My own army

by MorbidPet17

Amanda loses the only person she's ever cared about. Her sister is dead, she's convinced it wasn't just an accident but no one believes her. She finds herself going to such lengths to find who's responsible that she loses herself in the process. Will the squad be able to bring her back around or has she gone too far? Does she even care if she herself becomes a victim?

10. Days of Reckoning

I'm so so very sorry you had to wait for this. I was without Internet for 8(!) days. Talk about un-divine intervention. There was a fire in the apartment building next doors where apparently all the cabels were located, no one died though but there was an arson investigation. Interesting. But I was dying. They put up wireless Internet but since I get TV through this cable too & being a total TV junkie I had to seek shelter elsewhere. And can you believe how rude my friends are?! I had to socialize with them while crashing at their couches/guestrooms. No time to write. Gah. But I'm back on full steam now.
Love your reviews. Thank you so so very much. And about the long chapters, I've just decided to go with it and end a chapter where it feels good to do so. They'll stay long I'm afraid. This chapter has lots of dialogue, I hope it won't bore you. Okay so let's get on with the hunt for the temptress...

---

Chapter 9: Days of Reckoning

---

"What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?" (Isaiah 10:3)

---

There were a bit of chaos for the next couple of hours. Liv, Nick and Fin tried to control the crime scene after the ambulance had taken off with Frank. In any other case they would have no problem with this but since this was personal they all struggled with holding their emotions in check while being efficient.

Frank had been knocked down with a fire extinguisher, they had it in evidence and it would be scanned for fingerprints. He'd been unconscious the whole time which meant they couldn't question him but the paramedics told them his condition shouldn't be life threatening. Shouldn't wasn't sufficient enough though, he was their only eyewitness right now.

They had 43 men held on the premises, all who had planned to ogle half-naked girls all day and not be stuck sobering up in a stuffy, bright room. Added to that was 18 employees of the club – 3 bouncers, 1 bartender, 1 floor manager, 3 waitress and the rest strippers. The club was sealed off, no one came in or out except police. Jim O'Loughlin had been called in and would arrive soon with his girlfriend and floor manager Trina as company. He'd also brought his lawyer with him but they would not cause any hassle. Jim didn't even put up a fight when they told him the club would be shut down for at least another day, and it was the weekend coming up so Jim would obviously lose a lot of money.

Cragen arrived as things were still hectic at the club and he had Munch with him and they jumped in to action at get go. Liv had called Eli and he came around with a couple of detectives to help out as well. They had uniforms scanning the neighborhood but they were in need of many more eyes out there. Nick was handing out pictures of Shay Williams, they'd decided to stick with Amanda's alias for now.

As the sun set several hours later they still had nothing though. She was seen backstage by two strippers but after that nothing. Her bag and clothes were left behind and it was highly unlikely she'd walked out in the outfit she'd been last seen in.

The cameras outside the club hadn't picked up anything. Nothing suspicious was on the footage and no one inside the club had seen anything suspicious either. Numerous statements were taken and one after one the customers had been cleared to leave.

Fin had sent a CSU team to Amanda's apartment and told them to go through everything. They had another large unit at the club but there were so many fingerprints and looked unlikely they could single out an abductor. When the fire extinguisher that had hit Frank came back clean they figured gloves may be in play here.

Amanda's bag and clothes were sent to trace too. At the end of the night they had nothing that could tell them where Amanda was or if she'd even been abducted. The suspicion that Amanda might have been the one that knocked Frank over the head and then fled the scene believing she'd killed him had been raised and they all knew it was a possibility. Fin withheld though that even if this was the case there must be a reason why she'd clubbed Frank and it still left her alone and vulnerable out God knew where.

Liv and Nick had questioned Scott who'd been brought in after he'd arrived at the club. They couldn't rule anyone out at this point but Scott just seemed very unlikely to have done something. He was not smart enough both detectives could conclude. Uniforms had checked his place out and found nothing, they'd looked for his car too but found out it was at a mechanics and when that turned out to be accurate they cleared him and sent him away with a warning to not leave town. They had wanted to squeeze him a little more knowing he'd pimped Amanda out but right now they just didn't have time for that.

Liv had seen Frank's black SVU drive into the alley beside the staff entrance about ten minutes before chaos erupted. She'd texted Nick but he didn't get a chance to see it before Fin called. No one knew why Frank was there and everyone kept saying he was one of the bouncers which the detectives knew were false. And if they lied about that they might just be lying about something, hell everything else. They needed to talk to Frank and finally they got word he was conscious.

They'd put a guard on Frank the minute he got to the hospital and now Cragen rode over with Fin and Liv while Nick and Munch stayed at the station to scramble through what little evidence they had.

They ran into some trouble at the hospital as a doctor refused them access to Frank. Apparently some previous head injury was adding to the most recent one and there was a risk of complications. Once Cragen had stepped in and threaten with some made up repercussions if the hospital helped get a detective of the NYPD killed they were allowed to see the patient though. Cragen introduced them all when they entered and Frank sat up a little in his sick bed. Something told them he wasn't so happy to see them there.

"Francis Kelly, we know who you are and who you work for. Did you arrive on your own to Bare Assets earlier today?" Fin asked and Frank nodded seeming like he had no trouble moving his head at least.
"Your boss Gordon Goodwin wasn't with you?" Liv asked to make sure and Frank shook his head. She knew they would probably have to test his honesty.
"Why were you there?" Fin asked. Frank cleared his throat.
"I was just checking in," he said with a straight face.
"Checking in? On what or whom?" Liv asked.
"Just how business were going."
"Your boss Gordon sent you?" Fin asked and felt Frank stare him down as he thought about how to answer that.
"Do I need a lawyer?" he asked.
"If you like but we haven't arrested you yet, if you don't answer our questions we'll have to though," Liv said. Frank seemed to give it some thought. Fin was already squirming out of his skin feeling the stress of his missing partner and he jumped in;

"We know Gordon has interests in the club, just tell us he sent you so we can move on."
"He did," Frank decided to ask.
"And where is he now?" Liv asked.
"He's my boss, I'm not his, I don't know."
"So no clue? We know he's not at his home, we've already made sure of that, there's an arrest warrant out," Fin said, he lied. There weren't an arrest warrant out, at least not yet but they had talked about it.
"He has a summer house in New Hampshire, usually I know when he's supposed to go there though," Frank said and showed some signs of cooperation. Or perhaps he was just playing it smart.
"Who knocked you out?"
"Aren't you supposed to find that out?" Frank asked.
"Yes and that's why we're asking you," Fin said with a voice that let Frank knew he wasn't in the mood to play around.
"I don't know."
"You didn't see who knocked you out?" Liv asked and Frank shook his head slowly.
"What did you see?" Liv asked.
"Is she missing?" Frank asked instead looking at Liv.
"Who?" she asked.
"Shay."
"What do you know?"

Frank sighed and rearranged himself a little. Fin was just about to start yelling at him to tell them when Frank opened his mouth.
"I know someone had knocked her out, or perhaps drugged her."
"Backstage?" Liv asked and he nodded.
"Tell us everything," Liv asked, or more so begged.
"I was on the phone when I stepped inside the club so I hung around by the door until I was able to hang up. I thought I heard something further in, I hadn't seen any girls in there so I decided to check it out. It looked empty when I got there, not unusual, at that time and day usually all girls are on the floor. When I turned to go out there I saw her though. She was slumped over beside this cloth rack. I stepped over to check on her and that's when I got hit in the head from behind."

"Did you hear or see anything of your attacker?" Frank shook his head at Liv's question.
"I was sloppy, didn't clear the room properly."
"Was she dead or unconscious?" Fin asked fearing what answer he'd get.
"Unconscious is my guess."
"Did it look like she'd been hit over the head too?" Liv asked. Frank took a second.
"No. I would say drugged. Someone put something over her mouth."
"How do you know?" Liv asked curiously.
"She must have just applied lipstick. It was messed up. Lines going to the left side, I would say my attacker, her abductor is left handed." Liv felt a touch of gratefulness towards him in the middle of the chaos that was stirring on her inside.

"Have you seen anyone around her? Stalking her?"
"No." Liv thought he answered a little too fast but Fin jumped in and she wasn't able to follow up.
"How well do you know Shay?" he asked.
"Not well at all."
"But you've talked to her surely?"
"Once or twice."
"What business do you have with her?"
"I have none," Frank said simply.
"What business does your boss have with her?" Fin said with a touch for irritation to his voice.
"You have to ask him."
"Surely you know," Fin said and took a step closer to the bed.
"Surely I know that my job is to keep him safe and to drive him where he has to go," Frank answered calmly.
"We know she worked for Prestige. What else did she do for Gordon?" Fin said.
"You have to ask him."
"And where is he?"
"I still don't know."
"But if your job is to drive him, shouldn't you know his schedule?" Liv challenged.
"I'm on call 24 hours a day, he calls, I'm there."
"When was the last time you saw him?" Cragen suddenly stepped in.
"I drove him this morning to a breakfast meeting."
"Where?" Frank took a second but then gave them the location of the restaurant.
"Who was he meeting?"
"I don't know," Frank said but they all figured that was bullshit.
"And you weren't picking him up?"
"No, he told me to check in on the club."
"So not Shay in particular? Just the club?" Liv asked to clarify and Frank nodded.
"Would Gordon have a reason to abduct Shay?" Liv asked and watched Frank's eyes narrow.
"No," he said slowly.
"So not a special interest in her then?" Frank shook his head slowly.
"Do you have a special interest in her?" Fin asked. Frank turned his eyes over at him.
"No."
"Are you sure? Not tempted to get a little fun for free? What would it hurt to get some from one of Gordon's girls?"
"No." Frank kept his voice low and under control but his mouth got a little strained and Liv took it as a sign he didn't like the indication.
"So you've never been with her?"
"Been with?" Frank forced Fin to say it out loud.
"Ever screwed her?"
"No."
"Not even a lap dance?"
"No."
"Would you have wanted a lap dance?"
"No," Frank answered after a slight hesitation. Of course Fin caught it.
"I bet you did but you can't touch Gordon's girls perhaps? Their off limits right?" Frank just turned his eyes towards Liv instead.
"You said your job is to keep Gordon safe. So does that mean you'd lie for him?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Are you lying right now?"
"I have no reason to lie. I was knocked unconscious when I got in-between a crime in progress. You're wasting your time here detectives." Liv feared he might be right. They left the hospital a little later. Frank would be kept overnight and then be brought in to the station for further questioning. His phone was in possession of the NYPD and they were monitoring any incoming calls from mr Goodwin.

Back at the station they sat down with the little they had. Two strippers had seen her backstage, nothing out of the ordinary. Frank arrived and found her knocked out, definitely out of the ordinary and he'd then been bludgeoned down. They had no fingerprints on the weapon and none usable around the two areas where Amanda had been seen last. They knew Amanda wasn't at the club, every inch had been searched and Jim had been helpful letting them into every storage room and any other locked room. But the cameras showed no action either on the street or in the alley. No bag big enough to carry Amanda had left the club. So one of their bigger problems to solve right now was how Amanda had been removed from the club.

As they expanded the search area to the clubs exterior a uniform found something that would during the night give them the answer. Wall to wall with the club stood an abandoned warehouse. While searching it they found a well hidden door that at some point had connected the two buildings. It had been sealed from the club's side but left unattended in the warehouse. It seemed someone had broken that seal though, giving that someone a way in and out of the club without anyone taking notice of it. As the crime scene unit went through the warehouse they found a couple of hairs. Unfortunately all synthetic but they were long and blonde and no one at this point questioned that they had to be Amanda's.

They found a couple of shoeprints too, different shoes but all size 11. They figured they might be from one and the same guy but different days, maybe even weeks on some prints. Still no fingerprints but they found tire marks outside the warehouse and decided to check every car that had rolled by Assets Thursday morning.

As morning came they had still not gotten any closer to finding her or who took her. Every single little evidence they hoped they had down in tech came back with negative result.

Every belonging in Amanda's apartment had been hauled in and/or examined. They'd found a few odd items in her trunk. What looked like some surveillance equipment and some other technical devices but nothing was found on them. They'd found nothing but Amanda's DNA on the couch while the bed had been a whole other matter. It was filled with DNA – semen, urine and blood. They found two sheets in a plastic bag, it had Amanda's DNA on them and also semen from an unknown male.

They brought Scott back in and after having worked him over for a while he finally agreed to let them swab him so they could compare the DNA to his. He would turn out not to be the donor of the semen on the sheets though.

Fin had told them to search everything in her apartment. Air vents, every lose plank, every secret department, inside the mattress. He seriously meant everywhere since he knew how brilliant Amanda was. They'd come out with nothing but found a lose plank in the kitchen that had a small compartment within and judging by the dust particles something in a square format had recently laid there.

Twenty hours after her abduction they got the first good lead. A car that had been reported stolen during the night was one of the cars that had been seen passing the club Thursday morning. The owner of the car had last seen it Wednesday early morning as he left for a business trip. When he arrived back late Thursday he noticed it was gone. Since it was the best lead they had they circled in on that car. Judging by the footage there was a single male driver but identifying him by the footage was impossible. No sign of Amanda. The car would be found in a parking lot in Brooklyn that served both a mall and a business center. The canine unit flagged Amanda's scent in the trunk and CSU would later find evidence she had been in that very trunk. The entire car was traced for fingerprints but the steering wheel and trunk door was wiped clean. Somehow the entire camera system in the parking lot was out of order and had been for at least a week so they had no idea which car she'd been loaded into next.

NYPD went through the entire business center and its co-joined hotel. They had already figured she wasn't in there though. The canine had signaled to a different parking slot and then traced down to the street where the dog unfortunately lost track. During the day they'd get footage from the nearest street camera and got on the job off trying to locate every car that passed after 1 pm.

No one stopped though. Stopping meant having time to think about where she was and what the person who had her was doing to her right now. Stopping meant fatigue might creep in and they had no time for sleep right now.

Twenty-two hours missing Cassidy called Liv. She'd reached out last night asking him to try and give this Dungeon and Colby another try since he hadn't found anything when she'd first called this past weekend. She'd told him Amanda was missing and he promised to give it another go. And he came through. He'd found a place called Chambers, it was located in Manhattan, that went by Dungeon between some girls. Liv asked why she'd never heard of it and Cassidy countered that New York had more sex clubs than Starbucks, some popped up for a weekend or two, some of the good ones had been hidden years. Cassidy wasn't sure how long this one had been around and he didn't have an address yet. When Liv had sighed thinking they were still nowhere closer he told her to relax, he had something even better, he had Colby's last name.

Cragen fixed a warrant for his arrest as Fin and Nick headed out to his place. There was a rather uneventful arrest. Colby was still asleep when they busted in. Fin took the chance to rough him up a little knowing he had a part in how Amanda had looked when he found her at his place a week ago. They let Colby get some pants on and then they drove him in to the station.

Normally they would let him sweat it out a bit but they were very eager to get him talking and Cragen sent Fin and Liv in. Liv had his file, he had paid many visits to different police stations and spent some time behind bars for drug and assault charges.

"So you know why you're here?" Liv asked as she'd taken a seat across from him. Fin remained standing for now. Colby shook his head. Liv put Amanda's photo in front of him and he obviously recognized her. Liv stared him down and he got antsier by the second.
"I didn't do anything to her," he finally said. Liv had just waited for him to burst.
"What didn't you do to her?" Liv asked.
"Whatever she says I did, I didn't," Colby said and got up out of his chair.
"Sit your ass down," Fin said as he charged him. Colby was back in his seat before Fin reached him.
"What didn't you do Colby?" Liv asked while Fin remained standing in a hostile pose right beside the rattled man.
"I didn't attack her. It wasn't me," Colby swallowed hard and flinched when Fin put his fist down hard on the table in front of him.

"You made her take a fucking shower you piece of trash. You stood there and watched her take a shower, made sure any evidence of her rape was gone, you son of a bitch," Fin was right in his face and Liv got nervous he would explode any second. Eli had filled them in on exactly everything Amanda had told him that night at Fin's place. Now that she was missing he felt it was necessary for full disclosure. She hadn't said she was raped but every indication was there. She'd probably slipped when she told him Colby had made her scrub down and get rid of evidence. Eli was behind the glass as they interrogated Colby now and he could tell the captain was getting nervous by his side.

"I didn't…" Colby started but Fin got his hands on his throat and dragged him with him backwards before he could get another sound out. Liv rushed up as Colby's chair hit the floor. She reached Fin as Nick, Cragen and Eli rushed in through the door. Cragen didn't yell, didn't argue but calmly hinted, once Nick and Liv had gotten Fin to let go of Colby's neck, that Fin should step outside. He told Nick to remain.

