The Criminology Cruise (LV, Miami, NY crossover)

Zan1781

Coroner
( This idea stems from an idea that my mother had, although I am tweaking it a little bit. And I realize that conventions (and an entire episode based on a cruise ship) have been done in the past, but…this will probably be very different from anything else you have ever read… at least I hope so! *takes a deep breath, sharpens pencil, and runs*. I hope you enjoy!)

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. And also, I absolutely love Celebrity Cruises, which is why it is their cruise line that is mentioned. Anything great that happens in this fic probably already takes place on their ships. Anything negative only takes place in my mind!

Title: The Criminology Cruise

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Miami, Florida


“Don’t even get me started!” Abigail Carlton enthused, as she stared at the giant cruise ship just peacefully docked at the terminal. “Because there is no way—and by ‘no way’—I mean no way that CSI: San Francisco is better than CSI: Chicago…” she trailed off, looking at her boyfriend and fellow criminology major, Cameron Weston.

Cameron just grinned at Abigail, shaking his head from side to side. “Hey, we’re all entitled to our own opinions, right?” he asked her with a small smile. “And my opinion just happens to be that the San Francisco team is much better than the Chicago team… but then again, that could also be because Caitlin Oswego is an incredible leader, whereas Robert Sweeney just leaves something to be desired…” he added, immediately ducking his head to avoid the blow that he knew was going to be aimed right at his sandy-blond head.

“Hardy-har-har,” Abigail joked, lightly punching her friend on the shoulder. “But seriously, this was an awesome idea that you had, you know?” she asked him, once again staring at the massive Celebrity cruise ship just waiting for them to board. “I’ve never heard of a themed college cruise before, and… one that infuses science lectures and exploration, with practical experience? This will be great… it will give us the chance to learn from the best of the best,” she added.

Cameron smiled, as he glanced over at Abigail. “I don’t think that Celebrity has ever done this before…” he mused, scratching his head. “But I figured that it would be fascinating for us… it will give us the chance to go to lectures given by actual criminologists, and then to solve our own ‘crime,’ out in the field…this will kind of be like a murder-mystery dinner show, except… it will be taking place on the high seas,” he grinned. “And for an entire week… just sun, sea, and the occasional sand dune…”

“And class,” Abigail added, smiling over at him. “But do you know which lectures you would like to attend?” she asked, glancing up at him.

“I’m actually not sure yet…” Cameron replied. “I was thinking about going to the lecture given by Greg Sanders...” he admitted.

“Sanders? Wasn’t he a Las Vegas lab tech, before becoming a CSI?” she asked.

Cameron nodded, biting his lip. “Which makes him interesting…he can provide insight into both fields, and for someone who is undecided…” he trailed off, raising an eyebrow. “Speaking with him might give me what I need in order to make a decision about my future…”

“Good point,” Abigail mused. “Well, Sara Sidle, also from Las Vegas, is presenting on materials and element analysis…. so… I think I want to go hear what she has to say about the subject,” she shrugged.

“That sounds, uh… captivating…” Cameron chuckled, rolling his eyes.

Abigail just laughed. “And then for sessions two and three, I was thinking about going to Calleigh Duquesne’s lecture, followed by Lindsay Monroe’s discussion on how different cities require different skills of their CSIs.”

“That actually might be interesting,” Cameron told her, raising an eyebrow. “But I was actually thinking about going to Horatio Caine’s presentation, and then… well… I don’t know. Mac Taylor’s lecture? I guess it’s a toss up,” he shrugged.

“It’s just fascinating that the cruise ship is even doing something like this… bringing together CSIs from around the country? Excellent,” she grinned, as she grabbed her luggage, and started to move toward the gangplank.

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Bring in the CSIs: Vegas

“Sara,” Greg Sanders said, flashing his partner a half-grin. “So…what are you going to do first, once we get to the cruise ship? Catch a few rays? Sing a few songs? Lounge by the pool? Play a little pool?” he asked, winking over at her.

“Uh…” Sara chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “I think I’m going to unpack my belongings, and make sure that my lecture room is all set to go.”

“Right…” Greg trailed off, staring out the airplane window. “That sounds… great…”

“And you should probably do the same thing, Greg!” she advised him.

