Chapter 15
Olivia and Elliot sat at home waiting for Barba's phone call. It seemed like it had been hours since they last talked to the ADA and both worried that things were not going well. The sound of keys in the locks on the front door made them look at the clock only to realize their fears had been right, it had been hours since they'd talked to Barba.
"Hey Mom. Hey Dad," Calvin smiled as he let the Captain in behind him before locking the door as he knew his mother would more than appreciate. She stood as quickly as she could off the couch and pulled Calvin into a hug.
"Hey sweetie. Have a good day?" She asked.
"The usual," Calvin smiled slightly. It was then that Charlotte let out a wail and he chuckled.
"That time of the day already?" Calvin asked.
"I suppose it is," Olivia laughed.
"I got her," the boy smiled and quickly left the adults to their own devices.
"Captain," Elliot smiled as he offered Cragen a seat in the overstuffed chair near the couch. Don smiled and took the seat before he said anything.
"So you're here to tell us that Barba accidently flushed his cell phone down the urinal and hasn't been able to call," Olivia spoke first.
"Not exactly. You guys haven't turned on your TV have you?" Cragen asked. When both Elliot and Olivia looked at each other, Don grabbed the remote off the coffee table and flicked on the TV.
"Breaking news from just outside the holding facility, the police call the Tombs, where just an hour ago an inmate took his attorney and the ADA prosecuting his case hostage after striking the guard with his flashlight and dousing the guard with his own pepper spray. As far as we know the guard has already been evacuated from the room with severe head trauma while the prisoner continues to make threats holding the remainder of the pepper spray. He's handcuffed both lawyers together and has broken one of the chairs inside the visiting attorney room which he is now threatening to beat the lawyers if anyone gets within ten feet of the room. We'll keep you up to date as more information becomes available," the TV newscaster reported. The Captain lowered the volume and set the remote back down on the arm of the chair.
"Good God, has Lewis lost his mind?" Elliot asked.
"Well that was our first thought. We haven't been able to get near the scene. The Chief of D's wants us nowhere near this one. Besides the Corrections Officers are out for blood. It seems the department is perfectly happy with letting them handle the situation and should Lewis die while they try to extricate him, no one seems all that upset," Cragen explained.
"Why haven't they charged in there yet? Lewis is holding piece of a chair not a gun," Olivia wanted to know.
"What you didn't hear on the news report is that he's promised to bash both Barba's and Hardgrove's heads in. The Corrections Officer he hit with the flashlight is more than likely to have severe brain damage and be unable to work ever again. The man has some serious rage issues," Cragen shook his head.
"Has he made any demands?" Elliot asked.
"Not yet but my guess is that he will and that they could involve Olivia," Don swallowed hard at the thought.
"Is that why you're here?" Olivia said; the sense of fear was easily noticeable in her tone.
"I'm here so you don't get any stupid ideas and go down there. No matter what Lewis asks for, he can't get it and he won't if you stay here," the Captain told them.
"What about Barba?" Elliot wanted to know.
"They have snipers positioning themselves to hit Lewis. With any luck, they will nail the bastard before he even knows what hit him," Don smirked. Olivia sat silent as her mind processed what her former Captain had told her. She had this feeling inside that Lewis would be better off dead; she knew the rest of the world would be without him in it. Shaking that thought from her mind she questioned where it came from. Despite everything, she had never wished anyone dead. Though in this case, dead solved a lot of their problems. No possible contact with the psychopath ever again. He'd never be free. He'd never be able to keep tabs on her family. There wouldn't be appeal after appeal… she paused.
"What if he did this on purpose?" She said aloud.
"Do you mean did he think this through or do you mean he planned it?" Don suddenly caught onto one his best detective's thoughts.
"If he plans this then he could try for insanity. After all, if he survives, he'd have to go through a psych eval," Elliot said.
"Yes and the two attorneys would both have to recuse themselves from the case. New ADA, new defense attorney, new trial…" Don saw the look in Olivia's eyes as he let the thought die as it passed from his lips.
"He'd do it. He'd go to any lengths to make sure he'd get off for what he's done. If he's found insane then they put him in a mental hospital not Rikers. They'd let him out of a mental hospital…" Olivia's fear was right out on her sleeve and Elliot knew that she was retreating into the shell that had appeared after she awoke from surgery. He pulled her gently into his arms and tried to comfort her while the Captain excused himself. He quickly strode out into the hallway after he unlocked all the deadbolts and placed a phone call to the hostage negotiators down at the scene. He quickly relayed what the three had just discussed and the negotiator agreed that it could be a possibility then Don did something he never thought he would do,
"I need you to let the snipers take him out," he said.
"Are you crazy?" The negotiator asked.
"Lewis is a psychopath and if he ever gets out he'll come after my detective and her family. End him before someone else does and people get hurt," Don was firm, knowing full well that someone he knew could take justice into their own hands. They had enough cause to kill Lewis; after all he'd beaten a Corrections Officer within an inch of his life and was holding two attorneys hostage.
"This call never happened," the negotiator said.
"I won't tell if you don't," Don agreed. The silent nod between the men was understood. Now all there was to do was sit back and wait.
To Be Continued…