After giving the drone he planned to donate to the 12th Precinct a thorough maintenance check and replenishing the missiles it had already used, Castle had Jarvis manufacture a separate control console for it in his lab. Then, he called the idle Esposito and Ryan, instructing them to bring a vehicle to his estate to transport the drone's control console back to the precinct. As for the drone itself, he figured it could wait until they had set up the console at the precinct before launching it from his estate.
The 12th Precinct would also need to assign a few tech-savvy officers to the estate for training with Castle's technician on controlling the drone. Although the drone came with a semi-automated flight control system Castle had programmed to simplify operation, handling it in the skyscraper-packed urban environment would still require some practice.
Esposito and Ryan arrived quickly; after all, following yesterday's capture of Deckard Shaw and Dominic's crew, Beckett had carefully opted to take them directly to NYPD headquarters instead of the 12th Precinct. Both Deputy Chief Montgomery and the mayor needed to reassure the public that the lawbreakers who had caused such chaos in Central Park were apprehended. This decision spared Esposito and Ryan from the mountain of paperwork that would have awaited them at the precinct, giving them a rare opportunity to relax at Castle's estate.
The two showed up with a truck, intending to use it to transport the control console. But when they arrived, Castle, clearly happy to see them, insisted they join the beachside barbecue he had set up. Beach barbecues had become a regular fixture for Castle—a way to get his reclusive friends out of their tech labs, giving both his technician and Ramsey a chance to unwind outdoors.
"Castle, what's your deal? You're actually donating a fully armed drone to our precinct?" Esposito asked, sipping a cold beer Castle had handed him as they lounged on the private beach. "Do you really think we'll even need that kind of firepower?"
Castle gave a helpless shrug. "Believe me, I wasn't exactly eager to hand over a heavily armed drone. But yesterday, when that lunatic turned a civilian chopper into an armed aircraft, I had to shoot him down with the drone over the East River. Now, if I don't officially assign that weaponized drone to the 12th Precinct, people are going to start asking why a writer has access to such powerful military-grade equipment.
"It wouldn't look good if the NYPD, the city's largest law enforcement agency, couldn't match a writer in firepower. Montgomery would have a tough time explaining that one! Besides, the mayor is a friend, so consider it my way of keeping him and Beckett out of trouble."
Ryan, who had just walked over with a drink, overheard Castle and raised his eyebrows. "Castle, you're really pulling out all the stops for Beckett, huh?"
Esposito chimed in, "No kidding! The second he heard there was trouble in her precinct, he called her right away, scrambled two drones, and took down that warlord the moment he tried to attack the convoy. Castle, you're playing the hero, right? If only Beckett hadn't been busy at headquarters last night. Otherwise… heh heh heh…"
Esposito's suggestive chuckle was joined by the laughter of Castle's Russian bodyguards nearby, who all got a kick out of the joke.
Castle, knowing Esposito and Ryan well, didn't mind the ribbing. Smiling, he turned serious for a moment. "Actually, Esposito, you're mistaken. This wasn't just about Beckett or even the NYPD. Think about it: Deckard Shaw has been wanted by the British government for years without capture, and that warlord would have been a disaster if he'd succeeded in reaching the convoy. With his rockets and heavy machine guns, he could've caused a massacre.
"I wouldn't want Beckett going to work every day knowing she could be dodging rockets or gunfire. And if that warlord had opened fire in a crowded area, Beckett would've faced enormous pressure. So, since I had the means to stop him, I figured I'd handle it and have the NYPD clean up afterward.
"But you two should be thanking me, right? I'm giving you guys a drone, making it easier for the 12th Precinct to catch criminals. And what do I get? You laugh at me? Esposito, maybe I should call Renée and tell her about your recent visit to that… club."
Esposito's jaw dropped. "Wait, how did you know I went to… that club? I went alone! How did you find out?"
Ryan shot Esposito a disapproving look. "Seriously, man? You didn't even invite me?"
Esposito shot back, "As if you'd come! You're the guy who's drinking warm milk with Jenny and going to bed by ten. Even if I did invite you, you wouldn't show up! But Castle—how did you know I went?"
Castle, of course, had relied on the city's surveillance cameras to catch Esposito's solo visit. But he couldn't exactly admit he had software that could monitor people worldwide, so he just gave a knowing smile. "Buddy, you should know by now that if there's anything I want to know about in New York, it's just a piece of cake for me to find out. And you didn't invite me? That hurts!"
Esposito didn't doubt Castle's explanation; during Castle's consulting days at the 12th Precinct, he'd repeatedly shown an uncanny knack for gathering intel. So Esposito didn't dwell on it.
Castle hadn't hidden his resources intentionally. If Esposito and Ryan ever had a tough case or situation, he'd help them without hesitation. But there was no point in revealing the full extent of his capabilities, especially with the CIA already watching him closely. Letting Esposito and Ryan know too much might cause more harm than good.
In reality, Castle was just teasing Esposito for the joke about his relationship with Beckett.
While the group was enjoying their laid-back beach barbecue, Beckett was back at NYPD headquarters, finalizing bail paperwork for Dominic and his five associates. Surprisingly, she had received unexpected help from Hobbs, who'd been injured in a fight with Deckard Shaw. Unlike the elusive anonymous agent who disappeared after the incident, Hobbs stepped up as soon as he received Dominic's call for help, even though he was still in the hospital. He quickly found them a lawyer and provided the NYPD with a statement explaining that Shaw's vendetta stemmed from Dominic's cooperation in capturing Shaw's brother, Owen.
This intervention was key in getting Dominic and his crew released on bail and spared from charges by the district attorney's office.
Deckard Shaw, however, was in a different league. Not only was he a bona fide terrorist wanted by his own government, but his warlord companion, who had nearly caused a massive crisis in New York, was directly tied to him. Though Castle's drone had eliminated the warlord over the East River, Shaw wouldn't escape so easily.
Beckett and the NYPD had no interest in keeping Shaw. The plan was to extradite him to the UK and let him cause trouble there. Britain, still reeling from the recent bombing on home soil, was hardly in a position to argue over custody of Shaw.
The bail process went quickly, and before long, Dominic, O'Conner, and their team were free, escorted by their lawyer out of NYPD headquarters. As they turned back to look at the building—a place that had become a nightmare for them—Dominic silently swore to himself that he'd never return to this wretched city again.
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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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