CH39

"That is a lot of fire power." Javi comments. "How do we combat that much strength? What do we have?" he asks

"I've got my service weapon and my back-up weapon. Ryan here probably has the same. So does Kate. That's all." he adds

"On the contrary detective, you have access to weapons and methods no one else on this planet has." responds Lucile.

"Better than an RPG? Better than a Stinger? Better then Semtex?"

"Richard?" Lucile calls out.

"Yes, Lucile?"

"There is a problem with Bracken being the ultimate person behind it all." Lucile explains.

"What do you mean? How could he not be behind it all?" Rick questions.

"He is a politician. He shows classic signs of a person who cannot control his urges. All his phone calls about wanting Kate dead are too rash. He has not enough evidence that Kate is involved or that she knows anything that could harm him.

"He is more like a child who has the ability to give out life or death decisions, and has decided to use it when the whim strikes him. He gains a high off of having people killed, a classic Sociopath with Antisocial Personality Disorder. He shows all the signs of get off on making people suffer but don't have the mental capacity to coordinate a complex series of events to achieve a goal."

"So someone may be using him as a means to an end. Some kind of pawn in a game?" Kate questions.

"It is possible, however probable, that he is being manipulated into doing things to become President. Make him a voice less president, while someone else makes all the hard decisions. To become president, you need to be able to show a side of yourself that appeals to the public. It is possible that this silent person lacks this quality. And the benefit of playing chess in his game is that if you remove enough pieces, the game is over."

"Richard."

"Yes, Lucile"

"Senator Bracken's main residence here in NY is presently empty." she tells him.

"Are you sure?" Rick questions.

"Yes, Richard."

"Show me." And her 3D image is replaced with a 3D image of a mansion somewhere in NY.

"Wow! He lives in that?" Jenny is now envious and just a little mad.

"I need you to be sure Lucile. Run the scan again. There can't be a dog, cat or a hamster. There can't be so much as a gold fish in that house." Rick directs.

"Scanning. …. Scan complete. No life forms detected." Lucile tells him.

Castle now has a huge grin on his face. Kate is looking at him perplexed. 'What is he thinking?'

"Bro, what are you planning?" Javi thinks he can see some wheels turning.

"A little payback sounds nice. Don't you think?" Rick tells him. At which Javi gives Rick his best 'Hell yes!' grin.

"Lucile?"

"Yes, Richard."

"Can you place a priority request for me? I want a strike on this residence ASAP. I want it and what's inside turned into tooth picks."

"Yes, Richard. Processing … Request sent Richard."

"Castle, what are you doing?" Kate asks.

"Oh, and Lucile. Go into his bank statements and records. If he has a mortgage I want him 3 months late on his payments. Also make him 6 months late on his home insurance coverage. Have the insurance company show that they have sent notices but all have been returned as undeliverable. Also change his phone number they both have on record to one not presently his or used by anyone."

"Make sure the money for all these payments is missing from his account(s) but has not been processed by the companies they were sent to. Also include a letter from the insurance company telling him that the insurance on his NY residence has been canceled due to non-payment. And that it also was returned as undeliverable."

Rick is walking around the living room excited and stopping in place at all these requests as he thinks them up. When done he just stands there just grinning at Javi.

"You are brilliant Bro!" is Javi's only response. Then turns to look at his partner who is wearing the same 'Payback is a bitch smile'.

"Oh, and Lucile. Do the same for any cars, boats, RV or ATV's that he has at this residence." Rick quickly adds.

"Richard, your request has been received." Lucile informs him.

"What's next? What's next." Rick is mumbling to no one in particular.

"Castle! You can't just blow up someone house!?" Kate tells him.

"Sure I can! Besides, no one is going to get hurt or killed in this. Just think of all the people he has hurt over the years. And I don't mean just us. Doesn't he deserve to suffer at least a little for all he has done. Even if it is just his pride and maybe his bank account."

"Kate, I know what you are thinking. That it is illegal. And maybe you don't want to be a part of this. I'm still struggling with being a part of this. But just think, Kate. Castle is only destroying property that he bought using drug money. People, maybe even children have been hurt or even died from all the drugs he has pumped out into the world. And from what I can see, he hasn't had to pay a price for any of it. He seems bent on making sure everyone else pays a price for getting in his way." Jenny reasons with her.

"Think of it this way. Bootlegging is illegal, and one of the things the Feds did was destroying the distilleries when they found them."

Before Kate can respond. "Richard."

"Yes, Lucile."

"Your request has been processed and approved by 'The Silence'. ETA is two minutes." As Lucile replaces the 3D of the house with the 3D of herself.

"YES!" Rick yells while doing 3 fist pumps.

"This better be good, bro. This better be EPIC!" Javi tells him.

"Richard?"

"Yes, Lucile."

"All of the document changes you requested have been completed." Lucile tells him.

"You're the BEST. Lucile!" at which her image gives Rick a courteous nod of her head to him.

"ETA, 1 minute 30 seconds" Lucile informs the group.

Rick moves to the sofa to sit next to Kate and his daughter, and puts his hand on Kate's knee and leans in to kiss his daughter on the cheek.

"ETA, 1 minute." Lucile updates and replaces her image with one of the house that does not have much time left in its existence.

"ETA, 30 seconds."

