To the three women—who had long since grown accustomed to the darker side of the world—there was a fundamental difference between spies and assassins.
Spies had clear objectives.
Their actions followed a pattern, and with proper countermeasures, they could be neutralized.
But assassins?
They were unpredictable.
Their sole purpose was to eliminate targets—efficiently, ruthlessly, without hesitation.
The moment Beckett, Gianna, and Joe confirmed the presence of two rogue assassins from the Fraternity, their first instinct was to eliminate them immediately.
There would be no negotiations.
No chances given.
Only execution.
—
Both Beckett and Gianna were mothers now.
And for them, nothing mattered more than the safety of their children.
If a potential threat existed—no matter how small—they would crush it without hesitation.
So, after a brief discussion, they unanimously agreed:
"Kill them first. Ask questions later."
After all, it wasn't like these assassins were indestructible.
The moment they stepped outside, drones could track their every movement.
One wrong step?
A precision missile strike would turn them into fine mist.
—
Before Winston's security team even arrived to reinforce Castle's estate…
Before Sean's reinforcements reached New York…
The three women had already issued a one-way ticket to hell for those two assassins.
There was an old saying:
"A woman is gentle by nature, but a mother is as fierce as a lion."
And these weren't just any women.
These were powerful, resourceful, battle-hardened women.
—
After double-checking that these two assassins were indeed freelancers with no real backing, Castle finally breathed easy.
With Jarvis monitoring their every move and armed drones circling overhead, those two weren't going anywhere but six feet under.
With New York secured, Castle could now shift his focus back to Hawaii—where Miura Kenichi had just arrived.
—
Despite the severe crackdown on Japanese operatives in Hawaii…
Despite Castle's prior efforts in helping Steve purge every Japanese spy from the islands…
They were back.
Like cockroaches, they just wouldn't stay dead.
—
Castle, John, and Steve had originally assumed that Miura Kenichi's advance team would rely on Indian or Turkish operatives already stationed in Hawaii.
And at first, their assumptions seemed correct.
Miura Kenichi and his five-man advance team were picked up by Indian intelligence operatives the moment they landed at Honolulu International Airport.
But what Castle didn't expect…
Was for Miura to leave the safe house alone—and meet with a mysterious Japanese contact at Waikiki Beach.
—
Of course, none of this escaped Castle's watchful eyes.
His satellite had been placed in low Earth orbit specifically for real-time surveillance over Hawaii.
Combined with Jarvis' hacking capabilities, Miura's phone was instantly compromised.
The moment he made contact, his entire conversation was recorded and translated in real time.
—
While Steve, Jason, and the others were still processing the absurdity of Castle's insane surveillance technology…
Castle and John were fully focused on Miura's conversation.
What they learned completely changed everything.
—
Miura's Japanese contact was an undercover operative, still embedded in Hawaii despite the previous spy purge.
And his job?
To prepare Miura's escape route.
—
If the kidnapping mission succeeded, Miura wouldn't stay in Hawaii.
Instead, he would immediately take Castle onto a private sightseeing helicopter and fly to Hawaii's Big Island.
There, at the port city of Hilo, a Panama-flagged freighter would be waiting.
Their escape route was meticulously planned:
1. Sail east—toward Mexico, not Asia.
2. Avoid U.S. military detection by staying outside Mexico's territorial waters.
3. Change ships in Panama, then take a second freighter to Colombia and Venezuela.
4. Pass through Trinidad and Tobago, then enter the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Board a third vessel, disguised as a grain transport ship bound for Africa.
6. Finally, land at Freetown, Sierra Leone, where Castle would disappear into the African wilderness.
—
Flying was not an option.
The moment Castle was reported missing, the U.S. government would lock down every airport in Hawaii.
Traveling west—toward Asia—was also impossible, as it would bring them directly into the 7th Fleet's operational range.
So instead, they devised the perfect misdirection:
Everyone would assume Castle was being taken west.
Instead, Miura would sail east, directly toward U.S. territory, where no one would be looking.
By the time authorities realized what happened, Miura would already be in Africa.
—
Of course, this entire plan was based on the assumption that Castle had no prior warning.
And that was where they had failed.
Not only did Castle already know their plan…
He had already set the trap.
—
After listening to the full conversation, even Jason and his SEAL team had to admit…
It was a brilliant strategy.
Under normal circumstances, it could have worked.
If Castle had been caught off guard, the FBI and CIA would have wasted all their time chasing after the wrong ships—while Miura quietly vanished into Africa.
But now?
Castle knew every detail of the plan.
Instead of hunting down Miura, he could now let Miura walk straight into his trap.
—
"I swear, these Japanese spies are like damn cockroaches," Steve muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I spent months cleaning them out of Hawaii, and now they're already coming back?"
Sitting beside him, Danny snorted.
"Welcome to Hawaii, partner."
Castle chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.
"Relax, Steve. This just means we get to crush them again."
—
With Miura's entire escape plan exposed, Castle immediately called Steve.
Within minutes, Steve and Danny were on-site, monitoring Miura's every move.
Steve was personally invested in this operation.
After all, it was his team that had eradicated the last Japanese intelligence network in Hawaii.
Seeing them back so soon?
That was personal.
Danny, meanwhile, was just grateful Castle had saved his daughter, Grace, from being kidnapped during his last encounter with corrupt cops.
Now?
Danny was more than happy to return the favor.
—
"You know what, Rick?" Steve said, cracking his knuckles.
"I think it's time we remind these bastards why Hawaii belongs to us."
Castle grinned.
"Couldn't agree more."
______
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