Role Reversal

Chapter 2: Reaction

Chapter 2: Reaction

"And why would I want you Castle? .... I already have you ... exactly where I want you"

Castle lets out a silent prayer of thanks. He picks up his phone, turns speaker mode off and moves to one of the windows. He looks out unseeing at the New York evening going about its business in the streets below.

"What do you want Tyson?" his voice tight, though he tries to keep it as expressionless as possible.

"We'll talk tomorrow Castle. I just wanted to wish you a good night ...." He can hear the laughter as Tyson cuts the call.

He's still standing there, phone held in a vice-like grip when the knocking on the door recalls him to his present surroundings.

He opens the door and Esposito walks in resting a hand momentarily on his shoulder as he moves past him.

"Thanks, any luck?"

Esposito shakes his head. "As soon as I heard what you said, I put a trace on your phone. We tried tracking back to his ... he was on the move all the time, we're looking at traffic cams see if we can pick anything up, but it's unlikely. Phone is a burner ... cash purchase ... nothing we can go on unless he keeps using it ..."

He was interrupted by an angry Castle "Beckett! What the hell happened, Espo? How did Tyson get her?"

Esposito flopped down onto the couch and sighed. "Turn your burner off first Castle ... then I'll tell you."

Castle looked at him with a frown for a moment then realizing what he meant he went into the study, picked up the burner and turned it off. He went back to the sitting room and sat down opposite Esposito. He sat there tensely, waiting for the Detective to begin.

"We were at a body drop, Ryan was canvassing the neighbours I was with Beckett talking to the family. We had a second body called in ..." he paused, a fleeting look of disgust crossing his face "There were two patrol units at the second scene, they'd found blood and a woman's shoe in the alley but no sign of the vic. She told me to carry on with the family; she'd go check the scene ..." he paused, got up and poured himself a glass of water at the sink before returning to sit down.

"From what the uniforms told us, when she got there she looked around the alley with them, they checked the dumpsters, didn't find anything, checked doors, ditto. So she sent them round to canvass the businesses within view of the mouth of the alley whilst she phoned for CSU. They left, talked to the businesses, checked for cameras, the usual. When they got back, her unit was still parked up where she'd left it, but there was no sign of her. One of the patrols left to respond to a B and E in the area the other one hung around ..." He paused, drank some water.

"When she hadn't made an appearance after half an hour and the CSU hadn't appeared, he got worried and called it in. We'd already done what we could at the first scene ... Ryan and me were headed back to the twelfth when we got the call. Turned round and headed straight back there" He paused, apologetically looking at Castle who sat stone-faced opposite him.

"We went right over the place with a toothcomb, called in extra units, put out an APB, had CSU check the scene out. We were going to call you when Gates turned up. She had us go over everything with her ... we were in the middle of it when your call came through ..." He paused, took another sip of water, his eyes refusing to meet Castle's.

"As soon as I heard you talking to Tyson, we put everything and everyone on to it .... or at least the Captain did. Called the FBI, pulled in off-duty officers, units were sent to your mum's place and to Columbia, we've picked them up and taken them to a safe house you can join them when you're ready ...." he broke off at the look on Castle's face "What ..?"

"I .. thanks Espo, I hadn't even thought of them as being targets .... the Tyson thing is so .... seems so personal ... to Beckett and me ... I didn't even consider my mother or Alexis being in danger .... I need to call them right now!"

He got up and went into the study. Meanwhile the Detective called up his partner "Hey Bro, any news?" He listened for a bit ... looked through the study doorway at the figure of Castle sitting at his desk ... "Difficult to tell Bro, never seen the guy like this before .... he's different, acting more like the Boss ... you know, holding it all in ..." he paused, listening "Don't know if he should be left alone ... yeah, I'll keep you posted".

He hung up as Castle appeared from his study. "They both alright, Castle?"

Castle nodded, "Worried, but they're ok. Thank the guys for me will you Espo?"

"You thank them yourself, when we've got the Boss back and Tyson's six feet under!" answered Esposito as he stood up. "So, ready to go to the precinct?"

"Yeah, I'll just grab my coat" he answered.