Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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.

morning, sunshine.

okay, everybody, listen up. Here's what we have so far.

At approximately 10:45 last night,

William Lewis, complaining of chest pains,

was transferred from rikers to bellevue prison ward

where all attempts to resuscitate him failed.

Ten minutes after being pronounced dead

he suddenly came back to life on the gurney,

and he was held overnight for observation.

At some point Lewis apparently convinces

the d.O.C. Officer there to uncuff him.

He then snaps the officer's neck.

Lewis was discovered missing at 8:45 this morning.

But how'd he get out of that ward?

Still don't know.

This nurse was found raped, hanging in the closet.

Still hasn't regained consciousness.

Her cell phone, purse, car keys... all missing.

We have an alert out on her vehicle.

Which is a white camry, New York plates. N-s...

don't even bother.

He'll ditch it before he escapes Manhattan.

He may not be leaving Manhattan.

From the nurse's cell phone.

He said that he misses me.

Which is precisely why I've been ordered

to take command of this unit.

- Excuse me? - Lieutenant Murphy?

Sergeant Benson. We've spoken on the phone.

Yes, we have. What are you doing here?

- One pp didn't call? - No, they didn't.

That's classic.

You can't be in charge of a manhunt

when you're the target of the man you are hunting.

I know William Lewis better than anyone.

And I'll be relying on that.

He is our suspect, and this is my unit.

No longer.

As of this moment I am acting commanding officer of svu.

We're in this together.

He's been out three, maybe four hours.

He's already killed a brother officer

and raped again.

The department's on alert,

but you know his patterns.

We'll see this through to his capture.

Rollins, I'll need a breakdown of his known associates,

his profile, prison contacts.

Anything and everything. We've already started on that.

Then finish it.

Actually I was just about

to have fin and rollins go to rikers.

I was gonna go to bellevue. You're not going anywhere.

With my partner Nick amaro.

- No, we've met. - Yes, we have.

Amaro can go to bellevue with rollins.

Fin, is it?

Go to rikers.

You're to stay here or a hotel.

Intelligence will provide 24-hour protection

until Lewis is apprehended.

I don't need protection.

It's not your decision.

Is that the captain's office?

I'll be needing it.

This conversation you had with Lewis,

- he say anything else? - No.

He was really pronounced dead.

He rose like Lazarus.

Look, this is, uh, temporary, right?

Everything is, including your command here.

You knew someone would come in eventually.

Can I get my messages?

This is your protective detail.

Sergeant.

I'm detective delano.

This is detective Carlson. You're our principal.

We're your new best friends, shadowing you 24-7.

Yeah. Just for the record I didn't request this.

Won't last long. We're gonna get this guy.

His heart stopped,

and we did cpr for about 15 minutes.

I pronounced him dead.

Two minutes later he auto-resuscitates.

Uh, they call it the Lazarus effect.

He did have a heart attack though?

That's what we thought at first.

But then I got his toxicology back.

The guy should still be dead.

He had, like... Three grams of Propranolol

in his system.

It's, like, 150 times the therapeutic dose.

Good way to get yourself transferred out of rikers.

He started shaking, sweating.

Then he just dropped, grabbing his chest.

- You get him the drugs? - Me? Nah.

Come on, you're head of bx9. You got access.

My sergeant put you away.

You sure you and Lewis didn't bond over that?

You can't pin this on me. Ask anybody.

Lewis was a monk in here.

What's that?

Inmates can get food from the outside in here?

Where'd these come from, Carlos?

I got no idea.

Oh, my God, William escaped from the hospital?

He's not here. Have you heard from him?

No. I swear.

But you did go visit him yesterday.

I visit him every day.

Bringing him spiked cupcakes.

I just wanted him to feel better.

He's been having anxiety attacks.

He couldn't eat or sleep.

He was wrongly convicted. He's been suffering.

Where'd you get the drugs?

They're legal. I have a prescription.

I get stage fright during my mandolin auditions.

There! That's Lewis.

He just grabs some scrubs and walks out?

Nobody's even paying attention.

Monday morning shift change. This place is a mess.

And Lewis knows that, he's been here before.

Who signed off on the transfer

from rikers to bellevue?

Dr. Janice Cole.

She called in sick today.

We've been trying to reach her. She's not answering her phone.

Is this the nurse's car?

Yeah, he switched the plate, but the vin numbers match.

Clean, nothing in the trunk.

Dr. Cole! NYPD!

Hit it.

Upstairs.

Hey, Lewis was here.

- Nick. - Clear!

Hey.

She's cold.

Clear!

Hey.

Humor me.

Clear!

The doctor has a daughter.

So she's got two daughters. Now where are they?

What kinda monster is he?

- Oh! Sweetie. - Holy mother...

- She's alive. - I need sergeant Benson.

You're okay, sweetheart.

Jeez, call a bus. Call a bus!

- Hey. - Are you sergeant Benson?

Why? No.

He... he wanted me to tell her what he did to me

and that he has my little sister.

Okay, so Lauren's in surgery, internal injuries.

The missing sister, Amelia Cole, she's 12.

He's been with her how long?

Lauren's hazy about the timeline.

I take it no hits on the doctor's e-zpass,

license plate readers?

He wanted us to find the Cole family.

He doesn't want us to find him.

You're half right.

He didn't want us to, but he's baiting Benson.

We have her apartment covered?

Her old apartment, her new apartment.

You do know the smart ones changes their patterns, right?

Sergeant Benson, you shouldn't be here.

Yeah, well, I heard Dr. Cole's daughter

has a message for me.

Is she conscious?

She's just getting out of surgery.

Look, if you were needed I would've called you.

I told you to hold the fort.

And I'm sorry to disobey your orders,

but he has a 12-year-old girl,

and now you've seen what he's capable of.

I won't stand on principle. You're here now.

Lauren... I'm sergeant Benson.

This is lieutenant Murphy.

Thank God!

He said he'd kill my little sister

unless you tell the truth.

The truth?

Well, what else did he want me to know?

What he did to me, how he did things.