Presumptions
Chapter 11 - Life Moves On
Josh Davidson, now Jeremy Danielson, was getting used to his new identity as an EMT in the Seattle area. He had been relocated there as part of a Witness Protection Program that had been administered by the CIA, ...thanks to Rick Castle. Never did he think that Castle could be so gracious in forgiving of him, as Jeremy had been inordinately jealous of Castle, and that had ended his union with Kate Beckett.
She is now considered by Jeremy as the one who got away. Despite the tough circumstance of their breakup, Jeremy still did care for his former girlfriend, he still was in love with her. It hurt him when he thought of how she was now with another man, Rick Castle to be precise, and she had given birth to his child.
When he was contacted by his former GF on his precarious situation with the Columbia Drug Cartel, that man, Josh at the time, was concerned for his future and for that of Kate, his ex. If she were to be abducted, he knew full well giving himself up to the Drug Gang for her return would lead to both of them being killed.
Could he live however if he did not take action to protect her?
As the man, Jeremy now, he still was conflicted on how to shield Kate from future harm. He faced a great enemy. It seemed the path forward was to a losing cause, and that had him in such angst as to what he should do now. He knew he did not want Kate to be murdered, but it looked like the Columbians were not providing any means for a good outcome. Josh, now Jeremy, was truly perplexed on what to do.
But what could he do now without revealing his new identity since he was in witness protection? Also, what resources were available to him to use to protect his ex from any future harm? All Josh/Jeremy did every day now was to pray to the universe for a good solution in the matter and to ask the universe to make it so. Jeremy was living his own kind of daily hell , despite now being out of harm's way from the Cartel. Jeremy just wanted Kate to be in a similar safe situation and just sitting back not doing anything for her had him in continual turmoil. Had his karma led him to this? Was he now paying for his mistakes with Kate? He took consolation in the fact that Rick Castle had the means and capability to protect her, the one silver lining in this mess he helped create.
Bogota, Columbia
Agent Sophia Turner is reviewing the report on the Columbia Drug Ring and their efforts to take down the existing Columbian administration. She had been sent by the CIA to help protect the currently elected administration in their efforts to stop the Cartel from destabilizing the country with a violent turnover to a new regime. A regime that had Cartel backing and who would be used by that Cartel to better their operations. Turner was now imbedded in the Columbian drug enforcement arm to help stop this cartel from their plan. Being a South American specialist with numerous tours in-country, she understood Spanish well, even if she only spoke it at a basic level, but enough to be understood.
All her informants had noticed that something was up at the cartel HQ. There were talks that something big was about to happen that would send a message to all who chose to oppose the cartel and get in their way. Sophia Turner was trying to figure out what this event might be. Rumors on the streets were that the Head of the cartel was deeply angered about the latest action that had exposed and ruined one of their ways for delivering their drugs to the U.S. market. That system had used DWB Shipments of hospital equipment, to and from the U.S. to their field hospitals, as a means of the delivery of their illicit drugs to the States. Shutting down of this venue had lost millions in revenue for the Cartel. This exploitation by the Cartel had been done without the DWB knowing about it.
This shutdown by Drug Enforcement on the Cartel, had Sophia deduce that this action was what had triggered this unknown upcoming big event. Turner had surmised it might be revenge on the part of the Cartel. She received instructions from her handler that she was to find out what the Cartel was planning and to stop it at all means. She had been assured of the full support from the Agency in this operation.
NYC, Castle Loft
Rick and Kate were preparing to leave for the precinct. It is Rick's day to come in and he is assisting in finding the leads to the Chaves escape. They needed to recapture him and bring him to justice. Intel revealed he was still in the city and preparing for an even bigger event that was yet to be determined as to it's nature and objectives. But there had been chatter on the streets about something huge coming up, so whatever it was, the 12th knew they had to stop it. They still had the DEA support as the big event was sure to involve the local Colombian drug cartel that DEA had been working to take down for sometime now. This current case afforded them that chance. So the DEA had continued to partner with the NYPD in this matter.
Martha had purposely cleared her schedule today to play baby sitter to her new born grand daughter, Lily. Martha had missed having a baby to watch over as Alexis was now full grown and soon to leave the nest for college. The new addition to the family was a welcomed change to the family dynamics. As they prepared to leave, Alexis too is on the way to school. They all say good bye to Lily giving her a kiss.
"I'll be home directly from school Grams to help with Lily", say Alexis.
"Thank you, but I know you just want some bonding time with your baby sister", replies Martha to her older granddaughter.
"I do Grams, since she is the only sister I have, and so cute and adorable. So Kate and dad, if you need to work late tonight we have you covered."
"Lexy, you are a great big sister to Lily", replies Kate.
"Always", Lexy answers, using a word that seems to be the Castle clan patented favorite reply.
The Cartel Strikes Back
As the two leave for the precinct, they are being watched by El Segundo who now has Chaves on the abduction team. They are looking to kidnap the detective as a means to an end, to force out of hiding one Dr. Josh Davidson.
