Title: The City Between Us
Chapter 19 – Taking back the Future!

"Erin?" Kelly asked as he got up and went in search of his wife. But just as he did, the door bust open and all the lights went black.

"What the hell!"

*bang!*

"KELLY!"

XXXXXXXX

"Damn it!" Voight cursed as he and Jay raced toward the stairwell to go down. At the same time the four remaining members of the Intelligence unit dropped what they were doing and raced toward the stairwell to go down and then across the street as soon as possible; Antonio calling for fire and medic services along the way.

"Kelly!"

"Just us now Erin!" Jake laughed as a few seconds later his night light goggles started to give him full unhindered vision while the rest of the building struggled with the darkness; well almost everyone in the building.

"Jay hurry!"

"We have to make it in time."

"We will! Antonio! Get the damn lights on!"

"Bastard!" Erin shouted as she felt around in the dark for her gun as she tried to keep her footing and hurry toward her fallen husband. But she could only let out a yelp as Jake took a few quick strides, grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her backward, nearly taking her off her feet. "Jake!"

"Leave…her alone…" Kelly grunted as he tried to pick himself upright. His slightly shaking hands tried to fish around in his pocket for the small flashlight attached to his keychain.

Erin tried to twist herself out of Jake's grasp and stomp on his foot, but with him being able to see better he was able to dodge her move. However, her actions did allow her to get her hair free and try to get back to Kelly.

"Leave her alone!" Kelly shouted as he managed to get his bloody fingers on the small device and then push the button. But because of the fresh blood, they were slick and the little item slipped from a firm grasp. But it was just enough of a flash to make Jake yell out and Erin to see what Jake was wearing.

"Get him Erin!" Kelly stated loudly as she tried to knock the night vision goggles off Jake's head. However, just as she was about to flip them off, Jake managed to sidestep her attack and make a break for the door.

"Kelly!"

"I'm fine…go!" Kelly managed with a small gasp as she faltered for a few seconds but knew that he wouldn't tell her to go if he was fatally wounded.

Just as she charged into the hallway and heard his footsteps to the right and bolted in that direction; Jay and Voight emerged on the floor.

"Erin!"

"She's…gone after Jake," Kelly told them as Jay dropped to his knees to help Kelly just as the lights came back on.

"Take care of him!" Voight ordered as he raced after Erin.

"Kelly! Hey buddy…stay with me!" Jay stated loudly as he took off his jacket and pressed it down on Kelly's wound, pulled his radio and demanded the medics hurry.

"Erin…"

"Voight's gone after her. Just…stay with me. Helps on the way," Jay replied as he pulled his radio once more. "Where's the damn bus! Kelly's been shot!"

"2 minutes out. How bad is it?" Matt asked in concern.

"Just…hurry."

At the same time that the lights flipped on, Jake's eyes got a flash they weren't expecting which caused him pause for a few minutes and Erin to pinpoint his location. And it also allowed Voight to gain ground on the both of them.

Erin spied Jake cross her path on the lower part of the next stair set and flung herself over the edge which made her slam into his body and topple them both to the ground. She let out a yelp as Jake kicked at her leg and tried to get away; the little voices in his head urging him even more as they heard Voight gaining ground.

But Jake could only curse his bad timing as Voight's angry growl from two floors up filled his worried brain and wondered how his plan went awry so fast. Erin tried to twist herself around to keep Jake pilled to the ground until Voight arrived but Jake ended up grabbing her by the arm and pulling her toward another flight of stairs to go down.

Her right hand shot out and latched onto the railing which jerked them both forward and forced Jake to regroup. Voight's boots stomped down onto the above landing and Jake knew he was out of time. So he gave Erin a hard shove, pulled back, turned around and continued to race downward.

"Erin!" Voight shouted as he reached Erin just in time to help her get upright.

"Next level down! Go!" Erin instructed as Voight barreled past and hurried after their target.

Jake heard Voight radio his team to be ready on the main level and to have all the entrances blocked and knew he was trapped.

"Stairwell is closed. Take the elevator!" Antonio relayed to Matt and Gabby when 51 had arrived to help Kelly and anyone else caught in the melee. "They're in the stairwell. Kelly's been shot. Jay's with him."

"We're on our way up!"

"Hurry!"

Both Voight and Erin landed three levels below their apartment and entered the quiet hallway with their guns drawn.

"Stay frosty…he'll shoot to kill," Voight warned as the two of them started to gently try each door they approached.

"I'm…distracted," Erin admitted with a small hiss.

"Antonio just said 51 arrived. Kelly's in good hands. Concentrate."

"Copy," she whispered back with a somewhat shaky tone. She hated the fact that Kelly was left in Jay's care but knew her partner wouldn't let her new husband die and Matt and his team would do everything they could to get Kelly to Med before anything more happened.

