The Lawyer's Daughter

Chapter 8

A/N: I know it been a while but I hope this makes up for it.

Rafael felt frozen in place as he locked eyes with the man at the other side of the station.

He knew he should call the squad but he couldn't move.

The man gave him a sick smile as he nodded towards the departed train.

No.

Finally Rafael was able to reach for his phone on the bench but it was too late.

The next train had arrived.

They had already disappeared.

Rafael's heart raced as he realized he had let the man slip away. He could feel the weight of uneasiness bearing down on him as he stood there, staring at the empty platform. He had hesitated, just for a moment, and now the sick bastard was gone.

He cursed himself under his breath, angry at himself for just standing there. This wasn't just any criminal - this was someone dangerous, someone who posed a real threat to the city. He had a responsibility to catch him, to protect the people he had sworn to serve and defend.

But now, he had lost that chance.

As he stood there, lost in his thoughts, his phone buzzed in his hand. It was Olivia, his boss and closest friend on the squad.

"Rafael, where are you? You were due in court half an hour ago."

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before he spoke.

"I...I let him get away. The drug lord we've been tracking down. He was here, at the station, and I froze. He got on the train and...I couldn't stop him."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Rafael could almost sense Olivia's disappointment and frustration.

"Okay. We'll regroup and figure out our next move. Don't beat yourself up, Rafael. We'll catch him eventually."

Don't beat yourself up, Rafael.

Easier said than done. He let out a deep sigh, feeling defeated and helpless. But he knew he couldn't give up. He had to keep pushing, keep searching, even if it meant facing his own shortcomings and mistakes.

With a heavy heart, he headed back to the station, determined to make up for his failure and catch this man before it was too late and something bad happened.

-----------------------------

"Did you get a good look at him? Are you sure it was him?"

Rafael had returned to the station and was now recounting the team with details of what he had witnessed.

Rafael nodded his head. "Yes. He was wearing a black hoodie and jeans. He had this-this smile, I knew it was him. I think he knew I recognized him."

Benson nodded grimly. "We'll look into it. In the meantime, let's gather any surveillance footage from the station and see if we can track down any leads."

As the squad dispersed to work on the investigation, Rafael couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He knew what this man was capable of. Shootings. Bloodshed. Death. This man was not to be underestimate even if they hadn't heard anything for months.

Suddenly, his phone rang, snapping him from his thoughts.

It was an unknown number.

"Hello?" Rafael answered tentatively.

"Hey, Counselor," a chilling voice replied on the other end. "I hear you've been looking for me."

Rafael's blood ran cold as he recognized the voice of the man he had seen at the station.