Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU. It belongs to a genius named Dick Wolf. No profit is being made from this story.
"Damn it!"
The driver of the Ford Focus screeched out of the parking garage and headed for the interstate. He threw a disgusted look at the passenger.
"I told you this was a bad idea," he growled, glaring at Sean. "If we had gone with my original plan, we would be in Jersey already…now we've got the cops to deal with."
"Would you shut up?" Sean snapped angrily. "These idiots couldn't find their butts if the directions were printed on both hands."
"Why the hell did you have to get your stupid little brother involved?" his friend persisted. "Everything was going great until you mentioned going to Manhattan."
Sean threw up his hands in irritation. "You're as stupid as they are!" he exclaimed. He shook his head and fixed his friend with an impatient look. "He's the reason I came in the first place…no one crosses Sean Stabler and gets away with it."
A gloating look crossed his face. "I'd say he learned his lesson…what do you think?"
The red-haired man threw back his head and laughed. "Sure," he chuckled. "I'm sure in the….oh…." He shrugged carelessly. "Twenty seconds before he became barbeque meat, he learned a valuable lesson."
"Alright," the female EMT said kindly, snipping away the last of the gauze. "How's that? Feel any pain?"
Elliot lifted his thickly-bandaged hand and wiggled his fingers. "Nope," he said, smiling in appreciation at her. The relief was overwhelming. "I can barely feel this." He wiggled his fingers again to demonstrate. "Thanks."
She returned his smile. "You're welcome," she replied, slipping a small tube into the hand he was holding out. "I put enough ointment on your hands to get you through the night, but come morning you're going to want more…trust me."
He looked at the tube of antibiotic numbing cream that she had given him. It had hurt like hell when she had applied it to the deep cuts on his hands and wrists, but had started to work instantly. The only downside was that now his hands felt twelve sizes too large and tingled like he had slept on them…but it beat the pain of before.
"Change the dressings each time you put more cream on," she continued, glancing up as Olivia approached. "It's going to be difficult doing it yourself…I'd recommend getting some assistance."
She winked at Olivia before speaking to him again. "It's going to take about a week before those blisters heal, so don't take those bandages off until then, got it?"
He nodded, oblivious to Olivia's presence behind him. "Yep," he confirmed. "Got it."
She smiled again. "Then that's my cue," she said, clearing away the supplies.
"Thank you," Olivia said, startling Elliot. He whipped his head around.
"No problem," she said. She reached into her pocket and extracted a small wrapped lollipop. "And this is for you," she said, laughter in her voice. "For being a good boy."
He grinned and took it from her dutifully. "Yeah, well…" He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "I try."
"Please," Olivia interrupted playfully. "His head doesn't need to get any bigger."
He glared at her, making both women laugh. He hopped down off of the back of the ambulance as the EMT walked around to the passenger side.
Olivia was pleased to see his spirits up. He had still been quite upset while the paramedics were trying to check him over, and it had taken her twenty minutes and a lot of hugs to convince him to let them treat his wounds.
He lifted his hands awkwardly and stared at them with distaste. "Well, this is attractive," he said dryly. "I look like I'm wearing Mickey Mouse gloves."
She smiled. "Well, look on the bright side," she said. "At least now-"
Elliot had been looking around, and interrupted her suddenly. "Where is everybody?"
She paused, startled. "Going after Sean," she replied.
His eyes darkened. "You got a car here?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
"No," she replied. "I rode with Munch."
"Mine's here," he said abruptly. "Come on." He began running toward the parking lot, and she had no choice but to follow after him.
"Hold on," she protested, reaching out to stop him. "Elliot, everyone is going after him…they've got every local police force on lookout, too."
"What's your point?" he asked, exasperated.
She shrugged helplessly. "After what just happened…." She trailed off uncomfortably, not knowing how to convey her thoughts into words.
"He tried to kill me, Olivia," he said. "He killed my ex-partner, eleven good men, and a female agent." The expression on his face was cool, calculated malice. "If anyone is taking Sean down….it's going to me."
