Doppelgänger 16
Kate was walking with Rick toward the next ride when she suddenly stopped. He was all set to question why when he thought he knew why. "A car has stopped at the front of our house." she whispered to him.
"I see it." He got a "How do you know that?" look from her. "Those little boxes as you call them transmit alerts to me that are dispatched onto the contact in my left eye. It's kind of like looking through one soft vision to see the real hard vision of what is actually in front of you. You get used to it after a while."
They both watched as a woman with blonde hair got out of the car and marched toward the front door. When it didn't open for her, she stomped her foot and turned around.
"I don't recognize her," Kate told him.
"I do." Rick knew from his memories of this Rick that this was Gina, his publisher. "She's the publisher for the books I write."
"I thought you've been writing. I mean I've seen you in that room writing or at least typing." Kate didn't understand why she would be here. The memories she got from Kate Beckett told her that Gina was, well… that she was cold. They also told her that she and Castle used to be married.
"I have been and I have no idea why she's here. I mean there." He knew he had a deadline and hadn't reached it yet.
They watched her leave the front door and start walking around to the back. That was where Kate lost her, but Rick didn't. He saw her walk right up to the back door and try to open it. She started pounding on it when she couldn't. Rick saw Kate staring at him. "She's at the backdoor trying to get in."
Then Kate saw something else and she didn't like it. So she grabbed Castle and walked him over to the railing that separated them from the beach. "There's someone else. …Better make that two someones, two men."
"I've got them," he assured her. "…Scanning. Both are white males, each is armed with a semi-automatic weapon with a crude silencer. They also have hand weapons at their side."
"What are they doing at our house?" Both of them overlooked Kate's use of the word OUR.
"I've got two more with similar weapons at the other end of the house," Rick added.
"There are two more running up to her car." Two more had entered her Owl's field of vision. "What's going on?"
"Well, since I'm a hunter I'd say we are being hunted. My first guess would be that after the first guy failed in his job and likely didn't report, they sent someone else. This new person has decided not to underestimate us and brought some friends."
"That person in the senate building," Kate said and Rick nodded. She kept an eye on her four while Rick watched two of the same four plus the two that Kate couldn't see.
The two she couldn't see walked right up to Gina with weapons drawn and took her, then zip tied her hands behind her back. Rick was unable to hear anything from this distance but a close-up showed that Gina was talking.
Kate had noticed some unusual movements. "They keep touching their ears." Rick cursed internally and used his eye to signal what he wanted. Soon he saw words scroll across his vision. "Wireless communication, they're talking to each other. Probably have to touch it to initiate the send part," he surmised.
"The two at the front of the house are at the door," Kate told him.
"The two that have Gina are at the back door." They both watched as they and Gina entered the house. "I've got two at the pool," Rick added.
Two took up hidden positions at the drive entrance and sat down to wait. "I don't have anything inside the house." He began cursing at his oversight. "Do you?" Rick looked at Kate who shook her head. All she had was her Owl.
"They've taken the house and are finding out that we aren't home. With two at the entrance they'll know when we drive in. Take us by surprise." That would be what he would do.
"Now what?" There were eight of them to their two. "Plus they have your publisher."
"She's a hostage. They're thinking they can use her to get me to surrender myself." He loved Kate and not Gina. In fact the memories he had didn't talk about Gina very much. That alone told him something. He would never give himself up for his ex-wife – neither of them.
Kate had a sudden fear. "Rick – if they want hostages, what about Alexis and Martha?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide with apprehension.
Rick made a snap decision. "We're leaving." He took her hand and started walking. At first Kate was taken by surprise and stumbled her first two steps. But soon she was striding right along with him.
"Alexis and Martha?" Kate said hopefully and saw Rick. That had her moving with more determination. She liked both of them and didn't want them hurt.
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Rick parked on the street. "I'll take the front door, check if the doorman is still there, and if he has seen anyone," Kate offered. "He does know me, right?"
"Yeah, he should." Kate had been here before, several times. "I'll go in through the garage and meet you up there." Rick began to get out of the car but stopped when Kate grabbed hold of him and leaned across to quickly kiss him.
"Do not get yourself killed." She had him and wanted to keep him.
"I'm the hunter here remember?" Rick smiled a wicked smile and exited the car.
They walked side by side for a short time before splitting up and going their separate ways with the same destination in mind. "Castle!" Kate ran back toward him. "What about my dad?" If Snohbal let Kate's dad be killed she will have failed to keep her promise.
