Consequence Chapter 11
The Stranger Comes To Town
Previously …
Just as the door is about to finish closing, it swings back open. The man who is stepping through the door is clearly all business, the dangerous kind. Turning quickly to the possible threat, Espo simultaneously puts his hand on his service weapon, and challenges the man, in a clear voice, "Detective Esposito, NYPD, you are?"
The man walking through the door did not slow down at the challenge. Eyes always alert. His brain registered the hand and gun, before he consciously recognized the threat Esposito offered. His movements were swift, perfectly executed, and automatic from years of training. Before either man knew what was happening, Esposito was on his knees, his own gun now held tightly to his forehead, his right arm pinned painfully behind his back.
Ryan was moving, drawing his weapon. Kate had pulled Lanie down to the floor and was also bringing her glock up. A voice of cold, menace spoke out from across the room, "If you want your friend here to remain alive, put your weapons down."
The man quickly glanced and saw them hesitate, he pulled Esposito's arm a little harder. "I'm not playing, as you can see I don't react kindly to ANYONE even police officers pulling a weapon on me for any reason. Especially walking through the door of a hospital waiting room. Last chance, put your weapons down!"
Ryan stepped a little closer.
Before, Ryan or Beckett could respond, Esposito was suddenly being yanked up from his knees and spun around. The result was, neither Ryan or Beckett had a clear shot.
This powerful and dangerous man was slowly backing up against the wall. The door was to his right, Esposito a human shield. Everyone was in defensive positions, it was a stand off, and no one was blinking.
Suddenly, the door pushed open again, this time Special Agent Jordan Shaw and Captain Gates were entering the VIP waiting room. Both immediately recognized that something was wrong inside. Jordan followed Beckett's eyes to the left where Esposito was being held. "Jake Taylor, release Esposito, before you give everyone a heart attack."
"Jordan, I assume you know these people. However, I don't, when they lower their weapons I will. My patience is a bit thin, at the moment." The man softens the pressure on Esposito's right arm and especially his wrist.
Beckett, was already barking her response at the same moment, "You know we can't do that, now let him go. So help me."
Esposito felt the man relaxing and instantly assumed the man was being reasonable. He attempted to break free and promptly ended up face down on the floor, stunning those watching. Still holding Esposito to the floor, the stranger known to Joran spit out one last venomous comment. "Detective, I already told you, I don't like it when someone pulls a gun on me for no good reason. Now, unless you want your arm broken in three places stand down. Your friends have five seconds, before I snap it."
Gates, saw the muscles in the man's arms tensing, following Agent Shaw's lead, "Holster your weapons, stand down."
Reluctantly, Beckett and Ryan complied with the order.
"Jordan, take this weapon, please." Taylor, skillfully ejected the clip and round out of the chamber as he released his hold on Esposito.
As she took the weapon from Taylor, Jordan spoke a warning, "Esposito, whatever you are thinking, I advise against trying it. Jake Taylor is not someone you want to challenge. Jake, why don't you go get a coffee? I will explain, and when you come back we can all talk."
Without a word, the man left the room. "Everyone, whatever just happened all of you are extremely lucky. Obviously, he disarmed Esposito, most likely so fast it was over, before you knew it was happening. If Taylor had been here to kill you, you would be dead. He's here to help. He has information concerning Castle.
"You need to know he's a retired S.E.A.L., highly decorated. Two silver stars, a bronze star, Navy Cross, and three purple hearts. Once, you get to know him, you will find out just how enjoyable and fun loving he is.
"He owns a private security comany. The F.B.I. uses him as an advance technique instructor, which is how I know him."
"Jordan, he just took Javier's weapon and … " Ryan spoke, still somewhat shocked at how quickly Esposito was disarmed.
"Let me guess, he came through the door, and everything happened bang, bang. Esposito, you probably instinctively reached for your weapon, and about the time you touched the grip, you were disarmed?"
Esposito spoke with embarrassment in his voice, "Yeah."
"Don't ask him about this, at least not until he knows you. One of his team failed to respond quickly during a mission, three of the team died, another paralyzed, as a result. Jake as you learned, does not hesitate, as a result of that incident. Give him a chance." As Jordan is finishing up there is a knock on the door, and then it swings open. Jake Taylor walks back into the room.
"Detective Esposito, I apologize. I never should have responded that way. If Jordan has not already explained, I will do so now." He held out his hand, offering the age old tradition of a gentleman's handshake. Somewhat cautiously Esposito accepted the gesture.
"We're good. Jordan filled us in." The man's credentials had instantly cooled Esposito's anger.
"I hope all of you will call me Jake. I am at an advantage here, after working with Rick for the last few months. I feel I already know you. I just flew in, can someone please bring me up to date?"
Lanie spent the next five minutes giving a briefing of Castle's condition. Esposito, then started explaining the punch by Slaughter. Right as the story reached the part about Slaughter's suspension and pending hearing, Alexis and Martha came back. They were out of sight, behind Gates and Shaw.
The two redheads quietly slipped away, the team unaware they had heard. Amanda guides them to another room. "Take a few minutes, if you want feel free to stay in this room. I will send word out to you when possible. The surgery will take about six hours as we discussed. Unfortunately, I do have to go prep my team."
"Grams, I .. I can't believe they are not arresting that … " Frustration, hurt and fear poured out of the young woman, as she shook her head from side to side.
"Alexis, kiddo. We will address that after your father is out of surgery in the morning. Kate will surely explain it to us." Martha was grateful that Amanda had noticed Alexis' reaction to the overheard statement. Hugging Alexis close, Martha gently held her granddaughter, wondering which of them needed the hug the most.
