Due to a lack of information and a skewed sense of pride, Rajad, born into a "noble" lineage, was deeply dissatisfied with how his company's leadership and board treated him like a fool. Adding to his frustration was the lack of follow-up from the French after his previous outreach to Dassault Aviation, leaving Rajad—who was accustomed to a life of smooth sailing—angry and humiliated.
Not long ago, India had begun negotiations with Dassault to purchase its latest fighter jet, the Rafale. (In reality, this contract was finalized in 2016 when India purchased 36 jets for an astonishing $7.8 billion—more than $200 million per jet. Many of these aircraft later suffered significant mishaps. For the sake of this story, the author has adjusted the timeline of India's purchase.)
Stan Aviation, India's sole aerospace company with design, manufacturing, and maintenance capabilities, sought more than just the jets—it wanted the production line and license to build them domestically. This put Stan Aviation in a honeymoon phase with Dassault, leading the company to collaborate with France in their shared desire for Castle's coveted technology.
However, after initial contact with Dassault, Rajad received no further communication.
Realizing Dassault was likely dismissive of him or waiting to exploit his desperation, Rajad, already stung by his company's leadership berating him, could no longer contain himself.
As a Kshatriya and member of India's upper class, why should he tolerate such disrespect?
Not only did his company's executives belittle him, but the French also treated him with disdain, exploiting him while looking down on him. And Castle? No matter how talented that writer might be, wasn't he just a man with glaring vulnerabilities?
Although he was forbidden from using force to abduct Castle, Rajad reasoned there were other ways to get what he wanted. In a world driven by money, surely someone would be willing to risk everything for the right price.
Since direct violence wasn't an option, why not hire a master thief to steal Castle's secrets?
Rajad's intelligence indicated that Castle's estate, though heavily guarded, bordered the sea. He imagined that hiring a skilled thief to infiltrate the property and copy the necessary data from Castle's servers was not only feasible but relatively straightforward.
As for the risk of exposure if the thief were caught?
Rajad scoffed. Was he planning to contact the thief directly? Of course not. A middleman would insulate him from any potential fallout.
Confident in his scheme, Rajad dug into Castle's dossier and discovered that the writer likely stored his most advanced technologies on the world's most sophisticated private supercomputer, located within his estate. Initially, Rajad considered hiring Russian hackers, renowned for their ability to breach almost any system connected to the internet.
What Rajad didn't realize was that any hacker targeting Castle's systems would face an impenetrable defense. The combination of Jarvis, two top-tier hackers (Ramsey and "Little Fat"), and advanced supercomputing power was unbeatable. Castle's estate had already withstood numerous cyberattacks from hackers around the globe, including some commissioned by domestic rivals in India. Not a single attempt had succeeded.
Rajad's reluctance to involve Russian hackers stemmed from his mistrust of them, a sentiment rooted in his awareness of Russia's dubious dealings with India—such as the infamous aircraft carrier purchase. This mistrust ultimately led him to abandon the hacking plan in favor of hiring a world-class thief.
Now fixated on his idea, Rajad began searching for a thief willing to carry out the operation for a hefty reward.
As a member of India's elite and a major shareholder in its largest aerospace company, Rajad lacked direct access to intelligence networks but leveraged his wealth and connections to gather non-military, non-classified information. He reached out to family friends in Indian intelligence agencies, openly requesting profiles of prominent thieves in the United States.
Within days, Rajad's desk was piled with dossiers on several world-renowned thieves, including one woman.
Admiring the collection of carefully curated files, Rajad felt a rush of satisfaction. This was the power of his wealth and influence—the ability to control and manipulate events with a single command.
Still, he needed to choose the right thief for the job.
The first dossier featured Neal Caffrey, an impossibly handsome man reputed to be one of the best thieves in the world.
However, Rajad was immediately irritated. "Why is a thief this good-looking? What's the point?"
As he read further, Rajad discovered a shocking detail: Neal was a known associate of Castle, the very target of his scheme.
This revelation made Rajad toss Neal's file aside in frustration. "Hiring him would be like handing Castle a signed confession!"
The next dossier featured Alex, a beautiful female thief.
Rajad was instantly intrigued. Even if she didn't complete the mission, meeting her could have other... benefits.
However, his excitement was short-lived. Halfway through her file, Rajad learned that Alex had a romantic history with Neal Caffrey, the very thief he had just dismissed.
Rajad fumed. "Why are all the good ones tied to Castle? Is he some kind of social butterfly?"
Disheartened, Rajad turned to the final dossier, hoping for better luck.
The third profile belonged to Charlie Croker, a renowned thief with an impressive track record. Croker's file noted that he worked alongside an older partner named John, who had since retired.
Satisfied that Charlie had no known ties to Castle, Rajad decided to pursue him. Conveniently, Charlie was currently in Europe, making it easier for Rajad's agents to approach him discreetly.
Rajad saw this as a perfect opportunity. With the thief based outside the US, his plan was less likely to attract unwanted attention.
What Rajad didn't know was that Castle was already aware of his antics. Jarvis, following Castle's orders to monitor Indian activities, intercepted the entire scheme.
When Castle received the alert, he was baffled. "What is Rajad thinking? Does he not realize we've already agreed to leave each other alone?"
The situation became even more absurd when Castle learned that Rajad had initially considered hiring Neal or Alex—two of Castle's closest allies.
"Is this guy serious? Is he trying to be a comedian?"
What Castle didn't yet realize was that the thief Rajad eventually chose—Charlie Croker—was someone Castle had once helped. During a trip to Venice, Castle had used his knowledge of a movie's plot to save Charlie and his team from a deadly ambush.
That movie? The Italian Job.
Charlie Croker, the protagonist of the film, bore a striking resemblance to Castle's friend, Bob Lee Swagger. However, unlike the perpetually grim Swagger, Charlie exuded charm and confidence.
Unaware of the layers of irony and connection, Rajad prepared to set his plan in motion, convinced he had finally found the key to obtaining Castle's technology.
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