So not only are we supposed to lose Amanda Rollins in S24 of SVU, we're also supposed to lose Jay Halstead in S10 of Chicago PD. Losing one or the other, I could handle. Not both of two of my favorite characters! Maybe that's why 13.5K words of "The Big Heat" turned out much angstier than I originally intended . . .

Owen and his trio of arsonist chasers team up to catch their serial arsonist, but Owen gets thrown a curveball in the form of Gabriel Reyes, and Matt and Kelly work through several curveballs of their own, all with the same person in common. Apologies for not as much Buck and Eddie in this chapter, but it was very Strands, Reyes, and arsonist focused as an episode . . . so that's who we see the most of!

Enjoy "The Big Heat!"

***

It took nearly fifty minutes to drive from the warehouse to a shop for limes Carlos's and TK's house, and Owen held up the bag he stopped to get when his son opened the door. "I got the limes," he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, thank God, I was about to call you," TK sighed in relief, holding the door open for him to enter. "I was getting worried when it hit half an hour and you weren't here."

"I know, I'm so sorry," Owen apologized, waving when he saw Gabriel stand from a chair, a woman who had to be Carlos's mother with him. "I got caught in traffic on MoPac – "

"Why were you on MoPac?" TK frowned.

"I could not find limes anywhere," Owen held up the bag pointedly. "Cinco De Mayo. Everywhere was out. I finally found a place off of Windsor."

Oh, thank you so much for going through the trouble, Owen," Carlos smiled, taking the bag from him. "This is my mother, Andrea . . . and you know my dad."

Owen smiled, extending his hand. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Andrea."

"You, too," Andrea shook his hand, then gestured to him. "But we kiss in this family."

Owen laughed in delight. He definitely liked Carlos's mother, and she had only said two sentences so far. "Hey, bring it," he nodded. "Let's go."

Andrea beamed as they kissed each other's cheeks, then Gabriel reached for his hand. "Good to see you again, Owen."

"You, too, Gabriel," Owen agreed, shaking his hand.

"Have a seat, I'll make you a warm plate," Carlos told Owen. "Can I get you something to drink? A margarita or a beer?"

"Uh, a beer," Owen nodded. "A beer would be great, thanks." Carlos nodded, heading into the kitchen, and Owen smiled at the Reyes parents as he sat. "Well, I know you probably hear it all the time, but you have raised a fantastic son."

Both Gabriel and Andrea smiled happily at the statement. "We're very proud, to be sure," Gabriel nodded.

"It's a tribute to who you must have been as parents," Owen noted.

"So is TK," Andrea smiled. "We couldn't be happier the boys are together."

Carlos ducked his head shyly, and TK beamed as he walked over. "Here you go, Dad," he handed the beer over.

Owen raised it to his lips, only to pause when he heard a phone go off. "Oh, that's mine," Carlos frowned, searching his pockets.

Two more phones went off in unison, and both Strands looked at each other in bewilderment. "OK, that's not good," TK swallowed, reaching for his phone from where it sat on the coffee table.

Owen was the first to find his phone, and his heart dropped when he saw the Caller ID. He answered at once, putting it to his ear. "What happened?" he demanded.

"What happened is the warehouse nearly went up in flames with us still inside," Sylvie answered tightly.

"Matt?" Carlos asked, at the same time TK greeted Kelly.

"Are you OK?" Owen asked, setting his beer down. "You sound out of breath."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you run through a hell of a lot of smoke," Sylvie snorted. "But we got what we came here for. Are you still at that dinner, and is Ranger Reyes still there?"

"Yes, I am, and yes, he is," Owen confirmed, looking up at Gabriel. At the glance, Gabriel straightened, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, we can have stuff ready," TK said, looking pale as he moved to one of the closets in the hall.

"You definitely sound like you need drinks," Carlos gulped as he moved around the kitchen.

"Thanks," Sylvie sighed tiredly. "We'll explain more when we get there, but if Investigator Raymond hasn't gone anywhere with this . . . maybe we should talk to someone who could kick some people into gear."

"Copy," Owen nodded tensely. "How long until you get here?"

"We're about ten minutes out. Likely less, with how Matt's gunning it. We stayed to give quick statements to the responding firefighters, then we were out of there. We've done a lot of arsonist hunting, but this is probably our closest call for all three of us in an actual fire."

"Drive carefully," Owen ordered. "We'll see you when you get here."

"See you soon."

"Is everything OK?" Andrea asked worriedly, looking between all three of them.

"It sounds like they are," Owen sighed as he hung up, watching Carlos and TK do the same. "After that big fire the other night, we started getting . . . suspicious."

TK groaned, palming his face. "They're doing their arson chasing thing again, aren't they?"

Gabriel, however, looked thoughtful. "Are you talking about that textile fire over on Pecos?"

"Yeah," Owen nodded. "You heard about it?"

"You going all hero mode?" Gabriel smirked. "I did. But I also heard that you reported it as an arson."

"I did," Owen confirmed. "The only ones who took it seriously were Kelly, Sylvie, and Matt."

Gabriel shook his head. "So did I."

Owen's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked eagerly, sitting straighter in his chair.

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded. "Between us, the Rangers have been looking at several suspicious fires over the last year that we believe might be connected."

Owen refrained from cheering and doing a victory dance. He had been right! "So you think it could be serial?"

"Unofficially," Gabriel stressed.

Owen sighed in relief. "Well, I'm glad we're not the only ones. You have any idea who's behind it?"

"No," Gabriel sighed. "We still don't have concrete evidence that they're arson. I do have a theory, though."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Do you mind sharing it?"

Gabriel nodded. "I believe he's one of yours."

Owen's other eyebrow joined the other, and TK leaned forward, eyes wide. "You think a firefighter could be behind it?" he asked in shock.

"Well, do the math," Gabriel shrugged. "It would take someone of exceptional skill to do all this and still fly under the radar."

Carlos snorted from the kitchen. "Dad, should I make you a tinfoil hat while I'm here?"

"Ha-ha," Gabriel rolled his eyes. "There is precedent. Most notorious arsonist in California history was a fire captain."

"He's right," Owen nodded. "John Orr."

"Serial arson is often triggered by some sort of traumatic life event," Gabriel explained. "So we're looking at anybody who's been laid off, divorced, or had a major illness around the new year."

TK nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds like that serial arsonist Sylvie helped Matt and Kelly catch the first time around."

There was rapid knocking on the door, and Owen sat up. "Speaking of that trio . . . "

Carlos hurried to the door and opened it, and he did a double take. "Hi!" Sylvie's overly cheerful voice sang.

"Hi?" Carlos held out, looking confused.

"Sorry, she gets an adrenaline high from stuff like this," Kelly said apologetically as Sylvie all but skipped into the house.

"Look who's talking, Kelly," Matt snorted, following behind the blonde.

"What?" Kelly asked defensively, shrugging off his leather jacket. "I can't help what's in my blood!"

"Whoa!" TK leaned back, wrinkling his nose. "You three smell like – ?"

"A bonfire?" Sylvie grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that's what happens when you try and outrun a fire."

"Made it, thankfully," Kelly gave a thumbs-up.

"You're gonna get me killed one day because of this, I swear," Matt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Good news, though!" Sylvie chirped. "Or should we start with the bad news?"

"What's the bad news?" Owen frowned.

"It's definitely arson," Matt answered immediately, making TK pale and Gabriel stand. "There was nothing there one second, and the next, it was like half the warehouse was engulfed at once."

"And the good news?" Carlos asked cautiously.

Sylvie held up her phone. "We can prove it," she grinned.

"You can?" Gabriel asked sharply.

"That's why we were there," Kelly nodded as Carlos gathered drinks for everyone. "Captain Strand was right, there was alligator char all over the walls at the textile factory, but there was no clear way to tell how the fire started. So we decided to check one of the other fire sites to see if we could find proof of his theory."

"Your theory?" TK parroted, looking at Owen.

He winced, scratching the back of his head. "I might have gone a little stir-crazy and tried re-creating the fire."

"And he did," Kelly nodded. "Right down to the alligator char."

Gabriel, however, frowned. "Each of those fire scenes was private property."

The three looked sheepish, but stubborn. "I worked the Office of Fire Investigation back in Chicago for a few months, and I still get pulled in every now and then to help them out," Kelly said. "Believe me, if there was something to find, I would find it."

"He's right," Matt nodded. "And you can call OFI if you want, you'll likely get Van Meter complaining about how Kelly opens and closes more cold cases than you'd ever imagine."

Kelly shrugged. "It's not my fault some investigators are incompetent."

"Except for Seager," Sylvie muttered, taking a long pull from her beer.

TK raised an eyebrow teasingly at her, but Kelly shook his head. "Look, I guarantee if you get a warrant to search any of the other fire scenes, you'll find exactly what we did. This is serial arson, I know it."

