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Vehicle of FBI Special Agent Diana Barrigan
Parking lot of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
2401 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Access Rd,
Arlington, VA 22202
8:15 a.m.
Diana drives towards the George Washington Memorial Parkway and tries to hide a smile after glancing at the grumpy occupant in the passenger seat, arms folded.
"Feel free to start your interrogation," Diana says, "I promised Ricky I would be completely honest with you."
"Like when you called me an idiot?" Kate counters gruffly.
"Ricky's my friend," Diana smirks, "And even if I'm a bit biased, it's honestly hard to see where you haven't been an idiot."
"Funny, he's never mentioned you," Kate tries to move forward.
"Because then you'd know," Diana replies.
"Know what?" Kate huffs.
"He consults with the White-Collar Division sometimes," Diana says smiling widely.
"Since when?" Kate blurts.
"Before I started," Diana replies then says contemptuously, "Certainly before he started following you like a love-sick puppy."
"Let me guess, it started out as research," Kate rolls her eyes.
"Understandable guess but no," Diana counters, "As I heard the story, Frank Reagan recommended Ricky when he was Chief of Brooklyn South.
"White-Collar was helping him stop the Russian mob by focusing on their business fronts but was stuck until the higher ups agreed to call in Rick
"This is unbelievable," Kate says aloud, mostly to herself.
"I know," Diana shrugs, "Reagan's absolutely adamant in not showing even the appearance favoritism towards his kids."
"So, I've heard," Kate is still processing, "Why did he recommend Castle?"
"It's hard to describe," Diana mulls a second, "Ricky's mind works differently."
"That, I believe," Kate says in a catty tone that even surprises her.
"Well, a 197 I.Q. will do that," Diana chuckles.
"197, Rick?"
"He wrote two bestsellers before age twenty-one," Diana reminds her, "And his Emotional Intelligence tests results are equally impressive."
Kate doesn't miss the way Diana says the last word.
"Have you ever read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez?" Diana asks.
"I've heard of it?" Kate rolls her eyes, "Isn't that the one where he writes all people have three lives, public, private, and secret."
"And Ricky can see through all three with incredible accuracy," Diana states.
"I guess he sort of does," Kate responds, uncomfortable with her honest answer.
"Come now detective," Diana adds playfully, "Ask what you really want to know."
"And what would that be?" Kate responds in a hostile tone.
"Why Rick kept so much from you, of course," Diana smiles broadly.
"And you would know why, of course," Kate responds sarcastically.
"Not so much," Diana responds, "I think that's in the secret part of his life, and I don't have Ricky's gift for seeing into those.
"Us mere mortals, even top detectives, and agents, only ever see glimpses of those so the best I can do is give you a guess."
"And what of Ricky's have you glimpsed?" The venom in her voice makes her subtext more than plain.
"Are you asking how close our friendship is?" Diana smirks.
"Yes."
"Saved my life," Diana replies.
"He did?"
"Did you think you were his first?" Diana chuckles, "I meant the first life he saved."
"Never actually thought about it," Kate denies forcefully.
"Be honest," Diana responds, "You think Rick Castle was just a playboy millionaire not making an important a contribution to society as say a cop.
"But then the great Kate Beckett allowed him to he become her sidekick but is that the case or did Reagan and Montgomery use you to draw out the hero."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Kate says adamantly, "And I asked about your relationship with Rick, as in why you helped him with all this?"
"My ex-girlfriend is a doctor," Diana recounts, "When she broke up with me for a great job in California, he let me cry on his shoulder, so I returned the kindness."
"Girlfriend?" Kate blurts, suddenly understanding why Rick said he'd miss being along for this ride.
"Ricky figured that's a word you'd focus on," Diana chuckles, "He's going is so going to regret not seeing the look on your face right now.
"But if it makes you feel any better, he is the one person on the other team I would give a tryout to, or at least ask to be donor if I wanted a baby."
"Why would you think that would make me feel better?" Kate snaps.
"It wouldn't," Diana shrugs, "Just thought I should give you fair warning?"
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Kate glares at the driver.
"Maybe," Diana smiles mischievously, "But it'll be nothing like how the Reagan's will mess with you once you get back since they really don't approve of you."
"Don't approve of me?" Kate blurts shocked.
"I guess Ricky didn't mention that, oops," Diana shrugs, "They're very protective of Ricky and Alexis and don't think you're good for them."
"But I'm a cop," Kate argues, "They're a family of cops."
"From what I've gathered," Diana responds, "They think you're a little too much like his ex- wives."
"I'm nothing like Meredith or Gina," Kate counters angerly, "Why would they even think that?"
"Maybe you should ask them," Diana replies, "Or Ricky."
"Don't worry, I will," Kate promises, narrowing her eyes.
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James Patterson's Private Jet
Above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
"I guess Alex Cross novels pay better than Derrick Storm or Nikki Heat," a voice pulls a seated Rick Castle out of his thoughts.
Rick looks up at the other passenger, a man, sixtyish with a full head of silver hair, and a scruffy two-day shadow and goatee, pours two glasses of Scotch.
The older man walks over to hand Rick and hands rick one of the glasses. Despite his age, the older man is very fit and his 6'3" frame forces him crouch a bit.
"Quantity has a quality all its own," Rick quotes, "Joseph Stalin."
