Title: Ending the Game!
Chapter 1 – A Fiery Showdown
Summary: AU Despite a warning from Erin and his father to stay away, Severide decides to go after the arsonist on his own; telling Casey he suspects Hadley. But when Hadley sets another fire that traps Severide, will Casey get to his friend in time? Or will Hadley finally get his revenge? Based parts from eppy 2.04 'A Nuisance Call', Contains some spoilers
Disclaimer: Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me if so then the ever yummy Lt. Severide would be all mine
A/N: Okay so since my last little one shot that had some Kelly/Erin moments in there was so well received I thought I'd try another. As always the focus is our boys but I like to mix it up now and again. (don't get me wrong I do love my Casey whump but my muse also loves some Severide whump/Casey comfort) and I hope you all like this little piece just as much.
'Hadley was transferred out.'
'Found your badge number etched on the wall.'
'Someone is targeting Lieutenant Severide.'
'I know you started that fire!'
"Hey, you here?"
"What? Yeah…yeah sorry…" Severide looks at Erin with a small smile as they sit at the end of the counter in the noisy bar after his shift. "It's just that…it has to be Hadley. Boden's pissed because I'm fingering him without real evidence but…but something tells me I'm right."
"You know you don't need me to tell you that you need solid evidence and not just a hunch to make an arrest stick."
"I know, but I…I know it's him," Severide's voice dies out as he takes another swig of his beer and then looks at her concerned expression with a frown of his own. "Or…at least I think it could be him."
"Kelly…"
"My dad said the same BS…"
"BS?" Erin interjects in haste as Severide's lips slightly purse. "Someone is targeting you by setting fires that have nearly killed people and I'm sure your father has given you the same warning I will. You need to take this seriously but at the same time not point the fingers rashly."
"I know he did it," Severide hisses in an undertone. "I just…it's getting personal now. Casey was injured by a fire Hadley set and don't forget what that piece of garbage did to my car!"
Severide looks away, muttering under his breath until her hand rests on his and he looks back in frustration. "I loved that damn car. But it's just a car and I get that. However, with each call he's making things more personal. Last call…people nearly died and if it wasn't for some quick thinking 51 might be less a few good men!"
"I am not blaming you for your feelings but I am telling you to keep them in check. You've made a lot of strong points that Hadley's the arsonist but it's just a feeling and you know we can't arrest him based on your personal feelings."
"I just want him stopped…for good," Severide states with a lower tone as he looks at her in frustration. "Maybe tonight wasn't a good night."
Erin leans in closer, her lips brushing the soft skin of his ear lobe and forcing a smile to appear and his anxiety-ridden frown to disappear. "Night's still young," she whispers; his lips instantly twisting upward.
XXXXXXXX
"You're here early," Casey mentions the following morning as he lightly knocks on the window pane to Severide's office; his friend and fellow 51 Lieutenant turning to him with a weary expression. "Or…did you sleep at all?"
"Shay was awake and I saw Erin last night and…"
"Was Erin after Shay?" Casey retorts with a small snicker as Severide tosses a pencil at him; Casey laughing as he grabs it mid-air. "What's going on?"
"You sure you want to hear?"
"What'd you find out? I'm assuming this is about the arsonist. I…overheard you talking to Boden about thinking it might be…Hadley? Are you serious? Do you have real proof?" Casey asks in an undertone as Severide shakes his head.
"No and that's why when I tell everyone who I suspect has told me to drop it," Severide replies sourly as he leans back in his chair and looks up at his friend in frustration. "He blew up my damn car!"
Casey looks at his friend's helpless expression and grits his teeth. It's just a car…his mind offers. But as he looks at Severide's slumped shoulders and tight jaw and knows not the time to rub any more emotional salt in his festering wound. "So besides your gut feeling what else points to Hadley?" Casey asks in sincerity.
Severide looks up at his friend and can tell that's not just trying to patronize him or tell him to drop his ridiculous notion; he's genuinely concerned and wanting to know what's driving his motives. But he can only tell Casey the same as he tells Erin and that it's mostly personal.
"But…come on Kelly, I know that tone and you have that look in your eye," Casey carefully prods. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing…it's a feeling and I know we need hard evidence on Hadley. But he knows the game and he knows that we need that evidence and he's not going to just give it to us…at least not without taking some of us out."
