CH67
It took another two days before they could contact Sarah MacKenzie. She was working late today and was all alone in her office according to Lucile. Having made sure all security cameras were down and there were no microphones present, Kate and Rick stepped thru the Transmat wall and stepped out of her office door on the other side.
Turning around Rick knocked, and waited.
Mac was not expecting anyone and knew she was all alone. Still a Marine is always prepared. Pulling open a desk drawer she removed her service weapon and placed it in her lap tucked between her thighs.
"Enter." Mac called out.
Rick opened the door and allowed Kate to enter first. Rick left the door open behind him.
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Mac knows they need a card just to get into the building. With another swipe of the card to get this far into her office. That and all the security cameras with security in place 24/7.
"You will pardon the interruption. My name is Kate Beckett. I'm a homicide detective with the 12th precinct in NYC. We have found something in our investigation that we think will interest you." Kate tells her as Rick places a flash drive on her desk and Kate shows Mac her ID.
"If you will read the summary page at the beginning of the file I think a lot of your questions will be answered." Kate explains.
"You are a long ways from NY and have no jurisdiction here." Mac is only mildly curious.
"Yes sir, I'm aware of that. However if you will read it I think you will find that it is in YOUR jurisdiction. Very much so actually." Kate tries to convince her to take the time to read it.
"And what makes you think I have jurisdiction?" Mac is now a little curious. She's also going to find out how these two got in here. And then she is going to make who let them in here pay.
"I believe you do have jurisdiction of the Naval Base in Everett. It you will view what is on the drive." Kate tries again.
The Naval Base in Everett was the best base the Navy has on the continental United States. In this Kate was correct, she did have jurisdiction.
Without saying a word she picks the drive up and plugs it into her computer and runs a scan of the drive. Coming back clean she opens the first file listed.
Reading the file was like watching a slow motion train wreck. If what this summation said was even half true, meant trouble for a lot of people at that base. Good thing she had a friend at that base.
Having finished. "You realize this is serious and I can't take this at face value?" Mac informs them. It could be a play by someone.
"We are aware you will want to verify the information contained in the file. Actually we wish you would do just that. I have no desire to see anything like 9/11 ever take place again. Given where I live and work." Kate is very serious.
"And if I have questions?" Mac already knows she will find them if needed but wants to hear it from them.
"I have no doubt that you will call to verify I work where I say I do. And that you will have no trouble reaching me should the need arise." Kate simple states the obious.
"I will review the file attached and determine what I want to do, if anything." Mac is not going to make a guarantee.
"There are two other people that will be working a similar problem just from a different direction. Should you feel the need to share anything with them or them with you,"as Rick places one of the burner phones on her desk, "This phone is pre-programmed with just two other numbers." Rick explains.
"And these people are?" Mac will ask but do it the hard way if needed.
"That is for you and them to decide as you each progress in your investigation." Rick explains.
"We thank you for your time." Rick tells her and lets Kate out before following her and closing the door behind him.
Rick immediately opens a Transmat wall on the door he just closed and they both step through.
Mac gets up with her weapon in hand and opens her door. Finding no one, which seems impossible. They could not possibly move that fast. She returns to her desk and calls security. Mac wants to know where they went. How they got in here in the first place and what idiot is at the security station right now.
Two hours later Mac is really mad. Security has found nothing. Nothing on the tapes and there were two guys manning the security station. So she had nothing. Mad number one.
Mac had also finished reading the drive they had left behind. Someone was using her state of the art naval base as an illegal weapons running base. True she was Marines, but she was also JAG Chief of Staff. And that made everything hers. And she was going to find this dirt bag if it was the last thing she did. Mad number two.
Rick and Kate had already talked with Matlock and since his daughter was him with him at the time, they both talked to her at the same time. This was all accomplished prior to their talk with Mac.
Rick and Kate stepped out of the Transmat wall on the outside of the front door of his house. Rick turned around and pressed the doorbell button.
Opening the door. "Yes how may I help you?" Ben asks them.
"We would like a moment of yours and your daughter's time. We have a project that may interest you." Rick tells him.
"I'm very busy right now. I don't think I can help you." Ben tells them.
"I understand, however if you could give us five minutes we would be very grateful. We can of course pay you for your time on the project." Rick tells him and Kate lifts up the case she is carrying and Rick opens it to reveal the money they have bought with them.
"I'm not for sale." Ben is actually insulted.
"I would never dream of trying to buy you. I'm simply trying to prove that I'm not a hire and leave you dry type of person." Rick states honestly.
"Five minutes eh. Ok I've got five minutes to give you." And Ben opens the door wide enough for them to enter. He closes the door after they enter.
Everyone steps into the living room where Charlene is located. "I know you! You're Richard Castle."
"You know these people honey?" Ben asks Charlene.
