Richard Castle never expected that Dominic and his gang would be this shameless. Last time, they used the chubby kid to get close to the "Anonymous," giving that old man an excuse to come knocking on their door. And now they're actually reaching out to the kid again?
They actually want the kid to see if he can use his supercomputer skills to locate Amir Bakawi, who's hiding somewhere in New York City?
What shocked Castle even more was that this time, Tej contacted the kid under the guise of "national security."
Ridiculous!
A bunch of bikers who live in the gray areas of the law, now suddenly acting like they're tied to "national security"? Is this some sort of American version of "the humble have not forgotten the safety of the nation"?
Is this supposed to be a joke? Are you guys just trying to get me to laugh so hard I keel over, leaving the supercomputer to the kid?
Looking at the chubby kid standing in front of him, clearly seeking his opinion, Castle couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. "Kid, have you lost your mind from being cooped up for too long?"
"If you agree to help Tej and the others track down this terrorist, it's like admitting you've got software similar to what Heydrich came up with back in the day. Do you remember how the CIA almost managed to pin us down recently?"
"If it weren't for Snowden's leaks keeping the CIA busy, do you think things would be so quiet around here?"
The kid snapped back to reality. "Right, if I help Dominic, and that creepy 'Anonymous' finds out, I'd be giving myself away!"
"So, Uncle Rick, should I just refuse them?"
Castle gave the kid a disappointed look. "Are you dense? Just tell them you're busy testing the latest police drones for Northrop Grumman and don't have the time. Do you think Dominic or that Hobbs from Diplomatic Security would dare challenge Northrop Grumman? Use this golden excuse!"
The kid's eyes lit up. "Got it! I'll shoot an email to Tej right now, that way they won't even know I checked with you! It's lucky he only reached out via email… heh…"
Watching the kid scurry off, Castle shook his head with a chuckle. Dominic, that bald-headed fool, thought he could drag the kid into this mess. At least the kid was smart enough to check with him first; otherwise, he'd be caught up in this nonsense!
Want to play hero? Fine, but don't drag me into it!
Castle grumbled inwardly about his lack of free time. Tomorrow, representatives from Pratt & Whitney were coming to negotiate about his engine technology. They'd heard rumors that his fuel-efficient, power-boosting tech wasn't limited to just drone engines. Given this, tomorrow's negotiations promised to be anything but easy. But maybe he could take advantage of some free time today to drive Bakawi out of New York, to avoid any trouble if he caused a commotion in his wife's jurisdiction.
Dominic and his crew were disappointed to get the kid's email, where he clearly explained he was swamped with testing a new police drone for Northrop Grumman and couldn't spare the time to help find Bakawi.
Meanwhile, at 26 Federal Plaza in New York, Officer Joe Martinez—no, now Supervisor Martinez—was reviewing a report from Agent Omar Zidan about intelligence indicating that Amir Bakawi, one of the FBI's most-wanted, had secretly slipped into New York to plan a terror attack.
"O.A., you say you got this from an informant, but there's no further detail? How do we find this Bakawi in such a massive crowd?" Zidan's partner, Maggie, asked.
Martinez, staring grimly at the intelligence reports on Bakawi, knew this would be her most challenging test since being transferred to the FBI's Joint Command Center.
Just then, Jabo, a seasoned agent from the center, approached her with his Bluetooth headset on. "Got an update: Bakawi was apparently brought to New York by a Diplomatic Security agent named Hobbs, who tracked him from Los Angeles."
"Bakawi initially planned an attack after entering California from the Mexico border, but for some reason, Hobbs got wind of it. So he gathered some local thugs in L.A. and tailed Bakawi. After realizing he couldn't proceed with his plans there, Bakawi fled to New York, with Hobbs and a group of bikers hot on his trail. Should we reach out to Hobbs and exchange intel?"
Martinez took this seriously, as it was her biggest case since leaving the NYPD's 22nd Precinct to join the FBI. She could only succeed, not fail.
After a moment's thought, Martinez agreed to contact Hobbs. After all, the FBI's intelligence came largely through Zidan's religious connections, but it couldn't compete with the insider info Hobbs had from tailing Bakawi.
That evening, after heading home, Martinez mentioned the situation to her friend Henry. Unknown to her, Henry had an AI surveillance system monitoring New York's every move, so he took a particular interest in the case.
Seeing Martinez's serious demeanor when talking about Bakawi, Henry couldn't help but worry. After all, if Bakawi caused the kind of trouble a few years ago in New York, it would be a massive headache. Plus, this was Martinez's biggest case since joining the FBI.
So after dinner, Henry used his smart bracelet to reach out to Castle.
When Castle got Henry's call for help, he was surprised. He hadn't expected Henry to pay this much attention. And how did the FBI even know Bakawi was in New York?
Fortunately, his AI, Jarvis, quickly filled in the details. Castle learned that Agent Zidan had discovered Bakawi's presence, and Martinez even planned to collaborate with Hobbs, who had more information. Castle couldn't help but laugh at the irony.
But he didn't agree to Henry's request to help the FBI or Hobbs track down Bakawi in Queens. He wanted to let Bakawi go, possibly so the man could wreak havoc in the UK in a few years. However, he assured Henry he'd drive Bakawi out of New York. Once he left, it would be up to Hobbs or the FBI to catch him.
Of course, Castle didn't mention his intention to let Bakawi go to Henry. With Henry being British, who knew how he'd react?
Given that Henry had come to him for help, Castle figured Bakawi couldn't stay in New York any longer. If caught now, who would lead the "London Has Fallen" event in a few years?
So, after hanging up with Henry, Castle had Jarvis simulate a satellite number and call Bakawi, who was hiding out in Queens.
Bakawi nearly had a heart attack when he received the call. Despite all his careful hiding, someone had still managed to contact him directly.
And the voice on the line didn't hold back, letting him know that not only was Hobbs tailing him, but the FBI also knew he was in New York. The voice added that if the CIA weren't currently embroiled in a scandal, he might already be captured.
Though the mysterious caller didn't seem to have any malice, Bakawi had no choice but to make an overnight escape from New York. Few knew what had happened, and in the end, only Castle, the man behind it all, sat in his study, laughing uproariously.
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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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