Previous part of Unstoppable.

***

Chapter 21

Mac hung up and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. It wasn't that common for Horatio to ask him for a favor beyond basic help, so he knew that the older vampire had to be having problems. Still, it wouldn't be that hard for Mac to work out the information that Horatio and Speed needed, and was certainly easier than having the pair come up to New York.

"You okay?" Danny asked, leaning in the door.

"I was just going to come find you," Mac replied. "Come on in and shut the door. I just got off the phone with Horatio and Speed and they need our help."

"Sure, what's going on?"

"Remember Megan Donner and her husband?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, Sam, right?"

"I think so," Mac said. "We'd need to look it up to be sure. Anyway, Horatio just talked with Megan and it turns out that her husband was either one of us or thought he was, and she killed him because of it."

Danny groaned. "I hate things like this."

"I know, I do too," Mac said. "So, I think the first thing we need to do is take a look and find as much information on the husband as we can. Then we need to see if he's still in his grave or not."

"Right, because he would have been able to heal from both the fire damage and fall, but it would have taken time," Danny said. "It hasn't been that many years, Mac. It's possible he's still in there getting himself put back together."

"We'll make a trip out to the graveyard tonight," Mac said. "Go pull the case files for me. I'm going to start digging for information on both the husband and Megan and see what I can find. From the sounds of things, Horatio has his hands full between trying to run the crime lab and the problems out in Vegas."

"Are we gonna join their court as well?" Danny asked.

"I'd like to," Mac replied. "I just want to make sure that we can be members of the two courts and members of the new court here."

"I can't imagine we can't," Danny said. "Horatio and Speed are too loyal to the kings to even try and do anything to upset the balance like that."

Mac nodded. "I agree, but it's possible Vlad and Constantine have plans that they haven't told anyone about," he said. "Go get those files for me, Danny. We'll need to wait until full dark to head out and check the grave."

"Okay, see you in a bit then," Danny grinned.
***

Mac was born a vampire in the mid-1300s in a court in Egypt. His sire was a mix of blood from Constantine and a local Egyptian woman. When Mac was of age, he traveled the courts, learning as much as he could about both the human and vampire worlds. He met Danny not long after the Spanish Inquisition completed one of their sweeps through Spain. Danny had come to the courts to hide after his sire was caught and killed by the local church. They traveled together for a time and finally bonded, both pledging to the two courts because they could, ultimately, trace their line back to Constantine.

The pair loved to travel and had been around the world several times in their long lives, always bringing back new information for the two courts and their members. Mac met Horatio at the court in Italy when the older vampire was raising Jesse there, and the pair formed an easy friendship. Mac had heard the rumors of Horatio's powers, amplified after he bonded with Speed of course, and always held Horatio in slight awe.

When word came down that Horatio and Speed were being sent to America, both Mac and Danny realized there were problems in the new world and that they might be called on to help. They just hadn't counted on it happening quite so quickly.
***

"Okay, so I know I'm technically dead and all that, but should graveyards give me the creeps?" Danny asked as he and Mac walked towards the area where their research said Sam Donner was buried.

"You watched your sire die in one, Danny," Mac replied. "I think I'd be surprised if they didn't. Just because we don't have to worry about ending up on one doesn't take that unease away."

"Yeah, you're right," Danny said. "Okay, I think this is the row we need. How many down was it?"

"Ten."

"Hope they don't mind me walking on 'em," Danny said, starting down the row. "I can't see the names from six feet back."

Mac grinned. "I think it'll be fine, Danny," he said. "We're here trying to solve a murder. They'll understand."

"Hope so," Danny said. "Yep, here it is. Samuel G. Donner. Born May 5, 1968 and died, huh, look at this, Mac. He died exactly one day before his birthday."

"Then it's a miscarving," Mac said. "The reports say that he wasn't dead when he got to the hospital and died on the table. Official time of death was 12:34 in the morning."

"What do you think, is he down there?" Danny asked.

Mac knelt and pressed his hand to the ground. He thought it was because of his Egyptian blood, but he had an affinity for the dead and could tell when there was a body around. He'd learned to be careful whenever he was called to a crime scene. "No, there's no body in this grave," he finally said.

"So where's Sam Donner?" Danny asked.

"And is Megan Donner really scared of vampires, or is she helping them?" Mac asked. "Come on, we need to call Horatio and fill him in."

***

Chapter 22

When Horatio got home, he found Jesse sitting with the group from Vegas in the living room, and no sign of Speed. "Jess, where's Warrick?" he asked.

