Author's Note: I'd like to thank phnxgrl, Guest, southerngirl1 and TORONTOSUN for their reviews. Guest: thank you for your comments! I'm glad you like the series. southerngirl1: They might... or might not. We'll see! TORONTOSUN: He is. We'll see what happens. Castle has a lot of time to think, so I wanted to start the chapter by exploring that. Enjoy!

Chapter 43

Castle sat in his chair, arms tied to the arm rests and feet to the legs. He'd been in this situation before, but he had been in his own home, his daughter had been the one doing the tying, and he had asked her to do it so he could figure out a scene for his book. Here, thugs were walking around the warehouse watching him to make sure that he didn't do anything to try and escape. Three times a day, he was allowed to get up and stretch, use the bathroom, and eat something, but at least two of the thugs were always armed and pointing their guns in his general direction when he did. He had tried to figure out where he was, but all he could see out of the windows that weren't boarded up was the sky and other warehouses. So he had no idea where he was, and no idea how to get away.

And then there was Alex. Apparently, she had been to the precinct yesterday. Unfortunately, she didn't tell Kate or the FBI where he was being held, which meant she either didn't know or, more likely, she had some kind of game plan in mind. Castle was betting on the game plan. After all, Alex was the kind to plan ahead. She never did anything without considering the outcome. And with the way she had coldly looked at him last night, she clearly didn't like him much at all. On the other hand, she had argued on his behalf to let him live for an extra twenty-four hours. Why was that? Was Alex really the reason that Kate had gone to the bridge and pretended to try to kill herself? Was she still protecting Kate after all this time? Or was she planning on killing Kate herself like she'd claimed the night before? Was anything Alex said the truth?

Castle paused to think through what he knew of Alex. She had promised that she would never hurt a victim of Rathborne. Kate was a victim of Rathborne and therefore fell under that protection. However, after Ewan's death, it seemed like that promise no longer applied. Alex had become more violent in the past few months, and whenever they caught a glimpse of her on a camera, there was a look on her face that spoke of a darkness in her none of them had seen before. Castle was unsure what the reason behind that hatred was. And then there were her actions from last night; she told his captor that the scene on the bridge had been choreographed to look like Beckett was going to kill herself only because Alex wanted to be the one to kill Beckett. So maybe she really did intend to kill Kate. Castle hoped that Kate wouldn't fall for Alex's tricks.

Not that it really mattered. Castle was sure that by midnight tonight, he would be dead, whether or not Kate was. He fought to hold back his tears. He didn't want to live without Kate, but he knew that she felt the same. After they had started working together all those years ago, he had always imagined that if Kate died, he would be right there with her so that they died together. Of course, he would prefer for them to grow old together. It just didn't seem like life agreed with that option. The number of times they had been in life threatening situations had gotten higher than he could count. The freezer, the dirty bomb, his first gun battle, Lockwood; the list went on. Rick also knew that there was always a possibility that Kate would die before him; after all, she was a cop. Almost six years ago, a sniper had almost killed her twice. But we always survived. He had been looking forward to their upcoming wedding. Now, it didn't look like either of them was going to make it to that point.

Castle's thoughts turned to his daughter. She had been away at school when he had been abducted, but she must have flown back as soon as she heard what had happened. He knew she must be terrified, not knowing if her father would ever come home again. Ever since Kate had been shot at Roy's funeral, Alexis had been more than ready to voice her concern for her father's safety. More than once, they had gotten into huge arguments over it. Eventually, she had come to realize that his feelings for Kate wouldn't let him stay away, and she had slowly come to accept that although she wouldn't always like it, she would have to accept it. His feelings for Kate had eventually transferred to the feisty redhead, and she had not only accepted that her father couldn't leave the detective, she had accepted that Kate would be her stepmom soon.

And his mother; she must be worried sick. There had been days where her diva attitude had made him wonder at the depths of her feelings, but then there had been those wonderfully rare moments when she let down the façade and the mother in Martha Rodgers shined through. He knew that his current predicament was doing no favors to the two women he loved as much as he loved Kate. At least they wouldn't have to worry about money. He knew the small fortune he had amassed over the years would set them up for quite some time, but it wasn't enough to make them happy. They would rather part with the money before they had to part with him.

