Guardian Angel
Chapter 24
Rick quietly uses the utilitarian facilities adjoining his small room to shower, and slips into fresh and newly acquired clothes. The sun is barely up, but he couldn't sleep anyway. Tiptoeing into Kate's suite, he picks up a few things he left there the night before and heads tor the door.
Rubbing her eyes, Kate props herself up on her elbow. "Castle, are you leaving? What time is it?"
"A little before six. I thought I'd slip in through a side door of the loft in case Coonan is watching. But even if he does see me, he'll follow me going out, not coming in. I'll get Alexis off to school. You and I are the targets. He won't waste any effort watching her. Get things set up with your people and let me know our next move."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Castle?"
"It doesn't really matter anymore if I'm sure, does it, Kate? The wheels are in motion. Neither one of us is going to be safe until we see Coonan and Bracken behind bars. And I need that to be as soon as possible. So, I'll see you later, and we'll do what we can to wrap this up." He strides over to the bed, kisses the tip of her nose and wiggles his eyebrows. "After that, we have other matters to explore."
"The Father willing," Johanna murmurs to herself.
"Dad, you just cracked six eggs into that bowl," Alexis observes. "Are we expecting company?"
"Not for breakfast," Castle replies. "I'm just a little distracted."
"About Detective Beckett? Something wrong?"
"Something may be right, but things could go wrong. But hey, that's not for you to worry about. What's on your agenda today?"
"I'm giving a little presentation in Art History, based on what my Twitter friend in France told me. It's nothing much. And I have math team practice after school. We're getting ready for the semi-finals."
"Good for you! When's the competition?"
"Two weeks from now. With all the stuff you're doing with Detective Beckett, do you think you'll have time to come?"
"I'll make time. Not that I can keep up with your calculations, but I wouldn't miss your academic triumphs." The yolks stare back as Rick looks into his bowl. "How many of these can you eat?"
"One or two, maybe, if you don't add too much butter."
"Which entirely takes the fun out of the whole culinary process, but I can put the rest of them away for my special chocolate chip waffles."
"Mm! Are we going to be celebrating something?" Alexis wonders.
"I hope so, Pumpkin."
Kate's cell rings on the stroke of 9:15, Montgomery's usual coffee break time. "Beckett, I got your voice file. Later we'll talk about what it means to be on administrative leave, but now that you and Castle have stepped in it, I'm getting things set up to go. If I understand what you two crazies have in mind, the idea is to get a ruthless murderer to follow Castle to you, so he can try to take out both of you. Then the N.Y.P.D. is supposed to jump in to keep the two of you from getting killed. Have I got that about right?"
"Yes, Sir, but we need to take him alive."
"Tall order, Beckett."
"Yes, Sir, but if Coonan flips, it will be worth it."
Kate can hear Montgomery's sigh through the phone. "Big if."
For the fifth time, Castle snaps his computer shut to pace the floor. He's been waiting for Kate to call for hours, but it seems like days. He tried burying himself in his work by creating a killer more than slightly reminiscent of Coonan, but it just made him antsier. Three cups of coffee haven't helped with that. At least peeing will be something to do. His hand is on his belt buckle when his cellphone blares.
"Castle, everything is set. I'm texting you the address where I need you to meet me. It was the headquarters of a bunko artist that Fraud busted a couple of months ago. The perp was obsessed with formal gardens."
"Sounds like the kind of quirk a Bond villain would have." Castle remarks.
"I guess so, but the grounds are just coming into bloom. It looks like the perfect place for a romantic hookup, but E.S.U. has cameras and observation posts watching every inch of the place."
So what are we supposed to do?"
"Stroll hand in hand, gaze into each other's eyes, and wait for the N.Y.P.D. to grab Coonan when he tries to take us out. It won't just be E.S.U. Ryan and Esposito will be there to take Coonan in since I'm still officially on leave."
"Is Espo bringing a tranquilizer gun?"
"I don't think so, but he has one of those tasers you can fire from a distance. E.S.U. should have tear gas too. I'll be wearing a vest under my shirt. We'll also put one on you."
What if Coonan decides to aim for our heads?"
Johanna closes her eyes, silently mouthing a prayer.
"He won't," Kate tries to assure both of them. "He can't get inside the perimeter without being seen, and it takes time to line up a shot like that. He'll get taken down before he knows what hit him."
"I imagine," Castle responds grimly, "that he's thinking the same about us."
After he finishes in the bathroom, Rick unlocks a drawer in his desk and pulls out a file of legal documents. He updated his will a couple of years ago when a nasty flu was going around, and he landed in the hospital with pneumonia. He'd recovered fine but started taking his mortality more seriously, particularly in terms of making sure his family was provided for — just in case. He flips through the pages. Alexis will be fine, at least financially, as will Mother. Rick asked the toughest person he knew, Paula Haas, to look out for them, surprised by her tears when she accepted. Everything is in order. He checks his watch. If he leaves in 20 minutes, the timing should work out perfectly. He just hopes Coonan is watching. God knows he doesn't want to go through this twice."
Coonan smirks as he watches Castle climb into a red Ferrari parked at the curb near the Broome Street building. The writer's not going to lose himself in traffic in that. And it's the perfect car for meeting a woman, even if that woman is a cop. Coonan will be downing a beer and collecting the rest of his fee before the end of the day. He waits for Castle to pull out before starting his own car. He doesn't want to get too close, but then he won't have to.
Castle's eyes flick to his rearview mirror. A vehicle has been following him for blocks. It's never been close enough for him to see the driver, but it's never been far away either. He doesn't need to reach for his phone; it's synched with the car. All he has to do is talk - if he can get enough air. "Beckett, I think Coonan's three cars behind me in a black SUV, and he's been there ever since I left the loft."
"Got it, Castle." She acknowledges. "The cops along the route will be keeping an eye out for him. Just drive straight here as if you don't notice."
"Roger that," Castle responds, his hands tightening on the wheel. The drive to the Beckett's flowery trap should only take about a half-hour. Rick just has to try to breathe.
