Chapter 1

The day started normally enough for Eddie, waking up wrapped around his beautiful wife, and then he had breakfast with his gorgeous wife and amazing kids.

After that, he left for his shift at Station 118. It started as a relatively easy day, even quiet, not that he would say that out loud… Hen and Chim-his brother-in-law, might just skin him alive for it.

It was about 2 p.m., and Cap had just made them all lunch when Eddie heard the muted click-thud of Christopher's crutches hitting the floor, his subconscious mind long since honed to the way Chris moved- and the sweet giggle of his little girl.

And sure enough, up the stairs, they came with bright smiles. Their mother, and the woman who would forever hold his heart in her capable hands, came up behind them on silent feet and a warm expression on her face as she looked fondly at the kids.

After a round of happy greetings from everyone, Buck greeted Eddie with a kiss, nipping his coffee and taking a sip, while the team fussed and played with the kids.

"Hola mi amor," Buck said as she sat down next to Eddie, shoulder to shoulder, hand on his thigh.

"Carina, this is a surprise. Anything happen?" Eddie asked in concern as he was not expecting a visit from his family today.

"Nothing much amando. 'Thena asked that I stop by, the kids heard her and insisted on seeing their papa. I couldn't say no to those eyes, now could I?" Buck replied with a shrug and a wide smirk.

"You not saying no?" Eddie smirked with a raised eyebrow, "says the woman who happens to be a hardened combat veteran with several years of combat and field experience can't withstand the puppy eyes?" Eddie smiled with a glint in his eyes.

"Oh, hush you," Buck replied with deep affection as she squeezed his thigh.

Eddie gave a soft chuckle as he glanced over at his children, before gazing at his wife with a serious look. "You said Athena asked you to come here. Why?"

"No clue. She seemed a bit tense though she hid it well, but I could hear it. Guess we will find out soon enough. " At the look of question in Eddie's eyes, Buck shrugged and said simply " cop boots in the bay." just as Athena crested the stairs.

Eddie could see what Buck meant. Athena seemed tense, even for her.

After greeting everyone, Athena gathered the core 118 around the table, while the kids played a game on the TV with Trent, Ravi, and Cooper- their new probie.

"Alright Athena, I'm here and we're all gathered. So you want to tell me what has you so rattled?" Buck, ever the direct one, said causing the rest of the team to take a good look at the Sergeant, and seeing there was indeed a certain tension around the woman's eyes.

Athena sighed as she looked around the table, before looking at the woman she saw as a daughter. She sighed audibly again. She should have known that the young woman was perceptive enough to know something was up.

With a weary look, Athena placed a thick file on the table with a heavy heart.

The team exchanged looks before glancing back at Athena.

Silent question clear. Athena nodded as she opened the file and spoke mostly to Buck.

"I got a call to respond to a scene this morning in West Hollywood. Didn't think much of it but turns out that the detectives there specifically requested me." Athena paused, seeming lost in thought.

"Athena, what was the call," Hen asked while the others waited for the veteran cop who seemed truly shaken to gather herself.

Blinking her eyes rapidly Athena to responded "Homicide a brutal one. Hiker found him. In 30 years of being a cop I have never seen something so cruelly inhumane and horrific " Athena looked at Buck clearly having an internal fight with herself.

Buck took the matter out of Athena's hands and asked "'Thena, what is it? You clearly need to say something and it has something to do with me. So what is it?"

Everyone seemed tense as they waited to hear what Athena had to say. Eddie's hand tightened on Buck's as his eyes flicked to the kids.

With a shudder, Athena placed her phone on the file with a picture visible on it. The team and Buck glanced at the photo with Buck's face going cold and stony her gaze going blank as she got lost in a haze of past ghosts.

The team took a closer look at the photo. Seeing a group of soldiers, all dressed in fatigues with weapons strapped on, posed together with laughing faces. What caught their attention, though, was that among the bright sandy scape was none other than Evelyn Diaz, with short blonde hair, and a dusty brown face streaked with what looked like gray dust, her arm was thrown around the shoulder of another man who was very handsome with dark hair and hazel eyes who looked fondly at the camera. What struck them was how starkly different she looked in the photo to the person they were used to seeing.

"This was at the scene?" Buck asked, tone crisp and void of emotion. Eddie frowned as he too looked at Athena for an answer. The implication of such a photo, at what was clearly a horrific homicide, not sitting well with Eddie.

"Yes pinned to the body but maybe you should look at the file.

We're still waiting for the identification of the body.

All we have is male, mid-30s to early-40s caucasian with black hair."

Buck looked at Athena for a long moment. Calculating, then reached to the file as she asked.

"What else aren't you telling me."

With hesitation, Athena said "The body was badly mangled, Buck. But written in what we assume is the victim's blood was the message the 'Viper will die? Detectives don't know what it means as yet. But that photo's gonna have them poking around. It might not be long before they are knocking on your door. I told the lead detective on the case to give me some time, as I might be able to get him a lead. So there might be some time to see what's going on… but not much."

"Wasn't just mangled Athena. Your victim was tortured for a prolonged time. He died a slow death." Buck murmured. As she looked through the crime scene by what was a brutal attack and death.

"How do you know he was tortured?"Chim asked unnerved when Buck gazed up at him gaze cold and empty.

"I know what to look for Chim. The body shows signs of prolonged suffering. Body was beaten. Bruising would indicate someone who knows what they were doing threw the punches. Optimal pain. No risk of dying. I guess that's what they started with. Bruising on his back and knees suggests blunt force. Probably must have been a bat or something similar. Pinhole bruising on the neck indicates some kind of tranquilizer. Could be Ketamin, I suppose. Things turned ugly when the guy refused to talk-"

"-How do you know he refused to talk." Chim interrupted.

Back look at Chim for a beat and continue.

"The beating got worse Chim. The marks on his arms aren't due to drug use. Think of it as reverse acupuncture a method common to German intelligence during the Cold War. After that, he was electrocuted as you can tell by the burns on his body. And I bet his genitals, It's a favorite among the Taliban. I'm guessing that autopsy will find water in his lungs- waterboarding."

Buck looked over at Athena "Right now your detectives are operating on primarily one location possibly two. Reality is you have three crime scenes."

"Three crime scenes?" Athena questioned.

"Yes," Buck replied: "the first location would be where he was grabbed. A guy like this puts up a fight. The second location was where he was kept probably for a week. Maybe a bit more. The third location is your dump site. All the blood would mean he was slit there. The cut was meant to kill him slowly. He bled for over an hour before he died. Like I said slow death meant to send a message."

Buck said as she closed the file and met Athena's gaze.