"In the guest room with Tim," Jesse replied. "He said he knew what you were going to be doing, so he's setting things up for you. I got in touch with the court in England and they've got a plane on the way for us. It'll be here by the time you're done."

"Well done, Jesse, thank you," Horatio said. "Gentlemen, I know it had to have been hard to see a friend of yours like that. How are you holding up?"

"I think we're okay," Gil said. "What happened to Warrick?"

"He's in a trance brought on because he's had blood from Brass," Horatio replied. He sat down in is chair and leaned forward. "They would have had to sneak him the first drops of blood, as they would have for all of you, but once they had enough of Brass' blood in Warrick, then they were able to put him in a trance state where he would do whatever they told him to. Jesse just happened to get to him when he was in that state and doesn't know how to pull him back."

"So Sophia did the same thing to me and Greg?" Nick asked. "How do we not remember that?"

"It's part of being in the trance," Horatio replied. "You don't remember anything you say or do when you're under. It's a technique that's not taught anymore because of the ban on transformations, but part of it is instinct and we still do have the problem today. Because I'm ranked higher in the bloodline than Brass is, I'll be able to bring Warrick back to himself. We did get to him in time to stop his transformation, but he has a lot of healing to do. He'll be going with you to the court in Italy and the doctors there will look after him."

Gil looked over. "Why won't they kill him?" he asked. "I mean, he's still a human and he knows the truth about vampires. Don't you guys kill people like that?"

"At times, yes," Horatio said. "With Warrick, he has at least fifteen years of healing ahead of him, so he won't be able to leave the court before that. It's possible that he won't ever want to leave, given that he'll be able to help with research in a variety of fields. It'll be up to him. Unfortunately, vampire blood is toxic to humans who get so far and are not transformed. It won't kill him, but it could easily shorten his life. Before you ask, no, we won't transform him."

"How many years?" Nick asked.

"It varies from person to person," Horatio replied. "I wouldn't expect him to live much past seventy at this point. I'll go take care of him now. Are you all ready to travel?"

"We are," Gil said. "I'm worried about Brass or Sophia finding us."

Horatio smiled. "If they come into my city to try and reclaim you, it will be the last thing they ever do, Gil. On that, you have my word." He nodded to everyone and stood, heading down the hall to the guest room. "Tim."

"Figured you were going to reverse the trance," Speed said. "You're all set up and ready to go. What do you need from me?"

"Stay on guard with Jesse, please," Horatio said. "I don't think that Brass is stupid enough to try and come into Miami to reclaim Warrick, but it is possible. Jesse says there is a plane on the way, so we'll have to get them to the airport when I'm finished."

"Ready when you are," Speed said. "No one is getting into our house, H. I'll make sure of that."

Horatio kissed his lover softly. "I know you will, Tim," he whispered. "Once they're away, we have problems in New York and Vegas to deal with. Which city should we do first?"

"We know the threat in Vegas," Speed said. "I think we should take care of them and then start worrying about New York. We've got friends up there who can keep an eye on things, we've got nothing in Vegas."

"A very good point," Horatio said. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Good luck."

***

Chapter 23

"Anything?" Jesse asked later that night.

Speed was sitting where he could see out the front window but not be seen by anyone outside. "Nope, not even a stray dog running around. It's never this quiet here, Jesse," he said.

"It would make a few things easier if Brass and Sophia died out here," Jesse pointed out. "Yeah, there were other vampires in the group out in Vegas, but none of them struck me as being smart enough to lead, and they definitely weren't smart enough to survive on their own for long."

"So we either have a bunch of idiots running around randomly feeding on humans or they're going to go to the next powerful vampire they can find," Speed said. "I don't know if I like either of those options. You keep flinching, you okay?"

"I can feel what Horatio's doing," Jesse said. "It doesn't hurt, but it kinda surprises me whenever it hits me."

"Must be a bloodline thing then," Speed sighed. "I don't know, Jess. I know it's possible that we could be attacked here at any time, but would Brass really be stupid enough to attack on our ground? Even if he figures that Horatio is going to be busy with Warrick, there's still me to deal with and I know for a fact that most vampires in the world are scared of me."

Jesse grinned. "I've never understood that one," he said. "I mean, yeah, you fight and you're well trained, Speed, but you hate violence and prefer to talk people down rather than kill them whenever you can." Jesse paused for a minute. "Actually, maybe that's why they're scared of you. You'll sarcasm them to death."

"Brat," Speed snorted. "Hey, toss me my phone, will you?"

"Here," Jesse flipped the cell phone to Speed and went back into the kitchen. He was standing guard on the rear of the house.

"Speed."

