Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable items. Not the characters, not the songs, and definitely not the setting. There are spoilers—new and old—so beware if you aren't current on CSI: Miami. Otherwise, happy reading!

The first thing Ryan Wolfe notices when he wakes up is that the light shining in his eyes flickers like a candle. He doesn't keep candles in his bedroom, too much of a fire hazard. Suddenly awake, eyes open wide, he takes in the circle of candles surrounding him. At first, he can't move, feeling his heart beat against his ribs, pain flashing and disappearing as the muscle is overworked. He has been arranged spread-eagled in the circle. It feels very sacrificial. His jacket, which he distinctly remembers putting on this morning, is missing. So is his watch. He doesn't remember anything past getting dressed for work. His white button-up shirt has been ripped open to expose most of his chest where several small cuts still bleed. What the hell happened to him?

The world will look better upright, he decides, movement returning to his limbs. He shifts, readying to stand, and something clinks against the floor as he moves his feet closer. A quick examination reveals a monitoring bracelet strapped to his left ankle. The light is green. His socks and shoes are intact, but his pant leg has been split to allow the bracelet to rest against his skin. He's certain it's to make sure he complies with orders—now he just needs the orders—as he scrambles to his feet and glances around the room he's in.

From the look of things, Ryan realizes he's in a warehouse. He's been kidnapped. Again. There is space all around him, but the circle of candles is almost in a corner. Behind him is the junction where the walls meet, and in front of him is a doorway, a gaping mouth that looks entirely uninviting. It is completely dark. Above the doorway hangs a sign painted in what Ryan thinks is red paint until he moves forward to the edge of the circle and his chest stings. That's why he's been cut. The sick bastard used his own blood to write it.

The words, "No time for goodbye," make no sense to Ryan, and yet they feel almost familiar. What does make sense, though, is avoiding the dark place. It appears, from here at least, that he can go around the structure into which the door has been constructed. It is time to break the circle. His first step out, a little to the side of directly towards the doorway, ignites a burning sensation in his ankle. The flash of pain is so sudden and severe that Ryan falls. He glares down his leg, noticing that it's the one with the bracelet, seeing that the previously green light is now an angry red pulse. He groans and forces himself to his feet to stumble back into the circle. Immediately the flow of electricity stops and he sighs in relief.

Now, it would appear that Ryan is to stay in the circle until the man who kidnapped him reveals what he has planned, but Ryan is never one to follow clichéd instructions. It takes a few moments, but he steps out of the circle again, and again he falls to the ground writhing in agony stemming from his ankle. An idea forms. What if he's supposed to go through the door? What if there is a safe path that allows him the pleasure of not being electrocuted every time he moves? Is that the order he's supposed to follow?

He pulls himself upright, grasping at empty air as if it will give him the leverage he needs. And then suddenly, mercifully, the pain stops as he half-stumbles into an invisible lane leading to the dark doorway. So, he was right. That doesn't mean the man isn't waiting where it's too dark to see to stab him or smash his head in. Still, it's a better chance than crawling around on the floor, especially with his injured chest, waiting for the current in his leg to increase to lethal proportions.

With a heavy mind, Ryan takes a few tentative steps towards the doorway, almost certain that it is a joke, that he'll be killed as soon as he enters the darkness. Deep breaths, he reminds himself as he steps into a room filled with nothing but musty air. He can't see two feet in front of his nose. One more careful step isn't cautious enough and he triggers a metal slab to cover the entrance behind him. The sound of it sliding down and locking into place makes his stomach flip and his heartbeat pick up. The dark becomes darker still and Ryan freezes. He has no way to defend himself if he is attacked. Putting his arms up in a defensive posture does nothing to calm his racing heart.

In the midst of the suffocating silence a tiny beep sounds. Ryan glances down at his ankle, surprised to see no lights on the bracelet. He hunches down, using clumsy fingers to pry at the device until it suddenly pops off in his hands. Almost instantly, light descends, bathing the entire room in a gentle glow. Realization sinks in, as does a new level of fear. He is a rat in a maze, playing a game he doesn't know the rules to, except of course that there is likely to be no cheese at the end of this cruel experience.

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This story is completed, but that does not mean it is void of mistakes. Please take some time to point out any that you catch. Thanks!