CH54
They spent the night in their new home. Got up in the morning and searched boxes for towels. Rick made breakfast while Kate got Alexis up and into the shower while leaving her a towel for her to use.
Downstairs Kate ate her breakfast, got a coffee to-go mug from Castle and kissed him with enough passion to make her want to think about taking him back upstairs.
The drive into work was longer and she took the freeway this time to get there. She would explore alternate routes later.
Rick took Alexis to her old school. She would get transferred to the new one at the next school year. Alexis didn't seem to mind much, however the first question she asked on the drive was when where they going to get a dog?
Rick wanted them to get used to the new house and be out of all the boxes before they brought a dog into the home. Rick figured in a couple of weeks. Did she know what kind of dog she wanted? When the answer was no, which kind of sealed the fate of the dog for now.
Rick unboxed while Kate was at work for the next two days.
Roy had called her into his office and told her that he had been told that she would be out for the next 3 days. He didn't ask about what, but the impression she got was that someone with rank had simply told him and he was going to have to live with it.
Rick drove her to the airport in the morning.
"Remember Kate, argue, fight for what you want. We love you. I love you. If you get hung up on something call me, if you can." Rick tells her.
"You've already told me what you went through, I think I know what to expect." Kate tells him.
"Maybe, but I went through it with a different person. He may be different. In fact he probably is. Whatever the outcome, I'll always love you." Rick tells her.
"I love you too." And reaches across to kiss him deeply, then turns for the car door. But turns back to kiss him quickly before getting out then pulling her carry-on bag out of the back seat and head for the counter.
It was easy. Her tickets were waiting for her. Through security and onto the plane. NYC to DC was a quick flight.
As soon as she was past security and out into the terminal she saw someone standing there holding a sign. Mrs. Castle.
"I'm Mrs. Castle." Kate tells him walking up to him.
"May I see some ID please?" And Kate shows him her new modified New York driver's license with her married name on it.
Handing it back, "This way please."
It was a town car with blacked out windows. He took her bag and put it in the trunk and opened and closed the door for her.
The drive was in silence. Kate didn't say a thing and he didn't offer any conversation.
They arrived at what looked like a row house. The driver got her bag and opened the car door and escorted her to the door and rang the bell and then left.
A new guy obviously carrying an Uzi answered the door and invited her inside. Kate picked up her bag and walked inside.
Once inside they passed a front room where she saw three more men just like the one that answered the door. He opened a door that lead to a set of stairs going up.
Once Kate was upstairs she found it was set up as a one bedroom apartment. It had a tasteful kitchen, bathroom, living room with no TV and a bathroom with a jetted tub.
Kate had seen another set of stairs that lead up but the door at the top was closed.
"If you'll wait here Mrs. Castle, someone will be with you shortly. You can unpack if you like." And then he left and went back downstairs.
It was an hour before she heard someone coming up the stairs. He rounded the corner and Kate was shocked. It was him!
Kate stood but just stood there opening and closing her mouth. She knew she would be meeting him but still it was a shock. And to have him show up so soon?
Obama reached out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Castle."
"Uuhhhmm, Thank you sir. It's a pleasure to meet you too." Kate tries to get her mind going.
"Please sit down we have a lot to talk about.
Your husband has been doing great work. I'm sure you are proud of him."
"Actually Mr. President, …" And Kate is interrupted.
"You can just use sir. Mr. President is far too formal for this conversation. Don't you think?"
"Yes sir. …. Castle only recently told me that he works for you. I didn't know until a few weeks ago. A little before we got married actually." Kate continues.
"And how is Alexis and Rick?"
"Alexis is terrific and Castle is great."
"I'm afraid my time is short so we need to get to the point. You have Jill, and have had for a little over 2 years now. Exactly after Ray was killed."
"Yes sir. My team found Ray after he had is head cut off. I think I even found who killed him. Sir."
"So my brief from the FBI tells me. Do you know much about, Frankie? I believe is what you call him." Obama asks.
"I only know what Lanie found in his blood and that even though he was shot a little over 60 times he had no holes and killed 6 people getting out of our precinct." Kate explains.
"And another 4 FBI agents, yes I read that part. But do you know who he is?"
Kate is forced to shake her head.
"Well we'll get to that in a moment. You have worked with Jill over the last two years. I'm going to assume you two have formed a bond?" Obama asks.
"Yes sir, she has become one of my best friends." Kate tells him.
"Jill?" Obama calls out.
"I have no memory of Ray. Even now there is no memory of him. Kate has been and still is the best friend I have. Though I can include her whole family in that statement now." Jill offers.
"I presume you would like to stay together?" Obama asks.
"Oh yes sir." Kate tries to keep from sounding pleading.
"I would also like that." Jill offers up.
"I will also presume you both know about Jack?" Obama already knows from the download Jill sent, but he wants to hear it.
"Yes sir. Jack is how Castle was able to repair Jill with the gems we found."
"And has Rick told you how many units like Jill and Jack there are?"
"Castle did not know exactly. He suspected two or three more scattered over the planet." Kate tells him.
"There are exactly four of these units. However even I don't know where they are at present. They are not under my control." Obama informs her.
"Before we go any further." And Obama gets up and opens a drawer in a cabinet and pulls something out. He hands over a simple looking piece of paper. "This is non-disclosure form. Essentially if it is found out that you have discussed anything we are about to talk about you will be transferred to Gitmo or someplace worse. For the rest of your life." Obama warns her.
"Can it be amended to include Castle?" Kate asks.
Obama inhales and exhales deeply. Then he writes something on the paper.
"Please read it, initial where I have to accept the change and then sign at the bottom." And he hands it over along with the pen he used.
Kate takes a moment to read it. Then initials next to his and signs at the bottom. And hands it back to him.
