PROLOGUE
This is her story. Actually I should say this is the beginning of our story. I should know, I am the author, and you should know that my specialty is horror and I write my words on flesh, her flesh in this case. She will be my third novel in this particular series. I hope it is as long as "War and Peace", still I'll be satisfied if she makes it to chapter 10.
I'm so excited, you couldn't possibly understand the amount of research that has went into this first book. Took me forever to find the title, you wouldn't believe what caused my epiphany. After a year of agonizing struggle and stress planning my next book I saw her…"Amanda". That's my title by the way, so beautiful and simple, but so perfect.
"Amanda." It rolls though my mouth so perfectly. Just saying it has kept me going, because I needed to get to this moment. The moment I finally get to take my pen to paper. I have watched her for months, I can picture her mannerisms in my sleep. From her silky natural blonde hair to her lip nibbling when she is thinking, and most of all her piercing blue eyes. So exotic so perfect, so in need of being marked. I am going to turn her into a perfect manuscript a novel that not even Stephen King can compete with.
I need to relax, I am so close to the start of chapter one. It won't even be too difficult, she is always alone, no family, no friends. Even her partner from work barely glances her way, always scoffing and short with my "Amanda". That is what is going to make this so much sweeter, taking her right under her colleague's nose.
Chapter 1
I hate the cold. Always have. I'm a southern girl, and I just can't acclimate to a New York winter. My fingers are literally blue and my bones ache with the chill of the late November air. There is not a cup a coffee made that can shake this cold, especially not the burnt swill from the 16th precinct. It's as horrid as Olivia's Benson's attitude toward me. Been here a year and she still, the only other female detective barley gives me the time of day. Usually I am with my partner Finn, but he has been recovering from a knee surgery going on three months. Hopefully rehab ends soon, because Olivia may just give me enough of a cold shoulder that I die from hypothermia in this weather.
I haven't even had a moment to settle in before we catch a call.
"Benson…Rollins got a call from someone claiming they saw a victim attacked, possible rape. Bryant park, head on down to get a statement. No victim yet, so let's see what we can find out." Donald Cragen, my boss and the captain is already pushing me out to the bitter cold. I may not thaw until next year.
I glance over at Olivia, she may not seem to fond of me but I've never seen anything but determination and professionalism when comes to the job. I sigh, "You drivin'?" It's a rhetorical question, not sure why I even bother, she always takes the lead in everything.
The tall brunette, with should length hair, is the dominant in our little partnership. I can kick and scream all I want when it comes to my opinion or suggestions, but she is going to take the lead and do things her way no matter what. She didn't even bother giving me a safe word, unless it's "I quit!", bet she'd like me to say that.
Detective Benson has not liked me from the get. No other way to put it really, I walked onto the SVU floor and was immediately dismissed by her as a no body. Don't get me wrong I was highly upset of course, who wouldn't be. She was the whole reason I chose to come to NY. I'd studied a few cases in Georgia during my police academy days, and her work spoke for itself. Than after…well after I had an…experience…I was determined to help victims like she does. So I took a shot to learn from the best, try to get me out of the black hole I felt trapped in at my old Precinct in Atlanta. Didn't work, needless to say, I am feeling a bit hopeless lately. Thinking about getting a dog.
"Rollins!" I give Liv my attention. "Stop spacing out and let's go." .
I nod, "Yeah, sorry…coffee is just extra bad today." I swear I heard her eyes actually roll just now.
It's not long before we are pulling up to the park. Caller said they'd meet us near the fountain. No description except a man with an orange umbrella according to dispatch. Can't be too hard to spot, New Yorkers tend to like the darker colors, so an orange umbrella will stick out.
"You see anyone?" Liv asks me while scanning the surrounding area.
Place is pretty empty, I'm not surprised, it is too cold even for a park. I got a bad feeling about this. Just a gut-wrenching feeling. I never wanted to e locked back in the car with Liv more in my life. Something is just not right.
"Nothin'." I say while searching for any bits of color I can see. I move around to the other side, maybe he is sitting on a bench or something out of view. I spot a bit of orange color behind a high bush, and head toward it. I've not spent much time in this park, maybe there a bench behind the bush.
My eyes track the orange umbrella as I move around the obstacle, as I lift my head I come face to face to such a strange site. Everything is spinning and my chest feels tight, my throat is closed, I honestly don't think I'm breathing anymore, just a spinning orange and green and blue sky until my world goes black.
Amanda Rollins went missing on November 21st, three days before Thanksgiving from Bryant Park. There was no evidence left and the crime scene, and her partner at the time, Detective Olivia Benson, maintains she heard or saw nothing.
Olivia maintains that she turned to see Rollins move around a bush and she just never came back. After about five minutes, the tall brunette decided to follow the younger detective, only she was gone. In fact nothing and no one was there. Benson canvassed the area and called for back-up. For twelve days they had what had to be the entire precinct and cadaver dogs searching the park. They even drained the fountain. No one had seen or heard from Amanda Rollins since that day.
Odafin Tutuola, Rollins official partner had been a wreck after the fact. He always thought of the young southern as a daughter, and had carried the guilt of not being there for the last three years. His whole demeanor had changed. He was more reserved and gruff with people, less likely to smile. He'd look and felt as if he aged a decade, his eye constantly appeared to be on a swivel, as he scanned every face he could in New York for her face, Amanda's face.
