A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 30th Chapter of Absolution titled 'Let's Get the Bastards' No previewing narrative from me today, just enjoy the read!
There was uproar.
Frank raced across the bullpen and came to a skidding stop beside Esposito. "Where is he?" he demanded.
"Who're you?" Tyler exclaimed.
"This is Agent Frank Grasman, Tyler. You can trust him," Kate said hurriedly. "Can we just be cool here?" she hissed to the older man. "Let me handle this."
Tyler lit up. "Mr Castle said I could trust you,' he said, addressing Frank directly. "And you must be Detective Esposito and Detective Ryan."
"Castle told you this?" Esposito asked doubtfully. "Look kid-"
"Javi back off, we need a lead and he could give it to us." Kate told her friend. "Go to obs one with Kevin, Frank. I will talk to Tyler in interro one, okay?"
Esposito gave the female detective a searching look. "Alright, c'mon bro. This I gotta see."
And with that Esposito grabbed Ryan's arm and the two detectives disappeared into the nearby observation room that looked directly into interrogation room one.
"Tyler, are you alright with Agent Grasman and I taking you to an interrogation room for a bit of a chat?" Kate asked, her tone soft and friendly. "Nothing heavy, we just want to hear what you have to tell us."
"Yeah, alright." Tyler said amiably as Gates slipped into the observation room with Ryan and Esposito.
"Come with me."
Kate led the way to interrogation room with Tyler and Frank close by. She pushed open the door and led the way into the well lit room closing the door behind her.
"Can I get you a drink, Tyler?" she offered, deciding to open the conversation with a non aggressive non-cop manner. "Soda, tea, coffee maybe a hot chocolate?"
"Soda would be nice...thanks," the young man answered, sliding into the seat facing the one way mirror.
"Javi, can you get a coke from the vending machine?" Kate asked her friend who she knew was on the other side of the mirror. 'I'll fix you up later."
"On it," Came the faint reply.
"So, what can you tell us?" Frank asked, his tone quite a bit softer than with his initial question.
"Hargraves and Robinson have got Mr Castle and are holding him hostage," Tyler said at once. "They've-"
"I apologize for interrupting, Tyler. But can you give the full names of who has Special Agent Rodgers hostage?" Frank asked.
"Rodgers?" Tyler said in confusion. "I mean Mr Castle, y'know the writer?"
"They're one in the same, Tyler. Richard Castle is only a pen name." Kate revealed.
"So he is a fed? I figured he was." The teen said with a wry smile. "He's smart."
"If you could answer Agent Grasman's question please, Tyler," Kate pressed firmly.
"Oh yeah, um Deputy Commissioner Peter Hargraves and Governor Phil Robinson have Mr Castle or Special Agent Rogers hostage in Washington Heights on the corner of Poulton and Gamber Streets."
"What's his condition?" Frank asked as a knock came on the door and Kate went to answer it.
"He's real bad, Sir. Mr Robinson has shot him twice, once through the left knee and once through the right arm just up here," Tyler explained indicating to his collarbone. "His knee looks like it's exploded. I tried patchin' it up but he's gonna need to go to hospital. And there's tons of blood on his shoulder, I reckon the bones broken and going by the way he's talking his jaw is broken and I know he's got a major head injury... there's a massive wound on the back of his head."
"Is he conscious or unconscious?" Kate asked making her way back over to the table and setting the can of coke Esposito had given her in front of Tyler. "There you go."
The teen popped the can and took a long swig from it.
"Thanks," he said gratefully. "When I left he was unconscious, you gotta go and get him Detective or they'll kill him! Mr Robinson was dunking him in a tub of ice water that he made me fill up!"
"Tyler, calm down and tell us everything. There's no point in getting worked up," Frank said, addressing the panicking teen. "We need you calm and collected if we're to go and get Special Agent Rodgers and arrest Robinson and Hargraves, alright?"
Tyler took several deep fortifying breaths and another swig of coke. "A-alright," he stuttered. "Man, this is so fucked up! They've gone totally overboard."
"D'you know why they've taken Special Agent Rodgers, Tyler?" Kate asked. "Did anything Hargraves or Robinson say to you directly or to each other that you overheard that would indicate why they abducted him?"
