No one expected that the first to receive news about Dr. Bailey wasn't the mighty CIA or MI6, but instead, it was the High Table, a shadowy organization under Sean's command. This happened after Sean's men, despite being forewarned, were still outsmarted by Dr. Bailey, which left Sean furious.
Lately, the CIA's European branches had been too overwhelmed by the Jason Bourne fiasco to allocate additional resources to track down Dr. Bailey. MI6, for its part, had long fallen from grace; there was no "Kingston" and certainly no 007-like James Bond to save the day. As a result, it wasn't until three days after Castle's return to New York that the High Table gathered critical information about Dr. Bailey's whereabouts.
But the news was far from good. According to their sources, Dr. Bailey was currently hiding in the Finnish mountains, waiting to trade his 30-year-old red mercury bomb with a man named Barkawi. This individual had reportedly lost all his family and friends in a U.S. drone strike at his daughter's wedding, killed by Hellfire missiles.
Upon hearing the name Barkawi, Castle couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. After carefully reviewing Barkawi's background, he was shocked to realize that this was the very man behind the plot in "London Has Fallen" in his previous life.
Barkawi was a notorious figure, orchestrating a massive attack in London as revenge for the U.S. drone strike. He had even managed to poison the British Prime Minister, and during the Prime Minister's funeral—attended by leaders from around the world—launched a devastating assault. It was only due to the intervention of the protagonist, Secret Service agent Mike Banning, that the U.S. President Benjamin Asher was saved from being publicly executed on live television.
However, Castle remembered that in his previous life, these events had unfolded around 2017. Was the timeline accelerating? Or had Barkawi been laying the groundwork for years?
Barkawi's desire to purchase the red mercury bomb seemed plausible, given that his ultimate goal was to wreak havoc in London. During his previous plot, he had not only taken out the Prime Ministers of Japan, Canada, and Germany, but he had also managed to shoot down Marine One—the helicopter carrying the U.S. President—using a surface-to-air missile. If not for the timely heroics of Mike Banning, the President would have likely been decapitated on live television. Barkawi had even attempted to bomb Westminster Abbey during the Prime Minister's funeral.
It was no surprise that Barkawi and Dr. Bailey had found common cause, united by their shared hatred of Britain.
Despite receiving this information, Castle had no intention of getting involved. While he could cause some trouble from the safety of New York using his network of informants, going all the way to Finland to retrieve the bomb from Dr. Bailey was sheer madness. Moreover, both the CIA and MI6 were already on their way to Finland with Sean's intelligence, so there was no need for Castle to add himself to the mix. He wasn't about to risk his life for this.
Castle's indifference to the situation was partly because his priority lay elsewhere. His estate's new building, designed to house his supercomputer, was about to break ground. The architectural firm he hired had previously worked on Columbia University's supercomputer lab, and they had already completed the initial designs. After Castle approved the first draft, the project was set to begin, with only minor adjustments needed before construction could start.
Incredibly, there was even a Chinese construction firm with offices in New York, and knowing the rapid pace and high quality of Chinese infrastructure, Castle had confidently entrusted them with the project. The estimated cost for the building was around 100 million U.S. dollars, and the Chinese firm, thrilled to land such a lucrative contract, was already preparing their equipment and personnel.
With such a significant investment in progress, Castle had no interest in chasing down Dr. Bailey in Finland. The situation there seemed destined for failure anyway. Even the CIA, MI6, and Frank's team—once protected by the protagonist's halo—were unlikely to succeed this time. Castle had a hunch that whether Dr. Bailey successfully sold the bomb or it fell through, Britain was in for some major trouble. Better to stay in New York and steer clear of the chaos.
Besides, Castle had other matters to attend to. Northrop Grumman had just completed the bidding process for the new military drone design, and Castle's creation, inspired by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet, had been selected as the U.S. military's next-generation drone. Production was set to begin soon, and as the chief designer, Castle couldn't just leave the country at such a critical moment.
Moreover, the supercomputer he had ordered through Northrop Grumman was already being manufactured, and this was essential to his plans for developing artificial intelligence. With so much at stake in New York, chasing down a mad scientist seemed like a waste of time.
Yet, amidst all this, Castle had picked up on a critical detail: Barkawi's appearance could very well signal the rise of Benjamin Asher as the next U.S. President. Asher, who had survived the White House attack and then the London assault, seemed to be on a collision course with destiny. While Castle knew Asher's presidency would be fraught with danger, he also saw an opportunity.
After a bit of digging, Castle confirmed his suspicion. Benjamin Asher's name was listed as a potential candidate for the Democratic Party's upcoming presidential election. This meant that Asher, now relatively unknown, could soon become the dark horse candidate who would surprise everyone and take over the White House.
If that were the case, Castle saw a golden opportunity. He could invest in Asher's political future before anyone else even noticed him. Asher, although doomed to have a turbulent presidency, was still a potential asset.
Castle had already considered pushing Kate Beckett toward a political career, but now it seemed like fortune had handed him the perfect ally in the form of a future U.S. President. If Castle played his cards right, supporting Asher before he became famous might earn him a massive favor—one that could prove invaluable in the years to come.
Plus, if Castle backed Asher's campaign, it was possible that Asher's wife wouldn't die in the car accident that had left the future President devastated. If Castle could prevent that tragedy, it would secure him an even greater debt of gratitude from the man who would soon be leading the United States.
With his mind made up, Castle quickly contacted Neal and Mozzie, who had been retrieving evidence against Senator Pratt from the Empire State Building. Castle had promised Neal that he would help uncover the truth about his father's dealings with Pratt, and he intended to follow through on that promise as soon as possible.
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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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