"It's Mac. Tim, we've got a problem. Sam Donner is not in his grave," Mac said.

Speed swore. "Okay, so either he was never in his coffin in the first place or he was more powerful than we thought," he said. "Because it takes a lot of energy to go into smoke form and not all vampires can do it. Hell, I haven't met one in centuries that could."

"I'm looking into a few things, but it does look like the funeral was closed coffin," Mac said. "So I think it's really very likely that he was never in there and someone helped him set up an escape. I'm curious if it was Megan or if it was someone else."

"Given how scared she is of everything, including shadows, I think she knows he's still around and is expecting him to come after her," Speed said. "Any clue what the dude looks like?"

"Yeah, I finally found some pictures of him," Mac said. "Just like you were expecting, Tim. He looks a lot like we do."

"About what I was thinking, yeah," Speed sighed. "So six foot with dark hair. We don't know what color eyes he had though because yours are light and mine are dark and she's scared of both of us."

"That means the eyes don't matter to her," Mac said. "If I had to guess though I would say dark just because of how genetics usually works out."

"Makes sense," Speed agreed. "So you and Danny are trying to work out what could have happened to him, possible helpers, and where he could be now?"

"Along with if he really is a vampire or not," Mac said. "From what Horatio told me, just before you called, he was either a baby or insane."

"Or an insane baby," Speed said. "Don't rule that one out and be careful doing this. It's possible that he's going to work out you're tracking him and come after you and Danny."

Mac sighed. "I've called the two courts and requested a search on his name. I'm trying to work out his bloodline."

"That's a good idea. I mean, you and Danny are both older vampires and powerful," Speed said. "It's still possible that this Sam dude is older and we just don't know it. Bloodline would help out a lot. Oh, hell."

"What?"

"We've got company," Speed said. "Mac, I'll call back when we take care of this upstart from Vegas."

"You two be careful," Mac said and hung up.

Speed dropped his phone and picked up his sword. "Jesse, get the kids into the room with Warrick and let H know I need him now," he called. Fighting a battle against two stupid vampires from a weak nest was really not how he wanted to spend the evening.

***

Chapter 24

Horatio stopped Jesse just inside the door. "Warrick's to the point he's going to sleep for a few hours. Stay here and do not let them out for any reason."

"We'll be safe, H," Jesse said. "Get this threat taken care of."

"We will," Horatio said. He picked up his sword and went out to join Speed. "How many are we looking at, Tim?"

"Three. Brass, Sophia and some unknown male," Speed said. "They're just standing out there staring at the house."

"No invitation to come in," Horatio said with a smile. "There's probably more out there, so we should be ready for attacks from the back. Ready to do this, Tim?"

"Yeah, let's get this over with," Speed said. He opened the door and stepped out with Horatio behind him. "Brass, you haven't been taking care of yourself." He grinned at the small start the other vampire gave. "Yeah, I remember you from court," Speed continued. "I'm surprised you're here, honestly, given that you were never brave enough to step up at court."

Brass shifted his weight a little. "You have something of mine and I want it back."

"You mean the human you're transforming against his will?" Speed asked. "Yeah, so not going to happen. You've already violated the rules, probably more times than I can count, and you want us to just hand over an innocent human. Exactly how stupid are you guys anyway?"

Horatio didn't look behind him, stabbing the vampire that was trying to sneak up on them squarely through the heart with his sword. "They decided to challenge us," he said. "I would say extremely stupid."

"Yeah, it's not exactly healthy to ignore our reputation," Speed said, drawing his own sword. "There's a reason we're regarded so highly in the two courts, you know, and it's not because of our mingled bloodline. We can take out every vampire you have with you before you make it four steps towards us. Do they know they're here to die, Brass?"

"They're here to help me get what's mine back," Brass said. "It's not just Warrick. You have three of my people here and I want them back too."

"You mean the three vampires you transformed without their permission?" Speed asked. "The ones that you have lied to for their whole lives to keep them with you rather than letting them grow and explore the vampire world? Those three? Well, okay, one of them is an infant so he wouldn't be able to travel too much right now, but the fact stands. You are in direct violation of the law of the two courts. You are stunting the growth of the vampires with you and, honestly, you transformed an insane woman. That alone is reason enough to kill you."

"Sophia isn't insane," Brass said. "She's just a little different."

Speed snorted. "A little different. I've done some research on her, y'know, now that we know about her and everything and found that you saved her from being burned as a witch back in Poland," he said. "The only problem is that the pair of you killed every person in the village before you left, including the children. Oh, and all the animals too. I'd say that the people in that village had a pretty good read on her and you probably should have paid attention to them. You're one of those who think that humans are beneath our notice, aren't you? Think they're only here for food and sport."

