Author's note: I'd like to thank southerngirl1, TORONTOSUN, and a Guest for their reviews. Guest: Thank you for finding and reading all of the Shadow Fox Saga. I'm glad you loved it. TORONTOSUN: I'm feeling better this week, thank you for the well wishes. This case starts about two months after the last one ended. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Kate woke up to find that Rick was already up. From the smell, he was cooking breakfast. She smiled and stretched before standing up. She loved Saturdays. If no one was killed, she could spend a lazy day with her husband. She laughed; there were no "lazy days" with Rick. The feeling she'd had when they first met was still there. He was still a kid on a sugar rush, though he might be ten years old now.

Rick looked up when Kate walked out of their bedroom. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"What time is it?"

"Nine. You slept in today. Let me get your coffee ready."

She sat at the bar. "Thanks. So, what's on the menu this morning?"

"Oeufs A la Cantalienne. Eggs, Cantal cheese, créme fraîche, with salt and pepper, cream of tartar, and a dash of nutmeg." Rick put a ramekin on a plate and set it in front of his wife. "What do you think?"

"It looks amazing." Kate took a bite. "Mmm. A little too much pepper."

"Really?" Rick took a bite. "Oh, wow. You're right. I can make more."

"No, Rick, it's fine. We just know better for next time."

"You sure?"

Kate smiled. "I'm sure." She stretched up so she could kiss him.

"I'd tell you two to get a room, but you'd probably tell me you own all the rooms." Alexis perched herself next to Kate. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"Peppery Oeufs A la Cantalienne."

"Sounds interesting." The redhead accepted her plate and took a bite. "Hmm, maybe putting a little more nutmeg on this will balance it out."

Rick grabbed the nutmeg and gave it to her. "Better?"

Alexis took another bite. "Yes, a little better."

Kate was just adding some nutmeg to her dish when her phone rang. "Beckett. Okay, we'll be right there."

"What's up?" Rick shoved some of his eggs in his mouth.

"Looks like a turf war between the TMG and ABM. Lots of bodies. I'll need my coffee in a to-go cup." She went to get dressed.

Rick turned to Alexis. "Can you handle cleanup?"

Alexis smiled. "Yes, Dad. Have fun."

Like she had before her promotion, Katherine Beckett strode into the crime scene like she owned the place. She always paused for a beat before she got out of the car to honor the victim or victims, but then the scene was hers. It was even more pronounced after her promotion to captain because everyone treated her differently now. As nice as that may seem, she wished some things could go back to the way they had been before.

Ryan and Esposito were just arriving too. "Morning, Captain."

"Detectives. You guys have anything more than I do?"

Ryan shook his head. "Just that these gangs hate each other. And that their territories are close enough to share borders."

Esposito fell into step with his captain. "When I was working undercover, I ran into this a lot. Kinda hope no one I knew was involved."

Lanie looked up when they got near. "Hey, so there are four bodies. Three other victims were injured and are heading to the hospital."

"C.O.D.?" Castle was looking around the crime scene.

"Gunshot wounds. Or complications from. I'll have to dig out the bullets to say what happened here."

"Yeah." Beckett looked around the scene. Bullet holes and ricochet marks were everywhere. CSU was out in force documenting the scene and collecting evidence. Ballistics was probably going to be checking bullets for a week if this scene was as bad as it looked. "Any idea how long ago the bloodshed stopped?"

"No more than thirty minutes." Ryan made a note of another security camera for Vikram. "The first calls were to report gunshots. Last couple talked about the bodies."

Beckett heard something. "Did anyone else hear that sound?"

Ryan and Esposito shook their heads. "No."

The sound, which was very faint, happened again. "Help…"

"I just heard it again." Beckett moved in the direction she thought the sound was coming from. "Hello? Anyone here?"

The sound was getting louder. "Help…"

"I hear it now." Esposito caught up to Beckett. "Where are you?"

The voice coughed. "Here. Help."

Beckett rounded a corner. "Hayley!"

She grimaced. "Guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Hayley coughed again. She was leaning against the wall of the alley clutching her stomach. Her shirt was stained red with blood and a small pool was growing beneath her.

Castle took off his suit coat and pressed it to Hayley's middle. "What happened?"

Hayley groaned. "I was checking out something for a client when…" She coughed up some blood. "That's not good."

Ryan was on the phone. "An ambulance is on its way."

"Just hang in there." Beckett turned to the nearest uniforms. "Make sure the paramedics have a clear path."

"Yes, ma'am."

Castle leaned in close. "Hayley, what happened?"

"I was… I… was…" Hayley's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped where she sat.

