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“We need to make a stop at the security desk, ok?”
Olivia looked over at Rafael where he leaned against the wall of the elevator, his dry cleaning bag hefted over his shoulder, briefcase and coffee in his hands. “Sure?”
He nodded but didn’t explain further.
They exited the elevator and detoured to the desk near the front door of the apartment building. Rafael sat his briefcase and coffee on the desk and let the dry cleaning satchel hit the floor. The man behind the desk stood and smiled.
“Good evening, Mr. Barba.”
“Good evening, Theo. You know you could call me Rafael.”
“Yes, but then Mrs. Stanger on the second floor would whine about familiarity.” He smiled as he spoke and Olivia figured out that this was a conversation Theo and Rafael had engaged in before.
“Theo, this is my friend and co-worker Lieutenant Benson. I’d like to get her a parking pass since I don’t have a car and would like her to be able to use my assigned space.”
“Sure, let me get the cards for her.” Theo turned and went through a door marked Private behind him.
“So, you are aware of my actual rank,” Olivia said quietly.
Rafael smirked at her over his shoulder but Theo returned before he could comment.
“I’ll need your ID on file Ms., er, Lieutenant?” Theo started to address her.
“I guess you can’t just call me Olivia?” she smiled at the young man who grinned. She took her credentials out of her pocket where she’d stashed them with her phone, pulled her badge out of her sweatshirt.
“We usually record license numbers for our paperwork, but would it be alright with you if I put your badge number instead? I’m pretty sure that’s the only thing any of the other security will notice anyway if you badge them.”
Olivia noticed his terminology. “You look a little young to be ex-job.”
Theo looked up from the clipboard where he was filling in a sheet of information. “Oh, sorry ma’am, my uncle is an ex-cop. He tells a lot of stories.” He handed back her ID wallet.
“Ugh, no, call me Lieu or call me Olivia, but don’t call me ma’am.” She grinned and took back the ID. Theo nodded at her.
“This card will get you in the security gate and the number for the parking space is printed on it,” he handed her a swipe card printed with the name of the apartment building and the number of Rafael’s apartment, “and this is for your car dash, just place it where it will be visible so when security patrols the lot we can see your car belongs there. There is an elevator from the parking structure and the swipe card will get you in there as well.”
Theo turned back to Rafael then, “Shall I add her to the approved list of visitors, Mr. Barba?”
“Sure, I don’t mind her showing up unannounced at midnight for a warrant, go ahead.” Theo looked a little doubtful until Rafael chuckled. “No, really Theo, put her down on the approved list. If she comes in the front door without me, she’s welcome to be here.”
Theo finished his forms and then looked up at Rafael again, “I think you are all set. Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?”
“I think that’s it. Thank you.”
“Have a great night, Mr. Barba, Lieu,” Theo nodded at them both.
“You too, Theo, thanks,” Olivia said. She snagged the dry cleaning before Rafael could do it and led the way out toward the car where she stashed the laundry in the back seat before opening the front car door for Rafael who had lagged behind having a last bit of conversation with Theo.
“Thanks, but I could have taken the bag,” Rafael said as he slid into the front seat.
“You could, but your hands are pretty full, I have just a coffee.” Oliva shut the door and closed the discussion with some satisfaction.
“Where to?” she asked when she was in the driver’s seat.
“The one-six, but the homicide floor, not yours. It’s only an attempted homicide for now, and by the time we get there it may be taken over by any number of alphabet agencies.”
They were five minutes into the drive when Rafael’s phone rang again. “Barba,” he answered and listened for a minute then continued, “On my way now, about ten minutes out I think?” He looked at Olivia.
“If I don’t spot a tail, yeah, ten or fifteen minutes. Friday night still has traffic issues.”
“Yeah, see you soon.” Barba shut down the phone and returned it to his jacket pocket. “Jack is meeting us there.”
“Your tone of voice tells me this isn’t a good development.”
“No, not really.” Rafael was quiet for several moments. “An ADA named Peterson was shot, his security detail caught one of the guys but two more got away. McCoy wants to get this guy flipped and wants the ADA doing it to NOT be one that’s named in the threats because technicalities get cases thrown out. Homicide caught it and hopefully has the guy ready to deal by the time I get there.”
Olivia let out a whistle. “Damn, how’s the ADA?”
