CH28

It is now 2 months later: (June)

The last month had been a bad one for Kate and the guys. They had a new case and it was wearing them down. It had started out as a normal arson investigation. However the second fire that had used the same method of burning down a building had taken three lives of squatters that were living there.

The second had taken another three, while the latest didn't have squatters it had however taken a fireman's life while putting out the fire.

Kate was standing at her murder board with Roy stepped up behind her. "We really need to solve this one Beckett. Burning empty buildings with homeless people in them didn't get the attention of the people downtown. However having a fireman die at one of these has. I want you and your team to keep on this one. Any new cases come in will get distributed to the other detectives." Roy tells her.

"Yes sir." Kate could only respond, since they had almost nothing. Since it was a fire that meant any evidence on the guy that did it was likely burned.

"Just keep at it Beckett." Roy offers and heads for his office.

Kate was sitting at her desk, when a number of files were dropped on her desk. GREAT, just what she needed. Kate looked up to see who her benefactor was. "Tom, what the hell are you doing here?" Kate didn't try to hide the disdain she had for the man.

"Montgomery told us to gather up every case we had in a three block radius of each scene and give it to you. We have six and these are the case files." Tom explains.

"Thanks." Kate starts picking up the files. "Something else Tom, or would you like me to shoot you now and save the next woman you meet from having to do it?" Kate offers.

"Kate, …. ok so getting you to go with me to a mountain cabin when several feet of snow was expected wasn't one of my better ideas, ..." Kate cuts him off.

"NO SHIT! You're lucky I was able to salvage the relationship I was in at the time, or I would have hunted you down and castrated you. … And why are you still standing at my desk? Or have you forgotten that I'm armed?" Kate was still only too willing to shoot him, he just had to give he an excuse that wouldn't land her in jail.

"Kate, …." Tom starts however this time Tom is interrupted when they all hear a low menacing growl, that told everyone that the owner of the growl was about to rip Tom's arm off and enjoy doing it.

It got Tom to step back and Kate to turn her head. "ELKA!" Kate was happy to see her, since her timing was perfect. Plus it meant if Elka was here Rikki couldn't be far behind.

"Better run Tom, Elka already knows I hate you." Kate warns him. Watching Tom retreat quickly headed for the elevator, only to come up short finding Rikki standing there blocking the way with a crock pot in her hands with a bag hanging below.

"What I'm going to do to you." Rikki growls out and stands her ground. "Elka?" Rikki calls out.

Tom turns and sees a doberman pincher come running, getting Tom to run for the stairs.

"Chase him girl." Rikki calls out loud enough for Tom to hear, putting even more fear in Tom.

Kate took the crock pot from Rikki's hands and placed it on her desk. Kate stroked Rikki's face. "I love you and I don't care who knows." Kate tells Rikki and gives her a quick kiss.

Rikki had her arms wrapped around Kate. "What was he doing here?" Rikki wanted to trust Kate, she really did, but Kate had hurt her once.

"We have a case that is giving us trouble and Captain Montgomery asked for his robbery case files in the area to see if they would help, plus I think he wanted another chance to get back in my pants. Like that was ever going to happen." Kate looked past Rikki.

Kate shook her head and looked at Rikki. "We're getting married babe, all there is, is you." Kate looks directly at Rikki.

Moments later after Rikki has plugged in the crock pot Elka returns with a small piece of clothing in her mouth. "Good girl." Rikki pets her and kisses her head taking the piece of what looked like pants from her mouth.

"Lunch is served." Kate calls out, getting Ryan, Espo and Roy to show up within minutes.

"I hear rumors of a wedding." Roy points out, as he is spooning lunch out of the crock pot.

"Yes sir." Kate whispers out.

"It's about time Beckett." Roy tells Kate as he walks out of the break room with lunch. "And I expect an invitation detective." Roy calls over his shoulder.

"Yes sir." Kate responds softly a little surprised and starts grinning.

My boss doesn't care if I marry a woman, and he wants to be there.

Rikki and Kate were sitting at Kate's desk eating what Rikki had brought in. "Why are you smiling so wide?" Rikki has spotted Kate being happy.

"Captain Montgomery asked for an invitation to our wedding." Kate was still smiling.

