A/N: I know a lot of you guys thought this was going to be a fun vacation fic where nothing goes wrong, but I couldn't resist adding some action/thriller/drama to the mix. I did say this was going to be like Don't Look Behind You! In any case, things pick up in this chapter, so I hope you're prepared. I don't own SVU or its characters. I just love putting them through the worst scenarios. Enjoy!

Sunday – 3:15 p.m.

They were officially docked in Cabo but they had decided to wait until the line to get off the ship wittled down. Waiting with almost 3,000 other people was not how they wanted to waste an hour, so they all decided to split up and do their own thing for an hour and half before they would meet up by the docking station.

Rita and Fin disappeared to some undisclosed location, Carisi and Amanda plus the kids headed up to the children's play park that was filled with a jungle gym and different activities just for them. It left him and Liv to a quick dip in the pool.

Except, they never made it from their cabin to the pool. Which, he didn't mind and he was positive she didn't either.

"I don't think I can move," she mumbled into his chest, breathing heavily against his sweaty skin. He laughed and trailed a hand down her equally sweaty back, muscles slack from the vigorous workout they just had. He was still trying to catch his breath as well and enjoy the sensations tingling throughout his limbs.

"There's not much room to move on this dinky bed anyway."

She barked quick laugh and, with strength barely there, pushed herself, running her fingers through her damp hair so she could see his face. He appreciated the view of her, naked and on top of him, far more than he ever thought he could.

"We have," she reached over on the nightstand to where both of their phones were and checked the time, "Fifteen minutes before we all need to meet up."

She eyed him below here, fingers dancing through his chest hair and she licked her lips. He knew what that look meant. They had sex only four times and already he knew what she looked like when she was calculating their odds. "Think you can go again?"

He grinned at her and sat up, wrapping his arms around her so he could plant little kisses along her chest and collar bone. He was never going to get enough of her, he already knew. He was addicted to kissing her and it was addiction he never wanted to get away from.

"Honestly? You wore me out," he sighed and she giggled as the scruff on his face tickled her skin. His lips traveled down one of her breasts while his fingers slipped up between her legs and her head fell back, a soft moan leaving her lips. "But there is something else I've been wanting to do…"

Fin wanted to live down here.

He loved his city, don't get him wrong. He knew all the ins-and-outs, all the holes in the wall where you could get cheap beer and great food. He'd seen the good sides and the bad sides, especially with all his years on the force. He didn't mind the cold weather and the busy traffic and the fact that the city never slept.

But, change was good too. It was something he'd been thinking about more and more lately. Ever since he started dating Rita, his views on the world changed drastically. Suddenly, he was looking at things in a more optimistic way, instead of his signature pessimism that evolved naturally throughout his career.

Which sounded weird, because to the world, Rita Calhoun was this tough as nails, no bullshit woman, who seemed rigid and hard to get along with and perpetually single. But, she wasn't. He saw through that, too. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be in love with her and thinking about moving to a tropical paradise with her, like she always dreamed of.

Maybe not Mexico, but possibly Florida, or California. Somewhere where there were beaches and sun and palm trees outside his window.

They stood on the balcony, Rita leaning back against him as they watched the long line of people exiting the ship, looking every bit of the tourists, they were. Kids walked along parents in the swimsuits, heading towards the beach, while some older couples deposited themselves at the first restaurant they found. He was going to be one of those people, skipping lunch in order to get some authentic Mexican food he just couldn't get on the ship.

"After we eat, we have to go jet skiing. I want some cute pictures of us I can put on my desk in the office so my colleagues can leave me alone about it already."

"They still bothering you?"

Rita nodded, hands tightening around his arms that he had wrapped around her, "Endlessly. They won't stop. My signature glares don't even work on them anymore. I think they realize I've gone soft."

Fin chuckled and kissed her neck, basking in the scent of her flowery shampoo he'd grown so fond of. He knew he was the one to blame for her going soft and he wasn't going to apologize for it.

"Your daughter is so adorable."

