Hello my dear readers. I knooow I haven't uploaded for a while, but I just didn't have time. And I'm really sorry about it! I'll do my best to update sooner for the next chapters. Thank you anyway for your support and reviews. Hope you'll enjoy your reading. Stay tuned! xxx
The very first rays of light finally replaced the cold and dark night as the clock turned 5 am. In front of the manor, some police cars were gathered, their flashing lights on, as well as an ambulance.
Dozens of policemen were actively working around the house, establishing a security perimeter with the famous yellow tape of every crime scene.
Two ambulance men were taking care of Kevin Ryan, still weakened, who was lying on a stretcher. Jenny was by his side, holding his hand. Sitting on the edge of the trunk of the ambulance, Martha Rogers was examined by a first-aider as she had received a serious knock on the head.
Lanie Parish was standing alone, watching the scene, stoical, a few meters away of all this. Shivering because of the cold despite the survival blanket wrapped around her, she was watching the people working actively around her, as she felt overwhelmed by the situation and the way their weekend had turned wrong. She glanced at her left to see Esposito and Gates in the middle of a conversation, and she decided to step further the ambulances, to explain the conditions of her patient for a day, Kevin Ryan, in details to the ambulance men.
"...and then I managed to create a connexion with my battery car, and got enough waves to establish a radio connexion so I could reach you," Javier Esposito finished to explain to Victoria Gates who was listening admiratively.
"You did a great job, detective. We can even say that without you, you people would still be trapped in that nightmare. Congratulations.
"Thanks Sir. But there's no need to thank me as long as Beckett, Castle and his daughter are still missing", he replied bitterly.
Gates stroked his arm softly.
"You saved the others, at least. That is not insignificant. Thanks to you, Ryan will be finally carried out to the hospital", she comforted him.
Esposito smiled softly. His chief's consideration really meant something to him, especially since he was used to her coldness.
"By the way, how is he doing?" Gates asked, glancing at the ambulance a few meters away where he had been placed.
"It's hard to tell. According to Doctor Parish he's stable even if he lost so much blood he's going to need a transfusion. His spleen might have been touched as well, but the rest of his organs are safe. And Lanie stopped any risk of infection," he concluded.
Gates nodded, and bit her lips, admirative.
"You're lucky she was with you."
Glancing at the ambulance where Lanie was talking with one of the first-aiders, Esposito couldn't help smiling as he gazed hungrily at the ME.
"Yeah...she was amazing."
Gates looked at him skeptically for a few seconds before she smiled herself. She wasn't blind. Esposito shook his head and cleared his throat, looking back at his chief.
"Do you have any news about the guy I told you about? William Bowers, the one Castle is thinking about?" Esposito asked.
"Since you gave me his name, I did a lot of researches..." she nodded, sounding enigmatic. Esposito raised an eyebrow.
"And...the news isn't good, is it?"
Captain Gates shrugged.
"We started to look for him, everywhere. He's not at home, nobody's seen him since last friday, which matches the date of Gina Cowell's murder right here."
"So there's a chance it's him, Castle was right," Esposito understood with a sigh. Gates didn't deny it.
"For now he's our main suspect. Added to the fact he's unreachable...and we can't track down his car either."
"Does he have a record?"
Gates nodded and took a file from her car they were standing against to have their conversation. She closed the driver door and gave it to Javier who started to read it immediately.
"His first misdemeanors started more than ten years ago. Physical assaults, grievous bodily harm, aggravated assaults, aggravated assaults on minors, sexual assault..."
Esposito sighed heavily as he read the file. The picture of the man's face even gave him shivers. The face of horror, no more, no less.
"Why is such a bastard still on the run..." he mumbled.
"During his trial for sexual assault, the judge at that time required a psychiatric follow-up...And then it was unavoidable, he was found non-responsible for the crime."
Shocked, Esposito raised his look on her.
"So, he was released?"
"Only on the condition that he would have a medical follow-up. He did receive consults from a famous psychiatrist for a few weeks, and got better since."
"Yeah, I read there's been no aggression since 5 years", he said as he carefully read the report.
"Besides the therapy, he started to write...And according to his psychiatrist, it really helped treat his pathology."
"What is wrong with him, exactly?" Esposito asked as he raised a frowned look to Gates.
"Pseudopsychopathic schizophrenia."
"Oh that's it?", the latino said ironically.
"It's the most dangerous of all the schizophrenia forms that exist. The patient feels constantly persecuted and responds to that feeling with tremendous violent acts, completely out of control. His doctor, Doctor Samuel Jones said he's dangerous. He had never killed anyone before but Jones didn't seem surprised that he actually did it, since his condition got worse," Gates said.
