It's My Nature (Miami)

Thanks for the review! I should be adding more soon. Stupid holidays keep me away from the computer.

 

I really need to start updating this more often.

Heh, yeah I'm trying to break away from the script format for a while and see what else I can do, whether or not it's good. Besides, with the strike, it's always fun to delve into the show on a different level.

Thanks for the review.

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Chapter five

Miami, a city that welcomes freedom and sunlight, adorned with tourists, music and lavish foods. However, things may appear better at a distance--something Horatio Caine recognized as he entered the medium-security prison that was to house Stuart Otis during his continued sentence.

South west Dade seemed particularily hot today and Horatio decided to remain indoors, surrounded by the bulk air conditioning system similar to the one used at the crime lab. Nothing too fancy, but did the job.

"Lieutenant?" A burly old man in uniform questioned as he neared Caine, his brow dripping of sweat indicating he'd been outdoors most of his shift. He handed him a small manilla folder. Horatio glanced down at it.

"I hear Mister Otis was to be transfered here yesterday morning." He exclaimed, flipping the page to reveal Stuart's picture. He didn't look much different, aside from the length of his hair, which he'd apparently decided to grow out a few inches.

The correctional officer nodded and wiped his brow. "States attorney had him transfered here as part of a new rehabilitation program specifically designed for convicted pedophiles." The officer didn't seem so convinced as he spout off the information.

"Hm, and I suppose Stuart was the first to agree." Caine answered, taking off his shades to get a better look around.

"Well if he did, we never got a chance to admit him. The bus crashed five miles up the road. Otis was gone when we got there."

Horatio gazed at the CO. Convenient, he thought to himself. Why anyone would let a convicted rapist and murderer out of a high level prison system baffled him but the government seemed to have many a solution for society's growing issues.

"Okay," Horatio began. "I'm going to need to take a look at that bus."

Confusion, bewilderment, anxiety. Benita Diaz awoke to the smell of grass and trees with a hint of nectar. Ducks, she could hear ducks. She was inside a structure, but not near her house. She couldn't hear cars or children playing. Her surroundings were dark, but not too dark. She was able to pick out small crimson nail heads that poked slightly out of the wood where she lay. She sat up, her delicate eyes searching the room and adjusting to the newly discovered light that emanated from a slit up above. Were those stairs?

Benita stood and placed her hand on the cold swollen wall beside her. Her small legs were weak and shaking. How long had she been asleep?

Her thoughts here prompty interrupted as two doors swung open above, revealing the shape of a person. She squinted as the sun's rays pierced her vision. Clip, clop, clip clop, were the sounds she heard as the figure started down the steps.

Outside, a rush of birds darted past the area, frightened by chilled screams.

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Chapter six

"Got an ID on the victim from the bathroom stall." Alexx explained to Calleigh, who had just walked into the morgue. "Samantha DeHavilland, one of the kids on the field trip. I was able to ID her using dental records." As Alexx explained this, her vision was still on the child, as if speaking to her directly.

Calleigh placed on a pair of latex gloves and steadied herself for the coroner's findings. "Cause of death?" She asked in her usual cheerful manner. She did, however not feel a bit how she sounded.

"Cervical spine fracture at C4. Very common in strangulations or at least attempted strangulations, especially in children."

Calleigh observed the child's neck. It definitely looked out of place. "Could it have happened by accident?" She asked, knowing that no crime could ever be 100% predicted. There were factors such as how old the victim was, how the victim would react or not react, how strong the attacker was, what the weapon could have been and any other outside factors.

Alexx shook her head immediately. "A fracture like this needed some kind of force. And because the bones were crushed, it was most likely perpetrated by a strong hand. I'll be able to tell more after I get the subcutaneous photos back."

The blonde bombshell turned her attention toward the clothing lying on the table near the body. They were wrinkled and dirty. She grabbed them and a small magnifying glass.

"You find something?" Alexx asked. Calleigh nodded.

"Looks like some sort of vegetation. It could have been passive transfer from our bad guy." She then observed the evidence in her hand before gently placing it inside a small brown envelope. A small smile creeped onto her face.

"I'll get this to Trace for analysis. Thanks Alexx."

The clearly lit layout room buzzed softly just as Eric Delko snapped photos of Samantha DeHavilland's clothes. Calleigh had brought them there to be analyzed and Delko offered to help out which by all means meant that Calleigh was free to investigate other aspects of their case instead of being tied to a room and a table. She of course, feigned disappointment over this but Eric knew she was itching to get out into the field.

