Chapter 7
Mind Games
INT. FBI QUANTICO – INTERROGATION ROOM – NIGHT
Olivia Benson sat across from William Lewis, the man whose shadow haunted her every waking moment. The room was cold, sterile, but the tension was suffocating.
Lewis smirked, eyes glinting with dark amusement. "You think you're free from all this? You're not. They broke you long before you ever broke anyone else."
Olivia's gaze was steady. "And now they're using you again—turning you into their weapon."
Lewis leaned back, folding his hands. "It's like taking a stick, breaking it over your leg, and then blaming the stick for being broken. Then you walk it back to the forest and demand it fix itself and climb back onto the tree."
Olivia stiffened but didn't flinch. "I know what it's like to feel broken—to feel like all you are is damage someone else caused. But you're wrong about one thing: You don't have to stay broken."
Lewis scoffed. "And what do you want me to do about it? Cry? Apologize? It doesn't change anything."
Olivia leaned forward, eyes intense. "No—it doesn't change what you've done. But it can change what happens next. You have a chance to be something more than just a pawn in their game."
INT. SVU SQUAD ROOM – NIGHT
Reid sat at his desk, piecing together fragments of the layered ciphers. The Folded Zero combined with the Baconian biliteral cipher created a puzzle that was complex but not impossible.
Rollins approached quietly. "You think Lewis can help us?"
Reid looked up, thoughtful. "He knows the psychological manipulation better than anyone. If we can get him to cooperate, he could be the key to dismantling The Eye."
INT. SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT
Maeve Donovan sat silently, her eyes distant. Barbara Sanders entered, holding a folder.
"We've intercepted communications," Barbara said. "They're planning something big—something that could put everyone at risk."
Maeve nodded slowly. "Then we don't have much time."
INT. CHICAGO PD – INTELLIGENCE UNIT – NIGHT
Voight and Halstead prepared for a raid on a suspected trafficking hub linked to The Eye.
"We're going in fast and hard," Voight said. "No mistakes."
Halstead loaded his weapon. "Let's bring them down."
INT. SVU HEADQUARTERS – WAR ROOM – NIGHT
Olivia addressed the team. "This is a psychological war as much as a physical one. We need to be ready for anything."
Prentiss added, "And we have to trust each other more than ever."
The team exchanged determined glances, steeling themselves for the battle ahead.
End of Chapter 7