"Yeah, Robinson was always going on about wanting to get Mr Castle to get to you,' Tyler replied. "They're convinced you're heading up the investigation into your Mom's murder and they're convinced if they get you, everything will just go away. They said something about a pair of feds questioning a 'Halstead' and that if they didn't knock you off they'd be busted and their whole operation would blow up. Mr Hargraves said to Mr Robinson that the best way to get to you is though 'Writer Boy' and that's why they've got Mr Castle. Hargraves himself abducted him. He used a hammer to knock him out an' everythin'."
"Do either of these men know Special Agent Rodgers is with the Bureau?" Frank asked. "Do they have any idea of his true identity?"
"No," Tyler replied. "At least I don't think they do. After what I've seen I'm sure if they did, he'd be wearin' cement boots at the bottom of the Hudson."
"You said just now you made an attempt to patch him up,' Kate said evenly. "Why? What's in it for you?"
"Well nothin' really, but what they're doin' is wrong and I want to try and do the right thing, I've been forced to be those two assholes slave for too long and I've had it. I want to save Mr Castle's life. He's a good guy and doesn't deserve this shit."
"You did the right thing, Tyler. Thank you for coming here," Kate said, her tone wavering ever so slightly. "Now can you tell us where your involvement in this mess started?"
Kate and Frank questioned Tyler for a full hour giving the rest of the team the time to formulate a plan to go and rescue Rick. Gates remained in the observation room while Esposito and Ryan flitted in and out liaising with Woodson and Parnell who were taking charge of the investigation while Frank was questioning Tyler with Kate. The senior Federal Agent and homicide detective were very adept at extracting all sorts of information from the teen and only had to ask a simple question for the teenager to spill his guts and reveal everything he knew about Robinson and Hargraves scheming. Frank immediately organised to have the teen and his family sequestered in witness protection then made his way out into the bullpen where every Special Agent and department detective were their eyes trained on him their faces full of expectation.
"Alright everyone, this is it show time," Frank announced. "Time to go over our plans, time is of the essence we need to get Ricky now. Here it goes. Karpowski...you, Jacques and Stegner head to Robinson's condo with Agent Collins and Agent Pilkington and if he's not there question his wife and relatives to find where the hell he is. I want him off the streets. Eggerstrom...you, Oliver and Jameson head to Hargraves place with Agents Green and Havelock for the same reasons-"
"On it!" came the reply.
"Alright coming to Washington Heights with me is Kate, Javier, Kevin, Victoria, Agents Shaw, Woodson, Parnell, Pickering, Hughes and Rochford. I've got the SWAT team on the blocks just waiting for the go ahead. They're meeting us in less than ten minutes. All manner of protective gear is a must. You are all to put on your vests before you leave the building and take the service weapon you're most comfortable with using, with you. This is endgame ladies and gentlemen and the ultimate aim is to bring a fellow agent back safe and well and arrest the two sons of bitches that have him. We close this and we solve thirty seven murders and bust open a huge prostitution and drug trafficking ring. We close this and every single one of you are on my Christmas card list for the rest of my life."
An amused rumble of laughter washed over the officers in the bullpen.
"Let's get the bastards!"
The three groups met again in the parking garage then separated and went to their vehicles. Quietly and without attracting attention the teams left the precinct and headed in their separate directions. Karpowski and her team to Gramercy Park where Robinson lived, Eggerstrom and his team to Morningside Heights where Hargraves lived. This time Agent Shaw took to the wheel of the Crown Vic and drove directly behind the Frank, Ryan and Esposito as their much bigger group headed in the direction of Washington Heights. Kate sat in the front passenger seat of the Crown Vic, her Kevlar vest wrapped tightly around her torso and her right hand fingers drumming a staccato rhythm on her service weapon a tense expression upon her pretty face.
"Kate, relax. We're not too late," Gates said from the back seat in an attempt to reassure her best detective. "It's not going to help Rick or the situation in general for you to speculate what might go wrong. You're a cop, rely on your training. I know we're on a mission to rescue your partner and I don't mean that in the work sense but try and separate the personal from the professional. It's the only way you're going to get through this without losing your shit."
Kate's head snapped up and she looked at her superior shocked at her uncharacteristic use of vulgar language. Gate's raised an eyebrow and gave the female detective a 'Am I right?' look.
"Yeah, alright." She said with a sigh. "We're so close to having all this mess over and done with, y'know? For thirteen years I've wanted to find and arrest the son of a bitch who ordered the hit on Mom and I'm literally half an hour away from doing it. I don't know what's going to happen or who I will be after I slap the handcuffs on, y'know?"
