[Exterior. Night. A busy intersection east of Central Park]
( Olivia and Elliot arrive at the same time as 2 police cruisers, lights and sirens blaring )
( a cop exits the first police cruiser as the siren stops )
( Elliot and Olivia exit their car )
Elliot
What happened?
Cop 1
Got a call from a cell that sounded like someone getting beat up. It went dead after a few seconds. Alaina Newton came up as the cell's owner.
Cop 2
She connected to the internet a few minutes before the call, at this intersection.
Elliot
( to small group of cops )
I want a 3 block sweep! Ask if anyone has seen her, and check the alleys
( Olivia begins to run toward an alley )
Elliot
Olivia, wait!
Olivia
Alaina!?
( She looks in first alley – nothing. Olivia keeps running )
Olivia
Alaina, can you hear me?
Elliot
Alaina?
( Homeless Man passes with cart )
Elliot
Have you seen a young woman, long brown hair?
( Homeless Man points across the street to another alley )
Olivia
Come on.
( They run across the busy street, dodging a car )
( Olivia goes past a bar and into the alley. Music thuds from the bar. Several small alleyways branch from this one )
Olivia
Alaina!?
( A muffled scream comes from the right )
( Olivia runs toward the scream )
( Alaina is on the ground, her eyes and mouth covered in duct tape. Her arms are above her head, bloody wrists handcuffed to a single pipe that disappears into the ground. )
( Alaina is wearing a skirt, her underwear is on the ground nearby. Her shirt is ripped and her bra is exposed. )
Olivia
Alaina! This is Olivia Benson, can you hear me?
( Alaina nods wildly )
Elliot
( into his radio )
I need a bus on East 88th street between Lexington and 3rd
Olivia
Alaina, the ambulance is on the way.
( Alaina stops struggling and starts to go limp )
Olivia
( checking her pulse )
Alaina?
( Olivia checks her breathing )
Olivia
She can't breathe.
( Olivia rips the tape off Alaina's mouth )
( Alaina coughs, then gasps for gulps of air )
Alaina
I can't see. ( gasp ) I can't see.
( Alaina begins hyperventilating )
Olivia
Stay calm, Alaina, we're going to leave the tape on until the ambulance gets here, to keep from damaging your eyes.
( Alaina tries to wrench her arms free, but she only cuts them into the handcuffs more )
Olivia
Alaina, honey, please try to stay still.
( to Elliot )
Don't we have a lockcutter?
( Elliot runs to the cruisers )
Alaina
Take off the tape! (gasp) I can't see! PLEASE!
( Alaina wrenches at her handcuffs again, and again )
Olivia
( Unable to keep Alaina still )
Okay! Okay, I'm going to pull off the tape. Hold still.
( Alaina finally holds still as Olivia grips the end of the tape )
Olivia
One. Two. Three.
( Olivia pulls off the tape off of Alaina's eyes )
( Alaina blinks several times, then passes out )
Olivia
No! Alaina! Stay with me!
( Elliot returns with heavy-duty lock cutters, cuts the handcuff chains. )
( Elliot picks up Alaina, and carries her out to where an ambulance is pulling up. )
( As they get her onto a gurney, Olivia climbs into the back of the ambulance. )
( Ambulance doors shut, Elliot watches ambulance drive off. )
[ Interior. Night. Waiting area in hospital. ]
( Olivia sits, staring with a blank gaze. )
( DA arrives )
DA
Olivia. Hey, how's Alaina?
Olivia
Still unconscious, last I heard. But they say she's stable.
DA
Where's Elliot?
Olivia
Questioning the bartenders and people who were in the area, but nobody knows anything… And no evidence. It's like she was attacked by a ghost.
DA
What happened?
Olivia
We don't know yet. She was raped and sodomized but rape kit came back negative for fluids or DNA. Whoever did it was careful. And this time she fought back. Hard.
DA
I had to come and tell you that the Ken Miter trial is still moving forward. Alaina won't need to be called to the stand again. But you and Elliot still need to show up tomorrow.
Olivia
And tell them I initially didn't think she'd been raped? After what she's just been through?
DA
King has already threatened to move for a mistrial if there's any mention of another attack. If you want to help her, you can't mention this in court, Olivia.
Olivia
Couldn't it have been one of Ken Miter's buddies getting payback? In all the times he was in prison, was he ever locked up with someone pegged with sexual assault?
DA
I don't know, and unless we can make a connection between this attack and the first one, we can't bring this into the courtroom, do you understand? It'd be like Ken Miter's get out of jail free card.
Olivia
Yes. ( sigh ) And I'll tell Elliot, too.
( Nurse enters )
Nurse
Detective Benson, she's awake.
[ interior. Hospital room ]
( Alaina is in the bed, red marks around her eyes and mouth where the tape was. She's also badly bruised. )
Alaina
( not looking at Olivia, in an uncharacteristically weak voice )
Do you believe me this time?
Olivia
Of course I do. I believed you before, too.
Alaina
I didn't see anything.
Olivia
What?
Alaina
You're here to figure out who did it… but I didn't see. I can't help you.
Olivia
I know it's hard, but you have to tell me anything you remember. Anything he said or anything you saw before your eyes were covered can help
(Alaina says nothing)
Olivia
I promise this won't be like last time. You don't have to worry about—
Alaina
You think I'm trying to protect them? Why don't you believe me this time? I didn't see them!
