The FBI's Hawaii Division Director, sent as the Bureau's envoy, left Castle's estate empty-handed and deeply disappointed. Castle had politely but firmly rejected his request for the full list of Japanese operatives and sleeper agents embedded across the United States.
What a joke, Castle thought.
The Japanese government may have acted rashly by kidnapping Alexis and provoking him, but they were still a sovereign government. Castle had already exacted a significant measure of revenge—destroying their intelligence network in Hawaii, leveraging the chaos to aid the FBI in capturing numerous operatives and sleeper agents, and subsequently dismantling their assets in New York. His actions, while audacious, could still be justified as defensive retaliation. Even if the Japanese government loathed him now, they couldn't claim he had attacked unprovoked.
But handing over the entire list of Japanese operatives to the U.S. government? That would be an entirely different matter. Not only would it fail to bring Castle any meaningful benefit, but it would also permanently enrage the Japanese government.
Castle wasn't afraid of their wrath, but he saw no need to provoke them into becoming an unrelenting, vengeful enemy. Yes, they already hated him, probably more than anyone else alive, but there was still a difference between an enemy you've angered and an enemy you've annihilated. The latter would be far more dangerous.
Moreover, Castle knew how opportunistic his own government could be. If he handed the list over now, it would simply become a political pawn for a president who would be leaving office in less than two weeks. Why should he do the current administration any favors? Castle preferred to wait until Benjamin Arthur—the president he had invested time, effort, and money into helping elect—took office. Once Benjamin was sworn in, Castle could hand over the list as a personal favor, solidifying his political influence.
Of course, Castle realized that by then, the Japanese intelligence network in the U.S. might have already disbanded. The recent FBI sweeps in Hawaii and New York had undoubtedly spooked the Japanese government, forcing them to consider the possibility that Castle might hand over the full list at any moment. This looming threat alone was likely enough for them to order a mass evacuation of their agents and assets.
And Castle wasn't wrong.
Thanks to Jarvis's surveillance of the Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, Castle was well aware that the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary had issued an urgent recall for all operatives and sleeper agents stationed in the U.S. mainland. They couldn't afford to gamble on whether Castle would hand over the list to the U.S. government. The ongoing arrests in Hawaii and New York had already caused irreparable damage to their network, and their only option now was to retreat and salvage what they could.
Knowing this, Castle felt even less inclined to cooperate with the FBI's request. Why should I hand over this list for free and let the FBI take all the credit while I make even more enemies? Let them do their own work. Joe Martinez got the New York portion of the list because she's a friend and someone I owe a favor. But the rest of the Bureau? They've got nothing to do with me.
After politely seeing off the frustrated FBI director, Castle returned to the house, where Beckett greeted him with a worried look.
"Castle," she began hesitantly, "are you sure about this? Practically every law enforcement agency in the U.S. knows you have the full list of Japanese operatives and sleeper agents. This could make you a major target, both for the FBI and for the Japanese government. I think you should consider handing over the list to the Bureau. That way, you can kill two birds with one stone: strike a blow against the Japanese network and gain the FBI as a powerful ally."
Castle chuckled and shook his head. "You're right about one thing: I've already made myself a mortal enemy of the Japanese government. Those little weasels probably hate me more than anyone else on the planet. I've cost them decades of work, destroying their intelligence networks in Hawaii and New York in a matter of days. But your suggestion about giving the list to the FBI? That's where you're wrong."
Beckett frowned, clearly concerned. "Why? If you don't hand it over, aren't you just making yourself an even bigger target for the Japanese? And what about the U.S. government? If they find out you're withholding something this important, it could look really bad."
Castle grinned. "That's the thing. Jarvis intercepted communications from the Japanese government. They've already issued an evacuation order for all their operatives in the U.S. mainland. Whether or not I hand over the list, they're pulling out. But I've been thinking about this for a while. Instead of escalating things further, what if I contacted the Japanese Cabinet Secretary and told him this is as far as I'm willing to take it? I'd let them know I won't hand over the list to the FBI, provided they stop trying to mess with me. What do you think?"
Beckett's jaw dropped. "Castle, are you serious? Do you even realize what you're saying? That's aiding an enemy! You'd be letting their spies off the hook!"
Castle laughed. "Relax, Beckett. You know as well as I do that this whole mess started because the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office got dragged into someone else's idiotic scheme. Their Hawaii branch chief, Ichio Nakajima, was trying to cover for his spoiled cousin from the Watanabe Foundation. That's why Alexis got dragged into this mess. The Cabinet Intelligence Office got caught in the crossfire of their internal politics. Strictly speaking, they're collateral damage."
He leaned forward, his expression more serious now. "And think about this: if I force them to abandon their entire network in the U.S., I'll go from being their enemy to being their mortal enemy. They'll never forgive me. I'll have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of my life, waiting for them to send assassins after me. I've decided it's better to de-escalate. I'll have Jarvis send them an anonymous email—nothing traceable, of course—letting them know the list is safe with me as long as they back off. If they're smart, they'll take the deal."
Beckett stared at him, incredulous. "Castle, do you hear yourself? Even if you don't hand over the list to the FBI, contacting the Japanese government directly is dangerous. If this ever comes out, people could accuse you of treason."
Castle smirked. "Who said anything about contacting them directly? Jarvis will handle it. He'll generate an untraceable email and send it to their inbox. Whether they believe it or not is up to them. Either way, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. And, who knows? Maybe I can use this to set them up for another fall later down the road."
Beckett was stunned. "Wait, what? You're planning to betray them after promising to leave them alone?"
Castle shrugged. "Beckett, you don't understand these people. The Japanese are polite and deferential when they're outmatched, but the moment they see an opening, they'll stab you in the back without hesitation. I'm not scared of them—I just want to buy myself some peace of mind. And if they ever decide to come after me again, well… let's just say the hole I'm digging now will be waiting for them."
(End of Chapter)
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