Title: Ending the Feud?
Chapter 9 – Manhunt!


At first he didn't want to believe Severide's ploy but after Drew had forgotten to push the mute button he wonders what else might be left to chance and his captive would be found sooner than he wanted. He knows if he takes his car, he'll be followed more easily, so despite the fact that he hates to hang up on his helpless captive, he knows he has too.

"I'll see you soon Severide!" Hadley's voice hisses into the receiver as he hangs up and calls Drew from the untraceable pay as you go phone. "Where the hell are you?"

"What's going on?" Drew retorts gruffly.

Hadley locks up and then slips out the back door. As suspected, the officer who had been stationed outside, watches Hadley exit his backyard and then slowly start down the back alley. However, a few moments later, he suddenly ducks into a back yard and then rushes through to the front street, running across the street and disappearing into the back alley one street over, while the frustrated officer calls for help but it arrives too late.

Kevin Hadley had successfully ditched his babysitter.

XXXXXXXX

Casey doesn't have to wait long for Erin to arrive and when she brings her car to a screeching halt he can't help but notice the look of panicked horror on her face. "Here," Casey greets Erin as he hands her her husband's phone. "Still no answer."

"Hank just to Hadley and…"

"And what?" Casey presses as her phone rings.

"He was so damn smug, as if he knew…hey…what? What do you mean you lost Hadley?" Erin's voice snaps at her partner as she looks up at Casey with a heavy frown. "Okay…Casey and I are headed to the park. Call you if we find anything."

"The park?" Casey inquires as he hurries for the passenger side of the dark police cruiser.

"That was the last place he uh….called from," she mentions quietly as she pulls out of their underground parking lot. "Hadley…Matt if he…has him…"

"You said Voight was…"

"It was Drew!" Erin interjects with a small hiss and then looks at him with a weak frown. "Hadley had this planned. He's had five years to plan this. And now…now he has my husband and…Matt he'll kill him."

"We'll find him in time," Casey tries to reassure her; his voice slightly wavering as in that moment he's not sure himself. On the way to the park, Erin tells Casey all the clues they have put together so far and what they know about Drew and how it correlates to Hadley and then what the two of them have in common – more than had appeared at first.

They near the park and Erin slows her car and both of them trade the exact same expression – they better find their friend or else they'd all be in real trouble.

XXXXXXXX

"Boy you're a real pain in my ass!" Hadley's voice growls as he stomps into the small room and gives Severide's captive feet a swift kick, forcing the captive firefighter to grunt into his gag and then utter a silenced curse.

But the fact that Hadley's there, gives Severide some hope that maybe Erin and her team would be on his tail and his miserable plight would soon be at its end.

"You think that just because…" Hadley pauses as he kneels down beside his captive and tugs the damp cloth from his mouth; Severide spitting immediately afterward. "Just because I'm here in person, that you'll somehow be rescued?"

"You're already dead man walking!" Severide hisses as he tries to toss his head to the side and head-butt his captor.

But Hadley pulls back just in time, giving Severide a snicker but remaining on his knees. "I've planned this moment…for five, long years!"

"Damn bastard," Severide curses softly. "You wasted your time! The only one enjoying this is you! And soon it'll be over!"

"That's right, it'll be over with your death," Hadley whispers as he leans in closer. "Then I might call your wife and offer some consolation."

This time, Hadley's head is within striking distance and Severide wastes no time in sending his head to the left and hiding Hadley right in the face, forcing the former squad member to stumble back with an angry yelp. "Time to go. I had thought this would be your final resting place but it's a good thing I'm a 'think on my feet' kinda guy," Hadley sneers as he leans back and uncuffs Severide's wrists; leaving his feet still bound. "Drew's en route but I can't wait!"

He tries to grab the wrist that still has the cuff on it to recuff his wrists so that he can take his captive elsewhere. However, despite the blindfold, Severide's right fist balls and he punches in the direction of Hadley, lightly clipping him in the side of the face seconds before his jaw sustains a hit from his captor.

"YOU CAN'T WIN!" Hadley shouts as he pulls out a gun and shoves it into Severide's cheek and cocks the trigger; forcing Severide to instantly stop his actions. "That's right…I picked up a few good habits in jail! Now put your wrists together in front or I'll put on the silencer and shoot you someplace non-lethal. Now."

XXXXXXXX

"Okay he was…" Erin starts as her and Casey get out of the car and head to the front, looking around for any sign of her missing husband; her phone ringing to interrupt her words. "What'd you find?" She asks her partner, Jay Halsted. "Did you find him…Kelly?" Her words gently plead.