"It's true," Sophia said. "They are only good for food and sport."

"Shall we?" Horatio asked, raising his sword."

"Yeah, I'm getting tired of hearing the justifications for the laws they're breaking," Speed replied. He lifted his own sword and looked directly at Brass. "Somehow I don't think any of them are going to be a huge loss for this planet."

Both Brass and Sophia tensed, ready to dodge the swords and fight back. Neither of them was expecting the bullets that killed them. Horatio took out the unknown male along with two others who were trying to attack and sighed. "They always get so focused on the swords, don't they?" he asked.

"Makes our jobs easier," Speed replied. "Come on, we might as well get this mess cleaned up and everyone to the plane. I heard from New York and you're really not going to like what they have to say."

***

Chapter 25

"They're away and Jesse will take care of them," Horatio said, watching the private plane vanish into the night sky. "You notified the healers at the court that there was a human coming in who was partially transformed and suffering from blood toxicity?"

"Yeah, they swore a lot," Speed said. "I'm sure that Jesse will be in touch before anything official comes through."

"I can't think of anyone better to be watching them," Horatio said. "Unless we were there personally, and then I think young Nick might die of fear. I'd really like to know exactly what lies Brass was spreading out us, Tim. We're not monsters in the closet to be used to scare young vampires into behaving. Nick and Greg wouldn't even look at me or make eye contact. I wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but that stings."

Speed sighed. "I know it does, H," he said. "I'm sure that between Jesse and the members of the court they'll realize that you're not a monster and they could do worse than have you as a friend. So, now we have to worry about New York."

"I don't like that the grave is empty," Horatio said. He started the Hummer and pulled out, heading for the gate. "I trust Mac's sense, I've never seen him wrong about whether or not there was a body around, but I almost want to have the grave double-checked as subtly as we can. Mac is right that it's entirely possible Megan is working with the vampires and this is all some sort of elaborate plot."

"To what end though?" Speed asked. "We're here, we're legends and face it, vampires are scared of us. That's not bragging, that's plain fact and nothing we saw or do is going to change our reputation in ninety-nine percent of the world. Hell, us becoming kings here in the states is just going to make it worse, not better. We are what we are and we're good at what we do."

"Yes we are," Horatio agreed. "I think, Tim, that one of us should go up to New York and see what we can find out about this Sam Donner and any connections he might have had. I trust Mac and Danny to do a thorough investigation, but they also have to work. If one of us is there, we can dig around and not have to worry about our job as well."

"You want to go, don't you?" Speed asked. "Do you really think that the lab can run without you right now?"

"No, I don't, which is why you're going to have to go," Horatio replied. "I'll see if I can get some more information on Megan from down here. I would like to know more than you found on her."

"That's not going to be easy. It's not like the courts keep track of humans," Speed pointed out. "Humans gossip, but I draw the line at going to visit her old neighbors and sitting through interviews with them. People never want to talk to me."

Horatio smiled fondly. "It's your snark, Tim," he said. "No, if it comes to that, I'll fly up and talk with the neighbors. Or see if I can have Danny do it. People seem to trust him easily."

"I swear it's because he can look so innocent," Speed grumbled. "I'm never going to forget him leaving me in the middle of that bar in London."

"You were able to fight your way out," Horatio said.

"Yeah, and almost killed three humans in the process. Danny could have stayed and helped rather than turning innocent and running out before the fight started," Speed said. "I know his history, I know why he hates violence and fights, but having him there would have diffused the situation a lot better than me beating fifteen humans unconscious."

"Sixteen, you hit the bartender too," Horatio pointed out.

"You're really not helping," Speed said.

"I'm not trying to help," Horatio smiled. "Back to the point, Speed. We need to find out where Sam Donner is before he finds Megan, or before whatever plot they're working on comes to fruition."

"Fine, I'll leave in the morning," Speed sighed. "How are you going to explain it away this time?"

"Evidence gathering for an ongoing case that has linked to New York," Horatio said. "Mac will back me up."

Speed looked over. "Make sure you actually call and ask him rather than leaving him floundering around wondering what the hell is going on," he said. "Don't think I haven't forgotten our investigation down in Egypt."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tim," Horatio said.

"I don't buy that for a second," Speed replied.

***

Chapter 26

"Hey Speed," Danny said when the older vampire came through security, "welcome back to New York."

"Danny," Speed said. "Please tell me Horatio called and talked to Mac about this."

"Early this morning 'fore we were at the lab," Danny grinned. "Said something 'bout you hurting him if he didn't."

