The panicked outburst of the two captured operatives not only amused Big Ivan, who was stepping out of the truck to capture them, but it also caused the anonymous mastermind monitoring the operation through surveillance feeds to go pale.
"This was a trap?"
Castle's team had been fully aware of their plan, had laid an ambush, and, to drive the point home, ordered the execution of three CIA agents as soon as the operation began. Worse yet, the two remaining operatives, seemingly rattled out of their wits, had surrendered and blurted out their identities as CIA agents. This was a catastrophic mistake.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the anonymous figure grabbed a communicator and attempted to contact Ethan and his team, who were already out at sea. If Castle had dismantled the ambush so decisively, it could only mean he was also aware of Ethan's mission. Letting the Impossible Mission Force fall into Castle's hands would be a devastating blow.
But it was too late.
At the same time as the failed kidnapping attempt on the Long Island Expressway, Ethan, with Benji's help, had donned his diving gear and was already swimming towards Castle's estate. When the anonymous figure finally reached Benji and Luther on the yacht via an emergency channel to call off the mission, they were already surrounded.
Multiple speedboats filled with heavily armed Russian operatives circled their yacht, guns trained on them. Castle had preemptively instructed his men to issue a warning before engaging to ensure no unnecessary harm came to Benji or Luther.
Initially, the two operatives had considered resisting, hoping for a chance to escape. But when a gruff voice with a thick Russian accent announced through a loudspeaker that Ethan Hunt was already captured and that any resistance would result in his body being dumped in the Atlantic, their will crumbled. Knowing they weren't combat specialists, Benji and Luther had no choice but to power down the yacht's engines and surrender.
Meanwhile, at Castle's estate, Ethan sat dejectedly on a chair, surrounded by Castle's security team. Across from him, Richard Castle himself watched with a faint smile.
"Well, hello there, Ethan," Castle greeted, his voice a mix of amusement and contempt. "I didn't expect our first meeting to be under these circumstances.
By the way, your two companions on the yacht have already been captured. Don't worry, they're unharmed. I made it clear to my men not to hurt Benji and Luther. Consider it my way of repaying your team for saving the world in the past."
Ethan let out a sigh of defeat. "You knew about our plan from the start, didn't you?"
Castle's smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare. "And why shouldn't I? Was I supposed to sit idly by, let you kidnap my daughter, sneak into my supercomputer lab, and steal my software?
You justify your actions with noble rhetoric about world security, yet your methods are anything but noble. What kind of person kidnaps a man's daughter to force him into compliance? You think I'd stand for that?
If I didn't want to make an example of your organization, the five operatives on the Long Island Expressway would all be dead by now. I left two alive only to expose the truth to the world. CBS and The New York Times will be at the scene soon. You, Benji, and Luther will be handed over to the NYPD. If it weren't for the fact that the three of you still have a shred of integrity, you'd all be dead by now.
Let's see if your superiors can get you out of this mess."
Ethan paled as Castle's words sank in. Not only had Castle captured him and his team, but he had also deliberately orchestrated a media storm. News outlets would soon report that CIA operatives had impersonated kidnappers to abduct a famous author's daughter. The resulting scandal could destroy the CIA's reputation. "How dare he?" Ethan thought.
Castle, noticing Ethan's shock, smirked and dialed a number on his phone.
"Mr. Anonymous," Castle said, his voice icy. "I don't know what made you think I'm an easy target.
Of the five operatives you sent to kidnap my daughter, only two are still alive. They'll be giving interviews to the media shortly, explaining how the CIA has been masquerading as kidnappers.
As for your Impossible Mission Force, they're done.
If I were you, I'd run. Don't let me catch you."
Before the anonymous figure could respond, Castle ended the call.
The call served two purposes: to shake Ethan further and to draw out the anonymous mastermind, whose location Castle had already tracked. Outside the safe house, Bob, Castle's sniper, was stationed with a rifle, waiting for the moment the man made his move.
Inside the safe house, the anonymous figure stared at the disconnected phone in disbelief. His plans had been laid bare from the start. Everything he had done had played directly into Castle's hands. The realization sent a chill down his spine.
Panicking, he grabbed a few essentials and prepared to flee. "Castle is furious," he muttered to himself. "Staying here would be suicide."
But as soon as he stepped outside to reach his car, a sniper bullet struck him square in the head, killing him instantly.
Back on the Long Island Expressway, chaos erupted. Police cars swarmed the area, helicopters filled the skies, and journalists crowded the scene. This was a story too explosive to ignore.
The narrative was damning: "CIA Agents Disguised as Kidnappers Attempt to Abduct the Daughter of Famed Novelist Richard Castle." Castle's foresight in providing his daughter with exceptional security measures had thwarted the plot. His bodyguards had killed three of the agents and captured the remaining two.
For the media, it was a bombshell. News outlets that hadn't been directly tipped off by Castle scrambled to join the frenzy, with helicopters racing to the scene.
Deputy Chief Montgomery personally arrived to oversee the situation. Castle's security team had recorded every moment of the confrontation, including the captured operatives admitting they were CIA agents. With this evidence, the NYPD had the leverage they needed to confront Langley directly.
Montgomery, like the rest of the world, was appalled. The CIA's reputation for shadowy operations was already infamous, but an attempted kidnapping on U.S. soil to steal a piece of software? This crossed every line. The agency's supposed "covert actions" had long been viewed as a global nuisance, a series of self-serving schemes that accomplished little beyond stirring chaos. Now, their incompetence and audacity were laid bare for the world to see.
Holding back his anger, Montgomery prepared to take the two surviving agents into custody. He was determined to hold the CIA accountable for their recklessness—and to make them pay for their arrogance.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 120)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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