"We'll take Alexis and my mother to him then we can decide where they go," Rick said. They were both near the loft now. Her father could come afterward.
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A quick conversation with the doorman told her that Alexis and Martha were both home and that no one had come by. That still left the garage entrance.
Kate didn't see anyone as she went to the elevator. Exiting the elevator, she walked down the short hallway toward the front door. She had no way to see what was behind the door and needed to wait for Castle.
She relaxed a little when Castle stepped out of the elevator and came her way. "The doorman said they were both home and no one else," she said.
Hearing that, he took another device out of his left wristband and held it up to the door. Even Kate could read the display. "I've got two life signs. One's in the kitchen and the other's in the living room."
"Sounds calm," Kate mentioned and watched, still incredulous, when the device retracted back into his wristband. It was amazing to see it happen. In her world it would be considered magic. It even had a slight sparkle effect that would help reinforce that belief.
Rick put the key in the lock, turned it, and got his right wrist ready to pull out a weapon depending on which weapon he would need based on what he saw. Opening the door, he stepped inside first. "Hi Dad!" Alexis called from the kitchen.
"Richard… Katherine!" Martha got up off the sectional leaving her glass of wine behind and went to hug her son and Kate. "What are you two doing here? What have you done now Richard?" Martha was sure her son was at fault.
"Are you two alone?" Kate asked Martha softly.
"Of course dear. Why wouldn't we be?" Martha was puzzled by her question.
"We need to go get my dad," Kate reminded Rick.
"I need you two to pack a bag for a few days. You're leaving." Rick stepped farther into the loft.
Alexis didn't understand and left the kitchen to confront her dad. "What's going on?" She wanted an explanation. Then a thought hit her. "Have you two gotten a case?" Though she didn't see how, they were supposed to still be in the Hamptons.
Kate jumped at using that. "Yes. We think he'll go after our families. There's already one dead." She used a partial truth with which to tell a lie.
"Someone is dead?" Martha found that to be alarming. Granted Katherine and her son worked with death on what seemed like a daily basis. Add to that her son made a living writing about action and death.
"What's going on, Dad?" Alexis wasn't going anywhere until she had answers.
"He's threatened our families. You two were the closest so we came here first. We're going to go get my dad next. So you need to start packing." Kate wanted to get moving. She couldn't fail to keep her promise.
"Just go pack, ladies. We can talk when we reach Kate's dad. Now go." Rick needed to get them moving.
It wasn't the explanation Alexis was looking for nor did it satisfy Martha, however, they both knew Kate was a cop and if she said there was danger, then there was danger. "Come, darling, let's get packed. We can ask our questions on the drive and after we get there." Martha suggested and got Alexis moving.
"Questions such as where are we all going," Martha added over her shoulder as she escorted Alexis upstairs.
"Where are we going to send them or take them?" Kate didn't have a clue.
"Someplace where no one knows they are. Somewhere they know nothing about. Someplace safe." Rick wasn't sure either.
It took longer than either of them liked, however, Alexis and Martha were finally coming down the stairs with a bag that told them they had packed for more than just a day or two.
"I have a class tomorrow, Dad." Alexis hated missing classes.
"Not anymore." Rick was a little abrupt with his answer but that told Alexis that her father was serious. It meant their lives were being threatened. This was the first time that she really wished her father wasn't following Detective Beckett around for her work.
Alexis and Martha sat in the back and were quiet which allowed Rick and Kate to think about what to say on the drive to her dad's.
"Leave the bags for now," Rick instructed and they all went with Kate to her dad's apartment. Her memories told her that her dad worked but he had a habit of working from home so he should be there.
"KATIE!" Jim was happy to see her. But he was immediately curious since Rick, Alexis, and Martha were right behind her. "What's…" Jim didn't get to finish.
"You need to pack for a few days, Dad." Kate charged into the space going right past him followed by everyone else.
"What's going on?" Jim was mystified, especially since everyone was in his home.
"Dad?" Alexis wanted to know also. Martha just glowered at him.
Kate had come up with an idea and decided to add a little truth to it. "Someone has taken Gina captive. Based on what we know they are heavily armed. If they're willing to take her we suspect you three are next."
Jim caught on quickly. "One of your cases."
"I thought you two were on suspension." Alexis still didn't see how this was all happening. Jim glared at Kate since this was news to him.
