Hi people! Yes, a quick update :D thank you for the few reviews I received. Hope you'll enjoy your reading on this chapter. xxx
When Rick Castle pushed the heavy entrance door of the manor, Kate Beckett finally stopped pacing in the living room.
"Finally you're back!" she said, standing behind the couch.
The boys replied nothing and came in, eyes low.
"You didn't find Royal?" Alexis first noticed, disappointed.
"He'll be back, honey." Martha comforted her, stroking her long red hair.
Ryan and Esposito brought up the rear and Esposito shut the door carefully. The men wouldn't speak, and Kate guessed something was wrong.
"So, did you find something?" she asked anxiously as she couldn't bear their silence and the grave look on their face.
"We have a big problem", Kevin finally said as he shook his drenched hair.
"What's going on?" Jenny asked worried, sitting next to Lanie. On the opposite couch, Martha and Alexis put the family album aside and listened carefully.
Rick swallowed hard before he looked at Kate and then at Martha and Alexis.
"We found Gina…she was dead," he announced.
Gina. Dead.
"…What?" Kate said in shock, as she stepped further.
"Gina…Gina? You mean…"
Rick interrupted his mother with a nod.
"Oh my God," Alexis stammered as she placed a shaky hand on her mouth. She stood up from the couch and rushed to her father.
"Dad, that's horrible…" she whispered as she placed her hands around his waist. Rick welcomed her hug and held her tight. No matter how old he was, he really needed a hug in such circumstances.
"What happened?" Lanie asked, as she stood from the couch. "Did she have a car accident or…"
"No", Esposito interrupted her. "We wish she did," he winced, remembering her body half naked and wounded.
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, as she knew her friend's look too well. He wasn't the kind of guy to be afraid of anything.
Esposito swallowed hard and glanced at Kevin to regain courage before he spoke.
The courage to tell the truth.
"She was murdered."
Kate and Lanie's eyes widened in shock almost at the same time.
"…Excuse me?!" Kate stammered, her mouth half opened.
"Yeah, we found her car, and her body was hidden in the leaves a few meters away."
"Oh my God."
"According to the wounds and the fact her body was half naked…we think it's a murder," Ryan added in a serious tone.
"What kind of wounds?" Lanie asked, curious. Her job habit.
"…It was a mess, that's all I can say", Esposito replied. Kate's eyes turned to Rick.
"But who would want to kill Gina?" Alexis asked, raising her brilliant eyes to her father. Some tears were already falling on her cheeks.
Rick shook his head, overwhelmed.
"I don't know sweetheart", he whispered back as he put his forehead on the top head of his daughter. Kate couldn't stop looking at him. She wanted to come closer, to comfort him, to be in his arms because she was as scared as him. But she couldn't do it. She had to be strong. That was her job.
"My God this is a nightmare…" Martha sighed while Lanie and Esposito looked at each other in silence. They had nothing to say in such situation. Ryan joined Jenny on the couch, took her hand and whispered some comforting words as she looked terrified.
"Are you saying there's a killer around?" Lanie finally said after a few seconds.
"Gina didn't get those wounds by herself for sure," Esposito replied. Kate had already grabbed her phone. But the second after she threw it to the floor with rage.
"Dammit!" she groaned, anxious.
"Don't, Kate. There's no network. And it's not the storm", Javier said as the others looked at him.
"…So what is it?" Kate asked overwrought.
"Well…I don't like to explain you all this but…"
"Spill it, Espo", detective Beckett sighed.
Esposito sighed.
"Some stuff can scramble networks and prevent phones from having signals," he started.
"For what?" Kate asked, raising her eyebrows. Javier shrugged.
"It's common in the army. You can hide, and not be seen from your enemies who could detect the waves…or in our case…simply for…" he stopped, as he bit his lips hesitantly.
"For?" Lanie repeated, waiting for him to tell them everything.
"So we can't call 911," Esposito finally said.
"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," Jenny sighed, shaking.
"I promise we're going to find out what's going on, honey," Ryan whispered to his wife, gently replacing a lock of blond hair behind her ear. She didn't reply anything, although his gesture comforted her a little bit.
"Are you saying somebody's trying to kill us?" Lanie asked her ex-boyfriend. He didn't want to reply but Lanie knew him too well. His look spoke for him.
"We're going to be okay, safe and sound, I promise you," he replied finally.
Actually he wanted to tell her he would do anything to protect her from any wacko if there was any. He would do anything. But at that very moment, he said nothing…after all, they weren't together anymore.
"Are you all right, Castle?" Kate asked, as she stepped further and came closer to him. Lost in tracks and letting Alexis hug him, Rick didn't realize Kate had spoken to him. When she approached him, he shook his head and tried to focus.
"Sorry?"
"Are you all right?" she repeated simply. Alexis took the opportunity to wipe her tears with the back of her hand and headed to the couch, where her grandmother was. But on the way, Lanie grabbed her arm to comfort her for a few seconds.
"I don't know if I can be all right in such situation," Rick said in a serious tone. Kate smiled softly at him. She knew perfectly what he was going through.
"Gina had the worst personality ever, we hated each other so much sometimes, but…she didn't deserve this. If you had seen her body…And all the blood…" he said, his voice trailing off. Rick Castle was used to crime scenes in his books…But in real life, it was completely different.
