CH8

Kate and Lanie had been walking for what seemed like forever. They were now just north of the Lincoln Tunnel in an area called Hell's Kitchen, except that they didn't know that.

They both had duffel bags with them, just in case they found something.

"Kate?" Lanie had stopped and was sniffing the air, getting Kate to do the same.

"We're close." Kate points out. It was the smell of the drugs that got their attention. Where there were drugs there was money. And it was really late in the day, being a little after 3:30 am.

They both walked across the front of the place. They didn't understand the building since they had never been in one yet, but they could both smell a lot of alcohol. The smell of alcohol was so strong it almost overwhelmed the smell of the drugs.

The front seemed to be only alcohol, the back seemed to have the drugs, so they looked around and then jumped up onto the roof. The roof access turned out to be a ladder on the back of the building that was locked up. Not that either of them cared.

Kate took a deep breath. "It smells like just the three of them in back with one out front." Getting Lanie to breathe in deep and agree.

"We take the three in back as quickly and quietly as possible, then I'll watch out for the one in front while you collect the money. If there are bags, we can load the drugs and drop them in the river on the way home." Kate offers.

"Depending on how much there is and if all of it is in bags." Lanie cautioned. They didn't want to stay long and the drugs wasn't their focus. It got Kate to nod her head in agreement.

They both stepped over the edge of the roof and landed on the ground below. It was an easy drop since it was only a one story building.

Kate gave the back door a little push and broke the door jamb that the dead bolt was embedded in. It also ripped the locking bar out of the wood studs. Kate went forward to the guy on the far left while Lanie went right to the first guy.

Kate grabbed him and spun in place and launched him out the open door, slamming him into the brick building on the other side of the alley. It broke his shoulder, bruised 3 ribs and gave him a concussion, while rendering him unconscious.

Lanie grabbed her guys arm and bit him and started drinking. While Kate stepped over to the third guy who was just standing and grabbed his arm and bit him and started drinking.

They both stopped and Kate stepped over to the door that lead to the front area and listened and took in a deep breath. Kate motioned for Lanie to get started.

Lanie found drugs in bags and drugs in pans of some type with a lot of empty bags. This wasn't where they made the drugs, but it was where it was transferred to smaller bags.

There didn't appear to be a lot of money lying around, but Lanie picked up all she could find. It didn't even begin to fill her duffel bag and she was done in no time.

Now she started looking at all the drugs. A lot of it was in bags, small bags and much bigger bags. Some of the bags were the size of two hardback books put together. Lanie couldn't do anything about the loose drugs, but she could do something about all the bags.

Lanie saw two duffel bags about that were much larger than the one she had, so she picked one up. Except it weighed too much to be empty, so she opened the zipper to look inside.

Lanie was shocked and she pulled out an already bundled cake of money and held it up for Kate to see. "Kate?" Lanie whispered. It got Kate to open her eyes wide, then saw the bag Lanie had gotten it out of.

"Put it back and hand me the bag and pick up the other one and we're out of here." Kate was thinking screw the drugs. She wanted in and out fast and there just was too much of it to be fast.

Lanie zipped it closed and tossed the bag to Kate and picked up the other one that also felt heavy and then picked up her own bag and headed out the door.

Kate followed her and tossed her full bag up onto the roof and then stepped over to the guy she had thrown out the door and bit him and started drinking.

Kate dropped him and stepped over and jumped for the roof to join Lanie and picked up her bag. "Try to stick with the roofs until we can't, as fast as you can go." Kate offered. Getting Lanie to nod her head and started running and jumping from roof to roof until she couldn't anymore.

Then they ran till they were close to home. "Go to the shuttle, we can look at these there." Kate offered, watching Lanie nod her head and run for the building their shuttle was sitting on.

Kate was walking for the shuttle when her knees suddenly got weak. Lanie had spotted it and stepped over to Kate. "You ok?"

Kate however shook her head. "I feel funny and my legs feel like rubber and my vision is a little blurry." Kate answers. Stepping over to the shuttle and opening the door, dropping her bags outside and sitting in the chair.

Then Kate took in a deep breath. "Rick is here too." Kate took in another breath to breathe him in, and closed her eyes to let her feel his smell.

