Chapter Nine 1x09 - Kill Zone Disclaimer: Neither the CSI: Miami Universe nor any of the Characters in the CSI: Miami Universe belongs to me. No profit is made from this story on my part. No copyright infringement is intended. No excuses. He didn't know what had driven Harwood to kill four innocent strangers and spread terror throughout Miami, and for once, he didn't care. Anyone who could so callously plan and execute four murders was evil, plain and simple. Maybe his parents hadn't loved him enough, maybe a lover had left him, maybe he had simply snapped: it didn't really matter. At the end of the day, Horatio couldn't think of a single excuse that would justify killing random strangers in cold blood. He didn't feel like listening to another murderer snivel and whine and try to justify his vicious crimes. Harwood had wanted too, had practically begged for the opportunity, but Horatio wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Whatever Harwood's story was, he had heard worse, maybe even lived worse himself. After all, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people in this very city who had survived violent crimes, horrible childhoods, and traumatic events of all sorts. And yet, most of them went on to live good, productive lives. They didn't spend weeks or months creating and carrying out elaborate murder plans. They didn't take their anger out on random strangers. If they could manage not to become murdering monsters, then Harwood could have done the same. He had chosen not to, and four families were paying the price for that choice. If Horatio could make the right choice, the moral choice, Harwood could have done the same. No excuses. Still, he couldn't hold back a smile as he walked down the busy sidewalk. It was good to see people getting back to their daily lives, without that pervasive sense of terror and distrust that had blanketed the city for the last few days. Moments like these - seeing his beloved city at rest, knowing that Justice had prevailed for another day - were what made his job worth doing. |