CONQUERED
Chapter 2
Since he could afford it, Rick had flown first class all the way to Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada. And because he had called ahead to make sure someone was there, he was met at the airport. "Vincent! I wasn't expecting it to be you." Rick would have been happy if it was one of his workers or just someone, anyone.
"I'm the contractor, of course I want to show it off to you. It really is quite the place, Rick. I'm not sure what you're thinking or why, but I like it. It gives me ideas. Plus, I love a challenge, and this one is a real challenge.
"Baggage claim, or is this all of it?" Vincent asked him since that told him where they needed to go.
"This is it. Just one carry-on," Rick said. "So, how is it going? The last time we talked, you said you were only two weeks behind schedule."
"Still two weeks, sorry to say. The weather hasn't been kind to us, and there have been some delivery delays. However, we're finished enough to make this trip worth it. You'll get to see just about everything. The only big thing missing right now is the animals. I hope you have a very green thumb." Vincent was betting Rick needed to be green. All of him green, and not just his thumb.
"I have a plan. The couple I have in mind hasn't said yes yet, but it's early still, so who knows. His wife is good, incredibly good, so I'm hopeful. Otherwise, I have a lot of videos to watch." Rick knew he wasn't that good at growing plants, and truth be told, he needed those two.
"Oh, boy." Vincent had been worried about that. "Well, let's get you to the boat and out to the job site. You can even stay in your room since it and the others are ready."
O~O~O
Vincent led Rick down to the dock. "This is your boat." It wasn't a huge boat, but it didn't need to be. It was a brand new Arctic 25, a 25-foot commuter boat with a single Evinrude outboard motor. It had an enclosed, four-season cabin that only had the two seats. Actually, it only had two seats, period. Everyone else would have to stand.
"Let's go have a look. I think you're going to love this." Vincent fired it up, took off, and then taught Rick how to get there. It might be small, but it had everything, including radar.
They didn't have to go far out to sea, just far enough off the shoreline not to hit anything. Vincent entered the deep bay where this place was secured, secured deep inside of it.
O~O~O
Vincent pointed and said proudly, "There she is." Save for pictures, it was Rick's first time to see it. Alexis and his mother had seen the photographs as well. Outside of the three of them, no one else but the contractor knew much about this place. And of course the city officials to get permits.
The contractor began to tell Rick what he already knew. "Four bedrooms. All four are small and spread out to allow for some privacy though that's not the real reason."
It was all was spread out. Doing that was meant to balance the weight, given that the entire thing floated. So keeping the weight distributed as evenly as possible was part of the design.
"The main room, kitchen, dining room, game room, a pen for the goats, chicken coop, four greenhouses, sitting areas everywhere. There's even a common area where you can have outdoor dining, dancing, parties, you name it. That is until it rains, which it does a lot here. Believe me." Vincent and his team knew all about rain.
"Mostly, we need the animals and all of the decorations to make it a place where you would want to stay. There aren't any benches yet, no statues, or other things. Your Catamaran is already here. We'll be pulling into the boathouse that doesn't have a door as requested. It's not much more than a glorified carport that happens to be floating. The Cat is just outside of that.
"All of your fishing gear is either in the boathouse or in the storage shed right next to it. You have two workrooms: one for boats and one for everything else. To balance the site, they're on opposite ends. Both are already fully furnished.
"There's diving gear, air tanks, and a pump to fill them, four diving suits: two for men and two for women. You spring a leak, and you have everything you need to fix it and refloat it.
"If you get a roof leak, you can fix that. Two fifty-gallon gas tanks for the single engine you need to move it from place to place. Very slowly!" Vincent emphasized that part. "Presently, she's held in place using two cables fixed to the shore. Oh, you also have a lot of spare cabling should you have a break.
"And if you somehow manage to overfish this spot, just move her up the bay and anchor in place. It might take a few hours, but you can do it. Here we are." Vincent slowly pulled into the covered boathouse, got out with Rick, and tied the boat in place.
Vincent clapped him on the back. "Let's show you your room first, so you can drop your bag and then take a tour."
Rick could see his team or some who were still here. Apparently, there was more to do than Vincent had mentioned but all the big stuff looked to be complete.
O~O~O
"The furniture's all here. Just a little finishing left to do," Vincent said. "The kitchen has everything you'll ever need. The walk-ins are all filled with fresh everything as requested. The dining room has several tables with chairs, and the three spare bedrooms are all small, just like yours.
"The greenhouses have all been started. Say hello to Jean, she's been preparing them for you, Rick."
Jean shook his hand. "Mr. Castle, it's a pleasure. All four greenhouses have everything anyone will ever need. Bags of compost, plant vitamins, pots, including starter pots after you divide a plant to start another one. An automatic watering system. Even the venting is automatic, as are the fans. If for some reason you need fresh dirt, just go to shore. You'll do some digging, and bring it back. You have all the gardening tools you'll ever need. They're in that shed over there, along with a gardening bench that's used to divide plants.