"Oh girl, you've got it bad." Lanie points out as she watches her friend breathing in deeply, obviously lost in Rick.

Lanie was by now also feeling a little weird, just that she didn't smell anything different, but something was wrong.

Since the came up here to look in the bags they had taken Lanie opened the new one she had in hand. Inside finding what she had already quickly seen. "Girlfriend?" Lanie opened it wide allowing Kate to look down into the bag.

Kate wasn't seeing straight or thinking straight either, still it looked like a lot. Kate was blinking her eyes, trying to focus. "What's in the other one?" Kate finally asked.

Lanie grabbed the other bag they found and opened it, finding big bags of white powder inside. "We need to lose that one." Kate comments while falling back into her seat not feeling very well.

"I'm going to go dump this bag, you ok for now?" Lanie asks her.

Kate nodded her head and took in still another deep breath, and it seemed to calm her.

Lanie found something to weight the bad down with and launched it out into the river, then ran right back to the roof, shuttle and Kate.

"Are you good to fly? I want to get you into the scanner. It isn't Rick that's causing this." Lanie asks her, since Kate was actually looking better after being here.

"Sure." Kate took in another deep breath and watched Lanie close the door. Then Lanie moved around to the other side, opened the door and stuffed the bags in behind her seat and closed the door.

Kate fired up the shuttle and looked at her screens. The sky above was still a mess with aircraft all over the place. "We need to stay low until out over the water." Kate informs her and lifts the shuttle up.

Kate takes her time getting out into space, not wanting to create a sonic boom to give them away.

Kate had to enter the ship very carefully since she had started feeling worse shortly after leaving the roof. Lanie had to practically carry her to the scanner bed. First Lanie had to power up some of the systems.

"Ok, let's see what we've got." Lanie activated the scanner and let it make its two passes.

"WOW, you're blood work is a mess." Lanie hadn't seen anything like it on Kate before, or her parents.

Kate only moaned. "I feel like shit."

"I'm going to hook you up and run your blood through the filter system." Lanie started gathering her supplies. "Sorry girlfriend but this is going to hurt." And Lanie injects the needle into Kate's arm and then turns the system on.

"Just try and sleep Kate, this is going to take a few hours." Kate's phone call to Rick was going to have to wait. Likely for a day, since flying back in daylight was out.

Lanie decided to spend the time counting the money they had gained. Her bag didn't take much time, since it didn't have that much in it. The bag they had found however was another question.

Counting that bag however had gone quicker than she thought it would, since the money was all wrapped up and all separated out. 5's, 10's, 20's and 100's per each wrap. It got Lanie to whistle after she was done. It was more than $120,000 this time. A whole lot more!

Rick was downstairs putting breakfast together when a still sleepy looking Alexis showed up and climbed up into one of the breakfast bar stools. "Good morning daughter of mine. You awake enough for pancakes?" Rick asked. Only to watch Alexis yawn and nod her head, and blinking to try and keep her eyes open.

"Would you like some gummy bears with your pancakes?" Rick tries teasing since Alexis was obviously still barely awake. Only getting her to shake her head.

"How about some chocolate?" Rick keeps teasing since he had no intention of doing that.

That however got Alexis to open her eyes wide. "No dad, don't." Her dad ruined her omelet with chocolate one time, it was more than yucky. "Ok, here you go." Rick put one in front of her and poured maple syrup all over it. "Nice and sticky just like you like it." Rick stops pouring only after her lone pancake was all but floating a lake of maple syrup.

"Thank you dad." Alexis picks up the fork and starts working on getting her pancake into her mouth.

"Alexis, … about your mother." Rick tries again since it was a new day.

"DAD!" Alexis warns him.

"I'm sorry you don't like her, but that doesn't not make her your mother." Meredith had given birth to her and he wanted Alexis to have a mother, and Meredith was all he had to work with.

Alexis however dropped her fork on her plate not yet half way done with her pancake. Alexis got down off her stool. "She's not my mother, dad." Alexis headed for the stairs and back to her room.

"Pumpkin?" Rick called after her.

"I hate her dad." Alexis trudged up the stairs.

