Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 7, Episode 10 - Storm - full transcript
When a teenager and her younger sister end up in the hospital after a day at the park, detectives learn that both girls were abducted from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina along with a third sister who is still missing. Despite the interference of a local reporter, Jackson Zane, detectives are able to catch the kidnapper, a known pedophile, and recover the girl, but when Alvin Dutch dies and the autopsy determines it was Anthrax, Benson puts everything on the line so that she can get the truth out there.
(male announcer)
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses are
considered especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives
who investigate
these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as
the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[carousel music playing]
Tasha, hold on tight
to your sister.
Smile for daddy.
(woman)
Your girls are beautiful.
Thanks. It's their
first time here.
[bell rings]
Timmy! Don't get off
until it stops!
Tasha? Nicki?
[chuckles]
Look, girls,
don't play games.
Girls, where are you?
Girls!
Hurry, Nicki!
Tasha!
You stop right now!
Tasha!
Wait, please.
[horn honks]
Someone call 911!
I didn't see her! I swear
to God I didn't see her.
Tasha!
You her dad?
Oh, God, I'm so sorry.
Let's go.
I'm sorry.
Tasha!
Hey, mister,
where you going?
Two girls.
Tasha and Lola Wright.
Hit by a cab.
Driver saw dad fleeing
the scene with another daughter.
What kind of father runs
out on his injured kids?
Maybe one with
an open warrant.
Doesn't want
to get picked up.
How are the girls?
Tasha the 12-year-old's
got a concussion.
A couple of scrapes
and bruises.
She cushioned
baby Lola's fall.
Little one's got
no injuries.
Okay. Thanks.
Hey, Tasha.
My name's Olivia.
This is Elliot.
I want to help you
find your dad.
He's not my father.
My dad's a soldier.
He died in Iraq.
Then who was the man
in the park?
I don't know his name.
Why were you there
with him?
He took us
from New Orleans.
The water flooded
our house.
Mama and Grandma drowned.
Hurricane Katrina.
(Tasha)
We held onto the roof.
The man came in a boat.
He saved our lives.
He said he was
our new daddy.
Then he brought you
to New York.
He said he'd take
care of us.
That we were his girls now.
Where are
you staying?
In a basement.
We never went outside
before today.
Has he ever hurt you?
No.
But he looks
at me funny.
And he's always
hugging Nicki.
Has he ever hurt Nicki?
Not until last night.
He made her sleep
in his bed.
I heard her crying.
Please save my sister.
When do I get
to see my sister?
Well, we're gonna talk
a little bit first,
and then we'll take you
to see Lola.
Hey, John.
This is Tasha Wright.
John's gonna get you
settled, okay?
Come on.
The perp has got to know
that we're talking to Tasha.
He could panic
and kill the sister.
He's got nothing
to worry about.
He knows Tasha doesn't know
his name or where he lives.
He can just stay put
and keep abusing Nicki.
Olivia,
Morales wants you
to review
the geographic cues
before you start
interviewing Tasha.
Hey, I checked
with the Center for Missing
and Exploited Children.
2,300 kids missing
since Katrina.
The Wright girls
aren't on the list.
Well, the parents
are dead.
Relatives scattered
in shelters.
They're perfect prey
for a pedophile.
And there's lots of them.
4,500 sex offenders
disappeared after Katrina.
There's no telling how many
kids they've taken.
Like the hundreds of kids
who were snatched
after the tsunami.
Those pervs are ghosts
until they hit again.
No one knows your past.
You can start a new life.
Abuse more children.
I bet they can't
believe their luck.
Come here.
Captain, hospital called.
Tasha and Lola's rape
kits, they're negative.
I'm not surprised.
Nicki's the right age.
Pedophiles usually go
for prepubescent girls.
So why abduct all three?
He did tell them
to call him "daddy."
Maybe he's living
some kind of fantasy.
Devoted father of
three beautiful daughters.
But Tasha didn't
fall for it.
Soon as he moves in
on Nicki,
Tasha runs away.
Which probably
pissed him off.
Nicki's in
a lot of danger.
(Morales)
Olivia's set
with her earpiece.
We're good to go.
[over intercom]
Hey, sweetie.
Okay. So, Tasha.
Tell me how you got
to the park.
(Tasha)
We took the bus.
Was it a short ride
or a long ride?
About an hour.
That's too far for a trip
from the East
or West Side.
They must've come from south
of the park or uptown.
Hour's bus ride gives us
everything between
North Harlem
and the Village.
Ask about
the architecture.
So when you were
at the bus stop today,
what did you see?
Lots of buildings.
Can you tell me
what they looked like?
Some were tall.
Some were little.
And brown with big stairs.
Brownstones. Not a lot
of those downtown.
Gotta be Harlem.
(Benson)
Does the man live
in one of the brown ones?
Yeah. We lived
under the stairs.
So, Tasha, when you were
outside the house today
what did you see?
A church. I asked the man
if we could go there.
Mama always takes us
to church on Sunday.
And what else
was near the house?
A school.
Okay. Can you
describe it for me?
I never saw it.
I just heard the bells
and kids playing.
There are hundreds
of churches in Harlem.
Dozens of schools.
That target area will
take us days to canvass.
Nicki doesn't have
that much time.
We gotta jog
Tasha's memory.
Get her on the street.
Start with the churches.
(Benson)
Tasha, does it look
like this?
Too old.
It was newer.
What about this one?
It's kind of the same.
But it didn't have
stained glass.
(Tasha)
Not this one.
This isn't working.
They gotta keep going.
The next church
could be the one.
And the next minute
Nicki could be dead.
(Tasha)
No, not this one.
No.
Okay. Come on.
No.
They've been out there
for five hours.
This is a waste of time.
You've got a better idea?
We're never
gonna find her.
Yeah, we will, honey.
We just gotta keep looking.
We struck out.
Need the next location.
(Cragen)
Pack it in.
Captain,
we can't quit now.
Bring Tasha back to the house.
We've got a new plan.
We're going to the media.
Public appeal
on the TV news.
Great idea. Kidnapper
sees that, Nicki's dead.
Not if we report
an unidentified girl
was hit by a taxi.
She's in a coma.
We're looking for her family.
Captain, even if the perp
doesn't get raised up,
what do we get out of it?
Pictures. We ask
everybody at the carousel
to give us their film.
Maybe we get a photo
of the perp that Tasha can I.D.
You're counting on the press
to run a fake story?
We won't tell 'em
it's fake.
DCPI has got the press
conference set up.
We're gonna need
a picture of Tasha.
A real heartbreaker.
(Cragen)
If you were
at the carousel today,
please contact our office
at the number on your screen.
We'll send an officer to borrow
your photographs and video.
Please help us to find
this little girl's family.
She may not make it and her
parents should be with her.
Thank you.
He's laying it on
with a trowel.
Excuse me?
Jackson Zane.
From The Ledger.
I just got handed
the police beat.
Pretty cynical
for a new guy.
I'm new, not naive.
Cute kid.
Tragic accident.
Whole dog and pony show
just in time
for the 11:00 news.
What's the real story?
Just what
my captain said.
Need to find
the girl's parents.
Hmm. Nobody got home
from the park
and realized they were
short a kid?
I guess not.
You could cut me a break.
Make me look good
to my new boss.
But then my boss would
ship me out
to Sheepshead Bay.
What are you really
looking for, detective?
Carousel photos.
I got your page. You've
been working all night?
Yeah, but it was worth it.
Dozens of
family photos came in.
Then we hit
the jackpot. Video.
Hey.
Lady was filming
her kid on the carousel.
We got a full 360
of the crowd.
And a lot of the kids.
(Benson)
Pause it.
That's Lola, Tasha.
And that's gotta be Nicki.
