The Past Doesn't Always Stay Buried

See Also: 'The Thing About Heroes' Episode Guide

Mac has to go back before he can move forward.

According to CSI Files sources, "The Thing About Heroes" brings Mac's ongoing storyline to a conclusion. Starting in the season premiere, "Can You Hear Me Now?", Mac was harassed by anonymous phone calls at 3:33am every night in his hotel while staying in London. The calls continued when he returned to New York City, and eventually the calls came at any time of day with the accompanying text message "333". Mac also received an audio recording that indicated that the 333 stalker had been on the plane with him when he returned from London. In "You Only Die Once", Mac's missing luggage showed up--with a bloody t-shirt inside. The stalker sent another message in episode nine, "One Wedding and a Funeral", in the form of a puzzle. With all of the clues taken together, Mac finds himself returning to Chicago, where he grew up.

In Chicago, Mac follows the clues to the Tribune building. He waves his NYPD badge and has Hal, a security guard, take him to an unoccupied floor. Hal begins to get annoyed when Mac ignores his questions. He informs Mac that another security guard called the Chicago police department. Mac doesn't react to this news--he's too busy opening every door on the floor, looking for something. Hal demands to know what is going on and asks for Mac's badge number. The CPD arrives, led by Detective Renee Brennan, just as Mac locates the room he was looking for. With the CPD behind him, Mac surveys the scene in front of him: a partially-mummified body hanging from the light fixture and a hangman game drawn on the wall. Brennan demands to know what this is all about.

Mac gives his fingerprints and a DNA sample to a tech for elimination purposes. The whole time he is doing so, his eyes are fixed on the hangman game on the wall. There are only twenty letters drawn in red next to the game. He goes through the alphabet, figuring out which six letters are missing--the six letters that coincide with the spaces beneath the game: A, C, D, O, R and W. In his head, he rearranges the letters to figure out the message: Coward. He still isn't sure what this all means.

Mac walks outside and Brennan follows him. She wants to know how he knew there would be a body in the Tribune building, but Mac explains that he didn't know exactly what he'd find when he came. He tells her about the phone calls, the bloody t-shirt and the puzzle. He tells her that they should look for surveillance footage from the surrounding area. Brennan makes it clear to Mac that his NYPD badge doesn't give him any kind of power in Chicago--she is the one in charge of this case, and he'd better respect that boundary. He doesn't want to step on any toes, so he agrees. He just wants to know the meaning behind the riddles.

Chief of Detectives Brigham Sinclair sends Flack to Chicago. Sinclair doesn't like embarrassment, and he wants Flack to keep an eye on Mac. As the case progresses, Mac begins to put the pieces together, and he traces these clues back to the beginning--to something that happened 30 years ago. Meanwhile, back in New York City, Stella and the rest of the team investigate the death of a subway conductor that might be related to Mac's 333 mystery.

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.

"The Thing About Heroes" is expected to air November 28 on CBS.

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