They say that what's destined to happen cannot be avoided, and what is meant to leave cannot be kept. The very next day after Castle's conversation with John and Gianna, who had brought their adorable little girl to visit, Senator Pratt was about to face his inevitable fate in the sea. It was a sunny weekend, and everything seemed perfect.
The senator, whose mood had been recently soured by Neal Caffrey's antics, felt a rare sense of relief. Neal had wisely retreated and left New York for Rome, the FBI's investigation into him had quieted down thanks to the intervention of his family and allies, and the rare good weather in New York made him feel relaxed. So, after waking up early, Senator Pratt decided to take advantage of the sunny day and swim at his Long Island estate's private beach.
Meanwhile, Castle had his own plans. The previous night, his daughter Alexis and his girlfriend Beckett had both arrived at the estate for the weekend. So, when Jarvis sent him a message via his smart bracelet, informing him that Senator Pratt was heading to his Long Island estate for a swim, Castle was still in bed with the long-legged beauty, Beckett.
Upon learning that the senator would be swimming at his private beach that afternoon—likely for the last time—Castle quickly got out of bed. He needed to come up with a clever excuse to get Beckett and Alexis out of the house. He couldn't risk Beckett, with her sharp instincts, sensing something was off while he monitored the assassination plan involving the blue-ringed octopus and the sea snake.
Though the small submarine was entirely controlled by Jarvis, Castle still couldn't relax until he was sure that Senator Pratt had been bitten by one of his deadly sea creatures.
Fortunately, Beckett and Alexis were genuinely fond of John and Gianna's newborn daughter. With vivid descriptions of the baby's irresistible cuteness, Castle easily persuaded the two women to visit the neighboring estate, where the little girl was playing.
As for Mozzie, the chubby guy, and Ramsay, they were deep in their tech projects, locked away in the underground supercomputer lab. Castle knew he didn't have to worry about them leaving anytime soon. The combination of Jarvis's AI and the incredibly fast private supercomputer was enough to keep them occupied for days. Mozzie, in particular, was enjoying the newfound tech toys, having nothing else to do since Neal and Kate had left for Europe. The chance to work with cutting-edge technology alongside two fellow hackers was too tempting for him to leave.
After a quick lunch, Castle discreetly carried two water tanks to his beach. These tanks contained the blue-ringed octopus and the sea snake he had stolen from a biological research lab. The octopus was intelligent, and thanks to Castle's "Animal Communication Mastery" ability, he had managed to strike a deal with it. The octopus agreed to bite the man who would soon be swimming in the sea, in exchange for Castle promising to build it a large aquarium in his estate, along with five female octopuses to form its own little harem.
Castle, shameless as ever, had tricked the naive octopus by appealing to its desire to pass on its genes, promising it a dream life after completing the task.
Unlike the octopus, the sea snake was less intelligent. Castle had simply promised to return it to its natural home in Australia if it managed to bite the swimmer. The snake, eager to return home, agreed to the plan.
By this point, the plan had about an 80% chance of success. Senator Pratt usually swam alone, with his bodyguards staying on a yacht nearby. According to the information gathered by Jarvis, the senator's guards rarely entered the water with him, remaining no more than 50 meters away on the boat. This made it highly unlikely that the octopus or snake would target the wrong person.
At 1:30 p.m., Jarvis's surveillance drones, Peeping Tom 1 and 2, captured footage of Senator Pratt's convoy exiting the Long Island highway, approaching his estate. Castle then entered the water, placing the octopus and sea snake into a small submarine he had designed. Jarvis took control of the submarine, directing it toward the yacht docked near Pratt's beach.
The plan was simple: once Senator Pratt entered the water for his final swim, Jarvis would release the octopus and sea snake from the submarine. They would bite the senator, then immediately return to the submarine, which would bring them back to Castle. After retrieving the creatures, the submarine—equipped with a self-destruct device—would speed out to sea and detonate, leaving no trace behind.
However, after launching the submarine, Jarvis raised a concern: "Sir, there's a flaw in your plan. I suggest you don't retrieve the octopus and sea snake right away. Once Senator Pratt dies under mysterious circumstances, the FBI will likely search all estates within a five-kilometer radius. If they discover a blue-ringed octopus and a sea snake at your estate, it could be problematic.
If you trust me, I recommend leaving the creatures in the submarine for a few days before retrieving them. They won't starve in that time."
Castle, always open to good advice, agreed with Jarvis's suggestion. This also meant he no longer needed to stay at the beach to recover the creatures, giving him the perfect opportunity to head over to Gianna's estate, where Beckett and Alexis were, to create an alibi.
Meanwhile, at Gianna's estate, Beckett and Alexis were enjoying the rare spring sunshine with Gianna, watching her baby girl lie in her shaded stroller. The women were quietly discussing parenting tips, while John, now a full-time dad, sat by the stroller, keeping an eye on his daughter. He was visibly relieved when Castle finally appeared at the estate. Having been surrounded by women for hours, John welcomed the company of another man.
After greeting the three women, Castle slyly pulled John aside, not hiding anything as he told him, "Neal's nemesis is over at his estate, just a few kilometers away, about to go for a swim. Heh… it'll be his last swim."
John, confused by his friend's cryptic tone, asked, "Wait… you've already arranged everything? How did you pull it off?"
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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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