Jurassic Island
Chapter 17 – High-Wire Stunts
The wind swirled around in a tumult as the storm raged above, plummeting the island with a heavy downpour, only adding to the chaos. A bolt of lightning crackled nearby, striking a tree along the edge of the clearing, causing it to burst into flames. The tyrannosaur roared, stepping back from the bright light. The flames crackled and snapped, hissing in the rain. The tyrannosaur reared back away from it, fright or flight instincts taking over. It turned back to the intruder, and lowered its head, roaring one last warning at it before stomping off, away from the blazing light that frightened it.
XXX
Rick Castle lay flat on his stomach against the cabinets in the small kitchenette, his feet dangling. He grunted, trying to listen to what was going on outside. The tyrannosaur had stopped kicking the trailer, and roared. He wasn't positive, but it sounded like it had stomped off. At least that's what he hoped had happened.
The trailer shifted in the wind, creaking as it swayed. Castle gripped tighter. He looked up and saw Zoe dangling from the curtain, which had hung over the entrance to the accordion connector. The curtain was now flat on the floor, and Zoe was clutched onto the fabric with a tight grip. The trailer hit the cliff's edge, rumbling as it did so. Castle could hear Charlie whimpering down below. Another blast of wind came and the trailer rocked back and forth. Charlie started to cry. Poor kid, first the Ford Explorer in tree and now this.
The trailer bounced off the edge of the cliff again, this time followed by a sharp tearing sound. Castle craned his neck and glanced up at the accordion connector. The black synthetic material had ripped. A big gash could be seen, allowing some of the rain into the trailer.
"Shit."
Zoe looked up, following Castle's gaze, and saw it. She turned back and stared at Castle with big watery eyes.
"What is it!?" Charlie called from down below.
Castle hesitated for a moment, before deciding it was best to be honest with the boy. "The rubber accordion connecting us with the bedroom trailer is ripping," he shouted back. "I don't think it can hold up under the weight."
From outside he heard a crackle of thunder, and then he recognized a noise amongst the rain and thunder. It was a low, rumbling roar of an engine. A car. Castle allowed himself a small rueful grin. It had to be Kate. Hopefully she wouldn't be alone, and she could find a way to get them out of the trailer.
XXX
Muldoon gripped the side of the dashboard console as the jeep swerved along the curve in the road, nearly two wheeling the turn. He grunted as the car bounced back down on the ground. He glared over at the driver.
"Easy there, Wallace," he snapped. "We want to make it there in one piece."
"Sorry, sir," Wallace said, clenching his jaw and curling his fingers around the steering wheel. The windshield wipers cut back and forth over their vision as they made the final turn up the slope. Wallace gunned it. The jeep's engine roared in protest as it launched up the hill. They crested the slope in record time, the vehicle bouncing on its chassis as it landed hard on the flat road. With his foot pressed firmly against the accelerator, Wallace steered the jeep around the final turn.
Trailer 23 should be just around this bend, Muldoon thought. And sure enough, the moment they broke out of the jungle tunnel and into the clearing, they were there.
Beckett let out a cry of horror from the backseat, and before Wallace could brake, she was kicking the backdoor open and darting out into the rain and mud. Muldoon cursed, grabbing his SPAS-12 shotgun from the gun rack on the front dashboard, and followed after her. There were large three-toed footprints all over the muddy clearing, along with deep drag marks leading towards the cliff. Off to the left, a tree was still crackling with flames from a lightning strike, but it looked as if the heavy downpour would soon douse the fire. Beckett was already racing ahead, heedless of any danger.
"CASTLE!" she was shouting her husband's name. "CASTLE!"
Muldoon ran after her. Soon they were met with the sight of the smashed up trailer, half of which was dangling over the edge of the cliff, barely hanging on by the accordion connector. Muldoon cursed. He did not think that could hold forever.
Beckett ran forward, kicking up mud as she did. Muldoon followed her. "What… what the hell happened here?" she gasped out as they approached the edge of the cliff, tears striking down her face.
