Author's Note: I'd like to thank phnxgrl, TORONTOSUN, and Guest for their reviews. Guest: I'm glad you liked the science part as well. I was hoping I wouldn't bore anyone with it, so I'm glad it helped to clarify the timeline a bit. TORONTOSUN: Gotta love Esposito. phnxgrl: Alex's plan wasn't to have Beckett kill The Gentleman. The gun was there just so Beckett could protect herself and Castle if she needed to. Alex's plan was for The Gentleman to be arrested for his crimes and go to jail. In this chapter, we're flashing back to when Alex requested to talk to Beckett alone (post-bridge scene). Beckett would be explaining it, but if this was in an episode, I think they would just show it, so that's what I'm doing. Enjoy!

Chapter 46

Present…

"It started when Alex walked into the precinct the morning after we staged that scene on the bridge…"

Seven hours earlier…

Alex had her hands raised in surrender as the cops pointed their guns in her direction. "I'm unarmed, I'm here to help." She saw Beckett in the doorway to the lounge. "Castle's alive." Her face became apologetic. "I'm afraid I had to hit him to sell the ruse though. Sorry."

Beckett let out a shaky laugh in relief. "Thank you."

Alex smiled. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Beckett was curious and nodded. Avery patted Alex down and confirmed that she was clean. She lowered her hands and they walked into the lounge and shut the door. Beckett grabbed the blankets she'd been wrapped in off the couch and tucked them into a cupboard. Alex stood so her back was to the door, ensuring no one would be able to read her lips. She had a plan that would get both Beckett and Castle out of this situation alive, but everything hinged on as few people as possible knowing what was going to happen.

Beckett looked like she was unsure of what to do now. "So, you needed to talk to me? What's going on? Is Castle really okay?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, he's fine. Volkert wanted to kill him after you were driven away last night, but I managed to convince him to extend the time limit. That's why I need to talk to you alone. I have a plan to fake your death, but you need to be completely willing to trust me."

"What did you have in mind?"

Alex didn't reveal her plan right away. "Volkert knows I came here last night. He even knows the bridge was just a show. I didn't have to tell him that; he already knew it. I convinced him that it was all designed to gain your trust so I could be the one to kill you."

"What?" Beckett sat down. "And I'm supposed to trust you not to kill me?"

Alex sighed. "I'm going to have to explain. You remember what I told you last night about Sloan?"

"Your fiancé? You said that he was killed to punish you for not killing me."

"Yes. Me not killing you is also the reason Castle was abducted. After Sloan's death, Volkert gave me another month to kill you or Candace Robinson or he would kill me too. I didn't want to die, so I set up a dead man's switch. Everything Sloan dug up on them, plus everything I learned while working for them was put together in a cloud server. Sloan's brother set up the switch and has access to the server. If I died, he'd receive a signal and send everything to the FBI, Interpol, NYPD; basically anyone that would be able to make Volkert's life miserable."

Beckett nodded in understanding. "That's how you protected yourself after you killed Locken."

"I also made plans to fake your death and get you out of the city until I could kill him or have him arrested. Unfortunately, as that month deadline approached, I wasn't ready to act, so to get more time, I had to kill you or Robinson. I picked Robinson. I didn't want to, but I was out of good options. When she was dead, I was given another month, but time ran out before I could do anything and he kidnapped Castle instead of killing me. It was his way of forcing your hand."

"This isn't explaining why I should trust you. You kill people for a living. How do I know this isn't a way for you to get close enough to kill me?"

"Kate, I lost my fiancé because I wasn't willing to kill you. I tried to get Sloan out of the city to protect him, but Volkert managed to kill him anyway. I've lost the love of my life keeping you alive. Most people would start blaming you for his death and wouldn't give a crap about you being in my shoes. Instead, I'm trying to save your life as well as the life of your fiancé. Why aren't you willing to do whatever it takes to protect the man you love?"

Beckett hung her head. "You're right. If Castle dies, I don't think I'd be able to go on." She took a deep breath and then sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll do it. What's your plan?"

