Castle knew that once 007 caught up with Le Chiffre, the latter's fate would be sealed. Yet he couldn't allow himself to relax completely. This world had diverged significantly from the predictable cinematic universe he remembered, and relying solely on foresight was no longer an option.
For instance, Castle had abandoned his initial plan to "grab the money and run." With the butterfly effect in play, who could predict what new complications might arise?
In his memories of the original storyline, Le Chiffre's henchman had come dangerously close to bombing the prototype jet during its scheduled maiden flight in Miami. Now, with his own and Gianna's interference, who knew what changes their meddling might bring?
Moreover, Castle hadn't forgotten Le Chiffre's earlier attempt to kidnap him. While he had spared Le Chiffre to keep him as a pawn, Gianna's men had obliterated his Black Mountain network in retaliation. Could Le Chiffre still muster the same confidence as he had in the original story? That was an open question.
Castle had already experienced the consequences of his interference during an earlier event. Back when Gianna was still pregnant, and Castle had taken Alexis to meet Sean, he had leaked Edward Bailey's secret plan to stage a major incident. While his intentions were good, the fallout—a red mercury bomb accidentally detonating in Britain—had been catastrophic. Thankfully, Castle hadn't been directly implicated, but the incident had taught him a valuable lesson: meddling without foresight could lead to unforeseen disaster.
With that in mind, Castle was determined not to let history repeat itself. Although the current situation seemed under control, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Both Le Chiffre and MI6's 00-agent were wild cards, and any misstep could jeopardize not only his plans but also Gianna's and Neil's efforts to rebuild their reputations.
Having settled on their new strategy—becoming shareholders instead of quick profiteers—the trio divided their tasks. Gianna and Neil focused on monitoring the stock market, while Castle took charge of keeping tabs on Le Chiffre and MI6's agent using J.A.R.V.I.S., The Eye of God, and his enigmatic intelligence network.
Castle quickly located James Bond, who, true to his reputation, was moving conspicuously with no attempt to hide. Within minutes, Castle also identified the intermediary working for Le Chiffre—the same unfortunate henchman who had lost his Aston Martin to Bond in a poker game and earned a metaphorical "forgiveness hat."
With Bond in play, Castle felt somewhat reassured. The man's protagonist halo virtually guaranteed that Le Chiffre's attempt to bomb the prototype jet would fail.
But what truly surprised Castle was learning that Le Chiffre, who he had assumed was lying low in Africa, had secretly returned to the Republic of Montenegro. Even more astonishingly, Le Chiffre had managed to rebuild his network in the region, recruiting new operatives and reestablishing his influence.
Le Chiffre's persistence is insane, Castle thought as he stared at the data J.A.R.V.I.S. had compiled. Despite being wiped out by the D'Antonio family's gunmen, Le Chiffre had clawed his way back to power in record time.
Sure, his desperation stemmed from the massive losses he had incurred while gambling on Skyfleet stock. The warlord he worked for had threatened his life, forcing him to act. Still, his ability to bounce back so quickly left Castle in awe.
Watching Le Chiffre's relentless efforts, Castle couldn't help but reflect on his own lifestyle. Despite having vast resources, Castle often lounged around like a slacker. In contrast, Le Chiffre's drive to rebuild from nothing made Castle feel a bit… inadequate.
But self-awareness didn't change Castle's philosophy. So what if I'm a slacker?
Sure, he had money, influence, and advanced AI at his disposal, but he had no grand ambitions. He was under no illusions about his own abilities—manipulating events behind the scenes was one thing, but pursuing world domination? That was far beyond him.
Still, when it came to managing immediate problems, Castle could hold his own. Once he buckled down, he launched a full-scale surveillance operation on Le Chiffre, his associates, and Bond. Alongside his team—including Chubby and Ramsey—Castle worked tirelessly to track every move and potential variable in the unfolding situation.
Fortunately, Castle had remained entirely in the shadows, and neither Le Chiffre nor MI6 suspected his existence. This gave Castle an overwhelming information advantage.
Meanwhile, Bond, oblivious to the third-party surveillance, was busy employing his signature "sleep-your-way-to-success" technique. Within days of arriving, he had seduced Le Chiffre's associate's girlfriend. The poor intermediary, unaware of his betrayal, was still hard at work in the casino while Bond extracted secrets from his partner.
From their tryst, Bond learned of an upcoming mission involving Le Chiffre's operatives in Miami. However, the girlfriend was unaware of the mission's specifics, leaving Bond to piece together the details. Unbeknownst to him, the plan was directly tied to Skyfleet's maiden flight.
Back at Castle's estate, he and Chubby were glued to the surveillance monitors, shamelessly watching Bond's antics. Ramsey, disgusted by their voyeurism, had left the room.
Chubby, unable to contain his amusement, commented, "Uncle Rick, you were right. This guy can 'charm' his way into any woman's bed with just a few lines. How does he do it? Man, I'm jealous."
Castle smirked, enjoying the show. "It's a skill, kid. And not one you'll ever master."
Despite the humor, Castle's focus remained on ensuring that Bond's moves aligned with his predictions. Le Chiffre's upcoming actions and Bond's pursuit of him would soon converge, and Castle was determined to stay one step ahead.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.