Dirtbag's in here
somewhere.
Morning.
We didn't have time
to get her dressed
at the children's center.
I'm sleepy.
Oh, sweetheart,
I know you are.
But come here. I want you
to have a seat
and take a really
good look
and see if you can
find the man, okay?
Come on.
There.
It's him.
Okay. Find all
the shots he's in.
I'll put 'em on a disk
in case you need
to print copies later.
Fin will bring in
the taxi driver.
His ID will
corroborate Tasha's.
(Munch)
Put down the camera.
(Zane)
You can't cover
this up!
Put down the camera.
You lied to me.
Throw his ass in the cage.
Give me the camera.
A source at the hospital
said the girl left with you.
It's gonna make
a great headline...
"NYPD Fakes
Coma Girl Tragedy."
Hold on. Let him go.
Don't do this.
You've got nothing coming.
I'm running the story.
You're risking
a child's life.
Yesterday you said
she was dying.
Why should
I believe you now?
Because we'll give you
an exclusive
on an even bigger story.
Bigger than the one
I just got?
Pulitzer material.
Screw me over and I will
spend the rest of my career
crawling so far
up your asses--
Well, we wouldn't
want that.
Early edition deadline
is at 11:00 p.m.
You call me by 9:00
or "Coma Girl" runs.
We're gonna need
a couple hundred copies
of the perp's photo.
Plus enough bodies to canvass
every brownstone in Harlem.
I got something else
you should check out.
I called FEMA.
There's only one
Katrina relief center
in New York City.
FEMA's $2,000 debit card
is pretty hard to pass up.
(Felicity)
More than 4,000 people
displaced by Katrina
have come to New York.
And we're helping
everyone who walks
through the door.
Did you help him?
Yes. I recognize the denim
jacket he's wearing.
It was my husband's.
I brought it in
for the clothing drive.
Do you remember
his name?
Norman. Forman.
Something like that.
I'll check my files.
He was a lovely man.
He just asked for food,
clothing, and job referrals.
He refused FEMA funds.
He didn't want charity.
He didn't want to give out
his social security number.
Did he request housing?
I think he was staying
with friends.
Here it is.
Clark Corman.
You have an address?
No. But we did give him
a prepaid cell phone
to help him find work.
So call him.
Tell him to come down.
What should I say
if he asks why?
Just tell him that you've got
a great job for him.
Handyman
at a youth center.
Munch ran the name
Clark Corman through NCIC
and all the Louisiana
databases. Nothing.
Probably an alias.
Anything on the canvass?
Not yet.
(Stabler)
There he is.
(Benson)
No Nicki.
All right.
We'll follow him home.
How about I go in?
I say I'm from
the youth center.
Get his address.
All right. Call me.
We'll check
his place out.
Detective. I need
to talk to you.
My editor wants me
to stay on your tail
till I get
that exclusive.
Go away.
Oh, son of a bitch.
Police! Corman,
hands on the railing.
Don't shoot, don't shoot!
Hands on the railing.
Where's the girl?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Sure you don't, Daddy.
Now where's Nicki?
I don't know any Nicki.
You have no idea
what you've done.
Hey. I'm sorry.
You blew our surveillance
on a child abductor.
An eight-year-old girl
is out there somewhere,
maybe dying
because of you.
I thought you were
gaming me. What can I do?
Pray that he talks.
You've made a mistake.
God hasn't blessed me
with children.
So why'd you take
girls' clothing
from Hurricane Help?
Those good folks must have me
confused with someone else.
So many of us lost
everything we owned.
Where have you been
staying in New York?
I don't really see
how that concerns you.
Hmph. Hey.
You're starting to sweat.
You nervous?
Hardly.
Hmm.
I've been through hell.
Clung to a tree all night
while bodies floated by.
You don't scare me.
I know my rights.
I've committed no crime.
You can't keep me here.
I'd like to see
my lawyer now.
He said the magic words.
And while we wait
for Legal Aid
to waltz Mr. Corman
out the door,
God only knows
where Nicki is
or what shape she's in.
Do you think
she's still alive?
He's antsy.
He's sweating.
If he'd hidden the body,
he'd be calm.
Casey, you've gotta
help us out here
'cause I'm not cutting
this guy loose.
Print him.
Counselor,
without grounds to arrest
we need a court order
to compel his fingerprints.
Do you think
he's knows that?
(Benson)
Nicki's alone.
She could be hurt.
Why's it taking so long
to get the prints back?
Well, New Orleans'
court system
was annihilated
by Katrina.
Files lost.
Evidence destroyed.
It's total chaos.
Got 'em. Corman's real
name is Alvin Dutch.
He did a hard ten
in Angola for kiddie rape.
He got out six months ago.
He's listed as a high risk
sex-offender.
And parole lost track
of him in the flood.
The guy I spoke to says
they've been
kicking down doors
looking for him
and 270 other most wanteds.
They find any so far?
Seven in a shelter
on Cape Cod.
Does Mr. Dutch have any
family or friends up here?
None that
they know about.
Child molestation is
a capital offense in Louisiana.
I'm gonna call the DA
down there.
Start working a deal.
He gives us Nicki.
He dodges the needle.
(Cragen)
Get Tasha ready
for a line up.
Your prisoner's
really sick.
He's got a high fever.
EMS on the way?
They should be here
in a minute.
His breathing's shallow.
What's wrong with him?
Is he faking?
Not with a fever
like this.
35-year-old male with
acute onset of fever
and respiratory distress.
He's diaphoretic
and tachycardic.
Start him on O2,
five liters.
Oh! We've gotta
move him now.
One, two, three.
(Benson)
How is he?
Decompensated.
Going into shock.
Look. It's been 12 hours
since we picked him up.
That little girl could
be running out of air.
We've gotta talk to him.
You can't.
He's unconscious.
He was fine 12 hours ago.
What happened?
I don't know.
We're running tests.
I'll page you as soon
as he's lucid.
I'll wait.
Why don't you go back?
I want to be here
when he comes to.
I'll see what I can
find on Alvin Dutch.
Olivia. Your captain
filled me in.
I think I can help.
How?
I ran Alvin Dutch's name
past a buddy of mine
at The Ledger's
New Orleans bureau.
He found one of Dutch's
old cellmates
at a shelter
in Baton Rouge.
Thanks. I'll have
the Louisiana State Police
interview him for us.
I thought you'd rather
do it yourself.
I had him brought
to the wire service.
I got you
a teleconference hookup.
(Benson)
Clayton, did Alvin Dutch
ever talk to you
about his family?
Only to cuss 'em out
for cutting him off.
What about here
in New York City?
He ever mention
knowing anyone?
Yeah.
Come to think of it.
You want
to give us a name?
What's in it for me?
Save a child's life.
It's good karma.
I was thinking
more about cash.
We could arrange
an award.
(Clayton)
Not saying anything
until you do.
Give him 1,000 bucks.
That do it?
He has a great aunt Goldie.
Used to make him
fruitcake at Christmas.
Hard as a brick.
Remember her last name?
Prioleaux.
On account I had
a girlfriend by that name.
Of course, she was white.
Yeah? You remember
where the aunt lived?
Somewheres up in Harlem,
I think.
(Goldie)
Shame on Alvin.
Coming into town
and not coming to visit me.
Well, how about
phone calls or letters?
I haven't heard
from him in years.
Do you have access
to the basement apartment?
No, that's rented out
to a nice young couple.
The Johnsons.
Would you mind
if I take a look around?
Be my guest.
Does Alvin have any
other family in town?
Lord, no.
Most of his family
are diehard
New Orleanians.
Even that hurricane
couldn't get them to budge.
What did they call
that storm?
Katrina.
Is that it? Hmm.
Nothing.
Okay. Miss Goldie,
thank you so much.
