5:30 AM Neversink Tavern & Board

Amanda Rollins had tossed and turned all night. In the few short months she and Carisi had been together she'd gotten used to having him sleeping next to her. If she woke up in the middle of the night, he was right beside her. When she needed to snuggle closer to him...because she had a bad dream, or just because...he always pulled her closer wrapping his arms around her. Making her feel safe.

She had always been independent. Never needed that before. Not once. But she found she needed it from him. The sound of his breathing, and weight of his arm draped over her...it comforted her in ways she could never express to him in the light of day. Unbeknownst to her, he loved those moments when she let herself need him in that way.

She laid there a few minutes before deciding she might as well get up. Her phone was still propped up on the pillow next to her. She didn't even remember how they'd ended the conversation last night. The last thing she remembered was hearing how the girls night was. She must have passed out before they said goodbye. Picking up the phone, she texted Kat to see if she was up before jumping in the shower. The sooner they could get on the road, and she could get back home, the better.

Less than an hour later, she was dressed and still hadn't heard from Kat. A nagging feeling started deep in her gut, but she didn't want to overreact. Maybe she was just a really deep sleeper, she knew Kat to be very capable of holding her liquor because she had been out with her a few times before. Both she and Carisi had commented how she'd kept up with the two of them, and then some.

The sun was barely out when she left the room. The tavern actually appeared to be open. Amanda stopped by Kats room, lightly knocked, and waited a few minutes. No answer. Maybe she'd made a coffee run? Left her phone in the room? Amanda frowned. That seemed unlikely. Kat was more addicted to her phone than Amanda was. She couldn't see into the window of the small room. Curtains were closed. She took a step back and texted her again before turning to walk over to the tavern. She texted Carisi asking if he was up with the girls yet.

Kat wasn't at the tavern either. The uneasy feeling began to grow, and the hairs on Amanda's neck stood up again, like they had last yesterday in the woods. She asked Virginia if she'd seen Kat this morning as Virginia poured her a cup of coffee. She hadn't.

"Maybe she's in the shower"? Virginia suggested. Amanda sipped her coffee but didn't sit down. Instead she started shaking her head. No, something was wrong.

"Maybe...you know what, I'll be right back" she set the coffee down on the bar and headed to the door and back towards the rooms. She called Carisi. He picked up immediately.

"Manda"? His voice gravelly like he'd just woken up.

"Kats not answering any texts, or the door of her room". Amanda was already across the parking lot and knocked loudly on her door this time.

"Kat"! She spoke loudly. "Kat I'm breaking this door down if you don't answer".

"Rollins...it's still early. Maybe she's just sleeping"? Carisi had just woken up himself.

She only waited a few seconds before banging even harder. There's no way she would sleep through this racket. She waited again.

Carisi sat up, completely awake now"Rollins, why are you.."? But he was interrupted by a loud bang.

Amanda used her foot and full force against the door. The door to the room that was between hers and Kats opened, and a man she recognized from the tavern last night, walked out. He was in a robe rubbing his eyes as he yelled at her "What the hell is"...then he saw her badge and gun out and ducked back in the room. On the third try the door broke open.

Amanda was thrown when she saw the state of the room. Kat's purse was on the floor, contents spilled out all over...including her phone. The bedspread was completely pulled off the bed as well. It looked like someone might have gone after her as she was getting in bed.

"Oh God". Amanda forgot for a second she had Carisi on the phone until she heard him yell for her.

"Amanda! What is it"! He was out of bed now.

She brought the phone back to her face. "Get everyone here now".

"What's happening"?

"She's gone. Her purse, her phone, it's all over the floor". She noticed a stain on the carpet as she got closer "Wait, is that blood"??

"Amanda, are you alone? Where's the sherrif? You need to get him there now. I'm calling Sienna. As soon as she can get here I'm leaving".

"I need to call Liv, Fin, and"...

"Amanda, the sherrif is who you need to call. He needs to get there now . I'll call Fin and Olivia...and anyone else I can think of to get up there"...his voice trailed off.

They were silent for a few seconds. Adrenaline coursing through both of them.

"Amanda...I'... he didn't finish.

"I know Carisi, me too...I'm calling Sherrif Cooper...Just get here...". They didn't need to say it, and neither of them wanted to say it now, not with all this going on. She hung up to call Sherriff Cooper. Hopefully his phone would work at the campsite now that the weather was better.

Sienna told Carisi she could be there in less than 20 minutes, she would throw on clothes and leave. He called Liv and Fin first then jumped in the shower. Olivia told Carisi to get Fin and head up to Liberty, she would talk with the chief and get as many officers there as she could before heading up there herself. He dreaded the call to Fin, but he handled it better than Carisi. He was calm.

It would take Carisi 20 minutes to get to Fin's once Sienna got to Amanda's. That was time wasted. Fin told him, "Forget it, I'm coming to you. We'll get there faster if I'm driving anyway". He and Phoebe were already up. He was walking out the door before he hung up the phone.

--

Carisi got the girls up as soon as was dressed. When Sienna showed up she took over for him. They didn't say anything in front of the girls. He'd already filled her in on the phone. Today was Friday, so he called his mother to ask her to pick the girls up after school and take them for the weekend in case...in case they weren't back. He didn't really wanna think about that.

