Occurs simultaneously with my piece 'Sins of the Fathers'. I am currently working on a prequel and a sequel of Sins…so sit back, jump over to NBC and enjoy!
AN: This is a crossover OF Law and Order SVU and CSI: NY; it occurs during the events of my previous story SINS OF THE FATHERS and that story should be read before this one to fULLY understand it. A working familiarity with both shows is required to understand this story. And I like Chester Lake so he is in here.
Once again…I don't own anything…just the computer I am typing on and the Border collie asleep at my feet.
And I'll state once again—fanfiction is a way for me to warm up to bigger writing projects, exercises to keep in 'written' shape or to stave off writer's block so once the story is finished, unless there is a glaring error or inconsistency, I DO NOT EDIT OR REVISE FANFICTION. So please ignore any small errors unless they detract from the bones of the story.
Thank you….CJB
SPECIAL VICTIMS
Captain Don Cragen hung up the phone and stepped out of his office, motioning for the members of his team."Hold on all cases, we've got a special request from the big guys."
"What 's up, sir?" The newest member of the team asked. Lake sat at his desk with no less than four open case files in front of him.
"Possible connection to the Messer prostitution racket that Olivia and Elliot are working." Cragen walked over to the display board and grabbed a marker. "Alfred Malanucci's son, Marco was just arrested by Mac Taylor's CSI unit."
"But Marco has no obvious ties to Messer's business." Munch said, sensing that something more was going on.
"But his father does. And a body was recently found at one of Alfred Malanucci's buildings."
"And that applies to our case how?" Olivia asked, sitting on the corner of Elliot's desk. Her partner was out, having taken a month's paternity leave to help Kathy with the new baby.
"Two detectives went missing from the scene around five hours ago." Cragen said, putting up the first 8x10 glossy from the file that had been sent to his office via special courier less than 15 minutes earlier. "Homicide Detective Jennifer Angell and CSI Detective Lindsay Monroe. Detective Angell is the only daughter of Detective Sergeant Hector Angell." He pointed to the first picture; a woman with straight dark brown hair and exotic brown eyes stared back. The second picture featured a woman with honey-brown hair that stopped just below her ears and large brown eyes. "Detective Monroe is a transfer from Bozeman Montana. Because of the possibility of evidence contamination we've been asked by Detective Angell's father to take over the case."
"We sure this is about the body they found and that they are in fact missing?" Fin asked, turning to his computer and opening a web browser to google the two women. "Nothin' else that could be going on? No jealous boyfriends, or girlfriends? Disgruntled suspects?"
"Here's where things get a little complicated. The subject of boyfriends. Seems Detective Angell is recently involved with none other than Donald Flack Jr., son of Senior. This is a big one, guys. And it gets even more convoluted. Detective Monroe, here, is involved with none other than Detective Daniel Messer, son of Antonio Messer."
"Shit, man. Everybody knows Messer's mobbed up to his eyebrows. The boy's probably the same way." Fin said, "If it's who I'm thinkin' of, I've heard things. So how we know this Detective didn't just wanna get rid of his girlfriend and Detective Angell just got in the way?"
"We can't go on that assumption. At this point we have to go with Mac Taylor's assurances that Daniel Messer is clean. But let's not rule anything out. In the meantime, Fin, Munch, Olivia—head over to speak with Mac Taylor's team. And remember—these are our colleagues, so try not to step on too many toes. Chester, you stay here, get a hold of all those contacts of yours, and coordinate a city-wide search. We've got two missing cops out there and I want them found—as soon as possible."
"Kay, boss." Chester picked up the phone and made the first of his many phone calls.
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"Olivia, it's good to see you again." Stella said as the three SVU detectives exited the elevator. She, Mac, Danny and Flack had been waiting impatiently since they'd gotten the call from Hector Angell that Cragen's team was taking over the case. She and Olivia had gone through the Academy. They would run in to each other occasionally, and would go to lunch together at least once a year.
