What else could they do?
Without a moment's hesitation, Hobbs decided to pursue Bakawi, who had already fled. But Zidan and Maggie had a different task. They needed to return to the Joint Command Center immediately and report the latest updates to Supervisor Jo Martinez and Jabo.
Not only did they need to report Bakawi's departure from New York, but they also had a much more pressing piece of information to share: the NYPD was preparing to equip itself with a fleet of drones, custom-designed by Northrop Grumman.
This news was just as significant as Bakawi's escape from their jurisdiction!
The FBI's relationship with local police departments had always been a mix of competition and cooperation. And since Jo Martinez had recently been poached from NYPD's 22nd Precinct, her connections within the NYPD meant she'd have no trouble gathering intel on this drone initiative. But as for the FBI getting the same technology? Not so simple. Unlike city police departments, the FBI depended on federal funding, which meant every request for new equipment had to jump through bureaucratic hoops for approval. The Justice Department might not even green-light such an acquisition, unlike city departments like NYPD or LAPD, which just needed the mayor and city council's approval.
Sure enough, after Zidan and Maggie returned to the Joint Command Center to report Bakawi's unexplained departure, both Jo and Jabo looked visibly relieved. Jo promptly ordered Jabo, "Alert the other divisions that Bakawi has left New York but is still in the country. Notify the New Jersey authorities along his probable route and urge them to increase checkpoints and patrols. While we can't be certain he's heading toward New Jersey, we should stay vigilant!
"Also, take those drone images to the tech department for confirmation. If that's indeed Bakawi, update his profile in the database. These photos show him clearly and are probably the most recent ones we have.
"As for your report about NYPD's upcoming drone deployment, I'm already aware. In fact, NYPD's 12th Precinct in Manhattan has already equipped drones."
Jabo was taken aback. "The NYPD already has drones? And these aren't the little four-rotor toy-like ones—they're on par with military drones?"
Jo, feeling more relaxed with Bakawi out of her jurisdiction, didn't hide the truth: "Yes. The chief of the 12th Precinct, Beckett, has a boyfriend who designed these new drones and is a shareholder in Northrop Grumman. For her precinct's safety, he donated one of these drones to the 12th Precinct. They're my friends."
Jabo, Zidan, and Maggie all gasped in unison. Now, that was real dedication!
Donating a military-grade drone just to ensure his girlfriend's precinct had the upper hand? Not only was he the designer, but he had the means to back it up? That was powerfully impressive.
Jabo couldn't help but say enviously, "If only we had drones like that. If Hobbs's friend hadn't captured those images of Bakawi leaving, we'd still be wracking our brains over it. It's a shame he was only running an unpiloted test flight. If the drone had tailed Bakawi, we might've caught him in New York."
His words resonated with the agents present, but Jo was deep in thought. She knew better than anyone that Castle's drone had already been integrated into the military, so the "test" excuse was just that—an excuse. But why would Harry's nephew go along with such a cover story?
Jo had her suspicions, but this wasn't the place to voice them. After instructing her team to alert other divisions about Bakawi's movements, she retreated to her office to think. Finally, rather than calling Henry, with whom things had been heating up lately, she called Beckett, who had become a friend ever since the Adam-as-Jack-the-Ripper incident. She hoped Beckett might share some insider info.
"What? You were tracking a terrorist? But he got away just before you were set to apprehend him? And Harry's drone caught him leaving?" Beckett was initially pleased to hear from Jo, thinking it was just a friendly call. But Jo's tone soon revealed her frustration, hinting that Castle might have intentionally let the terrorist escape.
"No problem, I'll ask him when I get home tonight. Are you sure he did it on purpose?" Beckett asked, surprised by the accusation.
Jo sighed. "I can't be sure, of course. But it just feels odd. His drones are already in active military service. Why would he still be 'testing' them? Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"
Beckett relaxed at that. "Oh, I see. Yes, his military drones are already deployed, but he's been developing a police version. The testing is real—I can confirm that. I'm just not sure if he knowingly let the terrorist slip away."
"But knowing Castle as I do, I doubt he'd do that. Still, I'll talk to him tonight and get back to you," Beckett promised.
Jo didn't have much choice but to agree.
But after hanging up, Beckett wore an odd expression. While she had dismissed Jo's suspicions on the call, she was privately certain that Castle had indeed let the terrorist go on purpose. Jo might not know the full extent of Castle's information network, but Beckett certainly did. Castle hadn't kept his AI, Jarvis, a secret from her. It was this silent assistance from Jarvis that had propelled the 12th Precinct to lead in solving cases among NYPD's 77 precincts.
There was no way Castle hadn't known about Bakawi's presence in New York. But why would he deliberately let him go? According to Jo's account, Bakawi harbored a deep hatred for the US, as his family had been killed in a drone strike. He had sneaked into the US from Mexico, aiming to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
Castle and Bakawi had no connection, so why would he allow him to escape?
Growing more puzzled, Beckett decided to leave work early and head home to confront Castle. If he didn't give her a satisfactory explanation… well…
Castle, meanwhile, had no idea Jo was already suspicious of him. Instead of investigating him, she had chosen to call Beckett. Right now, Castle was in his study, enjoying the sight of a dejected Hobbs and Dominic planning their next steps to track Bakawi, who had already slipped out of New York.
When Beckett entered the study, Castle quickly turned off the live surveillance feed, notified by Jarvis of her arrival. Standing up, he looked at her with genuine surprise. "Back so early?"
Beckett, all seriousness, walked up to Castle. "Don't you think there's something you need to explain?"
Castle was clueless. "Explain what?"
"Explain why you let that terrorist, Amir Bakawi, go!" Beckett demanded, visibly annoyed.
At the mention of Bakawi, Castle's heart skipped a beat. How did she know he'd let Bakawi go? But his years of experience allowed him to keep his cool. He knew Beckett well enough to sense she wasn't truly angry, so he flashed a mischievous smile, preparing to charm his way out of the situation. But Beckett, just as attuned to his tricks, quickly shut him down. "Don't even think about lying. Why?"
She pressed him. "I know Bakawi's sudden decision to leave New York was your doing. There's no way it was just a coincidence."
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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