“In surgery.”
They were quiet for the rest of the drive, drinking coffee and watching the street.
As they rounded the corner and came up on the one-six, Olivia glanced at Rafael out of the corner of her eye. He looked haggard again, obviously the new worry this evening was not sitting well, as it shouldn’t she figured.
“Rafael,” she said softly, “please stay in the car a minute, let me scope out the street before…”
“I get it, Liv,” he interrupted her, “I do. You do your job so I can do mine.” Olivia hated how tired he sounded, not like lack of sleep tired but a soul weariness tired that she’d never heard from him.
Olivia parked as close to the door as she could, there were two unmarkeds and a patrol car between her parking spot and safety. It was the best she was going to get so she sighed and went with it. She exited the car, took a good look around and saw nothing moving so she opened the passenger door and locked the car as she and Rafael started for the door of the building.
They were halfway between her car and the door when someone came around the corner of the building, moving fast. She grabbed Rafael’s arm with her left hand, pulling him behind her. She drew her weapon with her right hand and flicked off the safety automatically. “Hey, stop!”
The figure ran faster toward them and Olivia saw something glint a reflection from the streetlight. “Stop, police!” she yelled again then pushed Rafael down between the last two cars between them and the building door, taking cover herself and bracing her gun with her other hand and the hood of the patrol car. The figure kept coming and was close enough that the light over the door of the building illuminated the gun and the black mask over their face. “Last chance, scumbag, drop it or I shoot!”
Olivia’s voice was loud in Rafael’s ears, until the shot came and momentarily deafened him. There might have been another shot, but he was reeling from the first and wasn’t sure if he was hearing an echo or more actual gunfire. He laid on his back where he landed and waited for Liv to tell him it was clear or another shot that would block everything out forever.
Uniforms came out of the doors and swarmed the body on the sidewalk. Olivia turned to Rafael who was laying completely still, eyes wide to the night sky above. She could feel panic taking over, threatening to rise gorge in her throat. “Rafael!” she screamed, barely able to hear herself though she knew the ringing would stop soon.
In the instant it took her to kneel next to Rafael, dozens of thoughts flew through her mind’s eye. She remembered their first meeting and his smartass remark, his smirk, and the fact that he lived up to and surpassed his reputation for success in the courtroom. She saw his first meeting with Noah, how that initial caution turned into fondness and then adoration. She saw every drink they shared and every tiny nod in the courtroom he sent her acknowledging and thanking her for the support she offered in silence. She remembered the few but heated fights they had, and how she knew without realizing it that his anger, and maybe hers too if she were honest with herself, was seated in a fear of losing their friendship, their unconditional regard, their love.
Olivia pushed his shirt and jacket away, searching his Kevlar for a bullet, but it as clear. She ran her hands over his arms and legs, searching for blood, but there was none. She ran her hands over his belly and circled to his back where the Kevlar vest gapped above the waistband of his jeans, no blood. Finally, she ran her hands through his hair to the back of his head, all clear. He finally blinked.
“Goddammit, Rafael, you scared the shit outta me,” Olivia said and grabbed the Kevlar vest to sit him up and pull the polo shirt back over the vest, wrapping her arms around him and losing track of what she said after that, just glad he was breathing.
Rafael became aware of Olivia as her hands ran over his body, could hear again but wasn’t sure what she was saying. It sounded like ‘be ok, be ok, god tell me you’re ok’ but he couldn’t quite make out her words as there was a lot of shouting going on. Then there was the reflection of red and blue lights and a siren drowning out everything else until it stopped and the voices were still raised as new ones added to the mix. He blinked. Olivia jerked him upright and he was wrapped in her for a moment, and all he wanted to do was hold on to her warmth. So he did. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed deeply of her soap scented skin. Voices moved closer.
“We need to get inside,” she said.
Rafael nodded, his head moving against hers.
She stood and offered him a hand up. He took it, stood, and then looked down, wondering where his briefcase went. “My briefcase, I need it.”
Olivia looked around, then stooped back down and saw it had slid under the patrol car. She stretched out on the ground, reached as far as she could and snagged it, pulling it out. When she stood again Rafael had regained his composure, looked his usual self, if slightly underdressed for work.
As soon as they were inside the door they were inundated with suits, uniforms, as well as Jack McCoy and William Dodds.
