Chapter 273: The Beginning

After much thought, Beckett had to admit that Castle was right. If he reported the intelligence that Castle had provided, the bureau would likely just take it and ignore it. No matter how serious he made the situation sound, the bureau wouldn't care until something actually happened.

Understanding this left Beckett a bit deflated. However, Castle and her captain had already prepared for this. According to Castle, once Simon began his plan, Castle's informant would be able to determine which school in New York Simon planned to bomb. Beckett would then lead Esposito, her colleagues from the 12th Precinct, and other police officers to find the bomb quickly and thwart Simon's heist.

Seeing Beckett accept his plan, Castle didn't linger at the precinct. There were less than two days left until Simon executed his heist. For personal reasons, Castle didn't disclose the exact timing of Simon's plan to the police. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. His system required him to wait until Simon officially started his plan before intervening. So, Castle had to provide as much information as he could to the police and then wait until the bomb exploded at the department store on Fifth Avenue to begin his mission.

Castle left the precinct and headed to Little Fatty's home. Recently, the men Vincent had sent to follow him had been recalled. This allowed Castle to move freely without drawing their attention. His purpose today was simple: to ensure Little Fatty was prepared. The major heist that would shake the world was about to begin, and Castle needed to know that Little Fatty was ready.

Little Fatty was, of course, ready! Ever since Castle handed him two superbly crafted drones, Little Fatty had shown a remarkable talent for intelligence gathering. Since tailing Simon a few days ago, he had kept Simon within his surveillance range. He had even informed Castle that Simon's men had stolen fourteen garbage trucks crucial to Simon's plan and had been tracking their movements with a drone.

After their escapades in Rio de Janeiro, Little Fatty seemed to have awakened some extraordinary skills. His aptitude for using drones to track and monitor targets impressed Castle. Little Fatty's abilities made Castle regret that he didn't join the military to become a drone operator, where he might have become one of the best in the world.

Castle's custom drones, using Marvel's science and technology, allowed Little Fatty to control them with ease. Even Castle was amazed by how adept Little Fatty had become at operating the drones. Typically, a person could only focus on one drone at a time, but Little Fatty could manage two, each performing different tasks, while also monitoring his computer.

Castle's ingenuity had created a control station for Little Fatty that allowed him to operate multiple drones simultaneously, a feat even the military couldn't match. This setup, with three LCD screens on a single console, allowed seamless control of the drones, a testament to Castle's unparalleled technological prowess.

After confirming that Little Fatty was fully prepared, including the intel that Farik Targo, Simon's explosives expert, would plant a fake bomb at Chester A. Arthur International School, Castle left. He planned to rest and await the grand show.

Despite Beckett's reluctance and the repeated warnings to John McClane from Beckett that he was being targeted by the brother of a man he threw off a building years ago, time moved on. The morning of Simon's heist arrived.

At 8:30 AM, during New York City's rush hour, an explosion rocked a department store on Fifth Avenue. The blast, occurring just as the store was about to open, caused significant damage and chaos, signaling the start of Simon's heist.

Beckett, who had been arriving early at the precinct due to her worries, rushed out with Esposito and Ryan upon hearing the news. Captain Montgomery, coordinating from the precinct, began locking down Fifth Avenue and preparing a contingent of officers to respond to Simon's bomb threat at a school.

Montgomery wasn't as anxious as he appeared. The explosion confirmed Castle's intelligence. According to their understanding, Castle would soon provide the exact location of the school where the bomb was planted. Montgomery's plan was to act swiftly on this intel and take credit for the success.

Castle, monitoring the situation through the drones controlled by Little Fatty, watched Simon's movements. One drone kept an eye on the garbage trucks, while the other followed Simon. The drones, flying at a high altitude and equipped with laser listening devices, allowed Castle and Little Fatty to hear Simon's conversations clearly.

As Simon's plan commenced, he awaited the police and media's arrival at the explosion site. Once the incident made headlines, Simon would call the NYPD headquarters, confess to the bombing, and draw Officer John McClane into his game.

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