A/N: Okay, so here's the next update. A lot happens in this chapter. Let's just say that Castle get's across the border but things don't quite go as planned. I meant to have this chapter up yesterday in honor of our favorite weekly T.V. show, but I didn't make it. I wanted to tweak some things to make this chapter as good as it could be. I still can't believe how big of a response I got for this story. I mean...just wow. You guys are so awesome. I can't tell you how much it means to me as a writer. This is kind of a long chapter. Without further ado, I'll let you get to it. Please let me know what you think.
**Feel free to give me ideas. I'm serious about that. I love finding ways to make the story more creative. However, I do draw the line at alien abduction. J/K :) Thanks again for all of the feedback! You guys are truly the best.
Title: Ask Me How Much I Love You
Chapter 3: Black Water
Disclaimer: Sadly the amazing show that is Castle does not belong to me, nor does Natan Fillion (as amazing as he his)!
Spoilers: A play on spoilers from Anatomy of a Murder. Kate tells Castle that she would break him out of prison. Castle sees this as a sign of Love.
Rating: T (just to be on the safe side)
Castle cringed as he dry heaved for the tenth time in the hour. His legs felt like jelly underneath him as he leaned over the railing of the small vessel. The large swells of the Atlantic pushed the vessel up and down in a nauseating rhythm that made Castle desperate to get back on solid ground. They were just in sight of the shoreline, and were trying to make good time in order to avoid a dangerous nor'easter that was encroaching on their space. Slightly dizzy, Castle straightened up, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleep. Luckily, there wasn't anything left in his stomach to throw up. Not really anyways. He turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder. With a nod and a thank you he accepted the bottle of water.
"Drink up, son," he said encouragingly, "You can probably use all of the hydration you can get."
"Yeah," Castle muttered before taking a swallow. The author in Castle found it very ironic that water, the very thing slipping between his lips, could cause him so much grief through other means. He had been sick for entire trip, and nothing seemed to help, even the seasickness patches that he had been provided with. It was just a fact, Castle and the Atlantic, or boats in general for that matter, just didn't get along. Castle looked to the older man, whose long scruffy hair was graying at the temples. "So how close are we exactly?"
"We're getting there," the older sea faring man replied, "We're heading northwest now. We should be docking in Portland within a few hours. Unfortunately, all of this weather has done nothing but slow us down." Castle nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself as a rather strong gust of wind ruffled his hair, and the cold cut into him like a knife. It was that time of year, when the air turned icy and became much more refined. His thoughts wandered back to New York, wondering how Kate and the others were preparing for the storm. Had they gotten any snow yet? Running his hand through his hair, Castle let out a sigh. How long would it be? How long would he have to be on the run and live a life that wasn't really his? He stared down into the deep blue, trying to distract himself with what he knew lie beneath the surface. The wildlife he'd already seen had taken his breath away. At one point during the trip he had seen a school of dolphins, cutting in and out of the surface as they fed.
"You should rest a little," the captain recommended, observing Castle's rather withdrawn behavior. "You look dead on your feet."
"Yeah," Castle replied, "Unfortunately, you can't really sleep when you're making a run for the bathroom every 15 minutes and puking your guts out." Castle didn't mean to sound cold. It's just that it was insanely difficult to act bubbly when you've just had your life ripped out right from under you. Luckily, the man was very sympathetic and didn't hold it against him.
"True," the old man replied with a smile. He signaled to the wheel. "You want to try steering for a few minutes?"
"Uh…" Castle looked around at the large swells and the vast horizon. They were truly alone out on the ocean and he was already uneasy enough to begin with. "Thanks but no thanks. I'll leave the logistics to you." Then he added. "I mean…if you want to live you won't let me anywhere near the helm."
"Well," the man smiled in a friendly manner, "I guess I'm revoking the offer then." Castle offered a smile in return before staring down into the water again.
"Look," the man swallowed, "I know I'm not supposed to ask a lot of questions, but are you okay?"
"You mean, besides the fact that I'm on a tiny vessel in the middle of the Atlantic?" Castle asked with raised eyebrows.
"Well," Louis smiled, "Clearly, you're in some serious trouble. Otherwise you would have bailed the first time we docked for gas."
"Believe me," Castle joked, "I wanted to. I just didn't have the option. It's really important that I get to Portland."
"So you are in trouble," Louis frowned.
