Hunting Grounds
Chapter 29
"Are you still going to the 54th today?" Kate asked him. If he was, that meant they wouldn't be on the same train again this morning.
"Yes, though I think I'll be back tomorrow. You know, there is one good thing about working at the 54th."
Kate couldn't think of a single one. "What's that?"
"No Gates." Rick grinned at her, and Kate burst out laughing. Okay, he had her there. "Call me if you need me, and I'll be there as fast as I can." Rick put his arms around her and kissed her soundly.
"I have a feeling I'm always going to need you, but I think I'm good." Kate made a face. "At least until Gates says something."
"I'll bet she misses me." Rick kept grinning and got Kate to laugh again.
She gave her head a shake. "Nah, I'm pretty sure she still hates you."
"Maybe the next time I talk to Rosie, she can come up with something I can slip into her coffee. Something that will keep her sitting on the toilet for a while." Rick knew he wouldn't do that, but it was nice to dream.
"Try not to corrupt Rosie, babe. Have fun in the 54th." Kate kissed him again, and they both walked out, leaving Rick's new toy sitting there working while connected to the police scanner that was also working.
Kate waited and watched Rick do that little piece of paper trick again in the door. So far, each paper had still been in place every day. Even after those new bugs had been installed. Neither of them was betting on that when they got home this time.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate liked how her day had worked out. One of the Lees from the Chinese Mob was going to prison for life, and Ben Lee was getting a new name and a new life far across the country. Much to Kate's surprise, Gates hadn't insulted anyone save for being a coward and not letting them apply pressure to the Lees. She had no skill at being a captain of a precinct.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate saw Rick was already home again and put dinner in the kitchen – Greek this time. She walked over and sat down next to him. She looked at the devices that were still here and still looked to be working.
"The paper was lying on the floor," Rick told her.
"They want to know what we say very badly. My money is still on who killed my mom."
"Sadly, so is mine. The FBI seriously needs to hurry up. So, did you finish your case?" Rick had missed all of it.
"We did, and it had a happy ending. Jane is still dead, but we put a Lee Mob member in prison for life, so we won. That and the love of Jane's life is in witness protection. He gets to escape his family if he can stay away from them. He'll be fine if he does."
"Blood is thicker than water. Could you just up and walk away from your family? Leave your mother, father, brothers, and sisters behind and never, ever talk to them again?" Rick looked at Kate for an answer.
"Forever? Probably not. It's the only thing that worries me about him. That and when they find out what he's done, they'll kill him, and it isn't going to be painless." No one just walked away from the Mob, any Mob.
"So what did you bring home for dinner this time?" Rick was ready to eat.
"Greek." Kate slapped his leg and got up to retrieve it along with a bottle of wine.
[_] /\ [_]
Dinner was over, and Kate was snuggled against Rick, resting and happy. "It feels so much better to be able to talk in our own home and not have to worry about what we say."
"Yes." Rick could agree to that. "The inspector is sending his report to you at work since Lanie has the laptop."
"Did he say anything?" Kate asked him.
"Just that he wasn't qualified to inspect the solar power system. He had no problem inspecting everything else, so we either need to find someone else or risk it. It did work while we were there."
"True. I need to get you a check since I do plan to help. It's our home, not just yours even if your name is on it," Kate said. "Keep in mind that it won't take much to find out you bought a place and send someone out to bug it, too."
"Already thought of that. I made a call to Lance and he helped me create a dummy company that has an office in the Caymans. The company is under my name if anyone digs deep enough, but it should make it harder for whoever it is to find out about it.
"Lance only knows about the company, not why I'm using it," Rick assured her.
"Tricky." Kate grinned since she liked it. It wasn't perfect, but it should help.
"How is Gates?" Rick knew what she was like.
"The same. She's not any better, but not really any worse. I don't know how 1PP thinks she's capable of running a precinct." Kate still hated her.
"A movie or something else? Sadly, I don't have tomorrow off since I still need to do all the paperwork for the last case."
