- Kate Beckett: [narrating a letter she is leaving for Castle] Dear Rick, I don't know how much time I have, even to write this letter. What I do know now is that I'm in this. And the only way I'm gonna make it out alive is to see this through. I'm sure everyone is looking for me and if they figure out I was here, CSU's gonna search this house. They're gonna look for blood, and they will find it. Which will lead them to this letter. Babe, it's your letter. And I hope you never have to read this, that I can tell you all of these things in person. But if something happens, and I don't make it, I need you to know that our partnership, our relationship, is *the* greatest thing that has *ever* happened to me. You're an amazing man, and I love you with all of my heart. Always.
- Richard Castle: [after Beckett is rescued] See what happens when I leave you alone?
- Kate Beckett: Babe, I wasn't alone. When they were interrogating me, the only thing that kept me going was thinking about you. About our future, the wedding. You were with me the whole time.
- [first lines]
- Kate Beckett: This... is... heaven. This is absolute heaven.
- Richard Castle: Yeah, you mean spending the day with your future husband?
- Kate Beckett: No, no, not that.
- Richard Castle: Not that?
- Kate Beckett: No, no, no, I mean, not only that. It's 2:00. I'm in my PJs. We're reading the newspapers. I never get to do this.
- Richard Castle: Because you never take any time off.
- Kate Beckett: All we have to do is loaf around. There's no work. No goals other than to waste hours on end.
- Richard Castle: Okay, stop describing *my* life.
- Javier Esposito: Yo, Beckett, I thought you were off.
- Kate Beckett: Was that the Deputy Commissioner?
- Javier Esposito: Yeah. There's been more brass through here than a marching band.
- Kate Beckett: What's going on?
- Kevin Ryan: t's all need-to-know, and we didn't make the list.
- Javier Esposito: But whatever's happening is going down in that conference room.
- Richard Castle: So, there *is* one thing we should get done today. We need to pick a font for our "Save the Date" cards.
- Kate Beckett: Really? We're gonna do that? We don't even have a venue yet.
- Richard Castle: Yeah, I find deadlines... inspiring. How about this one?
- Kate Beckett: No, it's too frilly.
- Richard Castle: Agreed. And this... Ooh, this is far too severe.
- [in exaggerated German]
- Richard Castle: You vill zave ze date, now.
- Kate Beckett: Oh, I like that one. You?
- Richard Castle: Mmm, I'm not really feeling it. Though I guess, uh... you could convince me.
- Kate Beckett: I bet I could.
- Richard Castle: Yeah, I mean, you'd have to work pretty *hard* to win me over. But, um...
- Kate Beckett: Well, I'm prepared to do just that. Because it's clear to me that what we both need right now is a really good font.
- Richard Castle: Yes, we do. That's so true.
- [Beckett grabs his hand and pulls him towards the bedroom; as they reach the door, her phone rings]
- Richard Castle: Oh! And worst timing ever.
- [playing a video game when his phone rings]
- Richard Castle: [answers phone] Castle.
- Kate Beckett: Wow, you sound like you are getting a lot of writing done.
- Richard Castle: I blame you for that. When are you coming back?
- Kate Beckett: Uh, I don't know, a couple hours. I have a meeting. And don't ask me what it is.
- Richard Castle: Well, now I have to ask.
- [learning Beckett is impersonating a contract killer]
- Richard Castle: I hate this... She's out there somewhere, has no idea how much danger she's in, and I can't help her.
- Javier Esposito: No. You can't... But this is Beckett we're talking about. She might be your fiancée, but she's also a damn good cop, so don't sell her short... She'll figure out a way to let us know what's going on. And when she does, we'll get her out.
- Richard Castle: What if it's not in time?
- [Beckett has been called into work on her day off]
- Richard Castle: So, what's Gates up to? Aside from sabotaging our domestic bliss?
- Kevin Ryan: Just got off with hospital security again. Building's locked down, we got teams going through, but there's no sign of Elena.
- Richard Castle: And we still have no idea who this woman really is.
