I don't know how much I like this chapter but I wanted to get something up. I think I have finally come up with the rest of the storyline.
P.S: we will meet Track in the next chapter :)
Please review and if you have any suggestions I am more than willing to take them into consideration.
Chapter 9:
Ryan couldn't figure out what he was seeing. Why was Taylor still in contact with someone from Track's organization? After Ryan got shot, Taylor used the opportunity to get out. The cops had closed in and in order to protect his identity Taylor's "cover" had gone underground. Track had set it up so that one of his lower level goonies took the fall for shooting Ryan. All the months of being undercover were for nothing. Track was once again able to keep his hands clean.
'There must be an explanation for this.' Ryan thought to himself. He quickly stood up, determined to go see Taylor and ask him about it. At that moment, Beckett and Castle came out of interrogation and Esposito came back from Abigail's apartment.
"We got something." Beckett announced, smiling.
"Great cause I got nothing. Her apartment was clean, so to speak." Esposito replied sitting on the edge of Ryan's desk as they all gathered around.
"Well Beckett and I just make a better team than you two." Castle declared while Beckett smirked.
"Hey now" Ryan started "Who said I didn't find anything?"
"Did you?" Castle questioned.
"I'm working on it. I've got a lead to track down." Ryan said putting on his jacket.
"Ok you go do that. Castle and I are going to talk to Track." Beckett flipped through a file in her hands, a smile playing at her lips.
"What? Why would you do that?" Ryan stopped in the middle of putting his jacket on, completely shocked.
"Because, Cutter talked." Beckett answered. She was clearly confused about Ryan's reaction. "He told us he was only trying to test out the merchandise. Abigail laughed at him and that's why he was yelling at her. He decided to sell out Track for witness protection. Apparently they now offer plastic surgery." Castle was bouncing up and down with excitement as Beckett finished explaining.
"Does this mean we have enough to take Track down?" Esposito asked hopeful. Ryan looked from his partner to Beckett wondering the same thing.
"No not yet. It's just his word at the moment. That's why we are going to talk to Track: in order to find some proof." Beckett stood up. "Espo, are you riding with Ryan?"
"Uh, um. Actually if its ok with you Bro," Esposito turned to his partner "I'd like to go with them. I'm dying to see what this Track guy is all about." Again, hope filled Esposito's eyes as he silently pleaded with Ryan.
"Fine by me. I should really get on this lead though." Ryan finished putting on his coat and moved to walk out of the bull pen. He turned around and addressed his partner. "Hey Espo, he isn't anything special by the way." Ryan gave his partner a small smile and left. Esposito smiled to himself at the private moment between them and turned back to Beckett and Castle, who were both smiling at him.
"Shut-up. Are we going or not? I call shot gun." He grabbed his jacket and left.
"But, I always get shot gun." Castle pouted.
"Aww, come on Castle. Let's go talk to the bad guy." Beckett followed Esposito out, laughing.
"Fine" Castle grunted and followed.
Ryan drove down the familiar rode towards his ex-partner's apartment. He hadn't been there since before they had gone under cover together. They ended their relationship specifically because of the assignment. Their time together hadn't lasted long but it had been very intense. Ryan hadn't known that it was possible to be that attracted to someone. They kept "them" a secret from everyone, knowing the consequences of a bunch of Narcotics cops finding out about what they were up to at night. They kept everything between the sheets, so to speak. They weren't dating; they were having sex, plain and simple. To be honest, Ryan hadn't thought much about his past relationship with Taylor. They cut ties when Ryan's cover was blown in order to keep Taylor's intact. Ryan joined homicide almost the moment he was out of the hospital and soon after, Esposito transferred in from the 54th. Ryan had a new job and a new partner which didn't leave much room for dwindling on the past. Ryan smiled to himself as he thought of all the things he and Espo had been through, the good and the bad.
Ryan's smile slowly faded as he neared Taylor's apartment. He parked the car and got out. He hated that he had to be there but he had questions that needed to be answered. He made his way to Taylor's door and knocked. Taylor opened the door quickly. He was standing in his jeans and an open zip up jacket. His feet were bare.
"Kevin Ryan. I knew I would be seeing you soon, but this is a little surprising." Taylor moved out of the way to let Ryan in. "Dude, it's been like half an hour since I saw you. Miss me already?" Taylor stepped towards Ryan grinning.
"Stop!" Ryan pushed at Taylor's chest. "That's not why I'm here. We need to talk about Track." Ryan saw a flash of something in Taylor's eyes.
"What about him?"
"You got out right? Right after I got shot?" Ryan questioned.
"Yeah man, you know I did. No offense but I didn't want to end up in the hospital bed next to you." Taylor sat down on the couch and lit a cigarette. "Track was pissed when he found out about you man. I didn't want to feel that wrath. I heard about your shooting after the fact. Once I knew you were ok though, I took off." Ryan sat down in an armchair next to the couch.
"I would have done the same thing man. What I came here to ask you about is Abigail Preston and why you have been talking to her?" Ryan studied Taylor's reaction. Taylor didn't flinch.
"Who?" Taylor looked at Ryan and took another drag of his cigarette.
"You know who the hell I'm talking about. You and her had been in contact a lot in the few days before her death and I wanna know why." Ryan was starting to get angry. The man sitting in front of him was not the man he knew and it wasn't just the longer, grungier hair. Something about the man's attitude was just off. Ryan was getting the feeling that he should have made Esposito come with him.
"She was just some whore I kept on speed dial. For those lonely nights, ya know. After all I don't have your sweet ass to keep me company anymore." Taylor smirked at the shocked look on Ryan's face. He snubbed out his finished cigarette and sat back waiting for Ryan to continue. Ryan's face tensed with anger.
"Bullshit, you honestly expected me to believe that you happened to pick up one of Track's girls as a booty call?" Ryan stood up. "Just tell me the truth; what the hell are you up to?"
"You want the truth? Fine, I was her handler. She reported to me and I reported back to Track. Lately she had been acting out and I kept calling her to find out what she was up to." Taylor smiled once again at the shocked look on Ryan's face. Taylor pulled a gun out from between the couch cushions and layed it on his lap.