Olivia hasn't seen nor heard from Elliot since Sunday night. It is now Thursday evening, the night of the deal between her and De La Costa and she's worried.
Cragen is supposed to be trying to get information from Elliot's friend in the DEA. But he's hitting a brick wall and there's no one to simply check on Elliot.
Olivia just wants confirmation that he's okay. Then she can breathe again. She's standing shakily at the bathroom sink in Rachel Martin's condo. Her mind is supposed to be clear in order for this sting to go down smoothly, but she's finding it difficult to calm herself.
She wears a black pants suit with a short jacket instead of the cocktail dresses she's become accustomed to wearing as Rachel Martin. Donning one to bring down a drug kingpin isn't exactly appropriate or functional.
Fin calls her cell phone to let her know he's waiting downstairs. He's playing her driver tonight as well as her bodyguard. As she slides into the cool leather interior of the Lincoln Town Car, he notices her demeanor.
"I'm sure he's fine Liv," he says trying to assure her.
"What," she asks, lost in thought.
"Elliot," he continues. "I'm sure the DEA hasn't let anything foul happen to him."
"You're right," she agrees. "I'm sure they would've at least let Cragen know if anything was wrong."
Fin nods, gives her a small smile and puts the car in gear.
He pulls away from the curb and points the car in the direction of the Chelsea Piers. With the drug business not exactly conducive to trust, Rachel agreed not to do the transaction at any of her clubs and De La Costa agreed it wouldn't happen at any of his properties.
In place at the piers are Rollins, Amaro and a DEA, NYPD joint task force of eight officers dressed in tactical gear, armed with automatic weapons.
Olivia and Fin pull up at Pier 62 to wait for De La Costa. The other officers are surreptitiously waiting inside various cargo loads until they get the signal.
Moments after Fin and Olivia pull up, De La Costa's black Mercedes 550 with tinted windows arrives as well.
The detectives step out of the car with the briefcase full of buy money. A man other than Elliot steps out of the driver's side to open the door for Max and De La Costa. His bodyguard has a black duffle bag the size of a carryon suitcase in hand. And, has an ever-present gun visible in his waistband.
Olivia tries not to let the fact that Elliot isn't with them rattle her. The case is too important for her to appear visibly upset, so she smiles in having the man greet her.
"Rachel," begins De La Costa. "I take it you have the necessary funds."
Fin steps forward opening the case showing him the stacks of one hundred dollar bills in neat little rows. He also makes sure the men can see that he too has a weapon.
"You have my product," she asks, waiting.
Max steps forward, opening the duffel far enough for Olivia to see several large bags of pills.
"Sample," she says.
"Of course," De La Costa replies.
Max opens a bag and allows Fin to randomly choose one robin's egg blue pill. He in turn takes it and drops it into a small vial with a clear liquid inside. The pill dissolves and turns the vial's liquid into a blood red color.
"It's good," says Fin turning to Olivia.
When she gives the nod he hands the money-filled briefcase over to Max, who turns the duffel bag over to Fin. The deal is done.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Martin," says De La Costa. "I'm having another gathering in the near future, perhaps you can attend."
"I look forward to getting the invitation," she says smirking then shakes his hand.
As both parties are returning to their vehicles, Olivia gives the go ahead to take down De La Costa as they drive towards the exit of the pier.
But someone jumps the gun on the arrest, the drug dealer gets spooked and shots are fired. Max scrambles behind some crates and De La Costa isn't far behind. The two law enforcement agencies spread out to search for the fleeing criminals while the driver is apprehended without incident.
Olivia is right on top of De La Costa and eventually catches up to him. They are stalking around the same type of cargo containers the task force has used.
"Give it up Christian," she yells. "You're not going anywhere."
"Pinche mentirosa," he screams. "I'm not going to make this easy for you," he retorts in his Spanish accent.
"Make it easy on yourself Christian," she reasons. "There's no way out."
He fires two shots in her direction and she returns fire. They both miss. De La Costa continues to try to find an exit and Olivia is persistent in trying to catch him and avoid being shot. The adrenaline is causing her to nearly vibrate with energy and her breathing is loud and heavy.
"How do you like my new driver Rachel," he asks, being effected in much the same way. "Or whatever the hell your real name is," he says, breathing heavily.
"I could give two shits about your driver De La Costa," she responds. "Why don't you just put the gun down and come in."
"But you were so close to the last one," he says taunting her. "Unfortunately he got nosey and I had to terminate his employment," he continues.
The news of Elliot's demise throws her off and De La Costa manages to get the drop on her. He takes aim and hits her in the right side of her chest, dropping her to the ground instantly.
Once he hears her fall, he goes to her. She has dropped her weapon and he kicks it away before she is able to reach for it. He stands over her, pointing his gun in her face ready to take the final shot. But, he cannot resist boasting first so he temporarily lowers his weapon.
Olivia is shaking, bleeding and petrified looking up at what may be the last face she sees. Moreover, she gets to die with a broken heart, learning of Elliot's demise.
"Before I extinguish you're pitiful life," he rasps, "You should know how much I enjoyed watching that little DVD I made of you and Mr. O'Leary."
Her eyes widen in surprise just as her pulse begins to quicken with rage.
"The animalistic way the two of you went at it," he continues, "Really got my blood pumping if you get my meaning," he adds. "It's by far the best of my collection."
"If you're going to kill me you prick," she seethes, "Quit boring the hell out of me and get it over with," she adds, figuring she's dead anyway.
As he's raising the gun to end her life, a shot rings out.
De La Costa drops to the ground next to her with a look of surprise on his face and a hole where his heart used to be.
Olivia takes several deep breaths nearly hyperventilating with how relieved she is to still be alive. Amaro runs to her aid as she lays on the floor with a face contorted in pain.
