Disclaimer: I don't own the Castle series. Or the Heat series. Or the Storm series. Hopefully Terri and Andrew don't mind if I borrow them :)
Eyes widening, Nikki pressed her foot as hard as she could on the gas pedal, breaking nearly every traffic law as she drove back to the precinct. She tried to call Raley, Ochoa, and Lauren, but their phones must've been off, because she left them each a large number of voicemails. According to her phone it was 1:46 AM, meaning that Nikki must've been asleep for 12 hours. Oh, God, Nikki thought to herself. I was really tired.
She skidded into the parking garage; nearly rear ending a black Escalade. She ran as fast as her (still) tired legs could take her, jamming her key card into the elevator and slamming her thumb into the "4" icon. She pressed the "close door" button over and over again until the doors closed and she finally came up.
As the elevator car neared the fourth floor, she could hear the loud voices of all of her friends as they argued about what to do about her.
"Rook, I don't think you get it. Nikki hasn't called in in over 12 hours. Once the victim has been missing for 12 hours, the chances of finding them alive decrease rapidly. I'm sorry, Rook. We'll keep looking, but I think it's best you prepare for the worst," Ochoa said, and Nikki could hear the tone of comfort in his voice, like the one they use to console the families of murder victims.
"No, I don't think you GET IT, Mr. Detective Boy! My partner is out there, somewhere, probably in danger or something, and you guys are just giving up on her!"
That was Rook. He was always fiery, especially when people he cared about were in jeopardy. A smile crept on her face as she realized he had called her his partner.
"We aren't giving up on her, Rook. But arguing isn't going to help us find her. She's our partner, too, and we won't stop until we find her, on police time or not," Raley said softly, and ask the elevator doors opened, Nikki could see the kind warmth in his eyes, and she couldn't help but smile a little about his kindness.
When Nikki and Sean first met, Nikki had almost laughed. He didn't seem like the kick-ass detective type, at least, not without apologizing to the criminal for hurting them. The kind look in his eyes felt soft and comforting, like he couldn't hurt a hair on a little fly's head. Of course, this was before Nikki saw him in action. The man was tougher than any detective she had ever met before, herself included. If it came down to a survival of the fittest, she was sure that Raley would win.
Of course, that doesn't mean that Ochoa wouldn't put up a damn good fight. Quite unlike his partner, Ochoa simply screamed bad-ass. With the rugged good looks and the scars, both physical and emotional, he sent the scariest of druglords and murderers screaming if the lighting on his masculine face was right. But deep down, all of his closest friends knew he was a big softie. He was one of the most caring people she had ever met. Deep behind the big muscles, he had a big heart.
Then there was Lauren. She always reminded Nikki of a mama bear. Sure, she was maternal, kind, and caring when she was needed, but if you poke mama bear, or any of her young, you're going to get slaughtered.
It surprised Nikki how quickly the whole survival of the fittest scene flashed through her head. The doors weren't even fully open until she had moved on.
Rook looked down at his feet. "I waited for three years for you, Nikki. Please, please don't be dead." His eyes sunk a little lower and he whispered, "I lo—"
Lauren cut him off, sprinting down the hallway. "NIKKI!" she screamed, throwing herself on the detective.
"Hey, Lauren," Nikki said weakly, unsure of how to react. Lauren squeezed the detective, hugging her tight, and Ochoa and Raley quickly came over, joining the large hug.
Rook stood there, face wet with tears, but a large, surprised smile on his face.
After the big group hug, Rook came over for his own personal hug, and he whispered, "Oh thank God you're alright." After he let go, Lauren slapped her.
"Ow," Nikki complained, feeling the ME's sharp rings on her cheek.
"Where the HELL were you, Nikki? You had us worried sick!" she exclaimed, glaring at her best friend.
Nikki blushed ever so slightly. "After the confrontation with Agent Storm, I kind of fell asleep in my car," she mumbled.
"You really are a narcoleptic, aren't you?" Raley asked, laughing.
Suddenly, after a light cough from a few desks over, Nikki was aware of another person in the room. After everyone moved aside, she saw that Agent Derrick Storm was sitting in her desk chair, chin in his palms, staring into the distance. He had been so still that she hadn't noticed anyone there. His face revealed no emotion to Nikki's return, but his eyes gave away the relief. As annoyed as Nikki was for him showing up, her heart still skipped a beat.
"I, uh, got the alert of the body the same way you all did, over the police radio. Um, it said that the body was a female, face bashed in a professional way, teeth removed, fingertips burned, yah-dah, yah-dah?" he asked, not making eye contact with anyone.
Lauren nodded softly. "Yeah, except there was one military-grade bullet between her teeth."
"We think it's an idiom. You know, 'bite the bullet'. Kinda like the last guy was 'stabbed in the back'," Ochoa chimed in.
Storm nodded. "Is there any way I could see the bullet?"
Digging through her large purple purse, Lauren nodded. She pulled out a bag with a bullet in it. She handed it to him.
Storm pulled a pocket-handkerchief out of his suit pocket and pulled the bullet out, examining it.
"It's just as I feared," he whispered.
Nikki gulped in some air. "What is it?"
"This bullet is from a CIA-issued gun," he said calmly.
Nikki's eyes widened. "You mean, this is an inside job?"
Storm sighed. "Well, you see, there's a way to trace who's gun the bullet came from by the Serial ID on the side. Each bullet that is from a CIA agent's gun, unless a reload is necessary in dire emergency, is imprinted with the agent's ID number on it."
"Well? Do you have a way of tracing ID numbers?" Nikki asked.
Storm blinked, eyes looking dull and sad. "I can do you one better. I know who's ID number this is."
"Well?" Nikki asked impatiently. "Who's is it?"
With hesitation, Storm responded, "Mine."