Nightfall

TWO

FRIDAY – 11:34 AM

As one of the senior—in rank, not age—members of the homicide squad of the Twelfth Precinct, Detective Kate Beckett was given the glamorous role of coordinating the various other detectives and uniformed officers about their assigned tasks, and mediating any difficulties or issues that arose during those said tasks. Beckett did not like this at all. It was really glorified desk duty. She would rather be out on the streets, helping with the evacuation. Compounded onto this, Beckett was required to be an intermediary between the Twelfth Precinct and the military officer assigned to their district.

Castle's phone call with Alexis had been abruptly ended when, apparently, all cellphone service dropped. Later—much later—Beckett would discover the reason was to contain news of what was happening. But at that moment, neither she or any of her colleagues knew the truth. The dropped call had made Castle anxious, which was understandable. Beneath the shallow playboy façade beat the heart of a loving father and devoted son. There was much more substance to Richard Castle than she had originally given him credit for, something she had learned over these past years with him as her friend and partner. In fact, it always warmed her heart whenever she got to see that side of him.

"Beckett, I'm sorry, but I can't stay," Castle had hastily informed her when she'd marched out of Montgomery's office. "I need to go to her."

Emotion had swum in his eyes, and Beckett's heart had clenched at the sight. Castle was a man who felt deeply, and she had no doubt he would do anything for his daughter. She knew Alexis was the most important thing in his life.

"I know," she had replied, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder in sympathy and understanding.

Castle had released a breath, and had bobbed his head in gratitude. His eyes had locked with hers, and they shared a long, meaningful look that spoke far more than words ever could, as well as words that neither of them could really bring voice to. Yet. But someday. They would. She was sure of it. It was now only a matter of time. But first, they needed to get through this crisis.

Beckett thought back to that moment, brow knitted together, as she glasses over to where Castle sat, restlessly tapping his foot, wringing his cuffed hands together in his lap. His face was a picture of worry and fear. Before he could depart in search of Alexis, the military had shown up, halting his departure. Castle hadn't really been receptive to Colonel Ian Rourke's explanation. She couldn't blame, not with the sounds of transport helicopters thrumming over them, and the continued Airforce patrols in the skies above. New York City had looked to be on the brink of martial law.

Colonel Rourke, a stern-faced man, had his MPs detain Castle, and when Beckett and her team objected to his action, the Colonel cited reasons of National Security. That really got in her craw, and she had appealed to Captain Montgomery. But her commanding officer, though sympathetic with Castle's plight, had concurred with Rourke.

Apparently, National Guard troops had shown up at most—if not all—the schools around the city to assist in the evacuation of the multitude of students. The need for an efficient and speedy evacuation meant that the numerous schools and their student bodies were being kept together instead of discharged out to their parents. Children would be reunited with their parents and/or guardians in designated base camps set up outside the evacuation zones. They learned through their new military guests that Alexis was part of Group D-X-47, which was setting up in the Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium.

"It'll be all right," Montgomery had said, trying to soothe the panicked author. "Alexis will be all right. My daughters are in another group. So I understand, Castle. I do. But you need to trust us, all of us, to do our jobs."

Though sincere, Beckett could tell that the captain's words had not been that reassuring to the intended recipient. Castle had shaken his head vigorously, and before Beckett could interject on his behalf, Colonel Rourke's MPs were restraining Castle and marching him out of the bullpen. Without hesitation, Beckett got into the Colonel's face and made her objections known. He had merely narrowed his eyes and recited the ambiguous need to protect National Security one more, before stepping around her to speak with Captain Montgomery.

Colonel Ian Rourke and his men hand quickly set up a makeshift command post in the precinct's lobby. Beckett had found it difficult to work and coordinate the evacuation of their assigned district while Castle had been placed in cornered, handcuffed. She'd lobbied for his release, but Colonel Rourke was being a stubborn bastard, worried about leaks and information breaches. She had tried to argue that Castle didn't know anything, but Rourke wouldn't listen. Eventually, she had to give up and focus on her job. She felt like a failure, doing so, but Montgomery had insisted. It pissed her off, but she obeyed orders. Castle didn't fault her for that, and somehow his understanding made it worse.

The squawk and crackle of a walkie-talkie snapped Beckett back to the present. Hard as it was, she tore her sympathetic gaze away Castle's defeated frame, and snatched the radio unit out of the cradle that was strapped to her hip. Holding it up to her mouth, she depressed the button to respond as she stared out the wide lobby windows at the street beyond, watching as military transport trucks carrying evacuees rolled by. Armed uniformed soldiers marched alongside the slow-moving trucks, escorting the vehicles out of the city. The sight unnerved her. It just looked wrong.

"Beckett, here," she answered just as a pair of jets soared by overhead. These flybys had been continuing nonstop since Montgomery had first issued the evacuation order. The loud blast of the jet engines put her teeth on edge.

Just under an hour ago, the Governor had declared a state of emergency. Martial law had gone into effect, and military personnel were moving in at a quick clip to replace local law enforcement in supervising and enforcing the evacuation. Captain Montgomery had been called away to One Police Plaza, making Beckett the senior ranking NYPD official left at the Twelfth Precinct.

"Zones A1 through B8 have been cleared," came Esposito's exasperated voice through the radio. "Transports just picked up the last groups from B7 and B8."

Beckett made note of the update, punching it into the tablet one of the Colonel's men had provided her with. She watched as the corresponding grids arrayed across a map of their evacuation zone on the screen flashed and shifted into a shaded green. Zones B9 and B10 remained yellow, which meant evacuation was still in progress.

