Chapter 15

The black town car pulled into the alley and a large man pulled a woman clad in a hospital gown from the rear seat. Carrying her into the delivery entrance they disappeared. Minutes later the man returned and drove the car back out of the alley.

In front of the building another black town car arrived about ten minutes later. A well-dressed gentleman exited the car and headed into the building. This car drove down the street and parked, waiting. The building was an ordinary apartment building. Nothing special and very nondescript. Inside the man took the stairs to the fifth floor. Walking down the corridor to apartment 511 he knocked. The door opened and the man stepped inside.

"What are you thinking bringing her here?" Halstead the apartment owner had been beside himself with worry since the large man had knocked and dumped the drugged detective on his couch and left.

"Calm down. This is almost over and we'll all be free of this unfortunate business."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well as I see it there are really only two loose ends left. The tragic Detective Beckett…and you."

"Wait what, me?"

The well-dressed gentleman pulled a gun from inside his wool coat. Halstead backed away. "After everything I've done. After everything my son did for yours."

"I'm very sorry. Both you and your son have done well. Now its time for you to do one more thing for me. I really need all this business closed. Making you the only one left as the fall guy. Cops already have their suspicions about that warehouse fire. This will give everyone closure."

A moan from the couch alerted him that the Detective was regaining consciousness. He walked over to the couch and pulled hair back from Beckett's face. "It really is such a shame. She is a very beautiful woman. Well no matter. Its time for you to kill her."

"Wait no I already did that once for you."

The man's eyes flashed with anger. "And as you can see you clearly failed. Now I'm going to clean up your mess." He stepped back across the room and fired one shot into Beckett's chest. Snapped into consciousness by the impact her eyes were wide as her hand immediately went to her chest. Pulling her hand away she saw the blood.

Tears began to fall. Not tears of pain tears of regret. Not this way. After everything, to die without her gun or her badge. To die without a fight. This wasn't right. Then the pain began. It spread like before burning through her chest and this time all the way across to her left shoulder.

After watching blood spread across the hospital gown she was still wearing the well-dressed man began knocking over things in the man's apartment. Moments later he turned back to her. Her eyes had closed and blood trailed from the center of her chest and was now dripping from around her shoulder onto the couch.

Turning to Halstead, he pulled another handgun from his coat and fired one shot hitting the man in the chest. Reaching down he placed the gun in Beckett's bloody hand and fired two other shots. He pulled Beckett onto the floor in front of the couch. Using his foot he crushed the coffee table between the chair were Halstead lay and the couch. Hearing police sirens in the distance he dropped the gun near Halstead straightened his scarf and walked out the door.

It was early evening but there was no one in the hallway. Outside he found the car waiting and they turned onto the cross street as he saw police cars approaching from the opposite direction. Twenty-five minutes later the car pulled up in front of the Lincoln Center. Walking in he quickly found his wife and they took their seats to watch their daughter play her first concert with the New York Philharmonic.


One block away the police cars turned off their sirens. Quickly police cars surrounded the nondescript apartment building. Lead by Detectives Ryan and Esposito and Captain Victoria Gates the team climbed the stairs to the fifth floor. Gates had forced Castle to wait at the precinct. At the door to apartment 511 they paused identified themselves and breached the door.

The mess of a struggle was the first thing they noticed. The man lying back across the chair was the next thing. Only upon entering and clearing the other two rooms did Esposito see Detective Beckett laying face down on the floor. Rushing to her he felt for a pulse. "Get the EMT's in here quick. She's still alive!"

Pushing the couch back Gates helped Ryan roll Beckett over. As they did she stirred. "Detective you stay with us. We aren't going to lose you now." Those words coming from Gates surprised even the injured Beckett. The EMT's arrived and quickly got her onto a backboard and loaded into the ambulance waiting outside.

As the ambulance pulled off Beckett pulled the oxygen mask from her face. "Senator McDonnell."

"We know. Gates and Ryan are on their way to arrest him now. You just hang on. Castle is going to meet us at the hospital." Looking down at her battered body Javier Esposito had no idea how she was still alive. It certainly looked as though the bullet had hit her square in the chest just like last time.