Chapter 25

Tom Demming stood on the curb waiting for the traffic to pass before he crossed the road. He made his way towards the Blue Angel motel. The motel was seedy looking made all the more now in the evening light. The sign at the front of the motel had a few lights blown. Demming was humming to himself as he headed for his room. He carried a paper bag with some things he had purchased at the corner convenience store and a newspaper tucked under his arm. In the distance the arrival and deaprture of jet aircraft could be heard.

Demming reached his room. He unlocked the door and entered. He closed the front door with a kick of his foot. He dumped the paper bag on the bed and made his way to the bathroom. He opened the door and smiled. Castle looked up at his captor but did not return the smile. His good arm was cuffed to the pipe under the sink. The side of his jaw sported a darkening bruise where Demming had hit him. He lifted his head off the towel wrack that he had been resting against.

"I think I need to see a doctor, Demming." Castle said in a low voice.

"Not my problem." Demming replied.

"I could have a serious injury."

"You'll definitely have a serious injury if you don't shut your yap."

Demming entered the bathroom and walked up to Castle. He thrust the newspaper he had bought.

"Here hold this up." Demming said. "So they can see that I took the photos today. See I got it all figured out."

"Ah, Demming, a bit of a problem..." Castle said hesitantly as he looked at the newspaper. "I've got one arm in a sling and the other is chained to the sink."

Demming's confident smile faltered. He had not thought about that. He frowned a little as he thought abut what he could do. His face brightened as an idea came to him. He shoved the newspaper against Castle's chest and then stepped back. He pulled out his phone from his pocket.

The newspaper fell to the floor as Demming was raising the phone up to take the photo.

"Oh shit." Demming growled angrily.

The bounty hunter picked up the newspaper and again thrust it against Castle. This time he put it on an angle. The newspaper remain in place, balanced against Castle's chest and the sink. Demming smiled as he stepped back and brought his phone up.

"Say cheese." he called out and started snapping pictures.

"Don't do this Demming."

Demming checked the pictures and was pleased with the results. He took good pictures with the camera phone, he thought to himself. He looked over to a forlorn looking Castle and grinned.

"See you round, Castle."

Demming closed the door of the bathroom and headed out the front door. Once again he started to hum to himself.

XXX

Kate Beckett was seated in a plush leather armchair aboard the FBI Gulf Stream jet. She glanced out the window to the lights that they were flying over. She was feeling nervous but was hiding it well. Seated across from the small table was Wil Sorenson. Across the aisle Esposito and Ryan were enjoying the plane ride.

"Let me get this straight." Agent Perry said. He was standing beside Sorenson's seat. "If he takes those flash drives, even though they're blank, that's an overt act, correct?"

Sorenson opened his mouth to speak but Beckett beat him to it. She look away from the window to look up at the agent.

"If he sets foot in the airport, he's committed an overt act." She said. "Conspiracy to obstruct justice."

Agent Perry could not help but look impressed at the woman sitting in Sorenson's usual seat. Sorenson's face stern face had softened as he looked across to Beckett.

"If he shows up with Castle, you can add kidnapping." Beckett continued, oblivious to the looks from the men around her. "If he shows up with anyone packing a gun, you can add conspiracy to commit murder. The fact that's it an airport..." Beckett paused to look at Sorenson. "...Wil correct me if you think I'm wrong here..." Sorenson waved her to continue, a small smile on his face. Beckett looked to Agent Perry. "...you can slap an ITAR rap on him as well."

"Do you think Racine will show?"

"Oh he'll show." Beckett assured him confidently. "He's got no choice."

Agent Perry nodded his head impressed at the woman. Sorenson too is impressed with her.

"Get this woman a wire." Sorenson ordered.

Agent Perry nodded his head and headed to the back of the plane.

Agent Tuttle had been standing beside his partner Agent Perry. Beckett turned her attention to him.

"You, I want you to radio ahead to your Chicago office. I want them to locate a young girl."

