723. Chapter 723

After In the Belly of the Beast

Episode 6.16

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't own Kate Beckett, either. Rating: K Time: See above.

Kate Beckett took the subway home. It was late and she could have taken a cab. In fact, she could have called her husband's car service. But, she never really felt that she was rich, just because she was married to a millionaire, so she went through the turnstile and headed for the trains.

"Kate?" A voice called.

She looked around and saw a woman standing on the other side of a chain link barrier. The woman obviously knew her and the voice had sounded familiar. Kate walked over to her. As soon as she got close enough to see the woman's face, she drew her Glock. "Elena, put your hands behind your head. Now."

Elena Markov laughed. "Or what? You'll shoot an unarmed woman? I don't believe that's the way you or the NYPD operate. Well, some cops would shoot me, but not you." She saw Kate's eyes checking her surroundings. "Kate, I'm headed for the exit. I go fifty feet, turn left and I'm on a busy Manhattan street. You have to turn around, go back through the turnstiles, run up the stairs and by the time you do that, I'll have changed my jacket and my hair color and I'll be gone. Please, I just want to talk."

Kate realized that Elena was right. If she went after Elena, she'd disappear. "Talk about what?"

Elena smiled. "First about myself. I'm Russian you know, and I was trained by the FSB, the Federal'naya sluzhba bezopastnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsi…."

"The Federal Security Service, the successor to the old KGB." Kate finished for her.

"I knew Russian men were pigs, but I thought that if I was serving my country, it would be different. I had to screw my superiors or get beaten up. So I thoroughly screwed up my final test. My training officer was furious that I'd made him look bad, so he raped me and beat me up. But, I was out of the FSB. So, I found an American husband on line. He was a pig as well. He wanted a Russian wife because we were supposed to be subservient and used to mistreatment. So, I divorced him and I did what I'd been taught to do."

"You became a contract killer." Kate said coldly.

"Did I?" Elena smiled. "Do you have any hard evidence linking me to, oh, say the murder of some drug dealers?"

Kate tried to remember the details of the case. "You were very careful."

"Perhaps, or maybe I wasn't involved."

Kate was getting angry. "You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you?"

"I expect you to know what the evidence shows."

"You killed a cop." Kate said coldly. "The NYPD won't let that get past them."

"I believe that I was seen on the security cameras leaving the hospital alone. Again, do you have any evidence that I killed that policeman, or was in any way involved?"

"I'd have to check the files."

Elena nodded.

"So why did you want to talk? What's this leading to?"

Elena didn't answer directly. "You've done well. You're a police captain, you have your own precinct. You didn't have to sleep with your bosses to do that, did you?"

"Of course not."

"No, you wouldn't. I've learned a lot about you. How does your husband treat you? Does he beat you? Does he satisfy you in bed?"

"He would never beat me and he's the best lover I've ever had."

Elena nodded. "I knew that Simmons would figure out that I had killed Harden to save you. That meant that Lazarus, Bracken, would have to have me killed. Simmons' drug money was far more important than one woman. They'd have killed me." She looked off into the distance, as if remembering something. "After I fled Bracken, I picked up a man. I was going to take his money and car when we were through in bed, but he actually pleased me in bed. He wanted me to enjoy the sex. I stayed with him for six months, but it couldn't last. They'd have killed him too when they caught up with me."

"What do you want, Elena?"

"I don't believe you can prove I did anything more than what I confessed to that Captain Fowler, being a drug mule. Since I'm thought to have killed a cop, I'm sure the NYPD would see to it that I got the maximum sentence. Five years at least."

"Yes. So?"

"Suppose I could give you Felix Tiburon?"

"The Shark? We've been after him for years. How?"

"I agreed to do a job for him. I insisted we meet so he can pay me and get the information on my target."

"He's not stupid. He'll want to meet in a very public place and he'll check you for a wire."

"Electronic devices are very small now, aren't they? I imagine you could put one under every chess table at Battery Park if you had to. And set up a parabolic mic."

"How do you know I won't lie to you and tell you we can't tie you to any murders and then arrest you for them?"

"Because you're Kate Beckett." Elena smiled. "I'll call you in a few days."

No one at One PP liked the idea.

"She's a damned cop killer. A cold blooded contract killer." Captain Fowler raged.

"I agree." Added Captain Gates. "Letting a cop killer go free? We can't."

"We've talked to the District Attorney. He's had his people go over all the evidence and go over it again. They've told us that they won't prosecute based on the evidence we have. The only person we can prove she killed is Harden, who was going to kill me. Justifiable homicide. If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them. This way we at least get the Shark."

"You just want to do this because the bitch saved your life." Fowler snarled.

"Can you prove she's done anything other than be a drug mule?" Kate repeated.

Fowler just swore.

Rick Castle opened the door to find an attractive woman standing there. "May I help you?"

"Does Captain Kate Beckett live here? The head of the 12th Precinct. I'm to meet her here."

"She's busy at One PP. I don't know when she'll be back. Would you care to wait?"

"Thank you." Elena walked in. As she did so, she opened her coat and removed a pistol which she handed to Castle butt first. "I'm Elena Markoff, and I imagine you'll feel better if you have the pistol and you have these on me." She handed Castle a pair of handcuffs and turned around, her hands behind her back.

When Kate got back to the loft, she found Castle in the kitchen, cooking. The gun and the cuffs were on the kitchen island.

"Kate, it was obvious she wasn't going to kill me, not after handing me the gun and letting me cuff her. Plus she has some great recipes for…"

"We'll talk about this later." Kate turned to Elena. "I thought you said you'd call."

Elena shrugged. "I have great faith in you."

"The DA won't prosecute you for anything but muling drugs. You give us Tiburon and you get a six month sentence. If we don't get him, you do five years. Every day of five years."

Elena smiled. "The meet is set for the day after tomorrow." She turned to Rick. "Do you have any paprika?"

Kate just rolled her eyes.

Tiburon was completely relaxed at the meeting. He did check Elena for a wire, but he was dealing with a well known contract killer. What could go wrong?

They recorded every word of what was said. But when the police began to move in, Tiburon's sixth sense kicked in and he went for his gun, aiming at the nearest cop. Before he could fire, Elena slashed his throat. Fatally.

"You have the Shark, do you not?" She asked.

Beckett nodded. "Take her to the precinct and book her for misdemeanor possession."

"When this is over, I need to find myself a good man." Elena said. "And I know just where to find him."

Kate smiled. "Oddly enough, so do I."