CH30
Rick took a moment before opening the door. Noticing Kate watch him enter.
"Mr. Maddox, I'm Cpt. Johnathan Dupree. I'm with Naval Intelligence. It is kind of you to join us today." Rick starts.
Noting that Maddox did not respond.
"Our records indicate that you are presently assigned to 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division, of Fort Drum, N.Y.. Presently deployed in Afghanistan and yet here you are.
So tell me soldier why are you here?" Rick tells him.
"Remaining silent isn't going to help. At least not this time." Rick adds.
Rick leans forward. "Col. McMaster and Gen. Wichita are not going to be able to get you out of this one. So I would suggest you speak up soldier."
However Maddox remains silent.
"Have it your way." Rick hold up his hand and waves his hand.
"I believe that is our signal Mr. and Ms. Simmons." And Roy opens the door letting them out.
Then opens the door leading to the interrogation room.
And in steps Hector and Beth.
Maddox's stone face leaves him.
"Richard." Beth calls his name.
"Son tell me why?" Hector asks him. "What did they promise you? Did you have to sell your soul to get it?"
Maddox gets up and forces his way out of the room past his parents.
"Richard?" Beth sounds pleading.
"You used to be our son Richard. What are you now?" Hector yells after him.
"Richard." Beth whispers.
Beth turns to Rick. "Is there anything you can do for him?" Beth pleads blinking back tears.
"To be honest, I don't know. Depends of how much of your son still exists under that stone exterior." Rick has to tell them. "I had hoped you could reach him today. Maybe there is a crack that we can work with."
"And if you can't?" Hector asks.
"That is partly in his hands. The next time you see him he may not be able to answer anyone's questions." Rick is being honest.
"Meaning you will kill him." Hector comments.
"I can't allow him or his friends to silence anyone else. If I can stop him before he does, …. But even then he may end up behind bars for years to come for what he has already done." Rick breaks it to them.
"Please try Captain. Please try. I don't want to bury my son again." Beth barely gets out through the tears.
"I will try Ms. Simmons. I will try." Rick is actually going to try. He is not a killer either.
"Can I escort you to your hotel?" Rick asks.
"We can find our way, thank you." Hector tells him.
"Can I have a word with you two for a moment?" Rick asks.
"I'll be in my office." Roy tells them.
"I need to chase down his friends. I may not be able to help you for a few days. If you need help or if your son contacts you…. Do you see the very lovely lady sitting at that desk out there." Rick points out Kate.
"That is detective Kate Beckett. Her reputation makes her the best detective in NYC. This is her number in case you need something. She works very hard for people just like yourselves." Rick confides in them.
"I'm flying out in about 4 hours. Please think over what you would like. If you have questions you can call me at any time. Good luck Mr. and Ms. Simmons." Rick shakes their hands.
Rick stops at Roy's office. "I wanted to thank you for your help and the use of your room."
"He is a real hard case." Roy comments.
"Yea, I was hoping his parents would at least give us a crack we could work with." Rick agrees.
"I hope he doesn't do something stupid." Roy comments.
"I have taken some precautions to secure their safety. Hopefully you and your detectives don't have to get involved." Rick agrees.
"It's been a pleasure meeting you Captain." Roy extends his hand.
"You take care of yourself Captain." Rick shakes it and leaves.
Rick takes a taxi to a location that he can enter the subway at. Then gets off at the first station. Enters the first business he comes across. Finds an empty space drops his disguise and then goes home.
Once home he had a couple of hours before he had to pick up Alexis from school. "Well that could have gone better."
"You had to try Richard. The only option is for his parents to bury him again." Jack tells him.
"If they didn't reach him today, I may have just put their lives in danger." Rick tells him.
"You have cameras in the lobby and bugs in their room. And I'm monitoring all of them 24/7." Jack reminds him.
"I hope it's enough. Jack, do me a favor. If you spot Maddox anywhere near his family call Kate for me and tell her. Don't wait for me. Those few seconds may make a difference."
"Understood." Jack tells him.
Rick goes back to typing. About an hour later the house phone rings. "It is Gina again." Jack tells him.
"Remind me again why I don't shoot her?" Rick comments not expecting an answer.
Jack however has learned about Rick over the years and remains silent. And lets Rick continue typing without comment.
"Richard it is time to go get Alexis." Jack reminds him.
Rick is on the way home with Alexis. "Richard I have Maddox on cameras entering the Simmons hotel." Jack tells him.
"Damn it!" Rick suddenly turns around quickly and starts speeding. "Activate the disguise my friend. Alexis I need you to stay in the car. Please pumpkin when I stop you must stay in the car." Rick looks over at her.
"I understand dad." Alexis tells him softly.
"That's my girl. Jack?"
"I have already contacted Kate. She said she was going to have units over there ASAP and would be there herself soon."
Rick pulls up to the hotel to find three units already there and empty. Rick pulls out his weapon from where is stored it in the car. "Stay in the car pumpkin and keep the doors locked. Only open them to me or Kate. This is important pumpkin." Rick waits until he gets a nod from Alexis.
Exiting the car and running for the lobby. Rick is trying his best to fly up four flights of stairs.
"Richard, Maddox is in the Simmons room. He has a gun." Jack leaves out the words being used that tell him this.
"Damn it!" As Rick continues up the stairs.
"There has been a shot fired in the room." Jack tells him.
Rick has reached their floor. If he is too late Maddox is likely to flee down the stairs so Rick waits for him at the door.
