Thirty-Five:
Kate Beckett woke with a stiff body from an uncomfortable night's sleep. She walks to the bathroom and turns on the shower as she brushes her teeth. The warm water helps to release the tense muscles in her body as she stands there able to enjoy the small luxury of an extended shower. She wasn't expected back at work for another day – she was supposed to be in Bermuda, with Vaughn. Erik was dead and soon she would be too, or that's what Bracken would see. She couldn't help but think about how much her life has changed in the last year. Kate had never felt as alone as she did in this moment.
Shower finished, she quickly dries her hair and slips into her underwear, a tee shirt and sweat pants. Kate brushes her still wet hair and pulls it into a ponytail. She empties the contents of her travel bag, and gently places Castle's book on her nightstand. She stares at the bikini that she had packed smiling at how much Rick would have enjoyed seeing her in it. 'But you didn't buy it for Rick to see.' Her conscience mocks her as she sighs and places it in the dresser. Finished putting away her getaway clothes, she starts to make mental notes about preparing a 'go' bag. She'd make a list of things that she needs to do just in case she has to leave quickly.
Deciding that she was caffeine deprived, Kate walks into the kitchen and pops a pod of her favorite flavored coffee into her Keurig and waits for it to brew. Setting down at her kitchen counter, Beckett grabs her legal pad and pen. She begins to list all of the things that she can think of that she needs to put in order and what items she would need if she had to go on the run quickly. Kate was drinking her coffee and reading her list when her cell phone rang. She ran into the bedroom where it was still attached to the charger and checks the caller ID. The number was blocked. Deciding to answer it anyway, she swipes her finger across the screen. "Beckett." Was all she said in greeting."
"Ms Beckett, this is Richard. I was wondering if we could meet for a little while this afternoon to discuss business?"
Kate recognized the voice immediately as Hunter. "Yes sir. My afternoon is open right now."
"Good. How about 3:00 pm at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?"
"I'll see you then." Kate replies and the call ends.
The remainder of her morning was spent working on her list. She needed to make sure that her father was listed as a beneficiary for all of her insurances and that he was able to access her checking and savings accounts without a power of attorney. The next thing she considered was converting some of her savings into pre-paid debit cards. They spend like cash and no ID is required to use them. They are also less noticeable than a large sum of cash. Knowing that there's a bullseye painted on your back makes it easy to focus on self-preservation.
Before she realized, it was nearly 1:00 pm. She walked into her bedroom and changed into jeans and a warm sweater. There was no need for business attire. Slipping on her boots, she grabbed her phone and her service revolver, placing both in her coat pockets. Kate opted to take the subway into the city instead of using her agency car with government plates.
She arrived near the memorial about ten minutes early. Despite the cold temperature, there was a decent sized crowd around the wall. Mostly older men and women who reverently touched the memorial or placing a piece of paper over a name and rubbing off an impression as a memento of someone lost to the war. She spotted Hunter standing near the wall tracing his fingers over the name of a soldier who gave his all in service to his country. Dressed in a long charcoal cashmere coat, black Fedora and dark glasses, the man looked like an older James Bond.
She walked up behind him quietly, without a word yet he felt her presence. "He was my best friend. We grew up in the same small town, dated the same girls, enlisted together.. But that's not why you're here.. Walk with me.." He turned and walked away back to the street, Kate at his side. "Are you hungry Ms Beckett?"
The question results in her realizing that with the exception of a granola bar, she hasn't eaten since dinner the night before. She feigns a small smile and replies. "Yes, I could eat."
"Good. I know just the place." The continue to walk down the street without speaking for a couple of blocks and turn the corner to one of the side streets. He points to a small bar that sits about 500 feet away. "How about here? They have pretty good food and it's quiet." Beckett simply nods in response and they walk to the entrance. He holds the door open for her and she enters, thanking him.
The hostess greets the two, immediately recognizing Hunter. "It's good to see you again Mr Hunter. Your usual booth?" Hunter simply smiles and nods. The hostess grabs a couple of menus from her podium and leads the two back to the far corner of the bar, away from the noise. Hunter waits for Kate to slide into the booth first, then sits down on the other side. The hostess hands them their menus and they both thank her.
Trying to end the silence, Kate speaks first. "Come here often?"