"As you requested, none of them have ornamental flowers. Those are all outside in pots with their own automatic watering system. Two of the systems are for fruits, and two for vegetables. Your fruit trees are all outside since the greenhouses cannot contain them when they grow to a certain height.
"There's more than enough to keep eight grown adults fed and not need to go into the city to get anything. Now, as for the goats and chickens, that's something I'm not familiar with. However, talking to Alverez, he thinks you will be set for years if you're careful."
Rick nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Jean. That's the plan."
"You do have someone in mind to take care of all this?" She wasn't going to be here. She had a family to go home to.
"Yes, I do. I have to talk her and her husband into it. They don't have children, so it's just them." Rick still had to pitch his offer to them.
"I hope it works out. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Give me about two more weeks. Until your gardener arrives, it will be all automatic at the start." Jean loved this place. So far, it was pretty and very unique. Even the buildings had a certain appeal to them.
That left Vincent to finish the tour till he got called away, and suddenly Rick was left to his own devices.
O~O~O
It was morning. Rick woke up and felt a little different. While walking around, he'd noticed that he was going to need his sea legs. Since the entire place floated, it tended to move a little. Not enough to cause sea sickness, at least not for him. Still, he felt rested, and he was ready to chalk it up to the gentle rocking motion this place had. That and the bed was perhaps better than the one he had in the loft.
He found out that the shower worked perfectly, and that there was hot water. This place was supposed to be totally self-sufficient. Electricity and hot water were from solar panels. Potable water was from taking water from the bay, removing the salt, and running it through filters. Rick had seen that room and all the replacement filters. He even saw the battery storage and the workroom if anything needed to be fixed.
Once clean and dressed, he made his way to the kitchen. That was where he found Vincent and others sitting and talking and drinking coffee. "Coffee." He could smell it, and it was just what he needed right now.
"Help yourself. We're using your equipment, but it's our coffee. We're not using your supplies." Rick didn't have just walk-ins, he also had a few well-constructed, large, dry storage areas. Multiple areas since they needed to watch the weight and where that weight was. There were also reach-ins for refrigerators and freezers, but they were smaller and all under countertops.
Rick sat with them and moaned as he sipped his coffee and felt the caffeine race through his system. It was exactly what he needed.
"How did you sleep?" Vincent inquired.
"Like a baby. I could get used to this." It was better than the loft.
"Yeah, we're going to miss this place. It has this barely-there rocking motion all the time, and that translates into the bedrooms.
"We've had a few considerably heavy storms hit us during construction. This place, mostly thanks to all the walkways having grates, drains beautifully. Just don't let women walk around in high heels," Vincent joked with him and chuckled. The others, however, laughed outright at the joke.
It was true. Many of the walkways had grates meant to trap heels that would break off a heel easily. Not all of the area had grates. Mostly just the walkways.
Built in segments, each section was allowed to move and flex as the water wanted. That was why the walkways all had grates that flexed and moved with each part.
"Two weeks?" Rick asked again since he needed to be sure.
Vincent nodded. "Two weeks and it's all yours. Just fly out, board your boat and follow the directions, and then put the boat in the boathouse and start enjoying the place. The greenhouses will be ready, and the goats and chickens will be here. Their food is already here, as is all your food and drinks. If you need something, just take the boat to Victoria, get what you want, and come back."
"Weapons?" Rick wasn't sure he would need them, but he wasn't willing to leave everything to chance.
"Hunting rifles only, as requested. They're all locked up using a key in their room along with the ammunition." Vincent toyed with him. "It's enough to go hunting with, so try not to start a war."
"No wars. I may write about murders, but that doesn't mean I want to kill someone. I'm not sure I want to kill a wild animal, but I need to plan ahead." Rick hated being this serious. It just wasn't him. But he knew it was necessary. Once this place was all his and he had moved in, he could start to have fun.
"Speaking of writing, you do have a satellite system. It's your only Internet access so long as you keep your account active. You're going to need a satellite phone as well since there's no cell service out here," Vincent warned him.
"I have one in my bag. I checked it and used it before bed. Alexis and my mother needed to know I arrived safely."
"Sounds like you have everything planned. We'll be out of your hair in two weeks, Rick." Vincent was pretty sure he could keep that schedule.
O~O~O
Kate was left sitting there, not sure how she had gotten herself into this mess. No, that wasn't totally true. She did know how she had gotten herself into this mess. She had lied. At first, it was because between all the pain and hearing Castle's voice over and over again telling her that he loved her, she just couldn't process it all.
And worse, she had let it go. She wasn't ready to confront Castle with what he had said, and he'd never told her that he loved her ever again. That was where the lie came into play. It had simply been easier to ignore it all. Castle was still here, and she was in therapy trying to get over all her fears, to let him past all her walls.
