After watching the series of events unfold when the chubby guy went to his meeting, just as he'd anticipated, Richard Castle and young Ramsey couldn't help but laugh as they observed the self-assured and supposedly "invisible" operative trying to deceive the young guy in their safe house through the omniscient surveillance system in their estate.
Now, young Ramsey was calling Castle "Uncle Rick," just like the chubby guy did. "Uncle Rick, it's all playing out just like you said. Those CIA people are probably trying to keep a close eye on Harry now.
"So, since Harry agreed to help this guy Teiji find Dekard Shaw, who's been well-hidden, should we dangle it in front of them? Or go all the way and actually help them track him down?"
Castle chuckled. "Finding Dekard Shaw is easy for us, with our advanced AI and your surveillance system. The problem is we can't reveal that we have such powerful tracking software. At most, we'll just help them locate one of Shaw's hideouts. What happens between the biker gang or the CIA and Shaw afterward is none of our business."
Ramsey understood Castle's plan: "So, you mean we'll only reveal one of Shaw's fixed hideouts. As for anything involving his real-time location, which might expose our software's similarity to Heydrich's tech, we won't get involved?"
Castle gave her a look of approval. "Exactly. We'll give them a location on Dekard Shaw in the country, but what they do with that information is up to them. Besides, that so-called invisible guy is only trying to lure Harry in bit by bit. As soon as he cooperates with them for the first time, it'll be a slippery slope, making it harder for him to refuse future collaborations.
"Luckily, they don't know that time is exactly what we need right now. It's already August, and if we can hold out for four more months until Benjamin takes office, the CIA won't be a problem for us anymore."
Ramsey wasn't as concerned with political maneuvering; she only cared if her surveillance system could successfully track down Dekard Shaw in this real-world trial. While Castle spoke, she was rapidly entering parameters into her system, hoping to locate Shaw quickly and set up surveillance on him. This way, she could be a solid backup for her boyfriend Harry whenever he had to play along with the biker gang and the so-called invisible operative.
After watching the chubby guy, who had already made up his mind, leave the safe house, Castle and Ramsey went back to the study in the main building, as he'd just received a call from Moz.
"Moz, what's so urgent?" Castle asked, settling comfortably into his chair.
On the other end of the line, Moz sounded less relaxed. "Rick, I just got some news. Since this is an election year and both New York senators, William Bracken and Pratt, are gone—one imprisoned, the other deceased—New York is effectively without senators. This month, they're scrambling to elect replacements. I spoke with Benjamin, and he's almost guaranteed to be the next President. His party, the Democrats, wants to seize this rare opportunity to push into the Republican stronghold of New York. So he's hoping we'll back one of his party friends for the New York Senate seat.
"What do you think?"
The news caught Castle off guard. He thought for a moment before responding, "Alright, Moz. Let me think it over. I'll check in with Gianna, who's still in Italy, and call you back tonight, okay?"
Moz understood Castle's caution but couldn't resist reminding him, "Rick, you know this country's not really controlled by the President. It's actually in the hands of each state's two senators, those hundred people altogether. If we back Benjamin and then get our own person as a New York senator, the impact would be profound!"
Castle grasped the implication. This was essentially the American version of "strategic positioning." Because of the quirky political system, a president's term is limited to four years, with two terms at most—eight years in total. But senators are different; each term is six years, and as long as they're capable and willing, they can serve indefinitely. With each state having two senators, totaling one hundred, plus over four hundred representatives, they make up Capitol Hill, which was created specifically to limit presidential power.
The three-branch system means these senators are the ones truly controlling national policy. Right now, Benjamin's aim is to ensure he has allies in the Senate when he takes office. Otherwise, the Senate could stifle his agenda.
For example, if Benjamin, a Democrat, faced a Senate where two-thirds were Republicans, he'd have a tough time getting any policy passed, as Republicans could veto his proposals and block his actions from reaching the White House. Of course, this would also require a Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
So, when Benjamin learned that New York suddenly had two vacant Senate seats, he approached Moz, his long-time financial backer, for additional support. He saw this as a golden opportunity to secure at least one seat in New York, traditionally a Republican stronghold, which would be just as significant as winning the presidency itself.
After hanging up, Castle quickly understood Benjamin's strategy and agreed with supporting the Democratic Party further. After all, with the feud over Beckett and his ties to Neil, maintaining a good relationship with the battered Republicans was unlikely. Barring unexpected developments, Castle could safely assume Beckett would side with the Democrats. Supporting a Democrat candidate for the New York Senate seat would also align with his wife's interests.
Having resolved this, Castle called Gianna in Italy. Since they'd both invested in Benjamin's campaign, it was only fair to keep her informed about Moz's request.
Upon hearing that Benjamin was almost certain to win the presidency, Gianna immediately agreed to Moz's request. She committed to transferring another large sum with Castle to support a Democratic candidate in the New York Senate race.
After finishing the call with Gianna, Castle immediately called Moz, updating him on their decision. He told Moz they'd transfer the funds into the specified account the next day, earmarked specifically for supporting a fellow Democrat candidate.
After exchanging thoughts with Moz and agreeing to meet with Benjamin soon, Castle noticed that the chubby guy had returned unexpectedly.
Castle walked downstairs, puzzled. "Why are you back? Didn't the operative tell you to assist Heydrich in their safe house in locating Dekard Shaw?"
The chubby guy looked equally confused. "I don't know why either. Dekard Shaw showed up in New York all on his own, very openly, and the operative's people immediately started tracking him. Since they're already on him, I figured there was no need for me to stick around, so I came back."
Castle raised an eyebrow. "Dekard Shaw showed up in New York openly? What's he up to?"
After pondering for a moment, Castle realized, "Could it be he learned that the biker gang and CIA have teamed up, but doesn't know how to flush them out for revenge on his brother? So he came to New York, showing himself openly to draw them out?"
The chubby guy seemed perplexed.
Seeing the blank look on the chubby guy's face, Castle patiently explained, "I mean, Shaw is deliberately exposing his location, hoping that Dominic's gang will try to catch him. That way, he can take them down one by one!"
"Alright, let's go to the lab and check with Jarvis right away!"
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I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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