"You could say that," Castle replied. "But I promise that I didn't do what it is that they think I did. They left me no choice but to run."
"And yet running makes you look all the more guilty," Louis pointed out.
"Yes," Castle nodded, "That's where the conundrum lies. Luckily, I have some very important people on my side." Castle tried not to let his pain and agony show in his expression but failed.
"You had to leave them behind?" Louis asked sadly.
"Yeah," Castle replied honestly, "As much as it killed me to do so." Castle let out another sigh, running hand over his face, which had aged years over the past few days. Deep lines around his eyes and mouth seemed to put a damper on his handsome features. His eyes were void of their usual brightness.
"It'll get better," Louis replied optimistically.
"Thanks," Castle said finally. "And thanks for doing this."
"No problem," the man and his light green eyes replied.
"I don't know how I can possibly pay you for this," Castle breathed.
"Oh that?" he asked looking up from the wheel. "That's already been taken care of."
"Seriously?" Castle asked. "How?"
"That's my little secret," Louis said cryptically. Castle felt his stomach lurch as they went over some particularly large swells. Louis saw as Castle started turning green.
"If you'll excuse me," Castle muttered, making a run below decks for the tiny bathroom. Hours later, Castle felt hands shake him gently as to awaken him. He hadn't even been aware that he had fallen asleep. All his dreams swirled together into what seemed like endless days at sea, though it had only been hours. Sweat pooled on his brow in the heated compartment of the ship as he slept on the small bunk in the captain's quarters.
"Mr. Castle," Louis whispered, "We're here."
"Wha?" Caslte muttered sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"We've just docked. We're in Portland," Louis repeated. Castle nearly shot up out of bed as soon as the words started to sink in.
"How long have I been asleep?" Castle asked, throwing on a Shirt over his flushed skin. A shiver ran up his spine at the coolness of the fabric and he silently contemplated the possibilities of him having a fever.
"A few hours," Louis replied. "We just docked. You'll probably want to get a move on it because I saw some security guards poking around."
Castle started throwing things into his duffel bag in a disorderly fashion. He intended to get out of there as soon as he possibly could. Sweat dripped from his brow as he zipped the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He checked in the mirror, hardly recognizing himself due to the dark circles under his eyes and the beginnings of a beard that had grown over his face over the past couple days. He shook, Louis' hand, bidding him farewell before stepping off the stern and back onto dry land. He had never been so grateful to have solid ground beneath him again. The cool air bit at him in his t-shirt but he ignored it. His thoughts were elsewhere. Slowly, Castle pulled the crumpled paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out in his hand. Walking briskly, Castle walked through the marina, and onto the peripheral street behind it. With slow steps Castle walked over to a payphone and dug in his pocket for a quarter. He finally managed to pull one out between his fingers and slipped it into the receiver. He dialed the specified number, and then after being prompted, added an additional 4-digit number confirming his identity. After another prompt, Castle plugged in another 4-digit code that corresponded to the time. When he was satisfied, he hung the headset back on its cradle and hurried off into the night. Along a well-lit street, Castle paused enough to throw on a hooded sweatshirt. He pulled up the hood around his face, hoping to obstruct a direct view of his features and continued walking. After what seemed like a few blocks, Castle made a right, hoping to grab a taxi. With some luck, he managed to hail one and slipped into the back seat.
"2386 Olivander St," Castle told the cabbie, sitting back in the seat. The cabbie shot him an anxious look and Castle turned to look out the window. In silence, he observed the feel of the city. It was strange to be somewhere so foreign to him. Castle felt quite anxious as well as he checked his watch again.
"26.14," the cabbie said as he pulled up to a nondescript bar in the slums of the city.
Hopefully, she would be there. Castle wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before rifling though his money and giving the cabbie a twenty and a ten.
"Thanks. Keep the change," Castle said simply sliding out of the cab with his bag. As soon as the door was slammed shut, the yellow cab sped off into the night, leaving Castle standing on the curb. Castle looked around before, walking for the door. He entered to the sounds of music and looked around. Several pool tables took up the back of the pool hall. Castle swallowed as a tall blonde woman knocked in two stripes at once, much to the displeasure of whoever it was that she was playing. Castle approached a booth within earshot and slid into it. It wasn't more than a couple minutes later that a beer was slid in front of him. He pulled some cash to pay for it when the waiter waved his hand.