“Gang’s all here,” Rafael muttered.
McCoy and Dodds pulled them out of the fray and into an office, Dodds shut the door and leaned against it. Everyone stayed quiet for several minutes.
“Do either of you need to see a paramedic?” McCoy asked.
They looked at one another and then back at McCoy, shaking their heads in the negative.
“That’s good.” McCoy nodded.
“You moonlighting, Lieutenant?” Dodds asked from the door.
“No sir,” Olivia turned back toward him, “but maybe I should?”
Dodds laughed, breaking the tension. “I apologize, Lieutenant, that was a poor excuse for a joke. Whatever the circumstances, we’re all glad you were where you were tonight.”
“Dinner with a colleague, what’s your excuse?” Rafael’s voice was his courtroom standard sarcasm and Olivia turned back to him to see which of their superiors he was aiming it at. He was looking at Dodds but McCoy answered.
“Double date at his place, where the ladies are no doubt comparing notes about being work-widows even as we speak.” McCoy didn’t laugh but had an amused look in his eye.
Dodds’ phone rang and he answered, barking questions and barely waiting for answers before giving instructions and hanging up the cell and pocketing it. He walked past Olivia and Rafael, rearranged the chairs in the room so they were facing the couch. He sat and gestured for the others to join him. Everyone sat, McCoy and Dodds on the couch, Olivia and Rafael facing them in the chairs.
“The good news, so far, is that this entire incident was caught on tape,” Dodds started. “IAB has the tape and is taking statements from the uniforms who were closest to the door and who heard you,” he nodded to Olivia, “identify yourself as police. Frankly I wouldn’t have given the guy three chances,” he held up his hand, stopping Olivia before she could protest. “They have assured me that there is no problem. They will need your weapon for their standard investigation, but they have promised to expedite it. I checked before you came in the building and know you already had the weekend off, so consider it a long weekend, report to psych-eval on Wednesday morning for the usual check in after a shooting and you will be reinstated. Your days off are with pay, you’re welcome.”
He turned to McCoy, “Nobody knows who was being shot at but the four of us,” he indicated everyone in the room. “Everyone out there,” he indicated the lobby of the station beyond the room, “has been interviewed and not one can ID Barba. My detectives at the hospital got a statement from the shooter, he was instructed just to shoot anyone coming in tonight, assuming they would be here to deal with the guy we have in the interrogation room.”
“Is the one at the hospital talking?” McCoy asked.
“Not anymore, he went to surgery. He’s expected to be in recovery in a couple hours, we’ll interview more when he’s coherent.”
“Any news on my ADA?”
“Only that the surgery went well and he’s breathing on his own. I’ve got officers on his door.”
McCoy seemed to relax some, nodded and looked at Rafael. “If you feel up to it, we need to get information…”
“I’m on it,” Rafael stopped McCoy, “I know what we need.”
“Thank you, Rafael,” McCoy said. “I would understand, and it is within your rights to tell me to,” McCoy paused, choosing his words, “kiss off after your adventure tonight.”
“I wouldn’t tell you to piss off, not to your face anyway.” Rafael gave McCoy a smirk and McCoy returned with one of his own. “We aren’t quite the brothers in blue,” he gave a side-eye glance at Olivia, “but us suits gotta have some solidarity, right?”
McCoy almost grinned, nodded then continued, “I want you to deal with this mess tonight, then go home and stay there. I will get the rest of next week covered for you, in case it takes that long. I want you to stay away from your office and be available to get this situation dealt with. I understand it isn’t your usual focus but you are one of the few ADAs I have that isn’t already involved. As long as we keep your name as low profile as we can, we might manage to get ahead of it. We’ll get you a protection detail starting tonight.”
“And when the lawyers for these scumbags tell the entire organization Barba’s name?” Olivia asked. All three men reacted with variations of alarm. “This isn’t my first rodeo, gentlemen. I’ve seen it happen.”
Dodds and McCoy shared a look.
“She’s not wrong, unfortunately,” Dodds said.
“And keeping a secret is impossible around here, apparently,” McCoy agreed.
“New ideas?” Dodds said. “Anyone?”
The room was silent for a long while.
