A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update folks. Busy with life, work and to top it off I have been sick. I hope everyone enjoys the update. This is the longest I have wrote for the story, but it contains very important plot points. So please sit back enjoy reading it and I look forward to your reviews. Thank you.

Chapter 4

12th Precinct

Manhattan, New York

"Jousting really?" Kate asked in a level of disbelief. She had arrived back at the precinct around the same time that her team did. They gave her an update, now she just stood in front of the board wishing to sit down, or lie down to ease the back pain. "I've seen pretty strange things since I met Castle, but jousting?"

"Why not Kate, there is an underground for almost anything these days." Rick replied with a smirk as he came up and noticed her discomfort. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." Kate answered her husband question with a small smile, even though her back and feet were starting to kill her. She sighed and turned around. "Alright so he has a point. Where is everyone?"

"Ms. Potter is interrogation 1 with her lawyer, and Ms. Bryan is in interrogation room 2 no lawyer." Ryan stated as he looked at Kate. His face also went to concern. "I have to agree with Castle captain, are you sure you are ok?"

"Yeah, back and feet are bugging me now." Kate them as she tried to stretch as best as she could. She looked at the team for a moment. "Alright, Russell, you and Castle interview Ms. Potter. I doubt I could last more than five minutes before wanting to strangle her."

That gave everybody a laugh. Ryan took a deep breath a moment after finishing laughing. "I'll talk to Ms. Bryan."

"I'll come with you." Kate stated as she got looks from not only Ryan but her husband as well. She gave them a reassuring smile. "I need a break from my office and duties for a little bit."

Castle didn't bother arguing with her, knowing it would lead to her venting, so he nodded as he and Russell gathered up their notepads and headed to interrogation, with Ryan and Kate right behind them. Russell nodded to the officer who opened the door and let them in. Russell smiled at the lady in the power business suit sitting across the table. "Ms. Breckenridge. Nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same detective. Now my client is innocent of any wrong doing." Ms. Breckenridge stated as she crossed her arms and stared at Castle and Russell as they sat down. "All she is guilty of is being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Funny, because she has a habit of doing that, and stalking people too." Castle quipped that got the attention of Sierra and her attorney. "Oh did she forget to mention that to you. She hounded after our murder victim to probably have him get information from One Police Plaza. Not to mention my wife."

"It's my job as a journalist to go after stories." Sierra remarked with a sly smile on her face.

"Is it your job probably to get sensitive information on government employees and try bribing them for information?" Russell remarked with a question. She took out a copy of the photo of the business card and passed it over. "My victim's family is pretty adamant that you harassed their husband and father constantly trying to have him violate his ethics to get you information to smear the department."

"That's all you have. A story from the mouth of immigrants who came here legally?" Ms. Breckenridge replied.

"Who said they came here legally?" Castle asked leaning forward in his chair. Russell caught on to that to and did the same. "The only way you would know that if she told you that, and the only way she would know that if somebody told here that?"

"You're looking at least a fine here Ms. Potter. What were you doing there at the warehouse?" Russell asked leaning forward and staring right at Sierra.

Sierra looked to her lawyer who nodded. "I was meeting a source okay. Manuel was so hardheaded about his loyalty to those bastards at 1PP that I needed another way in and I found it. Problem was Manuel was there two days a week, and we could only meet when he wasn't there, but today he stated it was urgent that we needed to speak."

"What about Manuel?" Castle asked as he leaned forward.

"Haven't spoken to him in a couple weeks, not since he threaten to call security on me." Sierra stated as she crossed her arms and looked past both of them. "But this new source has been a little bit more forthcoming."

"So who is it?" Russell asked making notes.

"Ha, nice try detective. You know that is protected under the first amendment." Sierra told them with a sly smile. She now leaned forward. "This series of stories will make those bastards at 1PP look like the incompetent fools they are."

"So you are still after them on the ISIS cell?" Castle asked getting a nod from Sierra. He looked at Russell. "And the jousting?"

"A perfect place for a meeting, and the fact my source says there is a little bit of a brewing scandal at 1PP." Sierra replied with a smug look her face.

"What scandal?" Russell asked.

"Sorry detective, you'll have to wait and see." Sierra commented. She looked at her lawyer.

"Now detective if you don't mind….." Ms. Breckenridge started say as she and Sierra Potter got up. Russell nodded and they left the room.

Castle looked at her. "You had enough to at least hold her on?"

