Chapter 41: NYC Part 1: Steel Pipes in Back Alleys

Marie and Elise wandered through an old, creaky second-hand bookstore killing time until they had to go to a local art show, which was why they were on assignment in south Manhattan. Elise was wandering in the fantasy section on the other side of the store, while Marie went to sit up front, a new book open on her knee. Instead of reading though, Marie was watching the people walking outside and looking around for a coffee shop to go get tea from. She quickly used her phone and found a place about two blocks away that looked promising.

After a moment, she hunted Elise down, got her order for coffee, and headed out of the bookstore and down the block. The line for drinks was long, so while she waited she took out her camera and took some photos to put up on the blog. After Marie ordered, she headed back to the bookstore to fetch Elise so they could go back to the hotel to change then grab a cab to the art show tonight.

Marie was about a half a block away when she heard a scream and saw a young redheaded woman get pulled into an alley right in front of her. Marie looked around quickly and realized that no one else was looking before taking off into the alley just ahead of her. When she skidded to a stop at the mouth of the alley, she saw a man holding a knife against the young woman, who was pushed up against a dirty brick wall.

"Give me everything, and you won't get hurt." The man said, as the young woman was trying to get her purse open.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Marie screamed. When the man backed up a few inches to look at her, she threw her hot tea at him.

Marie rushed him as her tea splashed over him causing him to back up and yell in pain from the hot water. She then threw the coffee which hit him and splashed him in the chest and neck, causing another yell of pain. The young woman rushed away from him and towards Marie, who passed her and punched the man in the chest sending him back and down to the ground in pain and surprise.

Marie kicked out and caught him hard in the gut before using a foot to stomp on his leg. The man swiped out with his arm and got her in the legs sending her stumbling backwards, her back hitting a dumpster. She dodged him as he tried to rush her and scrambled away to the other side of the alley picking up a trash can cover and swinging it at his head all in one motion. He blocked it, and sent her reeling to the side before he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him flinging her into the brick wall behind them. Marie pushed off from the wall as he brought his fist up and crashed it into her face. He raised his fist again, but she rolled with the momentum of the hit and propelled herself down and into his legs. They both tumbled on the ground for a moment before he got on top of her and raised his fist to hit her again. Before that could happen, something crashed into the man on top of her, and he rolled off unconsciously onto the ground next to her.

Marie looked up and saw the young red-headed woman holding a steel pipe in her hands. Both were breathing hard and staring at each other. The young woman let her gaze wander to the man, and she threw the pipe to the ground with a loud clank. "You okay," she asked, offering a hand to help Marie up.

Marie accepted the hand and slowly rose off the ground. She assessed herself mentally and brushed off her pants. "I've had worse," she said with a small smile. She brought a hand to her face and winced at the pain, and the spot of blood brought away on her fingers from the cut above her eye. "This is going to be painful for a while though."

Alexis rummaged through her purse and pulled out a tissue. She put it to Marie's face, "We should get this clean. Hold this here, I need to call the police."

Marie nodded and held the tissue to her face, turning and watching the unconscious mugger on the ground. She turned her head and watched the young woman at the end of the alley on the phone with the police. Marie looked back at the man and poked him with the tip of her shoe; it was clear that he was going to remain unconscious for a while. She walked away to the end of the alley to the young woman who was putting her phone in her pocket.

"I'm Marie by the way. You okay?" Marie asked, looking her up and down. "He didn't hurt you before I got there, right?"

"What, no, I'm fine. You got there just in time. And I'm Alexis." She looked down at herself, her clothes dirty but intact. "The police are on the way. Should be here soon…"

"MARIE! OH MY GOD! ARE YOU OKAY?"

Marie looked behind Alexis and saw Elise rushing down the half a block to her, "Oh my god, what happened?" Elise put her hands up on Marie's face, examining the cut and forming bruise.

"I'm fine, Elise, really. I mean I am going to be so fraking sore, but I am fine. I heard and saw Alexis here getting pulled into an alley and mugged. I just acted… didn't really think about it. You should see the guy, so much worse than me. Alexis hit him in the head with a steel pipe." Maire pointed down the alley, "I so thought that was a myth about New York alleys just having pipes lying around on the ground. I have never been more glad to be proven wrong."

Elise chuckled as she lowered her hands and looked at Alexis, "You're okay too? Have you two called the police?"

"I'm fine, and yes, I called my…" Alexis started, but was cut off by the slam of a car door and the yelling of her name. "ALEXIS!"

"...my dad. Dad, I'm fine, ooph." Alexis was brought into a tight hug by a man in a leather coat, and a woman stopped next to them and brought Alexis into a hug after he let go. Elise and Marie watched this as another car screech to a halt and two men came rushing over too. They both hugged Alexis too.

Marie was about to say something when she was swept up off her feet into a hug by the first man, "Thank you so much."

"Castle, put her down," the woman ordered fondly. Marie found her feet on solid ground again, and stumbled back into Elise. "Woah. Hi." Marie looked up at the face of the man. "You're welcome. Ummm, bad guy is that way…" Marie pointed back behind herself.

"Ryan, Esposito," the woman nodded in the direction that Marie had pointed, and the two men went past her and Elise to the unconscious would-be mugger. "Hi, I'm Detective Beckett. How are you doing?" She brought her hand up to gently touch the side of Marie's face.

"I'm okay, really. I've had worse from training… though Rose and Jessica usually don't mean to and they apologize with ice cream and cuddles." Marie winced at the slight pressure of Detective Beckett's fingers, "Really though, I am okay. I'll make sure that I get ice and a butterfly bandage on it."

"I'll make sure that she gets that taken care of," Elise said with a smile.

After explaining to the detectives and Castle what had happened, being checked out by an EMT, and going to the precinct to sign a statement, Marie and Elise were driven back to the hotel they were staying at to change and get ready for the art show.

To be continued in Part 2.