"No, and Hadley's gone."

"What? What do you mean Hadley's gone? He was supposed to have units on him at all times!" Erin replies angrily as Casey shakes his head. "Jay, tell me we have something…anything we can use."

"We matched the numbers between Hadley's cell and Drew's and we found a few matches…but they stopped two days ago."

"Drew's working for Hadley!" Erin's inner frustration comes to the fore as she gestures to Casey to head toward the kids playing by the area marked off by the city. "We need something…anything…"

"Okay hold on just got…I just got the list of calls that Drew Sheppard made on his phone. A few match Hadley's number but I'll check on the last few and call back."

"Matt…" Erin looks at her husband's friend with a heavy frown. "We have…I can't…I know what he's capable of and…" her voice stops again as they near the wondering children. "Right now…I can't think straight."

Casey looks at her in sympathy and while he tells himself he needs to hold it together for both of them until his friend is found, that's easier said than done. "What's going on here?" Casey asks the group of three boys.

"We see a foot down there!"

"I think it's a human foot!"

"Can we get some money for it?"

Both Casey and Erin exchange surprised looks once again before they both step closer toward the mouth of the hold and look down; sure enough a foot is seen just outside the shadows. Erin pulls her badge and tells the boys to fall back while Casey calls the city and then goes in search of a ladder.

"Here, help me with this," Casey instructs as he carefully lowers the ladder into the hole and then prepares to descend into the darkness.

"Just…be careful," Erin warns as Casey nods and continues. She waits until he's reached the bottom before she too slowly descends down the ladder into the hole. "What the hell?" She asks with a small growl as Casey holds up the fake appendage. "It's…fake."

"Yeah but from up there…" Casey pauses as he looks around the dimly lit cavern and then back at her. "It was a trap."

"What?"

"For Kelly! Think about it."

"A kid…Hadley planned it for…Kelly…Hadley knows his weakness is children in trouble. He tricked him! He…" her voice trails off as she shakes her head and tries to picture the scene. But as she pictures her beloved husband climbing down to perform what he thinks is a legitimate rescue and being attacked by Drew Sheppard at Kevin Hadley's bidding her inner anger skyrockets. "Jay…"

While Erin talks to her partner, telling him what they've found; Halstead in turn telling her about the one number that doesn't match – the pay as you go phone, and the last 'ping' off a cell tower that was right around their area.

"Voight and I are on our way there."

"If that cell phone was down here, we'll find it."

"Down here?" Casey queries as she looks at him and nods. "Let's go."

Erin pulls her gun and then hands Casey her small flashlight; Casey tossing the fake foot to the side as they both look at the darkened tunnel before them and then head right for it – hoping and praying they'd reach their friend in time.

Hold on Kelly…I'm coming…hold on baby…

XXXXXXXX

Severide's ears try to pick up any clues to where he might be or where Hadley might be taking him but after Hadley's threat to hurt Erin after he was dead, his mind can only race round and round in futile circles. He tries to remember where Hadley said he's taking him but he can't…however, his mind refuses to just give up. Leave clues…do what you can…think!

He doesn't have much he can use to leave clues but figures anything is worth a shot so tries to pull loose some bits off the end of his hoodie, hoping the edges will tear enough for him to leave a trail of fabric breadcrumbs. The first few minutes, nothing happens and his mind starts to falter. But a few seconds later a small tear is felt and his elation starts to rebound.

He had left a clue for his wife and can only hope that she finds it…and then him in time. But time isn't on his side.

Slow him down! His mind urges as Severide fakes a stumble. It trips up Hadley for a few steps but just earns himself another blow to his already tender mid-section. With his wrists still cuffed in front, Severide uses the distraction to yank that gag from his mouth and then pull the dark cloth from his eyes; his brain frantically looking around for any kind of escape route. He spies the darkened tunnel and not caring as to where it leads, charges for it.

"Severide!" Hadley shouts as he picks himself up and races after him.

XXXXXXXX

Silence continues to seize them as they carefully make their way down the darkened tunnel; neither Erin nor Casey daring to think that they'll only reach a dead end – or worse, a dead friend. But they know that Drew wouldn't have taken the chance to take Severide up to the surface through the hole and so correctly surmise that Hadley had arranged to keep Severide as his captive in the tunnels until he could come and taunt his prey before having Drew move him someplace else for the final showdown. With Voight and Halstead on their way with plans for the tunnels, it'll at least give them an idea of what escape routes are provided for them all.

