Chapter 7: End Game

Muncy and Velasco made it to the compound before everyone else and sat a few miles back in a blue sedan. The road was lined with thick forest, but you could make out the front of the warehouse and the driveway leading towards it. Half of the property was fenced in with barbed wire and a high quality security gate. Until the fence reached the forest, and then there was only a chain linked property line.

Muncy held up binoculars. "Where is everybody? Are the walkies working yet?"

"No. Still down," Velasco replied. He flipped around on the walkie. "Velasco and Muncy in place, anyone copy?"

"Looks like a trucking or shipping company," she squinted. "I can see at least 10 large rig trucks and a dozen box trucks."

"Yeah, the run shipping and trucking companies." Velasco responded, trying to look at the area around the building on the paper map they were given. "The likelihood of Abby being in that warehouse seems slim to me. I mean, just looking at things from the map view…makes more sense to look around this wooded area north of the warehouse, before making a grand appearance. Too many places for them to run."

"Yeah…so why are we going in with this warrant again?"

"We're a diversion."

"A diversion? These guys are decades organized. Sneak attack seems like a better answer."

Velasco popped some gum into his mouth, sending a chill down Muncy's spin. She could not stand the sound of chewing. "OC has undercovers that will be the trojan horse. Either way, not my orders. We just sit tight and wait for Benson's signal."

"Can you…not chew that gum while we're imprisoned in this car together," she snapped.

Velasco froze in mid chew and gave her the look of death as he pulled it from his mouth. He leaned over purposefully annoying her to grab a napkin from the glove box. He then smashed the gum inside of the brown dunkin donuts paper and flicked the wad of napkin onto the dashboard.

"You couldn't just spit that out the window?"

"That's littering. Hey, do we have a problem here? Why are you so irritated with me all the sudden?"

Muncy shook her head. "We're fine. Just stop doing gross things. Shit," Muncy gasped, still looking through the binoculars now at a path leading to the woods.

"Look at that truck."

She handed him the binoculars. "That truck. Read the side. Coffee and Table services. That was the same truck coming out of the Meridian hotel loading dock ten minutes after Abby's disappearance."

Before Velasco could comment Muncy was out of the car and running towards the forest to follow the truck.

"Muncy!," he yelled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making a better plan! Come on!"

SCENE

It was growing dark outside when Whelan and Elliot pulled over to check their communication devices. They were near a fenced in clearing, and they kept their lights off to avoid being seen.

"Bell, do you copy," Elliot talked into a walky. "Nothing. You got cell phone service?"

"No," Whelan responded. "Annika said no phones or electronics allowed."

"They must have something blocking the signals."

"Can you do that?"

"You can do anything with the right amount of cheddar, my friend."

Olivia and Fin pulled up behind them.

"Why the hell won't our communication lines work?," Olivia asked as she jumped from the driver's seat and ripped the wire from her ear.

Elliot tossed the walky into his car. "We were just trying to figure that out. I'm hoping Bell drives this route and not the other way."

As they gathered round a map, a shot was suddenly fired from within a thick of the trees. They could hear screaming and then a group of people started running through the field.

"What the hell," Elliot squinted through the fence and could see what appeared to be a small group of women and children headed toward them. "Whelan in the trunk there are bolt cutters and a flashlight."

Olivia jogged toward the chain linked fence. "Stop running," she screamed, but she was too far for them to hear her. She waved. "Stop!"

"What are you doing," Elliot yelled.

"Landmines. Stop," she screamed.

It was too late for anyone to help as the group pushed through the tall grass, several explosions went off at one time. Olivia turned the other way as the brunt of the group disappeared with the blast.

"Oh my god," Olivia gasped. Elliot, near by touched her arm. "Whelan, bolt cutters."

A handful of the girls and a small child slowly got back up after the shock of it all. They started to walk again closer now.

"Slowly," Olivia yelled. "We're here to help. Take your time!"

