Title: Ending the Feud?
Chapter 4 – Striking Distance

A/N: A HUGE thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed so far! Please keep it up as it really inspires us to keep going for you all! All your positive support means so much. As a kind reminder to some that this story is going to mainly focus on Kelly/Erin (Lindseride) with some Matt/Hallie but please do not review and ask for less of the main couple-it really disrespects the muse and she isn't going to write less of them. Please all enjoy this update!

"I know that look," Erin stops Voight from talking just as he starts to say something; her superior and would-be father walks up to her that same Monday morning. "I'm fine. I look a bit…"

"Tired."

"I'm tired. What did you find?" Erin continues.

"Larson died of poisoning. CO2 and something in his blood stream."

"What?"

"Poison in his drink. And if that didn't work then the CO2 got him for sure."

"So…he just sat there and let himself…die?" her voice trails off as she reads the file in her grasp and then coughs. She looks up to see Voight watching intently and frowns. "I'm fine."

"How's Kelly?"

"He's…worried about today," Erin replies flatly. "He's hoping today will just be…routine and he can get away for the hearing and keep Hadley where he is. So Larson sets an arson trap and then dies with it. No leads? So that's it? He was our one lead to tie Hadley to all this and now it's gone!" Her voice hisses as she looks up from her reading at her partner and boss watching her in silent wonder. "We're missing something."

"Benny Severide went over the scene…" Voight's voice trails off as his phone rings. "Hold on, it's him now. What'd you find?"

Erin pulls away while Voight talks to Benny and wanders over to her desk and slumps down, her eyes drifting over toward a picture of him and Matt taken by Hallie; both still dressed in their fire gear. Seeing him in his gear, that devilish smile, soot stained stubble still makes her stomach tighten with giddy delight. But as she focus on the hearing later that same day, her mind clouds and horrible thoughts of Hadley taking him away from her makes her eyes want to water.

"Hey."

She looks up at Jay and then leans back in her chair with a perplexed expression. "Hadley…how'd he do this? And before you say I'm buying into my husband's paranoia…he knew him. If anyone knew Hadley it's Kelly."

"And despite the CO2 poisoning, Hadley could still have been responsible for Larson's death," Voight interjects.

"What'd Benny say?" Erin asks in haste.

XXXXXXXX

"Casey! Casey, talk to me!" Severide's voice shouts into the radio as he squints into the smoky darkness before him. "Who's out there?"

"It's Rogers here from 43! Parks and I saw your man fall…we're a few meters away."

"Chief! We're in the south east corner and…"

"LOOK OUT!"

Severide feels the bottom of the floor starting to warp under his weight and before he can react feels himself taking a tumble into the heated atmosphere below.

Casey's mind quickly snaps him back to reality as his cheeks feel the heated sweat from inside his mask starting to build and his lungs gently gasping for air. His PAS starts to scream but the wailing doesn't last too long as he slowly pushes himself up to his knees and then looks around.

He coughs as he tries to call out to someone…anyone who was able to hear.

"Severide!" Casey calls out as he feels the spray of cool water on a piece of exposed flesh on his hand as he had removed his glove for a few seconds to adjust his mask. "51! Anyone!"

"Coming up on your right!" Hermann's voice is heard.

"You okay?"

"Yeah! Where's Severide?"

"The southeast corner gave way! It's too hot! We're gotta fall back!"

"We're not leaving without him! Wait…"

"I hear it! Move!" Casey orders, not caring about the small burn on his hand that the chaffing from the glove is now making worse. With his friend's life on the line and time running out for them, getting away to the hearing is the last thing any of them are thinking about – well most of them.

Severide's mind finally starts to pull himself from his hazy stupor; the toxic smells of acrid smoke seeping in through his dislodged mask snaps him back to reality. He sees a few darkened shadows moving toward him, making him try to make his presence known.

"Severide!"

"Cas…" he tries as his throat catches as he coughs and then hurries to reattach his mask properly. "Casey!"

"We're here!" Casey calls out into his radio as Carlson and the other battalion Chief's watch nervously from outside. Casey finally spies Severide's frame trying to get out from beside a few large pieces of debris. "We gotta get outta here!" Casey's concerned voice is heard by a few members of truck 81 as he and Hermann help Severide to his feet.

"51! Get outta there now! We're losing that southeast side! Hoses are coming!"

"We gotta move now!"

Due to the heat of the flames and chemicals they were only able to do a crude search on the outer side of the large structure; but the heat was starting to turn on them and it was very apparent to all that it was a near suicide for them to venture in further until the outer fires were taken care of and of course the chemical components on the other side of the building.

"Chief…" Casey slightly coughs as they finally exit the structure and then slowly head toward Carlson. "We didn't get very far."