Olivia shook her head, knowing that not even she could break past his resolve when he set his mind to it. By the looks of it, he was already planning what he was going to do when he caught up to his brother.
"Give me your keys," she said finally, holding her hand out. He looked at her in surprise. "There's no way you can drive like that," she said in exasperation, gesturing to his hands. "Give me your keys."
He fumbled awkwardly into his pocket and tossed the set to her. "Come on," he repeated, running again. This time she matched him stride for stride.
Fin whipped the sedan around a tight curve and continued to speed through the sparse woodland. Cragen had instructed them all to split up and cover as many different routes as they could think of. After cruising through the nearby town, he and Munch had headed up towards the more secluded areas of Chelsea, just in case.
"Do you even know where we are?" Munch asked, looking out the windshield.
"No," he replied. "Who cares? Just yell if you see the car."
John looked around incredulously. Theirs was the only vehicle in sight in either direction. Nothing was around except green fields, with an occasional lone house every few miles.
He sighed and leaned against the window.
"Cow," he said, as they passed a pasture.
Fin looked at him in irritated disgust, but didn't say anything.
Silence. "Another cow," he said after a minute.
His partner sucked in a loud breath and smacked the steering wheel. "Man, shut up!" he said finally.
"How can I yell about the car if I shut up?" John asked in amusement, unable to resist.
The murderous glare his partner turned on him made him laugh. "Sorry," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Sorry. Keep looking."
"Captain Cragen." The static of the radio drew Don's attention. "This is Captain Sam Cromwell from the 9th precinct in Staten Island."
Without taking his eyes from the surrounding area, the captain picked up the radio. "This is Don Cragen," he replied. "Go ahead, Captain."
The marked squad cars were parked in front of the entrance to the Staten Island Bridge, forming a barricade. Cromwell was standing up just outside of his open car door with the radio stretching out from the dashboard, scanning the area around them.
"We're in position by the bridge," he said. "I've got guys covering both the north and south entrances and exits."
"Good," Don replied. "No one has reported a visual yet, so stay on your toes."
"You got it," Cromwell said.
Replacing the radio, Cragen gripped the steering wheel and continued trolling the streets beside the Port Jefferson boat ramp in Centerport, forty miles from the hotel they had started from. Port authority had been alerted and had all of the ferry docks temporarily closed until Sean was caught.
"Captain." The radio sounded again, and he was surprised when he recognized Elliot's voice. He quickly grabbed the radio again.
"Elliot," he said. "Where are you?"
Elliot glanced out of the passenger side window as they flew down the interstate. "Somewhere between Chelsea and Queens," he estimated. "We just got on the interstate."
"Ask him where the others are," Olivia said quickly. "I have no idea where I'm going."
"Which way did you guys go?" he asked.
"I split everyone up, Elliot," Don responded. "Munch and Fin are up in northern Chelsea, and I'm down here in Centerport. Staten Island has been barricaded and three teams are manning the Jersey Turnpike….you guys circle the interstate. They're in a red Ford Focus."
"License plates?" he asked.
Don picked up the notepad from the seat next to him and read off the numbers that had been given to him. "T34-YXCD. New York plates."
"Alright," he confirmed. "We're on it."
Elliot reached over and replaced the portable radio he had in his truck, sitting back uneasily.
Olivia wasn't used to driving an SUV, and had to admit that she liked the smooth way his Explorer drove. It smelled like leather and a hint of Elliot's favorite cologne, a comforting combination.
He had a conflicted expression on his face, which she noticed when she glanced at him. "What?" she asked, turning her head to look at him fully.
He sucked thoughtfully on his lip. "That's not Sean's car," he said after a minute. "I didn't see his truck in the parking lot when I got to the hotel, either."
She tried to follow his train of thought. "You think he's going to pick up his truck before he leaves?"
Elliot went quiet. "I don't know," he said finally. "Something doesn't seem right."
He stopped talking, appearing to be thinking hard. Olivia turned back to the road.
Why would he ditch his truck? Elliot's stomach was a ball of nervous tension.It just didn't add up. His brother had made such a huge deal out of driving whenever they had been together….for some reason he had insisted on taking his truck to every place they had gone since he had arrived.