"OH. I forgot the popcorn!" Castle tells everyone, suddenly looking crest fallen.

Kate turns to look at him, and raises her hand to stroke his cheek. "That's Ok, Castle. We'll forgive you, just this once." as she gives him a teasing grin, then turns back to look at the house.

"We can have Ice Cream after, daddy." Alexis tells him. Which instantly improves Rick's spirit.

"ETA, 15 seconds."

And Lucile begins a countdown, "5, … 4, ….3, ….2, ….,1,..."

Everyone suddenly sees the house blossom up and out like an umbrella popping open over someone's head. Then just as quickly do's a 180 and crashes back down into a hole in the ground that is roughly circle in nature. Dirt, debris and smoke obscure the picture they see. However Lucile is quick to change the image from that of a picture to that of a wire frame 3D image of what is happening that is obscured from normal sight.

Javi jumps up and high fives his partner, then turns and hugs Lanie and gives her a quick kiss, that has her blushing, and did not go un-noticed by either Kate or Jenny.

"That was EPIC, BRO! Coolest explosion I have seen, EVER! What else can we blow up?"

"Javi? Really?" Lanie tells him.

"What, chica, that was beyond cool."

Ryan and Jenny just hug each other with a quick chase kiss and just bask in the happy time they presently have.

Rick turns to Kate. "That was just soooo, way cool!" While Kate just sits there with her eyes wide. Not believing what she just saw.

"How about that Ice Cream, Pumpkin?"

Alexis nods her head vigorously. Jumps up out of Kate's lap and shoves her dad back down into the sofa as he starts to get up and starts running for the freezer in the kitchen while calling over her shoulder, "I'll race ya!"

"Hey! So not fair pumpkin."

Kate just giggles at their antics and watches the race to the kitchen. While her father steps up behind her and leans down to whisper in her ear. "He's good for you Katie. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. And you have a family that clearly cares about you and loves you. Don't let him get away. You hear me?"

Kate turns a little and looks up at her dad. "I hear you dad, and I don't intend to." Turns to look at Castle and Alexis pulling pints of ice cream out of the freezer, and softly adds, "I don't intend to!"

"Hey guys, come get ice cream." Rick calls out.

Everyone but Kate and Lanie start walking over. Lanie comes over and sits next to Kate. "How are you doing Girlfriend?"

"I'm fine Lanie."

"Kate?" Lanie questions.

"Really Lanie, I'm fine."

Not believing her for a second. "KATE?"

Looking at her friend. "Ok, fine. It's just so much to take in. I'm in love with an ET and his ET daughter. My mother's killer is out there trying to kill me. And for the first time I know who it is. And it's the President of the United States, who already has more firepower then I ever imagined. What am I suppose to think?"

Lanie just squeals and hugs her friend. "Girlfriend, I'm just glad you finally came to your senses!"

Kate just gives her the best ' I don't believe you' look she has.

"What, everyone knows you love Rick and his little girl." and softly adds "I wonder how much money I won."

"WHAT?" Kate questions her.

"Did I just say that out loud?" trying to cover for herself. "I think I heard Castle say the ice cream was ready." and hurriedly gets up to go over to the ice cream. Not paying any attention to the daggers Kate is putting in her back.

Kate walks over to the kitchen to get in on the ice cream, while sitting next to Lanie while still glaring at her. Lanie for her part just looks at Kate while putting another spoon full of ice cream in her mouth.

Alexis unknowingly saves Lanie by asking, "Kate which would you like?"

Rick enlightens her of her choices, "We have cookies & cream, peppermint (my personal favorite), mint chocolate chip and napoleon. I thought that was a French general in the 19th Century?" Rick asks no one in particular.

Kate turns her head to look over her choices. Finally deciding. "I'll take the cookies and cream, please."

Castle starts scooping at the ice cream of her choice.

"You have an ice cream scooper?" Kate asks unbelieving.

"Of course. What else would I use?" Rick asks.

Everyone watches while Alexis and Rick seem to be in a race as to who can finish first, as everyone else slowly eating theirs.

"Ha, I win!" Alexis proclaims, dropping her spoon into her now empty bowl.

"You cheated," proclaims Rick.

"I did not, daddy. It's not my fault you do not know how to eat ice cream." As Alexis places her empty bowl in front of her father.

"Ok, ok." And proceeds to re-fill her bowl with peppermint (which was not what she had the first time). And Rick proceeds to finish his and put all of the pints back into the freezer.

Alexis chooses to eat her second bowl slowly while starring down her father.

Rick also takes everyone's empty bowls and rinses them in the sink and puts them in the dishwasher. Meanwhile everyone slowly makes their way back to the living room when they finish.

By the time Rick makes it back to the living room, everyone is standing around the picture of what used to be Senator Bracken's house.

They all see that there are very few pieces larger than a small microwave in evidence, now that the dust has settled.

"Lucile, do we have enough bracelets for everyone?" Rick asks.

The picture of Bracken's new junk pile is replaced with the 3D image of herself that everyone has now grown accustomed to.

"Yes, Richard. They have arrived in a case in your office." Lucile tells him.

"Excellent! I'll be right back everyone. We still have a lot to do today before Bracken decides to strike back." And he walks out of the living room and down the stairs 2 levels to his office.