"How did anyone miss this before?" Calleigh huffed as she paced the area waiting for the rest of them to arrive with more supplies. Eric stood over the fire pit and took more pictures while he listened to Calleigh rant. "I mean, what else would he even put in here? Where did the husband go?!" Calleigh rambled. She stopped for a moment as she heard leaves crumble behind a wall of decorative bushes. Eric raised an eyebrow at her sudden silence. Calleigh turned towards the bushes and stood in silence. She heard it again. She walked away from the fire pit and drew her firearm as she approached it. Eric followed, unsure of what it was that she was going for.
"Cal?" Eric asked in a hushed tone. Calleigh swatted her hand in the air to gesture to him to be quiet. Natalia and Ryan had just arrived and were currently walking up the front of the house with their crime kits. Eric turned around and gestured for them to wait before coming closer. Calleigh pushed and opening through the bushes only to be hit with the strongest stench she had ever smelt and an image that she could never get out of her head. The vulture that had been making the noise flew away from its meal as soon as Calleigh moved the bushes aside. She stumbled backwards into Eric who also had just witnessed the same thing. Calleigh continued walking backwards silently. Eric remained in his position. Seeing that both of the agents put their weapons down Ryan and Natalia slowly approached wondering what the hell the two of them had just seen.
"Call in Alex" Calleigh forced out once they were close enough. Ryan and Natalia both came to a halt again. Calleigh stood from her hunched position and looked at the two of them, "We have a body".
Calleigh had been leaning against the trunk of the Hummer for almost 20 minutes now without saying a single word to anyone. Alex had arrived and was walking a body bag on a gurney to their transport vehicle. Natalia and Horatio stood over by the bushed taking photos while Horatio watched carefully over the entire area. Ryan stood looking agitated as he tried to explain God knows what to a trainee. Ryan always got stuck with mentoring the new people. Eric had just finished helping Alex push the body into the car when he began to walk over to where Calleigh was standing. She didn't seem to notice that he had approached until he placed a hand on her shoulder. Calleigh jumped at the touch as she was suddenly pulled back to reality.
"I know that wasn't what you wanted to find" Eric said simply. He could've said something regarding the fact that the man they found dead, partially burnt, and being pecked at by a vulture, but wisely did not. It also didn't help that the chances of that man being the father they were looking for were fairly high.
"Just imagine… Being assaulted, thrown to a fire, and then being left behind some bushes to rot". Calleigh said while staring off blankly. "That takes a real kind of monster" She finished. Eric just listened. He knew that was all she needed right now. They had all seem some pretty terrible stuff, somethings affected them more than others. Some of them got more attached to cases than they should. Everyone had been there before. "Those girls…" She started. He voice was so quiet as she said it that he almost didn't catch it. Eric put an arm around her shoulder and surprisingly she leaned into it. Calleigh was not one to partake in any kind of physical comfort unless she had volunteered it to someone else. She would accept it to be polite, but this was different. Ryan's trainee looked over at the two, "What, are they like dating or something?" the trainee asked casually while gesturing to Eric who was now facing Calleigh and seemed to be listening to something she was saying. "no, he's just a really good friend" Ryan said as he watched Eric listen carefully to whatever she was saying. Ryan was always there to comfort Calleigh after hard times, but if couldn't, he was glad that Eric was the next in line. Ryan sent the trainee, who he later learned was named Jocelyn, over to Natalia as he headed up to meet up with the other two CSI's. Ryan swiftly reached into his Hummer and came back towards Calleigh who was still standing next to Eric.
"Twizzler for your thoughts?" He asked with a small smile as he held the red candy in front of Calleigh. She felt a small twinge at the corners of her mouth. Calleigh nodded and took the licorice rope while following Ryan back to his Hummer with her evidence tote in the other hand. Eric nodded in appreciation to Ryan who simply smiled back in return.
Okay guys so this chapter is intentionally short and randomly cut. I wanted to write so much more but I didn't want to waste any more time. I wanted to just get something out to you guys as soon as I could! She here is a little snipit! I don't think I could even call it a chapter honestly. A REAL chapter is coming I promise! Maybe some action? Some fighting? We shall see! Tell me what you guys want to see!
Also I am really really sorry for the wait. I told you I was going to be quick and I took forever and half. School just keeps on kicking my butt honestly! But thank you all for the sweet wishes and I hope that your holidays were just as wonderful as you all are :)