Thank you, thank you for the lovely reviews! Guest - I wish you had a login! Glad you like our stories, that means so much to us. Yes, you got my nod to Graceland with Solano!
To all of you who review every chapter, you rock! We love the feedback and are so happy you are enjoying. Okay, enough of this… on to the big meet.
Carlos Solano was used to getting his way. Not just used to it, demanded it. From the time he was sixteen, he knew he'd be taking over papi's business, a small three man drug operation. When Carlos became the man in charge there were so many 'higher ups,' papi was definitely low man on the totem pole. The younger Solano was good at many things, intimidation one of his specialties. Come to find out, that's a prerequisite in growing a fledgling drug business. And grow it he did.
Now, he had a multi-million dollar operation and with it the power and money that could turn the best of men into narcissistic pigs. Carlos would never be accused of being "the best of men" so his conversion was more of a slight adjustment. He was worse than a two-year-old accepting the word "no." His team knew not to even whisper that curse word.
He was getting ready for his big meet tonight, the one he had insisted on, the one he was so excited for. Meeting a real life hero, an American fireman just like the ones he saw in his favorite movies, Ladder 49 and Backdraft. He couldn't believe his luck, he thought as he adjusted his tie, dressing up for the occasion. He was meeting a lieutenant of squad… a man who was fighting fires during the day and working for him at night. He couldn't wait to share stories with this man, this Kelly Severide. For every man I've killed, he's probably saved one, he thought chuckling to himself.
The only downside was having that doctor join in, maybe he would tell him to just drop off the fireman. Yes, that's what he would do, or have Manny do, his trusty right hand man who only dared utter the word "yes" to his boss. Carlos didn't want to see the condescending look of Dr. Fleming on him, with his fancy degrees and his fancy practice. Gerry could keep his ass at home tonight drinking his expensive wine. Carlos had his suite's mini bar restocked with only the best liquor. They would drink a real man's drink, no overpriced wine that had to "breathe"... Solano pictured them becoming friends through the evening. Maybe he could be done with Dr. Fleming for good. Maybe this fireman would help him with that.
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Erin Lindsay spent the night at Kelly's place while every brain cell she had screamed at her to get out… now. Her body said something entirely different. She hadn't been that swept away in a long, long time.
She had to admit that when she was normally on a rare date her mind would drift to the latest case, and if there was "dessert" after, she was a more get in and get out kind of girl. Emotions were for sissies and the L word was something she lost hope in a long, long time ago, as a little girl. But, oh that Severide face looking at her, on top of her, brushing her hair so softly to the side, those lips touching hers gently then harder. It was the thing of fairy tales… and I am not one to believe in those, she insisted to herself for the hundredth time.
She heard the shower still going, how long can he stay in there? The coward's way out was looking good. Slink off on the walk of shame to her car before he even came out. Slipping on her jeans, the sounds of that shower whispering sweet nothings to her. She could go in, join him. Erin shook her head as she laced up her boots… I am stronger than this, she repeated in her mind.
She knocked on the bathroom door. Kelly heard nothing but the sound of the water beating down on his shoulders. He knew he was done for… that beautiful face, the voice, that body hiding beneath the T-shirts and jeans. It had been the single best night he'd had since as far back as he could remember, really since his time with Renee. Sure there'd been a string of women lining up to occupy the night, but none that he considered seeing again, or several agains. This one, he decided was a keeper.
He knew he should get out of there, go attempt to make breakfast or pick up breakfast or something. That gorgeous girl was probably still in his bed and waking up, but his shoulder would not give him one second of peace. It was on fire, even with the now cold water pounding down. He'd tried a blast of heat...hadn't done shit.
He was aware of one thing that would help. That blister pack of pills he lifted. As soon as he woke up, he almost ran to the pain relief pack of little white pills. It took every bit of self control to not down one or two or all of them. He popped them out one at a time into the toilet feeling like if he waited one more minute this was not happening. He thought about reaching in to grab just one before he flushed, thinking about how Shay went back into their trash at Thanksgiving to eat a few bites of pumpkin pie she threw away, declaring herself "a fat pig." He laughed until there were tears in his eyes when she said it was "still on top" and "just fine."