"It's already been paid for." Castle frowned watching the man walk away. He closed his eyes, running a hand over his jaw. When he opened them he reached out and lifted the mug to his lips, taking a long sip. He was staring into the table when someone slid onto the bench across from him. Castle looked up slowly, his expression impassive. His resolve slightly wavered as his eyes met the familiar ones of an old friend.
"You're looking a little green there, Castle," Shaw spoke in a low drawl. "Need a little pick me up?"
"This beer is fine. Thanks," Castle replied. "It's been a while. How are you?"
"Good," Shaw replied her own expression unreadable. "You ready to go?"
"Already?" Castle asked tiredly.
"Unfortunately," Shaw nearly whispered, "A little piece of advice. When you're on the run, you're on the run."
"Duly noted," Castle replied.
"Okay, so here's how it's going to work," Shaw said simply. "I'm going to go out back. You're going to follow me in five minutes." Castle nodded, watching her get up. He gingerly sipped his beer for the next five minutes. He felt his heart drop into his throat as he noticed a rather attractive woman enter the bar. The problem? She was wearing a officer's uniform. Castle tried to keep cool as he looked down at his watch again. He felt eyes on him as she scanned the room. He sat up a little straighter, sliding his beer away from him. Slowly he got up, leaving a couple ones on the table for a tip before walking for the bathrooms in the back. By the time he was out in the night air his heart was pounding. He walked up to the black SUV and jumped into the back. He closed his eyes as Shaw started driving to somewhere out in the country. He groaned as he shifted awake to find a kink in his neck. They were pulling up to a storage unit in the middle of nowhere. Shaw led him to a door. When he opened the door, he blinked a few times. It was like a small artillery and a dressing room all put into one.
"What the…" Castle swallowed.
"Inside, Castle," Shaw pushed him in. "We don't have all day."
"Leo!" Shaw called into the darkness. Castle jumped when a man appeared. "We need to get to work." Castle was pushed down into a chair. His heart began to pound as he went into sensory overload. He looked over his shoulder as the man turned on the razor. His eyes widened a little as he took in the man's appearance. The guy definitely looked a little rough around the edges. It was as if he didn't belong. He had short spiky hair and tattoes on his arms and neck. He was a little too intimidating for Castle's liking.
"Wait…are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" Castle's mouth suddenly went dry.
"Sorry, man," Leo replied, "But you know how it works. New identity. New look."
"But my hair!" Castle ran his hand through it. "You can't shave off all of my hair."
"No worries," he replied, "We won't take all of it."
"Man," Castle groaned as if he was physically in pain as the first tufts of hair fell from his head. "I liked it the way it looked. It was suave!" Castle squeezed his eyes shut until it was over. He opened them, and cringed.
"It's really not that bad," Shaw reassured him. "You're supposed to be a convict in transfer. You have to look like one." Shaw handed him a case, and he flicked it open.
"Contacts?" Castle said in confusion.
"To change the color of your eyes." She cleared her throat, "You see, your eyes are very distinctive. It's better this way." Castle put one on his forefinger, and pressed it over his cornea, changing his eyes from a very vivid blue to a dark (practically black) brown. He looked like a completely different person.
"All right, buddy," Leo said finally, "You're going to need to take off your shirt."
"What?" Castle's voice was a bit higher than usual.
"I have to lay down some serious ink," Leo said quickly.
"Wait a minute," Castle said rather uncomfortably, "You want to give me a tattoo?" Castle swallowed, "Look, man. Let me tell you something. I don't do needles."
"No needles. I promise. It's just airbrush," Leo said calmly, pulling out his supplies. "They're only temporary, but with my talent I can make it look real."
"Seriously?" Castle was impressed.
"Yes," Leo replied in good humor. "Now umm…your shirt? Please?" Castle didn't need to be told twice. He watched in fascination as Leo laid out some intricate patterns across Castle's arms and shoulders, it was downright impressive. By the time Leo was done, Castle decided that Leo should be an artist.
By the time, Leo was finished Castle looked like a completely different person. He looked in the mirror and just stared. It's an overwhelming feeling to look at yourself in the mirror and not know who you are. For Castle, things only seemed to get more and more surreal.
"All right Castle," Shaw said calmly. "Your new name is Peter Hollister. You're 37. You're doing time for the Rape of a young girl named Lauren DeGraw. And I am transporting you to Hartsville, Ontario."
