Sorry for the long delay, dear readers. Brett & I have been extremely busy with the holidays coming. He got a promotion (cheers) and I have been just busy. Thank you for reading, that you are still with us, with the crazy story. This has been my first case based fiction so far and I am so glad to have Brett as a writing partner. He knows how to spin a story.
Also, thank you all who have been reading. And reviewing. You are all tooo awesome. I love you all! Please continue to be awesome as ever, kay? Shena & lv2bnsb – owe ya big!
Ok, right. Lets get to the writing part then.
Ryan and Esposito walk up to the front of the apartment block, dutifully manned by the same doorman they met earlier. He looks at the detectives, mild surprise showing on his face.
"Back so soon?" he politely asks them both.
Esposito and Ryan walk straight past him, barely glancing at the doorman, their minds all business.
"Yep, Kaarel just loved our company..." Esposito mumbles under his breath, the doorman only just catching it before they hit the stairs. Deciding against the elevator, they quickly ascend four flights of stairs, arriving on the fifth floor. They both stop at the top of the stairs, unholster their weapons, and check their clips and safety catch. Ryan takes a deep breath and turns to his partner:
"Ready?"
"I was born ready," Esposito takes the lead and warily treads down the corridor past the elevator, towards the corner of the hallway. Ryan follows close behind - with a smirk on his face and a small shake of his head at his partner's comment. However, that is forgotten quickly as they both round the corner and glance at Kaarel's front entrance. It was clear of all boxes which were previously stacked there not long before.
"Uh oh. You think he has shot through?" Ryan quietly says.
"Damn. He might have. The captain isn't going to be happy if he has, given we were just here."
Ryan grunts in agreement as they both start down the hallway. Before they take two steps, the door of Kaarel's apartment opens. Igor steps out, places a bag on the floor, and turns to lock the apartment behind him, oblivious that the two detectives are standing ten yards away. By the volume of his earphones and the slightly rhythmic nod of his head, the distraction was enough for him to not hear Ryan and Esposito draw their guns. He checks the deadbolt and, satisfied that it is properly locked, places the keys back in his pocket. Quietly humming along with a tune, he picks up his bag and turns to walk towards the elevator.
His eyes widen in surprise and his body immediately freezes as he looks down the muzzles of two guns.
"Well that was easy," Ryan mused to his partner in mild surprise. Esposito smiled and looked down at his belt for his cuffs.
"Igor Tammik, you are under..." Esposito's words are interrupted as Igor's fist collides with his nose. Espo's head rings as his body flies against the wall with a forceful impact.
Ryan mumbles, "Whoa!" as he sees his partner's body slide down the wall and the suspect dashing inside the apartment with surprising speed. Ryan ducks, aims and shoots in the direction the bodyguard had fled. The bullets collide with the heavy wooden door with loud bangs. The bodyguard is nowhere to be seen.
Ryan sighs, gives up shooting and goes to check on his partner.
"Javi, can you hear me?" he crouches down beside Esposito, still holding his gun. Esposito groans and surfaces from the momentary loss of consciousness.
"I can..." he growls in response within few painstakingly slow seconds. Then, spitting fire from his eyes, he yells at Ryan, "You let him get away?"
"He was too quick for both of us," Ryan answers apologetically.
"What the hell are you waiting for, let's go get him!" Espo growls again, getting up from the ground, using his sleeve to wipe away the blood trickling from his nose. He dashes towards the apartment, Ryan close at his back.
"Hey, stop!" yells Esposito out as soon as he enters the apartment. He is quick enough to glance at the window where Igor already has one foot out of the window, making his way to the fire escape. Espo shoots another bullet in his direction, but it's too late. Igor is out and making his way down.
"Go! Go!" Esposito yells to Ryan. "He's getting away!"
Ryan turns on the spot and darts to the stairs mumbling, "Not on my watch."
He makes his way downstairs as fast as possible, hearing few gunshots and Esposito yelling, "Stop shooting" and "Freeze" to the escapee. Ryan runs out of the door and towards the back of the building where he remembers there was a gate. Before he can get to it, a big man appears behind the metallic bars and pushes it open with a force. Ryan doesn't manage to raise his hands fast enough to protect himself and the gate hits his cheek. He stumbles back for a second, his vision blurred from the impact. Igor makes his way out of the gate and pushes Ryan against the wall as he rushes past. He groans out loud as his back hits the stone surface of the building.
"Yes, yes," she huffs into her phone as they are making their way out of the building. "Can you get uniforms to 13 West 17th street? Yes. Flatiron District. Apartment 17. Okay. Let me know when they get there, okay?"
She clicks the phone off and pushes the door open, stepping out onto the busy streets of New York. Her car is sitting right at the front door. She slides quickly into her seat and Castle does the same, simultaneously observing her intently.
"So, the poor unis will be here soon?" he asks when she starts the engine and takes off.
"Yes," she finally replies. "Gates said that they would be here in twenty." There is a moment of silence before she asks, "What do you mean poor?"
"Oh, well, they get bossed around a lot," he answers honestly.
"That's what they do," she states calmly. "I used to be one, remember? It was interesting and educational."
"Ooooh, you in a uniform. Mmmm... you must have looked sexy all the time." He doesn't miss a beat.
