Disclaimer: I don't own Castle... the characters of this amazing show belong to the genius Andrew Marlowe and ABC. :P
A/N: Yes, it was an evil cliffhanger, but you'll see right in the first line that they'll be all right. ;) This is the last chapter of the story before the epilogue. I hope you all like how I wrap things up... I can't believe this story is almost over already. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. And don't forget to drop some love off to the person who made my trailer to this story on Youtube. If you haven't seen it, the link to the trailer is on my profile page. I love it. :D Please reply and tell me what you think!
Previously in Habeas Corpses...
"Where are your captors, Castle?," Esposito asked.
"I don't know, I think they're waiting to strike," Castle replied, "You guys have to get out of here before they kill you."
"We're not going anywhere without you," Beckett replied. She had to set her gun down to try and pick the locks to Castle's restraints. Esposito and Ryan kept their guns up in case King decided to pop out from anywhere.
Everything seemed to be going well, but everybody was on edge – King was nowhere in sight and that was very unnerving. Ryan was starting to get nervous, "Castle? Are you sure you don't know where they went?"
"No," Castle shook his head. His focus was on Beckett trying to open his cuffs around his wrists that were shackled to the wall. The next sound he heard was Esposito and Ryan yelling. His head shot up and Beckett whipped her head around to see them fall to the ground.
Now in Habeas Corpses...
Chapter 14
"Tasers," King smiled, holding one up, "Gotta love em."
"How'd you get around here undetected?," Beckett asked, her eyes alternating from Ryan and Esposito unconscious on the floor to King.
"Never left the house," King shrugged, "I've got a few hidden areas in this house… you must be slipping, Detective. You didn't canvass the area before barging your way in?"
Beckett kept looking to her partners and King noticed, "Don't worry, they'll be fine. They know nothing and I intended to keep it that way. The same can't be said for you though."
Castle continued to shift his cuffs around, left over right and right over left. Kate grabbed her gun again and stood up slowly, "Just come quietly, Mr. King and nobody will get hurt."
"That sounded like a threat," King remarked, "I don't take too kindly to threats."
"He doesn't take too kindly to anything," Castle mumbled, continuing to fiddle with his cuffs.
"Where's Johnson?," Beckett asked, standing in front of Castle as a shield.
"You figure everything out, don't you?," King cocked his head to the side. Johnson stepped inside the room and acknowledged Beckett, "Detective."
"Why, Johnson?," Beckett stalled for time. If they didn't come out soon, Shaw and Avery would come in and everybody would be taken care of, hopefully without any bloodshed, "Why did you get involved with this guy?"
"The money," Johnson shrugged. King pointed to Esposito and Ryan on the floor and Johnson got the hint. One at a time, he dragged them to the other side of the room next to Castle and Beckett.
"So, Detective," King stepped closer to her, his finger tapping the trigger of his gun, "I'm assuming since you're here, you were able to connect Sullivan's case to your mother's case. You know what I did ten years ago."
"Yes," Beckett stood her ground, "You ordered the hit on her… all because she was going to expose you and your little heroin trafficking organization."
"Little?," King scoffed, "Now I'm insulted."
"Give it up, King," Beckett was holding her ground, "It's over."
Before King could reply, Castle blurted out, "I swear if you say that it's not over because a man like yourself can't afford to have any loose ends, I'm gonna scream."
"I wasn't going to say that," Nick smirked, "He gets touchy doesn't he? So, Katie… now that you're face-to-face with the man who wanted to make sure your mother was dead. What are you going to do?"
Kate stood emotionless, gun drawn and at the ready if he tried to shoot her or Castle behind her.
"You've got nothing to say?," King shook his head, "That's a real pity."
"Actually, I do," Beckett replied and after a brief pause, she remarked, "You're under arrest."
"I do love a good cliché," King said. Castle peeked around Beckett's legs to see King start to tighten his trigger finger as he brought it up. He widened his eyes as King finished his sentence, "And how cliché is it for a detective's last words to be those?"
The next few seconds seemed to progress in slow motion. King pulled the trigger, aiming for Kate and Rick in one shot. Castle managed to get out of his restraints through Beckett's help and what he remembered from the ex-felon, wordsmith Norman Jesup he met last year. He pulled Beckett down, the bullet scarcely missed the two of them by a hair, and shot into the wall. The next second Shaw and Avery burst through the door, guns drawn and shouting, "FBI!"
Avery slapped the handcuffs on Johnson's wrists, "William Johnson, you're under arrest for the murder of Charles Sullivan and the kidnapping of Richard Castle."
He started reading him his rights as Shaw slapped the handcuffs on King's wrists with pleasure, "Nick King, you're under arrest for a multitude of crimes."
"Take him out of here," Beckett stood up, Castle helping her up as they watched Shaw walk King out, reading him his rights too.
"You haven't heard the last of me," King swore as he was led out the door with Avery leading Johnson out.
"You okay, Castle?," Beckett gently brushed his bangs off of his forehead to reveal his gash and dried blood, "What happened?"
"It's nothing," Castle waved, "I'm fine, I'm just glad you're okay. King wouldn't stop talking about how he was going to kill you and me."
"We weren't going to give him that chance," Beckett said. She brought her hand right back up to his forehead, "I still think you should have Lanie look at that."
"I will," Castle assured her, his voice soft.
"How'd you get out of the shackles?," Kate walked around him, over to his previous holding place, breaking their quiet moment.
"Just a little help from you loosening it and some tricks I remembered from Jesup last year," Castle explained.
Beckett and Castle turned their heads when they heard Ryan and Esposito groaning, regaining consciousness, "Nice to see you guys are all right."
"Castle?," Ryan squinted, looking up with his hand to his head.
"What happened?," Esposito looked just like Ryan.
"King hit you two with a taser," Castle told him and Beckett finished, "Shaw and Avery took Johnson and King out of here."
"Why do we always miss all the action?," Esposito rolled his eyes as he got up, "You all right, Castle?"
"As good as could be expected," Castle replied, "You'll have to brief me on how your investigation went on the way home. I'm sure I've got a very worried mother and daughter at home awaiting my safe arrival."
"Not before Lanie checks your injuries, Castle," Kate said, "Don't think I haven't noticed you wincing every minute or so… we saw that kick in the chest, remember? You can call Alexis and Martha before you go home. I'm sure they'll settle for the security of hearing your voice while you get patched up."
12th Precinct
"This is a nasty gash, Castle," Lanie commented as she sutured it up, "How'd you get it?"
"Oh, you know," Castle shrugged with a tough-guy sniff, "Just defending myself."
"No, really?," Lanie stopped suturing.
"I crashed into a wooden table," Castle conceded, "I was bound to a chair by some ropes and I saw the table had some splintered wood. I hopped over to it and lost my balance somehow before crashing into the table and breaking it. I think I might've lost consciousness too."
"Yeah, well thank goodness there's no brain damage; and that explains the rope burns on your wrists," Lanie finished up what she was doing and started to put her medical equipment away, "How relieved were your mother and daughter to hear your voice?"
"Very," Castle touched his new sutures on his forehead, "Alexis practically hugged me through the phone."
"She was really worried about you, Castle," Beckett made her presence known in the room.
"Yeah, well, I had a great team looking for me," Castle smiled, "How did you guys find out Nick King's name anyway? He was the big, bad, untouchable boss Coonan was talking about… nobody really knew his name."
"I don't know," Lanie shrugged. Castle looked to Ryan and Esposito who shrugged as well and Ryan replied, "Beckett's the one that found out."
"Really?," Castle didn't mean to sound so surprised.
"Why are you so surprised, Castle?," Kate folded her arms.
"What? No, I'm not, I just was curious as to how you found out," Castle attempted to defend his shocked reaction.
Before Kate could reply, Shaw came up behind everybody, "Why question great detective work?"
"Agent Shaw, always a pleasure," Castle hopped off of the desk he was sitting on.
"Great to have you back, Castle," Shaw shook Castle's hand, "Thanks to you and this team, we've finally got Nick King in holding."
"He's not getting out of this?," Kate asked. She always feared that the man responsible for her mother's death would somehow catch a break and be out on the streets again.
"Not a chance," Shaw assured her, "There's no way humanly possible he'll be getting out of any of the felonies he's committed."
Castle put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. He knew why she was so worried and he too was relieved that everything and everyone was taken care of as they should be, "Well, if everything is all right here and if I'm all patched up, I think I should head home."
"You all should head home," Shaw stated, "Montgomery is dealing with all the press and the media right now, but he wanted me to tell all of you to take the day off and get some rest."
"I'm fine with that," Ryan lit up, "I haven't had a lot of time to spend with Jenny lately."
"I could use a day off," Esposito agreed.
Kate looked reluctant and before she could object, Shaw cut her off, "Captain Montgomery wanted to especially make sure that you take the day off, Detective."
"I don't really-," Kate started to object.
"Nonsense, Beckett," Shaw cut her off again, "You've been up longer than anybody else including me – and I burned the midnight oil. Your captain told me how you were up way before you even got Sullivan's case."
"Which I'm happy to say has been taken care of with Johnson arrested," Beckett nodded.
"Exactly, now take the day off," Shaw ordered and shook Kate's hand, "Take it easy."
"I'll try," Beckett returned the favor. After shaking everybody else's hands, Shaw once again left the precinct with her team right behind her, taking the smart board with them.
"You really do need to take it easy, Kate," Lanie agreed, "Go home… there will be plenty of cases tomorrow after you're rested."
Everybody bid their goodbyes and went their separate ways until Castle and Beckett were the only ones left standing by her desk. Castle broke the silence, "Thank you."
"For what?," Beckett furrowed her brows. Was he seriously thanking her for saving him? He didn't need to show any sort of gratitude. He'd do the same for her and has.
"Thank you for being you," Castle grinned, "I don't think I would've made it if anybody else was on the case."
"You're welcome," Kate returned his smile. Now that everything was wrapped up, Kate knew that Castle had to know about King's paternal identity, "Hey, Castle? Would you mind if I went back to your loft with you?"
"You want to come home with me, Detective?," Castle teased, "Should I be worried that you're going to try and take advantage of me?"
"I wouldn't be too worried, Castle," Beckett folded her arms, "After all, your mother will be there."
"True," Castle pouted as he followed her to the elevators and mumbled, "Maybe I should consider changing the locks."
TBC
Castle's safe and sound. The bad guys have been taken care of... all that remains is, well, you know. I hope you guys will enjoy the epilogue. I loved writing this story and I hope I did right by all the characters and that I was able to maintain the flow of an episode with everyone in-character. :D Hopefully, I'll be writing another Castle story some time in the near future and when I do, I hope you all will tune in to it. ;) Please tell me what you guys think! I love seeing messages in my inbox from you guys. :) You guys have made this story the most reviewed published story of mine ever and you're nearing making it #2 in the most hits. You guys are incredible. :)
Thanks to those of you who are just reading this. I really appreciate you too. :D
Clois and Caskett Forever! :D