"You want to go up to the roof to look at the space ship before school?" Rick asks trying to find something to undo what he has done. Watching Alexis only shrug her shoulders. Alexis wasn't listening anymore.

"DAMN IT MEREDITH!" Rick dumped breakfast into the trash, he wasn't hungry anymore either.

Rick retreated to his room to take a shower and get dressed and then went upstairs to check on his daughter. Finding her showered and dressed and sitting on her bed.

Rick opened his mouth, but closed it since the look Alexis was giving him told him that if he said the word mother or Meredith, he was even in more trouble than he already was.

Maybe as she got older she would think differently, … maybe.

"How about we go up to the roof and look before school?" Rick offers again.

Alexis gets down off the bed and goes out her bedroom door but doesn't say a word. Rick sighed, Meredith it seemed was a mess he just wasn't going to be able to fix anytime soon.

Up the elevator and up the stairs and through all the locked and barred doors. Opening the door to the roof. "It's gone!" Alexis ran out onto the roof and started running around looking for it.

Then turned to look at her dad with tears running down her face. "It's gone dad!"

Alexis had wanted to meet who owned it. She had wanted to go for a ride in it. She wanted to be out in space. They were probably nice and now they were gone.

Her world was collapsing around her. Here dad kept bringing up her mother. The woman who had abandoned her and made her feel unloved except for her dad. Now they were gone too, and without saying goodbye.

Alexis slouched, dejected. Rick stepped over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry pumpkin, it looks like they left in the night." While they were asleep.

Rick did notice however that Alexis didn't even try to hug him back. He was in her dog house alright. It was likely going to take a lot of work to get back in his daughters good graces.

Rick dropped off his daughter at school and didn't get a kiss goodbye this time. It got Rick to sigh even louder and harder this time. He needed to come up with a plan to get her out of this funk she was in.

Rick's next stop was at his lawyer's office to go over what they had talked about yesterday. Jenn was probably done typing it up before he even reached his car yesterday.

"He is expecting you Mr. Castle, you can go right in." Jenn tells him as soon as Rick was through the door.

"Thanks Jenn, and I'll get you to call me Rick one of these days." Rick smiled as he went past.

After meeting each other Henry handed over what Jenn had typed out.

An apology for Gina's actions on the last book singing tour by Black Pawn since Gina is their employee and represents them on these tours.

Another apology for Gina's actions and comments concerning his daughter and the spectacle she created at the airport.

A limit of 8 local only book signings, with not allowed to be back to back dates or locations.

No long distance book signings unless pre-approved by Richard Castle, with no multiple city stops if approved.

Gina is not allowed to attend any approved out of New York City book signings, no matter anyone's availability.

Restricted access to Richard Castle or his family by any member of Black Pawn, particularly as concerning one Gina Cowell. Including but not limited to a.) Phone calls outside of business issues only. All such calls are subject to being recorded to guarantee compliance. b.) No residence visits are acceptable regardless of reason. c.) No encounters in public areas such as restaurants are acceptable unless limited strictly for business purposes.

The new contract is for 3 years with a buyout clause for Richard Castle or 3 books are completed by him. Whichever comes first.

Failure of acceptance to these adjustments to the standard contract will result in severing ties between one Richard Castle and Black Pawn.

"Any questions, additions or comments?" Henry asks Rick after they go over each point.

"You sure we're not pushing Black Pawn too far?" Rick did like working with Black Pawn, they had handled him pretty well until they assigned Gina to him.

"We are simply trying to exclude Gina from repeating what she has done in the past or having Black Pawn replace her with another person just like her. … Unless you want to go through all of that again, with Gina or someone else." Henry asks him.

Rick hated being this harsh with anyone, he wanted to help people not have confrontations. It just wasn't him, but he was a father and what had happened to Alexis, no matter how mad she was at him now, couldn't be allowed to happen again.

Rick signed at the bottom. "I'll get this over to the main office of Black Pawn before the end of the day. If we don't hear back from them by the end of next week, I'll contact them." Henry tells Rick.

Rick was on his way out. "Mr. Castle, here is your list of publicists. I've made notes for each one based on factual knowledge and past histories with other clients." Jenn stops him.

