CH55
Kate spent the first day reading. The President was right, there wasn't a lot to read, but there was a lot to memorize. Kate had finished reading it all the first day and had started trying to memorize certain sections.
She had to create a code name and create a security code like Castle had used with the operator. And only Jill could call the operator.
There were locations to memorize, codes she had to use to memorize, where to get keys and what to do with them. The list seemed endless.
Kate went to bed very late. What she did find was that there was food in the refrigerator and cooking supplies. She was able to make dinner that evening, breakfast in the morning. Enough for three days easily.
But she was missing Castle and Alexis. She wanted to hear Alexis tell her that she loved her and be in Castle's arms as well as in his bed that night.
Rick, Alexis and Martha were sitting in the dining room eating dinner that evening. "Dad, when will mom be back?" Alexis asked him yet again.
"She'll be gone at least two more days pumpkin." Rick tells her again.
Alexis sighs heavily. "She'll be back pumpkin. She just has to finish what she is doing."
Rick took her to bed and tucked her in and then read to her and kissed her forehead. Then he went back to his laptop. He wanted to look at tomorrow's site again. He knew he shouldn't second guess himself, it was just this was going to be a critical day. Things could go wrong. So he made a slight alteration to his plan.
A little TV helped take his mind off of it, just enough to allow him to get to sleep that night.
Come morning he got Alexis up and into the shower and fed her breakfast. Then drove her to school Alexis had never had 'Are we there yet syndrome', and she didn't this morning either. But she did have 'When is mom coming home?' syndrome. Part of the problem of this is that it was contagious. Rick knew when Kate was coming home, but he wanted her home too.
When he got back home he went to his laptop and started doing thought ideas for the next book. He had one and it involved using Kate as his basis of design. Everything would be different but based off of her actions.
He was still typing when Jack told him it was time to leave for his meeting. He had a light lunch and because of this meeting he was going to miss dinner. He had arranged for his mother to pick up Alexis from school and stop somewhere for dinner since he would be back late.
Rick drove to a spot he had pre-selected earlier and parked. Then he pulled his bike out of the back seat and attached the front wheel. Slung the gun case and small tote bag over his back and started riding.
Reaching his destination he opened a couple of doors and blocked them open and rode his bike inside. Finding the stairs he left his bike and started climbing. Reaching the top he went up the ladder to the roof hatch and popped it open and left it that way.
Walked over to the edge of the roof which had a parapet wall (part of why he selected this building) and started setting up camp.
He pulled out his fold away stool for him to sit on. Pulled out his night vision goggles and attached them to his head. And checked his inventory of one cup of coffee in a mini thermos and 2 power bars to snack on. Then he opened the gun case and started getting ready.
It was still light out since he had arrived 6 hours early for his meeting that was going to take place way over there.
Kate had made breakfast and then went back to reading. "Overseas bank account? Account number? What do I need an overseas back account for? …. I'm getting paid to do this!" Kate went back to reading. If she was getting paid how much was she being paid?
Finally finding it, Kate looked up in shock and let the manual slip from her hands and falls to the floor between her legs. "I'm rich!"
With a single year or two at the most of saving she would have enough cash to have bought the home they just moved into herself, without Castle's money.
Still sitting there in disbelief. "We're rich Castle." Kate tells the empty apartment. It was almost lunch. Kate wanted her phone back, now more than ever.
Kate left the manual lying on the floor and went and made a light lunch. When she was done she went back to reading. She still had a lot to memorize today and tomorrow.
It wasn't until almost 4:00 PM that evening when she was given her phone. Kate was sitting back on the sofa in the living room when she scrolled down her list to call Castle when she found something had been added. She could Skype Castle and see him while she talked to him.
Rick was busy with his little mini binoculars he had brought with him looking everything over. If these two were as smart as he thought they were, they would get here early too, and maybe have their own sniper set in place.
Then his cell phone started to vibrate. Looking at it he saw someone was trying to Skype him. He ducked down behind the parapet wall and answered.
"KATE!" Rick was shocked.
"Hi Castle. It's good to see you. They only just gave me my phone back." Kate tells him happy to see him too.