"I just wish it was under better circumstances." Olivia introduced Munch and Fin, and Stella returned the favor with her team.
"Any news?" Olivia asked, as they settled around the conference table.
"We've got Marco Malanucci under arrest. He's waiting in interrogation. His father's in the room with him right now, along with council" Mac said, looking at Danny as he spoke. "They've denied all involvement with the missing detectives."
"Let me in there again, Mac." Danny said, pacing around the conference room. "I swear, I'll get my old man to talk. He knows somethin', him and Malanucci. They gotta. No body would be in that buildin' without Alfred konwin' about it."
Fin watched the younger man, seeing the tightly fisted hands, the agitated shaking of his shoulders. He couldn't get a handle on the guy. Sure the kid seemed pissed, but was it all an act?
"Danny, I know this is hard, but I need you and Flack to be hands off." Mac said.
"Dammit, Mac! What if it was you?" Don yelled, surprising everyone in the room, himself included, when he threw his coffee mug against the wall. It shattered into at least a thousand pieces. "What if it was your girl that was missin? Would you be able to be hands off?"
"Don. We'll find them. I swear to you, we…will…find…Jennifer…and…Lindsay. And we'll get the bastards who did this." Mac walked over to the man he considered one of his closest friends. Mac saw bits and pieces of himself in both Danny and Flack, and seeing them go through this was like losing Claire all over again. He'd do anything to keep the two younger men from having to face that final eventuality. Anything. "Where's your father at, son?"
"I don't know. I saw him outside the locker room a few minutes ago." Don just deflated, right before everyone's eyes. "I don't know where he's at now."
"Detective Taylor, what can you tell us about the body found at the crime scene?" Olivia asked, trying to diffuse the high turmoil she felt running through the CSI team. "Anything to go on from that?"
"The body's been identified and Marco Malanucci claims he killed her thirty years ago because he felt she was trying to take his mother's place. Claims he lured her to the building and hit her over the head. So far all our findings confirm his story." Mac said.
"And Mr. Messer and Mr. Malanucci? What is their connection?" Olivia asked, sending a surreptitious glance at the sandy haired man who sat staring at the cell phone lying in front of him on the conference table.
"My father suspected them in Marilyn Connors disappearance on Thanksgiving night, thirty years ago. She disappeared around three a.m. that morning." Don said.
"My old man is a rank bastard but he didn't have nothin' to do with that." Danny said, looking straight at Mac. "I know he didn't. 'Cause I was sick that night. Puked all over'im. He stayed up all night with me. He's probably done a lot of shit, but he didn't do nothin' that night. But this? Did he have somethin' to do with snatching Angell…and…and Montana? I don't know, man. I honestly don't know."
"Danny, I don't know what to tell you son." Mac said quietly so that the others in the room had to strain to hear him. "But I'm not going to give up, we're not going to give up until we have them back with us. You have to believe that."
Danny just nodded. A knock sounded on the door and everyone turned to see Donald Flack Sr. standing beside Captain Cragen and Chester Lake, along with an Asian man who they quickly introduced as Dr. Huang.
Flack Sr. walked over to his son and dropped a supporting hand onto his shoulder. "They've released Alfred Malanucci. There's nothing to hold him on."
"Son of a bitch!" Danny swore. "Let me have one crack at him, Mac. I swear I'll get him to talk! Let me and Don in there, man."
"Danny, you know I can't do that." Mac told him, turning to Cragen. "Captain, is there anything else you need from us?"
"A little history on both Detectives Angell and Monroe, something that can help us determine how they might react in this situation, we need to be prepared for everything." Dr. Huang said, sitting down between Detectives Messer and Flack.
"They're both strong women." Mac began. "Spirited, I'd guess you'd say. They'll face anything. I've seen them both take down suspects three times their sizes. They're clever, Angell's got street smarts like you've never seen, and Lindsay—Lindsay's so damned smart it's frightening."
"So if possible they're trying to get free." Huang said, making notes.
