Eric pulled the Hummer up on the road outside Calleigh's house which was still taped off and being treated as an active crime scene. He felt a wave of shame wash over him that he and Calleigh had failed to follow the basics when they had pulled up in the drive yesterday. Such was their focus on trying to find Horatio that they had probably trampled over and destroyed what little evidence the Malucci's had left.
He let his head hang after grabbing his kit and trudging up to the gravel driveway, lifting the crime scene tape over his head and holding it up for Andy to follow him in. He watched as Andy scanned the area intently, aware that this was probably the first time the other man had seen the aftermath of yesterday's abduction. Up ahead were the pooled bloodstains of the fallen officers, each denoted with numbered markers. The scene would have been horrific at any time but it was made worse by the fact that Horatio was still missing.
Eric silently made his way over to the first marker, crouching down he sent a silent prayer up to the Heavens, it might not have been much but he felt it right to show his respect for a fallen 'brother'. Pulling out Tom's report from his case he scanned the notes, looking for the spot where Officer Peters had been slain. His eyes scanned the area as he made his way over to the correct marker.
"The bullet should be around here somewhere, want to help me look?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder at Andy. He could see that the other man was feeling awkward and at a loss as to what to do.
Pulling his hands out of his pockets he replied, "Sure, any guesses where I should start?"
"The bullet was a through and through, maybe it had enough force to lodge in the wall over there," Eric suggested as he began pulling items out of his case.
Andy pulled out his glasses and put them on as he shuffled over to the brick wall of the house a few feet from the front door. Looking intently at the area he silently wondered how anyone could want to be a crime scene investigator, spending hours staring at things in the vague hope of finding some tiny piece of evidence. He was just about to give up and tell the younger man that he hadn't found anything when he caught the sun glinting off of something nearby.
"Hey, I think I found something," he said as he lowered his considerable bulk further down towards the ground.
Eric collected his flashlight and a pair of tweezers as he made his way quickly over, making his way to the wall he flashed a smile at Andy, "We'll make a CSI of you yet," he smiled as he carefully removed the bullet casing from the brickwork. "Looks like another 9mm, we'll get it back to Calleigh and see if she can match it up to anything."
The older man tried to raise a half-hearted smile but he found himself unable to match Eric's level of enthusiasm. He followed the younger man back towards his case and watched as Eric placed the recovered bullet into a clear plastic evidence bag, detailing it before placing it back in the case.
Eric stood to his considerable full height and leant his head towards the middle of the driveway, "It's a long shot but we should probably check for tyre tracks and footprints."
"On a gravel driveway? I'm no expert, kid, but I don't like your chances of finding anything."
Eric shrugged his shoulders, undeterred. "It's worth a shot, it's not like we've got a lot else to go on."
And so Andy watched as the younger man went about his work, looking on as Eric bent down and made moulds and impressions of anything he could find on the vast driveway. He watched as Eric systematically worked his way around the area, photographing and noting anything he found for further analysis back at the lab. He couldn't help the small smile that spread slowly across his face, something that wasn't missed by Eric.
"Something funny?"
Andy shook his head, "Just thinking," he replied vaguely as he shoved his hands back into his pockets. "I can't really see John being a big fan of all this forensics stuff, it's a bit too boring and time-consuming for his style."
"You'd be surprised. Granted, he's much happier out in the field chasing down perps but he's a damn good CSI too."
"You're telling me that John sits in a lab with the rest of you geeks, pouring over tiny pieces of evidence. Nah, I don't buy it."
"Not always, he's built a team that he trusts to do most of the boring stuff in the lab. He much prefers being out there in the thick of it, getting confessions out of perps, that kind of thing."
"Now that sounds more like the John I used to know, I would have hated to be interrogated by him," the bulky man shuddered at the thought at being grilled by his partner, he'd seen the way he'd systematically broke down even the toughest of criminals.
"Me too," Eric agreed.
"I just can't see the guy in a lab coat; he's not a lab rat."
Eric smiled at the derogatory term, "It's a rare thing these days to see him working in the lab but don't let that fool you, the guy's got some serious skills."
"Really?"
"Yeah, H is the guy who taught me everything I know."
Flashback. Miami 2001:
Walking purposefully down the well-lit corridors of the crime lab, Lieutenant Horatio Caine was stopped in his tracks by the receptionist calling his name. Turning to her he gave her a warm smile, "What can I do for you, Janice?"