"It's too intense now. Take the extra hoses and help ladder 6 and engine 51 with the north east corner. No one else goes in but on one goes home until we get this thing under control!"

Severide looks at his watch and then up at Casey in a near panic. "Ah damn! Sir I gotta go…I'm supposed to be at a parole hearing. Boden knew. Just me. Not my team."

Carlson looks at Severide and then at Casey who nods.

"We'll cover for him," Casey confirms as Carlson nods in agreement.

"Okay, go."

Without waiting for further approval, Severide turns and races toward the street; Casey sending Erin a quick text as he watches his friend, still dressed in full gear trying to flag down a cab.

Severide knows he can't pull any police or firae away from the scene as crowd control and traffic was their first priority as well as safety to the city and he wasn't allowed to misuse the system. He tries his wife. Gets voice mail. He tries his father. Voice mail.

"Where the hell are you guys!" Severide's voice growls, his heated outburst forcing the cab driver to look up in wonder.

"Traffic is bad today because of the fire," the cabbie mentions somewhat apologetically as Severide nods.

"Yeah…I wasn't…we'll just…get there," Severide's voice trails off as he looks down at his watch. He can only curse but knows that he cannot ask the cabbie to break the law for his own personal reasons. Sure he could reason that keeping an attempted murderer and arsonist behind bars is legitimate and maybe the CPD would get him off with only a warning, he would put a cloud on his name and his profession and that was something he didn't want Hadley to have over him.

They would have waited right? I told them I was coming and Erin…where is she or dad…damn this! That bastard cannot get out of jail! Severide's mind starts to spiral downward as he hears Hadley's taunting laugh in the back of his mind. He pictures Hadley sitting in his darkened cell, looking at a picture of his beautiful wife while he makes the cutout of his badge and then finds some other demented soul on the outside to send it to her.

'We checked the inner security footage. Now while there are no camera's in intelligence we did see Lawson enter the precinct and then head up the stairs. But he's dead. Even if we saw him putting the package on my desk, we can't ask him who got him to do that.'

As much as he hated his wife's explanation, it was the truth and if it was Hadley, he was playing them and the system expertly.

"Damn traffic!" Severide has to curse as they hit another blockage; the cab slowing right down to almost a snail's pace and then a dead stop; the dark thin trail of smoke leading into the air telling them the motor vehicle accident wouldn't be cleared anytime soon.

"Ah screw this!" He growls as he shoves the fare owing into the hand of the startled cabbie, gets out and despite being in full professional gear starts to literally run the rest of the way toward the prison.

By the time he reaches the prison gate to go in, Severide stops and nearly collapses; his heart racing so fast and his entire body covered with a film of agitated sweat. Once he does, he hurries inside and up to the check in desk; the admitting clerk looking at him in surprise.

"Here…to see…"

"You okay?" They ask Severide as his hands rest on his knees and he mentally begs his head to stop spinning. "What's going on?"

Severide finally straightens up; his fingers struggling to get under his bulky coat and get his ID. "I need to see…are the parole hearings over?"

"I believe so. Who were you here to see?"

"Kevin Hadley. I need to be in on that hearing. I was scheduled to be here today for the impact statement. I sent one over via email last night. Did it at least get read?"

"I can't tell you that Sir."

"Look there was a fire…5 alarm and…is it over?" He asks with a small snap as he puts his CFD ID down on the table. "What time was the hearing? 3pm right? Were they able to wait? Is the warden here? This is important," Severide rattles off nervously as his phone rings.

"Hold on let me check," the clerk tells Severide.

"Hey."

"Where are you?" Erin asks in haste.

"At the jail. Just got here now. The hearing might be over…I don't know if they got my impact statement and this…this isn't good," he lightly growls as a nearby guard looks at him in question. "My wife's a cop!"

"Yeah I'm sure a prison guard wants that thrown in his face," Erin groans as Severide pulls away from the desk. "Just take a deep breath and…"

"If he's paroled he'll kill again!" Severide hisses as he turns to watch the clerk returning. "They're coming back."

"Kelly wai…"

But in his anxiety, Severide hangs up with his wife and stomps back to the admission booth. "What happened?"

"The clerk thought the parole hearing was delayed but no one showed up as scheduled so it went ahead as scheduled and now his file is with the review board."

"I need to speak to them. Kevin Hadley is a murderer and cannot be allowed out!" Severide's agitated anger starts to get the best of him. He looks up to see one of the guards advancing and then nods frowns. "Sorry. This guy is dangerous. Can the hearing be rescheduled?"

"You'll have to talk to the parole administrator."

"I know that! Where is he?" Severide retorts with a growl.

"Sir, I'm gonna hafta ask you to stand back a few feet."

