Chapter 9
Light…very bright lights were Rick's first thoughts after coming out of the haze of the sedation. Next became the awareness of a strong industrial strength antiseptic smell. His eyes flickered quickly then he squeezes them tight trying to make the light dim. It's no use. Taking an inventory of his pain, he feels like his ribcage is in a vise because it's wrapped so tightly. It is hard to breathe. There is an IV in his vein too. It was there no doubt to give him life sustaining fluids he desperately needs. His right knee hurts too. If he could only ask what's going on maybe he could piece together what had happened to him.
He hears no other person with him in this make shift room. He slowly opens his eyes and at first all he sees is white. Adjusting his eyes to the light, he scans the room and just as he thought the room was empty. All he sees is the heart rate monitor, the IV hanging from the hook and then he sees a figure in the shadows. Then he must have imagined his Dad was in the room. Looking around the room his eyes latch on a different person.
"Welcome back Mr. Castle." The man says.
He is still a bit groggy and he thinks that this is not the time for 20 questions. But his curiosity gets the best of him.
"Where am I?" Rick inquires.
"You are safe and in a secure location for now." He says with a bored expression.
"How did I get here?" Rick questions.
"Mr. Castle, you of all people should know how you arrived here." He responds.
Rick has no clue as to how he got here and looks to the shadowed figure.
"Having trouble remembering?" he asks.
"Yes, how is it you know so much about this and my mind is drawing a blank?" Rick responds.
"Okay, Rick I will let you on a little secret. You see you had instructed a security force capable of handling any type of threat to extract you out of any type of situation. They were on alert status ready to move on a second's notice 24/7." The man says.
"I'm still drawing a blank." Rick says resigned to that fact.
"As you should… A while back you had signed your paperwork releasing the City of New York from any responsibility of blame so you could shadow a certain female detective, correct?" He asks as if this would jog his befuddled memory.
"Yes, but what does the release have to do with anything?" Rick recognizes that fact but was confused on why it had any relevance.
"Rick you're missing the bigger picture here. Along with the release you signed. You had also inadvertently signed the contract to have us shadow you." The man says.
"I don't remember signing any such document." Rick recalls.
"And don't you see your Father's hand in doing that?" the man asks.
"WHAT do you mean my Father?" Rick says becoming agitated.
"Rick, little do you know but your father has been keeping tabs on you since you were a child. He might not have been the type of father to raise you because of his current career. The man does care about his family as well as his extended family." The man says with a wistful look.
"Well, it's great to find out about this now. How long has he known about this? I mean the attempt on my life?" He asks now beginning to suspect seeing his father was not a dream after all.
"We have intel on a couple of rogue cops in the NYPD. They have been bought by an as yet unknown outside interest." The man replies.
"What about Kate? Is she in danger?" Rick excitedly asks.
"That's where it gets complicated. Your father had made sure that she was protected. There is only much that he can do." He says shaking his head slowly.
"Where is she right now?" Rick demands to know.
Looking down at his watch, he notes the time and then looks back to Rick not sure if he should tell him. Deciding that it would do more harm then good, he changes the subject.
"Mr. Castle, you should know that we are going to move you to another secure location very soon." He says.
Rick's temper is at its end and he wants answers. He tries to put on his best mad face and the shadowed figure notices.
"Tell me where she is! If I signed this so called contract then you work for me and I want answers." Rick says exploding.
"Okay Rick, Kate as we speak is in your loft for the reading of your will. She along with Alexis and Martha are meeting with your lawyer right now." The man reveals.
His mad face is now gone and it takes the form of sadness. He never thought that it would come to this. Now he feels ashamed to put his family through this while he was still alive. Kate must have some kind of idea that he is still alive. He has more questions for the shadowed figure but is reluctant to ask them.
"Mr. Castle we should really get you moved and soon. We have intel that the leak in the department reaches very high up into the command." The man says.
"Are Kate and her team safe?" Rick inquires.
"For the moment they are. We need to come up with a strategy that exposes these moles in the department along with the parties responsible for making the attempt on your life." The man solemnly says.
"So how long I will be in this condition? I mean out of the fight?" Rick asks.
"You are healing very well. Perhaps in 2 weeks you will be recovered enough for other things to occur." The man says.