Speed snorted. "If we're going to play this off as an official investigation to justify me up here for a week or so, then Mac needs to know that I'm up here working," he said. "What else were you guys able to find?"

"Not a lot," Danny said. "Come on, I'm parked down this way. One of the researchers for the courts got back to me just as your plane was landing and said they have no record of a Sam Donner on any of their books. That don't mean he's not from one of the two royal lines, but it means he ain't been reported to the courts. We've got a computer at the lab you can use, no one will question you being there."

"Sounds good to me," Speed said. "I'll call the chief archivist for the two courts and make sure that we haven't missed something, but they're good about keeping track of names. I can't imagine we'd miss someone unless their sire was intentionally keeping him from us. Even then, that's a good trick given how sensitive we are to our bloodlines."

"We also thought a name change was possible," Danny said. He pulled out into the almost stalled traffic and sighed. "Without talking to the guy, there's no way to know if Sam Donner is his real name or not."

"What did your records check turn up?" Speed asked.

"Donner was born in Queens, dates all match up, but him being operated on don't," Danny replied. "Death certificate says he died on the table of his injuries. Vampire, even a baby could survive a three floor fall with only minor injuries. Even if he was pretending to be human, why didn't he keep the doctors from cutting on him?"

"Maybe he thought he'd be able to heal the surgery faster than the wounds he sustained from the fall," Speed said. "If he was an infant, he shouldn't have been out loose anyway. They take damage easier than we would, so him getting hurt by the fall makes me think he was, or is, an infant and, for some reason, he's on his own."

Danny risked a quick glance over. "You think his sire abandoned him?"

"I think his sire either abandoned him or died without warning," Speed said. "I mean, it's possible to raise your children away from one of the remote courts, but it's not easy and there's always more risk to you both. I don't remember, do you or Mac have children?"

"No, we never found anyone we wanted to transform and neither of us find women attractive," Danny said. "I know that you and Horatio both have kids though."

"One each, right now," Speed said. "All the others have died. The point I'm trying to make here is that I've always had the courts to go to with my children. Horatio didn't have that choice with one of his because of where he was at the time."

"What happened?"

"He was on a ship sailing to America from Spain," Speed said. "One of the cabin boys was hurt badly during a storm and Horatio transformed him slowly, ending when they were safely on land so none of the sailors would know what happened. It also meant that he was stuck here with no one from the courts to help him."

"Did the child survive?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he lived for about two hundred years, died in France during one of the uprisings there," Speed replied. "A stray bullet caught him in the head, killed him instantly. No chance to heal anything up. Horatio's told me what it was like to try and keep the child fed while teaching him how to feed and about history and law for the two courts. He said that there were days when he thought they were both going to die from either the strain or he would slip up and someone would catch them."

"And Horatio's almost as old as Vlad, isn't he?"

"About fifty years younger, yeah. Horatio's sire is Vlad's first child," Speed said. "Think about how, if a vampire as powerful as Horatio Caine, one of the most feared vampires in our world, was having trouble raising an infant away from a remote court..."

"Then Sam Donner's sire could have failed and left the infant on his own," Danny finished. "How are we going to find him, Speed?"

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Speed replied. "If nothing else, we'll try and track him down via the bloodline. We've got both of the royal lines here. If that doesn't work, then I'll have to call in a few favors, but I'll make it work. Let me check in with Mac first and then I'll see what I can turn up."

***

Chapter 27

"Speed off on another trip?" Eric asked when he arrived at a crime scene early the next morning.

"He is," Horatio replied with a smile. "We took care of Vegas last night, mostly, and now we're looking into a few things up in New York."

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I overheard Megan and Calleigh talking," he said. "Megan freaked when she realized I was there, but I told her I'm Catholic and she let me touch her cross. I'm really almost tempted to tell her she shouldn't rely on the thing that much."

"Not yet," Horatio said. "There are too many questions about New York and her husband's death to chase her away. I can't decide if she's working for the vampire she married or if she's running scared for her life. Nothing I've learned so far makes sense to me, Eric."

"That's why Speed is gone?" Eric asked. "Hey, morning Alexx, how're you doing?"

"Hey baby," Alexx said. "Is Speed's dad sick again?"

"No, he's on a research run up to New York for me, Alexx," Horatio said. "We had a case tie in up there and he's friends with a couple of the CSIs so it made more sense for him to go and find what we needed than requesting the information officially. What are we looking at?"

"Looks like a single gunshot wound to the stomach," Alexx said. "No exit wound, so the bullet is still in him. I'll find it and get it to Calleigh. Our victim didn't put up a fight, there's nothing under his nails or any defensive wounds. I can't see the shirt, but he was probably shot from a distance."

