Here be Dragons!
Chapter 45
Rick was told to leave his rental car behind and they would take care of it. Rick found himself in the back of an SUV. He had stood and watched them load bags into it before leaving. There were three of them in the SUV not including himself. The woman he knew as Sam and the men appeared to be called Kele and Chayton.
It took as long to get back into the city as it did to leave it. However, what they didn't do was drive to the city's main airport. Instead they went to a much smaller one. Once there they parked and unloaded everything.
Then they all walked to a very large private jet. Almost the size of a 737, though its two engines were back at the tail. "Yours?" Rick questioned.
Sam shook her head. "It's new. It's a Bombardier 7500. Seats 14 and sleeps 8. Has a range of 7,700 nautical miles with a maximum altitude of 51,000 feet. It even has a full kitchen if we get hungry. It should already have all the food we will need."
"So who's the pilot?" Rick inquired.
"Me." Sam smiled wide. "Nothing to worry about. It's basically just like the old one save that this one has a full kitchen, can fly farther, and hold more people."
Rick noted that the interior had white seats, white walls and white ceiling. The tables were black and the dividers between areas were also black. The seats were bigger and wider than normal first class seats.
He observed the plane being fueled then it began to move until eventually they were moving down the runway and then were airborne.
Since Rick was hungry he got up to see what there was to eat and saw she hadn't been kidding. It was a full and functional kitchen. Since he wasn't doing anything he took it upon himself to cook something for all of them. He got a thanks from the guys then went forward to see if Sam was hungry.
"Thanks. Have a seat if you want, just keep your hands and feet to yourself," Sam cautioned.
"Been flying long?" Rick asked her after he carefully sat down.
"Seven, almost eight years. I've been with Cullen since I was a little girl. He has a real passion for all shifters. My parents help him with the horses," Sam replied.
"You and the others back there are all Wolves same as Cullen," Rick mentioned.
"Most of us are. We have a couple of Coyotes, a few Horses and one Eagle. I don't know why Cullen chose New Mexico. However, the desert allows no one to sneak up on us. For instance your car was detected just as you entered our acreage. Then cameras zoomed in to see who it was. It's why we let you get to us," Sam revealed.
"Cullen sounded like he was surprised to see me." How could he be surprised if he knew Castle was coming?
"We all knew it was you, just not why you were here. You've presented us with a real challenge. The thought that one of us could be turned in some way worries all of us.
"Cullen wants us to bring both Smith's home, but make no mistake, we will kill them to protect all of us if we have to. We're doing this for all shifters, including you and Kate.
"Finding out you two were Dragons was a real surprise. Hearing about a Red Dragon that was also a shifter but also a hired killer is hard to believe. Not that we don't believe you. Just if there is a Red Dragon what other colors are there?" Sam questioned.
"Thanks for the lunch. I could use a cup of coffee, though. We have K-cups, please." Concentrating on the instrument panel, Sam was aware that he took her lunch away and returned with a cup of coffee. "Thanks." It was going to be a long flight.
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"Thanks for coming, Castle. You can go home now. We'll call if we need you," Sam promised as he watched them unload the plane with everything they'd brought.
"Sam, we'd like a copy of all that paperwork, please," Rick asked her. "It has something to do with Kate's mother being killed."
"That's up to Cullen, though, I promise I'll pass along your request," Sam nodded.
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It was really late and actually tomorrow when Rick finally made it home.
He stripped, cleaned up a little, and got into bed. "Castle?" Kate asked him, half asleep.
"Go back to sleep, love." Rick pulled her into him and listened to her hum and snuggle in nice and close.
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Kate opened her still sleepy eyes and saw Castle was right where he was supposed to be. "Castle." Kate cuddled in a little closer and felt his arm pull her in a little more. Then her mind woke up. "You're home early." She woke up a little more. "Why are you home early?" Kate didn't understand. He was home way too early.
"You should have seen that place. It was huge and gorgeous if you like that southwest look. He had a stage coach and a cook wagon and something else. Right out of one of those old western movies. Everyone I met was a shifter, all of them Wolves," Rick said excitedly.
Okay now Kate was really awake and sat up to look at him. "What about Joanne?"
"She's in good hands and very safe. I spoke to her myself," Rick told her. "Cullen sent a team to pick up both Smiths and try and recover all the documents that Roy sent him. I asked him for a copy if she found any."