“You want me on the interrogation tonight to avoid having it kicked out of court later, I understand that,” Rafael said to McCoy, “but what if one of the others handled the press as a bluff?” Rafael shrugged. “It might confuse the issue enough for now.”
McCoy nodded but it was Dodds who spoke, “Homeland is hot for a bite since one of the threatened judges is federal and the FBI wants in because they used mail to send threats. We could let Homeland take the prisoner and that means he may or may not see a lawyer as fast as if he were in our custody, assuming he cuts a deal and gives up his cohorts to us. And the FBI loves a press conference even when they have nothing to report. Let them be the face of it and they can worry about whose name gets added to the hit-list.”
“There are plenty of charges to go around, eventually,” McCoy thought the situation over. “Enough for us to let some go and still have something to show for it.”
“You have a contact at the FBI?” Dodds asked.
McCoy nodded again, “I do, you get Homeland on board.”
Dodds nodded and both men got up to go to opposite sides of the room and talk quietly into their cellphones.
Olivia watched Rafael sitting next to her, his eyes closed and breathing deliberately slow and deep. As if he felt her looking, he opened his eyes and watched her in return. Nearly in unison they each asked, “You ok?” and then they both smiled.
“I’m doing as well as possible,” Olivia said, “thanks.”
Rafael just nodded. He started to speak but there was a knock at the door. He exchanged a look with her then they both looked at their bosses, still talking on their phones. Dodds motioned for them to stay put and headed toward the door, holding his phone to his chest as he did so.
Dodds opened the door only slightly, checking who was outside, then allowed whoever it was to slip inside, closing the door again quickly. Rafael stood as soon as he saw who it was, blocking Olivia. It was too late, she saw Tucker and the Chief of Detectives behind him and muttered under her breath, Rafael was certain nobody heard her cursing but him. He felt Olivia stand behind him and move to his side.
The three cops conferred quietly, then the Chief turned to Olivia and Rafael while Tucker hung back and Dodds continued his phone call, moving back to the other side of the room.
“Sir,” Olivia said.
“Let’s sit, please,” he said and took a seat on the couch, motioning for them to relax. He looked at Rafael, “I hear it’s been an eventful evening, Mr. Barba, glad to see you in once piece.”
“Thanks to the Lieutenant,” Rafael nodded in her direction.
“About that, Lieutenant, I realize your unit hasn’t been part of the protection for our friends in the District Attorney’s office, but I am sure they appreciate it. Dodds has been taking point while I was out of town and likely will continue to do so, I don’t like changing horses midstream. It’s not the responsibility of your unit but I hear you were in the right place at the right time tonight.”
Olivia nodded but the Chief continued before she could speak, “I have already conferred with Tucker and his men in IAB, it was a clean shoot, don’t worry about that tonight. He’s just here to pick up your weapon and do the tests they always do. He’ll take a statement and we’ll be done with it.” He smiled at her. “I have talked to the commissioner and he wanted me to pass on his appreciation for your work.” Olivia raised a brow at that but stayed quiet. “He’s also made it clear that he has your back,” the Chief spared a glance at Tucker who didn’t react.
“Thank you, sir, and thank the commissioner for his consideration,” Olivia said quietly.
The Chief leaned forward and patted her hand, “You are a credit to us and to your unit, the thanks are ours. Keep up your good work, Lieutenant. And keep this guy out of trouble if you can, huh?” He nodded in Rafael’s direction. He stood and Olivia and Rafael stood as well. The Chief put out a hand and shook with Rafael and then Olivia. “Take care, now.” He nodded at Tucker, then crossed the room where the other men were off their phones an the three of them huddled up, making quiet plans.
Tucker walked over to them, “Hello Liv, Barba,” he nodded, didn’t offer to shake hands. “I’ll need to take separate statements, Liv you know the drill. The recording is clear so there really will be no fallout from this.” He was watching Olivia’s face but she remained impassive, professional. Very softly he continued, “Liv I would call in someone else if I could…” Olivia held up a hand to stop him.
“It’s fine, Tucker, the situation is a little unusual and the fewer people who have information the longer we can keep it as quiet as our bosses would like.” She glanced at Rafael, “I’ll go first if you want?” Rafael just nodded, gave her a questioning look. She nodded back, trying to reassure him without giving Tucker anything to ask about. Rafael nodded again, walked away. There wasn’t anywhere to go in the small office so he went to the desk in the room and looked it over, keeping Olivia and Tucker in his peripheral vision.
