Chapter Forty: You Can Let Go
Calleigh sat by the window, her eyes bloodshot and her normal cheer having departed long ago. The sun had raised high into the sky on what promised to be another beautiful Miami day. People would flock to the beaches to enjoy the weather, all their worries packed away for another day. She wished that she could be as carefree, as readily able to enjoy the beautiful day. Instead all she saw was black and white with areas of gray. There was no sunshine, no bright colors, no smiling people or sounds of laughter. "Four days, going on five," she muttered to no one in particular.
"We'll find them, Call," Delko said. Hadn't he been saying that for the last five days? He kept making that promise to her and yet, no matter how hard they worked they never seemed to get any closer to finding their lost friends. She turned away from the window as a child skipped by with a lollipop, a perfect picture of innocence. If anyone could possibly look worse than she felt it was Delko. Five days come, each day he beat himself up a little more over the fact that he'd screwed up. They all tried time and time again to reassure him that it wasn't his fault Speed was taken. Their words landed on deaf ears. Calleigh knew that it was eating away at him. His best friend, the man he clearly loved was somewhere having who-knows-what done to him. If she were in Delko's shoes she'd be feeling the same way.
She sat dejectedly at the table with him, her head in her hands. "This…we should be able to get somewhere. We finally got a lead and…" The plant matter turned out to be pollen from the flower of a poison plant called Brugmansia. Calleigh had never heard of such a plant so she had hope that the rarity of it would help them track down the kidnappers. But upon further study they all learned that the Brugmansia loved the heat, perfect for growing in the great state of Florida. They even managed to locate quite a few garden stores that sold the plant. Their lead went right out the window along with any hope of finding their friends. There was nothing to go on. No scrap of evidence pointing them in a general direction.
Ryan came into the room with Cooper close on his heels. The two men looked just as bad as her and Delko, even though they didn't know Speed all that well. This was a direct attack on them. They all felt useless not being able to find the evidence they needed for at least one answer. Ryan settled in the chair across from Delko, Cooper beside him. None of them needed to talk as the room quickly filled with a depressive, frustrated air. Almost like they'd given up. Without any clues, without a single lead what were they supposed to do?
Calleigh looked up as the door opened again, wondering who had come to join their pity party. Her heart skipped a beat. Horatio stood just inside the doorway, the look on his face one that she never wanted to see again. The first and only time she'd seen such a look was when he had come to deliver the horrible news of Speed being shot, the news that he might not live through the surgery meant to save his life. Now he stood before them with that same grim expression plastered across his features and it was all that Calleigh could do not to start crying right then and there.
"Horatio…?"
At least he managed to look at them as he spoke. "I'm on my way out to a call but wanted to speak with you guys first."
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked.
"Less than ten minutes ago a call came in about a body along the side of one of the access roads in the glades. All I could get for a description is the body is of a Caucasian male, dark hair, hands bound behind his back."
She felt the tears welling in her eyes. "Do they…know who it is?" her voice barely more than a whisper.
"No."
"I'm going with you," Delko said all of sudden, standing so fast that he knocked over his chair.
"Me, too," seconded Calleigh.
Horatio only nodded as even Ryan and Cooper stood to follow the crime lab leader out the door.
--
The ride seemed to take forever, the Hummer filled with tension, words of worry unspoken. When the managed to get to the scene they saw two squad cars and an ambulance. All the people in attendance were just standing around. For some reason that made Horatio mad. They should have been doing something. Every minute that passed another piece of evidence could be lost in the hot Miami afternoon sun. He pulled the Hummer up behind one of the squad cars, shutting off the engine. Like kids scolded for being in the cookie jar they filed out of the car, the blanket of silence looming around them. Horatio made sure that he was in the lead. A uniformed officer came toward him.
"Afternoon, lieutenant," the man said.
"What have we got?" Horatio said, skipping over any pleasantries. From where he was standing he couldn't see the body. He had to know, needed to know who it was that they'd found. For once he prayed that some innocent person completely unconnected to the crime had met with a violent end. At least then he would still have a chance of bringing his three friends home safe and sound.
"Well, we're not quite sure. None of us have been able to get near the body," the officer told him.
"Why?"
"There's a big ole gator, lieutenant. He's positioned himself right by the body and…well, we figured that we could just wait him out."
"Show me."
The officer led him toward the front of the second squad car and around to the other side of the road. There, under a grove of three trees was just what the officer had said, a large gator. But Horatio ignored the ancient monster to study the body concealed in the shadows. He knew who it was in an instant, his heart sinking. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw that Calleigh had fallen into Delko, who had wrapped his arms protectively around her. Ryan and Cooper stood there, unsure of what to do.
Horatio turned back to the officer. "Get me a shotgun."
"Excuse me, sir?"
"Bring me a shotgun," he ordered. Two minutes later he aimed the high-powered gun in the direction of the gator. With one pull of the trigger he hit the ground close to the reptile, scaring the creature back a foot. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something promising, but he forced it from his mind so as not to lose his focus. Another shot close to the gator was all it took to drive the creature into the safety of the murky water, the easy meal forgotten. Without saying anything Horatio turned and handed the gun to Ryan, who took it and instantly readied the next shot, the barrel pointed toward the water. Horatio headed across the grass toward the body, falling to his knees as he got there. Gently he rolled Speed onto his back, felt for a pulse, praying that he would find one. He had not come all this way, had not watched his friend fight back from a gunshot that should have killed him only to have him done in by a bunch of cop haters. He moved his fingers to Speed's neck, pressed them down.
"He's alive," he cried to the waiting paramedics.
At the sound of his voice Speed's eyes fluttered open, his eyes cloudy with pain, dehydration. "Horatio…" His name merely a whisper on the wind.
Horatio actually felt tears on his cheeks. "Hey, buddy, you're safe now. I've got you."
Speed tried to smile, coughed instead, his whole body shaking. "There's….pain."
"It's okay. We'll make the pain go away, Tim. I promise. Just hang in there."
The paramedics were coming toward them with a stretch and their bag of equipment.
"So much…pain." His eyes fluttered closed.
"Speed, I need you to stay with me, buddy," pushed Horatio, reliving the moments so similar all those months ago. He hadn't lost his friend then and he'd be damned if he was going to lose him now. "Come on, Tim. Just stay with me."