The Return

Chapter 3

A/N: Please forgive the gross errors in the previously posted chapter. For some reason, FF saved my rough draft instead of the corrected copy. My apologies.

The Hummer stopped behind a patrol car whose lights were continuously flashing blue and white light that was reflecting off of the wet pavement as it effectively cordoned off the street in front of the house. Horatio slid out of the driver's seat and began walking toward the front entrance of the Johnson house, as he felt his anxiety grow. Calleigh noticed him approaching as she stood beside Walter who was sitting down in a chair on the porch while being attended to by paramedics.

Stopping at the group gathered around, Horatio placed his hands firmly on his hips, his face reflecting the deep concern that he felt, watching Walter receive aid while quietly asking Calleigh,

"What happened?"

Inhaling deeply, she began, "Walter doesn't remember much, only that he and Ryan were just about to finish up the reprocessing of the kitchen's back door when he suddenly felt a sharp sting on the side of his neck. The next thing he knew he woke up on the floor and Ryan was gone. He called me, knowing it was late and shift change had already occurred, I was on my way home… What do you make of this?"

Horatio remained silent, absorbing what Calleigh had just told him. Before he could answer, Walter realized Horatio had arrived and called out,

"H, before I called Calleigh, I noticed new blood pool on the floor in the kitchen… Ryan must have fought them. It needs to be processed before…"

"Walter, I'll take care of it." Horatio noticed the young man's focus wavered as he was describing the new evidence.

"We gotta find out who did this H… Ryan's my friend," the big man's voice trailed off as he hung his head.

Grimly Horatio replied, "We'll find him Walter. Right now, you need help."

One of the paramedics turned and told Horatio and Calleigh that Walter needed to go to the ER to get checked out by a doctor. Walter balked, but Horatio insisted he go and that he'd check on him later.

After the ambulance left, Horatio retrieved his kit from the Hummer. Calleigh accompanied him into the house and they headed to the kitchen.

"You evidently went back to the lab," Calleigh began making conversation, trying to take her mind off what had happened to Ryan.

"I did. Lynn told me you'd already left for home. I picked up my Hummer and was headed to your place when you called."

"H… CALLEIGH," they heard Eric call out from the front door.

She was just before asking how his visit went with Miriam when Eric arrived.

"In the kitchen Eric," Horatio shouted.

Horatio lowered down on one knee beside the blood that Walter had found, snapping on a pair of latex gloves just before Eric joined them.

"I just heard what happened. Is Walter ok?"

Retrieving evidence bags from the kit for Horatio, Calleigh replied, "He's at the ER being checked out. I think he'll be ok physically… he's shaken up though."

Eric crouched by them and after a few moments of silence commented, "This is recent… Ryan's?"

"We're assuming it is," Horatio answered, keeping his eyes focused on the task.

"Who do you think would've taken him H?"

Horatio finished collecting a sample of blood with a long cotton swab, then placed it in a glass tube before screwing on a lid.

"My guess… would be the person or persons involved in the murder of the Johnson's. Probably desperate for leverage, thinking we might have already connected them to the crime."

The three began examining the floor around the blood pool and the room for any other clues that they might connect to the kidnappers.

Eric angrily remarked, "Tripp and his men need to find that Lutrova and fast."

After gathering what they hoped would be enough evidence to lead them to Ryan's abductors, they stopped at the back of Horatio's Hummer.

Horatio turned to Calleigh suggesting, "Sweetheart, why don't you go home? I'll go back to the lab and run the necessary tests."

"I'll go with you H," Eric offered.

Calleigh shook her head, disagreeing. "I'm going to the lab with you… we need everyone on this. Natalia has probably heard by now… you know they're close friends. She's probably already there."

Horatio knew she was right. Everyone needed to help.

Ryan felt as if he were drifting in space. The air felt cold around him, yet his body felt hot; extremely hot. He tried opening his mouth to speak, to scream, but his lips felt glued shut. Suddenly, he heard voices. They sounded low as if the people who were talking were far away. Although he couldn't understand the words… but the tone, their tone was angry. He felt himself drifting into unconsciousness until he heard a name mentioned… a name he knew well - Caine.