Amanda was used to comments like that from strangers now, so she just smiled and thanked the elderly woman who was carrying a baby on her hip. Jesse giggled insanely as Carisi chased her around the playpark, that wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been yesterday. Noah chased after him, the three weaving in and around the jungle gym. She looked out over the balcony she stood in, seeing the bustling city and all the people exiting the ship and knew she was going to have to pack up so they could head out. They were arriving a little later than the itinerary said, but she was eager to get in the ocean.

She always wanted to go snorkeling, and it looked as though Carisi and the kids were wanting to join. Jesse was a little too young unfortunately, but she did plan on building the biggest sandcastle she could with her daughter, because she had developed a recent obsession with them when Amanda flipped through some pictures of the beaches with her before they left the city.

The good thing about kids this young was that they were incredibly easy to please.

"Hey guys," she yelled down to them, noticing the time. They were all dressed and set to get off the boat, and they were supposed to be meeting up at the docking station in less than five minutes. She had to yell a few more times to Carisi, who had been tackled by Noah in the fake grass, before he finally heard her and ushered the kids down off the play mat so they could take off.

"Mommy, we go see fishy now?"

Amanda winced and nodded, lifting her daughter easily up into her arms. Noah lead them out from the balcony, trying his best to navigate them back the way he thought they came. Carisi steered him down a hallway near the elevators that lead to their rooms, but bypassed them in favor of heading towards the dock.

Fortunately, the line had slimmed down to almost nothing, and Rafael and Liv stood by one of the windows, looking out at the scenery. Noah took off for them immediately, slamming into the back of Rafael's legs and surprising both of them.

"Finally," Rita said, appearing next to them, coming in from one of the decks with her hand entwined with Fin's. "I'm dying for a tequila shot."

Amanda was slightly shocked at just how much Rita could drink and still remain upright, but the woman had explained she rarely drank much at home. Amanda could understand that. She drank more in the city than she had on this vacation, the exact opposite of the defense attorney.

"I'm dying to get on that beach. I want to be nice and bronze by the time I get home."

"You're gonna look like a tomato by the time we get back to the ship," Carisi quipped next to her, snapping pictures of all of them on his phone. She hid her face behind Jesse's head, not feeling up to posing for anything. Rita did much of the same, but Fin smiled over their heads.

"Yeah, but it'll fade and I'll have a nice tan afterwards. You're the one who's gonna look like a tomato the entire time. I swear he's the only person I've ever seen not tan. It's weird."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, finally catching up with Rafael, Liv, and Noah, who were immediately greeted with Carisi's bright flash. Rafael looked none too pleased as the flash blinded him, and he quickly slid his sunglasses onto his face, not bothering to hide his scowl. Liv pointed her finger in warning at Carisi, and the man wisely directed his phone away from her face. Instead, he pointed it at Noah, who was holding Rafael's hand and excitedly talking about the fish.

They all descended down to the dock and were out of the ship in no time flat, taking in the fresh air and the new atmosphere of Cabo San Lucas. It was a busy city and many of their cruise mates had already set up shop on the beach and were milling around the restaurants and some shops.

Mingled with the fresh air came the fumes from the ships and cars on the streets, along with the smell of delicious food and the salty air of the ocean. Once they were on land, they each took off in their own directions. Rita and Fin crossed the street to a bustling outdoor restaurant, intent on getting some food before they hit the water. The rest raced towards the beach, searching for the perfect spot to set up camp.

Mendoza was sweating bullets from the hot sun beating down on them, and the concrete roof of this resort didn't help, but he had a perfect view of the ship and the tourists walking off of it, pointing at the beaches or the various restaurants along the beach. He had spotted a few candidates that were worthy, but most of them were far too old. They wanted little kids that could capture the hearts of the media, and that would distract enough so they could get their payload across the border with little effort.

Millions of dollars were at stake here, and he almost guaranteed they could pull this off. Take some kids, lock them up for a few days, draw national media attention, get their truck to its destination in Arizona, and the kids would be let go back to their parents to return home safely.

