‹ Prequel: Race Against Time
We'll Be Okay
Crossover
Isabella walked out of the AV lab, hanging up her lab coat. Adam jogged up to her.
"Hey, did you hear about the visiting crime labs?" he asked. Isabella nodded.
"Yeah, I did. Are they here yet?" she said. He shook his head.
"Mac told me to tell you and Lindsay to hold down the fort until he and Jo get back from the airport", he replied. Isabella felt a chill go through her. She and Lindsay were in charge?
"Well, alright then", she said. She was excited to see Aria.
"Aria De Luca-Rossi and I were best friends when I worked in Wilmington, it's going to be so good to see her. I just wish it was under better circumstances", she said.
"Yeah, I met Detective De Luca-Rossi once. She was pretty nice", Adam replied. Isabella had grown fond of Adam over the past several months. She considered him her brother.
"I heard Stella and Mac used to work together", she said, tilting her head. Adam's eyes widened.
"Worked together? She ran the lab with Mac for years! Jo replaced her when she left", he replied. Isabella's heart immediately went to Jo.
"I'm excited to meet her. I've heard tons of good things about her", she said. The elevator doors opened and five people filed out. Isabella's head popped up and she saw the tall, lithe figure of her best friend. She let out a squeal and ran to the elevator, throwing her arms around her best friend's neck.
"Aria!" she squealed. Aria hugged her back.
"Hey, Killer! I missed you!" she replied. She looked up at Mac's amused face. It was no secret that everyone in the lab was antsy for Stella's return. James Knight just looked bored. A tall Greek woman with a mass of curly hair looked at Isabella with interest.
"This must be the famous Isabella", she said. Isabella released her friend to shake Stella's hand.
"I'm Isabella Pacino", she replied. Stella's eyebrows raised.
"I know what you're thinking, Stella. Isabella's not Shadow's Blade. She's our Mafia specialist on this case", Mac said.
"Nice to meet you, Isabella. I've heard many good things about you", Stella said. Isabella smiled her half-moon smile.
"Likewise to you. You must be Stella", she replied. They walked into the AV lab where Isabella had made the connection with the gangs.
"So I recognized H&H's MO and ran it through a database and got case-to-case hits with the Latino Crypts in LA, Snakebite in Wilmington, Hells and Harlequins in New Orleans, and Shadow's Blade here in New York", Isabella said, holding up the tablet. Shadow's Blade had been threatened in the past by Hells and Harlequins, but they were still the toughest gang in New York.
"H&H is Mafia, Snakebite's Bloods, SB is Mafia, LC is Crypts", Stella said, examining it.
"Yeah, I've arrested some SB Bloods in the past", Isabella replied, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Do you think this is a hit from the H&H?" Stella asked. Isabella shrugged.
"This could be a copycat move from one of the other gangs, trying to lure them out. I looked into it and the telltale card looked legit", she replied. She suddenly felt unsure. She showed Stella the autopsy photo of Hurley Bordeaux. Stella's eyes widened.
"Oh, she was a lab tech", she breathed. Isabella's eyes softened.
"It's always tough when you know the victims", she replied. She rested a hand on Stella's shoulder for comfort. The elevator opened and Isabella looked up in time to see Don running out.
"Isabella, you're coming with me to the hospital. Someone's attacked Levi", he said. Isabella nearly fell to the ground.
"Is he okay? What happened?" she demanded to her boyfriend.
"Ariel found Levi in the parking garage. He was beaten all to hell and wasn't breathing on scene. We got Sarah meeting us there", Don replied. Stella held up her hand.
"Who's Levi?" she asked.
"The other Detective Pacino. He's my brother and one of Don's team members", Isabella replied, feeling her vision blur with tears. Levi had to be okay. She looked at Mac desperately.
"Go with Don, we'll handle this", he told her. Isabella ran after Don, trembling. It wasn't long until she sank onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Her big brother had to be okay. He just had to. Don bent down next to her and hugged her to his chest.
"Levi's a fighter, Izzy. He's going to get through this with his blood on fire", he murmured to her. She felt his lips on her hair and sobbed harder. She needed her brother to be okay.
