The Return
Chapter 19
The private jet touched down at Miami International at approximately eleven-fifteen and taxied to the private plane terminal. As the steps lowered to the concrete tarmac, Horatio stood just inside the doorway behind Calleigh. Just as promised, a nondescript sedan sat waiting for them off to the side. They had no fear of being recognized since being disguised as Bill and Emily Robinson.
As they exited the plane, Horatio felt the warmth of the South Florida sun; such a contrast from their current place of residence. In fact, it'd been almost a year since he had enjoyed the familiar sensation. This was home. At that moment, he vowed silently that they would both, in good health, one day return permanently to the life they once enjoyed, or at least he would do whatever it took to assure Calleigh would.
Driving from the airport to Dade Memorial, the lunch hour traffic made their progress slow.
"I've looked forward to meeting Miriam one day, but not under these circumstances," Calleigh softly spoke as she reached over and lightly stroked his arm.
Horatio glanced briefly in her direction and nodded before returning his attention to the traffic.
"She wanted to meet you… I just hope we're not too late," he swallowed hard hoping that would not be the case as his eyes checked the traffic behind them in the rear-view mirror. He added, "After the hospital, I thought I'd call Frank and see if we might meet with him before flying back. I'd like to get an update on Mack and anything he knows about the Russians."
"So would I," Calleigh answered as she kept her eyes straight ahead.
Once inside the hospital, they went directly to the information desk. Miriam was on the eighth floor, in a private room.
The elevator opened on the eighth floor and as they stepped out, Horatio squeezed Calleigh's hand in his, hoping to siphon some of her strength. She gave him a small smile. All the way down to Miami he tried to prepare himself for the sight of Miriam lying ill in a hospital bed, but when the entered the room and his eyes fell on the elderly woman, he couldn't breathe. It was as if his own mother lay in the bed before him. The scene was almost surreal. Machines beeped incessantly beside her. Horatio stood motionless after his hand let Calleigh's drop. The elderly woman lay obviously close to death, her breathing ragged. Calleigh stayed back and let Horatio have time alone with the woman who had played such an important role in his life.
Horatio pulled a chair to the side of the bed, but before sitting down, leaned over and placed a tender kiss on Miriam's cheek. The act caused her eyes to flutter partly open. Miriam's eyes opened wider as she seemed startled at a stranger so close. Horatio instantly began calming her fears.
"Miriam," he whispered, trying to keep the pain he felt in his heart from reflecting in his voice, "Its' Horatio… I look different… don't be alarmed."
He knew she would not recognize him, that he would have to convince her of who he was, still he was willing to risk the shock to talk to her for the last time and let her know he was alright.
She opened her mouth to speak, but emitted no sound at first. Then seeming to struggle, she softly responded, "Horatio… it is really you? It's not… a dream?"
His lips tightened into a familiar, shy smile. "It is… It's not a dream… when I got word… I had to let you know that I hadn't been killed." As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop his lower lip from beginning to tremble.
He quickly looked down and then picked up her hand, careful not to disturb the IV tube taped to the back.
Then he heard Miriam whisper, "Thank God. You can't imagine… how hard… how hard it was to hear… about what happened. I… thought I'd lost… you both."
He felt his eyes well up thinking of how she must have been hurt, knowing she was still affected by Ray's death after all the years.
Wanting to lift her spirits a bit he softly responded, "You expressed to me that you wanted to meet the woman who stole my heart… she came with me."
Horatio looked around and held out his hand as a gesture for Calleigh to join them.
Calleigh greeted Miriam with a warm, tender smile. Speaking softly she said,
"Hi, Mrs. Humphries… thank you for helping to make Horatio such a wonderful person."
Her sweet words caused Miriam's lips to turn up in a small smile. Reaching out her hand toward Calleigh, who took it gently in hers, the elderly woman said in a low whisper,
"Call me Miriam. You… you take good care of my… Horatio… he's special."
The woman's words caused a single tear to escape one of Calleigh's eyes before she could wipe it away with her other hand.
