11: Sacrifice
As Alex rounded the corner of the 'L' shaped corridor her mouth fell open and the air left her lungs, 'Oh my God!' her mind screamed.
The body of Detective Olivia Benson lay unmoving on the floor at the far end of the hallway, 'What is that?' she thought as she raised a hand to adjust the black glasses that adorned her face. She squinted in an effort to get a better look at the floor beside Olivia, her eyes riveted to the motionless figure, 'Oh no. Oh God, please no.'
It was blood.
Olivia was lying in a pool of her own blood.
She had to help Olivia, she had to. She couldn't just walk our with this mad man and leave her. She couldn't. She wouldn't. 'Please don't be de-' she refused to finish the morbid thought, the very idea too distressing. She picked up her pace and began to move with urgency, with purpose towards Olivia.
A restraining, bloody hand on her upper arm pulled her back slightly, "Easy there Counselor, remember we're 'live' on candid camera. Yankee is down, my 'directive' is to secure your safety and escort you out the building," he gripped her tighter, "that doesn't include breaking free from your protective detail, even if there is a dead cop on the floor." he snarled into her ear through a fake smile.
'Dead,' echoed Alex, 'She can't be...not Liv.'
Agent David Brennan, decorated member of ESU's Special Tactical and Weapons Team, was a rogue agent on an unstoppable mission.
He let go of Cabot's arm and tried to focus on what he had just heard in his ear piece. Goldie had ordered the 'Go Team' not to enter the floor, to 'Hold' their position. He mentally processed all comms he had listened to between the Lieutenant, the Command Post and the teams of agents that were by now, he guessed, outside on the stairwell.
He cast a look down the hallway to the fallen Detective lying on the floor, 'Such a shame Yankee, paramedics are right outside that door,' he mused to himself.
He schooled his thoughts, turning his attention to the part he now had to play, 'Keep it cool Davy boy, you're almost out. Escort her to the SUV, get cleaned up, accept the accolades for surviving an attack from one of America's Most Wanted, show 'remorse' for my 'fallen' colleagues and cha-ching, pocket the cash. Easy money.' he smiled.
No sooner had he thought that when his eyes caught movement on the illuminated red display of the elevator.
'Showtime,' he thought.
They had almost reached Olivia. Brennan looked down to make sure she wasn't moving and then leaned into Alex, pressing his body against her back, "Don't think I won't," was all he said.
Alex tensed, remembering his earlier words, "I'll put another bullet in Benson."
She looked down tearfully at Olivia as they passed her lifeless body and made a decision. She watched the elevator intensely as they walked, wondering who was going to step out.
'Connors,' she thought, 'can't be, he couldn't get into the building could he? No, this bastard is taking me to a car. If it's not Connors, it mus-' she was cut off as the man behind her spoke.
"Retriever, this is Brennan," he paused, "Anyone, anyone hear me?"
Alex was confused, he was obviously talking with ESU but she had no way of hearing the response.
"I've got 'the package.' Connors took out 'Team 1' on the stairs, the roof is compromised. Repeat the roof is compromised. Heading to exit 4 via stairwell. Does anyone copy?" he said convincingly as he released the talk button on the mic at his throat.
'Ding'
The familiar sound announcing the arrival of the elevator jolted Alex into action. She pushed backwards, colliding forcefully with Brennan. He stumbled.
She turned, threw her hands out, making sure to dig the thumb of her left hand into the bullet wound on his right shoulder and shoved him hard. He fell awkwardly into the door frame of an open office.
Alex ran to Olivia, skidded to her knees and leaned over her, "Liv....Liv, can you hear me?" She said as she frantically placed two fingers at the Detective's neck in search of a pulse.
She couldn't feel any, she closed her eyes trying to concentrate on feeling for any signs of life.
She thought she felt a beat, she felt it again. It was faint and weak but it was definitely there, she breathed out a silent, "Thank you," on a grateful breath.
She heard Brennan curse as he tried to steady himself. He was looking for his gun.
