Shared Obsession Chapter 151
"Where do you think Dunn is?" Kate asks.
"The building facing the one Avery and his guys are in right now," Castle replies. "He'd have a perfect view, but be far enough from the blast to avoid getting blown up himself. One thing we do know about this psycho. He's not suicidal. He loves watching others suffer too much."
Kate reaches for the handle of the van's sliding door. "Come on." Before they enter their target, Kate grabs her backup weapon from her ankle holster and hands it to Castle. "Just in case."
Castle winces at the sound of their every hushed step as they make their way into the building. After a few seemingly interminable moments of searching, they spy Jordan Shaw tied to a chair. Kate spots Dunn a few feet away, gloating over his prisoner. "I'm almost sad to see it come to an end, Agent Shaw. You know, I'd expected more from you."
"Castle, I'll draw him away. You free Agent Shaw and get some help," Kate whispers.
"Kate…."
"Babe, please, you're my only backup. We have to do this." Raising her weapon, Kate steps into the killer's view. "Dunn, I thought it was me you were after. Do I have a rival for your affection?"
A menacing grin twists Dunn's face. "Nikki, you came."
"Put your hands up, Dunn," Kate commands, "or I will take you down."
Dunn displays a detonator he holds. "I've got a better idea, Nikki. Why don't you put your gun down or I'll detonate the 19 pounds of cyclonite that I have in the building across the street, turning Agent Avery and his entry team into mist." Kate points her weapon at Dunn's chest. "If you shoot me, Nikki, it could cause my body to tense up and push the button. Do you really want to take that chance?"
"They're not in the building anymore," Kate retorts. "I only sent them in there to throw you off."
Dunn's eyes narrow. "You're lying!"
Kate smiles. "Why would they be in there if I knew you were in here? Face it, Dunn. I beat you. Nikki Heat won."
A furious flush blazes on Dunn's face. "No!" He lunges at Shaw but runs as Kate fires.
As Kate pursues Dunn, Castle begins to untie Shaw. "Where's my people?" Jordan demands.
"Across the street sitting on 19 pounds of cyclonite," Castle replies, struggling with the last of Shaw's bonds.
"You mean she was bluffing?" Shaw asks incredulously.
"She was profiling," Castle corrects.
Shaw begins to pull free. "I've got this! He could flank her. Go help her."
Kate's eyes sweep around the building searching desperately for a sign of the killer. "Dunn, give it up! Nobody has to die."
Dunn drops down on her from the ceiling. As she struggles against his rage-fueled strength, he grabs her gun and slams her to the ground. "This is how all my stories end, with someone dead."
A primal scream rises from deep in Castle's chest. "No!" He fires, the impact of his bullet knocking the gun and Dunn to the floor.
As Dunn frantically reaches for the weapon, Jordan Shaw grinds her heel into his hand. She smiles at Kate. "I believe this is your collar."
"This isn't over, Heat," Dunn hisses.
Getting to her feet, Kate fixes him with a stare. "It's not Heat, it's Beckett. You have the right to stay silent. So shut the hell up." She turns to Shaw. "Thanks."
Jordan nods. "Ditto."
"Hell of a shot, Castle," Kate notes.
The writer looks wryly at the gun. "I was aiming for his head."
Ryan perches on a corner of Kate's desk. "I was thinking that while you're the hero for nailing a serial killer, you could talk to Montgomery about finding some room in the budget for smart boards."
Kate rolls her eyes. "Sure, while they're at it, they could buy us batmobiles."
"That'd be cool," Esposito considers.
"Yeah," Ryan agrees.
"Our murder boards are just fine," Kate declares.
"For a caveman," Esposito grumbles as he and Ryan amble off.
Kate glances toward the click of approaching footsteps. "Agent Shaw, I was just writing you a note."
"Dunn is being transported upstate, where he'll enjoy his stay in the intensive management unit with New York's most dangerous criminals."
Kate sighs. "He might actually get some satisfaction out of that. It would feed his ego."
"I doubt some of the men up there would think much of a guy taken down by a woman," Shaw replies. "I've seen the attitude toward some of my collars. It knocks the ego, and a lot of other crap out of them pretty fast. Dunn is not going to be a happy camper."
"I want you to know that I learned a lot from you on this one," Kate says.
"You did most of the heavy lifting. The thing that impressed me most is that you came in with Castle," Shaw confides.
"If it weren't for Castle, I wouldn't have come in at all," Kate confesses. "He's the one who figured out where you'd be. He understood the writer part of Dunn's twisted mind."
"But you're the one who made the decision, which could have put you in a hell of a lot of hot water – especially since you gave him your backup piece."
"I've known for a long time that he can handle a gun, even if the department doesn't want its, uh, consultants, to carry one. He's actually beaten me on the range."
"Do I sense admiration or is that just lust?" Shaw asks.
Kate reddens. "Both."
"Well, anyway, you made a tough decision on your feet and used the resources at hand – including Castle. I'd say that's heroic and somewhat poetic," Shaw muses. "In the end, Dunn actually did face Nikki Heat. She is, after all, part you, part Castle. And I could see how much he cares for you, Kate. If he had killed for you, I doubt he would regret it."
Castle strolls up bearing steaming mugs. "Ladies."
Shaw inhales appreciatively. "Ah, Castle's famous coffee. I'm going to miss this."
"I can send you some of my special blend of beans," Castle offers.
"I'd appreciate that," Jordan says.
"But you're on your own getting a decent espresso machine," Castle adds. "I'm sure the FBI can find room for one in its toy budget."
"You could be right," Shaw allows. "Castle, with or without the coffee, you're a valuable asset to Beckett's team."
"You could remind Montgomery of that from time to time," Castle suggests. As Shaw heads for the elevator, Castle pulls a tiny gift bag from his jacket pocket and hands it to Kate. "Open it."
She parts tissue paper to see inside. "My father's watch! Thank you!
"You're welcome. I found it in the wreckage and had it fixed. Now you'll know when it's time to go home."
"I think it's time now."
Castle offers his arm. "I think you're right."
Eyes still half closed, Castle picks up the morning edition of The Ledger from outside the loft's door. He expects an update of the Dunn story to occupy some portion of the front page, if below the fold. It's not there, but a banner headline blares a story even closer to home. "Beckett! Kate! You need to see this!"
Barefoot in her Leia robe, Kate pads across the hardwood floor of the great room. "What is it, Babe?"
Castle holds up the printed proclamation. "Bracken indicted!"
Castle takes a chair at the table and gestures for Kate to take the seat beside him. "It goes on. Several sources report that the court is under heavy pressure to accelerate the trial process. It has already been assigned to a federal judge known to operate her docket in overdrive. Jury selection may take place as soon as next month."
"Next month," Kate repeats.
Castle wraps his arms around her silkily covered shoulders. "Going to be a long 30 days. We'll have to find something to keep us busy."
Her cell jangles from her robe pocket. "I don't think we'll have to look hard."