Episode: (7.05) Meme is Murder

Type: Alternative Ending

Summary: What if instead of the two guys Lane kinapped, he kidnapped Ryan and Esposito. It's up to Castle and Beckett to find their boys before the timer runs out.

Castle and Beckett crashed down the basement stairs, followed by several members of the SWAT team. Adam Lane was right there in front of them and soon he was down on his knees with his hands up behind his head.

But something wasn't right. This was almost too easy. And that smile on his face churned Beckett's stomach. She tried to ignore it. "Adam Lane, you're under arrest for murder."

Castle seemed to pick up on what she was sensing and asked, "What's so funny?"

Lane's eyes looked up at them and he grinned. "You'll see."

Beckett eyes him, refusing to give first, but the ringing of her phone caught her attention. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and walked to the corner where Lane wouldn't be able to hear. Castle followed close behind her. "Beckett," she said to her phone after she answered.

"We've got a problem," Ellis said, not wasting time on greetings.

Beckett and Castle exchanged a confused look. Beckett glanced over her shoulder where Lane was being handcuffed. "What's wrong? We're arresting Lane now."

"He's got his own hostages somewhere. It just showed up on his Snapamatic page."

"Shit," Beckett cursed under her breath.

"Beckett, it gets worse." Ellis paused and Beckett wasn't so sure she wanted her to continue. "He has Ryan and Esposito and one of them is about to die in less than an hour."

In the tech room, Ellis pulled up Lane's Snapamatic page up for them all to see his latest post. It was a live feed of each of the boys side by side. They were naked from the chest up and electrodes were attached to their chests.

The video was only candid shots of the boys as they struggled. Their bodies shone with sweat, or at least their chests and faces did because that was all that was in view of the camera.

It was hard to look at their faces. Ryan and Esposito both looked pissed off, but in their eyes there was fear that nobody could blame them for having.

"Espo's winning," Castle croaked.

The meter in the middle showed how many votes each of the boys had. Esposito was only up by 2,000 votes and they were gaining every second. People all around the freaking world were voting to see which one of their boys would live and which would die.

It was disgusting.

"We need to find them and we have forty-five minutes until one or both of them dies." She turned to Ellis. "Tori, is there any way you can track the location and see where it's coming from?"

Ellis shook her head. "I've been trying, but I haven't been able to get through all the security walls Snapamatic puts up. I called their company and they're trying to get through on their side."

Castle couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen no matter how much he wanted to. "What are the chances of them figuring something out?"

Ellis sighed. "They're trying to use a new program, but it's incomplete and uncharted territory so who knows if it even works."

Beckett gritted her teeth and steeled her shoulders. "Then it's up to us to find them. Let's go, Castle," she said, already leaving the room.

Castle followed close behind her and as she walked into the interrogation he walked into the observation room. He watched her lean against the far wall and stay quiet for a few moments. As desperate as they were, Beckett couldn't come across that way.

"So," Adam said with a cocky smile. "Who's winning? The little one or his boyfriend?"

Castle didn't have to her to know Beckett was angry. He knew her well enough that just because she was calm as could be on the outside, on the inside she was losing it.

"You're the only one losing here, Adam," Beckett said.

He looked unbothered. "Really? I don't think your two buddies about to be barbequed would agree with you."

Castle's heart skipped a beat. He could try and pretend this was any other interrogation for any other case. But he couldn't ignore the fact that if he and Beckett didn't figure something out soon, their best friends were goners. Or at least one of them was.

"You're going to prison, Adam. But I can help you choose just which type you get shipped off to." Beckett's voice was hard. "Do you want to be in a cell with the most violent criminals?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, "Can't be worse than high school."

Beckett raised her eyebrows as she took a seat in front of Adam. "Why? Because you were bullied? Hate to break it to you, Adam, but what happened to you in high school is nothing compared to what will happen to you in prison."

"So what. It doesn't matter. I got what I wanted."

