Thirty-One:
Kate and Martha watched warily as Rick emerged from his office holding Mindy's hand, quickly letting go of it when he realized that the two women were looking. Kate tried not to look as the two sat together on the sofa hips touching. They tried to watch the local news for a few minutes as the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Alexis came bounding down the stairs all smiles and dressed like someone going ice skating. She ran to where here father was sitting and hugged him. She hugs Mindy also and waves goodbye to Martha and Kate as she runs out the door.
Martha breaks the silence. "I think Alexis is making a huge mistake going out with Ashley again."
"Why's that mother?" Rick inquires.
"She just broke up with Pi and she's vulnerable. Ashley is familiar. It's too easy for her to forget why they broke up in the first place." Martha replies with false conviction in her voice.
"She's young and resilient mother. Unlike her father, I'm sure that she's learned from her mistakes. She'll be ok." Castle replies with a tone of defeat in his voice.
Martha and Kate both knew who his thinly veiled barb was aimed at. "Richard!" Martha scolds Castle.
"What? I married Meredith because she was pregnant with Alexis. I married Gina because I wanted Alexis to have a mother. I married not once, but twice for the wrong reasons. I learned nothing." Rick replied angrily. "What did you think I meant?"
Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Martha simply replies. "Never mind Richard."
Kate listens to the tense exchange between the two and knows that Castle was really talking about her and him despite what he said out loud. All of the times she sent him away only to have him return.
"Is anybody hungry? I could whip something up or there's plenty of leftovers from dinner?" Rick inquires.
The three women all shake their heads no. They return their attention to the news report on the television when there's a knock on the door. Rick nearly sprints from the sofa to the front door soliciting a laugh from both Kate and Mindy. Rick pulls the door open to greet Shaw.
"Agent Shaw, we have to stop meeting like this.. What would your husband think?" Castle laughs as he greets her.
Jordan arches her eyebrows and glares at him. "How much have you had to drink Mr Castle?"
"Not enough. I can assure you of that. Please come in." Rick gestures for her to enter the loft. She takes off her winter coat and hands it to Rick who promptly puts it in the closet near the door.
Shaw walks into the living room where the women were all seated. "I apologize for the timing, but I've had the day from hell."
"I gather the press conference didn't go well?" Kate inquires.
"No, the press conference was the easy part. This case has turned into a political football. Everyone wants to be in charge. The NYPD claims that because it was a simple murder, it's their jurisdiction. The FBI has staked their claim." She gestures to herself. "The AG's office is making noises like they want to take over."
Kate at first perks up at the mention of the AG's office taking over the case, but realizes that there's no way she would allowed to work on it. "Have you found any evidence?"
"Not really. We found one of the two cars involved in the accident abandoned about a mile from the crime scene. Forensics went over the car with a fine tooth comb and found nothing. No surprise there. We managed to get copies of all of the pictures one of the paparazzi took of the incident. We're hoping that we can ID at least one of the two men responsible for the distraction." Jordan replies, frustrated with their lack of progress. She glances at Rick's office and he picks up on the hint.
"Mother, Mindy, Kate and I have to discuss some things with agent Shaw. We may be tied up a while.."
"Say no more Richard. I'll leave you to your secret business.. I may turn in early myself, so if I don't see you later have a good evening."
"Thank you mother." Rick replies and plants a small kiss on her cheek.
Mindy and Kate get up from their seats and follow Rick and Jordan into his office. Everyone returns to the same seats they had before in spite of Shaw offering his chair to Castle. For the life of her Kate can't figure out why Castle would include his new girlfriend in such sensitive discussions and that Shaw would let it happen.
Rick was just about to speak when Kate interrupts. "Am I missing something here? It's one thing to have a civilian involved in something this sensitive, but to include his girlfriend? No offense Ms King but why are you here?" There was a snarky edge to her voice that Rick immediately took offense to.
He calmly rose up from his seat beside Mindy and walked around to his desk, again retrieving the manila envelope and took out his credentials. "I guess you didn't eavesdrop on everything." He handed the wallet to her. "Oh, agent Beckett, my girlfriend is special agent Mindy King, also with the CIA. And my partner."
