Chapter 21
It did not take Rick long to get bored. While Kate's place was interesting he made a mental note of her likes and her lifestyle. He wanted to help Kate in some way. He wishes there was something he could do. As his cell phone rang he lost that thought. He looks at the display and notices that it's a blocked number. Hesitant, he swipes the lock bar and answers.
"Hello"
"Richard Castle?" Comes the voice on the other end in a heavy Australian accent.
"Speaking, who is this?"
"Richard, this is Richard Burton."
Ricks mind wanders to the news interview he watched earlier involving this Richard. Nothing good can come from this conversation he is about to have with the man.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Burton?"
"Well, I might be able to help you catch this 'Playboy Murderer."
"How so?" Rick asks with an idea forming in his head about how he could help Kate.
"Well I am aware that you were his first target and he failed. But I know his identity. I was wondering if you could meet with me?"
Rick knows he is in a safe house for a reason but all his common sense flies out the window. He just wants this to end and while he thinks it's a great idea, he will be sadly mistaken.
"Burton where did you have in mind to meet?"
"Do you know where The Top of the Rock is?"
"Sure, 30 Rockefeller Center. What time?
"Let's say in about an hour?"
"Fine I'll see you then."
Rick ends the call. He looks out the peep hole at Kate's front door and sees that the police presence is nonexistent. Leaving here will be a breeze."So much for a safe house." He thinks to himself.
Kate, Hastings and Espo are standing outside the warehouse ready to breach the side door. Kate gives a 3 count and they enter the structure. Scanning the immediate area they come up empty. They cautiously enter the main storage area. They all hear dogs barking loudly. Entering deeper into the area they find 4 sets of dogs secured in large cages. Kate and Espo move over to a desk near the dog cages. What they find there stuns them. There is a picture of Richard Burton with a red X through it. Alongside that picture there is one of Rick. It is heavily covered in red ink, clearly giving the message that he will be the last and final victim.
As they search the warehouse Kate finds a laptop and spare ammunition in a file cabinet. The only thing missing is Sam Berkowitz. Kate pulls out her phone as Espo and Hastings stand down.
"This is Lieutenant Beckett. I am going to need CSU down at the old abandoned ConEd warehouse by the East River."
"Lieutenant the CSU unit will be there post haste." Dispatch replies.
Kate has an uneasy feeling in her gut. Something is off and she can't quite put her finger on it. She wants to check in with Rick, but just as she raises her phone to call him, it rings answering it she forgets all about Rick...
They think that he is so gullible. Sam had been listening in on the phone call that Burton made just 10 minutes ago. Now that he knew where they were both going to be this would be a cake walk. Killing two birds with one stone he was reveling in his good fortune. He loaded his 9mm and placed it into the holster under his jacket. If he was going to strike he need to get there before they did. Hopping on his Norton cafe racer he quickly heads over to 30 Rock. Avoiding most of the city traffic he gets there in no time.
Rick carefully opens the door to Kate's place. Poking his head out beyond the door jamb he sees that there in no one in the hallway. Armed with his phone he quietly moves through the door, locking it behind him with the key Kate gave him. Down on the street he hails a cab and gives the driver the address for 30 Rockefeller plaza. It's still daylight out but the sun will be setting soon. As he rides in the cab he watches the people as they live their lives in the city. Wondering where he would be if he never followed his current career path.
As the cab pulls up in front of 30 Rock he flips the driver a 50 dollar bill and mentions to him to keep the change. The driver speeds away quickly before his passenger can change his mind. He enters the building and waits for the elevator to bring him to the Top of the Rock. The doors open and he enters. The ride is a quick one and he is at the top in no time. He exits the elevator and scans the crowd for Burton. Not seeing him right away he maneuvers through the crowd.
Sam sees both of his targets from where he is hidden away. He has the advantage. Burton has those two mutts with him and if it comes down to it he will eliminate them as well just to complete his double play.
Burton sees Richard Castle walking around scanning the crowd for him. He gives the command to his dogs to follow and stay nearby him. Walking up to Castle he slows as he approaches him.
"Mr. Castle" Burton calls.
Rick turns his head and looks at Burton.
"Mr. Burton. It's good to meet you." Rick extends his hand and Burton shakes it vigorously.
"So Mr. Castle lets get down to business."
"Wow, right to it. Please call me Rick." Rick requests.