“Right…” Greg repeated. “I will, I will… after I explore the ship a little bit!”

Sara just smiled, as she returned to her Scientific America journal.

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Bring in the CSIs: Miami

“Did you bring your suntan lotion, H?” Calleigh asked her friend and supervisor, as she stared at the docked cruise ship just in front of them.

“I did, Calleigh… although I don’t think that we’re going to be getting all that much sun over the next week,” he frowned, glancing up at the cloudy sky. Standing with his hands on his hips, Horatio sighed.

“You doing okay, H?”

“Yes, I am…” he replied. Just…thinking about the past...

Calleigh frowned, looking over at him. “Well after we get settled aboard the ship, would you care to explore it with me? I’m sure that we’ll have time for a rousing game of Scrabble later on tonight…” she smiled, trying to cheer him up.

“Scrabble…?” Horatio chuckled. “I’m more of a Monopoly man myself…” he grinned.

“Well then, Mr. Caine, you have yourself a gun-toting, business-guru, Monopoly-aficionado, playing partner! I must warn you, though,” she continued, trying to hide the smirk from her face. “I take my Monopoly playing very seriously…”

“I wouldn’t doubt that for a moment, Calleigh. I wouldn’t doubt that for a moment,” Horatio replied, straightening his sunglasses before heading toward the ship.

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Bring in the CSIs: New York

“Are you sure about this, Mac?” Lindsay nervously asked her supervisor. “I mean, what about Danny? Or Stella? Or even Hawkes?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Lindsey, relax… you have a unique perspective on science, okay? Not to mention on goal-attaining. This cruise is mostly for college students, right? College students who are still trying to figure out what they want in life? Well, you’ve managed to go from a small town, to one of the largest cities in the country… you made the move, you took the risk, and you have something to share with all of these kids…”

“Right…” Lindsey frowned. “Got it.”

“So just talk to them… you’re good at what you do. I know it, and they’ll know it, by the end of the week…” he added.

“Thanks, Mac,” Lindsey sighed, as she glanced up at the ship. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a cruise ship before…” she trailed off. “It’s a little…daunting.”

“No more so than the jungle of New York City,” he told her with a grin, as he started to move toward the ship.

“Ha… well if it’s a jungle out there,” Lindsey mumbled, “I hope it isn’t a jungle in there…” she added.

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Miami, Florida

“Welcome aboard!” the first officer told Sara and Greg, the moment that they walked up the gangplank to the ship.

“Don’t tell me that we’re the last to arrive…” Sara frowned, staring at all of the college students milling aboard the ship.

“Okay, then,” Theo Wallis grinned. “‘You’re not the last to arrive…’”

“So in other words,” Greg grinned, “We’re last?”

Theo just chuckled, nodding. “No problem, though. Go ahead and leave your bags here, and someone will bring them to your room later on,” he informed the two CSIs.

“‘Room…as in… one room?’” Sara immediately repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry… didn’t they tell you?” the man asked. “We had a leak on one of the lower decks, and… you two are now going to have to share…”

Sara frowned. There is no way that I am going to share a room with Greg.

Hey, I get to share a room with Sara? Could this trip get any better?! Greg thought to himself, grinning.

“Wipe that smirk off of your face, Greg…” Sara warned him. Turning to Theo, she asked, “Are the other CSIs bunking together, as well?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

“Good… then we’ll be doing some room rearranging…”

“Sure, suit yourself!” Theo laughed, before walking off.

I’m sharing a room with Sara! Greg once again grinned. First the shower… although.. HazMat made that difficult to really enjoy, and now a room! Things are really starting to look up!

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Cruise ship, main dining hall

“Welcome aboard, to Celebrity Cruise’s first criminology-themed cruise!” Winston Reagan, the captain, announced to the room full of people. “We are very excited to have you all on board, and we hope that you enjoy your time here… please… eat, relax, explore the ship… have fun tonight, because tomorrow, the learning begins!” he added.

“I can’t wait!” Abigail grinned to her boyfriend.

“I know, I can’t, either!” he replied, grabbing a roll from the bowl, and digging in.

A short distance away, Sara, Greg, Horatio, Calleigh, Mac, and Lindsay all shared a table, excited to be presenting.

“This is going to be great!” Lindsay smiled at everyone.