"So your boss approves." Rikki recognizes what that means. "This your case?" Rikki changes the topic turning to look at the white board.

"Yeah, someone is burning abandoned buildings that in two cases had homeless people in them who were killed. The last one a fire fighter died putting out the fire. Downtown is on our case to solve who it is, since people have died." Kate answers her question, and watches Rikki stand at the board.

"Different kinds of buildings with nothing taller than a second floor. … File?" Rikki reaches behind her to Kate, getting Kate to hand her the file she had without question.

'Mostly big, their old and long since abandoned. … Still got that city map?" Rikki asks.

And soon Rikki, Kate, Ryan and Espo are leaning over the map on Kate's desk.

"Ok the first building was here, the second one here, the third and fourth were here." Rikki pokes pins in the map. "If there is a fifth, would it create a symbol?" Rikki asks handing over the pin to Kate, since she lived here longer than Rikki has.

Kate, Ryan and Espo look at the map. "What if he doesn't stop at five?" Ryan asks, and Rikki hands Ryan another pin.

Together they screw with the map putting in their pins. "Nothing still." Kate points out, hoping Rikki was on to something.

"Ok what are we missing?" Rikki picks the file back up. "Who owned the buildings?" Rikki tries again.

"Tried that already, all of them are or were owned by different companies, one was even owned by the city as payment in back taxes." Espo answers that one.

"Any connection with a single developer?" Rikki asks, since the building was gone, it could now be replaced.

Kate was shaking her head. "No known connection, and what's left still has to be removed before something can be built." Kate points out.

"Would anyone want to build anything there now, since the building is mostly gone? I mean it's already demolished so to speak, so it should cost less." Rikki tries again. "It's even more of a blight on the landscape, the city would likely sell theirs for a song." Rikki points out.

"Ooooo!" Rikki straightens up and pulls out her cell phone., while looking up which building was owned by the city.

Kate looks at Ryan and Espo. "Find out all you can about the areas they were in. Are the area's in established areas, in up and coming areas or were they in long abandoned areas? Maybe we can anticipate the next location based on location within the city." Kate tells the guys, and watches them hit their phones.

"Sounds like my job is done. …. We will see you when you get home." Rikki gives Kate a quick kiss and heads for the elevator with Elka right next to her.

"What did your realtor say?" Kate calls after her only to get Rikki to grin back at her.

Kate pushes the map a little out of the way so she can use her keyboard to help the guys with their search.

It was hours later. "Ryan and I are going to check out a possible building since it's on our way home." Espo tells Kate.

"Ok guys, just remember to call for back up if you suspect anything. This guy doesn't care who dies in the buildings he burns." Kate advises them.

"Not a problem Beckett, getting burned alive is not high on our list of things to do." Espo answers back.

Kate has made it home with Elka meeting her at the door. "Hi girl, where's Rikki?" And Kate watches Elka go upstairs, getting Kate to follow her only stopping long enough to pick up Henry.

"Hi Henry, how's my boy?" Kate lifts him out of his enclosure, while Kate runs her hand through the water. "Looks like I need to go shopping. No wonder your growing, you're a pig." Kate kisses him.

Kate finds Rikki and Elka in the den and watches Rikki typing. "Which book are you working on?"

"Nature book, I still have 1-1/2 years to finish the next Derek Storm book and I'm already a few chapters into that one. …. You find anything?" Rikki changes topics.

"The guys are going to look at a potential site on their way home. … Have you found anything?" Kate changes topics.

"I've found a number of elephant sculptures at this one store however only had two detect magic spells prepared. I'll go back tomorrow and try two more. I'm not sure I like our chances. New York City is such a big city, and this thing could be anywhere if it's even on this Earth." Rikki points out.

"You know just how many Earth's there are?" Rikki questions, causing Kate to think about it. Probably a number so high she couldn't even comprehend how many.

"I saw elephants on your desk again today, have you tried casting your spell on them?" Rikki asks.

"It's a family of elephants and my mother left it to me. I never really thought of casting the spell on it." Kate points out.

"Elephants are elephants honey, and the letter did say there were four people bonded with it. How many elephants are on your desk?" Rikki asks not remembering.