You call us if you can think
of anything, okay?
I just did.
Camille. Not Katrina.
Camille was the name
of that storm.
Miss Goldie, what's
the president's name?
Oh, Kennedy of course.
I voted for him.
And when was the last time
you saw your nephew Alvin?
Alvin? Hmm.
Let me think.
Um...last week.
You said it'd been years.
No, he was here
just the other day.
He brought those
beautiful girls to visit.
The girls were here?
They're moving in
downstairs.
Alvin's busy fixing up
the basement.
Nicki.
She's burning up. We gotta
get her to a hospital.
She has the same
symptoms as Dutch.
Oh, God. Get a portable chest
and start IV Cipro.
Alvin Dutch is dead.
From what?
Anthrax.
How's Nicki?
Her fever's gone down,
and she's responding
to the antibiotics.
She's gonna make
a full recovery.
Good. I don't want to read
about Nicki or anthrax
in The Ledger We can't
afford to panic the city.
What's the plan?
The hospital's called in
the CDC.
They're setting up
emergency surveillance teams
monitoring every ER
in the city
for possible
anthrax exposures.
They'll decide when
this goes public.
Okay.
My source said
Alvin Dutch died.
What's going on, Olivia?
It's not a good time.
Alvin Dutch is dead.
No one'll tell me
how he died.
And the CDC just landed
a chopper on the roof.
Jackson, I can't talk
about it.
I'll find out.
You know I will.
They examined Nicki.
Her hymen's intact.
She wasn't raped.
Alvin didn't have
a chance to get that far.
Look, if Nicki's
gonna be okay,
then why did
Alvin Dutch die?
He had
inhalation anthrax.
Even with aggressive
treatment it's 75% fatal.
Nicki's case is cutaneous
through a cut on her palm.
So he breathed in
the spores.
Nicki only touched them.
Exactly. We need to find out
how they got infected.
Those flood waters
in New Orleans
are full of toxins.
No, it can't be that.
Anthrax can only
be contracted
by direct contact
with dry spores.
And symptoms usually appear
within seven days
of exposure.
They've been here
for 10 weeks.
And Lola and Tasha
are okay so far.
Which Alvin and Nicki
must've contracted it
within the last
48 hours.
How did you cut
your hand, Nicki?
On the glass.
What glass?
The tube that had
the fairy dust inside it.
I tied a string around it.
And made a necklace
for Bosha.
Who's Bosha?
My teddy. I left him
at the man's house.
Can you get him
for me?
We're gonna try, sweetie.
How did the tube break?
It fell on the floor
when the man took
Bosha away from me.
Then the fairy dust
spilled all over.
Did you touch
the fairy dust?
I tired to pick it up,
but I cut my hand.
Then the man got mad at me
and pushed me away.
Then he cleaned it up.
That's when
he inhaled it.
Okay, Nicki. Where did
you get the fairy dust?
I don't know.
When did you make
the necklace?
At the man's house.
Did the man give you
the fairy dust?
I don't remember.
We can't
push her anymore.
[door opens]
(Tasha)
Nicki!
Tasha and Lola don't
have any symptoms,
but Doc Beresford gonna
check 'em out
just to make sure
they're fine.
That fairy dust
is still out there.
More people
could be exposed.
Well, if he threw it out,
it's on the street.
Or in that basement.
I'll tell the CDC
we're tracking down a lead.
(Warner)
I found it.
He swept up the anthrax, but
never emptied the dust pan.
You find anything that could
identify the source?
Based on toxicity
and granular size,
it's military grade.
So it came from a lab.
Had to.
Anyway to find out where?
Possibly. Researchers who work
with level three biohazards
tag their samples
with chemical identifiers
so they can be traced.
How did Alvin Dutch
get a hold
of weaponized anthrax?
Only job that he had
was in a prison kitchen.
I'll call as soon as I have
the test results.
(Benson)
We'll be
at the precinct.
Novak talked
to Louisiana Parole.
Doesn't look
like Alvin Dutch
has any connection
to any lab
or research facility.
Guess we gotta check
with the inmates
who were in Angola
with him, huh?
What the hell?
Why is everyone
out of the squad?
CDC ordered a full decon
of the building
in case anthrax spores
were on Dutch's clothing.
So much for keeping this
low profile.
DCPI's spinning the story.
Every news outlet
in town's here.
You're screwing me.
It's okay.
Desk sergeant ate
some bad clams.
Somebody overreacted.
Thought it was an outbreak
of salmonella.
I heard that from a public
information officer.
Are you gonna tell me
the same thing?
We just work here.
I'm not your enemy.
Whatever's going on,
the public has
a right to know.
Mr. Zane, I'm gonna
have to ask you
to step behind
the perimeter.
I guess those bad clams
are contagious.
If civilians are in danger,
it's our duty to warn them.
And after 9/11,
every secretary in town
opened mail wearing
rubber gloves.
We don't want to start
that kind of hysteria.
But he's got a point.
Building's clear.
You can go back in now.
I want everybody on
Alvin Dutch's movements
since he got to New York.
Find out everywhere
he's been
and how the hell he found
a vial of anthrax.
What the hell?
(Benson)
Everything's gone.
The whole decon
routine was a scam.
Why, Santa, why?
My DD Fives,
notebooks, all gone.
Who do we call
when we've been raped?
(Cragen)
I'll start with One P.P.
Police Commissioner's
gonna hit the roof.
They got you too?
Alvin Dutch's body,
the vial, all gone.
Dr. Beresford,
do you have the girls?
Okay. Thanks for trying.
The feds took Tasha,
Nicki, and Lola.
Wouldn't tell
the hospital where.
The government
can do this?
Since the Patriot Act,
they can do anything.
P.C. gonna tear
the feds a new one?
He tore me one.
An order to forthwith
down to Federal Plaza.
You too.
(man)
Captain Cragen,
M.E. Warner,
your part in this
investigation is over.
There's no need for your squad
take any further action
regarding Alvin Dutch
or his death.
What about the girls?
They're being
well cared for.
And all appropriate steps
are being taken
to locate next-of-kin.
Those girls have
been through hell.
They need therapy
and continuity
with people that
they know and trust.
I appreciate your compassion,
Detective Benson.
But this is a matter
of national security.
(Cragen)
You said it was a matter
of public health
when you raided
our squad room.
I think you owe us
an explanation.
I can't give you one.
You don't have
the security clearance.
[Blackberry rings]
All information obtained
by the NYPD
or the Medical Examiner's
Office is now classified.
We just keep
our mouths shut
till people start
dying from anthrax.
The federal government is
prepared to deal with
any and all exigencies.
Sure. By calling in
the black helicopters.
For once, he's not
being paranoid.
(federal officer)
This is meeting is over.
Any leak of classified
material will be investigated
and punished
as a federal offense.
You may go.
We just gonna
bend over and take it?
We have no choice.
This came from Washington.
The P.C. can't
overrule the feds.
Well, what about the girls?
We just forget about them
and everything
that they've been through?
Yes.
This is crap.
(Warner)
We could have a citywide
health crisis.
If the public isn't warned,
they can't protect themselves.
Melinda, my hands are tied.
Olivia.
I need to talk to you
and Elliot. Alone.
Before the feds
cleaned me out,
I e-mailed the results of
my analysis of the anthrax
to a friend at the NIH.
Got the results during
our ass chewing.
Yeah? Your friend
ID a source?
Louisiana
BioChem Defense.
It's a research facility
outside New Orleans.
They have CDC authority
to work with select agents,
including ricin, ebola,
smallpox, and anthrax.
What were they doing?
Bioweapons engineering.
Germ warfare.
Yes. And developing
vaccines
against bioterror
weapons.
And they're not
the only facility.
