A/N: I am SO sorry this one took forever to get out! It sucks when real life gets in the way of writing fic! Hopefully I can do better with the next chapter.

I'm still blown away by the response to this story, it's really put the wind back in my sails after a really bad month.

Thank you to reviewer MsNYC for correcting me on the NYFD/FDNY. I knew it was off somehow, but couldn't figure out how. Note to self: Google is your friend! :)

I hope this chapter works for you, enjoy!

XXXXXX

Kate's ears were still ringing as she was shoved none too gently down the stairs. An M-16 firing in an echo-y locker room was not exactly conducive to the health of one's hearing.

Still – she was grateful the bastard deliberately missed.

Once the two reached the bottom of the steps, Skull-Face (that's what the mask essentially was, and Kate needed something to call him – besides asshole) grabbed Kate's arm roughly enough to leave bruises and strong-armed her into the bullpen.

"Found another one," he told a guy with a Freddy Krueger mask. "This bitch was in the locker room."

"Anybody else?" Freddy asked.

"I'll do another sweep, but she's all I've found so far."

Freddy grabbed Kate's chin – hard.

"Anybody else up there, honey?"

Kate said nothing, just glared at him.

"Oh, not gonna talk are you?" The leer in Freddy's voice was apparent as he spoke, although the mask hid it from view.

"You will."

He let go of her face and backhanded her. She fell into the group of uniforms and detectives sitting on the floor. It softened the fall, but none were able to help her because they'd all been cuffed.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Eggerstrom, a detective whose desk butted up against Kate's, though they worked different shifts and didn't know each other all that well.

Freddy bent down to the cops' level on the floor, using a ziptie to cuff Kate's wrists together.

"Because we can."

He lifted his mask a couple of inches – just enough that his mouth was visible. He spat in Eggerstrom's face and stood again.

He pointed at Skull-Face.

"You. Back upstairs and keep searching. Bring back anyone you find like this chick." He nudged Kate with his foot. "If they try to fight…shoot 'em. You don't have to kill them, unless you want to, but make it hurt."

Turning to a couple of others with military grade weapons – one in a zombie mask, the other in a horror clown mask, he continued.

"You search the stairwells. Same applies as him," he gestured with his chin toward Skull-Face moving up the steps to the gym. Bring them back or shoot them. When you get to the bottom, find something to block each door as you come back up."

Zombie nodded and the two started to walk off, but Freddy thought of something else.

"And while you're at it, shoot the controls out on the elevator."

"Every floor?" asked Creepy Clown.

"Yeah. Make sure the thing's broken."

Freddy bent down in front of Kate who had managed to get into a sitting position.

"Such a smokin' hot cop," he sneered, lightly running a finger down her cheek. "There's gotta be a story there. What is it, baby? You earn your badge on your back?"

Kate lunged at him, kicking out as hard as she could. Unfortunately, since she hadn't had a chance to get her shoes on, the kick wasn't particularly effective.

It did piss Freddy off, though.

He slapped her again, hard enough that her lip began to bleed. He got right up to her face.

"Try that again bitch, and it won't be a slap."

He stood and called out; "Hey!"

A man in a Michael Myers mask came out of the break room.

"You called, boss?"

"Yeah, come over here and cover me while I take these pigs' shoes off. Anyone tries to kick…you know what to do."

Myers lifted his weapon and pointed it at the group of police officers as Freddy removed their shoes.

XXXXXX

"Can't you get any closer?"

"Come on, buddy, can't you see the cop telling me to turn?" The cabbie was getting exasperated. "They ain't letting nobody past there without lights and a siren."

Castle sat back in the seat, frustrated. He dialed Esposito again, but no answer.

As the cab reached the corner to turn, Castle leaned forward, shoving money at the driver.

"I'll get out here."

"I doubt they'll let pedestrians in either."

"I'll take my chances."

The cab stopped and Rick got out. True to the cabbie's word, he was immediately stopped from getting closer.

"You don't understand," Castle pleaded with one of the uniformed officers in charge of keeping people safely away from the damaged building. "My partner might…" He trailed off, then asked; "Are Detectives Ryan and Esposito here?"

"Sir, you're going to need to back off," was all the officer said to him.

"I need to get to the precinct!"

"If you want to see the inside of a precinct, that can be arranged," the uniform glared at him. "Now back off!"

Castle raised his hands in surrender and did as he was told, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

The street outside the 12th precinct was a hive of activity. From what Rick could see from his vantage point, SWAT teams had begun to surround the entry.

More gunshots came from inside the building, and Castle could see Esposito ducking for cover behind a barricade, barking something into a walkie-talkie.

Well, damn. He was kind of hoping he'd see Ryan first. Esposito hadn't been particularly friendly on the phone. Hopefully that had just been because of the situation, but he'd about bitten Rick's head off.

Still, Castle had to try.

Keeping an eye on the uniform, Rick moved to a point where he thought Espo would see him if he called out.

"Esposito!" he shouted. "'Sito!"

Esposito turned at his voice.

The uniform also heard Castle and began walking toward him, his face clouded with anger.

Espo came up to the crime scene tape, nodding at the uniform who backed away.

"Castle, what are you doing here?" He wasn't happy. "I told you on the phone not to come down."

"Come on, Javier, you know why I'm here. I couldn't not come."

"I know that you disappeared off the face of the earth."