He bit his lip in frustration. So…where is it now?
"Yo!"
The driver of the Focus jumped at Sean's unexpected outburst and whipped his head toward him.
Sean's eyes were gleaming as he recognized their surroundings. He leaned forward eagerly. "Turn here."
"Huh?" the other man asked, startled. He looked at him in confusion.
Sean looked at him in irritation. "Turn, dumbass!" he cried. He pointed. "Here, now!"
Still looking confused, the driver nonetheless took the exit he was pointing to.
He nodded in satisfaction as he sat back. "Take this road for about ten miles," he said with a knowing smile.
"How's it going, John?" Olivia glanced at the radio, hearing the captain come over the frequency. "Anything?"
"Absolutely zilch," he replied.
A minute later, she heard "Elliot?"
She glanced over at him, but he made no move towards the radio. She grabbed it up.
"Nothing yet, Captain," she reported.
There was a pause, and she heard the frustration in Cragen's voice when he responded. "Alright…well, keep looking."
"Will do," she confirmed, and put the radio back.
Elliot hadn't said a word in the last fifteen minutes. He looked to be lost in thought, and Olivia sincerely hoped that he hadn't been spending all that time replaying what had happened at the hotel. That kind of ordeal was the stuff that nightmares were made of.
In actuality, Elliot was about near going insane trying to trigger some kind of clue as to where Sean might be headed. He had an unsettled feeling in his nerves, like it was on the tip of his brain and just waiting for that spark to connect.
"It was four fucking years ago…get the hell over it."
"Survival of the fittest, little brother."
The words seeping through his brain seemed to taunt him. He narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to concentrate beyond the explosion of voices his mind was replaying.
He saw Olivia, sitting across the desk from him. "I missed the whole 'brotherly love' vibe with you guys."
His brother in his room, pushing his weight against him with the same anger that he'd had as a kid. "You've forgotten who you're talking to, asshole."
The memory of the hurt he'd felt when he realized his brother had been lying to him. "He had marijuana in the trunk of his squad car."
Wait a minute…Elliot's eyebrows jumped suddenly and he froze. Something was there. He was twitching in frustration, his fists unconsciously clenched. Damn it…
"I'm not the one with the problem."
Sean's cocky smirk invaded his head. "What can I say? Some people are just born with the bad seed."
Suddenly, something clicked. "Son of a bitch!" he cried out loud, making Olivia jump.
"What?" she asked in alarm.
Elliot was paying no attention as he looked around frantically to a sign to indicate where they were. "Liv, take the next exit," he said urgently. "We're going in the wrong direction."
Startled, she quickly signaled and changed lanes. "What's up?" she asked quickly.
"Head for Rockaway Beach," he said as he hastily picked up the radio again. "The artillery range." He switched to the live frequency. "Captain….Captain!"
"Go ahead, Elliot," Don said, picking up the radio.
"Listen to me," he said, almost clipping Cragen's words off in his rush. "Tell everyone to go to the academy shooting range at Rockaway Beach…that's where he'll be."
His words shocked the captain. "What?" he asked incredulously. "How do you-?"
"Please, Captain!" Elliot cried anxiously, cutting him off again. "Just trust me."
There was a moment of silence as the captain considered his words. "Alright," he said finally, making Elliot sigh with relief. "We're on it."
Cragen switched frequencies again. "All units report to the academy shooting range in Rockaway Beach," he said into the radio. "Repeat, all units report…."
"Come on, Liv," Elliot said frantically, as they listened to the broad band announcement. "Step on it."
"Where the hell are we going?" the red-haired man asked in confusion when he saw the dead end ahead of them. He looked around at the secluded marsh that surrounded them.
"Just stop the car," Sean said, already unbuckling his seat belt.
His friend gave an aggravated growl, but obediently parked. Sean got out. "Pop the trunk," he said, hurrying around the car. "And get out."
Shutting off the ignition, the man hopped out. He was looking around nervously. "Man, come on," he said. "We have to get out of here…the cops could show up any second."
