This is the final update bar the epilogue. I'm sad and I'm elated to be to be at the end. Oh and I hope to God everyone remembers this guy - my CIA bad seed
Chapter Thirty Six: Dirty little freak, but this is how we bleed.
"You! Of course it had to be."
Then her grandfather chuckles hoarsely, but it's an unhappy, awful sound - full of irony, before he says, "I should have known."
Gulping, Alexis realizes this doesn't sound good at all and it freezes her, roots her mutely to the spot for a moment until an idea dawns on her and she tugs her phone free of her pocket frantically. Opening the device's recording app she holds the phone to the gap between the door and the frame, and starts it listening.
Richard Gabor studies the deceptively passive face of his adversary wearily. He really feels like he should have guessed this, should have foreseen that from the finite number of suspects he had – this would be the operative who would betray him.
Because it's always the most unlikely one isn't it? Both in the fictional world of his son's best-selling books, and in the real spy game. It's always the last person you'd suspect because transparency gets you killed.
He knows this, he lives it. It's been his motto since forever.
Blue eyes glittering bitterly with the sting of betrayal, the older operative eyes his protégé with a disgust that's not entirely directed outwardly. He's molded this guy, taught him, and trusted him – and therefore he knows that also means he's responsible.
"And yet you look surprised to see me boss." Agent Gray says somewhat smugly, his eyes dancing with a maliciousness Gabor has never seen in them before. "I confess I've spent the last couple of weeks since you've been back in the country with Castle, just waiting for you to come after me."
Gabor huffs out a disbelieving bark of laughter and barely manages to conceal the pain that it causes him.
"You'd never sit around and wait for someone to come after you, Gray. It's just not your style. And besides, we both know that you remember every single last thing I've ever taught you, including that offense is always better than defense."
The younger man smiles evenly at that, tilting his head in acknowledgement.
"Call it a last mark of respect for you then," he says. "A last, shall we say 'chance'? No matter how miniscule an offering it was."
Gabor smiles but it's grimly.
"I highly doubt it was that. More likely a perverse need to see if I was smart enough to figure it out - that you were the one who'd gone into business for yourself with Cesar Valez. And I'm willing to bet it was also you who shot me down in Mexico? A team that you were leading who came after us on the island?"
Agent Gray nods slowly, silently agreeing that he's responsible for all of these offenses. And though he already knew it, the sudden tang in the air, the bitter pill of it is as painful to Gabor as a knife plunged in his back would be. He trusted this man, he really, really did, and there are very few people he's ever allowed himself to have that amount of faith in.
The bitterness morphs quickly to a cold hatred within him.
"You're a disgrace Gray," he spits at him. "A worthless traitor and a disappointment to me every bit as large as Sophia was."
Agent Gray's face loses it's smug smile and his lips thin cruelly at this. He says nothing in response, just reaches into his inside jacket pocket pulling free a loaded hypodermic needle that flashes when it catches the sunlight.
Gabor swallows heavily, not because he's afraid to die, the veteran operative has never been afraid of dying – it's just he's never had so many reasons before that he wanted to live.
"It'll be painless." Gray tells him needlessly. "Unlike what happened to you yesterday old man. For old times sake I will at least give you that. And nobody will know, it'll just look like your heart gave out from the stress of the surgery." He steps closer, but Gabor holds up a hand to stop him.
"Why?" The older operative pleads. "After all these years and everything that I've taught you to be, before you take my life I want you to tell me, Gray - why you would do this? Look me in the eye and explain to me why you would betray me?"
Gray shrugs, "Honestly - the money was just too damn good," he replies.
Money, figures.
"We don't do what we do for money, Gray. We give up our lives to this for the benefit of our country, the calling of a higher purpose."
Agent Gray rolls his eyes.
"Really? Country. Duty. And where in the big scheme of things does that ever get you?" He says snarkily. "Retirement on a tiny pension while drug czars like Valez get to live the high life in return for information? An anonymous death whose sacrifice is never going to be recognized? Well I'm not you, Gabor. And the CIA isn't nearly the institution it purports itself to be, so the bottom line is I'd rather be a rich opportunist than dead or a pauper enslaved to my country."
Silence hangs heavy in the air as the two men stare at each other, its Castle's father who breaks it.
"Wealth is measured in more terms than money," he says, his eyes stony as he waits for needle jab that will end his life. He knows he can't fight Agent Gray off – not in this sorry condition, and even if he were healthy this nondescript looking man would a formidable physical adversary.
Words are all he has left then, and as words serve to instantly remind him of his son maybe, just maybe, he can still get out of this by using them?
"You don't have to do this Gray," he says wearily. "Valez' is lost to the operation but we both know there are others like him and you can do what you want now, plot what you want, and scheme what you like I truly don't care. I'm retiring."
Agent Gray laughs hollowly.
"You wouldn't know how, Gabor. And you remain the final loose end anyway. For what it's worth you've saved your son and his muse. I won't kill them since there is no way for them to trace this back to me, and let's face it their death's would attract highly unwelcome attention."
Gabor raises an eyebrow, and ruthlessly holds his tongue. Because as much as he wants to tell this traitor that he shouldn't underestimate either Kate or Rick he won't risk drawing a target on his child, not even if it could save him. So all he says is,
"You'll be sorry if you do this, Gray."
Gray shakes his head.
