Because Of You

Chapter 17

"I hear gunshots! Sherman, call for back up!" Beckett orders as they pull up outside the warehouse. The sound of round after round of bullets is all that can be heard.

"Are we seriously going to wait for back up? Ryan and Esposito are most likely in that building! They could be dead by the time back up gets here!" Castle argues as he crouches next to his wife by their car.

Beckett uses her car as a shield in case any stray bullets make their way outside the warehouse. She knows just as well as Castle that if her colleagues are in there then they don't have long left. If they're not already dead...

"Rick, as much as I want to, I can't just go in there. I could get myself or Sherman or even you killed!" she argues, looking at her husband in defeat.

"I'm willing to go in and take that risk. If us going in there gives Ryan and Esposito the slightest chance of survival then I'm going to do it. They're family whether they like it or not" Castle tells her bravely - his words bring her much needed courage and more importantly they serve as an important reminder.

Ryan and Esposito are like her little over protective brothers. Apart from Castle and her dad, the boys are all Beckett has, and they've seen her through some pretty tough times. Out of everyone in her life those two have never failed her, never let her down, never upset her. So, how can she possibly let them down when they need her most? The answer is simple in her mind. She's won't disappoint them. No way is she going to give up when there's a chance to save two people who would do the exact same for her every single time.

"Count me in too. I understand the risks of going in there and I fully accept responsibility for whatever might happen to me in there, Captain" Sherman adds as he crouches down behind Castle "And back ups on the way. About fifteen minutes out"

Beckett smiles at the two brave men either side of her. It's a real shame in her mind that this side of the NYPD isn't shown. In the news, the NYPD is shown as a racist, abusive, emotionless mob, but just because there are some bad apples doesn't mean there aren't any good ones. There are thousands of good cops out there who consider the people they work with to be family - their brothers and sisters in blue. Those are the cops that look out for the city they love and all its citizens.

"Alright, but you follow me lead, got it?" she replies giving them both a stern look that says 'do not be the hero'. Deep down inside she has an unsettling gut feeling that one of her boys inside might have already been the hero.

Beckett, Castle and Sherman (in that very order) tactfully make their way over to a small side door that wouldn't have been noticed by most. Beckett had Tory send her the building blueprints whilst en route. There's no way Kate Beckett is going to walk in there blind.

"How do you want to do this, Captain?" Andrew questions as he waits by the door for her signal.

"I can still hear gunshots so I'm guessing we could sneak in there barely unnoticed. We can get in and assess the situation before back up arrives" Beckett thinks out loud.

Without waiting for a reply she pulls down on the handle, trying to make as little sound as possible, although from the loud action going on inside, it's pretty clear nobody is going to hear the door opening.

Once inside the warehouse, Kate's mind kicks into overdrive. All her sense are on high alert as she scans the area looking for any signs of danger or her boys. Straight up ahead she can see two clear sides to this gun fight. The advantage of knowing the schematics of the building means they've entered unseen and at a distance from the gun fire.

Beckett swiftly makes her way over to the middle of the warehouse and positions herself behind a fallen concrete pillar that conveniently shields her from bullets and gives her a clear view of the situation. Both sides look awfully familiar as they fire shots at the opposing side with nothing but a cluster of empty steel oil drums to protect themselves with. However, she isn't too bothered with what's happening on the two sides of the warehouse. She's more focused on the three men in the middle, taking shelter from the heavy gun fire behind a concrete pillar, much like the one she's using.

"Is that Ryan and Esposito and Mick McConnell?!" Sherman queries, utterly confused, as he spots what his boss' eyes are focusing in on.

"It looks like it. So the side they're facing must be Mick's crew, otherwise they'd be dead by now, and the ones over there must be a rival mob. My best guess would be the Russians. Their choice of firearms and tattoos are a dead give away" Beckett explains as she assesses the situation further.

"So you're saying that this is a mob war?" her detective questions with worry.

A mob war will undoubtedly lead to many homicides and innocent people could get caught in the crossfire. Much like Ryan and Esposito who are stuck in the centre of the action right now.

"It could be, but I'm just speculating. Either way we need to get Ryan and Esposito out of there" the captain of the 12th replies with a concerned tone.

"By the looks of things we do. Mick looks like he's attacking Esposito and Ryan. He's way too close for comfort" Sherman points out.

"I don't think so. It looks like McConnell is protecting Ryan more than he's hurting him. Think about it. Out of all the encounters we've had with McConnell has he ever once tried to hurt Ryan or threatened him in any way?" Castle observes, as he pieces together the rest of his working theory in his mind.

Kate furrows her eyebrows "No, he hasn't. What's your point?"

"I'm a father so I know a thing or two about when someone is being protective over somebody else. I'm telling you that whatever is happening down there, Mick McConnell is doing everything he can to keep Ryan out of harm's way. Trust me, he's not going to hurt Ryan or Esposito. The Russians, on the other hand, probably will so you should focus on taking them down first" the writer explains, but he holds back part of his theory on purpose.

Castle figures it's safer if the team just focus on getting the rest of its members to safety. All day this theory has been building up in his mind and he's convinced it's one of his craziest yet, but the evidence he has for it is so compelling.

"Okay Sherman, I want you to head back outside and tell back up to enter the warehouse from the north side where the Russian shooters are" Beckett orders. Sherman obediently makes his way over to the exit.

"They'll be alright, Kate" Castle tells his wife reassuringly. She flashes her eyes at him and all he can see is the concern within them.