Writing Sample for TBS -- 2.4.3, Rear View Mirror

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:27:22 GMT

Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.

They needed to nail the guy. Needed to catch him as he entered the brownstone. Needed to catch him before he could hurt another child. They just needed to catch him.

Elliot sat in the unmarked cop car in civilian clothing. Pulling the brim of his baseball cap a bit further over his eyes, he glanced in the rearview mirror on his side of the car. He acted casual, as though he was waiting for someone to return momentarily. Benson was parked further up the street. Fin was wandering around the streets, pretending to be another passerby.

As the figure of the man popped up in the mirror, Elliot brought his sleeve closer to his mouth. Speaking into the microphone hidden by his wrist, he kept his voice quiet.

"Suspect is moving north on Orchard. Red jacket, navy blue baseball cap."

From the looks of the mirror, Elliot couldn't get a good gauge of exactly how far the perp was. He could guess that he was something like fifteen feet away, but the mirror distorted distance. He casually glanced out the window, as though looking for a friend or relative. The perp caught sight of him. Even with the disguise of the baseball cap and sweatshirt, he knew who he was. He quickly darted to his left.

"Shit," Elliot mumbled as he swung the car door open. "Suspect is on the move! Turned South on Orchard!" He forced his legs to move as fast as they possibly could, the thud of his boots echoing against the brownstone canyon he found himself in. A few alarmed civilians jumped out of the way as he chased the man, others stayed true to the New Yorker non-chalance and hardly even flinched. Fumbling over a few by-standers, he finally got within a more manageable distance. Fin shouted something through his ear piece, but Elliot wasn't listening. He needed to catch this guy. He couldn't get away again.

"STOP!" he shouted, his voice challenging the sound of his boots for supremacy. He could feel his pace slowing. 'No, God damnit. Don't slow down. Fucking go!' he pushed himself. He thought of the kids this guy abused. The kids who would never get to live the rest of their life. No childhood memories. No graduations. No proms. No weddings. No kids. No grandkids.

Before he knew it, he was on top of the guy, pounding his face into the concrete. He couldn't stop his fists. The feeling of bone and flesh against bone and flesh didn't even phase him. All he knew was that he lost control of what his body was doing.

"Elliot! Elliot!" he heard someone calling his name, but it sounded far away. He felt someone grabbing his collar, pulling him off of the still, bleeding body that was underneath him. His fists finally unclenched as he looked to who had tugged him off: Olivia. Breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, glancing down at his raw, beaten knuckles.

"I couldn't stop," he breathed, looking to Olivia, who was now calling for a bus. "I couldn't stop," he repeated. He didn't know what happened to the perp, whether he had died under the weight of Elliot's fists or had managed to survive. And, if someone asked, he didn't care. All he knew was that he wouldn't hurt another child, ever again, whether he died or went to rot in prison. Whatever the consequences would be, they would be worth it.

Character l Detective Elliot Stabler
Fandom l TV Shows (Law and Order: SVU)
Word Count l 575

OOC: Character of Olivia Benson used with permission from the mun.

Why You Gotta Be So Rough?

Writing Sample for TBS -- 2.4.3, Rear View Mirror