Chapter 40 – Stabler
Note to Lady Padfoot II- I promised it, so here it is. More action, just for you. ;) I hope you like it!
Lyrics by Pink – My Vietnam
Momma was a lunitic, she liked to push my buttons
She said I wasn't good enough, but I guess I wasn't trying
Never like school that much, they tried to teach me better
But I just wasn't hearing it because I thought I was already pretty clever
And
This is my Vietnam
I'm at war
They keeps on dropping bombs
And I keep score
This is my Vietnam
I'm at war
They keep on dropping bombs
And I keep score
What do you expect from me?
What am I not giving you?
What could I do for you to make me OK in your eyes?
This is my Vietnam
I'm at war
They keep on dropping bombs
And I keep score
This is my Vietnam
I'm at war
Life keeps on dropping bombs
And I keep score
This is my Vietnam
This is my Vietnam…
Stabler
"How's your hand?" Olivia suddenly appeared next to me with an ice pack.
"I just scraped it, I'm fine." In trying to pick up Reid for questioning, he pulled the oldest move in the book and tried to run, just like every other suspect or perp. Liv and I managed to cut him off in an alley, but he tried jumping over a barbed wire fence. As I pulled him down, I sliced up the back of my hand against the barbs. Now I was holding some papers towels against it to stop the bleeding.
"Let me see." Olivia grabbed my wrist and yanked my hand towards her. She started unwrapping the napkins.
"It's fine," I insisted as I tried to tug my arm away from her grip.
"Let me see." She was just as stubborn as she pulled back.
"It's just a cut!"
"Fine." She released my wrists and grabbed my injured hand in hers, squeezing as hard as she could.
"Ow!" I jerked back, seeing little lines of blood starting to seep through the napkin. "That hurt!"
"So it does hurt," she smirked. "Let me see," she repeated for the third time. Deciding that keeping my hand was more important than being stubborn, I ripped the towels off and swung my hand in front of her face, like a woman showing off a ring.
"See?" I asked obnoxiously.
She rolled her eyes and held it steady, glancing it over. "Look at some of these cuts El, it's more than a scrape." I did as she ordered and saw it for the first time. My skin was really just raw, a few small cuts here and there.
"I'll live!" I declared. "Let's just go question him before he has a chance to lawyer up." I motioned towards the one way mirror we were standing behind. Reid was on the other side.
As we walked into the room, Olivia and I both kept calm, collected, blank stares on our faces as we separated, one of us coming towards him on either side, like animals sneaking up on their prey. Olivia stopped at the end of the table, leaving a three-foot gap between herself and Reid. I kept going until I was almost right next to him. During all of this, Reid's eyes just carefully surveyed the scene, not sure if he should be worried yet.
"So," Olivia started, unfolding her arms. "Why'd you run?" She put her hands on the edge of the table and propped herself up, leaning closer in towards him.
"I didn't do anything," he shrugged. I'd lost count of how many times he'd insisted that since we brought him in.
"If you're so innocent," I snapped, leaning in as well, "then tell us why you ran."
"Because seeing cops running after me freak me out. Besides, cops like you took my old man away when I was a kid." His voice started elevating, and he quickly tried to suppress his anger.
"We ran because you ran, an obvious sign that someone's feeling guilty about something," Olivia taunted him, a knowing and threatening smile on her face.
The kid's face suddenly turned into a twisted, irate grin. His head slowly turned towards Olivia, frustration seeping into his placid gaze. "I'll say it slower for your lady friend here," he snapped in her face as he spoke to me. "I. Didn't. Do. Anything." He dragged each word out, meticulously stressing each syllable as he glared at her.
Not intimidated in the slightest, Olivia met him glare for glare, neither one of them backing down. Finally, Olivia spoke. "Where were you yesterday afternoon?"
"Why should I tell you?" He muttered, not giving an inch.
"Because a girl was shot in an alley a few blocks away from here. From what we've heard, you're looking pretty good for it." She pushed off of the table with her hands, slightly pushing it back into Reid's stomach. She circled the table and looked him square in the eye. "I'd suggest you tell us where you were if you want to clear yourself."
