A/N: There we have it folks. We now know what Baby Castle is. I hope you enjoyed the case. We have the epilogue coming up and I am currently brainstorming my ideas for my next Castle story as well as wrapping up the final details of my next historical fiction story involving Castle and the gang. I hope you enjoy the update, and please keep the reviews coming. Thank you.
Chapter 8
12th Precinct
Manhattan, New York
"Hector Jimenez dies in gun battle with Brazilian police as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup and Summer Olympics." Castle read as Ryan taped the article to the board. He then looked up at the photos and the board. "Well that is definitely false."
"According to this, the wife of Hector Jimenez was gun down outside the home when she rushed the police with knife, but during the gun battle, the house caught fire and all that was found of Hector Jimenez and his daughter Jacinta were the remains. Since bodies were badly burned, no dental or DNA could be collected." Russell stated as she read the file that was on the Interpol link to the department. "Brazilian police just assumed the bodies inside where the two of them."
"Nice of them." Ryan stated that got a chuckle out of them. He looked up and saw Kate walking slowly into the bullpen. "You ok Captain?"
"Light headed again." Kate replied as she reached Russell's desk. Castle helped ease her into the chair. "Thanks. Give me the quick rundown?"
Russell stated what they had found out in the time she was gone. "We're about to go interrogate Mitchell Potter about his wife's article and see if he knows anything."
"Probably won't get anywhere, but go ahead and try." Kate said as she looked at Ryan. "Where is the lab on those computers?"
"Still working on cracking the passwords." Ryan answered.
Castle looked at the board and got up. "We may be doing this backwards."
"What do you mean babe?" Kate asked as she looked at her husband who was staring at the board closely.
"What if we asked Maria to call Jacinto or whatever name she goes by?" Castle said as he pointed to the board. "How long would you need to narrow down the area she is in?"
"About a minute." Ryan answered as he smiled at Castle. He patted him on the shoulder. "Good thinking."
"Ryan, I'll call Judge Niemen to get the warrant to track the cell." Kate said as she motioned Russell and Castle to help her up. She wobbled a bit. "I'm ok. We are not doing this again anytime soon."
Castle stifled a laugh. "Perhaps we should call Dr. Snyder."
"We are seeing him tomorrow morning, I'll be ok." Kate answered. She took a deep breath. "If it gets worse I'll call."
Castle raised his hands in defeat, not wanting to start an argument with her. "Okay."
"Come on Castle, let's go talk to Mitchell." Russell said pulling her partner towards the interrogation room and away from potential fight after she grabbed Hector Jimenez's photograph. They walked into the interrogation room. "Mr. Potter, sorry to keep you waiting. But we have reason to believe your wife was taken by this man who now looks like this."
Russell set down the old photo and new photo and slide it over to Mitchell. He picked them up. "Oh baby, I told you not to follow that rabbit hole."
"You knew about this?" Castle asked.
Mitchell nodded. "Sierra was still bent on getting the supervisor to try and pass information so she signed up for his martial arts class. Yet when she attended something about the instructor seemed familiar to her, so she used her other source to get information, and came to find out that he got the contract for new hand held defensive class for the department."
"How did she did find out it was Hector Jimenez?" Russell asked.
Mitchell sipped at the water in front of him. "We followed a story about the Brazilian police working with law enforcement around the world trying to clean up Rio prior to the World Cup and the Olympics. She followed a NYPD detachment as they occupied the raid that supposedly killed Hector and his daughter. When she suspected something, she contacted an old friend and found out that two corpses matching the descriptions of Hector and his daughter were purchased a day before the raid."
"Brazilian police had a leak." Castle stated getting a nod from Russell. He turned back to Mitchell. "So if your wife went snooping and obvivsouly found a plastic surgeon who did the work?"
"In the islands near Cuba." Mitchell answered with a nod. He shifted in his seat. "She felt that the people had a right to know their department screwed up and hired a drug trafficker and murderer."
"And looks like Hector got a little spooked." Russell said. She nodded to Castle. They both got up and moved towards the door. She stopped and looked back. "Do you know your wife's password to her computer files?"
"Yep, but not telling you. Sources names and all that." Mitchell replied with a weak smile. He got up as the door opened. "Find her please."
"We're working on it." Russell answered as she and Castle moved back towards the desk. She saw Ryan on the phone. "What's going on?"
Ryan turned around. "Maria agreed to the phone call."
Kate came out of her office. "We're good on the warrant."
Ryan nodded and spoke into the phone, as Kate moved to the conference room to speak to the tech analyst. Ryan looked up. "Alright she is dialing now."
Everyone else moved to the conference room and viewed as the call went through. "Hello."
"Sarah its Maria, we were supposed to meet up for study group." Maria said into the phone from her house. The traced showed it bouncing around the city.
