Truth

Chapter 8

It is now a week later

Kate was finally a little happy. Ever since she had complained or questioned Castle if he liked her breasts, every time he cleaned her wounds and redressed them, she'd caught him looking very intently at her breasts. Like he was memorizing exactly how they looked. She was even beginning to think about taking his hand and placing it on one.

She still needed to know if what she remembered was real or her imagination. Maybe if he touched her she would find out. So far she had chickened out. But it was going to happen soon. She was feeling better and getting around better.

Right now she was in bed sleeping. She was still sleeping alone and wondered if that was ever going to change. She really needed to know but she was still too much of a coward. There were too many what if's in her mind. She still wasn't willing to listen to her heart.

It was dark outside and a little cool but Rick liked it. It was peaceful and quiet, save for any nature noises. And the water in the distance helped. Then his phone that he was making sure was on him every night suddenly rang.

"Alexis?" The others could call but he had asked for only if it was an emergency. He had no idea what Kate and Lanie had talked about. He considered it to be a private conversation so he was keeping it that way.

"Hi, Dad. Can you hear me?" It was a little noisy where she was this time. She had chosen a train station this time and there was a lot of background noise to deal with.

"I hear you well enough. So what do I owe the honor of hearing my daughter's voice?" He loved her like no one's business. He had ever since she had been born.

"I have new information. Henry has found one more house that meets your criteria. Number four, six bedrooms, five full bathrooms, 16,140 square feet on two floors. Just over half an acre. 3.2 million in American. It's inside a gated community, complete with pool, tennis courts, basketball, and clubhouse. It's in Santa Ana just outside of San Jose again. It's on a hillside with no neighbors that are close and almost no flat yard to speak of. It has a large pool and a large deck. Ten blue penny tile steps leading to the front door. Attached two car garage. Wood beams, wood floors, and lots of windows. The kitchen is large with a skylight and it's nice. It's all electric, no gas. There is this massive window that opens up onto the pool and it has a serving bar with sink and cooktop. The A/C system is all individual split systems and it comes fully furnished. Completely turnkey.

"It's nice, Dad, really nice. And we all have names now. Jim is now Trevor. It means prudent and wise. Grams is now Hilary. It means cheerful. I think she chose it for its meaning. Mine is now Natalia. It means birthday. It seemed fitting since it may some day be my first birthday with my new name." Alexis was all smiles.

"Oh and Kate is now Alexa. It means helper or defender. It seemed fitting for her, too." Alexis had helped to pick it but Kate's was mostly thanks to Grams.

"I like them." Rick laughed a little. "Actually sounds better than mine. Oh, well." It was too late now. "Nice work. What about the passports?" They were going to need those.

"Henry said one month and they're costing you a fortune because of that. Which reminds me, all of your money save for a small amount is now in your new bank under your new name.

"Henry will transfer the money from the sale of the loft once it's completed.

"Henry has also found out that someone needs to be present to purchase it. He said he would fly out himself and purchase it as your agent in your new name. You just have to pick one, sight unseen." That was going to be the sticking point.

"If you like this one it must be really nice so have Henry fly out and purchase that one," Rick told her.

"Got it. It really is nice, Dad, and it has a view of San Jose in the distance. Lots of green trees. Our only neighbor is someone you can't even see from this place. The photos barely even show his pool. He's a little behind us and off to one side."

"Sounds perfect. Ready to take some notes? I have more things for you to do." Rick was learning just how smart she really was and how useful she was.

"Ready." Alexis or Natalia as she would be called soon had her laptop in her lap.

"Pack up everything you think is personal and throw out anything that looks like junk. I want everyone to drive to Montreal first." Rick had a plan and hoped that this worked.

"What's in Montreal?" That was north and Costa Rica was south.

"Airport. We'll fly to Miami where we will board a cruise ship, one that takes us to the Panama Canal. But we won't be returning to Miami," Rick began to explain.

"We're going to get off and disappear." Alexis started smiling again.

"Correct. We just have to get from the Panama Canal to San Jose using our new names. We should be able to manage to do that. Do some research and find out what it takes to get from there to San Jose. Once there we can buy a car or two and drive to our new home." Rick had still more for her to do.

"Got it." She was her father's daughter. She was learning to like doing research and she was helping which made her feel good.

"Remember to bring a lot of local currency and some US bills. Try to get some new credit cards under our new names from Henry including one for Jim. You also need to find out what it takes to get into the University and when classes start."

