The Return

Chapter 13

After breakfast the next morning, Daniel Caine sat in the back of a limousine heading for Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, taking sips of hot coffee between conversations with Harold in Miami. Ending the call, he felt satisfied that his friend was the right man for the situation. Then he made one more call - to his FBI contact in Montana.

Teterboro is the largest aviation airfield to handle private and charter jets for the New York City area and it's where the Calabria family owned a large hangar for storage of their planes and their maintenance. It was convenient. He had called the night before and reserved the Gulfstream G280, their newest, for his trip to Montana.

Patrick Cross stood in the hallway outside his office looking down at his phone. He saw Daniel Caine's name displayed on the screen and frowned. How do I get in these situations – working with the Mafia? He shook his head.

Frustrated that Cross wouldn't answer; his only choice was to call that young snot-nosed agent in the FBI's Miami office. Daniel always thought he was a good judge of people, after all, in his profession it was helpful having the ability to 'read' others, if for no other reason than for good health. There was something about the young agent that just didn't sit well with him. For one, in his opinion, the kid was too eager, but more than that, he'd sensed the man operated from a different agenda and that's what worried Daniel. Wearily he began dialing.

Calleigh smiled at the sight of Horatio lying sound asleep on his back in the bed, only partly covered with the down comforter. Walking around the bed, she heard his slow, even tones of sleep as she pulled the cover higher so he wouldn't get chilled, then leaned down and brushed his soft red hair back before placing a light kiss on his forehead. Sleep my love… get stronger.

She'd awakened earlier, gotten a shower and then dressed in the warm clothes hanging in the bathroom for her realizing she felt better than she had in a long time. The cold crisp air in the room was refreshing and the view from the room's windows was... magical, like a winter wonderland. Tip-toeing across the room, she pulled the heavy wooden door closed behind her thinking she'd head to the kitchen for a cup of hot coffee and a visit with Hella.

Hella was concentrating on breakfast that she was preparing at the stove and didn't hear Calleigh enter.

"Good morning, Hella!"

The older woman jumped slightly and her wooden spatula jerked out of the skillet. Turning, she saw the young blond walking toward the coffee maker.

"Oh Miss Calleigh… I was deep in thought and did not hear you." Putting the spatula down, she quickly walked to the mugs and began speaking hurriedly, "You sit. Hella get a good hot mug of coffee for you, ya?"

"I hope I didn't startle you," Calleigh offered, detecting that something seemed off about the woman. Her demeanor troubled. Hella's nervousness confirmed her suspicions. Being a trained investigator, Calleigh had learned the skill of noticing little things such as differences in people's voices.

Hella was not making eye contact and that in itself was a red flag.

"Is everything ok?" Calleigh asked as she took the mug of hot coffee from the woman.

The question, stopping Hella in her tracks, appeared to briefly fluster her, but quickly recovering, she answered that it was, only the effort was half-hearted at best. Then she asked,

"Mr. Horatio… he coming?"

Calleigh smiled, "Horatio is still sleeping… I didn't wake him. He needs to rest."

"Ya, he does, but he need to eat too. That man stubborn when it come to eating right!"

Calleigh couldn't help but let out a giggle. "You've found that out have you?"

"Hella cook good food – Mr. Horatio just eat tiny bit." She pinched her fingers together to make her point. "I tell him he can't get better not eating. I tell him I will force him to eat and he no want Hella to do that. I learned how to do that helping my mother with my two younger brothers – they not eat. After I forced – they ate."

She hurried back to her skillet on the stove and the delectable aroma of sausage cooking began wafting over to Calleigh as she sat at the table enjoying the mug of steaming coffee. In no time, Hella brought a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and hash brown potatoes and set it down on the table for Calleigh.

Calleigh looked at all the food and exclaimed, "Oh my, this is a lot of food I..." Noticing the stern look from Hella, she added with a smile, "It smells heavenly!"

Hella sat down at the table with a cup of coffee. "You eat, not be like Mr. Horatio."

