Chapter 18
Nicole was lying now in what she could figure was an old basement of a house. She wasn't sure where she was other than that. She was still gagged and bound, but the blindfold was now off. She had no idea who her kidnapper was, but she figured that he must have been stalking Elliot to know as much as he did.
She was lying on a makeshift bed watching the kidnapper and listening to the conversation, since it was on speaker. She wasn't sure if she heard Olivia correctly or not. Or if it was the truth or just something to make the kidnapper happy.
"I knew it. I've been watching you with her for a long time, Elliot." he said into the speaker.
Nicole mumbled. And started to try and get out of the binds that were holding her wrists and ankles together.
The man gave a sick smile as he walked over to Nicole. "And if you love her just as much as I think you do. You will be patiently awaiting a letter from me. Now, I don't want you to do anything stupid and heroic, Elliot. Or…"
"Or what?" Elliot's voice could be heard over the speaker. It was obvious that he was trying to keep his temper in check.
"Or this will just be a taste of what will happen to your precious Nicole."
//Chung Chung//
The next thing the group heard was a scream over the speaker and a click. Elliot no longer to keep his temper in control, threw his cell phone down on the ground and the battery case and battery went skating across the concrete.
"Elliot, take it easy, we'll get her back." Olivia said trying to calm her partner down.
"I swear to God when I find him he's a dead man." Elliot stated.
//Chung Chung//
Jamie looked at Munch. "Is everything okay, I mean besides the fact that Nicole was kidnapped." Jamie asked Munch.
Munch looked at Jamie. He didn't exactly know what, or if anything, Jamie knew about him and Nicole. But he did know that he needed to talk to someone. Especially after what Olivia had said. "I take it you know Nicole and I have been getting close?" Munch asked.
Jamie nodded. "I have a feeling it's a lot more than that, John."
Munch looked at her surprised. He didn't think that he and Nicole were that obvious. "You're right, it is. But after what Liv said I have to wonder about things."
Jamie didn't know what to say. She could see the hurt in his eyes. But she didn't know the full story between Nicole and Elliot though. And she wanted to find out but, seeing as how she had noticed that Elliot had a temper now would not be the best time to ask Elliot about it.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole took a deep breath as she felt the thickness of blood caking on her lip, and soaking in the cloth that formed her gag. Her nose was bleeding, and it was one hell of a blow that she had received from her kidnapper.
//Chung Chung//
Elliot looked at Fin and Olivia. "Think we can get a trace on that call?" Olivia asked. "We have to do something."
"That is if the phone still works." Fin said looking at the phone on the pavement.
Olivia picked up the phone and then found the battery. "I'll get this to T.A.R.U. and see what they can come up with." she said and walked off. T.A.R.U. was the Technical Assistance Response Unit.
As Olivia left, Elliot looked at Fin. "That bastard said he sent a letter to me. I'm gonna go back to the house and see if it showed up."
"All right, man. I'll see you later. I'm gonna go find Jamie and Munch."
Both men parted ways and left in opposite directions.
//Chung Chung//
Olivia walked into T.A.R.U. and approached Ruben Morales. "Hey, I need your help, Ruben."
"What's up?" he asked.
"Nicole was kidnapped and Elliot got a call on his phone from the kidnapper. Can you try and get an approximate location of the incoming call?" Olivia asked hopeful.
"Let me see the phone." Olivia handed him the phone. "What did you do run over it with your car?"
"Elliot threw it on the ground when the kidnapper hung up."
"Let's hope it works and that the impact didn't do any damage." Ruben said.
//Chung Chung//
Fin found Jamie and Munch about a block from the precinct. They were sitting on the steps outside of an apartment building. "Hey, you okay?" Fin asked his partner.
"I've been better, man." Munch replied.
Jamie looked at Fin with a grim look on her face and then back to Munch. "Don't worry, John, we'll find her and then we'll straighten out this whole mess."
"What's going on?" Fin asked sitting down next to Jamie.
"I'm an idiot." Munch said flatly.
"You're not an idiot, John." Jamie said.
"Yes, I am. I actually thought Nicole cared about me and now I find out that there might possibly be something going on between her and Elliot."
"Whoa, wait a minute man." Fin said. "There's something going on between Nic and Elliot?"
Jamie looked at Fin. "Don't jump to conclusions. We don't know that for sure. We won't know anything until we find Nicole."
"I think we should get back to the station." Fin said standing up. "Elliot's expecting a letter from the kidnapper."
Jamie stood up and looked down at Munch. "Come on, John. And don't worry, whatever happens me and Fin are here for you."
Munch looked up at Jamie and then stood up. "Thanks I appreciate that."
//Chung Chung//
Elliot walked up to his desk and there was an envelope sitting on his desk. He looked around to see if he could find any faces in the room that he didn't recognize. However he had no such luck.
The envelope had Elliot's name written on it with what looked like a red Sharpie marker. Elliot picked up the envelope and decided that he had to know what was inside of it.
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. After slipping them on he picked up the envelope and examined it. There was no mailing address or return address on it, just his name. Which only meant one thing: this was hand delivered.
