AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alrighty, so I need to explain this. xD This is something that I have to do for a class that I'm taking. Basically, it started out as I guess you could say my own version of CSI: Miami. But I lost all motivation and since it's due REALLY soon, I thought I'd post it here and let some people read what I have already, and maybe that'll help me get my motivation back, in order to finish it. I did change back all the characters to CSI: Miami characters (except Alexx, sorry). There are some OC's, though, I quite like them. :P If you see somewhere where I call one of the characters by another name, just let me know. ;) So, if you read this whole AN, I'm done, ENJOY it. :D

Paid to Kill – Chapter 1

"You know the house?"

"I saw him leaving there more than once, Logan. Besides, if it's not his house, it must be someone he knows."

He shook his head at her. "I know you're the criminal mastermind here but -" he was cut off by a swift strike on the head.

"Don't call me that. I can't help it if I'm really good at what I do," she grinned and leaned on her hands. They were sitting at a picnic table in a park, trying to look inconspicuous. There weren't many people around, but they were still talking in quieter tones. Logan was eating a hot dog, and Des was watching him like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever seen.

Logan rubbed his head and looked at Des. She was tall and thin, not bony, but muscular, with dark brown hair, almost black. Though it was sweltering, she was dressed in a black shirt and black pants, complete with leather boots – without heels. Logan searched her body for any kind of bulge in the form of a weapon, but from what he could tell she wasn't carrying one at the moment.

"Good at what you do?" he rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I help you, I'm scared crapless of you too."

"I had a feeling."

Logan looked around. "So, you going to tell me who's paying this time? I'm not entirely comfortable with it. He works at the crime lab. He's a cop."

Des rolled her eyes. "That's the problem with you Lo, you don't understand. Just because someone is a cop doesn't mean you can't kill them."

Logan looked up at her desperately. "But if you get caught..."

She shrugged. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. Have I ever been caught before? Besides, he deserves what's coming to him."

"You say that as if you know the guy."

Des turned on him, glaring. She didn't say anything, just stood up and began walking down the sidewalk, back to the parking lot where she'd parked their black sports car.

Logan narrowed his eyes, not completely sure what any Miami cop could have done to have a criminal like Des after them, but he wasn't about to ask. Instead he followed her, back to the car.

"Excuse me?" Horatio Caine looked up from the reception desk as a young man approached him. He was about six feet, with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He had a goatee and stubble around the rest of his face. He was dressed in jeans (although he looked like he'd rather be in shorts due to the weather) and an un-tucked white dress shirt. His eyes were darting about the lab.

"Yes?" Horatio said, wondering if the man was lost.

"Trey Moore," he stuck out his hand. "I'm supposed to be working as the new trace technician here at the Crime Lab; do you know who I should talk to?"

Horatio took the man's hand and gave it a quick shake. "Ah, you're the man the department hired for me since our previous tech resigned."

"For you, sir?"

"I'm in charge of a lot of what goes on in the labs, and over at the MDPD. Horatio Caine," he introduced himself. He noticed the man now seemed to be studying him closely.

"Oh, well what do I need to know?" Trey asked, smiling politely, but still studying Horatio. Horatio turned to the secretary he had been speaking to before to let her know he'd be right back. He then nodded at Trey and led him down the hall.

Calleigh Duquesne sat in the break room sipping a cup of coffee and looking over an old newspaper she'd found. The MDPD kept a lot of papers that had had any news about any crime in them. This newspaper was old, almost 8 years. The headline on the front read 3 MEN KILLED IN WEEK, ARE THEY RELATED? She shook her head. She hadn't worked that particular case; she was a newbie when those murders had happened - almost 8 years ago. They were believed to have been related. She remembered police officers running all over the city in search of the murderer, but this guy was good. He'd never been found. He was still a free man, probably long gone, or maybe, she thought, still walking the streets of Miami, totally inconspicuous.

Calleigh glanced up when she heard the door open. Ryan walked in and grabbed a stack of papers that had been on the counter. He was leaving again when she called out to him.

"Ryan? What's the hurry?"

He turned around, not expecting to be questioned. "New trace guy. I have to meet him or something."