Seeing him so desperate made her want to hold him tight against her. Kate slowly raised her hand and placed it softly against his cheek. It was fresh and soft, and her gesture comforted him a little bit in this painful moment.
"We're going to find out what happened, I promise…" she whispered, still stroking his cheek. He nodded slowly, hypnotized by her gaze and her smile.
"It's going to be okay", she repeated. "We're armed, we're cops. So, even if we can't reach anyone outside for now, I promise you we're going to be just fine, Rick," she whispered.
But deep inside her, Kate wasn't sure. Rick regained courage and when Kate took off her hand, he glanced at Lanie.
"Lanie, we were thinking that maybe, you could come and examine the body? To find out the time of death, among other things…Not alone of course, but…"
"Of course I'll go," Lanie decided, interrupting him.
"Great. Thanks."
"You don't need to thank me", Lanie said as she grabbed her coat and put her on under Esposito's protective look, while Kate seemed to think about something.
"Castle, I'd like you not to go back there," she announced then, as she stared at the writer. Rick raised his eyebrows.
"What? But why?" he asked.
"This is too much for you. You don't need to endure the vision again," she explained him gently. He protested.
"Kate, I…"
"Rick, please don't insist. It disturbed you! It won't help if you go back there. Stay here, take some rest…Lanie and me, we're going together." Kate decided.
While Lanie nodded, Esposito smirked on her right.
"Not alone, girls", he interrupted. Kate looked back at him and sighed.
"Javi, don't forget I'm a cop too," Kate said. "Besides, I'm…"
"My superior, I know. Whatever you say Kate, I'm telling you, you're not going outside without me", he said with authority.
"And not without me, either," Ryan said as he stood up from the couch.
"You're sweet," Lanie whispered to Esposito with a soft smile.
"What. Did you forget I can be sweet?" he replied, smiling back at her as he grabbed his flashlight. It wasn't the night yet, but in the woods and in the dark, it would be useful.
As Lanie and Javier kept smiling at each other, Kate turned to Rick.
"All right, the four of us are going. And Rick, take that."
She lended him her gun and Rick grabbed it.
"What about you?" he asked after a few seconds.
"Espo has yours, and if he's armed, we're safe. Do you know how to use it?" she asked him. Rick smiled softly, in spite of the circumstances.
"Don't you remember the shooting training, when I beat you hollow?"
Kate rolled her eyes and smiled, glad he got a little bit of his humor back.
"If you have any problem, you shoot. According to the circumstances, it is self-defense. AND please, tell Martha, Alexis and Jenny not to leave this room. If someone wants to go to the bathroom, go by 2", she explained, looking at him intensely.
"Got it," Rick nodded, a little bit anxious to have new responsibilities.
"I trust you. Everything's going to be fine, we'll be back in no time", Kate ended.
Then she turned to Lanie, Esposito and Ryan.
"You're ready?"
"I gotta take my suitcase first, with my tools in the trunk of my car", Lanie said.
"You always take it with you?" Ryan asked, surprised.
"Yes it's no big deal. Just autopsy equipments but also first aid kit just in case."
"Convenient", the Irish said.
"My tires are flat, right?" Lanie said, giving a questioning look to Esposito. He nodded.
"Does it mean the lock was forced or…"
Espo shook his head.
"Nah, I checked. Only the tires are slashed. Take your keys", he said. She headed to her bag and grabbed her car keys. Meanwhile, Jenny stood up and headed to Ryan.
"Be careful. You know I love you, right?" she whispered before she kissed him. It was a soft kiss but all the passion of their story was in it. All she wanted was getting out of this hell and telling him the good news…She made the kiss last thinking about it. When she ended it, Ryan took her beautiful face between the palms of his hands.
"I love you too, honey. More thank you'll ever know", he whispered back, pulling her against his chest.
Esposito watched them, a little bit embarrassed to see them so close. The situation was even more awkward when Lanie went back with her car keys. She looked at the two lovebirds before she shared a look with Javier. They gazed at each other in silence for a few seconds. They had so much to say to each other too…But it was definitely the wrong moment.
"All right, let's go," Kate ordered, interrupting them all.
"Be careful, children," Martha said from the couch. Alexis was holding her, still in shock because of the news.
"We'll be fine," Kate promised with a polite smile, while Lanie, Esposito and Ryan left the manor under the rain and a darker sky.
Kate walked past the door but she felt a hand grabbing her arm. She turned back. Rick was standing there, a few centimeters from her. He had grabbed her arm and wouldn't leave her gaze. He had a special way to look at her that made her shiver. She opened her mouth and was about to say something but he spoke first.
"Be careful, Kate, I'm begging you," he whispered, his eyes full of concern.
Kate offered him a soft smile and nodded.
"We'll be back in no time", she promised in a whispered, savoring his touch. Rick opened his mouth as he wanted to say more…but the words wouldn't come out. The event had left him speechless. He finally let her arm go and Kate smiled at him again, before she turned to join Esposito, Lanie and Ryan who were near the M.E's car. Rick watched Kate walk away under the pouring rain as he leaned his head against the beam of the door. He just couldn't close the door until she would be completely out of his field of vision, entering those hostile woods with Lanie and the boys.
.
to be continued...