"And what is that exactly?"

"A legacy. The internet is forever and the Netslayer will live on with it. I'll be compared to the greats like Mason and Zodiac. In fact, I'm better. When they talk about me, they'll have to say I was in police custody, looking you in the eye when I murdered one of your detectives. It's perfect."

Beckett leaned back in repulsion. "You're sick, Adam. I can get you help. You need help."

Castle nodded his head in agreement, even though he knew Beckett couldn't see him.

"I'm not the one that needs help, Detective. Nobody needed to follow me." He scoffed. "I didn't go to their houses with a gun and tell them to vote for your boys. They just needed to be apart of it. So tell me: who's really sick?"

Castle closed his eyes and tried not to think about his two best friends waiting to see who would be done for. Castle looked down at his phone where he had the live stream playing. Ryan was now behind by only a hundred votes.

He couldn't take his eyes off the screen. Esposito was looking to the side of him and Ryan was glaring into the camera. Castle found himself staring into his eyes. And while Ryan didn't look scared by the threat of death, Castle knew those blue eyes well enough to know he was terrified.

But there was nothing Castle could do. He could only stare the screen helplessly.

"I'm sorry," a voice said behind Castle said. "I could have stopped it."

Castle looked up to see Garrett standing in the doorway. He must have walked in when Castle was watching the picture feed of Ryan and Esposito.

"You didn't make him that way," Castle assured him quietly.

Garrett walked in and looked down at Castle's phone. "But I didn't stop it. And now I can't stop your friends from dying."

"Beckett can break him. She's good at her job. Especially when it's her family in danger." Castle wasn't sure if they'd make in time but he had to hope. It seemed like he did this a lot- pray that three of the people he cared most about came home safe.

They were staring down at the phone screen and Garrett commented. "Your guys are tough. A lot people woulda been begging and crying by now."

Castle nodded his head with a forlorn smile. "They've been through worse. If it weren't for the timer, they would definitely be able to wait for us to come find them."

"I'm sure-." Garrett cut himself short when Castle's phone turned black and crashed. "What happened?"

Castle sighed. "I guess whatever they were doing at Snapamatic HQ crashed the servers."

"So now we can't keep track? We just have to wait for the clock to count down and they're gone?"

Castle nodded. He wasn't sure if whoever was losing before that got electrocuted or if they both would be. He didn't want to find out. "It's all up to Beckett now."

They both stared through the window at Beckett. Castle missed some of their conversation, but they were just getting to the important part.

"If you tell me where Ryan and Esposito are then maybe I can help you."

With a laugh, Adam said, "If you cops knew how to do your job, you'd know. And looking back, maybe this would have never happened."

"He's right. I should have done my job."

Castle narrowed his eyes. "Don't listen to him, Garrett. There's nothing you could have done to stop him. There's something wrong with him."

"I know horrible things were done to you," Beckett said. "But how is killing two people going to change that? It won't."

"Oh, but it will. I've already won." He tapped his fingers on the table and said, "I'll tell you what, you just admit that I've won and I'll give you a hint where Ryan and Esposito are before…" He shook in his chair to mock being electrocuted.

Castle had to look away from him before he threw up his lunch just thinking about Ryan and Esposito being electrocuted.

"Fine," Beckett said quickly. "You won. Now what's the hint?"

Adam shrugged his shoulders smugly. "I changed my mind."

Castle's fist tightened. Garrett checked his watch and said, "Less than 7 minutes. She better figure something out."

As if one cue, Beckett put her plan into action. "Netslayer...I see why you chose that. I'm picturing a tall, mysterious guy with a dark hoodie, maybe carrying an axe. But you know what I don't picture? What nobody pictures?" She slammed on the table. "You. You're the one that lost, Adam. Everyone else has won."

Adam's grin fell. "What do you mean? Everyone else?"

"Everyone that ever bullied you. Or hurt you. Or put you down. Who thought you were weak and pathetic." Beckett crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled. "They were right."