He pulled Sienna aside to explain that his mother would pick the girls up from school and daycare so they'd think it was just a surprise visit to Nonna and Pop Pops. He got a text when Fin pulled up and gave both girls a big hug before leaving. He told them he was going to get their mama, and that they were gonna have a surprise after school.

Carisi's only thoughts after that were just getting to Amanda and helping find Kat. He didn't want Amanda dealing with this alone. He hoped she was able to get the sherrif on the phone.

He and Fin shared a look when he got in Fin's car and didn't speak for a few minutes as Fin used the siren to get through the traffic. Fin got on his radio to let dispatch know there were plainclothes police using a siren to get to Liberty. Last thing they needed was some state highway patrol car stopping them.

--

Amanda wasn't able to get to Cooper on his cell phone. It kept going straight to voicemail. After the second try she dialed 9-11. The call was picked up immediately. She recognized deputy Branch's voice.

"Branch, this is Detective Rollins, I have a 10-999, officer down. Detective Katriona Tamin is missing and I can't get Sherrif Cooper". She was trying to remain calm and not yell into her phone but her voice carried. Hearing the commotion, the guy in the room next to Kat's opened the door again. This time he was wearing clothes. Virginia stood outside the tavern watching too.

Deputy Branch stuttered over the phone, and Amanda realized he probably had no idea what to do.

"I need you to put a call in to the state police, and I need you to raise Cooper on his radio, get him back here to the tavern. I don't care if there's high water on the road, I need every cop within a hundred miles to be here now"!

Branch put her on hold while he tried to get the sherrif on the radio.

"He's not answering, detective Rollins. I've been trying to get Jeff since yesterday too, and I can't".

Amanda's whole body felt numb. How could she be the only one here...how could she not have a whole police force on site in 3 minutes like back in the city... She let the phone drop to her side and looked at the door to Kat's room, back at Virginia, who appeared to be saying something to her. She couldn't hear anything. Just the sound of her busting the door down over and over was ringing in her ears.

She took a deep breath, she had to triage what was taking priority. She was the only cop here, and that had to be the first thing to change. She put the phone back up to her ear.

"Branch, First, I just need you to get down here now. I need you to keep trying sherrif Cooper, if you can't raise him before you get here, stop at the campground". She commanded through the phone.

She waited a second and he responded, "I'm on my way".

Deputy Branch was out the door in less than 10 seconds.

--

Fin was driving close to a hundred miles per hour, luckily it was early enough, and Saturday. There was almost no one on the road. At this pace they'd make it there almost as fast as if they waited for air support to get clearance to fly them up. Carisi, under any other circumstances might've told Fin to slow down. Just like he always did when Rollins drove. Not that she listened to him. Right now he didn't care.

Carisi saw a call coming through from Jenn Rapone with Animal Control and declined the call. He wasn't concerned about that right now.

"Is there any way Kat would've maybe left this bar with someone last night? Maybe not gone back to her motel room"? Carisi asked Fin.

"Anything's possible, but I doubt it". Fin was gripping the steering wheel pretty tight. "She's been seeing Celine the past few months, I don't see her hooking up with some rando in a dive bar".

They were pretty quiet during the ride. Both worried about Kat. Fin wasn't much of a talker, but normally Carisi would have been talking his ear off about something. Carisi looked down at his phone. He wanted to call Rollins, but also knew she'd call him as soon as she could. Kat had to be her priority.

Carisi called Olivia who said she had been on the phone with multiple people while she waited for Lucy. The chief, then the academy to get them to bring every available cadet up to Liberty. Elliott Stabler had come through for her too, getting his Organized Crime team to look into anything and everything they could. She was leaving to meet the helicopter when they hung up.

Just as Carisi couldn't take it anymore and was about to call Amanda, his phone lit up and barely rang before he answered it.

"Amanda". He paused, waiting to hear her voice.

"I can't get a hold of the sherrif, I've got one of the deputies on his way, it just takes so long to get out here... I looked through her room Carisi. I needed to find something...anything. I think the guy must've been hiding and waiting in her room"...her voice broke. "But there's just nothing...I couldn't find anything, and she's gone. I got everyone from the motel and the Tavern together in one room and I'm keeping them there. I can't do anything else until someone gets here".

"Amanda"...he could hear the fear in her voice. "Fin and I are on our way. Fin's breaking all the speed limits, we'll be there soon. Liv is sending support your way from Albany, and she's flying up. She may be there before us. She's getting as many people up there as she can".

The call waiting pops up on his phone and it's Jenn again. Carisi declines the call again. He could worry about that later. First things first.

"Oh thank God" he heard Amanda exclaim. "Carisi, call me when you're close, Sherrif Cooper's here". She didn't wait for him and disconnected.

"What"? Fin asked when Carisi put the phone down in his lap.

His phone lit up, a text from Jenn Rapone.

'Call me Carisi'
'I have info'

He'd get back to her later.

"The sherrif got there". Carisi put his hand to his jaw, realizing he hadn't even shaved today.

"That's good". Fin said.

"I'll feel better when we're there". Carisi looks out the window at scenery speeding by them.

"Yea, me too" Fin agreed.