Chapter 432: Ambush

After the FBI captured Vincent, they found evidence at the scene linking him to a congressman in New York. However, Pete felt that something was still missing. Today, after sending Jones and Diana to follow a writer who had frequent contact with Neil, Pete received a report from Jones. He informed him that operatives of Senator William Bracken of New York State were also tailing the writer. Pete keenly sensed that the missing piece he had been searching for might have just appeared.

Pete had personally opened the submarine with Neil. He was certain that no one had opened it before them. Yet, strangely, the priceless treasures that should have been inside were missing. It was incredibly odd. After Vincent was captured, he should have been interrogated in detail at the FBI. But he was shot dead by a sniper, who had been lying in wait, just as he was being escorted out. This made the FBI and Pete suspect that a hidden hand was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

It seemed impossible for just that congressman to have orchestrated this. The congressman's influence was mostly in Washington, not New York. In New York, it was unlikely that the congressman alone could cover up all of Vincent's activities. Pete was now investigating how Vincent managed to salvage the submarine under the Coast Guard's surveillance. Perhaps, today's appearance of Senator William Bracken was the key.

Upon receiving his subordinates' report, Pete sternly ordered them to keep a close watch on the writer. He also instructed them to figure out why those in the senator's registered car were also interested in the writer. Ideally, they should photograph the people in the senator's car for the FBI to identify.

At this point, Castle and Beckett were driving ahead, followed by the assassin sent by Senator William Bracken, and behind them were FBI agents Jones and Diana, monitoring both vehicles and their occupants.

Unaware that the FBI had started to piece together the truth, Castle and Beckett were heading towards the abandoned warehouse on 147th Street. Esposito and Ryan called to inform Beckett that they had arrived at the warehouse and were in position. With this news, Castle sped up and drove straight into the abandoned warehouse, which had only one entrance and exit.

The assassin sent by Senator William Bracken followed Castle's car into the narrow road without hesitation. However, Jones, driving a GMC, did not follow them in. As law enforcement officers, Jones and Diana sensed that it was a carefully set trap. To avoid alarming the other parties, Jones stopped the car at the entrance of 147th Street and reported the latest developments to his superior.

Inside the car, Beckett and Castle quickly executed their plan. Castle grabbed his Glock 17 from the glove compartment, and Beckett, following the plan, opened the trunk and put on a bulletproof vest with "Writer" printed on the chest. She also grabbed an FN SCAR rifle that Castle had stored in the trunk and aimed it at the black Ford SUV that had followed them into the warehouse.

Seeing the armed pair ready for battle, the assassin, who had planned to eliminate Castle and Beckett, cursed his luck. He had no idea they would anticipate his ambush. The driver tried to turn the car around, but Beckett shot out the front tires, causing the car to crash into a large rock on the roadside. The assassin and driver had no choice but to stop.

To Castle and Beckett's surprise, there were only two people in the SUV—a driver and an assassin. William Bracken was a senator, not the head of an assassin organization, so there weren't many hitmen at his disposal. The plan had been to quietly take out Beckett and Castle without engaging the NYPD. When Beckett ordered them to get out of the car with her rifle, the two men, realizing they were outgunned, surrendered without a fight.

Castle, keeping an eye on the situation, immediately called Esposito and Ryan to come in. The ease of resolving the situation made Castle's initial plan for a big showdown unnecessary. He hadn't expected that the assassin, who had worried him so much, would turn out to be just one person, with only a driver as backup.

Although he didn't get a chance to show off in front of Beckett, Castle understood the importance of handling the situation carefully. After Beckett subdued the two men, Castle notified Esposito and Ryan to help detain them. He knew they couldn't handle transporting the senator's men back to the precinct alone.

Beckett, seeing Castle's actions, nodded approvingly but reminded him to also notify the precinct. Making this a big deal would force Senator Bracken to tread carefully and prevent him from trying anything else.

Castle followed Beckett's advice and called the precinct to send additional officers to 147th Street, given its proximity to the precinct.

When Esposito and Ryan arrived, the senator's men, realizing they had no escape, surrendered their weapons and allowed themselves to be handcuffed.

At this point, Jones and Diana, who had been waiting outside, finally drove in. They weren't there to take over the case but were curious about the gunfire they had heard.

Seeing the FBI's car, neither Beckett nor Esposito pointed their guns at Jones and Diana, recognizing the vehicle immediately.

After showing their credentials to Beckett, Jones got straight to the point. "Chief Beckett, we'd like to know what happened here."

Beckett, surprised by the FBI agents who had been following her, thought they might be trying to take over or perhaps were sent by Senator Bracken to retrieve his men. With an unfriendly tone, she replied, "These two men tried to assassinate me. Are you from the FBI here to intervene?"

Jones, seeing Beckett's expression, realized she misunderstood their intentions and quickly clarified, "No, no, we have no interest in these two. We just want to talk to Mr. Castle."

Only then did Beckett recall that Castle had mentioned the FBI might be after him for information on Neal Caffrey. Understanding her mistake, Beckett pointed to Castle, who was inspecting the SUV. "He's over there, but I don't think he has time to talk to you now. We're heading back to the precinct to file a report on today's incident. You might want to find another time to speak with him."

Jones, understanding Beckett's situation, didn't argue and left with Diana.

Castle had seen Jones and Diana arrive but was in no mood to deal with the FBI. He knew Beckett would handle them. After they left, he walked over, smiling.

As Beckett removed the ridiculous bulletproof vest with "Writer" printed on it, she said, "I don't know what game you're playing, but you better figure out what's really important right now!"

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