Hrockz
Coroner
Thanks for all the encouraging feedback. And glad to see the task force growing in numbers. 
Horatio stared down the barrel of his own gun. Any moment now he thought, and it would all be over.
"Get up." Brenner said. "You're coming with me."
"I'll only slow you down." It wasn't a bluff, Horatio wasn't even sure if he could stand.
"You're coming with me," Brenner insisted, grabbing Horatio's shirt colar and pulling him to his feet.
Pain jolted through Horatio's ribs and he bit on his lower lip. The wave of nausea crested then subsided.
"Move," Brenner shoved Horatio towards an opening in the plane's fuselage that had been torn open during the crash.
Horatio took small, measured steps and realised that his legs didn't hurt as badly as he thought they would. Perhaps they had been spared from injury. His ankle throbbed but he didn't think it was broken. Every breath still hurt, his broken ribs rubbing against each other. The wound in his side still bleed, and he placed a hnad over it, trying to apply pressure to stem the bleeding.
His feet felt the soft swamp sink underneath him as he stepped out into the open. It was getting drak, and the fading light provided little illumination of the area around them.
"That way," Brenner pushed Horatio forward a couple of steps again. The light was fading fast.
Horatio walked, unsure of where they were going. Each step was painful, and his breathing was ragged. He walked, hearing the sound of the occasional splash in the water, made by the occupants of the Everglades disturbed by he two men tresspassing through their territory. Horatio was wary, an alligator could spring at them anytime. He heard his own blood pounding in his ears, and the footsteps of the escaped convict behind him. He pressed on in the darkness. As long as he was with Brenner there was always the chance he would re-capture the serial killer and keep him from going after Yelina and Ray Jr.
---------------------------
Yelina managed to convince Ray Jr to go to bed, with the promise that she would wake him if there was any news on his uncle. She settled into bed, her thoughts with Horatio. She hoped fervently that he was still alive. But if he was, was he badly injured? Was he alone and scared? He would be ok, she tried to convince herself, then they could pick things up where they'd left off...
***flashback, date night***
The gentle breeze cooled thier skins as Horatio walked Yelina to her door. The walked side-by-side, so close their hands brushed, sending little jolts of excitment down her spine. Their short walked ended, and she found herself turning to face a smiling Horatio.
"I enjoyed myself tremendously. It was a lovely date. Thank you." Yelina said softly.
"I enjoyed myself too. But, that..." Horatio paused as always for effect. He cocked his head and smiled. "... that wasn't a date. Teenagers go on dates."
Yelina nodded and let out a small laugh, as if he had just let her in on some secret. "So what would you call what we just did?"
Horatio thought for a moment, then replied, "That, was something we should have done a long time ago."
Yelina nodded her agreemnent. "I'd really like if we could do that something again."
"Me too." He bowed his head, then reached for her hands. He lifted them to waist level, then gently rubbed his thumb across the top of her hands. His actions all tender and loving.
He looked back up at her, then said, "I ah, I'm going to be out of town for a day or two, I'm not sure when."
"For work?"
"Yeah," Horatio paused again, "You know Ralph Brenner?"
"Serial killer?"
"I have to escort him out of the county to stand trial... but I'll call you when I get back."
"I'd like that." Yelina smiled.
He shifted uncomfortably, then said in a very low voice, as if afraid others would hear, "Yelina, I care for you very, very deeply."
"I know."
Horatio nodded, as if to tell her he knew that she knew. He brushed a strand of hair from her face with his fingertips. There was a pause, then his gaze fell on her lips. She knew what was coming, and her heart did an excited little flip. She had always had the urge to kiss him, and they came close once. Tonight, she'd get her wish.
Horatio leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers, and then it was over. Their lips parted with a soft smacking sound. It wasn't a deep kiss, perhaps he didn't want to pressure her, but she enjoyed the feel of it.
Horatio stood, smiling sheepishly like a boy who had stole a cookie from a cookie jar.
"I'd better get inside." Yelina said, smiling back.
"Yeah. Goodnight."
She unlocked her door, then opened it. She turned, "Be careful ok?"
"I will." Horatio said as she entered her house and waved a small wave goodbye to him as she closed the door.
***end flashback***
That was the last time they met. Since then Yelina had a new client and it kept her busy enough to not notice that Horatio hadn't called. She always thought he was busy with his work. And she was assured he would call when he was done. That was five days ago.
The last image of Horatio standing grinning in front of her as she closed the door haunted her. Would that be the last she ever saw of him? Why didn't she tell him back that she cared for him too? She should have said something instead of "I know", she chided herself. Did he know that she loved him, as much as he did her? She could guess he did, but now only wished she had said it out to him.
Her cellphone rang and she hurridly picked up.
"Sorry to call so late." It was Frank.
"Not a problem." Yelina replied, hoping that he had good news.
"They got a signal locked on the plane's transponder. It's too dark now to go to that location. Search and rescure will head out there at first light. It's somewhere in the middle of the Glades." Frank confirmed the location of the crash that he had suggested earlier.
"Can't they go now?" Yelina asked, realising that it was a pointless question.
Frank indulged her, explaining what she already knew. "It's too dark out, they'd never see anything, it'll be a waste of time."
She wanted to reply that Horatio could be clinging to life as they spoke. She wanted to be there when they found him. "Would you be going out there tomorrow?"
"Yup, with Delko and Calleigh. I'll call you once I get there."
"I'd like to come too." Yelina said.
"I'm not sure if - "
"Frank, please."
There was a pause over the line. "Alright, I'll come by to pick you in the morning. But it'll be early. Five maybe."
"Thank you." Yelina said, then hung up.
She sighed. The clock on the wall read midnight. She hoped they would find Horatio tomorrow. She lay down on her bed, and tried to fall asleep.
