A/N… Thanks for the follows and reviews! Updates will be faster, I promise. Reminder that "PAST" is the part of the story just after Loyalty II, and follows the events since Alex is abducted. "PRESENT" is still about two weeks ahead and mostly deals with SVU and the investigation. It'll all catch up in a couple chapters.
I've decided to give this story chapter titles. I'm also working on adding an image to the headers. All of my fics have banners in my Word documents. So far, I'm not thrilled with those images in 's format.
x x x
~PAST~
Somewhere in Manhattan…
She sits up when she hears someone walking in. A moment later, the door closes.
At some point during the abduction they put a blindfold on her. She doesn't know where the person is or what they're planning, so she stops fidgeting with the rope around her wrists and waits.
She assumes it's one of the two men who grabbed her. They don't make a sound.
The door is located somewhere on the other side of the room. When it opens, there are no background noises. She still suspects that she's in the basement of some building.
There's duct tape over her mouth so she can't ask what they want.
She'd like to tell them how many ways they can go screw themselves for bringing her here.
He takes a couple steps forward, then stops. A minute or two passes with no further movements or sounds.
Is he waiting for something? Is he watching her? Is he planning to kill her? Does he have a gun? What the hell is going on?
More time passes in silence.
What the hell is he waiting for…? Does he want her to think he left…? Who is this creep…?
She hears footsteps and suddenly, he's right beside her.
He squats down on the floor to her left, touches her cheek with his fingers and begins picking at the edge of the tape that's over her mouth. He still hasn't said a word.
She remains still, silently counts to three, then shoves him hard with her shoulder. He loses his balance and she begins scooting away from him as quickly as she can.
Seeing her intended path, he blocks her from the other side. When he tries to remove the tape again, she swings her legs and feet around preparing to kick and defend herself.
"Stop… I'm just trying to take the tape off so I can give you some water," he explains calmly.
He lightly touches a water bottle to her arm and to her cheek to prove his point, then sets the bottle down and continues trying to take the tape off of her mouth.
She remains skeptical and tries to pull away again, but he has a corner of the tape loose and yanks it, removing all but the last fourth of it.
Sonofabitch, she groans. She feels the burn on her cheeks when the air hits it.
If I had one hand free, this creep would have a broken nose.
He doesn't bother with the piece that remains stuck to the side of her face. She hears the seal of the bottle cap break as he twists it off. He sets the lip of the bottle against her mouth and pours it toward her lips. "Here… Drink."
She's not prepared, so some of the fluid touches her lips and the rest slips down the sides of her cheeks. A little of it enters her mouth when she parts her lips for a breath.
Well, it tastes like water.
He brings the bottle down to give her a chance to swallow, then he lifts the bottle again and she sips more of it down.
It tastes good and she's very thirsty. She lifts her head for air and when she's ready again, he tilts the bottle toward her lips and lets her drink some more. She drinks a good portion of it down.
The next time he lowers the bottle, she speaks. "Who the hell are you?"
He doesn't answer her.
He smells faintly of Polo aftershave and French fries.
Not like that narrows it down.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"It wasn't me," he says. He closes the bottle and sets it beside him.
She doesn't buy it. "Who then?"
"I can't say."
"You're holding me here without my consent. If you don't want to face some hefty charges and prison time, I suggest you take these restraints off me and let me go!"
"Hey, listen—" When he places a hand on her shoulder, she shoves him again and uses her feet and legs to scoot toward the door. He follows her.
She senses him approaching and swings her feet around, nailing him in the shins.
Too bad she doesn't have her boots on. Rat bastard wouldn't know what hit him…
He lets out a groan and she resumes her escape.
It's a little difficult with her arms and legs bound, but she's making progress. He blocks her path once more, positioning himself between her and the door. When she tries to move again, he stops her with a hand on each shoulder.
"Stop moving!"
"Go to hell!" she fusses back. She tries to wiggle away and he wrestles her to the floor. He lays over her, pinning her down with his weight.
Her hands and arms are caught underneath her and it hurts. As she squirms and tries to wiggle free of him, the last bit of duct tape comes off and sticks to her hair. She lets out a scream in the hope someone hears her. He immediately covers her mouth with his hand.
