On the home front, her father did recommend a good divorce attorney, although in the end there really was no need. In light of the facts that she had abandoned the marital home for no valid reason she would share, Castle made a generous cash settlement and suggested fast tracking things to limit the publicity as much as possible. Her lawyer's only comment was "What's not to like?" Kate wasn't surprised by his almost giddy response since he would do next to nothing and still collect a handsome fee. With any hope of a reconciliation off the table, she had little choice, but to agree with his conclusion.
After signing the paperwork and returning to the crater, she pondered the mess she had made with Castle. She had tried for the gold ring with him only to find that it wasn't enough. That night when she met Officer Raglan something inside her did indeed change. Somehow her mother's murder and her work among the dregs of humanity had transformed her into a huntress who was more fulfilled in battles for justice than traditional relationships and family. Both experiences painted a harsh unforgiving world where personal advantage motivated most human behavior.
When Hunt's proposal came along, she chose the chase over her one-and-done. She needed to accept the role she had chosen. That was the moment she looked down at her left hand and removed her rings for the final time. Later that night she texted John Miller to express her continuing interest. The announcement about the divorce came about a week later. The tabloid press harped on Rick as a three time loser. As agreed, the statement asked all to respect their privacy, and of course, the paparazzi totally ignored their request. Luckily, she was able to keep them out of the precinct, but she rightly assumed that every salacious bit of speculation in the tabloids was required reading for everyone at the Twelfth.
On the agreed date the limo was waiting for her as she emerged from the crater at 7:00AM in her trainers with a duffel of extra clothing as requested. After a quick handshake with John Miller, she was in the back seat with the hood firmly in place. When the car stopped, she was led into a building and found herself in a remarkable old gymnasium with no windows facing two men and two women totally dressed in black. After a few pleasantries, they explained that the interview process would be arduous and brutal honesty was always best. She knew that last part could be a problem. The details about the end of LOKSAT were a no go for her - no matter what.
After adjourning to a rather uncomfortable set of plastic chairs, they went over her whole professional life both at the NYPD and the AG office. Based on the questions they were asking, it was clear they were quite well informed, and she responded with as much candor as she could remember. They then delved into her personal life and particularly her long painful thing with Castle. Yes, he was her one-an-done, but that was not to be because she was unavailable for that kind of commitment. She had made a choice to pursue revenge over her friends and the love of her life. Those relationships were now irreparable broken. Going forward, she would not be celibate, but no future relationships would complicate her commitment to the job.
With the basics clarified, they asked her to retire to restroom and put on appropriate sparing attire. When she returned, they had rolled out a twenty foot square mat, and her task was simply to knock the opposing female host off her feet. Seemed like an easy task, but try as she might, she was the one kissing mat every time. The woman obviously had training way above her skill level, and Kate just persevered until she was told to shower and redress for lunch.
After the lunch the whole tenor of the conversation changed when they brought up her mommy issues. She knew this was was where things would get sticky. The tale started with her mother's death, her secret work in the files, her personal murder board, and her temporary hiatus until Castle's pathologist discovered a new clue. That eventually led to the tape that finally brought down the late Senator. She thought that was the end until LOKSAT came along and took any extremely aggressive stance killing most of her old AG team. Then he attacked Castle, and all her hunter instincts kicked into overdrive. She did not have the resources to uncover his identity, but others did. She wanted him gone, and they took care of it. She had no regrets and would not divulge anymore even if it disqualified her from consideration.
She was surprised no one pushed for more on the demise of LOKSAT. Perhaps Rita had intervened in some way to say the gritty details had no bearing on her fitness for the job at hand. After a long pause, the apparent leader asked, "Are you sure, you are finally over all this about your mother's murder?".
She was prepared for that question and replied, "Absolutely, I approved the murder of the man responsible, and while I didn't pull the trigger, it was satisfaction enough."
Next came the running part. When she returned from changing they has set up a large rectangular course using orange cone markers. She was told the jog the short sections and sprint all the others. The first lap was a breeze; the eighth was difficult. By the twelfth, she was sucking air, slick with perspiration, and looking very haggard. With no signal forthcoming to stop, she persevered using the shorter jogging stretches as respites before beginning the next much more taxing sprint legs. She only stopped when total exhaustion overwhelmed any residual willpower she might have had. Her inquisitors were mum and pointed her towards the showers.
On her way, her body dialed up an appalling level of fatigue and yuckiness that made even walking a chore. He arms, legs, and feet were all screaming from over use. Her exposed skin had a thick sheen of sweat that pooled in tiny rivulets, and her running outfit was damp and clingy. Little did she realize that in just a few short weeks she would consider this state normal and perhaps a bit cool.
The last part of the meeting was a lengthy explanation of her new life if this all worked out. There was of course, a long legal document explaining the secrecy agreement she would be signing. It was ironclad, and they would not hesitate to enforce it. With all their agenda covered, the hood was put in place, and she was dropped back at the crater just after dark.
The next week she met with Gates and began by suggesting that her recent divorce from her popular husband was still a distraction for her staff. The precinct was her home, and she felt her recent notoriety was making her far less effective. In light of that, she wondered if the department might have another position where her full skill set could be utilized without her personal drama interfering. Gates sympathized with her dilemma, but said her reputation would follow her anywhere. That left Kate with just two options - persevere or hope John Miller called.