He flipped the envelope so the back faced him. Taking a deep breath he opened it with one swift movement. Looking in the envelope there was a neatly folded paper that he could see and next to it was what looked like hair, not much but enough that it made him more worried.
Elliot opened his desk drawer again and pulled out a small plastic evidence bag. He opened and then carefully pulled the hair out of the envelope. He placed it in the bag and sealed it. Next he slipped the piece of paper out.
Just as he unfolded the piece of paper, Fin, Jamie and Munch walked into the bullpen. "Is that the letter?" Fin asked.
"Yeah, I was just about to read what it says." Elliot said looking back down at the note. He started to read it out loud. "Elliot, as you know by now I have your precious Nicole with me. If you ever want to see your lover alive again, you'll bring one million dollars to the abandoned warehouse on the waterfront in Brooklyn by midnight tonight. And come alone or Nicole is dead."
"How the hell are we going to get a million bucks by midnight?" Jamie asked as Cragen walked in.
"I'll make some calls and see if any of the banks with front us the money." Cragen said walking past them to his office.
Elliot was about to crumple the letter when Fin stopped him. "Whoa, man, don't destroy it there could be some trace evidence on it that could help us nail this bastard."
Munch was standing there dumbfounded. He was still stuck on the word lover from the ransom note. Now he was really starting to wonder what Nicole's relationship with Elliot really was. Jamie looked at Munch and walked over to him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay. We'll get her back and then we'll straighten out this whole mess."
//Chung Chung//
Nicole was laying on a filthy mattress. She saw a rat just in her line of vision and tried to scream and move away from it but she couldn't due to the gag and bindings. Just then she heard footsteps heading toward her.
When they stopped a figure, dressed in black, knelt down beside her. "You better pray that Elliot brings me the money or you're not gonna like what I have in store for you." he said and then pressed a sharp, cold blade to her throat. "But then I'm actually hoping he doesn't come. I'm rather looking forward to having some fun with you."
//Chung Chung//
Olivia made her way back to SVU and when she entered the bullpen she saw the team standing around Elliot's desk. "Any news on Nicole?" she asked.
"I received the ransom note. O'Halloran took it to C.S.U. Along with a hair sample that was also in the envelope." Elliot replied.
"Any luck with the phone?" Fin asked.
Olivia shook her head. "The call came from a disposable cell phone. No way to trace it."
"That goddamn son of a bitch. He's a dead man." Elliot yelled and then threw his chair across the bullpen.
When it crashed on the other side of the room, Cragen came out of his office. "What the hell is going on?" he yelled.
"Sorry, Captain, I'm just frustrated over all this." Elliot said.
Cragen walked over to his team of detectives. "Well, the First National Bank is going to fund us the million dollars. Fin, I want you and Jamie to go pick it up. They're expecting you."
"Got it." Fin said.
Jamie looked at Munch. "You'll be okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Okay." Jamie said and followed Fin out of the bullpen.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole was once again alone. Really she rather be alone with the rats then with her kidnapper. Thinking about the whole situation she figured that the rats were better company than him. Yet however with her surroundings brought a song to her mind. It was actually what she though ironic. The song was In The Ghetto by Elvis Presley.
Nicole tried to roll over to her other side as best she could so she didn't have to look at the rats. But as she turned she caught sight of she thought were human bones. She really hoped she was hallucinating. But if they were human, who killed them and how long have the bones been there?
She took a deep breath. Okay now she wanted out. Out. And she didn't care. All she wanted was to get out. Mentally she started to scream. "John!" Yet however she knew as much as she screamed his name, it wouldn't help any. For all she knew, the phone call was only just to let them know that she was gone, and the kidnapper was going to kill her anyways.
The only thing she could do was lay there and wait. Wait and wonder what was going to happen to her if Munch didn't find her in time. She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind but she wasn't succeeding. They were burnt there permanently.
//Chung Chung//
"You know, I swear. If it wasn't this situation. I would never be holding this much money in my life!" Jamie said as she carried the suitcase to the car with Fin at her side.
Fin glanced at her. "Don't get any ideas, Jame. We need that money to get Nic back."
"I know, I know. It's just when am I going to get the chance to hold a million bucks again?" she asked as they reached the car.
Jamie could just hear Nicole in her head at that point. 'Yeah, take the million and go to Mexico. Just let me sit here and rot. No don't worry. I'll just rot.'
Fin got behind the wheel and Jamie climbed in the passenger's seat and held the briefcase on her lap. "I just hope Elliot realizes that he's not going out there alone." Fin said and started the car.
"Yeah, like we're letting that happen." Jamie replied.
//Chung Chung//
Elliot was pacing around his desk waiting for some answers. Sitting around was not one of his virtues. He needed some answers, some clues to where Nicole was.
Munch was sitting at his desk watching Elliot, it wasn't very often that he had seen Elliot this frustrated or another word Munch thought of was rattled. Munch timed it and came to the conclusion that Elliot couldn't stand still longer than 45 seconds at a shot.
