491. Chapter 491

After Knockout

Episode 3.24

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Why do I even bother saying it? Rating: K Time: See above.

When the last shot rang out, Castle let Beckett go and she ran back into the hangar. She found Roy Montgomery there, dead, among the men he'd slain.

When Castle caught up with her, she was kneeling over Montgomery, crying. He knelt and put his arm on her shoulder. "We have to go."

She looked up at him with the tears still running down her cheeks, "What do you mean? We need to call Ryan and Esposito. Have CSU out here. We need to identify the men with…"

"Kate, we have to go now. It's what Montgomery wanted me to do. To get you out of here."

Kate was confused. Why would Montgomery do that? This is not the way to run an investigation. I'm a cop, dammit. Can't Castle understand that? "Castle, what are you talking about? That's not…"

"We have to leave. Montgomery just died for you, Kate. If we stay here, they're going to want to know why we're here. They'll check your weapon and see it hasn't been fired and wonder why. They'll check your phone and see that Montgomery called you and wonder why you came here. And then they'll start wondering how Montgomery came to be here to kill Lockwood and the rest. And we'll have to come up with some story." Rick lifted Kate up to her feet. "You're extraordinary, Kate, and you have many, many talents, but lying to the cops isn't one of them. The other cops will start digging and IA will get involved and the longer the investigation goes on, the more likely that someone will find out about Roy and the kidnappings. Do you want that? But if we leave, it's a mystery and dead men tell no tales. All they'll gave are a whole bunch of theories and no proof of anything. Roy Montgomery made a mistake, but he died honorably. Let him be remembered that way, Kate."

Kate nodded. Castle was right. "Can you drive? I don't think I can…"

Castle put his arm around her and led her back to her car. All the way back to her apartment, Kate sat scrunched against the passenger side door, reliving the horror she had just seen. Of all the people to betray me, Roy Montgomery was the last one I'd have ever suspected. She laughed mirthlessly. Then again, Mike Royce was the one person I always believed would always be there for me and he turned crook. She looked across at her partner. Castle wanted me to drop the investigation. Could he be betraying me as well? She discarded the idea at once. No. He's the one who started this by looking into my mom's murder. No, he couldn't be involved. And Mike died trying to do the right thing. Montgomery died to save my life. All Castle was trying to do the other night was keep me safe. I know that.

Once back at her apartment, Castle led her gently to her sofa. "I think we could both use a drink. Okay?"

She nodded. "The upper cabinet to the right of the stove. There's a bottle of pretty good wine." She smiled just a bit. "Pretty good by my standards. You probably won't be able to drink it."

"It'll be just fine." He poured two glasses of wine and handed hers to her. She drank half the glass down in one go.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "For everything."

"Always." He smiled and then looked very serious. "Roy called me tonight and told me pretty much what he told you in the hangar. About how he was the third cop, and killed Bob Arman accidentally. He said that someone found out about the kidnappings and demanded the ransom money in exchange for not turning them in."

"Did he tell you who it was?" Kate was suddenly interested.

Castle shook his head. "No. But he did tell me something else. He had a deal with whoever ordered this. He kept you off your mother's murder and you stayed alive."

"And when I started to look into my mom's murder, the deal was off." Kate concluded.

"When we started to look into your mom's murder." Castle shook his head in disgust. "But for me trying to re-open your mom's case, Roy Montgomery is alive, Evelyn isn't a widow, the kids still have a father. All because I couldn't keep my nose out of your life."

Kate took his hand. "I told Montgomery that I wanted you gone from the precinct. He told me that the only reason he had let you stay was because of how good you are for me. He said I wasn't having any fun before you came along. He was right."

"Some fun." Castle said sarcastically.

"Castle, I'm a cop. And, even though you are only an assistant volunteer junior homicide detective, that still makes you a cop in my book, and you're my partner. You did the right thing looking into Mom's case. We investigate homicides, and the fact that it was my mom who was the victim, shouldn't have stopped me. I should never have let my personal feelings interfere with the case. And Roy Montgomery was doomed long before you ever met him. This is not your fault."

"I guess that should make me feel better, but it doesn't." Castle took her hand in both of his. "Montgomery also told me that the deal is still on. He sent some evidence very damaging to whoever is behind this to a friend of his. The friend will make sure you stay alive or the evidence goes public. My job is to make sure you don't look into your mom's case." Castle stopped and waited for the explosion. It wasn't long in coming.

"How dare you! How dare you make that decision as if I'm your personal property? How could you do this to me?" She yanked her hand away from his.

"I didn't make the deal. Montgomery did. What was I supposed to do? Say, "Gee, sorry that you're going to die, Roy, but I really can't help." Do you think I could do that? And remember, Roy knew you, and the guy or guys behind this. He didn't think you'd win. So, I have to agree with him."

Tears were welling up in Kate's eyes again. "So you're going to stop me?"

"No. I wouldn't be telling you this if I thought that was an option. I know you, Kate. Nothing I could say or do could stop you." Although I wish I could find something that would. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.

"You do know me, Castle." She smiled at him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Right now we have nothing and I'm betting that no one will find out anything about Lockwood or the people with him. We won't find anything in financials but untraceable cash deposits to obscure banks that won't tell us anything. We may never find a lead on this again, Kate."

She shook her head. "No, whoever the dragon is, he won't be satisfied with a standoff. He'll try again. He's wealthy and powerful. He has too much to lose to let me live." Roy Montgomery, my mentor is dead and I now have a bullseye on my back. Not just me, but Castle too. He's my partner. The dragon will figure that anything I know, Castle knows. She took a deep breath and put both of her hands around Castle's. "Rick, I can't let you stay with me. It's too dangerous. You have to stop shadowing me."

He smiled and shook his head. "Do you really think I'd do that?"

"Castle, I couldn't…" She stopped, knowing that there was nothing she could say that would stop him. I've known that he cares for me. Cares a lot. Cares too much for his own good. And I finally have to face it, he loves me. Everything he's done and said for the last three years proves it. Oh, god! What do I do now? I love him, too.

"And I can't, Kate. We'll do this together. But remember what Montgomery said. When you get something, whatever you do, don't run straight at him. We can do this, but we have to be careful. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. We'll be careful. And I'll be very careful of you. I have to be. Suddenly, she was all business. "We need to call Ryan and Esposito and brief them. They should come over here and we can…"

Much later.

Oddly, Kate felt no pain, and her mind was sharp. Am I dead? No. Hospital. And Castle loves me. He said so. Oh, god! Castle! The damned plan to keep me alive wasn't worth a damn. I'm a target. Whatever I do, I have to keep Castle safe. I have to keep him away from all of this. I have to.

Darkness.