Sean hurriedly began circling the car, squirting lighter fluid from a squeeze bottle. "Just shut the fuck up and help me," he said in annoyance. How did I get stuck with this pathetic loser?
The man stopped, looking at him in confusion. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.
Huffing loudly, Sean emptied the bottle and stepped around him, shoving the plastic at him. "Just hold this," he said in a rush. He went back to the trunk and pulled out the blow torch.
"Move," he ordered, stepping back.
The man looked bewildered as he backed away. "What are you-?" His sentence was cut short when Sean flipped the switch and aimed the canister at the car. Flames shot up from the roof instantly. He walked around the vehicle, igniting the windows and windshield.
"Hey!" the man cried in horror. "What the hell are you doing? That's my car!"
Sean paid no attention, opening the door and igniting the inside as well. The upholstery instantly succumbed to the fire and fed it, making it grow.
He dropped the canister on the ground. "Come on," he said, running past his friend. "We have to move."
The red-haired man whimpered in protest, looking at his car again. A shout from Sean made him turn around and follow after him through the swampy sand.
He could hear the sound of waves crashing somewhere in the distance. "Hey, wait!" he protested, seeing Sean several feet ahead of him.
Sean stopped in agitation, whipping around. "Hurry up," he said impatiently.
"Where are we?" the man asked once he caught up, slightly breathless.
"The back end of the police academy," he answered, keeping his pace. "The artillery range is up ahead, on the beach...its private property, so there's no chance of any stray bullets hitting anybody."
They continued clogging through the wet woodland. A hooting noise was heard in the distance. "This is part of the police academy?" the red-haired man asked in surprise. "It looks like a nature reserve."
"It was," Sean said. "It closed down in the 70's….NYPD made it part of the PT course." He indicated several trails along the dirt. "There are at least thirty jogging paths through these woods."
"Holy…." The word caught in Don's throat when he saw the fireball in the distance. His eyebrows rose in horror. "Dear God," he murmured, signaling for the exit. "Not another one."
Olivia zoomed off of the interstate when she saw the fire ahead. "Damn!" she said in surprise. She screeched the Explorer to a stop a few yards away from the burning vehicle.
Elliot jumped out before she had the ignition turned off. He ran as close to the fire as he could, straining to see around it. Realization stunned him, and he turned to face his partner when she came running up.
"It's the Focus," he said.
She looked at him in horror before looking back to the burning vehicle. "You don't think..?" she began uneasily.
He shook his head quickly. "No," he said. "No way. Not even Sean is that stupid." He looked around them. "It's a distraction…it has to be."
Walking away, he surveyed the ground. "Liv!" he called, seeing footprints on the wet ground. She came over quickly. "Look."
Olivia followed the trail. It was leading to the woods. "Let's go," she said, drawing her gun.
When the captain saw the fire and Elliot's truck parked a few feet away, he immediately assumed the worst.
"Oh, fuck!" he yelled, jumping out of his car.
He ran up to the wreckage, trying to peer through the smoke. He caught a glimpse of a back bumper, and the red paint made him lightheaded with relief.
Sirens echoed loudly as squad cars pulled in beside him. Munch and Fin were among the first to run to him.
Fin had a horrified expression on his face, and Don knew what he was thinking. "It's Sean's car," he hastened to assure. "There's no one inside."
John indicated Elliot's Explorer. "Where did they go?"
Looking around, the captain eyed the woods. "There's only one way to go," he said. He looked at the detectives around him. "Come on."
Sean burst through the last thicket of brush and finally saw the beach. "There," he said in relief, turning back to face his friend.
The man looked past him at the blue Tundra sitting beside the target range. "Hey, alright," he said, enthusiastically. "Four-wheel drive…we'll have no problem getting out of here!"
He looked at Sean with excitement on his face. Sean, however, was looking at him darkly.
"What do you mean 'we'?" he asked snidely.
The man's eyes rounded in surprise. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Sean whipped out his Beretta and shot him point-blank in the chest. The man's expression went from horror to stunned as he slowly sank to the sand.