"I've already done that and I'll tell Henry." She had looked up the University the very next day and already had plans on what classes to take. She just needed to figure out how to get there and back again.

"Anything else? We still have to get what we box down there." That might leave a trail that they were trying to avoid.

"One or two ideas for that. I haven't decided yet and remind Jim what to pack. Oh God, I forgot all about him! He needs to sell his place if he wants to and he needs help packing." Rick could kick himself.

Alexis had an answer. "I'll get Javi, Kevin, and Lanie to take care of that and pay for it."

"Thanks, pumpkin. I don't know what I'd do without you." She just might save all their lives.

"How is Kate taking all this and what does she know?" That was her sticking point if Kate knew something and was holding out then Alexis was out. Totally out. She didn't want to see Kate dead, but she was going to find new levels of hate for her.

"She's getting a lot better. We're going to have that conversation tomorrow along with what I'm planning. Hopefully she won't fight back too hard." He wasn't counting on it though. Rick was expecting major push back.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Alexis saw it in her notes. "Jordan is flying in tomorrow. Just her and no one else. She wants to talk to you and Kate first before she talks to the others," Alexis informed him.

"Sounds like good timing. Give her the phone and have her call about an hour before you called this time. Kate should still be awake enough to answer her questions. Since we're having our talk tomorrow she should be ready.

"Maybe Jordan can talk some sense into her if I somehow fail to do so." He was hoping for maybe a 70-30 split in his favor but he never knew with Kate. It just might be the opposite, if not worse.

"One more thing, Dad." It was Alexis's last note to herself. "It's Gina. She keeps calling and asking for you. She even came to the loft once. She barged right in, searched the entire place, and demanded to know where you were. Thankfully Grams was here and we both told her that we didn't know. I'm not sure she believes us." Alexis was learning to hate that woman. She questioned yet again why her dad had ever married her.

"Fortunately it's the truth. You don't know and I'm keeping it that way for now. Once we really need to start planning the cruise, plane flights, and how to get to Montreal that may have to change, but not just yet.

"If this man, whoever he is, finds out where Kate is…" Rick let it trail off. It would mean both of them were dead.

"I can wait. Grams and I will start packing. OH!" Alexis had a sudden thought. "What about your safe?" She knew he had one even if she didn't know the combination.

"Don't write this down. Just memorize it." He then proceeded to tell her the combination. "As for what's in it, I'll have to think about that. One is a weapon that can't come with us just like the ones I have here. Nothing like a new problem to deal with. Maybe Jordan has an answer." She was FBI, maybe she had a method.

"I love you," Rick told her.

"Love you too, Dad." Alexis ended the call. She had still more things to do. But at least now when she looked at the pictures she could see her new home. She wondered just what her dad had paid for the loft. 3.2 million in American was a lot of money.

###V##][##V###

Kate got herself out of bed, into the bathroom and back out again. She had enough energy that she searched for something clean to wear. Finally dressed warmly she went looking for something to eat and to find Castle.

With an apple in hand she found him out on the back deck. "Aren't you cold?" If she stayed out here for long she would be.

"It's refreshing actually. Go back inside. I'll be there in a minute." Rick listened to her leave him.

Kate was done with her apple by the time Castle came back inside and sat down next to her with his laptop. "There are some things we need to discuss now that you are feeling better."

"Okay." Kate had a momentary fear that he was going to tell her that once they were back in the city he was done with her.

"I need to know your thoughts on who is after you? Who shot you and why?" Rick started with that.

"I don't know. Honestly I don't know. There's only one reason that comes to mind but I don't know why now. That's my mother's case. But I don't have any leads. All I have is what Roy told me in the hangar just before he was killed. It's the same thing you know."

"Roy. I have no idea what he did or had done. I thought I knew him. That he was involved is still a shock." Rick had never seen that coming.

"He taught me everything I know. He was almost a second dad to me. He could have ended my career when I was just a rookie but he didn't. Guess I know why now. He felt guilty." She had trusted Roy and he turned out to be dirty. She was also still angry at him.

"Snipers that are willing to shoot during a police funeral with armed and unarmed police all over the place don't come cheap." To Rick that man had balls or no fear of even being caught.

"What are you trying to say, Castle? I still have to find this guy." He hadn't killed her so she was going to fight back.

"That you have no leads and if Roy was involved, who to even trust. He hired a sniper, Kate, then when that didn't work he hired someone else to find you and kill you. It isn't a homicide. He's declared war on your life." Rick was trying to keep her alive.