"Not as much as I used to. I don't spend as much time in the city as I did in the past." A young woman comes up to take their drink orders as they look at their menus. Kate orders a mineral water, while Hunter orders a scotch on the rocks. Kate can't help but smile seeing him order Castle's drink of choice.
"Something funny?" Hunter asks.
"Rick always orders scotch on the rocks. He paid a ridiculous sum of money for a bottle of one hundred and fifty year old scotch."
"Richard's a good man in spite of his father." Hunter comments remorsefully. The waitress arrives with their drinks and asks if they are ready to order. They both asked for a couple of minutes as neither had looked at the menus yet. Hunter took a large sip of his scotch and smiled. "Everything on the menu is pretty good. I especially like their cheeseburgers."
Kate had to hide her smile at his comment. "I think I'll try one then." They sit there in silence until the waitress comes back to take their orders and quickly leaves.
"I had a long talk with Richard yesterday. He explained your situation and I agree that the only way we can assure you survive is to make Bracken believe that you are dead. I've got some contacts in the US Marshall's office, people that I trust. I've explained our situation and they are putting together a new identity for you. We need to get some things ready in advance though. Have you ever donated blood?"
Kate thought that it was odd to ask such a question. "Yes I have. A few years ago. Why?"
"I want to get a pint a week from you for the next two weeks. Your blood, or really the DNA in your blood will be what we use to establish the identity of the body that will be used in your place. I'll keep you posted of any changes in the plan as soon as possible. It's critical that you return to work and act as if nothing has changed. We don't know who is tied to Bracken, so it's safer to assume that everyone is."
"What about my father?" Kate asks, already fearing the answer. "I'm afraid something terrible will happen if he believes that I'm dead. He nearly drank himself to death when my mother died."
Hunter's expression hardens as he looks directly into her eyes. "I understand what you are saying and wish there was some way to let him know, but the key to this is convincing everyone that you are dead. Bracken will continue to send people after you until he succeeds. If I thought that all we had to do was put him in jail, then I would have simply hidden you away for a while. As long as he breathes, you will be in danger. It's that simple."
He pauses and takes a sip of his drink as he assesses her reaction to the news. Kate couldn't conceal the look of anguish and guilt at the thought of her father dealing with her death, even if it wasn't real. Hunter softens his tone a little as he resumes talking. "You chose a dangerous profession. One that has the very real possibility of death daily. You've been shot, kidnapped, and assaulted. Your father has had to live with this reality for how many years?"
Kate couldn't escape the feeling of guilt at Hunter's question. She never considered what her quest to seek justice for her mother was doing to her father. He always seemed so accepting of her choices. Beckett knew her father worried about her and what she did for a living. He had asked Castle to intervene on numerous occasions when he was sure she was in danger. Her father had warned her about the consequences from her choices all those months ago. A single tear slipped down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, afraid that she would look weak to Castle's father.
Richard Hunter may not have been a very good father, but he understood how hard it would be on her father. He had lived through the ordeal himself when he was recruited by the CIA all those years ago. Raymond Walters was a twenty two year old, fresh faced kid straight out of college when he enlisted in the Army. Two years later, he lead his unit of special forces soldiers through the jungles of Vietnam. His impressive service had caught the attention of the CIA who always had the need for people with his skills. Bad intelligence lead to a failed op near the Cambodian border and left his unit decimated, himself badly wounded. Raymond Walters died of his wounds and Richard Hunter was born.
"I'll talk to Richard. Maybe we can work something out so that your father knows what's really going on. I'll see if there can be some way for the two of you to communicate that's untraceable. I don't like the risk, but I understand."
"Thank you." Kate replies, grateful for the consideration. The waitress brought out their food and they ate in silence.
X-X-X
Jim Beckett arrived at his apartment just after four. The first thing that he did was check the answering machine for any messages from Kate. Finding none, he debated if he should call her. Despite being in rural upstate New York, even they get CNN. He'd watched the news reports about Vaughn's murder and seen the photos from both the red carpet and the Old Haunt. At first he was disappointed that Kate couldn't find the time to call him, but then thought that maybe she'd been whisked away and unable to contact anyone.
