Truth

Chapter 9

"Your dad called me when he found you practically unconscious and because there was a dead body in his living room. I spent the entire day making arrangements to get you out of that cabin before someone else showed up to kill you.

"I went all over the city making arrangements and called in a few favors to get this place for us to hide out in so you could recover. I've even made bigger arrangements to keep you alive while Jordan and the FBI investigate because we have literally nothing to work with.

"You step one foot back into the city and you're dead. Bullet, knife, bomb, you trade your life for your dad's who ends up murdered anyway. I didn't do all this because I don't care, Kate.

"You want to know what I told you while you were lying on the grass because I wasn't fast enough to save you? I was stricken with grief as I watched you bleed out. Followed by watching Lanie trying to save your life.

"We both got stopped at the doors to the operating room. Lanie has your blood all over her. I've got your blood all over my hands as both of us watch you disappear. We both terrified that you weren't going to come back out alive.

"It was only later that we found out that you had flatlined twice while on the operating table. You died twice that day, Kate. I let Josh, your boyfriend of choice, yell at me because I felt he was right.

"I talked you into investigating your mother's murder months ago. We both knew, we all knew that was the only reason you'd gotten shot even if we didn't know why and still don't know why. Why now? What is so important about now?

"I told you that I loved you because you needed to know that someone loved you. Loved you for you. To know that someone cared about you. I didn't say that i loved you so I could get into your pants.

"I know you don't love me but I'm still going to do all I can to keep you alive. I won't apologize for that." Rick answered her question by telling her just about all he knew.

Kate had felt tears welling up long before Rick finally told her that he loved her. She hadn't been told by anyone what actually had happened like Castle had just explained it. Save for what Josh had done out in the waiting room. The doctor hadn't told her that she had ever flatlined even once let alone twice.

She also had no idea that Josh had been in the operating room before being thrown out and she still didn't know. Neither of them knew that. The hospital was covering that part up to prevent from being sued by anyone.

Rick could now hear Kate sniffling that told him that she was crying. Why was she crying was the question. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. Take me to my room, please. I need to rest." She also needed to think. She had a lot to think about.

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Kate had actually fallen asleep and was drowsily opening her eyes when she saw Castle standing there. She had wanted to know if she had heard properly. Did Castle really love her? Maybe that was still a question but he had said it again and he had told her so much more. She sat up by herself even if it did still hurt and watched as he got in bed with her. She got the pillows while he got the headboard.

Kate watched as he brought a phone, the same one she had used to talk to Lanie with, up to both of their ears as he leaned in close. "Okay, I've got Kate," Rick said to someone.

"Hi, Kate. What have you gotten yourself into this time? Wasn't Dunn enough?" Jordan was a little bit amused. Only Kate and Castle would come up with a case like this one.

"All right, you two. I want to hear your version and don't leave anything out no matter how trivial you might think it is. That just might be the tiny piece we need to solve this." Jordan needed them to start talking. She would either ask questions while they talked or a whole lot of them after.

Jordan didn't even believe where Alexis had taken them. The Louis Valentino, Jr. Pier or also called the Red Hook Piers. They were both way out on the water with no one and no boats around them. It was late and there were only a few lights on the pier. They did have a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty.

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"Roy Montgomery was involved. Didn't see that one coming." Jordan had met him and had worked with him a little during the Dunn case.

"Neither did we. I played poker with the man. I thought I knew all his tells. I guess I missed one." Rick still couldn't believe it.

"Roy kills Lockwood and his three buddies but only after our mysterious guy breaks Lockwood out of a hearing that shouldn't have really taken place. Sounds like Roy again, I'm sorry to say.

"The same Lockwood that kidnapped your two detectives and dunked them in ice water to find out what the police know about his employer. That tells me that his employer is trusting his hired hit men. That also tells me he has a plan for his hired hit men. Those same men could rat him out so he has a plan for that.

"Nice guy. To hire these kinds of men tells me he has money and connections. Dick Coonan was the first but you caught him and was forced to kill him to save Castle's life. So you did at least solve who killed your mother. Just not why she was ordered to be killed or by who–" Jordan was playing this over in her head.

"Whom not who." Rick's face flushed. "Sorry, writer's habit."

"Don't tell me where you two are now, I don't want to know. Just one thing, Kate. Any man who will go to this extreme cares about you a lot. I told you once that he did and that you might not be ready for it. Hopefully you are now.

"So, Castle, what's your basic plan now? Do you stay there for months because this is going to take a lot of time. If I'm even half right I have to be careful even within the FBI." Jordan had her own worries. None of them were about her team. It was the reports she was going to have to generate. Those reports could find their way out of the FBI office.

