Benson is on her way out for the evening when a call comes in from a little girl who says she's all alone. While trying to draw the girl out, Benson is drawn deeper into the little girl's life, and although the other officers begin to suspect the whole thing may be some sick joke, Benson is convinced that the little girl is the real deal. By talking to Maria, Benson is able to ferret enough information from her so that they have a place to start, but Maria's captor has an affinity for electronics and has done everything he can to make sure that no one can find the little girl he bought and paid for.

A grandmother reports that her 2 year old granddaughter has disappeared, but the Amber Alert fails to yield progress. The detectives then move their attention over to her young irresponsible mother as their prime suspect.

When a series of young prostitutes are found murdered with homemade prayer cards attached to their bodies, Detectives Olivia Benson and Eliot Stabler struggle to find the common thread. However, just when they think that they've found the murderer, Captain Donald Cragen informs the detectives that another victim named Gladys has turned up with a prayer card. This time she survived. As the case unfolds, Benson finds herself getting emotionally invested in the survivor until she is forced to make a decision that she isn't ready to face.