It was fool proof, no one would die, and he would be sitting on 10 Million, easily, by the time he returned home. It was the perfect plan.

Now? He had to find a few kids young enough. He had scouts walking along the beaches and standing near the port, but none had reported back to him yet on potentials. There were less and less people walking out of the ship, with no children or babies. He wouldn't kidnap a baby.

He lowered the binoculars and grabbed his bottle of water that sat in the limited shaded area provided by the roof, dumping some more over the top of his head. He would have to get out of this heat soon or he was going to pass out. Maybe, after all was said and done, he could jump in the ocean quickly before they high-tailed it to the outskirts of town where their well-hidden safe house was.

But he couldn't do that until he had targets.

He raised the binoculars again and immediately perked up upon finding the docking station again. A group of adults with two very young children walked, talking with each other. Two of them immediately broke away and walked out of his line of vision, while the other six made their way down onto the beach. Mendoza smiled, keeping his eyes on them the entire time they laid out their towels and stripped down to their swimsuits.

The women didn't look like they could put up much of a fight, and neither did the men. He was guessing they were couples vacationing together with their children. Perfect, little, happy families…they would probably make great statements on the news. The women would cry and their husbands would stand by their sides, solemn looking as they held pictures of their missing children.

"Encontré nuestros objetivos,"* he said, loud enough to grab one of his associates attention. He felt the man approach and raise his own binoculars, directing him towards where he was looking. "They're perfect."

"Call it in?"

"No," Mendoza shook his head and lowered his binoculars. He pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and quickly lit one, offering one to his associate, who declined. "Let them get comfortable."

He exhaled a puff of smoke that left with the breeze, relaxing as the cool air coming off the ocean hit his sweaty skin. "Keep your eyes on them. I'll tell you when it's time to go."

Sunday – 6:45 p.m.

The sun was dipping lower in the sky, and the lights surrounding the marina and the other buildings that loitered the beach front had turned on their lights. They all agreed to at least stay to watch the sunset before they went in search of dinner, and eventually retired for the night.

Liv smiled and waved at Noah, who was splashing and playing around in the shallow end of the water with Rafa. Further up the beach, Amanda was walking the shore line with Jesse, searching for seashells to add to the small collection hidden away in the pocket of Amanda's jean shorts. Rita, Fin, and Carisi were heading back in from further out in the ocean on their jet skis, leaving Liv unattended by their towels. She had gotten a decent amount of sun and already slipped her cover up back on her head, and just enjoyed watching her son and her...boyfriend? It sounded childish to her, but what other word could she use?

She giggled when Rafael nearly lost his footing and went sailing into the sand but jumped a moment later when a man chuckled beside her. She turned her head and looked up, locking eyes with this stranger who was smoking a cigarette. The smoke blew in her face a little, which she didn't appreciate.

"Your husband's a little clumsy, yes?"

He had a thick accent and his English wasn't stellar. He was a native most likely. His voice low and raspy though, and he was looking at her with a smile that made her shiver unpleasantly. She waved off that feeling though and smiled back at him, "My boyfriend, actually."

"Ah, I see. That's your son, right?"

Liv tried to fight the urge to ask this man why he wanted to know. He was staring at him out in the water, but she talked herself into chalking it up to curiosity and nothing more. She had been trying her hardest not to put every stranger who smiled at her kid into the Sheila category, and she liked to think she'd been doing a good job. A few people commented on just how adorable her son was throughout the day, but those comments had been by other parents or older people passing by.

This was some random man who had looked away from her son and was now looking down at her. Or, more approximately, her cleavage. She shifted and leaned forward a little, blocking his view and nodded her head, not daring to say any words. He was probably just a friendly local who gave off that creepy vibe. Nothing more.

At least, that's what she was trying to tell herself.

"You are from the cruise? From America?"