His cellphone suddenly started to vibrate, breaking the harmonious buzz of the layout table. Eric reached for it and checked the caller ID. It read Horatio Caine. Eric lifted the phone up to his ear. "Yeah H, I just got started on the victim's clothes."

Horatio's voice clearly rang through the earpiece. "Great let me know what you find. I've also got something else for you." He stated dryly.

Eric nodded, despite Horatio not being able to view this. "Sure H, what is it?"

"I'm sending over a video tape I recovered from the prison bus, I need you to take a look at it when you've finished."

Delko's eyes lit up. Anything to get him out of staring at fabric all day. "Yeah, sure I'll have Tyler help me out."

TBC...............

 

Thanks for the reviews y'all.

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Chapter seven

A cold rush of air hit Horatio as he walked briskly into the Trace Lab, noticing Speedle reaching for the printer. Results, he thought to himself. At this point they had little evidence to lead them anywhere substantial and hopefully now was the moment where the pieces would start to fall together.

"Tell me something good, Speed." Horatio exclaimed as he placed his hands gently to his hips, awaiting the younger CSI's response.

"I'm not much of a gardener so I don't know how much it'll help." Speed answered, providing Horatio with the sheet he had just pulled from the printer. Caine stared down at it a moment, observing the triangular-shaped lines paired with numbers and percentages. The two latin words on the side of the page meant little to him. "Zanthoxylum coriaceum?"

Speed nodded and opened a large binder containing several types of Florida trees and flowers. He slid the binder over to Horatio, the page displaying a tree with a long purple-shaded stump surrounded with sharp-edged protrusions, almost thorn-like in their appearance. The leaves were bright green with a distinctive paddle shape, held by thick stems.

"The Biscayne Prickly Ash tree." Speed stated matter-of-factly. "They're part of the Citrus family and used to be seen in coastal areas like east Florida all the way down to the Caribbean-"

"Wait a minute." Horatio interrupted, picking up the binder to get a better look at the plant. "Used to?" This caught his attention, especially if it could help them narrow down a location to where Stuart may have been.

Tim sighed heavily and stood from his chair. It wasn't a sigh of annoyance, but sometimes Speed wondered if Horatio thought that it was. He walked over to a folder which was sitting near the printer and opened it. "Yeah they're pretty much extinct. The only place you can find them are in botanical gardens, zoos, things like that. It makes sense since the leaf was found on our zoo victim."

A wave of disappointment engulfed Horatio. Perhaps the vegetation wouldn't be helpful to them afterall. He nodded in response and peered over to the door where Calleigh had just entered. A tiny smile was apparent on her face and her walk had a slight bounce to it--all good signs, in Horatio's eyes. At this point, he was desperate for something tangible.

"You know the treads we collected in Benita Diaz' bedroom?" She asked, exchanging looks with both Horatio and Speed. "I matched them to a Vans rubber soled shoe with canvas lining. Turns out they're standard prison issue in Miami."

All three of them knew what this meant. This was the break Horatio was hoping for. Confirmation that Stuart was not only in the bedroom near the window, but also outside of the bedroom, meaning he had definitely entered through the home.

Horatio smirked. "And there was no sign of a break-in."

Calleigh shook her head. "None. Someone let him in."

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

Light pierced through the large glass-encompased interview room, located at the police department. Mariela Diaz sat in one of the grey metal chairs, staring up at the slightly slanted ceiling which looked out onto a pedestrian boardwalk. Calleigh started inside, carrying a folder and sat in the chair adjacent to Mariela.

"We have a problem." She exclaimed, making direct eye contact with the woman who stared right back at her. "We have evidence that places Stuart Otis in your home as well as the bedroom. It's very rare for kidnappers to enter the home without damaging the door or the windows unless someone let them in."

Mariela glanced down at the table, the guilt radiating through her expression. "I didn't know he was going to take her."

Calleigh's brows lifted, not expecting her to be so forthcoming. "So you know him." Mariela nodded and tears started to flow.

"He's a teacher at Riverside Elementary. But he told me his name was Sam, not Stuart. He said he was Benita's new tutor."

Chills were sent crawling down Calleigh's back. It was so typical.

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

Eric Delko sipped coffee from his styrofoam cup as he watched the screen ahead of him. The security tapes from the prison bus were now digitized and running through the hard drive. Tyler Jensen was busy at work, clicking and clacking on the keyboard trying to enhance the video footage for more convenient viewing.

