Chapter 7 –
Chapter 7 Calculated
Loisaida Avenue • Monday, August, 25th • 8:48 p.m.
Olivia found she was holding her breath as she waited for Delgado's response. It had now been almost six hours since Dante Delgado had waited for his girls to come home from school and then barricaded them in the family home.
"Detective Benson, you are still here. I could not see you earlier. Where did you go?"
Her gut reaction was to tell him her whereabouts were none of his business, and her face must have registered that thought because a shake of the head from Joe caused her to remember what he had told her about dealing with Delgado.
"Oh…my partner and I took a break. Got something to eat," she looked toward the window and could see the curtain pulled aside. She felt a slight shiver run through her at the thought of this man watching her when she could not see him.
Elliot was standing about six feet away and could hear every thing Olivia said. When she said 'my partner' his stomach involuntarily flip-flopped at the same time he felt the cinching in his heart. He took a deep breath and let his eyes wander to Jake, standing beside her, in silent support, encouraging her. Standing where Elliot should be standing, doing what he should be doing.
"Hmmm…what did you have?" Delgado asked quietly.
"I had a turkey on wheat and my partner had roast beef. Have you and the girls eaten? It's way past dinner time," Olivia was concerned for the girls.
"Of course we've eaten. Couldn't cook without electricity, but we managed," Delgado sounded indignant.
"What did you eat then?" She asked, glancing around at the men around her.
"Cereal," he told her. In the background she could hear one of the girls talking and crying.
"Someone's crying…what's wrong?" Olivia frowned and looked up at the window.
"Nothing is wrong," Delgado snapped just as one of the girls whined again.
"Daddy, it's hot in here and I'm tired…I want Mama…please," the child's voice was high with frustration, and it surely sounded as though she were crying.
"Sierra, go! We have talked about this. You are staying here," his voice was firm but not necessarily unkind.
"Hey, she's just a little girl who wants her Mama. Why don't you let the girls come out and see her, huh? Then you and I can talk," Olivia quietly suggested.
"No! I am not giving up my girls!" He was adamant about it.
"Listen…Dante…I understand your frustration at the court system…they always seem to give the kids to the mother. I can see why you did what you did…I mean you love your girls, and you want to be with them," she played up her sympathy for him.
"You understand why I did this?" He seemed incredulous at her words.
"Yes, I do. But, I gotta tell you, no judge is going to take kindly to you holding your girls like this, Dante. How about you let them come down, you and I will talk, and I'll have a word with the judge and make sure they know you meant no harm and cooperated with me," she smiled as she looked up to the window, and the curtain pulled back again this time revealing just a short peak at Dante Delgado.
"We'll talk? Just you and me?" He was beginning to break, and Olivia sensed it in his tone.
"Just you and me. Come on, Dante, you have to think of their wellbeing…you won't be giving them up. In fact, a friend of mine sees his kids more now that he is divorced than he did before," she told him, wondering if Elliot would be upset that she referred to him even though not by name.
Mancini leaned over, whispering in her ear, "You're doing great…keep it up."
"You keep calling me by my first name…I don't even know yours," Dante stated, though the question was understood.
Olivia looked around at the men, "Tell him," Joe whispered.
Looking at Elliot for his answer, he shrugged and nodded his head.
Running a hand through her hair, she told Dante, "My name is Olivia."
"Ahh…a very beautiful name for a very beautiful woman," his voice was soft almost seductive.
She was suddenly uncomfortable in this role and stretched her head side to side to release some of the tension she just now became aware had settled upon her.
"Daddy…please," Sierra whined again.
"Dad… it's too hot …I feel sick…and we have to get up for school. We need rest…please let us go?" Another voice sounded. By process of elimination, it had to be Jade.
Olivia heard her and seized the opportunity, "Dante, I heard you worked your way through college when you came to the U.S. That is quite commendable, especially when English is not your native language. So, I know you know the importance of education; especially today. Jade is right. She and Sierra need proper rest to do well. I know you would do nothing to jeopardize their schoolwork, would you?'
There was a long and tension filled pause. At last he answered, "No…I would not."
"It's after nine, Dante. Send the girls out, okay? That way you and I can talk," she was certain he was going to do as she asked.
No answer. They waited almost ten minutes, while unintelligible voices could be heard in the background in the house. Then what sounded like a series of thumps and bumps.
This struck fear in Olivia and she called out, "Dante?" She drew a deep breath. "Dante? Talk to me."
Suddenly, the front door opened. Rifles and handguns were quickly drawn and trained on the door. At last Dante spoke again, "Don't shoot. The girls are coming out…don't…don't shoot, please."
