Hi everyone! I am really sorry for the delay on this update. I have been dealing with a bit of a health issue that has made it somewhat difficult to write at times. Rest assured that I am completely committed to finishing this and all outstanding stories I have. Thank you to everyone that reviewed last chapter! As well as everybody that added me and my story to their favorite/follow lists! You are all incredible! Enjoy chapter six!


Chapter Six

Katherine Beckett's soft hands gently pulled Castle to his feet and led him out of the break-room as Javier continued to update his missing partner's wife. The moment Rick settled on his chair by Beckett's desk he spoke grimly. "I just can't believe this is happening. I feel like this is some kind of horrible joke. How could someone want to hurt Ryan? He is one of the nicest guys I've ever met…he doesn't deserve any of this."

Kate took Castle's hand in hers. "I know. I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this nightmare and Kevin's going to fine, gushing over something Sarah Grace did. I mean he's like the younger brother I never had, Rick. We have to find him."

"You know what keeps bothering me? How did Calder know where Kevin was?" Castle voiced inquisitively.

Beckett leaned back further in her chair. "Clearly he was following Ryan. Probably for weeks to figure out his routine and then executed a plan when he knew Ryan would be alone."

Castle slid to the edge of his seat. "But that's just it. Didn't Javier tell us he was supposed to meet Kevin for coffee? How would Calder be able to pull off snatching a NYPD detective in the middle of the day with such short notice without help?"

"Unless…Calder isn't working alone!"

"Exactly, but the question is who would help him?" Castle asked steadily but was startled when a new voice entered their conversation.

"It's gotta be someone from his unit. He bred loyalty in all of his soldiers…they would do anything for him." Javier's voice was sharp and his eyes haunted.

The detective and writer shared a look before Beckett spoke quietly. "Espo, he could have easily paid someone. Plus everyone from that unit would have been charged with treason and that's not a light sentence."

"Beckett Calder has lived off the grid for over a decade. We have no financials to follow, no name to run, nothing but his past. If it's not someone from the unit…then we have nothing."

Kate bit her lip before nodding. "Okay let's find out what happen to the others in Calder's circle."

Javier sat down at his desk and swiftly began typing names into his computer. Castle moved to join him. "How did Jenny take everything?"

Esposito glared at the writer for only a moment before returning his gaze to the computer screen. "How do you think? Not well. I put a security detail on her and Sarah Grace. Just in case."

"Good thinking. She can stay at my place if you think that would help her. My mother can be a handful at times, but it might be good to have some company." Richard said gently making Javier's hard eyes to soften.

"Sorry for snapping, Castle. I'll let Jenny know she's welcome at your place."

Castle smiled. "Think nothing of it. You know that offer extends to you…if you need it."

Javier swallowed thickly. "Thanks, but I'm not going home until Ryan does."


Kevin's head was pounding harshly in unison with his steady heartbeat. Trying to elevate the pain the detective rubbed the middle of his forehead with a shaky pale hand. When that didn't work he decide he should get up to take some Advil. Slowly Kevin tried to peel open his extremely heavy eyelids, but gave up that battle after the light in the room sent shooting pain to his skull. "Jen? Honey, my head is killing me. Could you please get me some Advil or something?"

When no answer came the detective frowned and carefully peeled open his eyes. The unfamiliar room spun as Kevin tried to sit up. After only a moment the spinning became too much and the Irishman squeezed his blue eyes closed again, breathing deeply, until a wave of nausea passed. As soon as the detective got his bearings back Kevin stood slowly from the hard mattress, wincing at the pain the creaking noise brought to his already pounding skull.

Kevin looked around in confusion and uncertainty not understanding what was going on. Where was he? Where was Jenny? Why did his head and arm hurt so much? Taking a few tentative steps forward the young detective was startled when his right ankle was halted mid-step.

Looking down Ryan's gaze landed on the hard metal encasing his ankle a feeling of dread took over as the last day's events came crashing back down on him. He remembered the kidnapping, the homeless man, Calder's cold calculating eyes watching him, the phone call with Javier, the pain as Calder cut his arm, and Damon's words before he lost consciousness. He was going out! This was his chance to try to escape. With this thought Detective Ryan dropped to the ground by the bed and his hands followed the chain attached to his ankle until he reached the bed's steel leg.

The other end of the chain was closed around the bed post tightly and the bed itself was drilled into the concrete floor shattering Ryan's hopes. Of course it wouldn't be so easy to escape. In desperation, Kevin wrapped the chain around his hands and braced his legs against the wall before beginning to pull as hard as he could.

"AAAH!" Ryan shouted as he exerted what little energy he had left pulling. Eventually, he dropped in exhaustion and laid on the cold ground his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

In his exhaustion it took a few minutes for the sharp stinging feeling in his arm to register and when it did Kevin looked to see he had pull apart some of his stiches. A small smirk of satisfaction formed on the captured detective's face as he watched blood leak from Calder's patch job. Resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't leaving this basement without Damon Calder releasing him Kevin painfully pulled himself back onto the bed and tried to give his body the greatly needed rest it desired.