"Alright then...Rick it is. So, Rick I have in my possession numerous letters from the Playboy murderer. They are disturbing in nature and accuse Mr. Michael Vick of purposelessly harming his animals. But that's not the gist of the evidence. What I have is this killers DNA. It seems that he was very sloppy when he sent these letters and while he thought he was home free when he mailed them he but overlooked one small detail. He used the older envelopes that you need to moisten to seal. His DNA was found by a independent lab that I hired on the envelopes."
The wind picks up a little on the observation deck of 30 Rock. Rick shivers suddenly.
"So Burton are you going to tell me who this guy is?"
"Rick I will tell you, but I have a plan to draw him out." As he motions between the two of them "We are the last two rich Playboys left to kill. So I was thinking that we could use you as bait and lure him out!"
"Mr. Burton, while I am not a fan of purposely risking my life to satisfy your every whim, I am going to go on record and say that this is the most ridiculous plan I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of."
"So you're not willing?"
"No I'm not, one or both of us could be killed. I don't think that you have planned this out to carefully. This guy has already killed 4 other people and made an attempt on my life already. What makes you think you can survive his wrath?"
Somewhere behind the Richards, 5 shots ring out within the rumblings of the the crowd. The crowd scatters in every which direction. As the area becomes more open less the crowd, there are two bodies lying on the tile of the observation deck. As Rick slips into the blackness of unconsciousness he hears Burton make one last command to his dogs "Stellen." And the last thing he remembers in seeing the two lean South African Hounds charge past him.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Kate looks at the caller ID on her phone. It's Ryan and she swipes to the left to unlock the device she answers "Beckett."
"Kate it's Ryan."
"Hey Kev, tell me what you found out."
"Kate please listen to me for just one damn second." Ryan said flustered.
"O-Okay Kevin."
"Kate there is no easy way to put this, but there was another shooting this afternoon."
"Okay Kevin, give me the rundown."
"Kate another Richard was shot and killed here at 30 Rock. I am on the scene now."
"Did you get the guy?" Kate was feeling more at ease considering Ryan's positive answer because she knew that Rick was safe at her place.
"Yeah we did Kate, but he's dead. He was attacked by as far as we can tell the last Richards attack hounds."
"Are you sure he's our guy?"
"Yes without a doubt. As he was bleeding out he was holding a 9mm Glock 29. It's on it's way to ballistics as we speak."
"Well that's a good thing right?"
The line was silent for a minute before Ryan spoke again. He was dreading what he needed to tell her next.
"Kate there was another shooting here as well. It seems that the killer had completed his list in the order he was taking all these Richards in."
"Kevin was there another Richard we don't know about?"
Kevin sadly replies "No Kate there wasn't. The killer has come full circle."
Kate is not understanding Kevin's meaning. So she bluntly asks him what he means.
"Kevin what are you talking about. If the killer is dead now how could he come full circle when I know that Rick is safely away in my apartment?"
"Well Kate Rick was not not in your apartment. He was the first and now last Richard that was shot."
"Kate, Kate...answer me!"
As Kate is standing there the color is rushing from her face as she holds the phone to her ear. Her arm drops and with it the phone comes free from her hand and hits the ground. Javi turns as he hears the sound of the phone hitting the ground. He runs to where Kate is and senses something is terribly wrong. Looking down at her phone he kneels down to still hear Kevin calling for her. Picking it up he listens to Ryan calling Kate.
"Kev what's going on?"
Javi, you need to get Kate down here to 30 Rock. She needs to be here and step on it bro."
Espo wastes no time. He takes Hastings who is now supporting Kate, who by now clearly is in a catatonic state. He leads her to the car and spares getting over to 30 Rock. He can't imagine what has happened but if he had to guess it involved Castle. They are pulling up to 30 Rock and Ryan is there waiting for them.
"Bro, what's going on?"
"Espo it's over the killer is dead."
"Okay, Kevin what aren't you telling me?"
"Javi it seems that from what I can put together Castle was meeting Burton and he wanted to use Castle as bait to draw out the killer. There was only one problem, we found out the Berkowitz had tapped into Burtons phone and intercepted the both of them before they could act out their plan"
"What happened then?"
"Berkowitz came up from behind them and started firing. Burton took two rounds, one to the shoulder and the second directly hit him in the chest dropping him right there. Since Castle was facing Burton he never saw it coming. He was hit three times. Once in the leg, once in the elbow and the last shot hit him square in the back."
"So Kevin where is he now, I see Burtons body the killers body but no Castle."
"The ambulance took him away about 10 minutes ago. He's in bad shape Javi."
Espo looks over at Kate and sees that Hastings in still holding her up. He needs to get her to Rick's side before it's too late.
"Kev where did they take him to?"
"He went to Columbia. They have the best trauma center in the city."