Rick returned to his seat as Shaw could barely keep from laughing at the look of absolute shock on Beckett's face. She stared at the credentials and then back at him and shook her head in disbelief. "All this time you've been an agent?" Beckett manages to force out.
"No. I left the agency six years ago, about the same time I killed off Derrick Storm. It seemed fitting. I was recruited a few months ago while I was on my book tour because of my experience with William Bracken. This is so much bigger than your mother's murder.."
"Why are you telling me any of this Castle?" Shaw inquires.
"Because 'technically' the CIA isn't allowed to participate in domestic investigations." Rick makes air quotes with his fingers. "Your position with the FBI gives you the clout to be able to act on any evidence that may be provided to you from 'anonymous' sources. Right now we have to assume that everyone is dirty until we can prove that they aren't. Is that understood?"
The three women all nodded their heads in agreement. Castle offers a small smile and continues. "As I was saying earlier, when Bracken broke ties with his backers, he lost his money pipeline. You would have thought that would have ended any chance he had for a run at the White House.. A new PAC was formed a few weeks after Bracken's attempted murder called Our America First. It appears that this PAC is very well funded yet large parts of the funding is provided by people that we can't prove exist. The money comes in from off-shore accounts that can't be traced. There was one notable exception – Erik Vaughn. He contributed the maximum he was allowed to by law to Bracken directly and each of his companies contributed equal amounts to the PAC."
Rick watched as Kate's face paled at the unspoken implication that Vaughn and Bracken were connected. "Bracken is on several senate committees that approve billions of dollars in defense spending. Money that has been awarded to contracts by several companies owned by Vaughn. Their arrangement was mutually beneficial to both sides until the rumors began that Vaughn was selling restricted technologies to foreign countries not on the approved list. I suspect that Bracken caught wind of this, knew what type of political damage his association to Vaughn would have on his campaign and had him killed. Bracken's MO in the past was to use mercenaries with military backgrounds to do the killing, but there's something about this that feels more like a mob hit and that may be our break."
Rick stopped to see if everyone was listening as Kate spoke up. "There was an investigation of Vaughn.. They knew that Vaughn had taken an interest in me and wanted me to use that to see if I could find out anything.. He was killed before I ever got the chance."
"Is this someone in the AG's office?" Shaw asks.
"No." Kate replies flatly.
"How do you know that he was on the up and up? He could be just another one of Bracken's cronies trying to get you to spy for them?" Castle questions.
"I trust him as much as I trust you." Beckett cryptically replies.
Rick is more than a little puzzled by her response. Either she trusts this man, or she no longer trusts him anymore. "The sum of money that has appeared in the PAC in such a short time has to be coming from an illegal source. We don't know what it is, but I suspect that it's either drugs or weapons. Because the PAC's headquarters are here in New York, it's safe to assume that whatever illegal activities that are funding it are also here. I've made arrangements through Bob to spend some time as part of the Internal Affairs division supposedly researching a new book. We know that Gates is in Bracken's pocket and it's a safe bet that someone else there got her the job of captain at the 12th. You've got to give Bracken credit, no one suspects IA of wrongdoing. Who watches the watchers? Nobody."
Both Kate and Jordan nodded their heads in understanding. It would take the state's attorney general to initiate an investigation on the IA division. And only after evidence was provided. Right now all they had was speculation. "Bracken's smart. That's how he has flourished over the years. Everything is compartmentalized. Each little puppet doing his bidding on a single task and only he knows the big picture." Rick spoke with near admiration for how the senator had not only survived, but prospered in spite of all the evil he has been part of. "We have to find out where this money is coming from and then take him down once and for all."
"Where do I fit in all of this?" Kate asks in a near whisper.
"Honestly, I don't know. Beckett." Castle sighed as he tries to give her an answer that won't upset her anymore than she already is. "Normally, we'd put you away in WitSec until this whole thing was resolved, but to make it convincing we'd have to fake your death.. I couldn't put Jim through that."
Kate was touched that Rick didn't want to cause her father any undo pain from faking her death. She bristled at the thought of being put in WitSec, but knew that it really was the proper thing to do. "What if I refuse?" Beckett asks.
