Castle, with Jarvis keeping tabs on Barkawi, knew that the fugitive had already arrived in a secluded location on the Pampas in Argentina. Castle couldn't help but wonder: Why did so many people choose Argentina as their escape destination?
Just think—at the end of World War II, how many of Hitler's henchmen fled to Argentina? Even Wall Street's infamous Ponzi schemer, Vincent Adler, whom Castle had helped expose, ran off to Argentina when his fraud was uncovered. Now, Amir Barkawi, the international terrorist, had done the same.
Reflecting further, Castle mused about Barkawi's eventual orchestration of the London Has Fallen attack a few years down the road. Perhaps, hiding out in Argentina had given him ample time to recruit mercenaries with lingering resentment from the Falklands War. Barkawi's willingness to risk such a catastrophic attack on London might have stemmed from a deeply rooted hatred for the British—something mercenaries paid merely for cash might not share. Barkawi's rallying cry against the British Empire on Argentine soil might well have gathered more than a few ardent followers.
"Could it really be that simple?" Castle thought to himself, bemused.
Watching the Miami-based agencies celebrating their recent victory, Castle smirked as the DEA and FBI boarded a plane to escort Johnny Tapia back to New York. Meanwhile, after reprimanding his sister Sydney one last time, Marcus reluctantly allowed her to leave with Agent Tom, Zidan, and Maggie. At that point, Castle decided to send Captain Howard an email he had prepared earlier.
The email detailed the hidden existence of Mike Lowrey's son with the boy's mother, a notorious Colombian drug lord. According to Jarvis's intel, Mike's son, who would go on to wreak havoc in Bad Boys for Life, had already been born and was nearly ten years old. Castle hoped this early warning might prevent the tragic death of Captain Howard at the hands of Mike's son, as depicted in the original timeline. He hoped that by informing Howard now, Mike might get a chance to reconcile with the mistakes of his past.
Castle figured there was a high chance Howard would share this information with Mike. After all, throughout the Bad Boys series, Howard had always supported Mike and Marcus, no matter the chaos they caused. Satisfied he had done his duty, Castle hit send and promptly put Miami out of his mind. After all, New York was far from Miami, and Castle was content with his role as a helpful outsider.
Castle found himself amused at the thought of Johnny Tapia, who would likely be bewildered when the FBI began questioning him about Barkawi and terrorism. Tapia might soon realize, much to his horror, that his smuggling network had inadvertently aided one of the world's most wanted terrorists, possibly landing him in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.
With the excitement over, Castle decided to join the evening's beach barbecue, organized by his Russian bodyguards—dozens of burly ex-Spetsnaz who seemed to have endless energy. The occasion also served as a farewell, as Bob Lee Swagger, the renowned sniper, was coming to retrieve his dog, Sam, who had been staying at Castle's estate.
Dragging Ramsey away from her computer, Castle strolled down to the beach and spotted Bob already playing with his dog, Sam. Though the Russian guards had taken great care of the dog, feeding him like a king, Sam dashed into Bob's arms without hesitation, leaving Ivan, the towering head of Castle's security team, looking forlorn.
Castle chuckled and teased Ivan, "If you like dogs so much, why not get a few of your own? With this much land, a few guard dogs would only help. No need to envy Bob's dog."
Ivan's face lit up. "Mr. Castle, you mean we can get some dogs?"
Castle rolled his eyes, amused. "Dogs? You can get them, sure. Heck, if you can bring in a few bears, that'd be fine too."
In truth, Castle, who had an Animal Communication ability from his system, could talk to animals just as easily as he could talk to people. If Ivan brought in bears, Castle would gladly keep them.
However, Castle's real wish was to somehow acquire a panda. But knowing that the black-and-white creatures were national treasures of China, and not available to private citizens, he lamented the impossibility of seeing a panda in his estate. The idea of his daughter Alexis leaving for college might not be as tempting for her if she had a couple of adorable pandas right at home. With pandas around, Alexis might even consider staying in New York and attending Columbia rather than moving across the country.
Lost in his thoughts, Castle was suddenly snapped back by Ivan's eager voice, "Mr. Castle, can we really bring in bears?"
Castle blinked at Ivan's grin and sighed. "Really, Ivan? You actually plan to bring bears here? We're on a twelve-acre estate; if they got loose, it'd be mayhem! Stick with guard dogs, like Caucasian Shepherds. They're as tough as small bears, and they'd help you guys with security. I need guard dogs, not an animal zoo."
Realizing that New York wasn't Siberia, Ivan reluctantly agreed, deciding that a pack of large, fierce dogs would make an excellent alternative. A well-trained Caucasian Shepherd could be just as effective as a bear and was certainly more obedient.
Ecstatic with Castle's permission, Ivan immediately began making arrangements to procure purebred Caucasian Shepherds from his contacts back home.
Meanwhile, Castle approached Bob, who had stood up to greet him. "How's it going? Guarding that Senate candidate must be showing you more scheming than you'd ever hoped to see, huh?"
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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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