23x03 - I Thought You Were On My Side

[bunniefuu]

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.

♪ You make me dance, ♪

♪ bring me up, bring me down ♪

♪ Play it sweet ♪

♪ make me move like a freak ♪

[GRUNTING]

♪ Play it sweet, ♪

♪ make me move like a freak ♪

♪ Mr. Saxobeat ♪

There you are, gorgeous.

Hey, Jules,

- How're you doing?
- I'm all right.

Come on in.

It's a big night.

[MURMURED CONVERSATION]

Wow, yeah. Really different crowd.

It's Gabe's birthday.

Private event.

Everybody's family.

♪ ♪

- Is that my favorite singer?
- Don't look.

It's supposed to be a surprise.

[FOREBODING MUSIC]

♪ ♪

She okay?

Hey, what's a party
without a few regrets?

She'll be fine.

Why don't you relax?

Get yourself changed.

Thanks.

Oh, and listen,

no posting anything tonight.

No photos, no Insta, no nothing.

And no phone.

Are you kidding?

When I said private event...

What did you get me into, here, Jules?

Just do your show, Tara.

Don't worry about a thing.

[DOOR SLAMS]

Great.

[SIGHS]

♪ You're just too good to be true ♪

♪ Can't take my eyes off of you ♪

♪ You'll be like heaven to touch ♪

♪ I want to hold you so much ♪

♪ At long last love has arrived ♪

♪ And I thank God I'm alive ♪

[SPEAKING RUSSIAN]

Take it easy, Gabe, huh?

The night is young.

Hey!

These are my very special guests.

You bring them
anything they want, okay?

Just vodka, my dear.

Any time my glass is empty,
you fill it.

Seems we have to catch up
with our host.

Hey, the crystal black stripe
pinstripe, you got it?

You got it, boss.

♪ And let me love you, baby ♪

♪ Let me love you ♪

I hear we have
a birthday boy in the house.

Gabe?

[APPLAUSE]

♪ Happy birthday ♪

♪ To you ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

- ♪ Happy... ♪
- [GROWLS]

♪ Happy birthday, ♪

♪ dear G... ♪

Keep singing, keep singing, come on.

- ♪ Happy birthday... ♪
- That's a girl.

- ♪ To you ♪
- You see my baby?

Huh? You see my baby?

Hey, how 'bout it, huh?

How 'bout it?

[APPLAUSE]

Hey.

You sang so pretty.

What else can you do with that mouth?

[DARK MUSIC]

Show's over, Gabe.

Go home.

Hey...

I like you.

Don't the birthday boy get a wish?

- Huh?
- Can you please just...

can you please just let me pass?

Hey. I'm just trying
to show you some love,

and you diss me in front
of the whole club.

Huh? What's the matter?

- You think you're too good for me?
- Get off me!

Get off me!

- [SCREAMS]
- You too good for me?

- Get off!
- Come here.

- Stop! Help!
- Come here, come here.

Help!

[SOBS]

Hey! You bitch.

Get back here!

Huh?

Where you going?

[GASPS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

What are you looking at?
Get her out of here.

♪ ♪

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Talk to Stabler lately?

Um, actually no.

He's been off the grid
for a couple of months.

- Why?
- Phoebe invited him over for dinner.

Trying to hook him up with her sister.

Oh.

- And?
- No show, no call back.

Not a word.

He doing his stuff again?

- I think that he's working.
- On what?

Not Wheatley. A new case?

Ben, it's none of our business.

And, he did let me know

not to worry about him.

And what'd your shrink say?

He asked if it was triggering for me.

And I lied and said that it wasn't.

And then he asked me how I was doing

with the rest
of the changes around here.

- You lie about that too?
- I certainly did.

[CHUCKLES]

Benson.

Okay, got it.

- Everything all right?
- We have to leave.

I'm waiting on my fried egg on a roll!

Get it to go.

And call Rollins,
and tell her to meet us

at LaGuardia Hospital.

Tara Reilly, .

Says she was sexually assaulted before

she was thrown down a flight of stairs.

Did you do a r*pe kit?

Not until we get an MRI on her spine.

This girl is in bad shape.

Concussed.