Agent Tuttle looked uncomfortable. He nervously glanced in the direction of his boss.

"Don't look at him, look at me." Beckett snapped.

Agent Tuttle almost jumped to attention. Her nervously glanced in the direction of his boss again only to see him motion his head in Beckett's direction. Agent Tuttle turned his full attention to Beckett.

"The young girl's name is Alexis Castle, she's aged sixteen or seventeen." Beckett continued. "I don't know where she is exactly but she's somewhere in Chicago, staying with some relatives of Castle. I need you people to find her by the time we touch down in Chicago. I want a car waiting on the tarmac as soon as we touch down to take these two..." Beckett pointed in the direction of Ryan and Esposito. "...to the girl. Is that clear Agent?"

"Yes mam." Agent Tuttle repsonded.

"Get going."

Agent Tuttle nodded and rushed in the direction of the cockpit to carry out his orders. Beckett turned her attention to her former colleagues.

"I want you two find Alexis Castle and bring her straight to the airport."

"You got it boss." Esposito responded.

"You will need to tell her one thing before you can bring her."

"What's that?" Ryan asked.

"Tell her that: Thai food is pleasing to the toe."

Ryan looked at his partner and then two men turned back to Beckett. Both looked confused.

"It's code." Beckett explained. "She will know that it's from her father and that it's safe to come with you two."

"Okay but why do you want Castle's daughter brought to the airport?" Esposito asked.

"Castle's going to jail, might not get to see his daughter for a while, you know?"

Esposito nodded his head in understanding.

"Bring her as fast as you can to the airport, okay?"

"You got it boss." Ryan and Esposito said in unison, as if the past year had not happened.

She gave her two former partners a smile of thanks before she turned back to the window and stared out into the darkness.

XXX

Demming pulled into the parking lot and started to slowly cruise looking for a Lincoln Continental as he had been instructed over the phone. It took him a few minutes before he spotted it parked in a deserted corner. He pulled into a space a few feet away from the other car.

He killed the engine and slowly got out of the car. Sal and Joey emerged from the Lincoln and slowly approached the waiting bounty hunter.

"Tom Demming?" Sal said as her neared Demming.

"Yeah."

Demming's eyes widened when he recognised the two men. They still sported the bruises he had given them when he had hit them with his shot gun.

"Hey, look I'm sorry about what happened the other day." Demming said hurriedly. "You can imagine my embarrassment when I found out who you were. I didn't mean to hit you. It was just one of those things, you know? Like a spur of the moment thing. You know I'd never pull any shit like that..."

"What the hell took you so long?" Joey demanded in his most menacing tone.

"I had to make a quick stop." Demming replied.

Sal was looking over Demming's car but found no passenger. He returned and came to stand beside Joey.

"Where is he?" Sal asked.

"Where's my money?" Demming replied.

"It's in the car." Sal jerked his thumb in the direction of the Lincoln. "So where is he?"

Demming looked at Joey and then at Sal. A small smile came to his face.

"A slight change of plans." he announced. "Now I want two million dollars."

Sal look at Joey before he turned his gaze to the bounty hunter. The expression on his face told all the world he was not very happy at the turn of events. Demming saw it clearly.

"I read the papers, you know?" He said quickly. "This Castle guy got you for over fifteen million. So I figured he's got to be worth at least two to you. You can't play me for a chump."

Sal clenched his jaw as he struggled not to hit Demming's smug looking face. He took a deep breath and exhaled before he spoke.

"How do we know you got him?"

Demming reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out his phone. Tapping on an icon he brought up the photos he had taken of Castle back at the motel. He held out the phone to Sal. Sal snatched the phone and slowly flipped through the photos. Joey leaned into him to see the photos.

"A million now." Demming announced. "Then I call you in twenty minutes and tell you where to drop off the second million. Once I know it's there, I tell you where Castle is."

Demming was rather proud of himself for coming up with that plan. He had been surprised that it had come to him as he was driving to this meeting. After all the shit he had gone through this past week the least he could get out of it was two million dollars, he had told himself. Sometimes he was so smart it was dangerous, he thought to himself.