In the conference room, Jake Taylor was rapidly filling the team in on a surprising twist.
"Rick contacted me in early February. My firm handles his security needs. This time he had a specific request.
"Detective Beckett, I'm not at liberty to disclose a lot of what Rick and I shared. What I can tell you is he asked me to meet with him personally. The explanation I feel comfortable sharing is he felt he needed to be better prepared to protect you in the future.
"Myself and members of my training department have been teaching Rick a variety of self defense skills. He specifically asked … actually insisted we take no mercy on him. All of our training is video recorded, if you need footage I can have it to you within a few hours.
"Dr. Parish, if you provide your email address I will go ahead and send it. He trained extremely hard. Then in late February, he was not satisfied with where things were. He insisted that we double the efforts. Honestly, he was driven beyond anything I have seen outside of S.E.A.L. or Ranger training. Obsessed comes to mind. I suspect something must have prompted the urgency Rick expressed.
"We were reluctant to increase the intensity of his training. He was learning with ease, physically though, he was never satisfied. We met late at night, actually early in the morning. The recordings will show you, just how adept Rick is, but be prepared he refused to use sparring gear often. Crazy man said he needed to make sure that no one would ever point a gun at you again Detective Beckett."
Kate looked at Jake realizing there was something he was holding back, so she asked, "Please tell me exactly what Rick said? You remember it, I can see it in your eyes."
"Kate, Rick wouldn't say exactly, it was vague. I did ask. All he would tell me was your life is endangered from a specific threat, but also that, as your "partner," he needed to be ready. One thing did stick out, he said he was too slow last year to take it, perhaps that means something to you.
"I respect his motivation, he was pushing his limits. His results you will see. I tried to get him to slow his pace down. That he had to tell us if it was too much.
"His response was restrained, I remember is exact words, 'Fine, my safe word is cherries, unless I use it, don't stop. I know what I can take. It will be over my dead body, that Kate is ever threatened when I'm around.'
"He never said cherries, he did say apples more than a few times. He picked it up faster than men half his age. He was hurting at the end of sessions, but he wore it with pride. I asked him more than once, to dial things back. It's on tape and signed waivers, he insisted on that."
Before anyone can comment or ask any questions, there is a knock at the door. A nurse opens the door, "Alexis and Martha wanted all of you to know, that if you want to see Mr. Castle before his surgery you should do so now. You have twenty minutes. After that, we will be prepping Mr. Castle for surgery, only his family can see him after that."
Kate was the first one out the door, in a hurry, tears flowing.
As the rest of the team walks towards Castle's room, Shaw is talking with Gates, "I will debrief them tomorrow. They all need to get some rest. How much pushback are you expecting over not charging Slaughter?"
"I met with the Chief again today. He won't budge, says he knows Mr. Castle. That Ricky as he calls him would never want any bad publicity for the department. The Mayor apparently agrees. I told him and sent an email advising him that I felt it was a mistake not to bring charges. Of course, the reply was simply that if Mr. Castle wishes to press charges, we will reopen the case. It's a bad decision. You know Mr. Castle from that case, any thoughts?" Gates stopped walking to allow Shaw to answer out of earshot of the team.
"Castle really respects Beckett and her team, the NYPD. However, this isn't a bloody nose, his life is forever altered. Heaven forbid at this point, he may not survive. Certainly a premature decision, the consequences could be high."
The team all quickly took turns, though, Kate stayed with Rick until the time was up. She was struggling with how lifeless, pale, and cold he was. The man who never seemed to be still had not moved in nearly two days. Briefly, she wondered if calling Dr. Burke's emergency number was warranted. Deciding that it wasn't she made a mental note to call Monday and try to get in earlier, then her Wednesday appointment, telling herself that she could deal with things if necessary.
Kate was walking out as Alexis and Martha came through the door. Alexis swept Beckett into a hug, "Kate, Grams, and I need to talk with you in the morning, please. Dad's going to be alright."
"Of course. I'm sorry, so sorry. I … please." Kate prays that Alexis is right. Everyone, she's ever gotten close to have left in one way or another. This, time though, she knows, it's her own fault.
"Kate, darling. You have nothing to be sorry for. Come on dear, stay with us, we are only going to give him a quick kiss and then we all need to eat. How does Nick's pizza sound? A little wine, beer, or whatever."
Martha was trying to give a little performance for the two younger women. Hiding how she felt emotionally, and physically. Wondering if she shouldn't talk to Amanda, about the tests. The headaches were growing stronger and more frequent. Yes, she best do that, Monday would be a convenient time.
A/N
Despite doing mostly the right things during Headhunters, Beckett and her boys let a seemingly insignificant event go unchecked. The consequences are happening, the first few days even weeks seem to play out in slow motion.
The span of time will be moving faster in coming chapters. I hope to have chapters up quickly, but I do not have a schedule for them.
For the sake of the storyline, there are going to be some liberities with medical issues and procedures at the PD ... example Gates, being the Captain suspending Slaughter. My justification for her doing it, was he hit Castle in her precinct. Not to mention the show did not give us his Captain's name. There are enough characters already.
Alexis wise beyond her years. There are things yet to be learned about her knowledge of what her father's wishes are. They will come out in time.
As always, I do not own the characters just taking them out for a spin.
Thanks to PenguinOfTroy who shared a great piece of information on how to properly punctuate long dialogue. When a character speaks more than a few sentences. Remove spaces if you care to look at how is it correctly done.
http :/w ww .
writing-world (.) com /
grammar / dialogue . shtml
Also, to HippyDragonGirl for helping with editing, from early on in the story.
Thank you, for taking the time to write a review.
