Squished under her bed, head in her arms, Olivia heard a gun shot.
Brian?
She looked up.
"One down, one to go," she heard.
She felt as if he was right there.
Welcome home, Detective Benson.
It was quiet. She heard clicks and creaks until she felt his presence.
He's back...
She made fists and tried not to scream at the top of her lungs as she squeezed her eyes together and a tear fell to the floor.
It was quiet for a few minutes.
Don't fall for it, Olivia. He's here.
She heard a knock.
God damn it.
She closed her eyes tightly again, and everything got worse.
Suddenly, she heard glass smashing, doors slamming guns shooting, babies screaming and it wouldn't stop. As she closed her eyes tighter and clenched her fists harder, the sounds got louder and louder until she couldn't take it anymore.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up," she whispered to herself.
She clenched her eyelids even tighter, hoping it would stop.
The floor started shaking and cracks started forming around her on the wooden floor. She felt like she was in a scary movie.
Come on, Liv. You're fearless.
She opened her eyes and everything stopped. No noises, no shaking, no cracks in the floor. She didn't know what to say or do. Or feel. None of it was real.
"Wow," she sighed as she lightly stroked her cheek. "I'm alive. I'm okay."
I wanna live.
Her phone vibrated on the floor underneath her.
"Hi, Brian," she said, relieved.
"Liv, where are you," asked a scared Brian.
"What do you mean," Olivia asked back.
"Why do you sound so confused? You went upstairs to get your phone and never came back."
"I-I thought your phone was dead, Bri. I just-"
"Olivia," Brian cut her off. "What are yo saying?"
It never happened?
She acknowledged the fact that she was still laying under the bed.
"You know what," she said, crawling out from under the bed. "I have no idea. I'll be right there."
She hung up the phone and walked to the mirror.
I'm alive. I'm okay.
Her beautiful reflection stared back at her. She closed her eyes and ran her hands down her face. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the same fearless reflection, but instead she was startled by the image of a man standing behind her.
LEWIS?
All in one swift motion, she gasped, grabbed her gun from it's holster and turned around pointing it in the direction of the man she swears she saw.
The figure was gone.
"Jesus Christ," Olivia whispered to herself.
She locked her gun back in the holster, dialed the babysitters number and rushed out of the apartment. She was halfway down the hall when she heard a voice in the distance.
"Oliviaaaaa..." the voice echoed in her head.
She ignored it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Olivia. I'm coming to get Ryan. Sorry we're a bit late. Be there in about 20."
The babysitter mumbled something that Olivia couldn't make out. She stopped in her tracks.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Olivia asked. "Tania? Is everything okay? What? What do you mean? What happened?" Olivia started asking countless questions. She's a cop. If her baby was in trouble, she needed to know everything.
"He said he knows I have your baby," Tania said, crying.
"What? Tania. Who said that?" asked a nervous Olivia.
There was a pause.
"Tania?" she called again. "Who said that?" she was a bit more calm this time, hoping her soothing voice would calm Tania down enough to give her a response.
"I think he's here..." Tania whispered.
"WHO?!" Olivia yelled.
She heard a scream and the line went dead.
"Shit, no!" Olivia yelled into the phone as she bolted down the stairs.
Once she got outside, she rushed to the car.
"Brian, go," she said. She had no patience. "LET'S GO, BRI."
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Do I sound like I have time for your fucking questions, Brian? Step on it," she started crying.
"Baby, tell me what's going on. Is it William?" he tried to keep her calm.
"No," she sniffled.
"Is it-"
"It's-" she started sobbing and buried her hands in her face. "It's Ryan."
This can't be happening.