September 5

Las Vegas, Nevada

The airport was quiet, as John had taken an early flight out of JFK with only his parents to see him off, as David and Ellie had school that day and it was too early for Michael and Emily to get up. His grandparents had stayed at the apartment and had wished him well, telling him that they loved him.

Now, as John loaded his crime scene kit, his suitcases, and backpack on to a luggage trolley in the massive baggage collection area, he couldn't help but hope he actually did a good job. His parents, friends of the family, and the New York Police Department were all counting on him to succeed.

After making sure his luggage was secure on the trolley, John silently pushed the trolley out to the curb and looked for the taxi line. What he saw, however, was Gil walking across the street towards him.

"Doctor Grissom?" John asked in a surprised voice. "I..I was going to take a cab to my hotel…"

Grissom sighed as he reached John, "I'll drive you," he replied patiently. "I talked to your parents and they told me when you were getting in. I also wanted to talk to you about accommodations."

Nodding, John followed Grissom with the luggage cart over to Grissom's vehicle that was parked in the Arrivals slot, "Nice kit," Grissom commented, eyeing the bags. "New York saw you off in style."

Nodding, John silently watched as Grissom loaded his bags into the back and scooted the trolley over to a nearby rack. The two didn't speak as they got into the car, buckled up, and Grissom began driving.

"Do you mind if we make a stop before going to your hotel?" Grissom asked softly.

Shaking his head, John silently gazed out the window and allowed himself to remember the times his family had had back when they had lived in Vegas. They never had much money and they lived in fear of Edward, but their mother had done their best for them and they managed to survive each day.

The sound of the engine turning off prompted John to turn his head and he was surprised to see Grissom parking in visitor parking at Desert Palm Hospital, "Um, I took some insulin after I got off the plane and had a snack," John spoke nervously. "I'm diabetic, but isn't this a little much?"

"We're here to visit someone," Grissom spoke calmly. "Don't forget your diabetes bag."

Nodding, John got his backpack out of the back and adjusted his MedicAlert bracelet so it was visible before he followed Grissom inside. He had elected to get a bracelet for himself after the assault at the park so that emergency services would be able to help him if he ever wound up in deep trouble and unable to communicate his health issue. It had helped him get through security with his supplies.

It didn't take long before they were standing outside of a hospital room where Nick was laying in bed asleep with a tube in his nose, IV's in his arms and hands, and electrodes on his chest. A blood pressure cuff was wrapped around Nick's arm and Sara was sitting in a chair not far from the machine.

"Sara, what are you doing here?" Grissom asked as he and John entered the room. "I see extra IV's."

Sara sighed, "Nick's still anemic," she explained. "They suspended chemo for the time being."

John said nothing, as his parents and Nick had kept in touch and they all knew that Nick had developed cancer, "Who's this?" Sara asked softly, gazing at John. "He looks really familiar, but I can't…"

"John Boscorelli is one of the students who got accepted to the pilot program," Grissom explained in a kind voice. "John, this is my wife Sara, who is also a CSI and someone you might be working with."

Sara nodded as Nick stirred, "What's all the noise?" Nick mumbled without opening his eyes.

Grissom silently moved away from the bed and John followed him, "Nick has a three-bedroom apartment and his health is such that he needs some help to maintain everything that is going on in his life right now," he whispered softly. "It's close to the lab and campus and you'd have access to…"

John sighed, "It beats the dorms," he spoke softly. "I'm not a freshman, so that's not required…"

Grissom nodded as Nick woke, "Hi," Nick spoke softly, frowning at seeing Grissom and John."

"I've gotten you a temporary roommate," Grissom spoke, smiling. "John Boscorelli…"

Nick frowned in confusion, "He's a college kid and I'm a sick old fart," he spoke groggily. "He'll want to stay in the dorms with people his age and party when he's not doing the courses or project."

"University student who is set to complete a Bachelor's degree next spring and my parents don't want me living in the dorms because I won't get rest," John spoke firmly, giving Nick a mock scowl. "I also never really cared for parties when I was a student at NYU, especially not after that diner shooting."

Grissom looked amused and Sara looked shocked, "I have a kid," Nick spoke in a tired voice.

"You helped my mom," John spoke firmly. "Why do you have to be a stubborn idiot?"

Grissom smirked and started chuckling, "You're just like your mom," he said in an amused voice.