There were five level three
bioweapons labs
in the flood zone.
What happened
when Katrina hit?
They lost
all their work
and more than
5,000 lab animals.
Many of them infected
with lethal viruses.
One university was licensed
to research anthrax
and a genetically
engineered mousepox.
I don't remember seeing
this on the news.
They didn't want you to.
The government claimed that
every hot lab was secured
before the storm.
Animals euthanized.
Samples destroyed.
I'm a scientist.
I'm not throwing away
years of my research.
Someone took that anthrax
from Louisiana BioChem Defense
and then brought it here.
And along the way crossed
paths with Alvin Dutch.
Whoever it is,
they're
out there somewhere.
And God knows what else
they've got.
And we can't do
a damn thing
as long as the boys from DC
have a gag in our mouths.
Change of heart?
Yeah.
I want to tell you
a story.
What the hell
were you thinking?
Nice picture.
Why'd you give it
to him?
Who says I did?
Don't play games with me.
Olivia, look.
The Chief of D's is
in there right now.
The feds are going nuts.
They know someone
from this squad
leaked that photo
to The Ledger.
A lot of people had cameras
in the park that day.
Jackson Zane could've gotten
that photo from anybody.
Oh. Okay.
You really think
that's gonna fly?
Those girls lost
their mother, their home.
Everything.
But they still trusted us
to make things right.
I don't ever want
to read about
a classified investigation
in the tabloids again.
You receive an order
to comply with the feds,
you and everyone under
your command obey it.
Or you won't have
a command anymore.
Yes, Chief.
(Cragen)
Olivia.
In here now.
I don't like being
bossed around
by some G-man
in a $1,000 suit.
But when I am told
to stand down
in the interests
of national security,
I bite my tongue.
Captain--
Shut up.
When they question me,
I don't want to lie.
And they will question us all.
If they prove
you leaked this,
they will take your job,
your pension,
and your freedom.
I don't want to visit you
in a federal lock-up, Olivia.
Dismissed.
How bad?
Well, look.
Maybe it was worth it.
How?
ACS just called.
I think all this media
attention spooked the feds.
They returned the girls.
We gotta go talk to them.
You have lost your mind.
Those girls are safe
for now.
But what about
the rest of the city?
There's anthrax
out there somewhere,
and Nicki is the key
to finding it.
You don't think the feds
questioned her all night long?
Elliot, she's a traumatized
eight-year-old girl
who's been kidnapped
and molested
after watching
her mother die.
We know how
to talk to her.
(Benson)
I brought you something
to make you feel better.
You found Bosha.
Well, Bosha got all dirty.
But this is his little brother.
You think he'd like
a necklace too?
Yes, but I don't have
anymore fairy dust.
Well, we could go back
and get some.
I don't know
where the van is.
What van?
The van that gave us
a ride to New York.
The fairy dust was
in the van.
Honey...
Nicki, it's okay. You're not
gonna get in trouble.
Yes, I will.
Mama says it's a sin
to take things
that don't belong
to you.
Well, you know what, Nicki?
I want to call the guy
who drove that van.
And I'm gonna tell him
that you just borrowed
the fairy dust.
It's not such a bad thing
to borrow stuff, right?
There was lots of
fairy dust in the van.
Can you ask him
if I can have some more?
For little Bosha?
We will, but we gonna
find out who he is first.
Do you remember his name?
Mr. Michael.
Don't worry. I made all
the calls from a payphone.
What'd you find out?
Louisiana BioChem Defense
has seven employees
with Michael as their
first or last name.
You check their whereabouts
during Katrina?
All evacuated
before the storm
except one lab technician.
Michael Delpit.
He volunteered to stay
behind and guard the lab.
Or loot it.
Where's Delpit now?
He quit. Tracked him
down in Jersey
working at a lab
in New Brunswick.
Munch found my auntie.
Mrs. Fontenot found us.
I saw the girls picture
in the paper.
Thank you so much for taking
such good care of them.
She says we can go live
with her. Um, where's Nicki?
She's right in there.
Why don't you go in and see her?
Where you going?
Don't ask, don't tell.
(Stabler)
Excuse me.
Have you seen this man?
Back there.
Michael Delpit.
This is
a restricted area.
Not as restricted as a life
sentence in Leavenworth.
You're under arrest
for the theft
and interstate transportation
of a level three biohazard.
Where's the anthrax?
It's gone.
Guy first got in touch
with me
when I was working for
Louisiana BioDefense.
Offered me big bucks
for weapons grade anthrax.
But I couldn't smuggle it
out of the lab.
Right. But you saw
an opportunity
when Katrina hit.
Well, the staff split.
Just me and the monkeys
and the lab rats stayed
to ride out the storm.
When the power went out,
so did the security system.
I loaded up the van
and hit the road.
(Benson)
But you stopped
and picked up Alvin Dutch
and the girls. Why?
I figured a family of evacuees
would give me a good cover
if I hit a roadblock.
(Stabler)
Where'd you drop off
the anthrax?
14th Street. Met the guy
in a parking lot.
He gave me the cash.
I didn't ask any questions.
[Benson on tape]
Did you see him leave?
[Michael on tape]
He walked around the corner.
Pause it.
[Michael on tape]
Disappeared.
[clicks cassette player off]
Did he ever tell you
who he sold it to?
He never knew
the guy's name.
All he had was
a cell phone number.
Give it to me.
It was prepaid.
Already out of service.
Damn it.
Hold on.
So you stole
the anthrax.
You sold it
to some guy.
You bother to ask him
what he was gonna do with it?
Not my concern.
I got my money.
He got what he wanted.
And all
the innocent people
who could die?
It won't be me.
I've got a supply of Cipro.
He brokers death and doesn't
lose a night's sleep.
I always wondered
how they could do that.
Guys like Delpit
don't think about
who they're hurting.
It's like a rapist.
Doesn't think
about his victim.
About that tape.
Only my partner and I
know that it exists.
Delpit didn't know that
we were recording him.
You guys don't
tape interrogations.
Why'd you do it?
The feds are gonna make
Michael Delpit disappear.
I don't want the truth
to vanish with him.
You can't ever let anyone
know that you heard this.
Not your editor.
You have my word.
Is that the end
of the tape?
Almost.
(Delpit)
If people are too stupid
to plan for all
eventualities,
then they're too dumb
to live.
I think of it
as natural selection.
All those deaths will be
on your hands.
[chuckles]
Don't be so dramatic.
I'm just the middleman.
It's a business
transaction.
Military contractors make
fortunes building weapons
that bomb countries back
to the Stone Age.
Then they double their money
getting government contracts
to rebuild war zones.
Why shouldn't I get
a piece of the pie?
He's a cold bastard.
We've got company.
I've gotta get
out of here.
Fire stairs behind me.
Okay. Give me the tape.
One second.
Look, if the feds
find me here,
you and I are both
going to jail.
And your story's
never gonna get out.
I'm almost done.
Now, Jackson.
Olivia? They're keeping it
all very hush-hush.
But my buddy in the U.S.
Attorney's office
got word from a Marshall.
Jackson Zane's refused
to name his source.
He's going to jail.
Yes. There's no federal
shield law for journalists.
So refusing to talk
is contempt of court.
I read his article.
Anthrax scares
the hell out of me.
It takes a lot of balls
to go to jail
for the truth.
How long can they
hold him?
Until he names names.
Thank you.
You shouldn't have come.
They'll be checking
my visitors.
I used my undercover alias.
Rachel Martin.
It's still risky.
I had to see you.
I want you to talk.
I want you to tell them
it was me.
No, that anthrax
is still out there.
We both did
the right thing.
But I'm not in jail.
You don't belong here.
You were protecting
those girls.
Hell, the whole city.
You did your job.
And I'm doing mine.