After Calleigh had eaten all she possibly could, she took a chance and asked, "Something is bothering you. Can I help?"

Hella's expression changed markedly as she turned away and looked beyond and out the window across the room.

"I don't want to cause trouble, but…" the woman abruptly turned back and searched Calleigh's eyes, "no, I can't tell you," shaking her head and looking down at her lap.

Torn about whether to reveal to this woman the conversation she happened to overhear between the young agent and another person when he was on the phone last night. If I tell, Mr. Cross get very angry with me. If I don't tell… it sounded like something bad will happen and I think it involve Mr. Horatio. So mixed up! What should I do?

Lifting her worried eyes back to Calleigh, it was obvious to the CSI that the woman was troubled.

Suddenly, Calleigh felt the tender touch of hands on her upper arms and heard the familiar deep, smooth voice that could only be Horatio.

"Good morning Beautiful!" He almost purred.

Calleigh leaned into his touch. "Hi Handsome… sleep well?" she asked as she turned and looked up noticing how much more relaxed he seemed.

Horatio smiled warmly as he gave her a quick kiss and replied, "Better than I have in a long time. Good morning Hella," calling out to the woman's back as she stepped back to the stove, busily making another plate.

Turning around she answered, "It be a good morning when you eat!"

Putting the plate down before him on the table she added, "You eat now for Miss Calleigh."

Almost laughing at her stern expression he countered as his eyes found Calleigh, "I do seem to have a better appetite."

After breakfast, Calleigh and Horatio walked around the interior of the lodge, arms around each other while he showed her the building.

They stopped in an alcove and looked out the large windows at the sunlight glistening off the snow in the large open area below. After a minute, Horatio gently pulled her into a warm embrace.

Calleigh had been quiet for several minutes causing Horatio to ask, "Everything ok?"

Pulling back in his arms enough to look into his eyes she answered in a low voice, "I don't know. I detected that something is bothering Hella. It seemed she wanted to talk to me about it, but couldn't. Perhaps she would with you. Would you talk to her?"

"Sweetheart, you know I don't like to pry into people's private lives. If she wants to talk to me, she will."Changing the subject, he asked, "What about going for a walk outside?"

As they were strapping on snowshoes, Horatio looked over and laughed. "You look like an Eskimo!" Calleigh responded by immediately sticking her tongue out at him.

They each had dressed in layers topped off with bulky down-filled parkas with hoods. Calleigh had already pulled hers over her head.

Agent Cross walked out on the deck having seen them preparing to leave.

"Just where do you think you're going Caine?"

Horatio finished his preparation and stood to his full height before answering, expression changing into a scowl. Calleigh stopped what she was doing and looked up from being down on one knee.

"For a walk and fresh air Cross, I'm not a prisoner. Besides, as isolated as we are, I don't think there could be anyone out there waiting to blow my head off."

Horatio reached for Calleigh's hand and helped her up, then led her past the angry agent as they headed out into the snow.

As they walked through tall fir trees surrounding the grounds of the lodge, Horatio admitted, "I don't think I can go far. Even with snowshoes, I'm already feeling tired. Besides last night," he smiled warmly, "this is the most exercise I've had in a while."

"We won't push it, but this will help you get your strength back," Calleigh replied. "You have an advantage over me; growing up in New York you probably did this a lot."

His breathing becoming labored he answered, "A time or two."

Calleigh stopped and fell backwards in the snow. Looking up at a shocked Horatio she laughed as she began moving her arms and legs out and in a sweeping motion.

"I've always wanted to make a snow angel!"

Horatio broke out in a huge smile and said, "You're the angel."

Suddenly shots rang out, echoing towards them through the trees. Horatio snapped his head around and looked back at the lodge as Calleigh jumped up from the ground.

"Those were gunshots."

Horatio answered with a quick, "They were. Come on!" He almost shouted as he grabbed her hand taking her along with him.