"Hey, did you hear about the visiting crime labs?" he asked. Isabella nodded.
"Yeah, I did. Are they here yet?" she said. He shook his head.
"Mac told me to tell you and Lindsay to hold down the fort until he and Jo get back from the airport", he replied. Isabella felt a chill go through her. She and Lindsay were in charge?
"Well, alright then", she said. She was excited to see Aria.
"Aria De Luca-Rossi and I were best friends when I worked in Wilmington, it's going to be so good to see her. I just wish it was under better circumstances", she said.
"Yeah, I met Detective De Luca-Rossi once. She was pretty nice", Adam replied. Isabella had grown fond of Adam over the past several months. She considered him her brother.
"I heard Stella and Mac used to work together", she said, tilting her head. Adam's eyes widened.
"Worked together? She ran the lab with Mac for years! Jo replaced her when she left", he replied. Isabella's heart immediately went to Jo.
"I'm excited to meet her. I've heard tons of good things about her", she said. The elevator doors opened and five people filed out. Isabella's head popped up and she saw the tall, lithe figure of her best friend. She let out a squeal and ran to the elevator, throwing her arms around her best friend's neck.
"Aria!" she squealed. Aria hugged her back.
"Hey, Killer! I missed you!" she replied. She looked up at Mac's amused face. It was no secret that everyone in the lab was antsy for Stella's return. James Knight just looked bored. A tall Greek woman with a mass of curly hair looked at Isabella with interest.
"This must be the famous Isabella", she said. Isabella released her friend to shake Stella's hand.
"I'm Isabella Pacino", she replied. Stella's eyebrows raised.
"I know what you're thinking, Stella. Isabella's not Shadow's Blade. She's our Mafia specialist on this case", Mac said.
"Nice to meet you, Isabella. I've heard many good things about you", Stella said. Isabella smiled her half-moon smile.
"Likewise to you. You must be Stella", she replied. They walked into the AV lab where Isabella had made the connection with the gangs.
"So I recognized H&H's MO and ran it through a database and got case-to-case hits with the Latino Crypts in LA, Snakebite in Wilmington, Hells and Harlequins in New Orleans, and Shadow's Blade here in New York", Isabella said, holding up the tablet. Shadow's Blade had been threatened in the past by Hells and Harlequins, but they were still the toughest gang in New York.
"H&H is Mafia, Snakebite's Bloods, SB is Mafia, LC is Crypts", Stella said, examining it.
"Yeah, I've arrested some SB Bloods in the past", Isabella replied, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Do you think this is a hit from the H&H?" Stella asked. Isabella shrugged.
"This could be a copycat move from one of the other gangs, trying to lure them out. I looked into it and the telltale card looked legit", she replied. She suddenly felt unsure. She showed Stella the autopsy photo of Hurley Bordeaux. Stella's eyes widened.
"Oh, she was a lab tech", she breathed. Isabella's eyes softened.
"It's always tough when you know the victims", she replied. She rested a hand on Stella's shoulder for comfort. The elevator opened and Isabella looked up in time to see Don running out.
"Isabella, you're coming with me to the hospital. Someone's attacked Levi", he said. Isabella nearly fell to the ground.
"Is he okay? What happened?" she demanded to her boyfriend.
"Ariel found Levi in the parking garage. He was beaten all to hell and wasn't breathing on scene. We got Sarah meeting us there", Don replied. Stella held up her hand.
"Who's Levi?" she asked.
"The other Detective Pacino. He's my brother and one of Don's team members", Isabella replied, feeling her vision blur with tears. Levi had to be okay. She looked at Mac desperately.
"Go with Don, we'll handle this", he told her. Isabella ran after Don, trembling. It wasn't long until she sank onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Her big brother had to be okay. He just had to. Don bent down next to her and hugged her to his chest.
"Levi's a fighter, Izzy. He's going to get through this with his blood on fire", he murmured to her. She felt his lips on her hair and sobbed harder. She needed her brother to be okay.