"Hell yeah. Those two aren't sitting still waiting to be rescued." Don almost smiled at that thought. "They'll do whatever they have to."
"And if they do manage to get free, who will they call or where will they go?" the psychiatrist continued.
"If possible they'll call one of us." Don said, laying his own cell phone on the table, "If they can't call they'll go to the nearest precinct or come here. Or a…hospital."
Everyone went silent for a moment, no one wanting to mention the other alternative. That they weren't trying to get away—because they couldn't, because they were already dead.
Cragen and the SVU team gathered up their notes and said their good byes. They had several avenues to pursue and would work best out of their own station house. They left, promising to stay in close contact with the CSI team.
Danny and Don watched them go, feeling absolutely no confidence in this team of strangers. Time was running out for Lindsay and Jennifer.
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"So what have we got?" Cragen asked, as the team reassembled in the squad room. "Have we got anything at all?"
"Not really, we have a clearer picture of who our missing detectives are, we know that there might be some connection to Alfred Malanucci, and through him Antonio Messer. But there was very little to go on as to the disappearance of the two detectives. We have no witnesses, no real ties to any suspects, and no clue where they could be holding the women." Munch said, always willing to be the bearer of bad tidings. "We sure Messer Sr. just didn't want to get rid of his son's cop girlfriend and got her friend because she was there?"
"It's possible, Messer's son sure thought his old man had something to do with it." Fin said, writing the name Messer on the board with two lines branching off from it. One line connected the son to Det. Monroe, the other to Messer Sr. "I can't get a clear handle on the kid. If he's in on it, he's giving one hell of an act."
"I don't think the guy has any clue where they are." Olivia said, "I've known Stella Bonesara for years—if she trusts this guy, then there's a good chance he's clean. Stella's sharp, she wouldn't be fooled for long."
"So how do we find these girls?" Cragen asked, "Dr. Huang, do you have any insight?"
"I have to agree with Olivia. I don't think Daniel Messer has a clue what happened. And I can't help but think that if the women had managed to escape, they'd have made contact somehow. It's not looking good. It's been eleven hours since they think they went missing."
"Are we sure this is tied to Messer and Malanucci, how do we know the detectives weren't just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Munch said, surprising everyone with hisnon-conspiracy theory. "Its not exactly the best area of the city. And they're good looking girls. And they were dressed in plain clothes—not uniforms. Maybe who ever took them didn't realize until too late they were cops?"
"I don't know. Both detectives were supposedly armed, and were well-qualified. I can't see them being overpowered by any less than three men. And the men would have to be armed, how else would they get the jump on two cops?"
"What do we know about these detectives' jackets? What's in their files?" Cragen asked.
Chester pulled up two browsers on his computer, where he had already downloaded that very information. "Both are relatively young for the success they've had. Detective Angell joined NYPD detective unit back in 2005, June to be exact. Four months later, Detective Monroe was requited personally by Mac Taylor from the Bozeman Montana CSI unit. Since then, she has an astonishing 92 percent solve rate. She's written four well-received papers for forensic science journals and it says here, from her last evaluation 'Detective Monroe shows a immense determination in everything she does, and an astonishing attention to detail. Not only is she a valued asset in the lab, but she shows remarkable talent in the field as well.'—supervisor Detective M. Taylor. Says she was also instrumental in that Holly Golyghtly case last year. I remember reading about that. Jennifer Angell's jacket has similar commendations. These are good cops, Captain. I don't think it would be easy to get the jump on them."
"So we're thinking at least three armed men." Cragen said, feeling the unease of thirty years worth of experience. It was looking dimmer and dimmer for the women. "Dammit, people, it was four thirty in the afternoon, somebody had to have seen something! Get out there and get me something—anything!"
"Captain, it's three in the morning. Nobody will be up, or will want to talk." Fin objected. Not that he didn't want to find the two detectives, but waking people at three a.m. asking if they'd seen two cops disappear would not be an easy—or fun—task.
