Horatio can't go rescue the mother and child yet because he's too busy felling bad guys with a single well-placed bullet while all around him, the other people shoot it up A Team-style. The bad guys are heading for the dispo truck now, where Speedle is trying to hold them off and failing spectacularly. You can't blame the guy for location (i.e. hiding behind a truck door and thus not able to see anything), but the jammed gun and wild non-aim can't be helping matters much, and the guy next to him falling on top of him -- or being pulled to safety in a really improvisational manner, take your pick -- is the kicker in the Things That Will Affect Your Ability to Shoot trifecta. By the way, the woman's still screaming, "The baby!" It's a cute baby, and its cuteness goads Horatio into running over to play hero while around him, besieged SWAT team members drag their fallen comrades out of further harm's way. While this is going on, one of the bad guys has actually made it to the truck and is opening the door to climb across the seat. The other heads around the truck to finish off Speedle and Randy Redshirt, both of whom are lying on the pavement. Guy #2 comes around and points his gun down at Speedle; Speedle points his up in return and fires first. Or, more accurately, tries to fire first. His gun is jammed and only clicks impotently. This buys the other guy time to plug Speedle in the chest.

Horatio's still telling Sally Screamer to get down, as opposed to bobbing up, target-style, to helpfully give the shooters something to aim at. Once he's accomplished that, he looks up in time to notice Speedle's shooter sliding into the passenger seat of the truck and joining his friend as they hijack said truck full of drugs. Horatio manages to fire at the speeding truck's wheels -- taking one out, naturally -- then watches as the truck and a rent-a-cop type (huh? how many of these guys were around?) veers off into the sunset.

Horatio then runs over to where Speedle's lying on the ground and looking like death warmed over. That could be due to the mushroom-colored shirt Speedle's wearing (Rory Cochrane doesn't exactly have George Eads's coloring, but he does share the other man's inability to carry off warm-based tones without looking like he's in immediate need of a new liver), but there's probably something to be said for the gunshot thing and the blood, too. Horatio screams, "Speed! Speed!" and hunkers down next to his fallen comrade for this exchange:

Horatio: Hold on, let Me see, let Me see.
Speedle: [coughing and gasping] My -- my chest.
Horatio: That's a sucking chest wound, isn't it?
Speedle: That's not what sucks in this scene, Horatio.
Horatio: Shhh. Let's just try to breathe.
Speedle: What is this "let's" business? Are you the one whose lungs suddenly got the ocean view? I don't think so.
Horatio: That's the blood loss talking, Speed. I think...
Speedle: I think my imminent death has given me a new clarity of thought.
Horatio: That's right. Now, let's go toward the light.
Speedle: Can the "we" crap, kemosabe. I'm off to a better place -- one that doesn't...include...