Chapter 1: The Hunters
Kate, Alexis, Martha, Esposito, and Lanie were all sitting waiting for any update on Rick's condition while Ryan was at the precinct finishing the summaries and making copies of everything they had learned over the course of the investigation. As he finished securing the copies, the feds arrived to take everything from them as they had requested. Ryan returned to the hospital as soon as the feds left.
"Hey guys, any news yet." Ryan asked. It was pushing close to 1 am and everyone was operating on adrenaline, emotion and coffee.
"Not yet dog." Esposito replied from the chair that he was leaning back into. Lanie laid her head on his shoulder as she watched her friend and family keep an eye on the door.
"I called Jenny. She's on her way." Ryan told them as he settled in to a chair with the rest of them. "Feds came and got everything, but not before I made copies."
"Nice dog." Esposito replied with a nod of his head. Lanie got up to let Esposito take a seat next to Ryan. "How's it down at the station?"
"Depressed man. Everyone is walking around in a daze." Ryan told his partner. Esposito nodded as Ryan hung his head down in exhaustion and prayer.
"Ms. Beckett, Ms. Rodgers, Ms. Castle." A voice said coming through the door that lead to the surgical area. A doctor in white scrubs with blotches of blood on it walked out. Everyone stood as the doctor walked over.
"How is my husband doctor?" Kate asked taking both Alexis's and Martha's hands.
"He will be fine. We were able to stop the areas that were bleeding, and close up the wounds." The doctor told them. He saw the other people in the waiting room and noticed the badges. He shook it off. "He has a chest tube in right now to help keep the lung from collapsing again, but in the next few days that will come out as the wound starts to fully heal."
A sigh of relief came over everyone as hugs were passed around. Alexis then looked at the doctor. "When can we see him?"
"He's in recovery right now, then will be moved to ICU." The doctor told them. He shook hands with everyone that was there. "It will be about half hour to an hour."
"Thank you doctor." Kate told the doctor who nodded and left the relieved friends and family. "Lanie, Ryan, Esposito, if you guys want to leave you can. I'll meet you at the precinct in the morning."
"Kate, dear are you sure you want to be working this especially now?" Martha asked showing concern for daughter in law after everything that has happen.
Alexis leaped into the conservation. "Grams, she's the best person to find the people that did this. All of them are."
"But Alexis, sweetheart her focus should be here." Martha told her granddaughter.
"If I know dad, he'll want his wife hunting down the people that hurt her and her family." Alexis stated with a smile and a squeeze of both Kate's and Martha's hands.
"Beckett, if you want to let the feds take this we understand." Esposito said coming over with Ryan, and Lanie.
Kate looked around the room at her friends and family and then at the doors leading to the surgical area. She then turned her attention back to the group. "Meet me at the precinct at 9am."
Ryan, Lanie and Esposito nodded as they gave all three Castle ladies a hug before leaving. Jenny arrived just as the trio were walking towards the elevator. She stopped by to give the Castle ladies a hug and offered to help any way she could before catching up to her husband. Few minutes after that a nurse came and got them to bring them to the recovery room.
Even in low light, Rick looked pale and clammy. Yet as he heard the footsteps, his eyes opened to see the most important people in his life coming by his bedside. Kate got to him first and gave her husband a deep kiss. "You scared me babe."
"Scared me too." Castle replied with a weak smile as he clasp his wife's hands. He saw Martha coming around the other side. "Ahh mother, even this late you still look elegant."
"Oh Richard." Martha managed to smile in between the tears on her face. She leaned in kiss her son's cheek. "Always the charmer even in here."
"Learned from the best." Castle replied with another weak smile as Kate made way for Alexis. "My beautiful Alexis, I'm ok."
"I know dad." Alexis replied in between sobs as she laid her head on hers father's shoulders. Castle's hand wrapped around his daughter. "I was scared dad."
"I was too, but I know I would be ok." Castle told his daughter who lifted her head. He motioned his head towards Kate. "Look who I married."
Alexis smiled and the tears started to ease up and she got up off her father's shoulder. Castle looked at the three most important people in his life. Then he turned his attention to his wife. "Who went down?"
"Gates." Kate told him with her head dipping down a bit and looked over at Martha. She then looked at Rick. "Babe, you shouldn't worry about that now."
"I know, but I worry about you." Castle said reaching out his hand to his wife. She took it and came over close. "This isn't just about revenge anymore, someone has declared war on the team."
"Richard, you should rest." Martha said to her son placing a hand on his shoulder. She looked at her granddaughter and daughter in law. "Let whoever is taking over now, worry about that."
"Whomever is taking over won't be as good." Castle said with a weak smile. He then turned his attention to Martha. His other hand took her hand. "Mother, if they could get to us outside our building, what's that say about them?"
"It doesn't matter Rick, we aren't on the case anymore. Feds are." Kate said as her fingers played with his. She saw his face and smile which made her smile. "You know what I was going to do."
"Alright folks, we have to move him." The nurse said coming over as she started to check on everything.
"One second nurse." Castle said as he looked again at his wife. "You picked up some bad habits from me, but be careful please."
Kate nodded as she watched Castle being rolled out of the recovery room and to an ICU room. She, Alexis and Martha walked outside as she received a text message from her next level superior. "Police protection provided at hospital and your address. Prayers are with you."
