Growing up, the life of Master Sergeant Tolan Ezra Starkweather had been… uneventful, at best.

Just farm life. And nothing but. No one around him had the aspiration to think about getting out of town. So he had to take matters into his own hands. Or wait for fate to occur.

Which it did.

In the spring of his junior year in high school, he and his classmates were visited by an Army recruiter. Many doors opened up. Fate occurred again after Tolan realized he was already at the required joining age. No way he could ignore the path being presented to him.

After being accepted to the United States Army, Tolan Starkweather got the hell out of dodge. Or in this case... Boring, Oregon.

And they never saw him again.

Tolan Starkweather proceeded to do his bid for duty, patriotism, and country. Having no family of his own meant zero distractions to speak of. And a fast advancement through the ranks. He wouldn't have been surprised if his family back home considered him estranged.

Tolan had everything he wanted in his career. Including plans to retire early.

However, it seemed that the man upstairs had other ideas. Completely.

Enter stage left one stunningly gorgeous (and newly single) Master Sergeant Maria Belle Grazie. A transfer from New York. They crossed paths in a bar twenty-four hours after Tolan's return from active duty. Every last detail about this woman was amazing.

It didn't take long for them to become friends. Or to start having sex. They couldn't get enough of each other. At all.

They became a couple when they weren't looking.

And in Tolan's eyes... Maria Belle was a stone cold fox. One of his favorite things about her was that for quite awhile, the sex happened because she was getting over her former husband.

Neither mentioned this. It just happened to be an established fact.

Tolan also supported Maria's musings to bring Zara to New York when it became clear that she was miserable in California. It actually fed further into a grandiose idea to start over with Maria somewhere else. He was already obsessed with her. Zara not being in the picture would just make things easier.

Perhaps it was at this point the mania took over him.

But then Tolan was blindsided when Maria informed him that she was due for a longterm classified assignment. It wouldn't do.

He was delighted when, after some time of asking and hoping, Maria did agree to go elsewhere with him after her New York business.

Then enter a new hiccup: Maria had changed her mind.

Her Skype call about this did not end to Tolan's liking.

Now throw in an unexpected outside factor: Tolan's bad luck of being near a backfiring vehicle. It put him into a bad PTSD break. So much so that he was barely aware of making it across the country overnight.

But Tolan certainly recalled Maria's look of utmost fear once he had located them at Central Station.

Speaking of the other master sergeant, Maria was beginning to see what was going on in Tolan's head.

It also made her physically ill as it dawned on her that she could be murdered if she made one wrong move.

After some time of walking, Maria and Tolan stumbled upon a long-abandoned wood cabin at the side of a trail. It would do. For the time being.

"We'll be okay here for awhile." Tolan announced to his prey.

But Maria played along. "Alright, Tolan. Thank you. What are we going to do now?"

Tolan glanced out of the window. "Stay here overnight. Then we'll be Canada-bound when daybreak hits."

Canada was due north of New York. Technically. But it seemed Tolan hadn't realized they were doing a tremendous u-turn. Maria made no mention of it.

She still did her best to be casual. "What do we do in the mean time?"

Tolan said coyly, "We could do what we're so good at."

But Maria pushed him away. "No. I don't want to have sex right now."

"Excuse me?" Tolan immediately narrowed his eyes at her. "I can make you change your mind. God only knows that doing so is a newfound skillset of yours."

"I'm tired. And confused." Maria moved a pace back. "Do you love me?"

Tolan arched an eyebrow. "And what kind of question is that? Maria, I love you more than anyone."

"Act like it." Maria challenged. "Treat me like an equal."

"North means Canada," Tolan told her. "And eventually getting to a place where nobody knows us. What say you to Italy?"

Maria only just refrained from spitting on the floor. "No. Italy is a no-go because there are too many ex-relatives. The same can be said of Cuba."

Tolan deadpanned, "We belong to the United States Army. No inch of us would be only welcome in the Pearl Of Antilles. Where is your family? I don't think you've ever mentioned them..."

But Maria hesitated.

She was an only child, born in Poughkeepsie born to Canadian immigrants from Montreal. They had moved back upon retirement. And they had died there. Only days apart. Years before she'd met Nick. Admitting even a little bit of her tale to Tolan felt like a betraying act.

Maria paid the price for her quiet.

SLAP! For the second time that day, her (increasingly former) beau had struck her.

"Answer me when I ask you a question." Tolan growled. "Where is your family? The one you were born into?"

Maria answered solemnly, "I'm changing my mind again: that is information I am choosing to keep to myself."

Tolan made to hit Maria again. She dodged the blow and landed one of her own. It was time to take a stand. For her life.

She would not die. Not today. Or like this. Nope.

Thoughts of Zara motivated Maria to fight.

Tolan was fast to recover from his shock. And return blows.

He was, after all, a whole foot taller than his prey. Surely that counted. For anything.

But their brawl was over fast. Maria incapacitated Tolan with a sucker-punch to the jaw. It worked because he was not himself.

Tolan went down like a ton of bricks. He was out. Cold.

Maria bolted without any hesitation.

She had always been great outdoors. And even if she had lost track of where they were in correlation to the highway, she knew exactly how to get back to the gas station. Where they dumped the stolen vehicle earlier. If only she could reach it without fainting.

Maria made it all the way in to the mini mart at the gas station. She didn't stop to catch her breath until the door closed behind her. She was free. And safe.

"M'am?" came a cautious voice. "Are you okay?"