"For an hour at most Castle, and even then the charges for being at the jousting club would have been dropped." Russell remarked picking up her notebook. She looked at Castle. "Wonder how the captain is doing?"

Inside the other interrogation room, they hadn't started yet, due to Kate wanting to watch Russell's interrogation before starting hers. She and Ryan walked into the interrogation room. "Ms. Bryan, I'm Captain Beckett, and I believe you know Detective Ryan."

"I do, but what am I doing here Captain?" Ms. Bryan asked Kate.

Kate looked at her. "Let's see, running a dangerous operation without a license, gambling, fraud, and about a dozen other violations, but for starters, do you know who this is?"

Ms. Bryan saw the picture that Kate slide over to her. "Yes that is Manny, he is one of my best jousters."

"Is Jouster really a thing?" Ryan asked looking on in disbelief.

"Can't call them knights, so I had to call them something, and as far as the violations go. Have you been through the bureaucracy of New York State? They would have charged me a fortune." Ms. Bryan stated as she shifted in her chair. She leaned back and sighed. "I fell in love with jousting when I attended a renaissance fair as a child. To me it's the ultimate fight with honor."

"Two guys riding towards each other with giant poles?" Kate said in disbelief.

"Yet no other weapons in play. Just pure strategy and a salute when you are finished." Ms. Bryan replied again shifting around in her seat. She looked at Manny's photo. "Manny got that."

"Where did you meet Manny?" Ryan asked.

"At a renaissance fair that I attended. He was there with his daughter and her school as part of a trip. When the jousting competition started, I could tell he was intrigued, so I started to explain it to him. Next thing you know he started to show up to every fair he could. Sometimes with me, or his family, or just by himself." Ms. Bryan replied to the question. She leaned forward and looked at both Kate and Rick. She took a deep breath. "So when I told him about this underground jousting organization he was more than excited to be a part of it."

"Was there anything going on…" Kate started to ask.

"No, he was very loyal to his family." Ms. Bryan stated sitting back straight up in her chair. She looked at Kate. "Not that I didn't try before his wife came, but I honor a man who sticks to vows."

"How do you know so much about this?" Kate asked now trying to shift. The chairs in interrogation were uncomfortable and were making it harder for her to stay still.

"This way." Ms. Bryan replied pulling a business card out of a pocket and sliding it over. It read "Dr. Julia Bryan, PhD Medieval and renaissance studies. NYU." Kate slide the card back to her and Dr. Bryan put the card back into her pocket. "I resigned after I found out that renaissance and Medieval studies were designated an elective when it should be a requirement. The basis for our lot of our principals comes from this time period."

Ryan made all these notes and then looked at Dr. Bryan. "I have to ask where you were during the time of his death."

"At the tournament. Everybody you arrested will confirm it." Dr. Bryan replied crossing her arms. "Despite the gambling, Manny never took any of the money. He was a true honorable man."

Kate shook her head. "One last question, how do you contact all these people to show up to one these "tournaments"?"

"Social media what else. But that is all I am telling you now." Dr. Bryan replied ending the interview.

The team assembled back out into the bullpen as they compared notes. Russell looked at Kate as she sat in her old chair. "Ms. Potter is right, we can't force her to give up her source, and right now all we could do is charge for being in an illegal establishment."

"And you sure she still going after the ISIS thing and anything else?" Kate asked getting nods from Russell and Castle. "So she meets a source there, not realizing that Manny is a jouster there. Any chance she….?"

"None. Alibi confirms she was home." Russell remarked shaking her head no.

"Wonderful, Ryan where are we on our Jouster entrepreneur?" Kate asked with a hint of distain in her voice. She hated it when cases went nowhere, especially one like these.

"She is a doctor with a PhD in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Syracuse, and her alibi is confirmed. She was indeed in the building when our victim was killed." Ryan stated coming over with a tablet. "But I did find our victim boarding an elevated subway around 430 this morning. He got off around Columbia roughly ten minutes later after which he shows up on a couple more surveillance cameras before I lose him in the park."

Russell looked at the screen. "What time did you lose him?"

"Around ten minutes to five after he bought a coffee." Ryan replied.

"So Manuel gets off at the Columbia stop, buys a coffee and walks into the park where he dies somewhere between five to five and six." Castle stated as he made the notations on the board. He looked at Ryan. "No camera's in the park?"

"Not in that area." Ryan replied as he moved back towards his desk to pick up his desk phone.

