A/N: Hey everyone. Happy Mother's Day :)
So this is a much shorter chapter than previous but don't worry, the intensity makes up for it ;)
For Fin's appearance, think a much cleaner cut version of him from the 12th season.
Disclaimer: Much to my dismay, I do not own these characters.
Please be sure to review, and also check out my other fics as well :)
Enjoy and review.
Chapter Twelve: Betrayal
7:51 PM, July 13th, 1969; Ritz-Carleton Hotel, New York City
"We've got men covering the exits sir," Brian said through the radio, waiting in a room in the hotel with telephone and radio connection to all agents throughout the city. "You sure he'll come here?"
Sitting in his car parked half a block from the hotel, Fin twiddled a pair of nail clippers in his hands. "Yeah, there really isn't any place for him to go besides the airport and we have men there." Waggoner had been watching Elliot at Munch's house, and had called in to say Elliot had taken a cab and was heading into the city. This was it Fin thought; it was time to face his old friend.
A part of him hoped that this was all for naught, that Elliot would wise up and disappear; however, if he knew Elliot the former marine would never shy away from a fight or challenge. He'd face this head on and that was why he was so dangerous.
Fin brooded over what was to come, running the scenes in his head. Elliot, even though confused, would come in bullheaded with questions like the stubborn scientist was prone to do. Fin would answer the questions to placate Elliot, leading him to a secluded area outside the hotel. Once there he'd have only a few seconds to draw out his silent pistol before Elliot noticed.
His friend would likely not give up, make a quick dash to take Fin out or escape. The agent admired those qualities in Elliot; it made him a great scientist and an even greater soldier, but at that moment it would be too late. Fin had killed before in cold blood and would do it again, calmly leveling the pistol straight at Elliot's heart and pulling the trigger.
And his oldest friend would be dead.
The dumping of the body and the subsequent cover up would be easy enough to handle (he had the evidence of Elliot's guilt in perfect order: blueprints of the rocket design with his fingerprints on them for the CIA bosses) but there still was still the sadness that it should have to come to this.
"Sir, Stabler has entered the hotel; Titus says he's lost him in the lobby." crackled Brian.
"What?" Fin rolled his eyes; Elliot was definitely back alright. "No one has seen him at the exits?"
"Nope, we've got them all blocked. He's probably heading to his room or something. Should we intercept?"
"Negative," Fin replied, taking a deep breath. Elliot would most likely head to his room and might find something that his men may have missed. "Let him go to his room and I'll get him on the way down." Such a climactic end to a friendship started when they were eighteen, basically a lifetime ago.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
The Ritz-Carleton was luxurious, the plush décor and top-quality staff likely designed to ease the stress of its patrons. It didn't ease Elliot's however; he didn't think anything could ease his stress. Maybe Olivia could…
'Stop it; you're married!'
Having recognized him (he must have been a pretty important patron), the desk clerk had quickly given him a spare key to his room, Elliot sneaking up the service elevator to ditch his tails. A guy on a motorcycle had followed him all the way from Munch's house, and his instincts were screaming that his pursuers had the entire hotel blocked off.
His room had been a bust. Elliot hadn't found a single thing that could pertain to why he could have come to New York. It made sense though from a security standpoint, but he had to have some hard copies of whatever he wanted to show the FBI.
After pocketing a few personal items he made his way to the elevator where he now was. Leaning back against the wall, Elliot closed his eyes and prayed that this would be over soon. However if the previous events of the day were any guide relief was not forthcoming.
Reaching the lobby, Elliot exited the elevator and was walking to the door when a stranger called his name.
"Elliot, good to see you man." He turned to see a black man with close-cropped curly hair and a well-trimmed beard. He didn't look like an agent, but he did look dashing in an upper-class, charming sort of way, except that his clothes looked like he slept in them. However, the tone he used commanded authority. "I guess you don't recognize me. Finlay Tutuola, but you can call me Fin. Olivia filled me in on things," he introduced himself, shaking Elliot's hand warmly.
