Elliot pulled up in front of Newark Police Department around 3:00 in the morning. He knew there wouldn't be much activity at that time of the morning but was hoping they would be able to get some information. They were given the missing person flyer and the initial report taken by the officer who responded to the kidnapping call. They were told to return at 8:00 if they wanted to talk to the detective who was handling Calvin's case.
"Where do you want to go for 5 hours Liv?" Elliot asked. He was frustrated at the small amount of information they were given, but knew they were lucky to get any.
"Let's go talk to his grandparents," Olivia replied.
"Liv, it's 3:00 in the morning. They're probably asleep."
"Well, we'll wake them up!" Olivia insisted.
"Let's grab some coffee and go over what we have here first," Elliot said, holding up the police report. "That will us the chance to read over their report and maybe Grandpa and Grandma will be awake by then."
"Ok," Olivia agreed to Elliot's compromise.
The two made their way to the nearest McDonalds. It didn't take them very long to go over what little information they were given. They hated waiting around doing nothing. They decided to drive the route Calvin was walking when he was taken. They hoped that would give them a better idea of what had happened.
At 6:00am they couldn't wait any longer, they headed over to Calvin's grandparent's house. They were relieved to find a light on inside the house. Calvin's grandfather answered the door.
"Detective Benson, Detective Stabler, please come in," he said, moving aside so they could enter.
The detectives were surprised at how open the older couple was with them. They had worried Olivia being there could be perceived as a threat and they wouldn't get any cooperation. The couple explained that they just wanted Calvin back safely and they would do anything they could to help.
Calvin's grandparents didn't have much information. They told Elliot and Olivia that he was having a difficult time adjusting. He didn't have any friends and he pretty much kept to himself. Elliot went through Calvin's room while Olivia looked at his artwork. A small smile came across her face when she saw he was still signing his name Calvin Benson.
Shortly after 7:00 Elliot and Olivia left Calvin's house.
"I'm going to call TARU and see if they can trace the location Calvin called from," Olivia told Elliot. "They should be in by now, right?"
"I don't know, Liv. It's still early. You can try, maybe we'll get lucky," Elliot said, trying to be positive.
Olivia was able to get a hold of Morales from the Technical Analysis Response Unit back in New York City. He had come in early to work another case but dropped what he was doing to help Olivia. While they waited to meet with the detective they found a diner and ate breakfast. At 8:00 they were back at Newark PD waiting for the detective.
"Detectives Stabler and Benson?" a voice called out.
"Here!" Olivia replied as she and Elliot got up.
"Detective Harrison," the older man said, extending his arm to shake their hands. "Follow me."
He led them back to his office and briefed them on the case. "Calvin was grabbed on his way home from school. Witnesses saw him being pulled into a red Chevy van; they gave us a partial plate. We don't think it's anyone who knows the boy. We've been checking out registered sex offenders in the area, we've issued an Amber Alert and have a BOLO out on the van. Right now that's all we've got."
"Can we get a copy of your files?" Olivia asked.
"No problem," Harrison responded.
While Detective Harrison was making a copy of his case file Olivia's phone rang.
"It's Morales," she told Elliot as she flipped her phone open. "Morales, did you find him?"
"It took some doing but I was finally able to trace the call back to an address in Elizabeth, New Jersey," Morales told her.
"Elizabeth?" Olivia asked, "What's the address?"
Morales gave Olivia the address. Harrison returned with the copies. Olivia filled in Elliot and Detective Harrison with the new information and the three of them headed for Elizabeth, NJ.
They had the local police meet them at the house Calvin had called from. No one was there but there was a cup of coffee in the kitchen that was still warm, leading the detectives to believe they had just missed them.
Elliot searched the house with Harrison and the local police while Olivia called Morales to find out about Robert Mason, the owner of the house. Elliot found a makeshift cell in the basement. There was a small mattress on the floor, some dried blood spattered around, and a boys T-shirt in the corner. Fear started to build in Elliot. There wasn't very much blood, but he would have preferred there wouldn't be any. He was worried about the shirt in the corner of the room. Kidnapping victims don't usually undress voluntarily. Elliot thought he had a general idea of what had happened in the basement. He dreaded Olivia finding out.
Elliot headed back upstairs to meet Olivia before she wandered down to the basement. She had just hung up with Morales.
"Mason is sex offender. He did a nickel in Sing Sing for rape. His preference is young boys. Calvin's kidnapping fits his M.O. When he's done with his victims, he takes them out to an abandoned area and leaves them to starve to death or freeze to death, whichever comes first."
"Ok, we've got road blocks and checkpoints set up. Calvin's face is all over the newspaper and TV. We..." Elliot was interrupted.
"Detectives, in the garage. I think I've got something," Detective Harrison called out. Elliot and Olivia met Harrison in the garage where he showed them what looked like a pile of black dirt. He held up a work boot which was also covered in the black stuff.
Elliot reached down and squeezed some of it between his fingers before smelling it. "Coal," he said.
"There is a train yard over off Trumbell Street. It's not far from here," one of the local detectives pointed out.
"Let's go," Olivia commanded as they raced out to their cars.
The detectives split up to search the train yard. There were dogs on the way to assist with the search as well as extra cops. It wasn't long before the whole place was swarming with cops. Olivia and Elliot were searching the north end of the train yard. They were quickly sweeping in and under each of the train cars looking for any sign of Calvin.
Elliot peeked his head in one of the cars and saw an arm behind a stack of crates.
"Liv!" he yelled as he hopped into the boxcar. Olivia came running. Elliot found Calvin unconscious. He was wearing a pair of shorts, socks and one tennis shoe. His body was bruised and covered in dried blood. Elliot quickly found his pulse and felt him breathing. "He's alive Liv, get the medic," Elliot said as he scooped the boy up. Olivia ran ahead to get wave down the EMTs. Elliot followed her with Calvin in his arms.