Chapter 46

The Kyle Point Marina

Olivia pulled into the parking lot, flying over the speed bumps and jostling everything in the car.

Fin came in over the radio, "Remember Liv, this is a trap. We're right here. As soon as we can disarm his cameras we'll run in. In the meantime, sit tight. No heroics. You're no good to her dead."

"Fin, I can't wait in the car for you. We're at 37 minutes. You better hurry, because I'm going in.

"Captain!" She could hear Fin calling out to her over the the radio and she silenced it. How could she wait? How could they think she could possibly stay in the car knowing Amanda was in there being tortured in God knows what way?

Olivia opened the entrance of a chain linked gate. There were freight ships to the right of her, and cargo—all laid out on the dock. The smell of the ocean impregnated the air. The scent usually calming to her nerves, now only serving as a reminder that she may never get to experience this with Amanda and their family together.

She took a deep breath, stilling her very soul, and begging her beating heart to focus. She walked through a corridor towards a heavy metal door. She could see a white, weathered outdoor camera above it. This had to be the place. 'Please God let this be the place.'

If the FBI had done their job, Lucas would have no idea she was there. Otherwise, he knew exactly where she was.

When she reached for the handle she realized the door was locked. Naturally, he wouldn't make this easy for her.

She pulled out her kit and swiftly picked the lock as drops of sweat poured down her face. Olivia opened the door so gently. As gingerly as she did when checking on Noah or Jessie when they were fast asleep.

She rationalized that her only chance was to catch him by surprise. She stops. How could that be a possibility unless the FBI had found a way to infiltrate the inside of the compound?

She stepped over to the side and turned on her radio asking Fin.

It only took minutes but it felt like hours as the FBI disabled the inner media workings. The outdoor had already been taken care of before she'd arrived.

"I'm coming, Amanda." She quietly said to herself as she entered the dark and humid hallway.

Amanda feels the heaviness of the alcohol still coursing through her system. Williams is trying to keep her upright as he begins to bind her arm to a similar hanging restraint as she had witnessed on Vanessa Mayor.

He already has her left arm and leg tethered when she hears it. They both do. Like two hound dogs they turn their attention towards the sound.

Williams delightfully sings, "I think wifey's here!"

"No." Amanda barely mumbles, terrified for Olivia.

"Oh yeah." He roughly pinches Amanda's bruised face between his fingers. He pulls out his gun with one hand and waves it tauntingly in front of her. "She's comin for ya, but I'm ready for her, baby. I'm gonna take her, and do such wonderful things to her. You may live yet, Mandi girl, but I promise you…she won't."

He never notices at that moment, Amanda reaching inside his pocket, where she studied he kept his knife. She carefully removes it as she stares into his soulless eyes and slashes his protruding belly from the bottom up. Amanda hopes she gut him like a pig. Williams Wales horribly and pulls away as he drops his gun. Amanda is in a state of disbelief at her own success. Renowned hope fills her with energy, realizing she's finally injured him.

Amanda, now taking advantage of the situation, works quickly to cut her left wrist lose from it's prison. She struggles greatly to pry her hand, hearing him writhing in pain on the floor. With her hand loose she reaches for her still bleeding foot. It's almost out when she feels a jerk to her hair, yanking her head back.

"You fucking bitch!"

She can't keep her balance. If not for her injured foot then for the way he tears at her, so desperate and violent.

She cries out in pain as she finds herself fighting for her life on the ground. She lost the knife, the same as he did his gun when they went down. But hits are coming at her in all directions, all over her sore body, blinding her eyes and disorienting her sense of space and time. But Amanda knows this is her last chance and she will give as good as she gets.

Within the struggle Williams is frantically reaching for his weapon. Amanda manages to knee him in the groin causing him to groan loudly. His face turns red, temporarily losing his ability to breath.

She can't find the gun but she sees the knife. She throws herself over his head, as far as her tether allows and feels her fingers wrap around it.

'Oh God!' "No!" Amanda screams as she feels her injured and tethered foot being jerked towards him.