"Tyrannosaur, by the looks of it," Muldoon asserted, nodding his head towards the prints embedded in the mud.
"Where's the other car?" she asked, blinking her eyes in the rain, chest heaving as she tried to calm her breathing. "I thought dispatch said they sent someone up here."
Muldoon glanced around the clearing and spotted another track of drag marks. Through the thick rain he could just about make out the metal debris that was littered alongside the grooves in the mud. He shook his head. "Looks like the Rex got them."
"And Castle? What about him!?" Beckett demanded frantically, eyes fierce and desperate, on the verge of panic.
"I don't know," he sighed, and then glanced back at the trailer. "Maybe he's still in there."
Before he could grab her arm, Beckett was darting back towards the trailer. She ran over to the edge, where there was a large tear in the accordion connector. God, she's a frustrating woman, Muldoon thought as he followed her. That husband of hers must be a saint.
"CASTLE!" she cried, close to a sob. "CASTLE!"
There was a long pause, and someone answered. "Kate! Oh god, is that really you, Kate?"
Beckett burst into tears, and bobbed her head. "Yes, yes, it's me!" she shouted back. "Are you okay?"
There was another pause, and Muldoon watched the worry leak into Beckett's eyes. She looked frantic for news, and he was concerned she might do something stupid, so he stepped a little closer to her, just in case.
"I think I busted up my knee again," came Castle's voice. "And Zoe's got a cut on her arm. But you know, other than dangling off the edge of the cliff, I think we're fine."
"Zoe?"
"Yeah, I've got the kids with me," Castle shouted back. "So… do you think you could… um… I don't know, get us us the hell out of here."
"We've got to save them!" Beckett turned back to Muldoon, and startled at seeing how close he was. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she inclined her head in acknowledgment of his concern being justifiable.
Muldoon took a step back and stood in the rain for a moment, craning his neck to take in the scene as he mulled over what they could do. He turned back to Beckett and her anxious expression. He put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze, and tried to put as much confidence into his voice as he could muster.
"Don't worry, Detective. We will."
XXX
In the distance, thunder crackled. The rain continued to pour down hard, hitting the muddy ground in large droplets. Ramirez was trying to pull open the backdoor of the trailer, which was apparently locked from the inside. Wallace stood behind him, arms folded over his chest, shaking his head. Kate stood back by the jeep with Muldoon, and impatiently watched as the men tried to open the door by force. She shook her head.
There must be another way, she thought.
Her hair was dripping wet, and her clothes soaked. But she did not mind that, or the way Wallace kept glancing at her despite Muldoon's disapproving glare. She was keeping all her attention on thinking of a way to save Castle and the kids trapped in the trailer. She stamped her foot in the mud, irritated that she couldn't think of anything. Mud splashed onto Muldoon's pants. He glanced down, and shrugged.
"Take it easy, lass."
Kate turned and eyed him. "NO! You take it easy!"
She turned her back to him and stared at the jeep, folding her arms across her chest, exasperated with the situation. She sighed, and looked back at Muldoon with an apologetic expression. She hadn't meant to snap at him. She was angry with the situation, not him. Kate watched as the rain cascaded down the windshield and over the hood. She stared long and hard, trying to remember something. And then it came to her. The grenades. She remembered Muldoon packing a box of grenades into the back of the jeep.
Obviously of her revelation, Muldoon stepped for to assist Wallace and Ramirez. Kate quickly dashed around to the side of the jeep, and opened the back door. She clambered up into the backseat, and stretched over the backrests to grab the box.
"Hey boys!" Kate hollered, running back to the trailer. "I think I've found an easier way to get the door open."
Wallace and Ramirez turned. Muldoon just nodded with a smile.
"And what would that be?" Wallace asked.
"Gum," Kate said, holding up the aluminum box.
"Gum?" Wallace echoed, scrunching his face up, unconvinced.
Kate nodded and opened the box. "Yes." Inside were five rows of sticks of gum-like adhesive, each besides a cylinder shaped grenades. "One should be enough, right?"
