Trigger warning- school violence

Chapter 28

"I know my rights. I want a lawyer now."

"That is your right," Rollins agrees, pushing away from the table.

Liv waits as her detectives exit the interrogation room into her office. "We knew he was going to lawyer up."

"He's good for this, Lue."

She nods. "See if the vic is good to come in to ID him." There's a quick knock on her door and she adverts her attention to find Rita Calhoun standing in the threshold. "That was fast."

"I'm not here for the dirtbag in interrogation," she answers. "You got a minute?"

"We'll go talk to Mandy," Rollins offers, she and Carisi leaving her office.

"Shelia made bail," she deduces.

Rita nods. "Last night. I'm not one to break client-attorney privilege, but she was unhinged. I haven't been able to contact her, I have no idea where she is."

Her stomach drops. "Fin," she calls, heading out into the squad room. "The tracker. Where is Shelia?"

The phone is on his desk and he brings up the screen with the trackers gps. "GPS says she's at her house."

"I was just there," Rita replies. "And she wasn't."

"Put out an APB," Liv orders. "Get units over there, now."

At that very moment, their phones erupt one by one, ringing furiously. Fin answers the first one, his expression immediately dropping as he looks to her.

"What?" She questions.

"We gotta go," he hangs up the phone, grabbing his jacket. "It's Noah."

...

"I had to not so politely tell him stop calling my office," Jack informs. Rafael can't help the smirk that crosses his face. "And how'd he take that?"

Jack shrugs. "I've dealt with worse. Hank Abraham's welcome has run dry in the commissioners office, or so I've heard. But I'm not here to talk about Abraham, am I?"

Rafael fidgets on his couch under Jack's assessing gaze. "I need some time off."

"Everything ok?"

"No...not really."

Jack's brow softens. "That last case, the Ozuna girl...it was disturbing."

Rafael nods. "...it's not just the case, Jack, though it hasn't helped."

There's a quick wrap at his door and Carmen enters in a flurry. "I'm sorry to interrupt...Mr. Barba, you need to see this." She crosses his office to turn on the TV.

The news comes to life and he watches as the camera's pan an active scene. It takes him a minute to register that it's a school with all of the flashing lights of squad cars and ambulances surrounding it.

"Where is this?" Jack questions.

"Breaking news: Harris Elementary is being evacuated due to an active threat. We don't yet know if there is an active shooter-"

His stomach drops. "Noah."

...

"Fin, you need to go faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, Liv!"

Even with the lights it feels like they're creeping by. She rubs her chest, trying to remain calm, to not immediately think the worst.

When the school finally comes into view, the street is littered with police cars and ambulances. The press has already been roped off and there are cars with parents everywhere trying to get through.

She's out of the car the minute Fin stops, pushing her way through the crowds, flashing her badge at anyone that dares to stop her. When she finally makes it through the press, ESU is already on sight and an officer stops her.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. We've got an active scene here."

"I'm Lieutenant Benson, SVU...my son goes to this school."

He nods, letting her through the barricade. It's slight chaos everywhere as ESU, paramedics and officers set up various stations out front of the school. Children are screaming, crying and she scans the crowd. "What happened?" She questions.

"School got a threatening phone call. Students were out a recess when it came in. Staff said they heard gun shots."

She swallows hard. "Was anyone hurt?"

The ESU officer shakes his head. "Just shaken up. A lot of panicked teachers and students. We're checking the premise just to be sure."

Liv nods, heading through the thick of the crowd in search of her son. There seems to be a makeshift command centre where police, school staff and paramedics have set up emergency tents to block out the press. She spots Principal Smiley among the crowd, attempting to sooth a group of kindergarteners. "Principal Smiley!"

The women's gaze connects with hers. "Check with the paramedic over there," she nods towards an EMT with a clipboard. "They're talking student names and will help you find Noah."

She nods, heading over to the paramedic, flashing her badge. "Lieutenant Benson, SVU."

"Are you looking for a student, Lieutenant?" They question.

"I'm looking for my son, Noah Porter-Benson."

The paramedics flip through the pages on their clipboard. "He was transported to Mercy. His breathing was concerning; likely a panic attack."

She tries to inhale. "But otherwise he was ok?"

The paramedic nods. "We sent him with his grandmother."

...

The hospital is chaos as Rafael steps off the elevator. Parents with children consume the waiting area and he maneuvers his way through to the front desk.

"How can I help you, sir?" The nurse questions.

"I'm ADA Rafael Barba...I'm looking for Lieutenant Benson."

"Right this way."

He follows here around the desk down the hall and the minute he sees her he knows.

Her gaze connects with his and his steps quicken to get to her.

She's in his arms immediately. "How long?" He questions.

"30 minutes, but they can't be sure."

"Security cameras?"

Pulling back, she wipes her eyes quickly. "They have Shelia taking him through the back stairwell. The Amber alert is already out."

He nods, framing his hands around her face. "We're going to find him."

...

"What have we got?" She questions.

Rollin's points to the board already pinned with their leads. "Credit card shows she purchased a car seat and clothing items. She emptied her bank account over the last few weeks."

Liv rubs her bottom lip. "She planned this."

"The monitor went dead 20 minutes ago, not that it matters, " Fin informs. "Turns out she hacked the GPS reader."

"She could have been anywhere at anytime," Rafael provides. Fin nods.

"We've run her photo and Noah's through facial recognition to see if we get any hits," Carisi assures. "We've got units at the airport, train and bus stations. We're gonna find him, Liv."

Rafael rubs her back seeing the tears well in her eyes.

Dodds makes his way through the precinct joining them in the meeting area. "What do you need from me?"