You're sitting
in jail, Jackson.
Give them my name
and get back to work.
I give them your name,
they win.
There's no freedom
without free press.
Now I chose
to write this story.
And I'll take
the consequences.
Good-bye, Olivia.
Don't come back.
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses are
considered especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives
who investigate
these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as
the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[carousel music playing]
Tasha, hold on tight
to your sister.
Smile for daddy.
(woman)
Your girls are beautiful.
Thanks. It's their
first time here.
[bell rings]
Timmy! Don't get off
until it stops!
Tasha? Nicki?
[chuckles]
Look, girls,
don't play games.
Girls, where are you?
Girls!
Hurry, Nicki!
Tasha!
You stop right now!
Tasha!
Wait, please.
[horn honks]
Someone call 911!
I didn't see her! I swear
to God I didn't see her.
Tasha!
You her dad?
Oh, God, I'm so sorry.
Let's go.
I'm sorry.
Tasha!
Hey, mister,
where you going?
Two girls.
Tasha and Lola Wright.
Hit by a cab.
Driver saw dad fleeing
the scene with another daughter.
What kind of father runs
out on his injured kids?
Maybe one with
an open warrant.
Doesn't want
to get picked up.
How are the girls?
Tasha the 12-year-old's
got a concussion.
A couple of scrapes
and bruises.
She cushioned
baby Lola's fall.
Little one's got
no injuries.
Okay. Thanks.
Hey, Tasha.
My name's Olivia.
This is Elliot.
I want to help you
find your dad.
He's not my father.
My dad's a soldier.
He died in Iraq.
Then who was the man
in the park?
I don't know his name.
Why were you there
with him?
He took us
from New Orleans.
The water flooded
our house.
Mama and Grandma drowned.
Hurricane Katrina.
(Tasha)
We held onto the roof.
The man came in a boat.
He saved our lives.
He said he was
our new daddy.
Then he brought you
to New York.
He said he'd take
care of us.
That we were his girls now.
Where are
you staying?
In a basement.
We never went outside
before today.
Has he ever hurt you?
No.
But he looks
at me funny.
And he's always
hugging Nicki.
Has he ever hurt Nicki?
Not until last night.
He made her sleep
in his bed.
I heard her crying.
Please save my sister.
When do I get
to see my sister?
Well, we're gonna talk
a little bit first,
and then we'll take you
to see Lola.
Hey, John.
This is Tasha Wright.
John's gonna get you
settled, okay?
Come on.
The perp has got to know
that we're talking to Tasha.
He could panic
and kill the sister.
He's got nothing
to worry about.
He knows Tasha doesn't know
his name or where he lives.
He can just stay put
and keep abusing Nicki.
Olivia,
Morales wants you
to review
the geographic cues
before you start
interviewing Tasha.
Hey, I checked
with the Center for Missing
and Exploited Children.
2,300 kids missing
since Katrina.
The Wright girls
aren't on the list.
Well, the parents
are dead.
Relatives scattered
in shelters.
They're perfect prey
for a pedophile.
And there's lots of them.
4,500 sex offenders
disappeared after Katrina.
There's no telling how many
kids they've taken.
Like the hundreds of kids
who were snatched
after the tsunami.
Those pervs are ghosts
until they hit again.
No one knows your past.
You can start a new life.
Abuse more children.
I bet they can't
believe their luck.
Come here.
Captain, hospital called.
Tasha and Lola's rape
kits, they're negative.
I'm not surprised.
Nicki's the right age.
Pedophiles usually go
for prepubescent girls.
So why abduct all three?
He did tell them
to call him "daddy."
Maybe he's living
some kind of fantasy.
Devoted father of
three beautiful daughters.
But Tasha didn't
fall for it.
Soon as he moves in
on Nicki,
Tasha runs away.
Which probably
pissed him off.
Nicki's in
a lot of danger.
(Morales)
Olivia's set
with her earpiece.
We're good to go.
[over intercom]
Hey, sweetie.
Okay. So, Tasha.
Tell me how you got
to the park.
(Tasha)
We took the bus.
Was it a short ride
or a long ride?
About an hour.
That's too far for a trip
from the East
or West Side.
They must've come from south
of the park or uptown.
Hour's bus ride gives us
everything between
North Harlem
and the Village.
Ask about
the architecture.
So when you were
at the bus stop today,
what did you see?
Lots of buildings.
Can you tell me
what they looked like?
Some were tall.
Some were little.
And brown with big stairs.
Brownstones. Not a lot
of those downtown.
Gotta be Harlem.
(Benson)
Does the man live
in one of the brown ones?
Yeah. We lived
under the stairs.
So, Tasha, when you were
outside the house today
what did you see?
A church. I asked the man
if we could go there.
Mama always takes us
to church on Sunday.
And what else
was near the house?
A school.
Okay. Can you
describe it for me?
I never saw it.
I just heard the bells
and kids playing.
There are hundreds
of churches in Harlem.
Dozens of schools.
That target area will
take us days to canvass.
Nicki doesn't have
that much time.
We gotta jog
Tasha's memory.
Get her on the street.
Start with the churches.
(Benson)
Tasha, does it look
like this?
Too old.
It was newer.
What about this one?
It's kind of the same.
But it didn't have
stained glass.
(Tasha)
Not this one.
This isn't working.
They gotta keep going.
The next church
could be the one.
And the next minute
Nicki could be dead.
(Tasha)
No, not this one.
No.
Okay. Come on.
No.
They've been out there
for five hours.
This is a waste of time.
You've got a better idea?
We're never
gonna find her.
Yeah, we will, honey.
We just gotta keep looking.
We struck out.
Need the next location.
(Cragen)
Pack it in.
Captain,
we can't quit now.
Bring Tasha back to the house.
We've got a new plan.
We're going to the media.
Public appeal
on the TV news.
Great idea. Kidnapper
sees that, Nicki's dead.
Not if we report
an unidentified girl
was hit by a taxi.
She's in a coma.
We're looking for her family.
Captain, even if the perp
doesn't get raised up,
what do we get out of it?
Pictures. We ask
everybody at the carousel
to give us their film.
Maybe we get a photo
of the perp that Tasha can I.D.
You're counting on the press
to run a fake story?
We won't tell 'em
it's fake.
DCPI has got the press
conference set up.
We're gonna need
a picture of Tasha.
A real heartbreaker.
(Cragen)
If you were
at the carousel today,
please contact our office
at the number on your screen.
We'll send an officer to borrow
your photographs and video.
Please help us to find
this little girl's family.
She may not make it and her
parents should be with her.
Thank you.
He's laying it on
with a trowel.
Excuse me?
Jackson Zane.
From The Ledger.
I just got handed
the police beat.
Pretty cynical
for a new guy.
I'm new, not naive.
Cute kid.
Tragic accident.
Whole dog and pony show
just in time
for the 11:00 news.
What's the real story?
Just what
my captain said.
Need to find
the girl's parents.
Hmm. Nobody got home
from the park
and realized they were
short a kid?
I guess not.
You could cut me a break.
Make me look good
to my new boss.
But then my boss would
ship me out
to Sheepshead Bay.
What are you really
looking for, detective?
Carousel photos.
I got your page. You've
been working all night?
Yeah, but it was worth it.
Dozens of
family photos came in.
Then we hit
the jackpot. Video.
Hey.
Lady was filming
her kid on the carousel.
We got a full 360
of the crowd.
And a lot of the kids.
(Benson)
Pause it.
That's Lola, Tasha.
And that's gotta be Nicki.
Dirtbag's in here
somewhere.
Morning.
We didn't have time
to get her dressed
at the children's center.
I'm sleepy.
Oh, sweetheart,
I know you are.
But come here. I want you
to have a seat
and take a really
good look
and see if you can
find the man, okay?