"You're going to be the same person you've always been, Kate," Agent Shaw said. "I know you went to Stanford and did pre-law before joining the service and that to me says you have and will always have a strong drive for justice. Just because you're about to arrest the man who ordered the hit on your Mom doesn't mean that drive is going to disappear."
"I'm being stupid...again," Kate declared sheepishly. "I never have been an insecure person, but lately it's like that's all I have been."
"We all have lapses in character, Kate. What matters is how you overcome it," Gates said wisely. "After this is all over and done with, put in for some time off. You've never taken any of your accrued long service leave and I think you need the time off. Mr Castle has a house in the Hamptons go up there for a couple of months and commune with nature, you need to get out of the city for a while."
"Yeah, I think I might," Kate replied with yet another sigh. "I've never actually managed to get up to Rick's Hamptons house, Alexis tells me a visit there is long overdue."
"Kate, everyone in the bullpen says a visit to the Hamptons is long overdue," Gates said dryly. "From what I hear Rick has been trying to convince you to go to the Hamptons with him since you first met."
Shaw let out a snort of laughter as Kate rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Kevin and Javi can't keep their mouths shut," she groused. "I am having words with those two nits when all this is over. When they're old and demented and living in a nursing home they're going to be the resident gossips."
"Ah, they're only teasing," Shaw said following Frank, Ryan and Esposito's Suburban as they turned off the road in the direction of their meeting spot with the SWAT team. "My husband was like that when I first met him on the job and we became involved. It means they care."
"Hang on...you married your partner?" Kate exclaimed in surprise.
"Yup I did," Shaw replied with a smile. "It's quite common for agents at the Bureau to marry, and from what I hear it's quite common for NYPD officers to marry each other too. I know Victoria met her husband through the service and so did Jane Karpowski, I wonder what other homicide detective that theory will apply to?"
Kate rolled her eyes as Gates laughed heartily.
"Ha, ha." She said dryly, training her eyes on the road in front of them. "Why does everyone tease me and Rick about getting married? We haven't been together a year yet and neither are emotionally ready to head down the aisle. Especially Rick, he's done it twice before and he's always saying he wants to make sure it's the right thing to do before diving into the matrimony pool again."
"Kate, at the risk of sounding really, really obvious that man has already dived into the matrimony pool with you," Gates said in amused exasperation. "And you've dived in with him. You are married, you just lack the certificate. Everyone in the homicide bullpen thinks so. Everyone in the entire twelfth precinct thinks so."
Agent Shaw couldn't help it and roared with laughter.
"In fact it's entirely possible the whole of the NYPD thinks so," Gates continued.
"Oh ha ha hardi har," Kate muttered, sinking down into her seat and blushing a magnificent shade of scarlet. "Very funny."
The hilarity quickly died down and the focus returned to the mission ahead, rescuing Rick and arresting Phil Robinson and Peter Hargraves.
The convoy met on a secluded area not far from Washington Heights and Frank once again went over the plan to rescue Rick with the SWAT team and Kate, Ryan and Esposito who would lead the entry of the warehouse where Rick was being held hostage.
"Okay, let's go over this one more time," the senior Special Agent said, spreading a map of the area on the hood of Kate's Crown Vic. "Kate, we're going to have the guys from the SWAT team at every entrance of the warehouse, we've got snipers here, here and here and if things get out of hand they'll take Hargraves and Robinson out. They've already shot Rick twice. I want them put down if they go any further. You'll enter through the back entrance here with Ryan and Esposito, Victoria...you and Agent Shaw will enter the side entrance here with me and Woodson. You, Rochford and Pickering will enter via the alley entrance on the east side Parnell...you and Hughes will be in charge of the front entrance of Jacaranda Street. All eleven of us will have our backs covered by the boys in SWAT and if it gets out of hand let them take over. This is serious folks Rick is being held hostage by two men who don't hesitate to murder anyone who gets in their way. Our witnesses say these men do anything to meet their goals. I want this drug and prostitution ring busted people and I want Robinson and Hargraves in Sing Sing by the time the sun comes up. If you do your job and follow the plan meticulously, we'll have Ricky out and Robinson and Hargraves in handcuffs inside an hour."