Liv had not fared well at all after that instance. She felt as if she had entered a twilight zone, where none of her senses made seemed to work. How could a person just vanish in thin air. No camera's caught what happened to Amanda or who took her. Olivia believed in her heart that Rollins had to have been kidnapped, no way that Rollins left under her own will power. She was a victim, and Olivia let it happen right in front of her. Didn't matter what Cragen said, or anyone else; she was at fault.
The original call into SVU that day had obvious been the first part of the trap. The phone traced back to a burner that had been purchased by a girl in the seventh grade after she lost hers to a parental grounding. According to the 13 year old she lost it on a field trip and never thought of it again. It was a dead end and the only lead they had. The phone had been missing and the number had been unused since that day. Amanda Rollins' residence turned up nothing except some markers for a couple of gambling debts.
That was a whole new can of worms. Fin and Liv chased that lead all the way to Atlanta. Seems Amanda had a bit of a gambling problem that had followed her all the way to the big apple. As far as their investigation turned up it was small time as far as money goes. She had an outstanding balance with a bookie in Queens for around two grand, but she always payed her marker according to the hooked nose, foul mouthed gentleman they managed to trace the marker to. Not that they believed him at first, but after 8 months of sitting on him every moment he got Fin, believed him. Murder and kidnapping didn't seem to be in this guy's nature.
Atlanta was interesting. Fin and Liv met Amanda's old captain, Sam Reynolds. He appeared to be a pleasant guy, and answered all their questions in regards to Amanda and her history. Seemed shocked by her gambling issue, state he always felt Amanda was pretty straight-laced.
Deputy Chief Patton on the other hand, hounded the two New York Detectives from the beginning. Fin never liked him and Liv pretty much agreed, the older man had a smile and demeanor that set their teeth on edge. He said all the right things, and more than showed his concern for the missing Detective; still it was as if his eyes danced with amusement despite the horrible situation.
In the end the two New Yorkers came up with nothing. They interviewed Amanda's mother, she didn't seemed that concerned with her missing child.
"I always knew my Mandy would get herself in somthin' her smart mouth couldn't talk her way out of. Silver tongue like her father, my Mandy." The older southern woman shook her head, her blonde bun looking perfectly coifed. "I'm not surprised at all, her Daddy took off his-self when Manda' was only thirteen. Not that I blame him, mind you. That girl was a handful from the moment she came out of me. Nothin' like her sweet sister, Kim."
The whole situation made Live sick just thinking about it. Amanda's sister, Kim was even worse.
"You think I can come get her stuff in New York? Manda ain't got no need for it anymore." Amanda's younger sister was also very blonde, and obviously suffering from a few addictions if the skin scratching and skin and bones look was anything to go by. "It's ours now anyhow, bein' her next to kin and all."
Fin spent the whole flight home weeping silently for what Amanda's childhood must have been like. Olivia she a few tears herself. She had so many regrets when it came to Amanda Rollins. Mainly that she didn't know the younger woman at all. Not really, she had made such an effort to not get attached to anyone else that entered her life and kept the blonde at arms length. Now she wanted nothing more than to hold her in her arms and shield her from the world. She didn't pray much, but she did after that. Every chance she got she prayed to see Amanda again.
That was three years ago to the day.
"What do we have?" Olivia Benson approached Melinda Warner, the ME, who was squatting beside a trash bin next two some foul smelling hefty bags.
"Got a call from that guy, " Fin grimaces as he points his pen toward a scruffy and obvious homeless man standing at the end of the alley with a standard officer. "He says he say child's hand sticking out of a bag."
The Doctor shook her head in defeat. "Baby girl, no older than two maybe younger. Obvious mal-nourished by the looks of her jutting ribs and nail beds. Multiple stab rooms and signs of trauma to genitals as well. I'll know more once I have her on my table," she gestured at the small reddish blonde headed child, her lips turned down further into a deeper frown. "I think I see something moving in the bag behind her. May be a rat, but I do not need this little one disturbed anymore." She snapped a few pictures and nodded to the waiting assistant corner to retrieve the child.
"We are going to have to take this whole area back to forensics." She gave a pointed look at Fin and Liv, "you have to catch the bastard that did this." She glance back down at the bigger bag the first one had been leaning against. It appeared to be the same type of bag a much thicker material than standard trash bags, had to be high-end construction grade. The bottom of the bag once again had a bit of motion. "Did you see that?"
Fin had already pulled his gun, and had it half lifted. "Looks like the same kind of bag, something in it. Maybe a rat."
"Or a Kid..." Olivia face paled as she watched the small movements.
"Only one way to find out." Melinda started cutting the thick black bag open. As it began to open the smell became worse, just the smell of blood, shit, and death. The top of a blonde head was cradled into the chest of the nude female body. It was an obvious adult, severely malnourished like the child. Multiple stab wounds on the body and what appeared to be a botched attempt at a c-section if the gaping lower abdominal wound and deceased fetus was any indication.
"She alive!" Melinda fell to her knees. "Call a bus, she's breathing!"
Fin was already reaching out as Olivia, helped the ME pull the woman out of the bag and started putting pressure on the abdominal wound. She watched as Melinda pulled the head back and eased it down carefully onto her jacket.
"Amanda!" It broke out of Olivia with a sob. "It's Amanda…she's alive!"
Melinda and Fin turned to the bloody and bruised face in shock.
"She won't be for long if we do not get some help! Pulse is weak, and she's bleeding out. The cold was making it sluggish and her confinement in the bag actually helped, but she won't make it if we don't get her to a hospital now." Melinda kept her finger on Amanda's pulse point on her neck.