After the initial shock, Peter's first reaction was to immediately report the matter to his superiors, but he was stopped by Castle and Neal. After Castle thoroughly explained the three forces behind the impending attack—especially the LockSat organization, which had originated within the CIA but had gradually infiltrated various levels of the U.S. government—Peter finally understood why Castle and Neal had come up with this plan.
Although this world didn't have Marvel comics or S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, there were similar stories widely known in the U.S. So, Castle easily used a familiar comic analogy to help Peter grasp the situation.
The LockSat organization was insidious, deeply embedded in various sectors of the U.S. If they didn't take this opportunity to expose more of its members, Castle, like Benjamin, might have believed the organization was only heavily present within the CIA.
As for the mastermind behind the attack, Amir Barkawi, and the shadowy support from the Japanese intelligence agency, they were easier to deal with. Once exposed, the enraged U.S. government would undoubtedly make the scheming Japanese pay dearly, reminding them who was truly in charge.
But all of this hinged on the assumption that these individuals would indeed launch the attack and that Castle's side could successfully thwart it.
After understanding this, Peter could see why Castle, despite knowing about the attack in advance, hadn't chosen to inform the federal government. Given the list of LockSat members within the government that Jarvis had identified, it was clear that such a move would be unwise.
When Peter saw that the list included not only numerous federal government departments but also military personnel—even the deputy commander of Andrews Air Force Base, responsible for defending Washington, was a member of the organization—he realized the gravity of the situation. This deputy commander would even provide a timing advantage for the militants during the attack, allowing a modified AC-130 gunship to strike without being intercepted by F-22s from Andrews Air Force Base. With this knowledge, Peter reluctantly agreed to Castle's audacious plan to lure out the enemy.
What else could he do? Even the primary target of the attack, President Benjamin, had agreed to the writer's plan to use himself as bait. If the President was on board, who was Peter, a mere beneficiary of Neal's gratitude, to object?
But Peter wasn't entirely useless. After understanding Castle's plan, he suggested that he could introduce a special agent currently working at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington who might be able to help. This agent, a former Army Ranger and elite sniper, had been investigating homicides nationwide with a forensic anthropologist from the Jeffersonian Institute in recent years.
Peter vouched that this agent, Seeley Booth, was not a member of the LockSat organization, as he had been closely working with a forensic anthropologist nicknamed "Bones" for the past three to four years, and they even had a lovely daughter together.
When Peter mentioned that he could introduce a well-known federal agent in Washington, especially one named Booth who was involved with a forensic anthropologist from the Jeffersonian Institute, Castle immediately recognized who Peter was talking about. He had, after all, watched *Bones* in his previous life and had a deep impression of the brilliant yet socially awkward Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan. What surprised Castle was that Peter from New York knew Booth, who primarily worked in Washington.
But this was good news. Having watched all twelve seasons of *Bones*, Castle knew that Booth was a highly skilled tactical sniper. If Bob Lee Swagger was a strategic sniper targeting high-value assets, then Booth, a former Army Ranger from the 75th Ranger Regiment, was an exceptional tactical sniper. If they could convince him to join forces with Bob, forming a long-and-short-range sniper duo, and add Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, a master of close-quarters combat (CQB), the three of them alone could give the militants attacking the White House a run for their money.
Speaking of Booth's partner, "Bones," Castle suddenly became intrigued. In his previous life, aside from *Castle*, *Bones* was his second favorite show. Not only was Dr. Brennan a brilliant forensic anthropologist, but she was also a quirky and socially inept individual, much like Sheldon Cooper from *The Big Bang Theory*. Despite her academic achievements, bestselling novels, and even having a daughter with Booth, she remained clueless about social norms, often making those around her uncomfortable.
If Peter hadn't mentioned that he could enlist the help of Special Agent Seeley Booth, whose office was conveniently close to the White House, Castle might not have remembered this fascinating group of people in Washington.
However, Peter's assurance alone wasn't enough to confirm that Special Agent Seeley Booth had no ties to the LockSat organization. Fortunately, Castle had Jarvis and the Eye of God at his disposal. After discussing with Peter that he and Joe would form a special task force at the FBI's New York office to investigate LockSat members after the attack, and assuring Peter that Hughes, the head of the New York office, wouldn't object, Castle, along with Neal, Gianna, John, and little Eunoa, headed to the basement of his supercomputer lab. There, he had the chubby kid pull up the backgrounds of Special Agent Seeley Booth and his partner, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, on the screen.
Gianna was there to discuss plans with Castle. Since Castle needed to take the chubby kid to Andrews Air Force Base under the guise of conducting experiments to disrupt the LockSat member's deployment, Gianna would have to personally go to Washington to evacuate Benjamin's wife and children from the White House. This wasn't an issue, as Gianna had been a major sponsor during Benjamin's campaign. Bringing her child along and inviting the First Lady for a mother-child outing was a perfectly normal excuse.
John, however, felt uneasy. As the former world's number one assassin, he had been thoroughly vetted by the Secret Service during Benjamin's inauguration banquet. Although Benjamin himself didn't mind having the former top assassin at his banquet, the Secret Service had marked John as a "green," harmless individual.
Castle had even joked about this, saying that attending a White House banquet as a retired assassin might be the pinnacle of any hitman's career.
With John by Gianna's side, he could effectively protect Gianna, little Eunoa, the First Lady, and Benjamin's son. So, Gianna would take Steve to Washington to meet up with Mozzie and Bob, who were already in the White House.
John, as Gianna's husband, and Steve, posing as her bodyguard, would accompany her to Washington. After Gianna successfully evacuated the First Lady and Benjamin's son from the White House, Steve would stay behind with Bob as Mozzie's bodyguards. Once the attack began, they would join the defense against the militants, armed with the highest-level clearance signed by Benjamin himself.
Now, they might also include Special Agent Seeley Booth, who was currently investigating a homicide in Washington with Dr. Brennan.
However, recruiting Booth would require Gianna to bring Peter along when she went to Washington…
(End of Chapter)
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