"She?" Kate had a split second of worry then dismissed it.
"Her name is Sam. Cullen sent her and two others. They said they were going to use some of the locals here to spy on both Smiths then pick them up and find the papers. I don't have any idea on just when this is going to happen," Rick explained.
"Pick them up?" Kate yawned and stretched a bit.
"That what she was told to do. Sounds like it's one more thing out of our hands. Roy's out of our hands. Whatever Jordan is doing is out of our hands. Provided that the guy at the top keeps his word with the older Smith, you're safe. What happens after they find the papers, if they find the papers. I don't know." Rick abruptly changed the subject. "…So how are you and the baby?"
Kate smiled and laid her hand on her belly. "We're both fine. Good, actually." Kate leaned down to kiss him. A quick look at the clock told her she had an hour before she needed to shower and go into work. Plenty of time to make love to her husband.
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It is now one month later
"How are you holding up?" Rick asked Kate as they meet in the kitchen to get some coffee and a touch of breakfast.
"I'm not even showing yet and so far no morning sickness." Kate meant other people couldn't tell she was pregnant if she hadn't told them. She, though, could tell.
"That's not what I meant but that's good to know." Rick clarified his question. "I meant Gates."
"She's making working at the precinct difficult." Kate was willing to admit that. "I'm starting to wonder if there's something personal in her constant insults. As if she was trying to get me to quit."
Rick knew that wasn't going to happen. "But you won't because that's not who you are."
"She won't let up on you, either. She hasn't thrown you out but she insults you just as much," Kate asserted.
"I'm with you, I'm not going anywhere." Rick wasn't quitting, either.
Kate answered her ringing phone and told them when they would be there. "We have a body."
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"The Ghost Wranglers are here!" If they were involved Rick was going to love this case. "That's why I love these guys. The body's not even cold and they've already called these guys."
"Please tell me you don't watch that ridiculous show, Castle." Kate couldn't believe that he used to watch this show since now they watched TV together if they watched TV at all.
"Ridiculously awesome. Jack Sinclair is the most accomplished ghost hunter." Rick still loved that show no matter what Kate said.
Kate tried to break it to him gently. "Um, Castle, I'm sorry I have to tell you this but Jack Sinclair is our victim."
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"I told you there were no ghosts, Castle." Kate and Rick were walking into the loft after solving the case even if the killer wasn't who either of them thought. Especially Castle since it wasn't a ghost.
"Pumpkin, what are you up to?" She was sitting on the floor while Kate dropped her stuff and went to put her weapon away. "Spending face time with Ashley?"
"No, we finally connected," Alexis said.
"And was it everything you ever hoped for?" Rick questioned her.
"To be honest, it was boring. He was preoccupied and I was tired. It was all rather tedious. This whole time difference thing is a real drag." Alexis wasn't enjoying this at all.
"Nobody said that long distance relationships were easy," Rick mentioned.
"But is it supposed to be this hard?" Alexis looked up at her dad.
That got Rick to sit on the floor next to her. "I can tell you this. Any good relationship is going to have challenges. You're even going to fight because you don't see eye to eye on everything. If it doesn't work out it's not because of the challenges. It's because the relationship wasn't strong enough to begin with. Does this help?" Rick wasn't sure it was helping at all.
Alexis made a face and shook her head. "Not really."
"What's wrong now?" Kate walked in on the two of them and saw them on the floor with Rick hugging Alexis.
Rick gave her a clue. "Long distance relationships."
"Ah!" Now Kate understood. "If Ashley's the one it'll all work out because you both try. If only one of you tries it'll never last because one of you is giving up who they are and allowing the other to be dominant. So you have a choice to make, sweetheart."
All three of them had their phones alert them that someone was in the hallway.
Kate was the fastest since she was still standing and not sitting on her phone. "It's Jordan!" Kate couldn't guess why she would be here.
Jordan was getting ready to press the doorbell when the door opened and Kate was on the other side with Rick and Alexis not far behind her.
"Camera in the door!" Jordan thought she had it.
"Ceiling." Kate pointed and watched Jordan look up and finally saw something. "Door, wall, and windows," Kate informed her. "Please, come in."
"Interesting security system." Jordan stepped inside.
"That would be because of my husband." Kate ignored the look Rick was giving her. "So what brings you back to New York?"
"Is there something to drink?" Jordan asked. "I think you're going to need it."
