Title: Plan C
Chapter 8 – Know your Enemy
"So I'm thinking…maybe a picnic in the Park for the weekend. In addition to just…hanging, hope Erin doesn't mind some cheap dates," Severide gently chuckles as he shakes his head.
"She doesn't really strike me as a silver spoon kinda girl."
"Nope. Hence part of the attraction," he tosses back with a grin.
"And the other part?" Casey teases rhetorically as Severide's brows wag.
"Hey you know the fall fair is coming up next month," Severide suggests as they linger in his office.
"That's for kids…and their parents," Casey quickly qualifies.
"And…Aurora's teacher will be there," Severide tosses back with a small eyebrow wag. "What? Just saying…"
"I know…I know…" Casey interjects with a soft frown.
"Oh man sorry…she seems nice and thought…I know you want me to be happy and I want the same for you. When Shay and I had made our deal it was always with the intention to have you and dad close, family was always so important to her…to us. No matter what you decide…it'd be great if we could keep the same arrangement."
"You have plans for a family and…a room in a family home just doesn't seem…"
"A side by side?" Severide interjects as Casey's lips slightly purse. "Think about it okay?"
"Okay…" Casey nods as he looks at the calendar. "When…did you say the fall fair was?" He asks weakly; Severide slapping him on the back as he hands him the small reminder slip.
"I gotta get something from the car."
With a happy smile on his face, Severide takes his leave and heads back into the hallway, Casey continuing on to his office as he walks toward the back door and then into the parking lot. Just before he's about to reach his car, his eyes lift and then quickly narrow as he spies Randy sitting in his car outside the firehouse parking lot – waiting.
That's right Mr. Fireman…come to me…
Wanting to put an end to this nonsense, Severide's fists ball as he bypasses his car and stomps straight for Randy Cameron's waiting car. As he approaches, Randy gets out to face him one on one.
"What the hell do you want?" Severide asks gruffly.
"You know…I come back after a very tough assignment…hoping to pick up where I left off with my woman and…I see that some other guy has moved in…on my territory."
"Your territory? Your woman? No wonder she left….nice caveman attitude," Severide sneers.
"You know…" Randy slightly hisses as he moves in closer. "I don't like you."
"Well the feeling is mutual but not just by me. Erin doesn't want you here either."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah…that's so," Severide replies firmly, holding his angry gaze. "What are you doing here anyways?"
"Came to give you a fair warning to back off."
"Or what? You'll beat me to death like you did your partner? Or the guy that was going to testify against you? Yeah we…and that includes Erin knows all about you!" Severide tosses back angrily. For a few seconds the color on Randy Cameron's face literally drains and angry hatred virtually course through his entire system. "So instead of you dictating anything, you're gonna turn your ass around and leave."
Randy holds Severide's gaze a few seconds longer before he surprises Severide by turning around, making it seem like he was actually leaving. He stops. Waits and then a few seconds later, turns and with both fists tightly balled. It didn't seem like the blow would do much damage, but both balled fists strike Severide in the right kidney, forcing him to falter to his side and gasp for air.
'He beat his partner to death…'
With that fateful warning from his father dancing around in his head, Severide tosses an elbow to the right to try to get himself free of Randy's fury and get into the safe confines of Firehouse 51. But that would never happen. Randy's fingers unfurl, latching onto the edges of Severide's jacket and yanking to the left and making Severide's frame falter to the left and his frame connect harshly with the side of the car.
But having been trained to kill with just his fists, Randy instantly twists around on his heel and starts to pummel them into Severide's already throbbing kidneys. Severide's fists get a few lucky punches in but within a few more seconds, his chest is heaving and he knows he's on the losing end of a very vicious fight. His body falters. But Randy doesn't stop. His body starts to sag to the ground. Randy doesn't stop.
Randy takes advantage of Severide's fallen state by wrapping his arm around his neck and starting to squeeze; a sleeper hold about to work its magic.
Severide's lips gasp for air as his hands claw into the air before latching onto Randy's thick forearm and trying to pry them loose.
"Shoulda just…stayed away hero! Now…you'll die!" Randy hisses into Severide's ears mere seconds before his frame goes limp. Randy wastes no time in shoving Severide's frame into the back of his car and then casually pulling away.
