Chapter 9

I figured that 2 reviews was the most I could squeeze out of you guys, so I decided to go ahead and post this. Enjoy!

I'm going to toy with a different style of writing, so bear with me. Let me know if you think it's worse, better, or just different.

~/~

The paramedics arrive just as most of the dust settles, leaving a smoky haze. I'm still huddled on the floor, clutching my head. Beckett is sitting next to me, holding some tissues to her bleeding leg. Castle is sitting next to her, arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder.

"Javi," it comes out as a low whimper. A hand rubs my back and I feel Beckett shift a little bit closer.

"We'll find him, Kevin," she whispers in my ear. I just shake my head a clench my hair. This is my fault.

"Is anyone over here injured?" I lift up my head to watch as the paramedic walks over, responding to Castle's wave. I move away from Beckett when he gets closer to give them some space and survey the room around me. It's been completely demolished. Desks are overturned and papers litter the floor. There's no clear source of where the explosion came from. I shakily stand up and make my way over to the elevator.

Oh.

The doors are blown apart and melted at the edges and the surrounding area is blackened and charred. I shudder. They clearly weren't worried about anybody getting hurt.

"Sir?" One of the paramedics approaches me. I think he notices the bruises on my face and thinks I'm a victim of the blast. I ignore him. "Sir, are you injured?" I shake my head and look away from him.

"No, I wasn't in the blast…" But I should've been. I leave that last part out. He doesn't need to know about all my problems. I walk away as the man goes back to his business and hear a low moan come from somewhere to the right of me. I see an overturned desk and an arm sticking out from it. I quickly walk over and heave the desk off the poor soul. It's Stu underneath the desk. He's bloody all over. I don't think that most of it is from the desk.

"Stu?" I kneel down beside him, clenching his hand in my mine when he reaches out for me.

"Hey, kiddo." I smile softly down at the man and look over my shoulder.

"I need a paramedic over here!" I call. A tug on my hand brings me back to the older man on the floor.

"Nah, I ain't got long left." He coughs deep in his chest and blood dots his chin. I shake my head and wave the paramedic looking around over.

"No, Stu let them help." He shakes his head weakly and grasps my fingers.

"No, listen to me," he rasps. "I know who took detective Esposito. 'is been an inside job the whole time. Just not what you were 'specting." The paramedic arrives and checks him out, looking up at me and shaking his head sadly. I feel tears appear in my eyes and listen closely to the dying man. The janitor's been a good friend to me over the years.

"I caught Randy snooping in Espo's computer last night. He's a hacker as a hobby. Never thought he'd take it this far, though. But I did some snoopin' of my own. It's his brother who's the real monster. He's the whole head of the ring thing ya'll are after." His grip on my hand starts to weaken and he closes his eyes, breaths stuttering.

"Thanks, Stu," I whisper, pressing my other hand to his face.

"Welcome, kiddo." His breath rattles and he's dead. I look up at the paramedic, who pats me on the shoulder.

"He a friend of yours?" I nod my head.

"His name was Stu. He was a good man." The paramedic nods and gently unhooks my hand from the death grip. I laugh hysterically. Death grip. The paramedic gives me an understanding look and rest a hand on my back.

"Let me take care of him, now. There's nothing you can do." I nod and step back thinking, there's nothing you can do here, either.

I sit on the floor for a long time, watching the paramedics taking out the wounded and the few dead. I count three. That's three more lives on my hands. I sit there until Beckett limps over to me, holding a dusty jacket. It isn't until she wraps it around me that I realize I'm shivering. I take in a deep breath and try to calm down, breathing in Javi's familiar scent.

"I know who took him," I whisper to her, tears filling my eyes. I refuse to let them fall. She sits down next to me.

"Who, Kevin?"

"It was a janitor named Randy." I see her close her eyes and breath a sigh. We are both relieved that it isn't a cop who's doing all this, but we both knew Randy. He had always been a sweet ginger with a southern accent.

"How do you know?" I look over the desk that I had overturned and stare at the blood spots.

"Stu. He's dead." Her shoulders slump slightly.

"Why would he do this?" I shake my head.

"His brother is the head of the whole thing." Becketts eyes glaze over, and I can tell she's thinking about how it happened.

"He's a janitor, so he knows where all the cameras are. He'd make sure to avoid them." I nod at her thinking.

