Olivia knew this was her end. It was not the first time she had this thought during the course of their ordeal, but this time the will to live was gone, her body was rampant with pain and her mind was exhausted. As she sat in the dark container memories flowed through her mind, good memories of the squad playing darts at the bar, having dinners at their favorite diner, sitting on Elliot's porch looking at the stars and hearing about the kids. Then the bad times, her entire childhood living with no father and a drunk for a mother who cringed at the sight of her, watching young women and children walk through the squad room in tears, with uncontrollable fits of sadness having just relived their terrifying ordeal in hopes of finding justice and peace, Elliot being thrown through a window, slimmed into a car door, and laying on the ground bleeding from two bullet holes in his chest.
The rush overwhelmed her and tears fell down her cheeks to her lap. She made no attempt to stop them or wipe them away allowing all the emotion of his abrupt departure bubble over. She felt like if he hadn't left none of this would have happened he would have protected her. The exhaustion and pain was too much for her. With one final sob she rested her head back against the wall and passed out.
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Un-denounced to Olivia her entire squad and a small army of NYPD officers were descending on the container yard. Upon arriving Cragen immediately set up a command post near the entrance.
"Ok. So we have quite the task ahead of us. Somewhere in one of these containers is detective Benson and Rhoades. The only information we have is that the container is green with white Chinese writing. It is most likely buried under a stack so first we need to find it, than Dee will use the gantry crane to get us to it. ESU, FDNY, and T.A.R.U. have thermal imaging cameras everyone else break locks and bang on walls." Cragen's voice was shaky as he spoke, not his normal crisp directive one.
"Captain what if they are unconscious and cant hear us?" an officer asked.
"Then hopefully the banging will wake them up." Cragen answered. "Everyone fan out in two's." The large group dispersed in every direction. Fin and Munch were amongst the one's searching while Casey remained with Cragen.
"Did they give up anything else about the container?" he asked over his shoulder.
"I'm not sure." She answered.
"Call Buchannan and ask. We need every detail we can get." Cragen instructed. Casey pulled out her phone and dialed a number then walked a few steps away from him.
While in route from the precinct Cragen had been informed that the lawyers for Martin and Nate had arrived sending Buchannan and Zane to get any further details about the location and the container itself. So far green with white Chinese writing was all he had to go on. Looking out over the yard there had to be hundreds of containers matching that description.
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Olivia awoke with a start. Everything was pitch black. Was this death? Or maybe the in-between death and life? Was her dead mother or some innocent victim she was to late to save going to come out and talk to her? She could smell salty air, hear seagulls, and breaking waves. Was she back on that peaceful beach? When she was there last she had been warm, pain free, blissfully devoid of thoughts or worries, and the sand beneath her had been so soft and gentle on her feet. Currently she felt cold right down to her bones. Her body seared with pain at the slightest move, both hands felt heavy and stiff. What hell was this? Then it dawned on her, this was life and she was still trapped in the shipping container. The darkness was due to the light from the emergency glow stick being gone. Thoughts of Penn filled her mind making her thankful for the darkness so she wouldn't have to see. Olivia knew hours ago that Penn had died. Her slow rattling breaths became further and further apart until they stopped altogether. She had thoughts of jealously feeling that she would rather go sooner then later, "succumbing to her injuries" sounded better then "starved to death".
Something caught her attention pulling it away from Penn and death. A new muffled sound from far away. She strained her ears trying to hear better in order to distinguish the words because that is what they were. Words being yelled by someone, no by many someone's. There was banging and dogs barking. The only thought that came to her was noise, make noise. Sitting on the floor eight feet from where she sat was the chain she had been hung from. Taking in as much air as she could and summing every ounce of strength she possessed Olivia managed to crawl on her knees to the chain and drag it back to the wall. Knowing the task was only half done and with her strength rapidly dwindling she pulled the chain up rapping it against her bandaged hand; physically she felt pain mentally she was numb.
As the voices and dogs got louder she knew they were closing in but would they be close enough to hear her? Only one way to find out. She raised her chain wrapped hand to the wall and started banging against it. She wanted to yell, but she didn't have the energy that would have taken so she banged until her arm fell limp at her side, every muscle seized up in protest. Was it enough?
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Fin and Munch worked the east side of the yard now six rows deep. They were in the process of checking one container when Fin heard it.
"Munch hold up. Did you hear that?" he asked. Munch stopped walking and listened.
"All I hear is people yelling and seagulls." Munch replied.
"I heard a banging. Like a hammer on metal." Munch strained his ears harder trying to verify the presence of the noise. "There it is again!" Fin exclaimed excitedly. Munch's head snapped up.