"I got something!" Kate's voice called across the bullpen catching both Esposito and Castle's attention.

Both men quickly rushed to Beckett's side as she began relaying her new found information. "Given the crime that your unit had committed everyone involved would have been charged with treason. Am I right?"

Javier looked slightly confused but nodded his head, prompting Beckett to continue. "That's what I thought. How come former specialist Aaron Grant only received a couple of years in prison before being released then?"

Castle quickly answered. "Perhaps the specialist made a deal? Maybe when Calder came to visit him it was like a ghost coming to remind him of his broken loyalty?"

Kate's gaze locked with Rick's. "Maybe Grant made another deal with Calder? I can't imagine Damon would be someone that would just accept an apology without a promise of something valuable in return."

"Yeah, and I think I know what it was." Javier finally added his voice to the conversation. His mind too caught up in the past to really pay attention.

Sighing the Hispanic detective continued. "Aaron was the unit's tech support. He handled everything; communication, surveillance, and anything tech related you could think of. If Calder came to him then that's where he got the anti-tracing software I'm sure of it.

Castle's face broke into a smile. "If he was the one to give Damon the software he should be able to track it."

Beckett followed Castle's smile up with one of her own as she allowed a small feeling of hope to wash over her. "I think it's time we paid Arron Grant a visit boys."

The drive to Grant's last known address was frustratingly slow even though it was less than twenty minutes from the precinct. By the time Javier was standing in front of Grant's apartment door his nerves were flaring wildly. Wasting no time Javier slammed his fist against the hard wood three times. The strength of his knocks shifting loose the little iron numbers labeling the apartment number 12.

"NYPD OPEN UP!" Esposito shouted as loud as he could. When no answer came he looked to Beckett who gave him a decisive nod, and then turned before kicking the door off its hinges.

Javier rushed into the apartment with his shotgun raised with Beckett right on his heels. Castle followed behind them, but slower with his trademark 'writer' bulletproof vest showing.

The detectives soon found themselves in what looked to be the apartment's office complete with a steel desk and two large computer monitors. Sitting at the desk was a man in his mid-forties with black and peppered grey hair. A pair of sleek silver framed glasses rested on the man's crooked and bandaged nose. While a handgun and half-empty bottle of scotch rested on the middle of the desk just within reach. The man made no move towards the weapon as the detectives yelled commands, but only swallowed the rest of the auburn liquid from the glass in his hand.

"Wow, Javier Esposito. Never thought I'd see you again. I should really buy a lottery ticket with the luck I've been having lately." The man said in a rough voice as his light brown eyes looked Javier over.

Javier stood still as a statue with his gun trained firmly on his former colleague. "Aaron, I can't really say it's a pleasure."

Aaron Grant huffed a surprised chuckle. "No I suppose not. You know I thought I had paid for my sins. For…for my part in…everything. I lost my wife and son; she couldn't be with a traitor you see. But when Damon Calder came knocking a few months ago. I thought he had finally come to take his vengeance. No one betrays Damon Calder, but he didn't want my pathetic life…he wanted yours. It's funny, I made a deal so I could put that life behind me and be happy, but it was you, his golden boy, who actually achieved it."

Javier took a measured step forward eyeing the gun on the desk. "I know you helped Calder. You gave him something so we can't track him, and I know you're frightened of him, but we can protect you. Damon took my partner and I need your help to get him back, Aaron. You were never like those other guys. You can't be okay with an innocent person being hurt."

Grant shook his head sadly. "Don't you understand, Javier? This is our punishment for betraying our unit. I'm a dead man with a bullet in Damon's gun just waiting for me. You can't stop him; nobody can stop him. Your partner doesn't have a chance in Hell. Make peace with that."

Kate moved in closer. "I don't think so. Here is what's going to happen Mr. Grant. Either you help us or we arrest you and make you help us. The choice is yours."

Grant's gazes shifted between Castle, Beckett, and finally came to rest on Esposito's face. "Alright." He said distantly and pulled a small box from a hidden compartment in his desk. After rolling it in his hand for a moment he threw the box to Castle.

The writer carefully open it and pulled out a USB. "What's this?"

"The next time Damon calls you plug that in to your tracing software. It will give you his location without him realizing he's been tracked. That's all I can do. I have no idea where he took your friend or what he plans to do to him…though I can imagine it's nothing good. I think we both remember the little incident at camp."

Castle looked to Javier for clarification and the detective reluctantly gave it to him. "We had a mission go south because of faulty information from an informant. Calder, didn't really take it well."

Grant snorted. "Let's just say I didn't sleep for weeks after that night, and I still sleep with a knife under my pillow."

A thought suddenly occurred to the writer and he raised his hand to get everyone's attention. "Uh. If you're specialty is tech type stuff. Were you the one to block the camera feeds when our friend was taken?"