"Okay," Liv said as the three of them were seated, "it's personal to detective Tutuola which means it's personal to us too."
"Where is she?" Liv asked and pointed to the photo of Amanda. Colby looked confused. Liv had already more or less ruled him out as Amanda's kidnapper. He was worried about another crime, not kidnapping.
"What do you mean?" Colby asked when Liv just waited him out.
"I'm asking you where she is," Liv explained.
"Like today? I don't know. I promise. I dropped her off Friday and then I haven't seen her."
"Where did you drop her off?"
"Just a street in Manhattan. I offered to take her home or to the strip joint but…" Nick snorted and shook his head.
"You offered her a ride after you had her raped," he said with an accusing tone.
"I didn't rape her okay?" Colby said, putting emphasis on it.
"But you know she was raped?" Nick asked. Colby sat back a little.
"Can you really rape a prostitute though?" he mumbled. Nick slammed his palm into the table and Liv was glad he did because she could've punched Colby if the sound hadn't jolted her back.
"She wasn't a prostitute you…" Nick was halfway out of his chair but Liv put her hand on his arm and got him to sit back down. She wanted to churn this guy just as much but they had to work with him to get the information they so desperately needed.
"So you're claiming you haven't seen her since Friday?" Liv asked and Colby said yeah.
"She hasn't worked this Chambers or Dungeons or whatever you call it since Friday?" Colby shook his head.
"And what work was she supposed to do Friday? Cause I don't think she knew she was going to get raped right?"
"It was just a regular booking. I was told to get her."
"Her specifically?" Liv asked and when she got it acknowledged she told him to go on.
"So I picked her up, placed her in the room and that's all I did. She was booked for two hours and when I came back she was… rather banged up."
"Banged up? How?" Liv asked dreading the answer. Colby shot Nick a scared look probably fearing the answer would get him steaming again.
"How?" Liv asked with a more stern voice.
"She was well, strapped to this table. She had a gag on. No clothes really and… just banged up."
"Banged up," Liv repeated quietly as she took a deep breath.
"And does that happen often at Chambers? Girls getting banged up or let's call it what it really is; raped?"
"It is a popular fantasy, it's often on demand…"
"On demand?" Nick repeated and shook his head.
"But the girls are in on it, they've signed a paper. Most actually like it."
"But this girl," Liv pointed to the photo, "hadn't signed up for it right?"
"I guess not but I didn't know."
"So then you gave her the option to report it right? Cause you weren't stupid enough to tell her to take a shower right?"
"I just offered her to take a shower okay. It was for her own best."
"Her own best?" Liv countered quickly with fury in her voice.
"Just move on you know. These guys, you shouldn't play with them."
"These guys? The owners?" Liv asked and Colby nodded.
"Gordon Goodwin being one of them?" Liv asked and she could see Colby go even paler when she mentioned Gordon's name.
"Did Gordon pay her much attention when she was at Chambers?" Liv asked but Colby just looked at her and it seemed like he was trying to figure out what was going on.
"C'mon Colby, did Gordon like this girl?" Liv pointed to the photo again.
"Like? She was one of his," Colby shook his head a little.
"She was one of his girls okay but did he have her raped?" Liv asked and Colby shook his head a little but more in a unintelligible way.
"If not Gordon than whom?" Liv asked. They had to ask a few more times in different ways but Colby just looked confused.
"Colby, this girl is missing. If she turns up dead we'll come after you with everything we got, don't doubt that," Liv said and leaned in making sure he knew how serious she was.
"Look lady, what you got is nothing against what these guys have. I want a lawyer."
"Give us the address," Liv asked.
"Lawyer," Colby repeated. And with that it was over.

"Maybe a lawyer will convince him it's in his best interest to work with us?" Cragen suggested as they stepped out.
"Where's…" Nick asked and just gestured a little to Cragen's side seeing how he was alone. Both Fin and Eli was missing.
"TARU, ehm George came up. They'd found something on Amanda's phone, some message with info, they went to check it out," Cragen informed them.

George had looked them up just a few minutes earlier. He took another look at Amanda's phone and found a message that was waiting in the outbox, written a couple of days earlier but scheduled to be sent in about 48h after she went missing. He'd said something about ROT1 and it being a simpler version of the Cesar shift and very common for children to use. Cragen had no idea what he was talking about and neither Fin nor Eli seemed to have used that code as kids. Cragen asked George to just jump ahead and then they'd been told that Fin would have received a message from Amanda, both on his phone and to his e-mail, that simply read "ask sierra for backpack".

Since Fin knew the name Sierra he got very eager and wanted to head over to her place straight away. Eli asked if he could tag along and Cragen said it was a good idea.

Twenty minutes later Fin and Eli entered Sierra's building. They were coming up on the 24 hour mark for Amanda's abduction and no one really wanted to think about what she was going through right now, all focus were on finding her. Fin slammed his fist into Sierra's door. He already knew he would break the door down if she wasn't opening or if she wasn't home. But soon they heard the door getting unlocked form the inside.

"What the…" Sierra gasped a little as she spotted who it was that had woken her up with the rude banging.
"So you know Shay is missing?" Fin didn't wait for her to acknowledge it, "she left a backpack with you?"
"For all I know you could be the one that took her you creep," Sierra said with a raspy voice and tried to shut the door. Fin's foot was in the way though.
"I didn't, all I want to do is find her," Fin said and there was no doubt he meant it.
"Are you her fucking sugar daddy or what?"
"I'm a friend."
"Girls like us don't have male friends," Sierra said and crossed her arms in front of her instead of holding on to the door.
"Well she does, did she leave a backpack with you?"

"And who's he by the way?" she asked and cocked her head towards Eli. Eli pulled his jacket a little and flashed the badge that was clipped to his shirt.
"Shite," Sierra gasped a little stunned she hadn't been able to make them earlier. She could usually spot a cop miles away.
"C'mon Sierra. She's been missing 24 hours, we need to get to her. Backpack?" Fin urged. Sierra's arms had fallen down to either side and she finally gestured them inside.
"She gave it to me last week, I promised her I wouldn't look inside it though so I haven't," Sierra said as she took Fin further in. She grabbed a plain black backpack from a corner in her living room and handed it to Fin. He immediately got it open and then went over to the table so he could get a better look by hauling some stuff out.
"Her sketchbook, I've seen it before. There's more than one now though," Fin said out loud aimed a little at Eli.
"And an Ipad. This could be brilliant," Fin said and felt some hope brewing in his gut.
"Let's get it to tech," Eli said and Fin grabbed everything in his arms and headed towards the door.
"Will you let me know…" Sierra shouted after them as they seemed to be leaving without saying goodbye.
"I will," Fin shouted back, "thanks for this."

Fin let Eli drive back to the station so he could look through the sketch books. He recognized the one he'd seen in her motel room but now every page was numbered and some had business cards and stuff attached to the sketches.

"This is really good," Fin said out loud hoping her abductor would be in there and also feeling some joy in the middle of all this terrible since he now got evidence she had in fact been running her own investigation. Fin tried to get the Ipad open but realized he wouldn't be able to crack the code. He took another look at the sketchbook instead and found Gordon's ugly mug. Fin showed it to Eli and he looked impressed with her drawing technique.

"Pretty damn good portrait right?" Fin said feeling proud about his partner but then his face dropped as he realized something was attached to the back of Gordon's portrait. When he turned the sketch over he found another drawing attached with a hairpin. It was a large drawing of what looked to be a back tattoo of a large cross. It was the words written at the bottom though that got Fin's blood to freeze. 'RAPIST' in bold, jagged letters. He could feel something was attached between the two drawings and found three small zip bags taped to the paper. One of them clearly held a tiny brown bottle but the other two looked empty for an untrained eye. For Fin though it turned his stomach.

"We need to get these to trace," he mumbled even though he wasn't sure if Eli had picked up on what he was looking at.

Fin took off before Eli even had time to park and then Eli had to run to catch up to him.

"Look at this," Fin said as he walked in to Cragen's office where he'd spotted the rest of his squad. He got the sketchbook up on their captain's desk and he flipped through some pages quickly so the others could get a look at what it contained. They'd seen some of the drawings before but not the added information on each page. Fin stopped at Gordon's portrait and let it stay unfolded as he got the other sketchbook and Ipad up.

"We need to get this to George," Fin said and hinted to the Ipad.
"And this to trace," he said and made them aware of the bags behind Gordon's portrait.
"There might be more," Nick said and tried to flip through another couple of pages.
"Liv take the Ipad down," Cragen said and she took off immediately.

"We should get the sketches up," Nick suggested.
"Use my walls," Cragen said and then with the help of Eli started to empty his walls. Nick and Fin carefully started to tear the pages out. Starting from one and so on they taped up the sketches. Nick said they needed evidence bags as he ran upon a tiny plastic bag behind one of the earlier sketches. Cragen hurried outside and came back with a large pile of evidence bags. Nick put the bag down in the bigger bag and labeled it with the same number as the sketch had.

"Don't misplace a single one," Fin said even if it was unnecessary, he was just so worried a single mistake could mean they wouldn't find his partner.

Liv soon came back, a bit out of breath since she'd taken the stairs back up, only to find Nick and Fin whirling around the room with sketches as Cragen and Eli seemed standing a bit unengaged in the middle of it all.

"Did you find anything?" Fin still had time to ask though.
"George asked to be left alone, he said he worked better that way and he'd be up asap," Liv informed him. Fin sighed loudly, asap wasn't fast enough right now.
"So no names on the sketches?" Liv more or less stated taking a closer look at the first couple of portraits.

"These last ones seem to have," Nick informed her and she went over to have a look. There was a lot more information scribbled right down on the pages in this last sketchbook. Liv jumped in and helped Nick tear the papers out so Nick could tape them up. They had started on a second row now. Liv froze as she was about to tear one of the very last ones out. It was just a shape of a face and then the eyes but Amanda had obviously paid a lot of attention to the eyes. And on the very bottom of the page, right beside the number, was a bold exclamation mark drawn.

"Has she done this on any of the others?" Liv asked loudly and got Fin to look over too.
"Yes," he said and gestured to one of the walls, "Gordon's and that guy and…" he had to spin almost an entire turn as he looked for the other one he'd seen, "that one," he said once he found it.
"And this one," Nick said as he'd walked over to one of the ones he'd put up. "And that one has one that's been crossed over."
"This one too," Eli said and made them look over towards him as he pointed to a sketch.
"We should check out those with exclamations first," Liv suggested. They already had an arrest warrant out on Gordon.

Once every sketch was up they all went around on their own and had a look at each sketch almost like they were visitors at an art exhibition. Nick hurried next doors after a while and came pack with the few photos he'd snapped inside the club. He handed some off to the others and they tried to find any one on the sketches in the photos as well. It was hard though and once they got nowhere Fin growled loudly and said out loud they were wasting valuable time. Watching the sketches had meant slowing down and the fatigue was able to catch up with them.

Only Cragen had been in the bunks for a while, he'd felt forced to lie down for a few hours and no one had blamed him. They were all starting to feel the lack of sleep though. Exhaustion brought with it a lack to keep emotions bottled up for both Fin and Nick while it had the opposite effect on Liv, she bottled up instead. What was happening to Amanda this very moment? The question was close to unbearable since they'd all read the Mayhem's file. Days of torture and then death by choking. Liv had to excuse herself but it didn't get better once she reached the bathroom. She allowed herself to break down for a bit and let her tears fall where she sat inside the stall. She managed to collect herself when she heard a knock and then Nick call out for her.

"Yeah?" she answered after she'd cleared her throat.
"You okay?" she heard her partner's worried voice.
"Yeah just give me a minute," she asked as she took a deep breath.
"Sure. We sent out for food. George wanted some more time with the Ipad, sounds like he has stuff though. Captain said he wanted us to sit down for a bit," Nick went silent and there was a pause.
"Okay?" Liv said a little cautious.
"I'll be in the bunks for a bit but just come get me if you need to… talk or something," Nick sounded a bit coy.
"Sure," Liv said and then quickly added, "thanks Nick." She waited to see if he would say anything more but then she heard the door shut finally.

For the next hour the squad room felt like it had fallen into a bit of lethargy, at least for the SVU squad. Fin had refused to just sit idle though and was in the interview room next to Cragen's office going through the Mayhem case file which seemed like just a self harming task to do right now. Getting reminded of what he did to his victims wasn't the thing Liv needed at least. She had a seat in the captain's couch. Nick was still in the bunks and Cragen and Eli had stepped out for a bit. She let her eyes go around the room. All those faces. All of them threatening, to only pick one or a few to zero in on felt close to impossible but how could they get to all of them without their names and in time to save Amanda? No they would have to try and focus on the ones Amanda herself had found suspicious. Liv's eyes fell on the one drawing with just the eyes, it was one of the very last ones and it had the exclamation mark drawn on it. Those eyes followed her to sleep as she started to drift off and they lingered there until she got abruptly waken less than an hour later.

She wasn't sure what happen or what exactly woke her but suddenly the room was buzzing as George had arrived back up with his arms filled with papers. Everyone had gathered again and watched as George started to divide his papers into different piles, he was talking meanwhile.

"Okay so the Ipad is a gold mine. These are," he said and handed Fin a rather large pile of papers, "the intel that goes with the sketches. I put each number on different paper so it would be easier to divide and concur." George pointed to the sketches on the walls.

"She had names on some of them but far from all of them. Some you'll be able to rule out straight away though judging by her notes. This," George handed Cragen a pile, "is the addresses of some places you should most definitely look into." Fin immediately stepped over so he could have a look over his captain's shoulder. Fin got his hand out between two papers as Cragen were going through them.

"Dungeon," he breathed hard.
"Let's raid it," Fin said immediately and sounded like he was ready to head out the door. Cragen shot a look at the clock though.
"We need SWAT. Let's just go through what you got first," Cragen told George and he kept talking.

"This," he put out another pile of papers, "is a home in Purchase where there's some funny business going on. Gordon Goodwin again the host, he's not the only host at that Dungeon place though," George chipped in.

"And this," George eyes got a slight spark to them as he put his hand on another pile of papers on the desk, "is the contents of Gordon Goodwin's entire phone. You have guest lists, some with more than 300 names, contacts, names of politicians and other powerful people in this city, his calendar is in code which I haven't been able to crack yet."

"How was she able to get all that?" Nick asked a bit astonished.
"Perhaps same time as she got that?" Fin said though and pointed to the sketch of Gordon and his back tattoo.
"Well you can bring him down with what's in here," George said.
"If we can catch him," Fin mumbled.

"This is another few addresses and names," George said, "I'm not sure how they connect to everything though." Liv flipped through the pages quickly as George put his hand on the very last pile.

"This is her profile of the Mayhem choker," he said and Liv's attention quickly turned to this new pile as did the other's, "It's more, more extensive I mean, than the one you already have. And she also writes a lot about Dante's inferno."
"Dante Alighieri's?" Nick asked and George nodded.
"I'd say she's on to something but I'm not an expert on that," George took a deep breath and Cragen took it as his queue.

"Okay plan of action?" he asked.
"Dungeon," Fin said.
"The sketches with exclamation marks," Liv said.
"Okay, I'll call in SWAT while you guys go through the notes to each sketch," Cragen said and headed next door with his phone in his hand.

The team got going and Amanda had left them with at least twenty complete names and just as many partial that had enough information about their jobs and other things that would make it rather easy to identify them. That still left them with about thirty nameless faces and most exclamation marks were among these sketches.

George went back down to help out with all the additional evidence that Fin had brought in with the sketch pads. Cragen came back in and told them a SWAT leader was heading their way.

Liv and Eli was busy taping up papers next to the sketches, Fin was planted by the end of the desk going through a pile of paper while Cragen found Nick at his desk in front of the computer.

"Found anything?" Cragen asked him as he had a look over his shoulder.
"I'm trying to find some of Gordon's associates," Nick told him.
"How did you find them?"
"E-mails from Gordon's phone. There's just so many to rule out though," Nick sighed.
"One at the time and we'll find her," Cragen said and put a hand on his detective's shoulder.

"Hey cap we need to send another unit back to her building," Fin said and Cragen looked over. Fin held up a paper.
"Gordon's using a downstairs apartment as a brothel and he has other girls set up in the building."
"Okay, we'll coordinate a raid with SWAT. We have to check out that house in Purchase too," Cragen said.
"That house seems to be used on Mondays only though," Fin pointed out.
"But what if she's held there?" Cragen said and Fin just gave him a nod. Finding Amanda was more important than shutting down shady businesses right now. Finding Amanda was more important than anything right now.

Munch came walking in and his eyes got a size bigger as he had a look around the room. He'd been posted over at the club since yesterday and also been in charge of trying to track the car that took Amanda from the parking lot after the swop.

"Where did this come from?" he asked since he hadn't been briefed for a couple of hours.
"Amanda left this for us," Liv informed him.
"Good girl," Munch said quietly, he'd never believed anything else than that she was working her own operation.

"You got something?" Cragen asked and Munch stepped over to the desk.
"We've left the club. As for the cars we're down to five untraced now, and we're still looking for two owners uncounted for."
"Possible abductors?" Cragen asked but Munch's face told him they were not.
"One is just out of his teens and according to his mom he's recently lost his phone and broke up with his girlfriend who's place he'd been staying at. Unlikely suspect but we're searching his friend's places for him and his mom is being very helpful. The second one is a Dan Matthews, a divorced father of two and unemployed. According to his ex-wife he's been known to visit stripclubs, she refers to him as a looser and a drunk but she also admits he's been trying to shape up his act as of late."
"You have a photo of him?" Liv asked and Munch got one up from the folder he was holding on to. Liv held it up and started to compare it with the unnamed sketches they had.