Severide looks at the guard who's slightly larger and a lot angrier looking than him and armed and finally resigns himself to the fact that he's lost this round – at least physically. "Fine," he huffs as he steps back with both hands raised. "Better?" He retorts in sarcasm before he looks back at the clerk. "Kevin Hadley is a murderer and an arsonist! Trust me that's something I know a thing or two about!" He adds, looking at the guard in exasperation. "And I at least try the warden?"

"The warden should be back in a few hours. Please try him then."

"I will."

Severide pulls back, grabs his ID off the table and then storms toward the entrance; busting his way outside into the late afternoon air and feeling heated anger starting to pulse through his veins.

About ten minutes and some heated pacing later, he looks up to see a black police issue sedan slowly heading his way and he slightly narrows his eyes.

"No one was here to make sure that bastard is kept where he is!" Severide tosses at his wife with a small hiss.

"Hank is calling the parole administrator now."

"He's in another hearing. Warden's off site," Severide huffs as he nears her. "I couldn't get here…Matt was with me…dad's in court and…"

"And I had another case," Erin confesses with a heavy sigh as she looks at him in concern. "You cut your cheek. Are you okay?"

"No I'm not okay!" Severide pulls back in impatience. "We need to get back in there and make sure…Erin, he can't get out."

She looks up and for the first time in a few years sees real fear building in his warm sapphire pools and feels her stomach slightly tighten from panic. "The warden is only the facilitator. I'll get Voight to call the parole board if he hasn't already."

Severide turns away and casts an angry gaze in the distance, his eyes fixing on the black smoking hanging tauntingly in the distance. "You might be able to reform a murderer but an arsonist…fire's in the blood. You're born with that love and Hadley…he can't get out," his voice dies out in a tight whisper as he turns back to see her looking at him in sympathy. "I need to get back to work."

"Kelly…"

"Well I can't just go back and…" he starts and then slumps down on a nearby cement pylon. He looks up at his wife with a perplexed expression and then shakes his head. "For five years I didn't have to worry and now…all this good behavior talk and the overcrowding…them wanting to early parole "exemplary inmates"…it's possible he'll be out and…what happened with Larson?"

"Benny said that he might have even asphyxiated himself but might not have even known it or…"

"Or what?" Severide urges.

"Or he might have had…help. We're checking all possibilities but any physical evidence such as DNA would have been destroyed in the fire. We know it's arson. We know Larson was mostly responsible but now it seems someone else might have set another trigger that slowly filled the room he was in with gas without him even knowing it."

Severide stands up and slowly walks away a few feet, stops and then starts to pace.

"What?"

"Okay so we looked at people that Hadley knew but…but what if it's someone…okay so no visitors right? But what if he…he talks to someone on the inside. He talks to someone and then they get a message out and…"

"Kelly…."

"HE'S RESPONSIBLE!" Severide shouts and then falls back.

"Matt's here," Erin gestures as they both turn to see Casey's truck come to a stop by the curb. "I called him to come and pick you up since I have to get back. Your theory makes sense and I'll look into…"

"No not you. Put Halstead on it. That way if Hadley finds out…" he starts and then stops as she offers him a slight smirk. "Not you."

"As soon as we find out the status of the hearing today, I'm on the phone but prepare yourself for…"

"Bad news. If I knew he had the resources to start the chemical fire today, I'd have blamed him!"

"Today's not over yet," she quips; his face finally softening. "Go with Matt and clean up and I'll see you later tonight."

"Okay," he replies warmly as he kisses her forehead and then pushes past and heads for Casey's waiting truck.

Erin watches her husband get into the truck and then starts toward the darkened sedan. But just as Casey pulls away, she stops, waits for them to leave and then pulls her phone to call Voight. "I'm going to see if I can talk to the parole board now. They wouldn't let Kelly but they might let me."

"I'll be there in ten."

After sending a text to Halstead, Erin heads for the prison doors, steps inside and then heads for the check in desk. The parole administrator was still in a meeting, one that she didn't have the authority or reason to interrupt. So with a distressed feeling she heads outside to wait for Voight; anxious to run past him, Kelly's very plausible theory. But even as she does, she gets the agitated feeling she's being watched. She'd be right.

XXXXXXXX

Casey looks over at his quiet friend as they near 51 and frowns. "Did they at least say when they'd let you know?"

"Voight is going to try to find out but um…Matt he can't get out."

"And Larson?"

"I think Hadley had someone else take him out. CPD doesn't get it. There are guys who…they'll hear about the arson, seek out Hadley and it won't take much for them to want to keep that going. You know it's happened before. Thrill seekers looking for their own glory or to establish their name. Hadley…he used one guy to kill Larson. He'll turn on the other as soon as he no longer needs him…he can't get out."

"And no one there would tell you anything?"