"How is it going?" Rick is dying to know what happened.
"I had my meeting yesterday. He let me keep Jill, let me keep my job and said we could work together on cases if we wanted to." Kate tells him excited.
"That's great! So you convinced him to accept what you wanted?"
"Actually it was mostly his idea. I didn't have to sell him on much of anything."
"So what are you doing now?"
"Reading mostly. There is a lot of stuff that needs to be memorized. I never dreamed there would be so many things that could come up."
"You'll get the hang of it. Just think of it as another case at work. One that you want to remember forever." Rick offers.
"That might work, thanks. Where are you?" Kate can see sky behind him.
"You caught me while I'm outside." Rick tells her while shifting a little to keep the parapet wall from being in her view.
"How's Alexis? I miss you two so much."
"I miss you too. And Alexis is having junkie withdrawals." Rick tells her chuckling.
Kate just looks at him funny.
"She keeps asking over and over, 'When is mom coming home?'" Rick informs her smiling.
"Ooowww, my poor baby, that's sweet Castle. …. Castle? … It's only been two days, but I miss you. I wish you were here." Kate tries to get her message across without getting too graphic about it.
"I miss you too. It took me a while to get to sleep last night and I woke up with a strangle hold on your pillow. Plus a cold shower this morning to calm down." Rick responds back.
"We should probably stop talking about this. It's only going to make tonight even harder. … Sorry!"
"I'm going to need a cold shower after this call." Rick is forced to tell her.
"We'll have to make up for lost time when I get back. God I miss you Castle." As Kate starts to fidget on the sofa.
"I should let you get back to reading Kate. I love you."
"I love you too Castle. …. Oh and Castle. I found out how much I get paid to do this with you."
"I take it now you understand why we could charter a jet and go places on a moment's notice?"
"I'm going to need your help on what to do with it all Castle. I've never had made this much money before. It was going to take me a lifetime to earn what I'll be making in just one year now."
"We're married Kate. I'll do everything I can to help. But it's your money. We're going to need to set up a joint account to use for home expenses. Other than that it's yours Kate."
"I love you Castle." Kate practically coos into the phone.
"I love you too Kate." And Rick ends the call.
Rick was going to need time to calm down after that call. Kate however got up and went into the bathroom to clean up and get a clean and dry pair of panties to wear.
Rick decided to watch for this possible sniper as a way to take his mind off of the phone call. Hoping it would solve his present problem.
It was just starting to get dark and the meeting was in a little less than 2 hours when Rick spotted some movement up high. Pulling out his mini binoculars to look. "Gotcha." Not very professional, if he was he would have been slower and been here long ago. Like Rick was.
"So you're first and the guys on the ground should be near here already. Probably looking for me to arrive. Now we wait."
Rick kept an eye on the sniper guy while he started looking for the ground guys. Then it got dark so he put his binoculars away and started using his naked eye.
It was now the meet time so Rick lowered his night vision down into place. Found the sniper guy straight away. Easy shot, but nothing on the ground yet.
It wasn't until an hour later that he saw movement down on the ground. "Just three? … Well plus the sniper. I wonder if one of them is the colonel or the general? Not that it matters."
Rick lifted his night vision goggles back up onto his head and got his rifle ready. "I love this IR scope." And Rick lines up on the sniper. And takes two quick shots.
First round hits his left shoulder and explodes it. The second goes into his left hip, shattering his pubic bone on that side into lots of little chips mostly.
Rick re-orients his sights on the guys on the ground. He takes them left to right. The first one takes a round to his left knee; he falls down with his lower left leg at a very odd angle.
The middle guy takes a round to his left thigh/ass just where the leg bone joint meets the hip bone. This guy was going to need hip replacement surgery if he ever wanted to walk again.
The third guy moved just a fraction of a second before the round arrived and hit him in the left cheek of his ass.
All four were crying out in pain. Rick ducked down behind the parapet wall and put his rifle in its case and stowed all the other gear in the bag. "It's time to leave Jack." And Rick grabs both items and stays below the height of the parapet wall and down the roof access ladder.
