Under normal circumstances, hearing words like "CIA" and "secret agent" and realizing he was standing in front of a real former spy would have sent Castle into an uncontrollable frenzy of excitement.
But right now, he had no space for such thoughts. He sat there miserably, eyes fixed on the two men in front of him. Eventually, he couldn't help but interject.
"So, Sara's father is a ridiculously wealthy billionaire. Kim has a former super-spy father and an equally rich stepfather. But why Alexis? Why would they take her?"
To be fair, Castle was being remarkably self-aware for once. Compared to the others, he was just a well-off, harmless mystery novelist.
"For now, we still believe Sara was the primary target," Jack explained. "Elmasri just admitted that he had close ties with some former Egyptian government officials, which earned him powerful enemies.
So the FBI suspects this could be an act of retaliation against him."
Jack, however, wasn't convinced by this theory at all. He had studied Sara's photo for a long time—she was certainly beautiful, but completely unmemorable. He had a gut feeling that there was more to this than met the eye, but for now, there was no evidence.
"So Alexis and Kim just got caught in the crossfire? They were in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Castle's voice carried a glimmer of hope—until he saw the grim expressions on Jack and Bryan's faces.
"That's not good news," Jack reminded him. "Think about it with your mystery novelist brain."
Castle froze, then realization dawned on him. "You're saying… because Alexis and Kim weren't the targets, they could be…"
He stopped mid-sentence, unwilling to voice the terrifying thought aloud. If Sara was the main objective, then the other two were just collateral—pretty girls who had been kidnapped incidentally.
And when hostages have no value? They're either used to relieve stress or eliminated for secrecy.
Why would the kidnappers take on extra risk by snatching three girls at once? Could there be another motive? Right now, no one had the answers.
Jack reopened the SCIF's sealed door and led them into the elevator. "My superior, Director Moche, is working with NYPD Commissioner Reagan to brief the media.
Very soon, every major news station will be running this story on repeat. We're going to exaggerate your net worth and publicly reveal Kim's stepfather's identity to make sure the kidnappers realize the other two girls are just as valuable as Sara."
The only way to keep Alexis and Kim safe was to make their captors see them as high-value hostages—girls with ultra-wealthy families who would pay a ransom.
Right now, all they could do was pray that money was truly the kidnappers' motivation. Even if this started as a revenge plot against Elmasri, there was no way they'd turn down the chance to cash in on two additional billion-dollar hostages.
The elevator doors dinged open. Waiting for them was JJ, along with the FBI's fugitive task force and Beckett, all carrying various pieces of surveillance equipment.
"They're going to your home next to set up wiretaps," Jack explained. "Once the kidnappers make contact, JJ's team will control the conversation, guiding things in the direction we want."
Castle instinctively turned to follow them, but Jack grabbed him by the arm. "From now on, you stay with me—24/7. I know you have a lot of friends in high places, but trust me, the best person who can help you right now is standing in front of you."
Castle hesitated, then glanced at Beckett. When she gave him a small nod, he sighed in defeat. "Take care of Martha for me."
His mother had been living with him and Alexis.
"I want to reach out to some of my contacts," Bryan said in his usual gravelly voice. "They might help us track down Roger Hansen faster."
Jack handed him an unregistered burner phone. "This phone isn't being monitored, so you can use it freely. But listen up—neither of you is allowed to leave my sight.
I know you both have skills and connections, and there will come a time when I'll need you to use them.
But for now, you have to understand—this isn't about being reckless or playing the lone hero. Three girls' lives are on the line. The only way to solve this case is through cooperation.
I see you both as my friends. Don't make me regret trusting you."
Jack meant every word.
In past missions—whether assisting Navy SEALs in Mexico or dealing with the Yakuza in South Korea—Jack had always played a supporting role, like a background character in a real-life action movie.
Following the protagonists around had worked well enough before. Even when he didn't know the exact storyline, he could adjust and keep things on track.
After all, American TV plots were predictable. If a beloved character started doing something obviously leading to their demise, Jack could step in and prevent it. Plus, his special ability to heal others gave him a handy cheat code.
Of course, things had gone off the rails before—like when Matt Graver, a CIA agent who looked eerily like Thanos, unexpectedly died in Mexico.
Matt's death had derailed the original plan, forcing Jack to step up and save a little girl named Isabella.
Now, this bizarre kidnapping case felt even more chaotic.
Was it because Liam Neeson and his daughter had an inexplicable tendency to attract kidnappings? Or had Castle's plotline veered wildly off course?
This strange crossover effect was impossible to predict. The situation had spiraled out of control from the start, and Jack hated that feeling.
It wasn't just the fear of what might happen to the girls. Kidnapping was unpredictable—if they weren't found in time, they could simply disappear, their fates forever unknown.
Jack refused to let that happen. That's why he was forcibly keeping both Bryan and Castle close to him. No matter how the storyline twisted, he'd be there to intervene.
—
Fortunately, Jack had built a solid reputation over time. Castle, utterly lost and desperate, trusted him more than anyone right now. He had spent countless nights at gatherings, listening to Jack's real-life stories for inspiration—he knew what Jack was capable of.
Bryan, on the other hand, was far more rational. Jack's sincere, friend-to-friend approach had convinced him to stay.
After all, he was retired now. Even if he hadn't been, the CIA would still have to rely on the FBI for domestic cases.
And if nothing else, Bryan had never seen anything like the massive, fully coordinated FBI operations center before him.
Hundreds of agents working in unison. Every person focused solely on one case.
Dozens of analysts sifting through traffic camera footage in real time, tracing the kidnappers' van far more efficiently than a couple of hackers ever could.
Then—
"We found the final route!" Alice suddenly shot up from her seat, excitement flashing in her eyes. She projected a map onto the main screen.
"We spotted the van in the tunnel between Midtown Manhattan and Queens! It turned onto Greenpoint Avenue, then onto McGuinness Boulevard, before taking a right onto Huron Street."
"Where did it go next?" Castle clenched his fists.
"We don't know yet. But it didn't leave this area."
Alice circled a small section of the map. "We checked every surrounding camera. Once the van entered this district, it never came back out."
Jack glanced at the clock. Nearly six hours had passed since the girls were taken.
There was no time to waste.
"That's only twenty blocks," Jack ordered. "Alert every nearby NYPD precinct and deploy all field agents for a street-by-street search.
Everyone goes undercover. Use unmarked vehicles. If the van is located, report immediately—no one engages without backup!"
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