"SVU portable to base," he says into his radio. "Send a bus to the southwest corner of Pier 62 I have an officer down."
"Liv," Amaro says, squatting down next to her. "You're gonna' be fine. Help is on the way, just hold on," he continues trying to remain calm. But seeing her blood beginning to pool beneath her is scaring him.
"He said," she begins, having more trouble drawing each breath. "He said Elliot's dead," she continues as her eyes begin to water.
She begins coughing erratically, panicking her new partner when blood comes from her mouth.
"I'm so sorry Liv," he tells her. "Just hold on…please," he adds cradling her head in his lap and holding her hand at the same time.
"He killed him Nick," she says, with tears streaming down her face. "He killed him," she repeats, squeezing his hand.
He yells into the radio again asking where the hell the ambulance is.
Olivia passes out just before they arrive and the paramedics begin to work on her immediately. Amaro rides with her in the ambulance trying not to worry about the concerned looks on their faces and how fast they're working to get the bleeding under control.
He holds his head in his hands the entire way to the hospital with her drying blood caked underneath his fingernails.
There's just so much. He watches them using gauze after gauze trying to stop the loss of much more. The ambulance floor looks like a crime scene.
Her heart stops at least once on the way to the emergency room and she's rushed into a waiting OR.
She flat-lines twice more while on the table. They work on Olivia for three hours before she is stable enough to be moved to the ICU.
After her surgery she remains unconscious. Two chest tubes are inserted to drain the fluid from her right lung. She's lying with an oxygen mask on her face, an IV in both arms, heart rate and blood pressure monitors connected to her via a nest of wires. Her normally golden skin has turned pale and her multihued hair is splayed across a pillow.
A host of people visit her, talking with her hoping that she'll wake up. Cragen, a man that's like a father to her, takes the first shift the night she's shot. He reads her Rudyard Kipling poetry when he runs out of things to say. Then he does something so out of character for them. He kisses her forehead before he leaves.
Alex talks to her about her latest beau and how he wants to marry and have kids with her. She's unconvinced to leave law to be wife and mommy but she loves him so she's undecided. Olivia's advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated, but Alex's tears acknowledge the fact that her long time friend is unable to answer. She leaves her favorite flowers that Friday morning. Asian lilies.
Casey stops by that afternoon, surprised to find Kathy leaving with little Eli in tow. She likes Olivia too. Anyone who hasn't been arrested by the woman pretty much does. The red haired ADA shares Olivia's love of baseball. She tells her about what "their" Yankees are doing and promises to take her to a game if she only opens up those amber browns for her. Olivia remains still. She leaves her favorite chocolate. Casey reasons that flowers smell good but truffles taste better and squeezes her hand before she leaves.
Munch, excited by a willing audience regales her with tales from his Baltimore homicide days, his first years with SVU and his latest conspiracy theories. He promises if she only wakes up, she'll get first dibs into going into the bar business with him. Olivia doesn't stir. Munch pats her hand and makes his exit with a heavy heart. He's lost many friends in many ways over his long career.
Fin doesn't bring her flowers, or chocolates, read her poetry or make promises for when she wakes up. He's seen too much in his life with Narcotics, the army and in SVU to do anything but tell her he's pulling for her and to ask her to please not saddle him with Munch and two rookies. He tells her he can't handle her leaving any other way than putting in her papers. He too plants a kiss on her forehead before leaving.
After she stabilized Amaro went home to get a few hours sleep, check in with his family and change out of clothes that weren't stained with his partner's blood.
He opens her hospital door to find a tall, athletic looking African-American woman in scrubs and a white lab coat checking the various machines and her dressings.
"Whoa," he says surprising her. "I can wait in the hall until you're finished," he says not wanting Olivia to be exposed to him.
"No," she says. "It's okay I was done," she adds straightening Olivia's hospital gown.
"I'm Detective Amaro her partner," explains Nick.
"Right," she responds. "I'm Dr. Valentine. I think I remember you coming in with her."
"Why isn't she wakin' up," asks the detective. "Any anesthesia would've worn off by now right?"
"She's got a lot going on Detective. There will be a lot of pain once she does regain consciousness," she begins. "So it's better she hasn't awakened."
"What's her prognosis Doc," he asks earnestly.
"The bullet missed her heart by about two inches but it collapsed her right lung and blood entered into her pleural cavity," she explains. "Luckily it was a through and through. We were able to close the entry and exit wounds then put in some tubes for drainage."
"But will she make it," he asks again, more clear about wanting to know whether his partner will die.
"I can't make any guarantees," she tells him honestly. "We'll keep monitoring her progress for complications or infections but so far she's responding well."
"Thank you Dr. Valentine," he says as she's leaving. She simply nods before continuing on her rounds.
Amaro takes in the appearance of his partner and goes to kneel next to her bed. He wraps the rosary around his fist and bows his head in prayer. Nick doesn't know what Olivia's religious affiliations are. He doesn't care. He prays for her, not with her. It worked well enough to bring his wife home from a war zone, so he isn't going to stop doing what he believes in now.
Once he's concluded his prayers, he gets comfortable in the chair next to her bed. After talking to her for a few minutes, his lack of sleep catches up with him. His eyes fall closed as he succumbs to his fatigue.
He doesn't notice his partner's fluttering lids or the subtle increase in the pace of her heart monitor.
Olivia is regaining consciousness.
Elsewhere a man knocks on a door with a shaky hand and trepidation in his heart. He knows that he can't tell the man on the other side the truth right away. He may not make it back in one piece if he does.
"Did you come to get me the hell out of here," the man opening the door asks.
"Yes," the first man affirms. "It's time to go home."
Dun, dun, dunnnn...lol. Okay it's review time people. Ante up!