Chapter 2: The Departure

Castle was almost done cleaning up after breakfast when he heard the clunk-clunk-clunk of wheeled luggage being pulled down the stairs. A few moments later, he glanced up while closing the dishwasher to see his mother coming into view. She'd taken a slight detour to leave her bug-out bag by the loft's door, and now she looked full of purpose as she marched toward him.

Castle hoped to take the initiative, speaking first as he began to wipe down the countertops. "All ready to go? The security detail should be here any minute."

Martha fixed Richard with a look he hadn't seen for more than a few years, the one she used to give teenage Ricky after listening to one of his excuses for missing the night's curfew. "Richard, maybe it's the short night I had, maybe it's the lack of vodka talking, but I'm a bit fuzzy here. Why do Alexis and I need to leave if the NYPD will be on the case? Why can't we get police protection here, or even stay at the Precinct until the concern is over? What haven't you told us?" The concern in Martha's voice matched her questions.

Returning her stare, Castle tried to shut down the conversation he had hoped to avoid. "Mother."

Martha wasn't having any of it, and followed Castle as he left the kitchen for his office. "Don't you 'Mother' me. For an author with a flair for the descriptive, you were using way too many passive verbs earlier, and providing too few details. Are you going straight to the precinct when you leave here? Will Detective Esposito or Ryan be picking you up?"

Entering his office, Castle went straight to one of the chairs in front of his desk, where an over-sized backpack was sitting open. No longer meeting her gaze, he began to rummage around in the backpack, obviously looking for something. "I promise you that Gates will be brought into this before you get out of the City."

Martha positioned herself to block the office door, crossed her arms, and looked at Castle, her eyes narrowing. "You're not answering any of my questions. What are you planning?"

Castle paused his search, and turned to face his mother. His first grin of the morning reached his eyes. "A bit of medicinal bourbon got me thinking last night. After you went up to bed, I poured myself a drink to help me sleep, and considered how over the last few weeks things with Beckett went from bad, to good, then to over. Maybe it was a remark I made to Beckett that her mother's killer had turned this into a war, maybe it was the zombie case reminding me of my Civil War project, maybe the bourbon put me in mind of General Grant, who knows. You remember me reading all those Civil War books? Something in William Sherman's memoirs suddenly came to me."

"Why you ever thought you could build a Civil War comedy around the man who coined the phrase 'war is hell', I'll never understand," Martha said dryly.

"I'll have you know his memoir is considered to be one of the best ever written," Castle replied rather defensively. "But the point here is that when Sherman was trying to convince Grant to let him take his army and march across Georgia, Sherman claimed that being on the offense was a full 25% advantage over defense. Sherman then went and provided it." Castle turned back to his backpack, and stuck his hands in. "I figured, why not repeat history?" An 'a ha' look of success appeared on his face, and his hands moved to grab something Martha couldn't see.

Martha remained silent for a few seconds more, and when she spoke, her voice was a mix of concern and skepticism. "So you think that the best way to keep Beckett safe, is to attack?"

"The strategy worked for the general who saved the Union, so I figure it should work here too." Castle said, as he pulled two overstuffed letter-sized envelopes and one bulky manila envelope from his bug-out bag, zipped it up, and turned toward Martha. "Today, we go on the offensive, and with an army."

"Sherman was once relieved of his command after a nervous breakdown. And you're not military."

Castle ignored Martha's comments, as he grabbed his bag with his free hand and moved toward the office door, stopping when he faced Martha, his face grim. "Whether or not any of us like it, the deal keeping Beckett safe is over. She's got a lead on her shooter, and she's not going to stop for anything, and sure as hell not for me." Castle paused, gathering himself before continuing. "You said it yourself, love isn't something that can be switched off, not even after last night. I won't stand aside until they succeed in killing her. I aim to end this thing, once and for all."

The concern on Martha's face had grown throughout Richard's explanation. "Richard, what makes you think that Gates and the police will succeed this time, or will even pursue a murder from 19 years ago? Katherine was shot a year ago, and the police have stopped its investigation after getting nowhere. She won't wait for long before she'll conclude the police have failed again, and restart her own efforts."

Before Castle began to reply, there was a knock on the loft door, which was quickly followed by the sound of Alexis shutting her bedroom door upstairs. Martha moved from the office doorway, to clear a path so that Castle could answer the front door. But before he moved, he spoke. "If it gets to that point, it won't matter if she does." Reacting to the confusion on Martha's face, Castle continued, "I'm sorry Mother, the less you and Alexis know at this point, the better." Castle finished with absolute conviction. "But I meant it last year when I said I was going to do what I had to, to keep Beckett safe. She's not dying because of me."

Castle went to the door and peered through the peephole. Castle opened the door after recognizing the athletic young man standing outside of his door as Tim Yancey, a member of the security firm that Castle had been working with on Alas Babylon.

After an exchange of short pleasantries, Yancey held out to Castle a duffel bag that by its shape obviously wasn't full of soft items.

Castle glanced behind, and saw that his mother and Alexis were fast approaching. Turning back toward Yancey, Castle said "Is this it?" Castle as he grasped the handle, his eyes never leaving Yancey's.

"Yes, that's it. You've got all we had," replied Yancey, shaking his head slightly, as he watched his two charges approach.