"Yes, we saw he's dangerous. Gina's body can prove it."
"I know, I saw it just like you. The guys are going to bring it back to the morgue, by the way. As well as the dog's. We're going to take the prints so we can have a real proof it's him."
"We must catch him." Esposito sighed.
"We will, we'll have that bastard, don't worry about it," Gates answered.
"What about Castle, Beckett and Alexis?"
"Still nothing. Patrols are checking the area, as well as the helicopter. We also have men and trained dogs. It's only a matter of time."
"There's no time to waste. We have to help you too. What can I do?" Esposito asked. Gates smiled before answering.
"You go home take some rest. You've already done enough", she replied in a sympathetic tone.
But Esposito shook his head.
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Gates said with more authority. He was used to her strong personality but that didn't matter right now.
"With all due respect, Sir," Esposito said more calmly, "I just can't go home now. I need to find them back. I'm too concerned...do you really think I could sleep tight or think about something else without knowing what's happening? Please, Sir...I wanna help," he said. Gates saw in his look he was too much persuasive she couldn't refuse or argue. He was a good element, maybe the best, she wouldn't take him off the case.
She sighed and nodded.
"Fine, you can stay and help us. We're going to get you a talkie, a gun, and we're going to join the patrols that are checking the area out there. But first, tell Doctor Parish and Mrs Rogers to leave. A patrol will take them to the nearest village so they can take some rest far from all this."
"Got it." Javier nodded as he walked away.
He joined Lanie a few meters away, who had just finished her conversation with the ambulance man that had taken care of Ryan. The man climbed in the ambulance, closed his door and started the vehicle. Lanie closed her eyes and sighed heavily, hearing the ambulance drive away. She prayed for Ryan's safety.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned back, almost startling. Javier smiled, amused by her reaction.
"Hey, it's just me," he whispered to her.
"I'm glad it's just you," she replied, stroking his cheek.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned, as he saw she was on the verge of tears. Lanie bit her lips and couldn't help but fall against his torso, burying her head into his shoulder. Surprised, Javier let her do and gently stroked her hair.
"Hey..." he whispered again, hearing her sobs.
"I'm scared for Ryan. I did everything I could, but I don't know if it's enough...His condition got worse..." he heard her say against his torso.
"Lanie." He interrupted her, grabbing her by the shoulders. She raised her look to his.
"You did everything you could, baby. No one will blame you if he ever..."
"I will."
"Stop, Lanie...without you, he would have died a long time ago. You gave him a chance to survive, you gave Jenny a new hope..."
"She's pregnant." She blurted as she sniffed. Esposito's eyes widened.
"Jenny?"
Lanie nodded while a tear slipped into her cheek.
"She told me earlier. She was so happy, if you had seen her...And if he doesn't make it...She will be all alone and that's horrible..." she managed to say as she wiped her cheek.
"Listen, if something ever happened to Kevin, and I pray for it not to happen, believe me...We'll be there for her, okay? Nobody's going to let her down," Esposito reassured her as he stroke the locks of Lanie's hair on her forehead.
She smiled and looked at him, hypnotized.
"Stop crying," he whispered before he kissed her on the forehead. His gesture soothed her and she nodded.
"So, what did the Captain tell you?" she asked to change the subject. He shrugged and sighed heavily.
"Nothing really new...The guy is a dangerous schizophrenic, well...nothing we haven't heard about already. I'm going to look for Kate, Rick and Alexis with her. And we're going to catch the guy."
Lanie frowned.
"What?"
"Not just the two of us, of course. With the patrols, don't worry."
"How can I not worry? I still can't believe this is real. That they're missing..." Lanie admitted, exhausted.
Esposito grabbed her hand.
"We're going to find them. I promise."
"And you'll be careful, can you promise me that, too?" she asked as she leaned her head on the side. He smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry about me. We'll have the helicopters, the infrared materials, bulletproof vests, snipers...everything will be perfectly fine."
Lanie seemed to be reassured by his arguments and nodded in silence.
"However...I'd like you to do something for me..." Javier said as he dropped his eyes while he stroked her hand in his.
"I'm listening..."
"I want you to leave," he ordered as he raised his look to hers.
Lanie laughed nervously as she heard his request.
"What?"
"Lanie I'm being serious. I can't focus if I have to worry about you at the same time."
"Javi, cops are everywhere, I'm safe here."
"Do what I'm saying, please."
She dropped her eyes, avoiding his gaze as she knew she couldn't refuse anything when he looked her that way.
"Lanie."
He held her hand tighter and she finally looked at him.