"Sorry," Sean said, not sorry at all. He replaced his weapon in the holster. "But like I said…I can't leave witnesses."
The sound of a pistol shot made Olivia jump in surprise. She stopped short and whipped around to face Elliot. His eyes were wide.
"Come on!" he cried, taking off into a full-blown sprint.
Cragen jumped at the shot in the distance. "Elliot!" he yelled frantically. He stopped and listened anxiously. Nothing. "Olivia!" No reply. Worry for his detectives made his heart race.
"Pick up the pace!" he cried, starting to run. Munch and Fin were right at his side as the others followed after them.
Sean darted for his truck. He was opening the door when he caught a glimpse of something in his side mirror and whipped around. When he saw his brother and Olivia emerge onto the beach, he quickly slid around the front of the vehicle, hiding himself from view.
Ducking down, he continued to slink towards the bed of the truck while making sure to keep them in his sight. "Oh, no you don't," he hissed, climbing swiftly up. He dropped down flat to avoid being seen and spotted what he was looking for.
"I didn't come this far to have you ruin my plans again," he said aloud, jumping back to the ground.
"There's his truck," Elliot said, aiming his gun. He started to walk toward it.
"Elliot!" Olivia cried, from behind him. Whipping around, he saw her a few feet in the other direction, kneeling next to a body.
When he got to her, he immediately recognized the dead man. "That's the guy from the hotel," he said in surprise, more to himself than Olivia.
Seeing that the man was past saving, she got to her feet. "I don't see Sean," she said, looking around.
"He's got to be around somewhere," he said, looking around as well. He thought a minute. "You head down that way." He pointed down the opposite end of the beach.
She nodded, clutching her gun as she started jogging toward the ammunition supply building at the far end of the beach.
Elliot continued down the abandoned beach, his gaze sweeping the area warily for his brother. He reached the truck and tried the door. Finding it locked, he peered through the windows to see inside. Nothing.
Sean watched Elliot approach the driver's side of the truck and began to creep up towards the front of the truck again.
The captain, Fin, and Munch were the first to break through onto the beach, looking around for the other two.
Munch was the first to see the truck in the distance. His eyes widened when he saw Sean's figure creeping up towards the driver's side, where Elliot was standing, oblivious.
"Elliot!" he shouted, startling the others. They looked at him in surprise when he took off toward the truck.
Olivia whipped around instantly when she heard the shout, not having gotten very far. When she saw detectives running in the opposite direction, she hurried back the way she came.
Elliot was startled when he suddenly heard someone shout his name. Whirling around, he was met with an explosive blue flash from the blow torch his brother was pointing at him.
"Fuck!" he screamed, diving instinctively to the ground.
Sean cursed when his aim missed and tried again. Elliot rolled frantically in the sand, twisting to avoid the flames, and dove underneath the truck.
A smile curved Sean's lips as he let up on the gas button. "That wasn't very smart," he said slyly.
Elliot watched his feet circle the truck. "You've got no where to go now," his brother continued, crouching. "So…when I do this…"
His words were emphasized by a sudden squeeze on the torch that sent flames spiraling under the truck, inches from Elliot's head.
Elliot scrambled towards the middle quickly, where his brother couldn't reach. His heart thudded frantically in his chest.
"Or…this!" Sean surprised Elliot by suddenly appearing in the back of the truck and reaching underneath. The flames shot out again and he yelped, feeling the heat sear along the bottoms of his shoes.
Munch saw Elliot disappear beneath the truck, and his heart quickened when he saw Sean aiming a blow torch into the space he had gone into. He ran faster, pulling ahead of his partner and Cragen.
God damn it…I've had enough of his games! Beneath the initial fear he felt, Elliot's anger came rising to the surface. He was sick of being his brother's pawn…Sean had his chance once. He wasn't getting it again.
Rolling into a ball, Elliot quickly cleared the truck and stood to his feet. He padded soundlessly towards the front end, watching his brother as he crouched down again, thinking he was still underneath.
"Come on, little brother," Sean snarled, straining to see under the vehicle. "You're not walking out of here alive….if you come out now, it will be easier on you."