Elliot ripped the bolt cutters from Whelan's hands and cut open the fence.

He and Olivia pushed open the wire and helped three hysterical girls and a toddler slowly navigate through the rest of the field and fence.

Olivia rushed them to her car where Fin was already starting up the engine.

"Milo is still in there," the teen sobbed. "He wouldn't come with me."

"It's okay, we will get Milo. Is anyone hurt." They shook their heads and she watched their tiny dirty arms cling to each other.

"I'm a police officer. We're here to help you all. My friend Fin is going to take you to the hospital and keep you all safe."

The boy, who they called Milo, sat in the center of the field screaming, unable to move from where he was. Olivia turned to see Elliot going into the fence with no gear, no gun, and a flash light.

She closed the car door behind the last girl and spoke to Fin through his open window "None of these girls are Abby. I'm going to help Elliot. Get this group to a hospital."

"You got it. Liv, be careful," Fin worried.

She nodded and barked orders as fast as her thoughts could form. "Whelan! Get to that warehouse now. The plan has changed for the rest of us, but stick to your UC. Find out what happened. Muncy and Velasco should be up there already," she tried to slow her breathing as she followed Elliot into the thicket.

The field was pitch black. She felt for her flashlight that was attached to her vest, and turned it on.

"Stay right behind me," Elliot slowly moved through the field in a sharp navy suit, a tie, and his good shoes. The flashlight beamed over his feet as he cautiously avoided any landmines. He called out to the little boy. "It's okay buddy. We're coming to help you. Just stay there and don't move. You're going to be okay. Just don't move."

The boy wailed and sobbed. As Elliot got closer he stopped looking at the ground when he could see the boy's bloody face. "Stay there buddy."

The kid whined and chocked up with fright. Elliot tripped over something and dropped his flashlight. The fall of the light spooked the boy who then started running away from them. "No No No!," he called out.

The blast went off and Elliot pushed both Olivia and himself to the ground shielding her as best as he could. Her hands grabbed the sides of her head as they hit the ground that was not quite solid.

The ringing shot through their ears first and both of them lay next to each other in a haze.

"Elliot, the ground…we're sinking…"

He looked around disoriented and put his body weight on the earth to stand. The grass gave way and they both became weightless as they fell into a large pit with old dirty mattresses at the bottom to break the fall.

Olivia moaned with pain.

Elliot moved around next to her. "You okay?"

"I'm okay. Just got the wind knocked out of me... Eh….the boy…Milo," She choked out. "Milo are you up there?!"

They tried to listen for him, but the only thing they could hear was the ringing in their own ears. "oh my god…the boy…why did he run…," she tried to sit up.

Elliot grabbed her and held whatever body part he could hold for a moment while he gathered himself. "I know…I know. You can't think about it right now. Just take a minute. Just breathe. Don't think about it. That flashlight….just fell out of my-," he stopped himself from getting upset and took in a deep breath.

His head flopped onto the torso section of her hard vest and they both sucked the cold air into their lungs for a moment. "You're okay, though?"

"Yeah….yeah…I'm okay," she whispered through tears. "How about you?"

"I'm good."

Their breathing subsided as they looked up into the night sky and clung to each other's side. The clouds hid the stars threatening rain, and nothing else could be heard.

"Where are we," Olivia finally breathed out as she looked at the mud walls surrounding her.

"Looks like a pit. The victims are either captured or dead," Elliot quietly mumbled while looking at the mattresses and then up at the opening. "Looks about 15-20 feet high. If I boost you up, you think you can grab the top and pull yourself out?"

Olivia stretched her pained back and stood up. "Eh, I can try."

Elliot stood in front of her. She watched the thoughts behind his eyes. They were calm and steady. "Put your foot in my hands, climb up to my shoulders, then grab the lip of the opening and see if you can pull yourself up."

"Okay…" she paused, uneasy about the height of the climb and pulling with the tweak that she now had in her back from the fall. Her entire body trembled and ached. Elliot could sense her fear.