John, however, kept his gaze on Nick, "Alright," Nick conceded softly. "You can live with me and I'll put you on my insurance so you can use my truck if you need it. I…I just got a little overwhelmed."

"Parker can stay with us til you're out of the hospital," Sara offered. "It'll give John time to…"

John sighed and nodded, "I have a place for a few days that will give me enough time to register and get everything I need at the school," he replied softly. "What about the times I study or work late?"

"We'll figure it out," Nick spoke tiredly as he fought to stay awake. "I'm sorry…I'm tired."

John nodded as Nick closed his eyes, "Cancer isn't an easy thing," Sara spoke. "Are you sure…?"

"My father, Maurice Boscorelli, had it and is currently in remission," John spoke softly.

Sara looked surprised, but nodded, "I'm going to sit with Nick until Catherine comes by and then I've got some groceries to get," she spoke softly. "Your mom's with the twins and they're all fine."

Nodding, Grissom silently left the room and John followed, "Thank you for being so willing to help Nick and his son out while you're here," he spoke quietly. "You really are like your mother."

Miami, Florida

Dwayne Pride was not a happy man and one could tell that by the scowl on his face as he got out of his rental car and made his way up to the police buildings. He had been wrapping cases and had gotten a message from the Miami-Dade Crime Lab that his name was now connected to the disappearance of a Lieutenant Horatio Caine. He had left LaSalle in charge temporarily and hopped a plane to Miami.

His bags were at the Agremont, as he had gotten a room before coming to the lab and Dwayne knew about the case, but he didn't know how his name could be involved. He had heard about Lieutenant Caine's disappearance on the news, but hadn't gotten involved because Caine wasn't in the military.

The elevator ride was quiet and Dwayne forced himself to calm down as he stepped off the elevator and into the Crime Lab. It was early, quiet, and it didn't look like anyone was around to greet him.

As Dwayne was preparing to turn around and leave, he heard footsteps and sighed irritably when Tim and Calleigh came into view, "I shouldn't be here because I'm a witness to Horatio's kidnapping," Tim was saying in an anxious voice. "I know Bobby's per diem, but he's still here doing paperwork…"

Calleigh and Tim froze at the sight of Dwayne Pride, "Are you Pride?" Calleigh asked nervously.

"I am," Dwayne replied in a suspicious voice. "Why am I being brought up in this disappearance?"

There was a scoff, "Our current boss here says he saw a 'Louisiana Pride' sticker on the license plate of the van that took Lieutenant Caine," Eric said as he came off the elevator and overheard the question.

Dwayne frowned and quickly got his wallet out of his pocket, revealing a similar sticker, "This is mine, but I had one custom made for my sister when she moved to my city," he explained in a worried voice. "She wouldn't tell me where she had been living, but she did say she was happy to see me."

"Do you mind if we take the sticker as evidence?" Calleigh asked softly. "It may help."

Dwayne sighed, "I haven't seen much of her since she became an adult," he replied in a concerned voice, watching as Calleigh gloved up and held her hand out. "She was busy with medical school…"

Not sure what to think, Dwayne handed Calleigh the wallet, "Am I under arrest?" he asked softly.

"Why don't you take a rest in the break room?" Calleigh suggested, seeing how ashen and concerned Dwayne looked about his sister. "We're all law enforcement and you seem trustworthy."

Dwayne sighed and folded his arms, clearly upset that his sister was possibly involved in Lieutenant Caine's disappearance. Calleigh quietly excused herself and went to the room where Bobby was doing some paperwork after doing a per diem for the night shift, "Detective Caine," she spoke softly.

Robert looked up at Calleigh, "I'm jut finishing paperwork," he replied. "Nightshift was actually quiet, so I helped Walter with his training a little bit. I hope Speedle doesn't mind I did."

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it," Calleigh replied quietly. "I need your life experience."

Robert frowned, but didn't say anything, "Dwayne Pride from the New Orleans NCIS office just showed up and he thinks his sister might be involved in Horatio's disappearance," Calleigh explained, showing the sticker. "I need to process this, but I think Dwayne is upset. You've got experience with family members who are involved in criminal activity and you can empathize with him, I think."

"I'm also Horatio Caine's adopted son," Robert spoke quietly. "More than I am a LaRusso."