"Yea, I've got some of his books. Oh wait." And she runs upstairs to her room and comes back with one of the Storm series books.
"See dad, it's him." As Charlene shows her dad the back of the book.
"I can sign that for you if you like." Rick states hoping it will break some of the ice he is getting off Ben.
Charlene hands it over and Rick pulls out a pen and signs the inside cover page.
"Thank you Mr. Castle." And Charlene is beaming. And Kate is beaming as she looks at Rick.
"You are using up your five minutes." Ben tells them.
"If you would be so kind as to read the cover page on this I think it will help answer a number of questions." As Rick hold up a flash drive.
"Oh dad doesn't live in the 21st Century. I'm not sure he even knows what that is." Charlene is baiting her father.
"I may not use those high tech doodads, but that doesn't mean I don't know what they are. I'm not that old young lady." Ben however had taken the bait.
"Here give it to me." Charlene tells Rick. And Rick hands it over.
Charlene goes over to a desk where her laptop is located. She runs a anti-virus scan of the disk and opens the first file shown.
Charlene is not a speed reader so it takes a little time. With a very troubled face. "Dad, I think you should look at this."
"Couldn't you just print it out?" Ben whines.
"Dad, it's just another TV screen. I KNOW you look at that screen."
"That's because it is a whole lot more entertaining." Ben counters, but does move over to read over his daughters shoulder.
Ben never does seem to have much of a smile on his face. Unless he is getting the better of someone in the courtroom. But his face is getting a really big scowl on it the more he reads.
"He's not nice dad." Charlene simply states the obvious.
"You seem to have found yourself some serious pond scum." Ben turns to Kate and Rick to tell them.
"Yes, I'm sure you have many questions. However we don't expect you to go after him directly. We were hoping you could find a way to walk on his coat tails and see what he is up to." Kate tells him.
"I know who you are." Ben looks at Rick. "But who are you?" He is now looking at Kate.
"My name is Kate Beckett. I'm a homicide detective with the 12th precinct in NYC." Kate tells him.
Ben now has a knowing smile on his face as he looks from Rick to Kate. "On three conditions." Ben tells them.
"And those would be?" Kate asks.
"First, I need a down payment for expenses." Ben starts.
"Would $20,000 in cash do as a start?" Rick asks. Watching Charlene's mouth hang open.
Ben is more poker face. "Second, I need a signed copy of every book you have published."
"I didn't know you were a fan." Rick states.
"It's not for me. They're for my daughter." Ben tells everyone.
This gets a squeal out of Charlene who promptly gets up and gives her dad a hug and a kiss. Ben for his part looks put off by the attention. But inside he is beaming.
"And the third?" Rick asks.
"Tickets to the next Jeff Dunham local show. Front row." Ben tells him. While his daughter is nodding her head in agreement with enthusiasm.
Kate just had to laugh at that one. "I'll see what I can do." Kate tells him.
"Oh one more thing." And Rick pulls out a cell phone. "There are two more people that are working on this project. They will be working it from a different angle than you. So they should not get in your way or duplicate your efforts."
"Who are they?" Charlene asks as she takes the phone. Since she knows what her father thinks of cell phones.
"It is per-programed with only those two numbers. If you or they want to tell you anything about each other. That is up to you." Rick tells them.
"How do you know we will not be bumping heads?" Charlene asks.
"Because you are the only ones that are local," Rick explains. "Do you accept the project?"
Ben and Charlene both look at each other. Kate can see them talking to each other. However not a word is said between them.
"We'll take it." Charlene tells them.
"We would like to thank you." Rick tells them.
And Rick leaves behind the necessary $20,000 as part of the deal.
Ben sees them to the front door and thanks them for coming.
Once outside. "What do you think?" Rick asks Kate.
"I'm worried they are in over their head. I'm wondering if Lucile has blown a fuse." Kate tells him.
Rick laughs lightly. "I wouldn't repeat that where she could hear that. Provided she hasn't already."
"It's just that they seem so nice and not ready for how bad Bracken is." Kate is really worried.
"I'm not so sure. He has seen a lot and doesn't look like much would scare him. And his daughter doesn't strike me as the type to let him in over his head." Rick is more hopeful.
"I hope you're right. I don't need them on my conscious."
"Let's go home." And Rick opens a Transmat wall on the outside of the front door. It's a nice quiet suburb so not concerned anyone would see.
"How do we take this guy on Honey? He has power and seems to like to kill." Ben asks his daughter.
"We don't. He has way too much power. We are going to need to find someone that is outside of him that we can use to go at him sideways with." Charlene tells him.
"You are the investigator and I know how much you love that newfangled computer of yours." Ben teases.
"Leave it to me dad. I'll find us someone." Charlene accepts the challenge.
