Ryan and Esposito have taken charge of the crime scene and are directing the officers exactly what they are wanting documented. Esposito wasted no time in getting the vehicles towed to the department vehicle garage so they can be printed and searched
Ryan is just coming down from the second floor shooting perch when he gets a call on the radio
"Lieutenant Ryan, this is check point"
He takes the Handie-talkie out his pocket "Go ahead"
"Sir, there is a caravan of vans down here claiming they are feds and they are taking charge of the scene"
"Do not let them in and I will be right there" Kevin rushes down the stairs and out the door with Esposito hot on his heels
When the two men reach the perimeter barricade they come face to face with a large group of men and women wearing vests that simply say 'Federal Agent' front and back
"I am Lieutenant Kevin Ryan and this is Lieutenant Javier Esposito. What can we do for you?"
"We are here to assume command of this scene" the man who appears to be in charge begins "We will need access to all notes, photographs…"
His rant is interrupted by Kevin Ryan "No you will not!"
The man is not accustomed to being told no "What do you mean NO?"
"The word NO! That mean you will not be coming into this crime scene. We are not in need of assistance from you. We have everything under control".
"Well you don't seem to understand. We are federal agents and we have been sent here to take command of this scene"
Esposito takes the next part of the conversation "No! You don't understand. This is a New York crime scene and we are NYPD officers and you have no jurisdiction here"
Ryan continues "And we are not in need of any assistance from the feds"
Esposito continues the thought "But if something comes up that involves the feds we will be sure to call you…so until then you can get back into your fed mobiles and head back to wherever you came from"
"We need to speak to your commanding officer" the senior agent speaks with authority
Kevin answers "That would be Captain Katherine Beckett at the 12th so if you want we can have uniforms escort you to the station and you can talk to her there"
There is a moment of acknowledgment on the agent's face, like he knows the name "Who is the next senior officer over Detec…Captain Beckett?"
"That would be our former captain "Deputy Chief Victoria Gate. She is at One Police Plaza. If you would prefer, we can have a uniformed officer take you down there instead"
The federal officer is becoming more and more angry at the stone walling he is receiving "Listen Lieutenant…what did you say your name was?"
The two men speak in unison "Ryan/Esposito"
"Well lieutenant whatever…this is a federal matter and we are here to take over this investigation…"
His rant is cut off by Javier Esposito "Are you saying the assault team inside are federal agents?"
"UH, well No. Not exactly?"
"So then, you are saying the shooters are federal agents?"
"Well. No"
Ryan jumps in when the time is right "Then why are you claiming jurisdiction on this case since you admit that neither the shooters nor the deceased are federal agents"
"Well, we were sent by the AG's office to…"
Esposito uses this sentence to throw in a comment "AG's office? Sort of like Alison Hyde coming in from the AG's office and ending up dead and her prisoners, that we captured by the way, never being seen again" He is thinking 'until today and now back on the street?'
The agent is visibility shaken by the level of knowledge being presented by these two homicide officers
Ryan stares firmly at the men "Listen Agent…whatever did you say your name was? We have our orders and since you cannot prove the persons involved are agents and this appears to be nothing more than a local murder case… I suggest you go back to your offices and fill out about a ream of paperwork and let us do our jobs"
Esposito points toward the vehicles the team arrived in
The agent turns to his group and tells them to load up and that they were leaving. He turns back toward the two NYPD officers "Tell your boss that this is NOT over"
Ryan is the first to speak "She will be so pleased to hear that. But thank you anyway"
They watch the federal team retreat to their vehicles and leave
Ryan speaks to his partner as he points toward the abandoned black vehicles "I will get these SUVs picked up and taken down to the evidence garage as quick as the wreckers can pick them up"
Esposito continues "And I will make sure the bodies are transported as quickly as they can get them. And I will have them taken to the central morgue and have an extra guard placed around them"
"Yeah, we don't need to let them vanish like those bodies when the CIA got involved with Castle and Beckett several years ago"
The Hispanic detective verbally agrees to Ryan's statement
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Immediately after receiving the call from the desk sergeant downstairs announcing the visitor, Captain Beckett receives another phone call, this time from the police commissioner.
