A/N: The end is near, I can feel it. Enjoy.
Liv was out of the SUV as soon as it pulled to a stop a behind the barricade set up at the end of the street.
"Liv!"
She ignored the cries from someone, whoever it was, behind her as she weaved in and out of the police vehicles and SWAT members lined up along the street, checking their weapons and being briefed on the current situation. She paid them no mind as they all turned to look at her bolting towards the front door of her home.
It was cleared completely, the porch light on and inviting her to bust the door down.
"Olivia! Stop!"
Fin's voice vaguely registered in her mind as pleading, but it didn't slow her down in the slightest. A few officers moved out of her way and others tried to stop her with placating hands but she saw none of it. She only saw the front door of her house, dancing with red and blue lights and teasing her with what lie inside.
The breath nearly escaped from her lungs when a sudden pair of arms wrapped around her and nearly toppled her to the ground. Her immediate reaction was to fight the person off and she did, landing a hard blow to the side of some random, large officer who backed off quickly. She was angry as hell and she made sure everyone in the vicinity knew so, but taking the time to spit out those insults left her crew enough time to catch up to her, effectively cutting her off again.
"Move," she yelled, trying to push past Fin and Carisi, but they kept her back and Amanda placed hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down.
"Move or all of you are fired."
"Liv, listen to me- "
"No! You listen to me!"
Liv whipped around and pointed a finger in Amanda's face. The blonde backed up, seeing Liv's hand fly to the holster on her side and daftly undue the clip holding her gun in place.
"My child and husband are in there, being held at fucking gun point by some psycho murderer who's been leading us around this fucking city all night! I'm going in there and no one is stopping me."
"I will," Fin stepped up behind her, a stern look on his face as Liv rounded on him. For a second, they all thought Liv was actually going to pull her gun. Carisi inched closer, hands up in a placating gesture, ready to launch himself to diffuse the situation if need be.
"Fin, don't."
"You're not going to help anyone like this. You're scared, we all are…but you need to calm your ass down and think logically."
Liv pursed her lips, tears clouding her vision as they dripped down her cheeks. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was right. The way he stared her down, damned and determined not to let her intimidate him with her authority or her weapon and somewhere, in the back of her head, she appreciated that.
Instead of trying to soothe her, he was speaking to her like she needed to be spoken to in that moment.
Because she was so scared and upset and she was about to charge in and do something stupid. But Fin stopped her and she realized she could have just fucked this entire thing up with her emotions clouding her rational thinking.
"Liv," he called to her again, a hand on her wrist, pulling it away from her side arm, "C'mon."
She wrangled her wrist free from his grip and wiped at her cheeks, nodding that she was back with them. After an apologetic glance at Amanda, she surged forward to the front lines, but with a different purpose.
It didn't take long for someone to flag her down and she instantly recognized the young man in uniform who didn't waste time in addressing her directly.
"Lieutenant! I was the responding officer on the call. I was the one who informed dispatch."
"Officer Drake," she shook his hand, finding it hard to keep her eyes on him instead of looking at the front door to her home.
"Your husband, Mr. Barba? He…he tipped me off."
"You spoke to him?"
"Yeah, he answered the door."
A little spark of hope ignited in her chest. He made contact with her husband, which meant he was fine. He was fine and if he was, then Noah was safe. At least, that's where she wanted her thinking to wander.
"What did he say? Was he ok? Was he hurt?"
"No," Drake shook his head, "He seemed normal. Like, everything was ok. Except, he specifically mentioned calling you around 10:39. And I thought that was weird because it's such a random number but he said it again and then he looked to the side and it hit me! He was saying-"
"A police code. 10-39 is a hostage situation," Carisi cut into the conversation and Fin backed up the comment with, "Quick thinking."
"I thought so, too," Drake nodded and moved away from them, sensing the end of the conversation. Liv rubbed the back of her neck, and let her eyes drift up to the second window on the right. Noah's room. The light was off.
"Lieutenant Benson."
Liv turned to see another familiar face and this time, it brought back memories of a particular incident a few years back involving her own hostage situation. He'd been on the scene, even if he hadn't handled the negotiation.
Henry Trite was a large, grey-haired man with a beard and a fierce attitude. She'd met with him a handful of times before, being on the scene for some nasty cases that involved his expertise. He was good at talking to people in high-pressure situations and she was glad he was the one on the job. If anyone could talk down a criminal, it was Trite.
"Henry," she greeted and extended her hand.
"I'm sorry we're here under these circumstances, but we're going to work on getting your son and husband out of there. We just need to figure out who's behind that door."
"Trevor Washington," she spit out and he was taken aback by the sudden name. Of course, he had to have been watching the news, because he recited it back to her and she confirmed it.
"The man this entire city is locked down for? Are you positive?"
Amanda cut in, "Every single victim that's been murdered tonight has had personal connection to Trevor during this entire case. Victoria Maddox, his defense attorney, was just killed a little under an hour ago just a few blocks away."
Trite eyed the blonde but nodded and looked back to Liv, "This isn't a hunch?"
"I know it's him," Liv responded and folded her arms over her chest, "I have no doubt in my mind it's him."
Trite turned around and spoke to a few suited-up men behind him before he waved them all to follow him to a large police truck pulled up on the other side of the street. The door was open and allowed them easy access into the small interior. On one side of the wall of the truck were monitors blacked out and a few laptop computers open. There were a few men milling around in the back of the open space truck, working with a bunch of other equipment she couldn't name.
"Here's the plan. I'll approach the door with a few officers behind me. That way, if he's feeling up to it, we can negotiate face-to-face. That way, I can assess the situation easier and get a visual on the two. However, if that doesn't work, we can talk through the phone. That limits visualization, but I can work around that."
Carisi, who was still standing in the doorway due to space, piped up, "Well, this guy gets pretty easily agitated. Maybe it would be- "
"How about you do your job and I do mine?"
Trite didn't spare Carisi another glance as the detective stepped out of the way and let him pass. Liv sighed and sat down on the bench, Fin joining her. Carisi scoffed and muttered 'prick' under his breath to which Amanda agreed.
"He's right," Fin agreed, shutting them both down with an unusually firm tone. Amanda and Carisi both shut it and refocused on the situation at hand as Liv sat back and sunk into her own thoughts.
She wasn't relaxed; her muscles were still tense and she looked close to tears, but she wasn't trying to kill anyone and that was progress. They just all hoped Trite would pull through.
Rafael hummed a soft tune against his son's head, feeling him snuggle further into his chest as he kept his face hidden in the crook of his neck. He stopped crying just a few minutes before but he was tensed up and his little hands hung on to his shirt like they were his lifeline. Rafael had made sure Noah knew he was safe and that nothing, absolutely nothing was going to happen to him. Not while his daddy was around. Not while there were people out there who loved him just as much as he and Liv did.
Rafael had managed to talk them out of tying him up and he currently sat with his back to the wall just below the staircase, in clear view of the living room and television that was muted, but was now showing a live feed of the outside of his house. Trevor stood with his arms crossed in front of it, watching the officers work while spectators hung out of the windows of their homes, even though they were advised not to.
"We're so fucked…," Mark whimpered from the couch, elbows on his knees and hands shoved into his dirty looking hair. He rocked back and forth as Nameless rolled his eyes and picked at his teeth with the sharp, pointed tip of his knife, still covered in blood.
"We're not fucked. We have this loud-mouth asshole," Trevor gestured towards him and Noah, "and his kid. They're gonna do anything we want them to."
"Man, as soon as they have what we want they're gonna kill us. You're real fucking dumb if you think they won't," Mark stood up and violently jabbed his finger towards the outside of the house, where the police lights were still shining. Rafael could hear the faint sounds of a helicopter swirling overhead, just as the feed on the television cut to an aerial shot.
"What makes you think they're gonna get what they want?"
Rafael's stomach dropped at those words and he pulled Noah tighter against his body, feeling his legs wrap tighter around his waist. He sniffled against his neck, his eyelashes tickling the skin as he blinked rapidly. He was starting to fall back asleep and for that, he was thankful. He'd been through a lot in the past twenty minutes and it broke his heart having to listen to his terrified cries for him.
"Trev…," Nameless took the blade from his mouth and moved in closer to him, glancing at Rafael as he said something to him quietly, a look of concern on his face.
"Man, fuck no. I ain't no baby killer."
Nameless just nodded and took a seat next to Mark, who had heard the mini conversation and looked somewhat calmer than he did before. Trevor looked over at him, taking in the scene before he stalked over to them and slid down next to Rafael on the floor.
Rafael tensed and Noah sat up suddenly. He tried to scramble away and Rafael moved him to the other side of his lap, keeping him partially guarded with his own body. Trevor took note and sighed, rubbing a dirty hand over his face.
"We don't wanna hurt your kid. I didn't know you had one. Hell, I didn't know you were even married to that cop before tonight, anyway."
"How did you know where we live?"
"I have my ways," Trevor answered cryptically, "But the point is…we have to get out of here alive. You're going to help us do that."
Rafael was confused and he pulled Noah tighter to his body again, trying to calm down his shaking little form the best he could. He hadn't ever seen his son this terrified and it was breaking him apart inside. He just wanted him to calm down.
"I don't know how you expect me to help you…but I will…as long as my son gets out of here, unharmed."
Trevor was about to respond, a smile poised on his lips just as a few loud knocks on the door broke the near silence of the living room. Rafael jumped, feeling Noah do so and he hugged him tighter, whispering in his ear as he watched all three men stand nervously in their spots. Trevor walked to the door, gun pulled out and cocked as he shouted at the wood.
"I'll kill them both! Back off!"
"Mr. Washington! My name is Henry Trite, I'm with the negotiation team. We would like to speak with you and see if we can reach an agreement."
Trevor stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or how to answer. He was silent until the man on the other side of the door knocked and called his name again.
"Mr. Washington, we'd like to give you call on your cell phone if it's available. That way we can talk and you don't have to let us in."
Trevor contemplated the suggestion and pulled his phone out to inspect it. It had been in the water just before they arrived, but the phone case provided sufficient protection against water damage and it still seemed to be working just fine.
"Ok," was all he said in response and pulled away from the door.
"What's the plan, then," Mark asked, his hands shaking nervously and fingers twiddling. He looked so meek and small compared to when Rafael saw him last. It was such a vast change in character it was almost as if this was a different man.
"See what they offer us," Trevor replied easily. He took a seat on the end of the coffee table and accepted the incoming phone call just as his phone began to ring. He pushed the speaker icon, the voice of the negotiator filling the room.
"Thank you for answering, Mr. Washington."
"No problem. Now tell us what you want."
"Plain and simple, we would like you to release the two hostages into police custody and we can work out further details afterwards."
"No."
"Mr. Washi- "
"You can't have both of them. That would be shooting myself in the foot, now wouldn't it?"
There was total silence on the other end and Rafael waited with bated breath for the negotiator to answer. Trevor, hopefully, wasn't going to back down on his word of letting Noah out of the house and from the way it was sounding, he wasn't.
"You'll only release one of them?"
"That's all you get. I'll have other demands later."
There was another beat of silence, but there was also concerned, hushed words in the background, muffled for a few seconds.
"Ok, but we- "
"Don't worry, you'll get the kid. I'm not about to kill a child."
Rafael dropped his back against the wall, relief and flooding his system and he could feel the sting of tears assaulting the back of his eyes again. There were no words to describe just how much better he felt at the thought of Noah being reunited with Liv and whisked away from this mess.
Because he knew Liv was out there. He could feel it, even if he couldn't see it. She was out there and she was probably a wreck, just at the thought of her baby being in danger. God knew the both would move mountains for this little boy clutching onto his body, just to keep him safe and happy.
"Alright. We'll send an officer up."
"No. I'll pick who comes up. Lieutenant Benson isn't stepping foot in here."
Rafael watched nervously from his position as Trevor walked over to the windows and peeking out of the blinds only slightly.
"What was the name of that hot blonde detective? The one that told me to 'fuck off' when I asked if she was single," Trevor looked to Rafael, holding the phone close to his chest so he could muffle the conversation on their end.
"Detective Rollins," Rafael replied slowly, feeling a bit of a weird protectiveness over the woman he would venture to call a friend. That was due in part to the obvious advances the man had made towards Rollins and his own wife, and Barba put him in his place when that happened. Which was probably why they were even in his home right now, holding him and his son hostage.
"I would like to request Detective Rollins to be sent in, please."
Amanda was a bit taken aback by the weird request but immediately flew into action afterwards. They'd all been sitting in the mobile command center, listening to the voice of Trevor speaking with Trite. They were all a bit floored at just how easy it was to get him to hand over Noah, but they would take what they could get. That left Barba still with them and in definite danger, but Noah was top priority.
Amanda had been standing next to Liv, with a hand on her shoulder in comfort as they listened to the phone call. Dried tear tracks made her face look puffy with red-rimmed eyes, but it was clear to see the fear mingling with anger as she listened to the man speak like it was just a normal conversation.
"Ok. Thank you, Mr. Washington. Detective Rollins will be knocking on the door shortly. She will be alone but she will be wearing a vest and she won't have any weapons."
Amanda quickly shucked off her holster and slid the heavy coat she'd been wearing off her shoulders. Carisi helped her get into the bullet proof vest quickly before another officer took over, winding a chord and small, black camera on her already black shirt. It blended in and was almost unrecognizable.
The screen flickered to life on one of the command center's screens, a few already displaying the news footage streaming in from all of the news channel. The officer waved his hand, checking to make sure the display was working properly and then turned to go further back into the truck, leaving Trite to directly speak with her.
"When you go in there, you remind them what you're there for. Do not make small talk. Your main objective is to get the kid out of the house immediately. However, make sure you can get a full shot of the entire area."
"Yeah, I got it, Trite. I'm not fucking this up."
Trite looked a little peeved at her dismissal of him but Amanda didn't truly care. She knew he was just doing his job, but she'd been in hostage situations before. This was different…more personal…but she was going to treat with more urgency than she had in the past.
For Liv's sake, because the woman was wringing her hands, looking ready to cry again.
"Liv," Amanda said softly, grabbing her attention, "I'll get him out, ok?"
Liv nodded, unusually subdued. Earlier, they practically had to pin her to the ground, but she supposed the entire mental breakdown she had when they first arrived took a lot out of her.
"Thank you…," she whispered. Amanda patted her back, offering her any comfort she could give. Carisi stood silently next Amanda, a tap on her back reminding her she had to get going.
Fin pulled back on Liv, having the woman sit back next to him. The atmosphere was so tense; it was damn near suffocating in there. Amanda took a deep breath as she was escorted out of the command center and walked the short path to the police barricade, set up only feet away from sidewalk.
Carisi had followed behind her and she could feel the concern rolling off him in waves as he tightened her vest, jerking her a little bit and pulling the strap harshly against her midsection. Amanda turned and pushed him away gently, her hands on his arms as she stared up at him.
"I'll be fine…ok?"
"You know what he's capable of," the taller man responded quickly. She wanted to wave off his concern but she was fully aware his worry was 100% warranted. Trevor made it no secret he admired many women, but he had a type he liked to overpower and take down with a fight. Strong, confident women who could give it back just as good as they got.
It was that personality type that he felt the urge to attack the most and her and Liv fit the profile to a T. She remembered, just a few days ago, when he made those awful passing comments that had practically all of the men on the floor baring their teeth.
"I know and trust me, he's not going to get a chance to do a damn thing."
She turned on her heel and nodded towards an office who stood by the barricade, ready to let her pass through and into the clearing. It fell silent outside around them as she took her first, hesitant steps onto the sidewalk, only the sounds of the helicopter circling above the street met her ears. The deep inhale and exhale of a calming breath did the exact opposite of what she intended as her anxiety spiked.
The closer she got to the door, the more on edge she became. Her hand reached for her gun, but quickly realized it had been snatched away from her belt as soon as her name came through the phone. It happened so fast she didn't even see it go.
Amanda climbed the steps, opting to shove her shaking hands into the space between her vest and chest. She glanced behind her, making eye contact with Carisi and Liv and Fin coming up behind him. She nodded at no one in particular as she reached out and knocked firmly on the heavy door. She listened to the shuffling and muffled voices before the door cracked open, leaving her enough space to slip in.
The first thing she saw was Barba on the floor, clutching Noah to his chest and she breathed out a sigh of relief seeing that they were both ok. The second thing she noticed was the obvious and uncomfortable leer from the very man they all worked hard to send to jail just two days ago, along with two new faces she immediately identified. They didn't have their names, but they were familiar faces.
"Come on in, sweetie," he smiled at her softly and quickly closed the door, avoiding looking outside or being in plain view just in case. Amanda watched him and quickly backed herself into a corner, making sure her back was covered. She also made sure to capture a full view of the living room, knowing they were watching in the command center.
"I'm here for Noah."
"Of course," he said and gestured towards Barba, who managed to stand up with Noah wrapped around his body. Amanda was weary, looking them all up and down as she made her way over to the two familiar faces. She didn't trust any of these men, especially after the shit they'd done that night already.
"Hey," Amanda greeted Barba, looking sympathetic as she reached for Noah. The little boy whined a bit and kept his arms and legs wrapped around his dad. Barba placed a hand on the back of his head and whispered in his ear. After a few seconds, Noah dared a peek out from the neck he shoved his face in, looking directly at Amanda.
He slowly pulled his head up, feeling safe enough and realizing who was trying to grab him.
"Hey little man," she cooed and reached for him, but he pulled back again, "I'm going to take you outside, ok? Mommy's waiting for you."
Noah perked up at the mention of his mommy and he looked at Barba, bringing a little hand up to rest on the man's cheek.
"Daddy, we can leave?"
Amanda bit back a sad smile as she listened to him answer, "No, buddy, daddy has to stay in here."
"Why?"
"Noah," Barba pressed his forehead against his for a long moment and then kissed his forehead, "I have to stay in here, but mommy's waiting for you outside, ok? You're going to go with Aunt Mandy now."
Noah nodded, looking sad as he turned and fell into Amanda's grasp.
"I got him," she confirmed, wrapping her one arm under his bottom and the other around his back. Rafael looked grateful, a small, conflicted smile on his face. She gave him a meaningful glance; one he could read. It was a silent communication they'd all acquired working so long with him.
It was a look that said we'll get him. We've got it. We'll take care of it.
Except, it was different, because she was saying 'We've got you.' The determined look hiding his scared expression told her he understood. Barba was strong. He was a fighter. He wouldn't go down without one. It was the same look of determination he had when there was a particularly risky or shaky case he was trying to win.
But this was his life hanging in the balance.
Amanda turned on her heel and swiftly walked towards the door, tensing as she passed by Trevor and felt his eyes roaming over her back along with the other's. She waited for Trevor to saunter past her and to the door, but she froze when she felt a hand trail down her back and a finger curl into her belt loop.
"Don't you wanna stick around?"
Amanda clutched Noah tighter to her body, feeling the little boy tense and burrow further into her body. There was shuffling behind her and an angry exclamation but she didn't hear the words that were said. She could only hear a pained groan and body hitting the floor as hot breath caressed her ear and a warm hand curl around her waist. His presence was burning hot and surrounding her, making her skin crawl with a fear she hadn't felt in a while.
Trevor was lucky she was holding Noah, because she would have turned and killed him in that instant, just for touching her. The sinking feeling in her stomach that the body that hit the floor belonged to Rafael as she heard more gasps of air and angry, hushed growling. That feeling only intensified when she heard Noah whimper and she pushed his face into her neck, cutting off his eyesight. He didn't need to see that.
She did her damndest not to seem affected. She concentrated so hard, she held her breath and kept her eyes forward, taking in the intricate detail of the old, wooden door in front of her. Just beyond it were a plethora of officers and her squad with a woman dying to hold her child.
Amanda steadied her voice the best she could, but it still shook as she said, "Open the door, please."
There was a lifetime of a moment as the hand slid off her waist and his presence diminished. She took a deep breath as she locked eyes with him. His hand turned the door knob and he moved behind it, cracking it open just enough for her to pass by him. Amanda wanted to smack the little satisfied smirk off his face. God, how she wished she could.