Muldoon nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty powerful stuff."
She handed the box back to a startled Wallace. "Be careful with that," she said with a smirk, enjoying his nervousness as he stepped back, Ramirez going with him.
"You sure about this, Detective?" Muldoon inquired.
Kate nodded, wiping her wet hair out of her face. "Yes. It's the only way."
"Okay," Muldoon inclined his head, and then backed away, heading for a safe distance.
Kate paused for a moment, standing in the rain, holding the adhesive gum and grenade. She was reconsidering her plan. The explosion might do more harm than good. And for a locked door, this plan was probably overkill. But she didn't care. Besides to rescue Castle and the kids, they needed to at least get into the trailer. If she could blow the door open, she could then get inside and find out what to do. She had to do it. Fifteen seconds, remember, she told herself as she attached the adhesive gum to the grenade. She took a deep breath and pulled the pin on the grenade.
Fifteen.
She threw it against the back door of the trailer.
Thirteen.
Kate turn to run, but stopped when she saw the gum slip off of the wet surface of the door.
Eleven.
She picked the gummed grenade up off of the ground, and quickly pressed it, as hard as she could, against the door.
Eight.
It stuck. She turned and shouted: "Duck!"
Seven.
She began to run away for cover.
Six.
She slipped and fell on her back.
Five. Four.
She got up to her feet.
Three.
She spun around and wondered if she was far enough.
Two.
She didn't think so.
One.
She jumped up into the air as a loud explosion billowed out behind her. The sound was almost deafening. The entire clearing was lit up in the flash of the explosion. Kate went flying through the air. The explosion propelled her further than her jump did. She landed near the jeep. Mud splattered everywhere. She was literally soaked in mud, but the instant she stood up the downpour of rain washed most of it off. She dashed forward, heedless of any other dangers, clambering through the wreckage caused by the explosion.
The sleeping quarters, except for the mattress and the bed sheets, were practically untouched. She moved forward slowly, observing as much as she could. If there was something here that could help save Castle, she wanted to find it. She made her way pass the closet, and reached the privacy curtain that was in front of the accordion connector. A light beam flashed in her face. She squinted and saw Muldoon coming in with a flashlight.
"Over here," she called.
Muldoon stepped over the debris and quickly made his way over to her, and she took the flashlight from him. She pulled the curtain open and saw the accordion connector. It was completely twisted, the metal gnarled and bent. The other trailer must have been flipped upside down. Her heart nearly jumped up into her throat at the thought of the terror Castle and the kids must have gone through during the attack. She heard a ripping noise and looked up. Her eyes widen when she saw the gaping hole above her head. The rubber fabric was ripping. The first trailer would surely plummet down the side of the cliff. Kate turned back to Muldoon.
"Hold on to me," she said. "I want to look over the edge."
"Okay."
Muldoon wrapped his arms around her waist as she bent over the edge of the accordion connector to look down into the front trailer. She saw Castle first. He was barely holding onto the metal handles along the cabinets in the kitchenette. A teenage girl was hanging from the opposite curtain.
Castle moaned and looked up. He smiled when he saw her face. Kate couldn't help but smile back. God, it seemed like forever since she'd last seen him smile, when in actuality it had only been twenty-four hours.
"Kate!" he said with glee, his lips spreading wide in an ecstatic smile.
The teenage girl jerked her head up and let out a nervous laugh of joy.
"Where's the boy?" Kate asked, trying to focus and not let her overjoyed emotions at finally seeing her husband again interfere with the rescue.
"Under that end table," Castle said, tilting his head to indicated the lounge.
Kate craned her neck and squinted. She could barely make out the small figure wrapped around the metal pillar attached to the floor. She turned back to Castle and noticed some blood trickling down the side of his face. Her throat clenched with worry.
"Are you okay?" she asked, the desperate concern unconcealed.
Castle nodded. "Yes," he said, correctly guessing she'd noticed the blood on his head. "It's just a scratch. Kate, I'm fine."
"Okay, we'll get you out of there," she said. "Hold on."