"And if he wants a war I'll give him a war." Kate was going to fight back. She wasn't backing down. She was here only because she was hurting and needed to heal.

"Who do you plan on having a war with? He's invisible and you're not. The next sniper won't aim for your heart, he'll aim for your head.

"And if it isn't that man it's the one who calls in a dead body and it's a booby trap. He blows up you, Lanie, the guys, and any uniforms around you.

"He doesn't even need to do that. He calls in a dead body. You walk past a parked car and it blows up killing you and everyone around it. Including innocent civilians." Kate needed to think and understand what she was up against.

"So I need to be careful. He shot me, Castle. I'm not just going to take it. I need to find him and arrest him. What do you expect me to do?" He knew she was a cop and that her mother's case was beyond important to her.

"I expect you to think. What if the next time it isn't a shot or even a bomb. What if it's a phone call? They have your dad and you either show up or he dies," Rick said.

"Leave my dad out of this. He's after me, not my dad." Kate was furious with him. Her heart rate was speeding up and her chest was hurting.

"I'm willing but what if he isn't? He could kidnap your dad, Alexis, Mother, me. Your life for any or all of us. Even if you know who he kidnaps will die, before you or after. Just how many people do you plan on putting in harms way, Kate?" Everyone she knew and even innocent civilians that had nothing to do with it.

Kate got up and groaned from the pain. Now even her chest hurt. "What do you expect me to do, Castle?" Kate clutched her chest since it hurt so much now.

"I expect you to think. To act like a homicide detective and treat it like any other investigation. That's what I expect you to do. To follow procedure and follow the rules. What's the first thing you do, Kate? The very first thing?" Rick questioned her but hadn't yet noticed her clutching her chest.

"Investigate." Kate began to calm down a touch.

"Call for back-up. Don't do it alone. Get all the people you can. He hires people to kill; you get people to help you. The Police Motto is To Protect and Serve. Who are you protecting if you're not willing to do things properly and take precautions? Who are you serving except him?" Rick asked her.

Finally Rick noticed her clutching her chest. "SHIT! Are you okay!?" Rick was up and holding her, pulling her into him, and wrapping his arms around her. Maybe if he just held her she would calm down and her heart rate would slow down. "Relax, Kate, just relax. I want him caught too. I just want to do it the right way and get some help."

Kate pressed herself into him and tried to calm down. Her chest hurt so badly. Just when she was starting to feel better. Now this.

"Now you know why I've tried so hard to ignore your tits," Rick told her and Kate smiled. It was almost funny. "If I touched you we might have a repeat of this and we'll be here for an extra two weeks minimum."

Kate closed her eyes and let him hold her. It actually felt really good.

"What am I going to do, Castle? I don't even know who it is. I can't stay here forever." She had a life to live.

"You remember Jordan Shaw?"

"The Dunn case." He had tried killing her because she was Nikki Heat and he was nuts.

Rick nodded. "That's the one. I called her. She's flying out to New York today and will be calling us tonight. I need you to answer her questions."

"You called the FBI!?" Kate stepped back a little and looked at him. Her mother's case was just that. HERS!

"She's here to help, Kate, and we need help. You were almost killed the first time, let alone the second, and we have no idea who we're after. What if he succeeds the next time?" Rick pulled her back into him and was grateful that she came willingly and didn't fight him.

Kate suddenly remembered Lanie's questions to her during their talk.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Okay." Jordan had been nice and she had been right about her and Castle and she wasn't ready to admit it. She wasn't sure if she still was.

"Okay?" Rick couldn't believe it had been this easy. "I do have a plan to keep us alive while Jordan investigates and no, it doesn't involve us staying here all winter."

"Good." Kate had about had it with this place. She liked wood but not this much. And being trapped there was really boring.

"You haven't heard it yet. But we can talk about it after we talk to Jordan," Rick said.

Kate had been trying to work up the courage to ask him about something she was having a problem with. If she didn't ask him now while he was holding her she might never ask him.

"Castle. I remember. I remember being shot. I'm pretty sure you tackled me but after that I mostly remember pain. It started in my chest and seemed to go everywhere. I'm not sure if I really remember or if I made it up. What did you tell me?" She had asked and chickened out at the same time. She wasn't asking him if he had said that he loved her.

If he did he should be able to tell her again if he meant it. But did she want him to tell her that he loved her or did she want him to tell her that he didn't? Either one was going to hurt, just for different reasons.