"I'm thinking something else." Rick got up, pulled Kate up with him, and took her to their bedroom. "We're running low on condoms."
"We can buy some on the way home tomorrow," Kate said as she began kissing him.
[_] /\ [_]
"This feels so much better," Kate commented as this time she rode into work on the subway with Rick. God, how she missed this. She didn't want to feel needy, but being around him certainly made her feel better.
Except they had barely even stepped into the precinct when they stepped right back out again. They had a dead body.
Espo had already been on site for a little while. "Meet Brian Hayes, 39, executive director of the museum."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "Art as a murder weapon?"
"He was last seen at 10:00 pm and his body was found at 10:21 pm. So the killer must have struck within that window." Espo added, "My money is on him walking in on the other crime being committed here today." He pointed toward it and walked in that direction.
"It's called The Fist of Capitalism. It's worth fifty million dollars," Rick and Kate were both told. "The diamonds in it alone are worth thirty million. It was on loan to us. Mr. Hayes assured the owners it would be safe."
"So our killer gains access through the Gala," Kate suggested to Rick.
"That's unlikely. All guests pass through two security checkpoints and then are greeted by board members who know them personally. I would say that the thief came in through the roof. An air vent probably and then disabled the alarms," a woman said, wearing a tight purple dress and looking like she was a guest herself.
"I'm Serena Kay, the Museum's insurance investigator."
"Alright, then if he got in, how did he get out?" If she was so damn smart.
"The loading bay. People coming in from the bay are checked, but people going out are not," Serena answered with ease.
[_] /\ [_]
"Beckett!" Gates called out and closed her door behind her.
"Great, what have you done wrong now?" Ryan speculated quietly. Kate was wondering the very same thing. Not that she needed to do anything wrong to be dressed down by Gates.
Kate saw Serena sitting in Gates' office, and Gates told Kate that Serena would be working with her on this case. That Serena would actually add something to the investigation that Rodgers didn't.
[_] /\ [_]
A divorce that they didn't want to be made public. She blamed her husband, and he didn't really want The Fist. It was just a bargaining chip for a vineyard in California. Kate wasn't sure she believed either of these two idiots. Still, a previous attempt at a theft while The Fist was in transport did give her a new clue to work with.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate didn't hug or even talk to Rick all the way home and let him find their dinner alone while she went home. His piece of paper was right where he had left it, so no intruders today unless they got smart.
Rick came home to find her sitting on the sofa with her arms across her chest. She looked angry, but he didn't know about what.
"Hoagies and beer." Rick put hers on the coffee table, but she just sat there with her arms crossed. "Alright, why are you angry?"
"WHY AM I ANGRY? You left with Serena to meet her supposed contact." Kate looked daggers at him. "You've been looking at her all the damn day."
"Of course I did." That certainly didn't help when she turned her head to look at him, and if she stared at him any harder, he would be dead on the spot.
"Look, did you question why Gates was so willing to let Serena join the team and help in the investigation? Why she was right about how the thief had gained entrance? Why she knew how he had gotten out? That she just happened to know someone in the city that might know something? That she recognized the device that CSU found? How she knew it was homemade by a mysterious Falco?
"So I went with her and got a picture of him. I just never got you alone to show it to you." Rick pulled out his phone and showed her Falco's picture. "She paid him under the table."
Kate snatched his phone out of his hand and looked at the picture. It wasn't great, but it did look like he wasn't trying to be spotted taking it. "You were spying on her." Kate finally felt her jealous demon melting.
"Your jealousy is not that appealing, but I am happy that you care." Rick leaned across and kissed her cheek. "I don't love her and don't want to love her. I already have someone I love."
"You're not interested in her romantically?" Okay, he would just lie to her, but she asked him anyway.
He sighed. "Enough with the jealousy. But what I still want to know is why Gates added her so quickly."
"Gates hates you, babe. She thinks Serena can add something to the investigation that you can't."
Rick frowned. "To the point that she would add someone who just might actually be this mysterious Falco?"
