Facing Castle, who stood before him without the slightest effort to hide his identity, Kazuo Nakajima, seasoned intelligence officer, understood the grim reality: he was as good as dead. Castle's brazenness stemmed from the certainty that Nakajima would not live to tell the tale. This realization caused Nakajima to tremble with rage and fear. How could these American brutes be so brazen? It was Christmas Eve, yet here he was, abducted and helpless. His body, slick with sweat despite Hawaii's warm December, betrayed his despair, and tears began to flow. This world seemed to crush his small nation at every turn. When would his homeland finally rise?
Castle had no interest in Nakajima's internal struggles. He had better things to do, including a long-legged beauty waiting for him in his bedroom. Wasting time on a man destined to die served no purpose. Instead, he calmly addressed Nakajima, whose mind was in turmoil.
"Shorty, you dared to kidnap my daughter? You must have a death wish. Just today, you've lost over 20 operatives and more than 30 sleeper agents on Oahu alone. Hurts, doesn't it?
"Wondering how Steve's Hawaii Task Force got such precise intel? That was me. I handed all your details to Major Steve McGarrett. That's why your intelligence network on Oahu was wiped out so thoroughly.
"Right now, while I'm talking to you, Steve is leading operations on Maui, and the Big Island is being cleaned out as well. But you won't live to see the final outcome. My chief of security will personally toss you into one of Hawaii's many active volcanoes. Oh, and he'll record the whole thing and send it to Watanabe Taro.
"It's been a pleasure meeting you. Your death will send a clear message to those back in your homeland who think they can mess with me. Goodbye, Mr. Nakajima."
Castle, who firmly believed in not letting villains monologue themselves to death, wasted no more words. Feeling that he had vented enough of his rage, he left the safe house—located less than ten kilometers from Robin Masters' estate—to return home and spend the night with his long-legged beauty.
As for Nakajima? Ivan would take care of him soon enough, flying him to a volcano to ensure his demise. Ivan had come up with the idea himself.
According to the burly, two-meter-tall Russian, if Castle wanted to make a lasting statement, he should go all out. Since Castle couldn't appear in the footage sent to Watanabe Taro, shooting or stabbing Nakajima would lack dramatic impact. Hawaii, with its iconic volcanoes, presented the perfect alternative. Tying Nakajima up and tossing him into a volcanic crater would surely leave an impression. Given that Watanabe also hailed from a volcanic homeland, the message would hit home.
Castle had praised Ivan's dark creativity and immediately approved the plan. Using the director of Japan's Cabinet Intelligence Office in Hawaii as a "sacrificial chicken" to warn the "monkeys" back home felt immensely satisfying. How dare they kidnap his daughter?
While Castle returned to the estate for an intimate evening, Ivan grinned wickedly as he dragged the terrified Nakajima—tied up like a plump caterpillar—out of the chair. With his men's help, Ivan loaded the trembling man into a vehicle bound for the helipad prepared by their team.
Ivan's task was clear: fly Nakajima to an active volcano and drop him into the molten lava. Every step of the journey, from takeoff to the dramatic conclusion, would be recorded. This footage was Castle's carefully prepared Christmas gift for Watanabe Taro.
Meanwhile, back in Japan, the Cabinet Intelligence Office had already detected irregularities in Hawaii. The Chief Cabinet Secretary was furious, slamming his fists on his desk upon learning that decades of painstakingly constructed intelligence networks and operatives on Oahu had been obliterated overnight.
The Chief Cabinet Secretary fully understood the cause of this disaster. He had known about Taro Watanabe's request for Nakajima's assistance and the subsequent operations. But greed for Castle's cutting-edge technology had blinded them. They hadn't anticipated Castle's explosive response to his daughter's kidnapping.
Within hours of the incident, Castle had brazenly hacked into the Cabinet Intelligence Office's secure database. Despite their tech team's best efforts, they couldn't fend off his attack. He stole all personnel and network data for their Hawaiian operations and handed it over to the Hawaii Task Force. Using official resources, Castle had obliterated decades of covert Japanese efforts in Hawaii.
The Chief Cabinet Secretary was left with no choice but to order any surviving operatives to flee and fend for themselves. The damage was catastrophic.
Castle, however, couldn't care less. While the Chief Cabinet Secretary fumed, Castle was enjoying his time with his long-legged beauty. Meanwhile, Ivan and his team arrived at the mouth of one of Hawaii's famous active volcanoes with the terrified Nakajima.
Ivan, who bore a deep hatred for the Japanese, had a personal reason for suggesting such a gruesome execution. His ancestor, an officer under Admiral Kolchak, had died during the Russo-Japanese War. Ivan relished the opportunity to avenge his ancestor in such a symbolic manner.
As the helicopter hovered above the fiery crater, Ivan laughed heartily, recording Nakajima's pale, despairing face. Ignoring the muffled pleas from the gagged man, Ivan finally opened the helicopter's door and kicked Nakajima out. The camera captured the entire event, from Nakajima's terrified expression to his plunge into the molten lava below.
This footage would be delivered to Watanabe Taro later that night, once Jarvis had reviewed and edited it.
Castle hoped Watanabe would appreciate the "unique" Christmas gift.
(End of Chapter)
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