"We'll work it out, thank you," Horatio said. "Eric, you okay to run with this one solo?"

"Sure," Eric said. "I'll let you know if I need any help. You're keeping the girls together?"

Horatio nodded. "I am. Megan seems to work best with Calleigh," he said. "And I have got to meet up with Frank at another crime scene. It looks like it's going to be a busy day people. Let's keep things moving."

Alexx waited until Horatio was gone and looked up. "There's something I've always wondered about Horatio," she said. "And he'll never tell me the truth on it, no matter how many times I ask him."

"Yeah, what's that?" Eric asked as he started to take pictures.

"It's over ninety degrees with at least seventy percent humidity out there," Alexx said. "How the hell does he stand to wear a suit every day?"

Eric couldn't help it, he started laughing.
****

Horatio pulled up to the beach and parked. He could see where his crime scene was, the tape already in place, but something was off about it. He double-checked his gun and got out of the Hummer, all his senses on alert. "What have we got, Frank?"

"Wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it," Frank replied. "Victim was bit by a vampire."

"I'm sorry?" Horatio asked.

"Well hell, Horatio, what else could it be? Hope there's no snake running around that's got fangs that big," Frank said, waving towards the body.

Horatio went over and knelt by the body. There were two puncture marks on the neck and he noticed something that Frank wouldn't have known to look for. He sighed. "Frank, take a step back," he said. "Right now, do it."

"Horatio?"

"Now, Frank." Horatio stood and pulled out his gun. "You can stop pretending and wake up right now."

Frank jerked back when the victim's eyes shot open and he sat up. "How did you know?" he asked.

"You smeared your make-up," Horatio said, smiling. "Hands on your head, now. Right now, unless you want some real blood on you. Do it. Frank, cuff him and let's find out exactly what sort of game he's playing with us."

"Little early in the year for Halloween tricks ain't it, sport?" Frank asked. He secured the cuffs and pulled the man to his feet. "You want to tell me what the hell you're playing at?"

"We got the wrong CSI," the man said.

"You were hoping to get Megan," Horatio said. "I think I see where this is going. Frank, take him and put him in holding. Filing a false report and wasting my time. I'll be along in a minute. Do not let him leave."

"Yeah, you got it, Horatio," Frank said. "Come on, sport, you picked the wrong day to screw around."

Horatio pulled out his phone and called Speed. They needed to run a few more checks for the case they were working because it seemed that someone was looking for Megan, and Horatio doubted it would be pleasant when they caught her.

***

Chapter 28

"So is guy for real or is he a pawn?" Speed asked. He was in his hotel room working on his laptop because he didn't want to risk anyone at the lab seeing what all he was doing.

"He's real," Horatio replied. "Vlad's line, but weak. Very very weak and I don't know that everyone would be able to sense it on him. Eric's with me and we're going to go talk with him now. I called the courts, I have permission for the kill. The kings don't look kindly on human-baiting."

"Be careful and make sure you get everything you can before you kill him," Speed said. "This screams set-up, but I just don't know who they're trying to set up."

Horatio sighed. "When I told the guy to wake up he commented they got the wrong CSI," he said. "I assumed that they were looking for Megan given her fears about her husband, but what if they were looking for someone else?"

"You mean me, Eric, Jess or Calleigh?"

"Exactly."

"Well, you're the best one to question him," Speed said. "I just wouldn't do it at the station."

"I was planning to put it off as insanity, but now I'm not so sure," Horatio said. "You have a good point, Tim."

"So go find out who he's looking for, get everything he knows and kill him," Speed said. "I'll call you tonight and find out what happened and fill you in on what I'm finding up here."

"What are you finding up there?"

"Mostly dead ends, but I might have a lead. I'll know more tonight."

"All right, all right, I take the hint," Horatio laughed. "Be careful up there, Tim. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

Speed snorted. "Other than jerks who seem to enjoy scaring innocent humans, you mean?"

"Other than that," Horatio said. "Talk to you tonight, Tim." He hung up and looked at Eric. "You followed that?"

"As well as I ever can when you and Speed get into your shorthand," Eric replied. "How do we get this guy out of holding without anyone noticing us? It's not like we can just walk him out of here. He dies and people are going to start asking questions."

"Yes they will, which means we need to set this up properly," Horatio said. "Luckily I think I know exactly how to do that. Ready?"

"I always worry when you get that look in your eye, you know," Eric said, following Horatio out of the office and down the stairs. "You plotting is never a good thing, Horatio."

