Hi again! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest, but I'll make sure to make the next one longer. Thank you to everyone who review last chapter! Your awesome reviews always make my day! Also a big thank you to all those who added this story and me as an author to their alert/favorite lists! You are the best!
Chapter Three
"Here we are." The smooth southern accent sounded just as the engine of the car stopped.
Kevin curled his hands into fists and steadied his breathing. Knowing this may be his last opportunity to try to escape, so the detective readied himself.
The blindfolded man jumped when a hand unexpectedly grasped the back of his neck in a firm but not painful hold. Kevin then cringed when warm breath brushed against his ear as Damon spoke quietly and far too close for comfort. "You wait right here, Kev. I'll be back in a sec."
With Calder's words the pressure was removed from Ryan's neck and a sound of a car door opening and closing reached his ears. Taking advantage of a moment alone Kevin used the handle he was bound to, pulling himself forward as far as he could. He then bent down to use his hands to pull his tie off his eyes. After a sudden brightness the captured detective's sight adjusted to the light, but the sight that greeted him made his heart plummet.
Everywhere Kevin looked all he could see was dense woods, all but a lone cabin. The detective felt his hopes of escape slowly slip away. Even if he could get away from Damon he wouldn't even know which direction to start running. After a moment of despair Kevin noticed Calder watching him with interest from the cabin's doorway. And it was in that moment Ryan knew he was meant to pull the blindfold off; he was meant to see no way of escaping. The realization made Kevin's frustration level spike.
Deliberately slow Damon walked back to the car and opened Ryan's door, leaning on its frame with a smirk. "I know you're not a reckless idiot, Kevin. So I'm sure I won't be having any problems with you. Will I? I think it's pretty obvious that if you try to run…well, you'll end up getting lost and killing yourself before ever reaching civilization."
Kevin glared with his vivid blue eyes and pulled himself as straight as the car would allow. "You just have everything worked out huh? Well I don't know what your plan is or how it involves me, but you missed some vital information, Calder. My team…my partner…my friends, they are not going to stop until they find me and put you in prison where you belong."
Damon's smirk turned into a glare just before he lunged at the bound detective, pulling free his knife in the same motion. In anger, the muscular man pushed Kevin against the back of the seat his large arm pushing against his upper chest and held his dark bladed knife in front of his struggling captive threateningly. "I'm counting on it." He snarled.
Kevin's eyes widened. Unable to look away from the knife held dangerously close to his face Ryan willed his heartbeat to slow down. His wrists started to bleed as his cuffs cut into his flesh while the pounding in his head returned full force after having been slammed into the headrest. It took a moment for his pain-filled mind to process Damon's words and when he did Ryan's gaze shifted to his captor's grey eyes. "I'm the bait?"
Damon eyed Kevin thoughtfully and spoke in a dry voice. "See what I said. Smart." On the word smart Calder smacked the flat part of his knife against Ryan's forehead lightly and pushed himself away.
Kevin sat there trying to catch his breath and didn't struggle as Damon unlocked one handcuff only to immediately return it after releasing him from the handle holding him in place. Without warning Calder yanked Kevin out of the car pulling him, against strong resistance, into the threshold of the cabin.
"I know who our victim is." Javier called out across the bullpen to Castle and Beckett.
Castle turned in his seat and watched Javier's progress, noting the hard determination set in his features and posture.
"Really? Who is he?" Kate asked when her friend was close enough to hear her without having to shout.
Esposito placed an enlarged picture of their victim on the board. "His name is Fred Beaker. I talked to Francine, the owner of the coffee shop, and she said he was a regular…in a sense."
Caste raised an eyebrow. "In a sense?"
"Yeah. Francine said she would always give him a free cup of coffee when he came by. Said he was a really nice and caring guy that just fell on some hard times. Anyways, apparently they would talk whenever he came in. So she knew his name, where he was from, family history, you name it."
"Good. Is his next-of-kin coming in?"
Javier tapped the file his was holding. "He doesn't have one. He didn't have anyone really."
Kate bit the inside of her lip. "What about Ryan's phone?"
Javier was quiet for a moment and looked as if he was trying to settle his emotions. "The phone was mostly wiped clean, but there was a print on the lock button. It could be Kevin's, but we won't know for sure until the lab finishes processing it. They have a rush on it…since it's one of us, and said they would call with results immediately. We should be hearing from them any minute now."
Esposito stopped speaking but Kate could tell by the look in his eyes and the way kept swallowing that he had more to say. "What is it, Espo?"
Javier looked at his friend sadly. "I know Kevin's passcode so I unlocked his phone…and…my contact information was displayed. I think he was trying to call me…but he didn't get the chance."
Kate, Castle, and Javier stayed quiet for a few moments both thinking of their missing companion, when the shrill ring of Beckett's phone shattered the silence. "Beckett."
Castle listened to Beckett's side of the conversation, but his eyes stayed fixed on Javier. Esposito was staring at the picture of his best friend placed on their white board, the word missing written in harsh black marker above it. The detective's gaze was so intense, like if he stared hard enough Ryan would come waltzing into the precinct as if nothing was wrong. Castle wanted to believe that could happen, but he knew the truth.