"I've got two missing cops, two female cops in the hands of who knows what kind of bastards. Find me some answers. Now go, people! Move!"Cragen barked. He waited for them to clear out before dropping his head into his hands and letting the feeling of defeat show through.
"It doesn't look good, Captain. But a possibility does exist." Dr. Huang said, standing in the door and looking in.
"The possibility always exists, but after thirty years, I know it doesn't look good. Dammit, I hate it when it's cops that we lose." Cragen said, looking at the glossy pictures hanging on his board. "I really don't want those two women going on the wall."
He referred to his personal wall of lost cops and lost children.
Huang started to leave just as Cragen's telephone rang.
"Wait! They were what? Alive?" Cragen's voice rose, recapturing Huang's attention. The psychiatrist paused, waiting for the phone call to end.
"Captain?"
"Detectives Angell and Monroe were just dumped in the street in front of their precinct. They're on their way to the hospital now." Cragen told him. "Both are alive."
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Olivia waited outside room 2C. The room was filled with Taylor's team. And she wanted to give them a few minutes before speaking to the two detectives. The attending physician approached and Olivia motioned her aside. "What's their conditions?"
"Detective Angell is in for observation only, a few bumps and bruises, maybe a slight concussion. Detective Monroe suffered a two inch gash on her side, from a knife. It was mostly superficial. She also has a mild concussion and some bruising. Neither suffered any sexual trauma. In a few days, they'll both be fine. Detective Monroe should be clear to return to work in a week, and Detective Angell in about half that. Provided they're both on light duty for at least another week."
Olivia thanked the doctor before knocking on the room's door. "Can I come in? I have a few questions."
Detective Messer looked at the woman half-dozing in the bed closest to the window. "She's almost asleep."
"I'll make it very quick, Detective. But the sooner I talk to her the sooner we catch these guys, I'm sure you know that."
He nodded, leaning forward to brush the honey colored hair off the woman's forehead. "Montana, there's an SVU detective here. She wants to ask you a few questions. You' feel up to it?"
"Sure thing, cowboy." A soft voice said and Olivia stepped closer to the bed. The other detective, Angell, was already sound asleep so she'd deal with Detective Monroe first. "I just want to get this over with. Then I want to sleep, get up, get out of here…and go for some Thai food. I'm starving."
Everyone laughed, glad to see Lindsay's irrepressible spirit was fast on its way to returning. Olivia settled into the chair that Dr. Hawkes vacated. He moved to stand over by Detective Messer. Detective Flack and Detective Sergeant Angell sat by the other bed, eyes on the sleeping woman before them.
"So Detective Monroe," Olivia began.
"Please, call me Lindsay."
"Ok, Lindsay. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
"I had a hunch, Marilyn Connors had last been seen wearing a distinctive necklace. I wondered if it was still at the scene. We, Jennifer and I, were both on our way home. We were going to stop at my place and change clothes. Jennifer didn't want to drive across town to her apartment so she had dropped off some stuff at mine before work. I was supposed to meet Danny and she was going to meet Don, so we were in a hurry. The scene was clear when we arrived. There were two uni's guarding the scene. I don't know where they went. Did anyone talk to them? Are they alright?"
"We don't know, we're still trying to determine who they were." Mac said, softly. No one had been assigned to that scene, so no one knew who the men in uniforms were. "Go on, kid."
"I was down on all fours, reaching for the necklace. It was under a broken board and it was a tight fit. My back was turned so I didn't see what happened next. When I turned around, four men were behind us. Two had Jennifer." Lindsay's voice broke as she looked across the room at her friend. "They had a gun pressed against her ribs, and told me to give them my gun. They already had Jennifer's."
"You did the right thing, kiddo." Danny told her, squeezing her hand. "But you're safe now. I promise."