"There has to be…" Erin's voice pauses as she tries a door they both come upon; Casey using his less injured shoulder to try to bang it open.

Empty.

"We keep going," she states with a frustrated huff as Casey uses the flashlight to dart between their path ahead and the dirty floor below. "Matt…look!"

The two of them stop instantly and look down to see what looks like drag marks. So far they were trying to follow what they thought was Drew Sheppard's footprints; getting a break in some areas where there wasn't any footprints. But the rest of the time they were looking for signs of a struggle. Nothing…until now.

"Yeah…drag marks…" he looks at her as she pulls her gun and they prepare to enter the closed room. Casey's hand rests on the handle and pulls; Erin popping into the room a few seconds later. "Damn!" Casey curses as they look at the room before them. "Empty."

There are definite signs of a struggle but once again they can't be certain it was even the room their missing loved one had been held in. However, just before all hope is lost, Erin stop, her eye catching something.

"No wait…" Erin states in horror as she takes Casey's flashlight and drops to her knees. "Oh no…" she lightly whimpers as she holds up the object and then looks up at Casey with a watery gaze. Casey looks at Severide's wedding ring and he too feels his heart sink. "He was here."

XXXXXXXX

He didn't really know what to expect but he knew that no matter what…if he lets himself be caught by Hadley again, it'll be game over for him and his wife…possibly Matt and who knows who else. Severide's mind prays that his ear drums stop pounding long enough for him to think clearly and find a way out.

But as he enters a somewhat darkened area, his heart starts to sink…that is until he smells…diesel! His arson stash is here! And he's right. That's why Erin and her team, his father couldn't find any arson supplies that Drew used – they're all right here! He hears Hadley yelling after him and knows he needs to bring attention to his dire situation and fast. And the fastest way to do that? Is by starting a fire.

With the components there to start a fire, he knows he has one chance – one to get something started. He races toward what appears to be a big tarp covering supplies. Severide's dirty fingers grip the corner and pull it back. He spies a small squirt bottle that is labelled gas and reaches for it.

But just before he can, Hadley finally catches up, wraps his arms around Severide's chest and yanks him back.

"Nice try!" Hadley growls as he tries to get Severide off his feet and tossed to the side.

However, Severide also has just as much to lose or gain in this fight and summons every last bit of energy his tired body can muster. He stomps down on Hadley's foot, making his current nemesis yelp in pain but his grip remain firm around his chest.

"It's…over!"

"For you!" Hadley grunts as he tries to pull Severide away from his stash of chemicals.

"Erin's…on her way here!" Severide tosses his head back, finally breaking Hadley's grasp. But Hadley isn't about to just give up so easily and just as Severide tries to gain any kind of ground, Hadley's hands grasp the bottom of his frayed hoodie and give him a firm yank backwards.

This act forces Severide to stumble forward, lose his footing and falter to his knees. But as he falls his frantic eyes, finally rest on what he had been looking for and he wastes no time in grasping the lighter and trying to make a spark.

It works. A spark is created. A small flame ignited and a distinct smell is rendered.

"DAMN YOU SEVERIDE!"

XXXXXXXX

Casey and Erin leave the room that Severide had been held captive in earlier that day; each of them wondering if they'd catch up to them in time or if Hadley already had succeeded in taking Severide somewhere else.

"I think that…" Erin starts just as her phone rings again. "You found them?"

"We're following Drew Sheppard right now. We traced that number to a pay as you go phone and when we traced that number we found it had only made two calls. One to Drew's cell and one to another. It was bought on the same day and time and we think Hadley has it. We're sending uni's back to his place to check it out."

"Where is Drew heading?"

"Right for the entrance of the same tunnel you guys will be exiting."

"Hurry," she whispers before hanging up. "They're following Drew. We have to get to them before he does," she huffs as they come upon another locked room. Casey kicks it open and they rush inside only to find it also empty. But before all hope is lost…until…something familiar is heard…and smelt…

"Wait! What was…" Casey starts.

"Matt do you smell…" Erin starts.

"FIRE!" Casey shouts as he pushes past Erin and charges back into the hallway, leading the way toward the smell of fire in the hopes it's something his friend has set and not set by people who might be squatting in the darkness. He'd be right.

XXXXXXXX

"Drew's on his way here!" Hadley shouts as he grabs the middle link of Severide's cuffs and yanks him forward, the little fire in the corner starting to gain ground.