Had convulsions in the ambulance.

Anybody with her?

Early morning dog walker found her.

They must have left her by

the dumpster, in the back of the club.

Kay, what kind of place
are we talking about?

Ah, The Third Rail.

Private that night, but...

Usually it's kind of a scene.

You get a lot of complaints
about this place?

It's a club, so yeah.

dr*gs, fights.

But the owner, Gabe Navarro...

He works with the precinct.

What?

Yeah. So I don't know
what happened to this girl.

She's claiming she was r*ped?

And pushed down a flight of stairs.

If that happened,
we better find this guy

before Navarro does.

His face will be ground meat.

She had . blood alcohol,

traces of cannabis in her system.

- This isn't a drug overdose.
- No, she was att*cked.

Tracheal trauma,

fingertip bruising
on her neck and upper arms.

Her dress was ripped.

I finished my last song.

Gabe wanted a full version
of "Happy Birthday."

I hate singing that song,

but it's his place,
so you gotta kiss the ring.

Gabe?

Gabe Navarro.

I can usually play him,

make some jokes,

get out of the club
before he gets too drunk.

Five minutes.

We need to take Tara to Radiology.

Okay. Hey, um, Tara.

This is Detective Rollins.

Tara was just telling me
about the club owner,

a Gabe Navarro.

Yes, um.

Last night was,

a private party for his birthday.

Gabe started celebrating early.

[EXHALES HEAVILY]

While I was singing to him,

he pulled me onto his lap.

And he put his hands up my dress,

and put...

Put his fingers...

[GASPS]

Between my legs.

So sorry.

Then what happened?

I pushed him off,

and he didn't like that.

I jumped up,
and I ran to my dressing room.

He followed me,

barged in,

and I tried to get away,

but he lifted up my dress.

So he sexually assaulted
you a second time?

He started to.

I kneed him in the groin,

and got away, and then,

he chased after me, and grabbed me.

I slapped him.

He snapped,

and pushed me down the stairs

in front of the whole club.

Ask the manager, Jules. He was there.

I know that Gabe is connected.

And he has a lot of cop friends.

But you guys...

You guys are gonna arrest him, right?

She's saying
Gabe Navarro assaulted her?

- That's not good.
- What do you mean?

He's tight with the precinct,

- and he's a made guy.
- And a r*pist.

And he must have pals
at the DA's office.

I'm looking at his rap sheet.

Nine arrests in seven years.

g*ns, gambling, assaults.

Charges always get dropped.

But no sexual as*ault?

Precinct detective says he
doesn't need to r*pe anyone.

He co-owns four strip clubs,
massage parlors.

He basically has a harem.

Okay, so he's not used
to women saying no to him.

Too soon to pick him up?

If the nightclub was full,

I'd get some corroboration first.

Tara Reilly?

Yeah, she sang at the club
last night, why?

Why? She's in the hospital.

She might have a broken back.

My God, that's too bad.

She had a few.

Maybe she was a little woozy
when she left?

Yeah, well, she didn't get far.

They found her in the alley
behind the club.

Like I said, she was pretty woozy.

Maybe she fell?

Why don't you take me to your club,

and you can show me?

[UNEASY MUSIC]

Okay, yeah, now that you mention it,

it was Gabe's birthday, but,

everyone was in good spirits,
having fun, high.

High enough to throw
a girl down the stairs.

Tara?
[SCOFFS]

I heard she took a tumble.

Yeah, you saw that?

No, I didn't see anything.

How far was she up
those steps when she fell?

I'm not sure.

Okay, well, I'd like to see
the security footage.

I'm sorry, cameras weren't
turned on last night.

Private event.

Then I need to see the guest list.

Gabe doesn't spy on his friends.

Gabe? He'd never hurt anyone.

No? How'd you get that black eye?

Babysitting for my niece.

Uh-huh.

Gabe treats us all great.

You can't ask for a better boss.

He hears Tara's hurt?

I'm sure he'll take care of her.

No witnesses, no security footage,

no credit card receipts, nothing?

It was a private party.
Everything was on the house.

Gabe Navarro's the boss.

They're afraid, or paid off, or both.