"He's gunning for you Kelly. Some of us includes you and that's not an option. CPD is…"
"Stuck!" Severide lightly growls as his fist balls around a piece of paper within striking distance. "Erin's given me the same lecture – stay away or find some real evidence and the real evidence should be found by AI or CPD."
"She's worried because she cares. I'm saying the same thing to you," Casey states as Severide tosses the wadded up ball at the wall and shakes his head.
"She never saw him at the last fire. The smug look on his face. Damn he set the timer and gave himself a good alibi!"
"I know but…"
"But he walks around like he's going to keep doing it and just stick it to us and there's not a damn thing we can do except walk into one potential death trap after another. He rigged that last place to keep us locked in the basement and if not for that small window we'd…damn he burned that girl Matt. But it could easily have been one of us."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Tail him."
"What? Kelly…" Casey starts as Severide holds up his hand.
"I already have been."
"What? When…okay never…"
"I followed him after his outburst at Mouch's campaign lunch."
"Where'd he go?"
"Hardware store. He's planning another job. We have to stop him before…" Severide starts.
"Kelly…" Casey tries to interjects with a heavy sigh; only to be cut off himself.
"No, I'm tired of always being behind the eight ball. Showing up at a job only to nearly die or pull out someone injured and have Hadley laugh in our faces. Dad…Erin…you…you all say the same damn thing, wait for real evidence to come in. Where's it coming from? A little bird?" Severide counters in bitter sarcasm.
"Point taken," Casey sighs as he looks at his friend with a small frown. "What if he sees you? You might be doing the case more harm than good."
"I get that but…but I just can't do nothing. Erin…she's busy with real cases and thinks I'm just taking it personally because he was my guy and I backed Mills and Boden tossed Hadley out of 51. But I know I'm right."
"Okay…so when do we start?" Casey suggests.
"What? No Matt…"
"You going after Hadley with another set of eyes is a bit more comforting than knowing you're out there alone. You think he's the arsonist? That means he's not afraid to kill and if he catches wind you're following him…"
"Okay how about…I'll plant my phone on his car."
"What? How?"
"His truck is old and has no alarm. I'll go to his place at night and…I'll I don't know, tape my phone to his truck or something."
"Would be better to pick the lock and put it inside. Less chance of it falling off or being damaged," Casey suggests.
"What? You think…you can do that?"
"Capp taught me how to get in when I locked my keys in my own truck. We just gotta make sure no one sees us."
"We'll go tonight," Severide tells Casey in haste. "The sooner we end this, the sooner we can all breathe a bit easier."
"I'll get the tool. We'll go tonight," Casey confirms as he ducks out of Severide's office and out of view. Severide looks at the picture on his desk of himself, Capp and Hadley and curls his fingers around the edge. The longer he looks at the three smiling faces and then recalls Hadley's face at the last fire scene, his fist tightens, the frame snaps and the glass shatters.
"Ah damn!" Severide curses as he tosses the busted frame into the trash and then looks at the little bloody rivets on his palm.
"Is that the new CFD anger management process?"
Severide looks up to see Erin looking at him with a less than amused expression. "Up," she tells him in a tone that says I'm going to fix that and don't argue.
"Boden call you?" Severide asks somewhat sourly as he follows her down the hallway to the small medical room.
"Did you find some real evidence?"
"Yeah a little green Martian beamed it down," he groans as she gestures for him to sit. He watches her pull open the cupboard for treating small wounds and then turn back to him, holding the bandage up in the air. "I have nothing on him that would result in a firm conviction. If you want me to admit it, there I have. But I'm standing by my belief that Hadley's our guy.
"He wants you to think it's personal…"
"It is personal!" He growls as his jerks his hand free of her grasp.
"Give it back," she lightly demands as Severide puts his hand back out to let her finish cleaning and then wrapping it. "At least you didn't hurt your hard head."
Severide watches her bandage it up and then slowly stands up; the two of them standing inches apart. "The longer he's allowed to do this the better the chance of someone really getting hurt and by that I mean dead," he whispers as he pulls her close, holding her captive in his strong grasp.
