On the northern shore of Long Island, eleven professional Cossack mercenaries had split into two groups and boarded the two speedboats Watanabe had prepared for them in advance.
This mercenary team was a reinforced combat unit with clear internal roles. The squad leader, who doubled as a marksman, had switched from his usual SVD Dragunov (used in his Middle East campaigns) to a state-of-the-art precision rifle used by U.S. special forces. Alongside him was a dedicated sniper who would remain on the boat to provide fire support for the assault team during the beach landing.
The team also included a demolition expert and six assault operatives—more than the typical size of a SEAL team. Rounding out the squad were a medic and a communications specialist. However, due to Watanabe's paranoia about U.S. authorities intercepting their communications, no direct contact was maintained with the mercenaries, leaving them oblivious to the fact that their employer had already been killed by the legendary assassin, John Wick.
For John, Watanabe's death was non-negotiable. Once John switched into assassin mode, his demeanor transformed completely, erasing any trace of the domestic "dad" Castle loved to mock. Watanabe's last-ditch attempt to bribe John with money was laughably naive. Compared to Castle and his wealth, Watanabe might as well have been a pauper.
John was no stranger to Castle's generosity. On more than one occasion, he had been pulled into Castle's wild escapades and walked away with hefty rewards. When they had raided the U-boat full of stolen Nazi art that FBI agents had barely begun cataloging, Castle had shared a sizable chunk of the spoils with John. Similarly, during Castle's secret looting of the Masonic treasure before Benjamin Gates could reach it, John had also been cut in on the deal. While John didn't care much about wealth, he handed everything over to Gianna, trusting her superior financial skills. As a result, John Wick was far from broke.
For him, this job wasn't about money—it was about scratching the itch for action. After all, Watanabe's mercenaries had thrown the first punch. John was simply making sure Castle's friend stayed alive while giving himself a much-needed break from babysitting.
Meanwhile, the eleven mercenaries had no idea their employer was already dead. They boarded the speedboats, said their goodbyes to the three aides who had accompanied them, and sped off toward Castle's estate. The aides, meanwhile, planned to return to Watanabe's mansion to finalize the mercenaries' extraction plan. Unfortunately for them, John was waiting to "clean up" upon their return.
Castle, back in his study, watched the drone feed with glee. He had been coordinating with Ivan to ensure every defense was perfectly positioned when a sudden alert from Jarvis left him stunned.
"What did you say, Jarvis? Bell and Zeus… recruited by the CIA? Zeus refused and went to South America alone? And Bell… she changed her name to Robin McCall and joined the CIA? Zeus, now going by Darius Kincaid, is trying to become a hitman? What the hell kind of plot twist is this?!"
Castle nearly fell out of his chair. This revelation completely shattered his focus. Bell and Zeus were two individuals he had encountered during a heist involving German robbers at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Bell had been the "Taxi Queen of New York," and Zeus had been the unlikely ally of John McClane during the robbery. After that incident, Castle had even gifted Zeus three gold bars (weighing 37.5 kilograms in total) to help him profess his love to Bell.
They had vanished from New York after the robbery. Now, out of nowhere, this bombshell about their lives? Bell joining the CIA under a new identity, and Zeus going rogue as a hitman named Darius Kincaid? It was the kind of twist Castle would write into one of his novels.
"I can't deal with this right now," Castle muttered to himself, shaking his head. He resolved to revisit the matter once the current chaos was dealt with. After all, he had no time to figure out whether this twist was a natural progression of events or the result of his own meddling with the timeline.
Back at Watanabe's estate, John Wick had just finished dispatching Watanabe with a clean headshot. Calmly, he pulled out his phone and called The Continental's cleanup crew in New York to dispose of the evidence. He waited for the three aides who had accompanied the mercenaries to return so he could "deal" with them too.
Meanwhile, the two speedboats carrying the eleven mercenaries were closing in on Castle's beachfront. They followed their plan meticulously. The boat carrying six assault operatives and the demolition expert would land first, while the squad leader and sniper would provide fire support from the second boat.
These mercenaries were thrilled with their new gear. Thanks to Watanabe's funding, they had been equipped with the same state-of-the-art "GPNVG" quad-tube night vision goggles used by U.S. special forces. For many of them, this was the first time they had gear comparable to the American soldiers they had faced in the Middle East. The advanced goggles, integrated with infrared detection, showed a completely empty beach—no sign of ambush. To the mercenaries, this was a green light to proceed with their mission.
The squad's advanced throat mics and bone-conduction headsets allowed seamless communication without obstructing their ears, giving them better situational awareness. They felt confident, believing their equipment would ensure their success.
Unfortunately, their confidence was misplaced. Their shiny new toys were no match for Castle's meticulously crafted death trap.
Despite Castle's protests, Beckett, Ivan, and Gianna had firmly denied his request to personally join the fight. Frustrated but cooperative, Castle stayed in his study, monitoring the live feed from the drones and his estate's security cameras.
The moment he saw both boats reach the beach, Castle grabbed his radio and barked the command: "Ivan, light them up!"
What happened next was nothing short of spectacular.
The mercenaries, still thinking the beach was deserted, were caught completely off guard. Suddenly, the entire beachfront lit up like daylight as Castle's strategically placed flashbangs and flares activated in unison. The mercenaries' night vision goggles became a liability, blinding them with an intense burst of light.
"Ambush!" one of the operatives shouted, ripping off his goggles, only to hear the unmistakable roar of heavy machine guns. The first salvo from the four .50 caliber machine guns obliterated the lead boat, tearing through both the vessel and its passengers with brutal efficiency.
The remaining mercenaries scrambled for cover, but Castle's defenses left them nowhere to hide. The machine guns, controlled by Jarvis, relentlessly tracked their movements. The second boat, with the squad leader and sniper, attempted to retreat, only to be struck by one of Castle's micro-missiles, reducing it to a fiery wreck.
From the safety of his study, Castle pumped his fist in the air. "That's what you get for messing with me!"
Ivan and his team moved in to mop up the survivors, ensuring no one escaped. By the end of the night, Castle's beach was a battlefield—but one where only his enemies had fallen.
As for John Wick? He stood calmly in Watanabe's estate, awaiting the return of the three remaining aides. They had no idea they were walking straight into the embrace of the Grim Reaper himself.
For Castle, it was just another day of turning his estate into an impenetrable fortress. For everyone else, it was a reminder: never underestimate a writer with a penchant for overkill.
(End of Chapter)
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