Title: Plan B
Chapter 23 – Justice, at what Cost?

A/N: so this is the last of 3 bittersweet dedications I am posting this today with a heavy heart. A dear cyber friend and avid AiP/Alice supporter has passed and my heart is torn. He was such a big part of a few fandoms I wrote for and now it seems a bit more empty to me and I want to dedicate this update to *Bob Kenny*. He started the story and I really wish he could have finished it *weeps* RIP dear friend – these stories will forever seem a bit more empty without your wonderful support.

Gish had already planned it out, even putting himself online for a phony but a few hours long conference call at work. If the CPD were to call into his office, his status would show online and busy in a meeting as he had planned. He booked a room, locked it and then snuck out the back fire escape, heading over to Firehouse 51 via cab, waiting and then following Kelly Severide to where he could strike. That moment arises and he acts – swiftly. He even left his phone active at work, bought a pay as you go phone that cannot be traced. What he failed to tell anyone; was he had already struck that day and taken something so precious that Severide would be willing to give up his life for – his precious daughter.

Severide's mind is so occupied with the case and his father, his daughter, Shay's killer, growing feelings for Erin and life in general that he fails to see Adrian Gish walking up behind him with something heavy in his grasp.

"Evening lieutenant Severide."

Severide hears his name being spoken by the last person he wants to hear from. But in that instant, his jaw grits and his fists ball; his brain telling him to just turn around and put Gish in his place before Gish can be the one to establish full control. With his mind made up, Severide starts to turn around with a head full of steam. But before he can even utter one word, Gish advances with his fist raised, the piece of brick in it, striking Severide in the temple and forcing him to rumple to the ground; his eyes widening and then instantly crunching in pain.

"Time to join your partner," Gish hisses as he strikes Severide's already throbbing temple, rendering him unconscious – Gish's captive. He takes the keys from Severide's jacket pocket, opens the trunk and softly whistles as he looks around to see who's watching his nefarious acts.

No one's looking.

With a delighted smile, Gish, after hitting him once more to make sure he's out, roughly shoves Severide's limp frame into the trunk of his car, slams the lid shut and then casually walks around to the front; whistling the same tune he was earlier. He had thought that if he just moved his supplies to another location that perhaps he could stick around a bit longer, but the pesky members of 51 were proving to be a further irritation than he imagined. His plan to taunt them via Kevin Hadley also seemed to backfire as he didn't count on things going in the opposite direction.

His other plan had been to stage a fire in his own building but upon further thought, realized he could really go out with a bang with another plan. Gish slowly maneuvers through traffic, not caring about timing as he knows everything is already set and if the members of Firehouse 51 did show up, their fate would be instantly sealed – along with his captive's.

Gish reaches the abandoned building and stops, getting out and heading toward the back while an evil grin lingers on his face. He opens the trunk and looks down at Severide's unconscious frame and sneers.

"I'm not sorry she's dead! I enjoyed it…and I'll enjoy watching you die too!"

After letting Severide's unconscious frame fall to the hard ground, Gish's hands tuck under Severide's arm pits and he starts to drag him toward the opening of the warehouse. Once inside he drags him to the center of the floor and proceeds to roughly bind his wrists and ankles.

Next he turns and heads toward a waiting can of gasoline; his eyes lifting to look at the menagerie of starters and accelerants all timed precisely – waiting for their death knell to toll. But much like his other fires, Gish loves the thrill of seeing others appreciate his work – either in awe or in fear, both is preferable. So he tells himself that he'll just wait until the first person arrives.

"The more the merrier," Gish muses as he looks over at Severide.

A slow smile spreads across his evil lips as he looks upon his helpless captive in glee. His senses revel in the deadly smell of gasoline and his mind races that this could be his best fire yet. He pulls a lighter from his pocket and glares in contempt as his captive finally starts to stir.

"Welcome back…Lieutenant Severide."

XXXXXXXX

"Matt no…no this can't be…" Benny's lips mutter as he quickly redials his son's number; trying Pauline Shay's number next. "Oh damn…no no…if Gish has Kelly…" Benny's voice trails off as he looks at Boden in fear. "Wallace…if he has my son…"

"CPD is going to trace Kelly's phone," Casey informs them as all of 51 look at each other in dread. "He might just be…" Casey starts and then stops.

