Law & Order
Special Victims Unit
"Hit List"
It was a warm night in the village; unseasonably so, that was the thought of a wino pushing a cart full of trash as he nursed a near empty bottle of schnapps. "Ughh, always a bad sign these warm nights." The man thought aloud as he knocked back only a slight bit of his drink lamenting as he was about to finish the only solace he had that night.
He grunted lightly as he put the bottle to his lips again only to stop at the noise of smashing in an alley. He didn't know why but the noise piqued the man's interest. He took no time in ditching his cart and snuck down the alley still holding onto his bottle. Moving down the way the noises became louder and sobs could be heard. A few words could be heard, "W-why?" it sounded like it came from a distraught woman,
"It's nothing personal." This one came from a man, "You're just on my list." He added with a slight cackle.
The man slowed and tried to stifle his steps intent on where he was going and unfortunately as intent as he was he never noticed the cat crossing his way and the tail he stepped on. The cat hissed and the wino jumped back hitting some cans causing a loud crash. Jumping straight up the wino heard quick footsteps going away. Rushing still clutching the bottle a little way to find a young brunette girl with torn clothes and her underwear and trying to cover herself.
The wino stepped closer slowly and looked away so not to come off threateningly to the girl. "It's fine dear," He said holding his hands up with one still clutching the bottle, "I'm not gonna hurt you." He added walking closer glancing at her only to see a look of fear.
"Oh she knows YOU won't." A light voice said behind the man. The wino turned and looked on with terror as a fanged skull laughed.
Alphabet City
2:15 AM
A car is parked just a few yards from the entrance of the alley as it is blocked by an ambulance and a few patrol units. The parked cars' door opens and out steps Stabler in a black jacket and walks over to the entrance of the alley passed the ambulance and a crying woman and up to the yellow caution tape, where he was stopped by a uniformed officer prompting him to pull out his shield, "Elliot Stabler, Special Victims." He said pocketing his shield and after going through goes under the tape to the alley where a bloodied and dead body of the wino and an examiner looking over the man, "What happened here?" Stabler asked as he squatted looking at the deceased man clutching firmly onto what looked like a broken bottle with blood on it.
The examiner; a young latin woman with her raven black hair pulled back into a single pony tail, looked up at Stabler and stood up. "The man was attacked with blades hitting several spots causing him to bleed out; the M.E. would tell you more but my money is definitely on exsanguinations." Stabler looked at the man saw several cuts at his neck, arms , torso even one or two on his legs and looked to the bottle in the man's hand, "Looks like blood on this," He said pointing at it, "any chance the guy got a hit on our perp?" he added looking to the examiner. The examiner looked at the bottle and studied it for a second, "It's possible but judging from the cuts on him I don't see how he could've gotten a cut on the guy." She replied.
Stabler stood up and looked out of the alley to the ambulance, "Witness say anything yet?" he asked looking back to the examiner,
"She didn't say anything to me; maybe one of the uniforms took her statement." She replied looking back to the man. Stabler took another look at the body then moved back to the ambulance.
The young woman was covered in a bright orange blanket looking to the ground shaking lightly. Stabler approached slowly, "Ms.?" He asked pulling out his shield; she didn't look up, "My name is Elliot Stabler I'm a detective." He said looking at the girl; she was young senior in high school at least. "Can you tell me your name?" He asked, the girl continued to say nothing.
Stabler placed his shield back into his pocket, "Are you in high school? College?" Stabler asked, the girl still shook slightly. "Listen, I know you are scared but I need you to tell me what happened so we can find the guy who hurt you." The girl looked up at Stabler and her eyes filled with fear and bleeding from her head, "I promise we will catch this guy." He said.
"You won't catch him…" She said in a whisper,
"Why do you say that?" Stabler asked,
"You can't catch the reaper…" The woman then became hysterical screaming causing several paramedics to rush over to restrain her. Stabler stepped back and let the medics do their work and after being sure that the examiners got the samples they needed moved on to the first officer on the site. After a quick conversation he went on to ask the officer about what happened when he first arrived. "I came down after I got a call about a young woman screaming in the middle of the street." The officer began, "I came down here the girl was on the curb screaming and covered with blood. I approach and she's screaming about a guy with a skull, blades, talking about a list and some other stuff I couldn't make out." Stabler nodded as he listened,
"A skull?" he asked, the officer shrugged,
"Kept on bout how he kept talking about a list she was on, he had no choice."
"So a freak is on the loose."
"Anything new?" The officer asked and with that Stabler walked off to his car and drove back to the station.
SVU Station
2:45 AM
Stabler walked to his desk seeing Detective Munch sitting at his desk looking over some files. "Long night?" Stabler asked,
"Just following up on a case, what are you doing here?"
