"So, what exactly are you saying here?"

Gates' voice was unusually tense as she approached the interview room table, the relatively small area being used as a temporary headquarters for all of them to reconvene before deciding their next steps.

Castle and Beckett stood next to the door, Vargas by Gates, leaving Ryan by himself in the corner, not that it bothered him one bit. Still trying to come off the emotional rollercoaster of fearing he might find his best friend dead; the change of events had been starting to tear on his self-control more than he cared to admit.

Judging by everyone else's ashen faces as they followed the conversation, he was in good company.

"Captain, we found an encrypted message on Detective Esposito's answering machine. The voice is definitely that of Doctor Lafayette. We have reason to believe that it's some sort of code to set one of his…his plans into action."

Frowning, Gates put her hands on her sides and cocked her head.

"Well, what did he say? Who's our next target?"

"10-437-8…", Ryan began, trying to recall the exact order of the codes, "Alpha, alpha, foxtrot, delta, bravo, alpha."

"10-437-8...that sounds like some modified police 10-code…", Beckett suggested and glanced over at Gates, "If we can decrypt that code, it might tell us where to find Espo."

With a somber headshake, Vargas cleared his throat.

"It might not be that easy, detective. There's a good chance that this is some sort of custom code, something that Lafayette derived from his military background to help his…his patients understand his orders. More than likely it's nothing more than a call to action, to…to meet with Lafayette right away. What it does show though is that we were correct…he used some form of hypnosis to reach the subconscious of his victims, then programs them to take the pills, gives them intel on their targets and…upon hearing the code, it sets off his orders. This way he can wait until the right time to strike, buying himself an alibi. It's brilliant if it wasn't so morally repulsive."

"Well, this call and the nightclub image isn't enough to hold Lafayette for a prolonged period of time, much less charge him with murder.", Gates growled and began to pace the room, "But it does give us enough probable cause for search warrants. We need to figure out who the next target is. If we follow the MO of those crimes, our killer will strike at night. That gives us time to go through the clinic and Lafayette's private residence. Somewhere out there has to be a clue as to what he's up to next."

Not wasting another second, Beckett nodded and stormed toward the door, Castle in tow, undoubtedly ready to unleash search-warrant hell upon Lafayette. And truth be told, Ryan couldn't wait to join her in the effort.

But no matter how often he tried to force himself to remain professional and keep an open mind, it was those scary thoughts about his partner's safety and whereabouts that wouldn't leave his side, following him like the proverbial shadow of doom, a foreboding sign of what was to come.

And Ryan wasn't so sure he could handle that future.

He didn't realize that everyone had left already when he heard Vargas shuffle some paper, the tall man walking over to him, his expression that of somebody who'd faced the same sort of fear before.

"You're worried about your partner."

Despite his matter-of-fact question, his voice was welcoming and understanding.

"Well, how could I not? Some…some lunatic has messed with Javi's mind and is literally using him like a tool, like cannon fodder. I fear of what's going to happen if there's a confrontation. Will Javi recognize us? What if Lafayette has programmed him to…to protect the clinic and its Frankenstein-esque doctor at any cost?"

"It's hard to tell without knowing just what all went on. But the good news is that we should be able to help him snap out of it eventually. There's a long history of DMM-type programing in the military and there's been just as many instances where people managed to break the…effects thereof."

"I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that somebody could actually do that to another human being. It seems so…pathological, so selfish. What if Javi is aware of what he's doing but he is powerless to stop it? He could be trapped inside his own body. How sick is that?"

Bridging the last of the distance to be next to Ryan, Vargas leaned against the one-sided mirror, eyes drifting to the paperwork sitting on the desk.

"You think your partner is responsible for those two murders, don't you?"

To hear his worst fear put out there in the open made Ryan flinch, his jaws clenched, hands clasping the molding of the mirror with a death grip.

His silence must have spoken bands when Vargas drew in a deep breath and nodded.

"I am thinking the same thing. It's too perfect. The MO fits your partner's skill level to a tee. We have proof that he's been…tampered with, for a lack of a better word, well before those murders occurred. Under the circumstances, he can't be held responsible, if that is your concern."

"No, my concern is how he will feel if he finds out. I know him better than most people and I can guarantee you that this will tear him apart. It goes against everything he stands for."

A long pause ensued, neither man able to produce much in the form of consolation in a situation that realistically offered none. Eventually, Ryan shifted and glanced over at Vargas, his intense gaze leaving no room for interpretation.

"Could you do me one favor, Lieutenant?"

Upon the other man's nod, Ryan cleared his throat once more, trying to slow down his incessantly beating heart but having little luck.

"Once this whole thing unfolds and we get those answer we didn't want to get…we need to make sure that Javi never finds out. I don't care what it takes or what red tape we need to tamper with, but he can't find out. He's suffered enough and he doesn't deserve to pay the price for somebody else's crime."

Vargas' expression became unreadable for a moment, his body rigidly still as he processed the unorthodox question, then nodded again.

"I can promise you that I will do what I can from my end to honor your request, detective. And I don't doubt that your team will do the same. You've got a good group of people working here."