"Yeah, I can't make it today. Something came up at home that me and my dad had to take care of." Sarah aka Jacinta as the trace started to narrow down an area. Nobody in the conference noticed that elevator dinged and Esposito stepping out of the elevator.
He smiled as he noticed everybody in the conference and went over to review the board after setting his bag down by his desk. He stood in the door way after reviewing the board. In the conference room the call continued. "Well come by later and I will tell you what we did."
"I will do Maria. Got to go bye." Sarah aka Jacinta said ending the call.
"Was that enough time?" Kate asked the tech.
"No Captain, but it narrowed down the area to west side." The tech said as she zoomed in on the map. "Somewhere near Intrepid Museum."
"Makes sense. Probably using a storage unit that takes cash as a hideout." Esposito stated with a smile on his face. Everyone in the room turned and was in shock. "Hi guys."
Ryan was the first to go over to his partner and hug him. "We thought you were going to DC first."
"I was but they diverted because of the reporter and her and her husband asking about the task force." Esposito stated as the rest of the team gave him hugs. He looked at the trace. "When you recorded and trace the call did the phone pick up anything in the background?"
The tech went back to the computer and ran a search. "Yeah here it is."
The tech played the sound that Sarah's phone picked up. "It sounds like a ships whistle."
"That's a cruise ship whistle." Castle answered as he heard the sound. He motioned to the tech. "Play it again."
The sound played again as Castle listen. "That is a departure whistle."
Kate walked in. "Find out what Cruise ships were departing and look for all cash for storage lockers in that vicinity."
"Found one, and it's the only. Pier side storage." The tech said after running a search.
Kate pulled out her phone. "Russell go, and take our hero with you. Warrant and ESU will be waiting for you"
"Ahh Kate, I know I'm your hero." Castle said smiling.
"I think she meant Esposito." Russell replied smirking as the four of them went towards the elevator.
"Babe you wait till you get the all clear." Kate shouted as they piled into the elevator.
"Sure thing." Castle replied as the doors shut. Ryan, Russell and Esposito looked at Castle. "Like I am going to do anything to piss her off."
Pierside Storage
Manhattan, New York
They arrived within 20 minutes of leaving the precinct meeting up with ESU just outside the storage facility office. Ryan went inside to talk to the person on duty. He came out a moment later. "They are here. Corner end unit near an exit gate."
"They could be gone by the time we get units in position." The ESU commander stated.
"We have to try other wise that reporter is dead." Russell answered the statement made by the ESU commander.
Castle looked at the vans near the office door. "Forgive me Kate, because I'm about to do something stupid."
Russell looked over at Castle. "She said to wait for the all clear."
"I am technically, I'm just renting a van." Castle said as he walked towards the office with Russell trailing behind. Castle walked inside the office and pulled out a wad of cash. "Hi, I with police, and I need to borrow your van."
The girl behind the counter looked at them. "300 cash, and its yours for the cost if its damaged."
"No wait this is a bad…" Russell started to say.
"Done." Castle said placing the money on the counter and which he was handed the keys. He walked back outside. "Esposito you drive. I'll wait with the ESU guys in the back of van."
"Castle?" Ryan said.
"Its technically waiting, just with the ESU guys." Castle replied with a smile on his face. He saw the looks. "I'm on the hook here for the van so I'm going with them."
"We'll look after him detective." One of the team members from ESU said smiling.
"Fine, but you're on your own with the captain if she finds out." Russell said with Castle nodding. She turned to everyone. "Alright let's go."
It took a couple minutes for the team going through the gate and into the storage unit area to approach the locker. Russell peeked around and saw Jeffery and his daughter Sarah packing things in a van. "Esposito go."
Espsoito drove the box van towards the gate and stopped. He honk the horn and leaned his head out and yelled in Spanish. "Hey let me man."
Jeffery (Hector) yelled back. "This is the exit you need to go around to the other side."
"Come on man open up, I have to pick up some ese's furniture." Esposito yelled.
As Jeffery was getting to respond, Russell, Ryan and their teams moved towards the locker. "Hector Jimenez, Jacinta Jimenez NYPD show us your hands."
Sarah (Jacinta) spun around and saw the team approach, while another team jumped from the back of the van with two staying with Castle. She dropped everything in her hands and got on her knees as she raised her hands. Jeffery (Hector) looked about saw a no win situation. So he reached towards his waist band and pulled a gun and started to rasie it towards the locker. Esposito fired one round hitting the man in the chest and dropping him. Everyone rushed towards the locker as the all clear was given as Castle came out. The team and ESU found in an open locker a battered and bruise Sierra Potter inside strapped to a chair with a rag in her mouth, but still alive.
