One Killer Is 'Going Ballistic'

See Also: 'Going Ballistic' Episode Guide

Is it a swan dive--or murder?

According to CSI Files sources, "Going Ballistic" opens on the serene exterior of a tall building, its windows reflecting the city landscape. The silence of the morning is shattered when one of the windows on the fifth floor bursts outward. A man, Manny Ortega, is hurtling toward the ground with the shards of glass, and his eyes are big as he sees the fate that awaits him. His body crashes against the ground and is nearly run over by a car. A crowd of shocked onlookers gathers around.

Horatio arrives and looks over Manny's sprawled and broken body on the pavement. Tripp lifts the crime scene tape as Delko joins them at the scene. Tripp theorizes that they're dealing with a jumper, but Horatio isn't so sure. If this guy was committing suicide, he would jump off of a bridge--he wouldn't add the pain of jumping through a glass window when he's trying to end his life quickly. This is a homicide.

The new ME approaches the scene. Shannon Higgins, a likeable woman, points out that she has big shoes to fill taking Alexx's place. The others welcome her before she begins to perform her new job. She kneels by the victim and inspects the cuts all over his body. When she touches his neck, they all hear the unmistakable sound of a gasp. Shocked, Shannon calls for Fire-Rescue--their victim may not be dead!

Before anybody can react, Shannon's pretty face is marked by a bullet hole. One bullet is followed by more--their unseen shooter plants three bullets in her chest. The others duck for cover as bullets continue to fly. Delko turns the ME's gurney on its side and dives behind it just before bullets mar the surface. That was too close. Tripp rushes to push a man and woman out of harm's way as Horatio tries to spot their shooter from behind a car, ducking back out of sight when bullets pepper the windshield.

Horatio stands as silence descends on the scene. Whoever wielded the gun is done now, and they have claimed another victim. Horatio looks down at Shannon's lifeless body as Delko and Tripp emerge from shelter. He wants every available resource on this case.

Delko processes the scene, taking photos of the chaos caused by the unexpected gunfire. He can't help but think how close he came to dying. A man's voice gets his attention as Thomas Wellner approaches him. He's taking over for Shannon, and his first task as their ME is to perform autopsies on these two victims. He isn't overly friendly, and he isn't pleased to be constantly compared to Alexx--or to be expected to do his job quickly. This is delicate work.

Ryan and Natalia process the room Manny Ortega fell from and discover a blood smear. The DNA leads them to an ATF agent: Evan Caldwell. He won't share any details at first, but the team eventually discovers that Manny was supposed to give him information about some dangerous ammunition that might hit the streets of Miami. With this threat hanging over them, and the need to find the killer--and the ammunition--before things get out of hand, the last thing Horatio needs is Ron Saris back in town.

Please note that the above plot details have not been confirmed by CBS, Alliance Atlantis or Bruckheimer Films, and until such time you should treat this information as you would any other rumour. The above information comes from early script drafts and the details of the episodes are liable to change before the episodes are shown.

"Going Ballistic" will air May 19 on CBS.

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