Castle was joking with the boys when Slaughter showed up. The two guys following him looked like thugs, but they were part of his team. "Hey Castle, you ready?" Slaughter called out.
Castle could barely contain his excitement as he turned around. "Oh yes quite ready," he said clapping his hands together.
"These are my guys, Masters and Bates." Slaughter said nodding towards the guys.
"You're kidding, right?" Castle said with a smirk sure Slaughter was pulling his leg.
Masters got right up in Castle's face, "What's your problem?" he practically yelled. Esposito and Ryan immediately took a step forward.
Castle put his hands up and backed away, "Oh sorry…the names…never mind." He wasn't getting off on the right foot with his new team. Slaughter clapped Castle on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Castle. They're always catching grief about their names." He leaned in a little closer. "They can be a little touchy about it." Slaughter said lowering his voice.
"Yeah I caught that." Castle replied.
"Well, OK then. Let's get out of here," Slaughter said.
Castle turned back to his old team and gave a brief wave of his hand. "Hey guys, wish me luck."
"You'll need it," Esposito mumbled as Ryan said, "Yeah, see ya Castle." Beckett just stared with her lips pursed in disapproval.
Out on the street Castle followed Slaughter to his car. "You're kidding - this is your ride?" Castle questioned practically drooling over the jet black '85 Monte Carlo SS. It had custom chrome wheels with low profile tires and was so shiny Castle could see his reflection. "What's it got in it?"
Slaughter's eyes lit up. "She's got a 454 big block. It's a thing of beauty." He was practically stroking the car's roof. "This is my one true love," he said his eyes lovingly scanning her. His eyes met Castles, "I call her Vera."
"Vera is awesome," Castle exclaimed appreciatively. He was going to enjoy cruising around in Vera. He was already enjoying his new gig. Maybe they could even get in a car chase!
Castle was mindful that he was here to research the gang unit – cases, procedures, the gangs, but most importantly the guys in the unit. He had to know what made them tick. He started asking questions – lots of them. Ethan was 50 much to Castle's surprise. He had guessed him to be early to mid 40s. He'd worked in Vice & Homicide but the Gang Unit seemed to fit him best. He'd been doing this 10 years.
Finally Ethan looked at him in annoyance. "You're like one of those yippy little dogs that never shuts up!"
"I can do quiet. As a matter of fact one time I…" he caught a glare from Slaughter. "Shutting up now," he said sheepishly.
They pulled up in front of a rundown apartment building. "The boy that was killed lived here," Ethan explained. "We'll start with his family, see if they know anything about what is going on. My boys are checking with some of our CIs." They found the apartment and knocked. A woman in her mid-thirties answered the door, her eyes puffy and bloodshot. Slaughter flashed his badge and introduced himself not bothering to mention Castle. "We'd like to ask you some questions."
She opened the door for them to enter. "Treshaen was my son. He was a good boy, but he got involved with that gang and I knew he didn't belong to me anymore." Her eyes were welling up. "What do you need to know?"
Castle glanced around the shabby apartment a little glad that she hadn't invited them to sit down. There were two young girls playing in the corner and a boy about 10 or 11 eyeing them suspiciously from the doorway. His eyes were puffy too.
Slaughter started talking again, "I saw Treshaen had a tattoo on his neck. It looked like a gang tattoo. Do you know what gang he was in…I'm sorry what was your name?"
"Trella," she replied. "He was in this gang called the Grunts. I don't know much about them or Treshaen's involvement. He would stay away for days at a time and didn't talk to me much when he was here."
Slaughter nodded. He thought that was the Grunts tattoo but there were so many gang spin-offs it was hard to keep up with them all. "Do you know if he was having any trouble with anyone in particular?"
Trella looked down obviously pained that she couldn't help, "I'm sorry I don't know who he's been around or even who any of the other gang members are."
Slaughter said, "That's OK. Mind if I talk to your son here?"
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sure. I'll be in the kitchen. I have something on the stove."
Ethan looked at the boy, "What's your name?"
"Ledell," the boy answered a little defiantly. Slaughter smiled. He knew what an imposing figure he was, especially to a child and he liked this kid's spunk.
"Come on over here. I'd like to talk to you." Ethan said. The boy took a couple of steps forward. His jaw was set but you could see in his eyes he was a little frightened. Ethan squatted down to be on Ledell's level. "My name is Ethan. Glad to know you," he said holding out his hand to be shaken. Ledell took a couple more steps forward and shook his hand.
"Ledell, I'm trying to find out exactly what happened to your brother," he confided to the boy. "Did he ever talk to you about his friends or enemies?"
Ledell gazed into Ethan's eyes. "He told me he joined a gang. I thought it was cool but he made me promise I would never join a gang. He said being in a gang seemed cool at first but it was really a bad thing. I heard him talking a couple of nights ago about trouble they was having with the DAPS."
Slaughter nodded, "Your brother is right about gangs. They are very bad. Do you know anything else that might help me?"
Ledell clenched his fists, "I know I'll kill whoever killed my brother!" Tears were welling up in his eyes with the hate that he was feeling.
