Day and Night (5)
Title: Day and Night (5)
Rating: R
Pairings: Nick/Sara, Ryan/Natalia, Eric/Calleigh, Warrick/Catherine
Summary: The teams rush to find Eric, but is the game over?
A/N: Thanks as always to
tidbit2008 for the beta. Sorry this took so long to get out!
Ryan was torn between fear and relief when he saw Natalia lying on that slab, moving steadily towards the fire. The fact that she was still alive almost brought him to his knees, but his brain quickly reminded him that she wasn't safe yet.
The spell that held each of the C.S.I.s frozen seemed to break at the same time, and Ryan and Horatio lunged for Natalia as one. Both had their pocket knives out, and they began to cut through the leather straps around her ankles desperately. When Natalia saw that they were there, her screams subsided, but the tears continued to stream down her face as her body struggled against the bonds.
"Ryan," she said, her voice breaking. "Please, don't let me die here."
"You're not dying," he gritted out, his eyes focused on cutting the straps. "I promise you that, Natalia. I'm getting you out of here."
Somewhere behind him, Ryan could hear Calleigh on the phone, telling Grissom that they had found Natalia. Finally, the strap he was working came lose, and he moved to the ones around her wrists. She picked her feet up and slid them closer to her body, away from the fire. But the slab continued to move toward the flames inexorably, and she was sweating from the proximity.
"Please, Ryan," she begged, her eyes boring into him.
He didn't even feel his own tears coursing down his face; he just focused on the strap he was cutting, vaguely aware that Horatio had cut through the one binding her torso and had moved to the opposite hand. They worked without speaking; the only sounds were Natalia's cries and the roaring of the fire.
Finally, the last straps broke and she was free. Natalia scrambled off the metal slab and landed in Ryan's arms, burying her face in his neck. He held her tightly, whispering words he couldn't understand in her ears as he tried to calm both of them. It was then that he realized that his entire body was shaking.
"You found me," she whispered.
"Of course I found you," Ryan breathed. "I'll always find you, Natalia."
While the two friends clung to each other, Horatio removed the piece of paper that had been taped to the metal beneath Natalia. Looking it over, he turned to Calleigh.
"Tell Grissom to get everyone back to the lab. We have our next clue."
She swallowed hard. "Eric?"
Horatio looked at her with sad eyes. "We're going to find him, Calleigh. I promise you that."
She nodded, looking over at Ryan and Natalia. They were no longer embracing, but their fingers were entwined as they stood next to each other. Walking over to them, she hugged Natalia.
"You okay?" Calleigh asked quietly.
The other woman nodded. "I will be."
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"It's not in English," Greg pointed out as they all looked down at the note.
"It's called Spanish, Greg," Warrick pointed out.
"I knew that," he muttered. "So what does it say?"
"What do you do when your greatest strength becomes your most dangerous weakness?" Calleigh translated.
"This guy really has a flair for the dramatic," Nick muttered, glaring at the note.
"We'll be sure to tell him that as soon as we catch the bastard," Warrick quipped. He looked at Calleigh. "So what's Eric's greatest strength?"
She frowned. "That depends. Do you mean personally or professionally?"
"Both."
"Well, personally, it's loyalty. Eric never turns on his friends, and he'd do anything for them."
"But all of his closest friends seem to be accounted for," Horatio added. "So perhaps his professional strength is our best bet."
"And what's that?" Warrick asked.
Calleigh answered again. "Water. Eric's a great diver. He knows the waterways of Miami like the back of his hand."
"Not a lot of water in Las Vegas," Greg observed.
"Then let's concentrate on those places where there is water," Grissom suggested.
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As the group stood around discussing their options, Catherine laid a gentle hand on Grissom's arm. When he looked at her questioningly, she motioned for him to step out into the hall with her.
"Where have you been?" he asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
"I just got a call from Lindsey."
"Is everything alright?"
Catherine sighed. "I'm not sure. She sounded upset. She said something happened at school, and that she really needed me."
"We need you here, Catherine. We still have to find Eric."
"I know. But this is my daughter, Gil. I can't just ignore her. She sounded like she'd been crying."
"Your mother can't go to her?"
Catherine shook her head. "She's vacationing in the Bahamas for the next two weeks. I'm all Lindsey's got. I'm sorry, Gil. But I have to go."
He sighed, and then nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, Catherine. I didn't mean to sound like a jerk."
She gave him a small smile. "It's okay. We're all under a lot of stress. Will you call me if you guys find Eric?"
"Yes. If Lindsey's okay, though, we need you back here as soon as possible."
Catherine nodded. "Of course." Pausing, she looked back at the room where the others were puzzling over the note's meaning. "Good luck."
"You too."
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Ryan poked his head into the locker room, looking around to see if it was empty. When he didn't see anyone, he pulled his head back out, intent on moving down the hallways as he continued his search. Just as the door began to close, though, he heard a soft whimper coming from somewhere inside. Opening the door again, he walked in.
As he rounded one of the rows of lockers, he found Natalia sitting on the bench, her head in her hands. He had begged her to go to the hospital after they found her, but she had been stubborn like Nick, insisting that she stay and help.
Sighing in relief that he had found her again, Ryan couldn't turn and walk away. So he moved towards her quietly, before taking a seat on the bench next to her. Reaching out, he slowly took her hand in his, watching for any signs that she wanted him to leave. Instead, Natalia rested her head on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How did you find me?"
"Right now or before?"
"Before," she clarified.
"I remembered you telling me the story about your aunt. When the note talked about your greatest fear, I knew it had to be fire."
