CHAPTER 9
The detectives wait in Beckett's apartment for a response from the sweep team. Kate is staring at the phone waiting to get the call from Maddox that it is time to go and rescue Castle and get herself killed. She knows that this is the way it will go down. She can only imagine what the death of Castle would do to his daughter and mother. She cannot let the knowledge of her own demise affect her decision to rescue him from the hands of a killer like Maddox.
Captain Gates cell phone rings. She answers and listens intently to the caller, taking notes on her note pad. She looks at the other detectives then speaks into the phone quietly. Gates shakes her head as if to agree with the caller, and then hangs up.
Gates motions Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito follow her to the hallway of the building. Once outside the captain speaks up "the sweep team found nothing at the station. Anywhere!"
Beckett responds "but there must be something, somewhere"
"I agree. The team is coming here to sweep your apartment"
Ryan speaks "OK! So do we wait here and stay quiet or what?"
Esposito responds "Lets' go back inside and visit like we are just here having drinks until the team gets here"
The group agrees then returns inside. About 15 minutes later, the sweep team arrives. Once inside, they go to work without saying a word. Within two minutes, the leader comes from Beckett's bedroom to the kitchen holding Beckett's elephants. He has placed them into an antistatic bag. The type bag that computer people use to protect electronics from damage. This bag also prevents RFID or radio bug signals from getting out.
"Here is the transmitter." The sergeant says "it is very powerful. It has a range of about 5 miles. So whoever was listening did not have to be very close. They could be anywhere inside a 25 square mile area. Too hard to pinpoint, but that is the only listening device we have found."
Gates tells the sergeant to get the device back to the lab and try to determine who had the resources to acquire this device and they might be able to get to whoever provided this.
Now that they had located the eavesdropping equipment and removed it, they can talk freely about the situation and formulate the plans.
Beckett starts "well, we now know how they knew about my work on my mother's case. These elephants were on my desk just inches from where we would be while discussing the case."
"OK!" Gates chimes in "we have the mole issue dealt with. Now we can proceed on to the Castle issue"
Esposito responds "as soon as you hear from Maddox, I will get the aerial views and plot out my strategy. I have called a couple of my former special ops guys. We will set up over watch. They will be at high ground and locate Maddox and see to it that he is eliminated"
Captain Gates looks concerned "Detective, are you telling me that you will kill Maddox without regard…."
Esposito interrupts the captain "Sir, I will do what I must do to protect Beckett, Castle, Ryan or you. WHATEVER it takes!"
.
Before the captain can formulate an answer Beckett's cell phone rings. Caller id shows "Castle"
Everyone looks at Beckett as she picks up the phone and presses the speaker button along with the answer button. Kate's hand is shaking as she speaks into the phone. She is starting to get tears in her eyes. No one knows how much she is hurting over Castle. No one knows how much in love she is with Rick. Now she is afraid no one ever will. She knows before this day is over, she will be dead and probably Castle as well.
"Beckett" she answers with a trembling voice
The voice on the other end is Maddox, but he seems different somehow "Detective, I am leaving Mr. Castle tied to a chair in a warehouse. You can find him through the GPS on this phone. I am leaving now. The time it takes you to get his location from the phone will give me time to get away. Please understand I was only doing a job. I am leaving now. You will find Mr. Castle is safe and unharmed. Also I have informed my employer to stay away from you and Mr. Castle. Good day detective." The phone disconnects.
Esposito is the first to respond. "What just happened?"
Ryan is already on his phone calling a tech to have them track Castle's GPS signal.
Gates stares at Beckett in disbelief "What is going on? First they want you dead, now Maddox acts like he is afraid of you?"
"Sir, I have no idea. This makes no sense at all."
Esposito picks up his phone and calls someone, but he will not say who "contact has been made. I will get coordinates as soon as I can. This appears to have changed to a pickup, not a rescue. If all goes well, we will Not, I repeat will Not need act with extreme prejudice"
Ryan is making notes and then says thanks into the phone. He hands the note to Esposito who gives the information to whoever is on the other end of the telephone. After he hangs up, he turns to the rest of the group "They will call after they have made contact with Castle"
No one is ready to talk. This situation has taken a wild turn but no one is sure which way it that turn has gone. Very little is said by anyone for the next hour.
Ryan finally breaks the silence. "When are we going to hear something? This is killing me"
Little does he or anyone else know, but Kate is ready to jump in her car and drives over to the warehouse and find Rick herself. She doesn't care if her life is in danger or not. She has to know that he is ok.
Esposito's phone rings "Esposito. OK! Great! Where to? We are on our way." He hangs his phone up. They have Castle. He is fine. A few scratches and he has a massive headache. But he is fine. They are taking him back to his loft. They will have him home by the time we get there.
Kate is about to jump out of her skin wishing all the others would stay away. Let her go over alone. She wants him all to herself for just a little bit. But she knows that they have to keep the relationship quiet if they want to have any chance of working together. So they all leave together.
When they arrive at Castle's loft, Alexis opens the door and glares at Beckett before she notices the rest of the detectives and Captain Gates with her. They all enter and go straight to the couch in the living room where Castle is lying with an ice pack on the back of his neck.
Gates starts up first "Mr. Castle, exactly what is going on?"
"Captain, I really don't know. I was hit in the head, so things are not real clear. In fact I am not sure if I tried to tell you details, if anything would be true or made up in my mind. This man who captured me and tied me up to a chair. He called Beckett and threatened her. It was some time later, I was rescued by several men who said that they were friends of Esposito. Everything else is pretty much a blur. Right now, I need something for pain and I need to rest."
"OK Mr. Castle, I will let you rest, but I will be getting more answers later"
Captain Gates speaks to Ryan and Esposito while Beckett walks over and sits on the floor next to Castle.
Kate watches the others until they leave. She grabs Rick's hand and starts crying. "I almost lost you! I can't lose you! I need you. I love you! Please, promise me you will stay with me? Please?"
"Kate. I love you. Now and forever. I am not going anywhere"
