Neil was puzzled by Castle's sudden interest in his business. Normally, Castle never meddled in these things; even if he'd stopped by Neil's house earlier and hadn't found him, why would he suddenly care about Neil's latest gig?
Castle found it hard not to chuckle. Neil, the consummate con artist, hadn't caught on to Steve's treacherous intentions—a man who was still well-trusted by Charlie, his longtime partner. Before laying eyes on the pile of gold, Steve would keep his ambitions well-hidden.
Taking the wine glass Kate handed him, Castle didn't bother hiding his motives. "When I came by earlier and only found Kate, I had Jarvis do a quick check on what you've been up to. So, I found out you've been spending time with a 'John' and a 'Charlie' here in Venice, which told me you're up to something. But then, Jarvis uncovered a rather interesting piece of information… bad news for you, but pretty fascinating for me."
Neil became immediately alert, fully aware of Jarvis's formidable capabilities as the world's only AI. "What's the news, Rick?"
"Charlie has a partner named Steve, right?" Castle said nonchalantly, sipping his wine. "Well, Jarvis discovered that this guy's been secretly contacting a group of mercenaries. At first, I thought it was a backup plan for your heist, but after a little more digging, I found out that neither John nor Charlie has any history of violent heists. So, I had Jarvis check into Steve's contacts further, and it turns out he's preparing these mercenaries specifically to double-cross you once you have the gold."
Neil froze, stunned. He trusted Castle's word, as Castle had no reason to lie to him, but the realization hit hard. Their plan was set to go down the next day, and had Castle not shown up unexpectedly with his family in Venice, they would have walked right into Steve's trap after securing the gold. That idiot Steve was supposed to be their extraction, but he'd already made arrangements to ambush them? They'd be walking straight into a trap!
Neil couldn't help but feel lucky. Thanks to his AI-wielding friend's intervention, he was now aware of Steve's betrayal before the heist, and there was no way Steve would be able to outsmart him now. They were in Italy, the heart of the D'Antonio family's power, and Castle's close relationship with them meant Steve's plan would go up in smoke.
With a newfound understanding of the situation, Neil smiled. "Thanks, Rick. If it weren't for you, we'd be totally blindsided by Steve's scheme tomorrow."
Castle, aware of the heist details but feigning ignorance, played along. "So, you said you owed John a favor because of his age and difficulty with cracking safes underwater? But exactly how much gold are we talking about here? Three or four guys can't haul away much. And it's not like you need the money, so… just couldn't resist?"
Neil's normally composed face showed a rare hint of embarrassment, and Kate burst out laughing. "Rick, you're right—he's just itching for the thrill…!"
Castle casually asked Kate to call him Rick, just as Neil did, rather than "Mr. Castle." Turning back to Neil with a curious look, he watched his friend try to explain.
Neil admitted, "It's about thirty or forty million dollars' worth of gold. The guy we're targeting acquired it through pretty shady means, so we figured it's fair game. It's not like he can raise a fuss once it's gone. And, well… like I said, I owed John a favor, and, alright, maybe I was just a little bored!"
Castle wasn't about to judge his friend for wanting a little excitement. Everyone had their own ways of living, and after the trouble with Senator Pratt, Neil had had to lay low for a while. Taking on an old friend's request for help in a new city hardly seemed like a big deal.
Instead, Castle offered Neil a reminder to stay alert for Steve's betrayal and provided him with the contact information for a trusted ally within the D'Antonio family in Venice. With the support of Italy's powerful "grounded tiger," the D'Antonio family, and Neil's own forewarning, Castle was confident that Steve was doomed.
On the way back to his hotel, Castle made a call to the D'Antonio family's Venice contact, urging him to take out Steve personally if things went south. Although he'd have loved to watch Neil crack the safe underwater, he had to prioritize his family's safety and enjoyment.
So, Castle instructed Jarvis to monitor Steve around the clock, ensuring the slippery traitor wouldn't escape if he caught wind of trouble. While the system hadn't mentioned penalties for failure, Castle wasn't keen on spoiling his perfect success rate.
Meanwhile, the D'Antonio contact, already preparing his men, called Neil to suggest taking care of Steve that night. However, Neil insisted on keeping Steve alive for the heist, as Steve was responsible for dropping the gold-laden safe through the floor to the water below. Without him, their plan would falter.
Ultimately, Neil and the D'Antonio contact agreed to capture Steve only after he'd completed his part of the heist. Then Neil could expose Steve's betrayal to Charlie and John before disposing of him.
The next day, when Steve left to prepare for the demolition, Neil casually revealed to John and Charlie that Steve had hired mercenaries to double-cross them. He explained that he'd set up his own counterforce with the help of Castle and the D'Antonio family.
Realizing that John's health had been the trigger for Neil's involvement, both John and Charlie recognized how close they'd come to disaster. Without Neil's vigilance, their hard-won gold—and possibly their lives—would have been lost to Steve's greed.
They were fortunate to have Neil's help. Without it, the consequences could have been deadly.
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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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