"I hate Gates. Even Ryan wanted to know what I had done wrong this time when she called me into her office." Kate didn't see what she had done so wrong for Gates to hate her.
"Eat your dinner, love. I'll give you a massage later."
[_] /\ [_]
The massage had turned into sex and Kate's jealousy demon had been slain.
Kate was back to letting Rick hold her and talking to him all the way into work. She felt so much better today than she had yesterday.
[_] /\ [_]
Rick showed the waitress a picture of Serena with Hays. "Yes, that's her."
"It's Serena, she's our thief." Kate looked at Rick and was even happy about it because Rick had been spying on her and appeared to be correct.
"Hey, guess what Serena did before she worked with the insurance company?" Ryan asked Rick and Kate.
"Hmm, I'm guessing not an elementary school teacher," Rick said.
"Art thief." Espo really loved this lead.
"Alleged art thief. She supposedly pulled off some major jobs between 01 and 06, but they could never pin anything on her," Ryan added.
"So how the hell did she get a job as insurance investigator?" Kate questioned them.
Espo shrugged. "About five years ago, she approached them saying she wanted to make good. Even told them what was wrong with their security procedures."
[_] /\ [_]
"She's in on it!?" Gates was shocked. She had personally added her.
"You did add her to our team. Did you run a background check on her before you added her?" Kate inquired.
"Careful, Detective, and I use that term loosely." Gates gave her a warning and an insult as usual.
"I'm not the one that got played. I didn't hire a thief and potential murderer to 'help' with our investigation," Kate fired back.
"That does it. You are suspended for two days without pay for being insubordinate," Gates informed her.
Kate blew up at her. "Why don't you just make it a week and get it over with? You have no skill at being a precinct captain. You shouldn't even be here. All you do is degrade everyone and insult them constantly."
"One week suspension it is! Badge. Weapon. My desk. Now!" Gates pointed to her desk and watched with satisfaction as Kate stormed out of her office.
Rick looked up and saw her coming out of Gates' office. "Let's go, I've been suspended again." Kate grabbed her stuff.
"You've been what?" Ryan didn't believe this. How were they suppose to solve this case without her?
[_] /\ [_]
Rick was holding Kate on the ride home. "What happened?"
"I blew up. I lost it and I shouldn't have. Serena is on our team because Gates wanted to hurt you and she didn't do any background checks. She added our thief to our investigation so she knew exactly what we were learning.
"One week because I hate her. Without pay even." Kate was sure she had screwed up big this time.
Rick had his own plan, and it was time to write up his report. He was supposed to send it to the Navy, but maybe a copy should go to someone else as well.
[_] /\ [_]
"This is wrong, bro," Javi told Kevin. "Montgomery may have done something really wrong but he was a hell of a captain. Gates is no captain."
"Jenny and I have been talking, Javi. "The only reason we're still in New York is because of me. Jenny thinks the city is too dangerous and too dirty, not to mention too cold."
"You're thinkin' about resigning?" Javi was shocked. He didn't know that about his partner.
Kevin shrugged. "So far, it's been just talk, but Jenny is pushing."
"And go where?" New York City was the place to be. What was better than here?
"Jenny has been looking lately. She's found an opening for a detective in Key West and another in the US Virgin Islands. Over 60k a year and the cost of living is less there." Ryan sighed. "I guess we'll be doing even more talking when I get home tonight."
"Beach babes." Suddenly Javi liked his thinking. It was just that it meant leaving New York City. "I don't know, bro." He wasn't sold.
Then Gates was out of her office and just looking at her, the guys could tell that she was still mad as hell. "I want her in custody, Detectives. NOW!" Gates yelled at those two.
"Sir, our case is strictly circumstantial. We have no proof." Ryan waited for her to explode.
"Then get something concrete. I will not have this department publicly humiliated," Gates informed them and went back to her office.
Espo rolled his eyes. "She means she doesn't want to be publicly humiliated."
