Always.

Nineteen.

"If you come any closer, or even try to shoot, I will sever her main artery and you can watch her die a slow, painful death."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They cringed. They stepped back a bit, but never lowered their guns.

"If you kill her, I swear boy, you will wish you hadn't." And Espo meant it.

"Hmm... I wonder what you would do if I did this..." He started lowering the scalpel nearer my leg. It wasn't over the artery though, and he knew that. He wanted me to feel pain first.

You could see the stress in Castle's eyes. It made him look unpredictable. He looked like he was about to kill Josh at any second.

"If you come at me, writer-boy... tsk-tsk." Josh lowered the scalpel on my leg, and started cutting. It was only a little, but still hurt and burned like hell. He started dragging it up and down my leg, being mindful of the main artery. He wasn't ready for that yet. The boys could see what he was doing, and as much as they hated it, they didn't pounce yet. They knew it could still mean my life.

"Oh, look. The little lady's sad again. This must hurt you, Richard, doesn't it?" He said as I was continuing my violent sob.

Castle just growled at him. He came a little closer to the boys and whispered something in their ears, then walked out. I cried more as I lost sight of him. I needed him.

Josh giggled with delight. "Looks like he couldn't handle it, and left you, just like you left me." He said as he started cutting open my shirt. The rage on the boys' faces must have had Josh fearing for his own life now.

"Put the scalpel down. Now!" Ryan started yelling. He had had enough, and was about to shoot.

Josh looked at him. My shirt was completely open and in shreds now. There were cuts all over my torso from where he sliced in deeper with the scalpel. He just laughed and held the scalpel over my leg again, my main artery.

"Put. It. F**king. Down. Now." Ryan and Esposito seemed to say in unison. Josh lowered on to my leg, slicing open the skin. The blood started dribbling down my thigh, and I was suddenly aware of the large puddle of blood surrounding me. I glanced at my arms, legs, and torso, which were all covered in it. I felt myself get weary from blood loss and crying.

Josh continued to push the scalpel deeper. He went slowly, though, so it wasn't at my artery. Yet. All of a sudden, a dark figure at the back of the room caught my eye. I studied it for a few seconds until I realized who it was. Josh saw me looking at something, and turned around.

"What the..." Was all he was able to get out before Castle tackled him. Ryan and Espo came running over, relieving Castle to go take care of me.

"Kate!" He said, suddenly seeing what Josh had done to me in his absence. He took the duck-tape off my mouth, and undid the restraints, freeing me to leap into his arms. I forgot about my injuries, and all the blood, so I couldn't get to him all the way, at least, without screaming I couldn't. Yet, somehow, I still got blood all over him.

"Oh my god!" He yelled. I suddenly got very weary again, and almost fell over on the floor if it wasn't for him catching me.

He quickly, but carefully, picked me up, and cradled me like a baby. He ran me out to one of the ambulances waiting outside. He tried to cover me for some modesty, since all that was covering me was underwear. I could tell that it was either late night or early morning, since it was dark, and freezing. We ran past Captain Gates, my dad, Martha and Alexis, and numerous on lookers. The last thing I remember was an ambulance, and I think it was driving.

And Castle, right there beside me the whole way, and then nothing.