Disclaimer: Everything Law & Order related belongs to Dick Wolf and company, as in the show idea and known characters. But I do own the abstract created characters and plot line.
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"Do you think he's full of shit?" Olivia asked Elliot as they grazed in the break room.
He shrugged pulling a bag of chips to his side of the table, "I don't know. He seemed sincere, but he's an addict too. But it kind of makes things fall into place, maybe Cate was telling the truth and she is a vigilante, but then I think about what she did to Anita Garcia."
Olivia nodded recalling the hideous scene, "We have a witness and participant in the Monty murders. I wonder when she'll come here."
"I thought about that too, she's probably out there looking for him right now." He nibbled on a chip.
"I wondered the entire time she was here if she was telling the truth, I felt like this chick instinct," she looked up at him. "Then Hebel mentioned having removed certain manuscripts during the trial and the bribes. It certainly looks like Cate was telling the truth. But she did murder ten different people that we know of and have evidence for, which makes her creditably drop as murder to her children and rise as a vigilante."
Elliot nodded, "Deep down and mixed with the influence of the last few days and Hebel's account," he spoke lower, "I really don't think she killed her children or mutilated her body." He raised a finger to emphasize, "But I sill think she is insane."
She shrugged at his opinion, "That may be."
A mother seeking vengeance for her children…I can see that…Will I be as devoted?
"Elliot, you said you wanted to know what's been bothering me." Her focus slipped out into the office through the break room window.
He glanced at her noticing the sudden change in conversation, "Still do. I wasn't very convinced with our last heart to heart." He said with a sly smile that made her return it.
"Fine, let's grab some chow tonight. I'd rather tell you in private, ok." Olivia propositioned.
"Sure." Elliot nodded, thankful that she was going too finally to come clean about what had been hanging over her head and causing her so much anxiety.
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Cate Monty wrestled with the collar of the police uniform, shoving two fingers between her throat and the coarse fabric, tugging gently.
The uniform and radio were easy to come by, both taken from a female officer's locker in twenty-third precinct, although it did cost Cate a crisp Benjamin for the items.
The female thief she hired was supposedly the best at breaking and entering in the city. Apparently she was, she managed to get in and get out of the twenty-third without anyone even noticing her.
Cate pulled the leather belt into the loops and latched it over her navel.
Then shrugged at the new weight of the utility belt that went over the leather belt, each item bounced against her waist and legs, each one also had a story behind it.
The Billy club she had taken off a beat officer sometime ago one night she was scouring the city looking for Lengsfield Philips. She didn't find him that night; instead found a corrupt officer beating the hell out of some gang member, alone, without back-up.
It wasn't hard to figure out what had transpired between the two, a suit case filled with money and a Crown Vic trunk filled with cocaine.
A drug deal gone sour.
So she intervened, taking the club from him and smashing him against the nearest wall. It was none of her business and they were both guilty as sin, same with her, but it didn't seem right for him to just beat an unarmed man to the point were he lost consciousness.
She was a few yards from the area when she realized she still had the bloody Billy club in her grasp, and yet she didn't discard it.
Then the handcuffs, gleaming on her backside, her own bracelets that had been slapped on her as she was passing through Black Rock, West Virginia.
She had bought a car not realizing it was stolen in Bakers, Indiana.
Should have felt something amiss when she bargained with the seller, he was far too lenient with the price, but at the time she chalked that little discrepancy to the fact the car was a POS.
How wrong she was.
There she was face down on the hood of the stolen vehicle, in a backward town, population sixty-two, with the bugling Deputy rummaging about her truck.
He had called for back-up and she expected any minute for headlights to shine up her skirt, flashing the world.
Last minute she took off into the unfenced woods. Ran awkwardly with the cuffs and finally managed to wriggle out of the cuffs by lying on the earth and pulling her arms over her ass and legs.
Then kept them went she finally picked them with a splinter of fencing wire.
The last part of her uniform was the gun, she hated guns.
Nine milliliter, standard uniform police issue bought in a back alley as a Saturday Night Special, from a seller who worked for The Merchant.
No questions asked and ammunition included.
The gun pattered against her thigh as she latched the belt clasp shut.
Hope I don't have to use it.
She took one more look in the full length mirror hanging on the bathroom door, enveloped in the black police uniform and shinny shoes to match.
Cate stepped in to get a closer look at her face, it wasn't her face though. The burn tissue at her chin and cheek and throat, was covered by soft latex, a face mask.
Minnie Stone the aspiring film make-up artist in Dove, New Mexico taught her how to mix the latex and take moldings of a model's faces in order to create a mask.
She wondered if Minnie ever made it to the make-up rooms behind the Hollywood movie scenes.
