Chapter Ten: The Female of the Species

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride, He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside. But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail. For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. Rudyard Kipling.

Kate was torn. Her heart was in her throat. There was only one reason that she would be needed in the ER. Rick, Javi or Kevin was injured. Yet the security detail wasn't here yet and she couldn't leave Beth unprotected. Oh God, what can I do? I have to go but I can't go.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief as Kevin Ryan rushed into the room. He hadn't been with Rick and Javi as they left the hospital. As he'd held back to question Beth's nurse. Kevin said; "Go on Boss, I've got this." Kate walked as fast as she could; running in a hospital corridor, while pregnant was a seriously bad idea. Kevin pulled the privacy curtain around Beth's bed and sat in a chair by her bed, his pistol drawn and held down beside his leg.

Kate walked into the ER, her fear spiking as she saw both Rick and Javi lying on gurneys. Her fear driven adrenaline along with her pregnancy hormones blew her self- control right out the window. "What the hell is happening here? She almost screamed. That's my husband on that gurney!" Javi was wounded too she knew it but at the moment all she could think of was her husband, the father of the baby she was carrying. Javi was so focused on his own pain that her words, as loud as they were, didn't even register.

Doctor Laramie, a stocky gray-haired woman stepped directly in front of Kate. She looked at the distraught woman's face and said; "Please calm down Detective Castle. I'm Doctor Sarah Laramie. Your husband and his partner have both suffered gunshot wounds but neither one is life threatening. The wounds will be cleaned, sutured and dressed. We will administer anesthetics and antibiotics and keep them a couple of days for observation if there are no complications we'll release them the day after tomorrow." Kate took a couple of deep breaths then said; "I'm sorry for yelling Doctor. I'm just so scared, Rick and I are newlyweds and I almost lost him six weeks ago and now this." She knew it didn't matter but somehow she just had to say it. "Detective Esposito isn't my husband's partner, I am."

The doctor smiled. "I understand detective Castle. We'll be taking him into surgery in a few minutes so go be with him. Kate walked over to Rick leaned down and kissed him. "This was too damn close Rick, too damn close. The tears were flowing freely now. Twice you've almost been taken from me in less than two months. I can't lose you Babe I can't make it without you."

Rick put his arm around her. "Hush Sweetheart, it wasn't that close, I'll be limping for a couple of weeks. Think about Javi. He's not going to be able to sit without a cushion for a month and while the guys will probably call me gimpy for a while think about the nickname he's going to get. He said, in a phony English accent it's only a flesh wound."

Kate's already strained temper flared her eyes wide and dark. "Damn it don't you dare go Monty Python on me There's not one damn funny element in this, Someone tried to kill you and I want that bastard's head on a platter. Not the sniper, he's only a tool. I want the man behind the man who hired him."

He pulled her in closer. Looking into eyes that showed both anger and fear Castle said; "I'm sorry Sweetheart I didn't think." That earned a little snark from her. "As if that's something new." A nurse came over. "Detective Castle we are taking Mr. Castle into surgery now it shouldn't take too long. Kate leaned in and kissed castle again.

"I'll be right there when you wake up." She said. She watched as Castle and Esposito were both wheeled through the doors to the surgery suite. She was chagrinned that she hadn't said anything to Esposito but concern for her husband surpassed any other concern. She would make it up to Javi later.

It was only a few minutes later that Captain Gates came into the waiting room. Finding Kate she asked; "How are they Detective Castle? I haven't had any reports other than they'd been shot."

Kate grimaced. "They're both in surgery fortunately it should be minor surgery as both are through and through flesh wounds. Castle was shot in the left calf and Esposito in the buttocks."

Gates' face was grave when she walked in but Kate could see that she was trying to smother a laugh. Finally she couldn't stop a snort. "It's an extremely serious matter when any officer gets wounded or even shot at but you know cop humor and Detective Esposito is going to be the butt of jokes in the precinct for some time to come." Gate's suddenly realized what she said and was momentarily mortified until Kate started to giggle and Gates couldn't help but join her.

"Oh that was a bad pun even unintentional, I don't do puns!" Both women sank into chairs after the brief hilarity passed. Gates waited a moment then she said;

"Detective Castle you know that I can't let you work this case. Not when your husband is one of the victims. It won't much matter anyway as I'm fairly certain that homeland security is going to say that it's connected to flight 1203 and take the case from us."

Kate sighed, her frustration evident. "I know sir but right now I'm so damn mad I can't see straight. That's my man in there and some son of a bitch just tried to kill him and one of my dear friends is in there too." Gates nodded. She was almost as angry as Kate. She had finally come to see Castle as one of her men and no one shot two of her men and got away with it. She had said what she had to, loud enough to be overheard. She leaned over to Kate and whispered;

"See me in my office. Out loud she said; Stay with your husband Detective until he wakes up then report to me at the precinct." Gates then picked up her purse and walked out.

Kate Castle sat in the waiting room watching the TV when the news came on. Shooting in New York. This is Jack Browning in New York with breaking news. Millionaire mystery writer, NYPD civilian investigator and the hero of flight 1203 has been shot while exiting New York General Hospital as Detective Javier Esposito. The actual extent of either man's wounds is unknown at this time but they are said not to be life-threatening. Jack Browning for National Network News.

Watching the news Kate's fury grew, a cold, deadly fury, even worse, in a way than when her mother was murdered. Yes Castle had survived but this was the second time his life had been threatened. This was her mate, her life-mate, her soul-mate, the father of her unborn child. Some rotten bastards had tried to take him from her. Those same bastards had almost killed a whole plane full of people and had killed three. And for nothing but increased profits. She didn't know how, yet but she was going to bring those people down.