Horatio stared down the barrel of his own gun. Any moment now he thought, and it would all be over.
"Get up." Brenner said. "You're coming with me."
"I'll only slow you down." It wasn't a bluff, Horatio wasn't even sure if he could stand.
"You're coming with me," Brenner insisted, grabbing Horatio's shirt colar and pulling him to his feet.
Pain jolted through Horatio's ribs and he bit on his lower lip. The wave of nausea crested then subsided.
"Move," Brenner shoved Horatio towards an opening in the plane's fuselage that had been torn open during the crash.
Horatio took small, measured steps and realised that his legs didn't hurt as badly as he thought they would. Perhaps they had been spared from injury. His ankle throbbed but he didn't think it was broken. Every breath still hurt, his broken ribs rubbing against each other. The wound in his side still bleed, and he placed a hnad over it, trying to apply pressure to stem the bleeding.
His feet felt the soft swamp sink underneath him as he stepped out into the open. It was getting drak, and the fading light provided little illumination of the area around them.
"That way," Brenner pushed Horatio forward a couple of steps again. The light was fading fast.
Horatio walked, unsure of where they were going. Each step was painful, and his breathing was ragged. He walked, hearing the sound of the occasional splash in the water, made by the occupants of the Everglades disturbed by he two men tresspassing through their territory. Horatio was wary, an alligator could spring at them anytime. He heard his own blood pounding in his ears, and the footsteps of the escaped convict behind him. He pressed on in the darkness. As long as he was with Brenner there was always the chance he would re-capture the serial killer and keep him from going after Yelina and Ray Jr.
---------------------------
Yelina managed to convince Ray Jr to go to bed, with the promise that she would wake him if there was any news on his uncle. She settled into bed, her thoughts with Horatio. She hoped fervently that he was still alive. But if he was, was he badly injured? Was he alone and scared? He would be ok, she tried to convince herself, then they could pick things up where they'd left off...
***flashback, date night***
The gentle breeze cooled thier skins as Horatio walked Yelina to her door. The walked side-by-side, so close their hands brushed, sending little jolts of excitment down her spine. Their short walked ended, and she found herself turning to face a smiling Horatio.
"I enjoyed myself tremendously. It was a lovely date. Thank you." Yelina said softly.
"I enjoyed myself too. But, that..." Horatio paused as always for effect. He cocked his head and smiled. "... that wasn't a date. Teenagers go on dates."
Yelina nodded and let out a small laugh, as if he had just let her in on some secret. "So what would you call what we just did?"
Horatio thought for a moment, then replied, "That, was something we should have done a long time ago."
Yelina nodded her agreemnent. "I'd really like if we could do that something again."
"Me too." He bowed his head, then reached for her hands. He lifted them to waist level, then gently rubbed his thumb across the top of her hands. His actions all tender and loving.
He looked back up at her, then said, "I ah, I'm going to be out of town for a day or two, I'm not sure when."
"For work?"
"Yeah," Horatio paused again, "You know Ralph Brenner?"
"Serial killer?"
"I have to escort him out of the county to stand trial... but I'll call you when I get back."
"I'd like that." Yelina smiled.
He shifted uncomfortably, then said in a very low voice, as if afraid others would hear, "Yelina, I care for you very, very deeply."
"I know."
Horatio nodded, as if to tell her he knew that she knew. He brushed a strand of hair from her face with his fingertips. There was a pause, then his gaze fell on her lips. She knew what was coming, and her heart did an excited little flip. She had always had the urge to kiss him, and they came close once. Tonight, she'd get her wish.
Horatio leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers, and then it was over. Their lips parted with a soft smacking sound. It wasn't a deep kiss, perhaps he didn't want to pressure her, but she enjoyed the feel of it.
Horatio stood, smiling sheepishly like a boy who had stole a cookie from a cookie jar.
"I'd better get inside." Yelina said, smiling back.
"Yeah. Goodnight."
She unlocked her door, then opened it. She turned, "Be careful ok?"
"I will." Horatio said as she entered her house and waved a small wave goodbye to him as she closed the door.
***end flashback***
That was the last time they met. Since then Yelina had a new client and it kept her busy enough to not notice that Horatio hadn't called. She always thought he was busy with his work. And she was assured he would call when he was done. That was five days ago.
The last image of Horatio standing grinning in front of her as she closed the door haunted her. Would that be the last she ever saw of him? Why didn't she tell him back that she cared for him too? She should have said something instead of "I know", she chided herself. Did he know that she loved him, as much as he did her? She could guess he did, but now only wished she had said it out to him.
Her cellphone rang and she hurridly picked up.
"Sorry to call so late." It was Frank.
"Not a problem." Yelina replied, hoping that he had good news.
"They got a signal locked on the plane's transponder. It's too dark now to go to that location. Search and rescure will head out there at first light. It's somewhere in the middle of the Glades." Frank confirmed the location of the crash that he had suggested earlier.
"Can't they go now?" Yelina asked, realising that it was a pointless question.
Frank indulged her, explaining what she already knew. "It's too dark out, they'd never see anything, it'll be a waste of time."
She wanted to reply that Horatio could be clinging to life as they spoke. She wanted to be there when they found him. "Would you be going out there tomorrow?"
"Yup, with Delko and Calleigh. I'll call you once I get there."
"I'd like to come too." Yelina said.
"I'm not sure if - "
"Frank, please."
There was a pause over the line. "Alright, I'll come by to pick you in the morning. But it'll be early. Five maybe."
"Thank you." Yelina said, then hung up.
She sighed. The clock on the wall read midnight. She hoped they would find Horatio tomorrow. She lay down on her bed, and tried to fall asleep.