"Good to see you Fin," Elliot said, a bit reserved. For some reason he could tell Fin wasn't being totally honest. "I have a lot of questions."
"I bet you do Elliot," Fin replied amiably, wrapping an arm around his shoulder like old friends (which Elliot guessed they were). "I'm ready to answer them."
Elliot studied him, not knowing where to begin. Fin didn't look like the kind of man who would betray a friend; in the end, Elliot decided to be blunt. "How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend."
Fin grimaced. "I had to do it Elliot. Your life would have been in danger otherwise."
"I'm not a spy," he replied firmly. "No one believes it."
"Who do you say doesn't believe it?" The other man's face was impassive.
"Olivia, John, and Alex."
"Please," Fin scoffed. "They don't know the whole story."
"And you do?" Elliot questioned.
"Yes," was the answer, just as definitive.
"Why do you think me a spy Fin?"
"I'll be happy to answer that Elliot, but not in the open. Shall we go to my office? The NYPD leant it to me for the next few days so it's completely private."
That's what Elliot was afraid of. "Actually, let's do it in my suite." He wanted to control the situation and that seemed like the best place to do it.
A flicker of hesitation washed over Fin's face before he covered it with a friendly grin. "No problem." The two then walked toward the elevator and stepped inside.
It was at that point Elliot noticed a small bulge inside Fin's suit. It was barely there, so much so that a casual observer wouldn't see it but Elliot had the training to spot a hidden gun when he saw one. His face gave away nothing but inside he felt as if he were about to collapse from nerves. This was not good; not thinking Fin might have a gun with him Elliot had made a massive error in judgement. 'How to get out of this?'
As the elevator reached their floor, Fin exited and turned right, unbuttoning his blazer. 'For a fast draw,' Elliot thought with a pit in his stomach. He wished he had kept the gun from the cop he fought with earlier, but how the hell was he supposed to know this would happen all those hours ago?
Elliot willed himself to be calm. In had a gun but he knew what Fin was up to; even odds. He couldn't try to wrestle the gun away from him – it was too risky – and there was nothing he could hit Fin with in the hallway. Once they were in the room he was a goner so Elliot knew he had to escape the hotel. 'But how?'
Reaching the door to his room, Elliot quickly made up his mind and opened it. "Go on in," he said with a smile.
Hesitating for the second time, Fin nodded after a few seconds and brushed past Elliot into the room. Hooking his foot around Fin's ankle, Elliot shoved hard on the other man's shoulder blade and sent him flying. 'RUN!' yelled a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Olivia.
Not bothering to look and see what had happened to Fin, Elliot broke for the staircase, entering it in no time flat and leaping three steps at a time. Every second counted since with a gun Fin didn't need to be on him to kill him.
Cursing, Fin knew he had made a mistake but that was moot now. He had to catch up with Elliot and fast. Picking himself up and racing to the elevator, he pressed the button for the ground floor. His mind was racing as he stared at the descending floor numbers as they lighted up in quick succession. Elliot was not slipping out of his grasp again.
Bursting into the lobby, Elliot's heart sank when he spotted two agents (the way they carried themselves left no doubt in his mind, and one of them clearly was Brian) standing close to the front door, blocking his exit. A moment later, the elevator door opened and fin stepped out. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck.' What could he do, fight or flee? He could probably overpower Fin but then hotel security would get involved. Who would they believe, him or a man with CIA credentials? Elliot made the split second decision: flee.
The only way out for him now would be through the employee's only areas, so Elliot booked for a corridor behind a red-velvet curtain. Hearing the plodding footsteps of Fin giving chase, he doubled his pace and found himself in a sort of butler's pantry. Nearly half a dozen serving staff were milling about, preparing dishes of fine cuisine for the in house restaurant; behind them was a staircase, and likely the only way out of here.
