Though Deckard Shaw was a super-soldier meticulously trained by John Bull, he wasn't bulletproof. Realizing that any move besides surrender would get him riddled with bullets by the alert NYPD officers, Deckard begrudgingly dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender to Beckett.
He couldn't understand it—when did the NYPD get so formidable? Almost every uniformed officer he saw after surrendering was armed with an FN-SCAR rifle, something even his elite SAS unit couldn't fully outfit. To his surprise, these officers' body armor seemed even better than that of the tactical ESU team. What was going on?
Deckard surrendered, not only because he saw no way out and didn't doubt the female officer's threat to shoot him, but also because he knew the warlord would soon arrive to take down Dominic and his team, who had interfered with his plans. In the ensuing chaos, he planned to escape. Deckard was no fool; as long as he wasn't killed on the spot, he believed he'd have a good chance to break free amidst the chaos.
As Beckett's team cuffed both Deckard's and Dominic's groups, she finally exhaled a sigh of relief. Reporters were already gathering outside Central Park, and the pressure on her was enormous. If Deckard had chosen to resist and she'd been forced to unleash ESU in a park-wide skirmish, who knew what kind of sensationalized stories the media would churn out?
This resolution was ideal. Beckett and her team secured the situation, capturing both factions without a single injury to her officers. It would give Deputy Commissioner Montgomery a chance to restore the NYPD's reputation in the upcoming press conference.
Just then, Beckett's phone rang. She saw it was Castle and was a bit puzzled—he'd had two drones watching the scene, so what else could he be unsure about? She answered, only to hear Castle, in a frantic tone, reveal shocking news: the clash between Deckard and Dominic was just a warm-up. An even more reckless warlord was en route from a private airport in the Bronx to Manhattan, flying a modified civilian helicopter equipped with a machine gun and rockets. What was he planning? Did he intend to turn Manhattan into a battlefield?
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Beckett promptly reported this to Deputy Commissioner Montgomery, who was at NYPD headquarters preparing for the press conference. As expected, the deputy commissioner broke into a cold sweat.
Upon learning that a foreign warlord had lost his mind and was heading toward Manhattan in a modified helicopter, Montgomery was stunned. Lately, the incidents in New York were escalating out of control. First, the German maniac had rigged the city with bombs to raid the Federal Reserve, and now this?
Montgomery had thought this would be a straightforward issue, with the heavily armed 12th Precinct easily handling it. Beckett had, in fact, quickly suppressed the two lawless groups in Central Park. However, just as Montgomery was about to breathe a sigh of relief and begin the press conference, he received this terrifying report from Beckett.
If this madman actually attacked the police convoy in Manhattan, it would be a massive blow to the NYPD's reputation. That couldn't happen. This lunatic had to be stopped; otherwise, Montgomery's career as deputy commissioner would be over.
Fortunately, Beckett's call also brought some good news. When Montgomery learned that Castle's drones were equipped with the latest mini-missiles, he realized that Beckett had anticipated the situation and was already monitoring it. However, the issue now was that the warlord's helicopter was airborne, which meant Montgomery might actually have to authorize Castle, notorious for his wild streak, to use the missiles to shoot down the helicopter in New York's airspace. That would be taking control, but a missile strike on a helicopter over Manhattan could also cause significant damage.
Montgomery, in his frustration, didn't hold back from voicing his concerns to his trusted deputy.
Beckett, too, wasn't entirely clear on Castle's intentions. After receiving his call, she had immediately contacted her superior, only now realizing that simply letting Castle use a missile to down the helicopter might cause the situation to spiral out of control if it crashed in the city.
Worried, Beckett called Castle again, and when he heard her and Montgomery's concerns, he laughed. "Ah, so you're afraid that if I shoot it down over the city, the falling wreckage will cause more damage and panic? Don't worry, I've got it covered."
"I've thought it through. The helicopter's flight path will take it over the East River, and I've already sent one of the drones that way. I'll shoot it down right over the river to minimize any complications. That way, the NYPD won't have to deal with a diplomatic mess later on. How about that?"
Hearing Castle's plan to down the helicopter over the East River before it could reach Manhattan, Beckett was impressed by his audacity. Before she could respond, Castle added, "All I need now is NYPD authorization to shoot down the helicopter. We all know this guy is insane and basically a terrorist. There's no time for long discussions. Ask Montgomery if I have permission to intercept him over the river.
"Tell Montgomery that this lunatic's helicopter isn't just armed with an M2 .50-caliber machine gun—it's also rigged with rocket launchers. Montgomery can forget about trying to negotiate with him. If he reaches your convoy escorting Deckard and Dominic, and launches an attack, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Persuaded, Beckett hung up and called Deputy Commissioner Montgomery, who was anxiously waiting at headquarters.
This was one of those times the state's powers outweighed federal oversight. In urgent cases like this, the NYPD had surprisingly broad authority. After hearing Beckett's report, Montgomery swiftly informed his superior and the mayor. Coincidentally, the mayor happened to be both a Castle fan and his friend. Already aware that his friend had become a significant shareholder in Northrop and a celebrated weapons designer, the mayor readily approved the request, granting Castle full authorization to decide whether to intercept the warlord's helicopter over the river.
The approval quickly reached Castle, and upon learning that his friend the mayor had greenlighted his strike, he grinned and instructed his assistant to prepare the missiles on the drone positioned ahead of the helicopter's flight path.
From the beginning, Castle hadn't planned to negotiate with the warlord. His philosophy was to eliminate threats entirely. If he tried Beckett's approach and issued a warning, what if the target fled to a populated area? Even if they managed to down him there, both Castle and Beckett would be heavily criticized. And if the warlord surrendered and later escaped? They'd be stuck dealing with his reprisals forever.
The best solution was to take him down completely, leaving no room for future danger.
Castle's assistant, piloting the drone, felt his hands trembling. It was his first time controlling a drone to engage a target. Both frightened and exhilarated, he watched the helicopter approaching steadily on his monitor.
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Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
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Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
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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