"I figured as much." Castle replies with a knowing grin. The grin fades just a quickly replaced by a grim look. "You never learn do you? Always shoot first, ask questions later. They've tried to kill you at least three times that we know of and nearly succeeded twice. How many more times can you tempt fate Beckett?"
Kate couldn't help but feel like a child being scolded by a disapproving parent. She knew everything that he said was true, but finding justice for her mother's murder has been her mission since she was nineteen. Overcome with a mixture of resentment at Rick's secret past and her own wounded pride, she says the one thing that she knew will hurt him. "It's my life Castle, or agent Rodgers, or whoever you really are. You don't get to decide."
Barely able to reel in his anger, Castle rises to his feet and stands directly facing her and calmly replies. "That's where you're wrong Ms Beckett, I do get to decide. You are obstructing a Federal investigation and I have the authority to take you into protective custody indefinitely under the Patriot Act."
Kate could see the anger and hurt in his eyes as he spoke to her. She could tell that whatever feelings he may have had for her were destroyed by her careless comment. "The Patriot Act only applies to acts of terrorism. And besides, the CIA isn't allowed to operate on US soil." She replies, knowing her rebuttal was weak.
"You don't think that a corrupt politician trying to become the President isn't an act of terrorism? All you've ever seen was your mother's murder. You've been blinded by it, refusing to see the big picture. You forced me to let you in on what I'm doing thanks to your eavesdropping. And now you know too much to let you wander back into Bracken's hands. Congratulations, you've done this to yourself.."
Rick paused and watched as Beckett's whole body seemed to deflate knowing that everything that he had said was true. Jordan and Mindy both remained silent as they knew that this was Rick's show now and he was calling the shots. "We need to kill you off in such a manner that will both not raise Bracken's suspicions and cause him to relax a little thinking that he has won. It needs to appear to be related to your job, but on a case that has absolutely nothing to do with him. He's too smart to fall for a car accident or suicide and he'd have his people all over it."
"You're not seriously considering sending Beckett back to Washington alone?" Jordan asks, surprised at his suggestion.
"What choice do we have? If we whisk her away right now, Bracken will know something's up. We have to make him believe that she's out of the picture permanently. He's not stupid enough to try anything so soon after Vaughn's death. Bracken knows that I know about the deal that he struck with Beckett. He won't try anything that will draw any attention to himself by me. Right now he thinks that Beckett and I have parted ways.. Don't worry Jordan, I'd never send her back there alone. There will be people keeping an eye on her until we figure out how to fake her death – people that I trust."
"What happens after that?" Kate inquires.
"WitSec more than likely. You'll be given a new identity and moved somewhere.."
"For how long?" Kate had to ask, although she already knew the answer.
Rick didn't respond to her question, knowing that his desire to help her all those years ago started the dominos falling and leading them to where they were right now. "You'll stay here tonight and we'll figure out how to get you back to Washington safely. You'll resume your job with the AG's office until we can work out the details.." Rick spoke softly, almost to himself.
He then turned to face Jordan. "Agent Shaw, I trust that I can count on your help? I figure by tomorrow you'll start to feel increasing pressure to wrap this case up as quickly as possible. They'll want you to attribute the whole thing to simply Vaughn being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a mugging gone wrong.. Make a little noise like you think that it's a white-wash, but then let them think they've won. You're not going to catch the real people behind this anyway. Hell, they may even give you the actual shooter just to please the press."
Shaw nodded her head knowing he was right. "And after that?" She inquires.
"I'll figure out a way to stay in touch. Maybe I'll need to 'research' a new book on a FBI profiler.."
Shaw glances at the phone and pushes herself up from Rick's chair. It's getting late and I would like to spend a couple of hours with my family. After all, it is Christmas, at least for a couple of hours.."
Rick walks up to Shaw and extends his hand. "Thank you Jordan. For everything.."
"You're welcome Mr Castle. I'll keep a guard posted outside until Beckett is out of the city.." She walked over to where Kate was seated extending her hand. "Agent Beckett, it's been interesting.. Again." Kate shook her hand and offered a sad smile.
Shaw then shook Mindy's hand and told her it was nice to meet her. She returned the sentiment to Shaw as Jordan walked to the door and opened it. She turned to face Rick before she walks out offering a sarcastic smirk. "Oh, Rick. Merry Christmas.."