She took a deep breath, looking from Danny to Olivia and back again before continuing. "They put us in an SUV, black, newer model, dove interior. Partial plate XJC 2. In state plates, I think. They took us to a building north of Battery Park, I think. I'm not one hundred percent certain. They took us inside, and opened a door; I thought it was a closet. But they pushed me and I fell down a few stairs, maybe a dozen? Our hands were tied, and they told the one, the youngest I think, to tape our feet. Then they turned the light out and left us there."
Lindsay turned to Stella, who stood on the other side of Danny. "Can I have some water, please?"
Everyone waited while she drank a little bit of water, then she started again. "We waited, afraid they'd come back. They did once, to check on us. Then after they left I told Jennifer about the knife in my pocket."
"A knife? Where did you get it?" Olivia asked, writing down her notes.
"I always carry it; it comes in handy when on scene." Lindsay told her. Mac and Danny both nodded, having seen her with it before.
"We moved around a bit, until we could get the knife free. I got the knife open, but I couldn't cut the tape, so Jennifer held it while I slit the tape around my hands." She held up her wrists, showing Olivia the bandages. "I remembered Stella's hands after Frankie, so I made myself go as slow as I could."
She paused a moment, taking another drink of water, missing the expression on Stella's face, and Mac's as he pulled the taller woman closer. "Then I cut Jennifer free. Then we waited until they came back down. That's when we tried to get away, but it didn't work. We were outnumbered. I remember the one grabbing the knife. I'm sorry, I don't remember what happened between then and when I woke up outside the lab. You'll have to ask Jennifer."
She relaxed against the pillow and closed her eyes for a moment. Danny moved in, leaning over her and rearranging the hospital blanket around her shoulders. "That's enough for now, Detective Benson."
"I'll tell you what happened next." Jennifer said, having woken up while Lindsay was talking. "They said plans had changed. I thought they meant to kill us then. Lindsay was out. I think she hit her head, and she was bleeding. They re-taped my hands, but not Lindsay's. I guess they thought she wouldn't be any more trouble. They taped my hands in front this time. I tried to put pressure on Lindsay's side to slow the bleeding. The one, sadistic bastard, hit me, told me to just leave her alone, let her bleed to death. Said that's what a bitch cop screwin' a traitor deserved."
At her last sentence, Danny's fists tightened on the rail beside Lindsay's bed, she lifted a weak hand up and covered one of his. "It's ok, Danny. It's not your fault."
"Don't feel guilty, right, Montana?" Danny whispered into her ear, referring to a conversation they'd had after the warehouse situation.
"What happened next, Det. Angell?" Olivia prompted. She knew that both women were exhausted, and though she suspected they'd never say so, had probably been traumatized by the whole ordeal."I promise, we're almost finished."
"We drove, for at least two hours. Then a cell phone rang. I listened. The guy argued for a while. Kept saying, 'they've seen our faces, they can identify us. Are you sure, sir.' Then he told the other three guys that the boss had changed his mind and told him what to do with us. Then the SUV stopped and they threw us out."
"So you can identify their faces." Olivia stated, glad that they at least had that. "Anything else?"
"I scratched the one." Lindsay said, suddenly. "I told the nurse. The one in the purple scrubs. I'm sorry, I've forgotten her name. She swabbed under my nails for me."
"Good girl," Danny said, squeezing her hand, his fingers grazing the bandage around her wrist. "That'll help."
"Danny, I'm tired. I want to sleep now." She told him, knowing he'd understand.
He did. He stood and motioned everyone except Don and . Angell out of the room. "You'll's can come back in the mornin'. They need to sleep now."
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Olivia walked into the SVU unit, about ready to crash from total exhaustion. Fin and Munch had long since gone home. They'd lit out as soon as it had been reported that the women were alive. They'd be back in the morning.
Chester was still there. Olivia didn't quite know what to make of the newest addition to their team. He was certainly dedicated, and he was definitely good at his job. Plus he was polite and rather old world. Somehow, it didn't surprise her that he was still there. Not with four men out there getting their kicks by kidnapping cops.
"Detective Benson."
"Detective Lake, you really don't sleep, do you?" She dropped her notebook onto the desk beside his and sank into the chair nearest his.