"Well," he said in a smart-aleck tone as he pretended to think about it. "It was a Monday, so I guess I was in school."
"Na," I interrupted. "See, that's not gonna work with us. We called your school. They said you were absent Monday." I sat across from him on the table, folding my hands in my lap. "So how about you cut the crap and tell us the truth, before you totally incriminate yourself."
"Fine." His face lost its smile as he realized we weren't playing around. "I over-slept. By the time I woke up school was almost over, so I decided to skip the rest of the day? Okay?" He raised his eyebrows and held his hands up, a 'are-you-happy-now' look on his face.
"When did you wake up?" Olivia quickly threw at him.
He just shrugged and looked at the table, trying to think. By the way he didn't meet our stares, I knew he was just thinking up a lie. "About one."
"One in the afternoon?" I clarified, getting to my feet.
"No," he snapped sarcastically. "One in the morning. Yeah, in the afternoon."
"Can anyone vouch for you?"
He looked at Olivia and shook his head, an irritated laugh escaping him. "I'd tell ya to ask my mom, but she's never home to know whether or not I am. She's too freaking busy working all day and night to give a damn what I do!"
"I bet she's working just to keep your selfish ass fed and in school!" I snarled, slamming my hand on the table and causing an unsuspecting Reid to slightly jump back. Pretending to act as if I was fuming, I went to the far wall and restlessly began pacing back and forth, my glare never leaving the kid's face.
"Emma MacGuire," Olivia pulled Reid's attention back to her. "Does the name ring any bells?"
"I know the little slut," he said bitterly, leaning back in his chair.
"I think you more than 'know' her." Olivia picked up the folder that had been sitting on the ledge underneath the mirror the entire time. She casually flipped through it, letting Reid sweat out what her next move would be. "In fact, didn't you ask her out once?"
At this, Reid crossed his arms and bit his tongue, rolling his eyes at her question, like the mere suggestion was ludicrous.
"And," a hint of a smile crossing her face, just to add to the effect of her next statement, "didn't she turn you down, right in front of all your friends?"
I watched him clench his jaw together the moment she said that. He shut his mouth and tried to bore a hole through Olivia with merely his gaze.
"That had to embarrass you." I switched from being angry to being mock sympathetic. "Having your status hurt by that little girl that should be kissing your feet out of gratitude. So you decide to retaliate, teach her a lesson."
"So one day, you skip school, follow her around and wait for the right moment." Olivia joined in and the two of us bounced back and forth, filling the story in. Each time we spoke, we moved closer towards Reid.
"You follow her onto an empty street, then watch as she goes into an alley, all by herself."
"You realize you have the perfect chance. Then you follow her in, attack her from behind."
"You hold her down and rape her, just to show her what she turned down."
"Then you decide to make her suffer for your embarrassment. You shoot her in the stomach and leave her to die." Olivia ripped the papers out of the file and hurled the folder across the room. Throwing them against the table, she furiously spread the pictures of Emma out.
"I didn't touch her!" He yelled, but remained motionless, refusing to look at the pictures. "Yeah, the bitch turned me down," instantly regained his composure and slipped back behind his blank expression, "but I didn't rape or shoot her."
"Well, I think you did." Olivia braced herself against the side of the table as she bent her head to bring her face to level with Reid's, their faces half a foot apart with nothing between them.
Reid suddenly lost his unwavering expression and laughed, slumping back into the chair. "Hate to break it to ya sweet stuff, but your opinion ain't worth too much." He suddenly sat forward and looked into her hate-filled eyes. "And besides," he winked, like he was flirting with her, "that girl was as flat-chested as a board. I like my women with boobs, like you." A huge grin on his face, he raised his left arm up and cupped Olivia's breast in his hand. Just as I was about to jump the sonofabitch myself, Olivia pounced.
Taking her right hand, she wrapped it around the wrist of his outstretched arm. In one swift, circular motion, she managed to pull him out of his seat and whip his arm behind his back, like she was going to cuff him. Forcefully, she rammed him chest first into the stone wall next to her. A whoosh of air escaped from his mouth as she knocked the wind out of him. While he was still in a slight shock, she grabbed his other wrist with her free hand and twisted it around like his other one. Holding his hands behind him, she shoved them into his lower back, pressing his face against the wall even more. The pain from this seemed to snap him out of his shock.