"What?" Hermann presses.

"With all this going on Kelly would answer…he's not into playing games. This is bad," Casey utters with a heavy sigh.

"Where the hell would Gish take him?" Benny ponders audibly.

"Somewhere…where he can watch," Casey replies with a dreadful whisper as Benny shakes his head.

"No…first Shay and now Kelly? I refuse to let that bastard orphan my granddaughter!" Benny's voice booms loudly as Casey's phone rings.

"It's Erin. Did you find him?"

"His phone is showing at AI headquarters."

"Benny Severide just came from there…Gish must have tossed Kelly's phone."

"Matt…what? Are you sure?"

"We can't get ahold of Aurora or Pauline either and Kelly's car doesn't have GPS."

"This…what is Pauline's cell number?"

Casey gives her the number and then hangs up and looks at the expectant faces with a grim expression. "We can't just wait for the call to come in about a fire," Casey suggests. "Where do you think Gish would take him?" Casey next directs his question to Benny and Boden. "We have to start somewhere."

Casey's mind races as he waits for an answer…any answer. God I hope Aurora is okay…hang in there Kelly…we're coming!

XXXXXXXX

His mind flashes him images of his car stopping outside his father's office building. Feeling anxiety. Hearing his name. Turning. His eyes widened. Gish! But it was too late. He was struck and rendered….TRAPPED!

Severide's body aches from Gish's mishandling but he'd push all that aside in favor of getting his other senses fully operational. His brain correctly surmises that his wrists are bound behind his back as well as his ankles. Escape wouldn't be easy. But as he hears Gish's low taunting laugh as he approaches, he knows that Gish wouldn't have just handed out a trail of breadcrumbs. The end wouldn't be complete without a fight to the death. That was coming. That was the only thing right now that was guaranteed.

"Welcome back…Lieutenant Severide."

"Bastard," Severide hisses as Gish kneels down a few feet away and smiles.

"That I might be true but right now I'm the lucky bastard," Gish snickers as Severide's eyes narrow.

Severide feels some soft sludge slowly sliding down the right side of his face, his brain correctly guessing at the head wound. But with the pungent smell of gasoline continuing to assault his senses, he knows a few little droplets of blood were the least of his worries.

"They'll know it's you…"

"I'm counting on that actually. I want them to be here when the big show starts."

"What?" Severide asks weakly.

"An artist likes to have his work appreciated."

"YOU'RE A DAMN MURDERER!" Severide shouts, his lungs starting to gently constrict as they choke on the rising gasoline fumes.

"Again that'll be moot shortly when I'll leave the area and you'll be DEAD!" Gish shouts back, Severide's frame slightly pulling back. His wrists flex as his brain races for a way to find a way out of the ropes and even the playing field before Gish's evil plan is fully realized. The ropes have some give but he's not sure there will be enough to allow him to get free and overpower Gish.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Severide asks, knowing fully well that Gish was just doing it for the sheer pleasure but hoping to stall for as much time as he'd need to try to get free.

"For the joy of it. Do you want to hear your daughter's voice before you die?"

If Kelly Severide could see himself in that moment, he'd see the look of flushed anger instantly replaced with that of stone cold fear. With just his life on the line, Severide knows he has a bit more leeway to be careless, enduring a scolding from his father, Matt or Erin…but with Aurora in Gish's grasp? That was downright evil.

"You know…you actually look…scared," Gish states with a small smile. "But I did ask you a question."

"Where is she Gish?" Severide asks in haste.

"Do you…"

"WHERE?"

"HERE!" Gish shouts back as Severide looks at him in contempt. Gish holds up his phone and presses play.

"Daddy!"

It's her voice…but where is she? Where is the picture? "I want to see her!" Severide's voice growls, as his heart continues to race at top speed.

"I'm sure you can picture her face lieutenant," Gish smiles as he presses play once more. "Daddy."

