Author: Elizagoth
Word Count: 3,091
Rating: M (Adult subject matter)
Disclaimer: I own nothing in the following work of fiction.
A/N: WARNING: Contains potentially disturbing/upsetting content. Read at your own risk. Finally we get to the bit everyone's been waiting for. There's probably an epilogue after this. Grab your tissues and hang on.
--For Kate who requested my special brand of angst--
I walked slowly down the stairs from the locker room with my shoulders squared and my head high, ready for a fight. Ryan looked up from his desk and his eyes widened slightly, but he smiled and stood when I reached him.
"Welcome back," he said, handing me the file. "Esposito's already in with him. Letting him sweat it out for a bit."
With a nod I walked to the interrogation rooms, pausing at the door. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to face Coonan again. This time things were in my favor. He was on my turf and I controlled everything.
The door swung open as I entered and both Coonan and Esposito turned to meet my eyes. Coonan smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"Mr. Coonan, can you account for your whereabouts from the morning of June 27th to the night of the 28th?" I asked, taking a seat beside Esposito.
"That was almost six months ago Detective, I barely remember what I did two days ago."
Coonan regarded us carefully, calculating. His expression was cool, like he didn't think we had anything on him.
"Well Detective Beckett here can specifically put you at the scene and I do believe you had a bit of a run in this morning. At the very least we have you for assaulting a police officer," Esposito chimed in, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "I'd start recalling if I were you."
"I was out of town. On business. And you," he pointed at me. "Attacked me. Some woman comes running at me out of nowhere. What else was I supposed to think?"
"I've got an entire department store of witnesses that will say I clearly identified myself as a police officer and informed you that you were under arrest. So unless you want to add evading arrest to your charges, you better get talking. Now we both know where you were on those dates," I growled, slamming my hands on the table. "People are dead Coonan. Important people. I won't stop until you have a needle in your arm."
A subtle touch on my arm from Esposito brought me back down. I sat back down. There was no way I could afford to screw this up.
"I don't know what you're talking about Detective. Maybe you hit your head? I was out of town on business for those days. I had a meeting with some backers about setting up a school overseas."
"I want all those names and your travel documents," I said, calmly flipping through the file in front of me. "But first I'd like you to take me through your schedule on those days. Starting from the evening of the 26th."
"I told you I don't remember exactly. I got to Washington on the redeye on the 26th, then met with some people on the 27th and left early morning on the 28th. Give me a break."
"Do you have documentation to corroborate this? Because right now, I've got a statement from a witness who says that someone who looks an awful lot like you was seen putting Detective Beckett into the back of a black van on the 27th."
To his credit, Esposito didn't falter on the bluff. I was the only witness. No one else had come forth. Coonan, luckily, didn't know that. He did however know that we had nothing else implicating him. No forensic evidence had been found at the warehouse or the place where Castle and I had been taken. The van had never been found. Coonan's efficiency spoke of years of practice.
"Well what's it going to be Coonan?" I pressed, getting in his face again. "I also seem to remember you uttering some pretty nice death threats this morning as well. Why don't we just keep adding things on?"
"That would never hold up in court! It's only your word against mine!"
"Now how would you know that? Unless you were there this morning?" Esposito said smoothly.
It was enough to rattle Coonan. I curled my hands into fists on the table as we shoved him to the ropes. He fumbled for an excuse, finally giving in.
"What else are you lying about?" I said, going around the table and invading his personal space.
"Nothing, you stupid bitch. Now back off!" he yelled, pulling on the cuffs keeping his hands attached to the table.
"Is that what you do Dick? Intimidate people to keep them quiet? Or do you just kill them? Can't have any witnesses right? I bet it was a shock to see me alive. You thought you finished the job back there, but there I was. I'm about to be your worst nightmare."
There was an inch of space between our faces and I could see the anger simmering in his eyes. Those cold eyes that I saw in my dreams. I wondered if his pride would let him keep up the denial or if he would try to get in the last scathing comment.
"Hardly a nightmare Detective," he leered, roaming him eyes over my body. "You look just like her. Scream just like her too."
I felt the bile rise in my throat as he mentioned my mother, but I swallowed and faked a grin.
"Gotcha you sadistic son of a bitch," I murmured, pulling away. "Did you get that Esposito?"
"Every word. I do believe he just admitted to two homicides and one attempted murder of a police officer."
"What!? No I didn't. You tricked me! That's coercion. I want a lawyer!" Coonan yelled, pulling furiously on his bonds.
"No problem, you can't wait for him in lock up," Esposito said, closing his folder. "Dick Coonan you're under arrest for the murders of Johanna Beckett and Richard Castle, and the attempted murder of Detective Kate Beckett."
"Wait!" Coonan said as Ryan entered to take him away. "I have information, about the people who hired me. Give me a deal and I'll tell you everything."
My relief was short lived as his words sunk in. Of course, Coonan was just the bottom of the totem pole. I had been so focused on catching him and putting him away, I'd almost forgotten the bigger picture. There were people higher up responsible. People who needed to pay.
"Let's hear what you have to say and then maybe I'll consider asking the DA to take off the death penalty."
"No way! What I know is worth more than that," he protested.
"That's my offer, take it or leave it," I said, crossing my arms.
"Whatever. You may have caught me, but they'll just get someone else to finish the job."
"Take him away."
"It was supposed to be just you! Castle was just a sweet bonus," he yelled on the way out the door.
I heard him and felt my blood boil. Before anyone else could react, I had delivered a strong right hook to his face.
"You son of a bitch," I screamed, feeling Esposito grab me around the waist.
Ryan kept hold of a laughing Coonan as Esposito turned me in the direction of the break room. I pulled out of his grasp and nodded tiredly as all the fight left my body.
On my way to the break room I turned to look over my shoulder, grinning when I saw Esposito and Ryan slam Coonan into a wall.
"This is police brutality! I'll sue!" he yelled.
"No way bro. I saw it, you totally tripped," Esposito said, pulling Coonan along.
"You really should be more careful," Ryan shrugged, helping his partner.
I felt a tired smile pull at my lips. Even after all this time, the boys still had my back.
In the break room I sunk into the old couch, exhausted. The interrogation with Coonan had drained everything out of me. It was hard to believe it was finally over. We hadn't found out who Coonan was working for, but hopefully the DA could get him talking. With a sigh I looked around the room, noting it hadn't changed. I didn't imagine it ever would.
Castle appeared, sitting beside me and I leaned against him, exhausted.
"It's over," I murmured.
"Now all that's left is to remember," Castle whispered, taking my hand in his.
My eyes landed on the espresso machine and a lump formed in my throat. Coonan's words about Castle were still ringing in my ears. His voice still sounded the same. It was like being in that warehouse all over again.
"Wakey, wakey Detective," I heard as I felt someone shaking my shoulder.
It was dark in the warehouse, the neon overhead lights giving off a hard glow and I wondered how long I'd been out for. The light hurt and I squinted, trying to bring up a hand to shield my eyes but found them bound. Plastic zip ties held my hands behind the back of the chair I was sitting on and I could feel the ache setting into my shoulders, telling me I'd been in this position for some time.
As I gathered my bearings I took stock of myself. My feet were similarly bound together with the plastic ties, and my head throbbed from whatever had been in that syringe. I wondered how Castle was faring.
The thought brought me alert instantly and I looked to my right and saw Castle, bound the same way I was, starting to stir. A man moved to a table set a few feet in front of us and I cringed when I caught sight of the objects laid out. Among them were my gun, badge and our cell phones, presumably shut off to prevent a trace.
"Castle, you okay?" I asked, unable to reach for him.
He lifted his head in my direction and gave me a groggy unfocused look, but managed a nod.
"That's enough chit chat," the man said, picking up something from the table. "Let's get to the fun part."
Before I knew what was happening, the crushing pain of hard brass hitting my face sent me reeling. My vision blurred and the chair rocked with the force of the impact.
"Kate! You leave her alone, you son of a bitch!" Castle yelled, obviously more awake. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"
"You'll get your turn soon enough Mr. Castle. Let Katie and I have our fun first hmm?"
I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine for the first time. The man's voice was calm and he truly sounded like he intended to enjoy himself.
Blood had begun to run from my brow and across my closed eyelid, but even closing my eyes did nothing to dispel the pounding headache that pulsed with every beat of my heart. Through the pain I tried to formulate a plan, an idea, anything that would gain us the upper hand.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, trying to distract him and buy us time.
"Well you see Kate, you and Mr. Castle here have been sticking your noses into places where they don't belong. Trying to find things that should just be left alone. That's making some people a little nervous. So they sent me to make sure that whatever you've found doesn't go any farther that yourselves," he said, setting the brass knuckles back on the table.
"This is about my mother's case?" I asked, panting slightly as a wave of nausea rolled through me.
"We didn't find anything," Castle said. "We'll stop looking if you just let us go."
"Now where would the fun in that be? Plus my employers wouldn't look too kindly on me breaking a contract. Of course the contract was just for the lovely detective here, but I've always been a two for one kind of guy."
With that the man grabbed a metal baton and sent a hard hit to Castle ribs, causing him to gasp and tense him jaw. More blows rained down from either side and I felt hot anger rising as I was forced to watch.
"Hey!" I yelled.
It occurred to me that my hands were bound together, but not to the chair and I attempted to stand with my feet tied so close together.
"I'm feeling a little neglected over here. I might have to be jealous."
My plan to draw him away from a wheezing Castle worked as the man pushed me to the cold cement floor and delivered a few swift kicks to my ribs. I whimpered as I felt something crack, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying out.
"Is-is that all you got?" I gasped, trying to breath past the burning in my chest.
"Oh no, my dear. I'm just beginning."
He hauled me back into my original position on the chair and went back to the table as Castle and I watched, helpless.
I lost track of time as he beat and abused us; first one, then the other. It all faded into a blur of pain and useless banter and reassurances. After a time, I stopped looking at Castle, unable to see the defeat in his eyes. By then it had set in that neither of us would be walking out of here alive. The warehouse was going to be our tomb. How very Shakespearean it was that we were going to die together.
"Well kiddies," the man said, glancing at his watch.
I could barely see him past the swelling around my eye and pain and exhaustion meant I couldn't lift my head high enough to look at him fully.
"I have to say, I had a blast. You two really are a riot. But now I've got another appointment to get to and so do you I'm afraid."
He picked up my cell phone from the table and for the first time I noticed that he had packed up the other tools on the table. White gloves were on his hands as he turned my phone back on and dialed.
"9-1-1 what's your emergency?" came a voice as he put the speakerphone on.
"This is for Captain Roy Montgomery of the 12th precinct. There's been a murder. One of his officers has been shot along with her civilian associate."
I struggled to stay focused as he rattled off the address of where we were and hauled Castle and I to our feet.
"Sir I need you to stay on the line, the police have been dispatched."
"I'm afraid it's too late. Better send a coroner."
He pressed a button and disconnected the call, but left the phone on. Then he turned to Castle and I standing shakily side by side. I felt all the blood drain from my face as he picked up my gun with one gloved hand.
"It seems we've reached the end of our liaison," he sighed, flipping the safety off.
"Don't you touch her!" Castle yelled, trying to move in front of me, but it was too late.
BANG! BANG!
I felt the bullets rip into my already battered body, knocking me to the ground. My head bounced off the hard cement once and then I was still, dazed. Two more shots echoed out in the large industrial space and then Castle was on the floor beside me and the man was gone.
"Castle?" I rasped, trying to speak past the burning pain and cold warring within my body.
Taking a deep breath I rolled to my side and saw him laying on his side facing me.
"Rick!"
I scooted closer to him, feeling blood running across my chest and stomach. His eyes fluttered, but were glassy when they met mine. Dark stains had begun blooming on his chest and lower abdomen as well.
"Just hang in there. He called 9-1-1. They'll be here soon. Talk to me babe, please," I begged, getting more hysterical by the second.
"Kate," he finally choked out. I wasn't encouraged by the crimson staining his lips. "Promise me you'll get out. That you'll watch out for Alexis…"
"No, Rick. Honey, don't talk like that. We're going to both get out of here," I rambled, even as I felt my head swim. "You're going to see Alexis graduate from Harvard and we're going to get married and have a whole house full of Castle babies."
"You can barely handle me," he whispered.
I used the last of my strength to push us together. Our foreheads touched and I could feel his nose brushing mine.
"Please, Kate. I need to know that Alexis and you and my mother are going to be okay."
"We will," I promised, kissing his lips and coming away with the coppery taste of blood. "So will you. Just a little longer, Rick please."
"I know it's a bad time, but I want you to know that I love you Kate."
"Richard Castle don't you dare say goodbye," I sobbed, wishing my hands were free to hold him.
"It's not goodbye, it's until tomorrow. Whenever that may be."
My tears were falling freely now, stinging the cuts on my face.
"Until tomorrow, Rick. I love you."
I felt him nod and cough heavily. Closing my eyes I whispered to him all the things we were going to do, even as every part of my body protested the energy I was using. Eventually his shaking stopped and his gasping breaths fell to silence.
Things beyond that became a little hazy. I remembered crying until I couldn't breathe and drifting in and out, mostly in shock, as Castle's body cooled against mine, chilling me to the bone.
I don't know how long we laid there on that cold floor, but eventually the sound of sirens could be heard outside. Then Esposito was there with Ryan and Captain Montgomery and even Lanie. The paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and fitted an oxygen mask over my face as Esposito held my hand and urged me to hang on just a little more. My own words to Castle echoed in my head and I turned to see Lanie crouched above him. She had two fingers pressed to his neck and her wrist trembled as she counted off the seconds on her watch. I started sobbing anew as she shook her head, confirming what I had already known.
There wasn't enough air to be drawn into my lungs as they loaded me into the ambulance and Esposito hopped in beside me.
"It'll be okay Kate. I'll see you in a little while," he said, taking my hand again.
I had time to wonder what he meant then there was a sharp sting in my arm and my world was going black.
To Be Continued...