Things had become 'awkward' between the two since she left New York. At first the calls were nightly. Nothing important was discussed. More like a 'hi, how ya doing, I'm doing fine'. As time progressed, the timing between calls increased from daily to weekly to every other week. Jim understood just how busy she was. He knew that with her drive to succeed, she'd have no problem as a Federal agent.
He had to admit that he was more than a little disappointed to see his daughter with Vaughn, especially in Rick's bar. It seemed like she wanted to punish Rick for something. For what, he didn't know. He had always held out the faintest glimmer of hope that Katie would realize just what she was losing by leaving Castle.
But now he was sure that it was too late. Grabbing his cell phone, he quickly composed a simple text asking her to call him if she had the time and sent it to Kate. All he could do now was wait..
X-X-X
Rick took Mindy out to dinner and went dancing afterwards. They both had a very good time and Castle could sense that his feelings for Mindy were growing. They agreed to go to Vincent Cardano's annual New Years eve party at his house in the Hamptons. It took more than a couple of gift baskets and some serious sweet talking to get back in Vinnie's good graces after the murder case over a year ago. Rick needed Cardano's help finding out what Simmons is up to. If Vinnie didn't know, Castle was sure that he could point you in the direction of someone that did.
Mindy spent the final days of the year looking for a way to gain access to the PAC that they suspect is funneling money from Simmons to Bracken. She found out that they use contract people for IT support. With a couple of well placed phone calls, Mindy would be a replacement for one of the IT regulars that left for a better job. Her background as a hacker was what led the CIA to recruit her in the first place. The pieces were starting to fall into place.
As Alexis had a date with Ashley, and Martha had a party in the city to attend, Rick and Mindy decided to stay at his place in the Hamptons through the holiday and return the next day. Martha had slowly began to warm to Mindy and Alexis was thrilled. Then again, since she started seeing Ashley again, Alexis appeared to be thrilled with everything. Alexis had even hinted at wanting to transfer to Stanford during the semester break. While Castle acted surprised, getting his daughter 3,000 miles away from New York was perfect. All he would have to do is make a phone call to one of his producer friends in Hollywood and Martha would be out of the city also.
The two left New York early in the morning New Year's eve and made the drive to his house in the Hamptons, arriving before noon. They drove into town and had a quiet lunch in one of the local eateries. They had gotten to the point in their relationship where neither felt compelled to keep a conversation going. Now little touches and glances conveyed messages that didn't require words. He could feel himself on the sharp edge of the slippery slope and Rick no longer worried about the slide down.
They arrived at Vinnie's estate a little after eight. Mindy looked stunning in her floor length black with silver accents evening dress. Rick looked dapper in his Armani tux. Vinnie and his wife stood near the door and greeted their guests upon arrival. Most of the people there were residents of the area, but a few prominent businessmen and local politicians were there also. "Ricky! How ya doin'? And who's your lovely date?" Cardono asks.
Rick can't help but smile and replies. "This lovely lady is Mindy King." Mindy smiles and extends her hand to the mobster.
He takes her hand in his and half shakes it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And this is my wife Rose." He gestures to the woman on his right.
Rose smiles and comments. "I've read all of your books Mr Castle. I was so sad when I got to end of your last book. Please tell me that Rook and Heat will get back together?"
Rick just offers her one of his standard charming smiles and replies. "Well you'll just have to wait till my next book comes out to see."
"Welcome to our home. Please enjoy yourselves." Vinnie slaps Rick on the back as he prepares to greet the next couple coming into the room. Live music was playing with a local jazz group performing the classics. A large bar was setup near the great room and caterers brought around champagne and appetizers. A dance area was setup in what Rick would guess was a dining room. The place was packed with people all having a good time.
The couple walked around the rooms both enjoying the champagne and meeting the other guests. He just hoped that he'd get a chance to talk to Cardono. Mindy suggested that they dance and he followed her to the floor that was filled with other couples swaying to the music. He held her close to him as she rested her head on his shoulder and moved with the music. She seemed to melt into his body and Rick enjoyed the feeling. The song ended and they briefly separated. Rick lifted her chin up just enough to place a soft kiss on her lips. Her arms wrapped around him in an embrace as the music played again.
Time seemed to fly as they continued to dance and mingle with the other guests. Rick finally sees Vinnie alone and decides to take his shot. Castle walks to where the mob boss is standing and asks if he has a couple of minutes to spare, in private. Cardono senses that there is something more to this than pleasant chit-chat and gestures towards his office. Rick follows Vinnie into the office and waits as he shuts his door.
