Chapter 441: Shares

Beckett and the New York District Attorney's office acted swiftly after obtaining evidence of Senator William Bracken's crimes. With the Internal Affairs division's approval, Beckett immediately arrested the four corrupt cops who were unaware that their crimes had been exposed. Simultaneously, the District Attorney's office quickly reported to Congress and the Department of Justice, requesting approval to initiate a criminal investigation against Bracken, a prominent figure in the Republican Party. By the time Bracken learned of the investigation, it was too late to cover it up.

Castle had previously advised Beckett that to bring down someone as powerful as Senator Bracken, they needed to make the situation as public as possible. A covert investigation wouldn't suffice; only by exposing everything could they put enough pressure on Bracken to prevent him from using his usual underhanded tactics. Following the arrests of the four corrupt cops, Beckett, along with the fully authorized District Attorney's office, held a large press conference to announce that the New York Police Department and the DA's office were officially launching a criminal investigation into New York State Senator William Bracken.

The rapid developments caught Senator Bracken completely off guard. As he sat in his office, trying to figure out how to handle the crisis, events unfolded faster than he could react. Earlier that day, Castle had publicly killed two of his hired assassins outside the Twelfth Precinct. By the afternoon, the NYPD and the DA's office had already held a press conference announcing the investigation, and Bracken had just received a call from Congress suspending his duties. This unexpected turn of events completely derailed all of Bracken's contingency plans.

Bracken's initial strategy had been to quietly inform the Democrats now working with Beckett that Castle might be the one who secretly moved the treasure from the submarine recovered by Vincent Adler. Whether this was true or not, Bracken believed the Democrats, driven by greed, might focus their attention on this treasure, thereby easing the pressure on him.

But Bracken had underestimated Castle and Beckett. Before he could act, they had already gone public with the investigation, effectively dismantling his plan for self-preservation.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Bracken finally understood that Beckett and the DA's office must have solid evidence against him; otherwise, Congress wouldn't have suspended his duties. For the first time, Bracken, usually so composed, began to panic.

Meanwhile, after the NYPD and DA's press conference, Beckett led Esposito, Ryan, and a team of officers in a full-scale raid on the hideout of Bracken's key ally, Vulcan Simmons. They easily captured Simmons, a major drug lord who had been laundering money for Bracken, realizing that their cause was now hopeless.

Castle watched as the day's dramatic events unfolded, knowing that his role was largely over. After meeting with Captain Montgomery, Castle returned home, where he began to reflect on the recent events and plan his next steps. Now that the investigation into Bracken was in full swing, Castle's involvement was no longer necessary. He had done his part in exposing the senator's crimes, and the authorities would take it from here.

Bracken's power had relied on the secrecy of his actions. Now that Castle and Beckett had brought his misdeeds into the light, the senator, despite his previous stature as a political star, was vulnerable. No matter how corrupt politics could be, some things couldn't survive public scrutiny. With the truth out in the open, the public would turn against Bracken, and he would face the full force of public outrage.

Castle, however, was unaware that his actions had caused Bracken to recall the incident where Vincent Adler had sent Larson to kill Castle, only for Castle to turn the tables. This had led Bracken to suspect that Castle was linked to the treasure missing from Adler's submarine. Bracken intended to use this to create trouble for Castle by informing certain Democrats still searching for that treasure.

But even if Castle had known about Bracken's intentions, he wouldn't have been overly concerned. Only a few trustworthy individuals knew the treasure was in Castle's possession, hidden in a secret underground room on Gianna's estate in Long Island. Castle had no reason to fear the Democrats following up on Bracken's suspicions.

Although Castle had no qualms about killing Bracken, he had refrained from doing so for several reasons. Beckett needed to bring Bracken to justice herself as part of avenging her mother's murder, and there were also the personal safety concerns. Bracken, after all, was a sitting U.S. senator, one of only a hundred in the country, and wielded considerable power. These senators and their counterparts in the House of Representatives held more sway than even the President, as they had the power to change who held the office.

Additionally, Bracken was linked to Castle's "Ultimate Mission," which involved dismantling the corrupt influence of "Project Rocsalt" within the CIA—a massive conspiracy that had remained hidden for years. Bracken's connections to this dark network meant that Castle needed him alive, at least for now. Thus, despite his strong desire to kill Bracken, Castle had to bide his time.

Having decided to put the matter of Bracken behind him for now, Castle returned home to think about what to do next. He knew that Beckett would be too busy with the investigation to spend time with him, so he considered using this time to work on his overdue manuscript for the second *Nikki Heat* book. There was also the matter of negotiating with Northrop Grumman regarding the drone technology. Castle had already decided not to seek the technical transfer fees from the military contractor but instead to aim for a share in Northrop Grumman's stock. Even a small stake would be significant because, in this country, having a major defense contractor backing you provided substantial protection.

Castle didn't yet realize how fortunate he would soon feel for making this decision. As Bracken, now aware that his downfall was inevitable, prepared to be taken into custody, he made one last attempt to create trouble for Castle. He contacted Congressman Gavin, a known associate of Vincent Adler, who had long been searching for the missing treasure from the submarine. Bracken told him that Castle might be the mysterious figure who had secured the treasure, hoping this would bring new complications to Castle's life.

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