A/N: Hey guys. Got a 96 on my Seapower exam yesterday!
I wanted to say something before we start. I had a talk with CCL13 about the chapter length, and I decided to shorten the chapter to make them easier to read. I may have to lengthen the story to get everything in there, but in a way I see it as a challenge. (If you haven't read CCL13's story Back to You, you are missing out).
Disclaimer: If Pete Postlethwaite doesn't have an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy for his work on SVU, then I don't own it.
Also, I was doing some research for my novel and I came across something interesting. Did you know that Peter Hermann, Mariska's husband, plays Jeremy Glick in United 93? I did not know that; he was quite good.
If you are looking for good EO, be sure to check out Now and Forever by Kilea08, Game on by Lillybug991, and Shattered by Stabson.
This chapter is for srhittson.
As before, a review = a sneak peek. Also, if you haven't done so please R&R Countdown as well :)
Enjoy.
Chapter 24: …Becomes a Nightmare
Fear, heartache, guilt, terror. All these emotions swirling within him, Elliot glanced down at the love of his life; Olivia's face was buried in his shirt, her body shuddering every now and again from silent sobs. It tore his heart in two.
In Olivia's mind, all she could think about was her son, her baby boy out somewhere in the world in the care of a murderous sociopath. She shut her eyes tight, hoping against all hope that this was a nightmare and she'd wake in Elliot's arms back at the Ritz, everything not being real.
The feeling of warm, caring hands stroking her hair caused Olivia to open her eyes and look up. Elliot was staring at her, looking calm but she could see the fear and anguish in his blue orbs. "El," she cried softly, burying her face in his neck. "Our baby…"
"I know gorgeous," he said softly; Olivia could hear the suppressed tears in his voice. "I know."
The room was packed just a little over two hours after discovering that Dickie was missing, the place swarming with CSU, TARU, ESU, and IAB; Cragen was yelling on the phone to Tucker, techs with scanners and sniffer dogs were combing the walls, and not one but three hostage negotiators were conversing to the side.
"Cabot, thank God you're here," Cragen said, walking over to Alex Cabot who had entered with Munch. "Do you have the warrant standbys ready?"
"Yes Don, my assistants are briefing the judges as we speak. If you have any leads just let me know, I will get you those warrants." Even with her grief, the couple was still on alert. Alex must've been sworn in yesterday, they figured.
"Ok listen up!" Fin shouted as he, O'Halloran, and Morales stepped into the room. "We found something big both upstairs, downstairs and outside."
Wiping her face with a towel, Olivia released Elliot's shirt and stood up. 'Keep yourself together Benson; do it for Dickie.' The last two hours had been a nightmare, and Olivia was wondering how she or Elliot could hold it together. "You found something?"
"Yeah, uh," Morales stammered. "You're going to want to sit down." Grabbing a box from an assistant, he placed it on the coffee table and began. "First of all, we found out he was able to get in. The bastard set up a transmitter outside that was wired to your security system that could be connected by a specific frequency. One click and the whole system shuts down as if you turned it off yourself."
Olivia stared forward in shock while Elliot went pale. "How could he have set it up?" he asked.
"He would have had to be on the premises to do so. We also found a series of motion sensors in the major hallways in the house, giving him the tools to detect any movement of anyone inside. I'd be impressed if I wasn't disgusted."
Deaf to the muffled curses and angry shouts, Elliot and Olivia clung to each other. The Predator had been inside their house, walking among them for God knows how long. If he wanted them to be dead he could have done so, killed all the kids without even breaking a sweat.
"Mom?" Olivia and Elliot looked up to see their daughters, Maureen scared as they were, Kathleen silently sobbing as she tried to hold it together, and Lizzie wailing in her sister's arms. Before anyone knew it the Stabler's were all in one tight hug, crying. "Mom, is Dickie going to be alright?"
Olivia didn't know how to answer that. The Predator had said he didn't harm "innocents" but what rules did he follow?
Luckily, Elliot answered for her. "We just have to trust in God Maur. He'll provide." The words proved comforting.
"We'll have to relocate you guys to a secure area," Cragen interjected as the hug broke apart and Olivia began to comfort Lizzie. "The kids can bunk in the cribs for now."
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The dozen bodies in the room went silent, the normally cheery rings feeling like drums to the gallows. One of the negotiators moved to answer it when Cragen waved him off, Elliot taking his place. "Hello?"
"Duh duh duh duh duh DUH duh DUM; Duh duh duh duh duh duh DA DA DA DA DUM.
"Duh duh duh duh duh DUH duh DUM, Di di di di di di DUM."
Fists clenching at the very sound of the malevolent whistling, Elliot screamed into the phone. "Where's my son you motherfucker!" Many cringed at the legendary Stabler temper while the squad members (Olivia most of all), nodded their heads.
