Beckett's head hurt and the thumping of the Harley's motor didn't help her feel any better. Of course having lost all control of an undercover op didn't make her feel too good either. All things considered, she had just gone from a location where the GPS on her phone would lead backup to her within ten minutes, to a larger and more heavily armed group with an unknown destination. One look at his face told her their cover was blown.

About five minutes passed before most of the bikers veered off to go somewhere else. The only addition from the morning riders was the woman called Queen who outweighed Castle by 50 pounds who rode Beckett's motorcycle. The four bikes stopped at a neglected park just off the main road. Everyone got off the bikes and stood sizing each other up for a few seconds. Within a minute the wail of sirens drew their attention to the caravan of police cars flying by.

"I bet that's all for you, Detective Beckett, head of the homicide division for the 12th precinct of the NYPD." He casually removed his black leather jacket and hung it on the handlebar of his Harley. The sleeves on his black shirt was rolled up revealing the tattoo of a raven on his forearm.

"You obviously aren't worried about your GPS leading them here to my bike." Beckett needed to know how confident this guy was about whatever he had planned.

He looked at her and his face registered surprise. "You knew about that? Impressive! I had Queen ditch it there. Considering the blood from your sucker punch to the head, the phone, and the GPS transmitter we dropped, your backup should be distracted for a while." He walked over to Castle and got his phone which he stomped while staring him eye to eye. The author was a few inches taller and slightly heavier, but the man dressed in the black silk shirt easily looked the stronger of the two men.

He came back over to Beckett and studied her. The man called Profit smiled at Beckett in a way that made Castle move beside her. "Since you have some free time, I have a proposition for you." His pupils were so wide and dark that no color showed. He only left off the eye dance he was doing on Beckett to face her lover.

"I'm listening," Castle growled.

Profit's tone was nonchalant, "I hear that you, Mister Writer, are great at research, and I suggest you go try to figure out who killed my biker brother. Detective, I invite you to stay undercover with us for a day or two while we continue to follow some clues."

Castle crossed verbal swords, "Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, Sir, get thee back into the tempest and the night's plutonian shore."

Profit threw back his head and laughed. "Never have I been told to go to hell with such finesse! He sized up Castle and threw out some fodder. "I don't know how you two ended up in that predicament at the gang house, but I'm willing to bet it was your fault, writer. She's too good to make whatever stupid mistake that got you and your girlfriend caught."

He turned to Beckett and continued, "I've never been fooled by a cop before. Nice play this morning." A squawk from a raven emitted from the man's phone. He backed away and answered the call, all the while pacing.

Beckett used the space and time afforded them to size up their surroundings and predicament. The other bikers were close enough to catch them if they tried to run. The neighborhood wasn't an area with good citizens who would call and report a disturbance. The only other signs of life were 2 men sitting in a black cargo van.

Castle used the moment to check out Beckett. Her head was bleeding but it didn't seem to be a severe wound. Her mental state showed no signs of confusion, so he crossed a concussion off his list of concerns. He was glad they got away from those punks and what was happening back there.

All further reflections were checked by the darkly dressed man. He spoke only to the writer. "Time to depart. Tell me where you want to be dropped. You have my word you will arrive unharmed." His voice implied absolute certainty of his words.

Castle replied, "Evidently you didn't think I was serious the first time. Go to hell!"

"Either way it's time to say your goodbyes." Profit's patience was gone and it showed.

"Rick!" Beckett snapped Castle's attention back to her, "We at least need to consider the reprieve." She tried to get her beloved to connect with her nonverbally.

Her boyfriend spoke in anger, focused only on the immediate threat before them. He wasn't a trained detective and his reactions were emotional. "I've heard and seen enough. No means no."

The biker came back over to them flexing his hands. The involuntary response was less a show of force and more an indication of what was to come. He nodded at a van and the two big thugs came over to do whatever they were told. "Then you both get tossed in there. We use the threat of harming one to make the other cooperate. Your only choice is whether you go home in one piece or not. Either way she stays." The pissing match was official.

"I'm not leaving her." Castle refused to back down.