This girl, Tara...
she's telling the truth.

- What do we know about her?
- Tara Reilly.

She's from the Bronx.
Went to LaGuardia High School.

Been trying to make it to Broadway.

And now she might be

in a wheelchair,
for the rest of her life.

Nobody saw a thing?

Guy like this? His club, his rules.

- And he's arrogant.
- [SIGHS]

Is he arrogant enough to take a call?

- [PHONE BUZZES]
- Hello?

Tara?

How'd you get this number?

Go wait outside.

You don't have to talk to her.

Nobody here said anything to the cops.

Know thine enemy.

I made a few calls.

SVU's got nothing.

But just be careful what you say.

What am I, an idiot?

You're excused.

What do you want?

I'm sorry, Gabe, I...

I, uh...

I was in a bad mood, and...

I should have given you what you wanted

for your birthday.

- Yeah, you should've.
- You're right.

It's all my fault.

When you pushed me down the stairs,

I got pretty hurt.

That's tough. Young girl like you,

you should have come to me

instead of going to the cops.

I didn't call the cops!

They came to the hospital.

I was drugged, I was groggy.

Oh, yeah?

Well, they've been
all over my club today.

I can't have that.

Are they listening in right now?

No!

No.

Listen, Gabe, I...

I have a lot of medical bills,

and I don't know
what to tell my parents.

Tell them the truth.

You were drunk as a skunk,

and you fell down the stairs.

To walk again, Gabe, I'm gonna need

surgery and rehab.

I don't have insurance.

Oh, so this is a shakedown.

I pay you off,
and you drop the charges?

I'm in a wheelchair, Gabe.

- [DISHES CLATTER]
- Should have thought of that

before you embarrassed
me in front of my people.

Is that why you
threw me down the stairs?

Did I?

'Cause I got guests
who'll say you slipped and fell.

And I'm not paying any bills.

Keep this up,
maybe I pay for your funeral.

That won't play well to a jury.

- Well let's go!
- Yeah.

Good job.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Gabe Navarro.

Get the hell out of my club.

- You're under arrest.
- For what?

For r*pe.

And attempted m*rder of Tara Reilly.

That's lying whore?

I'm not going anywhere.

No?

Well, so you know,

I'm gonna fire two sh*ts.

Oh, go ahead.

They're bulletproof.

You want to test that theory?

I'm gonna give you a couple
of seconds to rethink that.

I think I'm in love.

Get him out of here.

♪ ♪

Is that why you
threw me down the stairs?

Did I?

'Cause I got guests
who'll say you slipped and fell.

And I'm not paying any bills.

Keep this up,
maybe I pay for your funeral.

Sounds like a confession
and motive to me.

- A jury hears that...
- Jury?

Slow this down.

I barely even know who this girl is.

She gets hurt, who knows how,

she sees a rich, powerful man,

decides to blame him for it.

Well, her clothes were torn,

and she had strangulation marks
on her neck.

Yeah. My client's not proud of this,
but,

he may have had a consensual
sexual moment with this girl.

- Of course, he did.
- She was drunk.

I was drunk.

She wanted to make me happy
on my birthday.

We had a quickie.
She kind of egged me on.

Is that how you got
those scratches on your hand?

You want to check my back?

You're a lady,
so you wouldn't understand,

but some women like it

fast and rough.

That's your story?

That it got so rough, she...

She fell down the stairs?

I don't know anything about that,

like I said, she was drunk.

Well,
how'd she end up in the alley, then?

Maybe an overeager busboy
thought she OD'd, I don't know.

Did anybody from the club see anything?

We're still talking to people.

That's a no.

Word of advice:
My client is targeted often.

You'll see, when push comes to shove,

the charges never stick.

Well, there's always a first time.

Look, I'm completely innocent, but,

this is bad for my business.

What can I offer
to make this thing go away?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Are you bribing an NYPD captain?

♪ ♪

This ends with me walking out of here.

Does it?

Your time is valuable.
My time is valuable.

I'm just cutting to the chase.

You do not want
to be sued for false arrest.

Threats and bribery.

Wow, you two are old school.

Wow, see?

You get me. I feel if we met

under different circumstances...

