Decisions and Dominoes Chapter 10
Castle was sleeping deeply. He was dreaming about someone, but he couldn't quite hold on to her. There was something pulling him out of it; something his conscious mind wouldn't let him ignore. After struggling to stay asleep a while longer, he gave up and opened his eyes.
The room was completely dark save for a few light shards zagging through the room. Castle realized that he had fallen asleep in his office chair again. He decided that his bed was the best place to try and recapture his dream.
"I wouldn't do that," a voice lacerated the darkness.
Castle froze, but his eyes strained to search the area of the room the voice had come from, "Who's there?"
"Aw, come on, Castle, I thought we knew each other better than that," the voice was full of reproach.
"Tyson," Castle couldn't see him, but he knew where he was now.
Soundlessly he stepped out of the shadows and into the anemic light filtering through the windows. The outline of a gun with a silencer in Tyson's hand was unmistakable. He stopped by the scotch decanter and poured two drinks. He moved to the front of Castle's desk and slid one across to him. Castle reached up and grasped it stopping its progress towards the edge.
"Cheers," he raised his glass toward Castle and downed about half the eighty proof liquid.
"What do you want?" Castle was still trying to focus in the darkness.
"I thought it would be nice if we met for a drink. I wanted to talk. I really enjoyed our conversation in the holding cell. It was fun, didn't you think?"
Castle realized that it had to be just as difficult for Tyson to see him, so he began slowly reaching for the top right hand drawer of his desk. In it was a gun he had loaded for just such an occasion.
"So talk," Castle urged.
"How does it feel, Castle, to know that I come and go through your life whenever the mood strikes? I slip in and out of your skin deciding what I'm going to take from you next. That everything you still have – ," he paused and stepped a little closer, "exists because I allow it? Like those two upstairs."
Castle's anger flared and he yanked the drawer violently and felt for the gun. It wasn't there.
"Looking for this?" Tyson was laughing at him. "How often do you check that drawer? Do you even know how long it's been missing?"
Castle wondered why he was even surprised. Tyson was always three steps ahead. Of course he had found the gun. He had set the stage for this meeting and the control was completely his.
"I thought that you would have at least thanked me by now," Tyson was completely relaxed.
"For what? Killing four innocent people to get our attention?" Castle let his frustration show.
"That's why you won't catch me. You fail to see the forest for the trees," Tyson took another drink from his glass. "I know you are not going to believe me, but I did it for you."
"You're even crazier than I thought," Castle argued not caring about the consequences.
Tyson further reduced the distance between himself and Castle. He was so close that Castle could almost reach out and touch him, but he knew that Tyson was trying to provoke him into making a move, so he kept one hand on his scotch and the other on the arm of the chair.
"I got her back here for you, didn't I?"
Castle knew exactly who Tyson was talking about, "We're not together anymore, so why does it matter?"
That seemed to anger Tyson tremendously, "It matters! It matters!"
Castle held up his free hand in a calming fashion. He had to keep Tyson more relaxed or he would wake up Alexis and his mother and they would come down stairs and all hell would break loose, "Okay, it matters. Explain it to me."
"Our relationship began with a certain set of players. Each of those players brings something to the table. A skill, a strength, an exploitable weakness," Tyson's instability was leaking through his facade as he spoke. He pointed the gun at Castle's face, "There was you and me, of course. And Kate, that cop Ryan whose gun I took, and his partner Esposito. I'm even okay with the lady ME and your Captain being involved. Oh, and there's your mommy and little girl. They're fair game too."
Afraid of setting him off with the gun only inches from his face, Castle gave Tyson the attention he craved and just continued to listen.
"Do you know how much time and planning goes into something like this? I've spent months preparing for this meeting after you didn't buy my demise off the bridge." That seemed to distract him. "Tell me, where did I go wrong?"
Castle still didn't speak, "Answer me!" Tyson ordered in a voice that was too loud.
"I..I don't know. I just knew," Castle stammered. "It was too clean. It was too perfect."
Tyson laughed, "I like that answer. It's the truth. You did just know, didn't you?"
Castle's fear was growing as Tyson's anxiety increased. He had to keep him quiet. If the girls woke up, Castle didn't know how he would keep them safe.
Tyson calmed himself down with a few deep breaths before returning to his purpose for their chat, "I need you to fix this."
"Fix what?" Castle was confused. Tyson had to be losing it.
"The extras in our little play have to go, and you are going to make that happen," Tyson finally relaxed his arm letting the gun fall to his side.
"Who are you talking about?"
"The FEDs, except for Beckett, she stays," he sounded resolute on this point. "And you're new girlfriend; Mac is it?"
Castle ground his teeth together so he wouldn't say anything inflammatory.
"If I see her around this case again – let's just say she's blonde enough for my taste," Tyson's voice was guttural and threatening.
As though he had flipped a switch, Tyson's face suddenly relaxed and his voice returned to normal, "However; I'm perfectly fine with you screwing her. She's hot and as a guy, you know, I get that; needs and all. And hey, you do realize that the new one and the old one look a hell of a lot alike. A little transference going on, Castle? If you can't have the one you want – get something damn close?"
Castle's mind was reeling and his throat was throbbing in fury. Tyson was taunting him and he was searching for words that were going to get his family out of this night alive, "Are we done?"
"Almost. I need you to give Detective… I mean Agent Beckett a message for me since she couldn't be with us tonight, and her move to DC has been the biggest kink in my arrangements," Tyson's voice had reacquired its threatening tone.
"And what's that?" Castle prompted.
"This is what happens when you screw with my plans!" As he was speaking Tyson pointed the gun at Castle, locked eyes with him, and pulled the trigger.