"Four." Kate points out. "I'll cast the spell tomorrow first chance I get."

"Dinner should be ready in about 20 minutes." Rikki points out, as she looks at the timer sitting on her desk.

"I'll go change and meet you downstairs." Kate bends over to kiss Rikki before going downstairs.

Kate wanted Rikki tonight so she changed into nothing more than a simple shirt with nothing on under it.

Kate was in the kitchen looking over what Rikki had cooking and decided to start work on a salad to go with it. "What is on that mind of yours love?" Rikki slid some fingers along Kate's exposed arm and nuzzled into Kate's neck, kissing what she finds.

"I'm hungry and I was thinking of something for dessert." Kate smiles as Rikki moves past her to check what she has cooking.

"So I'm just a dessert now am I?" Rikki teases.

That got Kate to wrap her arms around Rikki. "You're a full course meal with seconds and you know it, however I really am hungry. I promise to save room for breakfast in the morning." Kate responds kissing Rikki.

Kate was only half way done with dinner doing her best to give Rikki little peeks of her breasts and her soaking wet core. "You are a tease my love and you are going to pay for this." Rikki was smiling at her just before placing her fork in her mouth.

"I don't know what you are talking about babe." Kate tried to sound indifferent however her smile was giving her away.

"I'm going to spank you beautiful skinny butt and then I'm going to tie you to the bed and do what I want to you." Rikki counters jabbing her fork into the food on her plate.

All it did was get Kate even more wet and start blushing in anticipation of what her lover was only too capable of doing to her. Until her cell phone started ringing. "Don't even think about it." Rikki cautioned, since she was just as wet as Kate was.

"Beckett." Kate answered her phone seeing the caller ID. "I'll be there in 30." Kate answers and hangs up. "Duty calls babe." And Kate gets up and kisses Rikki. "I'll be back, naked, soaking wet and in our bed as soon as I can." And Kate kisses Rikki again.

Only to have Rikki place her hand on her core and slide her fingers up Kate's wet folds getting Kate to moan into her kiss. Only to feel Rikki insert one finger inside her getting Kate to moan louder and go weak in the knees. And then feel Rikki add a second finger and then feel Rikki rub her thumb over her button.

Then Rikki suddenly took her hand away and placed her fingers in Rikki's mouth and lick them clean. "You better hurry love or I may start without you." Rikki cautions.

Kate kisses Rikki again pressing her tongue into her mouth to search for her taste only to find a hint of her own taste inside Rikki's mouth. "I'll be back as fast as humanly possible." Kate gives Rikki another quick kiss.

Moments later Kate is running back downstairs fully dressed. "Do not start without me babe, I want to taste you." Kate kisses Rikki before flying out the door.

Kate was approaching the area that she had an address for, except the access was blocked by officers who only let her pass after showing her ID. As Kate got closer she found the area filled with fire trucks and still more police cruisers with the area behind them all lite up in orange.

Off to one side ahead of her there was a building that looked to be fully involved, however it didn't look like the firemen were fighting it.

Kate parked her car next to another unmarked cruiser much like her own. It took Kate a few moments till she found Captain Montgomery standing with two firemen in suits and one wearing normal clothes that all had NYFD written on all of it.

The two firemen in suits left leaning just Roy and what was likely a fire chief. "Captain?"

"Beckett, I thought you should know so I had you called out here. Ryan and Espo are in that building." Roy points out.

That got Kate to turn to look at the building. "Sir?"

"They both used their cell phones and called it in. We believe that they are in the basement." Roy gives Kate a little more information.

"Then why aren't they fighting the fire and going in to get them out?" Kate all but yelled at Roy. These were her friends they were talking about.

The fire chief speaks for the first time. "Your two officers are in the basement based on our last conversation with them. If we pour water on the fire, all that water will go down into the basement. The building may look big, however according to the plans with the city, the basement isn't.

We could end up flooding the basement and drown them before we can reach them."

"There has to be something!?" Kate turns with a hurt and worried face to look at the fire.

"We have two units on site that can make foam, however it is all done by hand using flexible tube if you will. We are waiting for a cannon to arrive that can shoot the foam at a longer distance. As soon as that unit arrives, we'll start making our way to the basement access." The fire chief explains.