She throws him a warning glance, "Castle..."
"Ok. Ok, shutting up now. But just so you know, not talking doesn't actually stop the mental images in my head..."
"I don't wanna know," she retorts in an attempt to sound as neutral as possible, but a wave of interest and... arousal... flows through her tone.
"Oh, detective, are you sure?" he smirks, looking at her. She blatantly ignores him and unconsciously shifts in her seat. It feels like the new energy between them is still making her uncomfortable. He decides to tone down his flirting a bit, to give her time to adjust, because they can't unring that bell!
"Sooo, what shall we do next?" Castle props himself up and slides his hands against the surface of the laptop he is holding on his lap.
"Is the computer still working?" she asks, turning to the crossing avenue, heading towards the downtown core.
"Yes, but I think it's about to die soon," he mumbles as he opens the laptop.
"See if we got more than those two e-mails in that computer."
For a few minutes there is silence in the car. Beckett glances at Castle every now and then to see what he is doing. He is concentrating so much that he doesn't notice her constant glances.
"Ah- ha!" he exclaims, breaking the silence.
"What?"
"We have another set of e-mails... Oh. My. God!" He stops talking to read what's on the screen in front of him.
"What?" Beckett asks again, a hint of annoyance now glistening through her voice.
"This is just too good!" Castle says.
"If I have to say 'what' one more time, heads are gonna roll," Beckett grunts, her voice peppered with annoyance.
Castle shoots her an amused look. Beckett squints her eyes, trying telepathically to make him speak. Her loaded looks normally make him stop talking. Perhaps they might make him speak on demand as well.
The squinty look only makes her look more adorable in Castle's eyes, but he decides to take pity on her.
"This so explains why Kaarel wanted him dead, look," he turns the computer to her direction. Luckily they are stopped at a red light, so she can glance at the computer screen before she needs to move again. There it was: a digital receipt for the order of arsenic.
"Oh my God," her eyes go big and she echoes Castle's previous words. "Indeed, this is most definitely the source of his health problems."
"As a potential murderer, I would think that Kalev would be more careful with his documents though," Castle tries to joke. "A bit of a surprising turn to think of his former boss as a murderer as well though."
Beckett smirks and can't stop herself from musing, "Weren't you the one who came up with this crazy idea in the first place?"
"Oh right, I did," he beams a smile to her. "Thanks for reminding me. It was all my idea, yes."
"Oh no," Beckett groans. "I shouldn't have said that."
"Oh? Why not, Beckett?" Castle smiles a hundred watt smile at her. "You know I am always helpful..." he amps up the game then as he slides his hand onto her knee and squeezes it gently.
She throws a warning look at Castle. "See, this is exactly why I shouldn't have said that!"
"This is exactly why you should have said that." Castle's smile turns into a mischievous smirk. "Don't you think I'm sexy when I help you solve crimes?"
"Castle..." she warns as his hand starts to move downwards on her thigh. She means to sound annoyed and stern, but his name comes out a little breathy.
"What's the matter, detective?"
"Stop it," she says finding the strength in her voice.
She is tense, he should do something about it. He smiles and leans closer to her and whispers to her ear "Why?"
She shudders under the light touch of his lips. She turns to look him in the eye, whispering out. "Because we're in front of precinct."
He tears his eyes away from hers and looks out of the window.
They have truly arrived to the precinct. Kate puts the vehicle in 'park' as Castle reluctantly removes his hand from her thigh.
"Don't think this is over, Kate," Castle throws her a seductive smile before he gets out of the car.
After a few long moments, Ryan tries to get to his feet again. Pain shoots from his back to his head, making him groan out loud. He opens his eyes just in time to see Igor disappearing behind the corner. He tries to find his balance, but he stumbles. Luckily, he sees Esposito running towards him.
"No, go get him!" Ryan yells to him, pointing in the direction the suspect had run. Esposito turns on the spot and heads towards the street.
As soon as Esposito disappears around the corner, Ryan finds himself able to stand and makes his way towards the street as well. Before he dashes in the direction his partner went, he decides better of it. No, he's not going to reach for him in time.
He sees 'Chad' (as they named their four wheeled red beauty) out of the corner of his eye. Yes, that is a better idea. He storms toward the car, opening the door in haste and gets in the driver's seat with lightning speed. Every moment counts, Esposito might be in real danger.
The car takes off fast and he races down the street, trying to get a glimpse of his partner. Soon enough he sees the big form of Igor disappearing down the next block, Esposito not far behind.
He needs to cut away Igor's escape, so he presses the gas pedal down to the floor.
Luckily, Ryan reaches them barely before the crossing and he turns sharply in front of big bodyguard, cutting him off. Blindsided, Igor has no time to stop and crashes into the car at full speed. His face hits the hood leaving a big dent in the metal.
Esposito catches up with them as soon as Igor's body hits the ground. The suspect groans as he tries, and fails, to get up from the ground.
Esposito is on him in an instant. Bending Igor's arms behind his back and handcuffing them fast, he growls, "Igor Tammik, you are under arrest for assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and a host of other charges I haven't even begun to think up yet. You have the right to remain silent, so shut the fuck up and don't move!"