Arc of the Curve
Chapter Eleven

Authors Note:-

Sorry, this took a little while. I didn't like how it was turning out so I went back to basics. I feel a lot better about it now. It's not perfect, but I'm happy enough to publish it.

Kate was staring down the barrel of her own sidearm when nothing happened. She was sure she was supposed to be dead by now. Looking past the gun she saw her would be killer was looking around. She looked cagy, like she'd heard something she hadn't expected but couldn't tell what.

'Where are you?' Hennesly shouted at the empty warehouse. 'I can feel you, show yourself.' The gun waved back and forth over Kate's head and for a moment she thought the hired killer had gone crazy.

'You know the rules. Drop the gun and face me.' A stranger shouted back and Kate gasped in relief. It might not be Castle or the others, but help was help. Hennesly didn't waste any time though and fired.

Not at her, but the shadows just out of sight. 'Did he send you? Tell him I'll finish the job!' Hennesly called out, the gun waving back and forth looking for a target. Kate struggled again to break free of the heavy chair, or get a look at her rescuer, but all she did was rock back and forth.

'No one sent me.' The voice had moved, again Hennesly shot at them. Kate could hear the bullet ricochet of concrete but still couldn't see anything. 'You're causing a mess. First the bomb, now killing a cop? The NYPD won't let this one go.' he called again.

'I know how to disappear.' Hennesly smirked. 'And I have friends in some very high places.'

'Not high enough. We both know there's only one way this can end.' Something bright flittered out of the darkness. Before Hennesly could pull the trigger again it knocked the gun out of her hand and sent it skittering out of sight. It was a knife of some kind, landing just out of reach.

Jumping away, Kate's would-be assassin ignored it, instead reaching behind her back she pulled out a long thin sword. Kate hadn't even seen the handle. It had just appeared between one second and the next when it was needed.

It didn't take long for Kate's rescuer to step into the light. He had strange, almost angular, features that were sharp against the shadows. He wore a lose dull grey jumper under a long dirty coat. In his hand he had a sword of his own. It was the same length as Hennesly's, but broader. 'Walk away.' The assassin told him. 'This isn't any of your business.'

'Would that I could.' He said sadly. 'I despise violence, but you haven't left either of us any options have you?' He way he dressed, and his thin frame, practically screamed that he was an academic of some sort. A researcher at best, even a lecturer. There was no way someone like him could take on a trained killer, but there was something about his face. The way he coldly looked at Hennesly that told Kate there was something more to him than old books and dusty libraries.

Hennesly was the first to move, she skipped forward and then back. Keeping her sword between them. Even Kate could tell she was trying to goad him into attacking first. Instead the newcomer stood firm, pulling his own sword in tight and narrowing his eyes.

From there it was like a game of cat and mouse, a back and forth between the two of them. Neither wanting to strike first they both were trying to get the other to take the first real shot. The faints and fake-outs didn't last long though and then, almost too quick to follow, they began trading blows with each other. Hennesly swing was almost too fast to see, but somehow the stranger got his own sword in the way at the last instant.

Their swords clashed loudly, flashing in the dim light. If the gunfire earlier hadn't drawn any attention neither would this. Hennesly kept up the pressure, swinging this way and that. Kate was no expert, but there was something about how she held that sword of hers that was professional. As the fight continued Kate could see Hennesly was faster, but the stranger was lucky. Always blocking just in time, or at the last moment what looked like tripping up and somehow dodging a savage swing at the same time.

Hennesly used that gap to pull a derringer, a tiny pistol just a fraction bigger than her hand, from her back. The little gun was almost useless at distance, but this close up it was lethal. 'Watch out!' Kate shouted.

With a lightning fast back handed blow the stranger knocked it away before dancing around Hennesly as she tried to swing her sword back into position. He was one step ahead and used the breathing space to pull back. Hennesly didn't follow and the two circled each other again.

Kate wasn't going to just sit there and let two psychopaths hack it out. As they waited for the other one to make the next move she struggled against her cuffs. Glancing from the fight to where the small gun had skittered to a stop. Her own sidearm was lost to the darkness and it was the only weapon in reach.

One bullet, two people. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing. Which was what she had. That meant getting free first, which was impossible. There was no way she was strong enough to break the cuffs, or the heavy, solid chair she'd been chained to.

Hennesly broke the stalemate with a charge. Using her speed she moved in what even Kate could tell was a well practiced routine. Blow after blow trying to rattle her opponent. Only something was wrong, Kate's rescuer wasn't backing down and he wasn't half as slow as he had been earlier. Then, almost was if he'd been waiting for the right moment, he parried the sword out of the way and kicked Hennesly hard in the face.

The assassin stumbled backwards, her nose broken and bloody. Throwing her hair back Hennesly glared at him; 'You're better than you let on.' She accused, backing off even further.

'Never let your opponent know all your moves. Basic tactics.' He replied and flipped his sword into a reverse grip. Hennesly hesitated, before going on the offensive again.

