Nameless was utterly shocked when Castle casually named the "LokSat" organization. "How… how do you know about LokSat? That's impossible. LokSat has never been known to outsiders…"
Seeing the usually smug Nameless turn pale was immensely satisfying to Castle. He thought to himself, "So you like playing games? Do I have to spell it out that I know everything about your little clique of corrupt officials? I've even infiltrated your network through Heidrich's tracking program with Jarvis. If you push me, I'll expose everyone in your so-called LokSat organization."
Nameless sensed Castle's unfriendly gaze and prepared to speak, but Castle cut him off. "I have no interest in a conflict with your group, but that doesn't mean you can walk all over me. Nameless, I haven't even brought up how you tried to use a gang to coerce my partner, Harry, into helping you and seize my private supercomputer's processing power. And now, you dare show up on my doorstep? Do you think I'm afraid of eliminating you?"
Nameless's unease was palpable, realizing Castle had access to some kind of highly advanced monitoring capability. There was no other way Castle could know his plans in such detail. Regret filled him as he thought of the decision-makers back in the office—their personality analyses and intelligence reports had failed spectacularly. The assumption was that Castle wouldn't know anything about LokSat, yet he had named it outright.
Nameless stood there, uncertain, while Castle seized the moment, refusing to let up. "I understand. You must've learned that Beckett's precinct has a new suspect-tracking program, and then figured out my connection with Benjamin. So you wanted to blackmail me before Benjamin took office. Isn't that it?"
Castle continued, unyielding. "What gave you the impression that I'd be easily controlled or intimidated by you? Don't you think you already have enough problems? Let me remind you, I don't even care about that deputy director who came last time, let alone you or your shadowy little organization.
"If your intelligence-gathering is so advanced, you must know that I hold shares in Northrop and recently acquired stakes in Pratt & Whitney. Do you really think I'd be intimidated by shadow players like you when I have two major defense contractors backing me? Don't test me. This is your final warning; otherwise, I'll expose your entire organization. I imagine that would make for a generous gift to my friend Benjamin when he takes office."
Castle left Nameless reeling from his words and turned to go upstairs without another glance. They both understood that sometimes words left unspoken were more effective than those spelled out.
Nameless, now pale-faced, recognized the enormity of his mistake in coming here unannounced. His blunder had shattered any chance of maintaining a cover story with Castle, revealing everything instead. Castle, who was supposedly in the dark, already knew far more than expected. And not only did he know, but he was also in a position of power, given his connections and resources.
Meanwhile, Castle ascended the stairs, unconcerned about Nameless's departure. He knew he had little to fear. With significant shares in both Northrop and Pratt & Whitney, Castle felt no need to worry about the shadowy LokSat. Moreover, he had recently gained a substantial holding in a tech company caught up in the CIA's latest surveillance scandal, which they had foolishly involved. Castle and Gianna had taken the opportunity to acquire large, undisclosed stakes, positioning themselves to profit as the company's stock was bound to soar.
Castle's influence and resources had reached a tipping point, and he had no intention of cowering to a group of conspirators skulking in the shadows. LokSat's agents in Europe, still reeling from a raid by Jason Bourne the previous year, had not fully recovered. In the U.S., they had no official authority. So, when Nameless showed up to blackmail him, Castle chose to retaliate immediately.
Still, Castle mused that Beckett's precinct could use a security refresher. Just last night, Beckett had assured him the tracking program wouldn't be leaked, yet this morning, someone was already knocking on his door. He also considered the safety of Harry and Ramsay, who helped develop the simplified version of God's Eye. Castle didn't trust Nameless's ethics; if they failed to get what they wanted from him, they might target his friends instead.
As for Alexis and his mother, Martha, Castle wasn't as concerned. He trusted that LokSat wouldn't dare to touch them. Neither he nor his father, Sean, currently raising hell in North Africa with his former team, had left any vulnerabilities. His mother had already moved to Castle's Southampton villa, surrounded by a team of twelve bodyguards sent by Sean's private security company. Alexis, too, was always under the protection of four female bodyguards, monitored and prioritized in Jarvis's security protocol. Should LokSat attempt anything, Castle would ensure they regretted it.
Castle knew his personal security was robust. His estate, meticulously fortified by Big Ivan, had transformed into a veritable fortress thanks to the military-grade equipment Castle had amassed. While it appeared unassuming, any attempt on his life would lead to a very unpleasant surprise for the attackers.
Castle decided he'd inform Beckett about Nameless's visit when she returned home. Although he didn't oppose her precinct testing a watered-down version of God's Eye, it was inevitable that it would attract unwanted attention. If Nameless were desperate enough to expose the program to deflect attention from LokSat, it could create a public relations nightmare. Better to minimize risk by having Beckett delete the precinct's program. Instead, Castle would provide her with a secure user account for his supercomputer, allowing her to use Jarvis when she needed it. This way, the number of people aware of the technology would stay minimal.
Leaving Castle's estate, Nameless immediately reported his failed mission to his superiors. Castle's intuition was correct—these agents were acting independently from the CIA. The allure of a program capable of pinpointing a target among millions was too tempting. Heidrich had been unable to recreate his own tracking software, which led LokSat to turn to Castle. But Nameless's report made one thing clear: Castle wouldn't cooperate easily, if at all.
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Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
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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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