Come on.
There.
It's him.
Okay. Find all
the shots he's in.
I'll put 'em on a disk
in case you need
to print copies later.
Fin will bring in
the taxi driver.
His ID will
corroborate Tasha's.
(Munch)
Put down the camera.
(Zane)
You can't cover
this up!
Put down the camera.
You lied to me.
Throw his ass in the cage.
Give me the camera.
A source at the hospital
said the girl left with you.
It's gonna make
a great headline...
"NYPD Fakes
Coma Girl Tragedy."
Hold on. Let him go.
Don't do this.
You've got nothing coming.
I'm running the story.
You're risking
a child's life.
Yesterday you said
she was dying.
Why should
I believe you now?
Because we'll give you
an exclusive
on an even bigger story.
Bigger than the one
I just got?
Pulitzer material.
Screw me over and I will
spend the rest of my career
crawling so far
up your asses--
Well, we wouldn't
want that.
Early edition deadline
is at 11:00 p.m.
You call me by 9:00
or "Coma Girl" runs.
We're gonna need
a couple hundred copies
of the perp's photo.
Plus enough bodies to canvass
every brownstone in Harlem.
I got something else
you should check out.
I called FEMA.
There's only one
Katrina relief center
in New York City.
FEMA's $2,000 debit card
is pretty hard to pass up.
(Felicity)
More than 4,000 people
displaced by Katrina
have come to New York.
And we're helping
everyone who walks
through the door.
Did you help him?
Yes. I recognize the denim
jacket he's wearing.
It was my husband's.
I brought it in
for the clothing drive.
Do you remember
his name?
Norman. Forman.
Something like that.
I'll check my files.
He was a lovely man.
He just asked for food,
clothing, and job referrals.
He refused FEMA funds.
He didn't want charity.
He didn't want to give out
his social security number.
Did he request housing?
I think he was staying
with friends.
Here it is.
Clark Corman.
You have an address?
No. But we did give him
a prepaid cell phone
to help him find work.
So call him.
Tell him to come down.
What should I say
if he asks why?
Just tell him that you've got
a great job for him.
Handyman
at a youth center.
Munch ran the name
Clark Corman through NCIC
and all the Louisiana
databases. Nothing.
Probably an alias.
Anything on the canvass?
Not yet.
(Stabler)
There he is.
(Benson)
No Nicki.
All right.
We'll follow him home.
How about I go in?
I say I'm from
the youth center.
Get his address.
All right. Call me.
We'll check
his place out.
Detective. I need
to talk to you.
My editor wants me
to stay on your tail
till I get
that exclusive.
Go away.
Oh, son of a bitch.
Police! Corman,
hands on the railing.
Don't shoot, don't shoot!
Hands on the railing.
Where's the girl?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Sure you don't, Daddy.
Now where's Nicki?
I don't know any Nicki.
You have no idea
what you've done.
Hey. I'm sorry.
You blew our surveillance
on a child abductor.
An eight-year-old girl
is out there somewhere,
maybe dying
because of you.
I thought you were
gaming me. What can I do?
Pray that he talks.
You've made a mistake.
God hasn't blessed me
with children.
So why'd you take
girls' clothing
from Hurricane Help?
Those good folks must have me
confused with someone else.
So many of us lost
everything we owned.
Where have you been
staying in New York?
I don't really see
how that concerns you.
Hmph. Hey.
You're starting to sweat.
You nervous?
Hardly.
Hmm.
I've been through hell.
Clung to a tree all night
while bodies floated by.
You don't scare me.
I know my rights.
I've committed no crime.
You can't keep me here.
I'd like to see
my lawyer now.
He said the magic words.
And while we wait
for Legal Aid
to waltz Mr. Corman
out the door,
God only knows
where Nicki is
or what shape she's in.
Do you think
she's still alive?
He's antsy.
He's sweating.
If he'd hidden the body,
he'd be calm.
Casey, you've gotta
help us out here
'cause I'm not cutting
this guy loose.
Print him.
Counselor,
without grounds to arrest
we need a court order
to compel his fingerprints.
Do you think
he's knows that?
(Benson)
Nicki's alone.
She could be hurt.
Why's it taking so long
to get the prints back?
Well, New Orleans'
court system
was annihilated
by Katrina.
Files lost.
Evidence destroyed.
It's total chaos.
Got 'em. Corman's real
name is Alvin Dutch.
He did a hard ten
in Angola for kiddie rape.
He got out six months ago.
He's listed as a high risk
sex-offender.
And parole lost track
of him in the flood.
The guy I spoke to says
they've been
kicking down doors
looking for him
and 270 other most wanteds.
They find any so far?
Seven in a shelter
on Cape Cod.
Does Mr. Dutch have any
family or friends up here?
None that
they know about.
Child molestation is
a capital offense in Louisiana.
I'm gonna call the DA
down there.
Start working a deal.
He gives us Nicki.
He dodges the needle.
(Cragen)
Get Tasha ready
for a line up.
Your prisoner's
really sick.
He's got a high fever.
EMS on the way?
They should be here
in a minute.
His breathing's shallow.
What's wrong with him?
Is he faking?
Not with a fever
like this.
35-year-old male with
acute onset of fever
and respiratory distress.
He's diaphoretic
and tachycardic.
Start him on O2,
five liters.
Oh! We've gotta
move him now.
One, two, three.
(Benson)
How is he?
Decompensated.
Going into shock.
Look. It's been 12 hours
since we picked him up.
That little girl could
be running out of air.
We've gotta talk to him.
You can't.
He's unconscious.
He was fine 12 hours ago.
What happened?
I don't know.
We're running tests.
I'll page you as soon
as he's lucid.
I'll wait.
Why don't you go back?
I want to be here
when he comes to.
I'll see what I can
find on Alvin Dutch.
Olivia. Your captain
filled me in.
I think I can help.
How?
I ran Alvin Dutch's name
past a buddy of mine
at The Ledger's
New Orleans bureau.
He found one of Dutch's
old cellmates
at a shelter
in Baton Rouge.
Thanks. I'll have
the Louisiana State Police
interview him for us.
I thought you'd rather
do it yourself.
I had him brought
to the wire service.
I got you
a teleconference hookup.
(Benson)
Clayton, did Alvin Dutch
ever talk to you
about his family?
Only to cuss 'em out
for cutting him off.
What about here
in New York City?
He ever mention
knowing anyone?
Yeah.
Come to think of it.
You want
to give us a name?
What's in it for me?
Save a child's life.
It's good karma.
I was thinking
more about cash.
We could arrange
an award.
(Clayton)
Not saying anything
until you do.
Give him 1,000 bucks.
That do it?
He has a great aunt Goldie.
Used to make him
fruitcake at Christmas.
Hard as a brick.
Remember her last name?
Prioleaux.
On account I had
a girlfriend by that name.
Of course, she was white.
Yeah? You remember
where the aunt lived?
Somewheres up in Harlem,
I think.
(Goldie)
Shame on Alvin.
Coming into town
and not coming to visit me.
Well, how about
phone calls or letters?
I haven't heard
from him in years.
Do you have access
to the basement apartment?
No, that's rented out
to a nice young couple.
The Johnsons.
Would you mind
if I take a look around?
Be my guest.
Does Alvin have any
other family in town?
Lord, no.
Most of his family
are diehard
New Orleanians.
Even that hurricane
couldn't get them to budge.
What did they call
that storm?
Katrina.
Is that it? Hmm.
Nothing.
Okay. Miss Goldie,
thank you so much.
You call us if you can think
of anything, okay?
I just did.
Camille. Not Katrina.
Camille was the name
of that storm.
Miss Goldie, what's
the president's name?
Oh, Kennedy of course.
I voted for him.