"Sure." Rick headed to the kitchen.
"We're going to need it?" Kate queried.
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Everyone but Alexis, who had a bottle of water, had their drink of choice and were sitting in the living room.
"Somebody sent us a very thick folder of material. Part of the deal was that I provide you with a copy so I've brought this." Jordan pulled out a small flash drive to fit into a USB port.
"We photocopied each and every piece. What we were told is that this is something former Captain Montgomery once had in his possession," Jordan informed them.
"Smith," Rick stated and immediately was sorry that he'd said anything.
"Apparently you know something I don't. We can talk about that later. What we learned in these pages is who Raglan, McAllister, and Montgomery were involved with." Jordan got them ready for what was coming.
"You know who's at the top. You know who killed my mother." Kate really wanted that name.
Jordan continued to explain. "We've worked out that he blackmailed the three cops to get the money they were getting from kidnapping mob bosses. To keep that money coming in someone had to be responsible for the killing of Bob Armen.
"He in turn used that money to be who he is today."
"Jordan! Just tell me who!" Kate couldn't take this.
"We don't have enough evidence yet to arrest him for your mother's murder. We do have enough evidence to arrest him for ordering the deaths of Raglan and McAllister as well as ordering for your murder. We also have him for possession of illegal drugs with intent to distribute.
"The latter is actually the largest drug bust in the history of the United States." Jordan listened to Rick whistle.
"Six million is the largest drug bust I know of. It was in Atlanta," Rick stated.
"Try six billion." Jordan waited to see their reaction.
"Billion!?" Alexis's mouth fell open, not that Rick's or Kate's were closed, either.
"All heroin," Jordan revealed. That had Alexis rubbing her arms since in her mind heroin meant shots.
"He's a drug dealer. How did that get him to Lockwood?" Kate didn't understand.
Jordan gave them a clue. "He is a drug dealer, make no mistake. But he's in it for the money. Free money that doesn't leave him beholden to any one person or company."
"Why does that sound like politics to me?" Rick wondered aloud.
"Because it is." She gave them an even bigger clue. "The guy at the top is starting his look into if he could win a presidential race."
"A drug lord as president?" Alexis couldn't believe it. She thought better of this country.
Astonished, Rick asked, "He actually thinks he can accomplish that?"
"No one will know if he kills enough people and gets away with doing that," Kate mentioned. "Name?" Kate asked again.
"I have agents outside and in the garage to prevent you from leaving. I can't have your personal vendetta interfering with the arrest that will be happening in the morning," Jordan warned her.
Kate opened her mouth and was so conflicted about just what to say or do so she did nothing but huff out a lot of air.
"It's too big for you, Kate, so you need to stay out of this. If you do manage to interfere I'll be forced to arrest you as well. It's far too big, bigger than either of you two are thinking." Jordan's face was wooden. "We're about to lose an assistant director of the FBI as well as one agent."
Once again three of them let their mouths hang open. "What can you tell us?" Rick asked her.
"There are going to be several arrests tomorrow morning. The big one will be in Washington DC and is out of my hands." Jordan glanced down for a moment. "I personally will be arresting two prominent people here in New York. I'll be back in the morning to collect you two. Even then you're just going to get to watch and not interfere. Are we clear?"
"Do I get to learn who it is? The big guy? The one behind all this?" It was what Kate wanted.
"Oh, it'll be in the news, trust me. For weeks if not months. Maybe even have an impact on the next election." She was thinking that the party he was associated with was going to take a hit, maybe.
"Six am, be here and be ready. Do I need to remind you not to talk about this to anyone?" Jordan asked them anyway.
Jordan got a firm, "No," from all three of them and finally left.
That had all three of them using a laptop to try and figure out who was getting arrested since Jordan had given them a clue.
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"You sure I can't come?" Alexis wanted to be a part of this, too. Rick was dad and Kate was now mom.
"You have school but I promise to tell you what we learn." Kate hugged her.
"Just be careful." Alexis begged them.
Three phone alerts told them that Jordan was here right at 6:00 am.
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"Why are we at the precinct." Kate looked at Jordan questioningly. They watched as three SUVs rolled up and out came several FBI agents. One of which was Will Sorenson, not that Kate gave him a second look.
Rick and Kate followed Jordan and everyone else up to the 4th floor. Now Rick and Kate were seriously curious. "Avery," Jordan said and gave a single nod. Rick and Kate watched as the FBI agents spread out.