"LET'S DO THIS!" Esposito declared loudly.
A cheer rose from the group and they all dispersed to their vehicles. Kate almost ran back to the Crown Vic and had her belt fastened before Gates and Shaw had even opened the doors.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon let's goooooo!' she said, impatiently drumming her fingers on her gun holster. "I haven't got all night!"
"Kate, seriously calm down. You need to be on top of your game, don't let emotions cloud your judgement now," Shaw said as she slid into the driver's seat and hurriedly pulled on her seatbelt. "This operation goes to shit if you get too worked up, hear me?"
"Yeah alright," the female detective replied avoiding the older woman's eyes. "Can we just go though? I n-need to do this."
"We're going."
The SWAT team truck roared off ahead of the main group in order to surround the perimeter of the warehouse and Frank followed with Ryan and Esposito. Kate kept her eyes trained on the black suburban ahead of the Crown Vic and drummed her fingers agitatedly on her service weapon til they pulled up outside the warehouse where Rick was being held.
Ryan and Esposito jumped out of the Suburban and made their way over to Kate as she got out to the Crown Vic and began adjusting her vest.
"You ready for this Chica?" Esposito asked, his round face full of concern as all the teams silently surrounded the warehouse ready to pounce. "This is crunch time."
"Yeah Javi I'm ready," Kate replied as raised voices filtered out from the warehouse. "More than ready, let's do this."
"Seriously Phil, why have we got Castle still here for?" Hargraves asked the politician as he cleaned the Writer's vomit from his trousers legs a disgusted expression upon his face. "We've had him here for nearly two days and he's given us shit. If you really want Beckett why don't you send someone after her? She can't be that hard to find."
"Well I tried that but you screwed up, didn't you?" Robinson snapped back. "Even with an assault rifle and a scope that would enable a dog to shoot a tic tac from a hundred miles away, you missed. If I didn't have to be in Washington in the morning I'd go after her myself."
"What are you going to Washington for anyway?" Hargraves asked. "You were only there last week."
Robinson rolled his eyes. "Some Democrat Republican bipartisan bullshit," he grumped, cleaning the last of Rick's vomit off his shoes and drying them with a rag. "I want to get this shit over and done with though. I swore when I started all this it wouldn't get as messy as it has. The minute Raglan decided to spill his guts to Beckett there have been bumps in the road. There's a leak somewhere and I want to know where. I know Castle knows something. And I am going to do everything I can to get him to spill his guts."
"And what do you propose to do?" Hargraves asked sarcastically. "He's unconscious if you do anything more to him he's going to snuff it."
"I don't care either way," Robinson snapped, pulling his shoes back on. "I don't think he's unconscious. I know when to back off, unlike you, I have been successful in getting people to shut their traps before."
"Hey back off!" Hargraves shot back his hackles immediately rising. "I have done my best with what little you've given me. It's not my fault that systematically one by one all your underlings have popped their clogs! If you were doing things properly they'd all be alive and no one would know anything."
Robinson's eyes widened in anger and he shoved Hargraves up against the nearest wall.
"Don't you DARE question my authority!" he bellowed. "I brought you into this whole things because I thought you would be useful, but you're anything but! A dog turd would be more competent!"
Kate stealthily entered the darkened warehouse, closely followed by Ryan and Esposito. Her service weapon and torch held out in front of her and her hearing straining to follow the direction of the raised voices. Her stomach flooded with adrenalin and her whole body thrummed with anticipation as she edged toward the ultimate task of rescuing Rick and arresting Robinson and Hargraves.
'I'm going there!' Esposito mouthed to the female detective pointing to a gap between two stacks of pallets. "Got it?'
Kate flashed her friend a grin and a thumbs up, she let the Latino detective cross in front of her and duck down the gap between the pallets before continuing her path forward the raised voices of what sounded like Rick and Robinson.
"Can I h've s'me popcorn?" Rick slurred. "Great show guys, pl'se keep goin' Oscars comin' you w'y. UGH!"
Kate saw Robinson strode over to the Writer and sink the toe of his shoe into the writer's leg.
"Shut up you," he spat. "I don't need you making my problems worse. You've screwed up my plans enough."
Kate wanted to reach out and cradle Rick. Her stomach fell as the Writer scrunched his eyes shut and let out a loud grunt of pain as the politician's toe connected with his thigh just above his injured knee.