Liv nodded again and decided to stand. She was feeling at a big of a disadvantage sitting in the sand while he stood right next to her. She put some distance between him when she noticed that Rafael and Noah were walking back in from the water. She was grateful when she noticed that Fin, Rita, and Carisi had made it back in from the water as well, and they were all returning their keys and life vests to the stand just a few feet from where they were.

"First time in Mexico?"

She nodded, not wanting to tell him she'd been in Cancún before on a vacation a long time ago. She wasn't sure why, but something told her she didn't want to get too friendly with him.

"You like it here. Many beautiful things to see."

By the time the words were leaving his mouth, Noah had run up to her and jumped up in the air, holding a cool looking rock he picked up from the shallow end of the water. He stopped though, when he noticed the man beside her smiling down at him. He squatted down and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, "Hola, amigo. ¿Cuál es su nombre?"**

Noah scrunched up his nose and furrowed his brow, "Huh?"

The man laughed loudly, and Liv caught Rafael's eye as he came to a stop next to her. He gave her a look and she shrugged her shoulders, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Rafael looked unsure himself, not really liking this random man getting in Noah's face like that, although Noah didn't seem too worried. Not even when this stranger reached over and brushed some of the wet curls off his face.

Liv's hand immediately clenched into a fist, but Rafael grabbed her wrist, trying to keep her calm.

"Hola!" Rafael interjected loudly and held out his hand to the man. He rose and shook it, smile falling a little. Liv guided Noah away towards the blankets and pretended to be super interested in what he was saying about his rock.

She watched as the two men conversed quietly in Spanish, eventually sharing a laugh. This stranger patted Rafael on the back and waved goodbye to them, walking away towards the stair case that lead back onto the pedestrian path away from the beach. She watched as he turned back to glance further down the beach for just a second before he walked out sight completely.

"You ok?"

Liv looked up at Rafael, who was slipping his shirt back and drying his lower half that was still dripping wet. She nodded, looking slightly perturbed. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, feeling tension building. "Just…you know."

"Yeah, I know. He was just some guy, though. Nothing to worry about. Ok?"

Liv nodded and kissed him on the lips, uncaring if any of their friends saw them. She drew comfort from his gentle touch and words. She dropped down to her knees and decided to help Noah dry off, since the boy was doing little more than kicking up sand doing so himself.

She did her best to rid her thoughts of the man and instead, focused on her growing hunger. She was starving, and she knew both of her boys had to be as well. There was a little outdoor restaurant just a half-mile away they all agreed on trying earlier. Carisi voiced the same uncomfortable hungry feeling as soon as he and the others rejoined them, and they were packed and headed towards the restuarant in no time. She hung back a little with Rafael, fingers laced with his as they took their time.

"How about we take a walk later? Just you and me? I've always wanted to go for a moonlit stroll. Plus, we can talk about what we're going to do once we get back in the city."

She really liked the sound of that. Just the two of them under the moonlight, walking along the shore with the water lapping at their feet. It sounded incredibly romantic and the perfect time for them to talk some more. Their futures weren't exactly set in stone for when they got back and they couldn't exactly talk when Noah was asleep just a two feet away from them.

"Well, obviously, you're going to have to move in. Noah is all but going to demand you share his bedroom with him."

Rafael laughed loudly, and unlaced their fingers so he could wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer. "That's not exactly the bedroom I would be hoping to share."

"Oh, I have no doubt you would if he asked you too with those big, puppy dog eyes he has."

"Eh. Probably. But I would try and put up a fight."

"You would lose, you know."

"Yeah," he shrugged and kissed her temple, "I know."

The restaurant they ate at was beyond amazing, Rafael was convinced.

He'd never really been into Mexican food, even living in the city. He was a Cuban kid from the Bronx, and he never ate much of anything else as a kid. He lived in an area of the projects with people just like him, and foods like spaghetti and french fries, and Chinese food weren't part of his everyday life until he was old enough to go out and buy it himself.

However, he was going to have to dive more into Mexican cuisine, because he polished off the plate of spicy Mexican rice and tamales he ordered. Of course, spending hours in the ocean, chasing after Noah probably attributed to his overwhelming hunger. Or that's what he told himself as he ordered the chocolatiest thing on the dessert menu. He felt better when the entire table ordered dessert, so he didn't feel like such a bottomless pit.