"I'm taking Hastings with me. We will escort Kate there. Meet me there after you finish up here. What's left to do here?"
"All we are waiting for is the ME to get here and CSU is almost finished with the scene. Maybe about another hour tops."
"Okay see you there."
Before Espo put Kate into the car she had started mumbling to herself. He could not make it out but he knew she was making no sense.
Inside Kate's head: What was he thinking? How will I be able to go on without him? I can't lose him, we are supposed to be together...Always.
Javi used every trick in the book to get them to Columbia as fast as he could. It was quicker than he thought and they were parking in the ER lot. They all got out and headed to the information desk. All three of them produced their badges and then they were given unlimited information about Rick's location and condition.
"Kate he is still in surgery. It might be a while. Let's sit over there in the surgical waiting area."
Kate moved like a zombie until she reached the chairs. She sat looking directly at the operating theater doors. A stone cold look was plastered on her face. Waiting was the hardest part of being at any hospital. They were there about an hour when Martha and Alexis had arrived. Kate broke down right in front of them.
"Katherine please don't cry. This is not your fault."
"Martha I'm so in love with him, I won't survive if I lose him."
Alexis takes Kate's hand and tells Kate... "Kate my dad is so strong. He will make it through this. I know this in my heart."
Kate looks at Alexis and wonders where she gets her strength from. She thinks that Rick has instilled this in her from an early age.
So they sit and wait. Time has dragged. He has been in surgery for 5 hours. Just as she is thinking that thought the surgery doors swing open. Martha, Alexis and Kate are on their feet instantly.
"Castle family?" The doctor says looking at the three of them.
Martha is first to speak "That would be us." She states walking to meet the doctor.
"Well I have great news. Richard will be fine. He took a gunshot wound to the back, it collapsed his right lung. He also was hit in the elbow and calf both on his left side. Those injuries will heal without complications. We re-inflated his right lung and repaired the tissue damage. He was lucky. The bullet missed any vital organs. He should make a complete recovery."
"Doctor that's great news. When can we see him?"
"I'll have a ICU nurse meet you here and she will take all of you to see him."
"Thank you, doctor."
When they walk in Kate drops back to let Martha and Alexis visit first. They enter and see that he is resting comfortably. Alexis reaches for her father's hand. At first she is strong but before long she is sobbing. Martha consoles her and her sobs quietly stop. Since he is still under the effects of the drugs he is on Martha and Alexis decide that it's time to go. They will be back in the morning but for now they will let Kate visit. On the way out Martha tells Kate "Go darling, be with him."
Kate enters his room and looks upon his resting body. She wants to say so much to him. But she decides that she will stay there with him until he wakes up to talk to him. She pulls up a chair and sits beside his bed.
"Rick how could you do this to me"
He just lies there with no response.
"We were supposed to have our happily ever after. I can't loose you."
Still no response from him.
"Rick I need you to come back to me. I want to be your wife."
She could swear she noticed his eyes try to flutter open with that last statement. She took his hand into hers and felt it twinge a little. She gave his hand a light squeeze. When she did that he said "Owwww" Kate started to shed tears of joy. She had him back and she was never going to let him go again. When Rick finally opened his eyes totally he smiled at the sight he thought he would never see again.
"Hi"
"Hi right back at you."
"What happened?"
"That's what I want to know. Can't you even obey an order Rick?"
"Kate I'm so sorry. I was trying to help. I thought I could catch the killer with the evidence Burton had. Then we could put this whole thing behind us and move on with our lives."
She had to give him some credit. His motive was a sincere one at that.
"Well, we got the guy...sort of."
"Wait what does that mean?"
"It means that when Berkowitz opened fire on the two of you the last thing Burton did before he died was give the command to his hounds to attack. They were efficient killing animals. They went for Berkowitz's jugular and his femoral artery's. He bled out in seconds. When we got there the dogs were sitting there beside his body. They would not let anyone near his body. We later found out that Burton had given the command in Dutch and Javi realized that there was a command for them to stand down, so he used it."
"Wow, that's something."
"It sure is."
"Was I dreaming or did you say you wanted to be my wife?"
"No, Rick you were not dreaming. I want that more than anything in the world. So are going to make an honest woman out of me?"
"Kate you have no idea..."
A/N: To all the readers who have just read the last sentence...this story now comes to a close. I am honored by the amount of people who have favorited/followed/reviewed this story! Without the support of readers like you I would just be writing words on a computer screen.
A/N 2: I will add an epilog on Sunday. It will be short, but it will wrap things up.
P2P