And when was the last time
you saw your nephew Alvin?
Alvin? Hmm.
Let me think.
Um...last week.
You said it'd been years.
No, he was here
just the other day.
He brought those
beautiful girls to visit.
The girls were here?
They're moving in
downstairs.
Alvin's busy fixing up
the basement.
Nicki.
She's burning up. We gotta
get her to a hospital.
She has the same
symptoms as Dutch.
Oh, God. Get a portable chest
and start IV Cipro.
Alvin Dutch is dead.
From what?
Anthrax.
How's Nicki?
Her fever's gone down,
and she's responding
to the antibiotics.
She's gonna make
a full recovery.
Good. I don't want to read
about Nicki or anthrax
in The Ledger We can't
afford to panic the city.
What's the plan?
The hospital's called in
the CDC.
They're setting up
emergency surveillance teams
monitoring every ER
in the city
for possible
anthrax exposures.
They'll decide when
this goes public.
Okay.
My source said
Alvin Dutch died.
What's going on, Olivia?
It's not a good time.
Alvin Dutch is dead.
No one'll tell me
how he died.
And the CDC just landed
a chopper on the roof.
Jackson, I can't talk
about it.
I'll find out.
You know I will.
They examined Nicki.
Her hymen's intact.
She wasn't raped.
Alvin didn't have
a chance to get that far.
Look, if Nicki's
gonna be okay,
then why did
Alvin Dutch die?
He had
inhalation anthrax.
Even with aggressive
treatment it's 75% fatal.
Nicki's case is cutaneous
through a cut on her palm.
So he breathed in
the spores.
Nicki only touched them.
Exactly. We need to find out
how they got infected.
Those flood waters
in New Orleans
are full of toxins.
No, it can't be that.
Anthrax can only
be contracted
by direct contact
with dry spores.
And symptoms usually appear
within seven days
of exposure.
They've been here
for 10 weeks.
And Lola and Tasha
are okay so far.
Which Alvin and Nicki
must've contracted it
within the last
48 hours.
How did you cut
your hand, Nicki?
On the glass.
What glass?
The tube that had
the fairy dust inside it.
I tied a string around it.
And made a necklace
for Bosha.
Who's Bosha?
My teddy. I left him
at the man's house.
Can you get him
for me?
We're gonna try, sweetie.
How did the tube break?
It fell on the floor
when the man took
Bosha away from me.
Then the fairy dust
spilled all over.
Did you touch
the fairy dust?
I tired to pick it up,
but I cut my hand.
Then the man got mad at me
and pushed me away.
Then he cleaned it up.
That's when
he inhaled it.
Okay, Nicki. Where did
you get the fairy dust?
I don't know.
When did you make
the necklace?
At the man's house.
Did the man give you
the fairy dust?
I don't remember.
We can't
push her anymore.
[door opens]
(Tasha)
Nicki!
Tasha and Lola don't
have any symptoms,
but Doc Beresford gonna
check 'em out
just to make sure
they're fine.
That fairy dust
is still out there.
More people
could be exposed.
Well, if he threw it out,
it's on the street.
Or in that basement.
I'll tell the CDC
we're tracking down a lead.
(Warner)
I found it.
He swept up the anthrax, but
never emptied the dust pan.
You find anything that could
identify the source?
Based on toxicity
and granular size,
it's military grade.
So it came from a lab.
Had to.
Anyway to find out where?
Possibly. Researchers who work
with level three biohazards
tag their samples
with chemical identifiers
so they can be traced.
How did Alvin Dutch
get a hold
of weaponized anthrax?
Only job that he had
was in a prison kitchen.
I'll call as soon as I have
the test results.
(Benson)
We'll be
at the precinct.
Novak talked
to Louisiana Parole.
Doesn't look
like Alvin Dutch
has any connection
to any lab
or research facility.
Guess we gotta check
with the inmates
who were in Angola
with him, huh?
What the hell?
Why is everyone
out of the squad?
CDC ordered a full decon
of the building
in case anthrax spores
were on Dutch's clothing.
So much for keeping this
low profile.
DCPI's spinning the story.
Every news outlet
in town's here.
You're screwing me.
It's okay.
Desk sergeant ate
some bad clams.
Somebody overreacted.
Thought it was an outbreak
of salmonella.
I heard that from a public
information officer.
Are you gonna tell me
the same thing?
We just work here.
I'm not your enemy.
Whatever's going on,
the public has
a right to know.
Mr. Zane, I'm gonna
have to ask you
to step behind
the perimeter.
I guess those bad clams
are contagious.
If civilians are in danger,
it's our duty to warn them.
And after 9/11,
every secretary in town
opened mail wearing
rubber gloves.
We don't want to start
that kind of hysteria.
But he's got a point.
Building's clear.
You can go back in now.
I want everybody on
Alvin Dutch's movements
since he got to New York.
Find out everywhere
he's been
and how the hell he found
a vial of anthrax.
What the hell?
(Benson)
Everything's gone.
The whole decon
routine was a scam.
Why, Santa, why?
My DD Fives,
notebooks, all gone.
Who do we call
when we've been raped?
(Cragen)
I'll start with One P.P.
Police Commissioner's
gonna hit the roof.
They got you too?
Alvin Dutch's body,
the vial, all gone.
Dr. Beresford,
do you have the girls?
Okay. Thanks for trying.
The feds took Tasha,
Nicki, and Lola.
Wouldn't tell
the hospital where.
The government
can do this?
Since the Patriot Act,
they can do anything.
P.C. gonna tear
the feds a new one?
He tore me one.
An order to forthwith
down to Federal Plaza.
You too.
(man)
Captain Cragen,
M.E. Warner,
your part in this
investigation is over.
There's no need for your squad
take any further action
regarding Alvin Dutch
or his death.
What about the girls?
They're being
well cared for.
And all appropriate steps
are being taken
to locate next-of-kin.
Those girls have
been through hell.
They need therapy
and continuity
with people that
they know and trust.
I appreciate your compassion,
Detective Benson.
But this is a matter
of national security.
(Cragen)
You said it was a matter
of public health
when you raided
our squad room.
I think you owe us
an explanation.
I can't give you one.
You don't have
the security clearance.
[Blackberry rings]
All information obtained
by the NYPD
or the Medical Examiner's
Office is now classified.
We just keep
our mouths shut
till people start
dying from anthrax.
The federal government is
prepared to deal with
any and all exigencies.
Sure. By calling in
the black helicopters.
For once, he's not
being paranoid.
(federal officer)
This is meeting is over.
Any leak of classified
material will be investigated
and punished
as a federal offense.
You may go.
We just gonna
bend over and take it?
We have no choice.
This came from Washington.
The P.C. can't
overrule the feds.
Well, what about the girls?
We just forget about them
and everything
that they've been through?
Yes.
This is crap.
(Warner)
We could have a citywide
health crisis.
If the public isn't warned,
they can't protect themselves.
Melinda, my hands are tied.
Olivia.
I need to talk to you
and Elliot. Alone.
Before the feds
cleaned me out,
I e-mailed the results of
my analysis of the anthrax
to a friend at the NIH.
Got the results during
our ass chewing.
Yeah? Your friend
ID a source?
Louisiana
BioChem Defense.
It's a research facility
outside New Orleans.
They have CDC authority
to work with select agents,
including ricin, ebola,
smallpox, and anthrax.
What were they doing?
Bioweapons engineering.
Germ warfare.
Yes. And developing
vaccines
against bioterror
weapons.
And they're not
the only facility.
There were five level three
bioweapons labs
in the flood zone.
What happened
when Katrina hit?
They lost
all their work
and more than
5,000 lab animals.
Many of them infected
with lethal viruses.
One university was licensed
to research anthrax
and a genetically
engineered mousepox.