He could have recorded that anyw….

"Daddy."

"STOP IT!" Severide shouts with a hoarse cough as Gish presses play once more.

"Daddy."

"I'm only getting started!" Gish shouts as he presses play and another recording of her voice comes on; one instantly forcing his panic to course.

"Help me daddy! Daddy! Help me!"

"Where is…"

"Do you think…"

"WHERE YOU SICK BASTARD! WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!" Severide shouts as Gish grins but says nothing.

Silence starts to grow for a few more seconds. Then…Gish puts his phone away and looks at Severide with a serious expression and delivers another yet verbal bomb.

"She's close. Don't sorry she'll feel the heat and you'll hear her scream. Signaling YOUR FAILURE!"

"You'll never win," Severide vows in an undertone before his anger surges once more. "NEVER!"

Gish however, ignores his rant and asks another haunting question. "Does she miss her mother?"

Instant hatred surges through his entire frame and at the same time his lips let out a blood curdling yell as he pitches his whole body forward intending to strike Gish in the head; his brain forgetting all about the lighter a few feet away.

XXXXXXXX

"It's worth a try," Casey tells Benny and Boden as they all hover around Boden's desk with the large map splayed out; Gish's previous fire scenes laid out before them. Gish was a creature of habit and him returning to a previous scene for one last big hurrah was very plausible. The only trouble is – which site to pick? Gish's phone was at home. None of them realizing that he had gotten one of those pay as you go phone – virtually untraceable. Pauline and Aurora were still missing and they weren't going to take any chances that they were okay.

"Matt and I will take this one," Benny tells Boden, wanting to spare the 51 fire Chief the mental and emotional pain of going back to the site where people were killed, close friends and he was permanently scarred.

"Okay," Boden replies with a firm nod as he tells the others which places to go to – in groups.

With CPD checking on Gish's apartment, work and a few other places the wily arsonist was known to frequent, that leaves only 51 to follow the hunch offered by both veteran firefighters – Boden and Benny Severide.

"Remember, Adrian Gish is a killer and he might possibly have one of our own…or more," Boden's voice pipes up with a serious tone. "Use extreme caution. If you find him, call CPD immediately."

"Chief, we might not have time to wait."

"Put them on speed dial and press send. If they get a call from any one of us, even if it's silent they'll trace the phone," Benny adds firmly as they all nod in agreement.

Benny looks at Casey and both of them trade worried glances.

"If he has Aurora…" Benny's voice trails off into an angry hiss as they hurry toward Casey's truck. It was a long shot to think that Gish was returning to the scene of his first fire but he knows that that's where Gish's love of the thrill of watching something burn began and started to flourish.

"We just have to believe that she's okay and we'll get there in time."

Even though he said it to make Benny feel better, inside Casey knows he's also saying it for his mental welfare; which at the moment is under emotional assault. But he knows as anxious as he is right now, he can't imagine what terrible agitation his missing best friend is enduring right now.

Please let us pick the right location!

XXXXXXXX

Upon hearing Gish's horrible taunt, Severide's bound ankles automatically swung forward, hitting him in the knees and forcing his body to falter. Gish teeters forward as his lone bent knee; the other still in the air. At the same time Severide's head snaps up, clipping Gish in the forehead and forcing him to utter a painful gasp as he slams forward into the hard ground.

Severide tries to roll away, his mind racing to feel anything jagged that he can pick up and use to cut his wrists free. At first he doesn't find anything useful and can only curse as he watches Gish rock back up to a seated position and just shake his head.

"Really? Is that all you got?" Gish goads in derision.

"Untie me and I'll show you what else I got!" Severide retorts in sarcasm. "No? Didn't think so. Coward!"

"Coward? COWARD?" Gish shouts back. "Hardly! It takes a brav…"

"You're nothing but a dirty rotten coward! A coward who enjoys watching innocent people die!" Severide fires back as his frame shifts to the right. Just as he does, his fingers rest upon something jagged.

"Don't you know where we are?"

Severide's eyes slowly scan the area, his actions hoping that he'll be able to trick Gish into thinking he really cares where they are instead of what he's really doing – trying to get free. But the site…isn't as familiar as he thinks Gish might want him to think it is.

