all gone wrong…' A whine.

'And whose fault is that?'

More argument. Horatio tuned it out, thinking.

He opened his eyes again, wincing. "They cut our ankle ties, so we could walk, and pulled us up. I tried to run, but… I wasn't too steady on my feet."

"I'm not surprised, after a crack on the head."

"They grabbed me again, and we scuffled. The hand ties came undone, which improved the odds a bit, but there were two of them…"

"You got smashed against the car…"

He looked surprised. "Did I?"

"I found blood and hair."

"It didn't knock me out, but…" He sighed. "I almost got away, but I was pretty useless, and we were frog-marched away. I played it worse than I was, so they left my hands free and held me up…"

He closed his eyes again. Whatever the hospital had given him was easing the pain in his head, but he couldn't stay awake.

Liar, Horatio… You didn't have to play it up… You could hardly stand…

"I pretended to pass out. They picked me up, and this time I managed to get free. They grabbed me, but just got my jacket, which came off. I ran, and hid, and I realised they weren't coming after me."

The voices were distant now.

'Leave him.'

'But he can recognize us.'

'He won't get out of here alive. He's done us a favor…'

"I lay there for a long… time… Cold…" His voice trailed off as he drifted into sleep.

Eric sat and watched him for a while. Then he got up, stretched, and went outside. He needed some fresh air. He had got a few hours' sleep last night, in a relatives' room, but that was all. His eyes felt gritty and he was hungry. But Horatio seemed out of danger, and needed to rest. Eric decided on breakfast in the cafeteria, and a walk round the hospital grounds. He also phoned Calleigh.

"How are you getting on?" he asked.

"Progressing. Slowly. I assume he's better."

"He is, but –"

"Well, since you're interested in the case again. I'm teasing… Seriously, how is he?"

"Awake. Dozy. Confused. And worried about the boy, of course. Have you found him?"

"Not yet, but we may by the end of the day." She quickly filled Eric in on the progress they had made. "I'm hoping the father's phone calls will reveal something. We're just heading back to the lab. Give Horatio my love."

He heard something in the background. "What's that?"

"Frank sends his love too."

He distinctly heard, 'I didn't say that!', laughed, and rang off.

TBC