"No, we're moving. I've already got everything in motion, not that I've had time to tell Kate any of this yet." Rick looked Kate since she'd just turned her head to glare at him.

"We're actually getting out of the country. Buying new burner phones is going to be part of it." Rick told both of them.

"Not a bad idea. However, I'll do you one better: GPS scrambler satellite phones. All satellite phones have a built-in GPS unit. It's how they work. They need to access a satellite. That same satellite can be used to coordinate the position of that phone down to just a few feet or less if you happen to be the CIA or military.

"What I'm going to leave behind will counter that. What's your plan in general terms so I know how many of these to leave behind," Jordan queried.

"I'm taking Kate, Jim, Alexis, my mother, and myself. I'm not going to give him a reason to kidnap a family member and force Kate to make a choice. Turn herself in to be killed or have family members killed one at a time. She dies and they die anyway." That was how Rick would write it.

"So just the one phone then, got it. I'll leave it with Alexis here before I leave." Jordan looked right at her, she looked to be blushing.

"Kate, I strongly advise you to go with him. Anywhere you go in this city you'll be spotted and one of his men will find you. Next time it won't be a bullet to the heart. They'll assume you'll start wearing a vest full time. A bomb was hidden in your apartment once, it can happen again, only this one will be bigger. Take out the entire building if it has to."

That had Kate looking at Castle again. "If Castle has a way of getting you out of the country unseen, take it. One thing, does this involve anyone you know, Castle?"

"Just my lawyer. He's flying out of the country to purchase something for me as an agent. One of his clients. The purchase has to be done in person," Rick said. "Why?"

"Then you do it in person. How much does this lawyer know about your plans?" Jordan had found a weak point in his plans.

"He's been selecting possible sites for me to purchase. I've actually decided on one based on what Alexis has told me." Rick didn't see a problem.

Alexis spoke up. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Henry about it yet."

"Good. Have him find several more even if you have to change the parameters. Changing the country would be best. Even more than two and make them far apart. The more of them he looks for the better off you'll be. If he gets picked up he won't even know which country let alone exactly where.

"You understand?" Jordan looked at Alexis who nodded. "Good, start that tomorrow morning. Even if you have to stay in a hotel before you have to move in. I presume you have new names and fake passports and does your lawyer know about this?"

"A little. Henry is getting us the passports with the new names." Alexis began seeing what Jordan was seeing. "If he gets to Henry he'll know who and where we are."

"Okay, change of plans. I need everything. Everything you've done to make this move happen. Names, banks if there are any, credit cards, the works," Jordan said briskly.

"I have all that," Alexis informed her.

"We're changing names, we're changing banks, we're changing everything this Henry knows about. First rule of trying to disappear: Never leave behind anyone who knows anything. Except me. I'll get you new names, new passports, new bank, new credit cards, new everything. You five are going to disappear from the face of the planet. Just my phone and your phone and that's it," Jordan assured them.

"Is all this really necessary?" Kate didn't even know what Castle had planned.

"If Castle's medical examiner is correct, that tells me Coonan is or was military. The very best snipers are military or ex-military. Now the one that showed up at the cabin…I don't know about him. He might have been a cheap hit man given that he woke you up first. A pro would have just put rounds in your head and walked away. Think about it, Kate. Why did he want you to know that you were about to die?" Jordan asked her.

"I'll give everything to Alexis. My advice? Make following you as difficult as possible. Don't do anything easy or simple. Stay off the phone as much as possible. Only call me if you suddenly find yourself on the run and I'll do what I can. Remember I'll be the only one calling. You don't hear my voice and use the code words I'll leave with Alexis… Run and be ready to do just that. Have a bug out bag ready for everyone.

"Questions?" Jordan was about done and had all she needed. Javi, Kevin, Jim, and Lanie were next. She had already talked to Alexis and Martha.

"How long?" Kate asked. She was a homicide detective. What was she supposed to do while Jordan worked her mother's case? She was already bored out of her mind.

"Expect several months. Probably a year, maybe longer. I'm doing this on the side, Kate. If I make this a full blown FBI case this guy will likely catch wind of it and two things will happen: Me and my team die and he flees the country to one we don't have an extradition treaty with."

Jordan then offered her opinion about this guy. "If I'm right about him he's big and has connections. Very few people are above the law. Just be thankful that number is as small as it is."

"A year or more." Kate didn't like that answer.

Rick tried to reason with her. "Think how long you've been working this case, Kate. Give Jordan a chance. She has more to work with than either of us and far more resources."

"The first question is what's changed. Why does he want you now? What does he think you know or have access to. Oh by the way save for your clothes, don't expect to find anything from your apartment, Kate. Everything else is going with me.

"Good luck, you guys. I have a lot of work to do and leave it with Alexis. She's a remarkably smart girl. Maybe I can talk her into joining the FBI. I could use her." Jordan ended the call.

