excolocrack

Previously on CSI: Excolo:

CONSTANTINE: You fuckin' cocktease!
He attacks GLASS, and is beaten unconscious by DORIAN. CUT TO: GLASS and DORIAN getting intimate, blood smeared between them. CUT TO AL and TEZ having phone sex. CUT TO: blurry photographs of TEZ and SAYID. CUT TO:
KATE: How did you get these?
SYL: Told ya. Onna Sayid's informants.

TWO WEEKS LATER:

We start with a black screen; Jon Bon Jovi's "Shot Through The Heart" is playing very loudly as the scene fades into a warehouse at night. As we pan down from the ceiling we can faintly hear beneath the music muffled cries of pain. After a little while they stop.

Oooh, you're a loaded gun -

We see a bloodied hand reach out and turn off a radio; the song stops abruptly.

That became a little... messier than I initially intended. I look down at Jin's body. It has been some time since I took care of work like this myself, and a long time since I did it in anything other than a clean and careful manner. I am afraid I let my feelings - run away with me.

After Hollow this morning passed me the information that a warrant is to be issued for Tez's arrest, I of course began to investigate on what grounds the murder charge was being brought. Photographic evidence. I knew who was in charge of looking after Tez that day.

It did not take very long for Jin to admit that he had intercepted a photographer that day in the park when Tez took care of Zuabi.

A photographer.

I am afraid that I lost track of things for a little while, there. And now Jin cannot identify the woman, which is unfortunate. I should have been more careful. If this were about anything else, I would be. But the blinding terror of anything happening to Tez makes me forget my caution, sometimes.

I wipe my hands on a cloth and think absently that Jeanie will be quite upset her cousin is dead. But I expect she will understand why it happened. She knows how little I can tolerate mistakes.

After the clean up team has arrived I go back to my apartment. I take delivery of a parcel, which is filled with false documentation. Jeanie has already had someone pack me one suitcase of clothes suitable for Mexico, because I asked her to do that this afternoon, and I go to the airport. I know she is angry that I am going, that it is violating my parole. But I will risk it, because I need to warn Tez. And I need to make arrangements to move him. Luckily for me, the process of extraditing suspects from Mexico to the United States is a slow one, particularly when one has Mexican citizenship. They are always concerned about their sovereignty, and so Tez's dual citizenship should slow matters down. Nonetheless, I do not want to take the risk. He needs to be moved. But this is not something that I should tell him on the phone. It needs to be face-to-face, and it needs to be now.

Using my new passport - Alexander Sherman, how original - I board the plane. Soon, love. It is only when I am on my seat in first class that I notice there is blood ground into the engraving on my wedding ring. But I do not clean it off. Tez may like to see it.

For the first time since this morning I smile.

Previously on CSI: Excolo
NU outside WANDA'S apartment, looking in, holding a cell phone. CUT TO: WANDA at TONY's house.
WANDA, on phone: Please Nu, I don't want to hang on the line. Long story, short version. My most recent ex hired a private dick to dig up dirt on me.
SYL in a hospital bed, HERMIA by her side.
HERMIA: There was damage to your stomach and liver and lung. They repaired all that, and it's going to heal. You'll hurt like hell for a while, but you'll heal.
CUT TO: HERMIA in hallway, dialling cell phone.
HERMIA: No answer from Sayid. I'll keep trying him.
CUT TO: THE PARK.
Overhead shot of TEZ standing over SAYID'S body, snow bloody. Voiceover:
TEZ: You'll be pleased to know Zuabi won't be bothering us again.
CUT TO: AL with his hand against TEZ'S face.
AL: You killed him for me. Tell me what you did.
CUT TO: TESS going through a pile of papers. KATE comes in.
KATE: Any luck?
TESS: Not as yet. I keep hopin' it'll all fall into place once I get some sense 'v the order, but it could end up being tough the whole way through.
CUT TO: SAYID'S apartment. LEAH punches JOHNNY in the throat and tucks a file into her coat.
CUT TO: DORIAN, KATE and GLASS at the MISKATONIC CAFE.
DORIAN: Everyone is a threat to the public, Ms O'Hara. Everyone has the - capacity.
KATE: Everyone's capable of cruelty. But not many people act out that capability as comprehensively as you seem to.
GLASS: I'm not angry with you, and I don't want you to leave.
PAN ACROSS to KATE'S face as GLASS says this, cut to her sitting in her car and crying.

Episode 3.02: My Host Is You

Time lapse film over a snow street at night. An ethereal song plays as the Christmas lights twinkle and the traffic rushes. Dawn breaks, and a truck arrives, unloads a ladder, and the Christmas decorations get taken down.