Slaughter's gaze was steady, "Ledell, It's my job to get your brother's killer. Your brother told you to stay away from gangs because he wanted you to stay safe. If he were here now, you know what he would say?" Ledell shook his head. "He would say to let Ethan handle it because that's his job. You know what else he would say?" Ledell shook his head again. "He would say that you're the big brother now. You have to help your little sisters remember Treshaen. You have to stay alive to help your Mom and make sure she doesn't have to be this sad ever again." He put his hand on Ledell's shoulder. "I think you're strong enough to do that, don't you?" Ledell nodded this time. "Good," Ethan said as he straightened up. "I'm going to give you my card that has my phone number on it. You can call me anytime about anything." He handed the boy his card. "We can just talk if you want to or I can even buy you a burger. Deal?" He held out his hand. Ledell looked at him a little warily, but shook his hand and said, "Deal."
Slaughter looked up and saw Trella standing in the doorway. "Ma'am," he nodded at her and turned to leave, Castle tagging along behind.
Back in the car Castle said, "You were really good with that kid."
"I try to throw them a lifeline while they're still young enough to use it. I talked to Treshaen a couple of years ago when he got into a little bit of trouble. We had a brief connection but he didn't want to keep it up. Most of them don't want to hang out with a cop." Slaughter paused for a couple of minutes. "You know I was a troubled kid in high school. I was always big so nobody tried to bully me. Matter of fact, everyone was scared of me and I liked it that way. My dad was an alcoholic and would smack us around when he was drunk. I remember good times too. He taught me to play ball." Slaughter paused again before going on, "He committed suicide when I was a sophomore. No matter what, you always love your dad." Castle didn't know about that. He never knew his father and the only guys his mother brought around didn't want anything to do with him. He wasn't sure how much money he'd been given over the years to 'get lost'.
"I pretty much hated everybody and was angry all the time. You'll never guess who threw me a lifeline." He glanced at Castle.
"I'm guessing a cop," Castle replied.
Slaughter laughed, "No, there was this little geeky rich kid at school. For some reason he thought I was interesting. He started talking to me. I'd ignore him and tell him to get lost and even tried to scare him away, but he kept coming back always talking about one thing or another and asking me questions. I finally got used to him being around and we eventually became great friends. That one friend turned my life around. You remind me of that geeky little rich kid." He said shooting a glance Castle's way.
"Geeky, really?" Castle asked. Everything about Slaughter was surprising him.
"Really," Ethan answered.
Slaughter and Castle met up with Slaughter's guys in a park. Bates explained that the street talk had the Ukranians involved in a drive-by. They couldn't find out a possible motive. Slaughter told them the kid brother had mentioned the DAPS which was Dominican. Masters said the Grunts hadn't been any help just saying they'd take care of their own.
"Why don't you guys check out the Ukranians and Castle and I will talk to the DAPS." Slaughter said.
Slaughter drove to an empty warehouse that he said the DAPS sometimes used. Not only were all the windows broken out, but some of the old brick appeared to be crumbling. It looked like it was about ready to fall down.
"OK, you hang back behind me and let me do the talking." Slaughter ordered. Castle nodded.
They walked in the building but had to stand there for a minute to let their eyes adjust. There were still crates and big machinery scattered around. It was quiet. Maybe no one was here. Slaughter cautiously walked ahead, Castle a few steps behind. Castle heard a noise behind him and turned just in time to see a guy swinging a board at him. He quickly tried to jump back but the board connected with his forehead with a sickening thud. Castle dropped to the ground dazed. Slaughter dispatched the attacker with one quick punch to the face.
"You OK Castle?" Slaughter asked extending his arm to help Castle up.
"Just great," Castle replied a little sarcastically. The blood was already streaming down his face and his head hurt like hell.
Slaughter pulled him to his feet. Immediately Castle shoved him yelling, "Gun!" Slaughter had his gun out before he hit the floor. When the first shot rang out, Castle slammed into the crate behind him. There was a puzzled look on his face as he slid to the floor. He looked down and saw red starting to spread out across his shirt. He looked back up and saw Slaughter firing his gun. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. He thought it would be better if he could get behind a nearby crate, but when he tried to move he only succeeded in falling over on his side. He didn't know how much time elapsed before Slaughter appeared over him.
"How you doing, Little Buddy?" Slaughter asked. Castle wondered who his little buddy was. "Come on can you get up?"
"Yeah," Castle answered his voice sounding funny to him. Slaughter grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet. Castle gave a combined groan and gasp as the pain shot through him. The little pinpoints of light exploding in front of his eyes gave way to darkness as he started to slump. Slaughter quickly dropped his shoulder to catch Castle as he fell and hoisted him up in a fireman's carry.
"You're not dying on my watch Castle!" Slaughter announced. He carried Castle outside. He could already hear the sirens approaching. The warehouse was on fire. They apparently walked into a meth lab. He never saw it, but he could smell it when they got a little further in. When it was obvious they were going to fight back, the attackers must have set fire in the lab before they fled. Slaughter was surprised there hadn't been an explosion yet. Before long there were police cars, fire engines, and ambulances on the scene.
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