Castle's urgency in contacting Joe during the holiday season stemmed from a sudden realization spurred by the Japanese government's recent actions. Initially, Castle had planned to wait until his vacation in Hawaii was over and hand over the list of Japanese intelligence operatives and sleeper agents in New York to Joe upon returning to the city. However, the Japanese government's attempts to negotiate a reconciliation reminded him of one crucial risk: if he delayed too long, the Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office might order their operatives to retreat after realizing they'd hit a dead end with him.
Evacuating agents from mainland U.S. was far easier than from Hawaii. In New York, operatives could leave via plane, car, or countless other methods without much difficulty. If Castle wanted to make sure these spies were caught, he needed to act quickly—before the Japanese issued any warnings or evacuation orders.
The stakes were clear. If he waited too long, Japan might indeed muster the resolve for a scorched-earth policy, pulling their agents out of New York and destroying evidence of their operations. And if there was one thing Castle understood about the Japanese, it was their tendency for extreme actions when cornered. A nation that could rally its population under slogans like "One Hundred Million Honorable Deaths" during World War II was capable of unpredictable behavior.
Thus, Castle concluded there was no time to lose. He decided to give Joe, who worked for the FBI, the opportunity to capitalize on this intelligence. It wasn't just about helping the U.S. government—it was about ensuring that the "fruits of his labor" stayed within his circle. After all, Joe wasn't just anyone; she was Henry's girlfriend and had already helped him by issuing a critical document to allow Ivan and his heavily armed team to clear customs in Hawaii. If anyone deserved a win, it was her.
When Castle floated this idea to Beckett, she gave her full support. If NYPD's jurisdiction had included counterintelligence, Beckett would have been tempted to call Esposito and the team to score some achievements by capturing Japanese spies. But since this wasn't within the NYPD's purview, they could only watch as the FBI took the lead.
Castle, however, held back on handing over the entirety of the intelligence he'd obtained from the Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office's database. Instead, he limited the information he shared to operatives and agents stationed specifically in New York.
Why? First, Joe was part of the FBI's New York field office, whose jurisdiction was limited to New York State. Second, Castle hadn't yet decided what to do with the full list, which included operatives across the entire U.S. mainland. He toyed with the idea of saving it as leverage, potentially offering it as a "grand gift" to Benjamin Arthur once he officially took office. While handing it over might boost Benjamin's political capital, Castle found it far more amusing to keep the list as a tool to occasionally needle the Japanese government or, if needed, use it for his own purposes.
Castle's decision to share only a portion of the list was a direct demonstration of his disregard for Japan's government. He had no qualms about provoking them further and saw no reason to hide it.
He was, of course, fully aware of how much resentment this would provoke in the Japanese Cabinet. But what could they do? They didn't dare push him too hard, knowing that if they pushed him into a corner, he might simply hand over the entire list to the U.S. government. The repercussions for Japan would be catastrophic. Beyond the immediate loss of their intelligence network, a halt in U.S. arms sales—particularly at a time when Japan was desperate to counter its Asian adversary's successful test flights of a fifth-generation stealth fighter—would be devastating.
If the U.S. government got its hands on the list, they would surely exploit it to the fullest, wringing every ounce of leverage out of Japan. The Japanese government, well aware of this, had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure Castle's provocations.
That said, Castle knew full well that the Japanese government would harbor a deep hatred for him moving forward. But he wasn't worried. After Alexis's kidnapping, he had learned his lesson. By leveraging Jarvis, his omnipotent AI, Castle intended to erect an impenetrable digital firewall around his loved ones. Jarvis, while lacking independent creativity, was capable of perfectly executing commands. By flagging his family's information as sensitive, Jarvis could monitor and prevent any online threats targeting them, creating a virtual safety net.
Having rejected the Japanese government's overtures outright, Castle wasted no time. Despite it still being Christmas vacation, he contacted Joe, who was enjoying a Caribbean getaway with Henry, and sent her the list of Japanese intelligence personnel and sleeper agents in New York. He presented it as a "Christmas and New Year's gift," drawing an amused rebuke from Joe during their video call. "Really, Castle? A gift? You're just giving me more work during the holidays, and you have the audacity to call it a present?" she teased.
At the time, Joe and Henry were relaxing on a luxury yacht that Henry's adopted son, Abraham, had purchased specifically for him. The two had been drifting peacefully through the Caribbean until Castle's call disrupted their holiday plans.
Upon realizing the significance of the list and learning about Castle's exploits in Hawaii, as well as his outright rejection of Japan's overtures, Joe understood that time was of the essence. If she wanted to use the list to score a major success, she needed to act fast. She would have to race against the Japanese government and their intelligence agency, who might already be organizing a retreat. Immediate action was necessary to arrest as many operatives as possible and dismantle their networks in New York.
After the call, Joe immediately instructed Henry to dock the yacht so she could catch a flight back to New York. Henry, meanwhile, was left to sail the yacht back to New York on his own, a prospect that left the usually composed doctor exasperated.
Henry knew how important the list was. As someone who had lived for over two centuries, he understood the political and professional weight such intelligence could carry, particularly for Joe, who had recently transitioned from the NYPD to the FBI. Her new role as supervisor of the Joint Command Center in the FBI's New York field office came with significant responsibilities. The list would undoubtedly bolster her reputation within the bureau.
Still, Henry couldn't help but grumble about how Castle's "gift" had ruined his holiday plans. He had finally managed to escape the shadow of his late wife Abigail and take Joe on a long-overdue vacation. And now, thanks to Castle, he was left to sail back alone. "Damn you, Castle," Henry muttered to himself, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and annoyance.
Castle, of course, remained blissfully unaware of the trouble he had caused Henry. If he had known, he would have gleefully rubbed it in. After all, he and Abraham had gone to great lengths to nudge Henry and Joe together, nearly resorting to underhanded tactics. To see Henry now scrambling because of Joe's ambition would have been endlessly entertaining for Castle.
Back in Japan, the Chief Cabinet Secretary was agonizing over Castle's refusal to cooperate. While he knew that delaying further could lead to disastrous losses, the decision to abandon their network in the U.S. was not an easy one. Over the decades, Japan had painstakingly planted numerous operatives and sleeper agents across the United States. Pulling them out now would mean sacrificing decades of work—and it wasn't a decision to be made lightly.
(End of Chapter)
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