Gabriel mulled it over, then nodded with finality. "Alright," he said. "I believe you." All four officers sighed in relief at the same time, making TK snicker. "Assuming I find this proof at another one of the arson scenes . . . I'll let you know I already have a suspect in mind."

Carlos almost dropped the margarita he was carrying. "You do?" Sylvie's jaw dropped.

"Rangers," Matt muttered with an air of exasperated fondness.

"I do," Gabriel nodded. "Now, I just need a plan to catch him."

"Well," Owen spread his hands. "You've got a bunch of people here willing to help you do that."

"Yeah, definitely," TK nodded. "Especially if this guy is a firefighter."

"Oh, he is," Gabriel's eyes darkened. "Which is why this plan needs to be ironclad."

"Then what do we need?" Kelly asked determinedly.

***

Billy swung open his door, grumbling under his breath. "This better be good, New York – " He froze when he saw the blonde on Owen's other side. "Chicago?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, am I getting a nickname now, too?" Sylvie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, this is good," Owen nodded. "In fact, I think it's gonna be fun, because you get to act like you hate me again."

Billy blinked. "Really?" he asked dubiously.

"Tell me, Captain Tyson," Sylvie leaned against the doorframe with a grin. "How do you feel about catching a serial arsonist?"

Billy looked between them, then grinned.

***

That was how Owen, Matt, and Kelly found themselves in Judd's dining room later, with Owen giving the story of his life. Thank you, Liv and Elliot, for teaching me how to lie in the face of danger if needed, Owen thought grimly as he tipped back a swig of bourbon. "Billy was the only one that I told about the arsons," he said. "And nobody else, except for Casey and Severide, knew I was gonna be at the warehouse tonight."

Judd rubbed his forehead, looking overwhelmed. "So what are you . . . what are you saying to me?" he asked. "That he clubbed you over the head, just to save your life later? Why would he do that?"

"To gain my trust," Owen shrugged. "To make sure that I didn't go to the police with evidence."

"Evidence that Owen sent to me before Tyson knocked him out," Kelly added.

Judd closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Caps, Lieutenant . . . I really, really hope that you don't just expect me to stand here and nod along while you accuse my friend of seventeen years of being some sort of a serial arsonist."

"We don't," Matt shook his head. "Honestly, after Owen told us about what Tyson means to you, we were hoping you could convince us otherwise."

"But it all adds up to every single serial arsonist I've come across when I've worked with OFI in Chicago," Kelly took over. "And he's got the experience, and he's got nothing but time and freedom on his hands."

Judd groaned, cradling his head in his hands. "Man, don't put this stuff in my head! Look, Billy would never! He's a good man!"

"He's also capable of spectacular acts of deception," Owen quipped. "Or have you forgotten that he tried to steal my firehouse? Or that he once implied Sylvie was sleeping with me to get the position she's got now?"

Judd froze in place, and next to him, Owen heard Kelly choke on his drink. "Excuse me," Matt leaned forward, green eyes flashing like fire. "This guy did what?"

Owen closed his eyes. "She didn't mention that," he realized, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Shit. She's gonna kill me."

"He said that to her?" Kelly snarled, gripping the table counter tight enough to make the wood creak.

"He implied it," Owen emphasized, swallowing hard. "He never actually said it."

"Alright, that is inexcusable," Judd shook his head, bristling angrily. That was nothing compared to the fury visible on Matt and Kelly's faces. "But that was also personal. This? This is evil. Plus, the guy can hardly stand up half the time with all the treatment that they've been giving him!"

"Yeah, well, he's the one who carried me out of that warehouse just fine tonight," Owen countered.

Judd deflated. "Oh."

Owen sighed. "Gabriel and the Texas Rangers say that the serial arsonist probably suffered some sort of traumatic life even that made them want to lash out at the world. Doesn't that sound like Billy?"

"It also sounds like you," Judd pointed out.

Kelly was still seething, so Matt asked the question he knew was brimming on his mind. "When did Tyson's cancer come back?" he asked.

"Five months ago," Judd answered. "Right after Christmas."

"That was when all the fires started," Kelly said shortly.

Judd bit his lip. "That's circumstantial. You . . . you don't know!"

"No, we don't," Matt shook his head. "And despite what we just heard – and mark my words, one of us will likely want to sucker punch him for what he implied about our girl – "

"Just one of us?" Kelly scoffed, downing the rest of his drink in one go.

"OK, more than likely both of us," Matt amended. "But look, none of us want to accuse an innocent man, especially one as sick as this."

"And who just saved my hide," Owen added.

"I don't think you have a choice." The quiet voice made all four men look up, and Grace hobbled into the kitchen, holding up a hand to stop Judd when he moved to help her. "I don't mean to interrupt, sweetheart," she said, leaning against the wall. "But Captain Strand, Captain Casey, Lieutenant Severide . . . you have to report this." Even the Chicago officers looked surprised by her statement. "Now, I don't want to believe it, either . . . but if you're wrong, then the truth will be on Billy's side. But if you're right? Then you got to stop him before he kills somebody."

***

When he finally heard footsteps behind him, Raymond sighed, looking at his watch. "Is all this cloak-and-dagger really necessary?" he asked. "I'm due to testify in Pflugerville in thirty minutes."

Billy sat on the bench next to him, adjusting the worn cap on his head. "Well, believe me . . . this one's worth going off the beaten path."

Raymond nodded, crossing one leg over the other, not turning to look at Billy, knowing the other man wasn't looking at him anyway. He didn't need Billy to remove his sunglasses to know that. "Well, you said you had something big on the phone, so what is it?"

Billy leaned forward. "You remember that serial arsonist Strand told you about?"

Raymond sighed. "This again?"

Billy smirked. "He's real, Investigator. You hear about the warehouse fire last night in Round Rock?"

"Yeah," Raymond frowned with a nod.

Billy took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. "I took these ten minutes before it burned down."

He watched Raymond flip through the pictures, refraining from a smug smirk when Raymond's eyes widened. "My God," he breathed. "Is that – ?"

"Afraid so," Billy nodded, looking at the pictures he had taken. "Your arsonist is Owen Strand."

***

TK Strand has created a new chat

TK Strand has added Sylvie Brett, Matt Casey, Carlos Reyes, and Kelly Severide to the chat

TK Strand has named the chat "Fire Cops"

Carlos Reyes has renamed the chat "Fire & Cop"

Carlos: I'm the odd one out, remember babe?

TK: Right

TK: Anyway

TK: I have an update

TK: And I can't really tell my dad so

Kelly: Did he take the bait?

TK: Sounds like it

Carlos: Mateo texted our entire game night chat

Carlos: Police raided the house and got everything

Sylvie: So full speed ahead?

Carlos: Sounds like it

TK: So how much fun is your dad going to have arresting mine

Carlos: I think our dads are gonna be best friends by the end of this

TK: Dibs not telling Liv and Elliot

Matt: Sylvie's got Stone in New York

Matt: She can do it for you

Sylvie: Hey!

***

Owen heard the squeal of tires before he saw the police cars whip into the parking lot, surrounding him on all sides. He braced himself for impact when officers rushed him, his newly bought coffee dropping to the asphalt as he was forced to the ground, arms grabbed and pulled behind his back.

"Get him up," Gabriel's cold voice ordered, and as Owen was hauled back to his feet, Gabriel leveled him with an iron gaze. "Owen Strand, you are under arrest for criminal trespass, reckless destruction of property, aggravated and assault, and arson."

"You gotta be kidding me," Owen huffed as he was manhandled into one of the SUVs. "Two days ago, you didn't believe there was an arsonist!"

"Yeah, well," Gabriel snorted, shutting the door in his face. "We believe you now."

***

"No, I'm telling you, it was like a full-on raid," Mateo insisted the next day in the kitchen. "It was like something out of Scarface. They ransacked the place!"

Everyone but Matt, Kelly, and Tommy had gathered to listen, and Buck was wide-eyed as he listened. Sylvie side-eyed TK, who was pacing anxiously, looking seconds from chewing his nails. She was the only one who knew it wasn't the anxiety of uncertainty that was making him this nervous. "Why the hell were they even there?" Eddie asked, looking confused.

"I don't know," Mateo shook his head. "They wouldn't tell me anything."

"C-can they even do that?" Buck looked around.

"If they had a warrant, they certainly could," Sylvie nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"You see what the police took out of his house?" Judd asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Not much," Mateo shrugged. "Some charred lamps, extension cords, some jars with some liquid – "

"Wait," Paul surged to his feet, looking at Mateo. "Jars of liquid? What kind of liquid?"

"No idea," Mateo admitted. "Oh! And they took, like, this big, burned woodwork thing that I guess he was keeping behind the garage."

Marjan blinked. "How big are we talking?"

"Uh . . . " Mateo stepped back to demonstrate. "It was like yea high, yea wide."

