After Beckett had her officers handcuff the five dejected suspects, she pulled out her phone to report their capture to Montgomery, now the Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD. By this time, Montgomery was surely aware that an assassination attempt had just been made on Vice President Andrew in Times Square.
Upon hearing that Beckett's team had immediately apprehended the culprits at the scene, with the murder weapon still intact, Montgomery, who was rushing to the scene, allowed himself a brief moment of relief. But before he could fully exhale, Beckett's next report hit him like a brick. The captured men were all CIA agents, and behind them, there might be even more powerful figures involved.
Montgomery, a seasoned and shrewd veteran, instantly recognized the gravity of the situation. This was a politically explosive situation, but also an enormous opportunity—if he handled it right.
While all of this was happening, Castle was finally able to gain a bit of trust from Bob Lee Swagger. Bob had been highly tense, but Castle's raised hands and the sounds of commotion from upstairs convinced him that this oily-looking man wasn't lying.
"What are you going to do with me?" Bob asked, finally lowering the gun he had been pointing at Castle, though his mood was visibly downcast.
Castle grinned, happy to have made progress, and replied casually, "Can I put my hands down now?"
Bob studied the man in front of him—a guy in an expensive, custom-tailored suit who didn't look like a cop at all. After weighing his options and concluding that Castle didn't seem like much of a threat, Bob nodded in approval.
Once Castle had lowered his hands, he adjusted his suit before addressing the confused and gloomy Bob. "This is the 12th Precinct's jurisdiction of the NYPD. My girlfriend is the captain here, and she's upstairs right now arresting the real culprits. And me? I'm Rick Castle, a novelist!
Nice to meet you, former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger. I've heard you're one of only a handful of snipers in the world who can hit a target from 1,800 meters away. Impressive! I, too, am one of the best, though in my case, it's in suspense novels—right after Stephen King, of course."
Bob, still reeling from everything that had happened, widened his eyes in disbelief. He stared at Castle, half-expecting this odd man to be joking. He wanted to know if the NYPD could clear his name, now that they had captured the real criminals. Who cared about Castle's achievements?
Castle, ever perceptive, picked up on Bob's impatience and quickly got to the point. "Come on, follow me. This place will be swarming with Secret Service and FBI agents soon. You don't need to worry about that rifle anymore; Beckett's already caught the idiots upstairs. You won't be dragged into this.
This whole mess is tied to a political clash between a senator's faction and the Vice President's supporters. Now that Beckett's got the senator's people, you're no longer valuable to them. Trust me, sticking with us is your safest option."
Bob hesitated for a moment, weighing his options, before finally deciding to follow Castle downstairs.
As they walked down, Bob began to notice something strange. The police officers patrolling the building seemed to treat Castle with great respect. Many greeted him with friendly nods, while they practically ignored Bob, who was right behind him. Who was this guy, really? Surely, being a police captain's boyfriend couldn't explain the deference he was receiving.
However, Bob kept these questions to himself. He followed Castle into a police van, clearly meant for official use. Once inside, Castle explained further, "This has gotten too big now. I can't let you go free just yet; you'll need to come down to the station and give a formal statement."
Castle was barely done speaking when a wave of police cars, sirens blaring, sped into the area surrounding the building. Montgomery, along with Secret Service and FBI agents, had arrived.
The Secret Service, responsible for the Vice President's protection, and the FBI, which handles domestic high-profile cases, went into overdrive the moment the gunshot was fired. After hurriedly shoving the terrified Vice President into an armored car and whisking him away to safety, these agencies scrambled to locate the sniper.
When the police radio revealed that NYPD officers had apprehended the would-be assassins, Secret Service and FBI agents raced to the scene, following the lead provided by the NYPD.
Having received Beckett's report, Deputy Commissioner Montgomery wasn't about to let the Secret Service or FBI take credit for his precinct's quick work. No matter what political battle was playing out behind the scenes, the fact was that his officers had caught the assassins red-handed. As long as they could bring the suspects back to the NYPD headquarters, anyone plotting behind the scenes would have to bow to him. The NYPD wasn't going to let themselves be pushed around.
Montgomery saw this situation as a golden opportunity. No matter how the political forces clashed, they would have to reckon with the NYPD. With this realization, Montgomery rushed to the scene to support Beckett.
Just as Castle and Bob were getting into the police van, Montgomery, the Secret Service, and the FBI stormed the building. Fortunately, Bob managed to slip away before the swarm of agents arrived. If they had discovered Bob, they would've fought to take him away, considering him a key witness and possibly a suspect.
Had the FBI taken Bob, Castle and the NYPD would've lost control of the situation. Even though Bob had left some safeguards back in Montana, and Beckett had arrested the real killers, once in FBI custody, things could easily spiral out of their control.
Castle grinned in satisfaction as he watched the federal agents, following Montgomery, rush into the building. He turned to Bob and said smugly, "See? If you'd been caught by those rabid agents, you'd be in a lot more trouble. Some of them might even be working for Colonel Johnson or that senator from Montana, Charles Haan. You're much safer with the NYPD. It's the only place you can truly clear your name."
Bob was startled by how casually Castle mentioned the involvement of a senator. He hadn't realized that his framing had connections beyond Colonel Johnson. A senator from Montana? What the hell had he gotten himself into?
While the NYPD, Secret Service, and FBI bickered over jurisdiction at the scene of the crime, the rattled Vice President Andrew was sitting in his armored car, being driven to a secure location. Still unaware of the full picture, he listened to his chief of staff's report.
After a moment, Andrew interrupted his aide's briefing. "So, you're saying that the shot may not have been aimed at me, but at that African envoy standing next to me?
Is that possible? I mean, we were only about five feet apart. What if the sniper was aiming for me and just missed because of the distance?
Damn it, I told you we shouldn't get involved with these African guys. You all insisted that cozying up to them would get us more support from the black voters here. As if anyone doesn't know what those guys are like.
If it weren't for the fundraising gala in two days, I wouldn't have even come here!"
Yes, Vice President Andrew's trip to New York wasn't really about meeting the African envoy. He was there for a fundraising gala hosted by the Democratic Party to boost his campaign. Almost getting shot had pushed him over the edge.
Meanwhile, inside the building, the head of the Secret Service's protective detail, the FBI's New York Division chief, and NYPD Deputy Commissioner Montgomery stood together as Beckett briefed them on the situation.
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256) — $5
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336) — $5
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542) — $5
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924) — $5
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284) — $5
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289) — $5
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316) — $5
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402) — $5
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570) — $5
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660) — $5
Get access to all of them for just $15 on Patre@n!
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]