As several objects that were clearly engine tail flames suddenly lit up in the previously pitch-black sky, they plunged into the midst and around the six surviving mercenaries at a speed that was completely invisible to the naked eye. With a sudden explosion, the remaining six mercenaries realized that the insane writer they had been trying to kill—who was even crazier than they were—actually had drones capable of conducting aerial strikes?
Having already witnessed the might of U.S. military drones in the Middle East, these six men knew they were as good as dead. Anyone with even a little knowledge knew that U.S. drones typically dropped Hellfire missiles during their strikes. Although they didn't know how this writer had access to drones capable of air-to-ground attacks, it was already beyond the comprehension of these mercenaries from the Middle East.
The tragedy was that they had actually been known to Castle long before they even departed from the island. If they had succeeded in carrying out their plan, that would have truly been a joke!
These eleven mercenaries were completely wiped out on Castle's private beach as Jarvis, under Castle's command, directed drones to launch four miniature missiles carrying high explosives at them. From the moment they disembarked from their boats, they hadn't even managed to move 50 meters into the estate before Jarvis's heavy machine guns and the drones' missiles annihilated them all on the sand.
Meanwhile, the NYPD SWAT team and FBI task force had just finished setting up a defensive line outside Castle and Gianna's estate, not only to prevent any remaining mercenaries from escaping, but also to stop the reporters, who had heard the news of a major disturbance in Long Island's affluent area, from flooding the scene.
At the same time, John, having just finished putting away his handgun, was now facing the three of Old Watanabe's assistants who had taken the mercenaries to the dock. When they entered the house, John promptly shot them in the head, sending them to join their boss in the afterlife.
Now, this particular gentleman was holding an old-fashioned mobile phone and making a call. "It's me, yes, John Wicker. I need to reserve dinner for eight people… No, I'm not coming out of retirement, I'm just helping a friend with a little problem… Yes, as soon as possible, just north of MacArthur Airport on Long Island, I'll send you the address…"
After finishing the call, John sighed slightly. Damn, these people were all weaklings. It wasn't even fun. Now, he had to rush home to shower, change clothes, and take care of the kid. Damn it, why did I let Gianna rope me into this? It's all Rick's fault…
If it weren't for that damned Rick, who kept sending me all those weird supplements, and for him sending me off to Marseille, France, how could I have ended up as a guy who handles a baby bottle more easily than a gun?
After killing someone today, the first thing on my mind is rushing home to shower and deal with that little brat. Damn it, is it the world's fault or Rick's fault? Back when I had that G17 in my hand, I was a different man. Now, I'm worried about the water temperature for baby formula. What the hell is happening to me?
With a rare look of regret on his face, John walked out of the estate, which had been confirmed to be devoid of anyone other than Old Watanabe and his four bodyguards and three assistants, and got ready to head home.
Meanwhile, the attention at his own house had surely intensified, right?
Through his earpiece, which had never lost connection, he could hear the heavy machine gun fire Jarvis had controlled earlier, as well as the subsequent order from Rick to have the drone launch ground attack missiles. While John knew his strengths didn't lie in direct combat on the battlefield, he still couldn't help but wonder whether he would have gotten a chance to take action had he been in Rick's estate tonight.
At this moment, Castle's estate had already been surrounded by numerous police cars, their flashing lights lighting up the area. Both the NYPD and FBI were present, while Joe and Beckett had received the confirmation report from Ivan's team that the eleven mercenaries who had planned to infiltrate Castle's estate had all been confirmed dead. Five had been taken out by Jarvis's heavy machine guns, and the remaining six, who had survived the machine gun fire, were killed by the ground attack missiles launched by the drones.
Meanwhile, reporters had already begun flocking to the gates of Castle's estate, eager to cover the latest headline news about the renowned New York author. The two helicopters, each belonging to different television stations, had even managed to capture footage of the drones launching the missiles. They filmed the exact moment when the drones disabled their visual cloaking systems, providing a clear shot of the whole sequence. Before Castle even realized it, news outlets around the world were broadcasting the story that Richard Castle, the famous writer from New York, had private drones with cloaking systems capable of launching missiles.
Damn it, the sudden appearance of this news on television caused companies like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, who had been vying for the technology, to curse in unison. What the hell was this guy thinking? Now the military would surely know what this so-called "writer" had been up to, and it wouldn't be long before they came knocking on his door.
And this guy certainly had enemies. He had even hired mercenaries to go after him?
But seriously, this guy was a piece of work. Not only had he installed heavy machine gun bunkers at his estate, but he had also equipped his drones with missiles and cloaking systems?
He had basically turned his estate into an impenetrable fortress. The mercenaries who had gone after him had hit a steel wall.
Castle, meanwhile, was feeling a deep sense of regret as he watched reporters and paparazzi crowding around his estate. He had completely forgotten about the media's constant presence in the sky over New York. And the worst part? The bastards had managed to capture the entire sequence of his drone deactivating its cloaking system and firing missiles.
Now, Castle was certain he wouldn't be held responsible for the deployment of the M2 heavy machine guns in his estate. Why? Well, just five minutes after the footage of his drones launching missiles was broadcast, Castle received calls from the CEOs of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, as well as from a four-star general at the Pentagon and his ally, President Benjamin. They all expressed great interest in the incident.
It seemed that they had been monitoring his activities closely, and none of them had even bothered to ask about the mercenaries' background. Instead, they were all focused on whether the cloaking system on Castle's drones had truly reached full operational status.
The Pentagon's top brass even promised to fully support Castle if the technology turned out to be real, assuring him they'd stand behind him as a victim of a targeted attack.
Meanwhile, representatives from the NYPD and FBI, such as Deputy Chief Montgomery from the NYPD and Director Hughes from the FBI, were having trouble reaching Castle for any clarifications. Once they couldn't get through to him, they called Joe and Beckett, who were on site, to get the details.
The NYPD was relatively easy to deal with since Beckett's precinct had one of Castle's drones, which was almost identical to the ones Castle had, except it didn't have the cloaking system. The NYPD had even managed to purchase six drones from Northrop Grumman, thanks to Castle's earlier donation.
However, for FBI Director Hughes, the situation was more complicated. He had seen the news footage showing drones launching missiles near New York City. The Justice Department had immediately gotten involved and wanted to know how Castle, a novelist, managed to privately own drones with missiles.
If they couldn't explain it properly, it could quickly spiral into a public relations disaster!
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]