DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Dick Wolf created the Law and Order franchise so all the props go to him.
RATING: MA15+ at least, possibly even R for moderate to high level violence and/or torturous scenes, sexual references and/or themes, adult themes and low to medium level coarse language. I think that's all… just to be safe.
THE FOLLOWING IS FICTIONAL AND NO ACTUAL PERSON OR EVENT IS DEPICTED
The Hard Life
CHAPTER FOUR: Confrontation
New York, Friday April 28th 2006, a disused factory, 5:14 pm...
After following the directions of the voice on the phone he knew only as Butcher, Elliot finally arrived at a factory where he was led to believe that Olivia was being held prisoner by Liam. Elliot pulled up outside the factory and glanced down at the screen of his cell phone that was resting in his lap. His battery was running low.
"I have to hang up." He told Butcher, bringing the phone up to his ear. "I've stopped and the battery is running low on my cell phone."
"Get out of the car." Butcher ordered before hanging up. Elliot hung up as well and climbed out of his car. He thought of the tracer hidden away inside his ear, and he hoped that Fin, Cragen and James knew where he was and that the tiny mechanical device hadn't failed.
Looking around, Elliot saw a black van pull up about 20 metres away on the opposite side of the road. He recognised it instantly; it had been following behind him for ages. He suspected that it was Liam's 'shadow'.
An African-American man stepped out of the van, wearing dirty black jeans and a blue singlet revealing tattoos on his arms, shoulders and back. He had short black hair and a cleanly-shaven chin and had a stern expression plastered across his face. "Start walking inside." He ordered in a loud voice, pulling a gun from behind his back as he walked across the street towards Elliot.
Elliot began taking small steps backwards towards a large metal gate that was open, with his hands slightly raised. He wasn't cowering away, just trying to avoid having a gun eventually shoved in his face. Butcher continued to approach, fast. The gun was raised and pointed at Elliot, but he couldn't back away quick enough with out looking like a wimp.
For every two steps Elliot took, Butcher had made more than twice that many. He was closing in, and Elliot didn't dare look away. When Butcher was only about a metre away, he spoke.
"Stop being a coward. Stand your ground." He instructed. Elliot instantly stopped.
"Where's Olivia?" He asked. "Is she here? Is she inside?" Butcher frowned and took a slow menacing step towards Elliot. Trying to fight his fear for the man, Elliot stood his ground. Butcher grinned.
"There." He said. "Now you're much more of a man; only mice run away." Elliot was ready to reach out and swing at Butcher, but the gun still pointed at him made him think the move through again.
"Tell me, is she here?" Elliot demanded again, trying to make Bucher see that he wasn't a wimp at all. He was serious about finding Olivia.
"I can't tell you that just yet."
"What can you tell me?" Elliot pressed. "Is she still alive?"
"Barely." Elliot's eyes went wide with fear and anger. "So I've heard."
"Son of a bitch." Elliot snarled. "Did you do something to her?" He knocked the gun out of Butcher's hands and grabbed his singlet, pulling him close. "Did you hurt her? Huh? Was it Liam or was it you?" Butcher struggled for a moment before flipping his left elbow up hard and suddenly, knocking Elliot in the side of the head. He stumbled, releasing Butcher from his grip. Butcher took the opportunity to grab Elliot by his coat and throw him to the ground.
Rolling several times, Elliot tried to evade Butcher and get back up. Butcher didn't allow this, following Elliot as he tried to get away. He kicked Elliot in the ribs, hearing a loud and painful cry in response.
"Are you accusing me of hurting that bitch?" Butcher demanded, giving Elliot another kick. "I couldn't give a damn about her." He kicked again, hearing groans of protest at his feet. "She's not my problem, Liam is." Another kick and painful cry. "And he's your problem too." Another kick. "You should be more worried about yourself and Liam than your pretty cop friend." With one final kick into Elliot's side, Butcher took a step back and stared down at the man lying helplessly at his feet.
Now on his back, Elliot was gasping for air. He feared that one or more of his ribs were broken after the beating he'd just received, but wasn't about to say anything about it to Butcher. He couldn't show signs of weakness, even though he felt as if his lungs were about to explode. The black man towered above him, looking down with a smug grin on his face. He looked at Elliot as if he had total power and total control, and he did. Elliot was helpless and unable to fight back; it was pointless to even try.
