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Out Of New York
Chapter 12: With a rubble yell...
Amongst the Ruins
'Alarm, shut it off. Where is it? Head hurts. How much did I have? Alarm, shut if off!' She tried to move, but nothing would.
Elliott's hotel room
"The authorities are unsure of the cause of the blast, but it is believed to have started in the basement."
"Vanessa, how far is the building from the White House?"
"George, the building sits some 7 blocks from the White House. It is said to house mostly federal employees."
Elliott stopped brushing his teeth and moved into the room so that he could see the TV. His cell phone started to ring. Without taking his eyes off the TV, he picked up his phone and answered.
"You alone? Please tell me you are not alone?" Abbie said with a slight panic.
"Yeah. What do you know?"
"Elliott, is Liv with you?"
Elliott felt a lump grow in his throat. He could barely ask the question he knew the answer to. "She's gone right?"
"No Elliott, She forgot her paperwork. They said..Oh shit!" Abbie was pacing her office. Hand to her forehead. Her cloths looked slept in. She had been at her office since just after two am. Not long after the blast.
Elliott had put the phone on speaker and placed it on the desk as he hurried to get dressed.
"Have you called Alex?" Elliott said struggling to get his left shoe on. 'We saw her at dinner. Olivia drove her home."
The slight sting lasted only a heartbeat. "She was set to leave today for Africa. Everyone is grounded at the US Attorney's office."
"George, I am being told that the building indeed housed visiting government employees. They were either here before an assignment or returning of an assignment. This was not a public building."
"Are they saying this was planned? Anyone come forward yet claiming responsibility?'
"No, Robin. There is no indication that this is an act of terrorism."
"Elliott, its not true." Abbie and Elliot stood just inside the police tape. The usually cool Abbie was visibly shaken. The building before them was a pile of brick, broken glass and chunks of concrete. The pair watched the reporter spin her story. A story that was not based on full facts. She and Elliott flashed their badges and we waved through to another safe zone.
"Everyone has to stay here. Fire Chief's orders." The police officer was polite, but the worry was evident in his voice.
The furry of firefighters, rescue workers and medical techs could be fascinating if it weren't so frightening. Abbie and Elliott watched for signs of Olivia.
"I did not reach Alex." Abbie said still staring at the pile of rubble.
"Are you sure she did not get out last night?" Elliott said. He too was under the same trance.
"If she had they would have turned her around. Report was that she did not leave." Her tone changed as the fire chief started walking towards the pair. "There were over one hundred US attorney people leaving yesterday and today. Only six are currently unaccounted for. All were verified to have not traveled within the last twenty-four hours." She was directing her answers to both Elliott and the fire chief.
"Chief Ted Malloy." He nodded to both of them. "You must be Deputy AG Abbie Carmichael." He was not in the habit of not knowing before he met people for the first time who they are. He had received notice that Abbie was coming to the site. A photo was sent to him over his IPAD.
"Yes and this is Elliott Stabler, he is a special agent assigned to this…this, whatever we are to call it." She did her best not to let the devastation before her to cause her to lose her composure.
"Here's what I know." The Chief turned on his IPAD. A survey of the building was displayed. "There were 6 floors here. The building is fully occupied." The number of people living in the building, their apartment numbers, the branch of the government they worked for and their current status appeared on the screen. "It is unclear if anyone had visitors in their apartments. There are no families, just singles. Some of the apartments had more then one person living there."
"I show six unaccounted for as I reported from our office." Abbie was staring at the screen to see if she could find Olivia's name.
"You have six, there are twelve FBI and ten CIA. All unaccounted for." The Chief scrolled through the names.
"Stop!" Elliott demanded. He highlighted Olivia's name. 'OLIVIA BENSON 506 US ATTORNEY MISSING.' Elliott's finger just rested on the screen below Olivia's name.
'What is that dripping on my head? Its so annoying, but feels good.'
"OLIVIA! OLIVIA!" A strained voice shouted out.
'Alex is that you?'
"Olivia, please answer me." Alex began to sob.
'Here! I'm over here!' She heard herself, but only in her head. Her ears heard nothing of her voice.
Alex grew desperate. She had to move, get out of where she was and find Olivia. She couldn't be that far. They were standing in the same room. Only a few feet apart. Alex surveyed where she was. There was Olivia's couch to her left, a lamp and what looked like the crown molding from the living room. To her right, her view was mostly obstructed. Rebar, concrete and water spewing from somewhere in the direction of what use to be Olivia's bathroom.
Next she checked herself. She could see her hands. She could move all of her fingers, although the ones on her right hand hurt with movement, they still moved. Her arms felt like they were still there. She move the left one, no problem. She went to put her right one over her head.
"Ouuuuuuuch! Son of a bitch." Alex yelled.
"Chief, we have three more bodies in the upper apartment, and hold on." The lieutenant held up his index finger he pick up his radio and requested,
"Can you repeat, 34."? He barked into his radio.
"We have a woman trapped between the 5th and 4th floors. She's far in the rubble. Its gonna take a lot to get her out."
"is she alive?" The lieutenant asked.
"Yes, she is but injured. We have verbal contact."
"10-4 34 heading your way."
"What's her name?" Abbie and Elliott asked at the same time.
"Hold on." The Chief raised his radio to his mouth. "34 come in."
"Yes, Chief."
"Do you have a name for the woman who is trapped?"
"No, but hold on, sir." The battalion leader went to the edge for the rubble very near where they heard the voice. A group of fire fighters and rescue workers were planning the best way to try and rescue the woman.
"Ma'm can you hear me? This is Battalion Chief Barker. What is your name?"
'Olivia Benson.' She replied.
"Alex Cabot, Chief Barker. US Attorney Alex Cabot." Alex was relieved that she was going to get help in getting out of there so she can find Olivia.
Elliott and Abbie bolted to the rubble before the Chief repeated the name to them.
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