"Ryan stay on top of the lab about your victim's phone, and Russell, turn the Jouster doctor to the DA." Kate stated getting up slowly and looking at the board. "If we can narrow down that time frame, we be in the ball park."

Ryan nodded who answered his desk phone as Russell moved to talk to the uniform officer standing outside the interrogation room as Castle stood next to Kate. "Why don't you lie down on your couch?"

"If I do that, I ain't getting up babe." Kate replied with a sly smile on her face. Her headache was not any better. She took his hand. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"Please, I am smart enough to know when you need to just let it off." Castle replied with a smile on his face. He was surprised when she kissed his cheek. "Not that I don't mind you know."

Kate smiled as Russell came back over. "Russell I have a feeling this ties to the reporter and who ever she was trying to meet with."

Russell nodded in agreement. "I agree captain, I figured we go over the list and find the connection."

Ryan came over looking like he got the first couple number in the lotto. "Guys that was the lab. Turns out there are three distinct sets of prints on the card found with our victim. Manuel's obviously, Sierra Potters, and a third yet they haven't been able to run."

Castle looked at Ryan with curiosity. "Why not?"

Ryan stifled a laugh. "During construction around the building, the workers accidently cut the fiber optic and internet cables to the entire building and surrounding buildings. It will be at least by morning before they get a temporary line installed."

"Ryan have the lab make sure ours is first process as soon as the lab is back up and running." Russell told her fellow detective.

Ryan smiled. "Already done."

"Alright, start fresh in the morning everyone. Go home." Kate ordered her team who nodded and went about collecting their things. She walked into the office, grabbing her coat, purse and cell phone. She felt his presence. "Staring isn't nice babe."

"Just admiring your glow." Castle replied to his wife's statement. That earned him a smile and a slap in the gut as she walked past. They walked hand in hand towards the elevator.

US Central Command

Doha, Qatar

Esposito laid in his bed chatting with Lanie on his iPad about things that had been going on that day. He smiled at the comment Lanie posted about things she would like to do to him when he got home, when a knock came from his door. He typed something. "Hold on someone is at the door."

Esposito got up and walked to the door and was surprised to see Commander O'Donnell standing outside his door. "Commander, what can I do for you?"

"Hey Esposito. Just got word, your replacement is on the next bird in which will be arriving shortly. I have to meet him, but you are officially released from duty and are catching the early morning flight out. Can you be packed and have this room clean by 0400?" Commander O'Donnell asked with a grin on his face.

Esposito was in shock when he got the news. "What about turnover?"

"Since the task force isn't slated to go anywhere for a few days, I'll handle it don't worry." Commander O'Donnell replied with clasp of Esposito's shoulders. "Javi you have been a tremendous asset to the task force and your work has not gone unnoticed."

"Thank you sir." Esposito replied with a small smile on his face. He shook the commander's hand, and accepted a folder and package from him. "What's this sir?"

Commander O'Donnell had another grin on his face. "Once you get to Andrews Air Force Base, they process you out, and collect your ID and any sensitive information you have. We are bundling some intel for you to carry back with you but that will be picked up so you don't have to carry it to where you going. Once processed out, it's the next bird or train to the city."

"Got it sir." Esposito replied.

"Alright I have to meet our newest member so I got to go. I'll try and say good bye, but if not good bye Esposito and take care of yourself." Commander O'Donnell told him shaking his hand.

Esposito nodded and shut the door as soon as Commander O'Donnell left. He told Lanie he had to do somethings, but promised to call later. He started to pack his things, but most of his uniforms and other clothing was in a bag near the door for quick movement out. He decided to do one thing, so he grabbed his keys and started towards the transient barracks to say good bye to Mitchell Potter. He didn't like the guy, but it was the courteous thing to do since Potter, let some of the task force guys call home from the field sometimes with his sat phone. He took the stairs and arrived outside the room where Potter was staying. Esposito knocked but when there was no answer, he gave it a minute before he knocked again. Esposito gave up and started back to the stairs passing the duty airmen on the way. "Excuse me do you know where the gentlemen is that was staying in room 315?"

"Checked out a half an hour ago. Something about an emergency at home." The airmen replied.

"Thanks." Esposito answered and didn't think much of it. Emergencies happen all the time right?

Jennifer and Maria's Apartment

Chelsea, New York

"Oh you don't know how much I need this tonight babe." Maria stated as she laid face down in the bed as Jennifer rubbed her partner's back. Maria had been working hard, and had the knots in her back proved it.

