Although Castle found it odd that Lockheed Martin had learned about Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) covert attempt to target him, the explanation provided by Lockheed's CEO—that they had insiders within HAL—wasn't entirely surprising. This reminded Castle that the entire situation stemmed from Lockheed introducing HAL to him in the first place.
With a wry smile, Castle listened as the Lockheed CEO explained their "apology" for the chaos they inadvertently caused. Lockheed's pitch was straightforward: they wanted to "correct" their mistake by taking care of the mercenaries HAL had sent to New York.
In return, they asked for Castle's cooperation: first, to prioritize Lockheed's efforts to master the stealth technology he had provided them in exchange for shares, and second, to serve as a consultant for their military retrofit division.
Castle knew better than to agree to such a proposal on the spot, but outright rejecting such an overture would come off as ungrateful, especially since Lockheed was willing to handle the mercenary issue.
To sidestep the situation diplomatically, Castle used a pre-prepared excuse: he told the Lockheed CEO that he was deep into developing an upgraded version of the stealth technology, one that could be applied to supersonic aircraft—a challenge the current generation could not address.
This wasn't entirely untrue. Castle had always planned to develop such technology, but not yet. For now, it served as the perfect excuse to stay out of Lockheed's game.
The Lockheed CEO, however, didn't see this as a mere excuse.
Hearing that Castle was already working on a second-generation stealth technology was both shocking and exhilarating. The idea that this reclusive author and inventor might surpass their own engineering teams wasn't absurd to the CEO. After all, innovation wasn't always about team size—one genius could outperform an entire department.
Even though Castle had declined their invitation to join Lockheed's engineering team, the news about the next-generation stealth technology was more than enough to calm the CEO's frustration. It gave Lockheed an edge: they were the first company to learn about Castle's new research.
The CEO quickly pivoted the conversation, offering their assistance with the mercenary issue as a show of goodwill. They also expressed their intention to visit Castle's estate soon to discuss a potential partnership for this "second-generation" technology.
Castle was noncommittal, agreeing only to the visit while leaving any concrete promises off the table. "We can talk when you arrive," he said with a practiced air of neutrality.
Hanging up, Castle couldn't help but laugh to himself. The capitalists' instincts were sharp, but he wasn't going to let them milk him dry. The second-generation technology was real, but Castle had no intention of sharing it with anyone for another five to ten years. Letting them invest in it now? Not a chance.
During the nearly thirty-minute call, John Wick and Gianna, sitting nearby, had listened with interest.
Gianna, familiar with Castle's strategies, wasn't surprised by his ability to manipulate the situation. But both she and John were taken aback by Lockheed's aggressive move to clean up HAL's mess—even against a company they had previously collaborated with.
Castle explained Lockheed's ulterior motives: by solving Castle's "problem," they aimed to curry favor with him and gain an advantage over Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Gianna still believed this was a stroke of luck for Castle.
"Look on the bright side, Rick," Gianna said with a smirk. "You don't have to deal with the mercenaries yourself, and with Lockheed taking the heat, NYPD won't have anything to complain about. Plus, this keeps Beckett happy, right?"
Castle, however, wasn't as optimistic.
"Gianna, you're missing the point," Castle said, shaking his head. "Lockheed's help isn't free. They're using this to morally obligate me to cooperate with them. This isn't goodwill—it's leverage."
He had learned his lesson about corporate games after Northrop mishandled the Alexis kidnapping situation. While Lockheed seemed to be doing him a favor now, Castle knew better than to get too comfortable.
Still, he chose not to share these concerns with Gianna. There was no need to drag her and John further into the mess. After all, neither Rajad nor the mercenaries Lockheed was dealing with were the real problem.
The real issue was that Lockheed's move would undoubtedly provoke Boeing and Northrop.
These companies were already keeping a close eye on Castle. If they found out Lockheed had taken the initiative to assist him, they would likely intensify their own efforts to win him over.
Castle had no intention of getting involved in the brewing corporate war. While his groundbreaking technologies were making waves, Castle wasn't keen on becoming a pawn in their games—or on strengthening the U.S. military's capabilities any further.
His initial goal in sharing his technologies was to monitor his targets, not to revolutionize modern warfare. Yet here he was, inadvertently reshaping the defense landscape.
Unbeknownst to Castle, his concerns were already becoming a reality.
At Boeing and Northrop Grumman, executives were scrambling to respond to the news that Lockheed had made a move. Although these companies had rigorous internal security measures, the cross-ownership among defense contractors ensured that secrets rarely stayed hidden for long.
Lockheed's decision to help Castle wasn't just about goodwill—it was a calculated strategy to gain a competitive edge. Both Boeing and Northrop knew this and weren't about to let Lockheed monopolize Castle's expertise.
Boeing, in particular, was feeling the pressure. Of the three, they had the weakest relationship with Castle. Unlike Northrop and Lockheed, who had previously collaborated with him, Boeing was playing catch-up.
With Lockheed's latest move, Boeing knew they couldn't afford to sit back any longer. It was time to make their play.
Back in his study, Castle pondered his next steps.
The call with Lockheed had been a double-edged sword. On one hand, it relieved him of the immediate threat posed by the mercenaries. On the other, it signaled the beginning of a new phase in the corporate tug-of-war over his technologies.
"Looks like the sharks are circling," Castle muttered to himself, taking a sip of whiskey.
He didn't know it yet, but the game was about to get a lot more complicated. Boeing was preparing to escalate, and Northrop wasn't far behind.
For Castle, the question wasn't whether he could avoid getting dragged into their fight—it was how long he could stay neutral before the corporations forced his hand.
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