Alex had no fears for her own safety. If he shot her in the back at least she died trying to save the woman who had protected her so selflessly on so many occasions. She yanked off her suit jacket and lifted the bloody, brown haired head gently off the cold, hard floor and placed the makeshift pillow against where she thought the blood was coming from. She looked at the blood soaked left arm and visibly paled. She ran her hands over Olivia's upper body feeling for the bullet wound she knew she must have sustained to cause so much blood.
Her hands found the tear in the black fitted shirt. She freed the shirt from the confines of the Detective's trousers and ripped open the buttons to seek out the entry wound. She placed pressure with her right hand on the congealed, bloody mess she found on Olivia's left side and moved her left hand to quickly check for other injuries. She was relieved to find none.
Brennan got to his feet, raised the retrieved weapon in his left hand and aimed at the crouched figure of ADA Alexandra Cabot. "You bitch! You stupid, stupid bitch!" he shouted.
"DROP IT!" bellowed Lieutenant Tom Goldie.
Brennan's head snapped towards the elevator, his gun remained aimed directly on the back of the ADA.
Elliot stepped out of the elevator and looked over to Alex. her back was angled away from him, but he could see she was leaning over Olivia protectively. He kept his gun trained on Brennan.
Goldie took a cautious step forward, "Brennan, what's going on here?" he asked as he lowered his weapon. Goldie took in the broken nose, the blood smears on his face and the dark, familiar stains that covered his right hand. He looked up his arm and noted the bleeding wound on his shoulder. Goldie was conscious of Elliot's position to his right, he stayed to the left in order for Stabler to take the shot if he had it. He bobbed his head at Brennan, prompting him for an answer.
Brennan kept the gun aimed at Alex's back as his eyes darted between the Lieutenant and the stranger beside him. "Who's he?" he demanded.
The NYPD Kevlar vest easily identified the stranger as a cop. He took in his height, build and tattoo on his right forearm, 'Marines,' he thought as he recognized the symbol. He wasn't just a cop, he was ex military. Brennan played out every possible ending to his current scenario. None of them looked good. For anyone.
Goldie placed his weapon on the floor, a gesture of faith which he hoped Brennan would acknowledge. He motioned to the right with an open hand, "Elliot Stabler, Manhattan SVU," he declared.
"I know he's a cop, but what's he doing here?!" Brennan asked impatiently.
Elliot realized that Brennan didn't know who he was as he had only communicated by cellphone with Olivia. They had never spoken on the radio.
He saw his chance and decided to answer for himself. He tilted his head towards the two women in the hallway, "The one on the floor covered in blood and probably bleeding to death is my partner, Olivia Benson and the woman trying to keep her alive," he swallowed at the gravity of his own words, "is the one you're supposed to be protecting. She's our ADA," he finished.
Elliot was desperate to squeeze the trigger and take him down with a single head shot. He knew he could.
Brennan knew it too.
Elliot and Brennan stared at each other, eyes unblinking.
"If she doesn't get medical attention soon I don't think she'll make it," Alex said, breaking the tension. She turned to the trio behind her and looked at Brennan, "You did this to her, you have a chance to make it right. We're interested in Connors, not you. You can walk away, you saved me remember?" Alex was desperate and willing to try anything to get Olivia medical help. She gripped Olivia's right hand with her own, taking strength from the physical connection between them, willing her to hang on.
Brennan never looked at her. His eyes transfixed on Stabler. Goldie moved slightly in his peripheral vision.
"Put your weapon down Stabler. If you don't, I'll start shooting. Lieutenant here knows I'm a crack shot, believe me, I will take everyone down."
Goldie took another step closer, raising his hands in a calming motion.
Brennan also moved and stepped closer to Alex, raising his gun from her back to her head. There was less than two feet between them.
Elliot's heart was pounding as he moved his gaze to Brennan's left hand holding the gun.
"I might as well go out in style, " Brennan said as his finger on the trigger moved.
"WAIT!" Screamed Elliot as he placed his gun on the floor and raised his hands. "What Alex said is true, we're not interested in you, it's Connors we want. This.." he motioned with his hands, "..This is just a misunderstanding in the heat of the moment. I've been there, we've all been there. Brennan, you don't have to do this," he pleaded.
Brennan looked between Elliot and Goldie and turned his head slightly to look at the women on his left. He took a deep breath and shook his head, "But I do."
BANG