Memory is Time
Hope you like it.
The Buddhists believe that we know the answer to a question before it is asked; we just have to remember…
Olivia Benson sat at her desk that was lopsided from files spread everywhere. These files ranged from a simple slap on the butt, to a 'he said, she said' rape. She sighed and leaned hard on her chair holding her head. It was coming back to her. She was here again; she was ready to testify…
"Hard case?"
She sighed again and then leaned heavily back on her chair, saying, "No, just same old, same old."
Elliot Stabler stood there and smiled in his hand a steaming coffee cup was handed to her; "Here you go."
Olivia smiled, accepting the cup and holding it close to her. She blew lightly on it and took a small sip. Smiling slightly she then nodded once at him telling him of her appreciation.
He smiled at that nod and took a seat next to her. They sat there in silence listening to the slight breathing in and out of their partner. Both would stare at the other until the other caught on. Until it was asked, "So how you holding up?"
"Hmm?"
"You heard me."
Her eyes stayed on the coffee cup and she took a slight sip. The coffee burned her throat a little, but it was a nice escape.
She looked up and saw his eyes still on her.
'For a moment it seems…' she thought, but outside she took another small sip.
"No one is blaming you."
"I know," she said softly.
It came back slowly; it permeated throughout her conscious until it clouded her vision. She remembered then.
It was February 4th. Snow was falling softly from the sky given the city the impression of an undusted child's toy. The air was chilly and heavy; conveying some sort of forebode feeling of wrong. People on the streets were restricted to all those that must be out there. Businessmen that are running late, children traveling in large packs to school, police officers guarding the peace, and Criminals interfering the peace. Harmony was on that cold, February morn. Not to be infringed until the harm and mourn of a cold wrong.
Olivia sat at her desk rereading a file, with papers neatly stacked and her morning coffee at her side. Occasionally, without looking up, she would reach over and take a quick sip of her coffee. The case she was reading would be solved easily for a change, because they had DNA evidence on the perp, and a confession when police confronted him. She sighed lightly and took a generous sip of her coffee. Her eyes lead her to look around her station and she saw that everyone else was generally doing what she was doing; taking it easy when easy was there.
Cold and shivering she made her way through the streets. So cold was she that the flimsy dress she wore was just like a second skin; the only difference being was this skin was wet. The jacket she stole seemed inadequate when dealing with this type of cold. Shivering she continued to stroll on with the occasional look behind her. She wouldn't know if he had already sent guys at her, so she needed to find a police officer and quickly. This way and that way till she felt like she went around in a circle. Dizziness seemed to plague her mind as she stopped to vomit on the street. Wiping her mouth she kept on moving.
"Miss?"
She turned her head to the source of the sound and saw a man of no more then twenty years. He was tall, brown hair, blue eyes, and seemed entirely unremarkable. Shaking her head she continued on; she didn't know whom to trust yet.
"Are you alright?"
She continued as the snow graciously bestowed to her a white blanket. Continuing on she saw the man take out a cell-phone and place a call. Her eyes widened and she started to run. The man shouted something to her, but she didn't hear it, not that she wanted to anyway.
Two men clad in blue, their stars speaking for them, received a call from their station. It said that their was a distress call and it was broadcast that it was…not far from where they were.
"Car number 3, we have your call."
With a nod to his partner the car was off. Within moments they were at the caller's location and he described the situation. Both police officers shared a look that both knew this type of behavior before. Thanking the man for his concern both men in blue made their way towards where the man said the women ran off to. Driving down the block they shared a talk about their recent wives and how they wished the salary was higher.
"I know how you feel, Martha wants kids," the younger of the two said.
"Yeah…" the older one paused, "Ah there she is, our missing lady."
They drove to the side of the road and parked the car. Both stepped out and walked up to her.
"Thank God," the women said her voice shivering and cracking.
"What is it Ma'am?" the younger said.
"I've been raped."
There was a sudden buzzing sound. The cell-phone on the desk next to the bed was picked up.
"Yes?"
"I need something," the voice on the other end said shakily.
"Yes," the man that answered repeated.
"I need someone taking care of…what's your price?"
"Depends, who is the target," he asked.
"Witness that knows too much."
He sighed, "How much information?"
"Any thing."
"Three hundred and fifty thousand," he calmly said stating his price.
He could tell that the man on the other side was thinking and then the man on the other end said, "I also need you to do some other tasks."
"Three hundred and fifty thousand per person killed, five hundred thousand for any building," the man said.
"What if I had some information?"
He hesitated, he had been looking for her, 'Was this it? Would this be the information that would find her?'
But outside he asked, "About?"
"Her."
He smiled to himself and asked, "Containing?"
"…Address," the man said as if playing a trump.
"What do you need me to do?"
As he listened to his instructions he calculated the amount of time he had been looking to her.
"Are we agreed?"
"I will call you back and check on the source of which you gathered this…address…"
The man hesitated and said, "Alright then call me back at 555-3210."
"Ok."
After a few moments the man hung up. He smiled at this fortuitous event; he had been looking for three years, three long dogged years looking for her. Now all he had to do was four simple tasks. Laughing he walked over to the mirror and saw his persona. Brown hair, brown eyes, white, moderate height, slight muscle, but not too much, white straight teeth, nothing unusual. Perfect. Still with a smile on his face he made his way towards his locker and undid the lock. His weapons and body armor looked back at him.
"Guess I'm going to New York."