"Espo says it's apartment # 11."
The sheer words sent her hunting instincts to new heights, and she looked up at Castle, making sure he understood what she'd said.
Surprisingly, the writer didn't seem nearly as eager to close that net.
Was it the thrill of the hunt he didn't share this time around or something completely different? After all, how could he not feel some sort of relief at the fact that their hard work was finally paying off and that in little time this nightmare of a case would finally come to an end?
She answered his faint nod with a frown, unwilling to go into a discussion about the matter now.
They had to focus, follow standard operating procedure to a tee to ensure a safe arrest and subsequent trial. Nothing worse than losing a suspect to a sloppy arrest. And while she'd much rather see this guy dead, wishful thinking hardly ever worked in her job.
Without saying anything further, she texted Espo a brief "GL", then looked up at the fire ladder by the second floor, ready to intercept as needed.
Surely, in this particular situation Castle should appreciate her staying on the sidelines, offering backup only instead of charging into the apartment. That's what he and the boys had wanted, her staying away from Danny for fear of becoming another victim. It had been a compromise that had eaten away at her sense of duty, but she'd used it as a token of goodwill to ease some of the strain and angst that had befallen them.
Why didn't Castle see that?
With a discrediting headshake, she stood up taller against the dumpster, one hand over the grip of her Glock, ignoring a loose strand of her long brown hair blowing in the breeze.
In choreographed fashion, the writer followed suit, staying behind her left shoulder and yet leaning in so close she could hear him breathe unevenly.
"Here. Just in case you need it.", Beckett said after a few moments of tense silence, and reached for the gun in her ankle holster.
Even though she understood Castle's hesitation of handling a deadly weapon despite its appearance in many of his books, she knew that any back up was better than none.
Danny wasn't in the net yet and she wouldn't let her guard down until he was.