“I know… I’m looking forward to my ballistics seminar. I just wish that I could go to some of the other lectures, as well,” Calleigh admitted.

Greg smiled. I’m looking forward to swimming in the pool… “I know!” he said aloud. “I’m looking forward to seeing what ‘crime’ the students are going to have to commit.”

Mac smiled over at the younger man, leaning toward him. “You’ll find out soon enough… it all begins, tomorrow night…”

“You know what’s going to happen?” Sara asked, completely surprised.

Horatio glanced at Mac, flashing a rare smile. “Detective Taylor and I helped plan it…” he admitted.

“You didn’t tell me about that, Mac!” Lindsay smiled.

“And take all of the fun out of it?” he asked. “You’ll find out soon enough…” he smiled.

“Speaking about soon enough,” Sara spoke up.

No! Don’t say it! Greg inwardly shouted.

“What’s going on with the rooming situation?” she asked.

“Flooding on the lower decks…” Calleigh replied. “I was thinking that I could room with one of you?” she asked.

“Or both of us?” Lindsay added. “We were booked a suite… maybe the three of us could share?”

NO! Greg screamed.

“I think that would be a great idea, Lindsay,” Mac told her.

“I do, too…” Horatio added. “It would give the three of you a chance to get to know one another.

NO! Greg again screamed.

“Then it’s decided!” Calleigh smiled.

“Definitely,” Sara added.

“Sounds good to me…” Lindsay chimed in.

NO!

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TO BE CONTINUED
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: Poor Greggo... :lol: But I very much like the idea of Calleigh and Sara sharing a room together.. ;) When two personalities collide.. :D
 
(this chapter is dedicated to Quoth_the_Raven, who told me that I had to write another chapter, when… I was kind of bummed out, and didn't want to! I hope you like it!)

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. And also, Celebrity is a great cruise line!

Title: Semi-Darkness

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Sun deck

“Well this is certainly nice,” Greg commented, leaning against the railing, and gazing out at the shimmering expanse of deep blue water. “I’m just so used to seeing brown and desert, that… my eyes just don’t know how to interpret the blue!”

“I know what you mean,” Lindsay smiled, standing just next to him. “I’m not entirely used to it either,” she added, staring out at the water. “Although… I like the quietness of being out to sea… New York is just… loud. Being out here reminds me of Montana…” she added, flashing Greg a small smile.

“Montana?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Interesting…”

“Why is that… interesting…?” she asked.

“No reason!” Greg grinned. “But Montana is extremely different from New York City…” he trailed off. “That’s just a very big move…”

“True…” Lindsay replied, glancing up at Greg. “But it was time for a change, and… I love working with the New York team…”

“I’m sure…” Greg smiled, biting his lip. “But hey, listen. Would you like to go explore the rest of the ship with me? My partner, Sara, is… uh…” he frowned, staring up at the sky for a moment, as if searching for an answer. “She is…trying to prepare for her lecture, and… knowing her, I’m sure that she’ll be preparing for the next five hours!” he explained, trying not to laugh.

Lindsay chuckled. “Sure… I really don’t have all that much to prepare, anyhow. And hopefully,” she grinned, we won’t get lost…”

Although… would getting lost really be all that bad? Greg mused, glancing over at Lindsay. Hmm… I don’t think so!

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Stateroom number 577

Sara stared down at the clutter on her bed, frowning. Okay… what exactly do I need? she asked herself, glancing down at her flowcharts, posters, and actual examples of different materials and elements. I… think that I need everything! Yeah, definitely everything… kill ‘em with info, that’s what I always say…

“Interesting…” Calleigh commented, noticing all of Sara’s props, and depositing a couple of bags of spent bullets on one of the spare beds. “So… you’re presenting on materials and elements, I take it?” she asked, glancing at Sara’s posters.

“Yes, I am,” Sara smiled over at her, once again thinking about her presentation. If I hang the flowchart up on the wall, everyone should be able to see it… although… I had been thinking about placing the chairs in a circle, in which case… half of the circle won’t be able to see the chart. Hmm…

Calleigh raised an eyebrow, staring at Sara. “You seem pretty engrossed in your presentation…” she cheerfully spoke up. “I’m sure that it will be wonderful,” she smiled. “You don’t have anything to worry about!”