Amanda swings her left hand with all her might to stab him anywhere it will land, but he pins it behind her head as he circles his calloused, large hand over her throat. He is straddling her now, the blood from his lacerated belly dripping over her as he chokes her to death.

Amanda is kicking her feet and knees; trying to claw at his face and eyes with her right hand. The swelling in her right wrist forgotten, for her vision is starting to fade and all she sees is an angry, bleeding, sweaty monster trying to kill her with all his might.

Amanda closes her eyes because with the pressure, she feels as if they are about to pop out of their sockets. As the oxygen flees her, she imagines Olivia. She sees her beautiful face above her, as her hair hangs freely. That is what's tickling her face, Olivia's honey strands, not his vile drops of sweat and blood as he chokes the life out of her.

'I'm sorry Liv. I'm sorry Jessie…Noah…Frannie.' She thinks to herself. Sadly knowing the thoughts are hers and hers alone, for she will never get to say them to the ones she loves most.

As the world is finally fading to that other place she faintly hears, "AMANDA!"

At least her mind would play this trick and let her hear Olivia's voice once again. Except, momentarily she feels a bit of oxygen get through her passageways.

She opens her eyes and finds Williams has temporarily loosened his grip as something has caught his attention behind her. Amanda realizes with renewed aspiration, 'Olivia!'

The younger woman musters what little is left of her life line and she claws out his left eye.

"Amanda!" Olivia yells for the detective, lying in blood on the ground as she see's William's grab ahold of his eye. He passes out.

Olivia dives for Amanda. "Amanda, Oh God!" She reaches for her radio, "I need a bus!" She gently and quickly brings the younger woman onto her lap.

"Liv?" Amanda can barely form her name through her sobs as she reaches out to touch her. Amanda needs to make sure she isn't dreaming again.

Olivia takes her uninjured hand and kisses it, pressing it to her face, "I'm here. Oh God baby, I'm right here." Olivia brings her face down to Amanda's head, unconsciously rocking her. "What can I do? Where are you hurt?"

But Amanda is exhausted. She feels a sense of relief for the first time in hours. She just wants to sleep. Olivia, in getting no answer, is searching her entire body. She reaches for her foot to remove it from it's restraint, "I gotta get you outta here." Olivia is frantic. But Amanda cries out in pain! "Shot me."

"Okay, okay. I'm so sorry." Olivia gently frees her bleeding extremity.

Olivia decides, as much as it may hurt the blonde's ailing body, she needs to pick her up and take her out of there immediately. But before she can do that, she needs to cuff Williams, although she's certain he's now dead. She needs to find Vanessa Mayor. Olivia's mind is racing.

"Manda, I'm gonna get you out of here, but I need to restrain him, just in case."

Olivia turns around to the dead man, but like a monster from a horror movie, he lunges at her.

She hears Amanda cry out as she begins to struggle with him. Olivia immediately pulls her gun but he kicks it out of her hand. She punches him across the face and kicks him in the knee, momentarily getting lose from his grasp. He tries to hit her in the chest and abs but she's wearing her vest and his strikes are useless on her. She reaches for her second weapon, the one she keeps tucked into her ankle it leaves her neck vulnerable. It is only for a second, but he manages to nail her over her trachea. Williams has gone past his taunting, gratuitous torture.

He is trying to kill her.

With her breath knocked out of her, she's the one now rolling on the ground, coughing violently as she reaches for her neck. In the process she's lost her line of sight on Amanda as she struggles to gain control.

"You fucking cunt!" He yells at her. "You all thought you would defeat me?" He wobbles over her with his injuries; his eye dark and blind with blood, his belly burning from the laceration that wouldn't stop bleeding yet was too superficial to cause any real damage. He is struggling to keep his bearings and assert his dominance.

Olivia is gasping and wheezing, fighting to get herself upright.

Amanda is dragging herself on the floor but Williams is too concerned with Olivia. The Captain knows Fin and the rest of the police will arrive any moment. She also knows it took her af few minutes to find Amanda in this labyrinth of a warehouse he created. But in the distance she can hear the sound of steel doors flying open. Surely they have arrived.