Cate also wore a dark wig that was unbelievably itchy.
All part of the masquerade officer she would portray in the SVU lock-up, in order to get close to David Hebel and kill him.
She had been in a coffee shop that morning, slurping carefully at a cup of green tea when four patrol officers met at the shop ordering some coffee and various pastries.
Cate hadn't meant to eavesdrop as she hid behind her copy of the Times from yesterday, but did nevertheless.
"It's insane, there's been an APD out on Hebel for the last two days and he just turns himself in."
She glanced over at the mention of Hebel, still lingering behind the pages of newspaper, articles of her own escape plastered on the front-page.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"To bad Monty can't nail him now."
They erupted into laughter whereas Cate smirked. She had been searching for him for days now and they just dropped him right into her lap.
After a few hours of internet hacking at the local public library she managed to find out were David Hebel was being retained from the easily penetrated NYPD database.
The same station she had been imprisoned at, ironic.
Cate spent the rest of the day preparing for an evening of infiltration. Contacting the right people, buying the right products for the mask and having a fake history made up for her.
The new identity she would assume had an expiration date; it would only last forty-eight hours.
She adjusted the rectangular nametag pinned over her left breast pocket.
Officer Jennifer Laurence.
Fiddled with the false badge clipped to her breast pocket, already memorized the number and practiced a fading New York accent to match her voice.
Stepped back from the mirror once last time to inspect the uniform for any flaws, only noticing a bit of lint on her shoulder, she brushed it off, confidently.
Showtime.
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"You ready?" Elliot questioned with his raincoat slumped over his forearm.
Olivia nodded pulling her jacket on, "In place in particular you want to go?"
He shrugged, "This is your date, you pick."
She rolled her eyes at him, "Oh goody our first date." She huffed sarcastically, "Blanches?"
"Yeah, a nice, fat, artery, corroding all-American cheeseburger does sound good."
"With greasy paper, rotting fries too." Olivia added pointing her finger at him.
"Oh yes, forgot about that." He coincided, "And a soda-water."
"A cool lemonade sounds better. G'Night Captain." Olivia waved at Cragen who nodded with a cord-phone attached to his ear.
The squad room was quieting down as most of their shift slowly filtered out for the night.
John left some time ago, as did Fin and Nadia, but Andrew remained clicking away at his laptop.
"Going home soon, right Gage." Elliot called; it wasn't a request or question, more of an order.
"Yeah…just tying up a loose end." Andrew waved at him.
I bet, Elliot thought, something always seemed sort of off to him regarding Andrew. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
He shook the feeling off as he and his partner of nearly seven years approached the elevator, leaving as partners and would soon become closer as friends.
Partners first, friends later.
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That's a lot of blood.
Cate wiped David Hebel's blood off her face with his coarse bed sheet, then her hands after she wrote her statement.
The adrenaline slowly dissipated in her body, the endorphins wearing off quietly and she started to feel the pain in her jaw, stomach and eye.
David didn't go down easy, But they never do.
Cate was all but drenched in the dark sticky, liquid; spatters in her fake hair and on the stolen uniform.
David Hebel lay strangled on the pea-painted concrete cell floor, nose severally broken, lips split and bleeding from the mouth.
I punctured a lung. Cate realized.
She recalled while she pinned him to the floor, straddling him harshly, with her bare hands contorting his throat, with his last ounce of strength he spewed a wad of blood and tissue into her face, most likely from the lung.
Internal tissue damage. The field medic in her reported, the one part of her that still respected the Hippocratic Oath.
He was breathing haggardly even before she crushed his throat.
David didn't scream. He didn't have time too; merely huffed with pain from every blow she delivered or hissed with brittle spite when he managed to attack her.
She wondered how she would get out of the station now, blood coated and tussled; she stuck out like a nail in a board.
She'd risk it though.
Stumbling out of the cell, patting her hair down as much as she could, re-locking the door and smoothing the uniform in the process.
The guards posted at the end of the wing were still absent. She moseyed in like one of the good ol' girls earlier, offering to take their shift while they could get some coffee.
They both agreed, but reluctantly; nothing a soft female smile couldn't fix.
Both officers' were greener than grass too.
Two left.
She focused on the number, Two bastards left and I'm done.
The Billy club pattered softy against her thigh as she walked quickly passed the abandon guard station.
Heels of the smooth, shiny uniform shoes clicked like horse hoofs, one left a faint splotch of blood with every step.
She didn't notice though.
Cate knew she couldn't risk leaving the same way she entered, through the lobby door, not looking like this, impossible.
She'd have to find that exit from her previous escape or another one.
After walking carefully, she found the appropriate hall, noting the gleaming and glowing 'EXIT' sign, smiling.