"You can trust me. I got you," his face so close to hers.

She shook her head and deflected her thoughts for him, as she grabbed his shoulders. "Don't drop me."

He easily lifted her to his shoulders and then tried to lift her higher by her feet. They both grunted.

"Stop. I'm not tall enough. Get me down!"

He slowly helped her to the ground and she winced through the back pain.

"You okay?," he breathed.

"I just need a second. My back is out. Possibly cracked a rib."

He sat next to her and they leaned onto each other. He grabbed for her hand. "You have a flare gun?"

"Yeah, but only one shot," she nodded.

"Okay, let's just hang tight. Listen for cars."

"Okay," she breathed slower.

Everything grew quiet. So quiet that even the crickets were inaudible.

They sat next to each other on the cool ground. Elliot held her hand to his chest and rubbed his thumb across her cold fingers and knuckles.

"You sorry I finally agreed to seeing you face to face," she finally broke the silence.

"Nope," he replied with zero hesitation. "I mean, come on. There's only one person left in this world I want to be more than 6 feet underground with."

"How thrilling," she lightly laughed.

"Ha," he chuckled. "Well, at least we won't die alone."

"I'll take it. Though I prefer you above ground."

She turned her head to look at him and really take him in. She'd already memorized his features long ago, but they were different now. Worn but soft. Wrinkled with time, but still so attractive and handsome. His chiseled features now highlighted his blue eyes in a way that felt comforting instead of intense all of the time. She could stare at him all night if the universe would allow it.

He glanced at her with side-eye. "What?"

She was practically in shock from the evening's events, but the only thought that felt pressing to have as they sat there waiting helpless and vulnerable in the dark, was a positive one. So she allowed herself to have it. "Kiss me."

His eye brow furrowed. "I don't think HR would approve that."

"I am HR."

She didn't have to ask twice.

He turned to face her and awkwardly moved closer to her lips.

"You know," he stopped. "Before I open this door again. Ah…you should know…people do this thing now before they kiss."

"Yeah, what's that," she whispered.

"They actually get dressed up after work or sometimes on a weekend, and talk, and eat, and sometimes drink, maybe dance, maybe see a show, hold hands…in public."

"You mean like a date," she played along.

"Yeah…like a date. That's what I hear people are doing. And then at the end of the night, if all goes well….that's usually…when they kiss."

His lips were so close to hers that she breathed in his air as he softly spoke.

"Really," she smiled. She looked down at his muddied blue suit and tie. Fitting for a first date. They locked eyes again as she touched his neck and the collar of his shirt. "That sounds too easy."

"Hmph," he held back a laugh and went in for the kiss.

She was soft to the touch and the necessary sentiment was comforting. He kept it brief, wishing they were anywhere but here and on the clock. Wishing that he could stay in that moment forever. And maybe this was the quiet they needed to find that moment and stop wasting time.

He closed his eyes content and nuzzled into the side of her face as they waited and listened to the silence above them.

SCENE

Muncy held the gun at a man who was driving the truck. He was holding a gun to a young girl in front of them. Velasco was right behind her trying to figure out how to move in.

"Put the gun down," she said to the man.

"Or what," He laughed at her. "Shoot me and I'll kill the girl."

"Kill the girl and I'll keep your brain in a jar after I blow it right out your skull," she yelled back.

"Go ahead," he grunted with hints of fear and panic bulging from his eyes.

"Alright, calm down. We know you're just a grunt worker," Velasco finally stepped up. "Let the girl go and we'll help you out of this situation."

"You're fools if you think any of us are getting out of here alive. They will kill us all if they get here before your swat team."

Muncy's hand started to sweat. "Where's the back up, V?"

"I don't know. Should've been here by now."