Sara looked up at Calleigh, trying not to frown. “I just like to be prepared…” she explained.

“Like a Girl Scout?” Calleigh asked. “I wasn’t in Girl Scouts, but… who doesn’t love a Girl Scout?”

Sara took a deep breath, trying to tune Calleigh out, while focusing on preparing for her lecture.

“Right… you get ready,” Calleigh again smiled at her, “And then we can go out and explore the ship, when you’re done!”

Sara just nodded, trying to ignore the other woman. So perhaps the chairs should go in a half circle…? That way everyone can still see the flowchart, and they will be able to talk with one another very easily… Moments later, Sara suddenly jumped, as sirens shattered the quietness of their stateroom.

“Time for the emergency fire drill!” Calleigh grinned, grabbing two life vests from the drawer, and handing one to Sara. “Ready?” she asked, holding the door open for the other woman.

“Sure…” Sara frowned, walking toward the door. But I need to prepare!

“I sure hope that Lindsay can find a life jacket!” Calleigh mused, stepping out into the corridor.

“She’s with Greg…” Sara ruefully said, finally cracking a small, sarcastic smile. “I’m sure that he’ll do any rescuing that needs to take place…” she chuckled, before slamming the door shut behind her.

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Stateroom number 579

“It’s good to see you again, Mac,” Horatio kindly said, as the two men headed toward the stateroom that they would be sharing, minus Greg, who was currently off exploring the ship.

“It’s good to see you, too,” Mac smiled, inserting the key into the door, and pushing it open. “How are things going in Miami?”

“Fine…” Horatio quietly replied, placing his hands on his hips, and surveying the room. “Or the same, I should say…” he trailed off.

“I can understand that,” Mac replied. “Crime never ceases…”

“And neither do we…” Horatio mumbled, pursing his lips together, as if contemplating something. “So…what do we have here…?” he then asked, glancing around the large, spacious room.

“We have two beds over here,” Mac commented, walking into a second room off of the main suite.

“And one bed over here…” Horatio added. “In addition to a couch, a table, and a bathroom…”

Slowly walking out of the second room, Mac’s gaze fell upon the far wall of the suite, which contained a set of glass doors. “Is that… what I think it is?” he asked Horatio, trying his hardest not to smile.

“I do believe it is…” Horatio chuckled, carefully making his way toward the glass doors. “A balcony…well what do you know?”

“You don’t see this every day, do you?” Mac asked, stepping out onto the small ledge, and smiling as his gaze fell upon the endless ocean.

Well actually… I do… Horatio wanted to say. Instead, he flashed Mac another smile, before saying, “It’s definitely peaceful…”

Mac just chuckled, until the fire alarms sounded. “I guess it’s time for the practice drill…” he sighed, walking back inside in order to grab a life vest for himself and for Horatio.

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Sun deck

“Cameron, what’s that noise?” Abigail suddenly asked, covering her ears.

“It’s the practice fire drill,” he explained. “C’mon, we need to get our life vests!” he told her, darting back down the stairs to their room, and quickly inserting the key into the lock.

“I hate fire drills…” she mumbled, following him inside.

“Yeah, but would you rather not know what to do?” he asked, tossing her a life vest, before donning his own. “I mean… if a fire ever happened, or if we ever needed to evacuate, I’d rather be familiar with the procedure…”

“I know, I would, too…” she sighed, quickly putting her life jacket on, before heading toward their ‘safe zone.’

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Lower deck

“So you’re from Vegas?” Lindsay asked Greg, trying to make conversation.

“Yep, I am!” Greg proudly said. “I started off as a lab technician, and then I became a CSI several years ago,” he explained to her. “And before you ask, I don’t regret the career change for a moment…”

“Really?” Lindsay asked, raising an eyebrow. Walking down the ship’s main shopping corridor, she stopped for a moment, to study a fleece jacket depicting the Celebrity cruse line logo. “You really don’t miss the lab?”

“Well… not really…” Greg smiled. “DNA was great, don’t get me wrong, but… I like being able to make my own decisions, to find the puzzle pieces, and to put the bad guys away…”

“But you could do all of those things as a lab technician,” Lindsay pointed out, looking over at him.