"Your choice." the raven replied.

"No! It's my call." Beckett put a stop to the escalating emotions and took back control from Rick. She turned into his arms and stared into his beautiful blue eyes. "You need to go and let me do my job."

He softly whispered the words hoping only she would hear them. "Kate, you are asking me to abandon you. I cannot do that anymore than I can stop loving you." He held her in his arms vowing to never let her go.

Her heart still fluttered to hear those endearments from him. But she loved him too, and she was thinking of ways to keep him alive instead of nearby. "I'm out of options. I can't keep us both safe. You need to think of Alexis." Invoking the name of his other great love was cruel, but effective. He winced.

"Don't do that. Don't make me choose. Kate, as long as we are together we'll be fine. I'm not leaving you." He saw her emotional demeanor change to hardened cop. He was losing her and tried one last appeal. Quietly he whispered, "He's on drugs. We need to stall until he comes down. I can help do that." He begged with his eyes.

Detective Beckett saw the signs and knew better than Castle what was going on. She didn't want to risk their captor changing his mind. There was no guarantee Castle wasn't going to be taken away and killed, but indicators showed his odds were better than hers at survival. If they wanted him dead they could do it without pretense. He was more useful to them this way. She kissed him goodbye and let him read the love in her eyes. She backed away from him and turned to the man in control of her fate. "Once he is safe I'll cooperate."

"Kate, please…" he begged her even as the two large thugs came over to stand between them.

The shot-caller was professional in his tone to Beckett. "I assume you have a gun. You need to send it with him."

The female detective felt as naked removing her weapon as she was going to be at the gang house. This single act drove home her choice, but what choice did she have? She focused on her movements being slow and non-threatening. There was no use getting killed for being jittery. Using two fingers she removed her gun from her boot and kept it pointing down. She stated "Ejecting clip," and let it drop. Next terse statement was "Opening chamber to show empty."

She clicked it open and held it upside down with one finger. She looked at the man dressed in black. He nodded at her. She walked back to Castle and tried to punch a hole through his despair, "You love it when I have to give you my gun."

"Don't do this. Don't. Kate. I see it in your eyes. Cops don't give up their weapons. You're saying goodbye to me and I won't let you. I can't let you go. Kate…" his voice broke and he had to stop speaking before he lost it.

"Rick, I want you to make me a promise. Under no circumstances let Alexis become a cop." When the small attempt at humor failed, she forced out the words she had to say. "Unspoken sentiments are a burden and I'll not let you carry that regret." She whispered, "I'm glad we found each other before it was too late. I love you."

She walked away with a heavy heart towards the motorcycle she arrive on and waited. She didn't want to watch, but they easily threw him in the van and tied him up. They drove off with the love of her life and the loss of his presence hardened her. She kept staring until there was nothing left to see.

She felt her self survival instincts kick in. Chances for rescue were bleak unless there was an informant in the bike club. Regardless, those things took time and she would be on her own and at the mercy of this guy, maybe the rest of her life however short that might be. Getting Castle in touch with Montgomery was her best hope unless they threatened him not to tell. She wasn't certain what Castle would decide to reveal if he thought it would place her in greater peril.

Castle was devastated. He raged at Beckett's lack of trust and faith in letting him stay. He sat on the floor of the windowless van and brooded dark thoughts until he was aware of the muscled thug speaking to him. "Don't tell the cops nuthin'. If anybody so much as gets a parking ticket, we hurt her. If any street trash starts asking questions, she gets knifed. If anybody comes looking for her, all they'll find is a bloody body. He said to let you go so you could protect her. You damn well better be as smart as the dude said you was."

"She has regular check-ins. Even if I say nothing, they will come looking for her." Castle despaired at the inevitability of it all.

"We're listening to pig radio. They think the gang bangers took her."

"Yeah, they are looking there now, but when that runs cold they look at the victim, the biker, and check known associates. That means they will eventually come looking for you guys. Don't make her pay for something I didn't do."

"Then you better be a real good story teller."

Castle groaned. He couldn't do anything without his muse.