"Guy, what's your name? I'm Detective Muncy. Let's work together here. You don't want to die. I don't want to die. We need our cell phones to work or we can't help you. But we want to help you," Muncy got closer to the man and dropped her gun to her side. "Look, I don't want to shoot anyone today, okay."

The guy shook with fear. "Fuck you."

"How do you communicate with each other around here? You get me a phone and release the girl, and I'll let you get in the truck and drive out of here like you were never here to begin with."

"What are you doing," Velasco growled at her angrily.

"I'm negotiating."

"That's a crap negotiation."

The man started to inch his way to the truck as they quarreled. He dragged the sobbing girl with him.

"Hey," Muncy shouted. "Don't move!"

The guy did though. He shot the girl in the back, pushed her to the ground, and ran for the truck.

SCENE

"Shots," Olivia stiffened next to Elliot.

He jumped up and grabbed for Olivia's flare gun.

"Not yet," she touched him. "If the wrong people find us down here..."

He didn't need her to finish that thought. He dropped the flare that was still attached to her belt and started to stack the mattresses on top of each other and against the side of the muddy pit. "Stand in front of that mattress to keep it from moving."

She did and then he jumped up and climbed unsuccessfully.

"We gotta get out of here. Think. Ah...give me your boot."

She pulled her boots off again and he dug the heal of it into the dirt wall. She helped him with the other boot until he got as high as he could and then he started to climb.

Olivia pushed the mattresses under him in case he had to fall to the ground, which he did every so often to give his hands a break from holding onto the small grooves.

"You got this," she reinforced him.

He fell to the ground again and again until he finally got to the top and dropped down one last time. "Okay. I think we can reach. Come here."

He pulled her over to the wall with his muddy hands. "You go first."

Her hair wisped about her eyes and she breathed in with hesitation.

"I won't let you fall," he said. His confident stance held right next to her.

She placed one foot on the wall steadying herself for the climb. He watched her eyes muster up the courage to move.

"Liv."

"Yeah?," she responded without taking her focus off of the opening 20 feet above her.

"I love you."

She stopped and looked at him. It was dark, but he could tell she blushed.

"Okay."

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Okay," he questioned.

"Yes, yes. Same," she said swiftly and turned back to the wall. "Let's…just, let's get out of here, please."

"Oh all business now. Okay. You got it, Captain," he said with a twinkle in his tone. She started to lift herself from the ground and he grabbed her by the backside and pushed her up.

"Hey now, watch that hand," she barked.

"Oh, I did. I watched it, Captain. Watch your left foot…move it higher. There. If this is my second chance to be there for you. I gotta take whatever end you throw at me, Cap," he jested dryly, Harrison Ford style.

"Not exactly the second chance I imagined with you, Lieutenant," she breathed back and she grunted her way up the wall.

"Meh, wouldn't be a Saturday night with Olivia Benson if we weren't clawing our way out of some kind of life threatening situation," he breathed back as he wiped the sweat from his head and spotted her from the ground.

The two of them reached the surface relieved. Before making their way towards the area where the shots were coming form, Olivia gave the area a once over look. The boy's body lay lifeless on the ground. She moved toward him and checked his pulse. "He's still alive. Elliot, he's still breathing! Milo," she gently pushed the hair from his face and lightly shook him awake. He started to move and moan.

"Milo, I'm here to help you. I'm a police officer."

He screamed at the sound of that. Elliot gently moved Olivia away and held the boy from running. "Hey," he sweetly pulled the boy in with his eyes. "Buddy, I'm not a bad guy. I'm here to help you out of this field. Can I hold you, so you're safe?"

The boy sat frozen in shock, and Elliot lifted his tiny body from the ground. His eyes and nose were bleeding, his legs were burned, and he looked malnourished.

"Just rest your head on my shoulder, buddy. I got you."

As they stood with the boy, sirens could be heard out on the street and they could see lights flashing through the trees.

The three of them made their way toward the building where the lights flashed.

"Looks like Bell found the place," Elliot sped up his pace once they got past the field. Olivia next to him with her flashlight.