Back at the 12th Precinct the whole place was in a state of anger and a spirit of vengeance. Javier Esposito was one of the brothers in blue and with the sole exception of Tom Demming the whole precinct considered Castle part of the brotherhood, one of their own. Besides his skills and his overall generosity there was one incident that cemented him in the hearts of the precinct's officers.

Officer Brian Lewis's son had been hit while riding his bicycle by a hit and run driver and severely injured, the expenses beyond what the insurance would pay. Castle had quietly paid the excess bills, trying to do it without the Lewis family finding out about it. But one of the doctors had let it slip and Detective Karpowski had found out about it. She made sure that everyone knew about it but not to let Castle know they knew.

All the officers knew that Captain Gates had gone to the hospital and were waiting anxiously for news. Gates could sense the atmosphere the moment she walked in so she had all the officers except the desk sergeant and the security detail assemble in the bullpen. She raised her hands and everyone got quiet. Looking around the room she said; "The good news is that both Esposito and Castle are going to be okay. They'll be off duty for a while but not too long. The bad news is that two of our people got shot. We can't let that stand, officially or unofficially. That's all people."

She had only been in her office for thirty minutes when she got a call from 1PP. "Captain Gates, this is Captain Carroll from internal affairs. I need you to report to my office within the hour. It is a critical matter that cannot be discussed over an open line."

When Captain Gates walked into IA forty-five minutes later she was shown directly into Captain Carroll's office. Captain Carroll rose to greet her. They were old colleagues. Walter "Wally the Wall" Carroll was a huge man. Six feet six inches tall and weighing two hundred sixty pounds. All of it solid. Blonde hair going gray topped craggy features. His calm gray eyes missed very little. Sitting in a chair at a conference table was Frank Malloy, the chief of detectives.

Captain Carroll said; "Have a seat Victoria, still take your coffee black?" At her nod he set a cup on the table and sat down with his own coffee.

"Victoria, we just received some bad news about today's shooting. The SWAT team found a piece of paper in the shooter's car with the Castle team's itinerary on it. You have a mole in your command. IA and Chief Malloy are putting maximum resources behind you. We want this son of a bitch found and hung out to dry! No "Blue Wall" is going to protect him. He will be going down for criminal conspiracy and accessory to attempted murder and malfeance in office and anything else we can find to charge him with."

"You don't want him half as bad as I do Gates replied It's my precinct the bastard's disgracing."

Driving back to the precinct gates was thinking hard about who could be the mole. Only two people came readily to mind. Tom Demming of course, he hated Castle and then there was Shirley Evans. She'd had a crush on Castle and been rebuffed several times. Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned. Of course those two were the obvious ones and with something like this, assumptions were dangerous. It could be as simple as money. Though how would they have known who to get to?

Castle returned to consciousness, blinking his eyes open to the most beautiful sight he could imagine, the lovely face of his wife gazing down at him, love and concern in her eyes. She bent her head and kissed him, soft and sweet thankfulness in every aspect of her face. Then she pulled back and said; "The next damn time you're in the hospital it had better be holding my hand when our baby is born."

Then she stepped aside as Alexis and Martha rushed into the room. Alexis was still crying a little as she hugged her father. "Dad I was so scared when I heard that you'd been shot. Thankfully Mom called me before I heard it on the news." Castle hugged her back and said;

"It's nothing to worry about Pumpkin. I'll be out of here in a couple of days." Alexis's face immediate transformed from one of concern to one of pure fury.

"Nothing to worry about Dad? Somebody tried to kill you! Damn it don't make light of it. If there is nothing to worry about why is a security detail at your door and one at Javi's?"

Castle grimaced. "Okay I'll admit there's a problem but the NYPD's got it under control no one can get at us now." Alexis shook her head. "I hope so Dad." Martha stepped in and hugged Castle. "Hang in there Kiddo. I love you Richard."

Ryan showed up about an hour later carrying three bags from Remy's and a carrier with three milkshakes in it. Castle grinned as he walked in his blue eyes sparkling with appreciation.

"I know that you're not on a restricted diet and hospital food sucks so I thought a mercy run was in order." Ryan said. He passed out the burgers, fries and shakes. Before Castle could take his first bite Kate grabbed his burger and removed the bacon and one of the patties.

She glared at him. "The last time you ate one of these heart attacks on a plate I couldn't do anything about it but I'm your wife now. Your pregnant wife I might add and I want you around for a good long time. No more double bacon cheeseburgers for you. Single cheeseburgers most of the time and occasionally a SINGLE bacon cheeseburger, occasionally! And don't pout."

True to expectations the federal authorities took over the case the next morning. That evening Captain Gates and Ryan met with Kate and Alexis at Castle's loft. When they walked in Kate said; "This is going to take a while so I made dinner, I hope that you like Lasagna."

After dinner Kate said; "Okay I know the feds took over the case but I'm not sure that they care that much about Rick's or Javi's safety. Rick has a security company that he's used for years. I had them come in and sweep the loft for bugs or taps. And they've got agents in place watching all of us. Captain I want to run our own investigation, flying well under the radar. Will you help?"

Gates smiled but it wasn't a nice smile, it was as predatory as hell. "You're damn right I'll help so will Detective Ryan. I want those guys as well. And whenever we're out of the precinct please call me Victoria."

Robert DeSalle, the European aerospace executive didn't know it yet but ordering the sabotage of flight 1203 and the attempt on Castle's life were the worst mistakes of his life. A wife, a daughter and a police captain had made a pledge to bring him down. He should have read Kipling.

Reviews are appreciated.