CH84
Kate got up early in the morning and was thankful Alexis didn't have school today. She also knew today was going to be a big day. The guy from Scotland Yard was due in the precinct today and they had a meeting with her mother's killer tonight. Him and what few friends or more accurately what people he could buy.
She doubted seriously if Bracken had friends. She already knew he wasn't married. Which made her feel better about the women on the planet as a whole.
Once again she found Alexis downstairs when she got there for her breakfast too. With Sparky sitting right next to her on the floor, waiting for her to accidentally drop something. Who needs an iRobot when you have a dog?
"Are we all set for tonight?" Kate asks Rick as he puts her breakfast down in front of her.
"Yup, there are four maps of the area with a grid system superimposed on it at the front door waiting for you. Roy is expecting his already." Rick confirms.
"Any idea how many people he is going to bring with him?" Kate asks.
"According to Jack he's got two more heavy hitters with him that he has been holding in reserve it seems. They are mercenaries so their only reason to be there is money. In addition he is expecting 8 gang bang members from the "Javelin something" gang." Rick informs her after Alexis had finished and taken Sparky outside again.
"That makes 11 plus Bracken against 5. That's just a fraction over 2 to 1 against us." Kate is wondering if that is too much for them.
"Not to worry, we have Espo right were we need him. If he is anywhere near as good as you say, he'll take care of it." Rick hopes he can anyway. Or this could go south way fast.
"Relax Kate, everything will be fine. We've almost got him." Rick comes around to wrap her up in his arms. "Just flip on the switch and be bad ass Beckett just one more time. Then after this you can switch to being bad ass Castle." Rick chuckles. Getting Kate to join him.
"When are you coming in?" Kate is wondering.
"Right around lunch. Then we can all leave and pick up our junkers and make our way to the site." Rick suggests.
"I'll let them know." Kate tells him and gets her coffee to-go and her kiss and drove into work.
As the guys and Roy came into work Kate handed out the map with the grid system. This didn't give everyone much time to memorize it.
Roy had already pulled in a few favors so even if there was a body drop they didn't get it.
They also found out that their Scotland Yard guy was going to be late. Very late. His flight from London was delayed several hours. So the FBI that they were sharing space with had to work around him until he got here.
Rick showed up just after noon as promised. "Hi babe." Kate greets him with a quick kiss.
Rick wastes no time and steps into Roy's office. "Ready to end this." Rick asks him.
"I've been more than ready ever since our first talk." Roy confides.
"I've got your transportation all set up. Either Kate or I will give it to you after we are done tonight." Rick promises.
"Let's get this over with then." As Roy gathers up everyone and they use three cars to get to Rick's junkers.
"Castle, you sure these things even run?" Espo asks him making a face.
"You did bring some grungy clothes like asked, yes?" Rick responds.
"In the trunk along with everything else." Espo tells him.
"Great, you guys change over there and Kate and I will change over here." Rick tells them.
After they are changed they unload the cars and put it into the trucks. Kate and Rick take one truck and the guys take the other.
"Jack how are we doing?" Rick asks him.
"Bracken is still in his hotel room; however he has made a couple of calls. His heavy hitters are going to meet him at 6:00 pm at a site not far from the hotel. He even has a plan to get out of the hotel unseen.
He expects the gang bangers to get to the site no later than 6:00 pm to search it before he comes." Jack informs them.
"We need to get set up and wait for them. Espo is going to be busy." Rick informs Kate.
Once they reach the site. "If Bracken and his goons are smart they will get here early. Espo, since you are GOD, tell us where they are and what to do.
You are up there." Rick points to the cab way up high on the crane. "Sorry to say the only way up there is to climb.
Take your sniper rifle, ammunition, head set, remote control, binoculars, map and night goggles that is all in this bag and start climbing.
Oh before you go, everyone do a head set test. If we can't hear Espo we are screwed." Rick tells them.
After the headset check. "Break a leg partner." Ryan teases him. Getting a 'if looks could kill' look from Espo.
"I would suggest you two take one of the trucks and go here, unless you have another plan." Rick suggests to Roy and Ryan.
"Espo from up there can see all of this area, and if we park here we can add this. We just will not have coverage from Espo." Roy points out.
"Sounds fair, just find someplace to hide when Espo tells us to." Rick advises. And Roy and Ryan take off.
Rick and Kate hop into the other truck and literally drive into the old factory and take a look around.
'I'm going to be on the roof and use all those lovely skylights to cover your lovely rear end from. As Jack so eloquently put it. So if you would be so kind as to not stray from them too far." Rick asks of Kate.
"Where are we going to hide?" Kate wonders looking around.
Rick looks around and moves to the outside wall that Espo can see from the outside.
Then he looks around. "Help me with this." Rick asks moving to a big piece.
"Where are we going with it?" Kate asks before lifting it.
"I'm thinking that if we do these two outside columns here; say this one and the next one down. If we build them up a little with this debris, you can have your choice of one." Rick offers.
"How about this one next to that broken window and the one three columns down near that other window. That'll give me something to look outside with, and if someone gets to close Espo can take care of it." Kate counters.
"Deal." Rick likes it. A little later they are finished.
Rick and Kate go back over to the truck and get suited up. "Please be safe Kate, I know you want Bracken, but I want my wife back." Rick tells her taking her in his arms and starts to panic a little.
Kate can feel him starting to shake. "Hey, I promise not to do something stupid. You're my husband and I want him back too." Kate tells him drawing him close.
"You should start climbing." And Kate kisses him as hard and meaningful as she can.
Rick grabs his weapons and bag and heads for the roof before he changes his mind. He was scared and he knew it. He couldn't lose Kate, he just couldn't.