"Not going anywhere," he shouted back, grinning up at her. "I'll just hang out, you know… until you come back."
Kate pursed her lips and suppressed a grin. Leave it to Castle, even in the face of danger he couldn't help but crack jokes. She flashed him a look and he nodded, as they spoke so much with just their eyes, something they'd always been able to do.
"Rick… I love you," she said, giving him a loving look.
He flashed her wink. "To quote Han Solo, 'I know'," came his cheeky replied.
"Just… hold on, okay?" she said. "I'll be right back." She leaned back and then arched her neck to glance at Muldoon, giving him a nod of her head. He grunted, and tugged her back up into the bedroom trailer. "Rope," she said. "We need rope."
XXX
Zoe was hanging tightly onto the curtain, wondering when Kate—Castle's wife—would reappear. She was beginning to become uncomfortable with the knowledge that her life depended on whether this curtain could hold her weight. And she had a feeling that it couldn't. She looked over at Castle for reassurance, but noticed that he was having enough trouble of his own with the cabinet handles. The strain could snap the cabinet doors off their hinges at any moment.
She heard a snap, and she jerked her head up to see that the curtain's rings were breaking under the pressure. They probably could not hold on long enough for her to be save. She began kicking her feet around, seeing if she could find a foothold that would allow her to ease the burden placed on the curtain to support all her weight. But she couldn't. She heard another snap. She looked up, seeing the rings breaking one by one.
"Zoe!" Castle yelled, stretching out an arm for her.
She gritted her teeth and reach for him, but he was too far away. The final ring snapped and she fell. Screaming and disorientated, Zoe flung her arms around, reaching for something that she could use to halt her fall. Anything to grab on to would be welcomed. Then she felt something metal, and smooth. She gripped it with her left hand, and her body flung hard against something with a bang. Damn her wrist hurt.
"Zoe!" Charlie sob from below. "Zoe!"
"I'm alright," she called back, grunting as she pulled herself up, realizing she'd grabbed onto the refrigerator door.
Castle was hanging above her. He twisted his torso around to glance down. "Zoe, are you okay? I can try and climb down to help—"
"No," she hissed through gritted teeth, interrupting him, using all her strength to reach her free hand up and grope around for the other handle. "I'm okay. I… I think I've got a handle on things."
Castle gave her a dubious look, but nodded, thankfully deciding not to argue the point with her. Zoe knew that he'd hurt his bad knee, and she didn't want him attempting to do something heroic only to then get injured while doing so. She adjusted her grip on the door handles, hoping they could support her weight better than the curtain had, because right below her was the vacant window and a long fall.
XXX
"God, what's taking him so long!"
Kate was pacing, waiting for Wallace to return with the rope from the jeep. Tears almost came gushing out of her eyes, but she bit her lip and worked at controlling herself, relying on her NYPD disaster training. She had to focus. She couldn't let her worry overwhelm her. The present concern was on Castle and the kids. They had to save them.
Hearing a high-pitched scream, Kate pushed herself over the edge to look down, and almost immediately lost her footing. She began to fall, but then Muldoon caught her by her foot. She blinked, and pushed back her hair. She looked down in time to see the teen grab onto the refrigerator's door handle. She sighed in relief. Castle glanced up at her and nodded, reassuring her that they were all okay.
"Everything alright?" Muldoon called from behind her.
"Yeah," she said. "Pull me back up."
Muldoon gripped her legs tightly as he heaved her back up through the accordion connector. As soon as her feet touched the floor, the trailers jerked dangerously, and they heard another rip. Looking up, they saw that the gaping hole on the roof of the accordion had become wider. They were running out of time.
Wallace came clambering back into the trailer with a coil of rope. "I don't know if it's long enough," he said, handing it to Muldoon.
"It'll have to do," the game warden asserted.
Kate insisted that she climb down. Muldoon opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, pointing out that she was lighter than any of them, so it would logically be easier to maneuver her up and down through the second trailer. Muldoon reluctantly agreed. She had also insisted that she didn't need the rope to be tied around her waist. The rope was going to be used to pull those trapped out of the trailer. Muldoon knew Beckett well enough by now to know that it was pointless to argue with her. So he agreed.