"Some sort of shelf?" Nancy suggested.

"It would have been a pretty crappy shelf," Mateo shook his head.

"Pretty good reason to burn it, if you ask me," Eddie snorted.

"I'm gonna try him again," TK decided, stepping away.

Nancy surged forward, leaning in conspiratorially. "And Cap never talked to you about any of this?" she hissed.

"None of it," Mateo whispered back.

"Yeah, but why would he keep it a secret?" Paul frowned.

"I have an idea," Judd answered grimly.

Sylvie felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and she checked the incoming message, seeing TK pause before he hit dial.

Carlos: Just parked outside

Carlos: Lo siento in advance

She saw TK take a deep breath before resuming to call. "It's going to voicemail again," he told them. "Dad, please call us back. We're starting to get worried."

Buck suddenly straightened. "Carlos?"

TK turned, brightening when he saw Carlos walk into view. "Ah, babe, thank God you're here," he said in relief. "Something's going on with my dad, and we don't know where he is."

Carlos looked around at the gathered firefighters, then whispered, "We should talk in private."

"OK," TK nodded, looking at Sylvie before following Carlos out of sight.

It was out of sight of the kitchen, at least. With a nondescript look over his shoulder, he saw Carlos had pulled him into view not of the paramedics' office, but the firefighter captains' office . . . where Matt and Kelly, who had gathered to run down what would happen on shift, had a bird's-eye view of what was going to take place. "TK," Carlos took a deep breath. "Your father was taken into custody this morning."

TK blinked. "Custody?" he repeated. "As in . . . protective custody?"

"No," Carlos shook his head. "He's been arrested."

"Arrested?" TK parroted. "For what?"

"I don't know all the details," Carlos admitted. "But . . . it looks like arson."

The pang of panic TK felt wasn't faked at all. "That's wrong," he stammered, shaking his head. "That's – that's – I mean, it has to be a mistake! He reported an arson and nobody believed him! Well, except for your dad," he amended, swallowing hard. "Carlos, call your dad, and he'll clear everything up, right?"

Carlos closed his eyes. "TK . . . it was the Texas Rangers that served the warrant. My dad was the arresting officer."

TK gulped. "What?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry," Carlos nodded.

"You're sorry?" TK repeated incredulously. "He's out of his mind if he thinks my dad is an arsonist, Carlos!"

"TK, we don't have all the facts," Carlos began.

"What is that supposed to mean?" TK exploded, feeling himself get worked up.

"Just what I said," Carlos nodded. "We don't know what's going on here . . . but I do know my father, and he would never make an arrest without a good reason."

"And I know mine," TK retorted, "and he's not a criminal."
"I didn't say he was," Carlos held up his hands defensively.

"Yeah, but your dad is," TK scoffed, knowing he had to sell this. "And it seems like you're defending him. I mean, come on! How does he not know that he's got the wrong man? He was with him for three hours last night! What are we talking about?"

He watched Carlos steel himself. "More like an hour," his boyfriend corrected. "Your dad was two hours late, remember?"

TK gritted his teeth, hearing footsteps on the staircase to the upper level and knowing that Matt and Kelly were now hearing everything. This had been the most crucial part of their plan: selling this so much that even to Matt and Kelly, who were in on the entire thing, would believe what was happening. "He was stuck in traffic getting your stupid limes!" he seethed, jabbing his finger into Carlos's chest.

"There was no pileup on MoPac last night," Carlos shook his head. "I called Dispatch."

TK narrowed his eyes. "You checked up on my dad's story?" he asked.

"Only because it was starting to feel like a story," Carlos nodded.

"So, are you saying it now?" TK snarled, shoving Carlos away from him. "Huh? You saying my dad's a criminal, Carlos? Are you saying my dad's a criminal? Whose side are you on?"

The final shove knocked Carlos back into the ladder, and in a quick move, Carlos grabbed TK, spun him around, and wrapped his arms around his torso, restraining him easily. "Whoa!" Kelly raced off the steps, green eyes stormy. "Carlos!"

"Listen to me," Carlos whispered in TK's ear. "You need to calm down, all right?"

TK swallowed, seeing the rest of the firehouse gather, their eyes wide. Even though Carlos's restraining grip was nowhere near as tight as the ones Elliot and Fin had used when teaching him self-defense, he still felt helpless . . . and that was even though he knew this was one big show. "Leave me alone, Carlos," he whimpered. "Leave me alone."

"Officer Reyes," Matt's cold voice cut through the atmosphere like a knife. "I think you need to go."

TK felt Carlos tense, then the restraining grip was released. TK stumbled away from Carlos, inhaling heavily, then Sylvie was there and fretting over him, doe-like eyes full of concern as she looked him up and down. "TK?" she whispered.

TK swallowed, watching Carlos give him one last regretful look before he left the firehouse. "I need a minute."

"You can use our office," Matt told him, gesturing up the stairs.

"Come on," Sylvie threaded her arm through his, guiding him to the staircase. "Come on."

The rest of the firehouse was kept from following when Matt shook his head at them, and TK forced himself to stay together until he was seated in front of Matt's desk, Sylvie scooting a chair close to sit with him. Kelly checked outside the office as Matt entered, then he nodded. "Good."

TK let out all his breath at once, dropping his face into his hands with a gasp of "oh my God."

"I did not expect that," Matt admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Sylvie?"

"He's OK," Sylvie murmured, checking TK's jumping pulse. "I think it's just the adrenaline."

Matt's phone buzzed, and he checked the Caller ID before putting it on speaker. "Carlos."

"Is TK there?" Carlos demanded, sounding frantic. "Or at least tell me you're somewhere – "

"I'm here," TK croaked. "In the office."

"Ay dios mío, babe, lo siento mucho for all of that," Carlos stammered. "I could only plan on saying so much, and I didn't want to restrain you like that . . . oh, no, did I hurt you – ?"

His babble was cut off when TK let out a startled laugh. "Babe, I'm fine," he promised. "I've been restrained harder when I was taking self-defense lessons in New York."

Carlos's sigh of relief was very audible. "I'm so sorry, TK."

"I forgive you," TK smiled faintly. "It sold the rest of the firehouse, at least."

"And now it's just up to your dads," Kelly nodded.

"I might kill mine for putting us through this," Carlos admitted.

TK snorted. "Leave that to Liv and Elliot. My dad is doing this without them."

***

"Before we start," Gabriel told Owen as the fire captain sat in the interrogation room, his wrists in cuffs. "I want to make sure you know we're recording this, and to remind you of your right to an attorney."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "I've got nothing to hide."

Gabriel nodded, pouring himself a cup of water. "Out of respect to our relationship – and our sons' – I'm gonna pay you the courtesy of not playing any games with you, Captain."

Owen snorted. "Well, that's very considerate of you, Major."

Gabriel smirked, sitting across from him. "I've got you dead to rights torching that warehouse. I already knew your alibi sucked when you were two hours late for dinner."

"I told you I had stops to make," Owen reminded him.

"Right," Gabriel nodded sarcastically. "The limes. I went by that grocery store on Windsor Road. There's no security footage of you ever being there. But you know where I do have footage?" He flipped his tablet open and showed Owen the pictures in the gallery. "I have you in living color buying accelerants, wire cutters, crimping tools, and a bunch of other suspicious supplies at a hardware store last week." Owen closed his eyes, head tilting down as Gabriel set the tablet aside and pulled out several forensic photographs. "At your house, we found a little arsonist workshop. Oh . . . and counterfeit circuit breakers, which we now know were used in the original warehouse arson."

Owen sighed. "This informant that provided you with this treasure trove of circumstantial evidence against me wouldn't happen to be Billy Tyson, would it?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "They're called 'confidential informants' for a reason."

Owen shook his head. "The reason I have this stuff in my house is, I was trying to figure out how the arsonist did it. The only person I told was Billy, so he's pointing the finger at me 'cause he knows I'm onto him! He's your arsonist! He's playing you! I'm the one that reported a serial arsonist to Investigator Raymond. Why would I do that if it were me?"

"Because nobody was noticing your work," Gabriel answered. "Arsonists tend to suffer from delusions of grandeur. You all don't like being ignored."

Owen's jaw dropped at Gabriel's smirk. "What . . . grandeur would I be after by lighting a warehouse on fire that I'd already torched once? Why would I do it?"

Gabriel hummed. "Maybe because you have access to APD's missing person reports?"

Owen scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

"APD recently started getting called about a migrant who disappeared named Jorge Cortez from his family in Honduras," Gabriel answered. "They claim he was working at that warehouse under the table. I think you caught wind of it and were worried that the body might still be somewhere inside, so you went back to finish the job." Owen shook his head, but Gabriel pulled out more photographs, these of a charred corpse. "Well, we found it . . . in a crawlspace. He died during your first fire there. You see? You're not just a firebug now, Captain Strand. You're a murderer."

