A/N : Thank you all so much for your 'follows' and 'favourites'. However you may wish to hold off on the 'favourites' until you reach the end of the story. You may not like where this story goes. I seem to have offended a few people by my, I admit, provocative opening so I feel it incumbent on me to add a word of warning. Let me make it clear that Castle is the hero of this action/adventure drama and it is through adversity that a hero proves his worth. If you are looking for the light-hearted Castle with the quick wit who hides behind the SWAT team in his writer's vest you will find very little of him here. This is the Rick we see in Target/Hunt. I will be taking him to a few dark places where he questions his actions and his motives and has to deal with the consequences. If you're okay with that read on. If you're not, no worries. There are plenty of other great Castle fics out there and I hope to explore some of them over the coming year. Your comments, both positive and negative, are always welcome and I try always to answer anyone who leaves a comment. I am happy to discuss writing style, plot points, character traits etc. but please remember this is fanfic. It allows us to take the characters and go where the show doesn't/can't/won't. To those who choose to read on, thank you.

Chapter 1 – Schedule Change

Three weeks earlier.

"RICK!" Kate squealed as he grabbed her from behind. "Stop that!" she admonished twisting in his arms and pushing him away. "You are going to miss your flight. Now FOCUS!"

He lunged for her again and succeeded in getting her in a firm bear hug. "I'll get the next one," he whispered in a husky tone as he planted a row of small kisses in the crook of her neck.

"RICK!" She looked up into his eyes as he raised his head and smiled down at her with big puppy dog eyes. She took pity on him and hugged him back. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I'm going to miss you." He pressed his lips to hers and for a moment she responded before poking him sharply in his side. "Ow!" His bottom lip curled and he pouted prettily.

"Rick! Seriously. The car will be here soon. Have you got everything? Passport?" He released her reluctantly and patted his pocket reassuringly. "Schedule?" Rick glared at the offending package of papers that Gina had provided and which now lurked on the bed. He scooped it up and pushed it into his carry-on with his laptop. "And make sure you read it on the plane? Don't want you getting lost and ending up in Caen instead of Cannes," she chided.

"Huh?"

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head just as the doorbell rang. Rick sighed. "That'll be your car. Come on." Kate grabbed his case.

Rick scooped up his carry-on and his suit-carrier following her forlornly out of the bedroom. They abandoned the bags to the driver and Rick hung back for a couple of minutes. He pulled Kate into his arms to give her one final kiss. Eventually he had to break away. "I'll try and call but with the schedule and the time differences ..."

Kate put a finger to his lips. "I know. Be careful and try to stay out of trouble." Rick feigned a wide-eyed innocent look that made her giggle. "I love you."

"I love you too."

.

He hadn't paid much attention to the drive out to the airport, his mind occupied with how he was going to stand three weeks away from Kate not to mention how he was going to survive the ridiculously tight schedule that Gina had set up with their European partners. He had only had the courage to glance at the first page outlining the London stage of his trip which included two book-signings, three interviews and a gala dinner at which he was supposed to give the after-dinner speech. The latter had been underlined and high-lighted in yellow. She had helpfully added a bright green post with the words. "Write a speech BEFORE you get there!" That had been enough to make him close the file and ignore it till it was time to leave. He figured there would be enough time on the flight.

Rick glanced out of the window as they passed a sign indicating the way to international departures. Rick leaned forward to speak to the driver. "Excuse me, but didn't we just pass the turn-off?" The driver, who Rick didn't recognize as one of the usual drivers from the car service, glanced in the rear-view mirror and stretched his lips into a smile. A professional smile.

"No worries Sir. It's a little busy up there today. I'm just taking a little detour."

Rick smiled and nodded, returning his thoughts to the schedule and the damned speech. After several more minutes Rick felt the car slowing. Looking around once more, he was surprised to see that he was in an area of the airport he didn't recognize. The car drove down a plain unmarked asphalt strip that resembled a taxi-lane. Way off to his right, Rick could see the aircraft lining up up ready for take-off. He shifted position to look out of the wind-shield. They appeared to be heading towards a large hangar.

"Hey what's going on? Where are you going?"

Again the driver smiled the professional smile, one that conveyed no human emotion. "No worries, Mr Castle. We're almost there."

"But my flight is supposed to be leaving from ..."

"No worries Sir." The driver interrupted. "Slight change of schedule."