She guesses he's about 6 foot tall, 220 pounds. Thin, but solid.
He lowers his mouth to her ear and speaks in a whisper… "Listen to me! I'm not here to hurt you! He sent me here to check on you and take care of any needs."
What the hell is this…? Good perp, bad perp?
"Who sent you?" she mumbles through his hand.
"Promise me you won't scream and I'll remove my hand and tell you what I know," he offers, still speaking in a hushed tone.
She nods and he removes it.
"He calls himself Malik. He's got a wire on me. There are several cameras in this room and speakers. If we whisper, he won't hear us."
"What does he want?"
"I don't know. I'm his prisoner just like you. My daughter's been missing for 4 months now and I know he had something to do with it. If I want to see her again, I have to do what he says. I tried offering money and that didn't work."
"Did you go to the police?"
"It's about as easy for me to go to the police right now as it is for you. Like I said, there's a wire on me. If I try to escape, if I remove the wire, if I fight back or do anything he doesn't approve of, he might kill her."
"What's he want with me?"
"I don't know."
"So, what's your name?"
He hesitates a moment before answering. "You can call me Cole."
"I'm Alex."
"It's nice to meet you, Alex. I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Thanks," she replies uneasily. While the guy doesn't seem threatening for the moment, this is still an uncomfortable situation.
Especially with him laying over her.
"Umm… Could you get off of me?"
He lifts his torso and settles on the floor beside her. Then he reaches over and carefully removes the piece of duct tape that's stuck to her hair.
"Thanks. What can you tell me about Malik?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Physical description…weight, height, eye color, piercings, tattoos, markings, habits… Does he smoke? Wear glasses? Walk with a limp? Do you recognize him from somewhere? Anything about his activities?"
"That's a lot of questions," he chuckles. "I've never seen his face, he always wears a nylon mask. Dark eyes, no glasses. He speaks with an accent. On the back of his left hand, there's a large scar at the base of his pinky down to his wrist. I saw it briefly, but he usually wears gloves. He's about my height, kind of thin and I'm not good with weight."
"What kind of accent do you hear?"
"I'm not good at accents either."
"Try," she presses. "Give me a region…something…"
"Honestly, I don't know. If I guess, I might be completely off."
"What about his complexion?"
"Tan… Dark tan."
Malik..., she ponders. Hmm…might be Arabic, Islamic…?
"Is Malik his last name?" Alex asks.
"I have no idea."
"Anything else about him?"
"No, not really."
"I'm sorry about your daughter…" Alex offers supportively. "What's her name? How old is she?"
"Amanda. She's 4 and a half."
She hears a smile in his tone when he mentions her.
"Has he said anything to you about her? Will he let you see her?"
"No. Umm… Did you need to use a bathroom?" he asks, quickly changing the subject.
"Definitely. What time is it? How long have I been here?"
"6:15. I'd say most of the night. You hungry?" he asks, starting to get up.
"Not at the moment."
"You should eat. I'll bring you something in a few hours. There's a bathroom in here. As you face the wall in the back of the room, follow it over to your left and it's in the corner…"
One of his hands suddenly slips underneath her legs and another wraps around her back.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she asks startled.
"I thought it would be easier if I just carried you there." Before she can object, he lifts her up into his arms. "Besides, you don't weigh anything," he adds grinning.
It's about twenty paces across the room and they're inside the bathroom. He sets her down so she's standing beside the toilet.
When he reaches down and starts to unfasten her pants for her, she flinches.
"I'm sorry... I—"
"I can do this myself!" she snaps. "Get this damned cord off my wrists!" She turns her wrists toward him.
Cole sighs. "He's got a camera in here too."
"Fine." She turns back to face him.
God, this is humiliating.
She's not sure if there's toilet paper and she's not about to ask this guy for help.
She finishes and he helps her with her pants.
"Any idea how long he plans to keep me here?"
"Nope."
"How long have you been his victim?"
"About a month ago, I came home to find pictures of my daughter all over my apartment. I can't even talk about it."
"I'm sorry, Cole."
He picks her up and they exit the bathroom.