"How long?" Kate asks, wanting it already here and working.

"It's coming from the airport, 30 minutes, maybe longer. Which leads us to our next problem. …. The fire is weakening the structure, it's liable to collapse soon. We just don't know when that time will be." He hated giving bad news, but he was here to fight the fire, rescue the men and not get his men killed doing it.

Kate turned away and moaned. "We're doing what we can Beckett." Roy tried to help.

Kate walked away and pulled out her cell phone. "Rikki, I need you here. Can you please come?"

"What's happening Kate?" Rikki asks cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Espo and Ryan are trapped in the basement of a burning building, can you please come." Kate didn't know what Rikki could do that the fire dept. couldn't, but she really did want Rikki here to hold onto.

"Find a plant Kate and tell me what kind it is." Rikki tells her.

Kate looked around for an out of the way place and found a living plant and told Rikki what it was, and a moment later Rikki had Kate in her arms. "Where are they?" Rikki asks.

Kate held onto Rikki and took her towards the building. "Under that just about dead center in the basement." Kate points.

"And they're not fighting the fire because? …." Rikki questions.

"The basement is small and all they have is water that will flood the basement. Foam is coming but it's half an hour away or more. And the fire is weakening the structure." Kate explains.

"So we need to dig." Rikki whispers.

"DIG!? … That could take days." Kate points out wondering if Rikki was nuts.

"For you yes." Rikki looked around. "Come on, this way." Rikki took Kate's hand and started striding away, headed for a chain link fence that was barely still standing.

One past the fence. "There that little building should do nicely." And Rikki walked for it quickly with Kate in tow.

"Yeah, this should work." Rikki looked around, then looked at Kate who obviously thought Rikki was nuts. "Kate honey, you trust me?"

"Of course babe, with my life. I just don't understand what being over here is going to accomplish." Kate didn't understand.

"We're going to dig our way to that basement and get to your friends, or more accurately I'm going to dig." Rikki tells Kate.

"Babe?" Kate was still just as lost.

Rikki took a hold of Kate. "You know I can change shape, right?" Rikki asks getting Kate to nod her head. "Well I know of a creature that can dig fast and leave a tunnel for you to follow me behind in. Then we turn around and use the tunnel to get your friends back out through."

"Seriously!? …. What are we waiting for?" Kate stepped back expecting Rikki to start digging.

However Rikki comes up to Kate and holds Kate's head in her hands. "I'm going to change forms and start digging. … I need you to remember that no matter what you see, it is still me underneath what you see and that I still love you. …. Got it?" Rikki gives Kate a quick kiss.

"That bad?" Kate thought Rikki was making it sound like something gross.

"Wellll, … let's just say he's not the most handsome thing you'll ever see." Rikki started smiling.

"Like the bear, it won't look like you but it will be you." Kate thinks she understands.

"I will not be able to talk to you and you can't cast your spell to talk to me. This will not be an animal. …. Understand?" Rikki needed Kate to know that once she changed and started, they were both on their own.

"Got it." Kate nodded her head. "How fast will you be digging?"

This got Rikki to smile. "You'll see. …. Better step away honey, the dirt is going to be flying." Rikki warns her.

That got Kate to step away a little. "You're going to need your flashlight and possibly cast your light spell. …. Here we go." Rikki warns Kate, and changes form in seconds.

Ankheg – A huge segmented insect with slender legs, each ending in a sharp claw. A tough chitinous brown shell covers its entire body, and glistening black eyes stare out from above powerful mandibles.

Rikki's new shape caused Kate to make a face like she had just tasted bad flu medicine. "Eewww." Rikki was ugly!

Rikki started digging instantly and Kate saw the dirt flying.

Ten minutes later and Rikki was out of sight underground and still the dirt was flying out of the hole. It got Kate to run for her car and pull out her flashlight and the first aid kit that included a pair of emergency warming blankets and ran back for the hole.

Kate turned on her flashlight and looked inside the hole. The hole was a little taller than she was and it looked like there was some kind of web structure holding the dirt back and preventing it from caving in.

Kate took a deep breath and started walking in slowly using her flashlight to shine all around the tube she was walking in, going down at a soft slope. Kate could hear digging in the distance.