They got closer and could see Muncy on the ground with her head in her hands.

"Is your girl hurt," Elliot asked as they grew closer.

"She looks upset," Olivia tensed.

"Hey," Bell waved to Elliot. "We got a bus out with the girl. Another on it's way. Where have you two been?"

"Dito, where the hell has anyone been. We've been trapped in a 20 foot pit," Elliot said, still holding the boy who clung to him in fear. "It's okay, Milo, These are my friends. We're all here to help you."

Bell noticed how dirty they were and nodded. "Okay, glad you're here now. Liv, your detectives are pretty shaken. The vic was shot. She's still alive, barely. She's on her way to the hospital now. We've got a crew sweeping the place. Annika is in custody with Whelan. His identity is still in good standing. Hopefully. But ah…your girl is a mess. You might need to go straighten that out," Bell said as she looked over at Muncy trying to hold back sobbs and snot.

"Thanks." Olivia gathered her emotions and stuffed them deep down into the pits of her nervous system. She walked over to Muncy and merely touched the tip of her shoulder. "Hey, let's go talk before IAB gets here."

She pulled kleenex out of her vest pocket and handed it to her. Muncy followed and they walked past the pool of blood and the perps dead body.

Muncy went through the evening with her and she patiently listened.

"Muncy, it's not your fault. You're new to this. You did your best. And sometimes…," she paused thinking about the little boy's face right before the blast. "Sometimes…it's not enough."

"I should have listened to Velasco. I should have stuck with the plan. She'd still be okay if I had just waited and stuck to the plan. There was so much blood."

"Shhh…shhh….shhh," Olivia held her hands and tried to calm her. "You can't always stick to the plan. This operation was botched the second we lost communication. You went with your gut, and you found our girl. Negotiating skills come with practice. We're going to help you through this. You're going to get through this."

Muncy grabbed a hold of Olivia and held her like a child. "How do you do this? I can't not get angry at these assholes. She was just a little girl. He didn't have to shoot her," she sobbed.

"It's okay. It's okay," is all Olivia could say. After a moment, she pulled her away and sat her down in the passenger side of a cop car.

"Captain, why do you keep giving me chances? I should have been fired three times over by now," Muncy sniffed.

Olivia searched for the words. "I can't keep dodging bullets and falling down pits. It's time for me to teach someone else. And believe it or not, you have what this job takes. I would really like that someone else to be you, but I also don't want to force you, if this isn't your calling."

"Really," she sniffed and whipped a tear from her face. "You really think I could be as good as you at this?"

"Of course I do. You just have to show up, listen, learn, and be ready. Can you do that?"

Muncy nodded.

"Lesson number one. Always go with your gut. I know it's…too early to say this, but you might have just saved that little girls life," Olivia smiled.

The night was long. When all was said and done, Olivia drove back with Elliot. They sat in each other's company with the windows down, the stars peaking through the clouds that never turned into rain, the cool spring breeze hitting their faces feeling like a fresh start, and taylor swift quietly playing on the radio.

"And I chose you

The one I was dancing with

In New York, no shoes

Looked up at the sky and it was

The burgundy on my t-shirt

When you splashed your wine into me

And how the blood rushed into my cheeks

So scarlet, it was Maroon.

And I wake with your memory over me

That's a real fucking legacy (it was maroon)"

Elliot held her hand the entire drive home and didn't let it go. There was no question in Olivia's mind this time. No doubt. No fear. No guilt. Only a serenity that resonated from her hand to his and back again.

They reached her apartment around 3am and she nodded for him to park his car and follow her upstairs. She didn't have to say a word.

He followed her to the elevator, into the hallway, through her front door.

They passed the kitchen and the living room with the smiling pictures of her and Noah. A dim night light pointed them down the long hallway. Past Noah's room and the spare bedroom where Lucy stayed on late nights.

