50. Chapter 50

After Recoil

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: No. Rating: K. Time: See above.

"Senator, I really should brief you on the budget for when we get back to DC."

Senator Bracken checked his watch. "We can do that tomorrow, Hal. By my watch, if I keep you here for five more minutes, your wife and children will forget what you look like. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Senator, it's really…"

"Time for you to go home. One of the many things I've learned is that everyone tries to work 24/7 and they fail. They get tired, they make mistakes, and things go wrong. Go home." Bracken said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir. Good night." His chief of staff left his office. Bracken was now alone.

He picked up the copy of the local paper he'd asked for. It was the one with a picture of Detective Kate Beckett just behind him as he left the police precinct. And another thing I've learned is that a leader has to be prepared to shed blood to get things, important things, done. He thought to himself. Look at all of our great leaders: Washington, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, they made decisions that killed people, but those decisions had to be made. Other great Presidents made those life and death decisions on a smaller scale, Theodore Roosevelt, John Kennedy for instance. I have to make those kind of decisions as well. For the greater good.

Bracken looked again at the photo of Detective Beckett. He never kept anything that could link him in any way to any of the…difficult tasks he'd had to order done. But the newspaper photo was different. This was the detective that had saved his life. Of course he'd want to keep it. No one could possibly link this photo of Detective Beckett to anything…untoward on his part.

Until last night, Beckett had been just another problem to be resolved. She was a fine detective, the sort that you'd want investigating any case that involved you personally. But, at bottom, nothing out of the ordinary. Until last night. She had risked her own life to save his, in spite of knowing the facts about her mother. How many people did he know who would do that? Almost all would have been like that writer, Castle. He said he would have watched.

He thought about his chief of staff. Hal was ambitious. He wants my Senate seat when I become President. Hal would like to be President as well, but I know he doesn't have the fire in the belly to go that far. To tell the truth, senator is probably above Hal's level of competency. That's good of course. It'll be easier to control Hal that way. But, in the final analysis, Hal looks out for Hal.

He thought about the rest of his staff. It's been easier to hire unimaginative people who would follow orders literally than take chances and hire more competent people. Perhaps that was an error, but it's too late now. My colleagues in the Senate and the House? The people I know in the administration? They would sell me out in a minute if it were in their interest to do so. What did they say about politics? "If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog." True, unfortunately. I can buy people, of course. Those mercenaries like Lockwood and Marks. Yes, I can buy them, but would they stay bought? Of course I can't trust them.

Who could he trust? Well, he could trust his wife, Sheila. Her devotion to him was amazing. He thought at times that she worshipped him. Unfortunately, he hadn't married her for her brains. Sheila could be trusted to do anything that was very simple. Bracken sighed. He really had no one he could trust. He had no partner.

But someone like Detective Beckett? She'd be invaluable to President Bracken. Someone who'll do the "right thing" no matter what her personal feelings. Until she killed me, of course. Bracken laughed to himself. That is a drawback, isn't it? The whole thing was badly done. I should have just had Pulgatti silenced. That would have been so much easier. Well, no help for it now. Beckett will have to be handled.

Or will she? Bracken was surprised at that thought. Where had it come from? Beckett shows absolutely blind loyalty to her "cause", whatever that may be. Could I change what she believes about me? I really don't know exactly how much she knows. She can't know about anything other than that police business more than twenty years ago. I know that the records of that were damaged, but that idiot Marks got himself killed before he could report back as to exactly what was in those records that Smith had.

Let's see? Pulgatti is a gangster. Montgomery was a corrupt cop. Could Beckett be made to believe that her mother's death was related to the corrupt cops, but not ordered by me? Castle! He was willing to keep Beckett away from Johanna Beckett's murder to protect Detective Beckett. That could be useful.

Beckett's a smart, competent woman. Couldn't she see, couldn't she be made to see, how important it is for me to be President? Certainly the fate of over three hundred million Americans and over seven billion other human beings was more important than one person? How much more could I do with Beckett as my partner. Junior partner, of course. It's so difficult for me to do all of this by myself.

Bracken sat for a moment thinking, then picked up his phone and dialed. It was answered on the second ring.

"Yes, sir. May I help you?"

"Yes, Jack. How's the paperwork on that New York City project coming?"

There was a slight delay. "I'm afraid we haven't located the documents yet, sir. But I've put our very best people on it and as soon as we have the paperwork, we'll be ready to resolve the issue, sir."

"Fine. Fine, Jack. But don't take any action when you do find the paperwork without specific authorization from me. You got that?"

"Sir? No action once we resolve the paperwork issue? Are you sure that's wise?"

"Yes, Jacl. There are things that need to be resolved at my end first. Take no action whatsoever without my specific authorization. Are you with me on that?"

"Yes, sir."

Bracken hung up.

Great leaders have to do many things. Sometimes they have to take chances. I am a great leader.

"Remarkable is too weak a word to describe you, you know." Castle said.

Beckett smiled. "You're making up new words now?"

"Beckattacious? Katetastic? Those could work."

"And you're thinking up new words because…?"

"I would have let Bracken die. I don't think that anyone else who knows what he's really like would have saved him. Just you."

Kate walked over to Rick and put her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. "That's sweet, but you're wrong. We can't have the police deciding who lives and who dies. We need laws, not some movie tough guy out for revenge. Do you really want me to be like Bracken?"

"Maybe just once?" He said, hugging her.

"No, not even once."

"Well, you're still Katetastic." He kissed her softly.

"And you're Castleicious." She teased, but kissed him back.

"Bed time?" He asked.

"Bed time." She replied.

Kate slid into bed next to Castle and began kissing him. I just hope my beliefs don't get Castle killed. I know that Bracken can't be trusted. He'll keep trying to get what documents I have and then he'll kill me. Unless I do something first. But what?