Since Castle had decided to make an example out of Rajad and the mercenaries, there was no turning back. These mercenaries, who had been paid to bring harm to him in New York, were enemies, plain and simple. They had chosen their side, and now Castle would ensure they paid the price.
But the problem wasn't the act itself—it was the repercussions. Castle knew full well that it wouldn't be possible to quietly eliminate this group of heavily armed mercenaries without making noise. A large-scale operation in New York was bound to attract the attention of the NYPD. And if Beckett found out about the operation after it happened, the fallout in their relationship could be worse than the operation itself.
The people in Castle's inner circle had no qualms about his decision. None of them were soft-hearted or overly moralistic. However, Beckett, with her strong sense of justice and deep-seated principles as a police officer, was a different story entirely. Castle could already imagine her disapproving reaction if she learned about his plan to eliminate the mercenaries preemptively.
Luckily, Gianna stepped in to offer a solution. Being Beckett's close friend, she volunteered to help soften Beckett's stance on the issue.
But there was a catch. Gianna insisted that Castle be the one to first bring the matter to Beckett himself. Not out of fear of confrontation, but out of respect. It wouldn't sit well with Beckett to hear about such a significant decision from someone else. Only after Castle broached the topic could Gianna step in to present the facts and offer her perspective.
Castle reluctantly agreed. He recognized the logic in Gianna's approach but wasn't looking forward to the conversation. At least, he thought, he had a little time to figure out how to approach the subject. After all, the hit on Rajad still required coordination through the Continental Hotel, and the killer assigned to the task would need a few days to reach Bangalore.
Meanwhile, the maiden flight of Sky Aviation's massive wide-body passenger jet was in progress. The aircraft, carrying a host of invited guests, was en route to JFK Airport in New York. Preparations for its arrival were already underway, and the next day's headlines would undoubtedly celebrate the successful flight of the world's largest airliner.
On Wall Street, the buzz around the flight was expected to send Sky Aviation's stock soaring. Gianna and Neal, well-versed in market strategy, were already discussing their post-flight game plan via video call. The plan was to offload a portion of the shares they had acquired during the company's stock slump. Selling off about half of their holdings at the anticipated peak would not only allow them to recover their initial investment but also secure substantial profits.
The remaining shares would be retained to capitalize on the long-term growth of the company. With this strategy, Castle, Neal, and Gianna were poised to make a fortune without sacrificing their future stake in the company.
As Gianna and Neal worked on their strategy, Castle left the supercomputer lab with John and his daughter. The task of monitoring Rajad and the mercenaries had been assigned to Harry and Ramsey, who were perfectly content to remain in the lab.
After all, the two tech-savvy partners rarely left the confines of the lab. Assigning them the task of keeping a 24-hour watch over Rajad and his hired guns was a good way to keep them out of mischief. Left to their own devices, the duo had a habit of poking around the world's secret files for fun—a hobby Castle often had to rein in.
Back in Castle's study, the atmosphere was a little lighter. John sat on the couch with a glass of whiskey in hand, his mischievous daughter playing on the carpet nearby.
"So, buddy," John began with a smirk, "when are you going to break the news to Beckett?"
Castle groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I have no idea. If I tell her as soon as she gets home from work, I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. But if I wait too long, and she finds out I didn't come to her first? She'll be furious. I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't."
John chuckled but refrained from teasing his friend. He could see how much Castle had changed over the years. When they first met, Castle had been a notorious playboy, living life without a care in the world. But since meeting Beckett, Castle had grown into a different man—someone who genuinely considered the feelings of the woman he loved.
"Well, Rick," John said, shrugging, "I can't solve this one for you. But I still think being upfront with her is the best option. You've got a knack for getting out of tight spots with words—use it."
Castle rolled his eyes at John's unhelpful response. "Easy for you to say. Beckett isn't Gianna. She won't just shrug this off and move on. She's a cop—a very principled cop."
What Castle didn't realize was that his troubles were about to become even more complicated. At the Lockheed Martin headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, an emergency meeting was underway.
Since their first interaction at the White House during the new president's inauguration, Lockheed Martin had been keenly interested in Castle. Their initial conversation had come during a tense period when Castle had distanced himself from Northrop Grumman following their misstep in the Japanese military procurement deal.
Lockheed Martin had successfully secured a license for Castle's cutting-edge stealth technology, a game-changer that could reshape modern aerial combat. While it was frustrating that Northrop Grumman also obtained the technology, Lockheed Martin considered the situation manageable.
After all, the two companies had nearly merged in 1997, and their shared history meant there was no love lost between them.
But the real coup for Lockheed Martin was its ability to act faster than Boeing. Despite being one of the largest aerospace manufacturers in the world, Boeing had initially underestimated Castle's capabilities.
Seizing this opportunity, Lockheed Martin had quietly negotiated with the Pentagon and secured contracts to retrofit two RC-135 reconnaissance planes with Castle's technology—contracts that should have gone to Boeing.
However, Boeing's swift response caught Lockheed Martin off guard. The aerospace giant moved quickly to secure a license for the same technology and even managed to reclaim one of the retrofit contracts.
This turn of events led to a renewed rivalry between the two companies, with both sides vying for dominance in the lucrative defense market. For Lockheed Martin, Castle was no longer just a valuable partner—he was a critical asset in their ongoing battle against Boeing.
As the meeting continued, the company's leadership debated how best to leverage their relationship with Castle to maintain their competitive edge. Meanwhile, Castle remained blissfully unaware of the growing tug-of-war between the two aerospace giants.
Back in Castle's study, John raised his glass in a toast. "Well, here's to hoping Beckett takes it well. And if she doesn't... well, at least you've got a couch to sleep on, right?"
Castle groaned. It was going to be a long night.
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