"The uniform officers have broken down the door. Probably after hearing the gun shot." Jack explains.
"I'm hearing multiple gun shots. Mrs. Simmons is crying. The officers are calling for two ambulances. One man is down. He is dead. The other has a gunshot wound to the shoulder." Jack provides a rundown.
Rick puts his weapon away. "Change the disguise Jack." And starts back downstairs, slowly.
"I got him killed and Mr. Simmons shot. Hell of a day." Rick mumbles as he continues down the stairs.
Jack remains silent, even if he does think Richard is wrong.
Rick reaches his car and sits on the hood a little. "Well I couldn't have screwed that up any worse." Rick is interrupted by a knocking on the glass of the car. Turning he sees Alexis knocking on the driver side glass.
Rick pulls out his remote and unlocks the car door and gets in. Once inside and seated. "You can drop the disguise now Jack." And Rick looks like Rick again.
"Are you ok dad?" Alexis looks at him concerned.
"I will be pumpkin, I will be. …. Let's go home." And starts the car and leaves. Just in front of Beckett who pulls up. She sees Castle's car leaving but doesn't see Castle.
Once home. "How about we go to the gym pumpkin, you can ride your bike while I use the machines?" Rick offers.
"Ok." And Alexis heads for her room to get her bike.
Alexis is sitting at the gym door with her bike watching her dad try and pound the stuffing out of a bag hanging from the ceiling. "Alexis?"
Alexis turns her head. "Kate!" Alexis opens the door and launches herself at Kate.
"I saw you sitting at the door. What's going on?" Kate asks looking at Castle pound the crap out of a punching bag.
"I think he's sad. He's been crying." Alexis tells her.
What could Castle be crying about? "You wait right here sweetie. Can you open the door for me? I'll be right back."
Kate walks up to the bag and holds it steady from the other side while Castle still beats the crap out of it. Kate can see that his eyes are red but isn't presently crying. So she just holds the bag until Castle punches himself out of it.
In a little while Castle stops and it's only now that he sees her. "Kate?"
"Hi Castle. You know it works better if you have a partner to hold the bag for you." Kate tells him. Then steps up close to him. "What's wrong Castle?" Trying to look into his eyes.
What she gets in response is Castle wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.
"It's ok Castle. What happened?" Kate wants to help. She can feel her heart breaking just a little. Castle is obviously in pain and she wants to fix it.
"Come on Castle, let's go home." And with Castle still in her arms starts walking towards Alexis.
"You want to call us an elevator sweetie." Kate asks her wanting a distraction.
The ride up was in silence.
"Here's my key, you want to unlock the door?" Kate asks Alexis.
Once inside. "Why don't you put your bike away and take a shower. I'm going to put Castle in the shower and start dinner." Kate asks her.
"Is dad going to be alright?" Alexis asks softly.
"He'll be fine sweetie. He's just stinky and needs a shower." Kate tells her. Which isn't a lie, Castle was stinky.
Kate watches Alexis push her bike to her room and then helps Castle into his bedroom. Here she strips him of his clothes, wishing it was for an ulterior motive. Then turns on the hot water and helps him into the shower. Then leaves him there and heads for the kitchen to start dinner.
It's here that Kate starts to panic just a little. Kate hasn't cooked for herself or anyone else in a long time. Checking the freezer and refrigerator she decides on stir fry. Pulling the frozen vegetables and chicken out of the freezer and defrost them in the microwave. Then finds the wok and the proper utensils and finally the rice to put it all onto.
Kate is just about done when suddenly someone's arms wrap around her waist and lips start working on her neck and ear.
"Castle stop. You'll make me ruin this." Kate shakes a little to get him loose.
Castle however just turns her around and kisses her soundly. Soon his tongue is asking for entrance and Kate grants it.
They are kissing deeply when Rick steps into her just a little and Kate can feel his arousal and starts to rub herself against the leg that is between hers.
Breaking from the kiss Castle goes back to working on her neck. Kate finally finds enough of her mind. "Castle you need to stop." Partly because she was going to burn dinner and if he didn't she was going to take him right here right now.
Her breathing is becoming harder. "You are going to ruin dinner." Kate can barely get out.
Rick talks into her neck that he is still working over. "Who needs dinner when I can have dessert first?"
Kate is melting and with just one final card to play before she gives in. "Alexis needs dinner too."
Finally Rick stops. "Fine, but I want my dessert."
Kate is barely breathing and with a lot of effort turns around still in Castle's arms. Problem was she was having trouble deciding if she wanted to shake the wok or squeeze Castle.
Kate decides to shake the wok while leaning back into Castle and let out a soft moan.
Alexis meanwhile had been standing at the hallway watching her dad and Kate with a smile on her face. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
'Please let Kate stay! I'll be the best little girl ever. And I still have to teach Kate. Please let Kate stay!'
It's only when she hears Kate. "Go find Alexis, dinner is almost ready." That Alexis turns and runs for her room. She didn't want to get caught watching dad and Kate. That might ruin everything.
Dinner was mostly eaten in silence while Alexis watched her dad and Kate with a smile on her face.
What she didn't see were the busy hands of both of them below the table as they sat side by side.
Dinner was followed by a movie. Alexis had asked if they wanted to play cards. They had talked her into a movie instead.
Alexis was in heaven. She had Kate pressed in close on one side with one of Kate's hand in hers. And her dad pressed in close on the other side with one of his hands in her other hand.
It was perfect for about an hour. Right up until the point of the front door opening. "Richard dear, are you home?" Martha calls out.