"You're making me a rapist?" Castle grumbled. "I resent that. Why couldn't I be a arsonist, or a grand larcenist?"
"It's just to get you across the border, Castle," Shaw said, lightly tapping him on the shoulder. "Once you're across it's a whole other ball game." She handed him a folder. "You're name once you're in Canada will be Jeremy Halloway. I've transferred some of your money into this private account to get you started. You're free to head anywhere you wish, of course, but please try to keep to the same name so that I can find you."
"Wow," Castle spoke, "It's a good thing I've trained myself to be a speedy reader. This is a lot to remember."
"You'll do fine," Shaw reassured him. "But we've got to move. I have an appointment with U.S. and Canadian Customs to weasel you across." Shaw pulled out a pair of reinforced chains and handcuffs. "This is the not so fun part."
"You can't tell me that part of you doesn't enjoy the idea of putting me in chains," Castle joked as she walked with him to the car outside. Castle sat down in the back seat of the black SVU, which was tagged with a yellow U.S. Marshall tag. Castle looked into Shaw's eyes for a long moment, searching for some sort of reply.
"If you must know, you should know that I'm hating every moment of this," Jordan replied honestly. "I like to think of you as a friend, Castle. I think it's unfortunate that this is how we had to meet again, but I intend to make the best of it. I know how much it means to Kate."
"Have you talked to her?" Castle asked.
"Briefly," Jordan replied, fastening the cuffs around Castle's wrists. "I had to be careful. Naturally, the bureau is watching them like hawks."
"If she gets in trouble because of me..." Castle shook his head wearily, leaving the thought incomplete.
"She's a big girl," Shaw said, helping Castle pull in his legs. She shut the door, sealing him in. She was in the front seat. He leaned back in the seat as they sped off into the night.
Castle stared out the window into the darkness. For a long time, Shaw drove in silence. He looked ahead through the reinforced barrier between them as he heard her speak.
"So…" She let the word drawl out for a bit, "Did you two lovebirds finally wise up and end the suffering?"
"You knew?" Castle's voice was rough as he asked. He couldn't hide his surprise very well.
"Oh come on, Castle," Shaw said softly, "You were like a little puppy always following her around. You're a smart man. You really mean to tell me that you never told her?"
"Not until it was too late," Castle replied. Shaw gave him a look through the rearview mirror. "Don't look at me like that!" Castle said rather defensively. "There was another guy. A detective…and by all means the man was perfect. There was no way that I could compete with him. I still have no idea what really happened." Castle swallowed. "I made the grand gesture. I did. I asked her to go to the Hamptons with me."
"The Hamptons?" Shaw's brow rose on her forehead. "She said no to the Hamptons?"
"My thoughts exactly," Castle said boldly.
"Okay…so it's been years since I saw you," Shaw prodded, "What happened then?"
"I don't know," Castle sighed, "We fell back into what we always were. She did her job and I followed her around. We purposely avoided that topic." Castle swallowed. "A couple years ago, Kate started dating a doctor. He was a cardiac-surgeon, and so I really couldn't compete with that either." Castle shook his head. "Then, I'm sure you know that she was shot."
"Yeah," Shaw admitted uneasily. "I heard about it shortly after it happened. I was pulling for her the whole time." Castle nodded.
"I told her I loved her that day, right after it happened, but I don't think she remembered." Castle sighed, tugging at his chains. He wanted to run his hand over his neck, but didn't have enough slack to do it. He settled for running his hands over his kneecaps instead. "It didn't matter," he admitted. "Again, the timing was all wrong." He paused. "When she came back, there was always something else to think about. There was some dangerous cases and we did all we could to press onwards."
"She still dating the doctor then?" Shaw asked, trying not to pry too much. She just couldn't happen. She'd been pulling for Rick and Kate ever since she'd met them.
"No," Castle replied happily, "Thankfully not. She told me they broke up a few months ago. They decided that things just weren't working out. Personally, I think I might have been the cause, but I just don't know. She never really told me why they broke up exactly."
"But you couldn't do anything about it because you were already being accused of murder," Shaw hedged.
"Exactly," Castle swallowed, happy that Shaw seemed to understand the situation perfectly.
"God, you two are like two immature teenagers," Shaw groaned. "You should have jumped each other years ago, in my opinion, but now you're stuck in the proverbial friendship stage. You're the awkward boy who loves her cause she's safe. And you're the bad boy that she can't let herself fall for out for fear that she'll get hurt."