Castle winced at Espo's anger. Not just because of the hostage situation then.

"And the only way any of us knew what happened to you is what we read on Page 6," his voice dripped sarcasm. "So yeah, Rick, what are you doing here?"

"That's…fair."

"Yeah, that's fair." Esposito turned away.

"Kate isn't answering her phone," Castle tried again. "Is she in there?"

Esposito stopped and took a deep breath.

"We don't know."

He turned back to face Rick.

"She's not answering for anyone."

"But she was off, right?" Rick asked desperately. "Her shift was over, wasn't it?"

"Castle, you know how she gets when she's trying to find the trail of something. You know that she'll spend the night if she's on a roll. Yeah, she was off shift. But," he raised a hand to silence Castle, who had opened his mouth to speak. "Captain Gates said she stayed late to work out. It doesn't mean she's still in there…"

"But with her not answering her phone, it's safe to assume she is," Rick interrupted.

Espo hesitated, then gave a short nod.

"Can I help? Espo, I need to do something."

"You are not coming in here, Castle."

"But…"

Esposito got right up to Rick's face.

"Didn't you hear the gunshots, Castle? These guys are military, or they have access to military weapons. You are not coming in here. I know you're not exactly green anymore, but you will get people killed this time."

Rick looked stricken.

"I just need…to help."

"You can't this time. And since you haven't wanted to help for the past month and a half, what makes you think we'd take you back anyway? Go home. Your services are no longer needed."

"'Sito…"

But Esposito had turned and was walking back to the barricade.

XXXXXX

Beckett was trying to stop the bleeding. With her foot.

Eggerstrom had kicked out at Freddy as he was removing everyone's shoes, and he paid for it.

It was a leg shot, not life threatening immediately, but with the multiple bullets from the M-16, he was going to need medical attention soon.

Detective Marcus Andrews was trying to convince Freddy to uncuff him so he could get a first aid kit but Freddy just ignored him.

"Come on, man! Let us help him!"

Freddy finally turned to him.

"Dumb ass had a gun pointed at him. He still kicked. He needed to be taught a lesson."

Andrews looked back at the detective passed out on the floor.

"I think he's learned it," he argued. "Please…"

Freddy eyed Marcus appraisingly through his mask.

"Switch with the chick."

Marcus looked at Kate, who shrugged. As long as they were able to help the wounded man, she was willing to trade places.

Marcus scooted over close to Kate. She removed her foot and Marcus placed his over Eggerstrom's damaged leg.

"You're dead if you blink wrong," Freddy sneered at Kate.

"Understood."

Freddy and Myers dragged Beckett to her feet and walked with her to the first aid box on the wall. Myers planted his gun on Kate's temple as Freddy cut the ziptie.

"We're not fucking around. One wrong move and your brains'll be a Pollock painting."

Kate nodded, rubbed her wrists for a moment, then removed the items she needed from the kit.

"Would you please uncuff someone else too?" she asked, not looking at either assailant. "I'm going to need somebody to help me."

Freddy burst out laughing.

"Either you're stupid or you think we are," he cut off his laugh. "And we're not."

Myers shoved the detective back to the others.

"You already got him helping," Freddy continued, looking over at Marcus who still had his foot on the unconscious man's wound "That's all the help you're gonna get."

"And don't think I'm not watching you with those scissors," Myers jumped in. "I'll know if you try to hide them."

Skull-Face came back downstairs then and Freddy went to talk to him.

Myers leaned down close to Kate's ear.

"Jackson Pollock is my favorite artist."

Kate swallowed at the implication, nodded and went to work on Eggerstrom's leg.

XXXXXX

Castle had ignored Esposito's order to leave and was pacing along the crime scene tape. He can't go home – he won't go home.

The uniform kept an eye on Castle, making sure he didn't duck under the barrier. Rick wouldn't though, he didn't have his vest and Espo's comment did make an impression. He still didn't know exactly how he felt about Kate's confession during the Bobby Lopez interrogation, but he wasn't going to leave her to die.

His mother was right. He needed to confront her and ask why she couldn't tell him she didn't love him to his face.

He just hoped he would get the chance.

Rick's phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket and was mildly disappointed that it was Ryan, not Kate.

Esposito's got a point, was all the text said.

Shit.

Ryan was supposed to be…well, maybe not on his side, exactly, but Castle had been hoping he'd be a little more willing to keep him updated.

Another chime.

In all honesty, though, there's not much in the way of news. No demands have been made by the captors.

Rick sighed.

Thank you, Ryan.

But there was more.

I hate to be the pessimist here, but I'm not sure anyone's coming out. I'm sure you've heard the shots, hopefully they're just grandstanding and firing off, but…

Rick finished that thought in his head.

There was a possibility the captors were shooting people.

He looked up at a noise from the precinct.

A window had opened from the fourth floor. What looked to be shoes were unceremoniously dropped, along with what seemed to be a red scarf or something like that.

Five minutes later, another text from Ryan.

12 pairs of shoes were tossed. That's everyone on the roster for the graveyard shift. Beckett's shoes aren't there.

Rick sighed in relief at that. But why wasn't she picking up her phone? It wasn't just him, Esposito had said she wasn't answering for anyone.

There's also a bloody cloth. Someone was definitely shot.

Goddamnit.

His phone rang.

Kate's ringtone.

XXXXXX

A/N 2: Thoughts?