Castle felt quite proud of himself as Harry praised his plan. He sprawled out on the lush, green lawn, first expressing his genuine admiration for Gianna's extravagant wealth. It was December in New York, where the weather was far from pleasant, with temperatures only a few degrees above freezing. Yet, the lawn in her estate remained vividly green. It was clear that a lot of money had been spent to maintain this visual appeal, which Castle considered a prime example of splurging for aesthetics.
However, Castle also understood why Gianna's caretaker went to such lengths to maintain the estate like it was spring, even in the middle of a New York winter. After all, it was all for the well-being of the little D'Antonio growing in Gianna's belly. Pregnant women should be in environments that are as pleasant as possible, so the caretaker spared no effort in keeping the estate's appearance perfect for Gianna's peace of mind.
After marveling at the lengths wealthy people go to, Castle turned to Harry and said, "Actually, this isn't just about misdirecting blame. When I found out that a congressman had lent that mansion to Vincent for hiding, I knew I had to drag that guy down with him. And honestly, I did forget about those cameras. Didn't you all forget they were still in that warehouse too?"
Harry paused his work, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. "Uncle Rick, I'm just a tech operator. I have no say in planning or executing the operations. You, Mozzie, and John were the ones who forgot about those cameras—how can you blame me?"
Castle was momentarily taken aback by Harry's words but quickly brushed it off, not bothered by Harry's occasional defiance. He smiled and replied, "But your Uncle Rick is sharp as ever! Even though I forgot about those cameras, didn't I come up with a brilliant plan to shift the blame in no time?"
What Harry admired most about Castle was precisely this: his ability to turn unfavorable situations into advantages with quick thinking. Castle, Mozzie, John, and Gianna never kept things from Harry, and from the beginning, he knew that his Uncle Rick always adapted his plans to the evolving situation. Initially, Castle's goal was simply to outmaneuver Vincent, but as events unfolded—especially after discovering that Vincent was hiding in a mansion not far from them and learning that the mansion belonged to a congressman—his plan shifted. Instead of just taking Vincent's treasure and killing him, Castle decided to use Vincent as bait, exposing the hidden forces behind him and covering their tracks.
The plan had worked well so far. The FBI and the Department of Justice, initially excited about capturing Vincent, soon realized that the submarine they pinned their hopes on was empty. And before they could interrogate Vincent, Castle had already eliminated him, making it clear that unknown third or fourth parties were involved. The cameras, which Castle's team had forgotten to retrieve, conveniently led the FBI to the mansion, implicating the congressman. This made the FBI believe that the congressman had sent the sniper to silence Vincent, thereby perfectly covering Castle's tracks—a series of moves that Harry observed and admired.
Harry was a homebody, but he was highly intelligent, which is how he became such an adept hacker. Watching Castle's entire plan unfold from a third-person perspective left Harry in awe. Though Castle had always been eccentric, Harry noticed a sharper edge to him ever since he teamed up with John Wick to take down the Tanasoff family. The drones in front of him were a testament to Castle's resourcefulness. Harry himself had been kidnapped by General Atomics because of these drones—something that made him want to curse. After all, he was just an operator, not the developer. How could they not see that? Luckily, Uncle Rick had rescued him; otherwise, he might have ended up on a cross-country kidnapping trip!
Noticing Harry's silence, Castle couldn't resist showing off a bit. He lay back comfortably on the lawn, half-closing his eyes against the midday sun, and continued, "Harry, you don't understand. Vincent Adler wasn't acting alone. Behind him, there was not just that congressman but also a New York state senator with close ties to him. The reason Vincent dared to openly use a semi-submersible salvage vessel near New York's coast without fearing the Coast Guard was because of that senator's involvement. My ultimate goal is to redirect the FBI's investigation toward that senator. This congressman is just a scapegoat…"
Harry had no interest in political scheming. He quietly listened to Castle's bragging while resuming his inspection of the drones. But Castle's words were overheard by Gianna, who was being supported by John as she walked over.
Gianna had already learned from John why Castle was so determined to implicate Senator William Bracken in this mess—Castle was helping his police chief girlfriend seek revenge. And Bracken, unfortunately, had indeed gotten involved in Vincent Adler's scheme to recover the submarine, which sealed his fate.
Seeing Castle lounging on the lawn so casually, Gianna couldn't help but laugh. "Rick, do you really think it's over just like that? Don't forget, we only left those cameras in the mansion because we didn't have time to deal with them properly. The FBI isn't stupid; they'll quickly realize this was a setup. Don't tell me you don't have a backup plan?"
Castle, noticing Gianna's presence, quickly sat up, no longer lounging around. With his nerves finally relaxing after days of tension, he couldn't help but laugh at the sight of John playing the perfect supportive partner to Gianna. He was more than eager to share his thoughts.
"Gianna, I actually have evidence that could take down that senator right now. But I don't want Beckett going head-to-head with him just yet, not while he's still unscathed. So, I've been guiding the FBI toward him with Vincent's case, letting them bite down hard. Once the senator is overwhelmed by the FBI and the Department of Justice's relentless pursuit for that treasure, I'll have Beckett come in with the evidence and finish him off. I'm just using the FBI to wear him down before Beckett swoops in for the kill! Pretty smart plan, right?"
Gianna, smart and with a strong family background, immediately understood Castle's strategy. She had to admit, she was impressed. Castle knew that even with the evidence he had, it would be tough for him and Beckett, a mere police captain, to take down an active senator. They might succeed, but it would come at a high cost. However, by letting the FBI and the Department of Justice go after Bracken first, he could weaken the senator significantly. Once Bracken was struggling to fend off their investigations, Castle and Beckett could strike, catching him off guard—exactly what they needed.
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]