Like a virus, patient hunter
I’m waiting for you, I’m starving for you
My sweet adversary

Time slows down; AL SHAIRAN comes down the steps of a townhouse and gets into a car. GRANGER loads two suitcases into the back.

January 6th and Christmas is officially over. I told Tez I would tell Lily after Christmas that I'm leaving; that got a little delayed by my arrest, but I shall do it tonight. Granger will take these things to the penthouse; I've already been there more nights than I've been at either of the homes I share with Lily. I do feel regret, I do. But everything feels so...inconsequential in comparison to how I feel when I'm with Tez. Everything's diluted, insubstantial. My real life is with him, come what may.

Sayid Zuabi has been declared missing, of course, but nothing of him has been found. Syl Thorn is still in hospital, though she will be discharged soon enough, I think. The police have found no trace of Leah - but neither have I, and I have had a lot of people looking for her. I think she has found professional help of some sort, but I have no leads. Still, if I don't, neither do the police, and that is enough for now, even if I plan to gut her for her failure. Tez should never have had to kill Sayid. It's not what I want for him, doing that sort of work. But it has bound us tighter together, which I would not have thought possible. Nothing can come between us now.

My trial for embezzlement is scheduled to begin at the end of February. If it even gets to trial; Levinson thinks we may well see the trial collapse. There are always ways. In any case, I'm not particularly troubled about it. If all goes to plan, one way or another I will be out of the country by then. Now I just have to persuade Tez to go on ahead to Mexico without me and I will join him there. I think this will be a challenge.

"Take the suitcases to the penthouse," I say through the intercom as Granger delivers me to the office. I text Tez - too early to call my azizam - and tell him I'll be over tonight, and that I want to cook. And then I go to the office. Work must go on, after all.

The Diabolique, later that same evening. Their traditional Friday-before-Christmas party. The club has contemporary Christmas decorations - delicate white lights, vases filled with twigs - and the only Christmas music is silky jazz covers. Tonight several acts are playing live and there are a range of winter cocktails on offer to get everyone in the holiday spirit. AL SHAIRAN enters, wearing a Canali oatmeal toned winter coat over his Ralph Lauren suit.

The last fortnight has been - shocking, in some ways. After what Tez and I said to each other, he has been staying quite often at my apartment, and it is...easy to be with him. Too easy, perhaps; when I am with him everything else gets swallowed up. But I am not neglecting my duties - particularly because my most pressing duty at the moment also involves Tez. I have been quite careful about my investigation of Zuabi, but I am nearly ready to move. Then Tez will be safe, and after Christmas - well. We can think, in the new year, about our plans for moving forward with our lives together.

I feel a familiar twinge of guilt as Lily comes to mind, but it is not so very strong now. Since our conversation a few weeks ago, when she said that I no longer give her what I need, and then when Tez told me two weeks ago that he would give up everything for him - Well. My priorities have moved on. I simply have to work out how best to manage things with Fiona, and the twins when they come. I am sure that this Christmas will be miserable for both Lily and myself, and because I still love her this makes me sad for both of us. But it will be over soon. And many things will change.

LATER that same evening.

The camera swings over the north of Excolo, where a Christmas fair has been set up for the festive season - it's a fairly upmarket affair, more handmade ornaments and specialist foods than cheap-and-cheerful tat. There is an ice rink which is proving popular with families and couples. After ice skating, why not warm up at Winter of our Discontent, a stylish bar near the rink that sells Snow Bunny cocktails and Gelt hot chocolate, as well as the usual sort of drinks. Be warned, though - it's not cheap. If you're wanting something more pocket friendly, there are plenty of food and drinks stalls through the village.

***

Today I brought Fiona ice skating. She asked why her mother wasn't here, and I said Lily has to be careful because of the pregnancy. That is part of it, but of course Lily could have come along and watched. But for once I wanted to spend a few hours with my daughter without feeling tense because of the problems I am having with Lily. We have good days, but they are outnumbered by the bad. It seems difficult for us to have a civil conversation these days.

It's been nearly a month since Tez got back. We do not see very much of each other, but when we do... Sometimes it frightens me, how easily I am swallowed up. I think now that there is almost nothing I would not do for him, and that almost gets smaller every day.

Still, I am managing to attend to my business. I know that Mr Zuabi has been investigating me quite carefully, and I am awaiting delivery of some files from a contact this evening. I sip a martini, having sent Fiona home in the car earlier on and now come to this new bar. It's a better class of place than one might expect, dark woods and white walls and expensive spirits. The wide, tall windows let in the lights of the fair, but not the noise. I watch coloured lights dapple across the patrons of the bar, and I think.