"I'm going to look into him a bit more," she whispers as her hand snakes behind his head and pulls his lips to hers; his mouth hungrily devouring hers. They pull apart a few seconds later; his face with a satisfied smile but hers one holding a bit more of a serious expression. "Just watch yourself out there. I don't want the case to close with you as the final victim."
"I'll let you know if I find something firm."
"Kelly…"
"I'll call you later," he quickly silences her with another kiss and then pulls back and gives her a nod. But before she can argue in return her phone goes off and it's back to the field.
"Just be careful."
"Always," he whispers as he watches her turn and rush out of the room. He looks down at his bandaged hand and knows that Hadley has to be stopped. "In this world you are either predator or prey. All you gotta do, is make sure you're never the prey." His father's words ring loud and clear in his mind and he knows it's time to stop talking about taking down Hadley and time for action.
Severide leaves the small medical room and rushes into the hallway, only to see Casey round the corner and look at him in concern.
"You okay?"
"Yeah just a small cut. Did you get the tool?"
"It's in my backpack."
"Let's go. The sooner we stop Hadley the better."
Casey doesn't argue as he knows as wild as Severide's idea is, it's better than sending him out there alone. So he turns and heads for his office, grabs his jacket, baseball cap and backpack and joins Severide outside in the parking lot. It was nearing midnight and despite the fact that both are tired and just wanting a good night's sleep there's business to attend to first – taking down a vengeful traitor.
"I saw Erin leaving. She was back trying to talk some sense into you?"
"Sort of," Severide answers with a heavy sigh. "She's worried but I have to stop Hadley. We get a trace on his truck at one of the scenes and we can prove its him."
"I hope you're right," Casey replies softly as they near Hadley's apartment. "Looks quiet," Casey tells Severide as Severide stops his car a few lengths down and turns off the lights. They sit in the quiet darkness for a few moments until both of them look at each other and then get out. "We hafta hurry," Casey tells Severide in a quiet tone as Severide pulls his phone and both hurry toward Hadley's waiting vehicle.
Despite the fact his heart is racing and his mind reminding him that breaking into someone's car is wrong, he tells himself Severide's plan is solid and this might actually help stop him for good. It only takes Casey a few skillful seconds to slip the tool between the pane of glass and the rubber seal, slide it down the panel and pop the lock.
"Just stay away from my car," Severide teases with a soft whisper as Casey gently chuckles. Severide puts his phone onto the end of the tool and then slides it under the front driver's seat. After that the front door is re-locked, closed and both of them slip back into Severide's car and drive off into the night.
"Let's hope the next call we get we'll find that traitor there and end this damn game for good!" Severide mutters as he pulls back into the parking lot of Firehouse 51. "Thanks for coming tonight."
"I have your back Kelly. Always. You know that. I want this to end just as much as you but I hope it ends without any more near misses."
"Me too," Severide agrees softly. He says goodnight to Casey and then looks at 51 with a tight jaw. "That bastard is going down."
XXXXXXXX
The next day starts out routine, tension high at 51 due to McLeod and her as of yet unnamed snitch. But in his mind, there is only one person responsible for all the tension to himself and the teams – Kevin Hadley. On the way back from a routine call, Tony, squad 3's driver draws Severide's attention to a five story industrial structure; Severide's mind only needing seconds to visually assess the situation and know that it's Hadley's work.
He calls dispatch to call 51 for backup and then calls Erin asking her to trace his phone.
"Where are you?"
"Where's my phone?" Severide asks firmly.
"45 industrial boulevard but…why do I get the feeling you already know…what's going on?"
"Hadley's here. You want your proof, come and get it."
"Kelly…" is all she gets out before the line goes dead.
As soon as he had finished putting on his gear, Boden's truck pulls up and he heads toward his superior, finally able to confirm his suspicions.
"Chief, it's Hadley. Windows are all blocked. The only way in or out is through the front. It's a death trap," Severide tells Boden, leaving out that it's Hadley's MO once again. But much like Hadley planned and would count on his superior to make the call – they'd be going in as he had wanted.
"This building is known to attract squatters. We have to get inside and do a search. No choice," Boden replies back as Severide looks at him in shock.
"Chief!" Severide tries to protest. "He doesn't care about life, especially ours."
