After handing over control of the estate, the blonde housekeeper, Higgins, wasted no time in driving away in a Land Rover bearing the license plate "Rob-6," taking Kumu and the two dogs, Zeus and Apollo, with her. She didn't pay the slightest attention to John Wick's longing gaze—the dog lover in him was clearly tempted to keep the animals around.
They were heading to the luxurious Hilton Hotel on Waikiki Beach, all expenses paid by the ever-generous Richard Castle.
For Castle, this was a win-win: not only did it clear out non-essential personnel from Robin's estate, but it also earned him a reputation as a charitable benefactor. After all, how much could two women and two dogs really spend, even if they indulged themselves?
Once Higgins and Kumu had departed, the CIA and FBI team leaders, who had arrived earlier to set up security at Robin's estate, finally came over to meet with Castle and Jason's team. Their primary role was securing the perimeter, and they wouldn't intervene until the first wave of attackers had been repelled by Jason's unit. This required some coordination with the SEALs to ensure a smooth operation.
Meanwhile, Castle and John were waiting for another friend to arrive.
That friend was Major Steve McGarrett, a former Navy SEAL Team 3 officer.
Steve was one of the rare officers who had actually fought on the front lines. In the SEALs, officers typically didn't participate in direct combat—frontline roles were reserved for enlisted personnel, even for someone as highly ranked as Master Chief Petty Officer Jason.
But Steve was an exception.
He had initially served five years in Naval Intelligence before transferring to the SEALs, making him one of the very few officers to have fought directly alongside enlisted SEALs. His unique background made him well-known throughout the community, and even Jason's DG team had heard of him.
Castle had reached out to Steve precisely because of his influence in Hawaii.
Having eliminated Wo Fat and rescued his mother, Doris, Steve had avoided the political setup that had once threatened his career. Instead of being framed for Jameson's assassination, he had saved her and cleaned up several of her lingering scandals.
Now, with the governor's absolute trust, Steve's power in Hawaii was at its peak.
His task force, personally authorized by the governor, had more authority than the FBI or DHS in Hawaii. Unlike federal agencies, Steve's team answered only to the governor, and he could mobilize local police and SWAT teams at will.
For Castle, having someone like Steve on his side was invaluable.
Driving his Dodge pickup truck, Steve arrived at Robin's estate, only to be shocked when he stepped out of the vehicle.
Standing in front of him were Jason and his SEAL team.
Steve had known them from before, back when SEAL Team 6 was still its own unit before evolving into DG Special Missions Group.
He had thought they had transitioned into a research and development unit—so why were they here, standing guard over his friend Castle?
Was Rick's visit to Hawaii not a simple vacation?
Something didn't add up.
Luckily, Steve hadn't brought Danny with him.
Danny owed Castle a huge favor—the last time they had spoken, Castle had tipped him off about a revenge plot involving a dirty cop from New Jersey who had once been imprisoned because of Danny's testimony. That same cop had tried to kidnap Danny's daughter, Grace, but because of Castle's warning, Danny had been able to rescue Grace and kill the guy before things got out of hand.
If Danny found out Castle was in Hawaii on business, there was no telling what kind of chaos he would cause.
After greeting Jason and his men, Steve was led aside by Castle, who finally revealed the truth.
"What? You're telling me that Japan, Turkey, and India formed a joint task force just to kidnap you?"
Steve was stunned.
"The Japanese are coming back to Hawaii? Didn't we wipe out their intelligence network last time?"
Steve had personally led the joint operation that eliminated Japanese operatives in Hawaii, working with Hawaii PD and the FBI.
Had the Japanese really forgotten the lesson they had learned?
While Steve processed this, John quietly poured two glasses of whiskey at the bar, handing one to Castle and the other to the bewildered SEAL.
Castle smirked and explained, "Buddy, you don't understand how valuable my technology is to these countries.
"You already know that Alexis' kidnapping was about my research, right? Now, with Turkey and India also in the mix, Japan has new allies to back them up.
"They're not afraid anymore because they have two major players backing them up."
Steve downed his whiskey in one gulp.
He already knew the attack wasn't happening immediately—Castle had told him that the enemy agents were still in Bangalore, preparing to fly into Hawaii disguised as tourists.
Their weapons and equipment had just been shipped from San Francisco and wouldn't arrive for another three days.
Since the attack was days away, Steve figured he might as well take time off to spend a few days with Castle.
This was a rare opportunity to relax with a friend.
Standing behind the bar, John quietly observed the conversation.
He and Steve had met before, back during the White House attack.
Steve had performed admirably, to the point that President Benjamin Asher had personally requested he stay on duty.
John respected warriors like Steve.
And now, as Steve processed Castle's words, John added his own insight:
"Steve, you have no idea what Rick's been working on lately.
"The real reason he's a target is because he developed a technology that will change aerial combat forever.
"Turkey and MI6 even got into a shootout in New York because of it.
"And India? They lost a high-caste airline investor who was obsessed with getting his hands on Rick's research.
"That's why all three nations see him as both a gold mine and a threat."
Steve's eyes widened in shock.
He had planned to visit New York when Castle's son was born, but a string of high-profile cases in Hawaii had kept him too busy.
Now, he was finally hearing about everything Castle had been up to.
"Rick, what the hell did you invent that got all these countries so riled up?"
Castle grinned sheepishly.
"I, uh… accidentally developed a way to make subsonic aircraft visually invisible."
Steve hadn't caught the subsonic part.
He had only heard: "visually invisible aircraft".
His brain immediately jumped to the concept of a true invisible fighter jet.
His jaw dropped.
"You… you what?"
"You actually developed a coating that makes aircraft disappear?"
Steve had always known Castle was unpredictable.
But this?
This was insane.
His normally composed expression collapsed into pure disbelief.
"This… this is game-changing! Do you realize what this means?"
Castle sighed, then patiently explained his research to Steve.
He also broke down the trap they were setting in Hawaii—and how Jason's SEAL team was posing as his bodyguards.
By the end of the conversation, Steve was more uneasy than before.
"So, let me get this straight.
"You brought an elite SEAL team, the CIA, and the FBI to Hawaii…
"…all so you could set a trap for Japan, Turkey, and India?"
Steve's forehead creased in doubt.
"Rick, this is all way too convenient.
"How can you be so sure they'll take the bait?"
Castle smirked.
"Buddy, you don't have to worry.
"Our intel says they're already packing their bags.
"They'll be here soon enough."
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