CHAPTER 3
A loud knocking sound prevented the imminent launch into what promised to be a fierce game of Truth or Dare.
Knock, knock, knock.
The four CSIs leapt to their feet faster than the lightning permeating the sky outside.
"Hey! Hello? We're inside!" they collectively called.
"Hi there, everyone," came the somewhat muffled, very measured response from the other side, and the group sighed in relief.
"H!" Eric spoke through the door. "Let us out! We're trapped."
A momentary pause greeted him in response.
"It's not that simple, Eric." Horatio sounded contrite, though he'd done nothing wrong, to Eric's knowledge.
"What do you mean?" Calleigh sidled up next to Eric and asked her LT in a raised voice.
"When the first generator blew, the system relayed over to the second and third generators," Horatio explained. "The storm knocked out number two, as well. Three is holding, but all power is being diverted to evidence storage and safety protocols."
"So what happened that got us stuck in here?" Natalia queried. "It's pitch black."
"I believe, Ms. Boa Vista, that is what we call…a glitch."
Eric, Ryan, and Natalia groaned, but Calleigh, quickly putting two and two together, began to fill in the gaps. "The locker rooms are on the basement floor with Ballistics. The system is designed to automatically lock down all weapons and ammunition in case of catastrophic power failure."
"Exactly, Ms. Duquesne," they heard Horatio answer.
"Care to elaborate, Cal?" Ryan pressed.
"We must share a sector of the building's power grid with the lab down the hall. I'm guessing we experienced a power surge and instead of an isolated lock down, the system overcompensated and locked every door and cage in the sector. Horatio?"
"You are correct, ma'am," the lieutenant responded. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but you may be here for a while."
Eric turned to Calleigh. "How long is 'a while'?"
He barely made out her grimace in the dark. If he didn't have her features memorized, he might have missed it.
"Protocol dictates a total lockdown of no less than 60 minutes…after power is restored," she said miserably. "Who knows how long it could take to get the generators back up and running, not to mention address the glitch caused by the surge."
Eric and Natalia's shoulders slumped, and Calleigh could see Ryan run a hand over his face.
"So you're telling me, essentially, that we have to wait until the storm passes and a crew can repair the damage? That could be hours!" Ryan said.
"Or days," Natalia moaned in frustration.
"Is the water still running?" Horatio's muffled voice asked.
They answered in the affirmative.
"Good. Dehydration and sanitation won't be a problem. I imagine you'll be hungry soon, though."
Natalia chimed in again, this time with a smile. "Oh, Delko's got us covered in the rations department."
"Secret stash coming in handy, Mr. Delko?" Horatio replied with a twinkle in his eye the CSIs couldn't see but they could hear.
"How does everyone know about my secret stash?" Eric asked, nonplussed.
Calleigh's small chuckle sounded through the air near his shoulder. "You're just not subtle, Eric."
She returned her focus to her boss. "What's next, Horatio?"
"We're priority one for the repair crews. I'll keep you in the loop."
And he was gone just as quickly and suddenly as he arrived.