"And that's why he'd have no trouble blowing up…anyone. You know if there are people in there we can't just walk away or wait for CPD and let them anyone die of smoke inhalation. Proceed with extreme caution as floors and stairwells might be weak."
Casey and Severide look at each other and as much as they might want to protest further they know Boden is right and with people watching and they just let people inside die; 51 would be finished. But they also know Boden would never just send them in on a whim; if there was innocent people in there, squatters or not, they had to be saved. So all of them head toward the boarded up entrance, put on their masks and cautiously head inside.
"Watch yourself in here," Severide warns Casey as they start their sweep of the main floor.
"Too easy," Casey tells Severide as they look toward the staircase, the rest of their teams calling out to anyone who might be sleeping inside; or fallen due to being overtaken by fumes.
"Let's go up to the fifth!" Severide calls out as they all head for the stairs to go up. Severide looks at the little pockets of darkness through his mask, his mind hearing Hadley laughing and feeling his anger starting to surge. "There's no one here!" Severide tells Casey who calls Boden to tell him to send engine 51 in with the attack lines.
But its only seconds after that that everything changes in the blink of an eye.
"Okay co…" is all Boden gets before a loud BOOM is heard and felt – by everyone.
"Chief…" Erin starts as she rushes up to Boden – the exact same moment that Cruz had found Hadley's little present for them.
"Get down!" Severide shouts as he looks over at Casey; a brilliant flash and boom being heard and felt seconds later, sending them all scrambling for cover and the people on the outside gasping in shock.
But that wasn't the end – in fact it was only the start. "There's more!"
It doesn't seem to matter which way they scramble, Hadley had all the typical bases covered. Another device goes off. Then another.
"Report! Severide! Casey! Report!" Boden calls out frantically as Erin looks at him in utter desperation. "51 report!"
"Stay down!" Severide shouts as the ground around them shakes and the space overhead fills with superheated oxygen. Still on the floor, both Severide and Casey frantically look around for an exit; everything else now being hungrily devoured by the flames.
"Exit's blocked!" Casey shouts as Severide curses into his mask.
"We need to get off this floor!" Severide calls out as Casey radios Boden for an exit. "Fire's accelerating fast!"
"Chief we need a way out!"
Erin hears Severide's voice; having already sent uniformed officers to search for Kevin Hadley's truck. She looks at the burning structure and feels her short nails starting to dig into the fleshy part of her palms; her mind praying for a safe deliverance for all of the brave men inside.
Boden finally gives his team a new direction and while a small sigh of relief is breathed by all outside onlookers, until all of 51 was out safe and sound the ordeal is far from over. Waiting was torment.
"Flames are closing in!"
"Getting hot in here!"
"Watch yourself!"
She hates hearing Severide's voice filled with so much panic and feeling so helpless; being sidelined while the man she cares about could be taken away at any minute. Going into the burning structure and adding one more person to the mix is out of the question – but waiting is almost more unbearable. Almost.
Just as the reach the fourth floor, Severide looks down a crossover hallway and through the haze sees a figure dart in and then out of view.
"Hadley!"
"Kelly…" Casey starts only to have Severide look at him sharply.
"It ends here! I'm going after Hadley. Finish sweeping the lower floors and then get the hell out."
"I'm coming with you!" Casey volunteers.
"No! Find a way out and then bring the damn hoses in! Go!"
"Kelly…" Casey tries to protest again.
"Matt…you know I gotta end this! Go!"
And before Casey can protest, Severide turns and darts into the smoky haze, his mind anxious to stop his nemesis for good.
"Chief, I'm bringing Hadley out!" Severide's voice is heard telling Boden as Erin looks on with an anxious expression of her own.
"He wants Kelly coming after him," Erin growls in an undertone as Boden looks at her with a heavy frown. "Kelly was right. It would come down to a one on one fight."
"Casey! We need an entrance and fast!" Boden tells his truck lieutenant in haste.
"Hadley!" Severide calls out as his eyes dart around at every shadow or anything that moves. "Where are you? Hadley!"
"Right here!" Hadley growls he swings an iron pipe at Severide's mask, catching it right by his jaw and breaking the protective shield.
Severide's lungs start to constrict as they take in the putrid smell of smoke and the dry toxic chemicals; burning his eyes and throat instantly. He drops to his knees in a frantic effort to take the damage mask off, but as soon as he does, Hadley pounces, hitting him in the stomach and then the back.