Castle looked up as his captor came down the stairs. Volkert looked thrilled as he walked over to one of the thugs and spoke to him in a low voice. The man responded in an equally low voice and turned to leave. Another thug followed him, and different ones came to take the abandoned posts.

Volkert turned to look at him. "I've just been given some very good news. Care to hazard a guess?"

Castle tried to sound flippant. "The Knicks are finally going to be disbanded as an NBA team."

Volkert chuckled. "No, I just got word that a mutual friend of ours is ready to prove her abilities as an assassin. Your darling Kate isn't long for this Earth."

Castle glared at him. "You're not going to get away with this."

Volkert shrugged. "We shall see."

He walked over to his elaborate, multi-screen computer setup and sat down. Castle couldn't see what was happening on the screens, but it looked like Volkert must know what he was doing. Eventually, he stood and turned on the television. On the screen, Alex was waving at a distant camera.

Volkert dialed a number. "I see you. When will it go down?"

Castle could barely make out Alex's response. "I'll let you know."

Volkert ended the call and they watched as Alex pocketed her phone and walked into an alley and out of sight. The television was switched off and Volkert patted Castle on the head as he passed. Castle shuddered when he felt the hand touch him and he wished that he could take a shower to remove the man's evil from him. Volkert disappeared up the stairs again and Castle prayed that Kate would somehow be protected.

Meanwhile…

Shaw's phone rang. "Shaw."

Avery responded from the Fedmobile. "Beckett got into the wrong cab. Ours was blocked by traffic, so it didn't make it to the pick-up in time. We're following the cab she's in now."

Shaw shook her head. "At least you have eyes on her. Keep me posted. I want to know the minute she's home."

"Copy that." Avery ended the call and Shaw returned to the war room.

Esposito followed her out of the bullpen. "Did I hear that correctly? Beckett isn't in the right cab?"

Shaw was looking over some papers. "Yes, she got into the wrong cab, but Avery and his team are on it. They can still see her and will make sure she stays safe. Don't worry, Detective, we're not going to lose her."

Esposito nodded and returned to his desk. Ryan looked up and nodded. Esposito recognized the fatigue in his partner's eyes and knew he had to look just as bad. Lanie came in and sat down in the seat next to his desk. She also looked exhausted. She had slept on her cot down in her office in the morgue to free up the couches in Homicide for the FBI or other cops working the case. Esposito looked up at her and could read the worry Lanie was feeling for her best friend.

Lanie cleared her throat. "Did Kate already leave?"

Esposito nodded. "Just a few minutes ago. Special Agent Avery is leading the team that's serving as her protective detail. She wanted to go home and get some real sleep. And it looks like you could use that as well. Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

Lanie shook her head. "I can't sleep. This psychopath has Castle and wants Kate dead; I'm too worried about them to sleep."

Esposito took her hand in his. "We'll get him." He wanted to tell Lanie what Kate had said as she left the precinct, but he knew that it would only make her worry more, so he kept his mouth shut.

Shaw came back out. "Detectives, where are you on the hotline tips?" Esposito was about to answer when Shaw's phone rang again. "Shaw."

Avery's voice sounded panicked. "We lost Beckett."

Shaw froze. "What?!"

In that moment, everything came to a halt. People stopped walking, the talking stopped, and everyone turned in their spot to stare. Esposito's heart sank. No.

Shaw looked panicked and furious. "What do you mean you lost her?!"

"There was a red light. We were a few cars back and the taxi made it through. We put our sirens on, but by the time we got through the intersection, her cab had disappeared. We're trying to get her on the phone."

Esposito turned when he heard Beckett's phone ring. It was still here. He went over to her desk and listened to the sound to locate the phone. He opened the top drawer of her desk and found it sitting right on top.

Avery sounded frustrated. "She's not answering her phone."