"There's a bed in the corner. It's not much, but it'll be more comfortable than the floor."
"That's fine."
He crosses the room and sets her down on the mattress, then remains beside her.
She sits up, leaving her feet on the floor. "Can you take my blindfold off?"
Another sigh. "Nope, sor—"
He's interrupted by a beeping sound. It sounds like a pager.
"What's that about?" she asks.
"That means I've gotta go." He wanders to the other side of the room to get her water bottle and returns. "Do you want the rest of your water?"
"How am I supposed to drink the water or use the bathroom, when he won't let me use my hands?"
"That's why I'm here." He perches on the edge of the bed facing her. "I'll have to get you a pager."
"Can you loosen the cord on my wrists? Tie them in the front? Something?"
Cole leans in close to her. His hands reach around to her back and he's touching her hands, wrists and the cord. She assumes he's examining them.
"You've got some abrasions here…," he says after a minute. His thumb and fingers lightly stroke her wrists where the tight twine caused some soreness. He casually picks the knot she was working on, loosening it a bit. "…I'll have to come back with something to treat this."
"Thanks," she whispers.
She's a little more comfortable. She hopes she'll be able to get out of them quicker.
"He'll want me to put the tape back on you. I know it's tempting to scream for help, but unfortunately, no one will know about it except him."
"So where are we?"
"About all I can tell you is East River Park. I'll be back. Bye, Alex."
"Bye, Cole."
She hears the door close and she's alone again.
She stretches out on the bed and rolls over onto her side, pulling her feet up. It's an improvement from the floor. She's a little cold though.
If this…Malik character won't take a bribe, then what's this about? Intimidation? Blackmail?
As long as there's some reason this perp wants to keep her alive, she's got a chance of escaping.
Meanwhile, Cole's helping her but encouraging her not to fight back.
He obviously knows more than he's ready to admit.
He's thinking of his daughter and not taking risks. It's understandable.
She'll find a way to press him for information and probably talk him through a plan to help them escape and get his daughter back.
She resumes picking at the knots in the rope by her wrists. Cole made it a tad more comfortable, but not any looser. She continues until she starts feeling drowsy and drifts into a light sleep.
x x x
~PRESENT~
He remembers the last time he felt this anxious…
I've been with your partner all night.
We're having a great time.
—Sebastian.
The thought of someone like Sebastian abducting his partner with the intent of torturing and killing her is something he still hasn't gotten over.
Fortunately it wasn't Sebastian, and Eames made it out of there alive. Jo Gage wasn't the same person he once knew and respected and that was a tough pill to swallow.
He agrees to go with Benson and Stabler to their precinct to answer some questions and meet with Captain Cragen. Moments later, they all enter Special Victims Unit.
Suspicious glances are passed in his direction from a few of the officers as he's arriving.
Maybe it's because they all knew him as Eames's old partner. Maybe it's because he was fired from Major Case.
He doesn't bother to address any of them, just keeps his head lowered.
When he enters the bullpen he's approached by Detectives John Munch and Fin Tutuola. They offer a friendly smile along with their condolences over Captain Ross's death and their concerns for Eames.
Maybe his anger is a little misdirected. The four detectives are doing their best to be supportive and he knows what it's like to be in their shoes.
And he genuinely likes them. They're tough cops and this isn't an easy unit to work in.
The group remains in the bullpen making small talk while they wait for Captain Cragen to finish a phone call and join them.
Bobby's eyes are suddenly drawn toward the door when he sees a familiar face enter. The visitor peers around the precinct, makes eye contact with Bobby and then makes his way over.
"Detective Nichols…?" Bobby greets as he approaches quizzically. The four SVU detectives follow curiously.
"Hey, Goren. Good to see you," Zach greets Bobby with a handshake.
"Yeah, you too."
"I understand you joined the dark side…" he teases. "What's it like working for the feds?"
Bobby grins. "Good. It's a comfortable outfit so far."
"SVU interviewed Stevens and Captain Callas earlier, but I wasn't there at the time. Stevens filled me in about Eames. I thought I'd come by and offer any help I could. What brings you here?"
"Umm… They wanted to ask me some questions," he explains.