"Don' you think you've d'ne that yours'lf?" he groaned, swallowing hard. "I on'ly discover'd what y'were up to. You couldn' organise a bang in a brothel yet y'think' you'll get 'away with killin' me? No way."
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Robinson snarled, unholstering his gun and waving it in the Writer's face.
Rick looked up and his eyes connected with Kate over Robinson's shoulder. The female detective was standing partly obscured by a dumpster full of building material scraps and plastic. She immediately lifted a finger to her lips and gave him the silent 'shush' sign. His insides soared and he knew he was safe. If she was here that meant so were Ryan and Esposito and Frank's team of Special Agents. He slumped back against the dirty brick wall with a loud sigh.
"Answer him asshole," Hargraves hissed, kicking the writer in the leg.
"Why t'hell should I h've to?" Rick groaned the pain his body increasing with every passing moment. "You'll fi'd out."
"I'm only going to give you one more chance to tell me where Beckett is before I blow your brains out," Robinson snarled at Rick as he pointed his shiny gun at the writer. "I'm sick of your bullshit Writer Boy and you're really starting to piss me off."
A thrill of terror raced through the Writer's stomach as the politician pressed the muzzle of his Glock against his abdomen but his determination to protect Kate and disregard for his own safety made him suppress the feeling and he stared into the older man's face.
"Thirteen, thirteen Mockingbird Lane. You son of a bitch now go burn in the pits of hell."
"I warned you Writer Boy now say ta ta."
And with that Robinson pulled the trigger.
The bullet entered the side of Rick's abdomen and tore a horrifying path through his muscles, ligaments and internal organs exiting through his back. Blood spurted everywhere and the impact of the injury caused Rick's eyes to roll back in his head and his body slump sideways down onto the mattress blood pouring from the bullet wound.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Kate screeched, racing forward her gun held out in front of her. "GET DOWN YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
The shock on Robinson and Hargraves face was evident as the female detective raced forward. Before either corrupt politician or bent cop could react, Kate unleased her own brand of hell as she aimed a kick to Robinson's hand and kicked his Glock out of his hand causing it to fly up in the air and hit the ground with a metallic clatter. Hargraves raised his own firearm and went to shoot the brunette detective, but he never had a chance as Ryan and Esposito discharged their weapons shooting the cop in the shoulder and leg. As he fell, Kate raised a heeled foot and stamped it down on Robinson's groin crushing his testicles and causing his eyes to bulge. Every door in the warehouse banged open upon the sound of multiple gunshots and the room flooded with Special Agents and the SWAT team.
"That's for My father," Kate spat, sinking her toe into Robinson's abdomen with all her strength. "That's for me, ugh...and THAT you prick is for my mother. It's over you bastard...I won."
"Kate, Kate, Kate, it's over, it's OVER!" Gates called to the brunette who stood over Robinson laying into the politician who was lying on the filthy floor groaning in pain, his hands cupped over his testicles. "Kate can you hear me?"
Kate eventually looked up into the eyes of her superior totally tuned out to the FBI agents and SWAT team members swarming around.
"Yeah," she said flatly.
"It's over," Gates said softly, holding out a pair of handcuffs. "Its over. You know what to do."
Kate stared at her boss for a while, contemplating the enormity and surrealism of the situation before taking the handcuffs and setting her jaw. She turned and crouched over Robinson staring into his dark eyes with determination and loathing.
"Phillip Robinson, you are under arrest for the murder of Johanna Beckett," she spat, snapping the restraints around the politician's hands. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand?"
"Fuck you bitch," Robinson growled, shooting the female detective daggers as across the room Ryan read Hargraves his rights. "Burn in hell."
"You can do it for me you asshole," Kate spat, grabbing Robinson by the chain of his handcuffs and roughly hauling him to his feet. "Give it up, you're going down."
Kate shoved Robinson into the custody of a group of special agent and was overcome by a sicking wave of nausea. She raced over to an empty box that had fallen out of the dumpster and vomited spectacularly, expelling the contents of her stomach.
The brunette threw up til there was nothing more to bring up and her abdomen was cramping painfully. Tears streamed out of her eyes and her nose ran as she totally broke down thirteen years of grief tension and emotion pouring out of her. Someone handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose hard a choked cry escaping her lips.
"It's over Chica, its over," Esposito told her, wrapping his arms around her slender frame and pulling her close.