"No. Not really. So what did you get from Detectives Monroe and Angell?" Chester turned to her, handing her the half-full cup of coffee he'd been sipping from. She looked like she could use it. There was something about the woman beside him that he just couldn't put his finger on. "Will they be alright?"
"I think so. They have a strong support system. Taylor's team are very close."
"So's Cragen's." Chester said, closing another file. "Did you learn anything useful?"
"We've got a DNA sample, and they can give positive IDs if we can get a photo lineup. But they don't know any names or even why they were taken. This is not going to be easy."
"Can you imagine, loving someone, and them being missing and knowing in your gut that your father had something to do with it?" Chester asked, rhetorically. "I felt really bad for that Detective Messer."
"I wouldn't. He's very lucky. They love each other, him and Monroe. Some people never get that." Olivia said, a longing in her voice that was very apparent to the man beside her.
"Some people are just too afraid to look for it, I think." Chester said cryptically. "Have you ever been in that kind of love, Olivia?"
"No. I don't think I have. You?" the coffee was perfect, just the way she liked it, and she took a moment to enjoy it.
"I thought I was once, but now, I am not sure." Chester shrugged. "Why don't you go take a rest, I'll wake you when Fin and Munch get in."
"What about you?" Olivia asked. He must have been up for just as long as she, but he still looked good.
"I've got enough juice to run at least another day before I crash, I'm fine. Go on." They both stood and he gave her a little nudge, his hand warm on her back.
She paused a moment, thinking how much she liked that feeling. Then she decided she must have been more tired than she thought. Chester was a co-worker, and one she didn't know all that well—so what was she thinking? Crazy.
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She was lost in a dream when she felt someone shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and found herself six inches away from Chester Lake's dark eyes. He smiled down at her and she returned the expression sleepily. Four hours of sleep was just not enough. "Lake, what's going on?"
"Cragen just got a call from Mac Taylor. Seems they found the SUV used in the kidnapping. It was in the parking garage of the CSI lab. Inside were four bodies—all killed execution style. DNA on the apparent driver matches that taken from Detective Monroe's nails. She and Detective Angell confirm that they are the four men who took them hostage."
"What? That's it? Four dead bodies? Do they know who did it?" Olivia's mind was racing over the possibilities as she followed Lake into the squad room.
"Absolutely no trace of anyone. Car and bodies were clean. They suspect the Malanucci family, but there's nothing to go on. Did you sleep ok?" He abruptly changed the subject as he stopped at the coffee pot and fixed first one cup and then a second. He handed her the first and she took a hesitant sip. Once again, he'd fixed it just as she liked it.
"Yeah, for the most part. I was exhausted." Olivia told him, running a hand over her eyes. She knew she must look a mess, sure her makeup was wiped nearly gone, and her hair was tangled around her head.
Why it suddenly mattered she had no clue, but all she wanted at that moment was to finish her coffee, and then take a shower.
Cragen entered and stopped just short of Fin and Munch. "Listen up, I want you all to gather everything you've got and box it up. We're to send the file up to the organized crime division. They're taking over the case as of this morning. Olivia, Chester, you've been here all night—and I'm sorry it was all for nothing. Go home, both of you! Fin, Munch, I want you to start on the Corriday case again."
Olivia nodded and began gathering up all of her notes on the Monroe/Angell case and handed them to Chester. He put them in the brown box Cragen had dropped on the desk and soon Munch and Fin did the same. Olivia hurried off to the showers, anxious to at least brush her teeth.
When she was finished, she opened the locker room door and exited, almost running into Lake. He wrapped two warm hands around her upper arms and steadied her, pulling her closer to his broad chest. "Olivia, can I buy you breakfast?"
"Sure, I think I'd like that." She told him, smiling for the first time in nearly two days.
The two missing detectives were safe, the men who'd taken them were found—one way or another—and she and Chester were free to do whatever they wanted. Things were looking up—for everyone involved.
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