Chapter 266: Preparation

Meanwhile, Simon, the mastermind behind the New York heist, was discussing the upcoming operation with Faris Targo, a demolition expert he had specifically brought over from Europe. Faris had served in the Hungarian military and was now helping Simon finalize the details of the plan set to commence in a few days. While they had secured the necessary firearms, they were still missing a critical component: the explosives. Procuring large quantities of explosives was much more likely to attract official attention than weapons.

Faris, being the genius bomb expert he was, proposed a brilliant idea. Instead of using highly regulated military-grade plastic explosives like C4, they would use a homemade explosive he had developed, which combined two common chemical ingredients to produce an effect similar to C4. Faris demonstrated that by mixing these two readily available chemicals in specific proportions, they could achieve the same explosive power.

Upon learning that they could execute their plan without resorting to easily traceable C4, Simon was overjoyed. He immediately dispatched a team with Faris to a laboratory in New Jersey, where they stole 2,500 pounds of the necessary chemicals. After successfully transporting the chemicals back to their hideout, Faris quickly assembled a small sample of his homemade bomb to show Simon.

The demonstration proved Faris's expertise, as the bomb's power far exceeded that of an equivalent amount of C4. Delighted, Simon felt that their preliminary preparations were complete. All that remained was to acquire the fourteen garbage trucks needed for their operation and wait for the final batch of their team to arrive. With the heist imminent, Simon couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the fortune they would soon obtain.

While Simon's team diligently prepared for the heist, the police were also on high alert. Despite Castle's somewhat vague information, neither Beckett nor Captain Montgomery took any chances. Although the NYPD and Officer John McClane were skeptical about becoming targets of a bombing, Beckett trusted Castle's warnings. She led Esposito and Ryan in a relentless search for the robbers, but their efforts were hampered by the fact that Simon's gang comprised seasoned professionals who had evaded European law enforcement for years. Many of them were former military personnel, making them adept at avoiding detection.

After another fruitless day of searching, Beckett felt a surge of frustration towards Castle, who had vanished after providing the initial intel. She cursed his secrecy and the fact that he hadn't fully disclosed all the information. If things went south because of his incomplete intel, she vowed not to let him off easily.

Meanwhile, Castle was engrossed in writing the drone control code in his warehouse. He felt an inexplicable chill and sneezed loudly, muttering to himself, "Who's talking about me?"

He shrugged it off and continued typing. He was determined to finish the code today so he could test the drone with the chubby guy tomorrow. Little did he know, his warning had mobilized the entire 12th Precinct, who were scouring the city for any trace of Simon's gang, while the seemingly calm streets of New York hid the storm brewing beneath.

Thanks to the system's enhancements, Castle pulled another all-nighter, successfully completing the drone's control code. He installed it on the drone and ran a ground test, which it passed flawlessly. Satisfied, he moved the control console and the drone into a large box truck he had previously acquired from Winston's men. This truck, with its spacious cargo hold, could easily accommodate both the drone and its control console.

Castle's only remaining problem was the two operatives Vincent had assigned to watch him. Surprisingly, despite infiltrating his warehouse the previous day and witnessing his activities, they hadn't left. Instead, they continued to monitor him from outside, which puzzled Castle. He couldn't simply knock them out, as that would alert Vincent that he was aware of the surveillance, nullifying his previous efforts to mislead Vincent.

Fortunately, Castle wasn't alone. He had a brilliant hacker ally, the chubby guy, to assist him. After some quick thinking, Castle devised a cunning plan to shake off the operatives without arousing suspicion. He contacted the chubby guy, explaining the situation and instructing him on what to do. He also provided the license plate number of the operatives' car, captured by his warehouse's surveillance cameras.

Once everything was set, Castle leisurely packed up the warehouse, loaded the truck, and drove out. The two operatives, who had been miserably watching the warehouse for two nights, were overjoyed to see the door finally open. They cursed Castle for making them endure such hardship, but their relief was short-lived as they saw Castle driving out in a large box truck.

Castle ignored the operatives' confusion, focusing on his plan. He carefully locked the warehouse, climbed back into the truck, and drove towards Staten Island, all the while smirking at the thought of the surprise he had arranged for the trailing operatives.

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