When this is over,
you come down to the club.

Everything on the house.

When this is over?

Sweetheart, we're just getting started.

Why don't I give you two some privacy?

What's this?

This is a DNA collection.

This is Gabe.

He likes it rough.

Hey, he's in there.

Gabe Navarro's DNA pops
on Tara Reilly's r*pe kit.

Under her fingernails,
traces of pre-ej*cul*te...

Yeah, he got in front of that.

- He claimed consensual.
- But that's not the big news.

We found his DNA
on two other r*pe kits.

One's from a vic in Miami
three years ago.

Did she name Navarro?

She was found unconscious,
brain damage.

- No memory of the att*ck.
- What about the other?

A Jane Doe from a year ago.

And she was found under a pier,
Brighton Beach.

Strangled. Drowned.

This guy's a serial.

Who caught the case?

Jane Doe.

I called her Tiny Dancer.

Brooklyn Homicide never ID'd her?

I'm not sure they tried that hard.

I told them, check the strip clubs.

She had breast implants.

Traced them back to
a Czech manufacturer,

who sold them to a cosmetic
surgery outfit in Moscow.

Turned out to be just a post box.

What happened to her?

What didn't happen?

This animal fractured her pelvis,

broke her eye socket...

She was so badly beaten,

it was hard to determine
cause of death.

[QUIET DRAMATIC MUSIC]

You gotta get him off the street.

♪ ♪

So no one backed me up?

Not even Jules?

I get it.

Everyone's afraid of Gabe,
even you guys.

No, not us.

Look, we know that
you're not his only victim.

But you are our only witness.

Now, with his DNA on your kit,

your torn clothing, your injuries,

the tape from that controlled call,

we have a very solid case.

Tara...

You should also know,

that the defense is going
to claim consensual.

I wanted to end up in a wheelchair?

- A jury's gonna believe that?
- Not if you testify.

I will.

If Gabe thinks he's going to get away

with what he did to me, screw him.

That's all I need to hear, Tara.

I'm gonna bring this
to a grand jury tomorrow.

I'll go get you a ride home, okay?

- I'll get the door.
- Thanks.

So now what?

Keep working on the other cases.

Put Navarro in Miami,
put him in Brighton Beach.

And all the people at the night club,

who didn't see a thing,
let's up the pressure on them.

Find out who had outstanding
warrants, IRS issues,

- whatever it takes.
- Okay.

Captain Benson.

What?

I see.

Well I'm with ADA Carisi now,

so we'll head down there.

Oh, I understand, Sergeant,
but this is our case.

Okay, well, we're on our way.

Son of a bitch!

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Thanks for meeting us.

Sergeant Bell, what's going on?

Where's Gabe Navarro?

Let me explain.

Elliot.

Liv.

You're not gonna like this.

Gabe Navarro has been on our radar

for over a dozen years.

Born in Puglia.

Italian father, Russian mother.

Grew up with one foot in Bensonhurst

and the other in Brighton Beach.

But you couldn't tell me
that you were undercover?

No, Liv, I couldn't.

Navarro has four legit passports,

multiple aliases,

and ties to criminal organizations

in Italy, Eastern Europe, and Russia.

- I texted you.
- So I wouldn't think

that you ghosted me? Again?

- Liv, let's not go into that.
- [CLEARS THROAT]

He's basically involved
in everything:

arms, dr*gs, sex trafficking.

Navarro and I, we crossed paths

in Naples a few years back.

Tried to get a warrant on him,

but he slipped out of the country.

We suspect Navarro's the advisor

to one of the most
notorious international

fugitives on our wanted list,

Anton Popkov.

Popkov jumped bail ten years ago,

hasn't set foot in this country since.

- Questions?
- I don't care

who Gabe Navarro is friends with.

He just r*ped a year-old woman,
and then

pushed her down the stairs.

She may be paralyzed for life.

And we have DNA evidence

connecting him to two other

unsolved r*pes, and one m*rder.

And I've got a grand jury

that's gonna hear all of this tomorrow.

That won't be happening.

I understand your concern,
Captain, but...

How long have you been at SVU?

You may not be seeing
the bigger picture here.