"Really?! That's fantastic! Thanks." Beckett's joyful voice caught the attention of both Javier and Castle as well as Captain Gates.
"What have you got, Detective?" Gates asked, all business.
Kate looked up with a wide smile. "That was the lab. They found a match on the print from Ryan's phone that wasn't Kevin's."
Castle moved to the edge of his seat. "Whose print is it? Whoever it is has to be the person that took Kevin." The writer's voice was full of excitement as he looked back and forth between Javier, Kate, and Gates.
Kate began typing the suspect's name into her computer to get a face and history to go along with it. "The print came from a…wait that can't be right." Beckett said in confusion.
Castle leaned over to look at the computer screen. "What is it?"
"Our system says that our suspect, former Major Damon Calder, is dead."
"Did you just say Damon Calder?" Javier asked in a loud and shaken voice.
The tone in Esposito's question sent an unsettling feeling through Kate. "Yeah why?"
The Hispanic detective stood still with his mouth hanging open slightly, blinking rapid before he finally spoke. "Because Damon Calder was one of my CO's back when I was in the Special Forces. I'm the reason he's dead."
Kevin stumbled down the last stair after Calder pushed him unexpectedly, just managing to keep himself upright. After the bound detective righted himself he took a moment to view his new surroundings. All around him was floor to ceiling concrete, no widows could be seen, making the only light the basement had to offer a single hanging lightbulb in the middle of the small room. Kevin noticed a decent looking bed in the far corner next to a wall that held a door. There were a few cameras scattered around the room, but it was the long chain laying on the ground near the bed that had Kevin worried.
"Alright let's get those clothes off you." Damon said nonchalantly.
Kevin Ryan turned to Damon with panic clear in his eyes. "What?!"
Calder chuckled. "Relax. I'm going to get everything set upstairs, but while I'm gone I want you to take your suit and put it in this plastic bag."
Kevin watched Damon throw the bag onto the bed and blinked in confusion. "Why? I don't understand."
Damon took a step closer; Kevin countering it promptly. "Let me finish." He snarled, losing his temper.
Kevin clenched his jaw shut. The last thing he wanted was to have to fight this man handcuffed.
"Good. As I was saying: put your clothes in the bag and change into these."
This time Calder threw grey and black flannel pajama pants and a light grey t-shirt at Kevin's chest.
"Also I want your shoes and socks put in the bag." Damon said firmly.
Detective Ryan squared his shoulders. "And if I don't?"
Damon eyed his captive with curiosity, trying to determine whether or not he was serious. "Well, if I come back down here and you haven't done what I said…I'll do it for you. And I can assure you it won't be pleasant."
Calder started up the wooden stairs but only made it two steps before looking back at Ryan and reaching into his pocket. "Oh, I almost forgot."
A scraping noise followed the tall man's words as the keys to Kevin's handcuffs slid across the hard floor.
Ryan stood his ground and waited until Calder was all the way up the stairs; the door shut and locked behind him. In a rush Kevin took up the keys and awkwardly unlocked the cuffs around his bloody wrists. Sighing in relief, Ryan felt better having his hands free again. Kevin eyed the plastic bag with uncertainty, debating in his mind what he wanted to do. The detective ground out a sound of anger and threw the clothes in his hands on the bed and turned away. Slowly and with care the detective circled the room, looking…hoping for any weaknesses. When he frustratingly found none, Ryan checked the only two doors in the basement. The one at the top of the stairs and the one close to the bed.
As quietly as possible, Kevin inched up the stairs, hissing under his breath with every creak. Carefully, the kidnapped man's pale hand touched the metal of the doorknob and was hit by an electric shock for his trouble. Ryan yelped and cradled his hand against his chest, gawking at the door, stunned. Huffing in annoyance the detective walked back down and checked the other door unsure whether to be happy it was a small bathroom or not. Obliviously Damon planned to keep him for an extended length of time.
Not wanting nor needing to test the extent of Damon's conviction Ryan began to switch his clothes to the pajamas and place his suit in the plastic bag. His shoes and socks followed, bringing a shiver to the detective when his bare feet made contact with the cold stone floor.
Knowing his personal things were going to be taken Kevin took out his wallet and pulled out a picture of him, Jenny, and his baby girl Sarah Grace. The detective's blue eyes began to water slightly with the fear that he would never see his family again. Never be able to watch his daughter grow up, or see her first steps.
Kevin heard a noise from above him and listened carefully, trying to gauge how much time he had before his new 'friend' came back. Running his thumb over the picture in his hand, Ryan looked for a place to hide it away from his captor's prying eyes. With care Kevin slid the photo into the pillowcase on the bed and sat down, waiting for whatever would come next.
End of chapter three! What did you all think? Next chapter we'll find out more about Javier and Damon's connection/history. Any guesses? Please remember to leave a review and if you like what you're reading add me to your follow/favorite lists! Until next time…