"Did you ever say that to Patterson's face?" Jackson Hunt chuckles.
"He let me borrow his jet doesn't he," Rick smiles, "If you have one somewhere dad, I'd like to can ask to borrow the keys sometime."
"Ah no," Hunt chuckles, "Normally, spies tend to fly commercial. The opposition doesn't like to bring them down for one guy, too much scrutiny."
"I know," Rick replies, "Sophia Turner was an excellent instructor."
"Yes, I was always certain she taught you a lot," Jackson gives a knowing look.
"What…Dad!" Rick does a double take makes disgusted face, "Jeez, I could've gladly gone through life without knowing that."
"Hey, I'm as human as the next guy," Jackson smirks.
"Please tell me I wasn't the next guy," Rick shakes his head.
"Believe me, there were many guys and gals after me," Hunt chuckles.
"Why doesn't that help?" Rick makes another grossed out face.
"Speaking which," Jackson continues, "Marty Danberg told me you warned him that Sophia was going to set him up. How'd you know?"
"I didn't at first," Rick shrugs, "A Soviet sleeper agent with a grudge because she was set adrift after the Cold War? Even I couldn't make up a story like that."
"I bought that she only reached out because Beckett and I were already chasing Gauge, but as things went on, I got the feeling she was playing me.
"She started out flirty using my past affections for her to lower my guard, then she chastises me for screwing up using my guilt over how things ended.
"And she did all this while Kate was watching to sow the seeds of discord and mistrust, then she showed up at my place to make amends."
"The classic feme fatale," Hunt notes, "But she thought she was dealing with the gullible moose when in fact it was the clever squirl."
"Thanks dad," Rick rolls his eyes, "I was trying to avoid that particular cliché phrasing."
"How did you know Danberg wasn't in on it?" Hunt asks, "The Fred MacMurray to her Barbara Stanwyck."
"Double Indemnity, nice movie reference," Rick looks impressed, "I could Corrigan fit that role more. From the start, he never left her side.
"And Danberg was easy to read as the Edward G. Robinson character, the straight arrow who might see through her before she got whatever she was after."
"Big risk to take," Hunt comments.
"I had one edge," Rick responds, "Like Kate, Sophia is so competitive. Neither tolerates rivals. I play the class clown, so they never see me as one. Their egos do the rest."
"Luckily, Sophia wised up late about you," Hunt notes, "What if Danberg hadn't shown up to save you and Beckett when he did?
"I had a backup plan," Rick says with a touch of sadness, "Sophia was a dead either way."
"Not bad kid," Jackson replies.
"Is that fatherly pride I hear in your voice?" Rick smiles.
"I suppose that it is," Jackson smiles back, "But remember I've got a very messed up perspective."
"Fair enough," Rick finishes his drink.
"Speaking of Beckett," Hunt knows to change the subject, "How'd to with her?"
"About how I expected," Rick responds.
"You know kid," Hunt continues, "From they way you've acted, it's almost like you expected her to do what she did."
"Not this exact situation, the job and all," Rick replies, "But I was expecting a chance of something."
"And I thought I had trust issues."
"I trust people to be themselves," Rick responds, "With her, it's about the wall she built up inside of her to protect herself. I'd foolishly hoped the wall had come down.
"But I've realized it's not just a wall it's a fortress worthy of Vauban himself. She'd stepped out the door but stayed close enough to run back inside.
"If I spook her, she'd do just that, I'd have to hunker down and lay siege again. Do you know what Sun Tzu said about sieges?"
"The worst option," Hunt answers, "It eats up time and resources, leaving you vulnerable and exhausted even if you win."
"To avoid that I've let her have her way in the past," Rick comments, "And what did Master Sun said was the best approach?"
"Wreck their plans," Hunt answers, "Is that what you're doing?"
"I need to draw her out in the open," Rick explains, "Until she's too far to run inside, then make her face me."
"I suck at relationships, son" Hunt replies, "And even I know that's a dangerous gamble."
"I have to do something," Rick replies, "I can't keep repeating the same pattern expecting different results."
"The definition of insanity," Hunt notes, "At least one of them."
"Yes," Rick says simply, "Anyway, did you get the information?"
Jackson took the hint that the subject of Kate was over. He takes out a thumb drive and hands it to Rick.
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Author's notes:
"Moose" and "Squirl" are a reference Rocky the Flying Squirl and Bullwinkle J. Moose, the heroes of the American TV Cartoon show The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (1959-73).
A character on the show was an Eastern Block agent and feme fatale Natasha Fatale who with her partner, Boris Badenov, were the frequent incompetent foils to our heroes.
Please look on Wikipedia if you want to know more.
Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, Seigneur de Vauban, later Marquis de Vauban, was a French military engineer and Marshal of France in the service of Louis XIV.
He designed a series of high tech (for the time) fortresses on France's Eastern frontier in key strategic positions.
Despite France suffering great battlefield defeats like Blenheim and Ramillies, her enemies where never to able to invade France proper as Vauban's constructs where so formidable that even a successful siege would exhaust the enemy armies.
The "definition of insanity" Rick uses frequently to Albert Einstein, but no one is really sure of the knows the origin.
"A person with a good deal of fame will soon be misquoted." – Jane Austen and she really did say that.