"No. Where are we?" Severide asks sharply; his fingers rapidly working the piece of jagged glass in a frantic attempt to get himself free.

"We're here at the beginning."

"The…wh…" Severide starts and then stops as his jaw sets. It was the place where Henry Mills died and Boden was forever scarred trying to save him. The one place that was still holds bitter memories for his father and his Chief. "Son of a bitch," Severide curses in an undertone as Gish smiles and nods. At first his body slackens and his mind takes some delight in the fact the relief feels good. But as he's reminded that his daughter is trapped and the man that murdered her mother and his best friend is now a few feet away and he has the chance to end it – he has to push on. His daughter's counting on him.

"You know I had thought about taking you back to the warehouse…the one that killed Lesley but this one is most special to me."

Severide feels the ropes starting to loosen and knows he can't just lie back and wait for…no hope for Casey and his father or whoever to show up and save the day. He's on his own. Do it for Shay…do it for Aurora.

"Special to me," Gish chants once more as he finally turns his back on Severide and squats down a few meters away to check on one of his ignition devices.

Severide uses the time to try to wiggle his wrists free of the rough bindings; his mind yelling at him to screw the chafing and just concentrate on getting free, he can deal with a few minor cuts after this is all over. Getting his bound ankles free without being noticed might be trickier, but if his flailing about means getting Gish over to him that's all he'd need. In a one on one fight, Adrian Gish is no match.

However…the tables were about to turn once more.

Severide knows his clothing has gasoline on it…possibly other flammable materials so no matter what, he needs to ensure that he stays free of any incoming flames. Remember…you don't know where Aurora is…or if he even has her!

"Where is my daughter?" Severide calls out loudly once more; the fumes inside the windowless space starting to get thicker.

Silence.

"Gish! Come on and tell me you sick bastard!"

"She's safe," Gish replies; his back still turned.

Keep him talking! His brain orders sharply. You're almost there!

"What's the matter? You couldn't have a family of your own so you had to find some kind of sick pleasure in destroying others?"

"No…I just gave you all a reason to value life even more."

"You're deluded," Severide mutters as his brain orders his wrists to break free. PULL…PULL…PULL! And he does. The ropes finally loosen enough for him to squeeze his left wrist through, scraping the skin but not caring as he knows he's driven on by pure rage.

"Your anger isn't justified. You should be thanking me. It's helped you appreciate something even more."

"Thanking you?" Severide hisses as he hears Gish's merciless taunt. "I'm going to kill you."

"Is…that…so?" Gish asks slowly.

Silence.

Gish turns around and instantly his eyes narrow; his fingers reaching for the lighter. A few meters away Severide had almost had freed himself completely. Time's up. Knowing he's no match against the younger man in a one on one fight; Gish pushes down on the trigger of the lighter and looks at Severide with that same evil glint in his dark eyes.

"Lieutenant Severide…" Gish's voice punctures the stale air – forcing Severide to look up with an instant glare of panic. "Catch!"

XXXXXXXX

At about the same time, Casey's truck starts to slow, both of them looking at Severide's very out of place car; Benny on the phone to Boden and then the CPD a few seconds later. "Calvary's on its way."

Casey wastes no time in getting out of his truck and racing for the entrance, Benny a few seconds behind. Just as soon as they near the entrance, they hear a distinct BOOM and the smell of smoky fire instantly engulfs them; the slight shaking forcing both to stop and hold on to whatever was nearby.

"NO!" Benny shouts frantically.

"I'll call it in!"

Both of them step inside; their ears instantly picking up the angry shouting in the distance, the sound of gentle crackling and the smell of smoke gaining ground.

"We have to hurry!"

With his feet still crudely bound, Severide isn't able to get as solid a grasp on Gish as he might like, so he's too preoccupied in his tangling with his enemy to acknowledge that helps arrived.

A few seconds later, Casey makes sure his friend knows that he's not alone. "Kelly!"