"I understand trust me I do and I enjoy doing it." Jennifer replied with a sly smile on her face as she rubbed her partner's lower back. "Long meetings again?"

"I thought with this promotion I be more involved in the decision making on accounts, and commercials but no I get the meetings all the time, while design teams work it out." Maria stated complaining. A cellphone going off on the night stand annoyed her. "If its work tell them I'm in bliss."

"I wish I could its mine." Jennifer stated with a disapproving look. She reached over and picked it up. "Detective Russell."

"Babe, why don't you tell them you're….." Maria started to say sitting up, but noticed the look on Jennifer's face which wasn't disappointment, but now more surprise and shock.

Jennifer ended the call and placed the next one to one of the top three numbers in her speed dial.

Kate and Beckett's apartment

SoHo, New York

"Oh god I am glad I will not miss this part of being pregnant." Kate replied as she put her feet on the coffee table in front of her with a pillow provided for her by her husband. They had come home an hour ago, had a light dinner of left over chicken, rice and a salad which Castle made before settling into the couch for the evening. Alexis had arrived home shortly after they settled on to the couch before heading upstairs to work on a paper. Kate sighed. "My feet never ached this bad before."

Castle came over with a glass of water and handed it to her. "Well despite that you are still as sexy as ever."

"Tell that to me when I am as big as a balloon." Kate told him in a laugh. She snuggled into his shoulder. "Thank you for just letting me vent or cry sometimes."

"No thanks needed Kate. I have been down this before, and I know it's better to let you get that out than….." Castle started to say but his phone rang and he thought about ignoring it but looked at the id and it was Russell. "Should I ignore it?"

"You never ignored any of mine this time of night." Kate teased him.

"True, but I was trying to make myself look good to you and woo you." Castle replied with a laugh that got Kate laughing too. "Russell what is it, and cant it wait till…."

Kate saw her husband's face change, and she had seen that look once before when Alexis was kidnapped, but at least Alexis this time was at home upstairs working on her paper. Castle hung up the call and told his wife what had happen.

Mitchell and Sierra Potter's apartment

Upper East Side, New York

Castle, Ryan and Russell ducked under the tape and walked into the second floor of the apartment complex. They saw Lanie was working on a body in front of a door who was dressed in a doorman's outfit. She looked up. "Meet John Silverton, 45, knife to the heart."

"Talk about stabbed in the heart." Castle quipped trying to lighten the mood but failed.

"He's been dead less than a two hours." Lanie remarked as she got up and motioned for her team to come to her. "No defensive wounds nor signs of struggle.

"All of that is inside detective." The uniform informed them as Castle, Russell and Ryan ducked under the tape in the doorway and proceed inside the apartment. It was a scene of complete chaos. Broken furniture, glass and books where everywhere. The uniform came up next to them. "The neighbors next door heard shouting and things breaking and thought it was domestic, but still called the cops. The responding unit saw the body and this, and called it to dispatch who called you."

Ryan walked over towards where a desktop computer had been and moved the mouse around. The screen while cracked showed just a desktop. "Computer still works."

"As does her iPad." Castle added as the tech in front of him picked up the iPad and touched the screen. The tech tried to access the files on the screen but only stopped when a passed word prompt came up. Castle walked over to Russell. "Whatever Ms. Potter was working on you need a password for the iPad to access her files on here."

"Same with the computer." Ryan added.

"What about the neighbors?" Russell asked the uniform.

"Statements are taking, but they are waiting on you downstairs in the lobby." The uniform told them.

"Thanks." Russell told the uniform who nodded and moved off. She looked as Ryan's phone rang. "Whatever she was working sure had somebody spooked."

"Yeah and she did say it would involve 1PP and a scandal." Castle added.

"I doubt it since 1PP would like her to shut up but kidnapping her. No." Russell remarked as she saw Ryan look at the number

"Javi, I'm at a scene can you call back?" Ryan asked.

"Then I'll be quick, wanted to let you know I'm coming home guys."

Castle, Ryan and Russell all said congratulations real quick. Then it hit Russell. "Esposito, can you go tell Mr. Potter that his wife is missing. Getting this through regular channels would take to long."

"He's not here." Esposito said in reply.

"Oh he's with the task force on…." Castle started to say.

"No I mean he left in a hurry about 90 minutes ago claiming it's a family emergency." Esposito replied from the office where he was on the sat phone.

Russell looked to the officer in uniform. "When did that call come in for this place?"

"A little over an hour and half ago." The officer replied.

Everyone except Esposito looked around in shock.