Just came upon this story, it was great. I will definitely read more of your work.

This was a much better reason for Rick’s disappearance than what the writers came up with in Cannon. You are an excellent story teller.

this is one hell of a story - thanks for writing it

Not a hard choice at all, Marks. Point of interest: there are approximately 160K thousand dollar bills in existence. The US Treasury stopped printing them in the 40s. None are in actual circulation, but in the hands of collectors. The largest denomination out there presently is the good old C note.

The chapter of scary women. It sounds like Liz is working on her own.

Interesting.

I don't think I would ever want to get on the wrong side of Hunt.

It's cool that you have switched back and forth between the two scenes with Castle and Kate, thinking along the same lines and drawing the same conclusions.

Pirates!

Progress!

Excellent. I could feel the team's frustration after watching the 1st video over and over again. It's almost as if the shock of what as happened has taken a back seat and now they are all back in detective mode, Castle included.

Thanks for writing.

Awesome story! Love your AUs!

Yay! Two gifts, but at a horrific price.

The difference between you and me is my sick, twisted and warped brain momentarily wished Phil Blackman's name was something like Giuseppe Nicolo or Luciano Di Piazza.

I'm a horrible person, but you are an awesome writer.
Thnaks

I love the scene at the beginning of this chapter between Martha and Kate.
I've been wracking my brain to try to figure out what is on the video that they haven't already noted.
The whole concept of the love letters on the wall is beautiful and very much in Castle's character, but then you go and break my heart when he's resigned that at least they'll have that after he's gone. His despair is jumping off the page.
Nice scene at the end with Javi and Kevin, praying together. I've often wondered about faith and the lack of it, with the exception of the Catholic jokes, on the show. What I have supposed is that Javi was probably a church goer, raised by his ethnic mom, but lost it somewhere on his journey and probably carries around a guilt because he's never gone back. I think Kate, if she had it, probably turned her back much the same way Mal did at Serenity Valley, after her mom died. Castle is tough. I feel that he might have never been exposed to the church regularly. Martha may have brought him with other family members or on holidays and I feel like he may have done the same with Alexis.
Good chapter. Thanks for sharing and writing.

They want him alive and healthy-ish enough to kill one of their own. Cold. Suddenly, my boss isn't so bad.
Thanks for writing.

Another suspenseful chapter. It's interesting that Rick stared at the chopper passengers.
Hakuna Matata

"Yeah, the worst part is not knowing anything." I knew Rick would get there.
That's a hell of a way to bring an air guitar concert to an end. Maybe the lion is a music hater. Ha! I just read "I guess they don't like Three Dog Night." Even in the toughest situations Rick keeps his sense of humor. His coping mechanism.
He'll have crude weapons, but will he have to use them? I hope not.

I cannot believe I haven't read this before now. This is excellent!

Lots of powerful emotions in this chapter from all parties concerned. I have a theory as to who is behind this, and whether it is correct or not, his captors are terrifying. The anonymity would be the hardest part for me, the unanswered why, maddening.
Thanks.

I liked the way you describe how seclusion takes its toll on Castle; especially in day six. I loved the way he intetacts with the lions - Simba and Nala. I also liked the reaction to the first video. I liked how Kate plays on the actions of Hunt to appear even more threatening. I loved the chapter during which Castle escapes, and Kate finds the cabin (Though I didn't understand why they didn't use a chopper).

Poor Castle was so strong. He became a murderer because of it. Because he was resourceful and brave. If he had just waited passively, Kate would have found him far less damaged. But now he killed men who weren't going to hurt him.

I had mixed feelings about some parts. I like the reactions to the second video less. I think that it took them a while to notice how bad Castle looked. And during the trial, I don't understand why Kate gave some of those answers - I know she's exhausted, distracted and emotionnal - but she didn't give the smarter answers. So yeah it made sense that the DA was dirty. Also I don't understand why the mayor still was in possession of the videos; why weren't the dvds in police custody, as evidence?

All in all, it was a really great story. We got to see more of the evil Elizabeth Bracken. I liked how you made us think the word 'Monster' through different chatacters and situations.

It is a sloppy review - and I am sorry for that - but I can't wait to read 'Recluse'.