"Why?" Calleigh asked.

Ryan shrugged. "Lead trace analyst? I guess H wants me to meet the guy so he has someone to go running to if he doesn't know what to do."

Calleigh pulled a face. "Oh, alright, have fun then.."

Ryan smiled. "Thanks, I'll try."

"Hey sorry H, I had to grab a few things," Ryan entered the trace lab, looking at Horatio and then giving a slight smile to the visitor. "I take it you're Trey?"

"Sure am, nice to meet you...?"

"Ryan Wolfe," they shook hands and then simultaneously turned to Horatio, looking for directions.

"Ryan, show Trey where everything is. I'm sure he can handle the rest by himself, but if he needs anything be sure to help."

"Sure," Ryan mumbled knowing Horatio was already gone and wouldn't have heard him anyway.

Trey turned to Ryan and smiled. "Your boss seems, I don't know, different."

"Relaxed, maybe?" Ryan tried.

Trey thought about it a second. "I suppose you could say relaxed."

"He's like that. You'll get used to it. Anyways, this is the trace lab," he paused, not sure what to say next. "I'm sure you'll be able to find anything you need in here, if not you can page someone or run over to another lab, just never leave evidence by itself. If you need me, page me."

Trey looked around the lab. "Don't worry; I know what I'm doing." His eyes now probed Ryan, which made him slightly uncomfortable.

"Alright so we're finished. Nice meeting you."

Trey watched Ryan leave, standing in front of the main table. When he was gone, he turned and again looked around the room, taking every detail in, not that he'd have a problem remembering when he needed to.

Des was stretched out on the couch in her hotel room examining her nails when Logan walked through the door. She looked over at him, uninterested. He threw his wallet and keys onto the counter and then turned to look at her. She then stood up, waiting for Logan to speak.

To her surprised he broke out in a grin. "Well, we've got the right place."

She grinned now too. "What does he look like? Can you tell me?"

"Isn't that why you need me Des?"

"Your memory is helpful."

"He's about as tall as me, short brown hair, brownish eyes? He was wearing a grey suit with a white shirt. He looks like he could hold his own. Pretty average looking really."

"Ah," she nodded, thinking. She finally looked up. "I love when you make me happy, Logan."

He picked up his wallet and flipped it open, showing an ID with his photo on it and a name that wasn't Logan Abbott. "Please, call me Trey."

Des laughed, flopped back onto the couch and motioned for Logan to join her. He did, sitting down on the couch beside her. She was happy today, which only meant one thing. "You know what I do for a living. Don't look so surprised. I'm sure those CSI's at the MDPD will be called out to that crime scene in the next few hours."

He didn't say anything; he knew why she was happy. Today was pay day, and even though it was nothing he wasn't used to, it still scared him. He was working for one of the United State's most dangerous assassin's. If he did anything wrong at any point, or anything to give away her identity, there was no doubt in his mind she'd cut him loose, literally.

"So, anything else I need to know?" Des asked, flicking through television channels, probably trying to find a news station.

"Well, he's not in the lab a lot, which isn't good because I can't get any personal information from him. He's a CSI, level 2 I think. The boss, Lieutenant Caine seems serious. He has a reputation too."

"Believe me, I've heard of the Lieutenant. He's someone I'd like to get rid of. But in a weird sense I respect him. He's put some of my best competition in prison."

"Yes, well... I haven't met anyone else yet -"

"I don't care; I only need to know about Wolfe."

Logan looked at her again. "You were hired to kill him, weren't you? This isn't just one of your side projects, right? And anyways, what do you have against Ryan Wolfe?"

"Believe me Logan, if this was a side project I would have done it long ago. And whether or not you find that out really depends on the information you bring me."

He nodded; he should have known she wasn't going to share any personal stories with him. "I think I'm going to bed. Have to get up bright and early tomorrow to get to work you know," he winked at her, she just snorted and turned away.

"You better get me something good tomorrow, Logan."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you'd like to, reviewing would be awesome. It'd let me know people are at least interested in reading this, and plus I have to do it for marks so any constructive critisism will help me out. And yes, this does revolve around Ryan Wolfe (like most of my stories). :P