He hears the inflection in Goren's tone and offers a sympathetic smile. "Listen… Do you think Hassan might be behind this?" he asks.
"Hassan who?" Elliot inquires curiously.
Zach sees Cragen exit his office and approach the group. He makes eye contact and greets him respectfully. "Hello, Captain."
"What can we do for you, Detective Nichols?"
"Who is working the case involving Alex Eames?"
"Me and Liv," Elliot answers.
"I have a couple thoughts about the case…" His gaze drifts among the group, including a few curious officers who had just walked up to find out what's going on. "Sorry, but some of this has to do with another case. Need-to-know only. Is there some place the five of us can speak privately?" He gestures quickly between himself, Goren, Cragen, Stabler and Benson.
"Let's take this to my office," Cragen answers. He closes the door once they're all inside. "So what's this about?"
"Umm… To answer your question, Elliot…" he begins. "Hassan was set to take over as the ruler of Puntland after his father was killed. He was preparing to smuggle stinger missiles into Puntland. Feds were already involved. Captain Ross was working undercover when he was killed. We leaned on Hassan's sister, Kadra and she gave us everything—including the plans to kill Ross and a few others. The FBI put GPS tracking devices in a shipment of stinger missiles. The plan is to let them get stolen so the FBI can track them to the locations of several terrorist camps. Since Hassan is part of the operation, the plan only works if he goes free…"
"But…he killed your captain?" Olivia groans disapprovingly.
Bobby nods and frowns. "If we arrest Hassan, we lose what Ross worked for and what he died for. Ross wouldn't have wanted that."
"Hassan's days are numbered. He's made a lot of enemies," Nichols adds. "Anyway, I think he may be connected to Eames's disappearance. The timing is right."
"You're both saying Hassan can't be touched, even if he's involved with the abduction and rape of Alex Eames," Olivia remarks. "Would we be able to question him?"
"I'm working on that," Zach replies.
"Wait…" Bobby interrupts, shaking his head.
"He's capable of anything," Zach argues.
"He got what he came for. He should have left the country by now."
"We don't know that, Goren. We already know he kills whomever gets in his way. What's to stop him from seeking revenge?"
"He's after the power and the money."
"Let's find out where's he been these past two weeks since Eames went missing," Zach suggests.
"I'm willing to bet he'll lie low for a while. Besides, this is SVU's case. They have video evidence of Eames's attack and they say it's linked to other rapes. We should start with that," Bobby replies.
"I still say we don't rule out Hassan."
"We won't rule out anyone," Elliot agrees.
"I've got to be going now, but I'll be in touch with all of you."
"See you, Zach."
He waves to the group as he leaves. "Bye, everyone."
Cragen turns to Bobby. "Agent Goren, can I speak with you alone for a minute?"
"Sure, Captain."
"You two can continue your interview when I'm done. Room 1 is open," he tells Benson and Stabler.
The detectives leave and Cragen shuts the door behind them.
"First of all… I'm very sorry about Captain Ross. Danny was one of the best."
"Yeah, he was."
"And like everyone here, I'm concerned about Alex Eames. She's still one of our own. The investigation to rule you out as a suspect was not my call. I'm following the orders I was given. Your full cooperation is expected."
"Yes sir."
"Next, I've made a request with the bureau that you be temporarily assigned to SVU to assist us in this case. I'm still waiting for confirmation and I'll let you know when I receive it. I did this because I know you'll be a big help to us. However… I also know that you've had no problem circumventing authority in the past, especially when a case is personal to you, as this one obviously is. I can assure you that is not going to happen here," he adds sternly. "The pressure is on for all of us. Any problems, and you can head straight back to Federal Plaza. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes sir."
"Good." He opens the door and holds it for Bobby.
"Thanks, Captain," he adds as he walks out.
x x x
A minute later, Bobby joins Elliot and Olivia in the interrogation room.
Cragen wanders into the observation room, leans against the window and watches.
Bobby's posture slumps a bit. He's not had the chance to process the fact that Eames is missing, much less that she could be raped or that her life is in danger.
He feels empty inside. At the moment, it's better than the anger that he tries to suppress for the sake of staying in the loop.