Calleigh sighed patiently, "If you change your mind, he's in the lobby," she replied as she left.

Sighing, Robert finished his paperwork, filed it, and went out to the lobby just in time to see Dwayne sit down while Eric watched from nearby. Robert and Eric gave each other a cordial nod, but didn't speak because they had promised both Rick and Tim that they would be civil to each other.

"Mister Pride, my name is Detective Caine," Robert spoke as he faced Dwayne.

Dwayne frowned, "You related to Horatio Caine?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"I am his sister's child, but he adopted me when I was very young because my mother was murdered by my father, Dimitri LaRusso," Robert explained, taking a seat beside Dwayne. "He had another family after he disappeared and that family has engaged in less than exemplary activities…"

Eric paused and Tim, who had gone to the washroom, lingered just out of sight to see what was going on, "I take it you didn't know about each other," Dwayne mused softly. "Andrea…Andrea and I grew up together and she moved away to go to college and medical school and didn't keep in touch.

Robert nodded, but didn't speak, "I don't know what to do now that I know she might be involved in Lieutenant Caine's disappearance," Dwayne spoke somberly. "I don't even know where she is."

Just then, Calleigh returned with Dwayne's wallet, "I got the sticker off," she said in a quiet voice.

"It won't do you much good," Dwayne replied softly. "She went on vacation a while ago and I don't know where she went. All I know is that she's gone and she'll call me when she gets back."

Eric sighed, "Maybe if we put her face on the news, it'll help," he spoke in a worried voice. "Mister Pride, would you be willing to join us in putting information about Andrea on national news?"

"Please call me Dwayne, all of you," Dwayne replied softly. "And yes I am, if it will help."

Las Vegas, Nevada

It had taken a while for her to get away from Nick's room because she had wanted to make sure that Grissom and John were nowhere around and that Nick was fully asleep, but Sara had finally managed to do it. Instead of grocery shopping, however, she went over to Ryan and Sofia's apartment.

Greg and Jenny were there, as Greg was working nights with the rest of the CSI's until the students began their semester with the lab, and Greg was amusing Jessica while Jenny was cooking a meal in the kitchen. Both of them smiled as Sara silently let herself in with the key Ryan had provided.

"Hi," Sara spoke softly, closing and locking the door. "Are Ryan and Sofia around?"

Greg nodded, "Sofia's resting and Ryan's got Carlos in with them," he explained quietly.

"Do you know if they got all of it after Carlos was born?" Sara asked in a worried voice.

Ryan sighed as he came into view with Carlos in his arms, "You know that Choriocarcinoma isn't that simple, Sara," he spoke softly, offering a sad smile. "It's hard to treat, but they're doing their best to."

"Grissom wanted to come, but John Boscorelli got in today and I guess he'll be rooming with Nick after Nick gets out of the hospital," Sara explained softly. "John's one of the 10 that made it."

Greg sighed, but said nothing because he knew Nick would not allow help to come from him or Jenny because of the Derek situation, "Sofia's going to be working days when the recruits come as she's able to," Ryan spoke quietly. "We had a discussion with Grissom and Ecklie about it already."

"Did you tell my dad and Aunt Emily?" Jenny asked softly, her expression concerned.

Ryan shook his head, "Your dad will insist on coming to visit and I'm so busy right now heading the search for Horatio," he admitted anxiously. "It won't change anyone's opinion of me either."

"You're being a stubborn idiot," Jenny spoke sternly. "You don't know how much longer…"

Ryan sighed gently, "Sofia wants me to tell them as well," he admitted. "She wants them to visit, but knows they're busy with the search for Horatio. I just….I don't know how to break the news…"

"I'll call my parents and ask them to tell Aunt Emily and Uncle Tim in private," Jenny offered.

Nodding, Ryan sat in his easy chair with Carlos, "Okay," he spoke quietly. "Sara, how are you?"

"I'm back to work, but I'm on swing because of the policy," Sara explained. "Those rules, though, will be a bit more flexible when we have 10 students running around the lab under our supervision."

Jenny smiled, "I start my online nursing courses soon too," she replied softly. "I'm not willing to let Jessica go to day care, so she'll be my assistant. I'll do the hands-on things next semester…"

"Do you want some food, Sara?" Jenny asked, moving back into the kitchen. "There's enough."