"How are we doing with B9 and B10?" she asked, frowning.

"Having some trouble with an apartment complex," Esposito responded. She could tell from the strained quality in his voice that he was gritting his teeth in frustration. "Found some squatters that don't want to leave."

"Need any help?" Beckett asked, hoping for an excuse to get into the action.

"Nah, we got it," came his reply. "Lieutenant Barrow and his men have been a big help."

Beckett pursed her lips. Of course, being ex-military himself, Esposito had no problems working with the soldiers filing into the city. She glanced over at Colonel Ian Rourke and grimaced. Perhaps she should make a command decision and appoint Esposito the Twelfth Precinct's liaison officer. Sighing, she turned and looked back out the lobby windows at the troop transports rolling on by.

"All right," she said into the walkie-talkie, "let me know if you change your mind."

"Roger that," he replied said. "Esposito out."

Beckett placed the radio back into the holster on her hip and let out a long breath, carding her fingers through her hair. She itched to be out there, helping people, instead she was stuck in place, stationed in the precinct lobby, with Colonel Rourke and his command staff, and an ever increasingly worried Castle. She was still trying to get them to remove the handcuffs. It was a tad excessive, but Colonel Rourke appeared to be a hard-ass. Pacing back to the front desk, joining Castle. She patted his shoulder sympathetically as she put the tablet down.

"Any word on Alexis?" he inquired, voice thick with concern.

"Last I heard the bus transporting her just turned onto Canal Street, heading towards the Holland Tunnel," she replied. Keeping tabs on Alexis was the least she could do since Colonel Hard-Ass wouldn't let Castle go. It also eased some of her guilt for relenting to her orders.

Castle nodded, releasing a breath. "Then she's near the loft," he clenched his eyes tightly together. "You think Mother made it out?"

"Martha's a tough woman," Beckett reassured, not for the first time grateful her father had been out of town visiting her Aunt Teresa.

"How's it going?" Castle asked, jerking his head towards the walkie-talkie strapped to her hip.

"All but two grids cleared," she said, picking up her mug off the desk. A grimace touched her lips when she noticed that the coffee had turned lukewarm in the duration.

Her cellphone buzzed mid-gulp, and she nearly spit out what she'd drank. Her large eyes jerked towards Castle, who had also heard the buzz. Both of them had assumed the cellular network was down. Beckett had no idea how a call was coming through now, unless the restrictions had been lifted or had never been there to begin with, which made Alexis's dropped call all even more worrisome. If she hadn't been keeping tabs on Alexis through her position, Beckett would have been gravely concerned for the teenager's safety.

After shaking her head, she retrieved her cell from her pocket. Beckett furrowed her brow when she saw the caller ID on the small screen. Her chest almost clenched guiltily as she took a step away from Castle, lowering her voice as she answered the call.

"Josh?" she questioned slowly, confused. She'd just spoke with him not thirty minutes ago via the radio units provided by the military.

It wasn't enough for him to be one of the best cardiac surgeons in the city, or part of Doctors Without Borders, he also had to volunteer when the military put out a city-wide call for doctors to fill out the surgical roster at their forward operating base being set up on Liberty Island. She thought that was an odd place to set up a base, but the thought was that Liberty Island was located in a location that gave them access to both sides of the bay and was also far enough away from the city to be out of harm's way, so to speak. Whatever it was that was so dangerous that had them evacuating a city as big as New York was still, as yet, unclear.

"Kate!" came his frantic voice. "You need to get out of the city. Now."

She shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have responsibilities, Josh. I'm not just going to abandon them because—"

"Just get out!" Josh shouted over her. "Now."

The vehemence and panic in his voice caught her off guard. It was then that she noted the loud racket in the background. She frowned, growing concerned.

"Josh, is that… is that gunfire?" she asked, it almost sounded like he was in the middle of a warzone.

"Oh God," Josh mumbled, not necessarily answering her, but responding to whatever it was he was witnessing out there on Liberty Island. "Oh God, Kate…," his voice changed to a resigned quality that was so unlike him that it actually scared her. "I'm sorry. I should have… but there was never really enough time. I'm so sorry. You deserved better. We both did. But this is it. Just know I—"

Whatever it was that Josh was trying to tell her was left unfinished. The line, presumably on his end, was abruptly cut off, leaving her with the dead silence of a disconnected call. Knitting her eyebrows together, she stared down at her cellphone. Beckett felt an odd sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. There had been a finality to that conversation. It almost sounded like he was saying goodbye.

She had just a moment more to contemplate Josh's words when the ground beneath her shook violently, nearly knocking her off her feet. Castle tumbled from his seat, unable to catch himself with his hands restrained. Beckett swayed, stumbling forward in an attempt to help him, gripping the edge of the front desk for support. And then, in the distance, a deafening boom reverberated out from the bay. It was terrifying and frightening. Her eyes flicked up in the approximate direction, seeing a plum of fire erupt high into the sky above the building tops. An odd noise followed, a sort of deep pained bellow, unlike anything she had heard before. It filled the air, drowning out all other sounds.

An almost unnatural silence followed. All she could hear was her heart thumping in her ears.

And then a high-pitched buzz crackled out of the walkie-talkie attached to her hips, and echoed throughout the lobby on every other unit. She exchanged a baffled look with a stunned Castle when a panicked voice finally broke through the static.

"Liberty's down! Liberty's down!"