Chapter 1

The interrogation room is stifling, the air humid and oppressive. Rick is the one that called Ryan in here, but he doesn’t really want to be here. Ryan’s sitting across from Rick, his hands clasped in front of him on the table. He seems to be staring at the table top, his eyes sometimes flickering up in Rick’s direction. His expression is a cross between anger, frustration and a slight, almost unnoticeable, hint of fear.

“Have you ever seen Eric Delko use Marihuana or do drugs of any kind?” He asks Ryan, his eyes not straining from Ryan’s form. Ryan keeps looking at him, one eyebrow slightly raised. His answer is immediate, without hesitation.

“No.”

“Have you ever seen him purchase Marihuana or any drugs?” Rick asks, slightly leaning backwards in his seat. There is a frown on his forehead and Rick doesn’t know whether it’s because he’s annoyed at Rick or because he…Rick doesn’t finish that thought.

“No.”

“Have you ever seen him with any drug paraphernalia?” Rick asks him, sitting up straight and leaning slightly forward. Ryan looks away from him almost immediately, first blankly in front of him and then to the side. Rick recognizes the signs. Ryan’s always been a terrible liar.

“I’ve eum…” he clears his throat and thinks for a minute, “I’ve never seen him with anything illegal.”

Rick can practically smell the chance and he jumps on it. “It doesn’t have to be anything illegal, a pipe is legal, certain syringes are legal. What did you see?” Ryan looks at him, an almost pleading look in his eyes and for a minute Rick flashes back to times long past. He pushes it away. Ryan doesn’t say anything and you lay your hands on the table. “Need I remind you that you are under oath here?” It’s not really a question.

He leans forward. “I know.”

“Then what did you see him with?” Rick’s stressing the words and Ryan looks at him, his eyes so very green and he is silent.

He looks away and then frowns. “Rolling papers.” He closes his eyes briefly before looking back at Rick.

Rick resists the urge to smile broadly. “What did you think they were for?”

Ryan knows that the question is completely unnecessary, he knows that Rick is playing with him. He looks at Rick now, anger in his eyes and his mouth is drawn in a tight line. “Tobacco.”

Gotcha

“Have you ever known Eric Delko to smoke cigarettes?”

Your eyes meet and he looks angry, so very angry and a slight flicker of disappointment burns in his eyes. Rick wants to shake his head and coo at him and say: don’t act like you want special treatment, Ry.

“No.” He says, his voice tight like there is a lump in his throat and Rick can feel the satisfaction coursing through him, only hindered slightly by the longing that bubbles up in his chest at the sight of Ryan. He crushes that down ruthlessly, that was a long time ago and he doesn’t need that anymore.

“Then you didn’t think they were for tobacco.”

Ryan’s eyes flicker to meet Rick’s before looking away again. He looks so miserable and a part of Rick wonders how he can do this to Ryan. And then he shakes it off, he’s older, Ryan’s older and they’ve both changed. It doesn’t really matter anymore.

“Can I go now?” Ryan asks and Rick nods.

When Eric Delko pops positive for THC Rick escorts him out of the building and of course, Horatio tries to stop him.

“Where are you taking him, Rick?”

Rick pauses and resists the urge to close his eyes. Instead he smirks and brings an almost gleeful tone to his voice.

“He popped positive, Horatio.”

How perfect is your little team now, Caine?

“I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

Rick turns to face the red-haired devil with Eric Delko standing on his right. The anger surges through him, why can’t Caine ever leave you alone?

“Can you explain why one of his colleagues ratted him out?” Rick doesn’t mention Ryan’s name, it would be really fair to him, seeing as he hadn’t had any intention of ratting Eric out and actually tried his very best to protect the guy. But Horatio Caine doesn’t know that, he wasn’t there when Ryan was being questioned and there is no way Rick will be the one to tell him.

Ryan is standing behind Horatio, next to Calleigh. His hands are on his hips and Rick’s eyes briefly flicker to him and the expression on his face before they settle back on Horatio.