"Bitch, what the hell are you doing!" He begged breathlessly, fear in his voice for the first time that day. "Get the hell off me!" He tried to sound demanding as he struggled to put up a pathetic attempt to free himself from Olivia's arm lock.
"How many times did Emma say that!" She growled, quickly adjusting his arms so that she only needed one hand to hold them. Lunging her free hand towards his head, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled, craning his neck back.
"Stop!" He begged, tears forming in his eyes from the pain.
I watched on in shocked awe at Olivia's actions. In her face, I saw an expression beyond definition. There was a loathing, abhorrent fire in her eyes that was also apparent in each of her features. I'd seen her watch the most horrible, gruesome people and events before, but never in the seven years had I known her had I ever seen this look on her face before. Honestly, it scared even me.
To his pleadings, she reacted by yanking his hair even harder, pulling his head back so she could look down at his face. "How many times did Emma beg you to stop while you were raping her!" She screamed into his face. "What in the hell did she ever do to you to deserve that!" When he didn't answer, she yelled again, giving her handclutching his haira sharp jerk. "What!"
"Nothing!" He sobbed in pain as tears streamed down his face. "Nothing!"
Suddenly, I felt myself pull out of my stupefied daze. "Olivia," I whispered in a low, soothing voice. I walked towards her slowly so I wouldn't startle her. One wrong move and she could have easily snapped this kid's neck. "Olivia," I repeated, now only a yard away from her. "Let him go." Anger still pulsating through her eyes, she gazed up at me. "Liv, just let go," I urged her desperately.
Slowly, she unclenched her fist and let her arms fall to her side. Seizing his chance, the kid scrambled away, shoving himself into a corner as far away from Olivia as possible.
"Come on." I wrapped my arm around my motionless partner and carefully led her to the door. As I was doing so, I prayed that the kid would be smart for once and keep his mouth shut. I couldn't be sure what she'd do if he spoke again.
Safely outside the room, I shut the door behind us. Olivia hadn't said a thing since she'd screamed at Reid.
"Olivia?" I turned my head, trying see to her face. Her head was tilted down towards the floor. "Are you okay?" I rested my hand on her shoulder and slightly massaged it, trying to get her attention.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, falling into my arms as she buried her face in my chest.
"It's okay Liv." I snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back far enough so that I could see her face. She seemed exhausted more than anything and she was slightly shaking. After effects of an adrenaline surge, I thought to myself.
"I don't know why I did that…" She frowned and shook her head, trying to figure out her actions.
"Liv, yes you do." I looked her in the eye and gave a reassuring half-smile, waiting for her to realize I was talking about her attack. She opened her mouth to answer, but the words were lost in her throat. As her mouth opened and closed, trying to say something, I suddenly felt a pair of eyes on me. Looking up, I saw Cragen standing in the hallway, glaring at us. Something told me he knew everything that had happened a few minutes ago.
Now, I was the one who couldn't get my mouth to form any words. As the Captain's gaze traveled downwards, I realized my arm was still around Olivia's waist. Letting my hand fall, Cragen came up with enough words for all three of us.
"You two," he pointed. "My office. Now."
--XXX--
He won't do anything. He wouldn't take her off the case, would he? Or worse, make her take more time off? No, he didn't do it earlier. Then again, Olivia didn't come inches away from snapping a kid's neck like a pencil 'earlier.'
Thoughts buzzed around my head as I stared at the Captain's office door. I'd been behind it a few minutes ago, discussing everything that happened. After Olivia and I had explained the situation, with me jumping to her defense every other sentence, Cragen decided to talk to Olivia alone.
Suddenly, I saw Cragen's door open and a red-faced Olivia appeared behind it. I jumped to my feet and opened my mouth to speak, but she made a beeline for the exit before I could.
My mouth agape, I looked back towards the Captain's office. He was now standing in the doorway, a flustered look on his face. When I couldn't read his expression anymore than that, I grabbed my coat and Olivia's and followed the same path she took.