Horatio grinned. "It can be," he said. "Follow my lead."

"Of course."
****

The suspect looked up with a grin when Horatio and Eric walked into the holding cell. "Oh, reinforcements, you must really be scared of me," he said.

Horatio leaned against the cell and grinned. "Tell me if you've ever heard of the vampire enforcer known as Fire and Ice," he said softly.

"Shit man, everyone know about him and his partner," the guy said. "They're the scariest vampires around."

"Yes they are," Horatio said. "What does Fire and Ice look like?"

The guy looked up at Horatio and turned pale. Eric chuckled. "Yep, you figured it out, bright boy," he said. "You didn't just get the wrong CSI at your attempted kidnapping this morning, you got the one vampire in the world who will be able to kill you without breaking a sweat. Don't you just feel clever right now?"

"This is how it's going to work," Horatio said softly. "The three of us are walking out of here together and we're going to go talk about everything you know. I want to know which CSI you were hoping to grab this morning. I want to know the name of your employer, and I want you to know that I will know if you lie to me. You're going to answer every one of my questions."

"What if I scream?"

"You can't," Horatio said. "We're the same bloodline and you're weaker. You won't be able to say another word until I want you to. Cuff him, Eric, and let's go find out what he knows."

Frank appeared at the door. "You got something, Horatio?" he asked.

"I think so, Frank," Horatio replied. "We're going to take the suspect on a little ride and see if he's telling us the truth. I'll call you if I need some help, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," Frank said. "Be careful with him, I don't think he's sane. Kept ranting about vampires on the way in here."

"The movies and beliefs are a part of our society, no matter how insane it sounds," Horatio sighed. "I think our friend here has watched too many movies lately."

"Probably has," Frank said. "Maybe he's got a thing for guys in tuxedos."

Horatio chuckled. "Possibly," he said. "We'll see you later, Frank."

***

Chapter 29

Mac was working in his office when Speed walked in and flopped down into one of the chairs. "Make yourself at home," he said.

"Mac, I think the fire company where Donner worked has more than one vampire stationed there," Speed said. "I'm finding things I don't like in their records and I'm wondering what all you know about them."

"Not a lot, honestly," Mac said. "You know how big the fire department is, how spread out they are around the city, and their mortality rate. It's not all that common for us to have fire and rescue at our crime scenes, so I don't spend a lot of time interacting with them. That said, I do know one Captain down there, but I think he's a different shift than Donner was."

"Everything I'm finding points to Donner being an infant or completely insane," Speed sighed. "We need to find him, Mac, if only to be sure he's not going to hurt anyone. I've been searching along the bloodline and I've found some vampires, but I know them all so far."

Mac nodded. "There's about fifty total in the city that I know about, all of them loyal to the two courts," he said. "How many can you sense?"

"Thirty so far. I'm going to go out and ride the subway for a day, hit the different areas of the city and see if I can pick up anyone else," Speed sighed. "The lead I'd hoped for isn't coming through nearly as quickly as I thought it would. Could you put word out among the loyal vampires that we need a check-in and that there's an official court investigation underway in the city? It would help out a lot."

"Sure, not a problem," Mac said. "Danny and I have kind of networked with them. It makes us feel a little more at home knowing we have other court members here with us. It's a big city and it gets lonely."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Miami sometimes," Speed sighed. "Horatio's got a weaker vampire in custody for human baiting and he's going to question the guy before he kills him. We're just not sure if it's the same case or not."

"And we won't until Horatio's done with his questioning," Mac said. "Bloodline link?"

"Vlad's; Horatio's more powerful than this idiot he's questioning," Speed said. "Then again, there aren't many in Vlad's like who are more powerful than Horatio. It's helped his reputation over the years."

"I can only imagine," Mac snorted. "Want me to check into this idea there's more vampires in the fire service than we thought?"

"If you could, that would help a lot," Speed said. "I'd like to have something to tell Horatio when he calls me tomorrow. We both knew that the information gathering would be hard, but I didn't think it would be so full of dead ends. It's like this guy appeared and disappeared and, even though numbers match up, I'm having trouble finding school records and other essential background information that the fire department would have looked into before they hired him."

Mac took the folder Speed held out and flipped it open. "I see what you mean," he said. "The names and numbers are all here, but there's no grades reports from any of the schools, just a GPA, and that could easily have been made up. The system also could have been hacked to change information before the fire department checked into it, and then changed back again once the hiring investigation was over. I don't blame you for thinking this is a set-up, Tim."

"I just wish I knew who the set-up was for," Speed sighed. "It all seems too convenient to me."

"Me too. I suppose we'll have to wait for Horatio to finish questioning the vampire down in Miami and see if that gives us any leads up here."

Speed shook his head. "I almost hate to wait that long, Mac," he said. "It all seems too easy."

"I know what you mean," Mac sighed.

***

Chapter 30

Horatio pulled the Hummer to a stop out in the Glades and looked over at Eric. "This is going to get messy," he said. "You haven't been along when it's just me asking the questions. I don't have the patience that Speed has and I tend to get extreme. There's a reason he snarks so much in confrontations and interrogations. It's to keep attention off me until I'm ready to strike."

"What do you need from me, H?" Eric asked.

"Stand back and don't interfere," Horatio said. "Keep your eyes open. We don't know if this guy is part of a group or if they're able to trace him along the bloodline. It's possible we could end up with more vampires out here than we can handle."

Eric pulled out the swords. "It's a good thing we're ready for them then, isn't it?" he asked.

"Do not get involved unless I tell you to," Horatio said. "Tim would never forgive me if I let something happen to you."

"All right, I've got your back," Eric said.

Horatio took his sword and stepped out of the Hummer. The vampire was tied up in the back and tried to glare at them when Horatio opened the back. "I've seen scarier things than you in monasteries," Horatio said with a smirk. "This is how it works. I ask questions, you answer them truthfully. You lie to me, you get cut. I will let you bleed out, too. I take threats to my people and my home very, very seriously." He grabbed the younger vampire's arm and dragged him out and a couple of yards down the dirt road. "Now then, we just took out the leader of a nest in Vegas, but I doubt you're from there. Those in Vegas have an automatic death sentence on their heads, so tell me the truth, are you a member of Brass' group?"

"No."

"The truth, very good. So are you from New York or associated with a vampire from New York?" Horatio asked.

"Yes."

"I think we've got a bright one here, Eric," Horatio said. "Especially as he thinks I don't feel the call for help going out. Is Megan Donner associated with the vampires in any way?"

"No, she's not. She's marked for death because she knows the truth about us."

Horatio leaned forward. "That's not how it works in my clan," Horatio said. "Yes, we've killed humans who know the truth, but they can be evaluated or their minds can be altered. Besides, only the two kings can mark a human for death."

"We're not members of your weak court."

"Where's Sam Donner?" Horatio asked softly, running the tip of his sword over the vampire's cheek. "Is he brave enough to come to Miami and finish the job for himself, or is he just sending in pathetic vampires like you?"

"He's already here, you just don't know it."

"Already in Miami," Horatio said. He pressed harder and drew blood. "Where is he in Miami? Hiding in the shadows waiting in fear of what's down here?"

"Sam's stronger than you are and he'll find you if you kill me."

Horatio laughed and ran the sword down the vampire's chest. "I think you're going to be very glad that I don't have a lot of time," he said. "I studied with the Spanish Inquisition for several years. I could keep you alive and bleeding for weeks, child, and you would scream so very pretty for me. Now, I'm not going to ask you again, where is Sam Donner?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything else."

"Oh, I think you will," Horatio said. "Eric, this is the point you want to stand back."
****

Two hours later, Eric looked around at the bodies on the ground and sighed. "You really weren't kidding, H," he said. "A call for help, I haven't seen that one in years."

"That's because only weaker vampires do it, Eric, and only when they fear for their lives," Horatio said. "Every one of these vampires is Vlad's line, but weak enough that I can barely pick it up. You know what that means?"

"Yeah, Donner is your line and he's been a busy boy," Eric said. He took the sword Horatio held out and went out into the water to wash it off. "I don't think I knew you learned torture from the Inquisition, H."

"They just honed my skills, Eric. I learned from the Turks when they attempted to take over Vlad's original court," Horatio said. "And later from a couple of Russian interrogators. I hate doing it, life should be spared and treasured, but I will if I have to."

"I think most of us would," Eric said. "So, are you going to tell me how you don't have a drop of blood on you?"

"You have to know where you're standing," Horatio said with a grin. "Those who came running in left themselves open and weren't expecting me to have a gun as well. They never seem to expect guns."

Eric snorted. "You got a towel for the sword?"

"In the back. I think we can just leave them here and if we get a call, we can take care of it then. There are gators close by and they've been trying to get close."

"Let 'em feast," Eric said. "We've got what we need."

"Indeed we do." Horatio got into the Hummer and shut the door behind him. "And address out on Star Island. I think, Eric, that it's time to bring Tim home and then pay Sam Donner a visit. I want to find out what's going on with him."

***

Next part of Unstoppable.