Rick knew from old drawings that Jack had found along with old pictures just how to get onto the roof, or so he hoped.
Once on the roof Rick got to work attaching his anchors at three locations then he broke open the skylights of any glass they still had. He didn't want anything in the way when he covered Kate from above.
He also left a roll of rope at each one, then went off to find someplace to prep.
He left one of his Steyr's at the roof entrance in case he needed it, and then attached the other to his shoulder holster. Both with their silencers attached. He also left the Eye in the Sky out in the open so Espo could get it up in the air easily.
He shouldered his DSR 1 and grabbed his bag and went to find himself a nice place to hide on the roof.
Once in place he put his spare ammunition for the DSR 1 into place in his ammunition belt. It kind of made him look like one of those spaghetti western movies. The clips for his Steyr got attached to the harness. Putting on his headset he gave it a test to see how everyone was doing. He also took his night vision goggles with him.
Espo was in place and sitting in the control chair for the crane. So far he had not seen anyone and it was just a little past 4:00 pm.
Roy and Ryan had found a good place to put their truck and had set up a nice little crossfire covering two directions.
Kate was sitting on the floor in one of her hidey holes her and Rick had constructed.
Now they just had to wait. While waiting everyone took an occasional sip of the small amount of water each of them had. It had to last them a little while.
Just after 6:00 pm. "I've got three cars entering the site at the same location we did." Espo alerts everyone.
"Let them in, their just scouts. Once they clear the place they'll call Bracken in. Try not to shoot them unless you have to." Rick suggests. Knowing from the mic on Bracken that they were coming.
Espo watched them split into three groups. Though none of the cars got out of sight from another.
"I've got a car headed your way bro." Espo tells Ryan.
"I see them, looks like two are in this one." Ryan stays hidden however keeps his MP5 with the silencer handy.
"Another car has parked outside and two are exiting. The third car has entered inside and is now out of sight." Espo warns them.
"I've got the one inside." Rick tells them as he watches it drive around slowly from end to end.
"Kate I've got one walking down the side of the building. He's looking in through the windows. The other one is walking down the outside perimeter across from him." Espo warns.
Kate hunkered down as low as she could and actually saw the head of the guy looking in through windows.
Rick watched the car stop practically next to Kate, so he brought up his DSR 1 and took aim looking at the two that got out of the car.
Rick watched them walk around, then they split up and walked down the side of the building on the inside in opposite directions.
One of them even looked behind the blind that Kate and Rick had set up but not the one she was hiding in.
They got back in the car and drove back outside.
The two walking down the side of the building came back and joined up with them and then they all sat on or next to the car.
The ones near Roy and Ryan had stopped looking and then they also sat on or leaned up against their car.
All of them did nothing for a while. Around 8:00 pm it got dark and now only Rick and Espo could make out where they all were using their night goggles.
"The five out front are starting to break up. Two are headed inside. Two more are headed down the side of the building up against the perimeter next to all the overgrown brush. One is still standing at the car." Espo tells them.
"Keep your eyes open everyone, I'm betting the one still with the car is in charge." Rick advises.
Kate lifts up just a bit and takes a peek out her window and can just make out the two outside.
Rick decides to watch the two that entered the building.
Espo had moved back to looking at the guy still at the car. "I think he is using a cell phone." Espo tells them all.
Jack tells Rick and Kate that Bracken is receiving a phone call. "They have searched the place and no one is here yet. It is clear for him to enter."
"Keep your eyes open for Bracken, Espo." Rick asks him.
"The two outside are trying to hide out in the brush." Kate tells everyone looking out her window. Getting help from Jill as they are both just barely within her scanning range.
"These two are hanging out at their car." Ryan tells everyone.
"The two inside are moving to the abandoned office area. There are no doors or glass in any of those walls." Rick tells everyone.
"I've got another car approaching from the same location." Espo tell them. "It is parking next to the one with the single person outside. …. Two heavily armed men with semi-automatics are getting out. I don't see anyone else in the car." Espo adds.
"Richard, Bracken is still a mile or so away from here. Or so his mic/homer places him. He is asking someone for an update." Jack tells him and Jill at the same time.
"Probably more scouts." Rick tells them all.
"Richard, Bracken's man is getting a cell phone call. He is telling Bracken they go in 15 minutes." Jack tells him and Jill again.
"Those two are getting back into their car. They are headed your way bro." Espo warns Ryan and Roy.
"I've got them." Ryan tells him.
Ryan watches as these two join the other two after exiting their car. Roy and Ryan are keeping their eyes on these four as they stand grouped together between the two cars.
"I've got another car entering the area from the same location." Espo tell them all.
"Richard that car has Bracken inside of it, since his mic/homer is moving. …. He is being advised to stay in the car." Jack tells him and Jill.
"The new car is stopping next to the single guy outside. No one is getting out. … This car is now driving inside the building." Espo tells them all.
"Espo you are GOD now. Your primary is anyone outside. I would like to take as many of them alive as possible. If we can get them to roll over on Bracken it will only help us. But do what you have to do.
Kate my love, what happens inside the building is in your hands. The guys and I will follow where you lead us." Rick tells everyone.
Inside the car has stopped and two men get out from the front seats and signal to the two men farther into the building, getting a signal back.
Bracken opens the car door and steps out looking around. It is now 8:30 PM.
"The two with Bracken are heavily armed with semi-automatics, with silencers attached. These are probably his last two heavy hitters. Brackens hands appear to be empty." Rick tells everyone.
"Kate, this is your show." As Rick lines up one of Brackens heavy hitters, looking thru his FLIR scope on his DSR 1.
Just like Espo was doing to the guy out front standing all alone.