"Get up, Elliot." Butcher instructed when he saw that Elliot's breathing had regulated. "Stop being such a wimp and get up."
Without saying a word, Elliot rolled onto his knees and tried to pull himself up. He had difficulty, as his sides, ribs and stomach ached from where he'd been repeatedly kicked. He wished he had the strength to jump at Butcher, because he knew that he'd be able to kill the man. After learning about Olivia's condition he was able to do anything now.
"Now walk into that factory." As Elliot got to his feet, Butcher instructed further, pointing with the gun he had picked up. Elliot walked painfully through the metal gate and towards the towering factory, limping and clutching his ribs with one arm. He had no choice but to do what Butcher told him if he wanted to find Olivia alive, and stay alive himself. Or at least, in one piece.
NYPD: SVU squad room, Captain Cragen's Office, 5:49 pm…
"Have you got anything James?" Cragen asked.
"The signal has been stationary at a location west of here, in the old factory district. It hasn't moved for some time, so I'm guessing that it's where Elliot's been led to."
"Thanks James. Keep an eye on that and tell me if anything changes."
"You got it Captain."
"I'm going to find my detectives."
5:53 pm...
"So Derek, you say you were at the subway station that night?" Munch asked. The interrogation of Derek Hawke didn't seem to be getting any further now than it was when Elliot had interrogated him.
"Yes. I caught the subway in the evening home from work. I'm allowed to catch public transport, aren't I?" Derek was pushing it, and Munch and Fin weren't in the mood to be toyed with.
"Listen Derek; don't push us all right? We're going to get a court order demanding that you give us a DNA sample unless you comply with our wishes. Do you want to do this the hard way?"
"I want a lawyer." Derek replied. "I've answered all your questions and now you're just being plain rude. I want my lawyer, now."
Munch sighed, and signalled to Fin to leave. They got up from the table and approached the door. As Munch opened it, Captain Cragen stared back at the two detectives.
"We know where Elliot is. Get the team out there and go find Olivia."
"Derek wants a lawyer and is refusing to give us a DNA sample." Fin informed Cragen as they walked out of the squad room.
"Derek can wait. I'll call his lawyer but we've got more important things to worry about. He can sit for a while until we know what's happening with Olivia."
"Right Captain. We'll go meet up with the teams and get out there." Munch and Fin parted from Captain Cragen, and headed off to find James and the storm teams. They were both praying that Olivia was all right.
A disused factory, 5:58 pm...
Butcher had marched Elliot inside the factory and now the two men were wandering around trying to find where Liam was.
"Liam!" Butcher yelled loudly. He was getting annoyed. "Liam!"
"Butcher?"
Butcher realised that Liam was closer than he had originally guessed; just around the corner from where he and Elliot were. He instructed Elliot to open a closed door, which revealed a small office. Elliot was led across the room and through another door, back into the factory's main frame.
"Butcher, have you got Elliot?" Liam asked as they got closer.
"Got him."
"Good." Following the voice, Elliot turned a corner around some multicoloured shipping crates to find Liam. He was leaning against a crate, with one leg tucked up and the sole of his boot resting flat on the side of the crate. A cigarette was held firmly between his index finger and thumb, and he brought it to his mouth to take one last puff before stamping it into the cement floor.
"Liam." Elliot breathed.
"Nice to see you again Elliot. It was good of you to come; I didn't know if you'd have the guts to come alone."
"Well, obviously you don't know me that well." Elliot snapped.
"I know you well enough to know that the way to get to you is to go through Olivia." Elliot's eyes narrowed. "You're too predictable Elliot, you need to toughen up and stop going soft every time Olivia comes into the equation."
"Shut up." Elliot snapped. "You don't know anything about me or Olivia so just shut up."
"Now, now Elliot there's no need to be like that. We can have a civilised conversation here can't we? We're both grown men, so why don't we act like some?" Elliot scowled and watched Liam's every movement. "Here, take a seat." Liam signalled to Butcher who was still standing behind Elliot, and Elliot felt him press the gun against his back to make him start walking. Liam gestured to a chair sitting against a support post for a small balcony above, and Butcher forced Elliot down onto it with a forceful shove. Elliot glared up at Butcher as he stepped away, then over at Liam as he approached.
