Judas: Chapter 8
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DISCLAIMER: Most of these characters are not mine at all, but they are memorable. Thank you, Mr. Marlowe. The others? Yeah, they're mine
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12:37 p.m. West Coast Time on Thursday, April 26, 2012, back at the Castles Complex in Sausalito, California
Peggy Stanton looks around the living room of the residence, taking in her surroundings. Her two twin girls, Beth and Brin, have found the small second bedroom, and are perusing the toys in the chest at the foot of the bed. Knowing that there are two young girls, the administration team placed the family in one of the units with toys for girls.
Peggy shakes her head, amazed that this place would think to such detail, to consider the children who might be brought here, and be ready to accommodate not only their necessities, but the niceties as well.
She hears the laughter from their bedroom, and smiles. She makes the rounds, taking in everything in the quaint residence, and when she is satisfied, she sits on the sofa in the living room, kicks her shoes off and takes out her phone. She touches a contact name, and waits one ring.
"Peggy."
"I'm in," Peggy Stanton tells Elena Markov. "This place is impressive. Not at all what I imagined."
"Me either," Elena tells her friend and comrade. "But do not allow this to take your mind off the mission. Stay focused, my friend. I know it will be difficult for this –"
"I am fine, Elena," Peggy interrupts.
"I am just saying, I find myself having to remind myself of the same thing," Elena tells her, fully comprehending the younger woman's current mindset, given her admittedly brutal history.
"Understood," Peggy tells her.
"Your girls are all right?" Elena asks.
"Yes, they are fine," Peggy replies. "There was a chest of toys waiting for them. They are more than preoccupied."
"Damn," Elena mutters under her breath, but loud enough that her friend hears, and understands the conflict.
"I know," Peggy admits. "But as you said, we stay focused on the mission."
"I will call you before dinner," Elena tells her. "Bring three bugs. Your table, and two others."
"You have placed yours already?"
"Yes," Elena replies. "Until then."
"Until then," Peggy agrees, and hangs the call up. She glances around once more, and then heads to the bedroom to check on her girls. She is often engaged by Elena Markov, as she is easily overlooked as a mother with children on what are often dangerous missions.
Peggy Stanton was rescued from a dangerous domestic situation in Northern Ukraine, after an abusive husband struck her in anger in a grocery store. A grocery store that had a certain assassin shopping at the same time.
So yes, Stanton owes Elena, and has been a covert information gatherer for many missions over the past three years. And she is always overlooked by participants, who are looking for someone more intimidating than a mother of twins.
"Don't worry, my friend," she muses aloud. "I have this, no worries."
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Same time, roughly 12:37 p.m. West Coast Time on Thursday, April 26, 2012, back at the Castles Complex in Sausalito, California
Richard Castle sits with Kate Beckett and Dawn Harrison inside Castle's office in the administration building. The trio has been quietly waiting Colin Alexander to return from a visit to the men's restroom. Each is lost in their own thoughts as the fourth member opens the door to Castle's office, closing it behind him. He walks to the large conference table in the room, and sits, accepting a bottled water from Dawn, who sits next to him.
"Okay," Kate begins, pulling the foursome together, "let's review what we know."
"Lindy and Mike are out on the grounds, patrolling," Castle replies.
"Normal stuff, no one will think anything of it," Kate adds, watching heads nod around the table.
"She thinks that Elena may be on to her," Dawn tells the group. "She was very clear about it. She was sizing Markov up, and felt Markov was sizing her up as well."
"You're certain of this?" Castle asks, the concern obvious in his voice and on his face.
"It doesn't matter if I am certain, Rick," Dawn tells him. "Lindy is certain. I trust her instincts."
"So do I," Colin agrees.
"So, we have a very dangerous woman on the campus, who we think realizes we are on to her," Castle remarks.
"Except we really are not on to her," Kate corrects. "We suspect she is not the innocent victim she portrays herself to be. But we don't know her endgame. We don't know why she is here, in the first place."
"And that is the problem," Colin continues. "We can keep an eye on her, and we are doing that, but without knowing what we are looking for . . ."
He leaves the thought incomplete, allowing each of them to consider their own thoughts. He takes a long swig of water from the bottle, closing his eyes. So much has happened in the four months since this complex opened. Too much of it seems like it belongs in a horror novel.
Opening his eyes, he glances at his friend sitting to his right. He sees her unconsciously rubbing her injured leg.
"Sore today?" he asks, which draws both Kate Beckett and Richard Castle's attention to their friend.
"I'm fine, guys," Dawn replies, a bit of frustration creeping into her voice, as she feels three sets of eyes boring down on her.
"Doc said it's going to take a while," she continues. "It hasn't been a while yet. Let's get back to what is important."
"You are important," Castle reminds her.
"And I appreciate the sentiment, boss," Dawn tells him. "But we have bigger issues right now and everyone here knows it."
"Anyone have any ideas on how we might get a sense for what she is doing here?" Castle asks the team at large.
"I'd almost suggest confronting her directly," Dawn answers. She watches the comically raised eyebrows from Richard Castle, but fortunately, Kate Beckett steps in.
"Hold on Rick," Kate interrupts, knowing what the man she loves is thinking. "She may have something there. When I was still a cop, often the best course of action was the direct approach, where we would just treat a perp like a perp."
"See how they react?" Colin Alexander asks.
"See how they react," Kate agrees. "I admit it's a dangerous move, because from that moment on, she will know we are on to her."