Am I dreaming? Is this a bad dream? Hearing his boss's name sharpened his focus, slightly… I need to listen. Horatio wasn't with me… Walter was with me! Where's Walter? What did they do to him? Why are they talking about Horatio?

Ryan tried to stay awake, but he was struggling as he felt himself sliding toward the darkness. He managed to stay conscious for a few more moments as he overheard the name Caine mentioned again and it gradually dawned on him the people were speaking Russian. Russian! After a sensation of being shaken roughly… the darkness overtook him.

It was two-thirty in the morning. Horatio staggered into his office and sat down heavily in the chair behind his desk. Leaning forward on his elbows, which he had placed on the top of his desk, he eased his head down into his hands. He and the others, Calleigh, Eric, and Natalia had been processing the evidence non-stop since returning to the lab. It will take a couple of hours before the tests are completed on the blood and fibers we gathered from the scene. In the meantime, what is Ryan enduring at the hands of his captors? Why did they take him and not Walter too? What…

A soft, familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. "Horatio… you look exhausted. Why don't you lie down for a bit?"

Jerking his head from the cradle of his hands, he quickly sat back in the high-backed chair as he let out a tired sigh.

"No more than you. I don't need to lie down. Why don't you call it a night? No need in all of us staying," he responded to Calleigh's suggestion.

Concerned by how Horatio physically and mentally exhausted in just one day, first from the sudden appearance of his father, who he thought had been dead for years. Then later learning that one of his team members had been kidnapped had taken their toll. She wondered, How much more can he take?

"I'm staying… wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Why would someone take Ryan and not Walter too?"

Horatio rested his head back on the chair and stared at the ceiling for just a moment before softly answering,

"I've wondered the same thing. I don't know the answer."

Calleigh walked around the desk and pulled up a chair that was against the wall, so she could sit closer to him. They sat in silence, Horatio staring at the top of his desk, bleary-eyed from the hours of looking through the lens of a microscope. Calleigh kept her focus on him.

I hate to bring up his visit with Miriam, but I'd like to know what he found out.

"Did Miriam give you some answers? Did she confirm the possibility that your father could still be alive?"

Horatio continued staring blankly at his desk, not immediately responding. Finally he answered distractedly,

"She did. The bastard's still alive. Very much so," Horatio's tone of voice, suddenly heavy with disgust, continued, "It was him today. I didn't kill him after all… he was given protection by NYPD so he could be used to infiltrate the mob. Only…" he hesitated, "he became one of them."

Calleigh remained silent, briefly at a loss for words. Finally she asked, "What does he want from you?"

Before Horatio could respond, his cell phone chirped where it lay on his desk. He reached for it. Not recognizing the number, he answered thinking it could be news about Ryan.

"Caine"

Calleigh watched as Horatio's expression immediately turned angry.

"What do you want?" he asked the caller, immediately raising Calleigh's curiosity.

"We need to talk. I know you visited Miriam today…"

"So now you're watching me? Stay out of my life… I never want to see you again."

"I'll explain, but right now, you need to hear what I have to say – if you want to get your officer back alive."

Horatio leaped from his chair causing it to slam hard against the wall, startling Calleigh. "Did you have anything to do with his kidnapping… is that why you're calling me?" He angrily growled.

"No Horatio… I didn't, but I know who did and we need to talk. You're going to need me to get the young man back."

Calleigh was really alarmed now… who could he be talking to? Is it his father?

"If I find you and your thugs are involved in this… so help me… I'll…"

"Meet me at the front gate of the Hialeah Race Track in thirty minutes… alone. I'll be in a black Cadillac." Daniel Caine then abruptly ended the call.

Horatio slowly lowered his phone and punched it off. Calleigh immediately asked,

"Who was that Horatio?"

Horatio covered his eyes with one hand letting it slide slowly down his face.

Slowly turning his head toward her he answered, "My father. Says he knows who took Ryan and wants me to meet him in thirty minutes. Alone."

"NO! You don't need to go alone. I'll go with you, but stay…"

Reaching out and lightly caressing her cheek he answered, "Sweetheart, I need to do as he asked so he'll tell me who has Ryan. I can't endanger Ryan's life by allowing you to go with me. I'll be alright."

"I don't know Horatio… you said yourself that your father is involved with the mob, I promise he won't know I'm there… please?" She pleaded as she searched his blue eyes that lacked their usual fire.

