I Am Morgan

Chapter 18: Fireworks

"Keep that 2 1/2 on the roof line. I don't want a flare-up spreading to the other buildings." Boden tells the companies while we tend to a restaurant fire.

"Oh, hey, sir, sir." Severide puts out his arm to stop an older man from running inside. "You're gonna want to stand back, okay?"

"It's my restaurant, are my employees safe?" He asks desperately.

Kelly sighs and picks up his radio, "Hey, Casey, you got a search status?"

"Building's clear, just opening up the ceiling." He replies.

Kelly turns back to the man, "Building was empty, your people are out."

His face seems a lot more relieved but then t turns to worry and upset, "Son of a bitch said I'd pay, I never thought he'd go this far. Ten years without a grease fire. I opened four restaurants in the union, suddenly he sees money. I refused to sign. They send this thug!"

"Sounds like you're gonna want to talk to C.P.D." suggests Sev.

"What good would that do?" He returns. "This guy's not gonna stop until I'm ruined or dead." He walks away back to his wife and embraces her while Kel and I share a raised eyebrow look of concern.

"Okay, Chief, we're almost done. Send in the engine for the wash down." Casey radios but then a large bang comes from inside. A second later the window smashes and two bodies come flying out of it, one of them with their body on fire.

"Hit him with the hose!" Boden orders and we see that it's Cruz and Casey.

"Lieutenant!" Cruz calls once the fires out.

"I'm okay," he announces, taking off his mask. "Thanks, Cruz."

We get Casey into the ambo and take his gear off to take a look. Gabby treats a few burns on his back but his injuries aren't too bad.

"Seriously, it's fine. It didn't burn through my gear." He insists.

"Then what's this?" I hold up his jacket and put my fingers through the hole.

"Ow," he pulls away from Dawson.

"Hold still. It's just a first-degree burn." she tells him. "Will you give me that bandage?" she asks and he passes it up to her. "Couple more seconds of whatever that was that dumped down on you, it wouldn't have stopped at the jacket."

"It smells like fuel," I grimace as I sniff it.

"That's 'cause it was." We hear and turn around to see Otis holding jugs. "Homemade gasoline fire bombs in the ceiling." Kelly has stopped to listen and we both look over to the crying couple who own the place.

Once we've secured the area we call O.F.I. and they come to speak to us at the station. "Back door was kicked in. It's not like whoever did it was making an attempt to hide it was arson." Casey explains.

"C.P.D. said they'd back seat to my office on this one." James Whoritsky from O.F.I. replies.

"On that union rep who was threatened by the owner of the diner?" I ask, a little shocked.

"Yeah, your owner, Stuart Tuxhorn, filed a complaint against a Lou Krinsky last month. We're checking it out, but with a case like this, the evidence is circumstantial at best." Whoritsky reads from a file and tells us.

Kelly laughs and shakes his head, "yeah."

"Did I say something funny?" He frowns with a serious expression.

"Yeah, this union guy, if he's connected to city politics, you can't tell me that someone isn't already trying to get this buried." Kelly says.

"Look, we're good here," says Boden, "Just keep us posted."