Agent Clay, if I may.

Captain, Navarro wants
to speak to Detective Stabler.

We want to see where that goes.

This might be a win for all of us.

You brought in a guy
we've been tracking for years.

You got him dead to rights.

We've just never had leverage
on Navarro like this before.

He's on the hook for r*pe and m*rder.

This is our case.

Not OC's, not FBI's.

This was our case.

Now I have to tell the Eighth Floor

that we're not taking this
to the grand jury tomorrow.

My bet?

Is that they knew ahead of us.

- Counselor, I'm sorry.
- Oh, are you?

So am I.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

So what's going on, Elliot?

Radio silence for three months?

Yeah, my sergeant's orders.

Car that ran you off the road,

Crash Investigations
ever find anything?

No, they didn't.

According to them,
it was a drunk driver.

How are you doing?

Had to have surgery, but I'm okay.

How are you?

I'm a little salty about this too.

I didn't want it to get all turfy.

I meant about being undercover.

Are you able to see your kids?

Yeah, now and again.

They're doing okay.

It's kind of nice
to not be me for a while.

Detective.

Navarro has dismissed his counsel.

He just wants to talk to you.

Man to man.

Not unless I'm in the room.

It's your call.

She's the captain.
It's actually her call.

[SPEAKING ITALIAN]

Nice beard, Stabler.

Nice to see you too, Gabe.

And you've met my friend,
the lovely Captain Benson.

You know, she pointed her g*n
at my balls.

And I should have pulled the trigger.

How about we get started?

Short leash, huh, pal?

So why don't you tell him what you did

to your girl Tara?

Is that still an issue?

I figure I give something
to Detective Stabler

and that'd go away,
one way or the other.

Oh, bad news, Gabe.

This is way more than that one girl

taking a slip and fall.

That girl.

I heard she's not talking anymore.

She barely knows what day it is.

So you know her.

How about her?

Doesn't look like she's talking either.

[LAUGHS]

You think that's funny?

Do you think this is funny, Gabe?

We have your DNA,

on all three of these women's bodies.

You're looking at r*pe,

attempted m*rder,

and m*rder.

Maybe I should have called my lawyer.

Yeah, but you didn't. You called me.

Why?

I'm not confessing to
anything, but you know me.

I can be reasonable.

One hand washes the other, assuming...

This bitch signs off.

Am I not your friend anymore, Gabe?

Captain, why don't you leave
us boys alone in here,

turn off the camera,
you don't want to get

- your hands dirty.
- Nah, I think I'm good.

I'll watch.

Well she's got yours in a box, huh?

I guess sometimes
you can't buy a break.

- [SIGHS]
- Captain, you were right.

There's nothing to trade here.
This is a waste of time.

I will call the ADA. Gabe,

have fun at your perp walk.

I'll be leaking it to the
press that you're cooperating.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, come on, hey.

Don't do that.

Listen to me.

I was gonna tell you
something in private.

You guys interested in...

Anton Popkov?

What about him?

The king is having a sit-down tomorrow

with all of his horses
and all of his men.

- Are you included in that?
- Yeah.

Well, he hasn't set foot
in the United States

in over ten years.

So what's he doing?
Zooming it in from Corsica?

No, he's gonna be there.

He'll be where?

In Queens. At his house.

So you're just gonna walk us in?

Not exactly.

A sit-down at Popkov's house.

I think if this guy
were in the country,

the FBI would know about him.

- Navarro is playing you.
- Maybe.

But Popkov was at his
party on Friday night.

- You're taking his word for it?
- Actually, it was my vic,

Tara.

ID'd a photo of Popkov

as one of the guys that
was in his booth that night.

And Navarro's just agreed
to give up his boss?

What if Popkov doesn't go quietly?

Because Navarro set up
the security system

at the compound.

He's gonna give us codes,

contingency plans...

Assuming we can trust him.

Well, TARU has already
verified his address in Queens.

They've set up
preliminary surveillance,

and...

We can be ready to move in with a team

as soon as tomorrow.

We?

SVU's gonna be part of that team.

Whoa, hold on. Too many cooks.

Popkov is a known escape artist.

And as you said,

you didn't even know that he was here.