He looked so much different to when Elliot had last seen him. His hair had darkened to a heavy brown; almost black. His face was notably older, even though it had only been five years since they'd seen each other. He was now a 27 year-old, and although he was still young he looked as if he had aged ten years in the time he had been in prison. He was well-built, with muscly arms and legs. He reminded Elliot of a friend his father had when he was a child, a man looking to get into a career in boxing. Liam could have definitely pulled it off now. The thought scared Elliot, and he forced it to the back of his mind.
"Now Elliot, where do I begin?" Liam asked.
"You can start by telling me where Olivia is." Elliot replied.
"Now that would just be too simple." Liam expression darkened. "We need to have a chat first."
"A chat?"
"Yes. There's a little thing called my life!" Liam suddenly snapped. "You ruined it Elliot, you ruined it." Elliot opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted. "You sent me to a place that wrecked everything, Elliot. You sent me to prison, where every man has a death wish. I tried everything to survive in there; I just wanted to get out, to get away from that place."
"I'm sorry you feel that way about your stay in prison Liam, but you broke the law. You brought it on yourself."
"No, it's not that simple Elliot. I was raped in prison because you stopped me, caught me, arrested me and sent me there. I was a black man's bitch for three years of my life, Elliot. Three years! That's a long time to suffer the same horrible daily fate, but I swear for what you put me through I'll make yours last longer."
"Liam, I'm sorry for what happened to you in prison, I really am." Elliot realised that maybe he should show some sympathy to Liam, even if it was only as an act. "Nobody should have to go through what you did, and I'm truly sorry that you think it's my fault."
"Because it is your fault!" Liam snapped. 'You're the one who sent me there and you're the one who made sure that I had a lengthy sentence so that I paid for what I did. The thing is that you never knew why I did it. You tried so hard to work it out, but you never got it, did you?"
"No, Liam. I still don't know why you took those seven girls. What was it about them that made you feel like you needed to rape and kill them to make yourself a better man?"
"Power." Liam replied. "It's all about power; power over them and now, power over you." Liam grinned.
"You can't be serious. There was never anything emotional in it for you? Nothing for you to truly gain?"
"No. Nothing but power, Elliot. That's something you should understand."
"And why is that?"
"Because you have no power, no control. You should know what it's like for me. I never had a stable childhood, never had a father who loved me. My mother was an addict and it was just me and my little brother always relying on each other to try and survive. I've always struggled; my whole life I found it so hard to find a common ground with everyone else. I was never like them. I never held a steady relationship, a good job or had a family I could go to when I needed help or support or advice. Holidays were just another time of trauma for me, and I never felt like I ever had power or control over anything."
"Liam, you had a hard life, so what? What do you expect me to do about it?"
"I expected you to help me."
"Help you? Why on earth would I wanna help you? You raped a killed six girls! Do you call that a cry for help?"
"Yes! I needed help, Elliot. Everything was still so out of control I couldn't tell what I was doing. I just did it and it felt right."
"How could raping children feel right?" Elliot challenged angrily.
"Stop it!" Liam cried suddenly. "Stop it, you're twisting this around!"
"No Liam, you're lying to cover up your guilt. You're feeling it now, aren't you? You can't take it and you know now that it's not that you're life is out of control it's that you are out of control."
"No! Stop it!"
"Liam!" Elliot shouted over Liam's protests. "Where is Olivia? End this now."
"No! You're not getting her Elliot, this is not over."
"Let it be over Liam, come on don't do this."
"Don't beg like a little girl, Elliot. You're a man. Act like one."
"Liam..."
"What, did you think you could just come in here today, get Olivia and take her back with you? What, are you some kind of hero or something?" Liam answered his own half-rhetorical question. "No, Elliot. You're not a hero; you're an out of control cop. You're just like me, only you have one thing on your mind. The girl."
"No, you're wrong." Elliot protested. "I'm not like you. And my job means everything to me; not the girl. My job is what's on my mind, but I do still care about Olivia."
