Forbidden Love | Jake Peralta

Chapter 18

"Amy, what did you find?" Jake and Olivia rushed into the bullpen towards Amy's desk.

"Well, it took some time but thanks to my yearly participation in an Adult Puzzle Camp I managed to decode your cipher," she happily stated. "It spelt out HOWLANDHOOK. I did some research and there's a Howland Hook Marine Terminal in Staten Island."

"Staten Island? Seriously?" Jake made a disgusted look on his face, causing Olivia to roll her eyes.

"Do you even have jurisdiction there?" Olivia wondered out loud.

"It's alright, we can coordinate with Staten Island's precincts. OMG Olivia, do you know what this means?" She shook her head, extremely confused and slightly annoyed.

"It means... HELICOPTER RIDE!" Olivia rolled her eyes again. If she hung out with Jake any longer her eyes would get stuck at the back of her head. 

The image she took of the cipher was printed out lying on Amy's desk. Olivia frowned, wondering why there was a physical copy of the picture. She shook it off and figured Amy printed it out to make things easier as she decoded it.

"By the way, did we get the results from the markings?" Jake checked his phone and nodded his head.

"Yep, just received it from Officer Lou, come and see." Olivia and Amy gathered behind his phone as he pulled up the image.

0000 20/01/2022

"20 Jan 0000? That's tonight, in 3 hours."

"But what's tonight?" Amy wondered. Jake's expression turned serious for once.

"Whatever it is, we need to get going. Now."

//

Jake was extra grumpy in the car ride to Howland Hook, mainly because it was only a 30-minute drive and Captain Holt started lecturing him about all the paperwork and wasted funds if they took a helicopter. Olivia sat silently in the passengers' seat, arms crossed and gazing out the window. The rest of the team took their own squad cars to stake out the other points of the terminal.

They pulled up to a back entrance of Howland Hook, parking the car and switching the engine off. It was about 11 pm and the street lights lit the inside of the car faintly. Metallic clanging sounded in the distance. The moonlight cast an eerie glow across the rows and rows of shipping containers.

Jake turned his head to Olivia. He was wearing his tactical gear but she was just in pedestrian clothes, wearing a leather jacket and boots in all black.

"If you're coming with us you should at least be wearing a bulletproof vest. I have an extra one in the boot." Olivia shot a look at Jake and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"It's too clunky for my liking and adds unnecessary weight. Also, if you forgot— perhaps because my looks are truly that spectacular and deceiving, I'm professionally trained," she winked. Jake smiled, how could he forget? It's the main reason he's having a dilemma in his head ever since she entered his life. It wasn't even just her looks, the way she talks, moves, thinks, everything about her just utterly and completely consumes him.

He dropped his eyesight, afraid to make eye contact out of fear that if he stared too deeply into her eyes, she'll see right through him. His gaze lowered to the necklace hanging on Olivia's neck, his curiosity piquing again. She caught his stare and sighed.

"You know you're quite obvious."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your face says it all." Jake turned his head away and stared in front of him. The atmosphere in the car took a drastic change. He rested his head on the headrest and ran a hand through his hair. Olivia twiddled her thumbs absentmindedly, staring to her right into the dead, silent night.

Jake rolled down his window slightly in a desperate attempt to clear the tension from the air and a cold gush of wind rushed in. Their warm breath condensed in the faint moonlight.

Olivia closed her eyes and harrowing images flashed in her mind, surfacing the dreadful memories she tries so hard to drown. She twirled the necklace miserably between her fingers. It was too long ago.

But something in her heart stirred, longing to find release, to find comfort in something. Perhaps someone, even if that someone got on her nerves frequently. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"His name was Aiden."

ahhh helloo my lovelies so sorry about my late update, work caught up to me ;( but i promise I. WILL. FINISH. THIS. BOOK. but don't worry, updates will be frequent, minimum once a week <3 comment "white eggplants" if you've come this far and don't forget to vote! love yall lots and take care xoxo