He drives to an area where he hopes he can have his time with his captive undisturbed and get the last laugh on Voight and hope to hurt Erin as much as possible. He tightly binds Severide's wrists behind his back and then carries him to a darkened 'car' and dumps him to the ground.
Randy Cameron leans over the frame of his helpless captive; a crowbar held tightly in his grasp. "Well Mr. Fireman…let's see how indestructible you really are."
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At the same time Casey picks up a small calendar from off his desk and marks down the date for the fall fair. Since Hallie's horrible death he hadn't thought of anything too serious but now with Kelly wanting to settle down he tells himself that perhaps it was time. The few interactions he's had so far with Andrea Green, Aurora's teacher, he'd have to admit that some sparks had mildly flown.
"Here comes I told you so," Casey smirks to himself as he writes down the date and then looks at a picture of him and Aurora on his desk and feels his heart warm. 'I want us all to live together…like Shay and I had arranged…' and that would be his future also.
Just before he leaves his office his phone rings and Benny Severide's voice comes onto the phone.
"Matt? Have you seen Kelly?"
"Yeah he had to go get something from his car…"
"Can you get him?"
"Sure…hold on a sec."
Casey's walk out to the parking lot at first is somewhat nonchalant, but as soon as he reaches outside Firehouse 51 and looks around for his friend and not seeing him, his panic starts to grow. He spies Severide's car and picks up the pace, hurrying toward the unoccupied car, reaching it and then trying the handle.
"Locked," Casey whispers as he looks around in a panic. "Kelly! Kelly? Hey buddy you out here?"
"Matt...what's going on?" Benny's anxious voice is heard over the phone.
"Benny? Yean I'm outside…Kelly's car is here but…but he's gone. What's going on? The door is locked I can't see him anywhere. Is it Randy?"
"Why do you ask about Randy?" Benny asks in haste as he looks at Voight. "Have you had a run in with him before? Matt…"
"Kelly thought he saw him at a call but they never interacted. Think he was here?"
"Voight's already dispatched a few cars but…"
"But what?"
"But Erin's on her way back and she's not answering her phone."
"Tell me where…Benny…" Casey's voice trails off frantically.
"I'm on my way there."
Casey hangs up with Benny and then looks back at Severide's car and a sense of foreboding starts to creep up from the inside. Kelly…damn buddy I hope you're just…I hope you're okay.
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Severide's lips utter a soft groan as his eyes try to open; his brain instantly aware of the pain wracking his entire frame. Oh God…what the…hell is…
He tries to move his arms…desperate to bring his hands to his face to see what's broken. Wrists bound…hurts…oh damn it hurts…so much…
His brain instantly recognizes what the coppery taste swishing around in his mouth consists of blood – his blood. Is my mouth…it's cut…lips cut...nose? broken…gosh might be broken…ribs?...but before he can continue his physical check, he hears some low laughing and struggles to his eyes to focus and lift upward.
"Hope you had no plans today."
"Everyone…will be…looking….for you," Severide wheezes as his brain finally identifies the weapon in Randy's grasp. Crowbar…he hit me…with a damn crowbar….
"By the time they find you…you'll be dead and I'll be gone. Disappeared," Randy sneers as he leans in closer.
"I have…a daughter," Severide tries with a small gasp.
"I don't care," Randy replies angrily. "You only fooled yourself into thinking Erin ever wanted you and your runt!"
KICK HIM! Severide's mind urges. But his body refuses to cooperate – fresh shooting pains telling him to just lie still and perhaps it'd buy him some time, a stay of physical reprieve and make is captor take pity on him.
None of that would work and he can only pray that he's found – and fast.
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"Where were you?" Halstead asks in haste as Erin hurries up the stairs; her eyes settling upon Voight's anxious expression.
"Personal call. What's going on?" She answers as Voight nears them. "Did I just see Benny…Severide leave…wait, what's going on?"
"Have you heard from Kelly?" Voight asks directly.
"Not in the last hour or two. What's going on?" She demands; panic rising in her tone.
"Kelly's missing," Halstead replies as her eyes widen and she looks at her partner and then at Voight.
"No…Randy?" Erin manages weakly as Voight's expression pales.
"We don't know for sure. Benny has a friend inside the Bureau who just confirmed that Randy was let go from the FBI about a month ago and is actually pending a hearing for a wrongful death claim."
"What? Wrongful death?"