"There's a gentleman in the waiting area for you, he asked for you by name and said he wanted to speak to you," the dainty receptionist replied a little nervously, only having been in the job for a matter of weeks. She pushed the red plastic glasses further up her nose as she fiddled with the child-like pencil she held in her hands, the fluffy topper flapping from side to side as her hand shook slightly.
Noting her apparent fear he attempted to exude a level of calm that might in turn lessen her nerves, "Did you get them to sign the visitor's log?"
"Yes…..Yes, Lieutenant," she stammered, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as the clear blue eyes of the head of the crime lab regarded her intently and then returned his gaze to the clipboard placed on the counter, smiling as he saw the name of his visitor.
"Good. Well done, Janice. Good work." Leaning over the counter he placed a gentle hand on her shaking forearm and gave it a reassuring squeeze, trying to settle the skittish woman in front of him. "You're doing fine," he told her as he turned away and made his way to the waiting area.
Sitting in a leather chair was a face that he recognised, that of a man who he had crossed paths with a few years previously at a crime scene. He remembered giving the man his card and offering him a place on his team but had not held out much hope that the man would take him up on his offer.
He held a hand out as he greeted his visitor, "Mr Delko, it's a pleasure to see you again. What can I do for you?"
The younger man stood and shook the offered hand, "Remember you told me that if I got the right qualifications that there would be a place for me on your team?" he began hopefully.
"Indeed I do, Mr Delko."
"Well, I put myself through night school and I took the officer's test. I just got my results back; I've been accepted into the MDPD. I start my basic training on Tuesday."
He smiled, genuinely surprised that the man standing in front of him had took his advice. "Congratulations, Mr Delko."
"Is your offer still open?" the other man asked uncertainly.
"Indeed it is. Follow me to my office and we'll get the paperwork started." Horatio stopped and turned to look at his visitor, "You'll need to complete your basic training as an officer first, and then we'll see to your training in the lab. You do understand that you won't be out in the field straight away; you'll be expected to work your way up. Are you ready for that?"
"Yes, this is what I want to do. I'm sure of it," Eric replied as he followed Horatio into his office and sat in the chair that was offered to him.
"Being a CSI takes time and patience, there are some areas of the job that aren't as exciting as what you saw last time we met. You'll be expected to put in some long hours; the starting pay isn't that great either." He met the younger man's eyes and looked at him intently.
"I don't care about the pay, this is what I want to do," Eric replied again, firmer this time.
Horatio's facial expression softened, "Well, I can't doubt your enthusiasm. You'll need a lot of that in this job."
Eric watched as the redhead pulled an envelope out of his desk drawer and handed it to him, "You'll be showing me the ropes when I start, won't you?"
"Some of the time, Mr Delko. All of my CSIs are fully capable of showing you how things work here, get your firearms license and I'll take you out in the field with me sometime. I think you'll enjoy working with the rest of the team, I chose them myself."
"Lieutenant Caine, call me Eric, please."
"Likewise, Eric, call me Horatio," the redhead smiled at him, "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"
"Just one thing," Eric began, smirking.
"And what's that, Eric?"
"How are you those sunglasses working out for you?"
Miami. Present day:
"Hey, kid," Andy said as he caught Eric gazing off into the distance. Not getting a response he raised his voice and tried again, "Eric!"
The booming voice of the other man made him visibly jump as he shook himself from his daydream.
"You ok? You zoned out there?" Andy asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
Eric busied himself with placing all of the evidence he'd collected back into his case, carrying it quickly to the Hummer. "I'm fine. We need to get this stuff back to the lab."
He realised that he must have drifted off to sleep at some point, as he opened his eyes slowly he found himself once again shrouded in darkness the cold air covering him like a blanket and making him shiver. He licked his dry, blood-crusted lips and once more felt the painful thirst gripping his body. He knew he needed water, and soon.
He lifted his tired and aching head slowly as bright light once more filled the room, his ears picking up the sound of the power to the fans being cut as the temperature in the room slowly began to rise again. He heard the door creaking open but refused to look, he was too tired and much too thirsty to put up much of a fight, the aching in his left arm telling him it would be useless to put up any resistance.
He heard the heavy footsteps of someone walking across the room, seeing the outline of a figure as it came closer into his view. A young but heavy-set man sat down on the chair opposite him, mercifully blocking out some of the harsh lighting that was threatening to blind him with its ferocity.
He watched as the man placed a water bottle down by his feet, opening up another and taking a long swig from it. "Mr Kelly, you've had time to think about my offer," he began as he screwed the lid back on the bottle and held it in his hands. "Are you ready to talk yet?"