- Captain Fowler: [entering] I'm afraid we do. Security video shows her leaving her room alone. And the officer's throat was cut in same exact manner as the murdered drug dealers. Same angle, same left-handed stroke, favoring the carotid.
- Captain Victoria Gates: That's what those text messages meant, about packages being delivered. She wasn't a courier for the ring.
- Javier Esposito: She was their contract killer.
- Richard Castle: A *contract* killer. That's who Beckett is out there impersonating and you didn't know?
- Captain Victoria Gates: Mr. Castle...
- Richard Castle: And now, this woman is out there somewhere. Do you have any idea what's gonna happen to Beckett when the real Elena shows up?
- Captain Fowler: We're doing everything we can.
- Richard Castle: Well, it's not enough!
- [enters room to meet who she thinks is Lazarus, who has his backed turned]
- Vulcan Simmons: I apologize for the delay. I had to resolve a business matter.
- Kate Beckett: Of course.
- Vulcan Simmons: I don't usually do this. Meet like this. But for you, I'll make an exception. Between our needs and your skill set, this could be a very *profitable* arrangement.
- Kate Beckett: I agree.
- Vulcan Simmons: Good. So, now that we've met, why don't we formalize our arrangement?
- [turns around]
- Vulcan Simmons: You are not Elena.
- Mr. Jones: What do you mean?
- Vulcan Simmons: I know you.
- Kate Beckett: No. No, I don't think you do.
- Vulcan Simmons: No, no, no. I never forget a face... Detective Beckett.
- [as Beckett tries to draw her gun, Mr Jones pulls his and stops her]
- Mr. Jones: Oh, no, no, no.
- [to Simmons]
- Mr. Jones: She is a cop?
- Vulcan Simmons: Homicide. Out of the 12th. Last time I saw you, you tried to put me through a wall. Accused me of murderin' your mama. And from the look on her face, she remembers me. Don't you, Detective?
- Kate Beckett: Vulcan Simmons. You're Lazarus.
- Kate Beckett: Elena?
- Elena Markov: You got balls. I'll give you that.
- Kate Beckett: [after a tense moment, Elena turns to leave] You're not gonna kill me?
- Elena Markov: He sent me because he owed you. He said he wanted you to live.
- Kate Beckett: Who sent you? Who wanted me to live?
- Elena Markov: Lazarus.
- Kate Beckett: Hiding behind Vulcan Simmons, funding his campaign with dirty money, killing whoever gets in his way, just like he did with my mom. It's him. And we have no way of proving it.
- Richard Castle: Maybe the feds will find something.
- Kate Beckett: No, Bracken's so well-insulated. It's genius, actually. He has all the campaign funds that he needs without having to compromise or be beholden to any special interest groups.
- Richard Castle: But if it really was him, why wouldn't he just let you die in the woods? Why would he send Elena to save you?
- Kate Beckett: Because when I stopped the assassination last year, I saved him. And he told me that he owed me. And now we're even. So the next time that we see each other...
- Richard Castle: [standing to leave, he kisses the top of her head] Come to bed.
- Captain Fowler: These six victims had their throats cut. They were mid- to upper-level drug dealers. Two were teenagers. They were all murdered in the past few months when a new drug ring muscled in and took over most of the uptown heroin and cocaine trade.
- Kate Beckett: A new drug ring? Well, who are they?
- Captain Fowler: The commissioner asked me to find that out and shut them down. But they're invisible, these guys. They don't use banks, so we can't follow the money. They make sure their street dealers never meet their suppliers.
- Kate Beckett: So when you bust a dealer, he doesn't know who he's working for.
- [briefing Beckett about his case]
- Captain Fowler: It looked like another dead-end. Then, this morning, Elena got another text from the ring. This time, they wanted to meet her to offer her a promotion.
- Kate Beckett: Which would give you guys a chance to get eyes on someone.
- Captain Fowler: It's the break we've been waiting for. So, we leveraged Elena to take the meet, but she tried to commit suicide.
- Captain Victoria Gates: She's in intensive care under police guard.
- Kate Beckett: Sir, I'm sorry to hear about that, but what does this all have to do with me?
