American TV Writer

When New York State Senator William Bracken received the panicked call from Congressman Gavin, he felt utterly exasperated. How could a distinguished New York State Senator like himself get entangled in such a mess because of someone as spineless as Gavin? Yes, it was true that Bracken had been secretly collaborating with Vincent Adler, and he had even considered bringing Gavin, who was originally not part of his inner circle, into his fold once Vincent's plan succeeded. But who could have predicted that Gavin would call him directly, informing him that Vincent had been captured by the FBI and then assassinated by snipers while being transported?

What's worse, Gavin—who was now terrified out of his mind—was subtly implying that perhaps Bracken was the one who had sent the snipers to kill Vincent. Gavin hinted that if Bracken didn't make an effort to save him, he might turn against him if he ended up in prison. What kind of nonsense was this? Did this guy really think that a Senator of Bracken's stature could be threatened by a few vague insinuations? How did someone this naive ever become a congressman? Could it be that he was one of those legendary true fools?

William Bracken, who found himself embroiled in an unwanted disaster, was on the brink of collapse when he received the call from the trembling Congressman Gavin, who was hiding in the Capitol building. How could something that had been meticulously planned for so long, with Bracken himself helping Vincent Adler by smoothing out numerous obstacles, go so disastrously wrong at the last moment?

Just as Castle had secretly investigated, Senator William Bracken indeed had a close relationship with Vincent Adler. More than a decade ago, when Bracken was just a lowly detective in the NYPD, he had crossed paths with Vincent, who was already making a name for himself on Wall Street. At that time, Bracken, together with a few corrupt colleagues, was extorting New York's underground crime rings to amass his first pile of wealth. During an investigation, Bracken discovered that Vincent Adler, the rising star of Wall Street, was actually the mastermind behind a massive Ponzi scheme. Eager to make big money, Bracken didn't report his findings. Instead, he allied with Vincent, providing him with cover and insider information from law enforcement, making Vincent's fraudulent operations even safer. In return, Vincent rewarded Bracken with substantial sums of money and valuable connections, which greatly aided Bracken's budding political career.

When Vincent's Ponzi scheme finally collapsed ten years ago, resulting in his federal indictment, Bracken had already used the funds he earned as a corrupt cop and his connections with Vincent to launch his political career. He successfully ran for a seat on the New York City Council and started to build his network, gaining power and influence. Vincent's escape from New York during the FBI's pursuit was largely due to Bracken's relentless efforts behind the scenes, ensuring his benefactor could flee the city safely.

Of course, Bracken wasn't helping Vincent out of kindness. His primary motivation was to prevent his ties to Vincent from being exposed. While killing Vincent would have been the cleanest solution at the time, Bracken was merely a city councilman back then, with nowhere near the power he wielded now. Moreover, Vincent had just pulled off a Ponzi scheme that netted him a staggering $1 billion. Bracken didn't want to risk losing his golden goose, so instead of sending someone like Nick Coonan to eliminate Vincent, he helped Vincent escape the country.

This decision proved to be wise in the years that followed. Vincent, unaware that he had narrowly escaped being silenced by the now-powerful Senator Bracken, was grateful for the assistance. Even though he could no longer safely return to New York, Vincent maintained contact with Bracken from his hideout in Argentina and continued to support Bracken's political career financially.

Bracken, too, saw his fortunes rise. The former NYPD detective-turned-corrupt cop leveraged his ill-gotten gains and Vincent's backing to transform himself into a New York City councilman, and later, with Vincent's continued support, he won a seat in the New York State Senate. This was no small feat; in the U.S., a senator is a powerful figure, second only to the President. Senators can recruit staff directly, and Vincent's political investment in Bracken paid off handsomely.

Once Bracken became a senator, Vincent no longer worried about his federal indictment. This newfound confidence was one of the reasons Vincent felt emboldened to return to New York secretly and seek out Neal, hoping to extract the location of the music box that could lead him to the lost submarine.

Vincent's dream, which had been dormant for years, was rekindled under these favorable circumstances. Now wealthy, powerful, and with influential allies in New York, Vincent could no longer resist the urge to find the submarine. After a quiet discussion with Bracken, he snuck back into New York.

Initially, Bracken was skeptical when Vincent told him about his grand plan to find the rumored submarine, allegedly sunk off the coast of New York and loaded with treasures looted by Hitler's army during World War II. But Bracken was no longer just a lowly city councilman—he was a senator with grand ambitions, including a possible run for the presidency. He needed substantial funding, and Vincent hinted that if he found the submarine's billions in treasure, he would significantly increase his political contributions. Seeing more potential benefits than risks, Bracken agreed to assist Vincent, helping him evade the Coast Guard so Vincent could carry out his search without interference.

However, as a senator, Bracken was too busy to be involved in every detail. After promising to deal with the Coast Guard, he left the rest to Vincent, confident that if Vincent found the submarine, he wouldn't dare try to cut him out. Consequently, Bracken remained unaware of Vincent's subsequent actions.

These actions included sending his FBI mole Fuller to threaten Neal's girlfriend, Kate, to force Neal to reveal the location of the music box; Vincent's decision to kill Castle after Neal found Kate with the writer's help, which backfired when Castle killed Vincent's top assassin, Larson; and Vincent's failed attempt to place a bounty on Castle through the Continental Hotel, which led to the cancellation of his membership when the hotel refused. Frustrated, Vincent tried to have Castle killed through the European underworld, only for Castle to turn the tables and negotiate peace by exchanging the music box. Bracken knew none of this, as Vincent wouldn't have shared such embarrassing details with the senator.

Thus, when Gavin called Bracken in desperation, the senator was blindsided, unaware of how events had spiraled so disastrously out of control.

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