Her voice cracking with emotion, Calleigh answered, her lips managing a weak smile, "I promise. We'll take care of each other."
Calleigh looked over at Horatio and for the first time watched as raw emotion took over his otherwise strong countenance. Tears were flowing into his beard, even though he was trying valiantly to dry them with his handkerchief before anyone saw them.
Miriam slowly turned her head back to Horatio and smiled, "Don't cry son… I can leave happy… knowing you're alive… and have someone to take care of you."
Horatio pushed up out of the chair, still holding the woman's hand and lightly kissed her forehead. "I love you Miriam… thank you for everything you did for Ray and me."
He felt her hand go limp in his causing him to look down into her face. She was smiling.
"Rest in peace Sweetheart," Horatio whispered as his hand cupped her face.
Calleigh walked around the bed and took Horatio into her arms, silently making soothing motions with her hands on his back.
After a minute the door opened and two nurses approached.
"We're sorry to interrupt… but there are things we need to tend to. Are you family?" One of the nurses inquired.
Horatio took a moment so he could answer the woman with a steady voice, "You might say I'm her adopted son. All of her arrangements were set up several years ago… you should have the information… she donated her body to the University of Miami."
"I'm sure we do… Mr. -"
"Robinson… Bill. My wife Emily," he turned and looked at Calleigh standing beside him as he kept his arm around her.
Several minutes later they stood in the hallway and watched as Miriam's covered body being rolled out of the room.
"Are you ok?" Calleigh asked looking up into his sad face.
He sighed before looking down into her loving eyes answering, "I am… very thankful we could be with her at the end." Calleigh nodded in agreement.
After a couple of minutes they began walking down the hall with their arms around each other when they abruptly stopped, noticing someone very familiar walking toward them. Dr. Alexx Woods.
Thinking quickly, Horatio whispered at a shocked Calleigh, "Bury your face in my shoulder. I'll guide you."
Calleigh did as he said and after they passed their friend, Horatio breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't seem to recognize him. But, they didn't notice their old friend stop, turn around and watch the couple walk away.
Alexx thought, something about that man's walk… no, she shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, I'm tired… pulling ER all night at Miami Dade until just an hour ago. She opened her eyes and looked at the man's back again. I could swear that he walked just like Horatio… then sadness filled her eyes as she silently told herself… but, Horatio is gone. She made a click with her tongue and pulled in a deep, steadying breath before continuing on toward the nurse's station.
Horatio and Calleigh sat in the warm car without speaking for several minutes. The afternoon sun was especially bright, illuminating the glass skyscrapers around them.
Finally, she said, "You don't think Alexx recognized you?"
"She didn't. She never stopped walking, but I didn't turn around to check. If I had, she might have noticed something about me; you know how perceptive she is."
Horatio then stated, "I'll call Frank – see if he can meet us."
"Do you think it's safe?"
He let out a huff before answering, "Who knows…."
Horatio began dialing the number he'd memorized.
"It's me. You alone?"
"Can you meet us at the usual place? Good – see you in a few."
The unmistakable MDPD gray sedan entered the open gate a few minutes later and stopped next to Horatio and Calleigh's dark blue sedan. Frank exited his car and looked across the roof toward the man getting out of the driver's side of the other car, startled momentarily by the drastic difference in his old friend's appearance.
Horatio could see the shock on Frank's face and chuckled slightly as he looked down at the pair of sunglasses he twisted nervously in his hands.
"Is that really you Horatio?"
Calleigh then got out on the passenger side and the big detective suddenly stopped walking as he whistled low before saying,
"I can't believe this… you both look totally different."
Horatio replied, "Let's hope our change of appearance throws others off too. Ah… we don't have long Francis, but wanted to get an update about Mack and what's going on here. We'd like some news that progress is being made."
Frank snapped out of his awe and tightened his lips, signaling to Horatio and Calleigh his news would not be good.
"Wish I could tell you that we're getting close H, but it seems we take two steps forward and one step back. Mack gave us some credible information, but… he got shanked last week in Miami West. The Russians don't let you get away with crossing them."