First Sierra appeared, wearing white jeans and a multi-colored tie-dyed tee shirt, a pink and sliver backpack clutched in her hands. Jade was behind her in faded blue jeans and a red tank top over a white lacier one, her arms laden with books.
Lupe screamed out, "My babies!" She tried to run to them, but two officers held her back.
One of the S.W.A.T. officers brought the girls to Lupe and Elena. They fell into a group hug, crying as books and backpacks fell to the ground. Olivia started to walk toward them. She wanted to talk to the girls, assure them everything would be all right. She had momentarily forgotten about Dante Delgado.
Elliot came up beside her, stopping her as he took hold of her elbow. He knew what she wanted. Her heart had always been for the victim and she needed to talk with these young girls. She turned slowly almost in a daze, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Liv…I think you are needed more here right now. You can talk with the girls later," Elliot's blue eyes told her he understood what she wanted. She looked away from him and back to the girls before looking back to Elliot.
Simply nodding, she had no verbal response. Joe Mancini was watching and she caught his eyes and he smiled. When she got back to where he stood, he handed her the phone again. "He's still going to want to talk to you."
Jake just stared at her and Elliot. When they got closer he asked Elliot, "Captain Stabler, you want me to talk to the girls?"
"No. That's Olivia's job," Elliot responded sharply, dismissing him.
"Well, she's got her hands full, and I have experience in cases like this, and I don't feel like I've done much to help and…" Jake tried to explain.
Turning quickly toward the detective, glaring at Jake this time, Elliot growled, "You got a problem listening to orders, Zoumberis? I said Liv would take care of it."
Caught off guard and somewhat embarrassed by Elliot's response, he awkwardly looked around, "No. No problem…Sir."
Elliot's glare remained latched onto Jake as he moved away. Fading into the background, Jake still remained close to Olivia. One thing you could be sure of…he had his partner's back. He may not have done much here tonight, but he would protect his partner at all cost. Suddenly, a voice split the air.
"Olivia? You still there? Olivia?" Delgado asked, this time from the front door, where he remained after allowing the girls to leave.
Taking a deep breath, she responded, "I'm here."
"You said we would talk…come slowly up the walk and up the stoop," he instructed calmly.
Raising her left eyebrow in surprise, Olivia looked around at Joe, Jake and Elliot. Joe just nodded; Jake stared at her, afraid to make a suggestion with Elliot standing right there and Elliot? He looked at Joe in absolute disbelief.
"Are you crazy, Mancini? She is not going in there! How long you been doing this? She goes in there, he's just got a new hostage!" Elliot's words hissed through his clench teeth.
"Elli…Captain, I can do this," Olivia's face had that look that dared him to say anything else. He was not one to back down from anyone's dares. Not even hers.
"Stay out of this, Benson!" He snapped, the vein in his neck pulsating with his anger.
Mancini jumped back in, "I know, Captain Stabler. And in most situations, I would agree. But she has developed a rapport with Delgado. He won't hurt her. I think he knows he has messed up and is looking for an out. Olivia is his out."
Elliot's face was red with rage, "No. My detective is not going in there!"
"Elliot!" Olivia's head snapped toward him.
"My decision, Benson. If you choose to do this, you will be disobeying a direct order and there will be consequences!" His voice lowered to a menacing rumble, and his eyes blazed with the fiery rage that now threatened to consume him.
"Do what you can on the phone without going inside, Detective," Mancini told her, conceding to Elliot.
Her eyes, now black as coal, were full of their own fire, as she fixed them on Elliot. "Can I at least walk closer to the door? I told him we would talk…he thinks privately."
Elliot's hands were on his hips, his legs apart, his back ramrod straight and he looked down his nose at her with narrowed blue eyes. This stance was classic angry Stabler and it exuded superiority, and she hated it when it was all directed at her. He brought his right hand up to his forehead and massaged it with his thumb and fingers.
Finally exhaling loudly, he told her, "Just to the stoop. You are not to go inside. That clear?"
"Olivia…you coming up or not?" Delgado called out from the front door. He was no longer on the phone.
Elliot was ready to go up to the stoop himself and deck the guy. He hated the sound of her name rolling off the tongue of this creep. Intuitively he sensed Delgado was attracted to her,and it served only to irritate him all the more.
"Just a second," she called out as Mancini slipped her a small mic.
"We can still hear everything that goes on…put it in your pocket. Be careful. Go," he tipped his head toward the building.
She and Elliot locked eyes one more time, the daggers hurtling back and forth between them. Walking slowly, she made her way up the concrete walk to the edge of the stoop.
