In Rome, Italy, Alexis's godfather, John Wick, was enraged when he learned that his goddaughter had been kidnapped by Japanese operatives. The former world's greatest assassin was on the verge of boarding a private jet to Hawaii to exact bloody vengeance. If not for Castle's desperate persuasion and his girlfriend Gianna's calming influence, John would have already set out for a massacre.
Alexis held a special place in John's heart. It was her innocent kindness that helped him recover from the devastating loss of Helen years ago. Now, however, he had his own daughter, little Onora, and an ailing mentor, old Antonio, whose health was so fragile that this Christmas might be his last. For Antonio's sake, John grudgingly suppressed his wrath and promised Castle to wait until after Christmas to visit the U.S.
Despite this compromise, both John and Gianna agreed to change their original plans of visiting New York on December 29. Instead, they would fly directly to Hawaii right after Christmas to join Castle and ensure Alexis was safe.
Meanwhile, Beckett, upon learning the details of the kidnapping and Castle's plan for a Hawaiian Christmas, was pleased to join the trip, though it meant spending Christmas away from her father.
Because of the time difference, it was already 2:00 a.m. on December 24 in New York (Eastern Time, UTC-5), but only 8:00 p.m. on December 23 in Hawaii (HST, UTC-10). At the Five-0 headquarters, Steve McGarrett and his team had just completed preliminary interrogations of the three captured "kidnappers." Now, they were reviewing a trove of information sent by Castle via Jarvis—detailed files on the Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office's operatives, safe houses, and assets scattered across the Hawaiian Islands.
The sheer depth of the intelligence left Danny flabbergasted.
"Steve, before I moved to this island, I already knew Rick Castle was a successful novelist. Even Rachel—" Danny paused, referencing his ex-wife-turned-re-marrying-wife, "—is a fan of his books. But are you seriously telling me that this detailed intel, listing names, addresses, aliases, and even some documents stamped with Japanese government seals, came from him? A concerned writer?"
Danny was incredulous.
"How the hell does a novelist get his hands on intel more comprehensive than anything the FBI has on infiltrators?"
As he processed this revelation, Danny couldn't help but notice a strange sense of familiarity about Alexis. He finally realized why—Castle was a "girl dad," just like him. Alexis exuded the same aura of being doted upon as his own daughter, Grace. It suddenly made perfect sense why Castle would spare no expense or connection to rescue his kidnapped daughter.
Danny felt an unexpected kinship with Castle. Despite never having met him, Danny was certain they shared the same parental instincts: both would go to any lengths to protect their daughters.
Kono, meanwhile, was equally astonished by the background information on Castle.
"Wait, this guy isn't just a novelist? He's also got stakes in top defense contractors like Northrop Grumman? And he's one of the biggest backers of the incoming President? Seriously, how is this guy everywhere?" Kono said, scrolling through the dossier with disbelief.
"And these idiots," she continued, referring to the kidnappers, "thought kidnapping his daughter was a good idea? Don't they read the news? Even the CIA tried to abduct her on Long Island recently and got obliterated by his security team. Did these guys think flying her thousands of miles to Hawaii would make a difference?"
Steve chimed in with an explanation. "The CIA incident was about a software program Castle owns. Supposedly, it can use the world's network of smartphones, computers, and surveillance cameras to locate anyone almost instantly.
"This time, the Japanese agents targeted Alexis because Castle refused to sell them sensitive military technologies. They retaliated with this kidnapping attempt, hoping to pressure him.
"Castle himself will arrive tomorrow. He'll explain everything in person then. For now, let's focus on what's next: should we use this intel to dismantle the Japanese intelligence network on the islands? That's the real question."
Steve's proposal didn't require much debate. Five-0 was established to combat escalating violence and terrorism in Hawaii. While counterintelligence wasn't technically in their jurisdiction, allowing such an opportunity to slip by wasn't an option.
Moreover, the kidnapping gave Five-0 the mandate they needed—this was now their case. With Castle's comprehensive intel, including names, addresses, and detailed profiles of every operative, Steve and his team saw no reason to hold back.
The intelligence revealed the extent of the Japanese network on the islands, which was both staggering and alarming. Their presence was so deeply entrenched that, given time, they might have achieved what their predecessors in WWII could not: a covert takeover of Hawaii.
For Steve, this was personal. His grandfather had served on the USS Arizona, which was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He harbored no love for the Japanese operatives and saw this as a chance to honor his family's legacy.
Kono, despite her Japanese-sounding last name, was of native Hawaiian Polynesian descent. Her partner, Hao Cheng, was of mixed Korean and Hawaiian heritage. Together with Danny, a New Jersey native, the team unanimously decided to act once Castle arrived.
By 2:00 a.m. local time on December 24 (8:00 a.m. in New York), Castle, Beckett, Neil, Mozzie, Ramsay, and their spouses boarded a private jet at LaGuardia Airport, heading directly to Hawaii.
The stage was set for a Christmas reunion—and a reckoning on the islands.
(End of Chapter)
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