Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Law and Order: SVU. It belongs to a wonderful genius named Dick Wolf. No profit is being made from this story.
Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fan fiction. I am a huge fan of this show and love reading stories on this site. This is an idea I have been playing with, it will take off as more chapters are written. I will continue regardless of however many reviews I receive because I enjoy doing it. But feedback would be so wonderful! Please take the time to share your opinion with me.
"Good morning Manhattan! It's a beautiful day, perfect for outdoors. Take a lunch break outside and enjoy!" The overly perky voice of the channel 3 meteorologist filtered through the small apartment, and Detective Olivia Benson resisted the urge to hurl the remote straight through the glass. "Beautiful?" she repeated in disgust. She stalked to the window and pulled up the shade, revealing the dark sky and pouring rain drenching the fire escape. "Does this look beautiful to you?" Shaking her head, she finished brushing her teeth and looked at the clock beside her bed. 7:15. She decided to head to work extra early because she knew people in New York drove like maniacs in the rain. Good thing I live close to the precinct, she thought. Grabbing her rain coat, she picked up her purse and locked the door behind her, preparing to run for her car.
Forty miles away, Detective Elliot Stabler wasn't so lucky. He usually grabbed breakfast before heading to work in the morning, but decided against it today. He knew he would need all the extra time just getting into the city. He left his small apartment in Queens and headed for his black SUV. The radio came on when he started the ignition, and he turned it up as he headed for the highway. "Looks like a nasty day, folks," came a reporter's voice. "No shit, Shirlock," Elliot muttered, looking over his shoulder as he merged onto the interstate. A sea of red lights was ahead, signaling stopped cars, and it stretched on as far as the eye could see. "What the hell….?" He slowed. "And for today's list of accidents….not a good report," the radio continued. "We've got a collision in the Midway tunnel that should be cleared within the hour, and an accident with minor injuries along the Expressway. In the Queens area, there is a multiple car accident just over the Queens Bridge that has both lanes blocked. Expect 2-3 hour delays." "Oh, excellent," Elliot moaned. That explained the traffic. "Just excellent." He switched off the radio angrily and shifted his truck into park. He was miles away from any exit ramps, so he had no choice but to sit and wait.
When Olivia arrived at the 16th precinct, everyone but Elliot was already there, hard at work. She headed to the coffeepot, pouring herself a cup and going to her desk. Captain Don Cragen came out of his office, handing her a file. "I just spoke to Elliot," he told her. "There was an accident in Queens and traffic is backed up for miles. He won't be here for a while." "Good, that means we'll have a chance to fill out our forms without getting slobber all over us," Detective John Munch piped up, looking over from his desk. Olivia laughed out loud. Her partner had a habit on chewing on his pen when he was frustrated. He usually didn't even notice he was doing it, and would put it back in the cup when he finished his work, starting on a new one a few minutes later. It disgusted Olivia, who kept a supply of pens in her desk just for that reason. Cragen rolled his eyes. His partner, Fin Tutuola, shook his head. "He's just sore because he's the only one who can't keep track of his writing utensils and has to use Elliot's," he said. Shaking his head, the captain said, "We've got a new case, but I want every one here to hear it because it's unusual," he said. "Get some paperwork done until Elliot gets here." The three exchanged mystified looks as they did as they were told.
It was 10:30 when Elliot blew in to the squad room, soaking wet. "Sorry, sorry," he said, breathlessly. He was holding his files under his coat to keep them dry and was trying to juggle a coffee mug with one hand. He set his files and mug down, shrugging off his coat. Olivia grabbed the mug and filled it while he went to his locker, setting two creams and three sugars beside it on his desk. "Thanks," he said, winking at her. She smiled, rolling her eyes. The captain came out of his office, clearing his throat. "Now that every one has…arrived…." He paused, fixing Elliot with a stern stare. He shifted uncomfortably and blushed slightly. "We can get started on this." Olivia handed Elliot the file to look over while he spoke. "First of all, no, you aren't looking at the wrong files," Cragen began. "This is a murder investigation that has no signs of sexual nature." He held up his hand to stall the flurry of questions he saw on everyone's lips. "It has been handed to every squad in the department, regardless of their field, and is expected by the mayor to take top priority." "What in the world is so important that Carlucci wants every one to take the same case?" Olivia asked. "Fifteen years ago, just before I became a captain, a serial killer was ravaging the entire area from Jersey to Georgia. He killed 15 people in each state, each one in a different, horrible way, and left the bodies mangled for the police to find," Cragen said. "By the time he got to us, he had been dubbed "The Butcher" by New Jersey police, because all they were finding were severed body parts of his victims. It would take weeks for the Medical Examiner to identify one victim, leaving him plenty of time to strike again. We were expecting him, and assembled a task force in the area we were predicting he would strike." The captain went silent. "But he didn't," he finally said. "He just…vanished. We never found any links to the victims, and it was labeled a cold case." He turned and tacked a photo onto the bulletin board. It was of a woman's torso, mutilated beyond recognition except for her genital area. The four detectives went dead silent as they looked at it. The captain turned toward them with a grim face and stared at his team. He finally spoke a minute later. "He's back."
Please read and review….I will continue regardless but I would like some comments. Thank you!