"Ok Ricky, what's so important that we need to speak tonight?"
"You're a very busy man and this was my only chance to speak to you for a while.."
"Ok, I'm listening. What do you want?"
Rick reaches into his tux jacket and pulls out his ID, handing it to Cardono. "I wanted to ask you a few questions."
Vinnie looks at the credentials and laughs. "Very funny Ricky. First you're playing cop with that lady detective and now you're pretending to be a Fed? You could go to jail for impersonating a Federal agent."
"It's legit Vinnie. I got drafted to work this one case.. Vulcan Simmons." Rick replies.
"No shit? They're finally going after that arrogant bastard? It's about fucking time. What do you want from me?"
"What do you know about him?"
"I know he operates like he's above the law." Cardono replies with disgust. "Somebody is protecting him from on high. How high is anybody's guess."
"That's what I'm working on. I'm trying to find out who's protecting him and take them down." Rick replies. "If you happen to think of anything that could help me.."
"What's in it for me?" Vinnie asks.
"A rival out of business. It's a win-win proposition for both of us."
"I'll think about it. Let's get back to the party before our women start to ask questions." Cardono replies as he opens the door and gestures for Rick to exit.
Rick and Mindy resume dancing as the catering staff brings around more champagne just before midnight. Several flat screen monitors in the room turn on with the image of the big ball in Times Square. As the countdown timer on the screen relays the seconds left until the new year, the entire crowd joins in. The countdown reaches zero and the crowd erupts in a cheer of Happy New Year! Rick and Mindy share a tender kiss as the wish each other a happy new year. The band starts to play auld lang zine and everyone begins to sing along.
The perfection of the moment causes Rick to say out loud. "Here's to the best year ever." As they touch their champagne flutes together and toast to the new year. Then the deja' vu of it all stuck him like a shot. Exactly one year ago, he was standing on a similar dance floor, sure that it would be the best year of his life with the woman he loved exchanging a similar toast. In that perfect moment, he was happy.
Mindy can see the expression on Castle's face change from joy to melancholy in an instant and knows the reason – Beckett. Any other woman, especially a trained agent, would have written Rick off as a lost cause and continued with cover until the mission was complete. She had seen the real man behind the facade that he put on for the public. The man who was generous and kind to his friends. Who would do anything for those he loved, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness.
They leave the party a few minutes later, both more than a little tired from the long day. The silent car ride back to Rick's home was broken by Mindy. "I'm not her." Was all she says quietly, ending his trip down memory lane. "I don't have a secret agenda, or some wrong that I'm trying to right." She pauses, waiting to hear some response from Castle, but there was none. "I see the relationship that you have with your mother and daughter and have to admit that I'm more than a little jealous. You are a great father and prove it by not taking any credit for just how wonderful Alexis is." She stared out the window of his Mercedes as they pulled into the driveway and then the garage. Rick quickly walked around the car and opened the door for her, helping her out.
He couldn't help but stare at the length of her shapely leg exposed by the slit on the side of her evening gown as she exited the car. Before he could stop himself, the comparison of Mindy's legs to Kate's began in his mind. Mindy caught him staring and smiled, happy that he noticed. Rick offers a sheepish smile. "What? You may have the most beautiful legs that I've ever seen."
She placed a small kiss on his cheek and thanks him for the compliment. Rick keys in the code on his alarm system and they enter the house as the garage door closes. Castle asks if she'd like to have a nightcap before turning in, but she declines saying that she is tired. Rick nods his head in understanding and they share a gentle kiss. They turn away from each other and head to their bedrooms – alone. Both having second thoughts about that decision.
X-X-X
Kate Beckett was startled from her sleep by the sound of firecrackers just outside her building. She had went to bed well before midnight feeling tired and alone. Kate glances at her phone on the nightstand to verify that it is just after midnight and couldn't shake the thought of just how different her life was at this exact moment one year ago. She had it all. A job she loved and was proud of doing, loyal friends, and a man that loved her more than anyone ever did in her life. Her future was bright, or so she thought.
Now it's nothing but a painful memory. If only different choices were made..
If only..