He folds it up and puts it away on him. Then he opens the bottom area of the same cabinet and pulls out what looks like some kind of journal.
"Your situation is somewhat unique Mrs. Castle, ….." And is interrupted by Kate.
"Kate, please call me Kate."
Obama smiles. "Ray and Rick were in the same city however they barely saw each other. That was not be design. It was likely a choice they made. Your situation is going to be unique. I never considered having a husband and wife team."
Kate's breathing becomes more noticeable. "You're going to let me keep Jill and stay with Castle?" Kate scoots forward in the chair she is in.
"I would think that having the two of you working together might just be beneficial. Especially on potential bigger cases. You will of course keep your present job and be allowed to go up in rank should you decide.
However I cannot allow for you to apply for or take jobs dealing with the FBI, CIA, etc. I need you to be separate from those types of agencies. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Kate exhales and starts breathing again.
"This manual is something that you are going to take the next three days reading. It may not look that thick, however there are certain sections that you will be required to memorize. You will be leaving this behind after you sign the last page. Questions before we continue?"
"Is this where I learn about operator?" Kate asks.
Obama smiles, now knowing she has been around when Rick used it. "All of that is discussed in here. There are also some sections in here for you to fill out. Anything else?"
Kate shakes her head.
"We will not be meeting again, so you need to be certain."
"You talked about Frankie?" Kate asks.
"Almost an apt description of him. Jack and Jill. They are both very advanced systems, more advanced than anything we could possibly ever create for at least a few generations." Obama tells her.
"Sir?" Kate questions. Did he just say what she thought he did?
"The answer to the big question, is no, we are not alone. At one point during my predecessors term there was an encounter at one of our air bases. And no, not area 51. At this location a very small craft entered our air space and landed at an air base before we could even get a fighter off the ground.
It just sat there for almost a month. Finally someone actually touched it and literally got a shock. It promptly changed form to mimic us. It then started making a noise which took over every computer and fax machine on the base. Along with everyone's cell phone and radio.
Essentially every electronic item on the base. It had downloaded or printed out a large amount of information. The short version is that there is presently an interstellar war going on out there. A very big one. The amount of space that is involved boggles the mind. Our planet is in the middle of a dessert, if you will. This group only came across us by accident.
After that it deposited two items on the ground, converted back to the other form and left.
Give you one guess what was left behind." Obama offered.
"Jack and Jill." Kate states barely believing a word of this.
"Very good. Part of what was downloaded was information on both sides of the conflict. Needless to say our morality has more in common with this group than the other side.
Part of the information it contained was information that the other side already had a small group on our planet.
This group is what Ray was investigating for me." Obama tells her.
"Frankie." Kate states.
"Frankie, yes. There are two other races that are part of that group."
"That little pale yellow person." Kate again states.
"Yes, Frankie as you call him is the worst of them. As you have found out nearly impossible to kill and beyond dangerous."
"Jack suggested nanites based off of the scan Jill did on him." Kate tells him.
"If the downloaded information is accurate he has millions of them in him. Bullets are simply repaired almost instantly, depending on how many enter his body." Obama tells her.
"That explains the 48 rounds I pumped into him earlier." Kate remembers the encounter well.
"Nothing short of a mini gun will do enough damage to even slow him down."
"Except the 14 rounds Ryan put into his head." Kate states remembering.
"I know it sounds like a Zombie kind of statement but its brain is the only vulnerable area. Even that, as you have found out, can be repaired."
"Lanie and the officers." Kate states again.
"Yes, not to be mean, but if you hadn't had Rick order the FBI to hand him over to her, none of your people would be dead right now." Obama tells her.
Kate starts breathing heavy again. 'I got those men killed.' Kate is thinking.
"If the FBI had still had him when he recovered there would be a lot of dead FBI men instead of police officers. It was just dumb luck. He could have recovered before, or during the transfer just as easily." Obama tells her.
"Is Frankie really dead now?" Kate prays he is.
"As I understand it, the answer is no. There are nanites in his head just like his body. There are simply fewer of them. However until the two parts of him can get back together, than yes, he is dead. Just not permanently."
"How long before more of them come?" Kate's not sure she wants an answer.
"The side we prefer is presently shielding us from them. However the answer to your question is no one knows."
"So you accept me to work for you and with Castle, keep my job and stay where we live?" Kate backs up a little.
"Yes. I read where you recently moved."
Kate smiles. "Yea, we just moved into our first home together. We're actively trying to expand our family." Kate figures he needs to know.
"I'll have to make a note to send you a baby shower gift. You just be careful what you do or don't do while pregnant Kate." Obama cautions.
"Any more questions?"
"Is Castle presently working on a case for you?" Kate asks.
"Yes he is."
"Can I ask what it is?" Kate would love to know.
"Yes you can ask. But if you want an answer you are going to have to ask him. Just be sure you want to know what it is before you ask him."
That sounded ominous to Kate. How bad could it be?
"Any more questions?"
Kate shakes her head.
"There is one more thing. Give me your cell phone."
Kate looks at him funny. She wanted to keep it. She wanted to talk to Castle over the next three days.
"Your cell phone is not secure. It can be used to trace your location. We are going to give you a secure cell phone. This one however will be a satellite phone, just like Rick's. It'll have the same number and have everything on it yours has now." Obama informs her.
Kate takes out her phone and hands it over.
"You'll get your new one sometime tomorrow. It has been a pleasure meeting you Kate. Please do not give me a reason to regret my decision about you."
"No sir. I'll do my best sir."
"I suggest you start reading. There is a lot to memorize and it may someday save your or someone else's life." And Obama exits and goes downstairs.
Kate sooooo wanted to talk to Castle. Instead she picked up the manual and started reading.
