The Dantonio family's welcome dinner that night was lavish beyond measure. However, Sean and Richard Castle, who had other concerns on their minds, maintained only the most basic courtesies. After exchanging a few words with several heads of old Italian families, whom Old Dantonio had specially invited, they excused themselves before 10 p.m. Sean's role as a close partner of a High Table Elder was already well established, and he had achieved the purpose of supporting the Dantonio family. Everyone now knew that the Dantonio family, which had been on the verge of collapse due to Old Dantonio's health issues and the rivalry between the two heirs for leadership, had not only resolved its internal strife but had also garnered the backing of the powerful High Table. It was time for those families who had entertained inappropriate thoughts during the Dantonio family's turmoil to reconsider their ambitions.
Sean, still eager to gather more information from his son, found no need to linger any longer. After briefly showing face for Old Dantonio, Sean and Castle quickly made their exit, informing the elder before retreating to a secluded meeting room on the second floor. Sean had many questions for his son, whose intelligence network seemed more extensive than his own.
Old Dantonio, on the other hand, was in high spirits. He never expected that after his daughter brought home a son-in-law, she would also forge connections with the most mysterious partners of a High Table Elder. Who could have imagined that the famous "Night Demon," John Wick, had a writer friend who was secretly allied with the High Table's leadership? Upon learning this a few days earlier, Old Dantonio was incredibly relieved that he had chosen Gianna to inherit the family business. Had he picked that fool Santino instead, tonight might have been the night he lost control of the Dantonio family altogether. Instead of basking in the flattery of other old family heads, he might have been their target.
It seemed his daughter was truly blessed with fortune. Who would have guessed that John's friend, Castle, would be so well-connected? If not for Sean's sudden call arranging their trip to Rome, Old Dantonio might have remained unaware of these developments.
Now, with Castle and Sean's backing, the internal dissent within his family had finally quieted. Gianna's succession as family head would face no further opposition. Moreover, those families that had been eyeing his family for weakness no longer dared act. Still, merely stopping them wasn't enough. Under Gianna's leadership, after the birth of her child, the Dantonio family would reclaim its place as one of Italy's top families!
While Old Dantonio exchanged pleasantries, whether sincere or not, with the heads of other families, Castle and Sean were busy upstairs in a private meeting room, video chatting with the "chubby guy" back in New York to discuss the latest intelligence.
"Uncle Rick, I've looked into what you asked me. You're right—Russia seems to be in a state of internal tightening but external relaxation. Moscow is apparently under martial law. Also, the document you asked me to trace does indeed originate from a signal base near the Tower of London. What exactly is this Dragonberry Plan, and why is it so secretive?" the chubby guy blurted out rapidly as soon as the video call connected.
After quickly dismissing the over-enthusiastic chubby guy, telling him to send all the information over and promising to include him in future plans, Castle hung up the call and began reviewing the documents.
The chubby guy had worked fast. It was only that afternoon when Castle had asked him to investigate whether the recent leak of the Dragonberry Plan had caused any reactions in Russia. In just a few hours, the chubby guy had uncovered a wealth of evidence proving that Russia had indeed responded swiftly.
From the files sent over, along with the information the chubby guy had dug up by hacking into Russia's Ministry of Defense, it appeared that Moscow had initiated a covert investigation inside the Kremlin in response to the leak. It seemed Russia had long been aware of NATO's Dragonberry Plan during the Cold War, and might even know some of its contents. Otherwise, there was no explanation for Russia's intense response to the mere mention of the plan online, even before any specific details were revealed.
This suggested that Russia had some prior knowledge of the Dragonberry Plan. While Castle couldn't be certain if Russia knew that thirty years ago, Dr. Bailey, with the help of Frank Moses, had planted a powerful red mercury bomb in a secret chamber of the Kremlin, he wasn't willing to bet on Russia's ignorance either.
The mere thought of Russia discovering the bomb before Frank and his team could get there sent a chill down Castle's spine. If they mishandled it and caused an explosion, the consequences could be catastrophic. Given Russia's volatile nature, it wouldn't be surprising if they retaliated against NATO with nuclear weapons.
Even if Russia didn't blow themselves up, the fact that they might recover a red mercury bomb—an uncontaminated, highly powerful weapon—was bad enough. The bomb would serve as irrefutable proof of NATO's meddling. While Castle didn't feel any obligation to protect the U.S. government, he wasn't willing to jeopardize his comfortable life either. He couldn't allow Russia to gain control of the bomb.
Oddly, though, his system hadn't issued a mission related to this. And since Castle didn't feel compelled to clean up the U.S. government's mess, he decided not to get directly involved. If Frank couldn't retrieve the bomb with his team, Castle was confident that his father, Sean, would lend a hand.
With Sean's support and Castle's intelligence, there was still a chance Frank could get the bomb out of the Kremlin. As for Castle himself, without a system-issued mission, he saw no need to go in person. Why should he, a mere taxpayer, risk his neck for the government? Offering intelligence support was more than enough.
Before anything else, however, Castle knew they had to deal with Sean, who was still locked up in the Tower of London. He didn't want his father or Frank falling for the cunning tricks of the old man, Edward Bailey.
After reviewing the information, Castle explained everything he knew about the situation to Sean, including his analysis of Dr. Bailey, revealing the doctor as the mastermind behind the Dragonberry Plan leak.
Sean, for his part, was stunned. He hadn't expected his son to be so knowledgeable about the situation. By this point, Sean no longer believed that Castle had discovered all of this through Pentagon databases. It was clear Castle had been following this matter for quite some time. Though Sean had his doubts, he didn't press the issue, as Castle seemed genuinely concerned about his father's safety.
Castle, unaware that his attempt to prevent his father from being outsmarted had inadvertently revealed his deeper involvement, remained oblivious to Sean's suspicions. But, as always, Sean was indulgent toward his son, choosing not to confront him.
Having relayed everything he knew, Castle waited for Sean's response, but oddly, Sean didn't seem particularly upset or surprised by what he'd heard.
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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)
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