“I can’t.” The red-head answers and Rick wants to laugh in pure glee.

But he keeps it in and merely smirks. “He’s going to IAB for questioning.”

“He knows the way.” Horatio answers, his head slightly tilted to the left.

Rick feels righteous, he feels smug, so very smug. “Protocol says…” There is no way he won’t try to humiliate Delko every step of the way as long as this painful situation lasts, as long as it takes to carry this through to its inevitable conclusion.

Caine interrupts him. “I don’t care about protocol, he’s not a criminal.”

Rick takes a slightly more defensive tone, keeping an air of false friendliness around you. “I’m not saying he is. It’s just procedure states he can’t drive a county vehicle.”

“Then I’ll drive him. Eric, I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Caine doesn’t even acknowledge Rick when he makes that decision and it’s enough to make the beginnings of anger seep into his head. Delko nods, mouths okay, gives Rick a look and then walks away, into the elevator. Rick feels like pointing out that Caine is directing Delko like a father would an unruly child.

Horatio takes two steps towards Rick and he can still see Ryan standing behind the red head further down the hall. His green eyes are looking straight at Rick, frowning. Caine’s voice pulls him back. “What are you doing?”

Rick makes a step forward as well, feigning ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re asking.”

“This is not about Eric, is it? This is about you and me.”

If Caine hadn’t guessed the truth, Rick wouldn’t have believed the arrogance of him. But Caine has always been arrogant, so confident, so sure of his own abilities and his understanding of others. He thinks he has Rick all figured out, doesn’t he? And while Rick can’t deny that Caine knows, understands, certain things about him, there is a whole lot the red head doesn’t understand.

And that’s where his greatest mistakes lie. Caine always assumes that he knows everything and if he doesn’t know everything, he’ll somehow use his amazing powers of deduction to figure it all out by himself. It makes him blind, makes it easy for him to judge the people he thinks are the scum of the earth.

Rick shakes his head slightly while he speaks. “I don’t have time for this, Horatio.”

It’s a lie, because Rick does have the time for this, because Caine is right. He’s the reason Rick is doing this, partially anyway. His eyes flicker to Ryan’s briefly before going back to Horatio immediately. You don’t want him to know or suspect. And while Rick thinks that Caine over estimates himself, he also knows that Caine is exceptionally gifted in the art of observation.

“I want an answer.” He tells Rick, cocking his head sideways again and Rick wonders if he really thinks that posture urges people to tell the truth. Maybe Caine thinks it’s intimidating. He entertains the notion of telling Caine it really isn’t and see the expression on his face.

“You want an answer?” Rick asks and Caine nods slightly. “Okay, I’ll give you an answer.” And Rick takes a step forward.

“Your name wasn’t the only one on Lieutenant’s list for promotion. I scored better then you. I interviewed better then you. Now, I don’t know what favour you pulled for the chief. But the promotion was mine. Now the only thing I can do to make lieutenant is this IAB crap. And everybody hates IAB.”

Rick’s little speech hasn’t rattled Caine at all and he lets the smirk shine through on his face. Let Caine think he has Rick all figured out. Let Caine think he knows just what makes Rick tick. Let Caine think it’s all about him. His arrogance will ensure that he’ll never look beyond that.

“Don’t punish my lab over it.”

He’s trying to be noble, trying to get Rick to focus on him instead of his team. Well, tough luck, because Rick never liked the whole noble thing anyway. And Rick knows that Caine is arrogant enough to believe that he doesn’t have to play dirty to save his lab from Rick and the IAB.

“I’m just evening the score.”

Guaranteed to piss Caine off.

“This is a dangerous game.”

“It’s one I intend to win.” Oh yes, Rick is going to win. He just isn’t sure yet what it is that he wants to win. His eyes flicker back to Ryan, but the young man is already gone. He turns back to look at Caine. “I’ll see you.”

Rick walks away.

TBC