12th Precinct
Manhattan, New York
The team and Sierra Potter rode up in the elevator together towards the bullpen. Paramedics were waiting for her there to examine her and take her to the hospital after she saw somebody important. As the doors opened Sierra saw her husband and ran towards him as he did her. They took each other in their arms and kissed as paramedics waited near by. The team walked past and towards Kate who was waiting by the board. "What did the daughter say?"
"She said that her dad got spooked when Sierra took classes to follow manuel and started to ask questions. They were worried about being identified and arrested." Russell answered the question. She sat down tired and looking at the board. "DA isn't backing down though. Full kidnapping charge has been filed against her."
"Figured as much." Kate replied as Castle came over and gave her a quick kiss. She then smartly punched him in the shoulder. "ESU Commander said you went with the van."
"Ow, I technically waited for the all clear, plus I had two of them with me." Castle replied with a smile on his face. Kate him in the shoulder again. "Ow. What was that for?"
"Being smart and stupid at the same time." Kate replied with a smile on her face. She rubbed where she punched and gave him a kiss on the lips. She then looked at her team. "Go home, do the paperwork tomorrow and maybe tomorrow we'll celebrate Esposito's homecoming proper."
That got no argument from the team who went about gathering their stuff as Ryan quickly checked his email. He printed something out. "Lab finally cracked Sierra's computer. Look at one article she was writing."
Ryan said good bye as he handed the paper to the couple. The title read. "New York's finest crime solving duo." And underneath the headline was a picture of the both of them at a scene working it together.
Kate laid her head on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Come on babe. Time to find what we are having."
Castle smiled he held her close. "I'm up for that."
Dr. Maxwell Snyder's Office
Midtown, New York
Kate and Rick waited in the sonogram room for Dr. Snyder and his tech to come on in. It was late and they were the last appointment of the day. Rick spun around in the chair as he tried to remain entertained. Kate looked at him. "Babe stop you are going to make me sick."
"Sorry. I thought we would be done already." Castle answered as he took Kate's hand.
The door opened and in walked Dr. Snyder and his ultrasound tech. "Sorry about the delay Rick and Kate, one of my other patients labs took a while to get in. So how are you feeling Kate?"
"It was ok week doc, but I felt dizzy and light headed a couple times." Kate said honestly.
Dr. Snyder nodded. "I saw that on your sheet when you signed in. Your blood pressure was higher than it was a couple weeks ago when you checked in."
"Isn't higher blood pressure normal in a pregnancy?" Rick asked.
"Only a few points, this was a little worrisome for me, but maybe because it was a stressful week for you Kate, who knows. We'll check your pressure again before you leave." Dr. Snyder told her who nodded in agreement. The nurse lifted Kate's shirt and spread the cool gel across her stomach. He chuckled as he heard Kate gasped. "This was sitting out too."
"Still cold doc." Kate replied with a smile on her face as she took her husband's hand. The lights were dimmed as Doctor Snyder grabbed the machine and brought the probe to Kate's stomach. It took just a minute for the doctor to find their baby. Kate turned to Castle. "It still gets me every time."
"Me too." Castle replied and leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.
"Alright, let's see what we can see, and we have a identification folks." Dr. Snyder said as he turned to the parents with a smile on his face. "Do you want to still know, since the baby is cooperating?"
"Yes." Kate and Castle both said at the same time.
Dr. Snyder smiled at the both of them. "Okay. Richard Castle, Kate Becket, say hello to your son."
"A boy, babe, a beautiful baby boy." Kate said squeezing Rick's hand. She turned and saw the tears in his eyes. "What's wrong babe?"
Castle wiped away the tears. He smiled at her and gave her a kiss. "Nothing, just happy tears."
She smiled at him as Dr. Snyder printed out the pictures. He handed the photos to them. "Everything looks good, but Kate, I would like your blood pressure taken again before you leave. If it gets to be too bad at work find a way to destress your day. Because if you can I may have to bed rest you."
"I will doc, I promise." Kate answered as Rick also nodded his understanding to try and help his wife stay stress free.
"Okay see you in a couple weeks." Dr. Snyder said smiling and left the pair. The nurse followed a minute later.
Castle looked at his wife while they waited for the nurse to return to take her blood pressure again. "Do you want to tell everyone?"
Kate shook her head. "I say let's do a revealing party and baby shower next week for everyone."
"I like that, and maybe we can have a baby pool started too." Castle said with a smile on his face. He saw Kate's face. "Please there is already one going at the precinct."
"I will have to punish you for suggesting that and betting in that one at the precinct, because you didn't discuss what date you would choose with me." Kate smiled seductively at him, and she knows what that smile does.
Castle smiled the largest smile at Kate as the nurse came in to take her blood pressure.