I'm not risking
letting Navarro slip away.

Trust, but verify.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

They okayed the raid.

It's good news, Liv.

Is it?

What does Navarro want in return?

I don't have the details.
But I've been told,

everything is moving
in the right direction.

We just have to focus
on getting Popkov.

Liv, I give you my word,
I got your back on this.

Trust me.

I guess I'll have to.

Katsidis, Falcone, Dusic, Medvedev.

That's Orlov kissing everyone.

You expecting anyone else?

That's everyone.

And we're sure that
Popkov is still inside?

- Nobody's tipped him off?
- Check his surveillance feed.

He's probably stirring
his borscht as we speak.

Don't oversell it.

Gabe, let's go. Showtime.

I need a promise first.

Wanna hear this.

Do they need to hear it?

Oh, Gabe, we're all family here.

You can't let
Popkov know I betrayed him.

You gotta make it look good.

So you want me to make it look

like I'm arresting a total scumbag

who doesn't deserve to live?

I can do that.

There goes months
of counseling down the drain.

Let's go.

See you on the other side.

Navarro giving up Popkov.

You have any idea what
he was promised in return?

No, U.S. attorneys have the case.

My understanding,
if he doesn't deliver Popkov,

- he's out of luck.
- And if he does?

He's getting charged
with two r*pes and a m*rder.

The only thing that should
be on the table

is how and where he does his time.

This is a hell of a big risk

for a bigger cell in a

country club prison.

- What'd Stabler say?
- [SIGHS]

He told me to trust him.

So tell me this, Agent Clay.

How do we know he's not
walking us into an ambush?

Well, so far, everything
Navarro says checks out.

He h*jacked Popkov's security systems.

NYPD drone has him lounging
at the pool an hour ago.

I still don't like this.

We got a tracker on Navarro,

we know he's inside, so,

we go, he goes.

Okay.

Hope to see you guys later.

You okay, Detective?

For what it's worth,

an operation this size
can get a little chaotic.

Yeah, I know all about chaos.

I got two kids under ten.

When's the last time
you fired that thing?

Oh, don't worry about me.

Okay. Just most of
the feebies I've met...

Paper pushers.

You guys done?

ESU's ready to move out.

Ech.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Let's go.

♪ ♪

[DOOR CRASHES]

What you do to the door?

NYPD. Get your hands
where I can see them.

FBI, where's Anton Popkov?

Down that hall. They're having lunch.

[DISTANT YELL]

Clear.

Whoa, whoa, what the hell?
We're eating here.

Hands, hands where I can see them.

You know the drill,
assume the position.

Where's Popkov?

That's funny. He was here a minute ago.

Must have stepped out.

We're in the basement.
No sign of Alpha.

Repeat, no sign of Alpha.

Does anyone at the FBI know
their ass from their elbows?

We know Alpha's here somewhere.

[SCOFFS]

Somewhere.

- That's what you got? Somewhere?
- Rollins!

Check the perimeter and grounds.

You guys done?

Can we finish our lunch now?

- What do you got?
- It's a crawl space.

Leads to some kind of tunnel.

After you.

♪ ♪

[SIGHS]

- Oh.
- Yeah.

Oh.

[ENGINE REVVING]

Okay, then.

You hear that?

- Yeah.
- And they're gone.

[ENERGETIC ELECTRONIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[SIRENS WAILING]

- Get off the bike!
- Off the bike!

Get off the bike, now!

Show me your hands!

Show me your hands! Get on the ground.

Hands up, now! Do it!

Hands up where we can see them!

Get on the ground.

Now!

On the ground!

- [g*nsh*t]
- Ah!

sh*ts fired! sh*ts fired!

♪ ♪

What the hell just happened?

Son of a bitch tried to sh**t me.

Or was that you guys
trying to make it look good?

Rollins, we got them both.

Navarro's been sh*t.

Copy that.

A joint operation between the FBI

and NYPD's Organized Crime Division

resulted in the apprehension yesterday

of Anton Ivanovic Popkov
and five of his associates.

Popkov, known as "Boss of Bosses"

to all Russian mafia syndicates,

is commonly referred to by authorities

as one of the most dangerous
criminals in the world.