Castle felt a knot of apprehension form in his stomach. He watched as the car headed towards the hangar. They were only a short distance away when the huge doors moved apart as if expecting them. The car rolled in through the gap and the doors closed behind them. He twisted around in his seat to watch the huge doors being closed by two burly men in black suits. The apprehension turned into nervousness, an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He flipped his head back round to spy a smart private jet with a set of stairs leading up to the door. Two more men in dark suits stood sentry-like at the bottom of the stairs. As soon as they drew to a stop one of the men opened his door while the the second went straight to the trunk to pull out his luggage and carry them onto the jet.

"This way please Mr Castle." The suit spoke in a polite but monotone voice. Rick looked him up and down. His features indicated an Asian heritage. He was solidly built, wore dark glasses and had an ear-piece with a curly wire that disappeared into his collar. There was also a tell-tale bulge under his jacket. Looking around he spied the other two men now stood to attention watching him. He could see their earpieces too. Rick swallowed. If this is a kidnapping, it was certainly one of the more civilized kind.

Stepping cautiously out of the car he was escorted up the stairs and onto the plane. He looked around. Very civilized. The interior could only be described as plush. Four sets of two wide leather seats stood either side of the cabin with polished wooden tables, brass lamps and thick carpets. Beyond the seats was a small bar to the right and what Rick assumed was the restroom to the left. Everything was cream, brown and gold. Just beyond the bar a curtain swished to one side and a very attractive blond stepped out. She was petite with round eyes that gave her an innocent look and she was smartly dressed in a dark blue skirt and white blouse. Rick was about to say that he thought that they had made some kind of mistake when she smiled broadly.

"Good evening Mr Castle. Welcome aboard." She gestured with a hand to one of the seats on his right. "Please sit. Would you care for something to drink? Champagne?"

Rick knew he was gawking. "Very civilized," he muttered to himself. As he glanced behind him the imperturbable face of the suit stared at him. Well, almost. He sat. The flight attendant smiled and without waiting for an answer to her question wandered off to the bar and started to prepare tray of drinks.

"Seatbelt," grunted the suit ominously. Rick gulped and complied. The suit seated himself on the seat opposite on the other side of the plane and did up his seat-belt without taking his eyes off Rick.

"You know, I'm supposed to be on a flight to London..." Rick began.

"Please don't concern yourself Mr Castle. The airline has been informed of your change of plans and I assure you we will not unduly perturb your schedule." Rick turned around to see a short wiry man with silver-framed glasses wearing a light grey suit, white shirt and red tie. His grey hair was thinning giving Rick the impression of a pen-pushing accountant in his late fifties. The man smiled. A professional smile. He slid into the seat opposite Rick placing a large briefcase on the floor beside him and did up his seatbelt. Before Castle could ask what was going on, the flight attendant reappeared and served drinks, a glass of champagne for himself and a bottle of water for his companion. She also placed several dishes of snacks in front of him. "Thank you Candy. Would you be so kind to serve dinner as soon as we're in the air?" He glanced at Rick as though seeking his approval. "I hope steak is all right? Medium rare?" Rick nodded. "And please tell the captain that we are ready for take-off." Candy smiled, nodded and headed to the cockpit.

Rick was stunned. Private jet. Champagne. Dinner. Very civilized. Almost immediately the engines burst into life and Candy reappeared to secure the aircraft. Rick glanced around to see if anyone else was joining them but it appeared not. The other suits had disappeared as had the car that brought him. He glanced out of the windows to see the hangar doors opening once more, wider this time to allow the plane to leave the hangar.

Candy stopped by them. "We should be in the air in fifteen minutes and in London slightly ahead of Mr Castle's schedule. His hotel has been informed of an earlier arrival."

"Excellent Candy. Thank you."

Candy smiled and disappeared through the curtain once more, presumably to prepare dinner. Rick watched her leave and then turned to his mysterious companion.

"What is going on? Who are you? Am I being … abducted?"

The man smiled, a little more genuinely this time and reached into his briefcase extracting a thin buff folder with a US crest embossed on the front. He flipped it open and twisted it to face Rick placing a heavy gold pen on top of it. "If you would be so kind to sign this document I will happily answer all your questions Mr Castle."

Rick glanced at the document. His eyes widened as he scanned the legalese. It was similar to a document he had signed before when researching one of his Derrick Storm novels. It was a non-disclosure agreement. The bottom line was that he could not tell anyone else anything that was discussed between them on pain of prosecution and imprisonment, the kind of imprisonment where no one knew where you where and where they conveniently lost the key. As soon as he set eyes on the document he knew who the men were. "So you guys are with courteous independent abductions?" he quipped, grinning at his two companions. Neither man smiled. The suit glared at him. "Joke," he suggested tentatively.

The man opposite him offered a thin lipped smile. "We don't have a sense of humour Mr Castle. We're the CIA."

.