So that was how she'd gotten to this point. It had taken all the courage she could muster to get to where she was now, right outside his door, willing herself to knock on it. She had so much to tell him. The biggest question was, was it too late and would he even listen?
Kate watched as her hand knocked, not entirely sure it was her hand, but it was done, so now she waited. The door opened, but it wasn't Castle.
"Detective Beckett? What the hell do you want?" She was the very last person Alexis wanted to talk to. The very last person on this entire planet.
Alexis had always been a little cool toward her. But now the tone of her voice, and the words she had used suggested she had gone way past being cool to her. If anything, Alexis hated her now. Kate could only think that Castle had talked to her, told her everything. Those two were pretty much joined at the hip.
Why she hadn't tried to get closer to Alexis if she had any designs on Castle was perhaps her first major failing. Alexis could either guarantee that Castle would like her or seal her fate and make sure he hated her for life. She had screwed up again.
"Hi, Alexis. Is Castle here? It's important that I talk to him." If she got past Castle she would work on Alexis finally.
"I'm here, I'm a Castle." Alexis gave her the dirtiest look she could muster and was all set to slam the door in her face. Instead, she tried to make her feel bad, if that was even possible for the detective.
"Dad's out of town for at least two weeks. Out of the country, even. I don't believe there's anything here for you, Detective, unless it's official business. I can honestly say that I've never encountered anyone as evil as you are. To be so cruel as to lie to Dad right to his face for a year.
"And I thought the kids in school could be evil. You take the cake. I think we're done here, Detective. Don't call us, we'll call you." Alexis carefully closed the door, locked it, and went back to the kitchen where she had come from to answer the door.
"The nerve of that woman." Alexis was getting more and more angry as she walked. What she wanted to do was go back to the door and tell that woman off. Give her a piece of her mind. But a person that evil wouldn't really care what she thought of her. It would be a waste of her time. So she didn't and went back to what she had been doing. Unfortunately, getting the detective off her mind while she worked wasn't working.
"DAMN HER ANYWAY!" Alexis was now way past angry, and while she hadn't really decided to do this, she found herself walking back to the door and opening it so she could give her a real piece of her mind.
Except she was gone. So she stepped out into the hallway and looked toward the elevator but didn't see her. "AND STAY GONE!" This time Alexis did slam the door shut and locked it. Instead of going back to the kitchen, she headed to her room.
Alexis snatched Monkey Bunkey off of her bed and stewed as she stayed boiling mad. Till finally, she found her cell phone. She scrolled till she had his satellite number, and her finger hovered over SEND. Instead, she dropped the phone on her bed and continued to clutch Monkey Bunkey. He really wasn't helping but her old stuffed friend was all she had. Her dad was miles and miles away; Michael was at work, and she didn't want to bother him. Even Grams was out somewhere.
She really did like Michael. He was putting in the work on what he loved most, and she liked that about him. He at least knew what he wanted to be. She had spent all her classes trying to learn nearly everything and hadn't focused on one single thing.
Michael was into Marine Biology, so he was off doing volunteer work, hoping that would help him in the future. He was also pretty good with engines. Her virginity was long since gone, and yes, she and Michael were having sex. She was even learning what to do instead of just reading about it.
Alexis also knew that Michael was trying to help her reach an orgasm. He didn't just get on top and use her. When Michael firmly planted his head between her legs, more often than not, she didn't have to help him focus on just where to lick, and he was getting better. She had also learned that she could be vocal during sex. All this time Alexis had forced herself to be quiet. But she was finding that hard to do the better Michael got with that tongue of his.
Alexis knew she was still learning to adjust to the taste of his climax. It was different. The warmth didn't bother her much. It was the aftertaste that she needed to adjust to. He hadn't said a word yet about what she tasted like, though she had tasted herself on his lips when they kissed afterwards.
O~O~O
Kate had made it outside the building when it all finally hit her. Castle had quit, Alexis clearly hated her, and the only person she might have left that could help her was Martha…maybe. But the actress might be a long shot.
Kate was leaning up against the building doing her best not to break down and begin sobbing. Not here, not like this.
She really didn't know how, but she forced herself to walk up the stairs to her apartment. One lousy step at a time while she clutched the railing to keep from falling all the way back down.
"Kate!" She could hear someone call her name but it didn't register in her brain. She also didn't feel Lanie helping her up the stairs.
The petite M.E. was here to check on her best friend. She had tried to convince her to talk to Castle. Maybe it wasn't too late. But what she had just found suggested otherwise.
Lanie found Kate's keys on her own, unlocked the door, and guided her to the sofa. Then she retreated to the kitchen to find something really strong. Wine wasn't going to be enough this time. "Here, drink this." Lanie had found some vodka.
"I love him, and he hates me!" Kate cried as the tears ran down her cheeks. "Alexis hates me! Everyone hates me!" Her walls were down, her heart was shattered, and she couldn't fix this. "Everyone hates me!"