Then stopped in her tracks, stepping quickly behind the nearest cover, a vending machine, she focused on the odd sounds coming from the dark hall leading to the exit, straining to hear.
A giggle echoed down the hall.
Female.
Then a masculine huff followed and stretched into heavy breathing.
Cate rolled her eyes understanding what was transpiring not fifteen feet from her.
Naughty, naughty. You two know better then that, she shamed them in her mind; she'd have to find another way out.
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"Hold the door!" Detective Antonio Moretti yelped.
Elliot shoved his hand against the closing elevator doors, they jerked back at the sudden movement.
"Come on, Bernice." Moretti said gently to the small girl clutching his hand as he guided her into the cage.
Elliot and Olivia moved aside to make more room.
"I got the floor!" Bernice smiled toddling toward the number panel before Moretti could stop her and managed to press the button for every floor by sliding chubby little fingers from top to bottom.
Elliot and Olivia looked away as he verbally scolded his young step-daughter.
Olivia looked at her partner depressingly knowing they would wind up visiting every level.
He shrugged at her, sending the message at little kids are little kids. He felt a pang of pain as he thought about is own children.
They were back in the city, but with their mom, he wouldn't get to see them until the weekend.
Damn.
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Cate quietly twisted the doorknob for the stairwell, it didn't budge.
Shit.
She pressed against it getting nothing, This shouldn't be locked.
Cate backed away frustrated then made the fragile and razor decision, I going to have to take the elevator to the next floor.
Shit.
The elevator area was deserted as she pressed the up button, still amazed no one had noticed her yet or at least appeared out of nowhere.
Amazing luck.
But Cate didn't believe in luck.
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Moretti and Bernice stepped off onto the last floor, apologizing to his colleagues for his step-daughter's behavior.
The partners shrugged it off in comfortable silence, counting the floors off nearing the garage level. Stopping at every floor, the doors would spread for a few moments as the two would stand there, then shut after a few seconds.
This went on for six levels; the next was lock-up.
Olivia and Elliot had become quickly jaded to the pattern, doors open, they stand, then shut and go about their way.
Not giving the floor's occupants a second thought, maybe a shy smile or nod that would be it.
Then the doors spread revealing the lock-up ground level, neither were prepared for who they were about to see.
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Elliot recognized Cate Monty first; her eyes gave her away, set like piercing gemstones beneath the bloody and tussled wig.
Then the light speckles of blood peppered about her face confirmed her identity, along with the darkening black eye.
"Son of a bitch!" Elliot hissed as he and Olivia both drew their Glocks and time begin to slow down as Cate backed away and started to run.
"Stop! Now!" Cate heard Olivia scream and half expected the order to be flanked by gunfire, but it wasn't.
Cate stormed throughout various corridors, headed for the only fire exit on the floor, With the fucking cops or without the fucking cops!
A mesh of chaotic sounds filled the level, screaming orders from Elliot and Olivia and the frazzled, frantic yells of the two partially undressed uniforms.
Cate stormed passed them, both still shocked from the multiple outbursts, as she flung herself against the lever of the 'EXIT' and the fire alarm sounded.
"Check Hebel!" Elliot yelled to Olivia who cut sideways and Elliot continued to follow Cate. The fire alarm was earsplitting as he ran past the two uniforms franticly trying to dress themselves.
I'll deal with you two later.
It had started raining again Elliot noted as he stepped lightly over the fire exit threshold, just in time to see Cate running down the alleyway into the street.
Cate tore the bouncing wig of her head along with the net and didn't stop running, Elliot not far behind on the slick concrete, thoroughly becoming soaked.
She didn't bother to stop and check for cars, merely ran into the street causing several vehicles to screech to a halt on the slippery pavement, rain and car horns filled the air.
Cate ignored them and sprinted carefully to the adjoining alleyway, Elliot following still.
They scaled chain link fences, rattled by garbage cans, stumbled over trash debris and slid along wet concrete and pavement.
Terrified alley cats, winos and other city drivers.
This went on for what seemed like eternity for Elliot and Cate.
Running blind and stumbling with little effort, buckling and pulling muscles, until Cate could take it no more.
She stopped.
Ran filled Elliot's eyes; he wiped the cold liquid away with his hand, still gripping his Glock.
Suddenly he lost sight of Cate in the newest dark alleyway, breathing heavily and realized he didn't know where he was.
Elliot stopped abruptly, trying to control his breathing, and started focusing in the wet darkness, straining to hear beyond the hard rain drops.
Cate huffed lightly and panted evenly, pressed hard against the gritty brick wall, clothed in shadows as she waited with patience for Elliot to pass.