"But Lindy feels she may already have crossed that bridge," Castle reminds the group.
"And if that's the case, what do we have to lose?" Dawn remarks.
"The element of surprise," Kate continues. "Her suspecting verses her knowing are two different things. And until we close that door, surprise is still on the table as an option for us."
"So, let's play what-if," Castle says, changing gears. "Let's consider possibilities. What could her play be?"
"Let's begin with the worst case," Alexander begins. "She wants to take this place out. Easiest way is a bomb."
"Agree," Dawn Harrison replies. "Or multiple bombs that can be planted around the facilities."
"But we have eyes on her," Kate answers. "Everywhere she goes . . . "
She stops mid-sentence, as she sees the error in her thinking before anyone can point it out, if they see it themselves.
"Scratch that," she tells the team, retreating. "There are actually a number of places where we are unable see her."
"Anywhere in her own residence," Alexander remarks.
"In the restrooms here in the admin building, when they are eating in the cafeteria."
"Fortunately, most of the grounds are covered," Dawn reminds the team.
"But the blind spots are going to be a concern," Castle thinks out loud. "Her residence, administration restrooms –"
"Not just her residence, Rick," Kate interrupts. "Any woman who she visits – and we cannot stop her from interacting with any of our residents here."
"That's true," he muses aloud. "So that means essentially every building here – except maybe the food barn – are susceptible, and even that might be."
"Not a pretty picture," Kate agrees. "But that's the worst-case scenario."
"Other scenarios," Castle requests.
"She's here to gather intelligence," Dawn replies.
"For what gain?" Castle asks. "There has been enough media coverage to let anyone know we have the means to take care of ourselves."
"There are quite a few reasons someone might want to gain information here, Rick," Colin Alexander replies.
"It could be someone wanting to expose some wrong-doing going on here, taking advantage of women."
"We know that is not the case," Castle answers, frustrated.
"Of course," Kate replies. "But how does anyone on the outside know?"
"It could be someone wanting to gather information about the women here," Dawn continues.
"It could be someone wanting to gather information – real intelligence – on our security team," Kate remarks, sitting up straighter.
"That makes sense," Colin agrees.
"I hate to say it, but I agree," Kate remarks.
"That would be the most likely motive," Castle reluctantly agrees. "But if that is the case, then everyone on our security team is potentially in danger."
The team is quiet for a few seconds.
"You're probably right," Dawn remarks. "And I'm sure Mike will want everyone to double up, if that is what we really believe."
"We should let he and Lindy know, ASAP," Kate tells the group.
"If I know Lindy, if I know Mike, they are probably already thinking along these lines," Colin Alexander answers.
"Still, can you give them a call?" Castle requests. "Right now, there are just six of you on the campus. I'm wondering if we should bring in more."
"Let Mike make that call, babe," Kate remarks. "He knows what he is doing – all of them do."
The ringing phone on the conference table where the foursome sits startles everyone. For two rings, they comically glance around at each other before Kate moves.
"Well, this isn't going to answer itself," she chuckles. Reaching across to the middle of the table, she hits the speakerphone button, answering the call.
"This is Kate," she answers.
"Kate, this is Rodney, at the front gate," Rodney Brown begins. "We have an unscheduled visitor here, asking for Mr. Castle. Ginny told me he was there with you."
"I'm here," Richard Castle remarks. Ginny is the campus operator, who answers incoming calls amongst her other duties.
"Oh okay, Mr. Castle," Rodney begins, only to be interrupted by Castle.
"Rodney, how many times do I have to tell you . . . it's just Rick," Castle tells him, smiling, as he knows the response he is getting ready to hear.
"Yes sir, Mr. Castle," Rodney replies. "Still, I need to know where to send your visitor. As I said, he isn't on the schedule, so I didn't want to just buzz anyone in."
"That's no problem, Rodney, you made the right decision."
"Who is the visitor, Rodney," Kate asks. "You said it is a he. Does this he have a name?"
"Yes ma'am," Rodney remarks. "Actually two gentlemen. A Davey Crockett, and a Sam Houston."
Immediately the hairs on the back of her neck flair upwards. Unbeknownst to her, the same biological reaction is occurring with one Richard Castle. Two members of Texas history notwithstanding, there is no doubt about the identities of the two men.
"Rodney, I know this is going to sound strange, but is one a very large black man?" Kate asks.
"As a matter of fact, yes ma'am," Rodney kind of chuckles. "I guess they were telling the truth. They said you would know them."
"Ring them through, Rodney," Rick orders, then turns to the rest of the team at the table.
"Let's reconvene this later this afternoon, once Mike and Lindy return from their rounds, okay?" he tells the team.
"Good enough," Colin remarks, unsure of what might be causing concern for Richard Castle and Kate Beckett.
Castle grabs Kate by the hand, and both move toward the door to his office. He opens the door for her and follows her into the hallway as she walks through. Less than half a minute later, both are at the main front door of the administration building. He opens the door, and the duo watch the two men walking up the walkway toward them.
It is notable that no one – none of the four are smiling as they greet one another.
"This is a first," Castle remarks, shaking the hand of Sam Carlos, while Kate is pulled into a hug with the larger Willie Crockett.
"What can we do for you, and what warranted this visit without a call?" Castle asks. "This is very much unlike you to be so public."
"Things change, my friend," Carlos replies. "We need to talk. I felt this discussion needed to be face to face."
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A/N: I hope 2023 has started to be a good year for everyone. More to come.