American TV Writer

While silently cursing himself for not thinking things through thoroughly enough, Richard Castle drove at a speed that allowed the 'Gunsmith' behind him to keep up, weaving through the streets of Manhattan. His earpiece continued to relay updates from the chubby tech guy: "Uncle Rick, that assassin's car is less than 200 meters behind you. He's been tailing you the whole time. Where exactly are you planning to take him?"

"The drone shows that there's no one else in his car. It's just him, no backup!"

Castle felt completely at ease after hearing this. His guess had been correct—the assassins from the Brotherhood were not only overconfident but also not particularly bright. They hadn't even realized that he was luring them into a trap. He couldn't figure out if they were just arrogant or delusional. Maybe these assassins had been dealing with defenseless targets for so long that they'd convinced themselves they were unbeatable?

Otherwise, how could they be so brazen as to follow him so openly? Had they not even bothered to review his track record?

Surely that couldn't be right. As a longstanding assassin organization, how could they not have proper intelligence channels? Or maybe, due to the recent chaos caused by the Cross, they had become so disoriented that they'd even skipped the basic reconnaissance they usually did before attacking a target?

Castle's wild guesses weren't far off.

Indeed, the Cross had been relentlessly attacking the Brotherhood recently, taking down any member who dared show their face. As a result, the Brotherhood had become isolated, with little to no contact with the outside world. If it weren't for this, Sloan wouldn't have blindly accepted Senator William Bracken's commission without even understanding the gravity of Bracken's situation.

Moreover, the Cross had more than earned his reputation as the Brotherhood's former top strategist and number one long-range sniper. Not only had he orchestrated the assassination on the rooftop of the Metropolis Tower, but he'd also taken out Mr. X, another top assassin, in revenge. This all stemmed from the fact that Sloan had sent his most seductive operative, Fox, to manipulate the Cross's naive son. After the son was tricked into thinking that X was his real father, he started training to become a top assassin with the sole purpose of killing the Cross to avenge his "father."

This almost drove the Cross to the brink of madness.

What made things even worse for the Cross was that his son was truly foolish. He couldn't see through the scheming of Sloan and Fox. The Cross even risked his life to try and rescue his son, but almost ended up being killed by him, who had become so infatuated with Fox that he couldn't think straight.

This was unbearable.

Fuming with rage, the Cross's operational efficiency skyrocketed. He ruthlessly eliminated two more of the Brotherhood's named assassins, pushing the remaining members into a state of panic.

Because of the Cross's extraordinary efficiency, the Brotherhood's top assassins had all retreated into their hideout—a textile factory located at 17 North Bergen, New Jersey. They'd cut off all communication with the outside world.

Senator Bracken, for his part, was being far from honest when he approached Sloan. He didn't want to relieve the pressure he was under—he was hoping for an all-out war between the Brotherhood and Castle, or even Beckett, to further ease his own troubles. The last thing he wanted was for Sloan to realize just how formidable Castle was. If Sloan knew the truth, would he have dared to target Castle or Beckett?

Castle, of course, had no idea about these intricate details. But thanks to having seen the movie *Wanted* in his past life, he had a pretty solid understanding of the Brotherhood and had made some accurate guesses about their internal turmoil, especially regarding the aftermath of the Cross's betrayal. This gave him a major advantage as he prepared to face the 'Gunsmith' trailing behind him.

When Castle learned that the assassin outside the police station was the 'Gunsmith,' his first instinct was to repeat his previous tactics. He planned to lead the assassin to Central Park, much like when Vincent had sent Larson to assassinate him. By doing so, he could ensure their battle would take place in a secluded area, minimizing the risk to bystanders.

Despite telling Beckett earlier that he would wait for police backup, Castle had never intended to rely on it.

He knew better than anyone that the 'Gunsmith' wasn't known for his combat skills. His moniker said it all—he was more of a support figure, handling logistics and arms rather than frontline combat. Despite being a named assassin, the 'Gunsmith' ranked fairly low in terms of combat prowess within the Brotherhood. Castle was confident that, with the skills and physical enhancements he had gained through the System, he could easily take him down on his own.

Of course, Castle hadn't told Beckett this back at the station. His plan was to lure the 'Gunsmith' to Central Park, kill him, and then deal with the aftermath afterward.

So, Castle was now driving towards Central Park.

This also happened to be within the jurisdiction of Beckett's 12th Precinct.

By setting the stage there, Castle could count on Beckett's authority to keep things quiet.

Castle still planned to confront Sloan later that evening, so it was better if Sloan remained unaware that the 'Gunsmith' had failed.

As for concerns that Brotherhood assassins could fire bullets that curve around obstacles, Castle wasn't worried in the slightest. Thanks to the support of his System, he had not only inherited John Wick's firearm skills but also Jason Bourne's extensive training. Bourne was considered one of the best CIA agents of all time, and combined with the System's enhancements, the Brotherhood assassins were no more dangerous to Castle than a group of chickens.

John Wick's shooting skills alone were legendary. This guy could punch a hole through the Earth if he had enough bullets. So Castle, being even better, had nothing to fear.

Plus, he had some major advantages.

First, thanks to the two drones overhead, Castle had a perfect view of the battlefield. This information asymmetry allowed him to precisely plan his moves.

Second, Castle had a massive personal space loaded with an arsenal of firearms, ranging from handguns to sniper rifles and even grenades. For protection, he had stashed away bulletproof vests and other gear. Armed to the teeth, Castle had no reason to fear the 'Gunsmith.'

The 'Gunsmith,' on the other hand, had no idea he had been completely exposed. The drones, equipped with top-tier surveillance gear from Northrop Grumman, had scanned him multiple times. Castle and his team knew exactly what the 'Gunsmith' was carrying: two handguns and four spare magazines.

That's why Castle confidently drove towards Central Park with the 'Gunsmith' tailing behind.

At this hour, Central Park was mostly empty. Everything was in Castle's favor. Why would he be worried?

He was laser-focused on leading the 'Gunsmith' into the park and delivering a deadly surprise.

As Castle's armored Dodge cruised towards Central Park's east entrance, he could already see the park up ahead. Not far from there was the renowned Columbia University. Castle, ever the carefree type, gave no thought to the potential fallout of a massive gunfight near one of the most prestigious universities. He simply followed the route marked by the drones, parking his car along the way. Without even glancing at the 'Gunsmith' behind him, he stepped out of the car and walked into Central Park.

Just follow me in, and this will be your grave, Castle thought with grim determination...

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