Another Chance
Chapter 48
Hunt knows that Sergei Agripov is stalking him. It's been many years since he tangled with the man, but the giant hands, the slight hunch of the shoulders and the head thrust forward as if picking up a scent are unmistakable. Could Sergei be seeking revenge for the explosive demise of his old boss, or on a mission for Vlad? Hunt doesn't know and really doesn't care. He just has to eliminate the threat, but quietly. Taking out a Russian spy in the middle of Manhattan could be anything but quiet unless he lures his would-be assassin someplace secluded, but with easy disposal. One of the tunnels under the buildings by the East River would be perfect. He needs to travel a few miles through the city, but if he situates himself in the middle of the dense crowd in the subway this time of day, he should make it. He'll just have to be careful not to lose his tail before he can terminate him permanently.
Agripov can feel his victory approaching. He's more than a little disturbed that he continues to be cut off from any of the resources the leader had promised him, and that there's still no word of Vlad himself, but Sergei can make the kill on his own. His status will just be that much higher when he returns home.
He hates the New York subways. While one can view the work of great artisans in the train stations of Moscow, the subterranean commuters here are barraged by ads, graffiti and the stench of excrement. Still, he's not about to lose his target. Hunt can run, but he can't escape, and Sergei can visualize his triumph in the moments to come.
Castle checks on Aletha for this third time since Kate nursed her. Theoretically, Thera will sound an alert if anything is amiss with the baby, But Micah readily admits that is a new feature and mostly untested. Castle prefers to see with his own eyes and check with his own hands to assure himself of his daughter's gentle breathing.
Aside from the coloring, he can already see differences in Aletha from the way Alexis was as a baby. For one thing, except when deep in slumber, she isn't as calm. She seems as alert as an infant can be to what's going on around her and frequently doesn't like it. He suspects that a newborn Kate Beckett might have been similarly hard to please, but he's not about to say so to her.
Kate is still sore and tired, but she's already starting to peruse some of the materials she plans to use in preparation for taking the LSAT. She has her eyes on Columbia Law School, the alma mater of both her parents. Despite being a double legacy, her competition will still be fierce. He'll help her in any way he can, but even for the formidable Kate Beckett, going up against with energetic twenty-somethings won't be easy. Just in case, he's hoping she has a plan B. When her maternity leave is up, she can return to the N.Y.P.D. If nothing else, that will keep her in close contact with practitioners of the law as well providing her with the ability to seek justice for victims and their families while she completes the preparations to pursue her higher goals.
If Kate does go back to the force, or if she spends her days in classes, Castle will be doing the bulk of childcare. He doesn't mind. He's already irretrievably attached to Aletha and has a fair amount of expertise with diaper changes and baby bibs. Still, he doesn't want Kate to miss out on the more joyous moments of parenthood. He wants her to experience them with him. Not to do so would be a tragic loss.
While Aletha sleeps, Castle can concentrate on his own work. Gina has been bugging him of late to find some reason to split Nikki and Jameson up for a while - for dramatic impact. The impact of that would be mostly intense discomfort in his gut, and he has no intention of doing it. He is, however, thinking of a crossover of Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm. It would pull in the fans of both series, which would make Black Pawn happy. It would also allow him to further explore the intelligence aspects he's already injected into the storyline of Nikki's mother.
He loves writing about Nikki because in his mind he's writing about Kate. But since he brought Derrick back, penning the super-agent is like a trip to the gym. His muscles flex, and his blood pumps faster as he acts out the challenging maneuvers of his hero. Sometimes he wonders how much more exhilaration his father must experience, living through the real thing every day of his life.
Hunt knows that Agripov is still on his tail without seeing him. He can sense the man's presence. It won't be much longer. The entrance to the tunnels is just ahead, and he'll let Agripov just close enough to follow him through it. He could see that the man was packing, but the Russian will never have the chance to pull the trigger.
The heavy metal door is locked. Not a problem. Hunt picks it in less than 15 seconds. Hardly a record for him, but fast enough. The tunnel is damp, and he can hear running water in the distance. Agripov's steps behind him are light and measured, but he can feel them as well as hear them. What he needs is just ahead; a bend which will take him out of Agripov's sight. He rounds it and waits, his knife in his hand. The Russian takes his final step and falls to the ground at the thrust of Hunt's blade. Hunt quickly ensures his job is thorough, puncturing Agripov's heart and both lungs.
It isn't as easy as it used to be to toss a man over his shoulder, especially one the size of Agripov. Hunt is puffing when he reaches the grate that covers the waters rushing to the estuary that leads to the sea. The body may be found eventually, but any evidence on it will be long gone. Neither Agripov's fingerprints nor his DNA will be in the system. If there is much of an investigation, the company will quash it. Agripov will be just one more cold case - very cold.
Kate thoughtfully closes her book. All the rights seem to be on the side of the criminals - at least theoretically. Her mother could live with that. Some of her clients, like Joe Pulgatti, were scum. He didn't deserve to be framed for murder, but he didn't deserve to be free on the streets of New York either. McCallister had been right about that. And in a way, Kate can understand why Roy Montgomery got caught up the way he did with the cops meting out their own brand of punishment. The justice system is often anything but just. Criminals are released to strike again, and victims suffer forever. Maybe Johanna was willing to fight for anyone she felt was wronged, no matter how much of a sonofabitch he might be, but after her years on the force, Kate isn't sure she can do the same. If she is going to war, she'd prefer to do battle for someone worth defending. She'll just have to figure out who and how.