"That time I heard it. Over there some where." Munch pointed to the north of their position. They moved quickly weaving in-between the different rows of containers. The sound was muffled but it was defiantly growing louder.
"It's coming from somewhere near here." Fin yelled as the noise reached its loudest yet. Munch rounded a corner listening carefully. In front of him was an oddly arranged assortment of containers. Stacked four high and packed tightly together forming a square the containers set away from the rest like they had been placed that way intentionally. Fin rounded the corner just behind Munch.
"What the hell is this?" he asked.
"Why would someone arrange containers like this? This cant be effective use of space or convenient for loading and unloading." Munch answered Fin's question with another question.
"Because they want to hide something!" Fin said catching on.
"Like another container." He said adrenalin starting to race through his veins.
"LIV! Liv its Fin! If you can hear me we're close just hang on." Munch brought the radio receiver to his mouth and started talking.
"SVU portable to command we've got a possible location on the container on the east side of the yard. We need that crane ASAP!" his tone was even and direct with little evidence to the fear he felt. Fin circled the containers looking for a way in calling, hoping for a response.
"Munch I didn't hear anything. What if we're wrong? What if this is a decoy? A delaying tactic." Fin grew more frantic with every passing minute. He started to question the location it all seemed to easy.
"Keep calm. We're in the right place." Munch said attempting to be reassuring.
"How do you know? I mean why wouldn't they respond to us yelling?" Fin asked pacing. "And where the HELL is that crane?"
"Its been four days man. We don't know if they have had food or water and what about Rhoades? She needs insulin. Four days without it she'll be-." Fin couldn't finished but Munch knew what was going through his mind. More officers arrived including Cragen.
"Any contact?" he asked.
"We heard a banging; metal on metal." Munch answered.
"Haven't heard it for awhile though." Fin added aggressively. As they spoke the large container crane passed over the top of them and into position.
"Let's go! I want these containers moved!" Cragen demanded.
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Every time Olivia managed to open her eyes another snippet of sound reached her ears, Fin calling her name, dogs barking, people yelling commands, a loud engine revving up, large heavy objects banging into other large objects. Her head hurt trying to process and make sense of it all. The last time she managed to open her eyes the blackness she had become accustomed to was suddenly replaced by a bright blinding light then shadowy figures moving through the light causing it to break into odd shapes allover the walls and ceiling. Relief washed over her as she realized what this meant. People had found her, weather they were there to save her or kill her she didn't care, the ordeal was over one way or another. The pain would be gone and she could be at peace. Exhausted she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wonder back to the beach she was growing to enjoy.
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"Get those medics over here!" Hernandez stand by with those bolt cutters." Cragen braked ordering those around him. "When the container is high enough I want the entry team moving in!" Fin, Munch and Casey stood next to Cragen watching nervously.
The final container was lifted and the ESU team fell into formation. Once the chain holding the doors was cut away and the door opened they disappeared from view for several minutes. The wait was agonizing for the squad. Fin wanted to run into the container, grab Olivia and carry her to safety but he had to wait for ESU to clear the container of any explosives or booby traps.
"We're code four! Roll EMS immediately." The words rang out over the radio dropping the invisible barrier that was holding everyone back. Fin led the way with Cragen, Munch and the medics trailing behind. As they entered the container Olivia was not immediately visible.
"Liv?" Fin called his voice resonating though the confined space. One of the ESU members stood up and out of the way revealing Olivia. Fin ran the last few steps but was stopped by the same ESU member who had been kneeling next to Olivia.
"Detective you need to let the medics through." The officer said.
"Is she awake? Is she breathing? Is she-?" Fin asked fighting against the officer.
"Detective she is breathing ok. Let the medics take care of her." The officer said redoubling his efforts to restrain him. Cragen and Munch reached Fin. Each man grabbed one of Fin's arms helping to restrain him. The medics moved passed the squad and began administering aid to Olivia.
"We need to move her!" one medic called. Several firefighters ran past carrying a long board and straps.
"Guys we have another one over here. Maybe a DOA." An officer said. The air in the container seemed to be sucked out with those words. Everyone watched as on of the medics left the group strapping Olivia down to check on Penn.
"We need another back board over here! She has a pulse but it's weak. Call New York pres. and tell them we have two priority reds coming to them." The medics directed. All the officers watched quietly as the medics and firefighters loaded both woman onto back boards than stretchers and wheeled them out to waiting ambulances.
"Come on we'll escort the ambulances to the hospital." Cragen said. He gave a firm tug on Fin's arm pulling him along. Munch followed suit and together they made their way to the squad cars.