Title: Till Death do us Part
Chapter 10 – Taken!

"We got him. Now…what do we do with him?"

"Hurt him…and then…kill him."

XXXXXXXX

Erin tells herself that she has time and so walks into the precinct not expecting to do much else than close a few files and pick up some paperwork before she goes to meet Kelly.

"So I hear there's a party for you guys at Molly's."

"News…travels fast," Erin replies to Platt as she nears the desk. "You coming?"

"Course," Platt retorts. "Do you know if…Randall is…you know single?" Platt asks in a soft whisper as Erin's brows knit. "Figured you'd hear some of the shop talk being there."

"No I'm…Randall?"

"Mouch."

"Ah…not used to all the names yet. Just finally remembered Otis is…Bryan," Erin chuckles. "But I am meeting Kelly later today so…I can ask and let you know."

"Great plan. Now, why are you here?" Platt asks directly as Erin shakes her head before she pulls away and heads upstairs.

"Hey…are you working today?"

"Boy if I had a nickel for every time I heard that today," Erin retorts dryly at Mouse as she nears. "Technically no, but what's up?"

"So…that Alex Ward."

"What about her?" Erin asks in haste.

"She's…okay so I dug a bit deeper," he relays in an undertone as her brow furrows.

"Mouse…"

"I know…I know and I did take precautions. But…I found out she has been known to use whatever means necessary to get her point across or…or close the case."

"Like putting two guys in jail? I know and I warned Kelly."

"Right but…the one that ended up…well not being able to walk was kidnapped and tortured by two guys…" he pauses as they hear a commotion; Erin looking at his expression in haste.

"Never seen you this worried."

"Who she has used in the past to…let's just say help with a few things."

"What?" Erin asks in haste. "So she…used her own guys to get her own informant…hurt? What about the dead one? Are you saying…"

"Hold on. It wasn't proven and she denied it, apparently. But the last case she couldn't get all the proof so…its not said but from what I could piece together called these two guys and…arranged for them to…kidnap and torture her helper or whatever, which she then could use as proof of…"

"Her claims that whatever she was chasing was serious. And the guys?"

"Not sure where they are now," Mouse shrugs. "Some files are just too heavily encrypted or the clearance is too high to tack into without being caught. Maybe someone higher up the food chain knows and is covering. Wanting to get the baddies at any cost?"

"I get wanting to shut down an local terror cells but…but she can't just use innocent people to make her point," Erin's voice hisses as she remembers Kelly telling her how forward Alex Ward's advances have been. "Any way to see if she…called or texted or…the one guy who was injured?"

"You want to go talk to him?"

"I just…I don't know what I'm saying, maybe I'm just being a paranoid wife," she resigns.

"She's after Kelly?"

"Putting it that way sounds so sordid," Erin groans but agrees. "She's been kinda persistent. He said he just needs to sign the affidavit and that'll be it. His part should be done."

"But if that doesn't pacify the higher ups then…will she escalate things?"

"She better not," Erin vows with a small hiss as her mind flashes her horrible images of her husband in the grasp of someone who would do anything – even permanently harm him, just to make a professional point.

"If she wants to climb up or…who knows but the more local terror cells she shuts down, by any means, the better it makes her look."

"But if she has someone above her helping her or covering it up then…"

"Good luck proving it," Mouse replied heavily as Erin's anger started to boil. "I'm definitely not on the bad guys side but…"

"Yeah the win at any cost attitude is just as bad. Keep digging…discretely of course but let me know what you find out and yeah maybe Jay and I should talk to the guy who was injured. I'm going to meet Kelly in an hour or so and I'll give him the warning to be on the lookout. But if she hurts him or sends someone to hurt him…"

"You'll kick her ass!" Mouse states with enthusiasm and then recants somewhat sheepishly as Erin nods and then pats him on the back.

"You better believe it," she promises dryly as she looks at the time. Don't go to the House and make a scene…don't tip your hand and get Mouse in trouble…wait until you're with Kelly – alone and then tell him.

So she'd wait…but waiting is something she hates.

And a few hours later as she's sitting on the Park bench waiting for her husband to show, that agitation continues to gain ground. She calls him again, getting only empty rings in response and her panic starts to escalate.

"Something's happened….something's wrong. Kelly…where are you?"

XXXXXXXX

Wher…e…the he…ll…Kelly's fuzzy brain starts to struggle to bring him back to reality. A very painful reality.

He recalls walking into Firehouse 51 to sign the form for Alex and then go pick up something for Erin as a little wedding present – wanting to surprise her and hoping she'd like it.

'Hey buddy…it's your day off?' Matt greeted in wonder.

'Yours too,' Kelly tossed back.

'I had to pick up something for Violet. You?'

'Yeah just here to sign a form for Alex…Is she here?'

'Yeah…waiting area. She just got here. She might have told Boden what's up but not me.'

'I just want this to be over now.'

'She's not taking no for an answer?' Matt lightly quipped.

'Actually no,' Kelly replied as he pulled away and headed for the waiting area. 'Hey…'

'Hey. Was hoping you'd…show,' Alex started and then stopped, eyeing the very visible band of hold on his left hand but not saying anything more.

'So you're gonna tell me the whole story?' Kelly questioned.

'I can tell you what they told me I can tell you,' Alex quickly qualified. 'That's the best I can do and hope it works. These things are sticky.'

'I don't doubt it but I'm not a newbie either.'

'Course.'