"Pretty much," Castle agreed. "Hey, I'm not going to pretend I'm something I'm not. I have an awful track record involving relationships. And now I'm a convict. I still have absolutely no idea how Alexis turned out as amazing is she is…and she found love sooner than I did."
"So does Beckett know how you feel?" Shaw asked. "Because I'll tell you something, Rick. it's not everyday that I get someone begging me to help smuggle their significant other across the border. She must really care about you."
"She knows," Castle breathed, raking a hand over his buzz cut. "But what does it matter now? I have to disappear, and by the time I can reappear she'll have found someone better." Castle looked out the window again as he swallowed. "I suppose she deserved better than me from the beginning anyways. It's why I stepped aside when Demming came around because he's twice the man I ever was."
"You're selling yourself short there Castle," Shaw said with a teasing smile.
"Was that actually a compliment?" Castle asked rather dumbfounded. "Or are you just messing with me?"
"You tell anyone I said that and I'll just deny it," Jordan said with a low chuckle. Castle couldn't fight the twitching of his lips as a smile fought its way onto his hardened features.
"You're not so bad yourself, you know," Castle said finally.
The two fell into a comfortable silence over the next few hours. The sun was making its appearance on the horizon as they neared the border. Castle started to feel nervous as they were waived off to the side. Several officers walked up to the car. Jordan calmly handed over the paperwork, completely unruffled by the commotion. She handed over her ID.
"Agent Sophia Dawson with the U.S. Marshall's office," Jordan spoke evenly. "I'm here to deliver a prisoner the Canadian police requested during an extradition hearing."
"What's the name of the prisoner?" one of the officers asked as he scanned over the paperwork.
"Peter Hollister," Shaw replied off-handedly.
"Okay," he nodded, "Well, you guys sit tight. I'm going to go run this paperwork through. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Shaw nodded, starting to feel a little jittery herself.
"Is that normal?" Castle asked as quietly as possible careful not to make his lips move as he spoke.
"Common procedure," Jordan said just as elusively. Castle nodded and swallowed, sitting tight in the back. The minutes ticked by. Castle's heart was pounding and he felt like crawling out of his skin. They were so close… Just yards from the border. His freedom was so close he could almost taste it. Minutes passed and the two sat there in nervous silence. And then, as the officer stepped up the window it went to hell in a hand basket.
"Could you step out of the car please?" the officer asked, his hand on his hip where his firearm was holstered.
"I'm sorry," Jordan spoke slowly, "Is there a problem?"
"Would you please step out of the car?" the officer repeated himself. "And get your hands up where I can see them." One look of Shaw's eyes in the rearview mirror told him all that he needed to know. Before he had any chance to process what was going on, Shaw made the most logical choice. Her movements were lightning quick. She opened the door forcefully into the agent while her other hand shifted into gear. Castle heard the engine protest as she slammed her foot down on the gas.
"Get down, Castle!" Jordan yelled as all hell broke loose. The car whined and protested as she drove through one barrier and then another, into Canadian territory. Bullets were fired from all directions, and so naturally he slumped down as far as he could. His stomach bottomed out as he heard the sirens behind them. Slowly he inched his head up, looking over the seats in front of him.
"What the hell just happened?" Castle spoke rather breathlessly.
"Hell if I know," Jordan said with a clenched jaw. "Avery must not have been able to manipulate the documents from the other end." Jordan took a deep breath, then said what exactly what was on Castle's mind. "Shit."
"Shit is right," Castle groaned. "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to have to run," Shaw said simply. "So get ready." Castle watched Jordan's determined demeanor as she drove expertly through highway traffic.
"Umm…Jordan," Castle held up his hands, which were still in cuffs. "I don't think I can run very far this way."
"Crap," Jordan breathed, "Sorry. I'm getting distracted already. You're right." She started rifling through things in the front seat, sliding the barrier open with one hand. "Here. You're going to have to get them off yourself. I'm kind of busy up here." Castle nearly stopped breathing as she dropped the key and he almost missed it. If he dropped it onto the floor there was no way he was getting it back. Castle's breathing became shallow, and as much as he tried to calm his nerves, he couldn't. He fumbled with one lock on the handcuffs and then another. So this was what it was like to have someone breathing down your neck. Castle grunted as Shaw made an extremely tight turn and tires skidded on pavement. He could practically smell the burning rubber.