As she is answering the call, Richard Castle has walked out of his wife's office to meet Vinnie at the elevator when he arrives on the floor
Captain Beckett picks up on the call "Yes commissioner. Always good to hear from you" she begins responding to the very top of the command structure of the police department
"Yes sir we have a crime scene at a warehouse down near the battery and it…no sir we have no indication that it is a government operation"
She listens once more "Sir, I believe we will have sufficient information by tomorrow morning to present a valid theory as to what happened. In fact a witness has just arrived and we expect to have some answers very soon"
Again she is listening to questions and statements from the highest up in the food chain that is the police department
"I will let your office know the moment we have answers, yes sir"
She sees her husband returning to the conference room with their unexpected visitor as she is hanging up on the call
"Vinnie" Castle's voice is almost a sing song "Good to see you again. How are you doing?" Rick indicates for the well known crime boss to proceed in the direction of the conference room.
Vinnie is a very intelligent man and does understand that by having their meeting in the conference room there are no cameras or recorders and this is where the interviews with victim's families usually occur and that he is not considered a person of interest in the events of earlier in the day
As Castle closes the hallway door he can see his wife walking toward the other entrance "Vinnie, can I get you anything? Coffee, water? A soda?"
"No Rickey, I am good, thank you"
Just as he finishes his comment Beckett enters the other door and closes it behind her
The man turns toward the captain "Kate, so good to see you …and to see that both of you are well"
"You look good too, Vinnie" Castle responds
Kate continues "But I am sure that checking on each others health is not the reason you dropped in today"
The three all sit around the table "No it is not" Vinnie pauses "but because we have some history, I felt like you should know some things that might assure your continued health"
"What might that be?" Castle asks
"Let's say, hypothetically that there were some ladies of the evening that were being harassed by some very unseedy characters and they were being treated badly and this came to the attention of several of the families that live in the City"
"Like the Russian prostitutes that were beaten up?" Beckett asks
Vinnie only nods his head
"And let's say, hypothetically, that there were some people…some very bad people that came into contact with some of the New York family members"
"Are you saying one of these hit squads were stopped by the Mafia? Castle asks
"…and that I might just, hypothetically, know that one or two of these bad people might have been detained to retrieve information from them"
"Vinnie, these people are professional mercenaries. They have been trained to withstand the most intense interrogation methods" Beckett comments
"Kate there are other ways to get information. Let's just say there are ways in the old country that the US government has not even thought about" after a pause "hypothetically"
"Hypothetically?" Beckett remarks
"And in obtaining information from these men it was discovered that they were trying to harm some friends of mine. Someone I consider real good friends and let's say, hypothetically that there are several families around the City that I know and that they know people who know people that can put a wrinkle on these bad people's plans"
"Hypothetically?" Castle responds this time
"It seems that someone wanted you two dead. They have been given the message that if it happens then a new war will be declared"
Kate reaches across the table and places a hand on Vinnie's arm "You know these are government contractors, right?"
"But not working for the government. They are working for someone named Lockstat"
Kate puts on a small smile "Thank you"
Vinnie just smiles then responds "You will find the captured men at the 114th street bakery tied to a bread oven. They are still willing to talk"
The three stand and walk out to the bull pen and Rick and Kate watch as Vinnie exits on the elevator.
The two walk back to the captain's office. When they enter the room they find a guest waiting in the visitor's chair.
"Hello Kate, hello Rick. You seem to have a few real good friends in the City. Friends willing to go to battle for you"
"Agent Gray. Did you come to sweep up the mess your company made?" Beckett asks
I believe that the show runners have been give an ultimatum to fix the mess they made. Episode 8x08 shifted gears in a very odd way. It seems the separation is still there but not a real one. They returned to love story part and kept the break up. It still makes no sense at all