He listened to her explanation which seemed to make sense, Alex also adding that the investigation had stalled a bit but wasn't over.

'So…I have nothing to be worried about right? No fall out or anyone coming looking for those snooping around?' He dared to press.

'I won't lie, these are bad guys Kelly but you should have nothing to worry about.'

'Should? I know what these guys are capable of.'

'If you feel you are in danger or see anyone or anything that looks suspicious…make sure I'm the first person you call.'

'Sure.' He had left out the fact that his wife is a cop as he didn't want to get Erin in trouble but looking back…he should have tossed that out there.

He tries to urge his body to move…to respond to his command but is unable. He's able to discern that his wrists are zip tied behind his back, ankles also zipped and if he couldn't feel the fabric against his eyes would have concluded that was just the darkness hemming him in.

He signed the form, watched Alex leave Firehouse 51 without saying much else and then walked over to Matt.

'Did she ask you for another date?'

'No…she just left. Think she saw the ring and took the hint. In any case…it's over and now I can just worry about other stuff. Although she gave me a warning.'

'About what?'

'If I'm ever followed or see something odd…like someone following me. Ah government scare tactic. Told me to call her first. Think I'd call Erin first. If not, then I'd have to watch out for her,' he paused to snicker. 'See you later.'

His throbbing head tries to clear long enough for him to hear where he is being taken, and if he didn't have something soft and thick shoved into his mouth and tied behind his head to keep him quiet, he would have made much more of a fuss.

Where…the hell….he inwardly groans as he tries to think back to when he was jumped.

He left the House and headed for his car, the two men watching him waiting until he was away from any kind of watching eyes. They wouldn't have to wait long.

He pulled out of the parking lot from Firehouse 51, got a few blocks and then stopped when he heard something rattling around behind his car.

'What the hell…' he grumbled as he stopped the car in a quiet somewhat industrial area to see what was going on. 'How the hell did that get there?' He pondered as he looked down at the large chain dangling behind and affixed to his bumper.

'Hey buddy…need a hand?'

Kelly looked up as the seemingly well-meaning stranger approached and nodded as he looked back down. Just as he knelt down to try to see how he could unfasten the source of his irritation, he heard an extra set of footsteps and looked up just in time to see something coming toward him.

His lips let out a small cry as the fist-sized piece of concrete connected with his temple and send him stumbling backward. The other man stepped up and covered his mouth and nose with a damp cloth, while both of his hands tried to claw himself free.

After that…it was blank and he woke up…in hell.

He wonders if he'd make a fuss if it would just lend himself a further beating and then something sickening starts to dawn on him – the last person Alex had used wound up permanently damaged for life or dead….

Who are these guys?

XXXXXXXX

"Hey Matt," Erin greets as she enters Firehouse 51 with a worried expression. "Is…Kelly here?"

"No," Matt replies with a small shrug. "Didn't…he meet you at the Park?"

"No. Did he sign the paperwork for Alex?"

"Yeah and then left. Said, he was going to meet you," Matt answers in truth.

"And when he left Alex…how was everything?"

"Fine I guess," Matt answers slowly as he pulls his cell and dials Kelly's number; getting no answer in return.

"Fine?"

"Well he said she was a bit more…cold or whatever but figured she saw the ring and then backed off."

"From what I've come to learn she doesn't give up on anything that easily."

"Are you saying she has something to do with Kelly's absence?" Matt asks in wonder as he hangs up with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know yet. What?"

Matt pauses as he looks as her with pursed lips and then silently begs his friend for forgiveness.

"You know where he is right? I'm overreacting?"

"He said he was going to buy you something as a wedding gift…a surprise so maybe he's…I don't know maybe he doesn't want to answer? Give away where he is?"

"Oh," Erin replies with a huff as she internally berates herself.

"But…he usually would answer me," Matt states with a small frown. "Anyway to check and see…where he might be?"

"Yeah I can get Mouse to track his phone. Okay I'm going back to the House…"

"I'll come with you. I was just killing time here. If Kelly's in trouble I wanna help, in whatever way I can. And if he's not…I'll head back to my sisters. And let you two duke it out," Matt concludes with a smirk.

"Okay," Erin agrees as they turn and hurry back to her car. "I don't want to cause too much of an alarm but…but I am a bit worried."

"So this Agent Ward…sounds like more trouble than he let on?" Matt wonders as they get into her car and head for 21.

"She is but…but maybe this is just me overreacting. Maybe it's nothing…" her voice trails off as Matt looks at her in wonder. Kelly where are you…you better be okay!

"But Kelly did say she gave him a serious warning."

"She did? About what?" Erin asks in dread.

XXXXXXXX

When the car finally stops, Kelly's agitation instantly soars. If it were just the two of them, he knows he could try to fight his way out and would probably come out the victor, even if a bit battered and bruised. But being helpless and vulnerable isn't something he had planned on and being blindfolded would keep him blind to how many were there and where he was.

The trunk opens and he can only offer a small grunt into the gag as cool air starts to assault his flushed cheek.

"Good you're awake," a thick voice states gruffly. "Because I'm gonna make you wish you never got up today."

A/N: eeks! Don't kill me! hehe…okay so you know Alex was bad news but Kelly is in a world of trouble! Will Erin and Matt get to her in time? Will Mouse find the other guy Alex had injured and…what will the showdown between Erin and Alex be like? ;) please do review before you go and thanks so much!

PS: Hope all my Sevasey fans liked my latest one shot this week (with some Casey hurt/Severide comfort). Thanks!