Beckett quickly learned of Castle's report—specifically the alarming news that the vengeful Watanabe had somehow managed to procure a cache of high-grade weaponry for his mercenary team, including two TOW anti-tank missiles.
The news sent Beckett into a fury. "What the hell is Homeland Security even doing?" she exclaimed, pacing back and forth in frustration. "And ATF? Are they all just sitting on their hands? How does a foreign national manage to smuggle that much firepower into New York City without anyone noticing?"
Beckett even considered contacting her friend Jo Martinez at the FBI to ensure federal agencies were aware of the threat. But both Castle and Gianna firmly dissuaded her.
Gianna took the phone from Castle and spoke directly to Beckett. "Kate, listen. Right now, there's no need to get the feds involved. Rick already has this situation completely under control.
We've been monitoring Watanabe's group nonstop since they arrived. Right now, they're settling into that estate just a few miles from here. And according to the intel we've gathered, the weapons shipment they're waiting for hasn't even reached them yet—it's still en route.
That means we have complete visibility on their movements and plenty of time to react before they can actually do anything. Whether Rick chooses to defend the estate with his security team or coordinate with your NYPD officers to intercept them before they act, we're holding all the cards. But now isn't the time to tip our hand."
Gianna deliberately emphasized the term "terrorist attack," making her intentions crystal clear. By framing Watanabe and his mercenaries as imminent threats to public safety, it would justify extreme measures—such as taking them out preemptively.
"Think about it," Gianna continued. "If we involve the FBI now, this situation could spiral into a bureaucratic mess. If Watanabe survives an arrest, he'll probably use his money and connections to drag this out in court. Worse, if he survives at all, he could regroup and come after Rick again in the future.
We can't afford to let that happen. The only way to ensure this threat is neutralized for good is to treat them as the domestic terrorists they are. That way, when they do act, you or your officers will be fully justified in taking them down without hesitation."
Gianna's tone was calm but firm, and Beckett could sense the ruthless logic behind her words. Unlike Castle, who sometimes approached situations impulsively, Gianna's pragmatism was razor-sharp. Beckett realized Gianna was right—if they wanted to eliminate this threat permanently, they had to control the narrative and ensure the operation stayed local.
After a brief pause, Beckett finally agreed. "Alright. But if anything goes wrong, I'll be the one cleaning up the mess."
Meanwhile, Watanabe and his entourage had just arrived at their borrowed Long Island estate—a lavish property loaned to him by a British business associate. The estate, located less than five kilometers southeast of Castle's, was nestled within the same affluent community and offered a prime base of operations.
Unbeknownst to Watanabe or his mercenaries, however, their every move was being watched.
Hovering less than a kilometer above the estate was Castle's experimental drone, equipped with cutting-edge visual cloaking technology. From the ground, it was entirely invisible, blending seamlessly into the sky above.
Though the final control algorithms for the cloaking system hadn't been completed by Ramsey and the tech team, Castle had rigged a temporary solution: Jarvis was directly managing the cloaking function, relying on its immense processing power to maintain the system in real time.
As Castle prepared the drone for its first mission, Gianna and John watched in astonishment.
"Rick," Gianna said, her voice tinged with disbelief, "is there anything you haven't invented yet? This thing is… incredible. It's like something out of science fiction."
John, ever the pragmatist, added, "And you're saying this can hover that low without anyone noticing? That's a game-changer."
Castle grinned, always pleased to show off his creations. "Yup. Once it's up there, it's basically undetectable—no engine noise, no visual signature, nothing. It's the ultimate surveillance tool.
And the best part? The equipment on this drone is leagues ahead of anything currently being used by the military. High-resolution cameras, a compact synthetic aperture radar, thermal imaging, you name it. This baby can see everything."
For Gianna and John, who were less familiar with advanced technology, the drone's capabilities were mind-blowing. Castle explained that its cloaking system, based on light refraction, allowed the drone to match the sky around it, rendering it practically invisible. At a hover altitude of just 300 meters, it could capture crystal-clear images and audio without being detected—a feat traditional drones could never achieve.
As Castle spoke, the drone hovered directly above Watanabe's estate, silently observing everything below. Jarvis had taken full control of the operation, recording all activity within the estate and intercepting electronic communications.
Through this aerial surveillance, Castle's team quickly uncovered critical information about Watanabe's plans.
It turned out that Watanabe, anticipating increased scrutiny in the wake of the Christmas incident, had taken extraordinary precautions when procuring his weapons. Rather than sourcing them directly through his company's network, he had funneled the purchases through several intermediaries in Europe, incurring significant costs to ensure plausible deniability.
The weapons—including the TOW missiles—had been stored in Canada for months, waiting for Watanabe's signal. Only recently, after learning of his team's failure in New York, had Watanabe ordered the cache to be smuggled across the border by truck.
Jarvis tracked the shipment's progress in real-time, confirming that it had just entered New York state but had not yet reached Watanabe's estate.
This revelation was a relief to Castle and his team. Without access to their weapons, Watanabe's mercenaries were effectively neutered for the time being. But it also meant the clock was ticking—once the shipment arrived, the mercenaries would be fully equipped and ready to strike.
Gianna leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, as she considered their next move. "Alright, Rick. We've got a small window here. If we hit them before the weapons arrive, we can neutralize the threat without much resistance.
But if we wait too long and let them arm themselves, this could turn into a real firefight. Are you sure we want to take that risk?"
Castle nodded. "I get it. But if we act too early, we lose our justification. Beckett's already stretched thin trying to keep this under wraps.
We need to be smart about this. The moment those weapons hit the estate, we make our move. Until then, we watch, we wait, and we make damn sure they don't suspect a thing."
Gianna and John exchanged a glance. They didn't entirely agree with Castle's cautious approach, but they understood his reasoning. For now, the plan was simple: keep watching, and strike at the perfect moment.
As they finalized their preparations, Watanabe remained blissfully unaware of the noose tightening around him. To him, everything was proceeding smoothly—the estate was secure, his mercenaries were in position, and the weapons would arrive within hours.
Little did he know, Castle's invisible eye was always watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity to end this once and for all.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]