fighting for my family
chapter 29
5/4/16


interior warehouse:

"Was this whole thing a trap, so that you could take them all out at once?" Ryan asks Castle, then stares at the blood pool in front of where Castle was sitting.

"I don't know. I was..." Castle turns his head towards Ryan, "We were," Castle sighs not able to finish the sentence without having a flashback of Hayley laying there struggling to breath in his arms.

"So you did know," Espo glances back at Ryan, "See told you bro that he knew all along."

"No, I didn't..." Castle protests spinning his body around without getting all the way up. "I didn't have anything to do with this. How could you think that guys, you know me."

"Do we?" Ryan comments looking at him then to Espo. "Is there something that you are keeping from us," Ryan waves the paper in his face. "Then explain this to us."

Castle stands, takes a few steps then hangs his head. They do have a right to know, I guess. "I..." Castle swallows, "Got a tip. Okay. There."

"A tip?" Espo chuckles at that one.

"Like an information tip?" Ryan comments not thinking that he heard Castle right either.

"Where do you know any people like that?" Espo shot back.

"I don't," Castle swallows, "That sheet," Castle points to the sheet that Ryan has in his hand. "A guy off of it called the office," Castle switches to his other foot. "Told me so I came."

"Without back-up? How stupid are you?" Espo asks him staring him down.

Castle takes a deep breath so that he could control his emotions about Hayley, "I did have back-up," points to the upper deck, where the boys turn their heads to look.

"I don't see," Ryan was the first to comment.

"That is... was where..." Castle responds, not giving away to much.

"What most of the shell casing came from is that it?" Espo adds finishing the sentence without thinking.

"That's what the text was about...wasn't it." Ryan states after a short pause. "Someone up there was texting you to tell you that it was all clear."

"Um..." was the only thing that Castle was able to say to that one.

"So where's..." Espo calls, looking around. Castle didn't answer right away. He just stares down at the blood pool which was almost dry now.

He was fighting the urge to tell them about the pool of blood right there by their feet. Ryan notices that Castle was acting all nervous shifting from one foot to the other.

Why is he standing by this blood pool? Who's is it? You don't think? He shakes the thoughts. Could Hayley have been shot right there? If so where's her body? Maybe that's the secret that he is keeping from us. But he wouldn't do that to us, would he? Then again he wouldn't want us to see her if that's what happened. Ryan scratches his head, Espo glares at him.

"I don't know but I think we need to find her." comes a voice from behind them.

"Who's we?" Espo calls out seeing who it was that was coming up. "We don't need a lawyer."

"Who called one? I didn't. Did you?" Ryan points to Espo, who shakes his head. Ryan then points to Castle.

"Nope," was Castle's only responds. He didn't know Celeb that well, just the two meetings that Beckett and he had for court one day. Then what was Celeb doing there anyway? What's he got to do with any of this? Castle has to wonder. Is he? No it can't be or can it.

"I was lured here by a text," Celeb walks up to Castle and pokes him hard in the shoulder. "By you."

"By me!" Castle steps back. "I didn't." a pause, "Text you," Castle shakes his head. "I wouldn't." a pause, "I have no reason to." Castle shouts.

"To set up this trap, you would." Celeb tries to reach out to grab Castle.

"I didn't set up any trap. I was called out here." Castle was now getting very angry about be accused of things that he didn't do. Someone was trying to set them both up so what they would take each other out.

"The trace I just ran on the phone led me right to you." Celeb holds out a device he was carrying. "It's beeping right now. It's coming from your pocket." The boys stare at the two of them. Was any of this true, Espo thinks, could Castle have set this whole thing up just to lure the master tattoo man out. And kill anyone that got in his way.

"I didn't do this." Castle shouts, starting to reach for the phone, which causes both Espo and Ryan to draw their guns. Ready to fire on him if that was necessary. "The phone in my pocket..." Castle sighs, "It's Hayley's. I..."

"And why do you have it?" Ryan asks him, stepping closer to him, lowering his gun only a little.

"Did you see mine," Castle faces right at Ryan. "It got shot up." Castle faces Espo, "Hayley throw hers to me so I would have one. And..."

"Where is she then?" Espo has a concern look that came across his face. Was this all Castle fault that this was happening.

"She took off, so I don't know." He was hoping that he's lying was good enough to get past them right now. He didn't really want to talk about Hayley and where she really was.

"But for me this is your fault." Celeb responds to Castle. "If you and your partner, Beckett.." He makes a face at her name. He never really liked her at all. She was just someone who was in the way. Both of them were. "Hadn't..."

"What?" The boys say at once both glancing over at Celeb then to Castle.

"What's this got to do with our Captain?" Ryan adds his voice was hinting at his concern for their safety.

"Oh, they don't know do they." Celeb smiles at the boys, the focuses his attention back on the man who he believes to have ruined his life. "They don't know the real reason why all of this started with LocSat. And why their beloved Captain," Celeb rolls his eyes. "Beckett is on the run."

"On the run?" Espo gives Castle a death glare.

"Leave them out of this." Castle shouts almost spitting in the guy's face. He was so mad at how Celeb thinks he can just come in and tell all. "It's between us."

"Us?" The boys stare at each other they don't get it.

"I think that they are about to find out the whole story." a pause so Celeb could swallow. "What do you say to that Mr. Writer," He winks at Castle, "Your secret is about to blown up." Castle swallows, he knew it was time to let the guys in on LocSat.

"I..." Celeb walks up to Castle, grabs his arms digging his fingernails into Castle's flesh. And puts a rag close to his face. "If you say a word I will use this. Do you understand?" Castle takes in a deep breath then nods.

"Good," Celeb lets go of Castle's arm. "Now boys," he faces them. "I have a story to tell you about Castle and Beckett," a pause. "The real Castle and Beckett..." Celeb starts to say then all of a sudden out of nowhere a large knife slices the air...

to be continued...