"Castle?" the brunette whispered.
"I-It's not looking good Chica, I don-"
With a deafening and guttural shriek of denial Kate wrenched her way away from Esposito and raced over to where Rick lay bleeding. Two SWAT team officers and an FBI agent had ripped off the Writer's shirt and were administering first aid.
"CASTLEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Where the hell is that ambulance?" the agent wearing the FBI vest, yelled. "Someone get that damn ambulance here!"
Kate went to rush toward the prone bleeding body of her partner, but someone pulled her back. Ryan and Esposito wrapped their arms around their friend and pulled her away tears streaming down their faces allowing their colleagues to work on their friend.
For Kate time seemed to rush by lightning quick but at the same time drag. She didn't know how long it took but eventually two teams of paramedics turned up and took over the care of Rick. They cut off the remains of his shirt and trousers before stabilising the Writer turned Special Agent and loading him onto a gurney.
"RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" Kate screamed again trying in vain to pull away from Ryan and Esposito. "Dammit Espo, LET-ME-GO!"
"K-Kate, let them do their job," Ryan urged his friend as the paramedics raced Rick out of the room. "P-please just let them do their job. Castle's a tough guy. He'll pull through with their help."
"I-WANT TO SEE HIM!" Kate screeched, trying again to pull away but sagging to the ground.
"Let us take you to him then," Esposito reasoned, crouching down and wiping away her tears of grief and frustration from his friend's face. "Come on Kate, be strong for him. He's gonna need you over the next few days."
More tears streamed down Kate's face and she slumped into Kevin's form no longer able to fight.
"I c-cant d-do it any m-more, Esp-po," she cried, her whole body shuddering. "I can't do it anymore!"
"The fights over Kate, the fight's over," Ryan comforted his friend, pulling her into a hug. "Just be strong for Castle, alright? Come on deep breaths."
With Ryan stroking her hair and holding her close, Kate forced herself to even out her breathing and calm down. Her heart rate slowed her tears dried up and her hiccups subsided. Frank came back into the room and crouched down by Kate grasping Kate's hand.
"Kate, are you alright?" he asked softly.
"Y-yeah m'fine," the female detective replied with a little hiccup ."R-Rick? Is he-something's wrong"
"Sweetheart, Rick's fine. Well as fine as he can be," the federal agent replied. "I'm not going to lie to you, it doesn't look good. The paramedics are rushing him off to Mercy West. Come with me I'll take you."
"N-no I want Kevin and Javi-" Kate began.
"D'you mind if we take her?" Esposito asked. "Not offence bro, but Castle's in our team. We've got to be the ones to ring Martha and Alexis and be there when he wakes up."
"No, I don't mind. You do what you have to," Frank replied. "I'll be along as soon as I can, there's a lot of work to be done."
"C'mon let's get to Mercy West, Kate," Ryan urged, helping his friend to her feet. "How y'feeling?"
"`M'alright Kevin, thanks." Kate replied blowing her nose again.
"Let's go Chica, lets get out of this hell hole," Esposito said, grasping Kate's arm. "C'mon."
Esposito and Ryan escorted Kate out of the warehouse to where all the cars were parked. A cordon had been set up and the flashing emergency lights reflected and bounced off the surrounding buildings. A large crowd of locals had gathered to watch the events but were being successfully kept back by a group of Special Agents. Ryan fetched a set of keys from Agent Shaw then made his way over to Kate's Crown Vic.
"You sit in the back with Javi. I'll drive." he said kindly unlocking the vehicle.
"Thanks Kevin."
Kate slid into the back of the Crown Vic and Esposito followed. The Latino detective pulled her into a hug and let her once again break down into tears as the enormity of the situation washed over her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked Esposito's shirt but the Latino detective didn't try and shush her and tell her it was going to be alright because they both knew it wasn't. Rick had suffered near fatal injuries and was currently racing towards hospital teetering on the edge of life.
No more than ten minutes after leaving the warehouse in Washington Heights, Ryan screeched into the grounds of Mercy West Hospital. He parked on the far side of the ambulance bay and turned off the lights and sirens before leaping out of the car and racing around to the back to let Kate and Esposito out. The three detectives then raced into the ER waiting room and up to the triage desk.
"Can I help you?" the triage nurse who was dressed in a set of bright pink scrubs asked, her eyes rose at the trio's sudden arrival.