Then down the stairs to his bike. Launches out the door he left open at top speed and rides as hard as he can for his car. Throws is rifle case and bag into the trunk, takes the front tire off and stows the bike in the back seat and drives off.
He decides on a somewhat zig zag route on the way home checking for a tail and even stops at a coffee kiosk to see if anyone near him stops. Seeing nothing he heads home.
Rick parks in the garage and off loads everything back into the garage. At least until the gun safes arrive.
Once inside he heads for the kitchen to get a beer out of the refrigerator and then to the master bedroom. He wanted to wash the day off him.
Once he was done and dry but still with a towel wrapped around him he grabbed his cell phone and scrolled down until he got the name he wanted and pressed send.
"Roy, it's Rick. …. I'm doing fine thank you. I was calling to see if you and your wife would like company for dinner tomorrow. …. That time will be perfect. I'll bring Alexis. …. No Kate is out of town. She told me she had to go somewhere. Sounded cloak and dagger to me. You're sure I didn't marry a CIA operative or something? ….. Ha, ha. You're a funny man. Would you like me to shoot you now or wait until you get home? …. At least you still know your Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck lines. Nice to know being a cop hasn't taken everything away from you. …. Oh how very droll. …. Thanks we'll see you then." And Rick hands up.
"Hopefully that'll help keep my mind off Kate and I won't need another cold shower. … Oh who am I kidding. I'm going shrivel up like a prune if she doesn't get back soon. … Now where is Alexis." He needed to tell her that Kate called while he was out.
Kate meanwhile was getting tired of reading and reading. It was like cramming for a test in college, except more was at stake this time. There was no TV or radio to distract her, nothing but the stupid manual to read.
Kate got up and went into the kitchen and grabbed a banana to eat. Then picked up the manual and started reading again. Then her cell phone rang. Kate prayed it was Castle.
It was a Skype call. "ALEXIS!"
"MOM! It's good to see you." Kate could see tears.
"It's good to see you too sweetie."
"Dad gave me his phone and dialed your number and then left it with me."
Kate made a mental note to thank him later. "How are you doing sweetie?"
"Ok I guess. When are you coming home mom?" Alexis still had her syndrome.
"Not for another couple of days. I still have a lot of work to do." Kate needed to get it all memorized.
"I miss you mom." Kate could see more tears.
"Oh sweetie don't cry, I'll be home soon. I miss you too you know."
"Is it important?"
"Yes sweetie it is, very important."
"Did they let you keep Jill?"
"Yes they did. I got to keep my job, and I get to stay with you and Castle, and live in our big new home." Kate tells her happily.
"I knew they couldn't say no. My mom has magic."
Now Kate's tears are starting. "Yes, your mom has magic. You're a good teacher. I'm lucky I found you."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too sweetie. Why don't you give the phone back to your father I want to talk to him."
"Ok." And Kate can see the picture on the phone change as Alexis walks to where ever Castle is. Finally Castle's face shows up.
"Hi Kate."
"Castle how is she doing really?" Kate was worried.
Castle chuckles a little. "Probably better than I am. I just got out of my first cold shower for the day."
Kate giggles. "Don't start Castle. I'm running out of clean underwear."
"Then I probably shouldn't tell you what I'm going to do to you when you get home." Rick is grinning.
"Nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you." Kate is also grinning.
"I should let you get back to reading. I love you Kate." Rick tells her.
"I love you too Castle." And the screen goes dark.
Kate decided she'd had enough for one day and went to bed.
Next thing Kate knew she was sitting up in bed screaming. She was still a little lost when she saw two men with Uzi's out standing in her bedroom. "Are you alright Mrs. Castle?" One of them asked.
"Yea, it was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare." Kate tells them still a little shaky.
One of them looks under the bed then checks out the bathroom and then the closet. "Sorry to have disturbed you Mrs. Castle." And then they both leave.
Kate sighs and falls backwards into bed. "I'm not going back to the way it was before. I'm not!"
Kate grabs the spare pillow and punches it a couple of times and then puts a choke hold on it. Burying her face into the pillow. "I need you Castle." As Kate cries into the pillow. "I need you."