"You're pathetic Elliot, you're just so pathetic. I can't believe you, honestly!" Elliot's eyes narrowed as Liam's comments started to get to him. "You ruined my life and now you come here to try and be a hero? You can't be both, Elliot. You can't ruin one life and save another. It just doesn't work that way. You either lose or gain, all out. There's no halfway point where you even out the odds." Liam paused before adding, "You're not going to win here today, Elliot."
"I came here for Olivia, and I'm going to leave here with her." Elliot told Liam.
"No, you're not leaving here today with her Elliot." Liam was starting to really get on Elliot's nerves, but he wasn't going to give up, he had to keep trying. James must have sent some backup out by now.
"Tell me where Olivia is." Elliot's voice began to rise. "Tell me where she is."
"I'm not telling you jack, Elliot. You're not leaving here with her."
"Tell me where she is you bastard! Tell me!"
"No! Shut up!" Liam approached Elliot and punched him in the face. "Shut up!" Elliot's hands were free so he jumped up and lunged at Liam. The two men fell to the ground, Elliot on top of Liam. He began pounding Liam's face with his fists, blood starting to stain his knuckles after only a few punches.
"Where..." he shouted between punches, "is... she...?" He stopped long enough for Liam to answer, holding his fist ready to land another punch on Liam's jaw.
"I'm not telling you." Elliot let his fist fly into Liam's jaw again, receiving a grunt in response. After a few more poundings Elliot stopped and looked down at the bruised and bleeding face beneath him.
"Tell me." He snarled. Liam took the moment of opportunity to take a swing, knocking Elliot off him. He rolled over, now sitting on top of Elliot and resumed what Elliot had paused.
"Now who's in power Elliot!" He shouted, firing perfectly timed punches at the detective's face. Blood soon appeared on his fists, as Elliot's mouth and nose began bleeding. His jaw ached and his head started throbbing as Liam's punches became prolonged but stronger. After several minutes of being beaten to a pulp, Elliot found that Liam simply stopped and got up. He lay on his back on the cold cement floor as blood trickled from his mouth and nose, as his head spun.
"What do you want me to do with him?" He faintly heard Butcher ask Liam.
"Tie him to the chair. Make sure he can't get away while I get his bitch." He felt the vibrations of footsteps on the floor beneath his body, and as he tried to roll over onto his side and spit blood out of his mouth he felt himself being dragged along the ground. As Liam left the area, Butcher lifted Elliot up onto the chair, pulled his hands around the post behind the chair and bound them using Elliot's handcuffs. Elliot's head rolled to the side as he struggled to stay conscious. His head throbbed and pounded like a jackhammer had just drilled through the centre of his skull.
Through blurry eyes Elliot saw Liam return, dragging something behind him on the ground. Jesus, it's Olivia! Elliot realised. He blinked several times to regain full vision and to try and keep blood out of his eyes; blood that was trickling from a wound on his brow.
"Oh Elliot, I have a surprise for you." Liam taunted in a sing-song voice. "I know how much you want to see your bitch, so here she is." Elliot watched as Liam dragged Olivia's body closer, until she was about three or four metres away from where Elliot was tied up. He couldn't get to her, not matter how hard he tried. He couldn't see if she was all right, all he could do was pray that she wasn't dead.
"Olivia..." Elliot moaned. "Jesus, I'm so sorry Olivia." He swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed the moment he realised it was Olivia's body that Liam was dragging behind him.
"Don't start Elliot." Liam snapped.
"Is she..." Elliot gulped and chocked back tears. "Is she alive?"
"Not by much, but that isn't my concern." Elliot scanned her limp body from head to toe for injuries. Her right arm had obviously been bleeding, but the blood had stopped hours ago. Her cargo pants had random slices up and down each leg, and the tears in the fabric were stained lightly with blood. Then Elliot saw the worst wound of all, a slice down the side of Olivia's face. He swallowed a lump in his throat and shook his head in sorrow and regret. He felt terrible for what had happened to Olivia, and that he wasn't able to stop it.
"How can you be so heartless?" Elliot demanded. "How can you simply not care?"
"I don't need to; therefore I don't worry about it." Liam replied. "It's an easy life to live; no regrets."