As the Cartel group follows Rick and Kate, the DEA team has also caught on to the detail, so the hunters now become the prey. The couple drive up to a street that is void of traffic. That is oddly suspicious given the rush hour traffic at this time in the morning. The Cartel had set up a fake road repair crew that had detoured traffic away from that street so it was now deserted. Immediately Kate and Rick sense this unusual condition. Kate draws her hand gun at the ready for a possible attack.
"Castle, take my backup out of my ankle holster and get ready for a fire fight. I have extra ammo in the glove compartment."
Rick does as Kate tells him. He steels himself for a confrontation with the drug ring.
As they get to the street, the road up ahead is blocked by a dozer and dump truck, then as they get onto the street, a large equipment repair truck appears immediately behind them, blocking the exit from behind the couple. The DEA team sees this and realizes they cannot crash the blocking truck, it is far too big and heavy for their vehicle. The DEA agents then immediately stop and exit their car. They head quickly on foot at a run toward Kate and Rick's position, presently stopped on the road, between the dozer and heavy repair truck. Prior to exiting their patrol car, the Agents called for backup from already stationed teams at the location.
From their now stopped vehicle the couple sees Chaves and an unknown man emerge from behind the dozier with assault rifles. Kate's car however has additional armor and bullet proof glass. Montgomery had lent them his vehicle, which had the added protection standard for all Captains to shield from an assault or ambush. The Cartel team of El Segundo and Chaves open fire on Kate's vehicle and realize shortly that the vehicle had enhanced protection. Their rounds are not penetrating. From inside the vehicle, Kate and Rick know they are pinned in. They have to exit the vehicle and return fire while positioning for a cross fire angle on their assailants. The two exit the vehicle using their exit doors as protection from the oncoming fire. They return fire.
El Segundo and Chaves seek cover from the incoming rounds of their prey. As they take cover, Rick and Kate leave their positions and head for another protected cover that allows them the best angles for returning effective rounds against the attacking team. Chaves sensing the situation they are now in draws a flash bang and smoke grenade hurling them at the couple now starting to outflank them. From behind Kate and Rick, another cartel fire squad had emerged from the equipment truck, so as to get them in a cross fire from behind. Their cartel team mates up ahead delivering rounds to keep the couple in a cross fire. Then as DEA agents arrive on foot at a fast run, they see this emerging drug backup team and return fire. But unlike the pinned couple, they too have assault weapons and are effective in stopping the rear attack on Kate and Rick. They have that Cartel team now engaged stopping the cross fire tactic.
What transpires next is a fierce fire fight, the story of which will be told in all NYPD precincts from that time on, giving legend to this encounter with the Drug Cartel. The stories will sing praise to the law enforcement officers involved in that fight on this day.
When the smoke clears and the fight is done, three Cartel members lay dead in the streets, one of them being Chavez. But as the DEA and NYPD take count of their men, none kill, some injured, one man is missing. That man is Rick Castle. He is no where in sight. Kate realizes then that the unknown man they had seen with Chaves is also gone.
"One cartel man is also missing. He was with Chaves when we were initially attacked from the front. Somehow he must have escaped with Rick", she tells the joint team.
A quick call goes out to the remaining enforcement teams in the area to look for Rick Castle now a kidnapped victim. Nearly twenty minutes later, that search turns out negative. Kate is seen working with a sketch artist to get a likeness of the unknown kidnapper. Fortunately there are now computer programs that can be used for this effort. The DEA sketch artist was a agent with that ability as a secondary skill. He had been on the advancing DEA team that had covered the rear attack on the couple. The laptop had been in his vehicle and on scene so it is now being used. They get a likeness of their prep in minutes and the likeness is sent via cell phone to all the search team leaders. The search continues for the next hour or so, but again the results are negative.
Rick Castle is in limbo, his where-abouts unknown. Still the NYPD continues the search for him well into the day, until it is terminated with no success. Kate then must deal with Rick as now missing. Her thoughts go to the family, how will she tell Alexis and Martha about this? Worse yet, Lily now has a missing father.
Lily is too young yet to know of her father, but Kate wonders if she will sense Rick's absence when he is no longer there to care for the child. Kate resolves then that she will not stop until she has Rick back. She will use every resource to recover Rick and bring him back to her and the family. She reluctantly places a call to Martha, then Alexis, and lastly her father. This is a sad outcome for them all.
Kidnapped
Rick Castle comes to consciousness not knowing how long he had been out. It is dark as he opens his eyes, but he is soon aware he has a bag over his head. His hands and feet are bound and he is in a small space as he makes out confining barriers around and on top of him. He senses motion and concludes he is in the trunk of a moving vehicle. He had been in a fire fight and somehow was knocked unconscious. His last recall was that of a flash bang along with a smoke grenade exploding near him. He had become overwhelmed by the smoke and had passed out. During his unconsciousness, he must have been captured and abducted from the scene of the fire fight.
"Oh well", Rick thinks to himself, he might as well just relax, not much he can do in his current state. Somehow, minutes later, he manages to find sleep. It is good for him, the rest will do much to heal his hurting body, which is showing signs of personal injury from the fire fight he had been in. Fortunately, other than bumps, bruises, minor cuts and sore muscles, Rick is relatively unharmed. As he sleeps, Rick dreams of Kate and his baby daughter Lily. It is a good dream and Rick is comforted by it.