Presumptions

Chapter 13 - Recovery

He was being held captive in a room with windows that were blacked out and over which were installed metal bars to prevent breaking out thru them. By his guess, he had been there for three days now, and he wondered how long he would be there till they got rid of him. Castle knew he was in danger and needed to find a way to escape, but the security on him was tight.

The room had a single wood bed with feather mattress, pillow, and blanket. A porta-potty in the corner for his use, and meals were sent thru a locked opening in the door. There was a overhead light bulb giving off dim light during the evening. There was a 15 gallon drum with water for hygiene use. Drinking water was provided with his meals in the form of bottled water, always three with each meal. But there was also water bottles in a cooler and that was refilled after a time. Additional food was in the form snacks left on a tray in the room and also refilled occasionally. Castle was no longer constrained and allowed to move about.

His current siutation seemed bleak, and Rick was straining his brain to think of a way out of this. This was not new to Rick. In writing his Storm novels, he placed his character Derrick in such situations and then had to conceive a way out of the predicament.

"Come on Rick", he thinks to himself, "use that writer brain of yours to figure this one out."

He thinks about Derrick Storm and what he would do in a situation like this. Derrick would begin by assessing what he has available. Rick makes an inventory of what he has at hand. Not much! Then he gets an idea, he tries the metal bars installed over the windows. To his surprise, one of the bars is loose and could be removed to serve as a tool, if he could work it out. He continues to work the loose metal bar, but needs something to pry the bar from its socket in the brick window sill.

He checks the bed out and finds a nail he is able to pull out from the bedframe after many attempts to do so. Now with the nail, he uses it to widen the socket in the brick sill holding the bar in place. He works to allow the metal bar to be removed, but also to be returned in place. It would hide in plain view. Rick had also used the nail to scrap some to the blackout paint covering the windows and created a small view hole to look outside. He sees he is in an urban setting.

Bogota HQ - Columbian Drug Enforcement

Sophia Turner was working with a CI who had informed her of a prisoner kidnapped by the Drug gang and held in one of their facilities. Sophia already was aware of the very recent kidnapping of Rick Castle. His person to be used as a bargaining chip for the where abouts of one Dr Joshua Davidson. She had information of Davidson who was now in their witness protection program for having closed a smuggling venue used by the Columbian cartel to transport drugs to and from NYC. Sophia had discovered the location of Castle, and was planning an extraction of him, but needed to get word to Rick.

Sophia's CI tells her he has a person inside who can slip a message to Castle with his meals. Sophia makes a quick note and hands it to her CI along with $500 U.S. for his services. It had been years since Sophia and Castle last worked together. He had done 'research' with her for more than a year. Sophia also knew Rick was doing the same thing now with one Det. Kate Beckett, who Turner knew had become Rick's significant other.

Despite the years apart, Sophia still had fond memories of Rick Castle, whom she had been intimate with, until they broke up. The breakup was mutual, but Sophia still thought of Rick Castle often. They had been good in bed together while it lasted. Sadly, their union was not to be and it had ended with both of them moving on.

NYC FBI Branch

Wil Sorenson is frustrated. No leads on the Rick Castle kidnapping and he is getting pressure from higher up to come up with something. The kidnapping has caught national attention and could be yet another LIndbergh baby kidnapping for its notoriety. This is bad press for the FBI and Wil is under extreme duress to get something, anything, to offer the public so as to lessen the now growing interest with bad press for the case.

The only good aspect of this case was that Wil was working once again with his ex girlfriend. But she had put him on notice to behave. Any uncalled for behavior on his part would lead to harassment charges. Kate had told him so but still he had attempted not to listen. Would he make a play for her again? But she pulled him back into reality. She confronted him and then mentioned some names of other women he had been with who were willing to testify as to Wil's unwanted advances. He was surprised and realized that Kate was serious. She had done her homework and it was damming evidence in a harassment claim.

Still, was this behavior as a result of the last time he worked a kidnapping with her? He had managed to get her back into his bed during that case but then left her high and dry once he slept with her. On Kate's part, she had foolishly thought to give Wil a second chance with them, but he brought that crashing down. He had shown her that all he ever wanted from her was the physical contact and that's all. Even during their short six month affair, there had been little shared emotional intimacy, no personal closeness, no private sharing of thoughts and desires, no investment in disclosing intimate secrets known only by them. There were no such efforts to make the relationship grow and thrive. She wondered how she had been seduced to be with this man for those six months. He had left her that first time to go to Boston for a promotion. Wil had thought incorrectly that Kate would give up her life in NYC to follow him and also give up her job in NYC. He knew she could easily get a position with the Boston PD just to remain with him. Sorenson had counted on it, but learned otherwise.

So with all this bad history between them, Sorenson was now working the Castle kidnapping case with Kate. It was turning out to be the case from hell for him. Kate was on him for the slightest of mis-steps. She scrutinized his every move, criticized his approach when she thought it was a dead-end. She was not giving Wil any slack, and he realized the hurt he had caused her ran deep. He knew there was no way of ever coming back from that so Sorenson realized from her behavior that this thing with Castle and Kate was serious. More serious than he had ever expected from her.

