Finding Kate

Chapter Fifteen: Body Count

Three men in such a small cell, how demeaning, Speed thought. Then again, you do the crime you do the time.

He crouched down in front of his kit and flicked the buckles open, checking his watch and wondering where the hell Delko was. The callout had come in over forty five minutes ago and there was no sign of the young Cuban. Speedle was getting edgy; he didn't want Calleigh or Kate taking the other man's place.

The cell mates were vicious especially in the sex offender's wing. He'd seen the hunger in their eyes as he walked past each cell, keeping his footsteps even, never daring to quicken his pace because that would show fear, and they could sense that. The jeers had rung in his ears but he heard none of them, because hearing them was giving in, and Tim Speedle would never give them the satisfaction.

Horatio was still working on tracing the bracelets, but it was proving to be a long and enduring task. The convicts were smart, he had to hand them that. Switching bracelets in a module that held fifteen hundred prisoners was a stroke of genius, as much as he hated to admit it, and it made their job a hell of a lot harder to do.

The inmates were screeching and rattling the bars again now, he could hear their cat calls as footsteps descended down the corridor and towards him. Speed glanced up, taking in the lone figure striding towards him; his eyes lingered on the black boots as her heels clicked across the tiles.

He could feel the breath leave his chest as his eyes roved upwards, taking in her fitted black suit trousers and the leather, steel studded belt. Her badge hung off it giving her a dangerous edge as she strode towards him. The long sleeved forest green, v-neck matched her eyes and clung to her body in all the right places. Her ebony brown hair fell across her face in layers and past her shoulders. She kept her eyes on the prize, chin up, shoulders back, she never broke her stride under the onslaught. The expression on her face was fierce, as she carried her crime kit along with her, the metal glinting in the harsh halogen light.

"Speedle, what have you got?" Kate questioned as she stepped through the doorway, finally allowing a glance at the kid in a guards uniform stationed by the door.

"No Delko?" Speed asked, yanking his latex gloves on.

"I wouldn't be here otherwise." Kate pointed out, tugging open her own latex gloves.

Speed rose to his feet as Kate faced him, hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised.

"You want top or bottom?" she spoke with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I got here on time." He reminded her.

Kate tilted her head at him, pursing her lips together.

"Your gonna make me do the toilet aren't you?"

Speedle smirked as he took out his Crime Light.

"I hate it when you have seniority." He heard her mutter under her breath as she crouched down in front of the porcelain bowl and scowled.

He glanced at her over his shoulder as she took a deep breath, hand poised over the bowl as she rolled up her sleeve.

"Suck it up, your playing with the big boys now." He told her before returning to his own search at the sound of the water sloshing in the toilet.

"You have no idea how disgusting this is." She informed him.

He turned his face so she couldn't see him chuckling; his shoulders quaked a little as caught sight of her reaching right into the u-bend.

"I swear to God Speedle if you are laughing I am gonna be flicking this toilet water in your direction." She told him through gritted teeth.

"Your thoroughness is commendable." He stated as Kate withdrew from the offending item and stripped off her gloves to apply a fresh pair.