Elliot pushed his way through, ignoring the cries and calls of the staff, who said the same not a few seconds later when Fin charged after him. Scrambling down the stairs, Elliot entered the kitchen area, hot and steamy from the massive ovens that prepared meals for hundreds of people. The staff too busy to notice him, Elliot darted into one of the corridors and made his way to the back of the large room. To his relief, there was another set of stairs leading to the service entrance, and it was unguarded.
Taking a chance, he came upon a dark alleyway, separated from the street by a chain link fence. Knowing that Fin was likely only seconds behind him Elliot flung himself at the fence, beginning to climb to freedom.
As he reached the top, the distinct cough of a silenced pistol pierced the din. The rounds didn't hit however, the darkness coupled with the range making it a hard shot by pistol. Scared to turn around, Elliot leapt and hit the ground with a thud. At a second and then a third cough he ignored the pain and ran, never once looking back.
Trembling, Fin almost collapsed onto the brick wall. Getting the energy to shoot at Elliot, his best friend had sapped his soul, and there was nothing to show for it now. This was the worst possible outcome: Elliot was still alive, on alert, and desperate to know the truth.
He slammed his fist on the wall, ignoring the pain. "Fuck!"
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9:00 PM, July 13th, 1969; Apartment of David Hayden, New York City
"Here we go Olivia," David Hayden said with a smile, handing her a glass and sitting beside her on the couch.
Returning the smile, Olivia took a sip and hummed thankfully. David bought some of the best brandy for his liquor cabinet, and the chicken parmesan was as good as promised. He had really gone all out, but she felt guilty since she wasn't really paying attention or appreciating his efforts.
Truth be told, she was too fixated on Elliot, Fin, the past, and the intense entanglement they found themselves in at the moment. Back during the Korean War the two of them had done some serious shit, and afterwards Fin continued his high risk clandestine work overseas, but the rules were different for domestic operations in peacetime. So what could he possibly be doing? Olivia refused to believe Elliot was in any way, shape, or form a Communist (agent or otherwise), so what could Fin's motive be? Did he sincerely believe that Elliot was a threat to America or was this something more sinister? It never ceased to give her a headache whenever she thought about it.
"Olivia." She blinked out of her reverie, finding David's hands clasping hers gently. Behind the soft look of love on his face was a slight apprehension. Normally David was a smooth and witty talker, likely a side effect from his job as a prosecutor, but now he seemed nervous, preoccupied even. Olivia knew why too and it was making her nervous as well, surprising her.
"Yes David?" she replied, trying to keep her voice level.
"I've been thinking about our future."
'Oh God,' she thought. 'He's going to propose.' If he had done it yesterday she figured she'd have accepted immediately, but now…
He cupped her cheek. "I love you Olivia. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. True, we get along well and have the same basic interests, but I'd love you just as much if you were a tough-girl policewoman."
Olivia laughed, trying to depreciate the tension filling inside her.
"The point of the matter is, well, I adore you Olivia. I know in my heart that there's no other woman I would rather spend the rest of my life with." He leaned in and kissed her chastely on the lips. "What do you think?"
She sighed, closing her eyes. This was hard for Olivia, for it required her to jettison the guiding philosophy of her life since that horrible day in 1954, but she felt she had no choice now. The die had already been cast and she needed to think it through. "David, if you had said this yesterday it would have been enough. I would have said yes, let's get married and enjoy our life together and raise out tow children." Mentioning the children made Olivia think of Maureen, her pride and joy; would it be fair to her to raise her in a household, while stable, that was one made for convenience? She ran a hand through her long, brown hair. "Today however, I met someone from my past, and the whole experience reminded me what it was like to be young and in love." She looked at him candidly, wanting him to understand. "I don't feel that way about you David."
Hayden chuckled self-depreciatingly, not discouraged. "Who does at our age? Trust me Olivia, I know about this feeling; we all go through it, but then life shows that a happily ever after with a white knight is just a fairy tale. We should find happiness wherever we can and I would like to be happy with you Olivia."