Maria looked around. Not even six feet to the right stood the station tenant. He seemed young—barely in his twenties. The look on his face read as very concerned. But also determined.

"No, I am not okay. My name is Master Sergeant Maria Belle Grazie." she showed him the dog tags around her neck for proof. "I am United States Army, and I just escaped my kidnapper."

The young man's eyes flickered upward. "M'am, is that you?"

A TV sat mounted to the wall above the master sergeant's head. Maria moved away so she could get a better view. And just in the nick of time.

For she was treated to an SVU-issued bulletin about her disappearance. Right in the middle was her service photo. There was even a number for a tip line. And Tolan? His name was just a footnote at the bottom.

Everything meant that Nick and the others had realized something was afoot. It also meant that Zara was okay.

Maria wanted collapse in relief. But she couldn't. Not yet.

"Please." Maria said to the young man. "What is your name?"

"Dante Sportelli, master sergeant. How can I help? Is that creep on the way here?"

"No. He's incapacitated." Maria tried to remember to breathe. "First, I just need a phone."

"Okay." Dante beckoned for Maria to follow him. "There's a phone behind the counter. You can use that one."

New York City Interstate

Manhattan Outskirts

It was very quiet in the squad car.

Nick drove. He was thinking about what they would do once they made it to B & H Gas.

Amanda rode beside him in the passenger seat. She was also deep in thought: thanks to today's case, her definition of the word 'family' was being re-invented. She was already linked with Maria for life because of Zara. That alone felt like a lot to think on. But none of it was unwelcome.

The ringing of Nick's phone brought both detectives back to reality.

Amanda retrieved it, accepted the call, and put it on speaker. She even held the phone up for her fiancé.

Nick cleared his throat. "You've got Detective Amaro."

On the other end of phone, relief swept through Maria's body. "Nick…"

He jumped. "Maria?! Is that you?!"

"Yes!" she answered shakily. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Uh-huh. The squad has been piecing it together. Are you somewhere safe?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm so glad you're okay." Nick said seriously. "Listen—I've got Amanda here, as well."

Maria finally burst into overtired tears. "You are both exactly who I need to see. I'm at a place called B & H Gas. Just off the interstate outside of Manhattan."

Amanda relayed, "Nick and I were actually already headed there because we're following a lead on the vehicle Starkweather took. Do you have a beat on him?"

"Yes. The short word is, call the K9 Unit. Tolan is not dead. Just inconvenienced."

Amanda heeded her seriousness. "We'll get on that now. Please just stay there."

"Don't worry. I don't have plans to move."

"Good. I'm so pleased that you're in one piece." Amanda said sincerely. "Nick and I are almost there."

"Not long now." called Nick. "Take care, and see you soon!"

Maria bid them both good-bye.

Amanda hung up and stuck Nick's phone back where it belonged. "Somehow… She got away and made it to safety. Amazing."

"Yes." Nick nodded. "I don't know what I would do if…"

"Right there with you." Amanda told her fiancé. "But for any horror that ever comes your way, I'll be right down there in the trenches with you. No matter what."

Amanda found her own phone.

"Pardon me. I have some calls to make."

By the time the detectives arrived at B & H Gas, word had been put out to the rest of their squad. And the K9 Unit. Olivia also promised to bring in as much extra manpower as possible. And to make it there with sirens blaring.

Nick and Amanda made it to the gas station quickly. Annabella's truck was in plain sight. A cursory examination showed no surprises. Or damage.

"Well… There's Annabella Braverman's truck. It looks in decent shape."

"Good. We're so close to the end of this, Amanda. I can't handle another plot twist."

"Ain't that the truth."

So they entered the miniature market together.

Maria hurried over to Nick and Amanda. But she stopped short when she reached her former husband. His words about them not being on friendly terms were true.

"I don't know what to say..." her words trailed off because she couldn't think of anything else.

"Maria, I'm just glad you're safe." Nick hugged her gently and then held her out at arm's length. "What happened? That's a nasty cut on your forehead."

Maria was puzzled. "Come again?"

Amanda tapped the corresponding part on her own forehead. "Right there. You've also got some other cuts and scrapes. Did you get into a fight? With Tolan?"

"Yes. I was afraid multiple times for my life." Maria looked from one detective to the other. "When he was down for the count, I ran all the way here. Guess I bumped into a lot more things than I realized."

Maria now turned about face to the younger woman. She gave her her full focus.

"I can't begin to imagine to imagine what's going on in your head, Amanda, now that I see you." she sighed. "You're in an impossible situation. All of it is on me. I can and will explain myself to you. But please: how is our girl?"

Amanda knew exactly what she meant. "Zara is very safe. I've been looking after her."

"Oh, my God." the most relief yet swept over Maria and she knelt on the floor. "I was able to get Zara out of harm's away. That was all I wanted. Amanda… Thank you."

Amanda knelt beside Maria and rubbed her back. "You're welcome. I would do it again."

Completing the circle, Nick knelt in front of them. His ex-wife. His fiancée. Never had he found himself in a stranger position.

But Nick was already carrying an evidence bag and exam gloves.

"Maria," he said to her. "Do you have anything that can help the K9 Unit?"

She shook he head. "Not on me, but Tolan left a scarf in the truck. It's probably unlocked."

"Okay. Thanks." Nick stood again. "I'll go check it out."

Nick exited.

Maria and Amanda were alone together in the middle of the floor. Both were very aware of their situation. 'Unique' was one way to describe it.

Maria spoke to Amanda after a few beats. "Where do I start?"