#barbaimagine

 You are a detective for NYPD’s SVU under lieutenant Olivia Benson. In Season 17 Episode 10 you are abducted as a hostage with Olivia and Rafael is outside the scene. 

There’s a saying that many say when a civilian becomes a victim by chance. That individual was at the wrong place wrong time. I guess that’s what could be said about right now.  Olivia came to my door around 8am this morning to have me come join her on a wellness check a few blocks down from my place. As odd as it was, I knew better than to question a good friend and my lieutenant. I suppose the woman who tipped Liv off said that she saw peculiar behavior this morning at this townhouse, claiming that the mother who answered the door seemed to be injured and frightened. At my short amount of time at SVU, I’ve learned that it’s better to just trust Olivia’s judgement first, ask questions later. 

Now, I have found myself pushed up against the wall of this townhouse with a gun to my neck. The three criminals in this house are clearly junkies of some sort looking for money from this wealthy family. The father lays on the ground bloody under one of the criminals...he’s got a scruffy beard and a beanie on. The mother has a gun to her head by a woman with red hair and red around her eyes. The last man is the one who seems to be in charge in some way. He just slapped Olivia quite hard and now has his sights set on me.  “What about you, sweetheart? Are you a cop too?”  “Y-Yes. My gun is on the left side of my waist. There’s no other weapons on me,” I say, feeling his hands run up and down my sides with hot breath on my face. 

I already feel sick to my stomach as he practically drags me over to the couch with the other women, then goes to argue with his fellow thieves in the kitchen. I watch them closely, trying to make sure I remember any names or any defining details about each of them.  “I’m so sorry I got you into this,” Olivia whispers beside me and I shake my head, “We’re both just doing our job. Nobody could’ve known,” I whisper back, but becoming quickly quiet at the lead man starts yelling about how one of them is going to go with the mother to the bank? To some safety deposit box or something. Please, for the love of God let someone catch them in the act so the NYPD knows where Olivia and I are. It’s clear that these are just three junkies trying to score some more cash to buy more. 

The ties on the backs of my hands sear into my skin as I fidget.  “Fin or Carisi will figure out something is wrong. I guarantee it’ll work out,” I whisper and she sighs, glancing back at the teenage daughter. She looks absolutely terrified as her mother is dragged out the back door by the thief in the hat, meanwhile ‘Joe’ stays here with us, still pointing the gun at us. The woman disappeared upstairs to talk to the young son who is tied up upstairs. I think I heard her name is Roxie? The buzzing of my phone distracts me as Joe walks over to shove both my and Olivia’s phones into his pockets.  “That’s our work. They will notice that we’re gone,”  He picks up Liv’s phone, sends a quick text, then puts the phone back in his pocket. Please, God let Rafael or Fin notice a difference in the way that Joe texted. They know that Liv would never just go silent amid an active case. 

I glance at any possible exit routes, but know that these people have all the guns and little regard for our wellbeing so I’m going to just have to deal and trust Olivia.  The redhead comes back down the stairs dragging a little boy who can’t be any older than 5. It takes everything in me to not run to that little terrified kid as she sets him down next to his sister.  “When our work finds out that we’re gone they will track our phones and then they will call for backup. You both should leave now before they know who you are,” Olivia says as calmly as she can. 

“Right right. As if we would leave here with nothing!” Joe yells and grabs me again, placing the gun against my neck,  “She’s right. You guys could slip out the back and they’d never know who you were,” I say softly, feeling the shaking of the gun against my skin. Maybe 20 minutes pass by before I hear the sirens outside. I can truly say I’ve never been so relieved to hear that beautiful noise. Though Joe is not as relieved as I am.  “You think this saves you, blondie, huh? You two don’t realize that I still have the upper hand! I can blow your pretty little head off in the blink of an eye, sweetheart,” 

My heart is racing at this point. I do my best to not let this guy see that I’m terrified, but even Liv’s eyes are glossy.  “You. You’re going to tell them to stand down or your partner gets a bullet in her head,” He says, finger over the trigger of the gun,  “If I hear one word from those lips I will kill you,” He whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and I just nod. Olivia just looks at me and nods, it’s just the two of them making the calls then, I guess. 

I squeeze my eyes shut, simply trying to calm my nerves, though knowing my life could end at any goddamn second.  “They won’t do that, Joe,”  “You think I’m kidding, bitch!?” He screams at Olivia while pushing the gun harder against my head. I purse my lips together as tight at I can to prevent any scared noises from escaping my lips.  “Okay okay. I’ll call my sergaent,” Olivia whispers, shakily as Joe hands her the phone. I hear the phone ring a few times over the speaker, but at this point all I can really hear is my own heartbeat in my ears.  “Dodds,”  “Benson here. We’re all okay, but Joe wants the snipers and the cameras away,”  “We will hold off until the negotiator comes,” Dodds says and suddenly Joe goes back into a screaming fury about the negotiator and how that ain’t gonna fly with him or whatever. The phone call ends and I already begin to think of all the people I didn’t get to say goodbye to. I woke up this morning not having any idea that I’d be the one with the gun to her head in a hostage situation. 

His eyes are so red now it’s absurd and his whole face is drenched in sweat.  “Joe, you are holding two police officers and two children hostage. If you don’t stand down this is not going to end well for you,” Olivia says as calmly as she can. “Okay new plan. Who at the NYPD cares if blondie here lives or dies?” He asks and I glance up at Olivia, knowing who she’s going to say but I pray she doesn’t. Don’t get him involved, please.  “Anyone in my squad cares if Detective McCann lives. They would all put it on the line for her,” Olivia says and Joe shakes his head, “I don’t want any low-grade detective. I need someone who cares about her who has pull...someone who has real power at the NYPD,” He says and I look at the ground, now my lips quivering, “You better give me a name soon, Benson. Or she’s the first body to drop,”