"Okay," Muldoon said, squeezing her shoulder. "Ready?"
She nodded, steeling up her nerves. "As ready as ever."
She gave them all a weak smile, as all the men gripped the end of the rope in their hands. Kate walked over to the accordion connecter, and inspected the gaping hole one last time. She gripped her end of the rope tightly and slid down through the small opening, legs first.
Kate slipped down slightly before Muldoon and the two other men stopped the rope's slack. She looked around, blinking in the darkness, gripping the rope tightly. She waited for her eyes to adjust before yelling up to the men to give her more slack. She extended her legs out to steady herself against the wall. She maneuvered around until she found something to stand on. She slowly placed her feet on the in-curve of the table opposite to Castle.
Castle opened his eyes and saw her. He smiled.
"God, I want to kiss you so badly right now."
She smiled. "Me too, babe."
She reached over and paused. She could feel the wind blowing the trailer back and forth. At least the rain had lessened, she thought. She stretched her free arm out and grasped the railing along the ceiling.
"Get the kids out first," Castle grunted, flexing his arms.
"Castle—"
"Just… save them, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded, wishing she could reach out and touch him.
Castle locked eyes with her, and nodded, reading her mind. "Later."
"Later," Kate echoed in promise, letting her eyes fill with love as she gazed at him. Reluctantly pulling her away, Kate then slid around down the trailer, mindful of where she put her feet. She looked over at the girl. "Hold on," she said softly.
Kate found it easier to climb using the railing along the ceiling of the overturned trailer. She twisted her body around, using one hand to steady the swaying teen. She was grabbing the refrigerator's door handle tightly. Kate checked on the girl's wound, seeing the crimson blood leak down her arm.
"You okay—?"
"Zoe," the girl gasped out. "My name's Zoe."
"Alright, Zoe," Kate nodded. "I'm Kate, and I'm going to get you out of here." She tied the rope around Zoe's waist. The girl groaned as Kate tightened the knot. "To tight?"
"It's okay," Zoe asserted.
"You're a brave girl, Zoe," Kate said. "You can let go now. The game warden and some of his men are holding onto the rope." Kate shifted herself and yelled up at Muldoon. "Okay, here's the girl."
Zoe looked down and nodded. She let go of the refrigerator door, letting out a yelp as she dropped slightly before the men above adjusted to the shift in weight. Zoe gripped the rope with her hands as they pulled her up. In no time she reached the accordion connector and was pulled through. The rope came back down a minute after she disappeared from Kate's view. Kate gripped the rope with her free hand and glanced at Castle.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Just get Charlie. Poor kid. He's probably frightened half to death."
"Alright. I'll be back for you, promise," she said.
"Don't you worry," he forced a grin, letting his eyes drop to her bare legs. "I'll just hang out here and admire the view."
Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled, grateful for his ability to always lighten the mood, no matter how desperate or dire the situation. It was one of the things she loved most about him. Flashing Castle one last loving look, Kate craned her neck and peered down the length of the trailer.
"Charlie," she called. "Hang on, I'm coming."
The boy looked up, he had a cut on his forehead, but beside that he appeared fine.
Kate looked around, trying to find something to grab onto. She wasn't that far from the refrigerator. She figured if she swung across the trailer, with a little help from the guys up above, and enough slack, she would arrive on the back of the chair a couple of feet below her.
"Guys!" she called up. "I'm going to need a little bit of slack for this one."
"Okay," came Muldoon's reply.
"On three," Kate called up.
She gripped the rope tightly with both hands, her feet teetering on the last of the ceiling rails. She would only have one shot at this, and it better work. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes as she exhaled.
"One... two... three!"
She swung across the gap between the trailer walls, and fell with the slack she had been given by the guys back up in the sleeping quarters of the trailer. Just as she was about to land her feet on the chair, the wind picked up.