"My name's Detective Kevin Ryan, this is Detective Javier Esposito and Detective Kate Beckett. We want to know what's happening with our partner," Kevin rushed. "Special Agent Richard Rodgers A.K.A Richard Castle. He came here just now from an incident in Washington Heights. We were told he was being brought here for treatment."
"I'll go and check on his status, Detectives. If you'd just like to wait I'll be as quick as possible," the nurse replied.
"Thanks."
"S-someone's got to ring Martha and Alexis," Kate whispered in a small voice as Esposito steered her over to a worn lounge chair and sat her down. "They don't know."
"I'll do it," Ryan replied, grasping her shoulder and squeezing it. "Think positive Kate, he's a tough guy."
Kate flashed her friend a smile then cuddled up to Esposito as Ryan walked off a short distance and took his phone out of his pocket and dialled Martha's number. It rang a few times then the actress answered.
"H-hello?" she answered sleepily.
"Martha? It's Kevin Ryan," the Irish detective began. "How are you?"
"Oh I'm fine," the older woman replied. "What's happening? Have you found Richard yet? Alexis and I came to the precinct to share dinner with Kate but it was empty totally empty."
"Yeah we w-have, look Martha-" Ryan began his voice choking up and his eyes welling with tears.
"What's wrong Kevin?" Martha asked pointedly, her voice shaking with fear. "What's wrong?"
"Rick's been shot," Ryan replied. "Three times, once to the stomach and it doesn't look good. You and Alexis need to get to Mercy West right away. Kate, Javi and I have just gotten here and a nurse is going to find out what's happening. He needs his family Martha, Kate needs you and Alexis. She's not handling things at all."
"Oh-my-god!" Martha exclaimed. "Oh my god! What happened Kevin? Tell me!"
"I promise I will when you get here Martha, don't waste any time. I don't know if Rick's gonna m-just get here, will you? Kate, Javi and I have our cell phones on so ring us if you need to alright? I gotta go."
"Alright, thank you for ringing so much, Kevin. Ring my cell if anything changes, alright?" Martha requested. "Anything, good or bad...okay?"
"You have my word," Kevin promised. "See you soon Martha."
"See you!"
Ryan hung up and made his way back over to Kate and Esposito who were sitting on the lounge chair totally silent and staring off into space.
"Hey, how you doin'?" he asked softly.
"CRASH CART!" someone from the depths of the ER bellowed. "SOME HELP HERE!"
Kate's eyes widened and she went to get up but Esposito pulled her back down.
"Chica, you don't know its Castle," he said his voice breaking. "Stay strong for your boy, huh? He doesn't need any of us to lose it."
Kate let out a choked cry of grief and slumped against her friend, not caring a velcro strap of his vest was scratching her cheek.
The trio of friends waited in the corner of the ER on tenterhooks waiting, hoping for any news on Rick's condition. An hour after their arrival Maratha and Alexis arrived, rushing into the waiting room red hair flying and worried expressions on their faces.
"Alexis, Martha!" Kate exclaimed, upon spying the two women. "Over here!"
Alexis broke into a run and dove into Kate's arms.
"I'm so glad you're safe!" the teen exclaimed, her voice muffled by the female detective's vest. "Grams said Detective Ryan said Dad was shot and he's in really bad condition, is he gonna die? I don't want him to die. I-"
"Honey, I don't know what's happening. The triage nurse hasn't come back to let us know what's happening yet," Kate informed the teen, thickly. "I don't want him to die either, sweetie. Your Dad's a strong man and he's not going to go without a fight."
Martha was the next to embrace Kate. She wrapped her arms around the brunette and held her close like a mother would, allowing her to cry.
"Come on now kiddo, you've got to stay strong for Richard," the auburn haired actress said thickly. "How are you?"
"Been better," Kate replied tearily. "I'm so scared Martha," she added in a panicked whisper. "What if I lose him? I can't lose him, we can't lose him!"
"Hey now, that's not going to happen," Martha said firmly, holding back the tears with every bit of strength she had in her. "Don't you dare give up on him Katherine Beckett. I'm not going to and neither is Alexis or Kevin and Javier. Our boy needs us, needs you most of all. You two are each other's heart Kate and that's what is going to pull us through this mess!"
Kate fell into Martha's arms again and hugged the actress like she was her own mother. The older woman just held the female detective and together the two women comforted each other silently.