Her voice is caught in her throat, and she turns to head to her office.

"More man power," Fin answers.

"You've got it," Dodds assures. "She knows that she can't be anywhere near this, right?"

The anger bubbles inside Rafael. "You can't keep her from finding her son."

"And neither can you," Dodds points out. "Go home, let us handle this."

"There's no way in hell either of us are leaving this precinct-"

"-and run the risk of compromising this case? You should know better than anyone, Counsellor that you're both too close to this."

Rafael is poised to fire back but Fin's in his space, pushing him back. "Go to Liv," he instructs. "We've got this."

The anger is just there on the surface and he wants to fight, to argue, if only to stop the fear that's crawling up his throat. "Fin-"

"-trust me. There isn't a place on this earth she's gonna be able to hide."

He nods, turning towards her office. She's pacing, and he closes the door behind him, closing the blinds.

"Do you know how many times I've told parents to stay calm?...you don't know how ridiculous that sounds until it happens to you-"

"-amor-"

"-I can't," she's rubbing her chest, trying to pull air into her lungs. "What if he's hurt, Rafa? The paramedic said he was...having trouble breathing, what if it's asthma, what if-"

"-don't do this, Liv." He's already run through every morbid scenario and he's only just keeping it together himself. "He's going to be ok, we're going to find him."

Tears threaten to fall and she crosses her office seeking his embrace. Rafael envelops her in his arms tightly.

"...What if he's crying for me, Rafa?" She whispers. "And I'm not there?"

He holds her tighter.

...

It's hard to see through his tears, but Noah tries his hardest to pay attention to the houses and street signs that go by.

The woman keeps glancing at him through the tiny mirror and he tries not to let her see how scared he is.

"Are you hungry?" She questions. "Thirsty?"

He doesn't say anything because he knows he's not supposed to talk to strangers. His chest still feels funny and he should have his inhaler only he left it in his backpack at school.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

If he lies and says yes, maybe she'll stop driving, maybe she'll let him get out of the car. Then he can tell somebody or run away. "Yes," he lies.

They drive some more and then she stops at a gas station. She turns in her seat to look back at him. "We're going to go into the store, ok? And you're going to use the washroom. You're not going to say anything to anyone, ok? Because if you do, I'll go back to your apartment and hurt your Mommy."

Noah blinks back his tears, nodding.

She gets out of the car, and she circles around to open his door. "No funny business, got it?"

Noah nods again, climbing out of the car. She reaches for his hand and he jerks it back out of her reach.

The look she gives him scares him.

She reaches for his hand again and this time, he lets her take it.

There's a bell over the door that rings when they enter. There are TVs hanging from the ceiling and Noah looks for the security cameras making sure they see his whole face. The woman tugs him along to the back of the store and she opens the bathroom door for him.

"I'll wait outside for you."

He enters the bathroom, closing the door behind him. There aren't any windows so he can't climb out one. He has to think quick. He needs to let the workers know that he was here so that they can tell his momma and Uncle Rafa.

His sweater.

Taking off his jacket, Noah quickly takes off his sweater looking at the tag. Just as he had hoped, his mom had written his name on the tag. He quickly shoves it into the garbage can putting his coat back on. He uses the bathroom (because he's not sure when he'll get another chance), washes his hand and opens the door.

She's waiting for him with a smile, and Noah takes her outstretched hand. As they head back through the store, he looks for the camera's again. He sees one above where you pay.

"I'm hungry."

The woman stops, looking down at him. "Do you want a candy bar?"

He nods, picking one out. She heads to the cash and Noah makes sure to look right into the camera.

...

His phone buzzes from his pocket, and she pulls back enough from his embrace on her couch so that he can answer it. She catches his mother's name across the screen.

"Mom," he answers. "About lunch-"

She can hear Lucia over the phone. "-I saw the news! What can I do, mijo? Do you need anything? I can bring you some food, what does Olivia like?"

Liv smiles a little.

"We're ok...just pray."

"I will. Call me if you need anything, alright? Give Olivia my love."

"I will," he assures.

He hangs up, returning his phone to his pocket and she returns her head to his chest. "...you two were going to have lunch?"

Rafael nods. "...after I dropped Noah off this morning she called and I answered...I don't wan't to keep secrets...especially if she's going to be a part of Noah's life."

"I'd rather you tell her the truth for yourself, Rafa."

He presses his lips to her forehead. "Are you hungry? Can I get you something? Coffee?"

He's changing the subject, and she let's him. "I don't know if I could keep anything down."

There's a knock at her door, Fin entering. "We've got something."

They're both getting to their feet following him out into the squad room.

"Facial recognition caught Noah's face," Fin begins, pointing to the monitor.

Liv exhales. "He looks ok."

Rafael rubs her back. "Where is this?"

"Gas station just outside of Manhattan," Fin answers. "We've got units already on their way, Carisi and Rollins are en-route."

She watches the footage on loop as Noah enters the gas station, his bright blue eyes looking directly into the cameras. Liv can tell that he'd been crying, but apart from that, he doesn't look physically harmed.

"He knew to look into the cameras," Rafael points out. "He's thinking like you, Liv."

Tears fill her eyes and she quickly wipes them away, nodding.

Fin's phone rings and he puts it on speaker. "You're on speaker, Carisi."

"He was here, Liv. We found his sweater stuffed in the bathroom garbage can. His name's on the tag."

"Smart thinking, Mijo," Rafael sighs.

"Get it to the lab, test it for everything," she orders.

"On it...we're going to run the security cams outside to see if we can get a plate. We'll keep you posted."

TBC