How It Must Feel
Author's Notes: Hey it's late but its still Sunday, I very stressful day, but I have to keep my promise so here the next chapter. Enjoy!
4. Discovery
That night she slept horribly, her mind raced and the tears were not short in supply. Normally she would never cry over a man, it just wasn't her. Normally she'd be strong and move on and say she was better without him, but with Eric the rules of the game were changed.
Calleigh normally possessed control over her feeling and her emotions at bay; she had secrets no one knew, not even Eric. He was her best friend; they had a good relationship and a strong bond, she trusted him with her life. Why did she block him out? Why did she build walls between them? He'd been knocking on the wall of her emotion for years. When he talked to her, he always wear his heart on his sleeve, she know his fears and dreams, but she always kept she struggles under lock and key. Now she felt all alone, not a soul knew what she was going through.
The way she felt about him were unlike any feelings she had for anyone else, she never felt the way she did about Eric for anyone else. The thought of him being with someone else when they finally started to explore their feelings for each other, tore her apart inside. "Maybe Jake's right, Eric will never acknowledge my feelings or his own and I'll end up alone" she thought to herself in misery.
She looked over at the clock it read 4:05am. So sit up and looked into the mirror adjacent to her bed, she looked a wreck. Make-up smeared hair all over the place, tear stained cheeks, she looked away and put her head in her hands.
"Calleigh pull yourself together" she aloud
She got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, she took a shower and freshened up, it did little to make her feel better. She looked into mirror over the bathroom sink.
"Much better" she smiled at her reflection and closed her eyes remembering what Eric said the night before.
"I love you, Cal" the word lingered in her mind, why did he say it? How did he love her? Like a sister? Friend? Something more? The extent of Eric's love she wasn't sure. She needed to clear her mind; she went to her room and put on her black track suit and a black baseball cap. If anything could sooth her nerves it was a six block run.
She stepped out the house and locked the door, it was still dim out. Her neighborhood was quiet with the expectation a few early morning sprinkler system and a random lone dog barks here and there. She had decided to walk to the harbor and start her run from there; she looked at her watch 5:15a.m. She started to walk.
The walk was peaceful. She blocked out her thought and enjoyed the scenery, although she lived in the neighborhood, she rarely had the time to appreciate the benefits because she was always working. Her morning runs were like a tour to her, she'd see her new neighbor she'd probably never meet or the new development on someone home or the gardens someone was planting, she like this it, made her feel more human and alive. She loved to see life in action, movement because at work she normally dealt with the dead.
She reach the harbor she break into a trot, it wasn't the typical harbor. It was small and private one, only yachts of her richest neighbors were decked here and there was a guard who looked over them 24/7. Only residents were allowed to enjoy the harbors' boardwalk and trails even if they didn't own a yacht. She looked in the guard post to wave at the morning guard Randy, he was not there. "That's weird, why the post vacant" she wondered as she started to run.
She was starting to pace herself when she felt something running alongside her, she felt a brush against her ankle. It startled her.
"What the?" she jumped.
She looked down and put her hand on her heart, it was a small Yorkshire terrier. When she stopped the yorkie jumped up tongue out and one paw resting on her right calf.
"Hey little buddy where did you come from?" she bend down to rub the little doggie.
The dog wagged his tail and walk around and a circle, Calleigh laughed.
She reached for the dog's collar to see where she belonged; her hand felt a warm liquid covering the dog tag. She pulled back her hand, it was blood. She picked up the dog and started to examine him. His whole under belly was cover in blood, but he had no physical bruises or marks. Something told her this was human blood and suddenly she began to become more aware of her surroundings.
She draw her gun and looked around, she noticed a trail of bloody paw prints cover the boardwalk, it would lead her to were the dog originated and possibly to the victim.
The trail lead her to a very nice yacht, it was even more blood on the side of the yacht. The yacht was a medium size; the two deck the main and sun decks, Calleigh predicted there were about four rooms in the main deck, two cabins, kitchenette and a bathroom. On the sun deck was sitting and the steering councils. She wondered how the dog managed to jump on the side of the yacht and on to the deck. Possibly something or someone helped him. She put the dog in the yacht and step in.
"Miami- Dade PD" she announced and continued into the yacht, gun aim in front of her. It was a pool of blood and there were drag mark leading to the on main deck, the body had been moved.