"Oh, you've got to kidding me!" she said with clenched teeth.
The trailer swung slightly back and forth in the wind, and then with a loud banging noise it rammed back against the side of the cliff. Kate grunted as she kept her balance on the back of the chair. Above her, she heard Castle curse. She immediately glanced up, heart pounding in her chest as she watched in horror as the cabinet doors swung open. The hinges snapped off and her husband went careening down the length of the trailer.
"NO!" she cried, clutching the rope with one hand and reaching out with the other as Castle sailed down past her. "Castle!"
He collided against the back of the sofa. It jerked violently and for a moment she was afraid it would tumble down towards the gaping hole at the end of the trailer. But it held. Thank God, it held. Castle lay sprawled out on his back, blinking his eyes and groaning in pain.
"Castle!?" she cried down to him.
He groaned, shaking his head, and looked up at her. Slowly, he raised his right hand and gave her a thumps up.
"Just… just stay still, okay?" she shouted down. "Don't move!"
He nodded. Kate was forced to pull her eyes away from Castle when she heard Charlie cry out for help. She looked over and saw that the boy was losing his grip. She got down on her knees, and stretched her arm out across the trailer.
"Grab my hand!" she shouted.
Charlie literally jumped slightly up as his grip slipped, but his hand was stretched out just far enough for her to reach. Kate leaned forward, grabbing the rope with her free hand, and with a swift move she had Charlie's hand grasped in hers. Charlie was falling and his weight pulled her over the side of the chair. She yelled as she toppled over, grabbing the rope with one hand. She hissed out a curse as she felt a burning sensation against her palm. Rope burn. Charlie swung below her, his left hand holding tightly onto hers. His legs swung just above the nonexistent window. He looked up, his young eyes filled with fear. He had almost fallen to his death.
Kate heaved as she pulled him up. It took a while, but she managed to pull them both back up onto the back of the chair. She turned her head down.
"Climb over me," she instructed, and grabbed the rope firmly with both her hands.
"Um... okay."
Charlie did his best, fumbling as he crawled up her and clung to her back. His breath was hot against her neck and she could feel him trembling with fear. He looped his arms around her neck and grunted as he heaved himself up over her shoulders.
"Good," Kate assured him. "Now grab the rope, and hold on."
"Okay," Charlie mumbled. He took a deep breath, and grabbed the rope with both hands. He looked down and watched as Kate stretched one arm out to grab onto the railing along the ceiling, keeping herself steady as she looped the remaining rope around his waist. She secured it in a knot, and then swung her hand over to join her other on the railing, hanging there with her arms extended above her head.
"Alright, Muldoon, now the boy!" she called.
Within a matter of seconds the rope began to move and Charlie was hoisted up. She watched as he was dragged back through the twisted accordion connector. Kate couldn't help but sigh with relief when the rope came back down to her. She gripped it with her right hand and swung back across. Kate shouted up, instructing them to lower her. Using her feet, she was able to maneuver her slim body through the gap between the end table and shelves on the opposite side of the trailer.
She reached Castle in just under a minute. He was breathing heavily, and still looked slightly out of it. The fall probably winded him. She arched her neck around and glanced down through the broken window and listened to the eerie howl of the wind. This was going to be difficult. Kate braced herself against a shelf along side wall of the trailer, its contents long since lost to the oblivion. She craned her neck and looked over at Castle.
"Castle," she said softly, reaching out with one hand to caress the side of his face. He blinked and his blue eyes gazed up at her. She smiled down at him, seeing how much her touch reassured him. "It's okay, I'm here."
As she spoke she could feel a strong breeze come up through the broken window.
"Ah shit… not again," she muttered softly to herself.
The wind blew harder this time, making it hard for Kate to keep her balance, but with the rope in her hands it was no problem. She kept her eyes on Castle. The sofa swayed, threatening to drop, but thankfully the bolts holding it to the floor of the trailer held. As the wind died down, the trailer creaked and groaned around them. She looked up and watched as the gap in the accordion fabric became wider. The wind picked up abruptly and the trailer swung back, ramming against the side of the rocky cliff.