Fin's phone had rung as Munch was talking and when he hung up he informed them Frank was being released from hospital and Fin had told the uniforms watching him to bring him into the station. He was the last one who'd seen Amanda and he spent every day with Gordon. He would simply not fall out of their grasp right now.

"What did Jim tell you about Mondays at Assets?" Fin asked Munch.
"It's used to shot porno flicks," Munch let him know.
"Jim?" Munch shook his head at Fin's suggestion.
"Safer bet would be Gordon but all Jim said it's rented to a company named Golden Roses," Munch got another paper out of his folder, "this is what I could find about it." Nick let him know he wanted to see it and then he sat back down punching in keys into the computer.
"What's your hunch on Jim?" Fin asked trusting his old partner's intuitions.
"I'd say we can trust him. He's obviously holding some things back but I think it's more to cover for Gordon and if it was information that could help us find Amanda he'd give it up."
"But what if it's Gordon that's got her? Is he helping us find him?"
"Yeah, he gave the addresses, the ones we already have but he gave us them and his phone number."
"And still nothing on the trace of his phone?" Fin turned to Cragen and he shook his head.
"It's been off the entire time." Fin sighed and then he just turned and walked out. Cragen and Liv exchanged looks wondering if someone should go after him.
"I'll go," Munch said even though he hadn't been involved in the glances thrown around the room.

"Okay, so Golden Roses," Nick said and caught the rest's attention, "I found the name Liev Griffin who just happens to be, okay stay with me, Gordon's brother's ex-wife's new father-in-law, and who just happens to be dead since five years back."
"So another one of Gordon's businesses," Liv just stated and Nick nodded.

Two hours later they had no new leads but they were set up to strike Chambers within the hour and at the same time raid apartment number 123 in Amanda's building. Fin had been back for the briefing with SWAT but then Cragen had ordered him to the bunks to catch at least an hour of sleep. He'd been reluctant but Cragen said it was the only way he'd allow him to tag along to the Chambers raid.

Meanwhile Liv and Nick had tried a second round with Frank who was now at the station. He gave the exact same statements regarding how he found Amanda and why he was at the club in the first place. They tried to squeeze him about Chambers and apartment 123 but he played it like he'd never heard of those places before. He was really good at keeping a straight face when it came to covering for Gordon and his businesses but they found him failing to keep it up when asked more probing questions about Amanda and his encounters with her. Liv wasn't sure if it was just a case of a slight, secret crush or if he in fact had done something to her that he was embarrassed about. In the end she had to leave without finding out.

Colby was still waiting for his public defender and Cragen put in a call asking what was taking such a darn long time. They were hoping a PD would talk some sense into Colby but for that to happen he or she had to get there ass over there.

Cragen, Liv, Nick and Fin all went to the Chambers site while Munch went to oversee the apartment raid. Fin was frustrated that he couldn't go down with SWAT with the first wave. Cragen just felt it was too risky, his squad was mostly working on steam and adrenaline right now and that state was not a good one when it came to such a risky operation. Cragen could tell the SWAT leader was focused since they didn't have a good blueprint of what was downstairs. All they had were three known entrances and they would be breached at the exact same time.

The SVU squad was listening in as the raid was initialized. By now they were all used to how efficient and structured SWAT operated but when it came to this particular operation nothing but 'we found her' could calm them. At exactly 9 pm that Friday night SWAT stormed both Chambers and apartment 123.

The raid of the apartment would go rather swiftly. They would apprehend three males and two females along with a rather hefty sum of money seeing how Gordon or Frank hadn't been around to collect since Wednesday. They also found a supply of drugs. Of course the apartment wasn't traced back to Gordon but the number the males had called linked back to him so it was at least something for when they finally had him in custody. The females would be arrested for soliciting and in the end rat Gordon out. Munch sought to it that the other girls in the house that Amanda had named and listed with apartment number got brought in as well.

If the apartment raid had got smooth the Chambers would prove a little more troublesome. After several minutes, it took SWAT a long time just to securely get down the flight of stairs, a shot was heard. One of the teams called in that they'd been fired at but the shooter was apprehended and they would proceed. It would cause some chaos though as some guests picked up on the fired shot and attempted to flee. The team that covered the guest's entrance got back-up by the ground team and the fleeing guests were apprehended. It took over an hour for the entire raid to finalize, there were just so many rooms and it seemed as the so-called performers were locked inside their assigned rooms.

56 people were brought up in zip ties and transported into 1-6. It would take a while before everything was straightened up on their identities and what exactly their business had been down there. 19 of them were rather obvious what business they were in, their costumes gave them away. Twelve female sex workers and seven male that would contribute to a somewhat exotic look down in lock-ups at 1-6 that night. They had four other employees and the rest were customers.

Once Chambers were secured and people were escorted out Fin and the rest got to go down. They'd known there was only a very slim chance she could be down there but they were all feeling extremely disappointed that not even Gordon had gotten apprehended. They quickly went through the place guided by the SWAT leader. Every room they passed filled Fin with more and more disgust and the thought of Amanda being raped in one of these rooms finally got the best of him and he rushed back up to get air. The rest continued for a while but when they came to a room that looked like a little girl's room they all figured they'd seen enough and went back up only to find Fin had caught a ride back to the station already.

Once they were all back they learnt Fin was in with Colby and his lawyer and they all rushed down the hall to the interrogation room to make sure Fin wasn't up to something stupid. They found Fin shouting inside when they managed to reach the window but even though he was in a threatening stance he was still on his side of the table.

"So we raided Chambers. It's off the market as off tonight. We raided another one of Gordon Goodwin's brothels as well. Gordon is a goner. Which means you are too Colby. The one thing that can help you now Colby is if you got something that can help us find this girl," Fin pointed to Amanda's photo on the table between them.
"I have absolutely nothing to do with her gone missing," Colby desperately pleaded even though his lawyer tried to quiet him down.
"The rape has something to do with it though so give us something useful," Fin shouted back. Colby seemed to think it over and when he leaned over to whisper something to his lawyer they knew he had something. Fin waited impatiently and finally just urged him to start talking.

"So you can promise my client a plea if he gives you something?" the lawyer asked.
"I can promise you we will toss him from the roof if Shay Williams turns up dead," Fin answered and Cragen cringed on the other side of the glass just hoping this wasn't a good lawyer. Judging by the sloppy applied tie and the ill-fitted suit he wasn't though.

"I promise I had nothing to do with the rape, I did not know that was going to happen," Colby close to cried.
"But someone did?" Fin suggested and Colby nodded.
"Who?"
"This other guy I work with, Damien," Colby said quietly.
"Damien what?" Fin asked.

"We have a Damien down in lock-up," Nick said outside the window.
"Damien Dugan," Colby said and Cragen immediately turned to Nick who gave him a nod.
"Get him up here," Cragen said and Nick took off. Fin walked outside and got a bit taken a back that he had company outside.
"Good work," Cragen said though and then Liv filled Fin in on the fact they had Damien downstairs. Fin said he wanted a stab at the guy but Cragen said Liv and Nick would handle it.

It didn't take long until Cragen and Fin stood outside another window looking in at a skittish Damien on one side of the table and Liv and Nick on the opposite side.

"So Damien, you're in a bit of a tight spot here I gotta tell you," Liv started and shot him a serious look. Damien hadn't said anything so far but his entire expression told them he was nervous. He had trouble sitting still, his eyes had that deer-in-headlights look and he had a slight coat of sweat on his upper lip as well as on a few spots around his clean cut scalp.

"We caught you red handed running an illegal sex club but if that wasn't bad enough," Liv said and then pulled out a photo that she placed in front of him. Damien's reluctance to let his eyes linger on the photo told them the eyes staring back at him made him uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortable than looking at the two detectives which told them a whole lot.

"You know her right?" Liv asked but Damien shook his head a little too soon.
"No?" Liv asked acting surprised.

"Perhaps you weren't focusing so much on her face when you were busy raping her?" Liv's voice darken by the end of that sentence. Damien's breath got even more strained but he still didn't say anything. They would need him to talk though, they were still just assuming he was the rapist. That Damien was the man behind the mask. He fit the height and weight Amanda had estimated and they had one thing that would surely tell them if he was the rapist or not and finally Nick had enough of Damien's silence. He got up, around the table and as Damien's hand went up to protect his face from a blow Nick reached down to pull up his shirt. Since Damien had his side towards Liv she, as well as the people outside the window, could see the dragon tattoo snaking its way up Damien's side.

Nick huffed and couldn't help but shove Damien a little as he let his tee go. Liv pulled out another photo, this one of Amanda's drawing of the tattoo and she placed it next to the photo of Amanda.

"So we got you for rape Damien. Now if you want to get out of kidnapping and assistance to murder you better start talking," Liv said.
"M-murder?" Damien breathed and Liv nodded.
"She's missing," Nick said and pointed to the photo, "he's going to kill her within days if you don't tell me who he is."
"I don't-don't know," Damien sounded honest in his slight panic.
"But you've met him?" Liv asked and Damien nodded.
"So we have sketches we want you to look at," Liv said and could only hope someone outside the window would see to it that they got the sketches in there asap.
"But I never saw his face properly, he had a cap and his hood up. I never got a good look of his face," Damien told them.
"But you'll look at the sketches, give it a try at least?" Liv asked and Damien nodded. She asked a few questions about his clothes, height and weight and she wrote everything down.

"Tell us how last Friday was set up and if you've seen him before then," Liv asked.
"I don't know if he's ever been at Chambers before, I work behind the scenes so I never meet the customers. At least not regularly."
"But this time?" Liv asked and after Damien nodded; "tell us. Every little detail."
"He called me. He said Gordon had given him my number."
"Did you check with Gordon if that was the actual case?" Nick asked and Damien shook his head. Liv told him to go on.
"So he wanted to set up a special room. It's not uncommon but usually they don't call me up directly though. But he offered a lot of extra money if I helped him set everything up and he said Gordon had given him the go-ahead. He sounded really sure of himself and like he knew what he was doing. He had a special girl in mind. Shay," Damien nodded with his head down towards the photo almost like he couldn't make himself touch even the photo of her.

"So we set it up for last Friday, before rush hour. Ehm…" Damien sounded hesitant to go on.
"Everything Damien or you're going down with him," Liv warned and Damien cleared his throat.
"Okay. It was a rape fantasy. He wanted her restrained, just how wasn't important as long as she was tied down somehow. And he wanted to be able to see her face while she was being raped. And I was supposed to tell her that she was my victim. I had to say it out loud."
"What exactly where you supposed to say?"
"You'll be my victim. That's what he told me to say. I screwed it up a bit I think, it just got… well more…"
"She fought you harder than you thought she would?" Nick asked and Damien nodded.
"Go back to the phone call though," Liv asked, "every little detail can be of importance."

"Okay well that was it. We set it up for Friday and he told me what to do. I asked Colby to bring her in since… well he wanted me to wear a mask. He didn't want her to recognize me. I chose a room that seemed like it played into his fantasies, it has like two contraptions and a table with handcuffs so I figured we'd just use the one that came most in handy. I met him before Colby and Shay came back though. I brought him in through the staff entrance. But before that, well I checked her records the day before and well I saw that she hadn't signed up for… she was basically a solo act."

"You tried to call it off?"
"Well, no, I couldn't call, he'd called from an unidentified number and when he got there I told him that if he wanted to go through with it I wanted more money." Liv closed her fist underneath the table.
"How did he take that?"
"He seemed to get angry. But he agreed to give me more money later on. I told him I wanted them beforehand though, I knew better than to give freebies in this business so we walked over to the ATM and…"
"He withdrew money?" Liv asked not being able to hide her excitement over this. Damien nodded and gave him the location of the ATM. Liv glanced back at the window and hoped someone would get straight on it.

"Okay go on," Liv told him once she focused back on Damien.
"So he got me the cash and we went back down again. Shay was already locked in the room but he said he wanted to just watch her for a bit so I waited for like thirty minutes and then I went in," Damien hesitated, "you want me to tell you what happen when I got inside?" Liv shot Nick a quick glance. She wasn't sure either one of them would be able to listen to just how Amanda got raped right now but there could be something of importance there.

"Just the quick version for now, we want a detailed recount later but right now we're fighting time," Liv said.
"Okay I went in and she caught on pretty quick to what was going on. We struggled, she bruised me rather well but I accidently hit her head a little too hard into the ground and after that she seemed to lose some… spunk?" Damien looked up at the detectives and immediately regretted his choice of word.

"Don't stop now," Liv told him though as he couldn't dig himself a deeper grave than he already had.
"Well she kept screaming and I gagged her, I figured he wouldn't mind since he wanted her in restraints and all."
"But he hadn't asked you to gag her?" Nick asked and Damien shook his head.

"So I got her top of and then got her on the table, cuffed her, got her jeans off. And I just… started. I got her head up every now and then cause the guy was on the other side of the glass and he'd said he wanted to see her. To see it happen to her. And he'd told me to come inside of her so that's why I told Colby to give her a shower, just in case she would…"
"Nail your sorry ass?" Nick asked angrily. Damien looked shameful.
"Did he stress the issue that you had to come inside of her?" Liv asked and Damien nodded.
"You didn't find it odd?"
"Hey, nothing is odd in the business I'm in okay? I say no to anything with feces but…"
"Rape is okay? You'll do rape?" Nick asked offended.
"We act out rape at times yes, I don't often participate myself though but…"
"But what?" Liv asked trying just as hard as Nick to bite down the anger brewing beneath the surface.

"He singled me out, offered a lot of money and she was just…" Damien seemed to get a bit lost in his own thoughts as he continued; "She had some shield up that made her… alluring somehow. I'd tried to hit on her, she shot me down. This was an opportunity to…"
"Rape her," Nick blurted out unable to hold anything back now.
"I didn't," Damien tried.
"You didn't rape her?" Nick asked acting stunned.
"She got paid," Damien said.
"Oh well that makes it okay then," Nick huffed and shot Liv a glance. She put a hand on his arm though knowing they had to go through this and she still had some questions.
"You don't find anything wrong with what you did?" she asked.
"Of course in hindsight… I wish I hadn't," Damien sighed.
"Cause you got caught?"
"No, cause it was wrong," Damien put his head in his hands. At least remorse was a little bit better than denial Liv thought to herself.

"Okay then help us out as much as you can. Is there anything else you can tell us about the man?" Liv asked.
"He wanted her underwear," Damien mumbled.
"What?" Liv asked.
"He asked me to give him her underwear afterwards," Damien said again a little clearer. Nick and Liv shared a quick glance. Trophies, a typical serial killer's MO.
"So you met him afterwards as well? Was he still covered up just as much?" Liv asked.
"Well yeah I did meet him I don't think he was wearing his cap then though but I still couldn't see much of his face."
"And what did he do when you gave him her underwear?"
"Well he was very eager to get his hand on them. His hands were almost shaking he was so worked up. And I guess he did have like a long somewhat creepy look at them, he sniffed them even and then put them down in a small bag he brought out from his back pocket."
"Did you see a label on the bag?" Damien shook his head at Nick's question.
"Nothing on his hands? Rings? Scars?" Damien shook his head again. They wouldn't get anything more out of him and finally Liv and Nick stepped out. No one was behind the window though, they found Cragen in his office on the phone but he took a second to tell them Fin was down at tech getting the ATM info from last week.

Seeing how it was close to 4am on a Saturday morning though they weren't getting anywhere. Again. Fin and Nick was close to literally climbing the walls but at least they had a large number of arrested people from Chambers to go through to try and find out where Gordon was at. They focused on the staff first but Damien and the other three that was part of the not performing staff were reluctant to answer questions about Gordon's whereabouts or who else was in charge of the sex club. The performers seemed willing to cooperate but they lacked information.

Nick stepped back into Cragen's office after yet another unsuccessful interview and found Liv at his desk going through papers.

"Nothing?" Liv asked without looking up once she heard Nick's sigh as he approached.
"No, you?" he asked and had a look at the papers spread out around her.
"I'm just going through everything Amanda wrote down, there must be something we've missed somewhere…" Liv mumbled. Liv was going through the earlier dates so Nick took the more recent pages.
"I just don't get how she could've missed, or why she left so much out of her investigation these last couple of days," Nick said sounding frustrated, "I mean she's so detailed and then it's just like…" He wasn't sure what to say and just went quiet. Liv shot him a look.

"I don't think she'd planned on how affected she got when she actually became a target. Last week Nick…," Liv zoomed out thinking back, "she was just in such a bad state, both physically and mentally. She was spiraling hard this last week and I'm sure Gordon didn't help, the fact she couldn't keep her material at her apartment. I'm amazed she got anything down on paper this last week." Nick nodded realizing he hadn't thought his previous statement through properly.
"And what state do you think she is in right now?" Liv's eyes immediately went up to meet Nick as he asked the question.
"Is she still alive?" He knew it was stupid to ask but it was the only constant thing on his mind right now. Liv shook her head at this new question.
"Don't go there Nick," Liv more or less begged. She knew it was on everyone's mind but she just couldn't go there right now. They had to work under the presumption she was still alive but with every passing hour she knew the odds got slimmer and slimmer that they would find their partner in one piece.