Olivia
Them? How many were there?
Alaina
Three. Maybe four. I… lost count.
Olivia
Alaina, what happened?
[ While Alaina explains, there are visual flashbacks of the events inter-cut with scenes of them at the hospital ]
Alaina
They came at me from behind, and taped my eyes and mouth before I even knew what was happening. They pulled me. I took my phone out of my pocket and called 911. I had it programmed on speed dial after the last time…
( long pause )
Olivia
Try to think… What did their voices sound like? Did any of them have an accent?
Alaina
They never talked. They…they had this recording that they played over and over again…
[ flashback. Exterior. Alley.]
( Alaina's eyes and mouth are taped. A gloved finger presses a "play" button and Alaina's voice comes out of the device )
Alaina's Voice
"I would never be the victim that messed up. If I couldn't fight back and couldn't scream, I'd make sure I got a good look at him, that I'd remember his voice."
[ present. Interior. Hospital. ]
Alaina
It was my voice, from the trial. Saying all the things I'd do if I was ever attacked… and they made sure I couldn't do them! They covered my eyes so I couldn't see them, and my mouth so I couldn't scream. They never talked so I couldn't hear… I don't even know if they were all men! I tried to fight, not like last time because this time…
( Alaina starts crying for the first time since Olivia has met her )
Alaina
This time I didn't care if I died, I just knew I couldn't go through it again. And the recording kept playing the whole time that they held me down and raped me over and over again. I knew they wouldn't leave any evidence behind and would never get caught. I thought about them going free, and Ken Miter going free too… I wanted them to kill me.
(Alaina looks at Olivia, desperate)
Alaina
Please tell me… tell me you've found something. You can figure out who did this, can't you?
( Olivia doesn't answer )
(Alaina covers her face with her hands, which are covered in bandages from the handcuff injuries. )
[music begins]
[ Montage to music ]
( Olivia and Elliot in court testifying )
( Alaina at the hospital peeling back her wrist bandages while news of her case is on the Hospital TV )
( the District Attorney talking to the jury animatedly)
( Olivia in the alley, looking for evidence for Alaina's new case )
( Alaina at home holding/inspecting a kitchen knife, then pressing it to her wrist. She drops it without doing any damage, then hunches over the sink)
( Olivia working at her desk at SVU headquarters late at night )
[music fades]
[ Interior. Courtroom. Daytime ]
(Alaina sits near the back of the courtroom with a family member, Olivia and Elliot are standing in the back )
Judge
Has the jury reached a verdict?
Jury Member
We have, your honor
Judge
For the charges against Kenneth Miter for one count of rape in the first degree, how does the jury find?
Jury Member
The jury finds the defendant… guilty.
(Alaina hugs her family member in relief while the judge/jury continue – then the rest of the courtroom is filled with movement as the judge adjourns)
(Alaina approaches Olivia and Elliot outside of the courtroom)
Olivia
Alaina. I'm sorry about all of this. I wish we could have put him away without the trial.
Alaina
I know. But at least it's over now, right? Any leads on the new case?
Elliot
I wish there were, but… nothing yet.
( Olivia senses something in Alaina )
Olivia
Unless you've remembered something?
Alaina
Actually… I have.
( Elliot gently leads Alaina to a more private corner where people can't hear )
Elliot
What do you remember?
Alaina
In the cab on the way here, I smelled something like curry or spicy Indian food. It smelled exactly like one of the ones who attacked me. When I closed my eyes, it was like I was back in the alley again. And then all of a sudden, I remembered I had smelled cigarette smoke on that guy, too, and cat pee. At least I'm pretty sure it was cat pee.
Olivia
( to Elliot )
You think we could use any of that to help narrow the search?
Alaina
I know it's not a lot, but I can't stand being a totally useless victim.
Elliot
If it was all on one guy, we might be able to filter through some known sex offenders in the area with that info.
Olivia
We'll let you know if anything turns up, and you let us know if you remember anything else, okay?
Alaina
Sure thing.
( Alaina walks away )
[Exterior, Courthouse, daytime]
( Elliot and Olivia are about to get into the car, when Fin and Munch pull up, window down )
Munch
You two must have been in a dead zone; we've been trying to call you.
Elliot
What's going on?
Munch
In Queens, another attack on a rape victim who recently testified at trial says she was gang raped and they had a recording of her voice, played it during the assault. Then the Jersey precinct reported in that they had one, too, same M.O.
Elliot
A gang of serial rapists that attacks victims who go to trial?
Munch
We'll go to Queens and you can go to Jersey.
Olivia
Wait… you mean that Alaina's second assault wouldn't have happened if her case hadn't gone to trial?
Fin
So far they've only hit high-profile cases where the media gets hold of the girls' testimonies.
Munch
We have to go – victim's waiting at the hospital.
( Munch and Fin drive off )
( Elliot looks at Olivia )
Elliot
Don't do that, Liv. You can't blame yourself.
Olivia
How am I going to tell her? How do I tell Alaina that this wouldn't have happened if her first case hadn't gone to trial?
Elliot
She's strong. She will learn to live with it, eventually.
Olivia
Everyone has a breaking point. What if this is hers?
( Olivia looks, and sees Alaina walking down the courtroom steps. Alaina catches Olivia's eye and gives a small, reassuring, but sad smile )
End Credits
Thanks to everyone for reading! Be sure to let me know what you think!