Tucker took a seat on the couch, allowing Olivia to choose her seat, she took the chair she was starting to think of as hers for the night. Tucker took out a notebook, ready to take notes. Olivia gave him the details from the time she parked in front of the station until Dodds and McCoy pulled her and Rafael into the office where they sat. Tucker took an evidence bag from his pocket and asked for her gun. She handed it over, as she had known she would have to do. She watched Tucker date and initial the evidence bag after he unloaded the weapon and double checked it was safe.
“Thank you, Olivia, you will get it back on Wednesday as I believe Dodds already explained. Do you have your personal piece on you tonight?”
“No, it’s home in my gun safe.” She unzipped her sweatshirt and started to take off her badge, “You need this, too.” It wasn’t a question but Tucker held up his hand, palm toward her, and shook his head.
“No, Liv, keep it.” He watched her drop it back to her chest and realized how that looked so kept talking like he hadn’t been checking her out. “I’m not sure how much they’ve said tonight but there are a lot of moving parts to this. There are officers from nearly every squad in the borough on protection detail, even some from my unit. Dodds refused to take any from SVU because you are chronically shorthanded. I think he plans to change that. I think that is part of why he called me personally to come in, to make sure we can make you part of the protection.” She drew in a breath to protest but he talked right over it. “I know you have Noah at home and I know Dodds planned to talk to you about this, so this is just a heads up. Talk to Dodds about it.” He finally wound down and Olivia couldn’t think of a thing to add, knowing he was following orders from higher up, just as she knew she would do the same.
“How is Noah?” Tucker asked.
“He’s fine, enjoying an overnight birthday tonight, thankfully.” She stood before he could ask more about Noah or her for that matter. It was no longer his business. She bit her cheek to avoid asking about his retirement that she knew he planned, but obviously hadn’t followed through on since he was here and working. “I guess Barba is up next then.” She turned and gestured for Rafael to take her place and she stood at the desk much as he had.
Rafael walked to the chairs and sat where he had before, refusing to think of witness boxes or interrogations. Tucker had stayed seated on the couch and though Tucker was a few inches taller, sitting in the chair gave Rafael the height advantage, which made him smile the smallest bit. If Tucker wondered or even noticed, he gave no indication.
“What were you doing tonight?” Tucker started.
“Having dinner with a co-worker, is that germane to the events?” Rafael kept his tone deceptively mild.
Tucker was silent a moment too long then finally said, “No, it’s not, I meant how did the events unfold this evening outside the station.”
They both knew he didn’t mean that at all, but Rafael answered as if he had. “The DA called and requested I come in and work a deal with a suspect. I know you know the situation, so I won’t elaborate. We were walking toward the door of the station when someone came around the corner, running full out. Benson told them to stop. They didn’t. Benson identified herself as police, told them again to stop. I saw something metallic and reflective and then nothing but sky because Benson threw me between the cars as she told them again to stop. Then everything got very loud. I heard at least two shots, then my ears were ringing. I will be a terrible witness because I didn’t see anything after I hit the deck. We got inside and my boss and Benson’s pulled us in here. That’s pretty much my evening. How was yours?”
Tucker’s mouth twisted, knowing Rafael didn’t give a damn how his evening was going. “Do you think you could have made it to the station door before the unidentified person?”
Rafael shook his head and consciously avoided balling his hands into fists. “No. The Lieutenant showed reasonable caution in pushing me out of the line of fire, putting herself at risk in doing so. That’s the end of my statement.” Rafael stood and joined Olivia standing at the desk, keeping his back to Tucker and his head high.
The room was very quiet for a long moment, then Tucker stood and cleared his throat. “I’ll type these up and have them back to you for a signature in about thirty minutes.” He looked at the Chief of Detectives who nodded and waved him toward the door. He nodded and left.
The other three men crossed the room to the gathered chairs and couch, inviting Olivia and Rafael to join them again. The Chief shook hands all around. “I’ve got fires to put out, but I trust you have a handle on this,” he smiled in Dodds’ direction. Dodds agreed and the Chief left the four of them alone. By unspoken agreement they all sat and were quiet a moment.