"Severide!" Casey's worried voice is heard in his radio.
Severide continues to cough as the chemicals tease his vulnerable lungs. "Hadley…" he calls out weakly as Hadley nears to strike him once more. He grabs Hadley's legs and yanks, pulling the former squad member to the ground and making him also cough.
"AAHHH!" Severide's lips cry out as Hadley manages to twist around and strike him once more on the back with the piece of metal. He quickly removes his mask and flings it at Hadley, striking him in the jaw and sending him stumbling backward.
Severide tries to roll onto his side and crawl away, but Hadley grabs his oxygen canister and pulls him back. He tries to kick back but Hadley moves out of the way and then drags him closer to the large pile of Chlorine Power that he had spread onto the floor.
But on the way there, Severide's gloved hand grasps the piece of metal and he's able to twist himself around and strike Hadley in the legs once more, sending his attacker to his knees coughing from the fumes coming up from the Chlorine.
Severide is finally able to roll away, his lungs coughing from the continued burning from the smoke and chemical vapor exposure. "Hadley…don't…" he coughs as Hadley strikes him once more and then stumbles away, his body also starting to falter from his lingering.
Severide looks up with a squint before he tries to reach for his radio to see where Casey was with the attack line. But just as he finally manages to get to his feet, he stops dead in his tracks as Hadley turns to him holding a large plastic container of gasoline; Hadley's frame standing atop a huge pile of highly flammable chlorine power.
"If I drop this…the whole block goes up," Hadley taunts Severide.
"And you with it," Severide whispers as Hadley goes silent. Hadley continues silent for a few moments longer until he looks at Severide and curses.
"Ask me."
"What…"
"Just ask already!"
"Okay why? Why the hell are you doing this? You brought it upon yourself by your comments and actions! Why hurt other people? WHY?" Severide shouts in angry contempt as Hadley just stares back in hollow silence. "Why?"
"Because I can. Because I wanted to teach you a lesson. Because….a number of reasons. Any of them making you feel better?" Hadley retorts in sarcasm.
Severide's lungs take in another mouthful of the putrid air and then offer a wheezing cough as Hadley looks at him with some twisted satisfaction. Severide wonders if he can reason with his former squad member but knows until help arrives he has to push past his own physical discomfort and stall for time.
"You don't want to do this."
"How the hell…do you know what I want?" Hadley asks in a low tone as Severide coughs once more. "Maybe…maybe this is what I want."
"To burn yourself alive?" Severide counters.
"Yes," Hadley pushes back.
"No," Severide argues in return.
"Really," Hadley replies flatly as he looks at Severide with an almost lifeless expression. For a few seconds their eyes lock and despite the heat filling up the space around them, Severide actually feels a cold chill run down his sweat-riddled spine. He can't be sure he can even reason with Hadley further but he knows he has to try. It wasn't in his nature to watch people just try to self-destruct, especially given the fact that it was his life now on the line.
"This is how I wanted it. Just you…and me at the end."
Severide looks at Hadley and feels his heart starting to race faster. Hadley's not listening! Get out now! His brain orders. But Severide knows that since he's caught, Hadley has nothing to lose and he'd never make it to the door in time to save his life – he had to try to talk him down.
"None of this is worth it. You can still walk out of here alive," Severide tries to promise as Hadley looks at him with an expression that conveys a message of indifference and just not giving a damn. It was falling on deaf ears. Hadley wasn't looking for absolution, he was looking for finality. His life and that of his former leader's – the man he views as the biggest traitor of them all.
Seconds pass and for a few of them Severide actually thinks Hadley's considering his reasonable offer. He's not.
"Or…we can all go out together," Hadley utters with a haunted tone.
Severide's eyes slowly widen in horror as he watches Hadley's arms start to slowly tip the liquid accelerant over – his former squad member wanting to keep good to his evil words and take them all out without regard for any human life.
DON'T LET THE ACCELERANT TOUCH THE CHEMICALS! Severide's mind yells as he literally charges into Hadley's frame, not caring that some of the chemicals were splashing on both humans and the wall behind them; some touching the floor but thankfully none connecting with the large explosive mass mere inches away.
"AHHHHH!"