Olivia was sitting at her desk and watching Elliot was beginning to annoy her. "Elliot, take a seat. You're driving me nuts." she said.
"Don't bother. He's worse than a cat." Munch commented, as they heard what sounded like four people walking up. Munch looked at Elliot who seemed to have turned angrier, if that was possible.
"What the fuck are you guys doing here?" Elliot screamed.
It just happened to be Elliot was screaming at NCIS. And the four that walked in were: Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee. "We got word that Nicole was kidnapped. And we're here to help." Tony answered.
"We don't need help that bad." Munch said standing up.
"How the hell did you hear about it?" Olivia asked standing up from her chair.
Ziva stepped forward. "I have my sources. And that is what they told me."
Elliot's face was burning red hot now and Olivia and Munch thought steam was about to shoot from his ears. "I don't give a shit how you heard about it! Just get the fuck out of here." he screamed looking for another chair to throw.
Gibbs stepped forward, not realizing just how Elliot's temper could be. "You need our help more now than ever. Just face it, she is missing, and we are here to help bring her back. Now either you face the fact that we are going to help. Or you don't, we're helping."
That was the final straw for Elliot. He needed to vent his frustrations and he decided that Gibbs was going to be his target. He walked over to Gibbs, grabbed him by his collar and slammed him up against the wall. "Now, listen to me, you asshole. We don't need your fucking help, so get your asses out of here. NOW!"
The SVU crew and NCIS team circled around the two. All trying to get Elliot to let go of Gibbs, but there was no point. Elliot only let him down enough to haul off and cold cock Gibbs. Gibbs took a few steps back. Elliot's blow rocked Gibbs, yet it wasn't enough to knock him off his feet. Gibbs threw a punch at Elliot, he didn't have time to duck and Gibbs connected with Elliot's jaw. Once Elliot was back on his feet he lunged at Gibbs and socked him right in the gut.
Jamie and Fin were walking in with the money. "We got the..." Jamie started to say as Gibbs landed at her feet. "...money. What the hell was that about?"
"Nothing. They were just leaving." Elliot stated, rolling up his sleeves. "Right?"
Fin looked down at the Gibbs on the floor and then to the other three standing in the bullpen. "What the hell are they doing here, man?" Fin asked.
"We're here to help, you guys find Nicole." McGee said. "But… But…"
"Spit it out, McGee." Tony said and smacked him on the back of the head. As Ziva helped Gibbs up.
McGee took a breath. "But… he didn't take it that well."
Jamie walked over to her desk and set the briefcase down. "Okay, I have to ask... who are you guys? The Feds?"
"NCIS." Gibbs growled, now on his feet.
"NCIS?" Jamie asked and then looked at the SVU team and then her watch. "Okay, forget I asked that. I can wait for an explanation later. We only got an hour until the drop."
"Navy…" Tony started, but stop bruptly when Gibbs smacked him upside the head.
"Okay, where's the drop? And who's making the drop? That person cannot go alone." Gibbs started, and typical of Gibbs he tried to take control of the situation.
"The hell I can't!" Elliot screamed. "The kidnapper wants me to go alone and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"
"Whoa, Elliot, wait a minute. I understand you're angry but you can't do this alone. Let us help you." Olivia said, speaking for herself and the other three members of their team.
Ziva stepped forward. "She's right. There is no way you can go alone. Even if you do go alone there is a chance that he has already kill Nicole. And possibly could kill you. I've dealt with these people before."
Munch looked at Ziva. "Look, Miss Assassin, I think Olivia was referring to our team, not yours. Let us handle this."
"Assassin? You're an assassin? What the fuck is going on around here?" Jamie asked.
"Who would be better to help than an assassin?" Ziva asked. "I probably know more about what is going to happen then you guys."
"Enough with this!" Gibbs yelled. "We have to make the drop and there is no way in hell he," Gibbs said pointing at Elliot. "Is going alone. I want to know where the drop is. I want to know where we can stake out, so it looks like he is alone. And I want to know what type of fire power we can get. As well as I want to know what information we have on the bastard that has Nicole."
Elliot got in Gibbs' face again. "You're not in charge here! So, BACK OFF!" he yelled. "I'm going out there and I'm getting Nicole back! And I'm doing without you!"
"No you're not!" Gibbs yelled back. "Not if I have anything to say about it. The only way you are going out there is with us. It's for your own damn safety."
"Since when are you concerned with my fucking safety?" Elliot asked going head to head with Gibbs again.
Tony stepped forward. "Look, Boss is right. You cant go out there by yourself. Even if the guy wants you too. If you don't want to look at it for your safety; than look at it as a better chance to get Nicole back."
"Uh, guys. I hate to be the party pooper here but we have, uh, forty-five minutes left. Now, if you two can't act like adults, then go sit in a corner and sulk. But I'm getting my partner back one way or another. Now I happen to think that we could use all the help we can get here. And if they're willing to help, I say let them." Jamie said.
Elliot looked at Jamie, than the clock. His temper turned to Gibbs. "I am going alone. You better say the fuck away and go back to your damn ship." He said and stormed out of the bullpen with the briefcase.
TBC...