After carefully considering the unexpected discovery of the lost Freemason treasure, Castle had to admit that everything had aligned far too perfectly!
First, he had unintentionally learned about the treasure from a news report, but the timing was crucial—he found out just before the main protagonist, Ben Gates, deciphered the final location. This meant Castle had the opportunity to quietly slip in before anyone else realized how much treasure was truly there.
Second, Castle already knew the exact location of the treasure and how to access it without leaving a trace. This allowed him to fly under the radar and quietly make a fortune.
Finally, the treasure was located at Trinity Church, which just so happened to be in the jurisdiction of Beckett's 12th Precinct. Not only could Castle conceal his movements using the Trojan horse he'd installed in the precinct's surveillance system, but once he had his fill of treasure, he could tip off Beckett that the nationwide fugitive Ben Gates would soon be in her jurisdiction. Though Gates would eventually be cleared with the help of the Freemasons, this would still give Beckett another boost to her reputation.
Castle laughed to himself at how perfect this plan was. It was a stroke of genius—he could get rich and help Beckett's career all at once!
Once Neal, Moz, Gianna, her husband, the chubby kid, and Bob had all gathered at the estate, Castle began his 'performance': "Everyone, this morning I accidentally caught a news report that a man named Ben Gates stole the Declaration of Independence last night. But here's the thing—not only do I know why he stole it, but I also discovered the exact location of the Freemasons' lost treasure from this news."
Castle proceeded to reveal everything he knew about the Gates family's generations-long search for the treasure, how the knowledge of its whereabouts had been lost during the American Revolution, and how Gates had tracked down clues from the Arctic with the help of a British sponsor. Eventually, Gates had realized that the back of the Declaration of Independence hid the key to the treasure's location, which prompted him to steal the document.
He concluded, half-jokingly, with his plan to take advantage of this golden opportunity before Gates could crack the code.
Unsurprisingly, Castle's bombshell revelation left everyone in the room stunned.
Gianna stammered in disbelief, "Rick... Rick, are you saying you've known the location of the Freemason treasure all this time, but didn't realize it until now? And now, because of this Gates guy, you're planning to grab part of it before he can?"
Castle nodded. "Exactly. I'm not planning to take all of it, though. The treasure is considered the property of the powerful Freemasons, and I'm not eager to get on their bad side. So, I intend to sneak in tonight, grab a portion, and leave the rest for Gates to find. What do you all think?"
Neal was the first to catch on that something wasn't quite right. "Rick, are you telling us the treasure is in New York?"
Everyone was even more shocked. This treasure had been lost since 1776, before the founding of the United States, and those who had known its location had all mysteriously died. New York wasn't even a focal point of the American-British conflict at the time, so how could the treasure be there?
Castle gave Neal a thumbs-up. "That's right. The treasure is in New York—specifically, in Manhattan!"
The entire group, except for Bob, was now buzzing with excitement. All of them had been involved in the black-market operation against Vincent Adler, and they had profited from stolen art and gold. No one here, except Bob, was poor.
But this was the lost treasure of the Freemasons, with origins dating back to the Crusades and the Middle East, filled with priceless artifacts thousands of years old. This was an irresistible temptation for Moz and Neal.
As for Gianna, let's not forget she was Italian, a descendant of ancient Rome. Among this treasure could very well be relics from her own heritage. How could she not be excited?
Even Bob, who had no appreciation for art, knew the immense value of such a treasure. For a soldier like him, this was a ticket out of poverty.
It was time to act!
Bob's eyes lit up. One good score, and he could escape poverty for good. Plus, there was little danger involved. After working with Castle for some time, Bob knew that despite Castle's outward appearance as a bestselling author, he was actually a mastermind who thrived on making bold moves. On top of that, Castle had deep connections in Manhattan, both with the police and criminal elements. With Beckett, the precinct chief, as his girlfriend, what was there to fear?
Besides, Castle had just explained that no one else knew the exact location of the treasure, so what were they waiting for?
Everyone agreed with Castle's plan: to quietly slip into the Freemason treasure room tonight, grab what they could, and then act like nothing had happened.
Now they just needed to divide the tasks. The chubby kid would play a crucial role once again, using Castle's Trojan horse to replace all the surveillance footage in Manhattan that could show Castle in action, without anyone noticing. John didn't need to be involved this time, as Gianna was heavily pregnant, and with Bob handling the physical security, there was no need for the retired hitman to step in.
Neal and Moz wouldn't be needed either. The fewer people involved in entering the treasure room, the fewer clues left behind. So, only Castle, who knew the exact location, would go in. Although he might not be able to haul out too much, they didn't need much anyway—this was about collecting a share, not cleaning out the place.
What the others didn't know was that even if Castle went in alone, he'd likely clear out more than a third of the treasure. While he planned to leave something for Gates, he didn't want to leave much for the Freemasons. Castle had already decided to fill his portable space to capacity, unload the treasure into a shipping truck, and have Bob drive it off. Then, he'd go back in and fill up again, leaving only about a third for Gates!
As for the City of Gold under Mount Rushmore, Castle didn't intend to leave anything there for Gates. That treasure had belonged to the Native Americans before being stolen, and Castle felt no obligation to leave anything for the U.S. government.
But that was a task for another day. Right now, the priority was to act quickly and grab what they could from Trinity Church before Gates deciphered the Declaration of Independence.
With the lure of vast riches spurring them on, everyone moved with lightning efficiency. Though Gianna, pregnant, was excluded from the heist, she still took on the role of lookout for Castle's solo mission. Interestingly, no one questioned Castle's decision to act alone. They all knew he harbored many secrets, and his explanation that fewer people meant fewer risks made perfect sense.
In the end, only Bob and Castle would head to Manhattan. Bob's primary task was to wait by the bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn with a shipping truck Castle had mysteriously sourced.
Since container trucks aren't allowed to drive freely into Manhattan, Bob would wait on the bridge for Castle's signal.
Meanwhile, Castle emptied out all the miscellaneous items in his portable storage, including a car he'd stored there ever since he first acquired the space. Once night fell, he quietly made his way toward Trinity Church...
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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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