CH48

Kate was at her desk looking at dating sites and working on warrants to get access to their records for a search of their names, when the same well-dressed FBI guy showed up at her desk.

Kate was sure he was going to let her have it now.

"It seems you were onto something with Frankie as you are calling him. One of our teams caught up with him just outside of town. They were all armed with automatic weapons and he ripped them to shreds.

I've got our doctor going over to your ME who is still in the hospital to talk with her about what she found in the time she had him.

Seems we all want him just as badly now." The FBI tells Kate, nods his head and heads off. Leaving Kate with her mouth hanging open.

Kate had a thought and went into her Captain's office after knocking. "Sir, I have a thought. I'd like to take a number of units and go back out to the site where Angela was killed and where we found Frankie." Kate asks.

"We've already looked at that site already Beckett, what do you hope to gain by going out there again?" Roy needs a reason to release the number of people she is talking about.

"Angela was injected with something, but none of that was found by CSU at the site or on his body. Plus Frankie is on the loose now and he may try to go back there. Oh, and I'd like to take that sword the FBI took from us. He may try to get it back." Kate reasons.

Roy thinks about it. "Take Ryan and Espo with you. I'll arrange for four units and a K-9 unit to go with you. And I'll tell the FBI, they may want to send someone with you. …. And before you object they lost 4 of their own." Roy tries to beat her to the punch.

"Yes sir, thank you sir." Kate heads off to gather Espo and Ryan. Espo and Ryan make a side trip before meeting Kate in the garage where they pick up their uniforms and the K-9.

Just as they start to their cars to leave 2 blacked out SUV's with 2 men each join them. One of the SUV's had the sword inside.

It was a drive out to the site and it took some time to get there. Kate wasn't scared but she was thinking about what happened last time. Frankie was dangerous.

There was no need to block the road this time so they all entered the site and parked.

They all suited up with Kevlar vests. Kate wasn't sure it would help, his nails were sharp and could probably rip them it to shreds just as easily. But it seemed like a good idea.

Espo opened the trunk of his car and handed Kate what looked like an M-16. "This one is yours." And hands another one to Ryan. While Espo pulls out what looked like a sniper rifle for himself.

The uniforms all had shotguns along with their service weapons. The FBI looked like they all had some kind of machine pistol hanging from a shoulder holster. To Kate it looked similar to what Castle had used that one day. They also were armed with an M-16, except for one guy. He had something else.

Kate must have been looking at him funny when Espo looked and then turned and told her. "SAG-30, 30mm hand held grenade launcher with a 5 round magazine. Easily changed out for a fresh one. Very dangerous, very nice. I might like this guy." Espo is grinning.

"Ok, everyone listen up. Break up into groups of three and no less. And do not get caught alone. Frankie is beyond dangerous. He has already taken too many of us already. We're here to search for anything we missed last time.

Who has the sword?" Kate calls out.

One of the FBI guys raises his hand and shows it in a scabbard attached to his back.

"Everyone try to keep an eye on him. If Frankie is already here or shows up and sees that thing he's probably going to want it back. He gets his hands on it and we're probably all dead." Kate warns them.

"Let's get started." Kate moves out with Ryan and Espo. Three uniforms form up. Three FBI form up. The FBI guy with the sword who had the grenade launcher, a uniform and the K-9 form up. And the final three uniforms form up.

All with their weapons at the ready.

It had been almost 2 hours. "What are we looking for Beckett?" Ryan asked.

"If I knew we would already have it. Why did these guys pick this place? How did they get Angela out of here without a car? What did they inject her with? Where did they get the crosses?

I don't know Ryan, anything." Kate is forced to tell him.

It was almost another hour and Kate's group was inside the house when they heard an explosion, followed by another and another. There were 5 in all in quick succession.

"Grenade launcher!" Espo tells them, and they run for the front door. They haven't made it to the door yet when they hear shot gun blasts starting along with the dog barking.

Kate's group opens the front door and steps out onto the porch area. They can see in the distance the guy with the grenade launcher was working on changing out his magazine for a fresh one. They uniform next to him was reloading his shot gun as they were slowly backing up. The uniform with the K-9 was doing what he could to keep control of his dog.

Then they saw three more uniforms come from a side just to their right and line up and start firing their shot guns. They all saw the black coat Frankie was wearing blow around with each shot from the shot guns, but it wasn't slowing him down any.