Adam practically growled. "No, they weren't. I'm not weak."

"Oh, but you are."

"I am only what people made me into." Adam sounded desperate now.

"No. You were always this way. You were brought into the world like this. Your school bullies only saw that coming and decided to speed up the process." Beckett was leaning over Adam as he shook in his chair.

"How can you say that?" He twitched. "I am the victim!"

"She's getting him angry. He will blow any second," Castle said, keeping an eye on the time. Every second counted.

"You're always going to be the victim. Do you think hiding behind a username and killing will change it? You will always be a cowardly loser."

"I"m not a loser!" Adam shouted, his face beat red.

Beckett ignored him. "And then you kidnapped Ryan and Esposito. But I bet they looked at each other and said, 'Is this a joke?'"

Adam looked up, trying to gain his composure again but he was failing. "Believe me, they didn't."

"They think this is a big joke."

"They're afraid. Th-They're terrified!"

"They're probably sharing a laugh with each other right now."

"They're not laughing!" Another shout from Adam, this time he yanked on the chains around his wrists.

"Oh, they're laughing." Just to annoy him more, Beckett had her own laugh.

"Well not for long. The clock will hit zero and their screams will echo off the tiled walls as they take their last breath of stale air. And guess what? They'll both fry." Adam mustered up a smirk to give Beckett.

"Wait," Garrett said. "Stale air? That's how he described the locker room of his high school."

"Where Witherspoon put him on video. He's bringing it all around." Castle realized. "That's where Ryan and Espo are." Immediately, he starts to bang on the glass. "Beckett!" He screamed.

Beckett looked over and then looked back to Adam. "Looks like your time ran out," she said. His smirk disappeared.

Esposito tugged on the restraints tying him to the wooden chair. There was enough sweat covering his body for him to try to slip his wrists out, but the duct tape was too tight around him.

He kept staring to Ryan on his side to see how he was doing. At first, they'd both stared at that blinking red light on the video camera with a bored look. Lane was probably watching them and neither would give the satisfaction of showing how scared they happened to be.

But now, the timer in front of them was down to three minutes and there was still no sign of Castle or Beckett.

With the tape around his mouth, he couldn't even say anything to Ryan. He couldn't make him laugh. He couldn't assure them Castle and Beckett would come soon. He couldn't say goodbye.

Ryan had given up his calm composure a few minutes ago and now he was tugging desperately at his restraints as well. Esposito could see the beads of sweat falling down his face and chest. He probably looked the same.

The electrodes stuck to his chest were itchy but Esposito knew it would be nothing compared to the pain they'd be feeling in two short minutes.

Ryan surprised Esposito by shouting. His voice was muffled by the tape in his mouth but he was screaming nonetheless. Esposito made it out as "Help!" A few seconds later, he joined in.

Their tugging became more frantic as two minutes became one. And with 20 short seconds left, he heard Ryan choke out a sob. Esposito turned to look at Ryan. His partner was shaking his head.

Esposito wanted to say his partner's name. He wanted to encourage him to keep on fighting. They still had 15 seconds to figure something out. But he knew Ryan was right. So they just held each other's gaze and had what Esposito thought would be their last conversation- silent or not.

He tried to look past the tears clouding up Ryan's eyes and remember all the fun they had together. All the trouble he got into with those blue eyes always right beside him.

Then they were gone.

Esposito's head followed where Ryan's whipped to. He saw what Ryan had heard. Beckett and Castle jumped through the door and over the forgotten pieces of scrap. Esposito's eyes shot to the clock where it read 10 seconds.

Ryan started yelling again. Esposito joined in again.

Beckett ran over to him and looked over the wires attached to his chest. She froze. Castle jumped over an old table in front of Ryan and stumbled. But when he fell, his eyes followed the wires on Ryan's chest to the electrical box next to the camera.

"Beckett!" He shouted. "The wires!"