Shaw noticed Esposito waving Beckett's phone in the air and her face fell. "That's because she doesn't have it with her. Okay, fan out; start a grid search. She's headed home, so go there and work your way back this direction. Call me the moment you find her." She hung up the phone. "Shit."

Ryan stood up. "What do we do now?"

Shaw ran a hand through her hair. "There's not much you can do. Keep working on those tips, we might get lucky."

Esposito sat down at his desk and brought up the online tips again. He felt like this lead was useless, more of an exercise in staying busy as opposed to actually doing something. But Shaw was right; they didn't have much to go on and Castle was running out of time. Lanie brought Esposito a coffee. He took it and gave her a weak smile; she didn't return it. Esposito felt like he should do something to help convince his wife that Beckett was going to be okay, but he couldn't even convince himself. She was in a taxi separated from her security detail and a psychopath wanted her dead in less than twenty-four hours or Castle would die. Lanie wrapped her arms around his neck, he placed a hand over hers, and together, they returned to the hotline.

Twenty minutes later…

Volkert's phone rang. "Yes?"

It was one of his thugs. "Beckett left the precinct a few minutes ago. Apparently she got separated from her protective detail. And from what I could hear, the Feds are frantic."

Volkert smiled. "Excellent." He snapped his phone shut and headed downstairs. Castle glared at him as he passed, but Volkert ignored him to turn on the television. He then took a seat behind his computer setup. On the TV, the same street was still there, but Alex was nowhere to be seen. For a few minutes, nothing happened. And then a taxi stopped and Kate got out.

Volkert pressed a few buttons. "Showtime."

Meanwhile…

Esposito stretched. Avery hadn't called back yet, which meant that they still hadn't found Beckett. Shaw was pacing between the war room and the bullpen, barking orders but getting no new results. Esposito watched her for a few moments before he turned back to his computer. Suddenly, the computer screen changed. He looked around. Every television and computer screen in the precinct was showing the same video. All he could see was a street with an alley mid-block, but he couldn't tell where it was. What he could see was Beckett getting out of a taxi. She seemed distracted, patting her pockets as though she was missing something. After a few moments, her shoulders slumped. She turned her back to the camera and started walking away.

Shaw came out of the war room and put her phone to her ear. "Avery, please tell me you can see her and are about to pick her up."

Esposito could hear Avery's response. "We don't have her yet. Why?"

Shaw was panicking. "Because I can see her on all the televisions and computer monitors of the precinct."

The sound of Avery's car speeding up could be heard. "Where is she?"

Shaw shook her head. "I can't tell what street she's on. The camera is at the wrong angle to see street names. Hold on, who is that?"

On the screen, Alex walked into view out of the alley. Beckett came to a stop and then walked up to her. Alex smiled and appeared to be saying something. Esposito couldn't help but feel that something bad was about to happen.

"Avery, Alex Stevens just came into view." Shaw yelled at the techs in the war room. "Get a trace on that signal! I want to know where Beckett and Stevens are, and I want to know how these guys were able to commandeer all these screens!"

One timid looking tech shook her head. "We can't seem to override the signal."

"Find a way and get me something!"

Tech got busy with their analysis. Shaw and Avery were talking, but Esposito was no longer paying attention to their conversation. He watched as Kate and Alex talked. Whatever they were discussing, it seemed like they were getting along, but Esposito still had that feeling of unease in his stomach. At that moment, Alex glanced over Beckett's shoulder, looking panicked. Beckett looked around to see what Alex was frightened of. That's when things changed. Alex's face contorted as she grabbed Beckett's shoulder and turned her completely around. Beckett looked like she was about to turn back around in confusion, but she never got the chance as her eyes widened in shock.

Alex's face suddenly looked deadly and Esposito saw why a moment later. Beckett collapsed to the ground clutching her middle and Esposito could see a knife covered in blood in Alex's hand. Beckett was writhing on the ground, blood coloring her side and in obvious pain. Lanie was in complete shock, Ryan looked appalled, and Esposito couldn't believe his eyes. Alex's knife plunged again and again. Every time the knife plunged Beckett's face contorted with renewed pain as her clothes quickly became soaked in blood. Alex stopped stabbing Beckett and stood up. Beckett took a few breaths; she was shivering and it looked like she was reaching for something. After a few moments, she stopped moving. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed and she stopped breathing.

