Operation Heart

Tension

"Who the hell is Izak Bekher?" Fin asked the question that both Olivia and Amanda also wanted answered as the four of them walked Izak to the nearest of their cars. Ayanna briefly glanced at Olivia, as if scared that whatever she had to say would break her.

"He's a bodyguard/hitman for a man named Richard Wheatley, who we've also been investigating for years. Wheatley's organization makes and distributes a drug called Purple Magic," Ayanna explained, putting Izak in the back of her car.

"Shit, that stuff's still on the streets? I figured you guys and Narcotics would have knocked that out by now," Fin replied.

Ayanna's eyebrow raised slightly as she turned to look at Fin as Olivia and Amanda made their way to Olivia's car. "You've encountered this shit before, Sergeant Tutuola?"

"Call me Fin, and yes ma'am, I have. It's been on the market since the late nineties, it's part of why I left Narco and moved to SVU in early 2000. It's nasty stuff," he answered before getting in the car with her so they could continue their discussion.

When they returned to OC's hideout with Izak Bekher, they were all surprised to find Kathleen, Alex, and Carisi still there. "Why is she still here?" Ayanna questioned, gesturing to Kathleen but looking at Jet. It seemed Ayanna wanted to protect Elliot's daughter to the best of her ability.

"She's a pain in the ass," Jet explained.

"She's a Stabler," Alex corrected.

"She's like twelve," Fin said, seeming to side with Jet.

"She's thirty-three," Olivia replied as Amanda hauled Izak into an interrogation room until they were ready for him.

"Really? Has it really been twenty-one years that we've known each other, Liv?"

"Apparently so, Fin. Now, what are you still doing here, Kathleen?" Olivia's arms were crossed, and she didn't seem the happiest with the blonde, who understood Olivia's animosity, but it still hurt a bit.

"I'm not leaving until you and I talk, Liv...in private."

"Then you'll be waiting awhile, Katie. We have a case to finish."

"Are you honestly so pissed at me for not telling you about dad being alive that you can't separate yourself from work for five minutes to talk to me? Do you hate me that much?" There was a pain in her eyes that matched the emotion in Olivia's.

"Look, Katie, I am pissed at your dad, and at Cragen. And if I'm being honest here, knowing that you knew he was alive, after what I've confided in you since his 'death', stings, quite a bit. But I do not hate you, do you understand me? My priority right now is finishing this case so your dad can attempt to rebuild his relationship with you, Maureen, Lizzie, Dickie, and even so he can get a chance to build one with Eli."

"Okay, fine, I get it. But after your case, I do want a chance to clear the air between us, Liv. I can't stand the thought of you being mad, or hating me." Kathleen left, not wanting to fight with one of the few people who had been there for her after Elliot faked his death.

Once everyone was sure Kathleen was gone Jet, Alex, and Carisi turned to look at Ayanna, Amanda, Fin, and Olivia, seeming confused. "I thought you guys were supposed to be arresting Jacob Tyler, not that guy," Carisi said.

"Bekher killed Jacob Tyler before you had a chance to get to him, didn't he?" Jet questioned.

"He did, we didn't recover Tyler's phone. But this makes our case far more complicated, because if Izak Bekher is involved, then so is Richard Wheatley," Ayanna replied.

"Why does that complicate the case?" Amanda inquired.

"Because he has a complicated history with Stabler," Jet said.

"Don't we all?" Fin mumbled, but stopped when Olivia lightly elbowed him. Ayanna went to her office before going to talk to Izak, hoping to get some information about Wheatley's involvement in the trafficking ring.

"Stabler got involved with Angela Wheatley, Richard's ex-wife, at the start of Stabler's undercover assignment." The words surprised Olivia. Elliot had still been married to Kathy at the time of his "death", at least, as far as she knew.

"So, we meet again, Mr. Bekher. How long has it been? Two months?" Ayanna sat down across from Izak, placing a file in front of herself, not breaking eye contact with him.

"That sounds about right, Sergeant Bell. What are you arresting me for this time? Did I accidentally kick a litter of puppies?" His tone made it clear, he was toying with her.

"No, you killed Jacob Tyler in his own home, and then fired shots at the police when we arrived to question Mr. Tyler, Mr. Bekher. Does that sound about right to you? What kind of business could the bodyguard of a notorious drug kingpin have with a member of a child sex trafficking ring?"

"Alleged," Izak corrected. "Seeing as no charges have ever stuck to Mr. Wheatley, he is only an alleged drug kingpin. And anyways, my business had nothing to do with him. Now, I only have one thing to say: Lawyer."

Ayanna exited the interrogation room and made her way to her office, where Jet was sitting, waiting. "Did you record that whole thing?" Ayanna inquired as she sat down at her desk, looking over Jet's shoulder to the SVU detectives and Captain, and the two ADA's. She trusted them, but she also wasn't going to risk compromising the case. Her and Elliot weren't nearly as close as he and Olivia had been, but she did feel for the man who was forced to fake his death and leave behind everyone he loved.

"Yes, I did, and I asked one of the detectives to give Izak a phone so he can call for a lawyer. Is it just me, or did he lawyer up a lot quicker than normal? He knows he's been caught this time."

"Which is why I want you to keep track of that gun at all times. It has his prints on them, and I guarantee it matches the caliber of the bullet in Jacob Tyler's head, Jet."

"Yes, ma'am."

A few minutes later Jet left Ayanna's office, but before Ayanna could even stand up, Olivia was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, glowering at Ayanna, who sighed internally. "Why do I have the feeling you are keeping something from me and my team, sergeant?"

"Probably because I am, Captain. Jet and I think we might have a way of nailing Bekher for murder, but we're trying to keep it hush hush because you guys are still pretty much strangers, and we've already had good detectives double cross us once. I'm not risking it again."

"I get that, believe me, I do. But Elliot trusts my unit."

"Stabler trusts you."

"I trust my unit. They aren't going to double cross you, or do anything to screw with this investigation. Do my sergeant and one of the ADA's both want to kill Elliot? Yes. Are they going to? No, or at least not until the case is over. I can never tell with Alex. Look, what I'm saying is that you can trust all of us to do whatever is necessary to finish this case, once and for all."

After three months of SVU and OCCB working together to take down a child sex trafficking ring, they succeeded. "Does this mean I can finally go back to being alive?" Elliot questioned as he looked at Ayanna, who nodded.

"That it does, Elliot. But if you wanted to continue to work with this unit we would be more than happy to keep you around."

"Thank you, Sarge, and I think I will take you up on that, as long as I don't have to fake my death ever again. I want to fix my relationships with the people I love," Elliot replied with a smile, resisting the urge to glance over to Olivia, who seemed to be lost in her phone.

"I've gotta go. Fin, you ready?"

"Yep, we're going to see Cragen," Fin explained to the group.

"Can I tag along? I owe him an apology," Elliot said. Fin turned to Olivia, waiting for her response.

"Sure, we leave in five minutes," she replied before heading out to the car.