"Dante, I'm sorry, but my captain won't let me come in," she shrugged and raised her eyebrows at him, hoping to gain his sympathy rather than his wrath.
"I thought we were going to talk privately?" He was halfway behind the front door as he talked.
She could see that he was a decent looking man. Clean-cut, wearing gray dress slacks and a light pink button down Oxford. A businessman.
"This is private. We are not on the phone…no one can hear us," she held up her empty hands.
Staring at her for a long minute, he stepped out a bit more from behind the door. "You are much prettier up close…I could tell you were pretty even from a distance," he smiled slightly at her.
Smiling back, she tucked her bangs behind her right ear, "Thank you. Listen, how about you just come on out, we'll go to my office and talk, and I'll see what I can do about making sure everyone understands why you did this and that you want to make it right."
"You'll do that…for me?" He asked, not sure what to believe.
"Yes, Dante. Come on out, okay?" She smiled.
"You married?" This question came out of left field and put her off kilter a bit.
Surprised, she stammered, "No, I'm not."
"Boyfriend?" He tilted his head and then looked out toward the street.
Briefly, she wondered was there any way to qualify Elliot as her boyfriend. Biting her lip, she released it and answered, "Uh…no."
"I'm about to be divorced…can I call you sometime?"
"Um…well…I don't think…"
"We could go for a drink, dinner," he laughed, "dancing? You like to dance?"
"Actually, I don't have much time for a social life," she hated saying that because it was so close to the truth.
"If I come out, will you go have a drink with me at least?" His voice was hopeful and Olivia had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Did he really think she would even think about going out with him?
She debated over blatantly lying, but she wanted this all to be over. She was exhausted and knew everyone else was as well. The girls were safe now, and she needed to wrap this up.
"You come out, give yourself up and I'll think about it," she told him, deciding that was not really a lie. She could think about it and then say no.
He stared at her for a very long time, then slowly came from behind the door and opened the screened storm door, letting it close behind him. He now stood at the top of the stoop and as soon as he took the first step down, the S.W.A.T. moved in closer and he realized they had guns trained on him.
"Keep your hands where the policemen can see them, Delgado," Olivia's voice was now pure, cool professionalism. He lifted his empty hands in front of his body.
"I am unarmed," he gave the armed officers a nervous look.
Descending the remaining stairs at an excruciatingly slow pace, his eyes bored into hers. When he reached the bottom step and was nearly in front of her, she reached up, took his right hand and snapped the handcuff on him. Pulling the left hand behind his back, she completed the cuffing. He put up no resistance.
"I thought we were going to talk," he spoke quietly, his voice filled with the betrayal he felt.
"Dante Delgado, you have the right to remain silent…" She read his rights as she walked him to the awaiting squad car.
As she handed him off to two uniformed officers, Delgado looked at Olivia, his face almost sad. "I thought I could trust you. You said we would talk," his gaze intense, locking with her eyes.
"And we will…at the precinct," she spoke brusquely and watched as they placed him in the back of the police car.
Joe Mancini approached Olivia and patted her on the back, "You are a natural at this, Detective Benson. If you ever decide you want out of SVU, I'm sure NYPD could find a spot for you as a negotiator. You'd have to pick up a few courses, but it could be good move if you are ever looking for a change."
"Thanks, Joe. I'll keep that mind," she smiled and looked around for Jake and Elliot.
"That was something, Liv. I'm real proud of you," Jake grinned as threw his arm around her shoulder and gave her a sideways hug.
She put her arm around his waist and hugged him back, "Thanks, Z."
"We need to go celebrate. That new coffee house is open 24/7. What'd you say?" Jake squeezed her shoulder a couple of times.
"I say sounds great!" She laughed and leaned into him.
The fact that her new partner hugged her after knowing her just a week did not go unnoticed. By her, nor by Elliot. It had taken, what, over eight years for Elliot to hug her. And then it was because of something horrific - the car accident that nearly claimed Kathy's and their unborn child's lives. He had pulled her into a hug that almost seemed to be merely an afterthought, having run past her as she stood in the hospital corridor, covered in his son's blood from the birth. He had not even stopped to see if she was hurt; he had not even asked her if she was okay.
Elliot was incensed at how effortlessly Jake pulled Olivia into that hug even though he knew it was simply congratulatory. Jealous that she simply responded by slipping her arm around him and hugging him back, he felt the beginnings of headache. Elliot inhaled sharply through his nose and then let out the huge breath through his mouth. He took a step toward them, and they released each other.
"I'll meet you back at the precinct. You can start on your reports about what happened," Elliot told them.
