Sorry for the delay, I had planned to be home Friday from the holidays and didn't get home until today! Thank you all so much for the reviews from the last chapter! Here is chapter 12, and I'll post 13 sometime tonight!
Ch.12
Two hours.
She had two hours before she had to be at the CIA offices.
She had spent the first 45 minutes of those two at her office between her secretary and talking to Donnelly.
She requested an extended leave of absence and she couldn't tell Donnelly why…
Word had spread, and Donnelly knew Olivia had gone missing. She also knew Alex had been out of her mind worrying about her.
Under Alex's lack of explanation, Donnelly decided not to ask too many questions under the assumption that she already knew the answers. And she also knew she wasn't going to stop Alex from going to Olivia if she was found.
All she said to Alex was that she would 'have her cases taken care of and to please be careful.'
Alex thanked her profusely for understanding and for maybe not questioning her further.
Back at her apartment, Alex had packed her life in a suitcase and an oversized purse.
In her frazzled state, she found herself amused knowing what to take, what to leave when packing.
Being a Witness Protection alum, she knew what she could bring, what they would take away from her.
Two hours had passed and Alex sat in a cold sterile room at the CIA much like the one Olivia sat in while trading in her life almost a year ago.
Alex sat, her bags neatly by her side, ready to go.
"Ms. Cabot." Agent Thomas said addressing her.
"Agent Thomas," she said about to stand before her motioned for her to continue sitting.
"I know you're anxious to get to Dublin, but we have to go over a few very important things…"
Alex immediately picked up her bag, opening her wallet.
"My passport, drivers license, credit cards… everything is here." She said as if she had become a professional at giving up her identity.
The agent gave a slight grin before he continued.
He placed her new passport, ID, etc. on the table.
"Your name is Caroline Hutton. When you arrive in Dublin to see Olivia you will say that you are there to see your friend Kate Taylor who has been in a car accident."
Alex nodded understanding.
"You will refer to Olivia as Kate whenever speaking to anyone, even her informant." Thomas slid a picture in front of Alex. "This is her informant, Agent Daniel Martin. He only knows her identity as Samantha Gray. He too now calls her Kate for safety reasons."
Agent Thomas then slid another picture in front of Alex. "This is Lucas Quinn." He let Alex take a moment to study the picture. "He is the one who kidnapped Olivia."
Alex swallowed hard and clinched her fists at the now sight of the man.
"Ms. Cabot, you have to understand that he is a dangerous man that is still out there. He is a wanted man in Ireland as well as in France, and he is now wanted by the United States for kidnapping, and the attempted murder of Olivia Benson, a.k.a. Samantha Gray. Alex, if you see this man, you calmly get away from him. You let Agent Martin know immediately. If anything is suspicious or just doesn't feel right, you let Agent Martin know. You will only trust agent Martin."
Agent Thomas paused for a moment letting Alex take it all in.
"I know this is a lot of information to obtain and you will at least have the plane ride to review."
Alex nodded again. It was a lot to take in, a lot to handle. But she would do anything at this point to get to Olivia.
Even change her identity.
Agent Thomas sat back in his chair as Alex gathered her things from the table.
"I wanted you to know I was the one who brought Olivia in, introduced her to her knew identity… I put her the plane to Paris.
"You know Olivia?"
"She's very impressive. And I have great faith in her that she will get through this. And I'll be here when you bring her home."
Alex gave him a slight smile as she thought of Olivia.
"Agent Thomas, no one has really told me how she is, do you know what condition she's in? I mean they wouldn't just allow me to go to her if this wasn't dire"
He paused hoping he would deliver what he had to say gently.
"Ms. Cabot," he said looking down at his notes, reading to her verbatim. "She has been in and out of consciousness due to severe head trauma. When conscious she is agitated and incoherent. A dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, broken and bruised ribs… " He paused again, "and there were signs of sexual trauma as well."
Alex physically moved back in her chair, a sick feeling rising in her throat.
Michael looked at Alex, his eyes telling her he was sorry.
"There are still unsure how she is doing physiologically. They won't really know until she is coherent. As of this last report, she seems confused and has been non-responsive to questions or the people around her, this is most likely due to shock. They're hoping her seeing you will allow her some familiarity and comfort and bring her back to a state of coherency.
Alex's elbows rested on the table, her face to her open palms.
It was if for a moment she needed to grieve for Olivia.
Grieve for the state she was in, and prepare herself for what she would see when she arrived in Dublin.
"Ms. Cabot are you ok?"
She looked up her eyes tear stained though she had withheld the tears from falling down her cheeks.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, are we ready?" She said composing herself.
Agent Thomas shook his head.
"A driver will take you to the airport, here are you tickets and flight information."
Alex took the envelope in her hand as she now followed Thomas to the parking garage, making the same walk Olivia had.
"Alex, our thoughts are with you and Olivia."
Alex gave a slight, nervous smile.
"A car will meet you at the airport in Dublin and take you to the hospital. Agent Martin will be informed of your arrival to the hospital. He will meet you and take you to Olivia."
Alex nodded, thanking Michael.
"Good luck Caroline," he said closing the car door.
AOAOAOAOAOAOAO
Alex buckled her seat belt and settled in to her seat on the plane.
The sun was beginning to set and she knew she had a long flight ahead.
She held the information Michael had given her tucked tightly in her lap and she tugged gently at the gold necklace around her neck.
She again tried to blink back the tears, though unsuccessful thinking of Olivia. She was full of uncertainty about what she would find when she would get to her.
She was trying to prepare herself for every emotion possible and for every scenario possible.
How would Olivia be physically? How would she be mentally? All the fear Alex had that her time undercover would change Olivia was overcome by what she had been through in the last few weeks.
Would Olivia ever be the same?
AOAOAOAOAOAOAOAO
Martin stood at the end of the bed watching her.
Watching every breath she took.
His friend.
Though he didn't even know the true identity of Samantha Gray, she had become his friend.
He had done this job for years.
The liaison to many.
There was something different about Samantha.
There was a darkness in her eyes… but a lightness in her spirit. It was something that made her brave, but more sympathetic than the others.
The day, the last day he had seen her in her apartment in Paris, he was sure he had caught a glimpse of the person behind Samantha.
Her relaxed look, her genuine laughter… the mention of her love, Alex and New York.
A small insight in to a woman that really existed a world away.
Now, here she was lying there, her face swollen, with matching cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. Her head bandaged, stitched up from the gashes made from a stonewall, her arm immobilized, her wrist bandaged.
Her rape kit positive.
She was a woman who had lived through torture, and now only she had to wake up to the reality of it all.
And from just what Martin knew of her, he knew she would survive this.
It was that darkness in her eyes that told him she was a survivor.
He was certain it wouldn't be easy, the nightmares, the repercussions of everything Lucas Quinn had done to her.
But she would survive.
She had so far, and survived more than he knew.
His friend, he watched every breath she took.