Castle, having been stripped of any authority to handle the situation by his assertive girlfriend, Beckett, could only blame himself for this turn of events. If he hadn't come up with the reckless idea of live-streaming a missile attack in front of the Lockheed Martin executives, Beckett might not have publicly taken over the operation in front of all the guests, effectively sidelining him.
Strictly speaking, the current situation at Castle's estate was different from last night. Back then, the mercenaries had to reach Castle's private beach, armed to the teeth, before he could defend himself under the Castle Doctrine. But now, with NYPD officers and FBI anti-terrorism agents present on his estate, the situation demanded a more measured response.
According to intelligence, the van parked roughly 100 meters outside the south-facing gate of Castle's estate contained two TOW anti-tank missiles, two RPG launchers, and accompanying rockets. This posed a far greater threat than a typical mass shooter armed with an automatic rifle in a public setting. The weapons were potentially catastrophic, especially in such close proximity to the estate and the gathered reporters.
The Hiroen brothers, Taro and Jiro, had no idea that the sheer destructive potential of their arsenal had prompted the authorities to classify them—and the four individuals on the yacht off the northern coastline—as "terrorists." Ever since 9/11, the US had developed a deep hatred for anything remotely resembling terrorism. With Beckett and Joe tacitly labeling the six Yakuza members as terrorists, it became clear that they wouldn't be negotiated with or arrested; they'd be neutralized on sight.
Having Big Ivan's four snipers handle the operation was a practical choice. Beckett, acting as the on-site commander, and Joe, representing the FBI, both implicitly endorsed this unconventional approach. It wasn't exactly legal, but with both of them signing off on it, the line between legal and illegal became blurred. Their priority was clear: avoid collateral damage to the reporters and handle the situation as swiftly as possible.
After all, waiting for the tactical teams that had left earlier to return from New York City would take time—and there was no telling what might happen in the interim.
If the reporters hadn't been present, Beckett and Joe might not have intervened to stop Castle from implementing his insane plan. But with the estate's gates swarming with journalists and cameras, Castle's proposed approach risked massive collateral damage. A single mistake—injuring or killing a reporter—would spell disaster for Castle, who was already under heavy scrutiny from certain activist groups and moral critics accusing him of excessive force during the previous night's incident.
Thus, with the absence of SWAT teams and the need to neutralize the threat quickly, the most capable and well-equipped team available was Big Ivan's group. Despite the oddity of having former Russian "counterterrorism elites" operate on US soil, it was a pragmatic choice. Beckett and Joe knew that after the two men in the van were dealt with, they could simply announce that the operation had been handled by law enforcement. Without concrete evidence, reporters would have no way of proving otherwise.
As for Castle, he was left to stew in frustration. Stripped of his decision-making power, he sat in his mansion, helplessly watching as the situation unfolded. Meanwhile, the executives from Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin began arguing loudly in front of him, bickering like two market vendors over a rare piece of fresh produce. Castle couldn't believe his eyes. These were the "big players" he had once held in such high regard?
Meanwhile, the three Pentagon representatives—cooler and more composed—ignored the corporate squabble. They quietly consulted Castle about the advantages and potential timelines for the cloaking technology, eager to gauge when the military could realistically deploy it.
Castle wanted nothing more than to leave the room and watch Big Ivan's team and the Coast Guard deal with the six troublemakers. But faced with the Pentagon's "big bosses," he had no choice but to sit down and answer their questions. At least he could follow the action via the drone feed, which the chubby technician was now controlling.
"Actually," Castle began, trying to focus on the Pentagon officials' questions, "if we don't consider production costs or logistical challenges, the technology is essentially complete. Aside from minor adjustments and optimization, the real hurdle lies in manufacturing the flexible display panels that would be mounted on the underside of aircraft. We'd also need to equip existing bombers or subsonic aircraft with more powerful onboard computers to handle the processing requirements."
Castle paused for emphasis. "Producing those components is no easy task…"
In the meantime, the situation outside was developing rapidly. The drone's surveillance of the two men in the van had picked up their conversation, revealing a twist in the Hiroen brothers' plan. While Beckett and Joe had initially assumed the brothers were preparing for a direct suicide attack on the estate, Taro's orders to his brother told a different story. Taro's true intent was to use the four men on the yacht as cannon fodder to create a distraction, drawing attention away from the van. Then, amid the ensuing chaos, the brothers planned to ambush Castle's vehicle as he exited the estate.
Taro had no intention of firing rockets at the estate in plain view of the gathered reporters. Instead, his plan relied on the yacht crew launching rockets to create confusion, forcing Castle to flee. That's when the brothers would strike, using their rockets to ambush Castle's car.
Upon learning this through the drone's intercepted audio, Beckett felt a wave of relief. As long as the brothers weren't planning a direct assault on the estate, the situation became more manageable. With the Coast Guard's boats and helicopters arriving soon, Beckett and Joe were confident they could neutralize the yacht's crew quickly.
Still, Taro's cunning plan—sacrificing his own allies to sow chaos—had given Beckett and Joe a scare. It underscored the ruthlessness of this so-called leader, who didn't hesitate to use his comrades as bait.
But neither the Hiroen brothers nor their yacht-bound allies would get the chance to execute their plans. Under the chubby technician's supervision, Big Ivan's snipers had already taken up positions. As the Coast Guard prepared to engage the yacht, the snipers were ready to neutralize the two men in the van with precision shots.
Meanwhile, Castle, resigned to his current situation, could only watch the action unfold on the drone feed. But he couldn't ignore the two corporate executives bickering like schoolchildren in front of him. They were arguing over Castle's cloaking technology with such fervor that they seemed ready to come to blows. It was absurd—these were supposed to be titans of industry, yet they were acting like petty shoppers at a farmers' market.
The three Pentagon representatives, on the other hand, remained professional. They quietly pressed Castle for more details about the cloaking system, including its pros and cons, and how soon it could be fully operational.
Castle, wanting to end the conversation quickly so he could focus on the unfolding operation, gave them a candid assessment. "If we're not constrained by costs or logistical issues, the technology is essentially ready. The primary challenge now is scaling production. We'd need specialized display panels for aircraft and upgraded onboard computers for processing. It's a headache to produce these components on a large scale…"
While Castle explained the hurdles of production, his thoughts remained fixated on the operation outside. He was itching to see how Big Ivan's team, Beckett, Joe, and the Coast Guard would handle the six would-be attackers. But for now, he could only sit and watch, torn between the technical discussion with the Pentagon and the action unfolding in real time.
(End of Chapter)
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