If Amanda had been spiraling this last week the team was spiraling now. Even at this early hour the squad room was buzzing seeing how everyone was called in to find Amanda and all of a sudden uniforms rushed down the corridor. Liv and Nick hurried after only to see Fin getting hauled out of an interrogation room, he was clearly in a lot of distress panting hard and with glimmers of sweat over his scalp.

"What…" was all Liv got out before Fin had already passed her. Looking inside the room they could see one of the men brought in from Chambers down on the floor obviously punched a few times. Liv had feared this was going to happen. They were all too close to this and with the lack of sleep it had just been a question when someone would snap.

"Deal with it," Liv asked Nick and then rushed after Fin. She asked out in the squad room where he'd disappeared to and they all gestured out through the gate. Both elevators where gone so she decided to take the stairs and rushed down. There were less people downstairs and she asked the desk sergeant if she'd seen detective Tutuola. She told Liv he'd rushed outside just seconds ago. Liv heard her asking if they were any closer to finding the missing detective but sort of got her answer as Liv just walked outside to find Fin.

Her head turned automatically left as she popped outside, saw nothing but then as she turned to her right she spotted Fin banging the station house's wall with his fists.

"Hey," she called out hoping it would stop him from using his fists since she didn't like the thought of having to step in-between him and the wall. It seemed efficient enough though and he stepped away from the wall putting his banged up knuckles on the top of his head instead. She wasn't sure what to say and was left just standing near him as he kept pacing a bit.

"What happen?" she finally asked as it got obvious he wouldn't start the conversation. There had been a time when she thought of him as the most closed off person in the squad, always seemed to carry everything inside but then again not seeming like he took much to heart either. He seemed almost like a bulldog, able to shrug most things off. But he was now beaten by Amanda, Liv would never make the mistake ever again to think someone was dealing when they were in fact just hiding.

"That fucking… turd… mother fucker…" he went on for a while and she let him knowing he was in need of venting and she rather see him doing it verbally than physically.
"And he wasn't the first either," Fin spat out leaving her a bit clueless to what he was referring to.
"First what?" she had to ask when he just kept pacing silently again.
"She's a ho," Fin said and starred her down, "that's what they all say. Why bother trying to find her? She's asking for it isn't she?" Fin started pacing again.
"Well we know better," Liv just mumbled.
"Do we? Do we really Liv?" Fin almost shouted, "We know she more or less prostituted herself. Dammit I don't even think she actually wants to be found. This was her aim from the very get go Liv. She knew what she was doing from the very start. And goddammit she succeeded."
"Stop that!" Liv said furiously and stepped up to him. "You stop that right now Fin." He could tell by the sincerity in her voice and the flare in her eyes she was being serious but he was both sincere and raging too right now.
"Why? Isn't it the truth Liv? She pimped herself out to find her sister's killer. Made herself a target and goddammit she made it. Good job girl. Good for you. So she dies, serves it all up and we collect. She came through."
"Shut up," Liv warned, "I know you're thinking it and we all have but in the end she's our partner and we will save her. We will save her from this killer and we will save her from herself. This can't end any other way." Fin shook his head though but she could also see the pools forming at the bottom of his eyes.
"She's gone Liv. I can't find her body. I just can't."
"And you won't. We will find her, not a body."
"You can't promise me that. We have nothing Liv."
"We have the ATM withdrawal, we'll get a name and then we'll get her. Keep the faith Fin."

"Oh goddammit don't give me that Liv," Fin said and turned away from her. His whole back slumped in front of her and he almost stumbled to the wall. She got to him but could only follow him down as he slid down against the wall. He got his hand up and tried to cover his face that crumbled now as tears had started to fall. She could tell he wanted to hide but she grabbed a hold of his head, hugging it tight to her chest. She let her other hand rub over his shivering back and they just stayed like that for a while.

She could feel when he was ready to get back up and no one said anything as they straighten up. He wiped his face a bit sloppy not really caring if she saw his tears now. She just put her hand on his arm and then they walked back inside.

Cragen had been in the bunks for a while but he was now back in his office and he waved them in. When Fin and Liv got there Cragen was on the phone and Nick was in front of the computer.
"We got a name," Nick said without letting his eyes stray from the screen.
"Yeah?" Liv asked eagerly.
"Daniel Congreve, he's a CO of some Wall Street company," Nick said and walked over to the printer, "and his name is on Gordon's guest list."
"No way," Liv said and stepped up so she could have a look on the son of a bitch on the screen. Nick handed Fin a print out.
"And he fits the profile of Mayhem?" Fin asked.
"Hard to say, all we know is that he's wealthy as hell, has a loft on the other side of Central Park. He fits rather well in age, he's divorced, no kids. New York native though."
"Okay a team is on its way, we're meeting them there," Cragen said as he got off the phone.

They all got in one car and Fin and Liv learnt that the ATM photo didn't give them a clear identification though, he'd kept his head down and he'd been wearing gloves so they had nothing to identify him with. It was getting close to 8am this Saturday, 43 hours missing and they were all clinging to the hope they were going to find her.

They got through the entrance without hassle and got the doorman to get them up to Daniel Congreve's loft apartment. Once on the floor they asked him to step away and Fin slammed his fist into the door a few times. The rammer was ready if he wasn't opening within the minute. Fin knocked again and then they heard a sound from inside. The very second the door opened Fin slammed through it, pushing Daniel Congreve up against the wall. He looked like he'd just awoken, a robe sloppy draped over a Calvin Klein pyjamas.

"What the hell," he mumbled by the rude awakening.
"Police Mr Congreve, we're here to search your place for a missing person," Cragen said as he stepped up besides Fin and Daniel.
"A missing person? It's just me here," Daniel gasped.
"Let's just see about that," Nick said and ordered the uniforms inside telling them to search every corner and behind every wall. Fin turned Daniel around and cuffed him only to bring him further inside to find a place to put him down at.

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on here? I want to call my lawyer," Daniel complained.
"Sit down," Fin said and shoved him down on a couch.
"This girl, you know her?" Liv said and held up Amanda's photo.
"I've never seen her in my life," Daniel muttered.
"Take another good look," Liv told him since he'd looked to briefly for her to read anything on his face. Daniel shot her an evil eye but then looked at the photo again.
"I've never seen her before," Daniel said again though and he looked like he was telling the truth. If he was the Mayhem choker though he would surely be a psychopath so she wasn't willing to trust him yet.
"Where were you this past Thursday mr Congreve?" she asked.
"Thursday? At work," Daniel looked and sounded offended.
"At 1pm more specifically?"
"1? I had a business lunch that day so I guess I was riding back to the office. No I stopped by the cleaners, picked up a suit."
"Your cleaner will verify that?" Liv asked but Daniel just shrugged.
"You have a driver? Or did you take a cab?"
"A cab."
"We'll need the name of the company you rode with and the exact time and how you paid for the fare," Liv told him and Daniel just sighed as he shook his head.
"I paid with my card, you'll be able to verify it. Now will you let me call my lawyer?" Daniel asked.

"Speaking of card, you used an ATM last Friday," Fin started and gave the exact time and the location of the ATM. Daniel just stared at him.
"You made a large withdrawal," Liv said, "can you tell us for what?"
"I don't use ATM on a regular basis, and if I want to make a big withdrawal I would certainly not use an ATM."
"A grand," Fin said and got another bored look by Daniel, "that's what you withdrew last Friday."
"I thought you said big," Daniel huffed but then continued, "but I certainly didn't. I was in London last Friday anyway. You call yourself cops?" Fin and Liv exchanged looks and then both looked to their captain. Nick came walking in.

"Nothing so far," he said.
"Okay that's it, I demand that you let me call my lawyer now," Daniel said sounding like he'd reached his last drop.
"We're trying to find a missing woman, your card was used in relation to that, I'd like to think you're willing to work with us to find her before it's too late," Liv said. Daniel took a deep breath.
"Of course but I have rights too and I'm not a big fan of rude awakenings," Daniel tried.
"I'm sorry for that but in the efforts to find this missing woman we can't really stop and consider usual business hour," Liv tried to sound friendly even though her patience were running thin too. If Daniel wasn't their choker they were nowhere near finding Amanda and that thought was haunting.

"I hope you don't mind me asking mr Congreve but I have to ask you if you ever visit strip clubs?" Daniel seemed to size her up with his eyes.
"I've been known to visit one or two yes," he then admitted slowly.
"Ever visited Bare Assets in Queens?"
"I rarely stray from Manhattan so no I don't think so."
"Have you ever used an escort service by the name of Prestige?"
"Prestige? No I don't think so."
"But you have used escort services?"
"Yes," Daniel didn't seem shy about it.
"Have you ever been upstate to a party in Purchase?"
"Purchase?" he asked and she nodded.
"I have a friend that lives up there, if it's one of his garden parties you're talking about then yes."
"How about a sex party?" Liv asked and Daniel's eyes grew a little.
"No this friend would not throw a sex party," Daniel said a bit humored.
"Would you mind giving us the name and address of this friend of yours?"
"Sure, it's in my phone, so if you uncuff me," Daniel suggested. Liv shot Fin a look and reluctantly he went over to uncuff him. Nick escorted him to the bedroom to fetch his phone.

"So if it's not him?" Fin asked a bit deflated.
"We can't rule him out yet," Liv said but knew she was grasping at straws. And soon every straw was gone.

They showed Damien Daniel's photo but he was rather sure he wasn't the one who'd paid him to rape Amanda, he was too good looking according to Damien. Whatever that meant? Damien hadn't been able to find the man among Amanda's sketches either and they were back to zero. They had no trace of her and when they passed the 48h mark emotions ran thinner than ever.

Both Eli and Munch were back after having caught some sleep and Cragen sent the rest to catch some sleep anywhere they could. Fin stormed out and Liv just felt unable to try and talk him down right now. She retracted to the bunks with Nick following her. They lay down for a bit but kept talking quietly, throwing out possible leads that the other one could rather easily shout down though. At some point they both drifted off to sleep but just after a little more than an hour's sleep Liv jolted back to life.

"The social security check," she mumbled coming back from sleep.
"Huh?" Nick mumbled from his bunk. Liv just got up and rushed out though. He was thinking he would follow, have his partner's back, but sleep caught him before he was able to move.

Liv found Eli, Munch and Cragen talking in the captain's office. It looked as though they were going through Eli's investigation of the Mayhem choker. Cragen shot her a reprimanding look as she walked in way too soon but she gestured him off.

"You know that social security check that Sam told us about? Were you able to locate who did the initial check back in May?"
"Eh no," Cragen said sounding unsure and moved over to his computer to get his mailbox up, "I'm not sure if I got it…" He searched his screen.
"Here it is, no I haven't checked it," Cragen looked at her with an ashamed gaze.
"You mind if I do? I just couldn't stop thinking about it," Liv said and Cragen immediately shook his head feeling bad that he hadn't already. He printed the info Sam had sent him.
"It's made out of 71st," Liv said as she had a look at the print out and then her eyes went over to Eli knowing he didn't work far from there.
"I'll go with you," Eli said and got up immediately.

Eli drove knowing Liv had hardly slept for the last 48 hours. He knew the route well too and he used his lights to get there faster. Liv appreciated that Eli didn't try to engage her in small talk right now. He just focused on getting them there as fast as possible. He walked a step ahead of her as they hurried inside the station.

"Hey George," he said to the desk sergeant, "you have time?"
"For you, always," the old man smiled.
"Hi," Liv said as Eli motioned her to get the paper up to this George.
"Can you tell us what server this is and, even more valuable if you can tell us who worked it that exact date and time," Eli said and George wasted no time.
"One of our boys in blue," he mumbled as he knew it just by looking at the server number.

"Okay I got the server, and the date was…" George took another look at the paper Liv had handed him. George seemed to know what he was doing but it took some time and Liv just begged they would still have a record of it.
"Here we go," George turned his computer screen so they could see the name and face of the officer that had been logged in at the time.
"Is he in right now?" Eli asked. George hit a few keys and then came back with an answer that he was out on patrol. Eli asked him to call him in and George said 'sure thing'. Eli could tell Liv was restless and he told George they would step outside and in case they missed the officer to call for them.

"Thanks," Liv said as they got outside even though she wasn't sure what she was thanking him for.
"I know it can't be compared with this but…" Eli started, "I had a partner got shot once and that waiting around the hospital to find out if he would make it or not," Eli shook his head, "worst time ever." Liv nodded, she appreciated both his concern and his involvement in trying to find Amanda.

They had to wait for another couple of long minutes but soon they saw a familiar face jumping out of one of the patrol cars that drove in to the station.
"Jared Dunn?" Eli asked as he got off the wall and took a few steps towards the officer. The thirty-something man nodded. Both Eli and Liv flashed their badges at him and then Eli looked to Liv to take the lead from there.
"Back in May you made a social security check on a woman named Shay Williams," Liv said. Jared looked a bit confused though.
"I do a lot of background checks, I'm sure you do too," he just countered sounding a bit flippant about it. His partner told him he'd meet him inside and Jared gave him a nod.

"This one is important though," Liv said and got the photo of Amanda up. She could read Jared like an open book, his eyes suddenly expanding and his jaw dropping just a tiny bit as he saw her photo.
"Shay Williams, you did a check on her in May, why?" Jared tried shaking his head a bit but stopped the minute Eli stepped up to him.
"Look man, your job is already on the line, if you want to have a slim chance of keeping it you'll tell us everything right now," Eli said without any remorse.
"Okay, okay I did but I just ran her numbers. Did a background check," Jared said crumbling quickly.
"For whom?" Liv asked stepping closer as well.
"I don't know okay, he called me said he could help out and all he wanted was for me to run her name through the system," Jared sounded miserable.
"Help out?" Liv asked.
"I owe money okay? Like in major debt and I don't know how but he knew somehow and he gave me a grand just like that and then some stock tips that paid of big I tell you, not like I'm out of debt but…" Liv interrupted him.
"Stock tips? Was he a stock broker?"
"I don't know but he knew the business I can tell you that," Jared told her. Liv shot Eli a look. Congreve being a CO on Wall Street, his card being used, it couldn't be a coincidence.
"He sent you cash, how?" Eli asked.
"He left it at my house, in a manila envelope."
"You still have it? The envelope?" Jared shook his head.
"You got any cash left?" Again Jared shook his head.
"Was it used bills or new ones?"
"Used I guess."
"You guess?" Eli sighed.
"What about the man that called, once or twice?" Liv asked.
"Twice. First to give me her name and a rough description, then I had the money on my step when I got home that night and then he called me back the next day."
"And you're sure it was a man? Could he have used a voice scrambler?"
"I'm pretty sure it was a man, sounded authentic."
"How did he know you owed money? Do you go around telling everyone that?" Liv asked.
"No I don't, like the only time was like around that time in May, I was just in major then and I guess I talked a bit about it when I grabbed a beer with the boys."
"Grabbed a beer, where?"
"Well usually the cop bar," Jared said and gave them the location of a bar Eli knew was a regular hang-out and had visited himself before.

Liv couldn't think of anything more to ask and headed towards the car closely followed by Eli.
"Hey, what about me? My job?" Jared shouted after them but they both ignored him. They would have to deal with him later but they would surely deal with him. He was out of a job as far as they knew.

At the station Nick had been unable to sleep comfortable for much longer and as Liv and Eli left Brooklyn he walked in to the office where Munch and Cragen were still sitting at the desk talking. Nick shot his captain a nod and then looked at some new papers he hadn't seen before.

"Still not identified three of the cars?" Nick asked Munch hinting to the cars that had left the parking lot after whoever had kidnapped Amanda had swopped cars.
"Nope," Munch said disappointed.
"You have photos of them?" Nick asked just grasping at straws again. Munch pointed to the table over by the couch. Cragen got a phone call and he picked up as Nick picked up the photos. One of the cars immediately caught his interest.

"I've seen this…" he said and let the other photos drop back down on the table. He rushed into the interview room next doors looking for a file he'd left there a day earlier. Munch got up and followed him but lingered at the door.
"I've seen…" Nick mumbled going through his own photos from the surveillance from outside the hotel where Fin had brought Amanda two weeks back.
"This," Nick close to shouted and held up the photo for Munch to see. He quickly walked over and grabbed it from him. The cars looked somewhat different but they had the same logo sticker and the one on Nick's photo was way clearer.
"Can you read it? I can't read it," Munch blurred out.
"Let's get George on it," Nick said grabbing his memory card and rushing out.

"What?" Cragen asked curiously as Munch came back into his office.
"We might have a vehicle we can link to her abduction," Munch said actually smiling.
"And that was Liv, we need to talk to Daniel Congreve again," Cragen said looking a bit stunned.
"Things are moving," Munch mused, "I like it."

Liv and Eli walked in to the captain's office just as Nick rushed into the squad room.
"Okay," he said interrupting whatever Liv was about to say to their captain, "you have to hear this." He was out of breath having climbed the stairs as quickly as humanly possible.
"The car that followed Fin and Amanda from the club that night when he brought her to the hotel and the car that was seen leaving the parking lot come from a rental service that services none other than Congreve's company." Nick took a deep breath.