"He beat his partner to death," Halstead replies curtly. "And the detective that was going to testify against him was killed in a friendly fire accident and another officer made the claim."
"This…this can't be right…and now Kelly's missing," she states with raw panic in her tone. "Do we have any word on Randy?"
"Not yet. But we're working on it."
Erin watches Halstead take a slip of paper and hurry back to his desk to start making calls; her worried gaze looking up at Voight in panic. "He beat his partner to death? Randy's always had a bad temper but…to death? Are you sure?"
"I talked to Benny's friend myself," Voight answers in truth. "He's getting us anything he can that we can use to find Randy."
Erin turns away, shaking her head as her brain frantically pulls her phone and dials Kelly Severide's number. "Please…please pick up," she softly begs as she feels Voight's hand on her shoulder. "Maybe he's…" she stops and turns to look at Voight, her eyes almost on the verge. "If he hurts him…"
"He'll answer to me and Benny," Voight assures here. "We will find him."
"How…soon?" She asks almost breathlessly. "I can't lose him now…his daughter…Aurora! What if Randy goes after her?"
"I'll call…"
"Let me go and get her."
"Erin…"
"Unless you have calls for me to do…I can't just sit here and…wait," she lightly growls. "If he has Kelly…."
"We'll find him in time. But let me call Pauline. I need all hands on deck here," Voight tells her in truth. "And when we find him you can bring her to…him."
"Okay," she says as her lips draw into a tight line.
"Erin…"
"Okay," she echoes somewhat mechanically.
Voight gives her a brief but supportive hug, telling her that they'll find Kelly and when they do, Randy Cameron would pay – no matter what. "Come on…I need you on this. Kelly needs you."
Erin's mind races with horrible thoughts about sweet little Aurora losing her mother to a madman and now the possibility that the same could happen to her father. I won't let her lose her father…we're coming for you Randy and you will pay!
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Severide's lips utter another soft but painful gasp as he tries to shift to a better position. Where the hell….am I? His brain tries to identify his location. I'm in the back of…a truck? No…to big and…where's Randy? Driving he's…driving. But when he hears some shuffling he knows that theory is wrong.
"Really? Still here?"
Still here…you ass…Severide's mind offers a whispered curse as he tries to take in a deep breath. But as soon as he does, the pain in his chest starts to scream and his jaw grits as he slumps back onto his right side. With his right eye badly swollen, he's unable to get both eyes to focus on the area around him; only that it's dark, cold and odd smelling. But a low grumble makes him wonder where he is – the back of a semi-trailer?
He tries to get his eyes to peacefully close and rest as his brain does another mental check on his body and the fresh pain coursing through it. Just lie still…think about Aurora…Erin…Shay. His mind latches onto their happy faces but within seconds fresh tears start to mix with some fresh blood and start to sting; his lips uttering another painful gasp. He thinks about his friends…this team…his father. But his mind fixes on the picture of Erin holding Aurora while she was wearing her vest; her beautiful face next to his daughter's adoring one and his heart somewhat settles.
Come on Erin…you have to find me…please…hurry.
"Still alive hero?"
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Casey holds back a few meters, watching Benny and Voight talk in his office; the rest of the intelligence area empty as all Voight's team was out in the field, checking out Randy Cameron's last known addresses as well as any other places that had known to frequent that were documented in his FBI files.
"Hearing was scheduled for this week," Voight tells Benny in a grave tone. "He knew it was over. Randy knew he was finished with the Bureau!"
"And now he has my son!" Benny's voice hisses as Casey looks at Benny in sympathy. He recalls what Severide had told him about Randy Cameron…at least the few tidbits that Benny had learned and they were grim at best.
'This guy…he's a monster. I gotta make sure he never gets near Erin…'
'Just make sure he doesn't come here either,' Casey's mind recalls warning his friend about a day ago. 'I don't think he'd have any trouble coming through you to get to her.'
"Anything?" Casey asks weakly as Benny approaches with a distressed look on his face.
"Nothing yet," Benny replies with a heavy sigh. "Voight's team is out right now…tracking his car…or whatever car he might have…have taken Kelly in. Ah damn it!"
"Kelly didn't seek him out. He mentioned it but at the House today he was talking about a picnic for him and Erin and Aurora and just…stuff," Casey explains as he looks down at his phone. "He wouldn't take that chance. Not knowing that Randy Cameron is a killer…he has too much to live for."