"He'll be…too late," Severide tosses back with a pant as he tries to wrestle himself free of Hadley's grasp. With his fingers still gripping Severide's cuffs, he pushes himself up and despite Severide still on his knees, starts to drag him toward the burning mass.

"AHHH!" Severide calls out as he tries to swing himself upright and then take Hadley down. It works for the most part…it gets him up off his feet but instead of giving him the upper hand completely, Hadley's leg counters and they both tumble to the ground close to the fire.

'I want you all to burn…'

'I'M ON FIRE!'

As the smell of acrid smoke starts to assault his senses, Severide's mind races back in time to when Hadley was standing on top of the chemicals that led to his permanent, physical deformation, holding a bottle of accelerant and threatening to take the whole block with him. He felt the same anxious fear then as he does now, only today he's not wearing protective gear and Hadley has somewhat of an advantage.

Severide finally breaks his cuffed wrists away from Hadley's vise-like grasp and swings his arms toward Hadley's legs, hitting him in the knees and making his attacker growl in pain.

"The…smoke…it's getting…thicker!" Severide shouts as his beleaguered lungs start to constrict from the choking smoke.

"Then…we'll both die…TOGETHER!"

Severide leaps off his knees and lunges toward Hadley, slamming into his surprised frame and taking sending them tumbling backwards closer toward the growing fiery area. Severide feels the heat on his bare legs and cries out in pain as he tries to roll away, hoping the dirty floor will help put it out. It does – for now.

"I'll take you…a piece at a time if I have to!"

Severide twists himself onto his belly and for a few split seconds picks up a few breaths of fresh air. He looks up, squinting into the smoky room, frantically searching for a way out. He spies it. His fingers dig into the loose dirt and he starts to claw his way toward the waiting exit.

But just as he's about to get up and push his way through, Hadley grabs his left foot and yanks him back.

"You're going nowhere!" Hadley shouts; his lungs coughing hoarsely a few seconds later.

"It's…over!" Severide grunts as he twists himself around kicks at Hadley's left leg, causing him to stumble backward with a curse. But this time the smoke starts to gain momentum; taunting them with its power and the fact that if there isn't another fresh oxygen source provided very soon – it would be game over.

However, just before Hadley can deliver another blow, both of them hear voices shouting in the near distance.

"NOT POSSIBLE!" Hadley shouts as he hears Casey banging on the locked door to get into the area of the tunnel they're fighting in.

And at the same time, Drew finally arrives at the mouth of the tunnel with Halstead and Voight in hot pursuit.

"It's…OVER!" Severide coughs as he watches Hadley pull away and then start to rush toward a part of the room with another large tarp over it. He's going to blow the entire area! His mind yells in haste; flooding his limbs with some adrenaline from his energy reserve and prompting him to pursue.

Just as Casey gets the door open, Severide's body slams into Hadley's, making both of them tumble back to the ground. But Severide misjudges the distance and both of them land dangerously close to the waiting homemade explosive device. Hadley grabs whatever he can find on the ground, a small piece of rebar and tries to hit Severide with it; desperate to get his former supervisor off him and end their feud for good.

"KELLY!"

Erin…oh thank God…his mind breathes in relief as he hears his wife's voice. He knows that Casey will go for the fire to try to put it out; leaving his wife and her gun to help him take Hadley out for good. But just before he can start to feel some sort of relief – the room around them literally explodes.

"ERIN!" Severide shouts before he drops back to his knees and coughs; his eyes instantly watering as they squint into the smoky landscape before them. "Y…." is all he manages as Hadley doesn't give up. With two hands on either side of the rebar, Hadley tosses the little piece of rebar over Severide's neck and pulls back, forcing Severide to put his cuffed wrists up to his neck and try to pull or choke.

"It's over now!"

But just before Hadley can get too high on himself, another body slams into his and all of them tumble to the ground.

"Erin…" Severide manages with a weak cough as small dark circles start to form. He watches her pull her gun, about to shoot at Hadley but another shot rings out, missing her but forcing her to change her direction and try to aim at Drew Sheppard.

Not caring about who else is in the room and fueled by his hatred for Kelly Severide, Kevin Hadley pushes pasts the little burning objects and charges!

"Where's Kelly!" Casey's voice frantically asks Erin as he helps her get up. "I can't put this out and helps not going to make it…we need to get out!" He shouts as she frantically looks into the burning mass before her for her husband.

"KELLY!"

"Wait…I see him!" Casey shouts as he pulls away and races into the shadows; Erin calling at them to come back, Hadley wasn't worth it. She gets up, covering her mouth and nose and trying to find her husband or his best friend. She sees a figure nearing her and instantly raises her gun.