Esposito watched in shock as Alex touched Beckett's neck and then casually wiped off her knife on Beckett's pants before grabbing a tarp out of the back of a nearby Dodge Neon and rolling Beckett's body onto it. She then hauled the makeshift body bag to the trunk of the car and stuffed it in. She used a water bottle to wash off her arms and hands and took off the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing, revealing a shorter sleeved shirt that was somehow not covered in blood. She set the long-sleeve shirt on fire in the gutter and walked around the car to get into the driver's seat. The car started and drove off. Esposito had grabbed a pen to write down the plate, but he needn't have bothered; the car Alex was using had no plates.

Esposito glanced around the room. Lanie was crying, Ryan looked dumbfounded, Gates was standing in the doorway of her office looking crestfallen, and Shaw was sitting in a chair with her forehead in one of her hands. Everyone else in the precinct had varying levels of shock on their faces. Karpowski slowly stood up and walked to the bathroom as though in a trance. Esposito pulled Lanie onto his lap and she threw her arms around him, crying into his shoulder.

The line was still open on Shaw's phone and she slowly brought it back to her ear. "Avery, Beckett's dead. Alex just killed her."

Meanwhile…

Castle sat helplessly as he watched Alex walk up to Beckett. "No, Kate! Don't trust her!"

It was like a movie that he had seen over and over again. He knew what was going to happen, but no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to change the outcome. He knew that Alex was going to kill Kate, just as much as he knew that yelling at the television wouldn't make Kate turn around and run from Alex as quickly as she could. But he couldn't stop himself. Alex had glanced over Kate's shoulder and looked terrified. Castle prayed that Kate wouldn't turn around.

But she did.

Kate's body tensed up and she collapsed; eyes wide in shock. "Kate! No!" Alex stabbed again and again. "No! Kate, no!" Kate's face contorted with pain with every blow. "No!"

Alex stood and watched as Kate shuddered and reached for something. Castle couldn't yell anymore; his body was trembling with sobs. He watched as Kate's body stopped moving and her eyes slid closed. He closed his eyes too so that he wouldn't have to watch anymore. He prayed that this was just another choreographed show; something that would make Volkert think that Kate was dead when in reality she would now be taken to an FBI safe house to wait for his rescue. But he couldn't convince himself of that. Not after what he had seen. Now, all he had left to hope for was that Volkert would keep his word and let him go. Not that that would happen. Castle knew too much about his captor to think that Volkert would let him live. And Castle wasn't sure he wanted to.

Volkert was beside himself with glee. "Finally! She finally held up her end of the contract!" He turned to look at Castle. "Oh, don't be so down. You'll join her in a couple of hours. I just need to verify that your precious Kate really is dead."

Castle couldn't stop himself. "You're a monster! I hope you rot in hell, you bastard!"

Volkert smiled as he walked up the stairs again. "I guess I'll meet you there."

One hour later…

The war room was a hive of activity. Tech was busy analyzing the video, trying to figure out where Beckett had been when Alex killed her. They were also trying to follow the car through traffic cameras, but it was a common enough car for New York; within a few short minutes, they had spotted four, each with a different driver behind the wheel in various parts of the city. Alex was never seen again.

Shaw's phone rang. "Avery, where are you?"

Avery's voice sounded defeated. "We found where Beckett was last seen. She was a block away from the Castle's loft."

Shaw closed her eyes, praying for something good. "Please tell me you have good news."

Avery sighed. "I'm afraid not. We ran a sample of the blood on the sidewalk. It's a blood type match to Beckett."

Shaw shut the phone, closed her eyes, and hung her head. Esposito had been watching with apprehension. When Shaw's head fell, Esposito knew why. Beckett really was dead.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun.