Beckett, who knew Castle all too well, instantly recognized the smug expression on his face. It didn't take her long to connect the dots and realize that the IRS's operation to arrest the so-called Blade Fist activists—those who had been causing chaos outside NYPD headquarters—was undoubtedly Castle's doing.
Surprisingly, Beckett, who had always been a by-the-book cop with a strong sense of justice, had no objections to Castle's methods. In fact, she fully supported his actions. This only went to show how much the Blade Fist activists had infuriated the NYPD.
According to Beckett, the NYPD had been walking on eggshells due to orders from above. They were explicitly instructed to avoid any confrontation with the protesters, knowing full well that even the slightest provocation could escalate the situation. No one wanted a peaceful demonstration to devolve into a full-scale riot in the heart of Manhattan, complete with looting and "shopping sprees" under the guise of political protest.
Even Deputy Commissioner Montgomery, who shared the same racial background as the protesters, was utterly fed up. He was disgusted by how his fellow African Americans so often resorted to disruptive protests to air their grievances, rather than seeking more constructive avenues.
When the IRS agents swooped in and arrested the protest leaders under the glaring eyes of the media, citing tax evasion, the move was widely regarded as a masterstroke. The NYPD could hardly contain their glee.
Beckett, being privy to the larger context, was especially pleased. She knew the protests weren't just a grassroots uprising. Behind the scenes, the Lockset organization had orchestrated the entire affair, using the dimwitted Black protesters as pawns to distract Castle. Lockset wanted to ensure Castle remained preoccupied and didn't catch wind of their larger conspiracy—namely, a plot involving America's most-wanted terrorist, Amir Barkawi. The plan was to strike next month, targeting Peanut City (Washington, D.C.) while the South Korean Prime Minister visited President Benjamin Arthur.
Thus, Beckett admired Castle's restraint. Rather than retaliate directly, he had cleverly weaponized the evidence Jarvis had gathered to unleash the IRS—the one agency in America no one could evade or resist. It was a move as elegant as it was devastating.
Even if Lockset suspected Castle was behind the IRS crackdown, they had no proof. Without concrete evidence, they couldn't openly retaliate, especially not in New York, where Castle enjoyed the full backing of the NYPD.
Castle, however, wasn't as optimistic as Beckett. Although he had retreated to his lab after submitting his anonymous tip, he hadn't ignored the aftermath. In fact, Jarvis had been keeping a close watch on the IRS's operations and Lockset's reactions.
Sure enough, within half an hour of the IRS operation, members of the Lockset organization—some previously unknown to Castle—began inquiring about the arrests. Using various pretexts, they contacted the New York IRS office to probe for details about why the arrests were made so publicly and why such force was used.
Castle had anticipated this. Knowing full well that the Blade Fist activists and their liberal allies were gunning for him, he wasn't about to let his guard down. Even as he tinkered with the massive flexible display screen in his mechanical lab, Jarvis was monitoring every move Lockset made.
Lockset's inquiries confirmed Castle's suspicions: they were onto him. But what could they do about it?
The enmity between Castle and Lockset was already irreconcilable. Castle saw Lockset as a tangled ball of yarn, and every action they took only revealed more loose threads for him to pull. He was patiently waiting for next month, when Lockset would inevitably expose more of themselves by collaborating with Barkawi. Once their plan unfolded, Castle would have all the evidence he needed to blow the lid off their operations.
When Barkawi and Lockset joined forces to orchestrate an attack on Washington during the South Korean Prime Minister's visit, Castle would be ready. He planned to present the entire plot—and Lockset's role in enabling it—to Benjamin Arthur. After surviving a direct assault on the White House, Arthur would be enraged and desperate for someone to blame.
Castle could already picture it. A humiliated U.S. government, with its capital attacked and its President nearly killed, would unleash its full fury. And Castle would be there, handing over Lockset's exposed members and their network on a silver platter. The organization would be ripped apart by an enraged administration eager to save face.
After sharing his plan with Beckett, Castle returned to his work, leaving her to marvel at his foresight.
Meanwhile, within the Lockset organization, Castle's actions had sparked internal conflict.
Lockset, already weakened by President Arthur's recent purge of CIA operatives, was in disarray. The organization had lost much of its ability to carry out black operations, as many of its CIA-affiliated members had been ousted. The remaining members, scattered across politics and the military, had limited operational capabilities. This was one of the reasons they had turned to Barkawi for help.
The failed protest and the IRS crackdown only deepened the fractures within Lockset. Two opposing factions emerged:
The Cautious Faction: Comprised mainly of Lockset members embedded in politics and the military, this group advocated for patience. They believed it was unwise to provoke Castle further, especially with the major operation against the President just weeks away. Their priority was to finalize the plan with Barkawi and capitalize on the chaos that would follow the assassination attempt. They had no interest in risking their resources on a vendetta against Castle.
The Reckless Faction: This group consisted of former CIA operatives who had been purged during Arthur's cleanup. Having lost their positions and power, they were bitter and desperate for revenge. Castle, who had exposed their identities to Arthur, was their prime target. They wanted to eliminate him immediately, regardless of the risks.
At its core, the conflict wasn't just about Castle. It was also about power and influence within Lockset. The political and military faction saw the ex-CIA members as liabilities—disgraced operatives who no longer had the clout to contribute meaningfully. Conversely, the former CIA members viewed their political and military counterparts as cowards who were unwilling to stand up to Castle or avenge their losses.
This discord highlighted a fundamental flaw in Lockset's structure. Like the Hydra organization in Marvel, Lockset lacked a centralized leadership. Instead, it operated as a loose network of semi-independent branches, each with its own leader.
For example:
Within the CIA, Lockset had been led by a deputy director who resigned in disgrace. In politics, their leader was a congressman. In the military, they were represented by a colonel.
This decentralized structure worked well during times of success, as each branch could pursue its own goals. But in times of crisis, it became a source of division and weakness.
The current infighting was a perfect example of this. The political and military factions were focused on exploiting the power vacuum that would follow the President's assassination attempt, while the ex-CIA operatives were obsessed with avenging their personal grievances.
For Castle, the chaos within Lockset was just an added bonus. While they squabbled among themselves, he continued his work undisturbed, confident that the next month would bring them to their knees.
As the saying goes: "Never interrupt your enemy when they're making a mistake."
(End of Chapter)
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