"I keep seeing those pictures of his partner…damn what he did to him…he's evil…pure evil," Benny shakes his head as they both hear Voight's phone ring and then turn to see what's going on.
"We finally have some security footage on his car," Voight tells them as they hurry toward his office. "Okay so he took Severide here," Voight marks on his map with a little Red dot. "They've only just got this but we can see he pulled onto the main street here."
"Can't see Kelly," Benny mentions gravely as Casey and Voight trade worried glances. "I know…I know…he wouldn't have gone willingly."
"Finding him anything but alive isn't an option," Voight tells them in a firm tone as his phone rings once more. "Erin…where are you?"
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"Here at his…well the address for his home…some dingy basement suite," she replies with a heavy sigh as she looks at her partner with a look of agitation.
"Find anything?"
"Could say that," Halstead mutters as Erin takes a few pictures of what's on the walls and then sends them to her boss.
"I think he's gone after a few more since his return…check on this woman," Erin's voice softly pleads as she fixes on the pictures of Kelly Severide, some with her, some without, some at calls…and one with just him and his daughter. "Is Aurora safe?"
"She's safe. I have an officer inside and a car stationed outside the Shay home. Any idea on where he might have…gone?"
"A few maps and such but…" her voice stops as her gaze narrows in on a few things on the wall. "We'll call if we find something else."
"Erin…look at this," Halstead calls her attention to a small table he's situated at. "Who the hell is this guy?"
"I don't know," she replies in a tormented whisper as she looks at the disturbing titles of the books. "I don't think I ever knew him. I certainly don't now. He…" she starts as her phone rings and she's quick to answer her boss. "Did you find them?"
"Not exactly. The woman was Sheila Bruce. Wife of Wyle Bruce, the detective who was going to testify against Randy for the beating death and who supposedly died of friendly fire. Her body was found a week ago. Homicide out of division 16 is working on it."
"He's leaving a trail of bodies in his wake…Hank…"
"We'll find Kelly," he tries to assure her.
"Hold on a sec…Jay…look at this…"
"What'd he find?"
Erin's eyes zoom in on a small map beside a picture of Kelly's face and her heart starts to beat faster. She looks at her partner as both of them come to the same horrible conclusion.
"I think we know where they've taken Kelly," her voice cracks as she sends a picture of the map epicenter to her worried boss, her soon to be father in law and her boyfriend's best friend. She feels a think lump of emotion starting to fix in her throat and tries to swallow. The feeling, however, only lasts a few seconds before her partner's hand is on her forearm, urging her out of the room and both of them rushing back outside.
Before he, Benny and Casey also take their leave, Voight orders two uniformed officers to Randy Cameron's basement apartment to keep the evidence secure and keep a look out just in case he was to return.
On the ride to their destination, Erin tries to keep her nervous anxiety at bay…but is unable; her mind and heart both racing at top speed and aching to find Kelly alive and well…and uninjured. She knows, however, the latter won't be the case as she has been shown what Randy Cameron is capable of.
"I see his car!" She exclaims, pointing to the left, as Halstead veers the car in that direction; Voight's car entering the rail yard a few minutes later. The car barely stops moving before she's out and running toward it with her gun cocked and ready; her partner a few seconds behind. "Kelly!" She calls out as she pulls the back door open.
Empty.
Halstead checks the trunk. "Empty," he informs her as Voight's cruiser comes to a screeching stop a few meters behind them.
"Where's Kelly?" Benny demands as Erin looks at him with a somber expression.
"He's gone…" Halstead replies stonily as all turn and look and desperately look at the dire situation before them.
"He put Kelly on a train car…"
"Or went with him," Voight interjects as Casey looks at him in horror; Halstead already on his way to the conductors station to get a list of all the trains that had left in the last hour and their intended destinations.
"They could be anywhere," Casey utters fatefully.
"Oh my God…" Erin whispers in horror as her eyes threaten to water. "Kelly…" her mind and heart call out to him...his heart silently begging her for help. Would it arrive in time?
Erin...help me!
A/N: ah well you knew the hurt was coming right? But never fear, no death for our dear Kelly but hmm who thinks Randy will get what he rightfully deserves? Lots of thick concern and tension all around but that only makes the emotional reunion a bit more sweeter. Please do review before you go and thanks so much!