"I'm not immediate family. Hadley has no family but they still won't tell us. Probably after the fact. Oh yeah sorry we let him out because even though you say he's a murderer he was a model inmate for the last five years!" Severide's voice rises to an angry pitch and then quickly drops. "Sorry man…"

"I get it," Casey agrees as they near 51. "Worst case…"

"Matt…"

"You know you have to think about that. He has been a model prisoner for the past five years. He would have agreed with and told them everything they wanted to hear. He would agree to their terms and conditions no questions asked. No one was there with counter impact statements so they only had his testimony to go by and what they've been told by the prison for the past five years."

"I was there the last four!"

"But not this year."

"I sent through my statement! I don't have to be there and…"

"Was it read?"

"I don't know! I don't know…maybe they did read it. I hope so. They have to right?"

"Yes. Okay so if it was read hopefully they'll take that into consideration. If not? He might have told them you've given up or don't think he's a threat or…I know you don't want to hear this but it's possible right? So he gets out. He'll have to check in with a parole officer every day and I'm sure he'll have restrictions placed upon him and they'll probably be such as you can't go near the firehouse or be around fire or…something like that."

"This…this can't be," Severide grumbles as they reach 51. "If he gets out…like hell he's changed!"

They both get out and Casey can only watch with glum misery as Severide gets out of the truck and storms into the large open truck doors of Firehouse 51. He can only hope for his friend's sake that the impact statement was read and it made enough of an impact to keep Kevin Hadley behind bars for at least another year. But he also knows that Hadley knows the system and can play things in his favor very well. The impact statement might only be a blip that he could counter as a jealous rival or disgruntled ex-coworker.

"I'm not gonna ask," Shay mentions as she watches Severide dump his gear and then disappear into the locker rooms.

"He didn't make it in time," Casey replies with a stony expression as Shay curses under her breath.

Shay pulls away as Casey heads into the kitchen to get something to eat; her mind worried about her friend's current mental state.

"Knock knock," she utters as she hovers in his office doorway. "Wanna go get wasted?"

Severide looks up at Shay with a smile as he turns around and then exhales heavily. "Matt told you?"

"I'm sure they read your statement and they didn't tell you anything because his ass is staying put."

"Optimist," Severide retorts as she nods and grins. "How's Shelby?"

"Shelly. Shelby was last month."

"Right…right…how is she?"

"Fine. You know Hadley's staying put right?"

"Yeah. Did they find anyone after all the smoke cleared?" Severide inquires, referring to the large fire that was still somewhat smoldering.

"Two," she replies sadly. "Two workers. Think they were caught in the initial blast. They were already gone."

"Wish I could blame their deaths on Hadley."

"Well the investigation's just starting. You still might be able," she tosses back with a shrug. "What does your hot wife think of all this?"

Severide can't help but laugh and shake his head; his mind actually relieved for the small distraction. "She's going to arm wrestle Voight to see who gets Hadley alone in the room first."

"My money's on Erin. Voight might be angry but she has heeled boots. Want to come over until she's finished shift?"

"Thanks but um…I'm just going to go home and rest and…"

"Get wasted alone. Lame plan. Think about it."

Before Severide can reply the overhead paging system goes off, calling Ambulance 61 to duty and their friendly banter is over. Severide writes up his field notes from the large fire, faxes them off and then tells Casey he's heading home.

"You sure you don't want to come over until Erin's home?"

"I get you're all worried but I'll be fine," Severide insists. "I'm going to go home, get drunk and just curse Hadley's name until I pass out. I'll see you tomorrow."

Casey can only watch in concern as his friend takes his leave; his mind determined to send him a text later to just check up on him and make sure he's okay. He looks at Erin's text about having to track down a suspect on an actual CPD case and feels a small feeling of glumness starting to consume him.

But instead of going straight home, Severide finds himself heading toward the prison. He stops his car and stares at the entrance on the other side of the street. Everything that moves…every shadow…every whispered breeze forces his eyes to dart around and his heart to race.

He glances over to the other side, the passenger side, fixing his gaze on a dark figure slowly approaching the entrance to the prison. But just as his head starts to turn back, his eyes pick up some movement on the driver's side and his eyes instantly widen and his lips utter a startled gasp.

"Hadley?" He asks in dread as he quickly blinks.

A/N: I don't know all the specifics with the parole system and what I did learn I read on Google haha but hey this is a fictional story so please don't flame saying this isn't a true to life parole proceeding! I know it's not (in real life it can take up to 6 months for parole to be considered and then granted-my muse didn't have that long lol) So…is Hadley is out? Was that actually him Severide saw? If so what happens next? And who will he come after first? Eeks! Please do review before you go and thanks so much!

PS: Hope you're all caught up with the angsty #Sevasey goodness in Promises Made!