Kate could see she was desperate, her speed had become almost frantic while his was steady and methodical. Still, in her frenzy Hennesly was pushing the stranger back, step by step, stroke by stroke. As she grew even faster his face seemed to lose all emotion, becoming a blank mask as grim as death itself. Hennesly's attacks were a blur now, but her face showed fear. Even so she kept pushing him backwards until he was pinned. She'd forced him into a support column and he had nowhere left to go.

With a scream of triumph Hennesly swung high, going for his neck, but at the last moment he stepped to the side. Letting the sword swing freely and bury itself in the concrete. Hennesly's sword much have hit a light switch, Kate could almost see the electricity fly up the column, like reverse lightning, until it hit the light above them and the bulb exploded in a shower of sparks.

The stranger sidestepped again, drawing his sword across her stomach. Then, in the same move, he brought the blade down on her still outstretched arm. His razor sharp blade cutting it off at the elbow. Hennesly screamed as she doubled up around her stump. She fell to her knees, gasping for air as the sparks still fell. Calmly, that detached, hollow expression still on his face the stranger levelled his sword on the back of her head.

'He'll, he'll kill you for this.' Hennesly said between breaths.

The stranger shrugged. 'Someone's bound to one day.'

Kate watched, helpless, as he brought his sword up and then sharply back down. The sword making a distinctive swoosh as it swung. Hennesly fell with two solid thuds. Kate's best lead, her only connection between the bombing and Bracken, was dead. Beheaded by some guy with a sword in an abandoned warehouse and all she could do was watch.

'Damn it. You didn't have to kill her.' Kate told him, still struggling with the cuffs.

He turned to face her. 'I did. Now if I was you I'd close your eyes. I really hate this part.'

'What, you just killed my suspect! You're under arrest!' Kate threatened, knowing it was ridiculous, but she didn't have any other ideas. She was about to try and convince him find the keys to get her free when something strange happened. Hennesly's body seemed to shudder and then move. Not jerk or spasm, as dead bodies have been known to do, but actually rise up. Not believing her eyes Kate watched as it began floating about half a foot from the ground. 'How, how are you doing that?'

A white mist gathered around the headless corpse and began to spread out. The lights all around them began to light up on their own. At first brighter than daylight, then barely a candle light between them. Pulsing, back and forth, like a heartbeat. A heartbeat getting stronger and stronger. The mist, now around Kate's feet as well as the stranger's, became suddenly charged with lightning. Arcs an inch or so across flew across the floor, going this way and that but drawn, like a magnet, to the stranger.

He screamed in pain as the bolts hit him, one after another. Kate couldn't even see him as the lights above flared so bright that they melted. With what Kate guessed was a final scream the stranger threw his arms wide and she was thrown back by a massive blast she couldn't see, cracking her skull on the hard warehouse floor.

She wasn't sure how long she was out but Kate woke up in the back seat of a car, an ice pack pressed to the back of her head. 'Wha…' She blinked as she looked around. She was outside Castle's apartment, but had no idea how she'd gotten there. 'You might have a headache. Nothing I can do about that.' A half familiar voice told her.

It was the stranger, he was sat in the drivers seat reading what she could have sworn was a Harry Potter book. She pulled away from from him and tried to get out quick, but the door was locked. 'Who are you?' she demanded, wincing at the stabbing pain behind her eyes as she fumbled with the handle.

'A doctor, amongst other things.' He folded the book up and sighed theatrically. 'Alright, here's the deal. I've already called in a tip. You're friends in uniform should get around to it eventually. You can tell them the truth about what happened, but you did after all take a nasty blow the head. They won't believe it. You don't have a name, my finger prints aren't on any file and by the time you get my description out there I'll be so far out of the county you'll have better luck finding a yeti in the sahara desert.'

'You said it yourself there's nowhere we won't look.' Kate told him holding the ice pack to what she could tell was already a massive lump.

'For a cop killer. I didn't kill you and if the price of saving your life is having an excellent excuse for not coming to this hell hole of a town again, please.'

'She was my only lead, my only proof.' Kate pointed out.

He laughed. 'You really think she'd have talked? Believe me, you'd have died of old age before she gave you the time of day. There must be others, find them. Follow the paper trail, or whatever it is you do.'

She just glared back at him, lost for words. 'Now I cleaned up. There's no evidence either of us were there. Take a day off with that head and you'll be fine.' He reached over to the passenger seat and pull out a plastic bag. Kate could see what had to be her cuffs and gun inside. He got out, walked around the car and then, almost like a professional driver, opened the door for her.

'Safety locks?' She asked as she got out. He gave her the bag, she could tell at a glance he'd unloaded the gun, stripped the clip and even pulled the slider off. she'd have to rebuild the whole thing before she could use it again.

'Never can be too careful.' He smiled. You'd never have believed the man had just been in a sword fight, let alone beheaded someone. He was either a sociopath, professional killer or worse. Both. Getting back into the car he nodded to her. 'Goodbye Detective.'