He has been on the FBI's
and Interpol's.

Most Wanted List, for over a decade.

Mr. Popkov was arrested
without incident

at his home in Whitestone, Queens.

I'd like to see what
"with incident" looks like.

Stabler sh*t a cooperative witness.

Navarro pulled a g*n.

It's not like he's gonna sue NYPD.

Now the Feds are grabbing
all the credit?

SVU's official involvement

would compromise Navarro's cover.

So apparently they need him
for other cases.

What about our case?

Carisi is not taking any chances.

He's at the hospital,
arraigning Navarro now.

- Good.
- [PHONE BUZZES]

Carisi.

Liv, I uh...

I don't know how to tell you this,

but Gabe Navarro is not at Mercy.

Where is he?

The uni on guard said

that they brought him to
his room after the surgery,

but an hour later,
U.S. Marshals showed up

and said they were
taking him into custody

pursuant to a federal warrant.

What the hell does that mean?

It means Stabler lied to us,

and we were played.

God damn it.

Captain, if you're looking
for Detective Stabler,

- he's not here.
- Oh, I'm getting that.

His cell's going straight to voicemail,

and your uni downstairs

is a pretty bad liar.

Actually, we're looking
for Gabe Navarro.

Does the FBI have any idea where he is?

We do.

Okay, where? Arizona? Oregon? Florida?

I can't tell you that.
You know how this works.

It's above all our pay grades.

So that's it, Sergeant?

You just went along with all this?

Because of SVU, Anton Popkov
is going away for life.

Oh, for the greater good!

Of course.

Because I respect you,

I'm gonna pretend
that you never said that.

- Look, we're on the same team.
- Are we?

'Cause it certainly
doesn't feel like it.

Let me ask you a question.

Was Stabler anywhere near the room,

when Navarro's deal was being cut?

Can't tell you that either.

But I am sorry that
you guys got screwed.

Now, if you excuse us,

we have some interviews we have to do.

Of course.

Sergeant, I can't imagine
how busy you are.

I'm furious!

- So am I!
- You talked to Stabler?

Yes, from his burner cell,

before he went back under cover,

and he swore to me

that he did not know Navarro

was being put in WITSEC.

You believe him? He sh*t the guy.

He swore that he just reacted,

and that it wasn't part
of a bigger plan.

We know, even if Navarro
goes into Witness Protection,

that guy's not gonna stop
assaulting women.

Bell, Stabler...
they don't care about that!

Stabler used to.

Rollins, he was in SVU before I was.

He's been gone for ten years.

And I've had ten more years

of disclosures, and ten more years

of hospital calls, and...

And morgue visits, and...

He never even met Tara.

So even if it wasn't his call
to let Navarro go,

it sure as hell makes it easier
to go along with.

He told me to trust him.

And I know him.

Better than anyone.

You used to.

No, I understand.

Yeah, standing by if anything changes.

The Eighth Floor says they know nothing

about any deal Gabe Navarro made,

where he is,
or if he's ever gonna go to trial.

Do you believe them?

Sorry, stupid question.

Does it feel to you
like I've been here before?

The Feds swooping in
and taking your case?

Couple times, yeah.

Sure you want to be an ADA still?

What does that mean?

They're short-staffed at SVU.

Right, so I should go back
to being a cop?

Is this your way
of breaking up with me?

I'm not breaking up with you.

No, but, it's just...

the past few months,
there's been so many changes.

I feel like I've got vertigo.

I don't know what's real
and what's not.

Oh.

Change will do that.

Yeah.

- You don't go anywhere.
- I won't.

The Feds took Gabe?

You said he was going to trial.

You told me that he k*lled a woman.

He did.

And you let him get away with that too?

Turns out, Tara, that...

That Gabe was more connected
than we even knew.

You are supposed to be protecting me,

not him.

I'm sorry, Tara.

This was not my call, believe me.

But I want you to know,

that this isn't over,

and I am not giving up.

He r*pes me...

Puts me here.

I have to figure out
how I'm going to walk again,

let alone sing and dance.

And you...

Can't help me with any of that.

Can you?

[WOLF HOWLS]