"Got a call while I was sleeping a girl was attacked in Alphabet City." Stabler explained taking off his jacket before turning on the computer at his desk.
"How's the witness?" Munch asked leaning back in his chair.
"Couldn't get anything out of her," Stabler said with a sigh standing up straight, "officer on the scene said she kept yelling about some freak in a skull mask with blades and kept talking about some list."
"List?" Munch asked sitting up with a confused look,
"Yeah, can you believe the crap these psychos come up with?"
"No, I've heard that somewhere." Munch said turning to his computer and began typing some things in to his computer.
"What?" Stabler asked getting out of his chair and walking over to Munch's desk,
"Yeah, a year or so ago there was a guy going around a city abducting and assaulting women, all of high school age. He would tell the girls that they were on his list."
"This happened before?" Stabler asked standing at Munch's desk, "Why haven't we heard of that before?"
"You would've if you've read more." He said bringing up a headline from a tabloid saying, "Vigilante convicted in Rape Case!" Under the head line was a picture of a young man with black hair and a sickening smile looking at the cameras.
"Vigilante?" Stabler asked, "You're telling me this kid was a vigilante?" He added in disbelief, "He actually helped people?"
"He used to." Munch replied, "You are looking at Steven Wulfhaus; also known as Scythe, had a stint as a vigilante with some other nut in Stone Ridge City, he started off pretty well, tying up and taking down some guys but from the reports the guy became more sadistic he even sent people into the hospital with missing limbs, he soon turned his sights onto young girls. He was brought down by his "partner" of course."
"Wait back up," Stabler said, "You said Stone Ridge City?"
"Yeah, why?"
Stabler was about to say something when his phone began to ring. "Stabler," He soon began speaking; from the sound of the conversation he was speaking to the lab. He hung up after a moment, "They work fast." Stabler said putting his phone back in his pocket.
"They got a match already?"
"Yeah, turns out the punk was in the system, and lo and behold Munch you were able to call it before they could." Stabler said before walking off,
"Where are you going?"
"To make a call."
Marquez Residence
Stone Ridge City
2:57 AM
A phone rings waking a couple in their bedroom, a woman begins speaking French to the man laying next to her stirring him awake and prompting him to grab the phone. "Ugh…This better be good." The man said holding the phone up.
"Nice to hear from you too Marquez." With that the man's eyes went open and he sat up in his bed.
"Eliot?" The man asked.
"Yeah, it's me, long time buddy."
"What do you want?" The man asked,
"Listen I need your help there's a case that may need some out of town help."
"What do you mean?"
"There's been an attack on a woman with a guy in a skull mask, blades and talking about some list." The man let out a frustrated sigh, "You know about it then."
"More than I want to."
"What do you mean?"
"You're talking about Steven Wulfhaus AKA: Scythe, he was the collar of my city's cops and an accomplice of another nutcase who ran around my city."
"So you do know him," Stabler said, "tell me how did he get from being convicted to attacking a girl in Alphabet City?"
"He escaped not too long ago, I had heard about it and we do have people searching for him, thanks for giving us a lead." Marquez said,
"Anytime, you'll get him when we're done. Jurisdiction and all that."
"Stabler you really have no idea what you're getting-."
"That's why you're gonna send me his file so I can have an idea."
"You're a son of a bitch Stabler."
"Listen, I catch this guy we can put him away for good this time, everyone wins."
Marquez let out a grunt and said,
"I'll send you the file in the morning and probably send someone up there to help you out."
"I don't think-."
"I give you something you give me something Stabler, either that or you don't get my file."
"You call me a son of a bitch," Stabler said shaking his head, "Fine, send up your man, I'll let him help out where I can."
"Good, now let me sleep."
"Sweet dreams princess." And with that Stabler closed his phone and walked out of the building and began heading to his car before his phone began ringing. Looking at the idea he saw that it was his partner; Olivia Benson, "Hey Liv," Stabler said, "Kind of late don't you think?"
"You're tellin' me." She replied, "I'm down at the hospital for the girl's rape-kit."
"How'd you hear about that?" Stabler asked,
"I got the call once she was in the hospital," She explained, "Tried calling you but couldn't get through."
"Strange, they do the kit yet?" Eliot asked reaching his car.
"They're holding off on that till tomorrow." She replied,
"What, why?"
"She's attacking anyone who gets close to her."
"Well…that sounds different from when I met her. Well if they're waiting on the kit I guess we should as well, I'll meet you there tomorrow."
"Kay, I'm gonna stay here a little while longer."
"Right, later Liv." Stabler said before hanging up his phone and driving off.
Bellevue Hospital
8:36 AM
Stabler and Benson both stood in a room with the shades drawn and the young girl appearing nearly catatonic. After searching her personal belongings it was revealed the young girl's name was Samantha Follett; a student at Hudson University. They had spent the last ten minutes trying to get her to say something but the only time she acted on anything was when someone got close to her. "Samantha," Olivia said getting as close as she could without a negative reaction from the girl, "we're trying to help you so the man who did this can be caught and brought to justice. And that can't happen if you don't say anything."