***

"Serial arson, including murder?" Kim's voice was incredulous from where Kelly's phone was on speaker.

"Oh, yeah," Kelly nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey. "This son of a bitch is one of the worst I've seen when it comes to arson."

"Only you guys," Jay sighed. "Only you and Casey could go to Austin just to cover someone's medical leave and end up chasing a statewide arsonist."

"And they're enjoying it," Sylvie added as she brought over a glass of her favorite wine. "You forgot that."

"You were the one all chipper when we brought this evidence to Ranger Reyes," Matt pointed out.

Sylvie snorted. "Fire rush. What firefighter doesn't get that?"

"Every firefighter at 51 does," Hailey quipped.

"And the 126," Sylvie agreed. "So . . . top that argument."

Matt pinched the bridge of his nose. "I give."

"Yeah, good idea, Casey," Jay snickered. "You're not winning against her."

Sylvie grinned, making a toast with her glass. "Cheers, Jay!"

"I'm surprised Burgess is still on the line," Kelly remarked, checking his watch. "I'd've thought she'd be with Makayla by now."

There was silence on the other end, then Kim coughed. "Uh . . . actually, Jay and Hailey are at my place right now."

"Really?" Matt blinked.

" . . . which may or may not be in the process of being turned into 'our place?'"

Sylvie let out an ear-piercing squeal, making Matt wince. "Oh, please tell me!" she begged, jumping up and down.

"OK, yes, fine!" Jay sighed. "Hailey and I asked her out when she asked us to be the secondary guardians in the adoption form."

"Yes!" Sylvie cheered, punching the air. "I knew it! I knew it!"

"Does she just know everything about our love lives?" Hailey asked, a note of fond exasperation in her voice.

"She knew about mine and Will's, at least," Jay answered.

"She knew how I felt about the two of you when we visited Austin," Kim admitted. "She nailed me almost immediately."

"And we know she helped convince Chloe to marry Cruz," Jay added. "Regular Queen of Hearts, I guess."

Sylvie grinned smugly. "Yeah, well . . . " That smile faded as she gestured to Matt and Kelly. "I didn't nail the two in front of me, actually."

"You didn't?" Hailey sounded completely shocked.

"To be fair, we never really gave an indication about our sexualities," Matt defended Sylvie. "It's not the first thing I ever advertise."

"And while I never made any attempt to hide it, Cruz never knew until I outright flirted with Matt on the job," Kelly added.

"Yeah, that was the day I found out," Jay snorted. "Nearly swallowed my mint."

"I missed that?" Hailey whined.

"It wasn't a very fun experience! At least it wasn't gum!"

"Tony and Capp would have teased the hell out of you for that," Kelly snickered.

Jay sighed. "Yeah, those two don't need any more ammunition from anyone."

"No, they do not," Matt agreed.

They heard something faintly on the other end, and Kim giggled. "Ah . . . and there's Makayla, deciding she needs another chapter of Harry Potter from Jay."

"As the princess commands, I suppose," Jay huffed.

"Oh, please, you love it," Hailey teased.

Sylvie smiled happily. "Congrats, you three."

"Thanks, Sylvie," Jay told her. "Good luck snatching this bastard, you hear me?"

"We'll get him," Kelly promised. "Thanks, Jay."

"Say hi to Makayla and the rest of your team for us," Matt added.

"We will," Kim said.

The dial tone hit, and Sylvie sighed. "Oh, I'm happy for them."

"I never would have thought of the three of them," Kelly admitted as he picked up his phone. "Halstead and Upton, absolutely . . . but I thought Burgess and Ruzek had a thing."

"They did," Sylvie nodded, picking up her wine glass. "But it's been Jay and Hailey who have been there for Kim ever since she started looking after Makayla." She sat down across from them, tapping her fingers on the table. "Jay told me before I left Chicago that even though he started dating Hailey, he liked Kim, too," she revealed. "But I never got a read on Kim, at least, until they visited Austin."

"That's impressive," Matt whistled, taking a sip of his drink.

Sylvie looked between Matt and Kelly, biting her lip, before she took a deep breath. "It's easy to call a relationship when you've been in similar ones before."

If her heart hadn't felt like it was beating out of her chest, she would have laughed when she saw Kelly do a double take and Matt choke on his drink. "Wait," Kelly blinked at her as Matt coughed, looking for a napkin. "You mean . . . you – ?"

"Two actual relationships," Sylvie confessed, resigning herself to sharing now that she had let the cat out of the bag. "Once in high school . . . honestly, that was the best relationship I've ever been in, and that was with the high school quarterback and the running back. That was a more amicable ending than the next one . . . when my boyfriend proposed to me and, last I knew, ran my girlfriend out of town. Harrison wanted a housewife, and Mara wanted me to pursue my dream of being a paramedic." She huffed, grip tightening on her wine glass as she took a long drink. "That made me wary of another poly relationship except for the occasional clubbing and hook-ups, given I had already made a name for myself as a black sheep . . . and that's before anyone knows I'm pan and polyamorous." She gave them a timid smile. "It followed me to Chicago, too . . . and once Harrison found me there, I didn't really let anyone know. The only ones I ever told were Mills, Otis, and Joe. I'm sorry I never told the two of you. It wasn't a trust thing, I trust you more than anyone. It was a – "

"A scared thing," Matt finished for her, swallowing hard. "Because if someone at home reacted like I'm assuming Harrison did, who knows how else they could react?"

Sylvie closed her eyes and nodded. "Mills found out on accident, when we got called to a homicide scene just to confirm they were deceased," she whispered. "The cops on scene . . . they made no attempt to hide what they thought about people in poly relationships. All I remember was hearing their words and Mills snapping at them . . . then we were back at the house." She let out a weak laugh. "The first person I told since I left Fowlerton, and it was because of my reaction to that."

"The one vague report Mills ever made as PIC," Matt whispered. "I remember that."

Sylvie nodded miserably. "A vague report and a report to the officers' supervisor about their behavior." She smiled faintly. "And then he offered to get blackout drunk with me after shift."

Kelly couldn't help the laughter that escaped him. "I always wondered why he didn't show up to Molly's after that shift."

"Well, that was where we were," Sylvie nodded. "And I loved him for it."

"Do you remember what his favorite beer or drink was?" Matt asked Kelly. "I think I need to send him a six-pack or a bottle or something."

"We both do," Kelly snorted.

Sylvie giggled. "Neither of you have to do that."

"He was the first person you felt safe talking to about that," Matt shook his head. "Yeah, we do. So thank you for feeling safe enough to tell us."

Sylvie smiled, relieved at how well they were taking this. "I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you."

Kelly had raised his hand to stop her long before she finished her sentence. "Never apologize for taking the time to come out," he told her firmly. "No one should ever be forced to before they're ready."

Sylvie's smile froze. "No," she agreed quietly, looking down at her drink. "I agree completely."

Her tone made Matt's skin crawl, and he leaned forward in concern. "Sylvie," he began, the question he dreaded to ask on the tip of his tongue.

He was interrupted by her phone ringing again, and with a quiet curse, Sylvie flipped it over to check the Caller ID. She winced when she saw it: Peter Stone. "It's Stone," she whispered, clearing her throat as she stood. "Probably about Owen."

"Go ahead," Kelly told her, seeing the frustration in Matt's eyes at being unable to ask what he might not get the chance to ask again.

Sylvie nodded, taking a deep breath as she answered her phone. "Peter," she greeted, walking away so she could speak in private.

As soon as she was out of earshot, the growl Matt fought to restrain finally emerged, and he downed the rest of his drink in one go. "I wasn't the only one who heard that, was I?" he ground out.

"No," Kelly shook his head, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You weren't."

"God, if someone threatened to out her?" Matt's eyes flashed. "I could strangle that person with my bare hands."

Kelly could only nod in agreement.

***

Owen looked up when he heard the door open, and he leaned back when he saw Raymond enter the room. "Investigator Raymond," he greeted. "Reyes has you pitching relief for him, huh?" Raymond held his pointer to his lips, then reached down to unplug the recording device. Owen was further surprised when he picked up the remote to turn off the camera. "What are you doing?"

"I need to make sure this conversation stays between us," Raymond answered, sitting across from him. "You don't have a lot of time here. Reyes is already planning his big press conference about the biggest arson bust this side of John Orr."

Owen sighed, hanging his head. "I know this looks bad, but I didn't do it."

"It doesn't look bad," Raymond shook his head. "It looks damning . . . a little too damning, especially for someone as intelligent as you."

"I was framed, OK?" Owen insisted. "You should be looking at Billy Tyson. He is the one behind this."

Raymond nodded thoughtfully. "He does seem very determined to make sure you go down. Practically put a bow on the top of your head."

"Yeah, of course he did," Owen scoffed. "He fits the profile: big ego, feels helpless, a loner, has the ability to pull it off. I know he did it!"