"Hayley?"

"Give me some room." Lanie put her hand over Castle's on the bloodied blazer. "Castle, back up."

"Yeah." He stood up and took a step back.

Lanie felt for Hayley's pulse. "It's a bit thready. Ryan, where are they?"

"Not far."

Sirens came into earshot and Beckett stood to greet them. "She's over here!"

The paramedics hopped out of the ambulance and raced to Hayley's side. They launched into their jobs, calling out what they needed. In a few moments, which felt like ages, Hayley was moved to a stretcher and then loaded into the ambulance and rushed from the scene. Beckett wrapped her arms around Castle, trying to comfort him. He barely seemed to notice as he watched the back of the ambulance race away.

"What was she doing here?"

"She said she was investigating something for a client." Beckett put her hands on Castle's cheeks. "She'll be okay. She's a fighter."

"I want to go to the hospital."

"Okay." Beckett turned to Ryan and Esposito. "You guys have the scene?"

"Yeah, we got this. Go."

Beckett had the siren on the whole way to the hospital. Castle was quiet in the passenger seat. He was worried for his friend. Hayley had been such a help to him with his P.I. business. She was the one who did most of the work, but she had also taught him a lot about investigating things without police around him. She'd even gotten him out of trouble more than a couple times. He wanted to help her now, but there was nothing he could do.

Hayley was being rolled in as they pulled up. "38 year old female, gunshot wound to the abdomen. Lost a lot of blood. Had to intubate on the way over."

"Trauma one is open."

Castle stopped short when he saw Hayley. She was ashen, so pale she looked as though she was on death's door. A tube extended from her mouth to the oxygen bag and an I.V. line was in her arm to provide blood and fluids. Castle was brought back to the day his wife looked like this. He'd thought she would die, but Beckett had survived. He hoped that Hayley would miraculously survive too.

"She looks so bad."

"I know." Beckett pulled Castle into her arms again. "She's strong, though."

They found seats in the waiting room and settled in. At one point, Beckett informed the nurses of who she was and that they were to be updated as soon as there was some news, but for the most part they just sat and waited. Alexis came in not too long after they arrived. She said Ryan had called and that Martha was sending her love and prayers. She then took a seat on her father's other side, her hand clasped with his.

"Captain Beckett?"

"Yes?" Beckett quickly stood. She had lost track of how many hours had passed while they waited.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Beckett's heart sank. "What happened?"

"We did everything we could. There were some… complications. I'm afraid Ms. Shipton didn't make it."

The room felt like it was spinning. "She's…"

"I'm so sorry."

"No!" Alexis collapsed into her father's arms.

Tears were streaming down Castle's face. "May we see her?"

The doctor nodded. "I'll let the surgeons know. We should give them a couple minutes to… get everything ready."

Beckett slumped back into her chair. "I… I thought… I can't believe it."

Castle put an arm around his wife and pulled her close. "I was sure she'd be okay."

Several minutes passed. They stayed huddled together, tears staining their faces. Ryan and Esposito came in, and when they noticed the family's grief, Esposito punched the wall in anger and Ryan cursed under his breath, walking back outside. Lanie came in a moment later and wrapped her arms around Esposito, trying to console him. The loss for them was not as pronounced as it was for the Castle family, but they had still lost a good friend.

The doctor came back in. "You can come in now."

Alexis followed her dad, but at the door she froze. "No, I can't. I…" her voice cracked, "I just can't."

Castle hugged his daughter. "It's okay. You can wait here or go back to the waiting room."

Alexis hugged her father tightly. "I'm going to miss her so much."

"I know." Castle's voice broke too. "I know."

Alexis turned back to the waiting room and Beckett held out her hand to her husband. "Are you ready?"

"No. Let's go."

They opened the door. Hayley's body was still on the operating table, but everything had been cleaned up and a sheet covered most of her body. Her face was visible though. She had been in a lot of pain, but now she looked at peace. If they didn't know better, she could have been sleeping. Castle found her hand under the sheet and held it. He wished he'd been able to do something to save her, but there was nothing he could do.

"She's still warm. I didn't expect that. I mean, I know why; I know the science. I just… I didn't think…"

"I'm sorry, Castle."

"She was my friend. One of my best friends." He struggled to hold in a sob. "We need to figure out who killed her."

Beckett nodded. "We will. When we find who all was involved in the shootout, we'll find her murderer too."

"I know you will. No matter how long it takes." Castle straightened up. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Hayley. I'm so sorry."

A/N: This was a tough chapter to write. I'm hoping I was able to do it justice. Stay tuned!