American TV Writer

Even as composed as Beckett usually was, she knew the man sitting in the inconspicuous Buick outside the precinct was likely the most dangerous criminal she had ever faced. Castle's extensive explanation only solidified her decision not to rely solely on her usual team to back him up.

Who knew what other deadly tricks this assassin, whom Castle had identified, might have up his sleeve? 

Just the hint that this assassin could manipulate the trajectory of bullets to curve around obstacles was enough to dissuade Beckett from any thoughts of capturing him alive. Castle had explained that this assassin had come for her, hired by the soon-to-be-deposed Senator William Bracken, who was making a desperate last-ditch effort to eliminate her in a fit of rage.

Now that Beckett knew the assassin's background and motives, capturing him was no longer the priority. What mattered most was ensuring Castle's safety as he prepared to act as bait.

Fully aware of the gravity of the situation, Beckett displayed the decisive nature of someone in command. After confirming that the tech guy could stream real-time footage from the drones to the tablet in her hand without any delay, Beckett summoned Esposito and instructed him to head to the garage to find a fully bulletproof vehicle for Castle.

At the same time, she gathered her top officers, intending to give the assassin, who was still unaware of his exposure, a rather nasty surprise.

Watching his girlfriend command the precinct with authority, Castle chuckled to himself before heading down to the underground garage. Esposito had already selected a bulletproof car for him, a heavily modified Dodge equipped with a powerful V8 engine.

Esposito, unaware of the full scope of the situation, didn't understand why Beckett needed such a car for Castle. Castle, however, saw no need to explain and simply told Esposito to ask around once he was upstairs. Castle then hopped into the bulletproof vehicle and, using the earpiece in his ear, contacted his tech support back at the hideout, where his tech-savvy friend Harry and Mozzie were monitoring everything closely.

"Guys, I'm about to drive out of the precinct to act as bait. Harry, keep a close eye on that guy in the Buick. This time, we're dealing with a real pro."

Mozzie, intrigued by Castle's unusually serious tone, asked, "Rick, what's the deal with this assassin? Is he really more dangerous than John? I've never seen you this tense before."

Castle, too preoccupied to go into details, replied, "He's not stronger than John, but he's dangerous in his own way, especially against regular people. I'm not worried about myself; I'm more concerned about the officers following me. If anything goes wrong, there could be heavy casualties. That's what we need to avoid."

Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Mozzie didn't press further. He knew he'd get all his answers later. For now, the important thing was that Castle was fully prepared.

Once everything was ready, and Beckett signaled from upstairs that her team was in position, Castle casually started the car and drove out of the precinct's underground garage. He made a point of slowly passing by the Buick where the assassin, the Gunsmith, was stationed, ensuring the man saw him leave.

Now, it was a waiting game. Would the Gunsmith change his target and focus on Castle instead of Beckett, who was still inside the precinct?

The Gunsmith, intently watching the precinct, immediately noticed when Castle drove out in the Dodge. Having already reported the situation to Sloan and receiving authorization to take out both Beckett and Castle if the opportunity arose, he had been waiting for the police chief to emerge. But now, the writer, also on his hit list, had just driven right past him.

Why not kill Castle first? The Gunsmith figured that eliminating the writer would certainly lure the police chief out, desperate to investigate the scene of her boyfriend's murder. It would create the perfect opportunity for a second strike.

Unable to resist, the Gunsmith's focus shifted. Normally, a top assassin wouldn't let themselves get distracted so easily, but the lure of the $5 million bounty on Castle, combined with the thought of completing two hits in one go, clouded his judgment. After all, to him and Sloan, killing the writer and his police chief girlfriend seemed as easy as a vacation. Why not get both jobs done at once?

The moment Castle passed by, the Gunsmith made his decision. He could follow Castle, kill him, and then wait for Beckett to show up, executing both contracts flawlessly. The thought of pocketing $5-6 million made him too eager to wait any longer.

Castle hadn't even checked his rearview mirror yet when Harry's excited voice crackled through the earpiece. "Uncle Rick, your guess was spot on! That car just started up... he's turning around... haha! He's targeting you! Watch out, Uncle Rick, he's on your tail!"

Castle smirked to himself. Good thing he knew exactly how money-hungry these Brotherhood assassins were. So, you want to kill me first, thinking it'll draw Beckett out? I'm going to use this opportunity to send a message to Sloan myself.

The Assassin Brotherhood? What a joke.

Did they really think they were gods with the power to judge others? Castle grinned as he thought about paying Sloan a visit in New Jersey at North Bergen 17. Sloan needed to understand exactly who he had crossed.

As Castle leisurely drove on, safe for the moment from the Gunsmith's attacks, his mind wandered to what kind of greeting he should prepare for Sloan after dealing with the Gunsmith. Should he blast Sloan's headquarters with RPGs from his personal stash? Or maybe he should reach out to Gianna and have her crew source some heavy mortars? Perhaps something like the "Cornflower" automatic mortar from the Russian military?

Castle laughed at the thought. There was no need to bother Gianna. Winston at the Continental Hotel was already deeply interested in the inner workings of the Brotherhood, meaning the Continental likely had its own plans for dealing with this cult-like group of assassins.

Whatever Winston had in mind, Castle could leverage the Continental's resources to acquire the heavy weaponry he needed.

Castle had no doubt that the Continental would jump at the chance to weaken a competitor like the Assassin Brotherhood. After all, Winston was aware of the internal strife within the Brotherhood, so Castle figured it was the perfect time to ask for a "Cornflower" mortar from Winston.

As Castle continued to drive, another plan formed in his mind: once he finished dealing with the Gunsmith, he'd contact Winston and put in an order for that Russian toy.

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [[email protected]/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]