The leaders 2-way radio squawks and he listens to the transmission. He replies with "Rodger that."
"Rick, we are going to need to move up our timetable for your relocation. We are going to move you a facility outside the city. There is only one procedure we need to follow. You need to be sedated when we move you." He says as he nods at another figure who injects into his IV a quick acting drug. In a few minutes, the drug is taking effect and he leaves the room.
Rick feels his muscles relax as well as his thoughts. He holds onto one thought until his eyes slowly close... Kate.
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The move goes off with no complications. The decision the move him was because two NYPD detectives were snooping around the building about 4 hours ago.
The leader enters the secure room where Rick is and checks his vitals and everything is fine. Exiting the room he heads back to the com center and makes a call.
"This is leader to Romeo 4 Alpha." He says into the device.
"Go leader this is Romeo 4 Alpha. Continue transmission" the voice replies.
"Asset is secure at this time, no complications en-route." He reports.
"Rodger Leader, stand by for additional information." The voice says.
There is a brief pause before the message continues. Leader is wondering what the issue is but before he can guess the radio comes alive once more.
"Leader, at nineteen hundred you are instructed to fall back to location 2-5 Lima and contact the party there. Romeo 4 Alpha out." The voice issues commands.
Great what could be going on now? He checked his watch and noted the time. He had 6 hours to surveil the meet location then make a decision. This was out of the usual parameters for this op. He leaves the secure room. He needs to inform his team of the current situation then decide who to bring with him.
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Kate was listening to the lawyer when an email giving the name Paul Smith was received. Kate glances down at the offending device and was about to switch it off. She stopped because the title was "always." Kate knew it had to be something related to Rick. It was their word. Not too many others could have known that. This was a clue that it was indirectly from Rick.
She opened the email and read it quickly.
Paul Smith, a cover name of course, informed her to be at an address by 7 pm tonight. Also, she is requested to come alone.
Kate closed the email and smiles at the two concerned redheads.
"It is work related" she says
Both redheads relax but still worry about her.
Mr. Smith receives confirmation that Kate indeed read the email. There was an app placed on her cell phone in the email which tracked her every move.
Coming alone was the part she was a little skeptical. So many things could go wrong on the turn of a dime. She would head to the 12th and talk it over with the boys once this reading was concluded.
Finally, the reading was over. Kate thanks the lawyer and Kate escorted him out.
Alexis looks at her expectantly.
"So you are my Guardian?" She asks being very surprised on Rick's last request.
"I guess I am sort of Alexis…I'm not going to run your life. However, your dad has placed a great responsibility in me. It is one I will take seriously. I would love to continue this discussion later. I need to get to the precinct." Kate says.
Alexis nods as Kate runs out the door.
Martha sighs and wistfully looks out at the retreating figure. She was not too surprised over Katherine being named as trustee and Guardian. She was not too good with money. Her son knew that.
Alexis leans into her Grams and sighs.
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Arriving at the precinct, she went directly to her floor. The boys were not there probably running down one lead or another. She waited for a while and decided to call Ryan. His phone rang about 5 times then it went to voice mail. She dialed Espo's number too coming up with the same result. She was getting worried now. It was not like them to not answer their phones. Having no other choice, she prepares for the meeting.
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She gets to the address and leaves her car heading to the glass double doors. Just as she is about to reach them one swings open and a voice asks
"Detective Beckett I assume?" he asks.
"Yes, and who might you be?" She replies.
"We can talk in my office. Would that be alright?" he suggests.
Kate thinks for a second, this guy looks to be safe so she will play along.
"Sure, then let's go." She responds.
Taking the elevator up they stand in silence. The bell chimes for the 17th floor and the doors open. Both walk off the elevator and they both seem to be sizing each other up. They walk to an office mid-floor. He lets her enter first and asks her to have a seat.
"Detective Beckett, am I to understand you are now investigating the death of Richard Castle, is this true?" he asks.
Kate is taken aback for a minute and hesitates to answer him. Thinking how can this guy get privileged information? She keeps quiet and lets him talk.
"Detective, can I call you Kate?" he asks.
"Please do" she responds.
"Listen Kate, I think that we can help each other. You see I have some intel for you that could speed up your investigation." He says in conspiratorial tones.
Kate needs to make a decision and she needs to make it soon...