Senator William Bracken didn't even last a month before being brought down by Castle and his girlfriend in a flurry of blows that resembled an inexperienced fighter taking down a master. Sure, part of the reason was Bracken's own missteps and his corrupt history, but the fact that Castle and Beckett managed to topple him so cleanly left Mozzie, who was well-versed in the dark side of politics, utterly shocked.
Looking at his friend's glowing face, Mozzie wanted to share his happiness. But his thoughts soon drifted to his other friend, Neal, who was in Rhode Island, tracking down evidence that his father had been framed by the only remaining New York State senator, Pratt. Knowing he would inevitably get involved in that battle alongside Neal made Mozzie feel uneasy. Unlike Castle, Mozzie didn't have powerful connections or extensive intelligence networks. Yet his decade-long friendship with Neal meant he couldn't just back out, no matter how daunting the task felt. It was like tackling a mission on "hell mode."
Castle, ever sensitive to people's emotions, noticed Mozzie's sudden mood shift. Not understanding why his friend wasn't sharing his excitement, Castle decided to ask directly.
Mozzie, not wanting to dampen Castle's joy, forced a smile and shook his head, insisting it was nothing.
Although Castle could be a bit clueless at times, his emotional intelligence was top-notch. After thinking for a moment, he quickly deduced why Mozzie might be feeling down after hearing about the victory over Bracken. It was obvious—Mozzie was likely reminded of Neal, who was currently in Rhode Island searching for evidence. Mozzie was probably worried about Neal's eventual confrontation with Senator Pratt and felt inadequate compared to Castle and Beckett, who had the resources to take down Bracken.
With a sly smile, Castle winked at Mozzie. "You're thinking about Neal, aren't you? About how he's in Rhode Island looking for key evidence, and when he returns to New York, he'll face off with Senator Pratt? And you're feeling down because you and Neal don't have the same advantages Beckett and I had?"
Mozzie was stunned. He was sure he had never mentioned to Castle why Neal had left New York for Rhode Island. How did Castle know the real reason behind Neal's trip, and even understand his own inner thoughts so clearly?
Seeing Mozzie's usually composed demeanor break into shock, Castle laughed. "Mozzie, you thought you and Neal hid the fact that Neal's father was framed by Senator Pratt and that Neal had to enter the witness protection program at age three from me because you didn't want to distract me while I was dealing with Bracken? Did you forget that I have multiple intelligence sources in New York?"
Mozzie didn't bother questioning how Castle knew this seemingly private information. After all, the main reason he and Neal had kept it from Castle was precisely what Castle had just said—they didn't want to distract him. Now that Castle and Beckett's mission was nearing its conclusion and had gone so well, there was no longer any point in hiding it. After all, Mozzie had witnessed firsthand how Castle had easily taken down Vincent Adler, a master con artist wanted by the U.S. government for over a decade, and now he had brought down a New York State senator. If Castle was willing to help Neal, then Senator Pratt would be no match.
Mozzie was about to lay everything out when Castle interrupted him. "I know you and Neal got this information shortly after I dealt with Vincent. And I fully understand why you didn't tell me at the time. After all, Beckett and I were focused on taking down Bracken.
"But Mozzie, did you forget that we're friends? You and Neal helped me without hesitation—do you think I would turn my back on Neal when he's facing his enemy?"
Facing his friend's words, Mozzie could only give a wry smile and explain, "At the time, you were going all-out against Senator Bracken, and the outcome was still uncertain. Neal and I thought it best to keep this from you until we had gathered some preliminary evidence. Neal went to Rhode Island to find Ellen, his father's former partner, who claims to have proof of Pratt's crimes. Our plan was to tell you once we had everything in place, depending on how things went with Bracken. But who would have thought you'd figure out everything we were trying to keep from you?"
Castle, not wanting Mozzie to think he'd been spying on them, explained how he found out. "Don't think I was monitoring you and Neal, because I wasn't. I first noticed something was off when Neal suddenly left New York without going to the Bahamas, where he'd said he was going. Instead, he left his girlfriend Kate on the West Coast and went alone to Rhode Island.
"Then I heard from King's people that Neal had picked up a package from the FBI after he was no longer under their supervision. That made me curious, so I dug a little deeper into what Neal was up to. That's when I found out he was planning to take on Senator Pratt.
"Haha, we really are friends. I take down Senator Bracken, and you and Neal plan to go after Pratt right afterward. It seems we all have a problem with New York State senators! There's an old Chinese saying for this: 'Birds of a feather flock together!'"
Mozzie chose to believe Castle's explanation. He trusted that Castle wouldn't lie to him or Neal. So, with Castle's promise to help Neal take down the last remaining New York senator, Mozzie finally explained everything he had learned from the videotape sent by Neal's Aunt Ellen.
Meanwhile, the little guy sitting next to them had been munching on chips when Castle revealed Neal's plans. He was so stunned, he forgot to keep eating. Was his life really this exciting? First, his Uncle Rick and Uncle Mozzie had just taken down a sitting New York senator, and now they were planning to go after another one? Did they not realize that senators were high-ranking officials? There were only 100 of them in the entire country, two for each state, and his uncles were aiming to take down both of New York's senators?
Castle, of course, didn't tell Mozzie that he already knew how the situation would play out if he didn't intervene. In Neal's original path, he would still be working closely with Peter Burke at the FBI, and when this case came to a head, Peter would secretly help Neal investigate. Ultimately, Neal's father would use Peter's gun to kill Senator Pratt and then disappear, leaving Peter to bear most of the blame.
But this time, due to Castle's interference, Neal was already free from the FBI. If Castle didn't step in, who knew what kind of mess Neal and Mozzie might cause? So, whether out of friendship or a sense of justice, Castle couldn't stand by.
He didn't tell Mozzie that he also knew exactly where Ellen had hidden the evidence. Instead, he told Mozzie to contact Neal and get him back from that cold, desolate place in Rhode Island. Once Neal returned to New York, Castle would decide whether to tell him that the evidence was actually hidden in the floor of the 52nd floor of the Empire State Building.
With these matters handled, Castle felt completely at ease. After asking Mozzie if he wanted to drive his Mercedes—an offer Mozzie declined—Castle left the little guy's house with a smile. Tomorrow, he would come back to pick up the little guy and head to Northrop Grumman's lab to officially start developing the drone. But first, he needed to return the Dodge V8 he had borrowed from the precinct, pick up his Mercedes, and check in on Beckett's progress at the 12th Precinct.
Meanwhile, Senator William Bracken sat anxiously in his office like a nervous wreck. All signs pointed to the fact that this time, he wouldn't make it out unscathed. What could he do? Just wait for his fate to be sealed?
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]