Reaching for her, he pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her soft golden hair, "Thank you, but not this time Sweetheart."

Horatio leaned back and lightly kissed her forehead. Then, reluctantly released her and walked to the door, but before opening it he stopped, turned back he said, "Go home Sweetheart and get some rest. That's an order." Smiling weakly, "I'll stop by after we're finished."

Then he walked out leaving Calleigh standing bewildered as well as deeply concerned for both his safety and Ryan's.

Horatio turned down the street leading to the race track. He scanned the area around as he eased his car down the empty street, empty except for one car, a black Cadillac Deville parked to the side of the gate barely visible in the faint street light. The earlier rain seemed to add to the fog that normally rolls in off the ocean during the night, giving the deserted area an eerie appearance. The street light's illumination, diminished by the mist created distorted shadows.

After stopping behind the parked car, Horatio eased out of his and cautiously approached, knowing that his father didn't come alone. As if on cue, a well-built tall man, resembling a gorilla, he thought, unfolded himself from the driver's door and stood to his full height, buttoning his coat as he sneered in Horatio's direction. Another man of equal size got out of the front passenger door causing Horatio to smile sarcastically. No shortage of thugs around.

His father then stepped out of the back door of the car.

Just seeing his father immediately caused his blood to boil. If it weren't for the fact that he claims he can help get Ryan back, there'd be no way I'd ever want to see him again.

"Horatio…" Daniel Caine smiled as he held his hand out toward Horatio, who in turn, ignored it. Then his father motioned that they walk away from the other men a few feet.

"So… what is it that you know can help us?" Horatio asked as he looked down at the ground deliberately avoiding eye contact at trying to keep his cool.

His father didn't answer, only opened a large manila folder and pulled out what looked like pictures.

"My people intercepted a currier who works for the Russian mob. You need to see these," he suggested as he held the pictures out toward Horatio.

Horatio took them and suddenly it felt as if his heart stopped when he saw subject of the photos. Taken when he and Calleigh met at the beach earlier. He swallowed hard as he looked at the last picture showing them in a warm embrace and asked, his voice barely audible as he tried to recover,

"Why… why would they be interested in us?"

"For one, destroy you if you don't co-operate with them. Second reason, I would assume, would be to let you know they can get to you, and to those closest to you." He allowed the realization to sink into his son's thoughts before continuing.

"The Russians have forcefully taken over territory in Miami that the family has controlled for decades. We're struggling to stop them." He regretted having to admit the next fact.

"Horatio…" the redhead looked up at his father, taking note of the man's stern tone of voice, "the Russians… they found out you're my son."

Horatio glanced back to the pictures, feeling anger immediately radiating from deep within his center. Snapping his head around toward his father, he growled through clenched teeth,

"You have screwed up my life from the time I can remember… appears things never change, you're still doing it… only now you've involved others; innocent people whose only mistake is to be near me. You're…"

"I'm going to do everything I can to help Horatio. Please… believe me; I wouldn't have reappeared in your life if it wasn't for this situation. I've got a lot of men searching for your young man… just a matter of time, but Russians may contact you before that happens." He hesitated bringing up another subject, but it was one that needed to be addressed, sooner than later. "Horatio, our meeting does give me a chance to explain what really happened to your mother."

Horatio's lips immediately tightened into a thin line. He shifted his stance to where he was side-on to the man as he placed a hand on the grip of his gun and snarled, "Don't you dare mention her… there is nothing you have to say that I want to hear."

Daniel Caine's eyes flared with anger answering, "YOU need to hear this." His loud response drawing the notice of his two men standing beside the car a few feet away, caused them to straighten their stance, preparing to intervene should it become necessary.

Horatio shoved the pictures back at his father, as he clenched his other hand in a fist; unable to stop the man from continuing.

"Your mother had problems, Horatio."

Laughing sarcastically, Horatio angrily replied, "That's an understatement. I'm looking at the main one."

His father shook his head in agreement, "I know… you don't know how many years its haunted me, what I did to her and to you, but I didn't kill her. She killed herself."

Horatio had heard enough. With the speed of lightning, his fist made contact with the man's jaw, causing the man to fall to the ground with a thud. The action caused the men to react.

TBC…