“True, but…” Greg shrugged, as they walked by the ship’s casino. “But there’s just something… exciting about being out in the field. It makes me feel alive,” he admitted with a smile.

“Well… I can certainly understand that,” Lindsay replied, stopping to stare at the slot machines. “You can really gamble on board…?” she quietly asked, her eyes widening.

“Uh-huh,” Greg laughed. “Once we get out into open waters…” he explained, raising an eyebrow.

“Interesting!” Lindsay simply said, before moving over to one of the ship’s windows, and once again staring out toward the water. “I still can’t get over how beautiful this entire ship really is…”

“I know…” Greg grinned. “Sun, water, and an almost endless supply of food… what else could we possibly want?” he asked her. But before she could reply, the fire alarm went off, causing him to jump. “What’s going on?” he quietly asked.

“Fire drill!” she informed him, smiling.

“Oh… right…” Greg mumbled, glancing around him in order to gain his bearings. Of course… why would we ever be able to explore the ship in peace? Way to ruin everything, stupid fire drill! he thought to himself. With a sigh, Greg headed back in the general direction of their rooms… before stopping suddenly, just in front of the ship’s main theater.

“What’s wrong?” Lindsay asked him, frowning. When he didn’t reply, she tried again. “Are you okay, Greg…? We really should go back to our rooms, in order to get our life vests…we can always do some more exploring later on, after the fire drill is over…” she cautiously told him.

“Uh…” Greg hesitated, before staring through the open doors, to the semi-darkened theater beyond.

“What is it…?” Lindsay whispered, starting to worry a little bit. Although she didn’t know Greg very well, he seemed… slightly nervous.

Greg scrunched up his face, once again trying to peer into the fairly empty room just beyond the large, oak doors.. “The doors are… open… don’t you think that that’s a little bit strange…?” he asked, trying to ignore the high-pitched sound coming from the alarm, which was attached to the wall just above their heads. “And… there’s something red on the floor, Lindsay… why…?” he asked, taking a step closer, and pointing to red splotches on the carpet.

“What?” Lindsay asked, frowning, as Greg quickly walked to another of the theater’s entrances. Following him inside, she sighed.

“Shit!” Greg suddenly shouted. “We definitely have blood!” he yelled to no one in particular.

“How do you know that…?” Lindsay quietly asked, right on his heels. Stopping just next to him, she waited for her eyes to adjust, holding back a scream as she noticed a seat half-way between their present location and the stage. “Is that… uh… is that… what I think it is?” she whispered, looking up at Greg, her eyes wide.

“Uh-huh,” Greg simply uttered, as he stared at a very headless body.


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TO BE CONTINUED
 
Awww! Thanks! :D Never had anything dedicated to me before, very special! :D And a nice chapter, too! :D The headless corpse... me... I can see the connection :lol: ;)
 
(Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed chapter two. I am so sorry that it is taking me so long to update this fic… I’m just… having such a hard time with it! Your comments help me want to continue, though, so please… keep ‘em coming!)

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. And also, Celebrity is a great cruise line!

Title: Gather the Troops

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Theater

Lindsay cleared her throat, frowning. “So… uh… where’s the head…?” she hesitantly whispered to Greg, taking a step backward.

Greg stared into the room, trying to ignore the stench of blood that was starting to permeate the area. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “But we need to alert our partners about this… and are we still near the coast of Miami?” he asked.

“I’m… not sure…” Lindsay replied, taking a deep, steadying breath… and then regretting that particular action, the moment that she got a whiff of the fresh blood. “Why…?” she asked, nearly gagging.

“Because if we are,” Greg quietly told her. “Then this crime scene belongs to Horatio Caine…” he pointed out, as he carefully turned around, and headed back the way that they had just come.

“Right…” Lindsay sighed, swallowing, and following him out of the theater. “But I don’t understand how this could have happened in the first place!” she continued, once they were safely outside of the darkened room. “This place must have been checked within the past hour or so…” she trailed off.

“Uh-huh…” Greg agreed. “Which means that this scene is very, very hot…” he muttered. “One of us really needs to stay here…just in case…” the killer comes back to try to clean up the scene…

“I know,” Lindsay swallowed in fear. “I’ll do it…”

“No,” Greg shook his head. “I’ll stay here… find a security guard, though... and fast, okay?” he asked, trying not to panic. He knew that it was silly to remain at a crime scene alone, especially after what had happened to Nick, but… he really didn’t want anything to happen to the evidence.