Aaron looked like he had meant to say something about that but had forgotten. "No I didn't block the feed…necessarily. I have a copy of the video. I figured you'd want it if you ever connected the dots to me. Let's call it my bargaining chip."

"Wow. Really? You're a terrible person did you know that?" Castle asked incredibly from the back of the room.

Javier glared at Grant and started towards him growling in anger. A sudden shattering of glass startled the group of detectives just as a bullet ripped through Aaron Grant's skull killing him instantly. Javier stumbled back and took cover behind the desk while Kate pushed herself and Castle up against the filing cabinet.

No other shot followed the first as an eerie quiet filled the room.

"Was that it?" Rick's soft voice asked looking into his wife's eyes.

Kate stared back. "Either the shooter already took out his intended target or they're waiting for one of us to move into their crosshairs."

"Yeah well I'm not going to just sit here." Javier called over just before he carefully moved to the window. Sucking in a deep breath, bracing himself, Esposito peered out the edge of the window and felt a wave of shock jolt down his spine.

Esposito's breath left his body and he stood frozen under the amused gaze of his former CO and friend Damon Calder. The man hadn't changed at all over the many years since he last saw him and without the detective's permission he felt a sudden anxiety take hold. Javier's heart began to pound painfully in his chest.

Calder smiled at Javier from the rooftop and gestured a greeting with his hand not holding the sniper rifle. That finally jarred Esposito out of his shock. He called out to his friends telling them it was Calder and burst out of the window after Damon. The enraged detective vaguely heard Kate shouting after him and barely registered the two other sets of footsteps on the fire escape behind him.

Pumping his legs as hard as he could, Javier reached the other rooftop in less than a minute. Carefully, he scanned the entire area with his gun raised and made his way to the very spot Calder had just been standing. On the stone ledge placed under a rock was a crumbled old photograph. Javier pulled the picture free and gazed at the image of a much younger version of himself standing shoulder to shoulder with a younger smiling Damon Calder. Turning the picture around Esposito saw in thick black letters 'Be seeing you' next to a smudge of dried blood.


Ryan jolted awake with a door slamming and thundering footsteps above him. In a rush he pulled himself from the bed and backed up against the wall. Damon swiftly made his way down the set of stairs with such fury in his eyes that Kevin felt his heart stutter to a halt and a wave of cold wash over him. This was it. Calder was going to kill him.

Oddly, Kevin's captor stopped at the bottom of the stairs and took what look like an attempt at a calming breath. Damon's grey eyes flickered over to his captive, head tilting, as a predatory smile crossed his face.

Sauntering forward Calder slammed Kevin against the wall the moment he was near enough and held him there. His captive struggles went unnoticed as Damon watched the panic flash behind Detective Ryan's eyes.

Ryan stilled knowing there was no way he was going to be able to distance himself from this man in his current condition. "What do you want now? You here to kill me? Is your game over already?"

Calder's smile widened but instead of answering the detective the muscular man brought his elbow up and smashed it just above Ryan's temple. Momentarily stunned, Kevin fell to the side and against the frame of the bed. Damon swiftly unlocked the cuff from Irishman's ankle, but had to duck as he was standing again to avoid Kevin's fist. Calder easily caught the detective's wrist and yanked his arm behind his back painfully.

Kevin Ryan yelled out in pain as his arm was wrenched higher and higher up his back. Gritting his teeth Kevin kicked Damon's leg, causing the man to angrily slam the detective against the wall. Having the leverage he needed Calder grabbed hold of both of Ryan's wrists, and once he was in full control he cruelly dragged his captive upstairs.

Finding himself seated in the chair again the young detective's heart was racing. Damon harshly strapped him in place and turned away from him, pacing the length of the cabin. Ryan watched with apprehension and flinched when Calder suddenly dragged a chair in front of his captive, producing a loud scraping noise.

Sitting across from the bound man Calder folded his hands and spoke in a steady voice. "I apologize. I've always had a bit of a temper and well I don't like it when my plan comes apart. Your team is better than I expected, but no matter." Damon stood abruptly but continued to talk. "I have just had to move my time table up a bit. You understand I'm sure?"

As he was speaking Damon moved a small end-table next to the two chairs. He then placed a small bag on the table and began laying tools out. Ryan's eyes followed every movement his feeling of dread intensifying with each new tool Calder place out in the open. When a large pair of pliers thudded out Kevin swallowed with difficulty and closed his eyes praying silently for help.


Oh dear! Poor Ryan! What will happen next?! Please review and let me know what you thought of this new chapter. I have been trying to create cover art for this story, but Photoshop is NOT one of my talents. However, while working on it I decided that Michael Fassbender is what Damon Calder looks like. Except for Calder's grey eyes, but otherwise think of Michael Fassbender while reading this. Haha! Dream casting my story. Until next time…