The young girl remained silent, not saying a word. "Samantha please we need-!"
"That'll be enough of that." An older woman said bursting into the room with a big coat. The woman was an attractive woman dark hair, green eyes but she wore a good deal of makeup. "Can't you see my daughter is completely distraught?"
"Daughter?" Stabler asked.
"Yes," The woman replied with snarkiness in her tone, "daughter, I am Maria Follett, Samantha's mother."
"Well, Ms. Follett we're trying to get your daughter's cooperation so we can find the man who did this." Stabler said facing the mother.
"Well right now she needs her rest." Her mother said, "So out, both of you." She said motioning for the two to get out of the room.
"Ms. Follett-." Stabler tried to argue but the mother wouldn't hear it.
"I said out." The woman was more forceful and the two were moved out of the room.
"But Ms. Follett your daughter-."
"Will be fine once you two leave, now do so." Ms. Follett said before shutting the door on the two detectives.
"Well, that wasn't the first time we've been thrown out of places." Olivia said looking to Stabler.
"Unfortunately getting thrown out of here means that we can't get her statement." He replied.
"What now?"
"We find out where the girl lives and hope that she doesn't live with her parents, and we ask one of the people here to contact us when her mother leaves so we can talk to her daughter."
Greenwich Village
9:10 AM
The two detectives stood at the steps of the young woman's address, she lived with a roommate who went to Hudson with her; after expelling of pleasantries the three spoke and moved as the young girl had to move for her class. "So you two went out to a club that night?" Olivia asked as the girl had her back to them searching through her bag to make sure she had everything.
"Yes," The young woman replied, "But she disappeared on me later on."
"You weren't worried?" Stabler asked; the girl walked down to them and shook her head,
"No she has a lot of guys go after her and she disappears a lot but always makes it home alright." The girl began walking down the street and the two followed.
"Was there any guy last night that seemed a little too interested in her?" Olivia asked,
"Take your pick there were like ten or so who hit on her last night."
"Any of them stand out?"
"Can't say that there was," The girl said stopping for a second to think, "But then again I was on the floor myself." She added walking again stopping on the curb looking across the street.
"Right," Olivia said, "listen we may need to contact you again and in case here's my card okay?"
"Alright." The girl said before taking the card and the two detectives began to leave.
"Wish roommates were closer at times like this." Stabler said looking around,
"Yeah well we can't expect everyone to be like security cameras El." Olivia said, she had opened her mouth to add something when a yell caught their attention.
Turning quickly they saw a man sprinting holding onto a bag running down the street and the one yelling was the girl's roommate. The two detectives sprung into action running down the way to chase the snatcher; doing their best to weave through the crowds. Their pursuit came to a stop however when they noticed that a struggle had begun between the snatcher and someone wearing a black hoodie.
The one in the hoodie blind-sighted the snatcher attacking him with a kick to the side then doing some hold on him which made the snatcher yell but releasing the bag. As the snatcher released the bag the other released him grabbing the bag before it hit the ground. The snatcher began running off but the other person threw the bag back; which was caught by Stabler, and chased after the man himself tackling him to the ground. The snatcher struggled but only until Olivia and Stabler caught up to them with their guns drawn. "Freeze!" Olivia yelled; both held their arms up, the snatcher looked terrified with guns pointed at him but the other just chuckled.
"You find something funny buddy?" Stabler asked pulling the one in the hoodie up with Olivia instructing the snatcher to turn around and put his arms behind his back.
"Yeah I do." The other one said with a bit of amusement in his voice, "I think it's funny how two of NYC's finest almost got dusted by a two-bit punk." Stabler quirked an eyebrow at the sound of the one he was dealing with and turned him around and yanked his hoodie down. A slightly surprised expression was plastered on his face as he looked on at a young man about nineteen with short black hair and blue eyes and a small scar underneath his right eyebrow. He was a decent looking boy,
"You…"
"Aww c'mon now Stabler, how can you forget a million dollar mug like mine?" The young man said with a cheeky smirk.
"Son of a bitch…" Stabler said
"What is it El?" Olivia asked looking back to her partner.
"Liv this is-."
"Daniel," The young man interrupted, "Daniel Marquez, the boy who you can thank your partner for the save today." Stabler looked at the boy who looked at him with a sly smile.
(A/N: Alright guys, I did this for a few reasons, one of which is to prove I'm still alive and well and others that will become apparent over time. Tell me what you guys think. I love criticism I write to please guys so let's hear whatever you like. ;) Take care guys I'm off to solve or cause a few other crimes.)