Beckett's eyes widened and with 4 seconds left, she leaped towards the wires and yanked on every wire connected to him and Ryan.

The timer went off just as she pulled out the wires. Esposito waited a second before letting out a sigh. He looked next to him where he saw Ryan slump his shoulders.

Beckett hurried back over to him and put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

Esposito hesitated but nodded heavily. She let out a deep breath and pulled on the tape covering his mouth. It stung as she ripped it off, but it was a welcomed pain. He breathed deeply through his mouth. "Thank you," he said lowly, his voice rough from screaming.

Next them, Castle pushed himself off the ground and went to Ryan. "You okay, buddy?" He asked but didn't receive an answer. He ripped off the tape and said, "Ryan?"

After a long moment, Ryan nodded. Castle let out an anxious chuckle. "You scared me."

"Let's get you out of here," Beckett said as she started to pull the tape off his wrists and then his ankles. Castle had a pocket knife handy on his keychain and sliced the tape away from Ryan.

The electrodes were next. Beckett pulled Esposito's off his chest and he could finally breathe easily. "Thanks, Beckett."

Beckett just shook her head. "You two drive me crazy."

Castle wrapped an arm around Ryan's waist and pulled him up. They took a few steps towards Beckett and Esposito. "Just in time, huh?" Castle joked but was still obviously on edge.

"I never liked high school locker rooms," Ryan said. "But at least this time my head wasn't being dunked in a bowl full of someone's piss."

"That's sad, bro," Esposito said, his voice still rough.

"See? Not all that are bullied grow up to be psychopaths. Just ignore them and they'll move on." Castle patted Ryan's back.

"What?" Ryan shook his head. "No. I just grew some balls and punched one in the face."

"And they left you alone then?" Castle hoped.

Ryan laughed, rubbing at his chest. "No. They locked me in their locker over the weekend."

"Well," Castle said. "At least we found you quicker this time."

"Cutting it a bit close." Esposito slowly stood up from the chair, looking around the dark locker room.

"We need a secret silent language that only we four understand so the next time we're kidnapped, we can tell the others where we are." Castle decided.

"We also have to hope our kidnapper is kind enough to record us and send the message to you." Ryan nodded his head as he walked on his own.

"Details," Castle said, waving his hand.

"Or how about we just avoid getting kidnapped again," Beckett suggested.

The three boys were silent before agreeing all at once, "Nahh."

"Work would get boring," Esposito added.

Feet and voices interrupted them. Ryan sighed and turned to Castle and Beckett. "And here comes our favorite part."

Paramedics came rushing in with bags and stretchers and blankets. Esposito knew Ryan hated the attention as much as he did so at least he wouldn't suffer alone. A medic found Ryan first and wrapped a gray shock blanket around his shoulders. Ryan pulled it closer.

Esposito got one a moment later. He also got many questions and nosy responders asking him pretty dumb questions that he ignored.

Castle found it all hilarious though. Esposito just glared at him. "Wait until you're taken next. Ryan and I are going to take our time finding you and then let you fend yourself off from the nurses."

With a laugh, Castle said, "Ryan would never let me suffer. Right, Ry?"

At the mention of his name, Ryan turned around from where a medic was attempting shining a light in his eyes. "What?"

"Just say yes."

"Don't you dare," Esposito warned his partner. There was no way he would go against him.

Ryan looked between the two guiltily. Then he turned back to Castle with a sympathetic frown. "Sorry, Castle. I have to agree with Javi. It's in the partner handbook."

Castle crossed his arms over his chest. "That's not a thing."

"Don't argue with them, Castle." Beckett rolled her eyes. "They need to finish getting checked out."

Castle turned to the medic by Esposito and said, "I think he hit his head, you might to check that out for a possible concussion."

"I hate you," Esposito growled as the other three laughed.

They didn't speak about how close they had come to that night ending horribly but they knew how lucky they were each time all four of them were ending the day by each others' sides and laughing.