"Doesn't matter if you know it," Raymond pointed out. "It matters if you can prove it." Owen sighed, and Raymond leaned forward. "Listen to me, Owen . . . is there anything that you didn't tell Reyes about this arsonist? Any information that you withheld . . . now's the time."

"Like what?" Owen scoffed.

"Any thread that . . . " Raymond raised an eyebrow pointedly. "I could follow back to Billy? Are there any fires that you believe he set that so far have not been revealed?"

Owen pursed his lips. "Maybe."

"Tell me," Raymond urged, "and maybe I can try tying him to one."

Owen narrowed his eyes. "How do I know this isn't some sort of play that you're running with Reyes?" he challenged. "I give you more arsons, and you add on more charges."

Raymond chuckled bitterly. "Reyes doesn't run any plays with anyone without a Ranger star. I am your only hope, Owen."

Owen chewed his lip, thinking through what he could do. "There might have been some more incidents that I wanted to look into," he admitted.

"Where?" Raymond leaned forward eagerly. "How many?"

The door banged open, and both men looked up as Gabriel stepped into the doorway. "Investigator Raymond," he narrowed his eyes. "A word, please."

Raymond gave Owen a warning look, then stood and followed Gabriel out the door. Owen waited for less than a minute before Gabriel returned. "Trouble in paradise?" he asked sarcastically.

Gabriel merely turned the camera back on and plugged back in the device. "There's trouble, alright," he nodded. "It's all coming your way. Turns out there was a vagrant living in that warehouse, not fifty feet from the point of origin of the fire. He had the perfect vantage to see you start it."

Owen stared blankly at Gabriel, then laughed. "Come on, man. I've seen better bluffs at charity poker night."

"No, I never bluff," Gabriel shook his head. "Don't need to."

"Then why are you just now telling me about this witness?" Owen retorted.

"Cause he was so injured in the fire, I didn't think he was gonna make it," Gabriel riposted. "He's been in surgery all night, but his doctors are optimistic he's gonna pull through now. And when he wakes, he's gonna identify you as the arsonist, and you'll have no more cards left to play. But if you confess now, and we can talk to the judge about reducing your sentence."

"You can pound sand!" Owen snapped. "'Cause when he wakes up, he's gonna exonerate me."

He huffed and shook his head, looking to the side, and Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, what, having second thoughts?" he taunted.

"I know you've been working very closely in this investigation with Billy Tyson," Owen told him. "Just wondering . . . did you share this new good news about this witness with him?"

***

At the knock on his door, Billy opened it to find Judd on his step, an unreadable expression on his face. "Hey, Judd," he nodded. "Um . . . what, you've never heard of a telephone?" Judd didn't answer. "Sorry, I'm just on my way out – " Judd walked forward, brushing past Billy into the house, and the grisly captain sighed. "Or you can come in."

"Uh, Billy," Judd began, rubbing his hands together. "You know I look up to you. you know, you trained me up from when I was a probie. You gave, bar none, the best toast at my wedding."

"I appreciate that," Billy nodded. "Uh, actually, I had Harkes help me punch it up a little bit, God rest his soul."

"Yeah, God rest his soul," Judd agreed. "And you and I are the only two surviving members of the 126, after that terrible night, right? And I love you . . . I love you, like a brother."

Billy chuckled warily. "Well . . . hey, buddy, I feel the same way. I'd love to sit here and play 'remember when,' but it's not a good time."

"Yeah," Judd narrowed his eyes. "And that's why I couldn't see it. At first, right? I couldn't see it, and now I can't look away. Because I know it was you, Billy. I know that you sold out Cap, and you did it for crimes that you done."

Billy narrowed his eyes at the accusing finger pointed at his face. "You have no idea what you're talking about – "

Judd seized Billy by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the wall, snarling angrily. "Don't lie to me, snake!" he shouted. "Don't you lie to me! You set the fires, and you broke my heart!"

Billy stared down the accusing finger, then looked into Judd's livid eyes. "You want to hit me?" he asked. "Think that will make you feel better? Go ahead. Otherwise, get your damn hands off me."

Judd narrowed his eyes, then let go of Billy's shirt. That was followed by a sharp right hook, strong enough to send Billy to the ground. Judd winced as he wrung out his hand, and he chuckled bitterly. "Yeah . . . it did make me feel better."

Billy seethed as he climbed to his feet, and he pointed at the door. "Get out of my house," he ordered.

"I don't know if it was your cancer that changed you, or maybe I never really knew you," Judd scoffed as he headed for the door. "Either way, I don't care. Me and you are done. We are done." He paused on the step, then turned around. "For the record, that punch was for Cap," he told him. "But I know what you said to Sylvie all those months ago. If you don't want to get buried six feet under by boys who I know would murder for her, you better have a good apology for her. Otherwise, I'm not even considering attending your funeral."

Billy watched Judd close the door behind him, and he winced, rubbing his jaw, unable to help but wonder just who Owen had snagged to run the 126 while he was out.

***

Footsteps passed the empty hospital room Carlos waited in, and Carlos counted to five before he cautiously peered through the blinds. He caught sight of the man silently stepping into the next room, and he clicked his radio. "Suspect confirmed," he reported. "He's in the room."

"Copy, 363-H-20. Rangers are moving in."

Carlos nodded, stepping out of the room as Gabriel marched down the hall with his squad of Rangers, and they burst into the hospital room, flipping the lights on. "Freeze!" Gabriel ordered. "Hands in the air!" Carlos stepped back to let more officers into the room, and he watched in satisfaction as Raymond raised his hands and turned to face Gabriel, the damning syringe in his hand from where he had prepared to inject the dummy in the bed. "Drop it, now," Gabriel gestured, and Raymond obediently dropped the syringe. "Bag the syringe. Take it straight to the lab. Dennis Raymond, you're under arrest."

Raymond looked past him to Carlos, and he chuckled bitterly. "Nicely played, Reyes."

Gabriel smirked. "We didn't do it alone."

Raymond stared blankly at the dark-haired, green-eyed men waiting in the hallway, one with a blank expression on his face, the other looking at Raymond with so much vitriol, it was a miracle there weren't lasers shooting from his eyes. "I always knew it would be you," Raymond addressed the older of the two.

"Yeah?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "Did you feel it in your gut?"

"Rot in hell, you prick," TK spat, fingers closing into fists.

Raymond merely turned to be led by the Rangers, and he did a double take when he saw the three still waiting. "I always love seeing those smug looks get wiped off criminals' faces," Sylvie sighed happily. "Don't you?"

"It gets more satisfying every time," Matt agreed.

"Score another one for the three of us," Kelly smirked.

Raymond sneered as he was escorted out of the hospital. "Oh, and you're wrong!" Gabriel called as a parting shot. "I love that my boy's with his kid!"

Carlos blushed, and Owen chuckled. "Likewise," he nodded, and it was TK's turn to blush. "I'm sorry you two had to make such a scene, especially a fake one."

"Hey, it got him caught," Carlos shook his head. "But you two owe us."

Gabriel nodded. "Absolutely fair, mijo."

"Besides," TK grinned. "We would have been pissed if you left us in the dark."

"Then we thank these three for making sure you weren't," Owen nodded gratefully to Matt, Kelly, and Sylvie as the trio joined them. "Seriously, we owe you, too."

"Any day we catch an arsonist is a god day," Kelly grinned. "The four of you did all the dirty work when it came to catching Raymond."

Owen smiled, slinging an arm over TK's shoulders. "The Reyes and the Strand family make a good team."

Gabriel nodded in agreement, patting a pleased Carlos on the back. "Yes, we do."

***

The next afternoon, when the 126 was on shift, Owen watched a handcuffed Raymond sip from his cup of water, eyes blankly staring at the wall across from him. "Dude's just creepy," the lead detective murmured from next to him.

"Yeah," Owen sighed, nodding to Billy as he joined him. "He is."

Gabriel stepped into the room, eyeing the cup. "Comfortable in here?" he asked. "Want me to get you a coffee or a soda?"

"No, water's fine," Raymond shook his head. "Thanks."

"Sure I can't get you something to eat from the vending machine?" Gabriel offered. "Might be in here for a little while."

"I'm not six years old," Raymond deadpanned, and Gabriel rolled his eyes before closing the door. "If I didn't intend to talk to you, a candy bar wouldn't incentivize me." He looked past Gabriel to the camera in the corner of the room. "Is the Wi-Fi working on that?"

Gabriel looked up at the camera, then nodded. "As far as I'm aware."

"Good," Raymond all but purred, making Owen shudder. "So you know, I assumed it was probably a trap at the hospital."

"And yet you went in anyway," Gabriel said as he sat down.

"I didn't have a choice."

"Really?" Gabriel hummed. "How you figure that?"

"Play out the logic, Major," Raymond scoffed. "Either you were telling the truth, and I had to kill the witness, or you were lying. And if you were lying, it would only be because you were onto me. And if that was the case, then . . . it was only a matter of time before you caught me. So, I had nothing to lose."

"Then I'm glad you made the logical choice," Gabriel smirked.

"So how long has it been?" Gabriel asked. "That you were onto me?"

"Oh, I've had my suspicions for a few months," Gabriel grinned. "You were denied the promotion in October. Your wife died after Christmas. You fit the profile. Problem was, you were too damn good. The only way to get any dirt on you was to play a little dirty myself."

"So, the arrest of Strand was just pure theater to get me to let my guard down," Raymond frowned.

"Captain Casey, Lieutenant Severide, and Captain Brett gave all the evidence they found from the warehouse prior to the second fire, and they showed me exactly where to look," Raymond nodded. "Those of us in the know concocted a plan. Captain Strand, of course, thought it was Billy Tyson . . . but I knew better."

"Yeah, thanks again for that, by the way," Billy grumbled.

Owen smiled innocently. "You're very welcome."

"So, Billy played Judas, reached out to me to blame Strand for my own deeds," Raymond slowly deduced. "That is impressive sleight of hand, especially for you."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment," Gabriel smirked as he flipped open his notebook. "Now, for those deeds of yours . . . if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to walk me through them."

Raymond burst into laughter. "Whoa, whoa, whoa . . . getting a little ahead of our skis, aren't we, Major?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you intended to talk to me."

"I do," Raymond nodded. "But not just you. No . . . " He turned to look at the one-way mirror. "I want to talk to Owen Strand."

"Looks like you're on, New York," Billy murmured.

Owen nodded, walking out of the observation room and into the interrogation room. Gabriel nodded to him and gestured to the extra seat, which Owen pulled out to sit in. "Hello, Dennis," Owen said.

"Hello again, Captain Strand," Raymond smiled serenely.

"Alright, your guest of honor is here," Gabriel said. "Are we happy?"

"We are very happy," Raymond nodded.

"Well, I gave you what you asked for," Gabriel clicked his pen. "Now it's my turn to ask for a few things."

"When I'm good and ready, Major," Raymond shook his head. "First, I have a question for Owen."

"Sure," Owen gave a smile with teeth. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you do it?" Raymond questioned. "How did you figure out my exact M.O.? Down to the frayed lamps and fake circuit breakers?"

Owen shrugged. "I just got lucky, I guess."

"No," Raymond shook his head, showing anger for the first time. "Don't. don't do that. Don't condescend to me. Did he tell you to do that to make me feel smart?" he pointed accusingly at Gabriel, who shook his head. "I don't need anyone to feel smart. I know that you're clever, Owen. You don't have to hide it from me."

Gabriel eyed Owen, who pursed his lips. "OK," he finally said. "I figured it out . . . because it's exactly the way I would have done it."

Raymond gave a satisfied smile. "See? I knew you had darkness in you, too. Now . . . I asked you a question when you were the one wearing the bracelets. Do you remember what it was?"

Owen nodded. "How many fires did the arsonist set?"

"That's the one," Raymond nodded. "Now, let's see how good you really are."

Owen glanced at Gabriel, who nodded, curious to know the answer himself. "Eleven," Owen answered.

Raymond clapped sarcastically. "You really are bright, which, frankly, takes the sting out of sitting on this side of the table," he said with a sigh. "Eleven is so close."

Owen's heart skipped a few beats. "So close?" Gabriel repeated sharply, sitting up straight. So there's more?"

"There's more," Raymond confirmed.

"Alright," Owen narrowed his eyes. "So how many fires did you burn?"

"How many fires did I burn? Eleven," Raymond answered. "But the question was: how many did I set? Which is a few more." Owen swallowed hard, and Raymond laughed. "You two think you're smarter than me? You're nowhere near my level, and now everyone is going to find out."

"What are you talking about?" Owen demanded.

"You took the most important thing in the world from me," Raymond answered, looking between the two men. "And now I am going to repay the favor." He chuckled, looking down. "It's funny . . . when you're trying to avoid getting caught, your options are so limited. But when you don't . . . well, you can really get creative." Owen's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Where was Raymond going with this. "Take aluminum iodine powder," Raymond continued. "You can grind it to the consistency of table salt, sprinkle it almost anywhere . . . and you know what happens when you immerse it in water?"

Owen understood too late, and he couldn't reach out and stop Raymond from grabbing the pitcher of water and dumping it over him. In the next second, every inch of Raymond burst into flames, and Owen dragged Gabriel back and away as the arsonist screamed, flailing about, audible over the beeping of the fire alarm. "Get the door!" Owen shouted, wincing as he watched Raymond burn. "Open the door!"

Billy burst through, aiming a fire extinguisher and blasting Raymond with it. Owen could only watch as Raymond's charred corpse fell to the ground, mind running many miles a minute. If Raymond was going to take away the most important thing in the world from him . . . there was only one place he could think of where that was possible.

***

"Pardon my language, Cap," Judd told Matt as they jogged down the stairs, "but you and your little team of arsonist chasers are cold-hearted bastards."

Matt couldn't help but laugh as he looked over the report in his hand. "Language pardoned, Judd. We're sorry we kept you out of the loop."

"I might as well punch Billy again just for that," Judd grumbled, walking out to help Mateo and Paul spray down the ladder rig after the fire they fought.

Matt watched them fondly, then searched his pockets when his phone rang. He checked the Caller ID, then blinked and answered. "Casey."

"Matt, listen to me," Owen's voice was urgent. "I need you to evacuate the firehouse right now."

"What's going on?" Matt asked, instantly on alert as he headed for the intercom.

"I don't have time to explain. Raymond just killed himself, and I think he might've left us a parting gift."

"You mean at the firehouse?" Matt balked, seeing Judd pause from where he had met Mateo and Paul. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but he said he was gonna try to take away everything that was important to me. The 126 is high on that list."

"Alright," Matt nodded, taking a deep breath. He was grateful now more than ever that the Squad Company had been dispatched to another call and was out of the house. "Clearing out now."

"Everything OK, Cap?" Paul asked, jogging inside.

"No," Matt shook his head, backing up and smacking the button that triggered the alarms in the house. "We need to evacuate, right away!" As the alarms wailed, Nancy looked up from where she was restocking, her eyes wide. "I need everybody out!" Matt shouted, watching firefighters scramble. "Go across the street! Evacuate the building right now!"

"This is not a drill!" Judd bellowed, ushering Nancy out of the firehouse. "Come on!"

Matt grabbed the mic for the house, watching Tommy look up from where she sat in her office. "This is Captain Casey, I need everybody to stop what you're doing," he ordered. "Evacuate across the street and wait for me to give further orders. Evacuate the premises now. That's a direct order!"

In a burst of speed Matt had never seen from her, Tommy raced down the stairs, equipment bag slung over her shoulder. "Keep it moving!" she shouted, gesturing for firefighters to sprint past her.

Matt could already smell smoke as he watched the firehouse evacuate, and he reached out, grabbing Tommy's arm. "Is everybody out?" he called.

"All clear, Captain!" Judd confirmed.

An almighty boom almost burst Matt's ears, and he instantly dropped to his knees, tugging Tommy down with him. Blistering heat blasted over his head, and when it dissipated, he pulled Tommy up, all but dragging her out of the firehouse. The sound of brakes screeching was inaudible due to the ringing in his ears, and Matt shook his head, trying to clear it as he watched flames crawl over the walls inside the station.

Then he heard the startled cries behind him. "Matt!"

"Casey!"

He managed to turn just before two bodies slammed into him, two pairs of hands frantically checking him over. Matt shook his head dazedly, then finally held up his hands. "I'm OK!" he insisted, the panicked faces of Kelly and Sylvie finally clearing. "I'm alright. We all made it out."

"Holy crap!" Buck sputtered, dropping out of the back of Squad 9 and staring into the mass of flames.

"How did this happen?" Marjan demanded, rounding the rig from the driver's side, TK jogging from the back.

"Raymond apparently decided the fires he set wasn't enough," Matt sighed, rubbing a hand over his neck.

"Please tell me that was the only one?" Eddie begged, face ashen as he joined them.

Matt swallowed hard, unable to lie. "I have no idea."

***

"Final tally is in," Owen sighed as he sat at the Ryders' table, passing glasses of bourbon among those gathered. "Two devices in the bunkroom. One in my locker. One under the kitchen sink." He braced himself. "One in the storage unit EMS 99 uses." Sylvie looked up sharply from where she sat, her face paling. "And one in Buck's locker."

"Six?" Kelly asked in disbelief.

"Oh, my God," Sylvie choked, dropping her head into her arms.

"Thank God you two were out of there," Matt swallowed hard. "If you'd been inside when the devices started to go off . . . "

He couldn't finish his sentence. "In every arson case we've had any hand in, this is the first time I've actually been targeted," Sylvie whispered, looking slightly green. "Oh, my God, I'm gonna be sick."

"Hey," Owen reached over and squeezed her hands tightly, watching her panic. "Sylvie, breathe for me, OK? Just breathe. You weren't in the firehouse. You're safe. It's OK."

Sylvie closed her eyes, nodding numbly. "OK."

"And you," Owen turned to Matt, who froze at the look. "Did absolutely everything right. You got everyone out of the building. No one was hurt. So thank you, Casey."

Matt gave a shaky smile, raising his beer. "Cheers, Cap."

***

TK shut the door behind him, and Carlos looked up from his work in the kitchen. "Hey, babe," he greeted. "Hope you came hungry. Just put the chicken in the oven."

"What is this?" TK grinned, seeing the table laid out. "You . . . you didn't have to do all this!"

"If my boyfriend's firehouse is gonna blow up in the middle of a shift, I'm gonna make the most of it," Carlos shrugged.

TK smiled, walking up to him. "Listen . . . about the other blow-up at the firehouse – "

"Remember what we talked about at the hospital?" Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Nobody has to apologize. We all did what we had to do."

TK nodded, then snorted. "Forget about us . . . since when have our dads become world-class con artists?"

Carlos hummed. "My dad's spent forty years going after thieves and scammers, so I guess some of that rubbed off."

TK nodded thoughtfully, then scoffed. "Liv and Elliot."

That made Carlos laugh loudly. Of course, that made perfect sense.

***

"I'm just saying," Billy's voice said, and those seated turned to see Tommy laugh as she walked into the dining room, Judd looking resigned as Billy talked. "If you're truly sorry about knocking my block off, maybe you should just give me naming rights to your firstborn."

Judd groaned. "What if it's a girl?"

"What, you never heard of Billie Holiday?" Billy grinned. "Billie Eilish?"

Tommy cackled as she sat, and Grace shook her head. "You don't even know who Billie Eilish is, Billy!"

"And no!" Tommy crowed. "Hell, no! if it's a girl, it's gonna be named after her godmother!" She pointed to herself victoriously. "There you go, see? Right? Me!"

"Well, how about we let me give birth first?" Grace suggested dryly. "And then we pick back up on this?"

Sylvie leaned back in her seat, watching Billy seat himself between Owen and Judd, and she tilted her head. "You give him that punch in the face, Judd?"

"Yes, ma'am," Judd confirmed, folding his arms. "Though maybe instead of that being for Cap, that should now be for what he said to you."

"Oh, yeah," Matt narrowed his eyes. "We heard about that."

Billy paused, seeing the icy glint in his eyes, then slowly looked at Kelly, who was silent but had been watching him the entire time. "These the boys you – ?" he asked Judd.

"That's right," Judd nodded. "Ones who went behind Chief De Leon's back to rescue her and tore into him, too. Best damn thing I saw happen when we were up in San Angelo."

Billy looked warily between the captain and the lieutenant, then faced the blonde in between them. "I meant to do it the other night, before we got to planning this con," he told her. "I'm sorry for what I said to you that night at the bar. It wasn't right of me, and I shoulda known better."

Sylvie narrowed her eyes, then nodded. "Apology accepted."

"What?" Kelly turned to her incredulously. "That's it?"

Sylvie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Kelly, it was a one-time comment from him and considering what he's done to help catch Raymond, yes, I'm letting it go." She scoffed, muttering into her glass. "At least he also apologized for implying I slept with a superior."

Billy paused, but before he could say anything, Judd peered at a contemplative Owen. "Cap, you've been nursing on that for hours," he said, pointing to the bourbon glass. "If you don't like it, it ain't gonna hurt my feelings."

"No," Owen shook his head. "I'm just thinking about the attack on the firehouse."

"Yeah, a little property damage, get some new windows, new paint, drywall," Judd listed. "She'll be good as new."

"He's right," Tommy agreed. "We dodged a bullet today."

"Or no less than six IEDs," Matt amended with a snort.

"Yeah, but here's what's bugging me," Owen sighed. "He said there's be a few more fires. That was one."

Billy frowned. "The guy only had, like . . . what, five hours to set them?"

"Yeah," Owen nodded. "And he was out of the firehouse within two hours. What'd he do with the other three hours before he showed up at the hospital?"

Grace made a sound of understanding. "Oh, you think he made another stop?"

Owen nodded. "I just can't help thinking that the firehouse was a diversion from the real thing."

"So what would his main event be?" Kelly wondered.

"I don't know," Owen admitted. "But right before he killed himself, he said he would take away what was most important to me."

"Oh, you thought he said that to you?" Billy blinked. "Where I was sitting, it looked like he was talking to Reyes."

It hit Owen like a lightning bolt. The attack on the firehouse had not only been aimed at Owen . . . Raymond had specifically planted IEDs that could have taken out Buck and Sylvie, had they been nearby. Those were two of Owen's original three Squad 9 members, the team he cared about the most . . . and that only left one member left, the one he shared something in common with Gabriel. "He was talking to us both," he croaked.

Sylvie balked. "TK and Carlos!"

Grace's eyes widened in alarm, and Matt surged to his feet. "Sev!"

"Yep!" Kelly tossed his keys to Matt, who was already halfway to the door.

***

The alarm system beeped negatively at TK, and the firefighter scowled. "What's up with this thing?" he complained, trying the passcode again.

"It's been acting up all day," Carlos told him, switching off one of the lights. "I called the company. They're coming tomorrow." TK nodded absently, scowling at the panel again. "Come on," Carlos whispered in his ear. "Let's go to bed."

"Just give me a second," TK mumbled, trying one more time.

A pair of arms snuck around his waist, and he felt Carlos's breath hot against his ear. "Are you gonna make me twist your arm?" he whispered.

Heat rushed down TK's spine, and he turned, giving Carlos an innocent smirk. "Please do," he purred.

Carlos grinned and beckoned to him with a finger, guiding TK up the stairs. Neither saw the lamp under the stairs short out and spark.

***

Kelly raced down the streets of Austin, following right behind Owen's car. "Anything?" he asked, looking in the rearview to where Matt and Sylvie were on their phones.

"Just Carlos's voicemail," Matt shook his head in frustration.

"Same with TK," Sylvie sighed. "TK, it's Sylvie. Answer either me or Owen, please! This is an emergency!"

***

"We're getting possible reports of a possible structure fire, 540 Lynwood Avenue."

Billy held up his phone with the dispatch app, looking at Owen. "That's the address, right?"

"Yeah," Owen nodded in confirmation.

"Grace must've gotten through to dispatch," Billy nodded, turning up the volume.

"House 129, please respond," the dispatcher ordered.

Billy did a double take. "Why the hell are they sending 129? They're halfway across town!"

Owen's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Because the 126 is closed," he answered. "Which is exactly the way Raymond wanted it."

***

TK had shed his sweatshirt and tossed it somewhere out in the hallway long before they reached the bedroom. It took a gentle shove from Carlos for him to drop onto his back on the bed, and he watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Carlos removed his shirt with ease before climbing on top of him. TK's hands found Carlos's shoulders easily, and he tugged his boyfriend down, seizing his mouth in a hot, heavy kiss. Carlos growled into his mouth, licking into his mouth, and TK moved his hands from his boyfriend's shoulders to claw into his hair. When it became too much to breathe, TK wrenched his mouth free first, and Carlos kissed his way down TK's neck towards his shoulder.

Something stung TK's eyes, and when he breathed through his nose, he paused. Something wasn't right. "Babe," he gasped, tugging on Carlos's curls to pull him away. "Babe . . . you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Carlos frowned.

TK sniffed again, then froze. "Smoke."

Carlos blinked, sniffing as well. "I smell it, too," he whispered, climbing off the bed and heading for the door.

TK followed behind him, and he barely made it to Carlos's side before he found himself engulfed in smoke, and he coughed heavily, tugging Carlos away from the massive wall of flames inching up the staircase. "Get back inside!" he shouted. "Get back inside!" Carlos stumbled into the bedroom, watching TK take command. "We got to close the door. Carlos, call 9-1-1, hang a towel outside the window so they know where we are."

"OK," Carlos nodded, looking around frantically.

TK shut the door, grabbing another towel to place on the crack. "OK, this is gonna buy us a few minutes," he nodded, looking around for a jacket. "Hey, where's your fire extinguisher?"

"Under the kitchen sink," Carlos admitted.

TK blinked. "You don't have one up here?"

"No," Carlos shook his head miserably as he put his shirt back on.

"OK," TK took a deep breath. "It's OK – " The curtains behind him suddenly burst into an inferno, and he yelped, backing up. "Carlos, get down!"

"This can't be happening!" Carlos swallowed hard.

The door was next to be engulfed, and TK looked at the last resort they had. "Hey, the window," he pointed. "How far down do you think that drop is?"

"Uh," Carlos thought rapidly. "Twenty, twenty-five feet?"

"That's our only shot," TK swallowed. "Come on!" Carlos nodded, gripping TK's hand tightly as they fought through the smoke to reach the window. He grabbed the chair nearby and smashed it through the glass, creating the perfect opening for someone to climb through. "You go first," TK told him. "I'll be right behind you."

Carlos looked down at the drop nervously, then turned back to TK. "Look . . . if we don't . . . if we . . . "

He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, and TK cupped his face. "Hey, I love you, too," he whispered. "OK? Now go. Go, go, go!"

A crash startled them, and they spun around to see Owen burst through the door, an AFD bandana covering his nose and mouth. "Hey, guys!" he shouted to be heard as Billy appeared behind him. "Follow me!"

"Dad!" TK cried in relief, stumbling across the room.

"Come on!" Owen gestured, aiming his handheld extinguisher at the floor, clearing a path for them. "Come with me!"

"Put these over your faces!" Billy handed out additional bandanas, which TK gratefully took, passing one to Carlos. "Do not touch the walls on the way down!"

"Go, go, go!" Owen placed himself protectively in front of TK. "Stay close!"

TK made his way down the stairs, finding the familiar shapes of Judd, Matt, and Kelly in the smoke, the captain and the lieutenant blasting the flames as best they could. "Hey, hurry up!" Judd beckoned, leading TK and Carlos to the door. "Let's go! This whole place is about to flash over!"

"Stay close!" Matt warned, blasting a flame that flickered too close to Carlos for his liking.

"Let's go, go, go!" Billy gestured, leading the pair out.

Owen checked to make sure his son and Carlos were clear, then he turned to the three still fighting the fires. "We got 'em! Come on! We're all out!"

Judd was first to leave, then Matt and Kelly brought up the rear. Owen retreated back to the cars just as the house exploded into a massive fireball, flames licking into the black sky ominously.

***

"We're fine, Dad," Carlos spoke into the phone as TK padded up to him, shock blanket wrapped around him. "Yes, sir. I'll see you soon. Love you, too."

Carlos hung up, looking down at the phone, and TK sighed. "He on his way?" he asked.

Carlos silently nodded. "Don't think I've ever heard him sound so upset before," he whispered.

"Yeah," TK sighed. "Carlos? How are you doing?"

"I'm good," Carlos insisted. At TK's dubious look, he hastily continued. "Really, I – " He cut himself off abruptly, then swallowed hard, looking at the smoking remains of their house. "I didn't think we were gonna make it out," he confessed hoarsely, his voice breaking. "I should have had an extinguisher in the bedroom. I'm . . . I'm really sorry, I didn't – "

"Hey," TK shook his head, tugging Carlos into his arms. "Hey, hey, come here."

"I didn't – " Carlos tried again, unable to speak through his tears.

"It's OK," TK soothed, rubbing his back. "It's OK. We're OK." Carlos sobbed and nodded, burying his face in TK's neck. "We're OK," TK whispered, kissing his cheek.

***

"Don't scratch the blisters," Tommy warned Owen, finishing wrapping his arm. "They should fully heal in a few days."

"Unless he goes finding another arsonist on his own," Matt quipped.

He grimaced when the bandage around his own arm tightened, and Sylvie glared at him. "Shut up, Matt."

"Yeah, shutting up," he cleared his throat.

"I swear, New York," Billy grunted from where he sat in the back of one of the ambulances, oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, "I eat more smoke hanging out with you than I ever did on duty as a fire captain."

"It's been a weird week," Owen argued.

"Best damn week of my year, I'll tell you that," Billy laughed heartily.

"Billy, I don't think I've ever seen anyone smile so big and have so many second-degree burns," Tommy remarked.

"Well, these are the least of my medical concerns, Captain Vega," Billy smirked. "If that was my last ride in, it was a hell of a ride."

"If that's how you ride, Tyson, I don't think that was your last one," Kelly shook his head. "I may not like you for what you said to Sylvie, but you're a bona fide smoke-eater."

"Long may we ride, Lieutenant," Billy mocked raising a glass.

"Agreed," Judd nodded, looking between Owen and Billy. "But to that point, gentlemen . . . uh, you know, maybe you two should go back to golf or something a little more low-risk?"

As Billy rapidly shook his head in denial, Owen snorted. "The last time we played golf together, he got struck by lightning."

"You what?" Matt stared at Billy in surprise.

"Damn!" Judd laughed. "No, that's right! I forgot about that!"

"OK, if one of them has been struck by lightning, how can we be called danger magnets?" Kelly demanded, pointing between himself, Matt, and Sylvie.

"Well, I don't know about that," Billy grinned. "But we have a good time."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Owen chuckled.

"You two are hopeless," Tommy declared.

Sylvie grinned, then felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. She pulled it out, then blinked when she saw the Caller ID. "Nolan?" she asked in shock.

"Who?" Matt frowned.

"The attorney who saved you from fainting in a coffee shop Nolan?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"You fainted in a coffee shop?" Judd looked at Sylvie.

"The now Executive ADA in Manhattan, yes, that Nolan," Sylvie rolled her eyes, stepping away. "Just let me – " She turned her back, answering her phone. "Hello?"

"Did I just see your firehouse explode on the national news?" Nolan demanded, not even bothering with pleasantries.

Sylvie blinked. "We made the national news?"

"What the hell, Sylvie?!"

Owen watched Sylvie hastily try and recover the conversation, and he shook his head fondly. "She just picks up attorneys wherever she goes, apparently."

Billy looked up at Matt and Kelly, who were watching Sylvie with unreadable expressions, then he cleared his throat. "Well, since she's out of the way . . . " He held up his hands defensively when both men swiveled to glare nastily at him. "I didn't mean it like that," he told them. "Did any of you hear what she said before all this . . . well, blew up?"

"No," Owen frowned. "Just that she accepted the apology."

"No," Billy shook his head as TK and Carlos joined them. "I mean after that."

"After what?" TK asked in confusion.

"What did she say?" Matt frowned.

Billy took a deep breath. "She said at least I apologized for implying she slept with a superior officer. Emphasis on implying."

Owen stiffened, and Tommy blinked. "But . . . that would imply – ?"

"Someone actually said that to her face?" Judd growled. "Who the hell would do that to her?"

TK gulped, and Carlos turned, seeing the ashen look on his face that had nothing to do with the fire they escaped. "Babe?" he asked.

"No," Matt whispered, the blood draining from his face as he looked at Owen, who had a crestfallen expression. "No . . . Captain Strand, please tell me that's not . . . "

Owen closed his eyes. "I can't," he whispered. "Because I would be lying if I did."

Matt made a sound similar to a cat being strangled, and he abruptly turned as he tried to keep his composure. "Someone in Chicago said that to Sylvie," Kelly looked sick at the thought. "And they ran her out of Chicago because of it?"

"Oh, hell," Billy closed his eyes.

"And if you think about it," Carlos swallowed. "If someone brought that up in Chicago . . . who would be the first officers they would think of?"

Owen thought Matt's face couldn't turn any whiter. He was so very wrong. "Oh, my God," the truck captain choked out.

Owen could think of nothing to say in response as he looked to where Sylvie was still talking to Nolan, completely unaware of the bomb that just went off among their group.

Tommy's feet were dragging by the time she finally opened the door to her house. "Hey, you," she smiled, seeing Charles sitting in his chair by the TV, which was lowered to a quiet volume. "You didn't have to wait up." She sighed, slinging off her bag and placing it against the wall. "Oh, gosh . . . so much for a night with no emergencies. You will never guess where I just came from." She stopped when she saw a sock by her boot, and she chuckled, bending down to pick it up. "You got a runner, babe," she said, frowning when she saw more socks lying on the ground. "Hey, babe? I'm talking to you!"

She straightened from her crouch, turning to Charles. She stopped in her tracks, seeing Charles's eyes were aimed blankly at the wall across from him . . . and one eye looked like it had burst, the white full of red blood. She faltered, feeling her heart begin to race. "Charles?" she whispered desperately, clutching the sock tightly.

Charles didn't answer, nor did he move, and the sock slipped from her hand . . . because not only was Charles not answering nor moving.

Charles wasn't breathing.

***

I want it to be known that in my original plan, Matt and Kelly were to find out the entirety of Stella's blackmail threat (including that Stella herself delivered it) all at once. I never intended for bits and pieces of it to come out here. This would be why I never make promises on what will happen when.

And now poor Tommy gets to go through the roughest patch in her life. Major props to Gina Torres for the episodes she acts in, especially "One Day," which was a complete masterpiece from her. I'm looking forward to writing her and Owen into it, given all that Owen's gone through in the past few episodes, too.

graphic by marvelity