A/N: All characters and places belong to ABC and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. This is my first Castle story and I plan on continuing it into a multi chapter story if there's interest. This story is centered around the second-ish season. Please let me know what you think of the idea and chapter. Please review! CE
"How long has he had her?"
There was a quick heartbeat before—"over twenty four hours, sir."
Captain Montgomery sighed heavily and ran a calloused hand over his face. When he turned around, he looked at each person in turn before speaking. "She's leaving us clues, we know that she's leaving us clues to follow. We just don't know what the hell they mean."
He shook his head. "Call Royce."
Ryan scampered towards the phone. "Royce?" Castle echoed, watching Ryan's frantic keystrokes and voice. "Who's Royce?"
"Beckett's first partner. The one who taught her everything she knows," Esposito said quietly, staring up at the murder board where the picture of their very own looked down at them, "victim" written underneath her name, Katherine Beckett.
"He's said he's on the way," Ryan said, slamming the phone down and returning to stand next to Esposito. "Should…" he hesitated. "Should we call Beckett's dad?"
"And tell him what? That we lost his daughter and for all that we know she's dead in an alley somewhere?" Esposito interrupted angrily.
Ryan glared at his partner. "I was just—"
"We all need to stay focused," Montgomery snapped. "Arguing help's no one, least of all Kate."
The elevator dinged and Ryan nodded towards the doors. Castle turned to find a man walking quickly and purposely towards them.
He was tall with a thick build. His balding head gave way to brown eyes that seemed to notice everything around him. He wore a leather jacket and heavy boots.
"Run it down for me," he said in greeting.
"Beckett went missing from her apartment two days ago," Montgomery said, nodding towards the photo of her thrown apart home, "there were definite signs of a struggle. Two separate blood profiles, one was Beckett's, the other we assume is the abductor's. Since then we've been trying to follow their trail, but this guy's careful. She left us a trail to a gas station, but we lost them again on the high way and now they've disappeared for the last twelve hours without a sign."
Castle watched for a change in the man's face, but one didn't appear.
"We've gone through all the case files, but we just don't know which one of the perps Beckett's put away could've done this," Ryan said.
"So you've got nothing," Royce said shortly, tearing his gaze off the board to look at the group.
Castle swallowed, feeling despair slide heavily down his throat and settle in a knot in his stomach. "Yeah," he said. "We've got nothing."
Then the phone rang.
For a moment no one moved. And then Montgomery answered.
"Hello."
"Ah, Captain, lovely to hear your voice."
Castle looked around at the others for recognition in their eyes and found none. "Where's Detective Beckett?" Montgomery said calmly.
"Katherine? Oh, we were just getting to know each other, weren't we?" There was a muffled sound on the other end. Esposito tensed next to Castle.
"Anyways, I thought it was about time I should check in on my favorite homicide team," the man's voice continued. "Am I to assume Mike Royce is with you as well?"
The bounty hunter moved closer to the phone. "Put her on the phone," he growled.
"Ah, Mister Royce, there you are," the man's voice continued pleasantly. "Kate dear, some people wish to speak with you."
There was rustling on the line.
"How ya doing kid?" he said gently.
It was a second before Kate's voice came through the line. "Royce?"
"Hey kid, you're going to be fine. Right now I need you to focus for me, all right? Look around for me. Where are you?"
"Drugged," she managed groggily. "Old … old house. Musty, near some kind of water…"
There was a screech on the other end of the line and a series of angrily retorts and dull thuds.
"What happened?" Castle whispered?
"Kid?" Royce's voice threaded with panic as Beckett's voice disappeared. "KID?"
"Son of a—what do you want?" Royce growled into the phone.
"I want you to catch me," the man said with a chuckle. "Welcome to the game. I'll start at her toes and with every phone call I'll move on and we'll see if she's still alive by the time you find her."
There was a little bit of movement on the line before it went dead. There was silence in the bullpen.