"Okay, guys?" He said to the two mobsters.

"Not okay." Joey shot back in angry growl.

"Why not?" Demming whined.

As Demming was staring at Joey, confused that they did not like the deal he had come up with. Sal suddenly cocked his fist and unleashed. A massive fist struck Demming square on the jaw. Demming's lights went out and he dropped to the ground like a stunned steer.

"Are you freaking nuts!" Joey yelled as he stared at the unconscious Demming. "What's Victor going to say?"

Joey stepped back and ran his hand over his head trying to have a panic attack. He looked at his partner. "Have you flipped Sal? How the hell are we going to find Castle now?"

Sal moved over to Joey and held up Demming's phone. "You got the answer staring at you, Joey."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sal?" A confused look covered Joey's face.

Sal smiled and shook his head at his partner. "Joey when are you going to learn how to pay attention?"

Joey took the phone from Sal and studied the photograph of Castle. He was in a bathroom chained to the sink with a newspaper in front of him. His eyes studied the photo carefully. They ended at the towel wrack. On the towels the name of the motel could be seen clearly. His face brightened considerably.

"The Blue Angel motel." he said.

"Yeah, the Blue Angel motel." Sal repeated.

Joey hands the phone back to Sal.

"What are we standing around here for, Sal?"

XXX

Victor Racine is standing in the main area of the penthouse suite. He was dressed in an expensive business suit, dark blue and pinstriped. A handful of bodyguards were standing close by watching their boss.

"I want ten of our best people and I don't want any stuff ups this time." Racine ordered as he addressed the leader of the group standing in front of him. The man nodded curtly but did not speak.

"As soon as I get ahold of these things, I want them both dropped."

The leader nodded his head again.

Anthony Petrocceli had been nervously pacing the floor behind Racine. He stopped pacing and turned to his client.

"I don't think you should do this Victor." Petrocceli said.

A bodyguard helped Racine with his coat. Racine turned to look at his lawyer.

"Oh, you don't?" Racine said. "What do you propose I do?"

"Send somebody with a cash offer." Petrocceli advised. "Give her what ever the hell she wants but don't do this."

Racine walked over to where his lawyer was standing. He forced a smile to his face but there was no humour in his eyes.

"Beckett wont take any money from me. She knows I'd come and get it an hour later." Racine said. "In her mind this is clean. She gets what she wants and I get what I want. She's a freaking burnout. She just wants her money."

Petrocceli did not look convinced. "Victor...listen..."

Racine turned and started for the door. He had enough of his lawyer's caution.

"Tony, sit down, relax." Racine called over his shoulder. "Have a sandwich. Drink a glass of milk. Do some freaking thing."

A guard at the front door opened it as Racine approached. Victor Racine swept out of the suite trailed by his bodyguards.

Petrocceli shook his head at the foll hardiness of his biggest client. He let out a long sigh and then quickly went after Racine.

XXX

Beckett stared out the window lost in her own thoughts. Sorenson had tried to engage her in conversation but she had ignored his efforts. She was in no mood to talk about old times not after what he had done to her. He was permanently in the dog house and that's where he was going to stay. She could not believe that he had stooped so low that he did not care what had happened to her. Did she mean that little to him that he did not care that her own career was allowed to go south while his soared? What kind of man did that?

Pushing aside thoughts of Sorenson and what she truly wanted to do to him, her thoughts settled on Castle. She desperately hoped that he was still all right. Absently she rubbed her bruised knee. Demming was another man she wanted to hurt very badly for what he had done.

"Beckett?"

Beckett slowly turned to find Agent Perry standing beside her seat. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"We're about ten minutes from touching down at O'Hare." Agent Perry informed her.

It did not escape her notice that the agent was addressing her as if she was the one in charge, while Sorenson was seated across from her. If had been any other time she would have been amused. She nodded her head.

"Our people are in place and ready to go. We've received word from our people tailing him that Racine is on his way to the airport."