"You'll regret one thing when this is over, and that is hurting Olivia. I swear I'm gonna kill you if the system doesn't."
"The system?" Liam challenged. "You mean the law?"
"Exactly."
"Don't be foolish. The law is not going to stop me, Elliot. I'm not going to get caught, and you and Olivia will never get justice for what is going to happen to you."
Fear rose in Elliot's throat, and came out in his tone. "What do you mean what is going to happen to you?" Liam grinned wickedly. "What are you going to do to us?"
"Just you wait Elliot, your time is coming."
"And Olivia? What are you going to do with her?"
"That is not of your concern..." Liam's head snapped up as he heard sirens in the distance. Out in the middle of a disused factory district, there was no way those cops weren't here for him. He looked over at Butcher.
"Are they coming for you?" Butcher asked Liam as panic rose in his voice. They were coming for him too. Elliot grinned and couldn't help but chuckle.
"You thought you had everything in your control." He scoffed, and Liam turned to look at him. "You were never in control Liam, never. The cops have known you were here since the word 'go', and they're coming to get you. They're going to arrest you and they're going to find Olivia and get her help. Then I'm going to be the one who jabs that big needle into your fucking arm." He laughed, finally finding release. A feeling of safety flushed through his body, along with satisfaction and happiness. Olivia wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
"Butcher, back the van up to the loading bay. I'll make sure Elliot's ready for the ride." Elliot's smile faded quickly; along with all the calming feelings he had just felt. What?
"What are you talking about?" Elliot asked.
"You're coming with us, Elliot." Liam stole Elliot's grin. "What, did you think this was over? It will never be over, not until you're dead." Liam approached Elliot and kicked him in the stomach while he was tied to the chair. Elliot grunted in pain, unable to fight back. He tried to use a leg in self defence, only to receive a swift kick in the shin to stop him. After a few kicks, Liam began punching Elliot to weaken him – again.
"Stop!" Elliot cried. "Stop!"
"Not gonna happen Elliot." When Liam thought that Elliot would be unable to fight back at all, he walked around the back of the chair and used Elliot's keys to un-cuff him. He pushed Elliot from behind and watched as he fell to the ground.
At that moment, Olivia woke. Her eyes flew open at the sound of movement, and she struggled to sit up and look over to where she heard the noises. Her whole body ached, and was bloody and beaten. Liam had hit her repeatedly in the stomach the day before, and she feared she had broken ribs because it pained her to move even just a little. As she managed to roll over, she saw Elliot lying on the ground and Liam's feet, being kicked over and over in the stomach, sides and back.
"Elliot!" She cried, getting his attention. His head shot up and he looked over at her.
"Olivia!"
"You came!" He grunted as Liam kicked him even harder now he could see that Olivia was awake. "No!" She protested. "Stop it Liam!"
"Olivia! Get up, go! Get out of here!" Elliot groaned as he struggled to take another breath.
"Elliot, I'm not leaving you here!"
"You have to! Cragen is sending backup, just go and wait for them!" Elliot shouted before Liam kicked him in the head. "Aagh!"
"Elliot!" Olivia screamed, not knowing what to do. She could hardly move, so how was she meant to get out and wait for help?
"Ol..." Liam kicked Elliot once more in the head and Olivia noticed his eyes beginning to close. He would pass out any second now.
"Elliot, stay with me!" Olivia shouted. Liam stepped back as Olivia desperately tried to keep Elliot conscious. She fought her own pain to tried and save him, but she could see she was failing. "Elliot!" Come on, stay with me!" Elliot's eyes slowly shut, and his body went limp. He was out.
"There we go." Liam said proudly. He turned to Olivia who lay on her side on the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared across at the motionless body of her ex-partner.
"Now, what are we going to do with you?" Liam approached Olivia, knelt down and forced her to lie on her back. Kneeling over her, he held his hand around her neck and tightened his grip.
Olivia began gasping for air, unable to breathe. "Liam..." She whispered hoarsely as she felt herself slipping away. She couldn't die, not now, not like this. He wouldn't kill her. Would he? As she gasped a final time, she felt herself slipping... slipping... until there was nothing. As her eyes closed, the last thing she saw was Elliot's limp body lying only metres from her. She reached out her arm at the last moment, but it fell limp to the ground. Liam smiled with satisfaction and got to his feet.