Despite the crime scene tape outside and the flurry of activity as the crime scene techs processed the scene, the Castle ladies were allowed entry upstairs to the loft where they immediately went to bed. Kate's alarm went off the next morning at the usual time. She did her daily morning routine, and as quietly as she could left the loft since Alexis and Martha were still sleeping. The 12th had aspects of mourning for their fallen captain around the building as Kate arrived in the bullpen. She saw that Ryan and Esposito were already there.
"I thought I said 9." Kate said with a tired smiled at her friends as she sat down at her desk. She almost looked around for Castle who would have brought her morning coffee.
"Couldn't sleep knowing that these sleazebags are out there." Esposito stated as he looked over the copies that Ryan made.
"I agree with Javi." Ryan interjected himself into the conversation. He got up and handed Kate a lab repot. "This was in my email this morning. Lab got a match on the rounds from Captain Gates and the ones from your building. One of the guns used on Captain Gates, was fired at you."
"What about the SUV?" Kate asked looking at the lab report. She heard Esposito get up and come over.
"Before the feds got it, Tory was able to make a copy of the surveillance footage from the camera's that caught the SUV's." Esposito told her handing over a printout of two side by sides of SUV's. Plural SUV's meant "Two different SUV's but one of the passengers is in both photos.
"So more than one gun to take out Captain Gates, but one on Rick and me." Kate stated while looking at the pictures. She then looked up. "Doesn't make sense."
"It does if you know that killing a cop will bring you and Castle out." Ryan said as his desk phone rang. He walked over to answer it and a couple seconds later hung up. "The agent who will be running the Fed end just arrived and is on her way up."
Kate, Esposito and Ryan quickly secured the files that they had been going over and sat at their desks as the elevator dinged. Kate turned her head over her shoulder and her mouth dropped. Agent Rachel McCord, her boss from her time in Attorney General's office walked on into the bullpen.
"Detectives Beckett, Ryan and Esposito how are you doing today?" Agent McCord said walking over by Kate's desk and setting her bag down in Castle's chair.
"Pissed off, McCord." Kate said coming to her feet. While she understood the reasons why she was fired, it still chaffed her that they focused more on politics than the victim. "Why are you running this?"
"Sorry Detective Beckett that is classified." Agent McCord told her as she handed her the paperwork stating that she was now in charge of the investigation. "You do remember what classified is right Detective?"
"Yes I do." Kate said looking over the paperwork that had been handed her. "Your fellow agents came and got everything already."
"I know, but this a warning, if you or your fellow detectives are caught looking into this, you will be charged." Agent McCord told the assembled group as she closed up her bag. She then looked at Kate again. "I understand that you would want to, but do yourself the favor and go be with your husband while he recovers."
Agent McCord gathered up her bag and left the bullpen not caring about the looks that she was getting from the team. As soon as elevator doors closed, the team took out the files again and put them on their desk.
"I admired your restraint Beckett." Esposito told Kate as he went back to looking at the reports. Esposito looked up with a smile.
"Trust me, it took considerable restraint." Beckett answered with a smile as well. She got up and went to the murder board and updated it by placing Gates picture along with her husband's. "Castle would probably say something comforting at this point."
"If it helps, she died quickly Kate." Lanie said as she walked into the bullpen. She walked over and gave her friend a hug. "Feds brought in their own ME, but didn't realize I went to med school with him. He was willing to share information. Captain Gates died from multiple gunshots to upper chest area. Her heart stopped before she could bleed out."
"Not that comforting." Beckett replied to her friend's quick autopsy report.
"That's pretty much straight forward. Everything was classified." Lanie replied as she sat on the edge of Kate's desk. "Where's Alexis and Martha at?"
"At home, then going to the hospital." Kate told her friend as she came back to her desk and sat down. "I will be joining them there in a little while."
"Detective, this was dropped off at the front desk by messenger." A uniform brought a envelope to her and left after a thank you from Kate.
She opened the envelope and she pulled out a single piece of paper. She unfolded it and read what was typed on there. "FBI won't purse the murder of Captain Gates. They are after something bigger. Meet in Bellevue South Park by basketball court in one hour after you receive this. Bring your team."
Kate wondered if the note could have been a trapped, and even wondered if she should call the FBI. She then remembered what Castle said in the recovery room. She looked up from the notes. "Guys, secure those and come with me."
"Where we going Beckett?" Ryan asked as he again locked up his files. Everybody except Lanie board the elevator.
"We're heading to Bellevue South Park's basketball court." Kate stated as the elevator doors closed. She felt the looks of Ryan and Esposito on her. "Just be ready for anything."
It took them twenty minutes to reach the park. The team entered the park and spread out a bit as they walked towards the basketball courts. Kate noticed a man sitting down on the benches. As she approached the man got up and walked towards the exit of the park.
As Kate got ready to say this was a ruse, she heard a voice from behind. "Hello Kate, good to see you again."
Kate put her hand on her gun, pulling it out and as she turned she got a surprise that made her nearly drop her gun.
"NYPD. Put your hands on your head." Kate heard Esposito say as she saw him coming over. He saw Kate pull her weapon. She also caught sight of Ryan hurrying over as well with his weapon out.
"This is Anderson Cross a suspect…." Ryan said as he began to pull the man's arms behind his back.
"Ryan, Esposito, meet Jackson Hunt. My father in law." Kate told them as Ryan and Esposito shared a shocked look.