With no time to waste, Williams pulls a flying gaff from the wall. He raises his arms wide as he stands over Olivia Benson, "I regret we didn't have more time."

Within seconds, his arms begin their descent with murderous intention, Olivia raises her hand in futile defense when she hears a roaring gunshot. Warm blood is splattered on her face as she stares in disbelief. With his head blown she quickly moves out of the way as he falls to the ground beside her.

Behind him stands Amanda, with Olivia's gun in her hand, smoke still existing the pistol. Amanda locks eyes with her and drops to the ground. Olivia rushes to Amanda, pulling her onto her lap as Fin, Carisi, the squad, FBI and God knows who else rushes in.

"We need a bus!" She tries to yell but it comes out in a raspy whisper.

Fin is kneeling besides her but Olivia only has eyes for Amanda. He reassures her, "It's okay, they're almost here."

"Amanda." Olivia shakes her but the blonde is unconscious. She takes off her jacket and drapes it over Amanda, "Help me!" She begs of Fin as he helps lift her into Olivia's arms.

Olivia keeps her close, as she walks out of the building with Amanda in her arms; Fin supporting her head. Everyone moves in synchronous harmony as they opens doors and make a clear path for them. Olivia felt she had walked a mile by the time she got outside. Her eyes squinting in the sunlight, she can barely make out the ambulance that has just arrived.

Carisi appears out of nowhere. With sympathy and concern in his eyes he helps guide the paramedics to them as he stares on, drawing as close as he can without getting in the way.

Everything is taking forever and happening in slow motion for Olivia. But she hears the paramedics loudly plead, "Captain Benson!"

She snaps out of her stupor, "37 year old female, shot, beaten, burned and…" Olivia closes her eyes struggling to form the words, "possibly sexually assaulted, at 22 weeks gestation." She spews out the words as they attempt to take Amanda from her.

"Captain?" The young woman looks at her with urgency but sympathy. "You need to let go now. We need to take care of her. Let her go."

Olivia holds Amanda in a vice grip and although she sounded rational just a second ago, Fin is well aware she is completely in shock.

"Liv, you gotta let Amanda go. Put her down, Liv." Fin urges on as he gently pries her hands off of Amanda and helps to guide and lay her on the gurney.

He takes a deep breath when the paramedics are finally able to start working on her. He sees Olivia instinctively moving towards the truck.

"Liv, you're hurt too." Fin mouths off but Olivia ignores him as she steps into the ambulance.

"Captain, let us take a look at you."

"No! I need all your attention on saving my partner and baby! Do you understand?!" Olivia is fierce and incredibly frightening. So much so that the EMT only nods her head in response.

Fin and Carisi jump in the black SVU and follow closely.

Olivia is praying with devotion anew that Amanda be saved. All she wants is for Amanda to survive this. She's trying to pay attention, but they are moving and talking so fast. Olivia is incredibly overwhelmed with everything happening all at once.

Amanda is being given oxygen, but despite this, her saturation keeps dropping.

"He gave her a ton of alcohol," she added, hoping her input, any input could save her life.

Mere seconds later Liv hears a loud beeping sound with the older, female paramedic saying, "She's crashing. We need to intubate."

"Oh my God." Olivia's hand comes up to cover her mouth. With her free hand, she holds Amanda's and she squeezes tightly, quietly begging her, "Come on Amanda. Fight! Please baby, I need you to fight." Olivia shakes her head not knowing why she can't see clearly. She didn't realize that from the moment Amanda collapsed there was a constant streak of tears pouring down her face that hadn't seized.

Olivia feels as if it's taken hours to arrive at the ER. In reality it took less than ten minutes.

The first person she saw was Katy, her PA friend.

"Oh my God! Amanda?! Olivia?" She immediately begins to tend to Amanda as she's rushed in. "Jesus, what happened?!"

Between a storm of doctors, nurses and medical personal rushing all around Amanda, Olivia interjects pieces of the story. She gives Katy and the doctors all the information that she knew; all the horrors that had been done to Amanda while on screen time. The only injury she was aware of, that happened in between, was Amanda's gunshot wound to her foot. But she dreaded to find out what else could have happened in that time.