"Any sighting of Castle?"

"No mam."

"Thank you Agent Perry."

Agent Perry departed for his seat but his place was taken by the sudden appearance of Agent Tuttle.

"Mam, we have located Alexis Castle. Thankfully she's not too far from the airport. We have a car on the tarmac ready to take your detectives to her location."

"You will be going with them." Beckett informed him.

"Yes mam."

Beckett allowed a small smile to reach her face as she turned to face the window.

"Why are you smiling, Kate?" Sorenson asked as he watched her.

Beckett smiled some more. "I feel like a cop again."

XXX

The Gulf Stream jet slowly came to a halt in front of a hanger far away from the main terminals of O'Hare airport. Several FBI and police cars were parked in front of the airport. The door of the jet opened and the stairs deployed. A minute later Special Agent Sorenson came down the stairs followed by Kate Beckett along with Ryan and Esposito with Agents Perry and Tuttle bringing up the rear.

Once on the ground Agent Tuttle motioned to the two detectives to follow him to a waiting car. Beckett watched as the car sped away. She followed Sorenson to another car where an agent was waiting.

"Mam." the waiting agent addressed Beckett. "Racine is stuck in traffic, his car is about five miles away from the airport."

Beckett nodded her head. That would give her a bit of time to get to the terminal and get ready. "Any sign of Castle?" She asked.

"We haven't spotted him, mam." The agent reported. "However there is a limousine parked out the front of the terminal, we believe he might be in it."

Beckett nodded her head again as she digested the information. "Let's get this show on the road people." She announced.

"This way, mam." the agent motioned to his car.

Beckett reached the car and stopped when she realised Sorenson had not followed her. She looked behind her and raised her eyebrow at him. Sorenson looked put out that she had usurped his leadership authority. He started walking on seeing her glare.

XXX

A black limousine slowly pulled alongside the curb outside the United Airlines terminal. Several black cars that had been following the limousine continue on past the now parked limousine. A third car pulled up to the curb a discrete distance from the limousine. A couple of the car's occupants emerged from the car and the business suited agents quickly melt into the crowd outside the terminal while all the time keeping their eyes on the limousine they had been tailing.

The front passenger door of the limousine opened and a burly looking man in an ill fitting suit got out and moved to the rear of the limousine and opened the rear door. Victor Racine emerged from the limousine. He quickly looked about him before he started walking towards where another black limousine was parked. A second body guard opened the door for Racine and he got in.

Racine settled down in the seat and looked across. Richard Castle was sandwiched between Sal and Joey. He sported another bruise on his face, just below his left eye where Joey had hit him. He glared at the smug looking Victor Racine.

"So we finally meet. I'm in the presence of greatness." Racine said with a humourless smile. "Richard Castle, a man who robs from the scum of the earth and gives to the unfortunates of the world. I wanted to meet you face-to-face."

Castle did not speak. He just continued to glare at Racine. The smile vanished from Racine's face as he leaned closer towards Castle.

"Did you really think that you were going to steal my money and get away with it?" Racine said venomously. "I stopped by to tell you two things. Number one is that you're going to die tonight."

Castle remained impassive. What ever his feelings were they were kept well hidden by the mask on his face.

"Number two," Racine continued, "is I'm going to fly home, have a nice hot meal, bang a few broads and then I'm going to find the rest of your family and kill them too."

Hatred rose up in Castle's eyes as he stared at the mob boss. Racine leaned forward and smacked Castle across the face. Castle did not flinch he continued to stare at Racine.

Racine opened the door and got out of the limousine. Sal followed his boss out of the vehicle.

"Sal stay here and wait for my call." Racine ordered.

"You got it Victor." Sal nodded his head.

Racine buttoned up his coat and glanced at the four bodyguards that had arrived.

"The rest of you follow me." Racine did not wait for the bodyguards to acknowledge the order he started walking for the entrance to the terminal.

XXXXX

Your thoughts on this chapter would be greatly appreciated.

Con