They heard some shuffling behind them and both turned with their guns drawn only to see an old woman with a small basket in her hands, suddenly put up her hands and drop her basket.

"What's…going on?"

"Ma'am you need to get back downstairs and stay there for your own good!" Voight barked with a frown as she simply nodded, picked up her basket and returned to the elevator waiting area. But just as they turned around to continue on their way; Jake appeared and fired.

"ERIN!" Voight shouted as he pushed her out of the way just in time; his upper forearm earning a small, searing kiss from the bullet as payment. He fired back but Jake ducked into one of the apartments and locked the door.

"Damn it!" Erin cursed as they raced toward that now closed door; Voight calling his team for outside coverage. "You okay?"

"Fine," he grumbled in return as they reached the entrance to the now quiet apartment and stopped. "Jake! It's over! We have the building surrounded! Best thing you can do is surrender to us!"

"Go to hell!" Jake shouted as another shot rang out toward the door. It flew right through, shattered the wood before it embedded itself into the wall behind them.

"Ruzek! Need you and Burgess on the south fire escape! Need to keep this bastard trapped! Antonio ask the super who lives in apartment 5B?"

"Copy."

"On it."

"I'm going to go into the next apartment and out the window," Erin suggested as Voight hesitated for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

Voight talked as loudly as possible to try to keep Erin's movements hidden as she knocked as gently as possible on the next apartment. A middle-aged woman opened the door with a terrified expression but quickly complied and ushered her and her two children outside and rushed toward the elevator as Erin stood cover just in case. Once they were safely inside the steel box, she hurried into the apartment and rushed toward the window and opened it just as another shot rang out in Voight's direction.

"You must have a death wish Jake!" Voight yelled in anger as Erin gently edged herself onto the window ledge. She glanced down to see Adam and Kim slowly making their way up toward her and felt her heart start to beat a bit faster.

But as soon as she turned back to face the direction of the apartment her ex was in, he stood there with his gun cocked and ready.

"Jake!" Erin said somewhat loudly, hoping those below would hear and radio Voight that he could enter the apartment as Jake was now distracted – by her.

"Why him!"

"No matter what I tell you…you won't believe me," Erin replied as she tried to stall for time.

"Try me!" He hissed as he waved the gun at her and then motioned for her to drop hers. "You can't raise it fast enough to take me out."

"It doesn't have to end this way Jake."

"You…didn't answer me!"

"You and I…we just weren't going the same way," Erin replied as she tried to keep her gaze fixed on Jake and resist the urge to see where Voight was and what kind of progress he was making to get to them undetected. However, if she did try to acknowledge Voight, that might throw Jake off and make him look, even for a second and that would give her the upper hand to taking Jake out – for good.

"Kelly is dying! Don't you care!"

"Drop your gun Jake. You're surrounded," she tried to tell him calmly as her voice slightly wavered.

"It's Kelly! GSW to the lower chest!" April relayed to Will and Ethan as Gabby and Sylvie rushed him into the ER at Chicago Med.

Matt pulled back and watched his friend disappear into one of the operating rooms, cloaked by Med's finest and watched his wife hurry back to him.

"He's in good hands," she told him firmly. "Any word on Erin?"

"Not yet," Matt replied with a huff as he looked at Boden who shook his head no.

"They'll both be okay. We have to believe that," Gabby whispered as her hand clutched her husbands.

"Jake…" Erin started once more. But was interrupted by the sound of Adam's radio going off which made Jake look down, up and then duck back in side. He spied Voight in the room and fired off a shot before he rushed into the kitchen and hid behind the refrigerator.

"It's over!" Voight shouted as Erin entered the now quiet, empty apartment.

He was trapped and knew it but wasn't about to go down without a fight. So with a full clip cocked and ready to go, Jake stepped out from behind the fridge and just started to fire at Erin.

"ERIN! GET DOWN!" Voight shouted as a spray of bullets zoomed in her direction as Voight tried to get a better vantage point to shoot from. He was unable.

Erin crouched behind the bullet riddled leather couch before she took a deep breath, cocked her own gun and then dared to raise her head to fire. Jake's eyes narrowed as he watched her emerge and was driven on by pure rage that he failed to see Voight take the flanking position.

It was all over in seconds and Erin could only breathe a sigh of relief as she started to sag to her knees.

"Erin!" Voight shouted as he rushed to her side and gathered her up before she could collapse completely.

"I'm okay…is he…"

"Yeah he's gone," Ruzek declared as he knelt beside Jake's dead body.

"Kelly…I need to go see him."

"Are you hit?" Kim asked her in concern.

"Just a graze," she replied with a small hiss as she looked at Jake's lifeless corpse. "I want to go see my husband. The nightmare is finally over."

"For good."

A/N: and all…exhale! One more chappy to come so please do review before you go and thanks so much!