Both Severide and Gish pause in their struggle; the fire only a few meters away and gaining momentum, look up and fix on the voice adding to the verbal menagerie. "Not…possible!" Gish shouts in anger.

"MATT! GET AURORA!"

"Go find her! I'll help Kelly!" Benny tells Casey who wastes no time in turning and darting back toward the stairwell that he had seen earlier. He didn't bother wasting time to ask his friend if his daughter was indeed on the premises; nor did he wait to see if Benny needed help freeing his son – if Aurora was helpless and in danger, his duty was to her.

Peace of mind covers Severide for a few brief seconds as he knows that his daughter is in good hands; a bit more relief flooding him as his father arrives and yanks Gish free – leaving Severide's hands free to remove the last of the ropes from his ankles.

But just as Benny is about to clock Gish for good, they all hear Casey calling out for help; he'd found Aurora and Pauline but was facing another hurdle and time was just about up. They were trapped inside a windowless room rapidly filling with smoke.

"Dad! Go!" Severide barks at his father as his now freed frame lunges toward Adrian Gish. As much as he hates to leave his son here to tangle with Gish alone or waste time trying to drag them both outside – he knows Casey needs help.

Casey looks at the menagerie of debris before him; smoke coming up from downstairs and threatening to suffocate the windowless room the grandmother and granddaughter are now trapped in.

"Matt!"

"I need something to pry the door open with! HURRY!"

Benny has no choice but to run back outside to the back of Casey's truck and get a crowbar, Casey pulling away as much debris from the door as possible while Severide tangles with Gish one level down.

"Aurora! Pauline!" Casey calls out.

"Uncle Matt!"

Casey hears the little voice calling out and his heart instantly aches. But he pushes aside his own internal panic and focus. "Benny! Hurry!"

Severide hears Casey calling out to his father, but as soon as he turns, Gish charges toward him, jumping on his back and forcing the two of them to stumble forward and roll closer to the flames.

"It's over Gish! You've….lost!" Severide grunts as he tosses his elbow back to try to get Gish off his back. Gish's hands frantically claws at a piece of skinny rebar and he manages to get it around Severide's neck and pull back – starting to choke the weary squad leader.

"No! You've…all lost!" Gish shouts as Severide's breathing starts to shallow. Severide's mind races with horrible thoughts that Gish will succeed and leave his dead body with the rest of the debris burning around them. Finally Severide's boot is able to brace itself against a piece of rugged cement and he's able to find enough leverage to get his hands up and then push back and loosen Gish's grasp on his neck. He's able to take in air but it's thick, smoky and toxic.

With a heavy gasp for air; smoky air, Severide finally pulls himself free from Gish but doesn't get far; his lungs constricting from the smoke as it continues to sting his watery eyes and gain ground on them; the two lingering humans no match for the ensuing inferno. However, before he can even twist around, Gish uses the same piece of rebar to strike Severide in the side, making him cry out and crash back to the ground on his knees.

Kelly…don't let him win….

Severide's mind hears Shay's voice telling him to keep going, don't give up…beat Gish at any cost! With that he pushes past the pain in his side, rolls over and is able to get out of the way just as Gish brings the piece of rebar back down; missing him and striking the earth.

"Wallace!" Benny shouts to Boden as he carries Pauline's limp frame in his cradled arms. "She's okay just out."

"Where's Kelly?"

"Inside!" Casey replies as he hands a crying Aurora to Hermann.

"CPD is on its way!"

"They might be too late!" Casey shouts as he turns and rushes back in after Benny.

Boden gently places Pauline's frame onto the stretcher for Mills and Brett to take care of and rushes toward the front of the building, he knows that Benny and Casey know where Severide is so adding one more person into the fiery fray for them to worry about isn't his plan. The worry however, remains high.

Daddy! Help me!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Severide shouts as he pivots on his back, puts both boots up and kicks at Gish, sending his floundering attacker back a few feet. "It's…OVER!" Severide shouts once more as his throat catches and he starts to cough. The smoke is only getting thicker and Gish's clear way out is now blocked; sensing that he knows there's only one way out – for both of them to die.

