A Biker's Tale
Chapter 10 - Along The Way
Det. Gene Baker of the Vancouver PD was going over the file of one Robert Tyler. A drug dealer convicted on numerous drug charges as well as assault and battery charges. He was now on the run. Two days prior Tyler was involved in a drug deal gone wrong. He did not know the customer he was selling to that night was an undercover cop from the Narcotics Division. When he realized he was being watched as he attempted to seal the drug purchase, he took off. The undercover cop pursued but before he could catch up to Tyler, the drug dealer drew his hand gun shot and wounded the undercover cop. Tyler got away despite all train, bus, and airports being under tight surveillance after the shooting. Det. Baker managed to determine that a reported car jacking during Tyler's escape was done by him. An APB was put out on the car-jacked vehicle with a notice that the driver could be armed and dangerous. Tyler was last noticed heading north on Canadian Route1 for the Northwest Territory and the Yukon. Thinking that Tyler might make it to Alaska, U.S. Customs agents were notified on Tyler's escape and flight.
Rob Tyler was filling a second stolen car with gas. He had left his first hijacked vehicle in a parking space next to this second vehicle that he had broken into and driven off with totally unnoticed. This, as he knew the police had an APB out on him and that first car he hijacked. He could not continue to use that vehicle, so he had stolen another. Hopefully by the time the police discovered his second car-jacking, he would be far gone.
He had just completed other drug sales before that one failed sale and so was flushed with cash. He was now using that cash for his escape to the U.S. Border. He knew that the Vancouver PD would place a notice on him with U.S. Customs, so Tyler still needed a plan to get pass U.S. Customs.
He had purchase a styrofoam ice chest and fill it with provisions for his escape and also bought a five gallon spare gas tank for fuel as gas stations could be few and far between in his flight from the police. Tyler also thought to buy a heavy blanket as his stolen car would also be his shelter during his escape flight. He would sleep off road and in secluded areas to avoid the police. Camp grounds may be too public for his purpose, so he would look to off-the-beaten-path sites that were suitable. He knew that the National Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, would also be on alert for him.
Meanwhile Back At Camp
Castle was packing his gear to head north toward Dawson where he would connect to the ALCAN unaware that Kate Beckett was on an intercept course to catch up with him. He had started his trip as a attempt to distance himself from Kate. Rick fully expected with him out of Kate's life that left a clear and unobstructed path for Josh in his pursuit of Kate. Not that he had ever tried to come between the couple. Quite the contrary, he respected their relationship and had not done anything to disrupt them. Upon learning the relationship with Josh had turned serious, Rick no longer flirted with Kate. He had all but stopped his very suggestive bantering and suggestive innuendo's with her. His changed behavior with Kate even as he sensed Josh's growing resentment of him in being Kate's constant tag-along and 'pseudo' work partner.
He knew that Josh had no idea of how a 'cop' partnership worked. How such a partnership resembled a marriage in many ways but without the physical intimacy of such a union. The fact that they were opposite gender and Rick was not a cop but a wannabe served to heighten Josh's anxiety on their 'partnership'. So Rick had buried those feelings he had for Kate until he could no longer do so without the risk of a broken heart. So he had ended their 'partnership' for the sake of his own now damaged psyche.
Many many miles south Kate Beckett was breaking camp hoping she is starting much sooner than Rick's pack-up at his camp site. She had awakened at the crack of dawn in an attempt to get a head start on Castle. Kate had no idea if she could catch up with Rick for their talk. If her efforts at getting Rick back in her life failed, at least it would not be without much expense of energy on her part.
If she crashed and burned in her task, it would end in a huge fireball. Despite, she would risk it all to have him return to her! The heart wants what the heart wants, and Kate had realized late who owned her heart…..and it was a not one Josh Davidson.