When he did, Glock raised and eyes piercing ahead, Cate attacked.
She grabbed his wrist first causing the gun to discharge one mighty shot into the rain cloud covered sky and created a brilliant flash for only a moment.
The Glock stumbled from his grasp and clattered into the darkness.
The two wrestled and jerked in the pattering, cold pitch.
Elliot didn't believe in hitting a woman or hitting anyone for that matter except in self-defense, and that most definitely applied at the moment.
He had never seen anyone move that fast, side steps and smooth motions like she was floating. Every now and then he'd see a fickler of her, silhouetted against a spurt of lighting.
Elliot finally found the upper hand after several frantic minutes of combat. In Cate's temporary exhaustion he managed to grasp both her arms and sling her against the nearest crumbling brick wall.
She gasped as the oxygen escaped her lungs and Elliot forced her to the ground, straddling her from the back, shoving her face into the dirty, wet concrete.
Cate screamed.
Elliot didn't know if it was out of terror or rage.
Most likely both.
"You bastard! No!"
"Stop fighting!"
"Go to hell!"
Elliot fumbled for his handcuffs and harshly cuffed her pale wrists, tighter then he would have any other perpetrator.
"Cate Monty you're under arrest—"
"No!" She stretched the statement causing it to echo throughout the area.
Elliot had, had enough of her and pulled up shoving her against the brick wall.
Rain continued to pour; lighting burst and thunder rolled in the distance.
"This isn't right, Stabler! And you know it!"
"Shut-up."
Cate withered against the wall, inadvertently grinding her face causing the latex mask to tear.
"You're a cop-killer now, too! Where'd you get the uniform?" He demanded off the record still holding her against the wall, whispering hard in her ear.
"I'm not a cop-killer!"
"No? You're just a psycho then?"
"Fuck you!" She cried into the wall.
"You killed him didn't you? Hebel! You're only proof of innocence!"
"What?"
"David Hebel, he confessed to raping you and helping kill your children. He was your only proof and you killed him, didn't you!" He screamed passionately, still unsure of where he was and ignoring the fact he had yet to call for back-up.
Cate turned silent.
"Did you believe him?" She finally whispered over the rain, loud enough for him and only him to hear.
He faltered for a moment, considering her question, then fumbled for his radio with one hand, while still pinning Cate against the brick wall with the other.
Sorry about this, Stabler.
Elliot wasn't sure what happened.
One minute he was about to call for back-up the next he was lying on the gross concrete with a pounding ache at his temple and Cate running away into the darkness again, still cuffed.
"Ah…fuck…" He moaned reaching for his radio then caught a glimmer of his Glock's hilt and crept over to it, rain pattered into his back but he couldn't really feel it.
He stood shakily, searching for that persistence he had only moments ago, to stop Cate.
Elliot focused beyond the pain and peered into the darkness to start the pursuit again.
Cate wasn't difficult to spot this time, running awkwardly with her arms pinned behind her back.
A rush of water filled Elliot's ears as realized where they were at.
The piers.
The darkness of the long alleyway changed to a soft orange from an overhead dock light, no flies or moths fluttered under its hood.
Cate didn't stop running or look behind her as she ran out of ground; she knew Elliot wouldn't give up.
East river, she realized but didn't stop, I survived it before, and I can do it again.
She stomped over the soft wooden planks of the nearest pier with the over head dock light and slid.
Cate felt her legs fill with soft splinters and then her weight crushed the planks beneath her.
She screamed out of reflex as the planks snapped and the dark water engulfed her.
The shock caused her to sigh underwater and suck in the awful liquid.
Cate kicked hard with the shoes on in the darkness avoiding the piers pillars and breached when she thought she was in the clear, spewing the terrible water and sucking in moist breaths.
She bobbed in the water just in time to see the pier she fell though, collapse.
The wood twisted and snapped off the concrete bank, but the dock light managed to stay attached to the bank, it slumped severely.
Cate quickly submerged herself and twisted in the cuffs, pulling her arms over her ass and legs so the cuffs were in front of her.
Breached again and jerked at her hair for one of the pins used to tact the wig on. After finding one she swiftly picked the lock on the handcuffs and allowed them to fall into the dark depths.
After pulling the shoes off and the utility belt, she started to swim with sharper strokes toward the dock light.
An awful feeling appeared in her stomach, as she came closer to the pier light hanging over the twisted mass of wood. She noted one of Elliot's shoes on the concrete bank, his jacket near by.
Elliot was nowhere to be seen.
Fear nibbled at her temples and she looked at the mass of twisted wood with horror, after a quick breath she dove into the depths, searching for her pursuer.
(End Chapter Fifteen)
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