Another Chance
Chapter 16
Castle's trainer, Sergeant Leonard Slye, examines a paper target. "Every shot but one is in the center ring. That's better than most cops could do. How'd you learn to shoot? Are you a hunter?"
A tiny shudder ripples through Castle's back and shoulders. "Not unless you count scavenger hunts. I've never seen the point of going out in the woods and killing defenseless animals. I mean I get it about the guys who shoot a deer or two every year to fill freezers for their families. But I don't know who cried harder at Bambi, my daughter or me. She and I have been playing laser tag for almost 15 years. That will sharpen the eye and the reflexes."
"We'll see about the reflexes. You're not going to kill innocent civilians in a game of laser tag. But you might if your judgment fails for a fraction of a second when you're carrying a real loaded gun. You not only have to know how to hit what you're aiming at, but you also need to know when to hold your fire. When adrenaline is rushing through your veins that can be the hardest call to make."
"So how do you test me for that?"
Slye puts a firm hand on Castle's shoulder. "We go to the 'street party.'"
Alexis and Micah are walking hand in hand in Morningside Park, not far from Columbia. It is exam week. Neither of them has one scheduled that morning, and Micah isn't on shift at his job. Alexis has a tickle of guilt that it might be better to be studying, but she has been doing that faithfully throughout the semester, and especially lately to give herself something to do while Micah's been at work.
Micah is and always has been a quick study, enabling him to read through a book or paper once or twice and have it pretty much committed to memory - much like Dad. At varying times Alexis has viewed her father's ability with jealousy, or even as a bit of a cheat that had enabled him to get along in school without developing any discipline. She particularly held that view when he was struggling to meet the demands of Black Pawn after what she'd regarded as mindless procrastination.
In Micah's case, snap visual absorption been more of a Godsend, allowing him to hold down a job while still successfully maintaining a full schedule of classes. He's anything but lacking in a work ethic, which is evidenced by the slight shadows under his eyes. Things will be easier during spring break. He'll probably pick up as many hours as he can at the store, but those will be limited in any case by the owner's bottom line. He'll have some time to rest, and if she snuggles up to him while he does it, all the better. In the meantime, it's nice to have the few hours they do, together.
There aren't many people in the park. K-12 schools are in session, and it's too cold for most parents and nannies to be taking infants and toddlers out for some air. Alexis and Micah are both bundled up. She notices that the edge of Micah's scarf is beginning to unravel. Knitting and crocheting are skills that she's never developed, but she's considering learning so she can make him a new one. She could buy him one as a present, of course, but crafting one herself seems much more personal. She remembers that Gram went through a stage during which she learned the yarn arts as preparation for a role as a talented but somewhat unhinged grandmother. She can ask the Castle family diva for some instruction, and if that doesn't work, there is a "Needles and Hooks" club on campus she can join.
Walking with Alexis feels fantastic, even with the bite of the wind on the exposed skin of his face, but Micah is beginning to wish he had a place of his own to take her. Even with paying rent for his room and picking up a hefty slice of the food bill, it's still cheaper to live at home than in even the shabbiest New York apartment. He could afford one if he had a couple - maybe more than a couple - of roommates, but he wouldn't have any privacy either. There would be no point. He and Alexis have had their cuddle sessions in her dorm. That's been a lot better than nothing, but there was always something going on in a nearby room or out in the hall. He never felt truly alone with her, which made it hard to just relax and enjoy the feel of her body against his.
He's wondering about qualifying for married student housing. It's a thought that had never before occurred to him, but then he'd never gone out with anyone he'd remotely considered marrying - or even living with - even if he could afford it. Alexis has changed all that.
He's known a few married students who've become house parents in dorms or other student dwellings. They received free housing in exchange for a few supervisory duties and as he recalls, killing a mouse or two. He'd never fully inquired about the job because he didn't much care. Until now. Logically, it still doesn't make much sense to think about doing something like that. Not only aren't he and Alexis married, they're not even engaged. And they haven't… although they've come very close a couple of times.
Other than trying to settle firmly on majors and career goals, he and Alexis haven't discussed the future much at all. And until he has some plan for earning money doing something besides explaining to customers about the ins and outs of putting model airplanes together and what allows them to fly, he has no business asking Alexis to consider any kind of future with him at all. She may have money. He has no idea what provisions Richard Castle's made for her once she's out of school, but he's no leech - on his parents or anyone else. In any relationship, he has to know he can carry his weight.
The wind is picking up, and despite the sun above, the temperature seems to be plummeting. He's hoping there's a hot pretzel vendor somewhere around. He really could use one, and Alexis looks adorable with a streak of yellow mustard on her bottom lip.
The "street party" is peopled by figures that pop up out of nowhere. Most of them are of innocent civilians there to have a good time. There are teenagers and adults of all races and ethnicities, carrying various kinds of food, and items bought or won at concessions. There is even a father pushing a baby carriage. But also among them are the terrorists who have come to take as many lives as they can. The deadly attackers don't look unlike the rest of the populace. There are no telltale garments or headgear. They are in ordinary street clothes. The only difference between them and the other festival-goers is the guns they carry. Mock-ups of law enforcement officers with weapons are also part of the mix. In a split second, Castle will have to decide whom to shoot and whom not to shoot. And just as in a real situation, he must be right 100 percent of the time. He wipes his damp palms against his jeans and struggles to inhale before Slye sounds the signal for him to begin.