This time, neither Beckett nor Joe agreed with Castle's obviously reckless plan. Beckett, glancing at the three industry and military bigwigs who were gleefully watching the show unfold, was clearly exasperated. She turned to Castle, who seemed to have lost all sense, and said sternly, "There are at least twenty, maybe thirty cameras from reporters and media outside right now. Many of the morning's news stories are already accusing you of excessive use of force. And now you want to add to that?
"And even if those terrorists in the van parked outside your gate are a hundred meters away from anyone else, you're seriously considering using a drone to fire a missile at their vehicle? You yourself said there are two RPGs and two TOW anti-tank missiles in that van. I looked it up—a single TOW missile warhead contains over six kilograms of high-explosive material. What happens if your missile triggers a sympathetic detonation?
"A detonation involving over ten kilograms of high explosives could cause widespread destruction and casualties. And let's not forget those reporters outside. If they see a drone attack, they'll rush forward to capture the footage without thinking about the danger.
"Rick, your plan is completely unacceptable. I won't agree to it. This is a matter for the police or Joe's federal agents to handle."
Joe nodded in agreement. "Exactly, Rick. That includes the yacht on the northern coastline. While your drone has confirmed that the four men aboard are planning to attack your estate, you can't just use a heavy machine gun to spray them with bullets. Look at how many reporters are out there with their boats and speedboats, hoping to catch footage of your estate. Even a minor misstep could lead to collateral damage, and if even one person gets hurt, you'll have a PR nightmare on your hands.
"I can call in the Coast Guard immediately to surround that yacht. Whether they try to escape or resist, it's more appropriate for the Coast Guard to handle them than for you to fire a machine gun from your estate. Plus, they're still over a kilometer from your beach—well out of RPG range. Don't forget that the CSU (Crime Scene Unit) is still combing your beach for evidence. Those idiots on the yacht aren't likely to fire their rockets until they're in range, or they'll just be giving away their position to the Coast Guard or FBI helicopters.
"The real threat here is the two men in the van at your gate with the RPGs and anti-tank missiles. Beckett's concerns are valid. You can't launch a missile at that van knowing full well it contains volatile explosives. The reporters outside will swarm the moment your drone attacks, oblivious to the danger.
"And if a sympathetic detonation causes casualties, public opinion won't care about the context. They'll put all the blame squarely on you."
The three executives—especially the Lockheed Martin representative, who was eager for some action—wanted to chime in. They would have loved to see Castle go ahead with his reckless plan so they could witness the full capabilities of his drone's cloaking and combat systems. The Northrop Grumman CEO and the Pentagon representatives shared this curiosity.
But none of them dared openly support Castle's harebrained plan.
Unlike Castle, who wasn't thinking clearly, these shrewd veterans immediately spotted the flaws in his plan. The risk of collateral damage was simply too high. Last night's incident had been different—those 11 armed mercenaries had landed on Castle's private beach fully armed, leaving no doubt about their hostile intent. Killing them on his own property was well within the bounds of the "Castle Doctrine."
But today, with a crowd of reporters outside and numerous journalists on boats in the water, Castle's plan would almost certainly lead to unintended harm. Beyond the possibility of triggering a massive explosion at the gate, using heavy machine guns to target the yacht could inadvertently hit other boats carrying reporters. While Beckett knew the machine guns were AI-controlled and capable of precise targeting, the others assumed they were merely controlled by rudimentary electronic systems, making accidents seem likely.
The executives from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and the Pentagon all had their own selfish reasons for wanting to see the drone in action. But Beckett wasn't about to let her increasingly reckless boyfriend carry out such a dangerous plan in full view of the media.
Even if it were later proven that the people in the van were planning an attack, Castle had no law enforcement authority. Moreover, the van was parked on public property, not on Castle's land.
"Preemptive defense" was the kind of thing only the US government, with its infamous audacity, could get away with. Even though Castle was now part of the upper echelons of American society, he couldn't afford to act so brazenly in front of the press. This was, after all, a country full of peculiarities and activist groups. If Castle went through with his plan, who knew what kind of public backlash or orchestrated smear campaign he might face.
Thus, Beckett firmly vetoed Castle's idea. She left him with one parting remark: "This is a matter for the police and Joe's agents to handle." Without sparing a glance at the three smirking executives, she hurried out with Joe to the temporary command post set up on Castle's lawn.
It was only after Beckett left that Castle realized he had made a foolish mistake. And the three executives sitting in front of him? Not a single one had warned him—they'd all been perfectly content to let him walk into a trap. Dammit! Castle thought. If that's how you want to play, then don't expect me to hand over my cloaking tech anytime soon. Sorry, I'm "too busy" dealing with public backlash these days to negotiate.
Meanwhile, Beckett and Joe wasted no time. They headed to the command post, where the live drone feed was displayed on a large monitor. The chubby technician had already synced the drone's footage to the screen. Beckett called over Esposito, while Joe summoned his trusted lieutenant, Omar Jordan. Beckett, as the de facto "lady of the estate," briefed everyone on the current situation.
Even Big Ivan was called over via radio. Given the circumstances, Beckett and Joe knew that Ivan's 20-man security team was the best-equipped group available. Thanks to Castle, they were outfitted with gear comparable to that of US Delta Force operatives, including a full battlefield command system and several skilled snipers. If Beckett wanted to avoid casualties among her NYPD officers or Joe's FBI agents, she had no choice but to rely on Ivan and his team.
Last night's NYPD ESU and FBI tactical units had already withdrawn, so the only remaining high-level tactical team was Ivan's group of former Russian MVD operatives. It was a darkly humorous twist—Russian ex-special forces, now equipped with American gear, being entrusted by two New York law enforcement officials with such a critical task.
Recalling the ESU or FBI tactical units would take too long and might alert the two terrorists parked outside the gate. Reluctantly, Joe and Beckett agreed to let Ivan's team handle the situation.
The plan was straightforward. With the advantage of superior intelligence, the two men in the van would be neutralized with long-range sniper fire. The snipers would aim to kill instantly, giving the terrorists no chance to react. Since it was unclear whether they were already preparing to launch their rockets, hesitation was not an option.
As for the four men on the yacht, the Coast Guard and helicopters were en route. The goal was to keep the yacht at least 500 meters from the beach, beyond the maximum effective range of their rockets. With four heavy machine guns securing the northern coastline, this wasn't expected to be a problem.
Once everything was ready, Ivan's snipers, armed with .338 caliber rifles, moved into their pre-assigned positions. Finally, they had the green light to fire.
(End of Chapter)
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