Victoria, a seasoned veteran in the espionage world, immediately caught on. The young man who had provided this convenient safe house for them was no ordinary character either.
It made sense. As the son of Frank's lifelong commander, Castle was definitely not some rule-abiding writer. Not to mention, today's chaos was triggered because he had personally taken down New York State Senator William Bracken.
Who in their right mind would dare to defy the Republican Party and bring down one of their political stars? Only a fool would think that Castle was some innocent figure.
Understanding this, Victoria couldn't help but chuckle. "So, that kid's planning to have that scapegoated sniper get his revenge?"
Frank's wrinkled face twisted into a wicked grin. "Look at the equipment in this safe house basement, and add that to the enormous estate I just visited. My commander's son isn't an ordinary person. And I've heard that kid is a shareholder in Northrop Grumman and their lead consultant for the newest generation of military drones. The kid's latched onto some serious power. No wonder he dares to ignore the Republicans. He's backed by the military-industrial complex—the true power behind the GOP.
Since he's already been embraced by that crowd, it's obvious he has no qualms about going after these puppet politicians on the front lines. But he's smart—he won't get his hands dirty. From what I can tell, he'll likely provoke that wronged sniper into taking matters into his own hands, going after Senator Charles Hahn and Johnson. And honestly, that works perfectly for us.
We can leave Charles for now and focus on bringing down Andrew first. Once we've handled him, we'll see where things stand with Charles."
Victoria agreed wholeheartedly with Frank's strategy. Although they were all highly capable, their numbers were too few to fight on two fronts. But with Castle now involved as a disruptor, they could focus on taking down the relatively weaker Vice President Andrew first and then assess Castle's progress against Charles.
If Castle managed to topple Senator Hahn and his lackey Johnson on his own, that would be ideal. If not, there would be plenty of time to step in once Andrew was out of the way. After all, both sides posed a threat to their group. These cold war veterans would make sure to remind the politicians just what happens when you cross them.
After reaching this understanding with Victoria, Frank turned to his sulking partner Marvin. "I promised you, once we wrap up this situation, we'll head to London and find out if Dr. Edward Bailey is really being held by the Brits under the Tower. Is that good enough?"
Marvin, slightly unhinged but appeased, mumbled, "You said it!"
With Marvin pacified, Frank finally turned to his overexcited younger girlfriend, Sarah, whose eyes were practically glowing. "Alright, I know what you're going to say. Yes, we'll include you in our next operation. But for now, go get some rest. Nothing else will happen tonight, but tomorrow, New York will be buzzing. Rick's police captain girlfriend just arrested eight of Andrew's men who tried to kidnap the sniper. Both political factions have been slapped in the face by the NYPD, and now they know about each other's involvement. Tomorrow's New York will be in an uproar, and that's when we'll take our shot at Vice President Andrew."
While the retirement club plotted their next move in the safety of their hideout, Beckett was back at the precinct, wrapping up her work and preparing to head to Castle's Upper East Side home to keep Alexis company. The eight men who had attacked the police earlier were quickly bailed out by a horde of lawyers. Beckett had expected this outcome. She knew that if Andrew's men remained locked up, the Vice President wouldn't have the manpower to confront the real mastermind, Senator Charles Hahn. So, after getting what she needed, she allowed the release of the men on an absurdly high bail.
Meanwhile, back at Castle's Long Island estate, a plan for Bob Lee Swagger's revenge was being laid out in the presence of two NYPD officers. The target: Senator Charles Hahn and his lackey, Colonel Johnson, the men behind the assassination attempt.
After Castle saw Frank off, he turned around and was immediately met with the curious stares of everyone in the room. He knew they were all dying to know who the bald man he had just escorted out was. Castle sighed, exasperated. "I really can't tell you who that was. His identity is classified, even within the CIA. Sure, I could satisfy your curiosity, but do you really want to spend the rest of your lives under CIA surveillance?"
Everyone in the room went silent, stunned by Castle's words. Only Mozzie, slightly confused, asked the question on everyone's mind. "Uncle Rick, was that man's identity really that important?"
Castle, knowing he had to give them something to quench their curiosity, thought carefully before answering. "I can only tell you that the man who just left is one of the most highly classified figures within the CIA, known to very few. He came here because he was a colleague of my father's, and he's also directly involved in today's case. Like Bob, this man was living a peaceful retirement until Senator Charles Hahn, pretending to be Andrew's men, attacked him. The idea was to make him think Andrew was responsible, provoking him into going after Andrew.
But now that I've told him the truth, he has the same enemies as Bob.
So if we don't act quickly, Bob might not even have the chance to get his revenge. And trust me, that old man who just left is the kind of guy who survived through the Cold War's most dangerous moments. I really can't say more than that."
With their curiosity somewhat satisfied, the group turned their attention back to planning Bob's revenge, though now with a clearer sense of the larger forces at play.
Espo and Ryan, sitting on the sidelines, were reluctant to get involved. Their role as police officers prohibited them from participating in such discussions. But Castle, being the manipulative genius he was, deliberately made sure to keep the conversation lively, drawing in Mozzie, Neal, and Bob. After struggling with their conscience, Espo and Ryan eventually, though sheepishly, sat down, convincing themselves they could just listen in without actively participating. After all, if something happened in New York, wouldn't it be helpful for them to have inside information?
But what they heard next shattered their perception of reality. They finally understood why Neal Caffrey had eluded the FBI for years. The man was wickedly brilliant.
What did Neal do?
In typical Neal fashion, he casually proposed a plan for Bob that was as devious as it was cold-blooded. His suggestion: don't rush into revenge against Senator Charles Hahn just yet. First, leak the information to Andrew, revealing that Charles was the mastermind behind the assassination plot. Let Andrew, furious and desperate, mobilize his resources to retaliate against Charles. Once the two sides start tearing each other apart, they could then release the dirt on Andrew's past that Mozzie was digging up, making Andrew believe it was Charles who exposed him. After both sides have worn each other down, Bob could then swoop in and finish off Charles and Johnson.
Espo and Ryan sat there, chills running down their spines. Neal had just laid out a plan that was not only cunning but outright vicious. They realized they were surrounded by some truly dangerous individuals. Even Castle, the man they had once thought of as harmless, was far from the innocent writer they had assumed him to be.
------------------
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)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]