After sending off Steve, who was visibly shaken by the avalanche of shocking intelligence he had just received, Castle returned to his usual laid-back self. He didn't intend to get too involved in what would happen next. After all, Castle was inherently a lazy man. If it weren't for the constant stream of troublemakers trying to provoke him, his greatest ambition in life would simply be to stay home and enjoy time with his long-legged girlfriend, Beckett, preferably making little "Castles" together. Intrigue and drama? He wanted no part of it.
Steve, still reeling from the revelations, had even forgotten to ask Castle where he had acquired such precise and astonishing intelligence. In a daze, he drove home, his mind racing.
The information he had just learned was overwhelming. To think that Governor Jamison, his mentor and someone he deeply respected, could be secretly working with Wu Fa, the man who had killed his father—it was a bitter pill to swallow. But despite the outlandish nature of the claims, Steve had no reason to doubt Castle's intel. Their connection was far too recent and coincidental for Castle to have fabricated anything. If not for the events of December 23rd, when Castle's daughter Alexis was kidnapped by Japanese operatives in Hawaii, Steve and Castle would never have crossed paths.
The sensitive information Castle provided about his parents, Jamison, and Wu Fa was clearly gathered as a token of gratitude for Steve rescuing Alexis. It was too detailed and precise to be a baseless provocation.
After calming himself at home for an entire day, Steve ultimately decided to follow Castle's advice: stay quiet for now but monitor the situation closely. Using the "Eye of God" software that Castle had provided, Steve resolved to track Wu Fa's movements, locking down his location in Kaesong, North Korea. He also planned to use the software to uncover the whereabouts of his mother, Doris McCret, who was allegedly hiding in Japan.
And then there was Danny.
Castle had also provided a warning about Danny's former partner and instructor, Rick Peterson, who had been released from prison after serving a decade-long sentence. Peterson was allegedly heading to Hawaii to exact revenge on Danny, specifically by targeting his daughter, Grace. As a fellow "daughter dad," Castle couldn't ignore such a threat and had passed the information to Steve to give Danny a heads-up.
Summoning Danny Williams to his home, Steve relayed Castle's warning. Danny, initially skeptical, made a quick call to his former police department in New Jersey. The confirmation chilled him: Rick Peterson had indeed been released just days ago. Knowing Peterson's character, Danny had no reason to doubt Castle's information. It had been Danny's testimony that sent Peterson to prison a decade earlier, giving him plenty of motive for revenge.
And Grace was Danny's ultimate weakness. Even if Peterson hadn't yet made a move, Castle's credibility as an intelligence source left no room for complacency. Danny had already seen Castle's lengths to protect Alexis. If Castle said Peterson was targeting Grace, then there was no doubt it was true.
Danny was furious. "Damn it, what kind of man involves a child in a grudge between adults? This is unacceptable!"
Knowing Peterson's methods all too well, Danny reflected on how his former partner's greed had led to his downfall. Back in New Jersey, Peterson would often skim off cash, drugs, or weapons from crime scenes. His avarice had ultimately gotten him caught and imprisoned. Otherwise, Peterson could very well have climbed to the top ranks of the police department.
Now, hearing that Peterson was potentially coming after his daughter, Danny's anxiety was palpable.
Sensing his partner's agitation, Steve offered reassurance. "Don't worry so much, buddy. Have you forgotten that we have the 'Eye of God' software Castle gave us? All we need to do is input Peterson's details, and we can track his movements before he even sets foot in Hawaii. Sure, we can't arrest him for planning a crime, but we can keep a close watch on him. Right now, he doesn't know we're aware of his intentions, so the advantage is ours."
Danny nodded reluctantly, still visibly tense. In his panic, he didn't even think to ask why Castle had passed this information through Steve instead of directly telling him. Meanwhile, Steve pushed aside the storm of emotions caused by the revelations about his father's murder and Governor Jamison's duplicity. With no concrete evidence tying Jamison to Wu Fa, he decided to keep the information to himself for now. Steve resolved to investigate in secret, using the "Eye of God" software to its full extent during its month-long access period.
In the meantime, Steve also intended to dig deeper into Hiro Nishimura, the Yakuza boss on Oahu mentioned in Castle's intel. Castle had informed him that Nishimura was also on Wu Fa's hit list because Nishimura supposedly knew the location of Steve's mother, who was hiding in Japan. Nishimura's Japanese identity gave Steve the perfect excuse to investigate him under the guise of his task force's ongoing efforts to clean up the remnants of Japanese espionage in Hawaii.
While Steve and Danny were strategizing at Steve's home, Castle was busy in Robin's study, sending classified information to Joe Martinez, Henry Morgan's girlfriend. The data included a comprehensive list of Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office operatives stationed in New York.
Joe, who had been enjoying a rare holiday with Henry, was now seated in front of her computer, engaged in a video call with Castle. She looked both amused and exasperated, while Henry, wine glass in hand, sat beside her, quietly observing.
It was only now that Joe and Henry learned the full story behind Castle's frantic request on December 23rd, when he had needed a document to allow Ivan's heavily armed team to pass through Honolulu airport. They were shocked to discover that Alexis had been kidnapped by Japanese operatives, prompting Castle's extreme measures.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Joe realized why Castle was contacting her now. He wasn't just catching up—he was transmitting a highly sensitive list of Japanese operatives embedded in New York, data that fell squarely within the FBI's counterintelligence mandate.
The moment Joe grasped the significance of the information, her interest was piqued. Counterintelligence was, after all, the FBI's bread and butter.
With Henry calmly sipping his wine beside her, Joe couldn't help but smirk. "Castle, you sure know how to liven up a holiday. This isn't just a tip-off—it's a treasure trove!"
(End of Chapter)
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