"Maybe you're right," Olivia mused, bringing the goblet to her lips. He was right, at least she thought so. But deep down Olivia wanted to follow her heart, to cast aside the inhibitions and believe what she had so long ago. She wanted true love, the feeling that one didn't have to settle for anything; that even though life was hard she'd face it happily because of the person by her side. 'Foolish for an almost forty divorcee,' she thought, but still…
The doorbell rang.
Her heart leaped, as if she knew who it was.
"What the hell?" David said, irritation in his voice. "I hope to hell Jim Beckett doesn't need my car jack again." He headed for the apartment door as Olivia stood, setting the glass down on the table and smoothening her dress.
She immediately heard Elliot's deep, husky voice at the door. "I need to see Olivia."
A tiny smile formed on her face, though Olivia did not know why.
"I'm not sure she wants to be disturbed…"
"Look, uh, David," he practically growled, though she could sense an undercurrent of fear. "I don't have time to play twenty fucking questions with you." Soon, she heard a few thumps and a cry of protest from David, as if Elliot forced his way in.
Upon seeing him Olivia let out a gasp, taking in his appearance. The tall, confidant man she knew was shaken, eyes wide and a look of fear in them. His suit was rumpled and stained with dirt, with one of the sleeves split open from… 'A bullet?' "El, what happened to you?" she asked, worry in her voice.
"El?" David said, not liking how Olivia immediately fawned over this guy.
"Fin shot at me."
Her jaw dropped. "Fin shot at you?" Immediate her worry for him tripled, wanting to take him in her arms and squeeze him tightly until she knew he was alright. However, spotting David she knew that wouldn't be proper. "What the hell got into him?"
"Wait, shooting?" He looked scared.
Elliot ignored him; for some reason the attorney rubbed him the wrong way. "He was trying to lead me out of the hotel and he shot at me. I'm heading over to the FBI but I don't think they'll believe me."
That settled it. "I'm coming with you," Olivia stated definitively, grabbing her coat and jacket.
"What?" David piped up, completely flabbergasted. Who was this guy who all he had to do was snap and then his girlfriend would follow. "You're leaving? Olivia, we are in the middle of a very important conversation!" His ire was rising.
"Liv please," Elliot pleaded, eyes boring into hers. He hated to ruin her plans, but with all that was happening the only person he felt comfortable with helping him was Olivia. "I need you."
Olivia hesitated for a moment. She could tell how hard this was for David; he had planned this romantic night for the woman he loved only to have all this drama dropped on his lap. Even though the love she had for him was more of the familiar, hoping she wouldn't be alone type she did care about his feelings.
But Elliot was in danger, and no matter what had ever transpired between them she could never not help him when he was in need. Those eyes of his, they seemed to be staring deep into her soul as they always did. 'Who am I kidding?' she thought, feelings that she worked for so long to suppress She still loved him, hell, even more so than in the past. "I'm sorry David; thank you for this. It was touching, it really was, but I have to go." Placing a hand on his shoulder, instead of kissing her cheek like he usually did he scowled and shrugged her hand off. "Come on, don't be like that."
"Get out," he snarled, surprising her. He was never this angry before. "Out of my house both of you!"
Walking out with Elliot behind her (he felt the intense need to protect her), Olivia heard the door slam shut behind her.
A/N: Things are heating up dangerously. The answers will soon come pouring out!
I know a lot of you are dismayed that Fin is the bad guy in this. Don't get me wrong, I like Fin. It would have been a lot easier to cast Porter, Cassidy, or one of the random other characters in this role. However, the bad guy had to be someone who Elliot was close friends with so the betrayal could be hammered home. The choice was either Munch or Fin, and I made a judgment call. Hope it was ok for you :)
Be sure to review, and also check out my other fics.
God Bless
Alex