He never let go of her hand, and not a word was spoken.

She opened the door to her bedroom and closed it behind him. The room was dark except for a few street lights peeking in through the blinds.

They stood holding each other in silence. Olivia rested had hear on his shoulder and she swayed gently back and forth. Their appearance was that of the aftermath of war, their clothing muddied and bloodied. It was the perfect ending to a perfect first date, that called for a grand finale.

They could have been anywhere, but it didn't matter because they were together at last.

Olivia stood confident in her love for him. The anxiety and fear she often felt at 3am in this bedroom were now distant nightmares.

He touched the side of her face and brought her lips into his. He didn't have to ask, he just knew what she wanted. What she needed. What she longed for. And he was finally confident enough to give that to her.

The kiss was soft and respectful as the two of them explored and memorized every detail of the other's lips, tongue, teeth, and touch, like they never had before. His hands enveloped her cheeks and hair. He was delicate.

She smiled and backed away to turn on a side lamp while she took her shoes off. He'd always imagined what she would look like right before sex. It was a side of her he'd only gotten glimmers of in the past. That bashful, playful, softer side of her that was hidden under a thousand layers of feminine armor and lifelong trauma.

He took his shoes off too, and waited for her next move. She pulled her belt off, and he followed suit. She removed her shirt slowly revealing her skin from the stomach up over her black bar, and she stared into his eyes and waited for his next move. He slowly pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. They didn't dare take their eyes off of each other. He walked a step closer to her taking in the shape of her body, and sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her towards him. She was glowing with anticipation.

His strong hands ran down her bare back and around her tight waist line. His arm muscles moved under her hands. She slid her hands up to his and moved them to the button on her pants, which he undid for her and then watched them fall to the floor as he traced her hips and underwear line. The room was quiet. Even the city outside was still, not a car on the street. It was as if it too were holding its breath for them. He pulled her in for a long hypnotic kiss.

This was uncharted territory for him in every way. He throbbed for her. He could have taken her and ravaged her in less than a minute. And it was his pattern to do so with other lovers. He was used to being the aggressive partner in the bedroom, but he knew she was different. He knew he had to let her call the shots. The tension grew inside of him the longer they kissed. He undid her bra strap and she straddled him and rubbed against him. The bra fell to the ground and her skin touched his chest. Her nipples were hard against his. She was even more magical in real life. He stopped to take her in and silently ask for permission to touch. She allowed him to kiss and explore her breasts. She watched him and enjoyed herself for a moment before pulling him back to her lips.

The touching grew heavy and passionate this time instead of light and gentle. He could not recall ever feeling this kind of sexual intensity in all his life.

They pulled the rest of their clothing to the floor and crawled into the bed. Elliot's strong upper body moved her to where he wanted her and he stopped between her legs. Her hips writhing beneath him to go further. Her breathing quickened as he slowly pushed himself against her. She was wet and ready.

"This is okay," he breathed.

She placed her hand on his mouth. "Shhh…," she blinked back at him warmly, and then slowly he moved hips into hers. A jolt of orgasmic sensations took over both of their bodies.

They held each other's gaze. Elliot couldn't stop himself. She felt so good. She was so unbelievably beautiful in every way. His muscles pulsed everywhere. He grabbed at himself to keep from releasing, the euphoric sensation overpowered his longevity.

She stopped him wildly and pushed him onto the bed before he could release without her. She climbed on top now and knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.

She placed his hand where she liked it, rubbed her body against his in the ways she enjoy it. She guided him and he followed. Their hands grabbed for each other the faster she pulsed. The bed rattled, the room spun, and their breathing turned into stifled moans. Insync they released and gasped at the same time.

When they both finished she nestled onto his chest and they sat in the messy afterglow. His arms wrapped around her. Their breathing slowed. The intensity of it all was more than Olivia could bear. A few happy tears rolled down her cheek.

"I love you," she whispered.

He squeezed her tightly. "I love you."