I don't remember seeing
this on the news.
They didn't want you to.
The government claimed that
every hot lab was secured
before the storm.
Animals euthanized.
Samples destroyed.
I'm a scientist.
I'm not throwing away
years of my research.
Someone took that anthrax
from Louisiana BioChem Defense
and then brought it here.
And along the way crossed
paths with Alvin Dutch.
Whoever it is,
they're
out there somewhere.
And God knows what else
they've got.
And we can't do
a damn thing
as long as the boys from DC
have a gag in our mouths.
Change of heart?
Yeah.
I want to tell you
a story.
What the hell
were you thinking?
Nice picture.
Why'd you give it
to him?
Who says I did?
Don't play games with me.
Olivia, look.
The Chief of D's is
in there right now.
The feds are going nuts.
They know someone
from this squad
leaked that photo
to The Ledger.
A lot of people had cameras
in the park that day.
Jackson Zane could've gotten
that photo from anybody.
Oh. Okay.
You really think
that's gonna fly?
Those girls lost
their mother, their home.
Everything.
But they still trusted us
to make things right.
I don't ever want
to read about
a classified investigation
in the tabloids again.
You receive an order
to comply with the feds,
you and everyone under
your command obey it.
Or you won't have
a command anymore.
Yes, Chief.
(Cragen)
Olivia.
In here now.
I don't like being
bossed around
by some G-man
in a $1,000 suit.
But when I am told
to stand down
in the interests
of national security,
I bite my tongue.
Captain--
Shut up.
When they question me,
I don't want to lie.
And they will question us all.
If they prove
you leaked this,
they will take your job,
your pension,
and your freedom.
I don't want to visit you
in a federal lock-up, Olivia.
Dismissed.
How bad?
Well, look.
Maybe it was worth it.
How?
ACS just called.
I think all this media
attention spooked the feds.
They returned the girls.
We gotta go talk to them.
You have lost your mind.
Those girls are safe
for now.
But what about
the rest of the city?
There's anthrax
out there somewhere,
and Nicki is the key
to finding it.
You don't think the feds
questioned her all night long?
Elliot, she's a traumatized
eight-year-old girl
who's been kidnapped
and molested
after watching
her mother die.
We know how
to talk to her.
(Benson)
I brought you something
to make you feel better.
You found Bosha.
Well, Bosha got all dirty.
But this is his little brother.
You think he'd like
a necklace too?
Yes, but I don't have
anymore fairy dust.
Well, we could go back
and get some.
I don't know
where the van is.
What van?
The van that gave us
a ride to New York.
The fairy dust was
in the van.
Honey...
Nicki, it's okay. You're not
gonna get in trouble.
Yes, I will.
Mama says it's a sin
to take things
that don't belong
to you.
Well, you know what, Nicki?
I want to call the guy
who drove that van.
And I'm gonna tell him
that you just borrowed
the fairy dust.
It's not such a bad thing
to borrow stuff, right?
There was lots of
fairy dust in the van.
Can you ask him
if I can have some more?
For little Bosha?
We will, but we gonna
find out who he is first.
Do you remember his name?
Mr. Michael.
Don't worry. I made all
the calls from a payphone.
What'd you find out?
Louisiana BioChem Defense
has seven employees
with Michael as their
first or last name.
You check their whereabouts
during Katrina?
All evacuated
before the storm
except one lab technician.
Michael Delpit.
He volunteered to stay
behind and guard the lab.
Or loot it.
Where's Delpit now?
He quit. Tracked him
down in Jersey
working at a lab
in New Brunswick.
Munch found my auntie.
Mrs. Fontenot found us.
I saw the girls picture
in the paper.
Thank you so much for taking
such good care of them.
She says we can go live
with her. Um, where's Nicki?
She's right in there.
Why don't you go in and see her?
Where you going?
Don't ask, don't tell.
(Stabler)
Excuse me.
Have you seen this man?
Back there.
Michael Delpit.
This is
a restricted area.
Not as restricted as a life
sentence in Leavenworth.
You're under arrest
for the theft
and interstate transportation
of a level three biohazard.
Where's the anthrax?
It's gone.
Guy first got in touch
with me
when I was working for
Louisiana BioDefense.
Offered me big bucks
for weapons grade anthrax.
But I couldn't smuggle it
out of the lab.
Right. But you saw
an opportunity
when Katrina hit.
Well, the staff split.
Just me and the monkeys
and the lab rats stayed
to ride out the storm.
When the power went out,
so did the security system.
I loaded up the van
and hit the road.
(Benson)
But you stopped
and picked up Alvin Dutch
and the girls. Why?
I figured a family of evacuees
would give me a good cover
if I hit a roadblock.
(Stabler)
Where'd you drop off
the anthrax?
14th Street. Met the guy
in a parking lot.
He gave me the cash.
I didn't ask any questions.
[Benson on tape]
Did you see him leave?
[Michael on tape]
He walked around the corner.
Pause it.
[Michael on tape]
Disappeared.
[clicks cassette player off]
Did he ever tell you
who he sold it to?
He never knew
the guy's name.
All he had was
a cell phone number.
Give it to me.
It was prepaid.
Already out of service.
Damn it.
Hold on.
So you stole
the anthrax.
You sold it
to some guy.
You bother to ask him
what he was gonna do with it?
Not my concern.
I got my money.
He got what he wanted.
And all
the innocent people
who could die?
It won't be me.
I've got a supply of Cipro.
He brokers death and doesn't
lose a night's sleep.
I always wondered
how they could do that.
Guys like Delpit
don't think about
who they're hurting.
It's like a rapist.
Doesn't think
about his victim.
About that tape.
Only my partner and I
know that it exists.
Delpit didn't know that
we were recording him.
You guys don't
tape interrogations.
Why'd you do it?
The feds are gonna make
Michael Delpit disappear.
I don't want the truth
to vanish with him.
You can't ever let anyone
know that you heard this.
Not your editor.
You have my word.
Is that the end
of the tape?
Almost.
(Delpit)
If people are too stupid
to plan for all
eventualities,
then they're too dumb
to live.
I think of it
as natural selection.
All those deaths will be
on your hands.
[chuckles]
Don't be so dramatic.
I'm just the middleman.
It's a business
transaction.
Military contractors make
fortunes building weapons
that bomb countries back
to the Stone Age.
Then they double their money
getting government contracts
to rebuild war zones.
Why shouldn't I get
a piece of the pie?
He's a cold bastard.
We've got company.
I've gotta get
out of here.
Fire stairs behind me.
Okay. Give me the tape.
One second.
Look, if the feds
find me here,
you and I are both
going to jail.
And your story's
never gonna get out.
I'm almost done.
Now, Jackson.
Olivia? They're keeping it
all very hush-hush.
But my buddy in the U.S.
Attorney's office
got word from a Marshall.
Jackson Zane's refused
to name his source.
He's going to jail.
Yes. There's no federal
shield law for journalists.
So refusing to talk
is contempt of court.
I read his article.
Anthrax scares
the hell out of me.
It takes a lot of balls
to go to jail
for the truth.
How long can they
hold him?
Until he names names.
Thank you.
You shouldn't have come.
They'll be checking
my visitors.
I used my undercover alias.
Rachel Martin.
It's still risky.
I had to see you.
I want you to talk.
I want you to tell them
it was me.
No, that anthrax
is still out there.
We both did
the right thing.
But I'm not in jail.
You don't belong here.
You were protecting
those girls.
Hell, the whole city.
You did your job.
And I'm doing mine.
You're sitting
in jail, Jackson.
Give them my name
and get back to work.
I give them your name,
they win.
There's no freedom
without free press.
Now I chose
to write this story.
And I'll take
the consequences.
Good-bye, Olivia.
Don't come back.