“Hell of a night,” Dodds finally broke the silence.
“I could use a drink, too bad we are stuck in someone else’s office, McCoy said with a rueful smirk.
“You can buy me one when this is all over, you can buy us all one,” Dodds elbowed McCoy.
“Let’s just survive this mess first,” McCoy said. “And watch the elbows, the Kevlar itches.”
“I wore worse than that every day on patrol for years, you’ll live a few days.”
Rafael and Olivia watched the exchange between their superiors and then each gave the other a raised brow and small shrug.
“Lieutenant,” Dodds brought their attention back to the topic of the evening, “you are officially on paid leave for the next several days, but you are not off duty. We are spread thin and I need to find another two pairs of officers someone can spare to watch our own ADA, now that he is in the mix. I can’t get that in place until Monday at the earliest.” He raised his hands before she could protest, “I know you have a son waiting for you at home but if Barba agrees to stay in we might be able to swing…”
“Wait, Chief,” Olivia interrupted him. “Barba is part of our squad, we’ll take care of watching him. You,” she indicted McCoy, “already said you’d clear his schedule so he hasn’t got anywhere to be until you call for him this week. Rollins and I can take care of work hours and the guys can take nights since they don’t have kids at home. He’s one of us and we take care of our own.”
“On top of your usual caseload?” Dodds asked.
“We’re used to running full tilt with half a staff, it’s what we do best.”
“And this weekend?” McCoy asked.
Olivia looked at Rafael, “Hot date planned?” Rafael rolled his eyes. Olivia looked back to their superiors, a question in her eyes. They looked at each other and McCoy shrugged.
“Great, that’s set. I need you to show up Monday morning long enough to brief your team, then get back out so we look like we are toeing IAB’s line for them.” He looked at McCoy, “If you need Barba call us first so we can coordinate.” McCoy nodded.
Olivia took her ID wallet out of her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to McCoy. “Just call me, my cell number is on the back.” McCoy took the card and pulled out his phone, programming the number in. Shortly Olivia’s phone beeped with a text, she pulled it out and checked, showed it to McCoy who nodded. Olivia saved the incoming number. “We’re set then.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant,” Dodds said.
“Thank me by approving overtime if we get called to escort duty in the middle of the night.” They both laughed to avoid thinking about how serious the situation had already gotten.
There was a knock at the door and this time McCoy got up to check, letting Tucker in and closing the door after him. He had a manilla folder and a small box under his arm and a tray with four cups in it. He sat all of it down on the desk.
“All they had in the canteen was decaf, but I made sure the pot was fresh, there’s sugar and creamer. Sorry it’s nothing stronger.” He opened the folder and handed paperwork to Rafael and Olivia while the other two men claimed some coffee. “Read those and make sure they’re accurate, then sign them.”
While they were reading the paperwork, Tucker fiddled with the box he had brought with him. They gave the signed sheets to him and he placed them back in the folder, then picked up the box. Rafael went to the coffee while Tucker asked Olivia for a word.
Tucker opened the box and showed it to Olivia. “Your shrink time is already scheduled for eight in the morning on Wednesday, there’s an appointment card in here,” he indicated the box. “I know you’re getting pulled into protection detail in the meantime, Dodds already told me the plan so you are going to need this.” In the box was a service weapon identical to her own. “You might want to wear your backup as well, just in case.” She took the firearm out of the box, checked to see if it was loaded and double checked the safety. It was on. She tucked it into the holster at her back and took the box from Tucker.
“Thanks. How much hot water is this going to get you?”
“None, following orders,” he tipped his head toward Dodds on the other side of the room.
Rafael had been watching as he fixed the coffee, he walked up to them and held out a cup to Olivia. She took it and drank some and smiled at Rafael, “Thanks, it’s perfect.”
“Thanks for the coffee, Tucker,” Rafael said, holding the cup as if toasting the other man.
“Sadly, the day isn’t done yet, I hoped it would help.” Tucker nodded to them, turned away with his folder of paperwork and slipped out of the room.
McCoy walked up to them, “They are waiting for us in interrogation.”
Rafael and his boss left the room to find the lobby of the station deserted except for a sergeant working the front desk. Rafael turned back to look at the door they’d just shut and tried not to laugh. The window announced the purpose of the office they’d borrowed; Victim Services.