A cheery chuckle came from the other end. "And good morning to you too detective. May I ask, is Detective Benson feeling better from the shock she undoubtedly had earlier? One can't help to be worried you know."
"You son of a bitch!" Heads turned to see Olivia on another line, having overcome her earlier near-breakdown. "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY BOY YOU SHIT!" The anger was bubbling up like an active volcano; Maureen, smart as she was, began hurrying her sisters out of there.
"My, my detective Benson, such hostility. I can understand Detective Stabler's but why you? Young Richard has no biological connection to you in any manner. You are merely the woman having sexual congress with his dad."
"When we find you we're going to string you up by your genitals and burn your appendages off one by one!" she screamed into the phone. 'How dare this cocksucker say Dickie isn't my baby boy?' She was the only mother he'd ever known.
"Yes, yes, that's the spirit detectives! The true warrior is unleashed." The Predator sounded absolutely giddy, so much so it turned some of the rage the couple felt into shared confusion. "I must say the plan was a cracking success."
"Come again?"
"In the wild the female grizzly bear will shy away from humans, but when a hunter separates her from her cubs, the claws are unsheathed. Since in humans the paternal bond is similar, the defense mechanism works for both."
"So let me get this straight? You kidnapped our son, my baby boy," Olivia choked out, willing the hot tears away, "Only to commit us to trying to stop you? We were doing that anyway!"
"Not true Detective Benson. You still had limits and restrictions due to your upbringing. A true warrior only focuses on victory and the natural rules, not ones made by man but ones made by the gods. I just had to eliminate all the restrictions. I must say, I have outdone myself."
Olivia was feeling homicidal right now. "If you want this death so much," she seethed, "Then you've got it."
"Wonderful," he said in a chipper tone. "Now you'll just have to find me, which I am looking forward to by the way."
"Where are you taking our son?" Elliot gritted out.
"Don't worry Detective Stabler, the lad is fine at the moment. For now he is going to keep me company while I run a little errand. Ta-ta."
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The cribs were quiet, the occupants not in the mood for conversation in any way, shape, or form. Having been pulled from school, Maureen and Kathleen sat on the bunks, the latter sleeping lightly while the former stared into space, worrying about her baby brother. Emily was lying on her stomach head collapsed drooling on an assignment for law school, having attempted to work to forget the fear.
Finally, Olivia was rocking Lizzie to sleep, her baby girl having been restless all day. It was as if the little girl was somehow connected to her twin brother; if one was in danger the other could sense it.
She was doing her best to calm the poor girl down, singing a lullaby from one of the kids' favorite movies.
"Hush now my baby, be still love, don't cry,
Sleep as you're rocked by the stream,
Sleep and remember, my last lullaby,
So I'll be with you when you dream."
Her daughter opened her mouth in a huge yawn, snuggling into Olivia's side as she drifted off. Kissing Lizzie's head gently, Olivia set her in the crib brought up for the family. "Sleep now little one. Mommy will never let anyone harm you. I love you Lizzie." Sitting down on the cot, Olivia buried her head in her hands, willing herself not to cry.
Feeling an arm wrap around her, Olivia looked up to see a teary-eyed Maureen, the pale brunette looking at her with the azure blue Stabler eyes. Without words, her daughter embraced her, both of them comforting each other. "He'll be alright mom, I'm sure of it."
"I know Maur," she whispered back. "It's still heart shattering."
After a few minutes of silent comfort, there was a knock on the door. "Olive?" Tucker stuck his head out from behind the door. "Can I talk to you?"
"Yes daddy," she replied, smiling weakly at him. "Take care of your sisters for me Maur."
"Will do mom. I love you."
"I love you too honey," she told Maureen, kissing her on the head and walking out. Once outside the cribs Tucker pulled her into his embrace, knowing she needed it. "Oh Daddy," she whispered. "I tell them things will be alright but I have trouble believing it myself."
"You can't lose hope Olive, we have the best of the best on the lookout for the bastard."
Nodding slightly, Olivia broke the hug and began walking downstairs with her father, the usual Detective Benson determined look crossing her face. "You find anything?"
"Not much to go on. We found a gas station attendant in the Bronx who may have seen Dickie in a Japanese car heading north, but other than that zip."
"What could he want to do with him upstate?" Olivia mused aloud. It was shattering working a case with the victim being one's own son, but she had to keep her cool or risk breaking down. "He said he has an errand to run, what does that mean? What does Elliot think?"
"I wouldn't know. He's downstairs trying to get any info out of O'Halloran as possible." The bullpen was ablaze with activity. The NYPD had put out a full amber alert announced in a press conference involving them, the Mayor, Alex, and the NYPD top brass. Detectives had to be pulled from three precincts to take in the tips, some promising while others were downright nuts (one involving Elvis, Richard Nixon, and Princess Diana).
