When Richard Castle received a call from Beckett informing him that Joe Martinez had visited the 12th Precinct in his personal capacity and revealed information about Watanabe's whereabouts and intentions, Castle had to admit that any further secrecy was pointless. Since Joe, who leads the FBI's Joint Command Center, had already connected Watanabe to the events surrounding Christmas, hiding the truth no longer made sense.
Thus, Castle did not hesitate during the call and agreed to share intelligence with Joe.
The situation, however, was delicate for both Castle and Watanabe. Castle had Watanabe's movements under full surveillance but couldn't act because Watanabe hadn't yet acquired the weapons and equipment he had prepared in advance. Castle had no legal justification to strike. He couldn't act on the mere suspicion that Watanabe had come to New York with ill intentions. After all, on the surface, Watanabe and his group hadn't broken any U.S. laws. Without a clear violation, making a move was out of the question.
On Watanabe's side, his preparations were hindered because the weapons and equipment he had arranged before leaving Japan were still in Canada. He had contacted members of the West Coast Yakuza to help smuggle the gear across the U.S.-Canada border into New York in a piecemeal fashion. Despite his eagerness to take revenge on Castle, Watanabe had no choice but to wait until everything was in place.
Furthermore, the West Coast Yakuza members helping him were highly scattered. Even Watanabe himself had no idea about the specific transport routes. This left him anxiously awaiting the arrival of his weapons and equipment, forcing him to suppress his thirst for revenge for the time being.
During his call with Joe, Castle made it clear that he preferred to let his private security team, led by Ivan and his team of Russian operatives, handle the confrontation. Castle explained that if Joe's FBI tactical squad were involved, they would prioritize capturing the targets alive. But from Castle's perspective, Watanabe couldn't be allowed to survive. Letting him live could result in future complications.
Castle knew Watanabe wasn't just any adversary; he was the head of the Watanabe financial conglomerate. Even though Watanabe was acting impulsively due to his thirst for vengeance, Castle couldn't risk the possibility of him surviving. If the FBI captured Watanabe, there was no telling what backroom deals might take place that could lead to his release. That would be akin to releasing a tiger back into the wild. All their efforts would be for nothing.
Castle was unusually adamant during the call, expressing his firm stance that this was his chance to eliminate Watanabe under the guise of "self-defense."
After hanging up, Joe had to admit that Castle's concerns were valid. She was well aware of the limitations of the FBI's approach. The agency's tactical squads weren't like Ivan's Russians, who might eliminate both hostages and hostage-takers in one fell swoop. FBI agents focused on arrests and would hesitate to use lethal force unless Watanabe openly resisted with a firearm. Killing him outright would be nearly impossible under FBI protocol.
Joe also understood that Castle and Beckett had only informed her out of personal trust and goodwill. Castle had long since laid a trap for Watanabe, and Joe's intervention was more of a courtesy to a friend. Realizing this, Joe decided not to insist on taking over the operation. However, she made it clear that once Watanabe acquired his weapons and launched an attack, the Joint Command Center would step in. Until then, Castle and his team of Russian operatives would have a free hand.
Castle appreciated Joe's compromise, recognizing that it was likely the most she could offer given her responsibilities. If Watanabe's mercenaries caused chaos in New York and the FBI failed to respond in time, it would reflect poorly on Joe's leadership. Castle was grateful for the opportunity to deal with Watanabe before federal agents arrived, acknowledging the risk Joe had taken to allow this.
Despite Castle's advanced surveillance systems—controlled by Jarvis and supported by drones and omnipresent monitoring—and the FBI's investigative efforts, one critical detail was overlooked: the involvement of the West Coast Yakuza.
Castle and his strategist, Gianna, had underestimated the Yakuza's role. They assumed these Japanese gangsters, with no foothold on the East Coast, were merely transporting weapons and equipment for Watanabe. This led them to dismiss the Yakuza as a non-threat. After all, New York's criminal underworld was dominated by Irish gangs, Latin American cartels, African-American and Italian mafias, and even Chinese triads in Flushing's Chinatown. But there was no significant presence of Japanese Yakuza in New York.
The Yakuza's influence was concentrated on the West Coast, where they had established a stronghold in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Castle and Gianna assumed these Yakuza operatives would have no real impact beyond their role as couriers. This misjudgment allowed a critical group of individuals to slip through the cracks.
Watanabe had reached out to the powerful Yamaguchi-gumi faction on the West Coast. Despite the fact that five of their senior leaders had recently been eliminated by Chinese gangs, the Yamaguchi-gumi still had considerable resources. Even under the heightened scrutiny of the FBI following the Christmas scandal involving Japanese intelligence operatives, they dispatched ten members to assist Watanabe. These ten men were split into five two-man teams. Three teams were tasked with smuggling weapons across the Canadian border, while the remaining two were sent directly to New York to curry favor with Watanabe.
It was these two teams—four men in total—that escaped Castle's surveillance. Their movements were not tracked, as they didn't immediately rendezvous with Watanabe, who was stationed on Long Island. Castle's monitoring systems, even with Jarvis's capabilities, failed to account for these individuals.
Among the four Yakuza operatives was a thug named Jiro Hiroshi. His brother, Taro Hiroshi, was part of one of the three smuggling teams responsible for transporting two TOW anti-tank missiles.
Heavy weaponry like anti-tank missiles and RPG-26 rocket launchers were far more difficult to obtain and transport than conventional firearms in the U.S., where guns were relatively accessible. Understanding this, Taro Hiroshi took extra precautions to avoid detection. He separated the anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers into smaller shipments, reducing the risk of losing everything if caught by police or federal agents.
Meanwhile, Jiro Hiroshi, less sharp than his brother, had been sent to New York to demonstrate his "bravery" and impress Watanabe. The Yakuza leaders on the West Coast were unaware that Watanabe's mission was a desperate all-or-nothing gamble. They hoped their assistance would secure future financial support from Watanabe, not realizing the extent of his vendetta.
Castle's surveillance efforts—bolstered by his invisible drones hovering just 300 meters above Watanabe's temporary estate—were effective in uncovering most of Watanabe's plans. However, the absence of communication between Taro Hiroshi's smuggling team and Watanabe left Castle unaware of the heavy weaponry being transported. This oversight would nearly cost Castle dearly just two days later.
(End of Chapter)
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