"What did you say?" Beckett almost jumped out of her chair in shock.
Yes, after that bastard Castle came to the 12th Precinct and gave her a highly condensed version of what he knew, even with the many missing details, the simple fact that someone was planning to assassinate Vice President Andrew during his meeting with the so-called "peace ambassador" from Africa at Times Square in three days was enough to leave Beckett, who had already sensed a bit of unease from Castle the night before, utterly panicked.
And this was without Castle mentioning that a top sniper was currently scouting the area around Times Square, or that a political faction led by a Montana senator was scheming to use this event to spark a battle with the political forces represented by the Vice President.
If Beckett knew that not only was a senator involved, but also the CIA, who wanted to use this assassination to bring down the Vice President, she would probably be even more shocked.
But even just this one piece of information had Beckett in a frenzy. Let's not forget, her 12th Precinct would be responsible for the perimeter security during the event. If they had to deal with a killer whose location and methods were still unknown, even with the upgraded equipment Castle had donated, her officers wouldn't stand a chance.
The reason this responsibility fell to the 12th Precinct was that, recently, they had become the best-equipped precinct out of all 77 in the NYPD. Since Times Square was within their jurisdiction, it was only natural for them to handle the perimeter security. After all, even the basic officers here were better equipped than the NYPD's own Emergency Service Unit (which is basically the equivalent of Los Angeles' SWAT team, just called something different). The NYPD would never let a well-equipped unit like the 12th Precinct sit idly by.
But now, with the news Castle brought, Beckett, who had previously been relaxed about the assignment, was starting to get a headache. She knew that if Castle said something was going to happen, it was bound to be true. Even though her officers were only responsible for perimeter security, with the Secret Service and FBI handling the internal security, if the assassin really did fire a shot, Beckett knew that the investigation would eventually land in her lap.
As she glared at Castle, the source of this terrible news, Beckett felt both helpless and frustrated. Castle, on the other hand, found it amusing. He could have stopped this whole thing early, but the idiotic system in his head wouldn't let him. It forced him to wait until the shot was fired before taking action. So, he began his performance in front of Beckett: "We may not be able to locate the hidden assassin just yet, but I think you could start preparing in other ways, like having your officers keep a close watch on potential sniper locations."
He sighed dramatically. "It seems like your precinct is still missing some equipment. Why didn't I think of getting you a couple of drones? If you had drones, this security task would be much easier."
Castle's suggestion instantly reminded Beckett that he had two drones of his own. Why not use his drones for the job?
However, Beckett's idea was quickly shot down by Castle. "No way. I can't lend you my drones.
First, Northrop Grumman is about to enter a bidding war for the military's new drone contract. My prototype drones can't be seen in public right now.
Second, the Secret Service and FBI are handling the internal security. They won't allow a local police unit responsible for the perimeter to use drones outside their control. And to be honest, those agencies have zero integrity. If they decided they needed my drones for 'security reasons' and took them, Northrop Grumman would lose its mind!
So, no, I really can't let you use my drones. We'll have to come up with another solution."
Castle's reasons were sound, so Beckett didn't push the issue. She knew that in his own twisted way, Castle cared about her. Since he'd said it wasn't possible, the drones really couldn't be lent out. So, she didn't insist and instead looked to Castle, hoping he would come up with a more feasible solution.
At that moment, Castle didn't have a good solution. He still didn't know where Bob Lee Swagger, the Marine Gunnery Sergeant scouting the area around Times Square, planned to set up his sniper position. Everything hinged on when his tech guy would spot Swagger on the surveillance feeds. Once they found where Swagger planned to set up, they could follow the trail to uncover the sniper position set up by the black Colonel Johnson.
Only after finding that spot could Castle's plan truly kick into gear, at least to the point where he could quickly extract the wrongfully accused Bob Lee Swagger from the grasp of the police and federal agents once the event unfolded.
So, all Castle could do for now was reassure Beckett. After all, the showdown wouldn't happen for another three days. There was no point in panicking yet. He was about to leave the precinct to dig up more intel on the matter, hoping that the homeless network he'd often relied on would come through again.
Beckett knew Castle had a point. She was also reminded that this was something best kept between herself, Esposito, and Ryan to avoid unnecessary complications.
For example, if something went wrong and the Secret Service got wind that the NYPD had known about the plot three days in advance but hadn't informed them, those shameless agents would undoubtedly shift the blame onto them.
Even though the mess was clearly the result of the Montana senator and former CIA African affairs head Johnson, the embarrassed Secret Service would likely pin it all on the NYPD for knowing about the assassination plot and failing to inform them, leading to a breach in the Vice President's security. The Secret Service might be terrible at doing their jobs, but when it came to passing the buck, they were masters. To avoid this inevitable fallout, Castle had to ensure Beckett understood the stakes.
After repeatedly emphasizing the importance of keeping this information under wraps, and securing Beckett's promise, Castle finally left the precinct.
Once outside, Castle decided to head to Times Square himself to see if he could spot the unlucky former Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Bob Lee Swagger, who was posing as a tourist while actually scouting for Colonel Johnson's optimal sniper position.
Swagger was probably the best sniper Castle knew.
To be honest, the sniper rifle Swagger used was also quite the oddity. The .408 caliber "Intervention" sniper rifle, with its one-piece, machined bullets, was a bizarre hybrid developed by a small company. It seemed like the designer either had a brain malfunction or was trying to take a completely unconventional route. The gun was overpowered for shooting people but lacked the punch for anti-material use. If it weren't for the company's decision to equip the rifle with a dedicated targeting system and fire-control computer, it would be practically useless.
Apparently, after its creation, fewer people ordered the rifle than those hit by meteors, which says a lot about its effectiveness.
Though it was quickly eliminated from military consideration, the producers of Shooter had clearly secured some sponsorship deal with the company. That's why the movie's lead, Bob Lee Swagger, and Colonel Johnson, who set up the sniper position on Swagger's rooftop, both used this peculiar sniper rifle.
Perhaps the rifle was chosen because its fire-control system could sync up with Swagger's targeting actions from the rooftop below. In any case, while the gun wasn't particularly useful for anti-material purposes, it was more than enough to take out people. Additionally, thanks to its unique bullet design, the rifle's ballistic performance remained impressive even at 1,500 meters.
That's why Castle believed that even though the event venue had been changed to New York's Times Square, Bob Lee's plan would still involve choosing a sniper location far from the square, just as he had done in the original plot. That meant Castle's search radius would need to be significantly expanded.
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