CSI:NY The Saints Aren't Coming

Slow Down

Chapter 24: Joe Strummer

Flack arrived at Gus' building a short time later, thanks to his lax interpretation of traffic rules. He pushed the button for the super, cursing himself for not making an extra set of keys before he sent his back to Gus.

After getting buzzed in, Flack made his way up to her apartment. He knocked on her apartment door, feeling worried and apprehensive all at the same time.

Not hearing a response, his heart catching in his throat, he unholstered his gun and opened the unlocked door, quickly scanning the open room.

He took in the tray with coffees sitting on the table in front of the couch, it looked like she had had company.

Bristling slightly at that fact and also at the silence, Flack called out, "Gus?" He cocked his head down the hallway, realizing he heard something that sounded like muffled giggling and then, "In here."

Something was clearly not right here, Gus did not giggle. She laughed, chortled and even guffawed, but no giggling.

Her laughter was one of the things that had attracted him to her, full of life and timbre, and the opposite of the bird-like twitters so many women insisted on affecting. "Gus, are you okay?"

"Fine, I'm just a little tied up right now," Gus called from the direction of the bedroom.

Flack was torn between wanting to rush in and wondering what the hell was going on. "This better be good, sunshine, because my third date has now been interrupted twice," Flack said as he approached the bedroom door.

"Wouldn't that make it your fourth date, sugar?" Gus drawled with another giggle as Flack swung open the door.

Briefly registering her barely covered form clearly handcuffed to her headboard, Flack retorted playfully, "watch it, Gus, or I'll leave you linked up."

"Bet you'd like that," she shot back.

Quickly realizing something was desperately amiss, he slid his gun back into its holster and moved to her side. "You gonna tell me what's going on?" he asked, pulling out his cuff key.

"Just a little action from a lovely foreign guy. Though he seemed a lot lovelier before he left me like this," Gus replied, yanking at the cuffs.

Flack shook his head, moving in to unlock the handcuffs, trying to ignore his rising libido. He blamed it on being pent up and the history the two of them had; though he had to wonder if this had all been some ploy to get him over here, but that didn't seem like a game Gus would play...he trailed off and then fully took in her appearance, including her scraped knees.

"What happened to you?" he asked, gently touching the gash above her eye.

"I fell in the yard of the chapel by ground zero. I will delight you with the whole tale as soon as you undo these," Gus said, pulling again at the cuffs.

"Right, sorry," Flack said, leaning over her to unlock the cuffs, he heard a slight whimper escape Gus' lips and noticed she was biting her lip.

Flack fought hard to ignore it, unlatching the cuffs and watching as Gus rubbed at the welts that were clearly visible on her flesh.

Gus went to stand, wavered and slumped back to the bed, "sorry, just a bit dizzy. And thirsty."

"Wait here, I'll get you water," Flack walked to the kitchen, baffled, but not wanting to push.

"Here," he said, handing her the glass and studying her carefully as she drained it in one gulp.

"Can I get you some clothes?" he asked, trying to avert his eyes from her body.