He agreed to this so he complies. But he'd rather be canvassing the roads near the restaurant where they ate, and where she parked.
Maybe he'd go to her apartment next. Something there might to clue him in to her disappearance and help him find her.
Benson shows him pictures of the last few victims. He doesn't recognize any of the women. Nothing about them or the crime scenes strike him as familiar.
They move on to the questioning next. He recounts the last time he saw Eames, their dinner together, their conversations.
The days since he went to Quantico are pretty much all accounted for. The two days prior to him leaving are filled with running errands and packing. It's not much of an alibi of course.
A half-hour is spent on the people in their lives and anyone who might have had a problem with her. It doesn't seem to steer them toward any leads.
Finally, it's on to his and Alex's relationship.
"What was your relationship with your partner like just before you left?" Elliot asks.
"Good. No problems. A lot happened over the past few weeks, obviously. She's very loyal as a partner. We got along well."
"But she fired you…?"
"Yes," he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "She felt it would be kinder and gentler than leaving it for Captain Maas or someone else."
"And before then? What's the partnership been like in the past?"
"Oh, we've hit some bumps in the road just like other partners. I'd say it's been good for a long time."
"You said you two had dinner the night you both left Major Case… Was this a routine thing? Do you eat together often?"
"No, not really. We'd grab a bite if we're working and it gets late. Just like the two of you, I'm sure," he replies, gesturing across the table.
Elliot hesitates before his next question. "Is there…or has there ever been a romantic relationship between the two of you?"
His brow furrows. "What?"
"Were you two romantically involved?"
He shakes his head. "No. We're professional."
"Have you, or has she expressed any romantic feelings recently, even if it wasn't reciprocated?"
"No," he answers.
"Have you two ever been sexually involved, or has there been any occurrences of sexual contact in the relationship?"
"Like I said… We're professional." He's answering them calmly, but he feels the tension in him rising.
"Are there incidents of sexual harassment that went unreported?"
"Are you serious?"
"I have ask these questions."
"NO, I've never sexually harassed her! I'd never do such a thing!"
They could be out trying to find Eames right now. Instead, they're burning daylight hours on this crap.
"You need to hear about my sex life next?" He charges. He'll have to go back a couple years, maybe cite a fling or two that he'd rather leave in the past.
"As a matter of fact… Yes," Elliot answers, eyeing the tablet and trying not to be put off by Goren's escalating temper.
Elliot knows his captain is watching. While he can't exactly blame Goren, this isn't his fault either.
"There's been no one for a while," Bobby sighs. "I've been busy."
"How many dates have you and Eames been on?"
He settles back in his chair with his arms folded, glaring.
"Do you want me to repeat the question?"
"What about the two of you?" he counters. The corner of his lips lift into an amused smile and he can't resist chuckling. "I mean… God knows how many rumors have flown around the NYPD about Benson and Stabler."
"Goren—"
"How many times has your marriage to Kathy suffered because of Benson, huh?"
It's a cheap shot and he knows it. But he's reaching his limit.
"Enough!" Olivia snaps irritably in defense of her partner.
"We've been in here for over an hour and this isn't getting us anywhere! We should be out looking for Eames!"
Elliot nudges Olivia, wanting to step outside the room so he can speak to her alone.
"We'll be right back," he tells Bobby, grabbing his tablet up from the table. The two get up from their chairs and walk into the observation room.
As the door closes, Cragen steps toward them. "Do you need me to talk to him again?" he offers.
Elliot shakes his head and turns toward his partner. "Liv, could you give me a few minutes alone to talk to him? I want to smooth some of this over."
"Sure," she agrees. "I'm getting hungry and we skipped lunch. Might just grab some Pad Thai. Want anything?"
Elliot takes out his wallet and hands her a few bills. "The same. And get something for Goren."
"Do you think he'll eat?"
"If not, Munch or Fin will." He turns to Cragen. "How about you?"
"I've got a late lunch with Tucker at Internal Affairs, but I'll probably lose my appetite before I get there," he says wryly. "I'll be leaving in a few. Call me if this gets out of hand. We'll talk later."
"Sure, Captain."
Cragen leaves the observation room a second later.