Jordan and two FBI men walked to Captain Gates' office. The two agents stopped Rick and Kate from entering.
"Victoria Gates, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Jordan Shaw." Gates already knew that from the last time she was here, save for the Supervisory part.
Jordan pulled out a piece of paper. "I have a warrant for your arrest for felony murder, intent to assist in murder, assisting with illegal drug distribution. Additional charges may be added after your home and office are searched, which is happening as we speak." Jordan told Gates who was still sitting at her desk.
Rick's eyes opened wide as Kate clapped a hand over her mouth. How did this ever come to be? She literally had no idea Gates had anything to do with this. She just thought she was being an ass.
Gates opened a drawer to her desk and the two men with Jordan drew their weapons in a flash of an eye. "Your boss isn't going to help you. He's being arrested as we speak as is all of his staff and I don't mean Commissioner Malone or Mayor Weldon."
Gates elected to go quietly though as she was taken away in cuffs Kate saw as she gave her a death glare like she had never seen before.
"I knew she didn't like me but I thought it was because I beat her to being the first female detective to do it so fast," Kate commented as she watched her being taken away.
"Stay here and don't move," Jordan ordered since she had one more and this one hurt even more. "Avery," Jordan motioned and Kate and Rick watched as he and two more agents moved in closer.
"Special Agent Will Sorenson, I also have a warrant for your arrest." Jordan held it up for him to see. As she expected she saw him reach for his weapon, however, her men were faster and he now had three weapons pointed at him.
"Will?" Okay, now Kate was really shocked. How had her world come to this? He'd been her boyfriend at one time. She'd made love to him back then. How was he involved in all this?
"You should have listened, Kate." Will drew his weapon since he wasn't going to prison. He was instantly shot 18 times and was dead before his body hit the floor.
It was hours later and Kate, Rick, Espo, and Ryan were sitting all grouped together. The FBI, including Jordan, were still here as was Mayor Weldon, Police Commissioner Malone, and others Kate had never seen before.
They'd been talking for hours with each other trying to figure out just what had happened today until Jordan finally came over to them. "I really am sorry about all this, Kate." Jordan felt for her.
"Gates and Will?" Kate would love some answers.
"Were they in all that paperwork Roy had?" Rick asked her.
Jordan shook her head. "Directly no, however, a search of several places led us to each of them. Agent Sorenson was a recent addition. There are a lot of arrests taking place today. The news is going to be filled with today's events for a long time to come."
"So can you tell us who was behind it all now?" Rick asked since he wanted Kate to get at least some closure even if she hadn't done the arrest.
Jordan drew in a deep breath. "It's Senator William H. Bracken."
"Senator!?" Espo and Ryan said almost at the same time.
"He was assistant DA of New York City at the time Raglan, McAllister, and Montgomery were kidnapping mobsters. He found out about it and instead of arresting them like he was sworn to do, he blackmailed them instead," Jordan explained, having got all that from Roy and the paperwork.
"And started his rise into politics." Rick was understanding and watched Jordan nod. "All this for money." Rick was disappointed he had expected it to be something bigger, something for more important than just money.
"Politics is about power and who has it and who doesn't," Jordan countered.
"What about Roy?" Kate questions her.
"He's been arrested as well. Part of his plea deal is that he gets community service and will be on parole for the rest of his life. He's also banned from holding any job that involves law enforcement work. Even a mall cop. What he and his family do after that is up to them. He gets arrested for anything and he'll spend his life in prison," Jordan responded.
An hour later and they still hadn't really moved and everyone else was still here when they watched as the mayor and the commissioner were walking their way.
"We're sorry, Detective," the commissioner said. "If we had known…"
"We have an offer that we want you to think about," Bob told her.
"Captain Montgomery didn't work out and we selected Captain Gates for reasons we won't go into now. However, this precinct needs another captain," the commissioner began.
"We've come to the realization that you can't be bought like Gates or swayed by anyone like Bracken. What you did to track down who killed Royce might seem like a bad mark on your career, though it also shows us something else," Bob commented.
"We want you to consider taking the Captain's Exam. When you pass we want to offer you the job as Captain of the 12th. Until then you'll be head of the homicide division and other officers will be head of their respective divisions. You'll each have to talk to each other, work together." The commissioner waited expectantly.
"Captain! …Me?" Kate had never in her life thought that far forward.