Eric suddenly sat up as he stared intently at the screen. "Tyler hold on, can you hold it there?" He asked. Tyler always looked a little clueless, despite knowing someone on the team would eventually make a discovery concerning their respective evidence. It was exciting to him, knowing he could help make or break a case but he made a note to himself to try and spot the hinky material before the CSIs. It was like a contest in his own mind. He then made a mental note to get out of the lab once in a while.

"A piece of paper just dropped out of Stuart's pocket after the accident, can you zoom up on that." Eric ordered rather than asked, but Tyler knew he wasn't doing it to be rude.

A small box surrounded the paper and suddenly it became larger and blurred. Tyler typed ferociously at his keyboard to help this newfound piece of evidence become visible. Dots and lines cleared and Eric tilted his head to get a better view. "51A 40M Bend. What is that, some kind of address?"

Tyler immediately opened his laptop and began running the information through the directory.

Eric continued to watch the tape and saw the paper disappear beneath the feet of the guard who ran out of the bus, dazed.

Tyler shifted the laptop toward Eric. "Got it. There's a private storage facility just outside of Fortymile Bend, on the Tamiami trail."

Horatio suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere, peering at the screen. "Where a scarce number of Biscayne Prickly Ash trees can still be found. That's where Stuart's taking these kids, Eric. That's where he's taking these kids."

"Yeah but H, it would take a lot longer than this to snatch 4 kids." Eric exclaimed, breaking Caine's concentration from the screen.

Caine offered an angry expression. "That's because he didn't do it alone. Tell you what, let's get a supoena for the inmate visitor logs and find out who had contact with him."

 

Thanks for the review.

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Chapter eight

Evan Hernandez watched quietly as Horatio gently placed four pictures onto the table, all depicting the little girls whom had gone missing since the investigation began. Alice Parker, Kristy Hayworth, Samantha DeHavilland and finally Benita Diaz.

"We recently learned that this young lady," Horatio started as he pointed to Benita Diaz' photo. "was registered in a tutoring program at Riverside Elementary. Something you neglected to mention, Mister Hernandez."

The nervous principal tugged slightly at his beige collared shirt, loosening the pitch black tie that almost looked as if it were a noose, ready to string him up from where he sat. "She wasn't a regular student, didn't attend classes." He responded quickly.

Horatio shifted postions and turned his attention toward the window. Hernandez then began to feverishly bounce his right foot, causing Caine's eyes to lower to the floor, observing pieces of dirt cracking off from the ends of the principal's shoe.

"Your name was on a visitor's log aquired from the prison where Stuart Otis was encarcerated. Over 15 visits, that's a lot for a principal of an elementary school." The Lieutenant exclaimed. Hernandez shrugged.

"Yeah, I went there to organize a motivational speech afternoon in the gym to try and teach the kids to stay away from crime. I was going to video tape some of the inmates."

Horatio smirked and removed his shades. He placed them onto the table and tilted his head slightly. "Is that so."

Hernandez furrowed his brows. "If you don't believe me, ask the school board."

"I will. But in the meantime, I'm going to need a statement from you."

Evan peered down at the pad of paper that was pushed over to him, just inches from the pictures of the missing little girls. His eyes shifted to the photos for what seemed like an eternity. He began to write but his eyes were still focused on the pictures, glazing over the pretty smiles, the sparkles in their eyes, the waves of their hair.

Once Hernandez finished his statement, he quickly stood and left, diregarding the patrol officer who was to escort him out of the building. Horatio kneeled next to the table and pulled a swiss army knife from his pocket. He scraped the pieces of dirt that had fallen from the principal's shoe and nodded. It's all about the evidence, Horatio thought to himself.

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

The Questioned Documents lab was empty when Eric walked inside. He peered around the room, looking for Cynthia who was supposed to be working on the statement Hernandez had stupidly signed over to them.

"Aha!" A small voice squeeked, startling Eric. Cynthia stood, her long ponytail loose and sticking up on all ends. She held a small clear substance between a pair of tweezers. "I've been looking for this little bugger for 20 minutes." She stated with an accomplished grin on her face. Eric finally realized it was a contact lens that was gripped between the tweezers. He smiled in response.

"So now that you've found it, you mind updating me on the writing samples from our prison visiting principal?"

Cynthia promptly scurried over to the large projector located in the center of the room, used for analysing writing techniques and styles to help identify who was responsible for penning threats, suicide letters, cheques and other forgeries.