"But there's no way to avoid the camera at and in the elevator." Beckett shakes her head, closing her eyes again.

"I don't think he's too worried about getting caught right now. More like he doesn't want us to know where he's going."

"That makes sense. But we should ask the people on the first level if they same him or Javi anywhere after the blast." We're in full detective mode now. I've never been Beckett's partner, but I feel like our minds are connected now. Javi's one of her best friends. We're both dead-set on getting him back.

"I'll go with you," Castle says from behind us. "Beckett should stay here." She opens her mouth to retort but I place a hand on her arm.

"You're injured," I tell her.

"You are too." I smile at her stubbornness.

"But I can walk." She concedes defeat and after a few 'be careful. Don't be stupid' rants, we're on the first floor, asking the confused officers and clerks if they've seen either Javi or Randy.

"We're getting nowhere," Castle growls after dealing with our latest hysterical clerk.

"We can't just give up," I tell him. "People are still panicking over the blast. Imagine how they were right when it happened."

"I see your point," he says, following my line of thinking. "Why don't we check the exits? There might be something there." I nod, glad to have Castles brain on my side.

We go through all the exits and it's not until the last one that I see something. It's the pen I brought back from my trip to the Bahamas. Javi had stolen it and never given it back. I run out the exit, Castle hot on my heels.

There's no sign of anyone around, but I wasn't expecting there to be. I'm looking for something, anything, that can tell me where they went. There's nothing. I look around in frustration at the building and those next to it. No windows. No cameras.

"FUCK!" I pound my fist against the wall, tears threatening to spill over once again.

"Ryan, why would they take Esposito in the first place?" Castle asks. I stop to think for a moment.

"He's bait." I realize what Castle is trying to tell me. "They're going to contact me, and tell me where to meet them." Castle nods, silently encouraging me to continue. "And I'll go in exchange for his freedom." Castle shakes his head.

"I'm sorry but I can't let that happen." I turn to face him full on.

"Try and stop me," I growl. It's my fault that he got kidnapped, and I'm going to make sure that he gets back safely. No matter the cost.

"It's not what he would want." I know that. Does he think I'm stupid?

"If it were Beckett, what would you do?" He seems to falter for a minute.

"You know the answer to that." I nod. That's why I asked it in the first place.

"It's what I have to do," I tell him. He nods hesitantly.

"I know. I won't stop you." He steps back, showing me that he's being honest. My phone rings.

Perfect timing, I think sarcastically.

"Ryan," I answer, my shaking fingers pulling out the device and pressing the talk button.

"I had hoped that you would be dead by now, but it seems we have had to resort to more drastic measures." It's Randy's voice on the line. The jig is up.

"Randy, please," I try reasoning with him. "Just let him go. You don't need to get involved in your brothers fights." A snort comes over the speakers.

"He's my brother, Ryan. Blood runs thicker and all that." I sigh.

"What do you want me to do?" A silence stretches on the other end and I wait with bated breath.

"Come to 221b Butcher st., and we'll talk there."

"What about Esposito? How do I know he's still alive?" There is a sound of movement and then the most blessed voice I've ever heard.

"Kevin?" I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

"Javi, I'm coming, just hold on," I say frantically.

"Stay away, Coraz-" He breaks off into a scream and I hear a sickening, wet pop.

"That was his shoulder I just dislocated," Randy tells me. "You have one hour. No funny tricks, or it's his neck next." The phone disconnects and I look up at Castle, the tears finally spilling over.

"I've gotta go get him." Castle nods, the rare serious look on his face.

"I know," he says. "I'll sneak out with Beckett and we'll follow you. Text me the address." I nod gratefully at him and he walks back inside, leaving me to grab Javi's keys out of his coat pocket and walk to the garage where his car is parked.

I'm coming, Javi, I think. Whether you want me to or not.

~/~

221B Butcher st. is as gross as it sounds. It's on the bad side of the Bronx, and that's saying something. Even the most seasoned of cops are reluctant to go here. When I walk up to the door, I'm yanked inside and shoved down a hall and into a room with no windows and only the door leading to the hallway.

"The boss'll be back soon," is all the man grunts before slamming the door. I turn around and there's the face I never thought I'd see again. The one I'm sacrificing myself for.