Severide manages to roll away and push himself up onto all fours, his head pounding and his lungs coughing violently. He hears his father and Casey's voice calling out to them in the smoky distance and he knows the end is close. Gish had lost. But for him to linger any longer could possibly put him at risk of leaving his daughter a complete orphan and that is unacceptable.

"Benny! There!" Casey shouts as he squints into the smoky haze. But his eyes widen in horror as he sees his friend slumped on the floor and Gish about to strike. "KELLY!" Casey shouts. "LOOK OUT!"

Severide hears Casey's frantic voice in the distance and twists his head back just in time to see Gish about to strike him once more. Severide's eyes widen as the piece of rebar sails toward him. He manages to twist out of the way just in time, the piece of rebar only slicing open a piece of flesh on his side but not doing any permanent damage.

"Kelly!"

Severide hears his father's voice and then his daughter's in his mind's eye and knows he has to end it. Now. Summoning up whatever bits of energy his weary body could muster, Severide charges at Gish – Casey and Benny finally reaching the spot just as they both tumble toward a large body of explosives.

"Oh my God….KELLY!" Benny shouts in a panic as he watches the bottom of his son's pant leg catch on fire.

Severide's balled fist starts to punch into whatever part of Gish he can reach; Gish no match for the vengeful anger now pummeling him.

"This is for Shay! And Aurora! And Henry! And everyone else you've killed you bastard!" Severide shouts as he continues to pound on Gish's faltering frame – his mind trying to tell him about the fire now hungrily nipping his leg, kissing his skin. Finally he hears a scream and realizes that the fire has now reached Gish. "You love fire so much! Now it'll kill you!"

"Casey! Take his arm!" Benny shouts as he tries to bat the flames away from his son's charred jeans.

"Kelly!" Casey calls out as he tries to yank Severide away from Gish. "He's dead! Leave him!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Gish screams out as he tries to roll away.

Benny's eyes widen in horror as he quickly yanks his son free; Gish's flame riddle body rolling right onto one of his explosive patches. They pull Severide back just in time; but all three of them feel the ill effects as they're all pitched forward by a superheated charge on their backs. The three of them all crash back to the ground; landing with grunts as the flames rage on overhead.

"DIE YOU BASTARD!" Severide shouts as they listen to Gish scream out – a few seconds later being taken over and drawing his last breath.

Boden's frame still standing in the doorway slightly staggers backward; the furthest person on the receiving end of the inner blast. For a few seconds his mind races that he's lost two good men and an old friend due to one man's ugly ideals. But his mind is soon put to some ease as he watches three black silhouettes slowly heading toward him.

The fire trucks arrive and start to douse the outside of the fiery structure with cool water.

The three of them stagger toward and finally emerging from the entrance – Boden helping them all clear the structure so that the Houses who had arrived to help could do their job.

"Aurora…" Severide utters with a gasp as his watery eyes tries to focus on the sound of his daughter's voice.

"Hold on Kelly," Benny whispers as he and Casey helps him toward the nearest stretcher.

"Daddy!"

Despite the burning in his leg and all the pain his body wants to get him to contemplate and cry out for; he pushes all that aside to hold onto his beloved daughter. All of them, members of 51 and the CPD watch as father and daughter are reunited, tears freely flowing.

Severide's watery eyes lift and look at the burning structure; his mind takes comfort in the fact that Shay's killer is dead and he'll never hurt anyone again; Adrian Gish would never be mourned. Lesley Shay could now finally rest in peace. They'd all have some closure.

"Let's…go to…Six Flags…" Severide utters as he slumps down onto the stretcher, Casey looking down incredulously and everyone else offering a small chuckle. Erin's hand rests on his shoulder, prompting his hand to give hers a squeeze as Benny smiles at his son and then kisses his beloved granddaughter.

Justice was served. Always at a cost.

Always.

A/N: *phew* anyone have any nails left? Yup Gish had to die (really is anyone that sorry? no!) But of course it had to be an angsty fight with all the good guys (and little girls) coming out in the end. And now its time to finally heal and try to move on with new beginnings. I hope you all liked this update and please do review before you go and thanks so much!