"I took a look at the statement your guy gave in comparison to the note from the bus that Tyler capped for me. It was pretty difficult because of the quality of the photo and the scarcity of writing but I managed to find several identifying elements suggesting that the principal did in fact write the note."

Eric was just about ready to jump for joy when Speed entered the doorway holding sheets of paper. He had a look of desperation on his face accompanied with fatigue, all the signs of a man who should have clocked out hour ago.

"Got the results back on the dirt H collected. It's a match to the soil found on Samantha DeHavilland's clothes."

TBC..................

 

Chapter nine

Evan Hernandez found himself once again facing the intensity of Horatio Caine, though it seemed - 'seemed' being the operative word - to have little effect on the once nervous man. Horatio, however wasn't interested in a merry-go-round of stories.

"Where are the girls." He demanded, his tone unwavering. Hernandez rolled his eyes and was about to answer when Caine stepped forward.

"We know they're located near a storage facility and I want to know where exactly."

Evan sighed and gazed down at the table. His afforementioned anxiety returned visibly once more as it was clear the Lieutenant had evidence. His career and his life as he knew it was over and there was no hiding from it now. He was angry with himself that he broke down so soon, then again he'd never been the strongest link in any chain. Feigning confidence was easy, if it didn't involve an interrogation--something Evan promptly recognized.

"He told me he wasn't going to hurt any of them." Hernandez exclaimed. Horatio tilted his head and raised both brows.

"You were interviewing a convicted murderer and rapist and you didn't think he was going to hurt anyone."

Hernandez slouched further in his chair. "Everything he said was so intriguing. It was the first time I ever felt like I was inside someone's mind. Just the way he explained everything was...." The principal drifted off and stared down at his hands.

Horatio nodded. He had him. "So you decided to plan your own field trip into the mind of a rapist and got caught along the way in a fantasy." He watched the principal become increasingly uncomfortable, obviously he had struck a chord.

"Before I knew it, I was planning his get-out-of-jail-free card, running the prison bus off the road and renting out my storage facility to the guy." He laughed slightly and shook his head. "It was the most exciting thing I'd ever done in my life. All of it. Just seeing those scared little eyes staring back at me, it was exhilerating."

Caine felt a pure disgust and anger overwhelm his entire being. Watching the principal of an elementary school explain how he assisted in the dehumanizing torture and murders of children almost made him feel like jumping across the table and stringing the man up himself. He understood Stuart Otis who was a twisted psychopath in his own respects but men like Hernandez, Caine could never understand. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Evan, where are the children." He ordered, more forcefully this time, unallowing the further divulgance of the man's disturbing thoughts.

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

The comfort of darkness surrounded Benita Diaz. She could have never imagined the dark to be so welcoming. Benita had managed to escape Stuart and hide far inside a cold steel cabinet, which seemed to kiss her burning skin and relieve the tears of sweat from her body.

Her eyes opened and adjusted to the room before her. She observed two bodies lying on the floor, those bodies looking simply asleep to her however she noticed their chests unmoving. She wanted desperately to call out to them and tell them to run and hide from the monster but before she could open her mouth, those doors opened once more. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping this way she would remain unseen.

Sirens. She heard sirens. Why hadn't she noticed them before? Were they real? Footsteps slowly neared her position, the light from above revealing her hiding place. She was too frozen to run, too frozen to even allow her body to tremble.

"Benita?" A soft, steady voice called out. Her eyes blinked open, squinting through the rays of sunlight. Time finally spoke meaning to her as birds sang high above. The small child's eyes crawled slowly to the man whom had called to her.

Horatio slowly reached out a hand and an encouraging smirk. Benita's eyes flickered as the sunlight bounced off of something gold in her vision. She was sure she had seen it before; A police badge. The tiny hand reached up and slid into Caine's. She no longer felt the darkness around her.

//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\

Police cars pulled away in different directions as the ambulance which contained little Benita kicked dust into what was her now former prison. Horatio watched as the ambulance rocked onto the highway and started back to town. Tim Speedle walked up to Horatio, disappointment resounding in his demeanor. "H, he's not here."

Those four words echoed in the Lieutenant's mind, disturbing him down to his core. Twice he had promised to keep Stuart behind bars and twice those bars seemed to bend. He couldn't help feeling personally responsible for those three little girls' deaths. Even if he'd overturned every rock, searched under every crevice of the landscape, there was no sign of him anywhere and no sign that he was ever to return. Unfortunately for Stuart, that was a very bad thing.

Caine nodded and placed on his shades. "We'll get him, Speed. We'll get him. He just made his last mistake."

END.