Finally two hours after Kate, Ryan and Esposito's arrival the same triage nurse dressed in pink theatre scrubs made her way into the waiting room.
"Detective Ryan?" she called.
The group moved over to the nurse who was holding a clipboard.
"What's happening?" Ryan asked hesitatingly. "Oh, this is Rick's mother Martha Rodgers and daughter Alexis Castle."
"How's Dad?" Alexis asked fearfully.
"I have some news, but if you'd like to come through to the back of the ER I'll speak to you in the waiting room by the surgery block. We'll be afforded more privacy there."
Silently Kate followed the nurse with her little group close behind. The young woman led the group through the hustle and bustle of the ER to the back of the floor where the emergency surgical department was situated. She led them into a spacious waiting room decorated with beanbags and squashy armchairs and artificial pot plants in the corners and switched the lights on.
"So what's happening?" Kate asked fearfully, grasping Esposito and Martha's hands hard.
"Mr Castle is currently in surgery," the nurse began. "He was very hard to stabilise and the ER team needed to use the crash cart three times before he was stable enough to make it into theatre-"
"Oh my God!" Martha exclaimed as Ryan and Esposito swore loudly.
"He's still in theatre now and the operating surgeon Doctor Anderson has had to put an incision in his abdomen to stop the bleeding," the nurse went on. "The bullet pierced his upper large intestine and lower stomach and the repair so far has involved the removal of a quarter of his liver. About now the surgeon would be working on his stomach and large intestine and thinks it's entirely possible he might have to remove some of the large intestine."
"Is he s-stable?" Kate asked in a small voice.
"At the moment, yes. But he's suffered catastrophic injuries Detective and his stability could weaken at any moment. His head injury is of major concern to the ER team who initially treated him and the general surgeon working on him now and the resident neurosurgeon is on standby now to repair that as soon as Doctor Anderson has finished with Mr Castle's abdominal surgery. There is also concern for his knee injury and broken jaw but of all of his problems those are of least importance at the moment and it's not likely an orthopaedic or maxillo-facial surgeon will be called in til Mr Castle is much more stable and has recovered sufficiently from the abdominal and head surgery."
"He's going to need four separate surgeons?" Alexis exclaimed incredulously.
"He is. It's the best thing for his recovery, Miss Castle. But rest assured we are doing out best to put your father back in one piece. Our team is the best in the business."
"How much longer will he be in surgery?" Esposito asked.
"That I can't answer for sure Detective, he's been in an hour and a half and he could be under for anything up to twelve," the nurse replied. "Gunshot wounds of the nature that he's suffered are extraordinarily hard to repair. Time needs to be taken to repair him properly."
Alexis turned around then with a loud sigh flopped down into one of the bean bags.
"That's all I can tell you for now," the nurse told the group apologetically. "I'll let the surgical team you're waiting and someone will be by as soon as possible to give you more information."
"Thank you so much," Kate said gratefully.
"Yes thank you," Martha echoed. "For everything."
"No problem."
"I'm gonna kill him for doing this to us!" Kate exclaimed in a mix of frustration, worry and relief as she dropped down into the bean bag next to Alexis. "God this waiting...Now I know what you all experienced last year when it was me in this situation. I'm so sorry for doi-"
"Kate...you have nothing to apologise for!" Alexis exclaimed. "You didn't shoot yourself. Nothing that happened last year was your fault. And I'm going to tell Dad when he wakes up, none of this is his fault. It's neither of your faults that a pair of nut job psychopaths were out to get you. I for one am really proud of how you've both handled it. You guys won. You brought down a total asshole. If I was still in school I would be taking you to my class for show and tell."
Instantly Ryan, Esposito and Martha burst out laughing and Kate couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Thanks 'lexis," she said grasping the teen's hand and squeezing it gratefully. "Just can't help but feel-"
"Don't, just don't, you did nothing wrong and neither did Dad and we've just have to sit tight and wait for him to wake up so we can tell him...okay?"
"Okay."
With the dread of apprehension pooling in her stomach and the adrenalin of the day starting to subside, Kate laid back in the bean bag and waited for the next piece of news not knowing when it would come.
A/N2: Reviews of a praising and constructive nature feed the beast people! This chapter is for Christina who was just hanging out to see Kate open up a can of woopass on the bad guys!