So between the public and official pressures of the case, also came the stress generated from Kate. He hated the case, but could find no way out of it. This case was bound to go down as a failed case for him, and that would not served to advance his ambition to be a division head one day. As time passed, he toiled at getting leads, but he had met dead-end after dead-end. Then he got word from the higher ups. The CIA had taken over the case and was working to extract Castle from his captivity in Columbia. Yes, Columbia. But the guidance he got was to continue as he was.

Sorenson was to provide a feign for the CIA, getting the mob to believe he was handling the NYC case even if for him it was unsuccessfully. He was told he could not tell anyone of this direction, not even his team, to include the NYPD element of the joint task force. Wil realized then that he was being set up to be the fall guy for the case if it were deemed a cold case in the near future. He had not however been told the whole tactic the CIA was setting up. Had it been disclosed to him, his anxiety on the case would have been lessened.

NYPD

It was over almost two weeks now and nothing on finding Rick. Kate Beckett was extremely frustrated and beyond angry about this direction. They did not even know if Castle was still in the city, but they knew he must be held somewhere and it was an all out effort to find a trail to his where abouts. Because Rick was so well connected with the PC, the Mayor, and through him, the Governor, they was an effort to find him no matter the time expended or the costs. This was the only bright side of the case so far.

"Beckett, call for you on two", says Ryan.

"Detective Beckett, how may I help you?"

"It is I who can help you."

"I am sorry, who am I speaking to?"

"This Agent Sophia Turner of the CIA."

"Do I know you?"

"No but we have a mutual acquaintance, Rick Castle."

That last sentence catches Kate's attention.

"And what is this about Agent Turner?"

"We have found Rick. He is not in the country but being held by the Cartel in Columbia."

"Have you contacted the FBI on this? It is now at the federal level so the two agencies need to coordinate."

"We have, and your lead agent, Sorenson, has been directed secretly to continue the case as a ruse to draw away attention from CIA efforts in Columbia. Efforts noy only to recover Castle but also shut down the Bogota HQ. Sorenson was also told not to disclose this latest action to anyone."

"And why is that?"

"Because Mr. Castle has friends in the CIA who want him back. He has done things for the agency in the past and that has gained him much support from us? But officially, we know nothing about him. This to give the President credible deniability on this kidnapping. This kidnapping recover is now a black op."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"Because Rick would want you to know to ease your anxiety for his recovery?"

"And what does Rick mean to you Agent Turner?"

"Like you, I care for him, but it never worked out for the two of us."

Kate is surprised by the response, "I see, and what am I to do now?"

"You can start by purchasing a burner phone and then sending a message to a number I will text to you on your personal cell phone?"

"And then what Agent Turner?"

"And then wait for me to contact you on that burner for developments on Rick's recovery", and with that final word, Turner hangs up on Kate.

Kate is now left to ponder what just happened. She realizes then that Rick did research on all his novels. But she did not know that Rick had done so with a another female role model for yet another character. She fully intends to find out about this Sophia Turner from Rick himself once she has him back. Apparently, Sophia Turner also cared for Castle, and that is a story that Kate wants to hear from none other than Rick. It is a glimpse of jealousy on her part and she had not felt this way since learning of Castle's failed hookup with one Elle Monroe.

She knows she should not feel this way. Rick has told her that he loves her and wants to marry her. Kate is simply surprised at the knowledge that Rick had followed another female for a story. Maybe she had been naive about Rick's past relationships and maybe too trusting. She fought to keep those feelings from coming to the surface. She was not about to follow that path of jealousy that had ruined her relationship with Josh.

She would trust Castle as he had done with her. Their's would be a union built on trust and affection. She would give to Rick her unconditional love and support. Kate had not done so with any past partner, Rick would be her first.

Captivity

Castle has been able to work the loose metal bar on his window. Continued efforts will pry the bar out of its place but also allow it to be returned, hiding its utility in plain view. This will not raise suspicions on Rick's escape efforts and no one will be the wiser on Rick's efforts. As he works the bar, he hears a noise at his door and stops what he is doing. The one opening in his door is now being used to deliver lunch. Rick grabs his tray now being passed thru the opening.

"Thank you", he says to the guard, but as usual there is no reply.

Rick looks at the plate on this tray. Lunch today is chicken, with spanish rice, sliced tomatoes and cucumber. There are no utensils and Rick has used his hands for his past meals. He knows this is a security measure on his captor's part, not wanting to give him anything he could used as a tool. As he eats, Rick notices a piece of paper poking out from the paper plate holding his meal.

He reads the note and realizes it is from Sophia Turner who he had followed for over a year to research the character Clara Strike for one of his Storm novels. His union with Sophia had been a dance between them. One based on unresolved sexual tension, and when it was resolved after their first time together, the dance was over. But truth be known, Rick still cared for her in his own way. He realizes now that it was mutual for Sophia.

The note is in code and Rick recalls from memory the code. The message tells him the CIA is working to free him and that he must be ready when it happens. Rick takes the note and consumes it along with the rest of his lunch. Rick now knows his fate if he remains captive and will work to make his escape a successful attempt. He is bolstered knowing that others are working to free him. He has the best sleep that night one that had been missing these days in captivity. It is a calm relaxing sleep. He dreams of Kate and their daughter. Rick knows he has with Kate a union he has never had with anyone. Kate Beckett truly is his one and done, three times is a charm. He arises the next morning to continue his escape efforts and get back to Kate and his new born daughter.