Tucker pulled her into a quiet corner. "Olivia, I talked it over with Don and Elliot. Tonight I think it would be best if the kids stayed with your mother and I; we'll even let Emily stay as well."
Olivia gave him a fearful glance. "But what if the predator attacks you?"
Tucker scoffed. "I'll have a full uniform detail outside, ESU included, plus don't count me out just yet. I still have my M14 rifle remember. Olive, you and Stabler are the most respected persons in the force; everyone is dead set on protecting you till the death."
Shifting her gaze to the floor, Olivia was torn. Part of her wanted to keep the kids close by and protect them herself, but they couldn't stay in the cribs forever. Sighing, she looked at her father, "Alright daddy, but however many guards you have around the house, double the number." Her glare was classic Badass Benson (which in Elliot's opinion originally came from Tucker).
"Ok Olive," grinned Tucker. "Who am I to say no to you?" He kissed her on the cheek and went off to talk to an ESU Lieutenant.
Stepping out into the bullpen, Olivia weaved her way through the throngs of cops to the coffee table, pouring herself a cup to fight the extreme tiredness of the day. It was then she overheard a conversation.
"Shame about little Richard Stabler. Stabler and Benson do not deserve this at all." Olivia was able to make out the voice as one belonging to a senior One PP bureaucrat.
"True, I feel bad for them," said the other person, a homicide detective that worked with Lenny Briscoe. "But we have to face facts, the kid is likely dead and in a ditch somewhere."
"Yeah, with this psycho's body count I wouldn't put my money on him being alive either."
Suddenly wanting to throw up, Olivia set down the untouched cup and bolted for the elevator, needing to get out of there.
"Olive? Olivia!" She heard her father come after her as she stepped into the car. "Where are you going?"
"I need to clear my head dad, get somewhere calming. Please don't stop me, I'll be back." With that, the elevator doors shut.
About twenty minutes later, Elliot trudged up the stairs and onto the unit's floor. O'Halloran had found nothing and he was pissed. He needed to see Olivia, the gorgeous brunette the only one who could calm him down. However, she was nowhere to be found.
"Tucker," he called to the aforementioned IAB head. "Have you seen Olivia anywhere?"
The older man seemed a bit melancholy. "She left, said she needed to go somewhere calming."
Worried, Elliot racked his brain for where she could possibly be when it came to him.
"So El, what are you doing in this particular place," his partner asked him after a pretty rough case.
"I don't know Liv," he replied, looking at the ornate carving above him. "It's calming."
"I know where she is," he told Tucker.
"Take care of her Stabler," he replied. Elliot nodded firmly.
As he was heading to the elevator Elliot spotted Morales. "Hey Reuben. You have any leads?"
"Uh," the TARU tech hesitated. "Not at this time," he mumbled, obviously not telling the truth.
A frown appeared on Elliot's face; procedure dictated that a detective couldn't work a case when there was a conflict of interest. "Reuben," he said softly, letting the anger be implied. "This is my son we're talking about here. If you have any information, you better tell me."
The TARU chief glanced around before sighing. No one was coming to his rescue. He did want to tell Elliot but did not want an ass chewing. "Ok Elliot, I'll tell you but you didn't hear it from me. Say you were snooping in my office."
"Gotcha, now tell me."
"We traced the serial number on the predictive dialer found on the roof."
"I thought it was charred to a crisp."
"The software, not the individual manufacture markings. It was sold to a shop in Astoria and sold it afterward to a man named Arthur Wellesley; here's the address. Good luck Elliot. I hope you find your boy."
"I hope so too," he muttered, entering the stairwell and heading downstairs. "Well Predator, you just fucked up big time." For the first time since the morning, a grin graced Elliot's lips.
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Driving at night was slightly hypnotic. While not as comfortable as he would have been underneath the stars in the wilderness, the man enjoyed the Connecticut countryside: the darkness, the smooth drive, and the soft tunes of a good song.
"Freude,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum."
"Froyda, froyda, froyda!" clapped his youthful companion in the backseat, giggling.
The man smiled at young Richard Stabler's antics; the lad had charm to go around and was not at all afraid of him. He liked that, for it was the sign of a warrior spirit. "Yes young Richard, it is joyous indeed." While more partial to the songs of his homeland the Ode to Joy was an absolute masterpiece. Even if he hadn't been a warrior, the man imagined Beethoven was in Valhalla at this very moment serenading the gods with his genius. Such talent should never be wasted.
"Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen."
Dickie squealed and waved his hands in the air. At the sounds of the sirens behind the vehicle he began to get even more excited. "Uncky Row, Uncky Row, Mommy Daddy!"
"Blast," the man murmured, glancing in the rearview mirror. It was too early since they were still a while away from Bridgeport. He took a deep breath; they were in Connecticut so the plan was still on schedule.