Alex relaxed now that Beckett was on board. "There's a drug Viper used once to fake her death in France. It slows your breathing and heart rate down to the point where it's almost undetectable. I've used it before to protect a family I was supposed to kill, so I know it works. I also have a special effects knife that is retractable; it'll look like I'm stabbing you because the knife will squirt blood on you."

"Real blood or fake blood?"

"A mixture. About half of it is real and it's yours. I stole it from the clinic where you donated blood the last couple times you went."

Beckett looked appalled. "Why would you do that?"

"The crime lab needs to have your DNA at the scene or the ruse won't hold up for long. The fake blood will give me the volume I need; your blood provides the DNA. On close examination, it won't hold up, but it will give us the time needed to keep Castle alive and rescue you both."

Beckett sighed. "Shaw will want to keep a close eye on me. How am I supposed to be wherever you need me to be to pull this off?"

"I'm going to let Shaw in on it. I just needed to know if you were on board."

Beckett stood and started to pace. "Let's say I do it. How will Volkert know you've… 'killed' me? Is he going to be there?"

Alex shook her head. "There's no way he'd risk that. With the Feds looking for him, there's no way he'd leave his 'fortress' to watch you die in person. He gave me a wireless camera. Video, but no audio. I've set it up toward the top of a building around the corner from the loft so he can watch from a safe distance, and that's a good thing."

"How?"

"He won't see me drug you. Or that the knife isn't real. He'll see exactly what he wants to see."

"Me. Dying."

Alex nodded. "Exactly. At the scene, I'll give you a very small dose of the drug. It will knock you out for about half an hour. That will give me enough time to drive you to a safe place away from cameras to get you're 'dead body' looking a little more realistic. Once you look like I really have stabbed you a few times, I'll give you a second, larger dose of the drug that will knock you out for around three hours."

"And I'll wake up on my own? The larger dose won't kill me?"

"No. And I've tampered with the little machine Volkert will use to verify you're dead. It won't be able to pick up the faint heartbeat that you will still have."

Beckett stopped pacing. "Wait, once I'm 'dead', there'll be no reason to keep Castle alive and you'll be with me, which means you won't be able to stop him!"

Alex held a hand. "Relax. Because of the charade on the bridge, he'll want to verify that you're dead before he does anything to Castle. And by then, I will be in a position to protect him. The FBI will have undoubtedly frozen Volkert's assets by then, meaning he'll need cash and he'll need it fast."

"You're going to set up a ransom on Castle."

"That'll buy him some more time and I'll be able to get a location to the FBI. Before anything can happen to Castle, the FBI will be on the scene. You'll also be waking up and I'll make sure you have a gun so you can protect yourself and Castle should anything unexpected happen."

Beckett nodded. "You really have thought this out."

"I always plan things out before I do anything. That's how I was able to stay unidentified for so long. It took you recognizing the signature to figure out who the Shadow Fox was." She paused. "I'll make you a deal. If you trust me to fake your death, I'll turn myself in to you when this is all over."

Beckett nodded. "I can work with that. You have a deal." Someone knocked on the lounge door. "That's Shaw. I think she got tired of being kept out of the loop."

"I can't really blame her." Alex opened the door and closed it behind Shaw.

Shaw jumped right in. "You two have been in here for half an hour. I need to know what you've been talking about. Castle's life depends on it and I can't help him if I don't have all the details."

Alex glanced at Beckett. "I have a plan to fake Kate's death. In order for it to work though, no one but the three of us can know what is going to happen. Can you do that?"

Shaw crossed her arms. "I barely know you. What I do know is you're a killer. I've been breaking the law enough for you as it is. Why should I trust you with her life?"

Alex stood as straight as she could. "When it comes to Kate, I've never broken my promises to her. Have I lied? Yes, but when I made a promise, I've kept it. You've said it yourself; Castle's life is on the line. If you really want to protect him, you have to be willing to do things my way."

Beckett looked at Shaw. "Her plan is solid."

Shaw sighed. "So, what is this brilliant plan of yours?"