"And the officer that made a check on Shay Williams social security number got stock tips from whoever called him," Liv close to gasped, "it can't be a coincidence." She feared she was still just fumbling in the dark though. But judging by the other's looks they could be on something.
"But is it Daniel Congreve? Or is he working with someone?" Cragen asked out loud.
"Someone who works for him perhaps?" Munch suggested.
"Congreve rode in to his office, go talk to him, bring him in if you have to," Cragen told Liv and she took Nick with her.
"Let's bring the sketches," Nick suggested and rushed into the interview room to fetch the Ipad they'd loaded them up in.

Again Liv found herself sitting in the passenger seat staring out the window catching the reflection of the blue lights hitting the window. Nick's driving was a little less smooth than Eli's had been and Liv had to brace herself against the dashboard every now and then. But it kept her alert at least and the drive wasn't too far. The security guard at the downstairs front desk was cooperative but he had his procedure and there was no way he could let them up to see mr Congreve with their guns. They got to check them into a vault and then go back and forth through the metal detector until they'd cleared themselves from everything that beeped.

The guard sent them to the elevators and told them what floor to get off. They arrived high up to an empty floor and found themselves calling out for mr Congreve. They passed a large open area with empty desks, the view outside the giant glass walls was amazing but they weren't there for the scenery. They couldn't find a single person and headed back the other way. They both picked up on a voice finally and headed its way. They knew they were on the right track as the voice got more distinct. Nick had lead and shot Liv a glance over his shoulder as the voice laughed out loud not far from where they were at. As they got around the corner they spotted Daniel Congreve behind a desk, with his feet up and a Bluetooth on his ear. He looked far from this morning all dressed up in a suit with his hair slicked back and all groomed.

"Mr Congreve," Nick said as he pushed the door all the way open. Daniel just shot them a look and held up a finger in the air. Again Nick shot Liv a glance, he didn't like this guy's attitude and she didn't look so happy with it either.
"Mr Congreve we need to talk to you," she said louder and when he looked her way she added, "now!"

"Okay Patric well it seems I have to run but I'll see you in the city next week then," Daniel said to the person on the other line, "yes, I will show you around town. I'll show you its greatest assets." Liv felt Daniel's eyes on her when he said 'assets' and had his eyes stayed on her a second longer she might have showed him exactly what she thought of it but thankfully he looked away as he got on his feet.
"Yes, and have a save trip. Later bud," Daniel said, clicked his Bluetooth off and put it down on the desk.

"Detectives," Daniel said with a phony smile as he turned his attention to them, "I hope you're not here to cause as much of a mess as you did my home. Thank God for housekeepers."
"We're just here to talk this time mr Congreve," Liv said.
"Please call me Daniel, won't you have a seat," Daniel said and held out his hand to the chairs in front of his desk. Nick and Liv had a seat.
"So we think someone might be trying to set you up mr Congreve," Liv started.
"Me? Why?" he asked but Liv just shrugged.
"We're finding more and more that suggests you're involved of the kidnapping of this woman. You mind taking another look?" Liv put out the photo of Amanda again trying to pick up something new on his face.

"Are you sure you haven't seen her in a strip club or hired her as an escort?" Nick asked.
"I have a good eye for beautiful women detective," Daniel smiled letting his eyes turn from Nick over Liv's way, "I would have remembered if I'd seen this gem before." He raised his eyebrows at Liv and looked a little smug as he put the photo down.
"Well someone is tying you to her so I think it would be best if you work with us on this… Daniel," Liv tried to sound friendly but even though she added his first name he obviously still got slightly irritated.

"Look I think I've been very cooperative," he said leaning back in his chair, "I talked to you without my lawyer present and here we are again, talking, without a lawyer."
"And we appreciate it but we're just very eager to find this woman," Liv said.
"So how can I help?" Daniel was back to smiling again.
"This car pool your company is attached to, can anyone take out a car?" Nick asked.
"Yeah basically, of course it's mostly our senior staff that takes client meetings and we consider it a bit of a work privilege. We try to keep a good climate among our people here," Daniel said and winked Liv's way.
"Can we try and trace who took out cars a few specific dates?" Liv tried knowing Cragen was already on it but it didn't hurt to try Daniel out a bit. Daniel shrugged slightly.
"Sure I think our own auditors do it at the end of every budget year, I'll hook you up with both them and our contact at the rental service," Daniel said lightly.

"Good," Liv said, "maybe we could try and give you a profile of the man we're looking for and you can see if it fits with anyone who works for you?" Liv suggested and Daniel seemed willing.
"So he's most likely in his forties or fifties, white, average looking, blends in well," Nick started.
"But perhaps a bit socially awkward," Liv added, "keeps to himself even if he might have a family. He's probably bright, has a rather wholesome image, religious most likely."
"Detectives, you just described like more than half my senior staff," Daniel smiled.

"Would you mind taking a look on these sketches, see if you recognize anyone," Nick handed over the Ipad to Daniel and he started flipping through the images.
"Please take your time," Liv said as she thought he looked through them a little too fast.
"Detective," Daniel said without looking up from the screen, "I'm a fully functional social mogul. My job is to talk people up, sell them my business, my job is to remember faces." Daniel glanced up at her; "I got this." Liv shot Nick a glance when Daniel looked back down. Nick rolled his eyes at her making her feel better for wanting to strangle this guy.

"He might not be a New York native, perhaps from down south, North Dakota, South Dakota," Liv tried.
"And a bit of a misfit?" Daniel asked as though he'd drifted off in his mind a bit.
"Yeah I guess you can call him that," Liv said. Daniel seemed to have got stuck on a sketch and he kept looking at it scratching his chin a little. Liv tried to sit up a bit to see the screen but she realized she wouldn't be able to if she didn't stand up.
"You thinking of someone?" Nick asked curiously. Daniel put his hand out in the air a little and then suddenly got up.

"Come with me," he said. Liv spotted the screen and saw that he'd stuck on the sketch with just the eyes. She felt her heart starting to beat a little faster.
"Can you give us a name?" she asked as they headed out of the office.
"Simon," Daniel said.
"Simon?" Liv repeated of course instantly sending a thought to her own brother that you could only describe as a bit of a misfit too.
"Yeah, my number one go-to guy. I found him in Bismarck in the late 90s, brought him up here with me," Daniel kept taking them down a long glass corridor. "If I recall right he's originally from Rapid City. He doesn't talk about his family much, all I know that his mother died of cancer a while back and he took it hard, don't think he has mentioned anyone else actually." Daniel stopped in front of a wall with a few framed pictures. He held up the sketch of the eyes and then pointed to a face on one of the photos.

"Simon Ferguson," he said and Liv and Nick stared straight into the actual eyes that Amanda had sketched.

"And what does he do exactly?" Liv asked as she needed to stop staring at him, he looked very common at first glance but there was something about his eyes that sent shivers down her spine.
"He's an equities analyst."
"Huh?" Nick breathed.
"He does the best in-depth analytical reports on companies within whatever sector I ask him to, he has a really good eye for trends and performances, always comes back with a sure bet for investors on which stocks to buy, hold or sell. And he didn't really have the right qualifications to begin with, haven't attended any of the fancy schools which usually is a requirement but as I told you, I have an eye for people. Haven't regretted it a single day. This is his office," Daniel said and took them across the hall. They stepped into a very clean office but then again all seemed to be on this floor. There was a desk with a computer, a chair behind it, another chair by one of the walls, a single plant in the corner. By one wall a row of archive cabinets. Nick headed over to them as Liv went around the desk. She checked the desk out but found nothing but the computer on it. Everything looked very clean, sparse. Underneath the keyboard a calendar with a few dates circled. She got a glove up and used it to open up the first drawer. She found pens lined up next to a ruler, a rubber, a roll of tape, a post-it pad. Everything lined up perfectly. She went on to the next and found a neatly stacked pile of white papers with numbers, diagrams, all work related it seemed. In the very last drawer she found a framed photo.

"His mother?" she asked holding it up for Daniel to see.
"You tell me, I've never seen that before," Daniel just shrugged. Liv kept the frame up so Nick could shot it a glance. He'd gone through the archives finding nothing but rows and rows of work related material.

Liv let the frame of the older woman stay up on the desk and had a look at the rest of the things in the drawer. She found a carved figurine, she couldn't really tell what it was supposed to be and just left it up on the desk. There was just a lot of weird objects in that last drawer. A napkin with a lipstick print, an eye-liner, a pair of colored contacts and other objects that just didn't seem to belong to a man.

"Do you know where Simon was this last Thursday?" Nick asked stepping back over to Daniel.
"No, he took some time off," Daniel said and picked up on the odd look Nick shot him, "he does that a lot. He told me already in Bismarck that he would need time off from time to time. He just takes a car for a couple of days, see sights, come back tells me in a few short sentences what he'd seen and then it's back to work. He's a genius so if that was what it took to get him I'd let him, as said, haven't regretted it a single day. When he's not taking off he can work 24 hours a day for days in a row, makes me tons of money."

"And how long would he be gone this time?"
"He asked for a week but said he might be back earlier." Nick shot Liv a glance feeling his blood pump hard as this felt good. This felt like their guy.
"And where does he live?"
"On Staten Island, bought a house there after a few years. He uses our overnight pad here in Manhattan rather often though." Liv gave Nick a nod and he stepped outside to call it in.
"We're going to need the exact dates he's been absent, preferable since the very beginning. Do you have those records?" Liv asked Daniel.
"I'm sure personnel have them. Shall I call one of them in?"
"Yes please."
"And you think he's abducted a woman you say?" Daniel asked still looking a little too calm. Liv nodded.
"Never would've thought he had it in him," Daniel pondered a bit drifting off with his eyes. Liv was without words and just stepped outside.

"Simon Ferguson, employee of mr Congreve," Nick said loudly and clearly into the phone, "yeah I'll hold." Nick looked up at Liv.
"Still only Saturday, we should be able to get to her right," Nick asked with a much lower voice. Liv just nodded. Of course they'd get to her in time.
"What do you want to do about him?" Nick asked cocking his head towards Daniel. Liv shot a look his way.
"I think we should put a man on him, keep him here. He just seems too calm about all this," she said quietly so Congreve wouldn't overhear. Nick nodded.
"Yeah I'm here. Yeah? Great. Can you send someone over here?" Nick said to whoever was on the other line.
"We should search Simon's office and someone from personnel is coming in to give us his absent days," Liv spoke quickly to get it all in.
"You heard? Yeah, we'll wait downstairs. Meet you where? Oh, okay," Nick hung up and looked at Liv, "Cragen. His sending a unit over for the office and a couple of officers to keep an eye on Congreve. They have Simon's address and will try and track his phone. We're meeting them across the bridge from Brooklyn." Liv nodded, she could really feel her adrenalin starting to pump now. It wasn't so much the fact they might have caught a notorious serial killer but more so that they would get Amanda back.

Once Daniel was off the phone they asked him to get in touch with the guard downstairs so he would let their team through. Daniel kept cooperating, keeping his cool exterior. Both Liv and Nick felt very impatient to get going but knew they had to wait until some officers got here. Liv went to wait by the elevators and tried calling Fin meanwhile. He answered quickly and she could tell by his stressed voice he was already briefed so she just told him she'd see him in a little while and that it was time to bring his partner home.

The minute the elevator doors opened and two officers stepped out Liv shouted for Nick to get over there. She made sure the officers knew what to do and then they rode back down to fetch their guns. They ran outside to the car and managed to wave to the crime scene unit that just pulled up. Nick got the lights on and they drove over to Brooklyn. It was Saturday afternoon boarding on night now so the traffic had picked up. Every little obstacle had Nick cursing out loud and even Liv hung out the window shouting at one point.

Fin had texted her with the exact rendezvous point and when they drove up they saw a UPS truck and three other plain cars and figured they were in the right spot. As they got closer they spotted Fin's car behind the truck and he walked up towards them as soon as they pulled up.

"What's the plan?" Liv asked immediately.
"His house of about ten minutes from here. Cragen is bringing even more back-up. Eyes from the air tells us no movement outside," Fin said and then rolled out a paper over the hood of their car. Nick and Liv helped to hold it down at the corners. He pointed to Simon's house on the large print-out of the neighborhood.

"It's a bit secluded, bushes, trees, all good to cover behind but we'll need to be careful. Looks like there's a garage here but according to the records he doesn't own a car." Fin was moving his finger over the photo.
"How many levels?" Nick asked.
"Two above ground, just one below as far as we know," Fin said knowing creeps dug secret departments of their houses.
"There's a back door so my suggestion is that we hit back, front and garage at the same time," Fin had it all planned out in his head and every scenario ended with him getting Amanda out of there. Back at the station Cragen had said that they would get her out in one piece. Ever since then Fin had worried they wouldn't. He'd seen the other victims, hands missing, feet missing, skinned peeled. He had his hands on her for more than 48h by now, they had no idea what state she could be in.

"Could there be booby-traps?" Nick asked bringing Fin back from his vicious thoughts.
"We have to be ready for anything," Fin said.
"Okay let's suit up," Liv said and headed for the UPS truck knowing it would contain gear for them.

Thirty minutes later they were outside his house. Cragen, Munch, Eli and, Eli's partner on the Mayhem case, Chris Wilson from the 73rd precinct had arrived along with even more back-up. They'd sneaked closer to the house before the UPS truck drove up. A police dressed as a delivery guy walked up to the house and used the bell pull by the side of the door. The street seemed so quiet Fin thought he could almost hear the old bell ringing inside the house. He was so eager to raid the house he could hardly keep himself down and he peeked up towards the door. The entire house felt eerie. It looked partly covered by vegetation, green leaves climbed up the brick walls on each corner of the house and a large tree in front of the house prevented you from getting a clear look on it.

The worn-down grey bricks peeked through the branches and it looked haunting and cold. The light turquoise window panels and door frame felt out of place. The flag pole in the garden to the house's right leaned slightly and didn't look operative. Someone had spray-painted random letters and symbols on the plastic trash can that stood right outside the entrance. Fin heard the bell again and knew he hadn't imagined it before. Surely that bell was heard through the entire house. Did he have her in the basement? Was she screaming out in pain so loudly that he couldn't hear the bell? Fin's thoughts were racing and not to any good place. He felt Liv's hand on his arm and he was able to take a deep breath once his eyes connected with hers.

She tried giving him a slight smile but the stressful situation was evident all over her face. She wanted to tell him everything would be fine but they all knew this was risky. It could end in many various ways, they didn't always get the victim out but they had to in this case or the outcome would be catastrophic.

The policeman at the door tried a third and last time and just tried to stay calm with his small package in his hands. He gave it a minute but then he started to walk down the stairs back to the truck. Fin met his eyes as he walked around the truck and put his back to it. He put the fake package down and pushed in in under the car as he grabbed his gun knowing they would be moving in soon.

Fin managed to look over Liv's way at the very same moment as they heard 'all units move in'. He took off with Liv right behind him. They were a part of the unit going in through the front door. Nick was moving in through the garage while Eli and his partner Wilson were with the unit going in through the back door. Fin took a sec by the lower entrance that was made up by bushes and he made sure he had his unit with him. They would need the ram for the door. Liv gave him a nod and he quickly made his way up the stairs.

"Unit one in position," he said into his transceiver.
"Unit two in position," Nick's voice was heard over the transponder. They had to wait a few seconds but then heard Eli telling them unit three was also in position. The guy with the door ram was in position and they all waited for the 'go'. The ram hit the door the split second after the go signal. It would take a second try but then they'd breached the door and Fin entered first ready to fire at any threat. Fin signaled he would go left so Liv took right, both getting back-up from the team that had joined them. Some men rushed up the stairs. Both Fin and Liv were supposed to head downstairs but they had to clear the upstairs room first.

If the outside had looked eerie it was very fitting with the inside. The rooms seemed like they'd been occupied by an old couple that passed away decades ago. It wasn't unclean or dusty though, just seemed to lack life. They heard footsteps up at the second floor, the ceiling was creaking only adding to the eerie feeling. Fin heard a noise to his left and turned his gun only to stare straight down into Nick's barrel.

"Garage cleared," Nick whispered a little out of breath. Fin moved further in and they soon ran into Eli and Wilson. They all exchanged short head nods and then Liv came round too stating that the ground floor was cleared. They'd gone in without a floor plan but they had managed to all come together at the door to the stairs that would take them down into the basement. Liv whispered they should wait for a signal that the upstairs was cleared but Fin couldn't wait and opened the door. He flipped the light as soon as he spotted it and then slowly made his way down the stairs with Nick right behind him. The stair turned 90 degrees to the right and Fin made a quick switch from the right wall over to the left and found himself staring down into what looked like a regular basement. He found another light switch and as soon as he'd made sure Nick was behind him and ready he flipped the switch and made his way down. They took a side each and were soon joined by Liv, Eli & Wilson. When it was obviously apparent that there was no one down there Fin felt a bit stunned. He'd been so sure she would be there.

"Look for trap doors, behind the walls," Nick said and they all started to roam around.
"There's nothing here," Fin shouted though as he ran into Eli, having cleared the entire left side of the room. Fin started pacing feeling like he could burst at any second. He ripped his vest off feeling claustrophobic.

