Thank you all for staying with this fanfic. I promise it will not be abandoned. I'm glad so many of you are still reading. Thank you for all your follows, I faves and reviews. For all who have reviewed, a special thank you. I appreciate the kind words, encouragements and even criticism. Your words keep me motivated! Please , let me know what you think. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Still part of the Castle hiatus Ficathon!

Chap 28

Volkov fled. He had known he couldn't go back to his hotel. So, he found his way to Chinatown where a collaboration had sprung up between the Chinese and the Russian mafia's resulted in high stake poker games. He knew he would find who he was searching for there.

Volkov's mind raced as he wandered the bustling streets of New York City. He couldn't go back to his hotel room, by now it would be swarming with police. His open ended airline ticket, money, and his passport were all in the room safe. He had to get out of the country as soon as possible.

So many people crammed together, moving in droves through narrow streets. It was probably one of the best places in the world to hide in plain view, if not for so much modern day technology. Everywhere he turned he spotted a video surveillance camera, that could be used by the police to spot him.

The collar of his dark gray, wool overcoat was turned up, his plaid scarf secured high around his neck and down turned face helped him blend into the surrounding hordes. He had gotten off the J train at the intersection of Canal and Centre Streets and walked toward the world famous street vendors. As he made his way down Canal Street he spotted himself on wide screen TV in the window of electronics store. His picture was being flashed across the screen. He wasn't a fearful man, but he could feel it ebbing through his gut and up his spine. Fear made men do irrational things, and he couldn't afford that right now. He needed to get off the streets fast before someone recognized him.

His contacts still held high stakes poker games in these parts. The sun setting around him would enable him to hide in the shadows. He blended into the crowd around him. New York disgusted him, the smells, noises and greed of this area made him nauseous.

He turned down an typical alley. An old man sat in a chair peeling onions into a large trash can in front if a open restaurant back door. He eyed the stranger as he walked toward the door at the end of the alley. Volkov rapped his knuckles against the door by an overfilled dumpster. He eyed the putrid, green, monstrosity with disgust. How people lived like this was beyond him.

Seconds later a man drew open the door and Volkov stepped inside quickly. They weren't strangers nor were they acquaintances, just men who shared a love for their mother country. Men who made sure things got done, no matter the obstacles.

"I need help. Get Rodya Kedrov for me. I have to get out of this country as fast as possible. Is he here?" Volkov spoke quickly in Russian.

The other man looked at him and then spoke, "Come in. I can get him for you. Sir, Your picture is on every news channel, we were expecting you. The police have notified the airlines, trains and bus terminals. Your escape routes have been cut off. You're a hunted man."

Volkov's eyes fixated over the shoulder of the man talking, a picture of himself flashed across the TV screen. Under the picture the scrolling text announced he was a suspect in the multiple homicides at the hospital, and should be considered armed and dangerous.

"I need a fake ID, a passport and an airline ticket to Moscow. Now!" It wasn't often that he lost control of his temper.

"That's not going to help you. Every police officer, sheriff, and federal agent has your description - there are twenty thousand people out there looking for you in addition to your picture being on TV. You shouldn't be out on the streets right now. If you go back out on the streets you will be in jail or dead within an hour."

With that the man turned and walked further into the building, leaving Volkov to his thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ C&B ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Chinatown?" Gates announced as she spoke into the phone. She had been updating Ryan when he remembered a case that involved the Russian mafia running illegal poker games out of Chinatown.

"Castle had gone undercover."

"Mr. Castle did what?" Gates' authoritative voice rang through the bullpen.

"Sir, it was before you were Captain. We were looking for a suspect that had ties to these poker games and the Russian Mafia. The Chinese and Russians both worked the area."

"Hold on one moment Ryan, I'm putting you on speaker. Agent Shaw is here with me."

"Ok, well we solved that case, but we noticed that the Chinese and Russians had teamed up for these roving high stakes poker games. The guys we arrested were part of the Russian Mafia. They ran an illegal gambling business, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal operations. The crux of their business, however, was a series of high-stakes poker games and gambling activities."

"So how did you find the roving game, Detective Ryan?" Shaw inquired.

"Castle. He knew someone that could get him in. We wired him and he went in and found the guy we were looking for. Beckett saved his ass at the last minute, if I remember correctly."

"Ryan, ask Mr. Castle where he got his information and see if he can find the location of one of those games again? Then call us back."

"Sure thing, Sir. He's asleep right now. As soon as he wakes up I'll get the information. How's Beckett doing?"

"That's the next call we're making. Check in with Esposito later. We'll keep you two updated with the investigation."

Ryan closed his phone and stood for a second thinking of that particular take down. Castle had been like a kid in the candy store when Beckett saved him in that outfit. He reminisced a moment longer and walked back into Castle's room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ C&B ~~~~~~~~~~~

She gasped awake from the white pain that flared across her chest. Her eyes sprung open as she tried to focus. The mint green walls of the hospital room and all the machinery finally came into focus.

"Espo" she hissed between tightly clenched teeth.

"Press the button, Kate. I'm here, Ryan's with Castle. Guards are outside both doors. All of our families are safe. A manhunt for Volkov has been launched and it's only a matter of time. He's the man behind all of this."

Beckett inadvertently moved and Espo watched as her face contorted with pain, her breath hitched in her chest, she closed her eyes, and she tried to continue.

"Castle?" Her voice not much more than a whisper.

"He's been trying to beg, bribe or sweet talk anyone who will listen into getting you moved to his new room. He's ok, Beckett. He just needs you to get better."

She nodded and gave him a weak smile, before she closed her eyes again. Espo watched as her fingers stretched and reached for the button to dispense the morphine. A few minutes later her body succumbed to the drugs and she slipped back to into unconsciousness.

Espo sat and stared at her. He wished he could be there when they took down the jackass that did this to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ C&B ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the safe house, the inhabitants had been notified by Gates of Castle and Beckett's progress. News that they were getting close to wrapping up the case had been welcomed. None of them knew just how close they were to seeing their loved ones again.

Alexis had walked over to Jim and had wrapped her arms around him. He had hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, like he had done millions of times with Kate.

"Everything is going to be ok, Mr. Beckett. Kate and Dad are going to be all right, and we'll have a wedding."

"I'm looking forward to that day, Alexis." He mumbles into the girls hair. He truly hopes the girl is right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ C&B ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaw and Gates were suited up. Kevlar vests with rifle plates securely fastened. The teams had been briefed. Until Castle contacted them again they were all on standby. Undercover agents and detectives had already been dispatched to Chinatown. Volkov hadn't been spotted. There were agents at Grand Central Station, LaGuardia and JFK airports as well as the regional airports. His photo had been released to the press, and government officials had been contacted. Volkov was trapped in the city.

Gates' cell rang as Shaw sat in the chair across from her in the conference.

"Ryan, was Mr. Castle able to get the information we needed?" Gates looked up at Shaw and nodded her head. She wrote the information down quickly.

"Thank Mr. Castle for us, Detective." Gates ended the call and turned to speak to Shaw.

"As luck has it there is a game tonight. Right off Canal Street. Let's brief everyone and head out. Hopefully we can end this tonight."

Both women walked out into the bullpen ready to have this wrapped up.

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