"Go in a car. Ask a policeman to drive you and Martha away from here. When you're in Wainscott, take a room in the first hotel you can find, or a café or something and take some rest. I'll join you as soon as it's over. Did you get your phone back?"
On the verge of tears again, Lanie bit her lips and nodded.
(n/a: music suggestion: When I'm With You - JJ Heller)
"Yes...but I don't want..to leave you," she admitted as her voice trailed off.
"Me neither," he admitted as he let go her hand to gently the young woman's cheek between his palms. "But the sooner it's over the better, and we'll be together again."
Lanie placed her arms around his neck.
"Javier, do you really think Martha will accept to leave without knowing about Castle and Alexis?"
"Tell her we'll call you as soon as we have news. And tell her also it's an order from Gates."
"Is that true?"
"Affirmative."
"Yeah, well it's a thousand times sexier when you're the one giving me orders..." she whispered as she smiled at him.
"A thousand times, really?" he smiled as he leaned his head closer. He brushed her lips with a kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.
"All right...I'll go," she whispered.
"Good girl."
"But first, I wanted to tell you..." she bit her lips once again when he opened his eyes to search her gaze. He was troubling her. As always.
"What is it?" he whispered, concerned. Intertwining her fingers behind Esposito's neck, Lanie took a deep breath, trying to find her words.
"I know...I know that your biggest regret for the weekend is that you couldn't drive Castle's Ferrari..."
Esposito let out a laugh and shook his head, as Lanie kept going.
"But for me, it's that I didn't have the time to tell you before...you know, when you told me you love me earlier..."
"Hmm?"
"I didn't tell you that, me too...I mean, well, you know what I mean..." she stammered, her cheeks on fire.
"Mm, not really no," he said, making the young woman frown and step on his foot to punish him.
"Ouch!"
"Well deserved."
"Lanie, you're better than all the Ferraris in the world, and my only regret is that I should have told you a long time ago how much I'm crazy about you," he said softly, stroking her cheeks.
"I prefer that" she replied, doing her best not to grin too much.
"Now kiss me to give me the courage to go back there..." he said, brushing her lips.
"If I can do you that favor..." she whispered back as she smiled before she captured his lips again. Lanie stood on tip-toe and melt her tongue with his with passion. As if it was the last time they would be kissing. She couldn't let him go, she didn't have the strength, she didn't want to. She didn't care about the others around them, not even Gates who was standing a few steps away. She really didn't care. She just held the latino's cheeks between her palms and kissed him with all she had. He kissed her back of course, but almost let her take the lead this time. Usually he was the one taking advantage of her. But not this time. He let her kiss him the way she wanted to, as he realized he needed it as much as she did.
When they were almost out of breath, Lanie let his partner's tongue go and ended the kiss. Then she opened her eyes.
"I want us to stop fooling around, Javi." she whispered, still out of breath.
"What?"
"I want us to get back together. For good, always. And I know, it's all my fault, but if only you knew how much I regret..."
He interrupted her, kissing her again.
"Stop, Lanie. We stop fooling around." he repeated as he ended the kiss. She raised her brilliant look on him.
"I want us to start all over again." He nodded. "I never wanted us to break up, and if only you knew how much I suffered, how much I've missed you..." he sighed as he gazed at her hungrily.
"So you...you forgive me?" she managed to say shyly.
"Only if you forgive me for not trying to hold you back at that time."
"Of course I do..." she whispered as she threw herself at him again. She kissed him once again, as if she feared loosing him again. "I don't want you to go," she admitted, against his lips.
"Everything's going to be fine, chica."
"If you get hurt, or worse...you know I'll scalp you myself, you know that, detective?"
"Oh yes, I do," he laughed as he placed his arm around her waist and stroked her gently. "I've missed those threats too..."
"Not me..." she mumbled as she stared at him.
He let out a laugh.
"I'll be careful, I promise."
He kissed her one last time before he let her waist go.
"Go."
"You call me soon?"
He nodded with a smile and kissed her hand one last time before he let her go. She walked away towards the house where Martha was sitting on the steps and sipping a hot cofffee, a blanket wrapped around her. From where he was standing, Javier saw her saying something to Martha who stood up a few seconds after and followed her. Then Lanie whispered some orders to a policeman who nodded and leaded them to the nearest car. The man took the wheel and started the engine.
Esposito waited for the car to drive by him before he gave Lanie a last sign, as she waved back at him through the window. Then, when the car was only a tiny dot on the road, Esposito turned back to Gates with a sigh. Captain Gates was in the middle of a conversation with a dozen of men, about to go and search for Beckett, Castle, Alexis and the dangerous criminal.
Ready to help, Esposito joined them quickly. It was about time to end this nightmare.
.
to be continued...