Alex went over the plan again with Shaw, this time going into more detailed specifics and giving out assignments. Shaw had been reluctant at first, but eventually she agreed that the plan sounded solid. Shaw walked out after she was satisfied with what she'd heard, agreeing to not tell anyone who didn't need to know. Beckett suspected that Shaw's willingness to agree had something to do with what had happened the last time Shaw had been in New York. The FBI Agent walked out of the lounge, leaving Alex and Beckett alone.

Beckett noticed a heart shaped, antique style, filigree pendant hanging from Alex's neck. "When did you start wearing that? I think you were wearing it the last time I saw you on a surveillance video."

Alex touched the necklace. "I've been wearing it since Sloan's death. My engagement ring is inside." Sorrow overcame Alex's features. "It helps to remind me of him, and what I'm fighting for."

"I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine. I'm just looking forward to taking Volkert down. He's hurt us both. It's time to stop him." She sighed. "I need to go. He might start to get suspicious if I don't check in soon."

Present…

Esposito shook his head. "Why wouldn't you tell us? You know we can be trusted."

Beckett nodded. "I know, but in this case it wasn't about whether I could trust you or not. It was about perception. If you had known, you wouldn't have reacted to my death the way you did and if Volkert was watching you, he might have figured out that it was just another ruse. I wanted to tell you guys what was going to happen, but I was more concerned with protecting Rick."

Esposito nodded. "So what really happened?"

"Well…"

Four hours earlier…

Beckett threw some money to the driver and got out of the cab around the corner from the loft. From here, the Feds at the loft wouldn't be able to see her, but when the scene was found, it would appear as if she really had intended to go home. Beckett sighed as the cab pulled away and then headed toward home, just like Alex had told her too. A few feet ahead of her, Alex stepped out of the alley. Beckett stopped. Here we go.

She walked up to the girl. "Can they hear us?"

Alex smiled. "If they could hear us, that question would probably be the worst one to ask."

"I'll take that as a no."

"As promised." She dropped the grin. "The camera is in place and recording us, so I suggest you don't start looking for it. You wouldn't be able to see it from here anyway."

"If it's recording us, why are we just standing here talking?"

"Theater for Volkert. I'm proving that you trust me now. You ready?"

Beckett sighed. "Do I have much of a choice?"

"Not really. Turn around in three, two, one…" Alex looked over Beckett's shoulder with a look of panic.

Beckett turned around as though she was trying to see what had frightened Alex. Alex grabbed her shoulder and turned her completely around. Beckett felt a sharp pain where Alex had grabbed her and then her shoulder started to go numb. That's the drug going to work. She started to turn around as she'd been instructed when she felt the blow to her side. While she could tell that her skin hadn't been pierced at all, Beckett felt the wetness of the blood staining her clothes and tensed her muscles, shock written all over her face.

Alex released her grip on Beckett's shoulder and she fell to the ground, clutching at her middle as though she were actually hurt. Alex "stabbed" a few more times and Beckett thought of the most painful injuries she'd received growing up and during her time as a cop, hoping that her face and actions would be believed as the struggles of a dying woman. At first, she didn't notice the drug slowly spreading across the rest of her body, but then her vision started to fade out and her breathing became shallow. She started to try breathing deeper, fighting the uncomfortable sensations.

Alex walked around Beckett's head. "Kate, you need to stop fighting it. Let the drugs take effect. You did good, now it's time to surrender. I'll see you in a few minutes." Beckett took a few more shallow breaths and then passed out, finally succumbing to the drug.

Beckett woke up in the trunk of a car. Her muscles felt stiff and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She tried to stretch to get the kinks out, but the walls of the trunk stopped her movements. She started to panic; she felt like the space was closing in on her and it was hard to breathe. The car bounced over something and Beckett was jostled. Alex had better get to their destination soon. The car came to a stop and the engine turned off. A door opened and footsteps came around to the trunk. Beckett tensed. If Alex had just brought her to The Gentleman, she was about to die. The key slid into the trunk lock and the lid opened. Alex was the only one there and Beckett scrambled out of the trunk, landing hard on the floor.

Alex was watching her. "Are you claustrophobic?"

"Not usually." She stood up, but was very shaky.

