Author's Note: Before reading "Checkmate (Part 2 of 2)," be sure to read "Check (Part 1 of 2)."


SCENE ONE

Scene opens as previous episode left off, with Kate Beckett and Richard Castle in an alleyway near National Bank & Trust. Beckett has just tackled Castle, and the two of them are lying face down on the ground when the episode starts. After a second, Beckett raises her head and looks to Castle.

Beckett:

Castle? Castle, are you okay?

Castle raises his head. He looks slightly dazed but otherwise uninjured. Castle looks towards Beckett and nods.

Castle:

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. (He blinks.) What happened?

Beckett shakes her head, an unsure look in her eyes.

Beckett:

I don't know.

Beckett looks up towards the end of the alleyway. Castle follows her lead. Camera shifts to follow their line of sight. At the end of the alleyway, Cole Maddox is lying face down in the dirt. Blood can be seen on his back and is presumably pooling underneath him.

The silhouette of another person appears outside of the alleyway and walks towards Maddox's body. The person examines Maddox quickly to make sure that he is immobilized, then turns her head back and calls out to others hidden outside the alleyway. From the voice, it is revealed that the person is Captain Victoria Gates.

Gates:

All right. You three, check over the body. Make sure that's who we think it is. The rest of you, secure the perimeter.

Gates walks forward, towards Castle and Beckett. Camera shifts to Castle and Beckett, who are looking at Gates with mouths open in shock. Gates stops in front of Castle and Beckett and crosses her arms.

Gates:

And you two better explain what the hell is going on.

Scene ends.