Kate started running with Ryan not far behind. The uniforms had to stop and re-arm their shot guns. The FBI guy with the grenade launcher had just finished re-loading while the uniform next to him was still re-loading.

It was quiet for a moment and Ryan took this moment to stop and yell at Javi. "Aim for his head." And start running to catch up with Kate.

Kate had stopped and was standing all alone between the three uniforms with shot guns and the K-9 unit. Armed her weapon and started firing in short controlled bursts.

Kate had emptied her clip just as Ryan stopped next to her and started firing. Kate ejected her spent clip and slapped in a fresh one, just as the first round hit Frankie in the head. Followed quickly by three more.

The FBI guy with the grenade launcher started to empty his new magazine of 5 rounds in quick succession and was soon empty again. With no re-loads available he dropped it and pulled out his service weapon.

They all noticed that Frankie had slowed considerably after the four rounds to his head.

Ryan was forced to stop and eject his empty clip and slap in a fresh one while Kate emptied her second clip into him.

The uniform with the FBI guy started to fire his now re-loaded shot gun. The three other uniforms with shot guns had decided not to completely re-load their shot guns and soon added their shot guns into the mix.

The shot guns were soon empty and so was Kate while Ryan started firing his second clip, when four more rounds entered Frankie's head in quick succession.

Frankie fell after the last four rounds from Espo while everyone else started re-loading their weapons, which for all of them was going to be their last time.

Kate suddenly noted that there was movement far to the other side of Frankie, directly across from her.

"Damn it, he's not alone." Kate mostly tells herself. However Ryan had heard her and looked up to see what Kate had seen.

"This is my last clip." Ryan tells her.

"Mine too." Kate responds while re-loading. However Kate suddenly has an idea. "Everyone move forward. Cut his head off while he's down. …. Use the sword and cut his head off." Kate yells as loud as she can. Kate suddenly remembered what happened to Ray.

The uniforms with the shotguns only partially re-loaded and moved up close and formed a line facing what was coming while the FBI guy put his weapon away and pulled the sword out.

Stepping up he took his time and looked down. From Kate's point of view one of the uniforms must have said something because the FBI guy looked at him and then swung for all he was worth.

Frankie's head came off with a single stroke just as the three FBI guys with M-16's suddenly burst into view and almost got gunned down by four shot guns.

Each side held their weapons aimed at each other until the both slowly lowered them.

Everyone was now circled around what they hoped was now a very dead and stayed that way this time, Frankie. Even Espo had joined them from the porch.

Kate looked at the three FBI guys with the M-16's. "You can have him back now. I don't ever want to see him again for as long as I live. I would however like a copy of the report of what you find out about him, …. it, ….. whatever. …. We've lost enough people. I would kinda like to know why, if it isn't too much trouble."

The FBI guys simply nod. Nod that they agree that they had lost enough people, or nod that yes they would send Kate a copy? Kate didn't know and at the moment didn't care.

"Come on guys, let's go home. I'm buying the first round. You're all invited." Kate points them all out.

Kate and everyone from the 12th went home while the FBI loaded up Frankie. They made arrangements on when and where to go after work for those drinks.

Kate meanwhile had to fill in Captain Montgomery on what happened out there, and of course start the paperwork on it. Kate had something to tell Lanie now. Maybe it would make her feel better.

Kate followed Ryan and Espo to the pre-arranged bar for those drinks.

Ryan thanked Espo for those shots to its head from long range. They weren't making a dent in him until then. Kate and the uniforms had to agree.

"Just what was that thing anyway?" One of the uniforms asked. He was going to have nightmares tonight.

Kate could just shake her head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. Lanie showed me a blood sample she had of him. It didn't look anything like a blood sample I have ever seen."

"I'm not even sure I saw any blood on him after all the shots we put into him." Another uniform points out.

"Now that you mention it, neither did I." The first one agrees.

"I don't get it. We should have been able to see through him with the number of holes we put in him." Another adds.

"Swiss cheese." Kate whispers. Getting everyone to nod their heads.

"There something you want to tell us Kate?" Espo asks. Getting a questioning look from her. So Espo reaches out and lifts up her left hand showing everyone the ring on her finger.

Kate starts to smile. "I got married a few days ago." Kate tells them smiling wider.

"Anyone we know?" Ryan asks her.

"Castle." Kate tells them.