"Thanks Jenn, you've been a big help. I'll likely be back in sometime next week." Rick tells her and leaves. "And It's Rick, Jenn." Rick calls over his shoulder, grinning.

Rick went home and decided to get started on his next book, he didn't know who or even if it would be published, but he was a writer and he felt better when he was writing.

He was so busy writing up outlines of what he wanted to have happen that he missed lunch and almost showed up late to pick up Alexis from school. "How was school?" Rick tries to get her to talk.

"It was fine." Alexis was still quiet to him.

"Alexis I'm sorry ok, it's just that every child should have a mother, a family. And I want that for you too. I understand that your mother doesn't act like a mother. I wish she would too.

I grew up without a father, I don't even know who he is. You at least know who your mother is supposed to be. So you are already one step out in front of me.

I promise not to try and force you to accept Meredith as your mother. I just don't want you to be sad when she calls and promises, but doesn't keep it. … Or call at all for that matter." Rick adds softly.

"Not every child has a mother Alexis or even a chance at a mother." Rick hated defending Meredith since he wasn't sure she deserved it. But she was presently the only choice of mother Alexis had, and didn't know if that would ever change.

Rick and Alexis had made it into the loft. "How about you go change and get washed while I fix dinner. After that we can play laser tag. As I recall I deserve a re-match." Rick offers.

It got Alexis to smile for the first time that day. "That's because you lost dad." Alexis raced up the stairs before her dad could say something back.

Dinner was a quick stir fry meal using sliced chicken breasts. Rick was cursing that he didn't have enough fresh vegetables and was forced to use frozen this time.

Rick suited up Alexis and tested her weapon, and then put on his suit and tested it. "We who are about to die, salute you." Rick offers and salutes using his weapon, watching Alexis run off just before he turns off the lights.

"Da, da, da, …. da, da, da," Rick tries to mimic the theme to "Jaws".

"Spear gun." Alexis calls out and takes a shot at Rick and misses.

"I smell lunch. … chomp, chomp." Rick teases and takes a wild shot before moving quickly.

"Shark meat." Alexis teases back.

Rick hears one of the kitchen chairs move and Rick takes two quick shots, getting nothing.

Then Rick's suit lit up like a Christmas tree. "WHAT! … HOW?" Rick just stood there blinking in the darkness. Then felt Alexis tap him on his butt.

"You lose dad." Alexis was grinning in the glow of Rick's blue flashing lights.

"How do you feel?" Lanie asks as Kate wakes up a little after Lanie had disconnected her from the filtration system.

"Better, what happened?" Kate sat up slowly.

"You had drugs and alcohol in your system. I'm betting that one of the guys you bit had been using the drugs and maybe the other had too much alcohol in his system. Since you bit him you added both into your system temporarily.

It's been a long time since I've seen this effect, but then we've been drinking from processed plastic bags for so long, I didn't recognize it until after I ran you through the scanner." Lanie explains.

"Guess we'll have to be more careful with who we bite from now on. We need to get blood bags to prevent that again." Kate points out the best option.

"Well at least our little raid was successful." Lanie points out.

"Scanner?" Kate looks around. "How did we get here?" Kate looked confused.

"You flew us out here while you still could. In addition to the drugs and alcohol, it seems your Rick was home below us and you could smell him." Lanie points out.

"OH!" Kate started blushing. "It actually felt like he was helping. I'm sorry Lanie, I don't know why I find him so, … so, …." Kate couldn't think of the perfect word for what she felt.

"It's ok girlfriend, I just hope he's understanding or we're both in trouble." Lanie knew that if Kate couldn't stay away, he was going to notice something someday.

Kate opened her mouth to comment, but then closed it. "So have you had time to count what was in the bag?" Kate didn't know how long she was out.

Lanie started shaking her head. "It's a lot Kate, a whole lot. I just hope it doesn't get traced back to us somehow." Lanie didn't know how they would, but didn't know much about this planet's money system.

Kate looked at Lanie with her best. 'And how much is it?' on her face.

"It was a mix of 1's, 5's, 20's and 100's. … It added up to $1.23 million." Lanie tells her.

Kate's mouth falls to the floor. "One point, … point 23, … million?" Kate stutters it out. Watching Lanie nod her head.

1.23 million dollars.