He thought there might be tears again as he flushed the pills away, swirling, swirling down to the darkness. One quick reach and he could probably… no, he told himself as they disappeared forever. And not one tear.
"Kelly," Erin called cracking the door open. "Did you drown?"
He laughed turning off the water. "I'm good." Drawing back the shower curtain, he peeked his head out. "Hey, you're dressed." Disappointment spread across his face as he scanned her body stopping at the boots already put on.
"Yeah. Voight called. Gotta go in. The meet… tonight."
"Wait, that was tonight?" joked Kelly reaching for a towel. Erin handed it to him, smiling at how he stayed behind the curtain.
"Ha, ha. Seriously though, will you come in… well, after you're dressed, and you eat. You really need to eat something."
"Why don't you take me to your Nonna's place again?" Second best time with Erin. It was the first until last night. It would take a lot to top that.
"I wish… Voight's waiting, Kelly. Tonight and this'll all be over. I'll see you in a few?"
Kelly nodded his head hoping she was right.
Back to business. They were definitely back to business.
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Voight graveled out his instructions again and again.
"This ain't some damsel in distress in a burnin' building. Carlos Solano will kill you, your family, and your damn dog, without thinkin' twice, so stick to the script. You got it?" asked Voight knowing how the fireman liked to ad lib. It'd gotten them this far, just one more night and he'd have the biggest drug kingpin ever brought down in Chicago's history. Hank was salivating just thinking about how this would shut IA slimebag, Stillwell's mouth… hopefully for good.
"I got it," said Kelly letting Olinsky put the wire on him, had to be perfect tonight. It didn't go unnoticed as the fireman flinched every time Alvin touched his shoulder, grazed it.
"You okay? Seems worse. If you can't do it, maybe we can…" started O not liking the way they were sending a civilian in by himself. Voight had nixed letting one of the team go in, maybe as a friend or bodyguard.. What kind of a firefighter had an entourage? No way, he'd go in alone.
"He's fine," jumped in Voight. "He's a damn firefighter. We got 'im on the wire. Any problems and we're in."
Erin shot Hank a look that said she wouldn't be foregettin' this one anytime soon. Hell, she's been givin' me the cold shoulder since we started this sting, but lately… damn that girl could hold a grudge. He told himself she'd get over it when the whole thing was over, the fireman safe, Solano behind bars, and the IU team not under a Stillwell microscope.
"Let's get this thing done," said Kelly, smile on his face, doing its best to reassure Erin.
Her hand in his, that look in her eyes, the way he was putting on a brave face… every team member noticed this shift. This overnight shift that had gone from an uncomfortable attraction to … what?
Erin admitted to Jay that the fireman and her had grabbed a quick lunch a few days ago, but nothing more. Even the usual clueless Ruzek saw that look in her eyes.
"Well, now we know why she was 'unavailable' yesterday, huh?" he said to Halstead, giving him a slap on the back.
"We don't know shit, so shut it and get prepped," snapped Jay tightening his vest and checking his weapon one more time. One more night and we'll be done with him, no more comin' around PD, no more hand holding with his partner. One more damn night.
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Dr. Fleming was not accustomed to being tossed to the side like junk mail, and he certainly didn't appreciate the way two-bit hood Solano dismissed him from the Severide meet. Gerry wasn't looking forward to drinking with Carlos, but he wanted to be the one to excuse himself.
After the Kelly drop off where Solano looked like he might pee himself, the doctor figured a bottle of Isojiman would help quell the anger of being waved off like an errant schoolboy by some uneducated, unrefined millionaire thug. Yes, he'd stop off at his favorite liquor store, really the only one he went to. They kept his favorite sake in stock, and they ordered all his wine online so he wouldn't have to lift a finger.
As Gerry walked to the entrance he saw three younger men entering, something so familiar about the middle one… the polo shirt, the square cut to the back of that sandy brown hair. He picked up the pace to draw up right behind them.
"Junior?" he whispered more to himself than the three. When the young man turned around, they both felt the air escape their lungs.
"You've made a miraculous recovery," said the doctor with a cold smile forming across his face.