"Corazon," he whispers, standing up. I hurry over to him and scan him for the injury I heard over the phone. He realizes this and smiles grimly.

"They reset it." I nod and stupidly feel myself start to cry again. His hands cup my face and brush away the tears.

"Oh, Kevin," he sighs, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Sorry, I've been such a girl lately." Javi chuckles lightly and pulls me against him, arms locked securely around me.

"That's okay." I sigh against his chest and let myself relax a bit. "Is everyone alright?" I nod.

"Beckett's leg was bleeding, but she's fine. Stu's dead, as well as three others. I don't know who."

"Oh, babe," he whispers into my hair. "I'm sorry. He was a good friend." I snuffle wetly against his shirt.

"It's my fault." He presses a kiss into my hair before running his fingers through the strands.

"No, it's Randy's," he tells me, lifting my head so that I can look at him. "Those people's deaths are not on your head." I just shake my head and bury it back into his chest. We hold each other for a minute, just breathing each other in. The door slams open and we reluctantly pull apart, Javi lightly sidestepping so that he's in front of me.

"The boss'll see you now." It's the same man that shoved me into the room with Javi. He seems to be speaking to both of us. Javi grabs my hand and we follow the man out of the room. Randy's in the living room, sitting on a threadbare couch.

"Randy, everyone knows that you and your brother are the ones running this. If you let us go, we can cut you a deal," I tell him. He snorts derisively.

"And what about my brother?" I just shake my head. We both know that's not going to happen. "You completely blew apart our cover," he told me. "I had no choice."

"You could've just not gotten involved in the first place," Javi told him, drawing me behind him. I was the one Randy wanted to hurt.

"HE'S MY BROTHER!" We both flinch as Randy screams at us. He takes a deep breath, standing up to start pacing.

"I don't need you Esposito," he says after a minute. "He can leave. But you, Ryan, I'll hold ransom or something until I can get to my brother. We'll go into hiding!" Javiers grip on my hand tightened.

"Look," I try. "If you walk away now, we won't come after you. Just let us go." We all know it's not true. As soon as he walked out that door, he would be a wanted man.

"Nice try, Ryan." Randy snorts, running a hand through his short red hair. "Sit on the couch, Ryan. Your boyfriend can stay there. I don't wanna let him go anymore." Javi's hand tightens around mine and we both finally see how mentally deranged our former friend is. "NOW!" I gently pry my hand from Javi's, ignoring his noise of protest, and sit down on the couch.

"What do you want, Randy?" I ask calmly, not meeting Javi's panicked eyes. He pulls out a knife and yanks on my arm, pulling me forward so that the sharp end rests on my face.

"How much do you guys know?" He growls at Javi. I try to pull away from the demanding grip, but he just pulls me forward more, digging the knife into my uninjured cheek.

"He doesn't know all of it," I gasp. "I found out more after you took him." I focus my eyes on Javi's hands as they begin to tremble and curl at his sides.

"What doesn't he know?" Randy snarls. I squirm a bit.

"Let go of me, and I'll tell you," I say, wondering where the hell Beckett and Castle were.

"Not a chance," Randy laughs, moving the knife from my face and cutting a slow line down my chest. The big man that had shoved us in here has to physically hold Javi back when I stifle a whimper.

"Stop!" Javi screams. "Detener o voy jodido a rasgar en pedazos, maldito bastardo!" I take a deep breath as the knife pulls away from my chest and rests on my neck. Javi immediately quiets and stops fighting the man holding him. I can hear pounding and I think it's my pulse pounding in my ears. I feel like I'm about pass out. The knife pulling away from my neck makes me realize that it's not in my head. The pounding is coming from the front door.

"Just let us go," I plead with Rand, not wanting him to get into anymore trouble than he already was. Randy and the big man run to the door, and Javi moves over and pulls me off the couch, hands checking the cut on my chest and then wrapping his arms around me.

"Corazon, are you alright?" an arm comes up from around my back and lifts up my chin. I smile at him.

"I'm good," I tell him. He presses a kiss to my forehead before looks up, horror dawning on his face.

"Javi?" I ask. Distantly, I hear choruses of 'put your weapon down!' and 'get on the ground' and I turn around just as Randy pulls the trigger.

~/~

I know, I'm sorry. Don't kill me. We're down to the last one or two chapters, though! So, yeah…