“Okay…” Lindsay whispered. “But be careful, and… I’ll be right back!” she promised him, dashing off down the corridor.

Greg nodded, as he silently watched her leave. Please go fast… he nervously thought to himself. Run like the wind…

Before Lindsay got very far, however, a security guard stopped her in her tracks. “Ma’am?” Raoul Dias called out to her.

“Are you a security guard?” Lindsay cautiously asked, trying to remain calm.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied. “But I’m afraid that you shouldn’t be down here…” he added. “We’re in the middle of a fire drill, and you should be up top!”

“My name is Lindsay Monroe,” she quickly told him, flashing her badge, and taking a deep breath. “And I am with the New York City Crime Lab. Sir, I’m afraid that there has been an… incident in the theater, and… I need to immediately locate my supervisor!”

“I’m sure that you’ll find him or her up top,” he repeated, pointing toward the stairs. “Which is where you should be right now…”

Lindsay again empathically shook her head no, frowning at the guard. “Sir, my colleague and I just found a dead body in the theater, which makes the theater a crime scene… I need you to find Mac Taylor from New York City, Horatio Caine and Calleigh Duquesne
of the Miami Dade Crime Lab, and Sara Sidle from Las Vegas…”

Dias doubtfully studied Lindsay’s expression, trying to determine whether or not she was playing a trick on him.

Now! ” Lindsay repeated, this time a little bit more forcefully. “I need my colleagues down here immediately!” she hissed at him.

Convinced, Dias nodded, as he pulled out a walkie-talkie to contact the bridge.

Lindsay, meanwhile, turned on her heel, and ran back to Greg.

“Did you find someone to help us…?” he quietly asked, once again nervously staring at the door. He felt… unnerved, and he just wanted his friends to show up. He knew that he and Lindsay were being unsafe right now, but… he didn’t know what else to do.

“I ran into a security guard, and he’s going to find our co-workers…” she whispered, peering into the inky-black darkness of the theater.

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Bridge

“Are we all clear?” Captain Reagan asked his first officer, Theo Wallis.

“Actually, Sir,” Wallis frowned. “Dias is on the radio, and he said that two of the CSIs found a… dead body…” he relayed the message, the color instantly draining from his face.

“What?” the Captain asked, convinced that he must have heard wrong.

“Lindsay Monroe, one of the New York City criminalists, found a dead body in the theater…” he trailed off. “She’s requesting that we contact her supervisor, the two Miami CSIs, and Sara Sidle, from Las Vegas… I guess the second Vegas CSI is with her right now…” he added.

“Make an announcement over the loudspeaker, Mr. Wallis, and tell them to meet me down by the theater…” he reluctantly ordered his first officer.

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Wallis frowned, walking over to the consol in order to make the ship-wide announcement.

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Sun deck

“Excuse me,” Sara cleared her throat, leaning toward Horatio and Mac. “Have either of you seen Greg by any chance…?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, as a matter of fact, we haven’t…” Mac told her. “What about Lindsay…? Has there been any sign of her yet?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Calleigh replied, as she secured her life vest around her body, and stared out to sea. “They must still be together, exploring the ship…” she smiled.

“Yes…” Sara mused. “But I have to admit, I’m a little bit worried. It isn’t entirely like Greg to break the rules… well, the important rules, anyhow…” she sighed.

“Nor for Lindsay, either,” Mac frowned, glancing over at the other CSIs. “I wonder what’s keeping them…? If they don’t reappear soon, we’ll have to look around for them… just to make sure that they’re safe…”

Before anyone could comment, however, a horn-like noise filled the air, alerting all of the passengers to the fact that someone from the Bridge was about to be make an important announcement. Moments later, the first officer’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Folks, this is First Officer Theo Wallis. I need Mac Taylor, Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne, and Sara Sidle, to please meet the Captain by the theater. Again, I repeat: Mac Taylor, Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne, and Sara Sidle, please report to the ship’s theater…”

“Okay…” Sara hesitantly mumbled, once the announcement was over. “What… uh… what do you think is going on…?”