"There's a safe house about 5 miles from here," Jordan said finally. She tossed a GPS into the back. It landed on the seat next to Castle. "We're going to have to split up. Once we hit the water, you'll have a few minutes head start. Follow the beacon and wait for me there."
"What?" Castle's voice was much higher than normal.
"We're splitting up," Jordan said simply. "It's our only chance." Then she added. "And for God sakes Castle run like there are dogs at your heels. We've broken federal law and you're a fugitive. They won't hesitate to shoot you."
"How will you find the safe house?" Castle asked quickly. "And won't the feds know about it?"
"Yes," Shaw replied, "But they won't have any reason to believe we'd go there of all places. Trust me on this. It's our best shot."
"Damn it, Jordan," Castle swore as he fumbled with the second lock. "I'm so sorry. Now they'll know that you helped me. There were about a million cameras at customs."
"I knocked them out with my handy dandy little EMP," Jordan held up a device victoriously from the front seat. "I knew this thing would come in handy."
"Get ready, Castle," Jordan said seriously, "We're nearly there."
"Wait…" Castle spoke, unable to hide his panic. "I don't have my legs free and these chains weight a ton. If I don't get them off before we hit the water, I'll drown."
"I can not wait," Jordan said emphatically. "Castle, get those damned chains off because I swear to you that I can't buy any more time. You hear me?"
"Yes," Castle hunched over, trying to undo the shackles around his feet. Castle's stomach lurched as Shaw accelerated. They were seconds away now. His heart stopped in his chest as they smashed through a railing and they started falling. It was over in an instant. He was slammed back against the seat. The windshield shattered under the force, and icy cold water started gushing in. His hand twisted in the lock as he fought the force pushing him down and under the water. He took a large gasp of air as hundreds of tiny knives stuck his skin at the same time. He closed his eyes and opened them. He swore as he fudged the last lock, losing him valuable time. His eyes searched for Jordan. They were sinking, into deeper and darker water. It was practically black. Castle's lungs started screaming at him as he loosened the last shackle. He began pulling at the chain erratically, desperate to be free. He was going to drown. He knew it. He was already running out of precious oxygen. And if he didn't drown then surely he would freeze to death in this water. With slight relief, Castle managed to free himself. He reached for the GPS Jordan had tossed in the back seat, only to find it missing.
"Shit," Castle yelled, though the sound was lost to small air bubbles in the deep water. Castle started groping for it. He silently prayed to find it. He grasped it and clipped it to his pants. After turning around he was confronted by the glass barrier between him and the outside. Luckily, the pressure had to have equalized by then. The car was almost completely full of water. Castle swam to the back, stealing one last breath of air before he tried the door. Again he was blocked. He forgot that U.S. Marshall's vehicles locked from the outside, much like child locks on regular cars. Looking to the headrest beside him. He yanked it out of the seat, and with all the force he could muster he slammed the metal point against the glass, breaking it. With a hand on each side of the door, Castle, launched himself out of the car. Suddenly, he had an idea. He couldn't possibly surface so close to the vehicle, but he had no air left. He turned to the rear tire, unscrewed the cap and began to breathe the air from the tire. He got his lungs as full as he possibly could and kicked and swam for as far as he possibly could before heading for the surface.
After what seemed like an eternity, his head broke the surface of the water. With a gasp, his lungs happily raked in the fresh air. He turned back to see the police swarming around where the car had hit the water. He crawled onto the opposite shore, his arms and legs trembling. He silently wondered how in the hell he was going to run 5 miles. He tried to use the adrenaline in his body as he continued to crawl back into the cover of the trees. He gave himself a little pep talk as he got to his feet. His tennis shoes squished as the water in them settled between his toes. God, he was freezing. So this is what hell felt like. Castle gritted his jaw tightly and then just started running. He ran as if his life depended on it.
Two things echoed in Castle's mind back and forth as he ran. "Breath in. Breath out." He ran until his lungs felt like they were on fire. He ran until his legs gave out under him and he was sent rolling down a rather steep hill all the way to the bottom where he lay just staring up blankly at the sky.
So that was the next chapter. I'm sorry to leave it there, but that's really the best place I could think to leave it. You'll have to come back if you want to know what happens next. Please read and review! I'm thinking of posting another chapter to show what is going on back in New York. Let me know if that sounds good to you all!