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Carlos Solano was giddy. He wanted to hear story after story of Severide heroics. Kelly thought he'd run out before the night was over. Every time the fireman tried to talk shop, turn the conversation to drugs, Solano poured another glass of Chivas, Jack, whatever he happened to grab at the bar.
"Goddammit! Why won't he get to the deal!" hollered Voight as ready as the rest of 'em to put this one to bed.
"He knows. He's gotta know. Let's go in, Hank. We can squeeze Fleming… we don't need this," pleaded Erin knowing the longer the night drew on, the greater the chance for a slip up. Maybe a deadly one.
"He knows alright," commented Ruzek. "He knows he's in love. Jesus, the way he's talkin' to Severide, I think he's gettin' on one knee next."
Erin slapped him in the arm, hard. "Ow!" he protested laughing.
"Okay, ten more minutes and we're goin' in. You satisfied?" Voight asked Erin, daring her to say one more thing.
"Time's ticking," she answered meeting his stare before looking at her phone.
"What the hell?" Halstead cursed, watching the video of the hallway, staring at a jumpy Dr. Fleming practically running to the Solano room, brown bag in hand.
"Let's go!" yelled Erin.
"Think it's a bottle," added Adam. "Yeah, it's booze."
"Why is he comin' to the party so late?" Olinksy said to himself.
"Everybody just shut up!" rasped out Voight thinking. "Stand down! We're gonna see what this piece 'o slime is up to."
They watched at Carlos greeted Gerry with a look of disdain, as if he were crashing a party. The doctor leaned in and said something, just a few words… he passed the bottle on to the drug lord whose face broke into a huge smile. He pat Fleming on the back leading him inside and out of the view of the hallway cameras. The team was silent, they'd be able to hear what was being said once the two stepped closer to Kelly.
"Look who stopped by with a bottle of… of…" Solano slurred out looking at the bottle in confusion.
"It's sake," intoned Gerry flatly, staring at Severide.
Great, more booze, just what we need. Kelly perked up a little sensing that Dr. Fleming would get down to business, not interested in fireman heroics.
"I don't like it, Hank," Erin said looking nervously at the time on her phone and back at her mentor. The pleading in her eyes cutting through his thick skin this time.
"Yeah. I don't either. Let's see why he's here. Maybe he's thinkin' Severide's movin' in on his territory. Sit tight," he commanded, pressing the earpiece further in, as if that would hold some answer.
"Lieutenant," began Solano slowly. "Are there some buildings where it would be better to let them burn?"
"Whaddya mean?" asked Kelly looking from Carlos to Gerry, that smug look still on his face.
"They are so old, better to let them fall."
"I guess, but if people are inside, we gotta get 'em out," he didn't know where this was goin' but something had changed. Since the sour faced doc arrived, Kelly could tell somethin' was up.
"What if it's full of ratas? Shouldn't you let it burn?" Solano motioned with his hand to the two men positioned by the door, obviously brothers, both shaved bald and expressionless. They'd been invisible throughout the evening, not partaking in any of the "fun." They were like stone soldiers not even taking bathroom breaks.
"Luis," Carlos commanded when his enforcer didn't move quickly enough. Everything was a blur of motion with bodies going in different directions, like an unchoreographed dance.
"Shit! Let's move," gravelled out Voight hearing the word rat in Spanish… Erin and Jay were already half out the door, just four down from Solano's suite.
Kelly rose suddenly, taking a quick step toward the door, "Gonna have to cut the meet short," he blurted out the pre-arranged 'help me' words, futilely rushing around Solano, stopped in his tracks by Luis, the burlier brother.
He grabbed Kelly's arm, wrenching it behind his back… "Aahhh!" Severide called out dropping to his knees. The other brother, Daniel, drew his gun pointing it directly at Kelly's head, actually resting on the back of his skull.
Erin felt every hope fall from her heart when she heard the word rat, when she heard Kelly say the phrase indicating he was in trouble, when she heard him yell out in pain. She didn't bother with police procedure, kicking down the door with one quick front kick, no call out of "CPD! Open up!"
Her hopes landed firmly on the floor when she saw Severide kneeling, head down with a Glock pressed firmly against the back of his head.
Last chapter on its way soon. Enough tension for you? :)