"How do you feel now?" Rick asked her after he put the phone down.

"A little tired, some pain, and a lot conflicted. This is my mother's case. I should be the one to solve it." The fact that she was letting Jordan take over it still didn't sit well with her.

"So what is this plan of yours, Castle?" She wanted to hear everything.

Rick sighed. She did have the right and who was she going to tell? They were in the middle of nowhere.

"I've sold the loft and put all the money I have into a bank in a different country. Sounds like Jordan will be moving all that money. We all get new names and new passports…again. First we all drive to Montreal from here and the city where we meet up with Alexis, Mother, and your dad. Then we fly to Miami where we board a cruise ship that will take us to the Panama Canal. We get off with all of our luggage and make our way to San Jose in Costa Rica. There's a house there that will fit all of us. Close enough for Alexis to attend a prestigious enough University and continue her studies.

"Then we live and wait for Jordan to solve this. If she can solve this without getting herself and her team killed." If that happened he was going to be very, very sorry he dragged her into this.

"Costa Rica." She had to admit she hadn't seen that one coming.

"It's out of the country. Most everyone speaks at least some English. Housing is cheaper than here and they have the best medical coverage of any nation on the planet. No military to divert money to," Rick explained.

"So can I see this house? Wait, no internet." Kate quickly answered her own question which meant no.

Rick was apologetic. "Sorry, Alexis says it's lovely if that's any consolation. Even I haven't see it yet. Just Alexis."

"I have personal stuff at home, Rick. You probably do to. How do we get all of that to this house?" Kate waited for him to respond.

"I'm still working on that. Right now I haven't got a clue."

"Really, Castle?" Kate already had an idea. "Your best option is finding someone with a normal street address that's willing to 'rent' their address to you. Ship everything via a courier and not the USPS. FedEx is an option but a small, private courier would be even better." Kate saw the look of shock on his face. "I read a lot, Castle. Speaking of which can you bring back some books next time?"

Rick kissed her cheek for that suggestion. "Stay up or go to bed?" he inquired.

"Living room, please, and something to drink. I want to hear about this house you plan to buy." If she was going to be staying there she thought she had the right.

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"Sixteen thousand square feet? And you're buying it?" She only thought Castle was rich. Now she was starting to think he was really rich.

"It costs less than the loft did. There's probably an HOA fee that I don't know about yet and won't until we get there. So you're coming?" Rick needed to hear it from her lips. Even then he wasn't sure he was going to believe her.

"Yes, and thanks for bringing Dad, Castle." Kate leaned across and kissed his cheek this time.

"Actually he doesn't have a burner phone. I'm not really sure if he knows anything about this yet. Hopefully he won't put up too big of a fight. I guess I'll have to get Alexis to talk to him in a safe place." He really was relying on Alexis for so much. He didn't dare try and do too much from here. It was far too dangerous.

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Kate was back in bed and thinking about just what Castle was so willing to do for her and her dad and his own family because of her.

Her big question to herself was why she was trying so hard to keep Castle out of her heart while at the same time wanting him close? Sadly Lanie was right. She needed to either love him or turn him lose. Except she didn't know how she was going to accomplish that. Not without more of Dr. Burke's help.

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Alexis watched Jordan sit there and begin making phone calls and listened to what she had to say from this end since she couldn't hear who she was talking to.

"We have work to do, Alexis. New names for all of you are in the works. New passports will be ready in about a week. Now show me the bank and Castle's new name. We need the account number so I can transfer it overseas to a different bank.

"Costa Rica, could be fun. Could be a lot of fun. No offense but I never pegged Castle for being this smart. The Castle I met was very different," Jordan admitted to her.

"Dad has his moments. He prefers being a kid and having fun. It takes some getting used to," Alexis confessed.

"And you don't like Kate," Jordan told her. "I'm an FBI profiler and special agent. I saw the look on your face. It changed every time Kate's name was mentioned."

"Dad loves her, but she doesn't love him. She tells lies and hurts him and I wish a lot of things, but he won't stop. She won't stop. I don't want her dead but one of these days she's going to get Dad killed and I'm going to hate her forever." Alexis hated Kate more than anyone in the world.

"Love is a funny thing, Alexis. I've seen Kate around Castle. She loves him, she just hasn't admitted it to herself yet. She isn't ready to admit it to herself. But if she's going to be stuck with him for however long this takes me, she'll come around.

"She might even figure out that she loves him before they leave from wherever they are. And you haven't got a clue where that is?" Jordan watched her shake her head. "His plan just might work then. We've got to take this Henry out of the loop without him knowing that we are." Jordan began walking to get off the pier. They both had a lot of work to do.