Ignoring the burning pain in his chest, they briskly walked back toward the lodge.

Stopping just before the trees gave way to the large open area surrounding the structure, they saw Cross standing a few yards away lowering a rifle.

Horatio started for where the man stood, but Calleigh quickly grabbed his arm stopping his movement.

"Wait, we're not armed and not sure what's going on."

Horatio turned and replied, "It doesn't seem to be anyone but Cross. Let me go first though, you stay here."

Reluctantly, she let him go, knowing there was no way of stopping him once he'd made up his mind. She watched from behind the trunk of a huge fir-tree.

As Horatio got closer to the agent, he saw the man crouched on his heels, looking at the ground.

Hearing someone approaching Cross looked up and saw Horatio a few feet away.

"Just doing you a favor Caine," he called out as he looked back down.

Horatio stopped close to the man and responded, "By shooting towards us?"

"Quick to suspect bad intentions I see. No, I shot at a wolf that passed by heading in your direction." Cross made eye contact with Horatio and stood adding, "That's why you should stay inside. All kind of dangers exist out here."

Calleigh had walked up beside Horatio and stopped. Noticing the sarcastic smile on the agent's face, she then looked up at Horatio and saw his jaw clenching and unclenching; a sure sign of his anger.

Horatio curtly replied, "Maybe you should give us means to protect ourselves. We're police officers you know, very capable of handling guns."

"I'll see about that. Meanwhile, stay inside."

A little later that evening, Horatio and Calleigh were enjoying the fire, sipping on mugs of hot chocolate.

"Did you pick up on the fact that Hella seemed even more distracted at dinner?"

Horatio reluctantly answered, "I did. She…"

There was a knock on the door before it began to slowly open.

"Mr. Horatio… pardon me for bothering, but may I talk?"

Horatio stood and walked toward Hella.

"Sure, come in."

"No… not here… privately. Your room?" Hella stepped back out in the hall to make sure no one heard her.

Horatio turned and looked back at Calleigh. "Go ahead… I'll just enjoy the fire," she told him.

Hella spoke up, "Please, you come too, Miss Calleigh."

Frank, Walter and Jared silently walked out of the small one-story building about an hour before dark. They had just checked out one of two federal landing strips, this one was active. The man on duty had told them that no planes had landed here in two weeks. He had also told them that no private planes would even be allowed to use a federal airstrip unless experiencing an in-flight emergency.

Stopping at the sheriff's SUV Walter spoke up as he looked over at Jared, "Well, there's only the abandoned field left. How long will it take us to get to it?"

The sheriff answered as he looked in the distance, "Too long for today. We'll need more daylight, provisions and equipment." Looking at Frank he added, "You boys on an expense account I take it?"

"Sure. What else do we need?"

Jared smiled, "Let's get back to town and I'll give you a list."

Exasperated, Walter spoke up, "Why can't we go today? If there's a road to it…"

The sheriff's expression turned serious as he answered sharply, not allowing Walter to finish his sentence, "You have to approach things differently out here in the mountains. Avalanches, unexpected storms can trap you, cutting you off from civilization. They can kill. We're not going until morning, understand?"

Frank and Walter exchanged uneasy looks. Frank was exasperated by how slow the investigation was moving and he sensed Walter felt the same, but they had no choice but to go along with the sheriff.

In a house just outside of Kalispell, Deidra ended her call on the throw-away cell phone. Everything was a go for tomorrow. Their contact at the lodge was in place. In less than twenty-four hours she anticipated that the great Horatio Caine would be eliminated for good this time. Before long, Miami would be under their control and her place in the ranks of the Bratva would be secure. Nothing would deter her from that goal. She picked up her gun lying on the table and returned to carefully and methodically cleaning the Ruger.

TBC…

A/N: I'm very appreciative for readers following this story and for your reviews letting me know that you are enjoying! Thank you! I apologize for taking so long to publish this chapter. I promise the next one will be out in a more timely manner.