Chapter 3
The young man, whose name was Albert Diaz, was absolutely terrified. He was not going to rat on BX9 and he certainly wasn't interested in talking to the woman who shot him. Duarte was trying to heavy hand the kid while Olivia didn't think that was such a good idea. Elliot wanted to pull the Gang Unit Captain out into the hallway, but he couldn't interfere. Technically, he was on loan from OCCB, or that's what he was telling people. His phone buzzed and he stepped out into the hallway.
"Stabler,"
"I know you're with the Captain, but the ADA just called. We're going to need you in court for some grand jury testimony. Can you be there in ninety minutes? I can get them to push it to two hours but that's it." It was Sergeant Bell on the other end of the call. Elliot wasn't supposed to be due in court until the next day so that made him wonder if his latest case was falling apart.
"I'll be there," he promised before hanging up. He walked back inside the kid's hospital room and cleared his throat.
"Captains – can I see you outside?" He asked. Duarte gave him a look and Olivia shook her head but they both came out into the hall anyway.
"This kid is going to need protection before he gives you anything and even then, it might be hard to get him to budge. I know you both know that but one thing to remember is that you're working towards the same goal. I'm due in court. Good luck," with that he left them standing there.
"Dating a subordinate Captain?" Duarte asked.
"Hardly. Elliot used to be my partner. He was checking in on me after last night," Olivia gave him a look.
"He's still a detective?" The Gang Unit Captain raised an eyebrow.
"He left NYPD and rejoined about six years ago as a liaison detective in Italy," that was all she was prepared to give him. Duarte just nodded and headed back inside the hospital room. Heaving a sigh, Olivia followed him in. They needed to work together, even if it killed her.
Meanwhile, Fin stared at the mess that Bronx SVU was in. Boxes and boxes of cases that had not been solved were piled up in a conference room. Rape kits that hadn't been tested. The leaders of the unit had really failed and he was beginning to understand why Detective Terry Bruno did what he'd done. Blowing the whistle was never easy but if he hadn't this mess would have been much worse.
"I thought we were getting a Captain," Detective Bruno came up behind him. He offered the older man a cup of coffee.
"You'll have to settle for a Sergeant for now. Captain Benson had something she had to handle, but she'll be by later," Fin explained, gratefully taking the coffee.
"I beat she did. How'd she piss off BX9?" Bruno wanted to know.
"We ran into them while investigating the rape of a girl and the murder of her father. Caught the gang members who did it and put them away. I guess that was all that it took," the Sergeant told him.
"Those guys are a menace. Kind of like the guys who used to work here," Bruno forced out a breath.
"What case really bothered you? Let's start there and see if we can't get the Feds to go home," Fin said. The detective went right over to a box in the stack on the opposite end of the room.
"I've got a serial rapist who likes to attack deaf women. Problem is, there's already a guy behind bars," Bruno told him.
"You trying to make more work where there is none?" Fin gave him a look.
"The guy they arrested didn't do it. I almost lost my job pushing to exonerate Pup Peters," Bruno explained.
"All right, bring me up to speed," Fin told him as they took a seat at the conference room table.
To Be Continued…