"Just go pack Dad. Then we can decide where you're going." Kate still didn't have an idea for that – yet. Though a really weird one came to mind but she wasn't sure just how safe it was. Plus it would bring up a lot of questions. She had been told there were rules so they should be safe, but she couldn't be sure.
"Dad, please," Kate begged since he hadn't moved. Jim sighed, did as they had asked, and went into his bedroom.
"They have Gina?" Alexis asked. She wasn't one of Gina's fans and truth be told, never had been. But she didn't want her hurt either. She wondered why would they start with her.
Rick walked over to Alexis and hugged her which seemed to help since she relaxed a little. "We're guessing that it has something to do with why we went to LA." He could remember going there and why. He could also remember almost choking on his drink when Kate came out of the pool.
Rick had told Alexis a little. It concerned Kate's old partner, Royce. "Why?"
He did a quick search of his memories and latched onto something. "It appears Royce was helping someone who had gotten involved with a thief. He was planning to sell what he had stolen." He tried to make it simple since telling lies was easier that way.
Alexis waited impatiently for him to continue. "Dissolving bullets," he said.
That put her mind in overdrive. "Dissolving bullets? Like they dissolve after having been fired?" She looked up at her father and saw him nod. "They would never be able to trace what weapon had been used without a bullet. An assassin could kill anyone he pleased with the same weapon over and over again." Alexis was just beginning to consider the implications.
"It sounds like one of your books, Richard," Martha chimed in, not sure she believed him.
"What's this got to do with us?" Alexis didn't see the connection.
"He was planning to sell what he had been hired to steal. Either who had hired him or who he had contacted to sell them to is furious," Kate added after catching on.
"But you don't have the bullets… do you?" Kate glanced at her father.
Rick was no thief. "Of course not, but we did stop his plans… their plans."
"Retribution?" Alexis questioned. It sounded like a weak motive, but this planet had a lot of weird people on it. So it was possible. "They want to make you suffer for destroying his or her plans." It sounded lame to her, but she wasn't the evil person that wanted to kill people and not leave behind evidence so they didn't have to pay for their actions. "So where are we going?"
"Good question." Jim stepped into the room pulling a small suitcase behind him.
"We haven't had much time to think that part through," Rick had to admit.
"I have a cabin. It's rather remote," Jim offered and Kate suddenly had memories of it from when she had been there.
"It's big enough and it is isolated," Kate agreed.
Rick looked at him. "Who does it belong to? If it's a public record they can just look it up."
"It's mine," Jim replied. It hadn't been purchased as a place for his family to hide out. At least not like this.
"The Hamptons is out for the same reason," Alexis remarked.
"My name isn't Castle," Martha reminded them, not sure if that helped.
That got everyone to look at her. "A hotel maybe?" Alexis suggested.
"We'll need to get and use cash for everything in case they can access our credit card usage," Jim counseled.
Rick jumped all over it since it sounded like a plan. "Choose a hotel. We can stop at a bank in a different part of the city and get the cash you'll need. Make sure you turn off your phones and try not to use them." He took out his own phone, turned it off, and watched the others do the same.
Martha selected a hotel. They got into the Mercedes and Rick drove them there. Three quick stops on the way and he had several thousand in cash to hand to them. It was now that a memory of there being some emergency cash in a safe at the loft came to mind. However it was too late now.
He found himself being hugged by Alexis and his mother, while Kate was embraced by her father.
"Do not do anything stupid, Dad." Alexis knew her dad.
"Hey, it's me," he argued.
"Don't do anything stupid, Dad," she told him yet again.
Rick and Kate watched them go inside to find rooms. "This better work." He wasn't sure about any of this. He didn't know the power and reach of the person who was after them.
"Do we have a choice?" Kate didn't like her wild thought about taking them into the stairwell that got her here. It might be safe from anyone on this world, but not safe from all the others.
"Now what?" Kate questioned.
"I hope you're ready. For me it's job as usual. We're going to be doing a lot of killing," he warned.
She raised an eyebrow and lifted her chin. "I'm a cop, Castle."
"Kate Beckett was. How many people have you killed?" Rick knew demons were evil and killed people. But Kate… Snohbal, had proven to not be evil.
She looked down at the concrete. "None. But Kate has and I'm Kate." She looked up at Rick with determination. She wasn't going to fail. She had far too much to lose. She had a new life that she liked. She had found someone to love and could kiss him without killing him. Plus she had a promise to keep.
"I hope it's enough. We can plan on what to do along the way. Let's go." Rick led the way back to the car and the drive to their future.