"I'm never sorry, Gabor," he says with finality. And then he takes the final step closer that he'll need in order to be able to push the needle into the older man's arm. He raises it in his hand, but before he can plunge it in the loud banging of a door flying open startles the pair of them.
Alexis has listened to the two men's conversation while growing increasingly afraid and horrified. The fear has chased itself all over her mind, changing rapidly as it did so from a simple fear of discovery, to a deeper and more profound fear of loss. When it hits her that she's as afraid of her father and her grandmother losing the man in the bed - and what it'll do to both of them as she is afraid to be discovered here, a course of action suddenly becomes crystal clear. She pauses the recording on her phone and quickly shares it via email with both her father and Kate. Now they have the evidence of this 'Gray' person's treachery and dammit she's got that plus a bloody loud scream. Hands balled into fists the young woman summons up all the courage she can muster within her – and then Alexis throws the bathroom door wide.
Gabor's eyes dart from Agent Gray's needle-wielding form to the doorway of his hospital bathroom and the unfamiliar young woman with the angry flashing blue eyes who's suddenly standing there. Then it registers with him that she isn't unfamiliar at all, she's Richard's daughter – his granddaughter, and judging by the look on her lovely determined face she's hell-bound on defending him.
"Leave or I'll scream." Alexis says sternly, inside quaking but outwardly looking as calm as a rock. "I mean it. You won't get away with hurting him, and if you touch a single hair on my head you'll have the entire NYPD coming after you."
Agent Gray has the good grace to look vaguely put upon, but he doesn't move from Gabor's side and he doesn't lower the hypodermic needle either.
"Alexis Castle," he says evenly. "My, my – you are certainly unexpected dilemma."
Alexis fakes a smile.
"I'm not a dilemma," she says, pulling her i-phone out from behind her back, and thumbing the lock screen off. She opens the recording app again and her finger hovers over the recording as she says,
"But this is- "And then she hits play.
The recording is tinny and not the greatest quality ever, but the entirety of the two men's conversation is there. By the time the last words have been spoken Agent Gray is visibly vibrating with anger.
Alexis closes the app and then faces that anger defiantly. Drawing on her knowledge of Kate Beckett, she prepares to say what she imagines Kate would do.
"I don't know who you are and I truly don't care, but you aren't going to hurt either him or me," she says, nodding towards the bed and Gabor who's watching her silently, naked pride on his strained face.
"And just so you know," she continues, "I've already emailed the digital file of this to both my father and Detective Beckett – so you could attempt to take my phone, could try and finish what you came here to do, but you wouldn't get away with it. That I can promise you."
Face pale, and mind obviously whirring at the thought of being bested by a college student, Gray turns confused eyes on Gabor, the needle vacillating in his hand.
Gabor seizes the opportunity.
"Go Gray," he says gruffly. "I meant what I said. I'm done with this, and it looks like you are too thanks to Alexis. So take this as an opportunity to disappear, and hope that no member of my family ever lays eyes on you again."
The rogue agent's jaw twitches and then the needle falls from his fingers, clattering on the vinyl floor before it rolls under the bed. Gabor turns his attention to Alexis, Alexis turns her eyes to him, and when both look back for Gray a split second later – the traitor has done as he was bid and vanished into thin air.
The threat gone, Alexis finds her knees are trembling from an overload of adrenaline. She takes a few unsteady steps towards Gabor, before she sinks down next to his hip on the bed. Her grandfather smiles widely at her, looking so much like an older version of her father that it almost takes her breath away.
A tanned hand reaches shakily across the blanket covering him, pulls at her cold small fingers and laces them firmly with his.
"You saved my life," he says warmly. "And so very fiercely. Alexis, what you just did - that was incredibly brave."
The teenager grins tremulously. "Hi," she replies, squeezing his hand back hard. "And you're welcome. Thank you for bringing me back my Dad,"
Gabor nods.
"Is he really gone, do you think?" she asks, eyes darting towards the closed door.
Her grandfather nods again.
"Good," she says, pushing off the bed and pulling free. Gabor looks bereft immediately.
"You don't . . . Do you have to go?" He asks.
Alexis shakes her head, disappearing back into the bathroom before quickly re-emerging with the slightly wilted posy of violets that were the sole reason she was in the bathroom to begin with. The vibrant little flowers still have no water but she presents them to Gabor anyways.
A knowing curve bows his lips and he takes them from her carefully.
"No-one has ever given me flowers before," he tells her, a definite catch in his deep voice.
"Yeah well-"she trails off uncertain of what to say, but them Gabor pats the mattress next to him, and so Alexis resumes her seat next to him.
They are silent for a long moment.
"I used to bring them to my Dad, when he was sick or just sad and I was little." Alexis explains. "Grams would always take me to buy him a posy of violets, because purple is his favorite color, and when I'd give them to him he'd smile again.
Their eyes meet and Gabor says softly,
"I'm very touched then, that you would include me in a family tradition that you have with him."
Alexis nods.
"Tell me about him." Gabor prompts.
Alexis looks confused.
"But you finally actually know him."
Gabor shrugs.
"I'd still like to hear it. He's been the father that I never I was," he explains. "He had no guide. No act to follow. And yet he's so obviously been an exceptional one. So tell me about him, Alexis. Share with me all I should have been."
His granddaughter grins, and then she begins.