- Captain Fowler: The meeting is set for five today and a chance like this is not gonna come back around. So we combed the NYPD database for someone of about Elena's age and appearance, who speaks fluent Russian, in case that's relevant. Only one name came up... Yours.
- Kate Beckett: You want me to go in her place?
- Captain Fowler: To the Widmark. Show up, meet your contact, and leave. In and out.
- Kate Beckett: What if they found out that you turned Elena and that this is all a trap?
- Captain Fowler: Then they wouldn't be meeting at the Widmark Hotel. We were very careful. No one knows she's made contact with us.
- Captain Victoria Gates: Still, there's a risk that they could see Detective Beckett and realize that she's not Elena.
- Captain Fowler: In the text, they asked Elena to wear a red scarf. Which tells us that they don't know her on sight. My people will be in place watching every move you make. We can even fit you with a monitored mic if you like.
- [Beckett is undecided]
- Captain Fowler: Detective, something *big* is going on out there and this is our best chance to find out what. But the meeting's in two hours. So, I need your answer.
- Martha Rodgers: Well, I know you have plans with Katherine this evening, so I am going to make myself scarce.
- [sees the dinner table]
- Martha Rodgers: Oh, very nice. I'm off to a revival of "Brighton Beach Memoirs". Ha. Pray for me.
- [seeing the concern in his face]
- Martha Rodgers: What's the matter?
- Richard Castle: I-I- I can't get a hold of Beckett. I texted her, I left messages. This isn't like her.
- Martha Rodgers: Maybe she got tied up at the precinct. Have you tried Ryan or Esposito?
- Richard Castle: I called 'em both. Just goes straight to voicemail. Just... Something is not right.
- Javier Esposito: [on phone] Beckett, where are you? We've got half the force looking for you.
- [to Gates and Ryan]
- Javier Esposito: Hey!
- [he waves over Gates, Ryan, and Captain Fowler, then puts the call on speakerphone]
- Kate Beckett: No, listen, get a trace on this phone, get eyes on me. I don't know where I am or who the hell Elena Markov is, but her story is a *lie*. She is more than just a low-level courier.
- Richard Castle: [entering precinct] Hey. You guys have not been returning my calls. Where's Beckett?
- Captain Victoria Gates: Mr. Castle, why don't you come into my office?
- [going to question Elena in the hospital]
- Kevin Ryan: I thought you had an officer guarding it.
- Captain Fowler: We do. He must be inside with her.
- Javier Esposito: Elena Markov, NYP...
- [entering the room, they see her bed empty and the guard dead on the floor]
- Kevin Ryan: Son of a bitch!
- Javier Esposito: [on walkie-talkie] We have an officer down! Officer down!
- Kevin Ryan: Elena's gone.
- Captain Fowler: Either she killed him and fled...
- Kevin Ryan: Or someone else did and they grabbed her. They took Elena. That means Beckett's cover's blown. She's as good as dead.
- Mr. Harden: We're here.
- Kate Beckett: Where's here?
- Mr. Harden: All you need to know is that the target's in that house.
- Kate Beckett: Is he alone?
- Mr. Harden: Yeah, as far as I know.
- [handing her a silenced gun]
- Mr. Harden: Use this. Lazarus doesn't want it to be connected to your other kills.
- Kate Beckett: Well, he's gotta be important. Who is he?
- Mr. Harden: He's the next name on the list.
- Kate Beckett: What does he do?
- Mr. Harden: Now, why are you so curious, all of a sudden?
- Kate Beckett: You ever hear of recon? I like to know what I'm walking into. Is he a cop? Is he a drug dealer? Are there guns in the house? Curiosity keeps me alive.
- Richard Castle: Well, at least it's not a total loss. Now that the police know that Vulcan Simmons is Lazarus, they'll be watching him. He will not be able to rebuild his operation.
- Kate Beckett: He's not Lazarus. If he was, then I would be dead. Vulcan Simmons is just a figurehead. Someone else is behind this, someone higher up, someone who wanted me alive.
- Richard Castle: Who?
- Kate Beckett: It's someone bigger.