The warlord sat silently on a helicopter speeding toward Manhattan, feeling utterly defeated. Damn it! He'd barely managed to discover, without anyone else's knowledge, a hacker in Germany who'd invented software capable of tracking anyone. Kidnapping the kid had gone smoothly, but just as they completed the abduction, they were ambushed right outside the hacker's house by a group protected by Russian bodyguards.
Fearing the risks of delay, his men quickly slipped away from the unexpected Russians and smuggled the unconscious hacker, Heydrich, back to Azerbaijan, planning to interrogate him at their base. Who could have anticipated, however, that despite using an armored bus with six off-road escorts, his convoy was attacked on the highlands of Azerbaijan near his base by a Los Angeles biker gang? The hacker was taken right out of his hands.
This was beyond infuriating! After some discussion with the British bald man who'd approached him, they'd pieced together the events. Deciding they had mutual interests, they joined forces and flew to New York alongside Dominic and his crew, both aiming to take down Dominic and hoping, amid the chaos, to retrieve the German hacker.
But the plan with Deckard Shaw was derailed midway by a heavily armed group of New York police. Even Shaw had to surrender under the watchful eye of these officers. And Dominic's entire group? Also rounded up by NYPD and en route to police headquarters? This wouldn't do. He still wanted to find the now-vanished Heydrich and deal a blow to the gang who dared mess with him.
So, after learning by phone that Shaw and Dominic's crew had been apprehended, the warlord, who'd been waiting for updates at a private airport in the Bronx, couldn't sit still any longer. Ignoring his subordinates' warnings against causing trouble in New York, he ordered modifications to his rented helicopter, fitting it with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, and flew furiously toward Manhattan, determined to settle matters personally.
His plan had changed—he no longer expected to recover Heydrich, who had likely ended up with an intelligence agency. Now, his sole reason for heading to Manhattan was revenge. As for Shaw, his former ally? A defeated ally wasn't worth a second thought.
With the NYPD focused on Shaw and Dominic's group, he could unleash the helicopter's firepower in a ruthless strike, wipe out these thugs, and then head back to the Bronx to catch a private jet out of the country. He'd never return, so why not settle the score before leaving?
Intent on vengeance, he failed to notice a drone hovering inconspicuously in the night ahead of his helicopter. The pilot didn't spot it either, as it was hovering over the East River under the cover of darkness. Thus, when two missiles struck without warning, the warlord was completely caught off guard. Since he was in a civilian helicopter, there were no radar warnings or alarms to indicate an incoming attack. As the chopper exploded over the East River, it could be said he died cluelessly.
Casually, Castle called Beckett to report that the matter had been resolved, instructing her and Montgomery to ensure the press didn't get wind of the incident. The NYPD would handle any inquiries from the FBI or FAA.
Beckett was shocked by her husband's ruthlessness. He'd obtained NYPD clearance to use force and then waited on the helicopter's route, immediately launching missiles at the first sight of it. Cold-blooded indeed!
But with her current focus on safely transporting Shaw, Dominic, and their team from their firefight in Central Park to NYPD headquarters, she had little time to dwell on it. Montgomery was awaiting their arrival to prepare for a press conference.
After ensuring the helicopter was down in the East River, Castle, satisfied, made one last check to confirm the warlord's death. He then suggested Beckett deploy a large police force to the Bronx airport where the warlord's men and a substantial stockpile of weaponry remained, a sure way to boost NYPD's reputation.
As Beckett was busy with the transport, she relayed the information to her superiors, and the Bronx precinct took over the operation.
Once Shaw, Dominic, and their crew were safely in custody, Beckett seized the chance to crush their spirits. "Don't expect any mysterious benefactors to come rescue you. As far as they're concerned, after you retrieved Heydrich from Azerbaijan without securing the information they wanted, you're no longer valuable. So, I suggest you cooperate with our investigation.
"By the way," she added, "just now, we shot down a helicopter over the East River that was en route to kill you. The warlord you took Heydrich from was on that helicopter. Don't hold onto false hopes."
Handcuffed, Dominic and his crew were shocked—not only by Beckett's knowledge of their dealings with their nameless contact but by the NYPD's boldness in shooting down the warlord's helicopter. Was this really the police, or had they crossed paths with the military?
Following behind, Shaw overheard Beckett's words and froze. What? The police hadn't tried to talk down the warlord but had shot down his helicopter? What kind of brutal cops were these?
Of course, he didn't know this wasn't NYPD's doing but rather the work of Castle, a man keen to prevent future trouble by eliminating the warlord completely. Castle held no sympathy or hesitation. To him, anyone causing trouble in Beckett's jurisdiction deserved to be wiped out. That way, she could work in peace as precinct captain.
Moreover, countless books and movies had taught him about the dangers of leaving loose ends. Castle wasn't about to let soft-heartedness lead to future regrets. Given his resources and NYPD's support, why not eliminate the threat once and for all?
Had he not wanted Beckett to handle the Central Park firefight herself, Castle would have used his drone's missiles to end the confrontation there as well. Shaw's danger went without saying, and he had no fondness for the biker gang either. They all played at loyalty, but aside from O'Conner, who was brainlessly loyal, was there a single decent person among them?
Out of respect for his drone operator's friendship with Tej, Castle restrained himself from blowing up the entire group, letting Beckett's team make the arrests instead. Otherwise, with Castle's impatience, not one of them would've survived the day.
This way was better: a permanent solution. Now, he only needed to focus on tracking the nameless contact and his CIA connections. He wasn't intimidated, only annoyed. Should the nameless contact ever come directly to him, Castle had a thousand ways to avoid him. Let's not forget—Castle was Northrop Grumman's largest private shareholder. Did the CIA think his connections would just stand idly by?
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
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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