"Here, let me help you." Alex grabbed Beckett's arm and helped her to the table. Beckett wanted to rip off her bloodied clothes, but Alex stopped her. "Careful. You need to be wearing them when we get to the warehouse and we don't want too many bloody handprints on your clothes."

"Right. I forgot." Beckett's eyes widened when Alex grabbed a real knife. "What are you doing?"

Alex set the knife on the table. "I need to put holes in your blouse so it looks like I really stabbed you. No holes equals not really dead. Let's get your top off so I don't hurt you."

They worked together to remove the blouse and camisole and put them on a nearby dummy. Alex grabbed the knife and stabbed it through the clothes into the dummy a few times. She then opened a box and took out plastic prosthetic pieces. She had Beckett turn her back to her and applied the pieces carefully. They were subtle, but when Alex painted them up, they made Beckett look like she had really been stabbed. The women carefully put the clothing back on Beckett and then the detective turned to the assassin.

"Why are we bothering with all of this?"

"Just in case Volkert wants to be thorough. If he checks for more than just blood and holes in your clothes, your body will have to look right too."

"Would it be better if there were real cuts?"

Alex shook her head. "No, and that's because your heart will still be beating, so those cuts would bleed. If he's not fooled by this, I'll take him out and try to protect the two of you the best I can. Try not to worry about that. This will work."

"It better. I'm putting my life in your hands. I don't normally do this with people like you."

"Assassins, you mean."

Beckett nodded. "If this wasn't to save Castle, I wouldn't have agreed to this."

Alex nodded. "I know. Come on, let's get going." Beckett walked back to the car and carefully got back into the trunk. Alex arranged the tarp around her and held up a syringe. "I need your arm."

Beckett held out her arm and Alex carefully put the needle into a vein in her elbow. The uncomfortable sensations began almost immediately. Beckett's instinct was to fight the feeling of being smothered, but now that she knew what to expect, she concentrated on relaxing and let her mind drift to Castle. I'm coming, my love. Hang in there a few more hours. The darkness around the edges of her vision claimed her consciousness and Beckett passed out. Alex wrapped the tarp around the detective a bit better and closed the trunk. She got back into the car and left the staging area. Time to bring Volkert his Trojan horse.

Present…

"You just trusted her."

Beckett nodded. "It worked. Just like she said, the second dose wore off in three hours and Castle is still alive."

Esposito shook his head. "After everything she's done these last couple months, I don't think I would be so quick to put my life in her hands."

"What if Lanie was the one who needed to be rescued? Would you let her die just so you wouldn't have to trust Alex to fake your death?"

He hung his head. "No, I'd do whatever it took to save her."

"My point exactly."

He laughed. "I'm glad you're okay, Beckett. I wasn't looking forward to attending a double funeral."

Meanwhile...

Alex was sat against the rear of a squad car. FBI agents were moving around, but no one had been specifically tasked to watch her. Carefully, she cut a slit in the fake skin at her wrist with her fingernail and pulled the tiny lock pick out from under it. She then set about picking the lock on her handcuffs until she felt the left side open. An agent walked by and Alex kept her hands carefully concealed behind her back. He stopped next to the neighboring squad car, shrugged out of his FBI jacket, and hung it on the car's side view mirror before walking away.

Alex couldn't believe her luck. She'd thought she would have to sneak away, possibly even make a run for it if someone noticed her. Now she might just be able to blend in. Alex glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before standing up and grabbing the jacket off the car. Before anyone had noticed, she slipped into the jacket and shoved her hands in the pockets so no one would see the handcuff or lock pick. She then kept her head down and simply walked into the maze of warehouses in the area.

Once out of sight, she tucked herself into a spot between a dumpster and a pile of pallets to undo the other side of the handcuffs. With that side off, Alex shed the jacket and handcuff, leaving them in front of the dumpster and checking her watch. If she hurried, she would be able to catch her ride. I'm not breaking my promise, Kate. There's just some things I need to take care of before I turn myself in. She touched the necklace she hadn't taken off since Sloan's death and started running.

A/N: Guest: There she goes. Alex slipped away while Beckett was explaining how her death was faked. Stay tuned for next week's chapter.