Greg suddenly checked his watch, "We should check the news again to see if there's any new information about Lieutenant Caine," he spoke anxiously. "Ryan, is it okay if we watch TV?"

Nodding, Ryan grabbed the remote and turned to the channel that tuned into Miami-Dade news; it was a ritual that he and Greg both did just in case new information turned up about Horatio.

The face of Erica Sikes suddenly appeared on the screen, but she was standing alongside Tim, Calleigh, Eric, Robert, and Dwayne Pride, "Ugh, Erica Sikes," Ryan grumbled. "What's going on now?"

"Less than half an hour ago, there was a break in the Horatio Caine case," Erica Sikes spoke into the microphone as a shot of the crowd, which included Rick, many uniforms, the chief, and Tripp, appeared was shown. "Interim director of the lab, Tim Speedle, has the information."

Tim sighed as he stepped forward and held up the picture of the sticker Dwayne had provided, "This sticker was on the plate of the van that abducted Lieutenant Caine," Tim explained in a solemn voice, showing the photo. "This sticker was provided and links Doctor Andrea Pride to the abduction…"

A photo of Dr. Pride, one that Dwayne had provided from the photo collection in his wallet, suddenly appeared on the screen and Greg's eyes widened, "Crap," he said. "That's…that's the counselor that came to talk to everyone after Nick was taken. "I got her dismissed for unprofessional behavior…"

Jenny frowned, "Unprofessional behavior?" she asked, coming out of the kitchen. "What does…?"

Greg, however, got his phone out of his pocket, "I..I don't want to talk about it," he spoke softly.

Jenny silently walked over to Greg, "What did Doctor Pride do to you?" she asked anxiously.

"Um, I asked Grissom for help with it," Greg spoke nervously. "It would make you view me…"

Ryan looked concerned, "If Doctor Pride is involved, I need to remove myself from the case," Greg spoke anxiously, his expression sad as he passed Jessica to Jenny. "I…I was dosed by her."

Jenny's eyes went wide and she quickly set Jessica in the baby swing before sitting next to Greg, "Like, she came to counsel the people in the lab after Nick was taken by Derek and I had a few more sessions than everyone else," Greg spoke sadly, gazing at her. "She offered me water at the sessions and one day, after a session, I felt really tired. Doctor Pride offered to give me a ride to a safe place…"

Ryan paled and Jenny looked alarmed as Greg sighed, "The next thing I knew, I woke up in a parking lot with blood on my clothes and face and a migraine," Greg spoke weakly, his resolve crumbling. "I…I had my phone and my wallet, so I got a cab and went to an emergency room…"

Sara's eyes went wide, "You were the case that night that Grissom left our dinner over?" she asked.

Greg nodded and dissolved into quiet sobs, continuing to cry even as Jenny pulled him into an embrace and held him, "I love you," Jenny whispered softly, shaken that Greg had such a terrible experience.

Ryan, however, sat there in a mournful silence and wondered how he would run the case alone because he still had a few gaps in his memory and wondered if those would be revealed in the investigation. Greg was one of the few people in the lab that was aware of the gaps and had been helping him out.

Tangiers Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas Strip

"Ivan, how could you be so careless as to leave your girlfriend's sticker on your license plate?" Sam Braun, who had spent time keeping an eye on the sick Ray as he rested, snapped as he rose from the couch and glared at Ivan Sarnoff. "She and Jamison are with Caine right now and my story to them will be that you are stupid. Doctor Pride's brother is involved with the Miami police now because of YOU!"

Ivan quickly poured himself a glass of Scotch from the minibar and downed it before he spoke, "You will wake Ray up with your shouting, Braun," he hissed coldly. "I don't know where Drea gets the…"

"Ray's body is weak from years of undercover crap forced on him by the DEA and MDPD," Sam hissed, his eyes dark. "Take your crappy moving truck and get out of Vegas. You are done here."

Ivan's eyes widened, "I brought Andrea into this," he snarled, pulling a gun out. "I'm still in."

Sam swore and pulled a gun out of his own pocket, unaware that Ray had woken because of the noise and was now leaning against a wall just out of sight, watching the two men argue, while he silently loaded a gun that Sam had given him for protection. When it was loaded, Ray stepped out of hiding.

"Go back to Clavo, Dan Cooper, Valera, and the rest of the low-level trash that Derek Stokes writes," Ray hissed, his voice weak and his hands trembling as he aimed the gun at Ivan. "Does your girlfriend know you screwed Maxine Valera in exchange for information on Horatio? You're disgustingly…"

Ivan's eyes widened, "How did you know about that?" he hissed. "It was a secret!"

Coughing, Ray cocked the gun, "I'm going to die anyway, so how many fools can I take with me?" he asked in a gravelly voice, his expression cold. "I'm going to tell Andrea you cheated on her, fool."

Before Ivan or Sam could reply, Ray fired the gun and a bullet grazed Ivan's cheek before hitting the chair, "If I had my full strength, Sarnoff, that shot would kill you," Ray croaked. "Now, get out."

"The van is in the parkade," Sam spoke coldly. "Take it and get out of my city or you will die."

Swearing, Ivan fled the suite with the intent of returning to Florida and mobilizing Dan, Valera, Derek, and the rest of Horatio's enemies to come back at Sam Braun as quickly as they could be ready.

Sam quickly helped Ray to another chair, "If Horatio is not dead before Halloween, I will deliver the kill blow myself," Ray spoke in a cold voice, his hands shaking as he put the safety back on the gun.

"Do you want to go and help me deliver the news of Ivan's unfaithfulness to Doctor Pride?" Sam asked, determined to treat the dying Ray with dignity. "The fresh air might steady you a bit."

Ray sighed and nodded, determined to get his rage against Ivan completely out of his system.

Miami, Florida

"There were prints on the sticker," Calleigh explained in a quiet voice as she sat at a table with Tim, Jesse, Walter, Eric, Alexx, Rick, Natalia, and Robert. "The prints belong to Ivan Sarnoff."

Just then, Emily walked past the interview with Dwayne at her side, "Dwayne needed someone to talk to after the news conference, so I asked Emily to come by," Tim spoke softly. "This is a mess."

Calleigh sighed, "I took the liberty of looking up Ivan's current associates to see who might have helped him abduct Horatio," she explained, opening a folder. "You won't believe who's…"

"Dan Cooper and Maxine Valera are friends with Ivan Sarnoff?" Eric asked, peering at the list.

Tim's eyes went wide and Natalia swore, "They're both on probation for what they almost did to Adam," she snarled angrily. "They almost raped my son and they got away with it…"

Robert's eyes went wide and he put his hand over Natalia's, calming her, "I know," he spoke in a concerned, but upset voice. "What they and Derek Stokes almost did to Adam…I can't forgive."

"Derek Stokes was responsible for attacking Horatio before, so how do we know he's not involved now?" Eric asked in a cold voice, his emotions spilling over. "Horatio almost joined Marisol…"

Calleigh sighed, "Derek does not currently have access to money or transportation and his address is that of a halfway house in Austin, Texas," she explained. "I researched to see if he was involved and his money and ability to leave the state is monitored by his parents, as they are his legal guardians."

Sighing, Eric began massaging his fingers to hide his frustration over Derek Stokes getting off on his behaviors due to health reasons, "I do, however, have a call into Judge Stokes," Calleigh spoke quietly. "I think I'd like to know if Dan and Valera have tried to keep in touch with Derek since the…"

"I think we also need to find Dan and Valera and have a talk with them, but I think that needs to be left to Walter or Jesse," Tim spoke. "The rest of us used to work with them or there's a conflict."

Robert sighed heavily and Natalia patted his hand, "I notified Las Vegas of the development right after the press conference," Tim said. "They'll get the word out to be on the lookout for Doctor Pride."

"Do you have a location as to where we might find Dan and Valera?" Jesse asked worriedly.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"I completely forgot about this orientation with the advisor and I feel bad that you're taking time to drop me off," John apologized as Grissom's vehicle pulled into a parking lot at UNLV.

Grissom sighed, "I have to get to a meeting at the lab anyway, so it's on my way," he replied.

Nodding, John gathered his things, got out of his seatbelt, and exited the car, "Thank you," he said in an anxious voice. "I don't know how long this meeting will be, so I can grab a cab back…"

"If the meeting goes past five, call," Grissom spoke firmly. "It's not safe to be out alone…"

John nodded and silently shut the door before making his way into the building, sighing when he easily found the classroom where the orientation would take place. Part of the program involved doing a semester at UNLV and only freshmen students were required to live in the dorms, but all the pilot program students had to attend classes, take proficiency tests, and do shifts in both the lab and the field during the semester. Each student had undergone skill assessments as part of the application process and that had factored into whether they were good enough for the program, but their skills would be under continual review. Poor grades, failed assessments, or bad conduct would get them kicked out.

Five girls and three boys were all seated in the classroom, all of them looking through large books while a stern looking man sat at the teacher desk, "You're a bit early," the man said calmly. "Name?"

"John Boscorelli," John spoke in a quiet voice, his expression neutral. "I apologize for being early."

The man looked amused and smirked as he picked a book up off his desk, "One thing you need to learn is that you never apologize for being early," he replied calmly. "My name is Doctor Ray Langston."

"You're the advisor for the 10 of us," John replied in a surprised voice. "Nice to meet you."

Ray smirked and sighed as Colin, who had nearly broken the speed limit in his haste to get from the ranch to Orientation on time, hurried into the room, "My apologies, I was volunteering at a food bank and I had to stop by my dorm to change clothes," Colin spoke as he approached the desk. "Hello."

"You must be Colin Jamison," Ray replied, offering Colin a book. "Take your seats, kids."

Colin sat in the back row, but John sat next to Caira, "Hello," Caira whispered, smiling at him.

"Hey," John replied, smiling. "Your name…it's Caira, right? I was wondering, Caira, did you want to grab some food and maybe take a walk after this is over? I wanted to ask you out since tryouts…"

Caira smiled and nodded and Colin, who had been listening, was relieved that Caira would be busy so that he could go about his private business. He loved his sister and wanted to spend time with her, but he also had to make sure there weren't loose ends and that nobody would find Lieutenant Caine.

"Now that everyone's here, we can get started," Ray spoke as he got up and sat on the front of his desk. "My name is Doctor Ray Langston and the university asked me to serve as an academic advisor for the pilot program put on by the Las Vegas Crime Lab. You'll have classes and homework that will include on-campus time as well as time there. I'll be overseeing your classwork and university conduct."

Ray studied all of the students intently and them gestured to their books, "Those are the manuals you'll be using to keep track of your work this semester and you'll turn them in when the pilot project is over," he explained in a calm voice. "We're going to start by reading the code of conduct and then we're going to do introductions. If you think this is a game, you're welcome to leave now."

LaRusso Farm - Nevada

The sound of a vehicle pulling up outside prompted Dr. Pride, who had been reading a book on meditation that she borrowed from Anya, to stand up and set the book in the personal bag she had brought from home. Anya had encouraged Dr. Pride to enjoy Vegas, but Dr. Pride couldn't bring herself to go out and enjoy things because Ivan would get angry and do what he did during the journey there.

Instead of telling anyone the truth about what happened during the journey, Dr. Pride had stayed in the same clothes and had used makeup to conceal the evidence. Ivan had been charming in New Orleans, but he had yet again become abusive enough to the point why she remembered divorcing him. Their marriage had been impulsive and had ended when he had abused her for not getting pregnant fast.

Anya had been so grateful for company that she hadn't originally noticed, but she had started to ask questions that day. Dr. Pride had silently left when Anya was sleeping and now, she was here to keep an eye on Horatio while Colin was at class orientation. Colin had figured out that Ivan had been abusive to her on the journey to Vegas, but she had made him promise not to tell anyone about the situation.

Horatio, who was weak from the waterboarding he had been subject to over the past few days, was awake and cold, but dry. He was silently watching Dr. Pride, but not speaking because he didn't know what to say to this woman who was clearly uneasy; she didn't seem like she wanted to be there.

Footsteps echoed across the barn as Sam and a very tired Ray came into the barn, "Doctor Pride, good afternoon," Sam spoke in a kind voice. "I expected you to visit with Anya until the evening."

"I'm not feeling very social at the moment," Dr. Pride spoke shakily. "This is a quiet place."

Sam sighed, "I sent Ivan packing," he spoke firmly. "He was unfaithful to you and your relationship because he had relations with one of Horatio's former employees so he could get information…"

Dr. Pride said nothing, "He also put your family sticker on his license plate and your face was shown on the Miami news as a possible connection to the case," Ivan spoke coldly. "You're wanted."

Irritation crossed Dr. Pride's face, "I'm sure Dwayne identified the sticker and I did not give it to Ivan," she snapped, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Ivan took it after he gave me these…"

Sam's eyes narrowed as he studied the bruises, "Sarnoff beat you," he spoke in a cold voice.

"Maybe we can spin it to say that Sarnoff kidnapped her," Ray suggested in a shaky voice.

Sam looked thoughtful as Ray walked over to Horatio and studied the bruising and waterboard marks that decorated the visible parts of the man's body. Horatio was still cuffed to the pipe and his clothes were in tatters, "How does it feel to know you're going to die?" Ray asked in a shaky voice.

Horatio, however, didn't reply because he wasn't sure he could say unkind words to his dying brother and have them on his conscience forever. Ray responded by booting Horatio hard in the abdomen.

Swallowing hard, Horatio let out a hiss of pain before maneuvering his broken hand to rest on top of the spot where Ray's boot struck, "Easy, Ray," Sam spoke softly. "I know you're angry…"

"I will not let Horatio outlive me," Ray hissed, glaring at Horatio before he turned away from him.

Sam sighed, "Neither of you are going to die today," he spoke gently. "It's not time yet."

"Colin said he wouldn't be back tomorrow because he's going to a casino after Orientation," Dr. Pride spoke shakily, tired and angry over Ivan's poor treatment of her. "He's one of the older students…"

Sam nodded, as he knew that Colin had social anxiety and would rely on gambling or getting food from a restaurant to calm himself after being in social situations with lots of people. As much as he wanted to, Colin couldn't really drink because he was on medication for PTSD that had surfaced after being tortured by his parents as a child and he was also on anxiety medication that had been prescribed to him by a doctor in Los Angeles after his girlfriend had committed suicide. Drinking was not an option.

"Colin will not be drinking," Sam replied calmly. "It is a decompression strategy."

Dr. Pride sighed, "I don't mind camping out here because I don't wish to risk Anya's safety," she spoke in a concerned voice. "The police will be on higher alert now, especially the Las Vegas Police…"

"Does you dosing Greg Sanders have anything to do with that?" Horatio managed to say weakly.

Sam's eyes went wide and Dr. Pride looked angry, "Sanders has a big mouth," she hissed coldly.

"What was it about Greg that made you slip GHB into his water?" Horatio asked coldly.

Dr. Pride swore and scratched Horatio's face several times before Sam pulled her off, "Doctor Pride was abused by her ex-husband, Ivan Sarnoff, and seeks comfort from men she finds pleasing," Sam spoke in a cold voice, glaring at Horatio. "I see nothing wrong with her seeking sexual…"

"There is something wrong when the sex was not consensual," Horatio replied in a pained voice, remembering Greg's pure pain when he had shared the reason why he had fled Las Vegas.

Dr. Pride silently reached into her bag of medical supplies and pulled out a syringe, "Would you like to feel what Greg felt, Caine?" she asked in a cold voice. "It'll knock you out and make you sick…"

Before Horatio could respond, Dr. Pride jabbed the syringe into his arm and smirked as the medication drained into Horatio's body, "Have a nice sleep," she hissed coldly. "I want to go hide in a hotel."

"I can arrange for you to share Ray's suite," Sam offered, seeing that Dr. Pride was not in a good mood.

Dr. Pride scoffed, "I should find and kill Sanders just to make Horatio cry," she hissed coldly. "It's obvious that Sanders is Horatio Caine's pet and I wonder if they appeased each other…"

"Just take a moment to rest and then talk to me about how you want to handle that," Sam offered softly. "I can help you deal with it so you won't get caught. I have many friends here in Las Vegas."

As Horatio succumbed to the drugs and passed out, Dr. Pride nodded, "I'm going to stay out here a while," Ray spoke quietly, stunned at the animosity between Dr. Pride and Horatio. "Good air."

Dr. Pride reached into her pocket and pulled out a jar, "I talked to some dealers and they rolled these for you," she said, handing Ray the jar. "Medicinal marijuana may help with how you are feeling."

Ray silently took the jar, "There's a lighter in the supplies," Dr. Pride spoke worriedly. "I need to go."

Once Sam and Dr. Pride had left the property, Ray found the lighter and quietly lit one of the rolled joints that were in the jar. With the joint in his mouth, Ray sat on the stool and stared at Horatio.

Please read and review!