With that he pulled away. Desperate Kate tried to get the license plate, but it was covered in mud. Best she could do was make, model and colour. None of which would do any good if he was professional. The car would be ditched and burnt before she could get Ryan or Esposito on it.

Richard handed his fiancée a cup of coffee. She practically inhaled it. 'Thanks, but I think I need something stronger.'

'Grams put something stronger in it.' Alexis told her as she took a look at the bruise on the back of Kate's head. 'You'll be okay, I think. I'm not a doctor, but it doesn't look serious.'

'Oh, then I could really do with another coffee.' Kate admitted. She had just told them what had happened and Richard was lost for words. On one hand Kate was safe and, other than a nasty bump to the head, healthy. On the other he'd missed an actual sword fight.

'What the hell is going on?' Esposito exploded. 'It's like we got sucked into the twilight zone! Lightning, sword fights, mind readers? What's next, Captain Kirk complaining there's a man outside the window?'

'There's some… thing on… the wing…' Richard did his Shatner impression, but his heart wasn't in it.

'Really? Now bro?' Espo asked as Ryan got off his phone.

'Uniforms found our headless assassin. A tip lead them to a warehouse, like you said.' He told them. 'Gates wants us there.'

'You and Javi go, see what you can find.' Kate told them, wincing. 'I'm in no condition to drive.'

'I can fix that.' Alexis offered.

'Oh no. I'm taking the night off. Thanks Martha.' Kate pointed out before taking the second coffee Richard's mother had made her.

'That's a good idea, get some sleep, recharge the batteries.' She mothered them automatically. 'You too.' she turned to Alexis and her new friends. One, Adrian, was busy with a pad of paper.

'Something wrong?' Richard asked him.

For a moment the boy didn't answer, then suddenly he looked up. 'Oh sorry. I was just, you see…'

'Adrian's an artist. A good one.' Alexis told everyone. 'While Detective Beckett was telling everyone what happened he…'

'… I sort of listened to what she was seeing.' He admitted and turned the paper around. It looked like the person Kate had described.

'That's him, how? Thought you could only hear, not see.' Kate blinked.

'It's difficult to explain.' Jade told them. 'But if someone focuses and thinks hard about an image Adrian can usually pick it up.'

'It's easier if it just happened.' Adrian shrugged. 'The memories are still fresh.'

'Could I?' Ryan took the sketch. 'I'll see if anyone at the crime scene recognises him.'

Richard could see a problem. 'How are you going to explain where you got that?'

Ryan looked to Esposito. 'We'll think of something on the way. Come on.' The two detectives left the apartment. Grumbling all the way about getting stuck with the worst jobs.

'We better be going to.' Alexis suddenly said.

'Going, but… What?' Richard blinked hard. 'Going where, its gone midnight.'

'Not where we're going.' She told them. 'Come on.'

Jade shook her head. 'It will still be there tomorrow you know.'

'I've waited all my life for this, okay. I need to see it.'

Richard looked at the two of them, 'See what?'

'I'll tell you later.' Alexis was practically hopping from foot to foot. 'So how do we do this?'

Adrian and Jade nodded to each other. 'It's best if we do it first and carry you. You don't want to miss and end up in the middle of the ocean.'

'Good idea.'

'Middle of the… What are you talking about and where are you going?' Richard asked point blank.

Alexis pulled a face. 'They, we, kind of have, well an island. It's in the South Pacific. Just a little one. Not much more than a beach and a couple of rocks, but I've got to see it.'

Kate put her coffee down and stood up. 'An island?' She asked before Richard could. 'How did you get an island?'

'We found it.' Jade shrugged. 'Adam did least. He's kind of our leader, well he's the oldest of us and has the most experience with all this.'

'So he found an island in the South Pacific.' Richard reasoned out. 'And you have to go and see this rock right now?'

'It's not the rock, it's what's on it. Or under it.' Alexis admitted.

Kate half raised a hand. 'Still not answered my question. How are you going to get there? We're in New York. The South Pacific is on the other side of the planet.'

'Oh that's easy, same way we got dad here.'

Richard looked to Kate. Alexis was deliberately avoiding the question, she never did that. 'It's easier if we show you.'

'If it's all the same to you kids I'm going to be over there.' Richard's mother grabbed the bottle of whiskey and refused to look at any of them.

'We'll be back in the morning.'

'From… this island?' Kate began

'In the South Pacific?' Richard finished

'Yep.' Alexis grinned at them and then closed her eyes. Adrian and Jade took her hands and the three of them began to glow. Their outlines flickered and then snapped into three thin lines that shrunk into a single dot. With a crack of light the dot vanished.

'Did they just teleport?' Richard asked. Not believing what he was thinking, let alone saying.

Kate's mouth worked a couple of times before she gave up. 'I hate this week.' She eventually said.

End Chapter Eleven