On The Road Again
Rick Castle put his Triumph motorcycle in gear and slowly headed out of camp. He had gotten a late start taking his time for breakfast and pack up for this trip. He had wanted to be on the road at 'dawn' (given that sunlight at this time of year was close 24/7 for this part ofCanada) but figured he would make up for his additional time spent this morning by driving a few hours extra after 'dark'. That meant a 'night time' camp set up later, but with a pop-up travel tent and storage trailer, that task was far easier than pitching a full fledged tent on the ground despite the near day time scenario. With his cell phone in its cradle he looked at his route for the day on google maps now on his display. Today's trip would be eight hours, estimated, as shown on his cell phone screen. He then loaded his play-list one into his music app to enjoy for his trip.
Kate Beckett had been on the road for three hours now. She knew from experience that Castle was not a morning person arriving at the precinct often between 9 to 10am on normal days. If that pattern held true for him, she had a few hours head start on Rick. Playing on her phone were her favorite jazz hits from John Coltrane that helped pass time as her trip progressed. Nothing like Coltrane to relax the mind and ease the boredom of a long trip. She often played him on long bike safari trips as her bike helmet had a built-in head phone that she connected to her cell phone. For this trip she played Coltrane off her cell phone speaker, her cell being powered from the car cigarette lighter outlet.
Rob Tyler was just leaving his camp site. Late last night he had spotted a dirt road off to the right and taken it. It lead to a clearing that was a perfect off-grid camp site from the highway. There he had spent the night sleeping on the back seat of his stolen car. He woke up around 7am and then had breakfast. He had discovered in the trunk of his stolen vehicle an electric coffee pot run off the cigarette lighter. So he had purchased instant coffee as part of his provisions which also included a cup. He opened the bag of donut holes which he also had bought and had his breakfast to start his second day on the run.
Dead In The Water
Rick Castle had been on the road now for about three hours when he heard a load snap, loss power to his bike, and then glided his motorcycle to the side of the road where he came to a full stop. He had an idea what had just happened so as he came to a stop he looked back and several yards away, he spotted his chain on the road. It had broken off and he was lucky that it did not break his chain case and his ankle, but simply fell off. He knew it could have been far worst, his chain could have bunched up on the rear sprocket, damaging his gear box as the bike came to a sudden stop instead of gliding slowly to the side of the road like it had done. He was lucky as in all the years he had been riding a cycle this was his first chain break.
So he hurried back to retrieve his now broken chain to see what caused the break. When he got to the chain and inspected it, the chain had broken on the master link. He had just had the chain replaced to prevent such an incident as had just happened. He then realized that when the mechanic changed his bike chain, he may not have riveted the master link properly. The chain had broken on the master link. He had no spare chain as this had been a new chain and not supposed to break. So Rick was dead in the water!
Kate Beckett had used her app to search for Castle's current location. He was just about 90 miles ahead and so if she sped up so she might lessen the gap between them or even catch up to him. She increased her speed and then held that new speed for about thirty minutes then rechecked Castle's position. It was working! They were now only about 60 miles apart, but she noticed something. Castle's location had not changed in the last thirty minutes. He was stopped on the side of the road for some reason. Maybe he was taking a break. This was her chance to catch up, so she accelerated her rented CRV even more.
Rick Castle realized that he was stuck on the side of the road with a disabled motorcycle and might be here for awhile if no one came by to help. He hoped he could get that help sooner rather than later. He was trying to get a signal on his cell phone but was showing no bars on his signal strength screen. He was walking around trying to see if a particular spot might gain him cell service. So far he had been unsuccessful and realized that his only help might been in some Good Samaritan coming on to him and his injured bike on the side of the highway. He pulled out some traffic triangle signs and placed them on the side of the road to catch the attention of any on coming vehicle.
A little more than an hour later, Kate spotted the traffic triangle leading to a disabled motorbike on the side of the road. To her delight, there was Rick stranded and moving about his now stalled bike. He is holding his cell phone high above him like he was trying to get a good signal. She drives up to Rick and lowers her passenger side window. Castle comes up to her and talks thru the open car window thinking he had flagged down a Good Samaritan.
"I'm so glad you came along, I need help…", then he sees who the stranger is that he had hailed, "….Beckett! What…what are you doing here in this God forsaken remote place?"
