No matter how thorough Castle and Beckett's analysis, they underestimated the determination of the elder Watanabe.
Having lost his only son, Watanabe was now carrying the full weight of his grief and fury, with no heir to continue his bloodline. At nearly seventy years old, Watanabe had reached the brink of desperation. His son's death, compelled by the Japanese government's pressure, had left him irreparably broken. Adding insult to injury, despite a life filled with many women, Watanabe hadn't fathered a single daughter, much less another son.
Thus, as his private jet left Tokyo carrying him and a team of hardened mercenaries bound for New York, the elder Watanabe's mindset was clear: either Castle would die in New York, or he would die alongside him.
While Beckett had scoffed at the idea of the mercenaries acquiring weapons in New York, this assumption didn't fully account for Watanabe's wealth and resources. Unlike ordinary criminals, Watanabe, with his connections and fortune, had already prepared for this contingency.
As the head of Watanabe Corporation, a prominent Japanese defense contractor, Watanabe had access to resources and networks far beyond those of a common businessman. The mere existence of a safe house in Brooklyn for his previous operatives hinted at how deeply entrenched his network was, even on American soil.
Well before Watanabe's plane left Tokyo, his agents had arranged for a stockpile of weapons to await the mercenaries' arrival. The arsenal included heavy weapons such as RPG launchers, TOW anti-tank missiles, and .50 caliber sniper rifles—all chosen with the intent of enabling the mercenaries to storm Castle's Long Island estate in a surprise attack.
For Watanabe, this wasn't just a personal vendetta. It was a full-scale assault fueled by his anguish and the belief that Castle was solely responsible for his family's ruin.
To further bolster his plan, Watanabe had also reached out to long-standing Yakuza contacts on the West Coast. Despite the severe losses Japanese gangs had suffered recently under pressure from the FBI, Watanabe's connections remained strong enough to mobilize support. Several vehicles carrying armed Yakuza members were already en route to New York.
Yet, these developments had gone unnoticed by Jarvis, Castle's ever-vigilant AI, due to the cunning methods employed to bypass surveillance. As a result, Castle and Beckett remained unaware of the impending convergence of forces. Unbeknownst to them, Watanabe's determination and resources were setting the stage for a much larger and more chaotic confrontation than they anticipated.
Back at the Long Island estate, Castle and Beckett were engrossed in discussing the motives behind Northrop Grumman's sudden urgency to meet with him. Castle laid out his suspicions in detail, hoping Beckett might offer a fresh perspective.
He particularly sought her opinion on whether Northrop might be leveraging the ongoing conflict between Castle and the Watanabe family to let the Japanese eliminate him—thus ridding themselves of a "problematic" shareholder while preventing Lockheed Martin from gaining exclusive access to his new technology.
Beckett, however, was unconvinced.
After listening patiently to Castle's theories, she dismissed his concerns as paranoia.
"This isn't the era of DuPont blowing up their competitors' factories with the owners still inside," Beckett said firmly.
She pointed out that Castle's connections alone—both with the NYPD and with the current president—made such a reckless strategy implausible. Northrop Grumman might have made some questionable decisions in pursuit of profit, but they weren't foolish enough to risk such an overt scandal.
"At the end of the day," Beckett continued, "Northrop's board only cares about one thing: making money. And you, Rick, are their golden goose. You've already proven your worth as an innovator, and you're still their largest private shareholder. Even if your relationship is strained, they're not going to throw away a valuable asset like you just because of some temporary drama."
Beckett believed Northrop's real motive was far simpler: they wanted to mend fences. Their decision to send the senior VP—someone who had always maintained a good rapport with Castle—further supported this theory.
As for the claim that Northrop had an insider working with the Japanese assassins, Beckett dismissed it as the rogue actions of a single individual in the HR department, rather than evidence of a larger conspiracy.
Castle was reluctantly persuaded by Beckett's logic. Her reasoning aligned with the explanation he'd received earlier that day from the senior VP himself.
The VP, who had always maintained a solid working relationship with Castle, had been painfully candid during their phone call. He confirmed that Northrop's board had prioritized the Japanese defense contract over Castle's personal grievances, acknowledging it as a shortsighted move that had backfired spectacularly.
"Do you know how frustrating it is to work for these people?" the VP had vented during the call. "I told them a hundred times that we needed to handle you with care, but no, they had to chase the money. And now look at the mess we're in!"
The VP didn't mince words. He was just as aware as Castle of the board's greed and lack of foresight. Northrop's willingness to placate the Japanese, even at the expense of their own star innovator, was a textbook example of corporate shortsightedness.
But now that Castle had unveiled his optical cloaking technology—and hinted at partnering with Lockheed Martin—Northrop's board was scrambling to repair the damage.
Beckett, standing as an impartial observer, came to the same conclusion as Castle after hearing his account.
"Okay, Rick," she said. "What's your plan? Are you going to use this as an excuse to cut ties with Northrop altogether, or are you going to accept their apology and let them back in?"
She kept her tone neutral, making it clear that she wouldn't push him in either direction. This wasn't a trivial decision, and Beckett believed it was one Castle needed to make on his own.
Castle sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You think I don't see what's going on here?" he said. "You know how Northrop found out about my progress with the optical cloaking system? It was Lockheed Martin. That sly old bastard over there deliberately leaked just enough to stir the pot."
Beckett raised an eyebrow, prompting Castle to elaborate.
"Think about it," Castle continued. "Lockheed knows I'm still on shaky ground with Northrop. By leaking my research to the military and letting Northrop find out about it, they've managed to drive a wedge even deeper between us. They're hoping I'll get fed up and commit fully to working with them instead."
"And?" Beckett asked, curious to hear his conclusion.
"And I'm not going to let them manipulate me," Castle said firmly. "Let's see what Northrop has to offer tomorrow. If they're willing to meet me halfway, maybe I'll throw them a bone. But if they try to play games, I won't hesitate to walk away."
Beckett nodded, satisfied with his response.
She admired Castle's newfound clarity and resolve. He was no longer the impulsive, overconfident man she had first met years ago. This version of Castle was strategic, calculating, and—most importantly—aware of the bigger picture.
Whatever decision he made, Beckett knew it would be the right one. For now, all they could do was prepare for the arrival of Northrop's delegation—and hope that Watanabe's forces didn't disrupt things before the negotiations even began.
(End of Chapter)
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