Surprised at the order, Jake and Olivia whirled to look at him, shock covering their faces.
"Captain, can't it wait until morning?" Jake knew the minute the words ran past his mouth he had made mistake. The frown on Elliot's face deepened as his whole countenance darkened.
"Didn't you tell me you don't have a problem listening to orders, Zoumberis?" Elliot fixed him with a steely glare.
"El…come on. We've been on the job since seven this morning…over fifteen hours. It'll take a couple of hours to process him, and we'll all be rested and fresh in the morning…" Olivia looked him in the eyes knowing she was going to pay for this.
"I gave an order, Benson, not a suggestion," he turned and left them standing there.
Jake and Olivia traded looks, she rolled her eyes, and they headed for the car.
SVU Squad Room • Monday, August, 25th • 10:07 p.m.
Elliot watched as Jake and Olivia made their way into the squad room to settle at their desks. Jake had looked at him as they walked by, but not Olivia. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, and he knew she would not look his way. He knew her like the back of his hand, and he knew he was in for the silent treatment. He should not have insisted they come back to the precinct. They had done a good job, and it was late. If he had not heard Jake ask her out for a drink, it would never have crossed his mind. It was still stupid of him to do so because it would serve nothing in the long run. It would not keep them apart during the day nor preclude Jake asking her again when Elliot was not around.
After about thirty minutes, Jake got up and went to the file room. Elliot noticed and took this opportunity to call Olivia into his office. She turned and leveled her still angry gaze on him, but finally stood up and headed toward him.
The slight scent of her perfume wafted in the air as she brushed past him. He inhaled it and suddenly had to stifle the desire to grab her and pull her to him. Closing the door behind them he went and sat on the corner of the desk. Olivia stood staring straight ahead.
"Why don't you have a seat?" Elliot motioned to one of the chairs
"I'm good," she replied testily.
He nodded, releasing a heavy sigh. "Look, this is new territory for us…me being captain…and us having been partners for so long and so familiar with each other…but, Liv, you can't be questioning every order I give…you just…can't," his eyes held a silent plea for her to understand.
Squinting her eyes at him, she responded, "That a suggestion or an order?"
"Don't be a smart aleck, Liv," he frowned and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
Her eyes traveled his body…that red tee shirt was so tight she could see his muscles flexing beneath the material. She wanted to ask when he had found time to work out so much. And those jeans…
Forcing herself to look him in the eyes, she spoke again, "I don't question every order."
Laughter erupted from deep within, and he shook his head, "You're kidding me, right?"
"No, I'm not," she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.
"Liv, come on. I gave two orders tonight, and you bucked at both. It's one thing to disagree with me in private, but not in front of other officers and detectives. Help me out, okay?" His smile was tentative, waiting for her response.
His eyes met hers, and she felt herself wanting to just lean over and kiss him even though she was still upset with him. What is wrong with her, she wondered? He has totally messed her up. Again. She kept looking at him, thinking how it would be to feel his lips upon hers again.
She waited so long, he spoke again, "Liv, I can't do this job without your help…please."
Those cerulean blue eyes dancing over her face, silently pleading with her, coupled with that half smile of his was no match for her annoyance, irritation or anger. She felt herself giving into him as a slow smile broke across her face. Uncrossing her arms, she held her hands up in front of her in surrender.
"Okay, okay. You're right. I shouldn't have second-guessed you in front of Z or the others," she said as she took two steps toward him and whispered into his left ear. "From now on I'll be sure to take care of you in private." She turned to leave.
Nearly coming undone at her hot breath in his ear, Elliot grabbed her wrist, holding her in place close to him. Looking at his hand around her, she slowly raised her head to meet his stare. Their eyes locked, both of them intensely aware of the other and the innuendo of her last remark.
Movement in the squad room caught Elliot's eye, and he glanced out to see Jake coming back to his desk and looking into the office. Elliot released her and stood up. "Your partner's back. Make sure you don't get too cozy. You're dismissed."
Staring at him for a long moment, she finally left, shaken by the feel of his hand upon her wrist, yet newly irritated by his words. He seemed to have an innate ability for saying the wrong things and pushing her buttons with virtually no effort. It was almost as though he carefully calculated words and actions to specifically hurt her. But then he could turn around in almost the same breath and totally redeem himself and rectify the situation by more words or actions. And if he touched her, no matter how innocently, he threw her completely off guard, leaving her totally bewildered. One minute she wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and kiss him and the next, like right now, smacking him would provide her immense pleasure. Walking away, she rolled her eyes, wondering if she would ever figure out what he wanted from her.
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