Of course, discussing these matters is still a bit premature. After all, when Benjamin's wife encountered her misfortune, Benjamin was already serving his first term as president and was preparing for a re-election campaign. The fundraising dinner he and his wife attended that night was specifically for his re-election. So, this event is still at least four years away—plenty of time to go.
As for Amir Bakawi, the real bigshot who made a brief appearance before disappearing, no one knows where he's hiding now. Last time, he purchased a red mercury bomb from Dr. Edward Bailey, a device that had been kept in a hidden room in the Kremlin until Frank Moses retrieved it, only for Bailey to tranquilize him and steal it away. However, before Bakawi could complete the transaction, Dr. Bailey, who was hiding out in the mountains of Finland, was relentlessly pursued by MI5 and CIA agents. Driven to the British Isles, he eventually realized he couldn't escape and set off the bomb he had designed and built over thirty years ago right on British soil, taking himself and his pursuers up in smoke.
Bailey's only regret was that he had been surrounded as soon as he disembarked, preventing him from taking the bomb to his desired target—London.
This turn of events left Bakawi stunned, as his chance to exact revenge using the bomb was suddenly thwarted. For the time being, he could only swallow his frustration and bide his time, waiting for the right moment to deliver a punishing response to the NATO countries responsible for the drone strike that killed his daughter and numerous family members.
When Richard Castle first heard of Amir Bakawi during the Bailey incident, he instantly recognized the infamous name and realized who this guy was. Bakawi's involvement even inspired Castle to invest in Benjamin Arthur, who was still an underdog at the time.
Bakawi is, without a doubt, a ruthless figure. According to the storyline from his previous life, Bakawi would likely start planning his revenge now, setting things up over several years before finally launching his operation. To gather such a vast army of mercenaries and criminals to wreak havoc in London, killing multiple foreign leaders, including the Japanese prime minister attending a British funeral—it took a figure of Bakawi's caliber to pull that off.
Think about it: the American president's three "Marine One" helicopters were shot down, and Benjamin Arthur himself almost got captured on live global television by Bakawi, who nearly beheaded him. This shows Bakawi's unyielding determination.
Though the British were caught off guard, Bakawi's actions were already daring enough. To stage a massacre right outside Westminster Abbey and force leaders to flee in terror elevated Bakawi's status beyond mere villainy. In terms of audacity, this Yemeni arms dealer was miles ahead of others.
Smart enough to disappear after the Bailey incident, Bakawi went into hiding, plotting a massive event a few years down the line. This shows him to be a man of careful planning and calculated patience. Castle, who could've had Jarvis find Bakawi's hideout in minutes, decided to leave him alone. Knowing Bakawi wouldn't strike domestically, he dismissed the idea, wanting to preserve the storyline.
As the saying goes, "it's not our kids being killed." According to the plot, Bakawi would eventually orchestrate the world-shaking "London Has Fallen" incident in a few years. Since he wasn't planning on coming to New York, Castle felt no reason to mess with him. Besides, if Bakawi tried to follow the path of previous antagonists and launch an attack on New York, Jarvis would alert Castle immediately. Given the current peace, there was no need to disrupt things.
The CIA had withdrawn its probe for the time being, and Castle didn't have anything pressing on his plate. It was the perfect time to focus on developing the smart glasses he had been planning and to contact Hughes Aerospace. To maintain a global connection with Jarvis, he would need a personal communications satellite in orbit. Fortunately, this satellite would only need basic communication functions for Castle and Jarvis, so the cost shouldn't be prohibitive.
Castle had no interest in getting caught up in outside drama. The CIA had already flagged him as a key figure to watch, so it was best not to attract attention. If those agents were to find any vulnerability, they wouldn't hesitate to exploit it.
As for the recent brawl in Central Park between Deckard Shaw and Dominic's crew, Castle wasn't interested in getting involved. He simply had Jarvis keep tabs on their movements. As long as they didn't stir up trouble in New York, Castle planned to ignore them. Neither group was particularly virtuous; Deckard Shaw might escape, but it was doubtful he'd ever return to New York. As for Dominic's gang, who got leniency from the DA thanks to Beckett's mercy, they'd probably head back to Los Angeles, their home base. Whether Shaw would continue to pursue them was no longer Castle's or Beckett's concern.
Dominic's crew had a knack for causing trouble. Even if Deckard Shaw got extradited back to the UK, sparing Dominic for now, Cipher would inevitably come looking for him. Then, it would be chaos all over again.
To keep enjoying his laid-back lifestyle, Castle decided to stop paying attention to these people. If Cipher eventually targeted Dominic for teaming up with Hobbs in Germany to steal the EMP weapon, he'd only have himself to blame.
Cipher's wild plans to steal a nuclear submarine from Russia sounded far too risky for Castle's taste. Plus, with Dominic's gang around to stir things up, it seemed unlikely that Cipher would succeed. Cipher's strength lay in her team's digital expertise, but with Castle's AI capabilities, tracking down the elusive Cipher would be a breeze if he ever needed to.
Thanks to all these reasons, Castle could comfortably laze around at his estate, handling loose ends from the recent events. He had already spoken with Deputy Director Montgomery and Beckett, agreeing to donate a custom-made drone to Beckett's precinct. This would make the 12th Precinct the most heavily armed and technologically advanced out of New York's 77 precincts. Although he'd scaled down the drone's size during manufacturing, the one for Beckett's precinct would be fully outfitted with authentic military-grade equipment.
Castle had initially purchased a civilian turbofan engine for this drone but had since upgraded it to a genuine military-grade turbofan from Pratt & Whitney. With Northrop's help, all reconnaissance systems on the drone were now military-grade. The most intimidating feature was the addition of twenty-four mini-missiles he had recently developed.
Castle found it amusing to imagine future criminals in Beckett's precinct facing down a drone that could fire rounds with the precision of an "ex-wife." He felt it was almost poetic justice for those who dared cause trouble in Beckett's district. Armed police with military drones and missiles were simply terrifying.
Had the missiles not been manufactured in his lab using Jarvis's machinery, reducing costs significantly, Beckett would likely have hesitated to accept such a donation.
The automatic rifles and other equipment Castle recently provided already made the 12th Precinct a standout in New York, and now they were set to become the first precinct with military-grade drones. Other precincts were both envious and resentful, wondering why they didn't have a commander who could land a benefactor like Castle.
To ensure Beckett's team could operate the drone smoothly, Castle needed to build them a dedicated control console. Initially, he had only made one for both drones, relying on his talented technician to handle everything. But now, to transfer one to the 12th Precinct, they would need a proper control console—not everyone had the technician's skill to pilot the drone effectively.
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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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