“I don’t know,” Horatio frowned. “But I bet you anything that your colleagues are somehow involved in this…”

Mac nodded, as he asked a crew member to take them to the theater. “Let’s go,” he told the other CSIs, as they all followed the ship’s employee back below deck.

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Theater

“This is unreal…” Lindsay mumbled, standing beside Greg.

“Yeah, you’re telling me…” Greg frowned. “This sort of thing isn’t really supposed to happen on a cruise ship…”

Lindsay raised an eyebrow, unintentionally chuckling.

“What?” Greg asked, blinking.

“People aren’t supposed to be headless, period!” she reminded him.

“Right… good point,” he sighed, as he noticed their co-workers heading toward them. “Boy, am I glad to see all of you!” he nervously smiled.

“Greg? What’s going on…?” Sara asked him, concern etched all over her face.

“See for yourself…” Greg bit his lip, pointing into the theater.

Sara, Calleigh, Mac, and Horatio all slowly trooped to the door of the theater, poking their heads in.

After a moment, Sara cleared her throat. “Is that… a body…?” she quietly asked Greg and Lindsay.

“Yes… and it’s headless…” Lindsay stated the obvious.

“Well… so if that’s the body,” Mac bit his lip. “Then… where’s the head?”

“That is what we’ll have to find out, ladies and gentlemen,” Horatio simply replied.

“Are we still just off of the coast of Miami?” Mac asked.

“Indeed we are…” Horatio calmly told him.

“Then this is your crime scene, Lieutenant Caine…” Mac frowned. “We’ll do whatever we can to help you, but… you call the shots.”

“I appreciate that, Mac,” Horatio smiled, his hands on his hips.

“What the hell is going on down here?” Captain Reagan angrily asked, as he approached the cluster of CSIs. “Someone said that there was a dead body in the theater?”

“Sir… when was the last time that this room was checked?” Horatio momentarily ignored the captain’s question.

“Just before we left port…” the Captain sighed. “But is there really a dead body in htere…?” he repeated his question.

“I’m afraid so,” Horatio quietly replied. “We’re going to need to find out who this person is…”

“Do you want me to ID the body or something…?” Captain Reagan whispered. “I can…”

“That might be… difficult, Sir,” Horatio informed him.

“What…? Why…?”

“The body is headless…” Mac answered the question.

Reagan’s face paled, as he glanced at all six CSIs. “You’re… joking with me, right…?”

“I’m afraid not,” Horatio replied. “But Captain, I would like to request that a security guard—with a gun—be posted here at all times,” he commented. “At least until we’ve processed the scene…”

“Done,” Captain Reagan immediately told him.

“And then also,” Horatio continued, “It would help us if you could have each of your department heads call in, confirming that all of their employees are accounted for. And… I’m assuming that you can tell us if any of the guests are missing, based on the fire drill that we just had?”

Reagan simply nodded, as he stared out of the nearest window. “Of all of the things to happen onboard this ship, it had to be this…?” he sighed. “I’ll be on the Bridge, gathering your requested information…” he mumbled. “Please keep me informed,” he added, trudging back up the stairs toward the upper decks.

Once Captain Reagan was gone, Horatio sighed, glancing around at the five other CSIs. “After we get our kits out, let’s start processing the scene… we’re going to have to speak with all of the crew members…”

“And collect the prints…” Calleigh chimed in.

“And swab the blood spatter…” Sara added.

“Not to mention analyze the body for trace…” Greg muttered under his breath.

“And the theater for trace, too…” Lindsay frowned.

“And of course,” Mac sighed. “We need to locate the head.”

“That… might be easier said than done,” Horatio concluded.

---------------


TO BE CONTINUED
 
Zan1781 said:
“That is what we’ll have to find out, ladies and gentlemen,” Horatio simply replied.

:lol: LMAO, that's such a Horatio line! I can just picture him standing there with his sunglasses on saying that! :lol:

Nicely done! :D
 
Thank you for your comment, CSI in training! I appreciate you taking the time to do so! I'm working on the next chapter, so... hopefully it'll be up soon :).
 
I ran into some major writer's block! Sorry about that! I think I know WHERE the head will be found. Hehe... mwahah. Hang in there, though.
 
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