She chuckled quietly and Ryan looked at her in confusion. "I guess you never know which stories might save your life someday," she explained.
Hearing the catch in her voice, he looked over, his own breath hitching at the tears building in her eyes. He stood up, helping her to her feet as well, and then pulled her against him. He held her tightly, closing his eyes and breathing her in, trying once again to convince himself that she was safe. Natalia held him just as closely, his warmth calming and his strength steadying.
After a few minutes, they slowly pulled away, knowing that their friend needed their help if he was going to survive. But as they stood there staring at each other, Natalia leaned in slowly, brushing her lips against his. Ryan raised one hand to the back of her neck as he pulled her close again, tilting his head and deepening the kiss. It was slow and deliberate, both of them soaking in the feel of the other, taking whatever strength and comfort they could for the time being. Eventually, though, they had to pull away again, and this time they knew that they had to get back to work.
"Thank you," she murmured as they headed towards the door.
"For what?"
"For finding me. For saving me."
Blinking back tears, Ryan leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I will always find you, Natalia. Always."
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"Alright," Grissom was saying when Natalia and Ryan walked in. "Let's narrow down the water that Vegas has. We've got lakes and rivers."
"That doesn't sound right, though," Nick objected. "I mean, Eric doesn't know Las Vegas water well. He knows Miami."
"Well, the guy didn't fly him down to Miami," Sara pointed out.
"We hope," Greg muttered.
"What are you saying, Nick?" Grissom asked.
The younger man sighed. "I don't know. This guy…he's doing everything he can to torture his victims. He reenacted the scariest time of my life. He drew on Natalia's worst memory, threatening her with a death she escaped years ago. I just think that he'd be that meticulous with Eric, taking something he loves and totally warping it."
"The aquarium," Warrick blurted. Everyone looked at him. "They've got displays of tropical fish," he explained. "The only place around here where you're going to find water like what you'd see in Miami is in the aquarium."
"He's right," Sara agreed.
"Then let's go," Horatio said.
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"So where exactly do they keep the pretty fish?" Natalia asked as they walked into the building.
"This way," Greg said, taking the lead.
As the manager they had woken and brought with them turned on all the overhead lights, Nick looked at his colleague with a small smirk on his face.
"Been to the aquarium a few times, Greg?" he asked.
Greg shrugged. "I like it here. It's relaxing."
He led the rest of the C.S.I.s through the aquarium, their footsteps loud in the silence. The tanks all around them were still in darkness, and the fish swimming in them were nothing more than shadows passing them by.
Calleigh gasped as they rounded a corner and saw an open fish tank up ahead. Unlike the others, this tank was lit up by the lights underneath it. The water was only two or three feet deep, and the fish inside of it ranged across every color of the rainbow.
But it wasn't the fish or the lighting that made the C.S.I.s stop in their tracks. Lying in the middle of the fish tank was a long box made of clear plastic, and inside that box was Eric Delko. Calleigh rushed forward immediately, but Nick and Warrick's long legs pulled them ahead of her quickly. Without any hesitation, they both jumped into the tank, each picking up an end of the box and lifting it out of the water. Struggling under the weight, they stepped back out of the tank, setting the box on the ground.
Horatio knelt by the box, his hand resting on the lid. Eric's eyes fluttered open, surprise showing in them when he saw that he was no longer alone. His breathing was shallow, and sweat streamed down his face. Letting his gaze wander down the length of the box, Horatio saw a small oxygen tank. The meter resting beside it showed that there was very little air left inside.
"Those locks," Ryan said. "How do we undo them?"
"Stand back."
They all looked up to see Calleigh standing there, her gun out and aimed at the locks. Horatio stood up and backed away, giving her the room that she needed. Taking careful aim and steadying her hand, Calleigh shot off the two locks. The others stepped forward again immediately, lifting up the lid and tossing it to the side. As he was lifted out of the box by Horatio and Nick, Eric's eyes locked with hers.
"Calleigh," he gasped.
The desperation and relief in his voice brought tears to her eyes. Unable to stand the torrent of emotion that swept over her, Calleigh turned and stepped away.
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"Gris."
Grissom and Horatio both looked up at the sound of Warrick's voice. The tall C.S.I. stood there nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"What's up, Warrick?" Grissom asked.
"Something's not right about this."
"What do you mean?"
Warrick looked around, as though trying to gather his thoughts. "It's just…look at who this guy took…Nick, Natalia, Eric…they don't really have much in common."
"You mean why them and not any of the others?" Horatio asked.
Warrick nodded. "Why didn't he take Nick and Sara? She would have been just as easy to torture, with what she's just been through. Or Natalia and Ryan?" He sighed. "I don't know if I'm making much sense."
"No, Warrick…you are," Gil told him. "Each of them…each of them is half of a couple. Or at least half of a potential couple. Nick and Sara have been flirting for years - there's always been something beneath that." His voice tensed as he realized the truth to his own words.
"Eric and Calleigh have been dancing around each other for years," Horatio added. "And Ryan and Natalia have become much closer in the past few months."
Warrick nodded again. "Exactly."
"I'm not sure I'm seeing your point, though," Horatio admitted.
The younger man took a deep breath. "It's just…if that's this guy's pattern, then…he missed one."
Even as Horatio frowned, Grissom's eyes widened. "You and Catherine."
"Maybe I'm wrong…maybe he had some specific goal with those three, and it had nothing to do with couples…"
But Grissom already had his phone out. Now that the pattern had been pointed out to him, he could see it clear as day, and the knot growing in the pit of his stomach told him that this guy wasn't finished with them yet. As the phone continued to ring, his eyes locked with Warrick's.
"She's not answering."