"Yeah, Jenny and I will definitely be talking." Kevin knew what was coming. They didn't even own a car to get rid of and were renting. Moving was simply that, a move.
"We have to prove Serena's our thief and killer without Beckett or Rodgers." Just about then, Espo was thinking maybe Key West or the Caribbean might not be so bad after all. Beaches, bikinis, and sunshine. "What about hurricanes?" Javi looked at his partner.
"New York City isn't totally immune, you know." Kevin started planning how they were going to prove Serena was their thief and killer.
[_] /\ [_]
"Wine or something harder?" Rick asked her once they got home.
Kate was really tempted but she really shouldn't. "Just water, thanks."
"Do you want to tell me exactly what happened?"
"I reminded her that she added Serena to the team and asked her if she had even done a background check. Then she suspended me for two days. I lost it just about then and told her she had no business being precinct captain. She had no skill for the job. That was when she increased it to a week and told me to get out.
"She didn't say you should come with me, Rick, so you could have stayed."
"Not a chance. I go where you go, end of story. But you're not wrong, she has no business being a precinct captain. Not the way she runs things. I wonder if she yells at other people like she yells at everyone on the Homicide floor?" Rick was thinking of going back and asking people in Robbery.
Kate put her glass down. "Now what do we do?" She was suspended again because she had blown up at Gates. Kate leaned down and put her face in her hands.
"Dates?" Rick watched a Kate that suddenly didn't look so upset, look at him. "A vacation, maybe?" All at once he had another idea. It was just that it was really radical.
"Alright, hear me out first before you blow up on me," Rick asked her and watched her sit back and look at him.
"This isn't the only city that needs homicide detectives. Yes, if we move, it means not buying the house in Maine that we haven't really bought yet or really have to buy. We can still back out or keep it.
"We could move somewhere warmer. Miami, for example. Go get Rosie and let her help you." Rick wasn't finished yet, but Kate started talking.
"Resign and move to Miami? You do realize I was born and raised here. My dad lives here. My best friend lives here. Just where do you suppose we hide the ship in Miami?" Kate was not onboard with this idea.
"It will give them a reason to come visit. Hit the beach and get a tan. It doesn't have to be Miami. Maybe Rosie can find a place that interests you." Rick kept trying. "Do you really think they would just up and fire Gates?"
Kate sighed. "No." The evil witch would get to keep her job. "And she's going to continue to hate you and insult me." Kate was slowly warming up to his idea.
"As for the ship, do we abandon it to its fate? I've been thinking about that a little more. They managed to find us and take us, and no one noticed. What if they only kidnap humans and take them to that planet? Once they realize that they're missing a ship…" Rick trailed off and let her think about that.
"They will come looking for it and take it from us. Maybe capture us all over again and take us back, hunt us down." Kate could see it happening.
"Four dogs instead of two. Four or even six of them instead. They would make sure we suffer since we embarrassed them." Rick looked at her. "We are the ultimate prey, Kate. We actually beat them once."
"As if our lives weren't complicated enough." Kate leaned back into the sofa and tried to think.
Rick offered her another option. "One more thing for you to think about. We could load up the ship with all the MREs we can get our hands on and go out into space with Rosie."
"Rosie! We can't just leave her on that ship. She trusted us." Kate looked at him and pleaded with her eyes.
"So we work out how to keep her charged using our power system," Rick said. "Maybe she already has a solution for that."
"What about the Navy? Your friend got you this job. You drop it, and you do what? Go back to being a SEAL, forcing me to find out if I am that kind of woman?" Kate thought she was, but until she had actually done it, she didn't really know.
"You don't think you are?" Rick began to be afraid of what her answer would be.
"No, I think I am. I'm just not going to like it." Kate would make herself be that kind of woman.
"I have one idea that might help you find out." Rick wasn't sure either of them were ready for this, but they were getting closer to each other.
"Oh?" Kate was listening. Anything that helped her she would be interested in.
Rick looked at her for the space of several heartbeats then said, "Marry me," and saw the stunned look on her face.