"Have a good night detective," he winked at her and leaned towards her, "You too little man."
Amanda jerked away from him as Trevor leafed his fingers through Noah's hair and quickly exited the home. The door slammed shut behind her as she took off down the stairs, the lights of the cameras and police bars blinding her as she moved closer.
Urgent hands guided her behind the police barricade and before she could react, Noah was snatched out of her arms. She grabbed for him for a second but realized Liv was the one who plucked him out of her arms. Amanda watched as the woman sank to her knees, Noah cradled to her body as she cried into his shoulder.
"Is Barba ok? How many are there?"
Liv looked up at the mention of her husband, still cradling her son to her chest as tears continued to flow. Amanda smiled briefly, "He's fine."
She glossed over the fact that she was almost positive he probably wasn't fine anymore.
"Three of them. Trevor and that one guy, Mark? From the arraignment? He was in there. Plus, some other guy I didn't know. But Barba's fine as far as I could tell."
Liv looked at her, skeptical, but she didn't breathe a word. She just held Noah tighter to her body as Fin helped her up from the ground and escorted her over to a waiting EMT to double check the five-year-old's condition. Carisi patted her back and moved around her, leaving her near the police barricade as he headed towards the truck where they could see Trite speaking on the phone in the doorway.
After a moment of deliberation, Amanda followed behind him, ready to go where she needed to go. Noah was safe, now it was time to focus on Barba.
Rafael's eyes were transfixed on the aerial shot of his home playing across the television screen. He could see Amanda running to safety and the camera zoomed in, just enough, that he could make out the recognizable form of his wife falling to her knees with their son in her arms.
He choked on the sob trying to escape on a hitched breath as he cradled his side. They kicked him and threatened that if he made another noise or moved an inch, they were going to do way worse than that, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was so overcome with joy he almost laughed, just knowing his wife and his son were safe out on the street.
"Now what's the plan? Can we kill him and sneak out of here? The longer were in here the more shit we're gonna be in. Also," Mark moved around the coffee table, stomping straight up to Trevor who had walked away from the door and back to watching the television, "why the FUCK did you get rid of the kid? You think they're gonna give a shit about this asshole?"
Rafael glared at the man, lips pursed and still rubbing at his sore side.
"Tony," Trevor barked and Nameless (who now had a name), stood to attention, "If Mark makes another backwards comment to me again, I want you to kill him."
Mark jumped back, looking between the two men as he pulled out his knife. Rafael certainly hadn't been expecting that, either. Tony merely grunted, folding his arms with the sharp hunting blade protruding from his hand.
"You lost your mind? After all the shit I've done for you," Mark hissed. Trevor rolled his eyes and glanced at the man from the corner of his eye. There was a tense silence that followed, the TV the only distraction in the otherwise quiet room. Trevor stared for a full minute, leaving Mark to jerk around and shift in place and Rafael could tell he was losing confidence by the second.
The small man growled and shoved his knife towards Trevor, almost like he was warning the man, "I shouldn't have lied for you. I should have stayed away from you and minded my own business. You fucking psycho."
Mark threw his knife on the couch and scratched at his face like a maniac, squealing and gnashing his teeth. Rafael looked away, pressing himself further into the wall, trying to escape from the sight and sound assaulting his senses. It went on for another few seconds before it still again and Mark took a deep breath.
Blood dripped down his face from where the fingernails cut into his skin and he stood up straight with a determined look.
"I'm turning myself in."
The next event that unfolded happened so quick, Rafael saw it in slow motion.
One second, Mark was marching towards the door and in the next second, he was on the floor with a hunting blade shoved clean through his head. His lifeless eyes connected with his own green ones and he felt his stomach churn as he twitched once, twice and then went still on the floor.
There was a harsh vibrating sound that broke the silence and Trevor grabbed his phone from the coffee table. Trevor licked his lips and answered the phone, the corners of his mouth rising as he brought the phone up to his ear and listened intently.
"…yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, let me tell you what I want."
Rafael had the distinct feeling this wasn't going to end well for him.
Not at all.
