fighting for my family
5/4/16
chapter 20

Hayley and Castle's Stakeout:

Their car pulls up beside the curb.

"Why in front of this diner?" Castle asks, in the front seat of his own Ferrari. One that he uses for his PI work. He let Hayley drive for some reason. He just couldn't just say no to her. He never could just say no to any of the women in his life. They had him wrapped around their fingers. He shakes his head looking around. The Warehouse they were to be getting into was a couple of buildings down the street. So parking here just seems odd to him but then again, what did he know. He had never been on too many stakeouts before. And the last one well, that didn't turn out to great.

"Good advantage point, where we can watch without interruptions," using the parabolic microphone, spotting scope and binoculars, Hayley watches and listens to people who pass by down the street.

"So, what now it's just a waiting game." Castle sighs, knowing that that is exactly what was going to be happening here. What was he thinking earlier that they would just bust in. They needed to do homework. He just wants all of this done so he could see her again. That's all that he can think about is his wife and child and that fact that he wasn't there with them all because of the man or woman that was in that building over there. So close yet so far away. Well not any more. This is the day that it ends. He glances out the window.

"Why don't you get some shut eye," Hayley calls seeing Castle just staring there.

"I'm not tired," He complains to her then yawns big.

"I beg to differ," she joking pokes at him.

"I am fine." He looks in her direction. "Really I am."

"I need you to be alert. We could be here for hours." Castle gets one on those glares. One that tells him that she was never going to let up. He leans his chairs back.

"Now that's a good boy," She pats him on the shoulder. He yawns again. "See there," She pauses to listen to someone who walks close to the car. It was nothing important though. She faces Castle again.

"You've never done many of these before. Huh?"

"No, me and Beck..." He couldn't even say her name without coming to tears. "Never did it much, but I did one in front of a church waiting on a priest."

"Oh the blind one that ran off, leaving you in the dust." Hayley chuckles.

"How did you?" He thinks for a second, "Alexis told you didn't she?"

"Oh yeah," Hayley scoffs.

"I bit you heard all kinds of things," He turns his face from her.

"Yes, Rick I did." She tries to touch his hand, which he feels and immediately moves his away from hers. "But I wouldn't worry about that. We... "

He sighs, not wanting to know what else she was thinking that was going to happen. 'Why did I even agree to this,' he says under his breath. 'Help me out of this'. He shifts in his seat trying to get comfortable.

"How long?" He smiles a fake smile at her. He didn't really want to do this but he thinks it was the only way to lure this guy out. Their one shot to take down LocSat and be free.

"All night if that's what it takes," She pauses to watch another person for a second, which sends Castle on high alert. He whips his head all the way around, looking at everything. "If we want to get this guy, who ever it is. So my suggestion is to take a snooze. We aren't going anywhere anytime soon." He sighs, settling back down. 'what have I got myself into now.' he mutters to himself. Hoping that Hayley doesn't hear him say.

Hours pass as Castle takes a nap and Hayley watches all the people pass by them. And what a crowd it was. She saw all kinds of weirdos coming and going. No one really stuck out though. No one was helping them out.

Hayley hears her stomach growl. 'Not now," She mumbles to herself. "This is not a good time." She glances over at Castle, who still has his eyes shut. She couldn't tell if he was just pretending over there or if he really was asleep. Either way she decides that she wants to go to get something to eat. They were right in front of a diner, after all. All she would have to do is walk in and back out. What would be the harm. She could even be back before he could move. Her mind was made up. She slowly, quietly opens the door or so she thinks.

"What are you doing?" Castle moves only his eyes to look at her. She hesitates in her answer for a few seconds. "Well," he turns his whole head this time to look at her.

"I was going inside." She points to the door of the diner.

"Why?" He questions. "We're suppose to be..."

"One I am hungry and two we are being watched," she gestures to some people out the window. "So I have to make it look legit why we are here." She scoots over on her seat.

"What we have seen? And..." He swallows, "And you are just going to leave me here?" He voice come out sounding like a scared little child.

"Are you afraid to be alone?" She asks trying to hold back from laughing out loud at him. "Look I will be right back." She comments before he could give her a real answer about how he felt about her leaving him. "I am going right there," She points to the door again, "Walking in, and ordering us something. Okay, no biggy."

Castle hears the rustling as he moves, "What the?" He calls out. Then remembers the wadded up paper in his pocket from earlier.

"What, is it Rick?" She turns now thinking something was really wrong.

"It's nothing," She just glares at him. "Look I thought I heard something in the car. But it was just my imagination."

She shakes her head at him. "Look, I..."

"Go, before someone sees you just standing there."

She closes the door without a sound and disappears into the diner. Castle sighs, "That was a close one." He reaches in his pocket feeling the sheet of paper that almost got him in trouble.

To Be Continued...