"CHIEF! WE'RE ON FIRE!"
"CASEY!" Boden shouts as Erin looks at Boden in terror.
"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Casey's voice shouts back.
Severide feels the heat starting to tease the exposed parts of his face, but as he watches Hadley's chemically doused frame instantly ignite, he pushes past his own welfare and tries to get the fire off Hadley. His ears ring with Hadley's screams as the fire literally starts to eat him alive. It's a horrible way to go – for anyone.
He starts to hit Hadley's body to put the flames out, not caring about the pain in his back or the flames kissing his cheeks; another life – no matter who's was at stake and instinct dictated to him to save it no matter the cost.
"HELP….ME! AHHHHHH!" Hadley screams as Severide continues to frantically swat the flames; the Severide with a strength he could not match one on one.
The flames leap off Hadley's faltering frame, trying so desperately to find a way under the fire-resistant material covering the lone firefighter. His mind swirls with terror as he tries in vain to put the fire out. But just before he can give up hope, a voice is heard and his mind races for a few seconds with elation.
"SEVERIDE!"
"IN HERE! CASEY! IN HERE!"
Within seconds, Casey in in the room, dousing Hadley's fallen frame and then spraying his friend, whose professional attire had saved his life. The fire is put out and Severide's weary frame slumps down onto the water soaked floor as Casey rushes toward him; the rest hosing down the chemicals to keep them from reacting to any kind of heat source.
"Kelly!"
"I'm…okay," Severide huffs as he looks up at Casey with a small wheeze. "We gotta get him outside!" He states as he extends his hand; Casey pulling him upright a few seconds later. Each of them take an arm and with the help of Cruz and Mills drag Hadley's unconscious frame outside to the waiting medics.
"You okay?" Casey asks Severide in concern as Dawson and Shay rapidly work on Hadley and then transport him to Lakeshore; none of them sure that he was even still alive.
"I'm just glad it's over," Severide replies as Erin walks up to them. "I'm fine."
"I was going to ask about Hadley first," she replies somewhat flippantly; his lips twisting upward into a small smirk, Casey watching in amusement. "We found his truck and the supplies and.." she pauses as she holds up his phone. "Did you lose this?"
"Yeah…I guess he musta picked it up," Severide counters as he quickly reaches for his phone. "I caught him in the act."
"If he lives…he's going to jail for a very long time."
"If…you'll tell me if he lives right?"
"So you can torment yourself more?" Erin retorts in return as Severide nods. "You'll be the first to know. How are you?"
"Tired…and sore," Severide answers with a small sigh as he looks at her with a serious gaze. "Nothing a hot shower and a cold beer can't fix."
"Well…I happen to have a cold shower a warm beer," she retorts with a wink as he just chuckles and shakes his head, looking at Casey who offers a sheepish glance in return. "See you tonight."
"I'll be there."
Casey watches Erin walk away and then closes in on Severide just as he wheezes. "Kelly…"
"I'm okay. Just a bit sore."
"You took in a lot of smoke," Casey reminds him in concern.
"I'll be okay. I'm just glad it's over," Severide states as he looks back at the now smoldering building. "He wanted to take us all out," Severide admits as he turns back to Casey's surprised expression. "That's what he said. He didn't care. The looks on his face…damn it was cold," he concludes with a small cough. "He wanted to kill us all and he didn't care."
"Quick thinking then to get that accelerant away from the chemicals. Come on…let's go."
"Think he'll pull through?" Severide wonders as he takes a bottle of water from Casey and takes a few gulps.
"I don't know. If he does he'll be scarred forever. A daily reminder of his bad choices," Casey states somewhat fatefully. "You should get checked out though."
"Yeah…I will," Severide pauses as they near their trucks. "Think her beer is warm?" Severide asks in concern; Casey laughing at his friend and just shaking his head.
Severide looks in the near distance at the back of the ambulance and then back at Casey with a heavy frown. His friend was safe, his team was safe and so was he. Now they could all heal and try to move on. In the end the only one who paid the ultimate price for their betrayal was Kevin Hadley; his pain wasn't going to end for a very long time – for him it was only getting started.
A/N: Hope you all liked this extended little addition to the eppy and please do review before you go and thanks so much! Esp if you want chapter 2!