Castle bobbed his head a few times as he set the bag down on a table by the front door, unzipping it. Looking down, the misgivings on his face was partially obscured as he peered inside. The tone of his voice was nevertheless light. "I'll make it work. Thanks, Tim, we'll be with you in a few."

Alexis and Martha, who had been just arrived at the front door, were reversed and ushered by Castle into his office. "In each envelope there's $20,000 in cash and two new credit cards, one in your name and one in your cover name. You'll also find a driver's license with your cover name." Martha and Alexis exchanged worried glances, but remained silent. "Only the cards with your cover names have been activated. 'Felicia,' here's yours," said Castle, handing Alexis her envelope. "'Vesper,'" Castle said as he handed Martha the other. "There's more cash at Babylon. You know where the safes are there, and the combinations." Though neither Martha nor Alexis had been to Babylon, he had shared pictures and video of both the exterior and interior, including the safe meant to be found in a search, as well as the better hidden safes. "You need to stay off the grid. Use the cash first, then the credit cards with your cover name if you have to. Those cards are already activated and can also be used to get cash advances. Don't worry about their limits; you won't hit them. Only as a last resort activate the cards in your own names and use them."

"Dad, you're scaring me," Alexis said in a small voice that reflected the near-shock she was in at this morning's events.

"Yes, Richard, you're making it sound like we need to disappear for a while."

There was optimism on Castle's face and in his voice for the first time that morning when he spoke. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to. If things go the way they should, I'm thinking you'll be back here in no more than 36 hours, 48 tops."

Next, Castle opened up the manila envelope from his backpack, and upended it. Two basic cell phones slid into his free hand. Castle said, "You'll need to give Tim your cell phones. He'll keep them, and given them back when it's safe to use them."

"Wait, is he staying with us? I thought the security team was only dropping us off there."

Castle answered in a matter-of-fact, smooth tone that didn't reveal any hint of concern. "Normally, yes, but since you'll be coming back very soon, I thought it made more sense for the team to stay with you and bring you back. Plus, Tim's very familiar with Babylon, so while you're there, he'll be able to give you an overview of the house, the town, and answer questions you may have about the work we've been doing." Turning to his mother, Castle finished with a crooked grin. "Consider it all something of a rehearsal in case we ever have a real need to invoke Babylon."

Castle held out the phones to Alexis and Martha. "In the meantime, these can be used to call me in an emergency. Hit speed dial #1 and it will dial a phone I'll be using. Don't be alarmed if I don't answer, and don't try my personal cell. I won't be using it. Just leave a voice mail and I'll call back just as soon as I can. But please leave your phones on, so I can call you if I need to."

Yancey, who had been arrived at the office door at the beginning of Castle's phone instructions and had been standing quietly, tapped lightly on the door frame. "I'm sorry, but we really need to go, or the car will begin to draw undue attention." Castle nodded to him, and placed a hand at the lower backs of Alexis and Martha to walk the group back to the front door. Once there, Yancey went through the front door first and closed it behind him, leaving Castle, Martha, and Alexis with some privacy for their goodbyes.

Castle spoke first, having steeled himself to keep his voice steady and strong to avoid causing any further concerns over this morning's events. "I love you both."

Alexis reached for Castle, to be engulfed in his arms and cradled into him. Alexis said, "Dad, I love you too. Be careful, and listen to Gates, please?"

"When don't I?" Castle answered in complete mock sincerity, before concluding in complete sincerity. "Don't worry, I'll be as careful as I can, I promise."

"Kiddo, I know you're doing what you think you have to. Do it, and let everyone can get on with their lives." Martha commanded, her eyes bright.

After final hugs and kisses, they went into the hall, where Castle stood as he watched Alexis and Martha head for the elevator with Tim and another member of the security detail. Alexis stopped and abruptly turned. "Don't forget to call the school, to apologize that I won't be there tonight."

Castle replied with a nod and a smile. "Got it. I'll put it on the list of calls I need to make. Love you, be careful, and I'll call just as soon as things are clear. Soon as I can, I promise."

After the elevator doors closed, Castle was alone, satisfied that the first step of his plan had been completed. Well, he had to admit to himself, it wasn't exactly the first step he had initially sketched out last night or he wouldn't be by himself. He had wanted a security specialist with him for the duration. When Castle hired first the security firm, it had committed to having three specialists available for Castle on 12-hours' notice. It had been less than half of that time since his late night call to the firm. During that call, the firm had only been able to guarantee the two who were now protecting Alexis and Martha, and had told Castle it would try to find a third member for the team before morning. Castle's security firm had alternatively offered to subcontract the assignment to another agency, one Castle had never heard of. Castle had passed on that alternative, concluding that a lack of security for him was better than security that Agent Gray hadn't recommended, while hoping a third specialist would be found in time. Castle's exchange when greeting Yancey had dashed that hope.

Castle turned, and went back into the loft to finish packing up so he'd be ready to leave. As he walked back to this office, he quickly convinced himself that the lack of security for him really amounted to a slight change, something that had been purely an overabundance of caution. Last night when a third security specialist had become doubtful, he had begun re-working his plan in the event that the day became more of a solo mission, and he was starting to be convinced that the modified plan that he was still thinking through could be just as safe, possibly even safer.

But now, it was time for a few calls that would set in motion the remainder of his evolving plan, one that he hoped would put the lie to the Derek Storm catchphrase that had been borrowed from Agent Gray: "Transparency gets you killed."