"Erin!"

"Hank!" She utters with a small gasp. "Where's Sheppard!"

"Halstead is trying to round him up! Where are Kelly and Matt?"

"I…I don't know! Can't…see…" she coughs as both of them look into the darkened mass before them. But upon hearing some shouting they don't wait to see what happens, they just charge into the smoke, hoping they'll find the two 51 lieutenants.

Hadley hits Severide in the arm with the little piece of rebar that he managed to get back making Severide gasp with pain and bring his arms up to defend himself. But at the same time Hadley brings the little piece of rebar down a second time, this time it spears him in the arm; making Severide's painful yell a lot more audible.

"THERE!" Voight shouts as Casey recovers and follows the sound of the voices and then sees the outline of the shadows.

"Kelly! The fire! WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" Casey shouts as Voight and Erin charge toward him. Casey finally reaches Hadley and pulls back, his hand brushing the rebar and coming away with some fresh blood. But just as he's about to tackle Hadley, another explosion is felt and all of them are sent tumbling in different directions.

"Casey!" Voight shouts as he reaches Casey and helps him put out some flames that had attached themselves to his jacket. "Get Erin to the tunnel! I'll get Kelly!"

Knowing that Voight knows he knows his way around a fire as well as Severide, he wastes no time in rushing toward Erin and trying to get her toward the exit; it's also what his best friend would expect.

"I can't leave!" Erin insists as she coughs.

"Voight will get Kelly! We have to go now! This place…it'll blow…any second!"

"Kelly!"

Voight hears the utter desperation in Erin's voice and it pains him; but it also urges him to move faster and that's what the does. He spies Hadley strike Severide again and his anger surges.

Severide's body continues to falter, as Hadley strikes him again; his brain begging for some relief. It finally arrives as Hank Voight's thick hands land on the bottom of Hadley's jacket and he yanks back with such force that Hadley is literally thrown a few meters to the right, closer to the fire.

"Severide!" Voight calls out as he drops to his knees at Severide's side, quickly feeling for a pulse. "Thank God," Voight whispers as he tries to get Severide to his feet. But just as he does, Hadley's body slams into Severide's once more, forcing him to fall free of Voight's grasp. This time Severide hears his wife's voice calling out to him, balls his fists and strikes Hadley in the jaw, snapping his head back.

"Now…it's over!" Severide pants as he hits him once more.

"For…good!" Severide wheezes as he strikes Hadley for the last time; the former squad member's body rolling toward the flames just as Severide collapses into Voight's arms.

Having to work with Severide's cuffed wrists, Voight hoists Severide's unconscious frame onto his shoulder and starts toward what he hopes is the exit.

"Severide!"

That's the last word they hear from Kevin Hadley before a blood curdling scream followed by another explosion; the superheated blast sending Voight sprawling forward and Severide's body crashing to the floor. But seconds later, another pair of hands is felt and Voight looks up to see Benny Severide's face appear.

Each of them takes an arm and bodily drag Severide's body toward the entrance of the tunnel – where his wife and safety are waiting. Casey hurries toward the entrance and looks past them into the raging inferno behind them.

"Where's Hadley?"

"Dead," Voight replies simply as Erin rushes up to her husband's lips frame as he slowly lowered to the ground; Casey pulling away to lead the medics to his fallen friend.

"Get these off him!" She demands with a teary gaze as she looks down at his soot filled face. "Kelly!" She calls out as she leans in and feels for a pulse, listens for breath. At first one isn't felt and her panic skyrockets. "Kelly! You better fight!" She calls out as Benny drops to his knees on the opposite side of his son's body and starts to push down on his chest.

"Don't you leave me! Don't you dare leave me!" She calls out as her eyes well upon his lack of response. Upon Benny's urging, she leans in and gives his warm mouth two breaths and then pulls back; Benny continuing. "Kelly…please…please don't leave me," she begs. "Please…"

Just as Casey rounds the corner with Halstead and the medics in two, Severide's weary chest heaves, giving them a small breath…a sign of hope…that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Never…" he whispers as her hands clasps his.


A/N: Hey everyone I know on TV its easier to switch back and forth and tried to do that a bit in this chapter and hope it wasn't too confusing. Hope you all liked this action in this chapter and of course the takedown. So did Hadley meet a fitting end? And where was Drew? Hmmm but our couple is safe (for the most part) and now the recovery gets to start. So please do review before you go and thanks so much!