"When do we leave tomorrow? I wanna go parasailing before we leave," Rita asked between sips of her margarita. Amanda was quick to answer, "Noon. I plan on shopping tomorrow. I told Stone I would bring him a puka shell necklace."

The entire table stopped to look at her, and her cheeks grew red at the slip of the tongue. It was obvious she hadn't meant to say it out loud. She cleared her throat, "But, anyway, after that we have a full day at sea and then we land in Puerto Vallarta."

"Raf," Noah said quietly, tugging on the sleeve of his t-shirt impatiently. Liv looked down at him at the same time, hearing his voice, "I have to go potty."

"Ok, I'll take you. C'mon." Liv winked at him and watched them depart before she turned back to the conversation at the table, leaving them to head down the narrow hallway to the bathroom. He opened the creaky door, seeing three stalls with only one open. He ushered him into the third one and closed the door, promising him that he would stand in front of it while he went.

He looked in the mirror across from him, running his hand through his unruly hair and scratching his chin. He kind of liked the scruff and he knew, from earlier that morning, that Liv definitely liked the scruff, and he thought about keeping it. He was in need of a slightly different look, anyway.

Both of the stall doors opened next to him at the same time, and two men stepped out, both of them silent as they looked at him with intimidating expressions. Rafael did his best to avoid eye contact, feeling a little uncomfortable. But, he couldn't help but notice they were both wearing bulky sweaters, which was odd, considering it wasn't even remotely close to being cold outside. He found it odd, as well, that they were both dressed similarly, with beanies on their heads and sunglasses covering their faces.

An uneasy feeling crept over him and he quickly ushered Noah to the sink to wash his hands as soon as he was done. Noah didn't have a problem looking at both men, and smiled when the one closest to him looked down at him. Rafael didn't look though. He was too concerned with getting paper towels out of the broken dispenser on the wall, trying not to notice that both of these men were taking a suspiciously long amount of time to was their hands.

"Ok, dry your hands," he told Noah, helping him to do it faster than he normally would. He discarded the paper in the overflowing trash can and grabbed his hand, pulling the boy behind, desperate to leave the men behind. He noticed when both of their sinks finally stopped running water and their footsteps shuffled after him.

He swung the door open and stepped out, intent on booking it back down the narrow hallway and to the crowded seating area, where he would feel safer surrounded by a bunch of cops, but stopped cold when he was met with a barrel of gun inches from his nose.

He felt Noah tense up next to him and squeeze his hand harder, pushing himself into his legs. Behind the gun was the man from earlier, who had told Rafael that his name was Juan, and that he was a local that took daily walks along the beach.

But, it was quite evident that had been a lie. He knew now what the man had been doing, as he saw his eyes travel down to Noah, who had shoved his little body as close as he could into his side. Rafael could feel him shaking; he could feel the fear rolling off him in waves.

Rafael swallowed the lump in his throat, tightening his grip on Noah's hand as he tried to breathe. He could feel the breeze blow past him as the bathroom door they just walked out of opened up behind him. The two men from earlier crowded around them, one of them shoving the a gun into the small of his back.

Rafael flinched slightly, but didn't dare look anywhere but at this man in front of him.

"Hola, amigo."

The words sent a chill racing down his spine and he gulped, mouth opening to say something, anything, to alert someone, or to even say something placating to get them to possibly stop pressing guns into his back or in his face.

He didn't say anything, though. Instead, Noah opened his mouth and loudly shouted down the hall, voice thick with terrified tears. The word was out of his mouth before Rafael could stop him, and he winced when it bounced off the narrow hallway walls and floated out into the restaurant, no doubt garnering the attention of the person he called to.

"Mommy!"

*Encontré nuestros objetivos - I found our targets.

**Hola, amigo. ¿Cuál es su nombre? - Hello, friend. What's your name?