He wandered back over to Elliot's body just as Butcher reappeared. "Cops are close, we gotta go or we're gonna get busted." He told Liam. The sirens had been getting closer the whole time, and now sounded like they were only a few blocks away. They were so stupid to leave the sirens on; it told Liam that they were coming.
"Do you think he had a tracer?" Liam asked Butcher. "Help me search him. Watch, shoes, belt, pockets, rings, ears; search everything. Something has told them where we are."
After a few minutes of searching, Liam had come up with the tracer. He pulled it out of Elliot's ear and held it in his hand. He put it in his top pocket for the time being and grabbed Elliot's cell phone. He typed a message to leave behind for the cops, on Olivia's stomach.
Liam and Butcher grabbed Elliot by his arms and legs and carried him out to the van. They put him in the back, covered him with a sheet and slammed the doors shut. Liam headed around to the drivers side, took the tracer out of his pocket and dropped it on the ground at his feet. Looking down at it for a second, he stamped on it hard and watched it crumble and fall to pieces. The two men got into the van and drove two blocks in the opposite direction to where the sirens were coming from and hid in another factory until it got dark.
NYPD: SVU squad room, Captain Cragen's Office, 7:02 pm…
"Captain Cragen," James rang Cragen's cell phone as they were out in the field, close to where Elliot's tracer had led them.
"What is it James?" Cragen answered.
"We have a problem." Cragen's heart skipped a beat.
"What sort of problem?"
"The signal from Elliot's tracer has just been cut off."
"Cut off?" Cragen repeated.
"It could mean that his captors have discovered the tracer, that it's been removed by Elliot or..." James paused.
"Or what?" Cragen demanded.
"Or that Elliot is dead."
7:58 pm...
Cragen's teams stormed the factory, with Fin, Munch and Cragen following in after them. As the teams searched the factory for either Elliot of Olivia, it was Fin who made the discovery.
"Jesus Christ..." He whispered before turning around and shouting for the Captain. "Hey! I found Olivia! Over here!"
In seconds Munch and Cragen were by his side, as the three of them stood looking at Olivia's bruised, battered and bleeding body lying limp on the ground. Fin fell to his knees and began CPR, trying to revive her as Cragen called for the paramedics to get on the scene.
Munch scanned the scene to discover blood on the ground several metres away from Olivia near a chair resting against a support post. He signalled for the forensic team to take a sample, and to see if it matched Olivia or Elliot. Elliot's body was not there, as confirmed by all the teams. There was no one else in the factory except for Olivia.
"We must have just missed them." Munch scowled. "They must have known we were coming."
"They probably heard the sirens." Cragen cursed. "I told them to turn those damn things off. Now look what happened. We've lost Elliot, and Olivia is close to death."
Fin fell back as the paramedics arrived and sighed. "I couldn't get her Captain. I couldn't bring her back." Cragen knelt beside his detective.
"Come on Fin, let the paramedics work. They're going to get her back." He helped Fin to his feet and the three officers stood in a line as they watched the paramedics try to revive Olivia.
Fin looked down at his hand, to discover that he was holding Elliot's cell phone. He hadn't even realised that he'd picked it up off Olivia's body. He held it up, staring at it blankly. Cragen took it from him, reading the message displayed on the screen.
YOU'LL NEVER FIND HIM.
At close to 8:00 pm, Liam and Butcher drove out of the factory they were hiding in. With no lights on, they escaped the police's net with Elliot still in the back of their van. This was far from over.
A/N: It's taken a while for me to get the chapter finished. I got stuck. But now I've finally gotten somewhere, so more reviews please. I was thinking of increasing the rating on this to R because more stuff is to come like what happened in this chapter. Should I just leave the warning on or do readers agree with the rating increase? Let me know.
Just to be sure, I don't mean anything racist by the references to African-American people as black men. I used the term to describe Butcher because it was simple, appropriate and it gave me another description to go by when referring to Butcher's actions during writing. Liam's comment about the man in prison was purely based on rage and his disrespect to Elliot, so I apologise if anyone was offended. It was simply a reference to skin colour – no racism intended.