"We should get the men down here though, search the walls, the floor, there could be something we're missing," Liv said feeling that same desperation Fin so obviously felt too. Fin just turned and rushed back up the stairs. He wasn't sure where to go but the need to make sure she wasn't upstairs either beat out getting fresh air and he turned back towards the door. Passing the living room though he caught his captain facing one of the corners.

"Do we have anything cap?" he asked impatiently as he walked up to him. Cragen jumped a little, startled by his detectives voice, and turned slightly but never let his eyes sway from what had caught his attention as he walked in here. As Fin got closer he caught it too and hunched down so he could get closer to the shrine. A shrine, an alter, he wasn't sure but there were candles, dried flowers, some almost fresh, some marbles or beads and in the middle of it all a framed photo. They had no idea who the young woman on the photo was but her hair was blonde and her eyes blue and she looked very much like Mayhem's victims.

They tried to clear the area outside hoping they could catch Simon Ferguson if he happen to return home but the broken down door was hard to hide. They had plain clothed officers standing down by the ferry and men posted in cars by the side of the road up to this block.

Nothing was found in the house that could tell them where either Simon or Amanda was. They found a lot of odd things, like the shrine, but nothing that gave evidence that he was a serial killer. They had no doubt they'd found their suspect though, problem would be to prove it but for now they had a bigger problem. Where was Amanda?

Cragen could feel that his squad lost steam when nothing was found in the house. Everyone had been up for more than two days straight now and with the constant worrying, of course they were running on empty. Cragen tried to gather them in his office though. He'd seen to it that the sketches had been removed from his walls, wanting nothing of the previous haunting chapter to be around when they now had to focus on the next chapter. It was just as haunting but at least they had a name and a face, someone to search for.

Fin was driven into the station by Eli as Wilson drove Nick and Liv. Eli and Wilson had really stepped up now that the SVU team was so obviously worn down by the stress of their missing partner. For Eli and Wilson it was obviously upsetting too but they finally had a name and a face on the man they'd been hunting for five years now. They knew Mayhem's MO probably best of all and they knew time was running out but there was still a window of opportunity. They knew their killer was methodical, experienced a little but mostly kept to a protocol of his. Eli had met Amanda, he knew she was bright, he knew she knew the killer too. That could keep her alive for longer than the previous victims. That's how Eli knew they still had time and that's what he told Fin as they rode back to the station.

Both cars drove in after one and another and they made their way upstairs together. Walking in to the squad room they caught the news alert that had everyone's attention. A black female news caster was talking with Simon Ferguson's photo on the screen behind her.

"The police ask you to keep your eyes open for one Simon Ferguson, age 52 and a resident of Staten Island. He's wanted in a kidnapping, considered dangerous so police asks you to not approach him but just call in, you find the number at the bottom of the screen. He can be located anywhere in New York so keep your eyes open. Police has not released any information on the kidnapping victim but asks you to keep an eye open for Simon Ferguson. That's Simon Ferguson," as the woman said his name again Simon's face came up front and center of the screen along with the phone number to call.

"He's wanted for kidnapping. Viewers let's help the NYPD finest bring this guy in okay?" the woman smiled into the camera and Fin huffed a little as he walked in to their captain's office.
"Okay I know we're all running on low here but we need to put in the next gear. Munch has copies for you," Cragen said as John handed them out. It was everything they had on Simon Ferguson.

"Let's read through it and then talk about where to search for him next," Cragen suggested but everyone's eyes were already on the papers.

Simon Ferguson was born 1961 in Rapid City, South Dakota to James Joseph and Evelyn Ferguson. James Joseph, also known as JJ, seemed to have dabbled in multiple businesses, he was a truck driver, owned a gas station for a few years, then a bar, switched to import/export only to finally settling with real estate. Evelyn was a housewife and the couple already had a daughter when Simon came along. Linda Ferguson was born 1955 making her six years older than Simon.

They seemed like a rather ordinary family on the outside, struggling a little financially in their worn-down house on the north side of the city but they blended in with the rest of this part of the town it seemed. Evelyn had some mental issues a few medical records showed but she relied heavily on God and would only take her medicine when God 'allowed her to'. Simon was getting ready to start school when the father left and the divorce finalized as Simon attended first grade. His school grades were decent but the teachers wrote of poor social skills and some even recommended special-ed. Evelyn refused though saying it was the teachers and the rest of the students who were wrong and not her son.

Linda Ferguson didn't seem to have the easiest childhood either. She accused a boy of raping her in 1971, when she was at the age of 16. The case was dropped and it seemed she somehow earned herself the reputation of school slut after that. Her mother reported her missing multiple times but seemed to give up when she was 18 and let her roam the city. In 1975 Linda's body was found floating face down in Rapid Creek. It was ruled an accident but the medical examiner noted she had some bruising around her neck and also on her lower regions. Since Linda at this time was known to selling herself at the local truck stop, found not far from there and with drugs in her system police seemed to think it could've been a suicide. There was nothing in there about a funeral or where she was buried. Looking at her photo there was no doubt she was the young woman on Simon's shrine.

Simon's mother was treated for cancer the year after Linda's death but seemed to have answered well to the treatment. She and Simon stayed in the worn-down house for a couple of years, constantly threaten by the city who wanted to tear down their house. In 1982 Evelyn passed away when her cancer reemerged and Simon seemed to be forced out of the house. He moved to Bismarck, North Dakota in 1983 and got a work at a hedge fund. He worked himself up to a management firm. His CO's all gave him good references.

In 1998 Daniel Congreve brought him with him to New York setting him up with both a job and a place to stay. His father JJ was living in New York at the time but died in 2001. It seemed the father and son was estranged though. The father had remarried and had another son. It seemed Simon was mentioned in the father's will. Simon didn't have a record, he had one parking ticket. Squeaky clean. He'd never married nor had any kids. He fit the profile of the Mayhem killer very well.

So far nothing of value had been found at the house. No evidence that he was the serial killer, no trophies but still no one had any doubts - Simon was the Mayhem choker. Question was - where was he? Where was he holding Amanda? No one dared to say it out loud but everyone was also wondering what he was putting her through as they scrambled through nothing to find their location.

His phone had been switched off so they had no way of tracing him. During the night they'd be able to established Simon had been absent from work during the time the so far six confirmed victims had been reported missing.

Damien had identified Simon as the man who ordered the rape of Amanda, he was 75% sure which was sufficient enough for now.

They had searched the car's at the rental service. The canine unit marked two separate trunks, Amanda had been in one and a so far unknown body had been in the other one.

They managed to get in touch with Simon's stepmother, Karen Ferguson, and she would be on the first flight back home having been down in Florida with her son for a few weeks of summer vacation. She hadn't been in contact with Simon for several weeks though and wasn't sure if she could help them find him but she was willing to try at least.

All through the night things were getting brought in from the house but all they found was box after box of junk. It seemed as Simon had saved everything of his mother's belongings. Her clothes, bibles, albums with random cut outs from newspapers, photo albums, her wigs, some toiletries, jewelry. An entire room upstairs had looked like his mother still lived there. Simon's own bedroom had a large portrait of his mother next to a cross. Fin at one point compared him to Norman Bates and the screwed up relationship that fictional character had to his mother.

The only thing they'd found of his sister was the framed photo on the shrine. It seemed as the mother had removed all signs of her ever having had a daughter. Photos were missing from the photo albums, a few photos ripped in half. Everyone figured Linda may just have been Simon's first victim, he was only 14 when she died but judging by photos of him at the time he had the physical means to kill her. The fact her autopsy report mentioned marks on her throat only added to the suspicion. If he wasn't the killer he might at least have seen it happen and got triggered by it.

Since he'd been in the area where the supposed I-90 and I-94 killers caused chaos Eli and Wilson got moving on those investigations hoping they could find something. Amanda's investigation told them these victims were blonde too, most blue eyed as well and it looked very likely that they would catch three serial killers at once. That would be a great accomplishment but right now everyone was just focusing on finding his latest victim and to find her alive.

---

She struggled to breathe, the pain was immensely. She couldn't remember a time when she'd ever hurt this much. Dislocated shoulders and arms, broken ribs, concussions, bruises that hurt just blowing at them. Nothing came close. She wished she could stop breathing but it hurt even more when she tried not to and then had to gasp for air. All she could do was breath. She'd tested the restraints, there was just no way out of them and now with her injuries… impossible.

She was so cold, the damp air seemed to cling to her naked body, like it had her in its grip. It held her just as tight as the restraints. Her restraints. Oh God her hands. She tried not to look at them, just let her head hang down. He'd left the light on when he left this time. Usually he turned it off, leaving her draped by the terrorizing dark. She tried to focus her eyes on the floor, the stone brick floor. Drops of water, or was it blood?, dangled from her hair's ends. One hit the floor making ripples in the puddle beneath her. She was so thirsty.

There was a sound somewhere in the distance. It sounded like he was approaching again and she felt tears dwell up her eyes as the notion of his presence started involuntary painful physical responses that rippled out through her body to limbs and parts she rather not move right now. She wasn't sure how long she could keep it up. How long she could fight him. Maybe it was just better if she gave in? That she let him end this now? He would still get his in the end right?

She heard the familiar sound of the snake's wheezing in the corner as the first of the two heavy doors were slowly pulled open. He would be a good guard dog she found herself thinking as the first door closed again. She wished she could just end this right now, rob him from the pleasure. She couldn't control her tears, she was losing this battle she had with him. She couldn't pretend any longer that she wasn't.

The last heavy door slowly opened up and soon she heard the familiar sounds. The keys on his keychain rattling a bit, the way he smacked his lips or something every time he first got eyes on her. As usual he said nothing, just closed the door again so her screams couldn't be heard. Not that she knew where she was anyway. All she knew was what he'd told her and he could be lying about everything.

Once the door was completely shut again she heard the familiar sound of his shoes shuffling slightly against the bricks. He walked past her, didn't touch her, didn't even stop to look at his handy work.

"Here you go sweetie," she heard him coo and she knew he was talking to the snake, probably feeding it something. She almost hoped he would use the snake again, that delirium she would welcome now. But he seemed to leave the snake, shuffled over to the other wall and then that damn sound of the old record player getting turned on again. She moaned and she thought she heard him chuckle but she didn't trust any of her senses right now. She wished she was imagining that raspy sound of the stick on the old record but soon the hymns started. He'd told her they were catholic, some sort of liturgical music. Like she cared. She hated the creepy sound of the chanting priests or what the fuck they were. But she hated him more.

He'd tried to make her call him 'my savior' but that was before when she could talk. Now it seemed he just tried to bludgeon it into her instead. She still preferred his harsh approach before his soft. She'd gone inside her head but suddenly got aware of his feet below her face and she felt his thighs against the back of her head. She wanted to scream as she felt his hands go down her sides. She did try to scream as his hand went over the ruffled edges on the flogged slashes covering her entire back.

She couldn't take the pain, she just wanted out. If death was the only way then she was ready to welcome it.

---

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

---

Fin had stepped outside and now stood at the precinct's stairs watching the sun rise behind the buildings. He felt numb. Weeks of worrying about his partner and now two and a half days without much sleep, the roller coaster a lead caused only to find himself slammed into the ground without safety net. He had thought that once they had a name, a face to put to the anonymous killer things would work out, things would end fine.

Two and a half days? Could she still be alive?

Back in the office Eli and Wilson was still going through old case files in the interview room. Nick had crashed in the couch in the captain's office while Cragen and Liv were at his desk going through Simon Ferguson's documents, bank notes and such things hoping to find a place, a location where he could be found. All of a sudden Cragen just tossed the papers down and fell back into his chair. Liv looked up and caught him rubbing his face. When she got a look at his eyes she could see the sadness lingering behind.

"I should've checked up on that social security check earlier," he sighed after a while.
"Don't go there cap," Liv tried, "that info would've been useless to us without the rest."
"Ten hours Liv," Cragen said and starred at her. She might have understood hadn't she been so darn tired.
"We could've saved ten hours. Congreve could've given him up yesterday morning. What if he still had her at the house then?" Liv shook her head.
"Had she been at the house we would've found traces of her. She was never there. He never took her there," she said.
"Still, ten hours. My mistake set us back ten hours," Cragen was inconsolable and fighting hard to keep his tears at bay. Liv hated to see her captain miserable but she felt unable to console at this time and instead she had to wipe tears of her own cheeks. Cragen reached out and touched her arm.
"We all have regrets Don," she managed to whisper even with her voice stalking up, "things we should've done differently."

Cragen felt even worse now seeing how he moved her to tears too. But she was right. So many 'if onlys'. He wished he'd been more attentive during Amanda's grief. That he'd kept a closer eye on her, withheld that she had to see that counselor and that it couldn't wait. And maybe he should've just kept her in lock-up until she came around.

The news kept pushing out Simon's photo and as usual lots of useless tips came pouring in. Munch was in charge, he was usually good at sorting through the litter but seeing how it was Amanda out there somewhere he was extra cautious.

As the morning shift started coming in a smaller group of fancy uniforms walked in as well and asked to talk to the captain in private. It seemed his higher commands had gotten wind of who the abductee was and they wanted to know how it could've happen and how the department could avoid repercussions. Cragen was not in the mood for it but knew better than to let that shine through. His focus was to get Amanda back and it could cost whatever. They seemed to get relieved when they heard the detective didn't have any close family and it pissed Cragen off that they seemed more concerned about any hefty lawsuits than bringing her home safe. But he'd been in this circus for many years now and he knew how they worked. Blowing up now wouldn't benefit Amanda so he kept quiet.

He gave it a little less than a minute after he'd seen them turn the corner out of the squad room and then he banged his fists in his desk until they hurt. He didn't care that it caught the attention of every single one out in the squad room. He was just so tired of how this institution was run but he was dead set on not letting that get in the way of finding his missing detective.

A reporter had showed up at the precinct as well. Cragen had already received a few calls. It seemed media had gotten wind of the fact there was a NYPD detective that had been abducted. Cragen denied all knowledge though. Dealing with them was the last thing he felt like right now.

They reached the 72h mark and with no leads what so ever of Simon's, or Amanda's, whereabouts the squad had reached bottom it seemed. They'd tried for the twentieth time or so to go through everything but suddenly no one had anything more to say and the office had been quiet for about a minute. Fin was standing over by the window just staring out at nothing in particular, his mind felt blank. Cragen was just sitting at his table and Liv and Nick had leaned back on the couch. Liv was just about to excuse herself since she felt like she would burst out in tears any second when Munch walked in looking very pale.

"What?" Cragen asked with great concern and Fin spun around to catch his old partner's emotionless face.
"They got him," Munch said sounding about as stunned as he looked.
"Simon? They got him?" Liv said and stood up not being able to get a grasp on the situation. Munch nodded.
"Amanda?" Nick asked. The excitement succumbed a little as Munch shook his head.
"Someone spotted him at the 1:15 mass at St Ann's. They alerted a patrol car in the area and they went in on their own. I'm pissed they did but they spotted him and just led him out of there. They're driving him here as we speak," Munch told them.
"St Ann's?" Cragen asked.
"On Staten Island," Munch informed him.
"So did he come from the ferry, by car, or how?"
"They don't know. He had nothing on him but the clothes he was wearing and a keychain. No car keys on it though. The only other thing I know is that they said it looked like he had recently showered," Munch knew this wasn't a good sign but he wasn't going to hold anything back.
"It could be he just took a break for Sunday mass," Nick said, "he would clean up for that." But they all knew it could also mean he was done with her. That he'd finished which meant she was gone.
"Okay this is good, he can't hurt her at least," Cragen tried to get a handle on the situation since everyone seemed to go to ugly places inside their own thoughts.
"We should expand the search area for Staten Island. Is this church close to his home?" Cragen asked and Munch shrugged a little.
"Not the closest one but it's one of the bigger parishes on Staten," Munch said as he'd been able to get the church's website up as he was on the radio with the patrol car.
"Just include the church in the search area, do a door-to-door in the area," Cragen told Munch and he went back out to get on it.

"Okay so he's coming in, we need to keep ourselves cool," Cragen said and included himself in that.
"I want first crack at this guy," Fin said as he'd found his voice again. Cragen gave him a wary look.
"I can do this sir," Fin reassured him and Cragen's face told him he finally agreed.
"Nick, you go in with him," Cragen said wanting someone in there who could wrestle Fin off if he'd made the wrong call.

Waiting for Simon to be brought in was nerve wrecking. They all feared he would try and make a run for it but no other hassle than traffic was called in. Seemed like a lot of families were out driving this sunny Sunday afternoon and it took a while for the car to get there. They all could feel it in the air when he was brought in though. It sounded as the corridor outside the gate got eerie quiet and everyone just froze.

Nick and Fin had been pacing around the squad room and both looked towards the gate when they felt the obvious shift in atmosphere. Cragen walked up to the door in his office while Liv stayed behind the window but peeked outside through the pulled blinds. She felt the need for some distance for some reason.