Seeing his chance, Elliot dove around and tackled Sean, catching him off guard. The blow torch dropped to the ground as Sean whirled around. They both fell to the sand.
"Son of a bitch!" Elliot screamed. "You rotten son of a bitch!"
He rained punched down on his brother's face. But Sean had always been stronger, and Elliot quickly found himself underneath him and pinned. His anger, however, gave him strength that he didn't even know he had.
Sean quickly straddled his brother and reached for his gun. Before he could take it out, Elliot slipped one foot out from under his weight and kicked hard into his ribcage. He grunted and flew backward.
Elliot jumped up quickly and ran over to Sean, hooking an arm around his neck as he got up. Sean choked when his brother squeezed hard, jerking his head down awkwardly.
Snarling, he brought both of his arms up and pushed into Elliot's face, hearing a satisfying smacking sound as he connected. Pain exploded through Elliot's already sore face and he quickly dropped his hold on Sean to cradle his eye.
A minute later, the air rushed from his lungs as his brother head butted him in the stomach, driving them both to the ground again.
Olivia's eyes widened when he saw Sean on top of Elliot, delivering blow after blow to his face. She sprinted as hard as she could, but the others had a good mile on her.
Elliot saw the blood soaking Sean's fists as he continued to pummel his face. He was pinned again, and this time his brother had made sure to put weight on his legs. Figuring that he couldn't feel any worse pain that what he already did, Elliot resorted to desperation and rammed his head into Sean's face.
His brother yelled in pain, and Elliot used the hesitation to jerk him down by the neck beside him. Getting out from underneath him, he scrambled over top of him and grabbed his throat in a crushing grip, ignoring the searing pain from his bandaged hands.
"You bastard," he gasped, completely out of breath and squinting from the blood pouring into his eyes. The iron grip got tighter, and he watched his brother's eyes bulge. "How's it feel? How's it feel to be the victim this time?"
"Elliot!"
The sound of John's voice barely registered through his anger. He had his hands positioned just right. One snap and it would all be over. One snap…
"Elliot!" Munch yelled again. "Stop it, man! Stop!"
He quickly jerked him by the waist, making him fall off of his brother. Fin and the other detectives were swarming Sean before he even had a chance to move.
John kept a firm grip on his friend. He was trembling, bleeding, and growling all at the same time. But, to John's utmost surprise, he didn't try to resist. He stood still, seeming to be in shock.
Elliot blinked, feeling blood running down his chin. His chest heaved, and he couldn't catch his breath. But he could still feel his brother's neck between his hands. He could feel the muscles quivering….how it would feel when they snapped.
He wanted it. God, help him….he wanted to do it.
The others got Sean to his feet and snapped handcuffs on him as Olivia rushed past them.
"Elliot!" she cried. "Are you alright?" She gripped his shoulder gently, feeling the torn shirt beneath her hand.
He didn't seem to hear her as he stared forward silently, unblinking. His face was fixed in stone as he watched his brother.
Cragen came over to them. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, seeing the dangerous look in his eyes. He had seen it many times working with this man, and knew what it meant.
The question finally registered, and Elliot turned his head. He saw Cragen and Olivia both looking at him worriedly.
Looking down, he saw that his bandaged hands were stained with blood. Whether it was his own or his brother's, Elliot couldn't tell.
"No, Captain," he said honestly, his voice strained.
He met the sympathetic eyes of his partner before turning back to look at the others again. Sean was glaring at him from where he stood handcuffed, and his gaze seemed to burn holes into him.
"No," he repeated. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he kept his face stony as he faced the two of them again. His voice wavered as he thought back on all that had happened, and what he realized it said about him.
"I'm not sure if I ever was to begin with."
The End
Author's Note: So…thought I'd leave it with a little bit of angst in the air. Sorry this took so long, by the way….finals week really sucks. To celebrate the beginning of an anxiously-awaited summer, I am taking a break from all of this heaviness for my next story. I only have five words to say to you: Elliot in a bathing suit. Come on….do you need any other reason to tune in? Thanks for reading, and the new story will be up soon!