She want to check the sun deck first, so she could secure the scene before she proceed to follow the blood trail the lead to main deck, when she enter her exit options would be limited, she had to be sure she was the only one on the boat.
Careful Calleigh walked up to the sun deck, she noticed the black marking on the stairs, she bent down, rubber, someone or something had drag down the stairs.
Calleigh stood at the top of the stairs and quickly scanned the scene the deck. The yacht was running, someone was either planning and escape or making a getaway. There was a disturbance on the deck, signs of a struggle. There was a mess of things shattered across the floor, broken glass, seat cushions and magazines thrown around, this were it all begin.
She cleared the scene and quickly retreated down the stairs. There was silence as she pushed the door of the main deck open with her gun and proceeded to walk in, "Miami- Dade P-" she began to announce herself again when a person burst out the door. They collided; the perp successful knocked himself and Calleigh to the ground.
Calleigh dropped her gun and it slid across the deck. Calleigh was the first to get on her feet, she run to retrieve her gun, the perp scrambled to his feet. He was a middle age man, well dressed, slender built, he had black hair, she couldn't see his face and he was covered in blood. Calleigh pointed her gun at him.
"Freeze" She shouted at him "Identify yourself"
He put his hands up, turned and stepped towards her.
"I said freeze" she yelled "Who are you?"
"Thisismyboatmywifeth-theyshotth-th-theyshother" The man spoke rapidly
Calleigh let her gun down pointing it to the ground, relaxing. He was a victim. She walked towards the man and put her hand on his shoulder and looked in his eyes.
"Sir, slow down is your wife-" before she could finish the man punched her in the stomach and she hit the ground and he jumped out the boat. Her forehead hit the side railing she hit the floor hard. She felt warm liquid trickle down her face, she was bleeding.
Her head was spinning, but she couldn't let him get away. She get on her feet a little too quick, she was lightheaded she fall backwards again, this time she caught herself. She push herself to follow, he wasn't far her still had him in her sight and in the range of her gun. "Good morning, Calleigh" she murmured herself.
"Stop or I'll shoot" she screamed this time.
Before she had the chance shots rung out, she knew the sound.
It was definitely not a police issued gun, it was a sniper rifle and it was shooting at the both of them, she first priority changed from catching the perp to staying alive. She jumped out of the yacht, ducked and leaned against the yacht for cover.
"Get down and take cover" she yelled at the man, but he continued toward the direction of her house, he got hit; it must have been a graze because he continued running. "Miami-Dade PD, hold your fire." she announced herself for the third time that morning; she was getting sick of this. More bullets shot out.
Calleigh scanned the area; she had to find the snipers location. She looked up from her cover, bullet flew in her direction. This was not a domestic dispute, this was a professional hit. The sniper was a good shot but so was she. Bullets pierced the wood deck inches away for her feet, "You should be in bed right now, but no you wanted to take walk." She thought to herself.
From the projectile of the bullets, the sniper was either flying or post on the sundeck of a bigger, taller yacht, she picked the logical choice. He had the higher ground, but he was in short range. She could hit him if she could find him.
She calculated the position of the sniper, he was directly above her on the adjacent yacht and he was looking down at her. She was going to take a chance.
"Do or Die" she said under her breath and she stood. Two bullets rung out of her gun, before the sniper had a chance to react, she was good. A man fell from the top of the yacht and hit the deck with a loud thump. She scanned the area, she wore a frantic expression on her face, she was cover in blood, she wasn't sure if any of it was hers or not. The perp was nowhere to be seen, there was no one, not a sound, the neighborhood was quiet again. She pulled out her cell phone.
"This is Dispatch"
"This is CSI Duquesne; I'm calling to read an off duty shooting. 1035 Saratoga Yacht Club, on Saratoga Avenue in Bal Harbour, I'm requesting immediate backup and medical attention, one man down, one man on foot heading northwest. Shoot have been fired, I repeat shots have been fired."
She hung up. She was struggling to breath the world was spinning around her; she fought to maintain consciousness. She began to falter; she pulled out her phone again and pressed 2 on her speed dial.
It rang.
"Hello? Calleigh?"
"Eric, Eric I-" she gasped.
The world began to fade and she heard siren singing in the distance. She hit the ground.