Simon Ferguson was nothing like they had expected. But he was also everything they expected. He was just like anyone else, that's how he could blend in so well for so many years. He was rather tall, 6" 1', rather slim looking, brown hair combed back, no grey hair, bluish grey eyes that was somewhat deep seated below husky brown eyebrows. He was wearing a white shirt with dark brown pants. A lighter brown jacket above. The uniforms had him cuffed behind his back and led him through the squad room. His face was somewhat blank but with a hint of a smile. He didn't look scared, no he looked more like he was enjoying the attention, like he was sucking in the moment. When his eyes landed on Fin though his face changed, barely but noticeable. His eyes narrowed a little and his forehead crumbled. Fin took it as recognition. Simon had seen him before. He'd probably seen him in the club, perhaps in the company of Amanda. Or with Shay. It was important to remember. Simon might not know he'd abducted a cop. It was something they would have to try and find out without breaking her cover.

Simon's eyes stayed on Fin until he couldn't any longer. The officers brought him in to the first interrogation room and the second they'd closed the door it felt as the room finally breathed again. At least Fin did. He took a deep breath feeling like he needed a shower just having Simon look at him.

"He recognized you," Nick said as he turned to face Fin. Fin gave him a nod.

They all gathered outside the window and all of them had their eyes set on Simon. Many thoughts wandered through their minds. What he'd done to and with Amanda was the one thought that went through everyone's mind and that they always came back to.

"Okay," Cragen finally said, "number one priority, finding out where he's keeping Amanda."
"She's alive," Fin said quietly, not as a question, it was a statement but he had to reassure himself. Liv was worried about him, and worried he wouldn't be able to control himself around Simon. She caught herself thinking he could kill him once they had Amanda back but for now he couldn't. That was on her mind as she watched Fin and Nick step inside the room.

"I'm detective Amaro," Nick introduced himself when Fin, who had the lead, didn't say anything.
"And this is detective Tutuola," he added seeing how Simon's eyes were set on Fin. Nick watched Simon's lips move as though he repeated Fin's last name silently to himself.

"You've been read your rights Mr Ferguson?" Nick asked feeling the need to get going and since Fin had just walked over to the wall and leaned back against it silently Nick felt he had to take lead. Nick was also still standing but by the table Simon was seated at. Nick could tell the officers had uncuffed him only to cuff his hands back up together in front of him instead of behind.

"Mr Ferguson?" Nick called out to get Simon's attention. Finally Simon was able to pull his eyes away from Fin and Nick felt a chill as his eyes connected with Simon's.
"You have been read your rights?" Nick asked again and Simon gave him just a tiny nod.
"Good," Nick said trying to stay in control of the inner turmoil he was feeling.

"May I call you Simon?" he asked and again Simon nodded just barely visible.
"I'm Nick. Do you know why you're here Simon?" Simon shook his head slightly and Nick pulled out Amanda's photo from the folder he'd been carrying.

"We're looking for this woman," he said as he placed the photo in front of Simon. Simon immediately leaned in and he put up his cuffed hands on the table, letting his fingers move over the photo. Nick thought he could see a slight smile on Simon's face.

Over by the wall Fin was struggling to keep his emotions in check. He didn't like Simon's hands even on her photo. What right did he think he had to touch her, even just her photo?

"Have you seen her before Simon?" Nick asked but had to wait a while for the answer. Simon took his time, kept running his finger down the side of her face on the photo but then finally leaned back letting his hands fall down back into his lap. He looked back up at Nick and then shook his head.
"No?" Nick said and just nodded. He shot Fin a look wondering when he would want to step in to this but meanwhile Nick had a seat opposite Simon.
"You're here though because we believe we have evidence that you abducted this woman," Nick put it out there. Simon just looked at him. His calm was freaking Nick out a bit.
"If you tell us where she is, if you work with us I'm sure the DA will work out a deal with you when come to sentencing," Nick tried. He finally got Simon to show emotion on his face but it wasn't the reaction he was hoping for. Simon smiled slightly and then turned his eyes over to Fin.

"There's something you want to say to me?" Fin asked. Simon's smile faded but he kept looking at Fin.
"C'mon ask me, I can see you're dying to," Fin was hoping he could bait him.
"No?"

"Simon," Nick called for his attention, "we know you stole that blue Honda and that you then swopped cars. You used your company's rental service. We know you used their cars before while stalking this woman, we found you on traffic cams. We know that this isn't the first woman you've abducted either. For now though all we want to know is where she is." Nick left room for Simon to answer but he kept quiet. Nick sat back a little on his chair, taking a second to think things through.

"This would be easier if you talked to us Simon," Nick said trying to keep his voice calm and steady.
"Easier for whom?" Simon asked and Nick couldn't help but sit up a bit startled to hear him talk. His voice was just like his looks, average.
"For me or for you detective?"
"Well for you Simon, I'm not the one in cuffs," Nick said. Simon looked down on his hands and nodded a bit. His eyes then went over to Fin again.

"Tell us where she is," Fin said. Simon seemed to be studying him.
"Who is she to you?" he then asked.
"You know who she is, we want to know where she is," Fin replied.
"I don't know," Simon said calmly.
"You don't know where she is?" Nick asked. Simon shook his head.
"And I don't know who she is," he added and kept looking at Fin, "I want to know who she is to you though." Fin rolled his eyes, he knew when he was being played.

"We know that you know who she is Simon, don't make this harder than it has to be," Nick said.
"I know she's beautiful, or what do you think detective?" Simon turned his attention back to Fin. Fin got off the wall and walked up to the table. Nick held his breath. Simon seemed calm though.
"Just tell us where she is," Fin asked trying to keep the rage from his voice. Simon just kept watching him.
"Where she is," Fin said grabbing hold of Simon's shoulder, "now!" Simon's staring annoyed him. Fin grabbed a hold around the back of his neck and pushed his head down towards the photo.
"Tell us where she is," Fin asked louder. Nick could see on Simon's face he was annoyed by the rough handling.
"C'mon tell us," Fin shouted now pushing Simon's face down over the photo.
"Fin," Nick tried as he didn't think this was the right approach.
"Talk," Fin shouted though.
"Fin," Nick said a little louder and finally Fin reacted.

He gave Nick an angry stare but then eased up his grip on Simon and then letting him sit back up. Simon looked a little bothered but managed to stay calm. Fin's outburst seemed to have pushed Simon back to silence though and whatever Nick tried he kept quiet just looking back and forth between them not showing any reactions or emotions on his face. It caused Fin to snap again after a while and this time Simon's head got slammed into the table.

Nick got up and grabbed a hold of Fin dragging him towards the door that Cragen had already stepped through to end Fin's session with Simon. Nick exchanged a quick glance with his captain and gave him the nod that reassured that he could cover this on his own. Nick helped close the door behind Fin, took a deep breath and then walked back over to the table.

"I'm sorry about that Simon," he said as he sat back down. Simon looked as though he was assessing Nick now. He seemed to come to the conclusion Nick was being sincere and Simon straighten up on his chair.
"Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man," Simon said quietly, "do not associate with one easily angered." Nick found the words familiar and tried to think quickly.
"A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly," Nick recited as the words from the Bible came to him. Simon seemed impressed.
"Are you a patient man detective?" Simon asked. Nick took a few seconds to think about it.
"I try to be," he then answered.
"Religious?"
"Catholic," Nick let him know and Simon seemed to approve.
"You?" Nick asked.
"I am," Simon just answered seeming not to want to specify with religion he belonged to.

"And you believe in purgatory?" Nick asked and noticed the hasty glance that served him.
"I mean do you believe in purgatory?" Nick reversed his question a bit. Simon took a while but then nodded.
"Even though it's not found in the Bible?"
"The word isn't found but neither is trinity. The Bible isn't even mentioned in the Bible," Simon said and looked keen to discuss it.
"But there are biblical references to fire and purification. It's in the apocrypha," Simon said with a smile.
"But isn't it the righteousness of Christ that cleanse from all sin?" Nick asked.
"Purgatory can help."
"But doesn't that imply that justification is not by faith alone?" Nick could sense Simon didn't like the implication.

"But even if so, pain isn't the point of purgatory right?" Simon looked confused so Nick reached into his folder and got out another paper. This one had Simon's six confirmed victims head shots on it and Nick placed it beside the photo of Amanda.
"These girls all suffered great pain Simon," Nick said and watched Simon's face. It stayed blank.
"All we want to know is where she is," Nick pointed to Amanda's photo.

"Just tell me what you want, if you want a Bible in here, something to eat, drink? Whatever you want Simon, just tell me where she is and I'll get it to you," Nick tried to keep the desperation he was feeling from his voice. Simon just kept looking at him and Nick tried not to squirm in his chair. He felt drops of sweat run down his spine. It was just so important to find Amanda. But whatever he asked Simon just kept quiet. Nick tried for about twenty minutes, not once raising his voice just asking the same question over and over again – where was she?

Nick felt in need of a break and gathered the photos in front of Simon and put them back in his folder.

"I'm going to get you some water Simon, I'll be right back," Nick said and walked out. Nick had a full crowd outside but he took left and walked down the corridor in need of air. He didn't seem to find any down there though and he dropped the folder on the floor and got his arms up over his head.

"You're doing good," he wasn't startled by his partner's voice behind his back.
"I'm not getting anything," he growled though and rested his arms on top of his head still not able to face her.
"You will," Liv said wanting to boost her partner but lacking some herself to make it as reliable as she wanted.
"Will I in time though?" he asked trying to not hyperventilate, "Can you even imagine what she must be going through?"
"You can't think of that right now Nick. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but you have to focus on Simon now, try and get him talking again. You reached him, he opened up to you. He's a psychopath but not the first one you've sat across. You can do this Nick, I know you can do this," Liv put every last effort she had into her words. She kept her eyes on Nick's back, saw the darker spots on his shirt where sweat seeped through and she could tell his breathing was strained.
"He hasn't mentioned a lawyer, you think I should ask him if he wants one?" Nick finally asked. He'd been wondering if a lawyer couldn't push him towards dealing with them.
"Hold off if you can. Use what you have in common Nick. Let it take time," Liv went with her gut feeling and she saw Nick nod.
"Can I get a minute?" he asked and she quickly acknowledged he could.
"Can I get you something?" she asked as she was about to leave.
"Water," he said, "for both of us."
"Sure. You are doing good Nick." He heard her walk away and he tried to let her words sink in. Time. Patience. Yes he could do this.

He went back in after about another twenty minutes. That was after having made sure either Cragen or Fin had something to tell him, something they wanted him to push on or ask. They both trusted him though and he tried not to let that weigh him down.

Nick put the bottle of water down in front of Simon.

"Tell me if you need help opening that up or something, I mean with your…" Nick just gestured slightly towards Simon hinting to his cuffs. Nick sat down opposite him and put the folder on the table so Nick himself could have some water. Simon sat still for a while but then reached for his bottle and managed to get it open so he could have a drink too.

"So Simon," Nick said once Simon had finished drinking, "it seems we both have done some bible studies, we both had mothers with faith. I don't know about you but I've always been grateful to my mother for introducing me to faith. It's something… empowering to always be able to lean back on that." Nick watched his words not wanting to say something that would tick Simon off. The goal was to reach him not push him further away. Simon just stayed silent though. Nick tried mentioning his own bible studies as a child and then mentioning his church and priest. Simon just listen, only reacted slightly at times but nothing Nick could follow up on.

Nick finally picked up his folder and looked through it a little. He flipped by Amanda's photo quickly not able to have her eyes staring up on him right now.

"Of course you already know Simon that we've done quite an extensive background check on you. My squad is busy collecting evidence as we speak. The charges against you, well they're stocking up I have to tell you," Nick shot him a quick glance but looked down as he still didn't react. Nick was about to go on when Simon suddenly spoke.

"Who will bring any charges against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one."
"Romans right? 8?" Nick asked hoping his recollection was right and he felt a bit relieved as Simon nodded improvingly.
"You are one of the chosen ones Simon?"
"Aren't we all?" Simon countered and Nick smiled slightly as he nodded.
"But you are special though aren't you Simon?" Nick insisted.
"I mean you even bear the name of a prophet. And you do condemn don't you?" Simon's eyes narrowed at Nick's suggestion.

"You condemn despicable behavior right? Like my hot tempered partner? Like indecent women. Like these women," Nick brought out the photo of the previous victims again and placed it in front of Simon. Simon frowned a little as he looked at them.
"Impure and vulgar. I understand you. They don't act according to the bible. Far from it. God has given you the right to condemn them right?" Nick got Amanda's photo out of the folder and placed it back at the table, this time above the other paper.
"And this one," Nick said, "she's just like them. Just as vile. But you've seen to that haven't you Simon? You've purged her right? You've helped her through. You can let her go now right? Why don't you tell us where she is?" When Nick went silent Simon looked down on the photo. Again his hand went up to touch the photo and Nick thought he saw a slight smile.

"Isn't it time you let her go Simon?" Simon glanced up at Nick but looked confused.
"Let who go?" he asked.
"The girl on the photo, the girl you abducted Simon."
"I didn't abduct anyone. I've never seen any of these girls before." Nick tried a little longer but got nowhere. Finally he asked Simon if he wanted a lawyer but then Simon suddenly answered by shaking his head once. Nick excused himself soon thereafter and went back outside.

Cragen told him to take a break, get some air or something. They would let Simon be for a bit, something Fin didn't approve of but Cragen said it was the way it would be. Cragen and Liv sat down with Karen Ferguson meanwhile who had been waiting in Cragen's office for several hours. She'd brought her son, Simon's half-brother, Joseph and they both seemed shocked when they learnt what crimes Simon was suspected of. Karen said, and Joseph vouched, that Simon had always been somewhat peculiar.

They hadn't spent much time with Simon, his mother rarely let Simon visit his father once he remarried and Simon had withdrawn after his mother's death. Simon's father had told Karen awful stories about Simon's mother, how delusional she was and how she'd polluted Simon's mind. Karen called her a religious nut and she thought Simon was a God sent with special powers. When asked about Linda Karen didn't know as much. JJ hadn't spoken much about his daughter, she thought that he felt guilty about everything that had happen to her, that he hadn't stood by her when she accused that boy of rape and then when she'd been found dead he'd been devastated for weeks. She knew that JJ had been close to Linda in a way he'd never been close to Simon, of which was Evelyn's doing.

Joseph didn't have much to add about his brother, they'd never spent much time together. Joseph felt Simon rejected him, even hated him and had called him a bastard one time when Joseph was just eight and didn't even know what it meant.

Karen agreed to try and talk to Simon if it came to that and Cragen set her and her son up in a room upstairs and got them food while waiting. Simon would later reject seeing his stepmother though saying he had nothing to say to that floozy. Karen's help would prove vital though but that was still hours, even days, away.

An hour later Nick stepped back inside the interrogation room and this time with Liv by his side.
"Simon, this is another partner of mine, Olivia Benson," Nick said introducing Liv to Simon.
"Mr Ferguson, Simon," Liv said as she had a seat next to Nick. Her plan was to treat him with respect seeing how that had worked best so far but she would be the bad cop if the moment called for it so Nick would continue being the good cop.

"We just thought we would try and talk a little and then, it's getting rather late, maybe we can get you something to eat? Get you something you like Simon. If you just talk to us first," Nick said playing into the good cop routine. Simon gave him a hint of a smile but then turned his attention back to Olivia, seeming curious about the new face in the room.

"Is there anything you like to talk to us about Simon?" Liv tried. Simon kept observing her for a while and Liv got a chance to experience that chill that Nick had described to her earlier. Simon had a way of making you feel uncomfortable just by looking at you, she realized it could have something to do with the fact he was a cold blooded killer too. Simon finally shook his head slowly.

"No?" Liv said not trying to hide her disappointment, "You see it's just we really, really want to find Shay. And we think that if we could find her it would benefit you as well. It would benefit you to work with us Simon."
"Who's Shay?" he asked. Liv felt a bit annoyed at his games but knew she just had to deal with it.
"The girl who's missing, the one on the photo my partner showed you," Liv just answered. Simon still looked oblivious though.
"Can I see it again?" he asked.
"The photo?" Liv asked and Simon smiled. Liv took the folder from Nick and searched it a bit. She pulled out a photo and placed it in front of Simon but quickly apologized pulling it back just slightly.

"Oh I'm sorry, that's not the right photo. I'm so sorry Simon. I know your sister's death must have been hard for you, I didn't mean to evoke any painful memories." She'd pulled out a photo of Linda Ferguson deliberately. Simon's face had dropped. She couldn't tell if it was anger or sadness displayed on his face but it was some emotion at least.
"But it's quite a coincidence isn't it," Liv said and pulled up Amanda's photo. She placed it next to the one of Linda.
"They look very much alike don't they? As well as the other girls. They look very much like your sister Simon. It can't be a coincidence now can it Simon?"

Simon's eyes narrowed, he didn't seem to want to look at Amanda's photo after all and just kept his eyes on Liv. He didn't look happy.
"Just tell us where she is Simon and we can work out a deal," Liv tried but Simon kept quiet. An awkward silence filled the room and Nick almost didn't dare to breath. Finally Simon's cuffs made a sound as his hands moved up on the table. He picked up the photo of his sister and turned it over without looking at it. He then pushed it away from himself and put his hands on Amanda's photo.