"As in Richard Castle? The author Castle? The same Castle whose daughter you had in the precinct a number of days ago? That Castle?"

Kate just nods still smiling.

"I take it you love him?" Espo asks.

Kate nods. "More than I thought I would ever love anyone." Kate tells them still smiling.

"We're happy for you Beckett. You deserve it." Espo tells her. Getting nods from everyone there.

Ryan lifts his glass. "To Beckett and the 12th." And everyone adds there glasses and drinks them down.

"Round three?" Espo asks.

"I need to get home guys. I have plans this evening." Kate tells them and starts to rise while leaving money for the next round.

"And do these plans involve someone named Castle?" Espo teases.

"You're a detective Espo. You figure it out." Kate leaves grinning.

Ryan bows out next. "I need to get home too. Jenny wants a baby. She's even got it down to a science. I didn't know better I would think she was trying to kill me." Getting laughs from everyone.

The group that is left only stays for one more round. Then leave for home happy to be alive after today.

Kate made it home to find Castle all alone. "Hi Castle. Where's Alexis?" Kate noted her absence.

"She was invited to a birthday party today. Seems she forgot to bring the invite home from school with her and forgot to mention it. So we have the place to ourselves for the next couple of hours.

I have dinner sitting in the warmer for us. You're a little late today." Rick notes.

"Two hours huh?" Kate comments. "I don't want dinner. I want dessert." Kate tells him as she holds out her hand to lift him up and guide him to the bedroom.

Kate went with Rick to pick up Alexis glowing and happy all the way.

They were invited in to pick up Alexis. "MOM!" And Kate gets crashed into by her.

"Hi sweetie, did you have fun at the birthday party." Kate asks her scooping her up and holding her.

"It was great. There was cake and ice cream and she got presents and we played games." Alexis was all excited.

"You ready to go home pumpkin?" Rick asks her. Getting a nod from her. "Why don't you say good bye to the birthday girl and say thank you to her mother for the party." Rick tells her.

Kate puts her down and Alexis is off running.

"I'm sorry about our late acceptance. Alexis only told me this morning after Kate had already left for work." Rick tells the birthday girl's mother.

"It's quite alright. We had lots of space and she's been fun to have around. She's such a happy child."

"And the present we had to pick up along the way probably didn't hurt." Rick teases.

"And I'm sure she noticed it's presence for all of 30 seconds like she did all the others." Getting Rick to chuckle. It sounded like Alexis at Christmas.

Alexis was back. "All ready to go pumpkin? Did you say thank you?" Rick asks her.

"Thank you for the party. It was fun." Alexis tells her.

"You are welcome Alexis, it was a pleasure having you." She bends down to speak to her.

When they get home. "The home inspection is scheduled for 1:00 pm tomorrow. Can you make it?" Rick asks Kate.

"I don't know, we've got a new case. And we got the guy I think killed Ray today. Which reminds me, Jill did you scan him at any time?" Kate asks her.

"I scan everyone that is within range. Jack probably does the same." Jill states knowing Jack had scanned them as soon as they got home. Not knowing what he was looking for.

"And?" Kate asks.

"He has a great deal of foreign contaminants in his blood. Individually they are microscopic. However a number of them have combined to form larger items." Jill tells her.

"Any idea what they do?" Kate asks.

"Unfortunately I'm unable to determine the reason or function of them. They are however artificial in nature." Jill tells her.

"Can you tell us their size?" Jack asks.

"They mostly range in size from 0.1–10 micrometers." Jill responds.

"Jack?" Kate asks.

"That sounds like Nanites." Jack tells them.

"Nanites?" Kate questions.

"Nanorobotics is the emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or close to the scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters). More specifically, nanorobotics refers to the nanotechnology engineering discipline of designing and building nanorobots.

The first useful applications of nanomachines might be in medical technology, which could be used to identify and destroy cancer cells." Jack explains.

"So he really is Frankenstein's monster. Someone actually made this, …. thing?" Kate states asking.

"Nanomachines are largely in the research-and-development phase, but some primitive molecular machines and nanomotors have been tested.

It is highly unlikely that anyone has been able to make this large of a leap." Jack tells her.

"Well someone did. Are you suggesting that he isn't from here?" Kate asks shocked.

"I'm not speculating on anything. I'm simply stating the known knowledge of this technology at this time." Jack corrects her.

Kate remains silent for a time. "Well he better be the only one. One was already one too many." Kate comments.