Kate's hands shook viciously against her thighs. The medical examiner stepped into the loft only to see her friend break down once more.

Wordlessly, the ME walked up to her friend and placed her left hand on Kate's shoulder, bringing her free hand to stop her vicious shaking.

"Kate…" her voice died out. The two of them stood on the blood-soaked carpet soundlessly for a few seconds until the up-right figure stepped closer to the camera, masked, and wearing a black hoodie, the man spoke.

"Hello, Kate."

The room shook like thunder. At least it did for Kate. The room of detectives studied the dark screen attentively, searching for clues, only to come up with the obvious. The room was dark. The abductor remained unknown, hiding behind a mask like a coward. From what they could see, a man, hands bound behind his back, lay there on the floor in what looked like a pool of blood. These were not helpful facts. The abducted man was still unknown to them as they could not get a clear enough look at him, but from what the evidence brought, they were all certain it was the man who brought joy and good coffee to the precinct. Everyone loved him. Well, almost everyone.

"We meet again, detective," his voice, cold like stone, sent a chill up her spine, "let us play a game."

Play a game? Was this some kind of sick joke to him? The thrill of the hunt? The cold drip of blood?

He was some kind of sick psychopath who found pleasure in watching people die. Even if that meant breaking them down and killing them inside.

"Tell me something, Castle, why did he let you live?" She asked.

"To punish me, to make me pay for ruining his plan. Now he's going to kill again all because I couldn't stop him," he looked out at the reflection in the pool where they sat, "and I feel so…" he shook his head as his voice trailed and died off. Kate placed her hand on his knee. She understood how he felt. "I know the feeling," she said.

Kate stood there. Eyes locked on the screen. Her heels still dripping with raindrops. She felt the heavy weight of her friends hand upon her shoulder, of the beaming stares from her fellow co-workers. Kate knew who she was dealing with, and it only made it so much more uncomforting to take in.

"He's going to kill me, Kate. I can't run. I can't hide. What am I supposed to do?" The memory of the cold steel of the gate against her hand that separated her from Rick just a month and a half ago felt like a stab from a cold metal knife.

Memories of that night on the bridge came flooding back, untameable.

"Castle! Are you watching? I want you to see this." He held his gun to her chest, pulling her stiff body toward the damaged car. "Castle! Come on, I want you to watch. I want you to watch as I take her life!" Kate felt the pain in her shoulder as she relived the moment she felt completely useless.

Arms pulled back. She was restrained from any moment other than the slow pull toward the car to her certain death while Castle would have been forced to watch. They neared the window on the passenger's side only to find it empty. Kate felt a sense of hope.

"Over here," the familiar sound of his voice trailed from behind them.

He spun around using Kate's body as a shield. Castle unleashed a full round into his chest, throwing him over the edge just as Kate dropped to take cover.

The memories played in her head like a broken record.

"They still haven't found the body," she said as she made her way over to him leaning against a police car. She took the spot beside him, looking around, investigating without investigating, like she always did.

"They won't. He's not dead."

"Castle, what are you saying?"

"This was never about me, this was about him. Those initials in her date-book? He's not that careless, he wanted us to find that place. He wanted us on this bridge."

"You think he planned this?"

"How does a wanted man stop being wanted?"

She stood there, finally understanding where he was going with all of it. He threw a glance over his shoulder, in the direction the man had fallen.

"It has to be public, and it has to be final."

"Do you know how crazy that sounds?" Kate knew that sometimes his crazy stories came true, but this one, this one had to be wrong. She needed it to be wrong.

"No one's going to be looking for him anymore."

"You shot him. He's dead. It's over," she assured him, walking away.

A final drop rolled off of Kate's heel and clashed with Rick's carpet. Moments became days. Every second she stood there she could feel him slipping away. Further out of her reach.

"Tyson." The name felt cold on her lips.