"What makes you think she's still alive?" he asked with his eyes glued on the photo. Nick felt a hint of panic as Liv fought to keep her own emotions in check.
"We know how you work, we know you take your time," Liv said as calm as possible.
"How can you know me? We've never met," Simon said and shot her a glance but then picked up the photo and held it up in front of him to get a better look.
"You're quite famous Simon, we even have a profile on you," Liv told him.
"A profile? Please do tell me about it," Simon asked. Liv quickly thought it through but then decided to oblige him and gave him the kinder version of the profile made of the Mayhem choker.

"Well that does sound a bit like me now doesn't it," Simon said once she'd finished.
"And I can't pretend I wouldn't have like to have had the pleasure to meet this lovely woman," he smiled creepily as he looked at the photo. Liv felt like ripping it out of his hands but controlled herself.
"I'm not so sure you would've liked her though Simon," Nick said and it earned him a look from Simon.
"She's a stripper," Nick said trying to sound like it bothered him, "and she worked for an escort service. I don't even want to think about how many commandments she's broken." Nick held Simon's eyes for a bit.
"Just the kind of girl in need of purgatory right?" he asked but Simon kept his face still.
"Yes, you were just helping those girls weren't you Simon?" Liv joined in.
"Just cleansing them right? That's all you wanted to do. It was a good deed. And you know what else would be a good deed Simon?" Nick stared at him seriously, "Telling us where she is. That would be a good deed Simon."

Simon just leaned back though and he said nothing.
"I think I'm tired now, I would like to lay down for a bit," he said.
"That won't happen Simon," Liv let him know, "not until you've talked to us. When you tell us where she is you can sleep, as Nick said we can get you food, anything you like."
"A nap is sufficient enough," Simon said calmly. When it got obvious Nick and Liv wasn't going to grant him one he just put his head down on the table. Liv shot Nick a glance, she wasn't sure what to do. They finally stood up and walked out only to be greeted by an upset Fin.

"We have to go hard at him cap, c'mon, enough with this chit chatting now. Let me have a go," Fin raised his voice. Cragen raised his hand though in an attempt to calm him down.
"No," Fin shouted, "she's dying out there somewhere. We have to help her. That bastard knows where she's at and we have to make him tell us." Fin was gesturing to the man slumped over the table back in the room.
"You can't beat it out of him though Fin," Liv tried even though she felt torn on how to approach Simon since nothing they'd tried so far seemed to work.
"I can try," Fin shouted but piped down as he caught Liv's eyes. He knew she was right but he still felt like he wanted to beat him up though. They all looked to their captain to make the decision and he felt the burden on his shoulder.

"Let's try and send Eli and Chris in first. We'll let him rest for a bit and then we'll send them in. If that doesn't work then you'll get a go," Cragen finally said. Fin wasn't completely satisfied but at least it was something.

A little later Eli and Wilson went in. They introduced themselves and how they were connected to the case. Fin had to admit, Eli was good. He tried to boost Simon's ego, build him up, told him he'd grown a slight fascination over the years to such a slug man. I mean he even had a name. The Mayhem choker. Not everyone got their own nickname, only the really good ones did.

At times it looked as Simon got a slight smile on his face, like he took the praise to heart but he kept quiet. Eli tried a question every now and then but when Simon didn't answer he just kept talking. He used Wilson to get a dialogue going and they shared war stories with Simon. Stories about how they thought they'd been closing in on him but every time he slipped through their fingers. They were very impressed with him and didn't try to hold it back.

It was futile though. Simon said nothing and they had to give up finally. Eli apologized when he got back out but Cragen said he did good. Fin was eager to go in but Cragen held him back.

"C'mon cap, you said I could," Fin groaned.
"Let him digest," Cragen said.
"While he's digesting she's dying. Fuck this. I'm going in," Fin said but didn't move just yet. Cragen gave him a serious look as he was thinking it through.
"You go in with him," he then said as he turned to Olivia. She gave him a nod and then hurried in after Fin who was already through the door.

"Okay pal, gloves are off," Fin said as he walked up to Simon, "I'm not going to lie to you, you're scum. I'd like to scrape you off the bottom of my shoes." Fin gave him a piece of his mind and he had Simon's attention. He didn't look scared but there was no phony smile either.
"And I know you recognize me," Fin said and finally Simon wasn't able to keep the smile of his face. Fin got down in his face.
"Wipe that smile of your face bastard," he hissed and saw Simon flinch at the use of 'bastard'.

"You can pretend you're all goody two-shoes but I know you're a hypocrite. You try and come off as some kind of righteous man but you are no better than any us. No actually you're worse, you pretend to be something you're not. What does the bible say on visiting strip clubs. You've seen me there. We both know it but I don't pretend to shy from that. I'm a man, I stand up for my actions." Fin could see Simon was gritting his teeth and he knew he was getting under his skin.

"What else have you done that you're not owning up to? You've been with her?" Simon turned his head a way a little, Fin saw it as a good sign and got right up to his ear.
"No you haven't right. Can't get it up? You have to pay others to do it for you right?" Simon glanced sideways with obvious rage on his face. Liv saw it too, she was lingering by the wall letting Fin do his thing for now but she was ready to jump in if it got too heated.
"You had her raped. What man does that?" Simon got up but Fin was ready. He wouldn't have to defend himself though as Simon just backed up.
"You must rid yourselves…" Simon's voice stalked up with anger.

"What's that wretch?" Fin asked and walked after him as Simon was still backing up. "You're trying to defend yourself? Can you really though? You had her raped? An eye for an eye is that from the bible? I hope that happens to you when you rot away in prison."
"Rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips," Simon managed to rattle out just as his back hit the wall.
"How will you rid yourself Simon? In my eyes you're the one in need of some deep cleansing. I can shove my fist up your ass so deep…" Simon interrupted him.
"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." Simon didn't look so much in control though as Fin grabbed a hold of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall.
"You think you're wise? That you're a man? Delusional. And you're certainly not in control. You're on my turf now prick. I don't give a fuck about you. I'll beat you to a pulp right now if it wasn't for the fact you're holding in on some information I need." Fin squeezed his neck a little harder and Simon looked scared.

"All you have to do is tell me where she is and I'll let you go. You can rot away in a corner after that I don't care. All I care is to find her."
"Fear not for I am with you," Simon whispered.
"Oh you should fear, you should be shaking in your boots," Fin pressed him harder to the wall.
"You are sent by the Devil," Simon's voice was strained.
"You bet your ass I am," Fin hissed.
"Get your filthy hands of me."
"You're the filth in this room. And I'll touch you any way I want."
"You are of sinful nature. Sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery…"

"And you aren't? You had her raped!" Fin shouted it into his face, "I don't even want to think about what you've done to her these past couple of days. You are the sinner here. You're at fault…"
"I help," Simon hissed back, "God put me here to help them." Liv held her breath. Simon was actually confessing.
"They need my help, they even ask me to help… in the end… they ask for my help."
"Did she?" Fin asked even though he didn't really want to hear the answer. He knew that if she had asked for his help it meant she wasn't alive now. He kept pushing Simon up against the wall but he'd lost his rage, it was replaced by desperation.
"Did she ask you to set her free?" Fin screamed as Simon suddenly got a wide smile over his face. He could tell Simon was thinking something, like he was plotting.

"I want a lawyer," he smiled and Fin growled.
"Tell me where she is," he shouted.
"Lawyer," Simon repeated as it was the golden word. And it was. Fin knew it. Liv knew it. Everyone outside the window knew. But for a few seconds they pretended they didn't hoping Fin could get him talking again. Fin pushed him further down the wall, into the corner.
"Where is she? What have you done to her?" Fin shouted. Liv walked up behind him but fought herself to not grab a hold off him, she wanted him to succeed too.
"Tell me, tell me where she is," Fin was spitting as he screamed. Simon tried to fend him off but Fin had him pegged down and Simon's legs were buckling now.
"Where is she?" Fin shoved him harder against the wall, got him slightly off and pushed him into it again. He didn't even feel Liv's hands around one of his arms. Simon kept trying to say lawyer over and over again.

Fin screamed straight out as he felt himself getting pulled off Simon. He didn't want to let go until he had an answer though so he kept his grip around Simon's collar making him get pulled out of the corner along with Fin. Fin got overpowered though as more people rushed in and his fingers were bent off. Fin growled with inner torment as he was hauled out of there.

Simon gasped for air but as soon as he got some back down into his lungs he shouted after Fin; "Depart from me, you who are curse, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
Nick was one of the people helping Simon sit back up and he found himself locking eyes with Simon.
"Angels burn too," Simon smiled, "can I get a lawyer now?"

Liv had followed Eli and an officer that had been the two who pulled Fin out of interrogation. Fin fought lose as they got further away and Liv stood by as he franticly paced a little as though he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

"I killed her," he finally mumbled.
"No you didn't, we don't know that he killed her Fin," Liv tried. Fin kept pacing. The rest of the squad room had backed away.
"You were so close Fin, you had him talking," Liv tried to console.
"It wasn't enough," Fin suddenly shouted and he kicked a chair that went flying across the room making ruckus.
"Go get some air," Liv was startled by her captain's voice behind her, she hadn't heard him walking up.
"Get some air as we wait for his lawyer, we still have a job to do here," Don said fatherly and Fin did as told.
"I'll keep an eye on him," Liv said and went after him.

The public defender would be there in under an hour. Cragen had asked Barba to come in to help speed up the process. The sooner the PD knew what was at stake here the better. Simon was back to playing games though. He asked for a toilet break and then he wanted something to eat before he talked to his lawyer. Cragen granted some of his wishes but had enough after a while.

It was close to midnight when the PD finally came out only to let them know his client wasn't interested in talking to the police at this time. The PD, a young male who looked rather fresh out of law school but it could've just been the fact he looked nervous as hell, told them he'd tried to talk his client in to cooperating but they weren't really seeing eye to eye. Simon didn't even want to plead either guilty or not guilty to the charges, he just said they were ridiculous and he wanted to be set free.

As Cragen, Barba and Nick tried to get Simon to reason with them the rest of the squad including Eli and Wilson were going through Simon's background again. They'd asked his CO for access to all the apartments and areas the company had. They only had two apartments though and the storage unit in the building's basement was easily searched through. Mr Congreve was still cooperating, it seemed his lawyer had filled him in on the severity of Simon's charges so his phony smile was long gone too. Seeing how Simon had used Congreve's name and bank account more than once they got access to Congreve's summer house in the Hamptons but they found nothing there.

Fin had managed to gather himself but Liv saw him spiral down quickly as they were reaching the four days missing mark on the clock. It meant Amanda had been alone God knew where for at least a whole 24 hours. They had figured she at least was safer with Simon locked up but there was always doubt. What if she was bleeding? What if she was dying of hunger or thirst? What if rats were nibbling away at her?

All sort of disgusting thoughts went through a mind when it hadn't slept for more than a few hours at a time over the past couple of days. Or a mind that only sparsely got fed or rehydrated since its owner felt too guilty to be able to eat and drink when its friend most likely couldn't.

Liv had asked Simon's stepmother to come back in and while they were talking Karen mentioned that Simon had been of some help at one point. It stood out since Simon had always treated Karen with hostility. But after her husband's passing Simon had been helpful with settling JJ's businesses. He'd been in the middle of selling some real estate when JJ suffered his heart attack but Simon had helped her settle things and seen to it she got plenty of money for the lots. Simon had an eye for numbers, JJ had an eye for properties.

In a desperate attempt to grasp at anything Liv asked Karen if she could get those settlements in to the station just so they could make sure Simon still wasn't using any of those lots. Karen hurried out to go get them herself, she had everything at her loft. Liv offered an officer to drive her and Karen accepted.

Cragen and Nick was still trying to convince Simon it was in his best interest to work with them but Simon had grew balls all of a sudden and kept quoting the bible every chance he got. As another sun was starting to set even the most hardcore optimists were starting to doubt they'd ever get Amanda back. Cragen and Nick came walking back out into the squad room after the latest round with Simon. Liv could tell how wiped out both of them were.

"Anything?" Liv asked and got another head shake from her captain. Cragen turned the question around but Liv didn't have much to report.
"Karen brought in the papers from JJ's estate settlement, it all looks legit, I'm just checking the property numbers to make sure," Liv said and pointed to the outside glass of Cragen's office. They were running out on boards and walls to pin stuff on to now so she'd taped the papers up there. Nick walked over since he didn't have much else to do and just looked at the signed arrangements and law documents. There were two empty lots that had been sold and three properties. When Nick got to the last document something caught his attention though and he ripped it down.

"What?" Liv asked immediately at his sudden reaction. She got up and as she got closer she could tell Nick was taking very deep breaths.
"What?" she asked again.
"Where's..." Nick seemed confused when he turned around, eyes still set on the document in his hand.
"Nick," Liv said harshly to snap him out of whatever haze he was in.
"Amanda's notes on Dante's inferno. Where?" he said and his voice was suddenly very focused as he met Liv's eyes. She pointed to the interview room and he rushed in there.

"What's going on Nick?" she asked as she was just a step behind him. Fin had lay down on the couch but sat up rubbing sleep out of his eyes as the two stormed in.
"The name on that," Nick said and handed the document to her as he got busy searching for the specific notes he was looking for. It was something he'd read in Amanda's notes.
"It's a property, well a property number basically, everything looks okay, signed by Karen's lawyer and Karen herself," Liv said with a sigh not knowing what he was after.
"The buyer," Nick said louder. Cragen had walked in and Eli and Wilson, who'd been in Cragen's office, stepped in through the other door having heard the raised voices from next doors.

"A. Cheron," Liv said confused, "What?" Nick had found the notes and quickly let his finger go down the rows of words until he found what he was looking for.
"A. Cheron, it's not a person, it's a river," he couldn't help but smile.
"Que?" Fin stood up.
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," Nick recited what Amanda had written down.
"Making no sense Nick," Liv said not in the mood to play games.
"Charon, the ferryman of the dead. His duty was to ferry souls of the damned across the infernal river to limbo beyond. The river was Acheron."
"A. Cheron. Acheron," Liv said looking down at the document.
"I bet if we get that to trace, it will turn out to be Simon's signature," Nick said.

"Where's the property?" Cragen asked coming up behind Liv.
"I didn't get to that one yet," Liv said rushing back out. She hadn't been familiar with the property register system so it had taken her some time to get started but now she filled the numbers in quickly in the right column and the address got up on the screen as soon as she hit enter.
"That's Staten," she close to shouted. Everyone scrambled to get their stuff but before anyone could rush out of there Cragen shouted to get everyone's attention.

"We need to be careful, he could have the place rigged. I'm going to call bomb squad, canine. I don't want anyone to enter before they get there. Do you hear me?" he looked to Fin and he nodded. Nick and Liv got in the same car as him though to make sure. They rode in a caravan, blue lights and sirens giving the city a powerful symphony at the long ride back down to Staten Island.

Fin seemed to get he couldn't rush in but he was, as the rest of them, obviously restless to get going. Cragen had gotten the right recourses to assembly quickly though. A blueprint of the building which had two upper levels as well as two sub levels was spread out on the hood of one of the cars and a large crowd gathered around it. Even with the large number of people and many dogs they managed to get everyone to pipe down so the SWAT leader could go through the plan of attack. Cragen had managed to reach the same one they'd worked together with when they raided Chambers and he'd brought his bomb squad that was already checking out the entrance to make sure it was clear from explosives.

He was fast and efficient and as soon as he got the go ahead from his bomb squad that everything was cleared he gave the go ahead. Fin was with Liv again and with the first group that went down. They all had different areas to search. The property was huge underground and they also had to look for secret departments since Simon had the property for 12 years and could've added on. They had no idea what the property had been used as and didn't really have time to find out right now but it meant they could run into anything down there.

Every group going down had at least one dog with them so they could find traces of explosives or bodies easier. Approaching the building felt nerve-wracking but it was nothing like the feeling of actually stepping inside of it, it was a feeling no one could put words into. It was dark and damp, flashlights hitting moldy stone brick walls with weird contraptions hanging from the roof. It was like something out of a horror movie and right now they were all a part of the horror.

Fin started calling out Amanda's name as soon as they got inside just hoping to hear back from her. He wanted further down quickly, knowing she was most likely down there. Every time a dog barked everyone tensed up but time passed without anyone calling in finding something. Fin and Liv reached the end of their search area and Fin got on the radio asking if anyone had something. Nick came back with a negative result and so did the SWAT leader.

Then all of a sudden there was different kind of bark that quickly got joined in by dogs in other areas.
"Where?" Fin shouted in to his radio as someone reported they'd found a locked room.
"Zone F," was reported back and Fin and Liv started running a bit aimlessly towards where they thought that zone were. They knew they were on the right track though as a lot of uniforms guided them forward with their flash lights.

"You got her?" Fin shouted at anyone that could answer him. Nick came running down another hallway and exchanged a quick glance with Liv.

A K-9 unit approached them as they got further down. The dog by the officer's side panted hard as he was excited. The officer looked less excited though and held up his hand to get them to slow down.

"What?" Fin asked as the man shook his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, it's a body."