On the drive, Mozzie and Neal quickly learned from Castle what this mission was all about. Although they were a bit surprised by the increasingly high-profile people and events Castle was getting involved with, neither Mozzie nor Neal was particularly fazed. After all, they had already witnessed Castle take down Senator William Bracken. And it was only a matter of time before Castle would help Neal take down the last remaining New York State Senator, Pratt. So, going up against a Montana Senator and a Vice President didn't seem like such a big deal, right?
However, the Little Guy (Harry) was practically shouting the entire trip. After listening to Castle calmly explain the details of the mission, the previously drowsy Harry, who had stayed up late the night before, was now wide awake. He had always known that whenever his Uncle Rick called, it wasn't for something small. And now? They were going after a Montana Senator, a corrupt CIA colonel, and a sitting U.S. Vice President, revealing a massacre that had taken place in Africa years ago!
This revelation jolted Harry out of his tired state, filling him with determination as he eagerly awaited the detailed mission brief from Castle.
When Castle pulled into his estate with the group, Big Ivan was already waiting at the main house to greet his new boss. Castle, however, had no time to worry about estate security at the moment. After introducing the three men to the 6'6" Big Ivan, Castle led the excited Little Guy and Mozzie into the main house. He instructed Ivan to continue overseeing the workers renovating the estate before turning to brief the group on the intel he had gathered.
"So, Rick, you're saying that the Montana Senator, along with a corrupt CIA officer—Colonel Johnson, former head of CIA African operations—is planning to assassinate Vice President Andrew during his meeting with the so-called 'African peace ambassador' in three days?" Neal summarized after hearing Castle's explanation.
"Exactly," Castle confirmed. "They've recruited a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Bob Lee Swagger, under the false pretense of stopping an assassination attempt on the Vice President. They're using his skills to find the best sniper positions, all while planning to frame him as the assassin. Swagger has no idea that the real target isn't the Vice President but the 'peace ambassador' from Africa."
Castle continued, "Their goal is to pin the assassination on Swagger, using footage of him scouting the sniper positions to frame him. My plan is to help him escape once they turn on him, and then expose the truth behind the conspiracy."
Mozzie, puzzled, asked, "Why don't we just find this poor Gunnery Sergeant now and tell him it's a setup? Wouldn't that save us all a lot of trouble?"
Castle explained seriously, "First, we can't be sure if he'll even believe us. After all, the Montana Senator sent a CIA Colonel to recruit him—that carries more weight than us showing up out of nowhere. Second, if we pull him out now, the real masterminds—the Senator and Colonel—will get away. How do we prove they were behind it if we don't let the plot unfold? And without the chaos of an assassination attempt, how do we expose Vice President Andrew's involvement in the African massacre years ago?"
Castle laid out the situation clearly. "This is a political battle between the Montana Senator and Vice President Andrew, and politics is a game of power. In this case, they're enemies using the assassination as part of a larger power struggle. We're just playing the rogue heroes in the middle.
Only by letting the assassination attempt occur and watching the two sides clash can we take advantage of the chaos to expose the Senator's conspiracy and Andrew's dark past. When the Vice President is targeted, he won't take it lying down. Once he realizes the Senator is behind it, he'll fight back, and that's when we'll have our chance to reveal both sides' dirty secrets.
As for saving Swagger, that's just a side task. He may be a key player, but in a political battle at this level, he's still relatively insignificant. Our priority is to rescue him and then focus on exposing both sides' hidden crimes. That way, we protect ourselves while also striking at the heart of the matter."
Neal nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in Castle's approach. Harry, meanwhile, was practically jumping in his seat with excitement. "Uncle Rick, what do you need us to do?"
Castle stayed calm as he explained, "First, we won't have drone support for this mission. As you all know, the Vice President's security detail is nearly as strict as the President's. There's no way they'll allow unidentified drones near Times Square during the event. This weakens our surveillance capabilities.
Harry, I need you and Mozzie to hack into all the surveillance cameras around Times Square. We need to get control of the area's CCTV as quickly as possible.
Neal, I don't need you to take action just yet. I'm still gathering intel on the Montana Senator, Colonel Johnson, and Vice President Andrew. Once I have that information tomorrow, I'll need your help planning out the operation.
By the way, you guys can stay here. The ten bodyguards outside are trustworthy for now. If you need anything, just ask them to get it for you. I have to head back to New York soon because my girlfriend's precinct is in charge of the outer security for the Vice President's event, so I need to talk to her."
Mozzie and Neal exchanged knowing smiles, teasing Castle with their expressions. Mozzie chuckled, "I knew it! You're only interested in this Vice President and Montana Senator business because you're trying to impress your girlfriend!"
Castle didn't deny it, smiling as he admitted, "Yeah, if this meeting hadn't been scheduled for Times Square, I wouldn't care whether the Vice President lived or died. But Bob Lee Swagger is another story. He's a victim in all this, deceived by the Montana Senator and the corrupt CIA officer. Since we've crossed paths with him, we might as well help him out.
Just don't think he's some innocent lamb. He's a highly trained elite sniper. The only reason he's been fooled is because of the information imbalance. Once he knows the truth… well, let's just say those Senators, CIA officers, and even Vice Presidents won't stand a chance against him.
Harry, I'll send you Swagger's dossier later so you can see just how dangerous this guy really is."
Harry was already busy making a list of the equipment he needed. This estate was clearly Castle's new home, which meant he could claim one of the rooms as his own workspace. That would require some new gear, especially a high-performance computer. After all, Uncle Rick was a rich man, and this was the perfect opportunity for Harry to get his hands on some new toys.
After instructing Big Ivan to protect his "not-so-combat-ready" friends and provide whatever they needed, Castle headed back to New York. He had to swing by the 12th Precinct to share everything he'd just told Neal and the others with Beckett.
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