"Thanks, Liv," Elliot adds, as he wanders toward the interrogation room door.
"Good luck," she smiles back.
Goren glances up from the table as Elliot enters alone. He sits back down in his chair.
"Where's Benson?"
"She went to get some lunch. I asked her to pick up something for both of us. I hope you like Pad Thai, it's Liv's favorite," he grins.
"Thanks." He peers back at him, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry for the crack I made about Kathy and Olivia… That was out of line."
"If I were in your shoes and Liv was missing, do you honestly think I would be any better at these questions?"
"Yeah, but—"
Elliot waves his hands to interject. "I know where you're coming from. Liv and I were forced to take a psychological exam once. They were trying to decide whether to split us up."
"Why?"
He smirks. "Well… There could be a few reasons. One comes to mind. There was this pedophile case we had a few years back. One of the worst we've ever dealt with. Perp kills a family, abducts the two youngest—a little boy and girl. We tracked him to the bus terminal. He's got the children with him. Liv corners him. She tries to get a shot, but there's too many people around. The perp pulls a knife, cuts Liv's throat and disappears somewhere in the terminal with the kids. I saw him cut her and then take off. I panicked. I thought she was going to die, so I went to her side instead of following them. Liv's okay with a few stitches. The perp cuts the little boy's throat a minute later and leaves him to die on the train platform. He escapes with the little girl. I still blame myself for that boy's death," he says, shaking his head. "Later in the case, we track the perp to a warehouse. He's got a gun to my head, Liv's got him in range. The perp uses me as a shield. I trusted Liv to take the shot, but she wouldn't. A sniper shoots the perp and we saved the little girl. Bottom line, Liv and I both chose each other over the job… You know how that looks on paper."
Bobby nods and frowns. "Sounds like a tough case."
"You and I are no different. The brass love to gripe about anger issues."
"I'd love to find a cop who doesn't have anger issues."
"Exactly. I work in sex crimes because I like to think I'm getting rapists and child molesters off the street. But also because I know my partner will not stop doing this job until it kills her. I'll have her back through any shit-storm and she'll do the same for me. I'm sure it was no different for you and Alex. I think the world of Eames, you know I do. I want this creep caught, Eames and the others brought back safe and justice for all of the victims. You have to know that I'm on your side through this case no matter what the guys downtown say. So is Liv, and so is this unit. But we'll have to put up with some irritations along the way…" He holds up his note pad then tosses it back down. It slides across the table a little further from where they sit. "And it only gets uglier when the guys downtown are involved."
He eyes the note pad and nods. "Yeah, I get it."
"Liv keeps me from losing my job."
"Alex did the same for me. As much as she could anyway," he frowns.
"Sounds like a good partner."
"She's the best." Bobby turns his focus to the pictures Olivia set out. He pulls them closer to examine them again. "You've got three confirmed bodies… How many are still missing and how many DVDs have come in?"
"Three are missing, including Alex. Two girls disappeared the same night in approximately the same area. We suspect it's our perp, but only one DVD has come in and that's Alex."
He studies the pictures of the deceased victims, which also includes notes of where the bodies were found, the last place they were seen alive, and some general information.
Elliot retrieves a photo set of the missing girls with some statistics and hands those to Bobby. Alex's picture is the last. It's the same picture as her last NYPD photo ID.
Bobby stares at it and some grief wells up in him. He sets all the pictures back down on the table and continues eyeing different stats about the dead victims.
"What are you thinking, Goren?"
"There are no real similarities here. The women didn't know each other. One's a school teacher. One works for the county. One runs a pet-sitting service. Your missing women include a waitress, a pharmacy clerk, and a cop. No evidence of them being robbed. No one tried to use their ATM cards. The DVD is what stands out. He sends you guys the DVDs because he wants SVU to know what he's doing."
"So how does he end up choosing a Major Case detective as his latest victim? Was she part of the plan? Did he knowingly grab a cop? Or was it random? That's what I can't figure out."
Bobby gazes dejectedly at Alex's picture without replying.
Elliot sighs. "He's definitely got the NYPD's attention."
x x x
TBC…
Next, Chapter 3 - Flight