Horatio was visibly disappointed. He ran a hand over his beard as he contemplated the news.
"How much did his death impact the investigation?" Calleigh asked.
Frank let out a sigh before answering, "Enough. He was about to reveal who Deidra answered to… from what little he did tell us," his expression grew grave, "the guy's about as evil as they come. This could get very dangerous Horatio. More than we ever imagined."
Calleigh and Horatio exchanged concerned looks. Horatio turned away and grimaced as he looked out over the water, then turning toward his friend he asked pensively,
"We need pictures and profiles of any Russian mob associates. It's hard to not know who we should watch out for. Do you think you could send that info to us by email?"
"Sure"
Horatio pulled out a notepad from his pocket and wrote down an email address.
"As soon as I receive the reports, I'll deactivate this address. It's safer to connect with the phones."
A few minutes later they said their goodbyes after explaining about Miriam. Frank gave his friends one last warning,
"Watch your backs. I don't know where you are, or what you're doing, but don't assume others are just as much in the dark. These people are desperate. They're about to lose what they've wanted for a long time – control of the most lucrative drug highway to South America - Miami."
Horatio put his arm around Calleigh as he replied, "We will my friend. You watch your back too and warn the others. Any one on the team could be a potential target. I'll be in touch."
As his friends drove away Frank kicked an empty can in frustration, and then roughly pushed his coat back and placed his hands on his hips. I'm not feeling real good about this situation. The Russian Mob has numerous means at their disposal of finding those they want.
Frank was close to the lab when a call went out over the radio. Car bomb on 104th and Ocean, rescue called, area being secured. Frank changed his route and headed to the address.
As he drove up to the scene, the Miami fire department was just getting the burning shell of a large car under control. He got out and approached the officer in charge, showed his badge then asked,
"Found any witnesses?"
The short, balding man, dressed in a suit answered, "Two… standing over there," pointing toward a young man and woman.
Frank turned and walked over to the couple. "Detective Frank Tripp with MDPD," he flashed his badge. "You saw what happened here?"
"Yes Sir," the man spoke up. "My girlfriend and I were sitting on the bench over there," he pointed at a bench across the street, "when two men walked out of that building over there," nodding his head toward an office building, "got in a black Cadillac, a big one and then the thing just blew. It was something like out of the Godfather movie ya know."
Frank shook his head as he cringed, movies. "Can you describe the two men?"
The two young people exchanged a glance and then the young woman spoke up, "I think so. The driver was a big guy about forty - he held the door open for an older man to get in the back… that's what made us think of the mafia."
"That's right," the young man chimed up. Both men looked like mafia guys. They were dressed in suits… dark suits."
Frank thanked the pair and walked back toward the smoldering remains when something on the street caught his eye. He snapped on a latex glove then bent down and picked up the small plastic item with burned edges. Turning it over in his fingers, his breath caught when he saw the name imprinted - Caine.
Instantly his mind began recalling the young girl's description of one of the men, an older man… getting in the back.
He spun around at the sound of a heavy vehicle arriving and saw it was a Hummer from the lab. Eric and Ryan got out of the vehicle carrying their kits as they walked toward him and the scene.
"Hey Tripp… got anything on this?" Eric called out.
Frank didn't respond, instead he stood unresponsive, only thinking about the need to warn Horatio. I've got to tell him about this and more than likely it could have been the Russians.
"Uh yeah, Delko," he handed the small item to the CSI. "Y'all got this? I need to make a phone call." Frank then quickly walked away toward his car.
"Sure," Eric answered somewhat bewildered by the detective's sudden leaving as he watched the man walk away.
Then Eric looked closer at the piece of evidence as Ryan watched.
"What is it?"
Concerned when he noticed Eric's expression change.
Frank felt secure talking in the confines of his vehicle. He checked his phone's recent call list and found the number. I just hope to God Horatio hasn't tossed that phone yet.
He sagged as he heard a familiar voice pick up on the other end, "Francis…."
TBC…