The sofa buckled violently, and this time the bolts couldn't hold. The left bolts snapped and the sofa tilted on its axis. Kate couldn't hold back a cry as she watched Castle slide away. He fumbled around, and gripped the arm of the sofa, managing to halt his fall. His legs were dangling outside the window and he let out an unmanly scream, not that she blamed him.
Kate clenched her teeth, trying to think of what to do. The shelf beneath her feet creaked, protesting under the strain. She jerked her head up and saw the accordion was giving way. She gripped the rope tightly. She bent her legs and pushed herself towards the end table Charlie had been wrapped around earlier. With one hand she reached out for the pole-bar. She was able to grab it easily.
Castle was kicking his feet until he was able to find purchase on the windowsill. He looked up at her. She could see the terror in his eyes. He'd almost fallen to his death. Her own heart squeezed tightly in her chest at the thought alone. Kate steadied herself on the end table, breathing through her nostrils, and stretched her arm out for Castle. He looked up at her, uncertain.
"Just… damn it, Castle… grab my hand."
He complied, and using all her strength, her legs locked around the pole-bar for leverage, Kate heaved Castle up. She couldn't pull him all the way, he weighed more than her, but she was able to pull him up just enough so that he could grab onto the end table. And he did so, not a moment too soon, as the bolts holding the sofa to the floor of the trailer finally gave way. The sofa swung around, slamming into the shelf Kate had used for support earlier, before careening through the shattered window and down the rocky cliff.
"Phew… that was close," Castle let out a low chuckle. He grunted, and grimaced as he adjusted his hold on the end table. The metal bar groaned, and he looked up at Kate. "We should probably get going now."
Kate nodded, and grabbed the rope. She tossed the slack portion out into the empty space below them, arching her back to loop it around Castle's torso, securing it with several tight knots.
He grinned. "Ooh… bondage," he waggled his eyebrows as he looked up at her. "Kinky."
She suppressed an eye roll and gritted out, in a familiar tone, "Not now, Castle."
Once Castle was secured, Kate called up to Muldoon. The slack went away, and Castle began to rise up, slowly. She waited until he was about even with her before shouting up to Muldoon, letting him know that she'd be joining Castle on the rope. Carefully, she looped her arms around her husband's neck and shoulders, shifting her legs out from around the end table, and wrapping them securely around his waist. He let out a low moan as her body aligned perfectly with his. Kate shivered as he draped on arm around her, pulling her as close to him as possible. He kicked his foot and soon they were dangling in the center the trailer. After a second or two, Kate let out a gasp and glanced up at Castle's feigned expression of innocence.
"Castle, I don't think now is quite the right time to cop a feel," she asserted.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I was just trying to grab ahold of something to help steady—" His explanation trailed off when he noticed her expression.
"Okay, that definitely sounded better in my head."
"Babe, I love you, but I think you should stop before you dig yourself any deeper."
Castle nodded. "Right."
Kate pursed her lips, and gazed up at him. "I'm glad you're alright."
"So am I."
She wasted no more time, and arched her neck up towards him. Castle read her actions correctly and tilted his head down to meet hers. She closed her eyes and moaned as their mouths finally met. Another gust of wind rolled across the cliff. From above, Muldoon shouted a warning. The trailer gave one last buckle, and then the accordion connector snapped. With a loud tearing noise, the front trailer fell. Kate closed his eyes and pressed herself closer to Castle, melding their mouths together in a searing kiss as the world around them blurred. The roaring crash of the trailer tumbled past them, and through whatever luck they still had, they sailed through it all, unmolested, clutching on to one another in a lover's embrace.
Pulling back for air, Kate gasped and blinked her eyes as the cool breeze struck her face. Squeezed herself tighter to Castle's broad frame, her legs like a vice around his waist, and glanced down, watching as the trailer hit the rocky bottom, shattering upon impact. The rope swayed slightly in the wind, and they bounced gently against the cliff face as they were gradually hoisted upwards.