He turned his head, smiling at Dickie. "Good job Richard, but it isn't mommy or daddy." The youngest Stabler frowned before the man continued. "It's alright lad, they're just very busy and wanted you to spend time with Uncle Ro. You like Uncle Ro right?"
A smile on his face, the young Stabler giggled, nodding his assent.
"That's a good lad, now just keep quiet while Uncle Ro talks to this nice gentleman." He handed Dickie a small Hershey bar.
"Eee!" Dickie squealed, snatching it with glee. "Twanks Uncky Row."
"Any time lad, any time." How could they think he could harm such a charming boy, a budding young warrior?
Seeing a figure approaching the car, he patted the weapon concealed under his coat, preparing for the coming test, the escalation of the battle. He lowered the window and flashed the Connecticut State Trooper his kindest smile. "Good Evening officer," he said in an English accent, handing over his license. "What seems to be the problem?"
"You seem to have been going forty in a thirty mph lane. That's a no no."
"Oh, sorry about that; my nephew's in the back and he distracted me a little."
"When driving with little kids one has to be more careful," the trooper cautioned, taking a look in the back. The kid was cute, but he seemed familiar. 'Is that the kid on the amber alert from NYC, the cops' kid?' "Step out of the car please."
The man stepped out, feigning confusion. "Did I do something?"
"Don't move," the officer said firmly, staring intently at the baby. Sure enough, that was him; young Richard Stabler, son of a Manhattan detective, kidnapped by the suspected perpetrator of the sting of killings and bombings in New York. "Freeze!" he yelled, going for his gun. "Put your hands on your… ugh."
The Gladius, or short sword, was the preferred tool of the Roman legionary. Unlike the slicing Katana, the short sword was a stabbing and thrusting weapon, and in the man's hands it proved lethal. The trooper coughed blood, mortally wounded from a thrust to the gut. "Fool," muttered the man, forcing the sword upward to finish him off.
Stepping into the car, he calmly turned it back onto the road and continued to Bridgeport, where a preplaced vehicle awaited his arrival. Smiling at Dickie in the backseat, he tossed the lad another Hersey bar. "Well Richard, Uncle Ro has just made this an interstate case. Mommy and Daddy will now have to deal with the most clueless git I have ever seen."
Dickie giggled, oblivious to the entire situation around him and how it was going to get worse for his parents.
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The small Catholic church was bathed in soft light from the candles and dim lightbulbs, all creating a sort of ethereal ambiance. A lone figure sat in the pews, staring at the large crucifix hanging over the altar. There was so much she wanted to say, so many emotions she wanted to get across: anger, betrayal, pain, sorrow. She wanted to curse the being it represented while at the same time prostrating herself and begging His mercy and protection. However, mute as one could be, she just sat there in silence.
"Is this seat taken ma'am?" Olivia, snapped out of her trance, jerked up to see Elliot smiling from the aisle, hand gesturing to the seat beside her.
"No," she whispered, to which Elliot scooched in and sat, taking her hand in his. "How'd you find me?"
"You said you were headed someplace calming, and I know you like the back of my hand so it wasn't hard to figure out."
"You were right El," Olivia told him, "This is calming. Much as I love going to church with all of you, being alone with God is comforting."
"Now you know why I do it," he smiled.
They sat in silence for a moment before Olivia spoke, her gaze still at the crucifix. "El; why does He punish us so?"
"Liv," he said softly, stroking the back of her hand. "God is merciful. He would never do so."
"Then why did He let this happen? I feel like shit for saying it but I'm just so scared." 'Oh hell.' The tears were starting to return.
He cupped her cheeks in his and forced her to look at him. "Liv, evil will exist because we were gifted with free will; those that are evil will be punished." She remained skeptical so he continued. "There's a verse in Psalm 91 that reads: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' Please don't give up hope Olivia, don't lose faith in the fact that He's watching over our son."
Olivia nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thank you El."
"I love you."
"I love you too." They tilted their heads and kissed softly.
"Anyway, we have a lead on the Predator." Her head snapped up. "Seems the fucker wasn't as skillful as he thinks he is."
A predatory grin spread across Olivia's face as Detective Badass Benson returned with a vengeance. "Well what are we waiting for Stabler?" With a determined stride, they left the church ready to do whatever necessary.
A/N: Well there we go, my shortest chapter yet but I think I conveyed what I needed to.
I do not own the songs Deliver Us or Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
With the last scene, the questions Olivia has are feeling I had a while back, and how Elliot answers them are how they were answered for me.
So, how is the lead going to pan out? What's going to happen the Dickie? What does "Unckie Row" mean? And who is the Predator referring too? Any guesses?
Remember, review = sneak peek :)
God Bless