The Japanese were cunning and devious, full of schemes and tricks. However, they weren't complete idiots. In fact, they had sharp instincts when it came to strategic opportunities. This time, they had keenly noticed a perfect "hidden in plain sight" moment.
Upon learning that Castle had strangely stepped out of his comfort zone—leaving behind his usual Russian bodyguards and traveling with only John and their families—the Japanese immediately dispatched operatives to Sri Lanka. Their plan was to strike while he was in Asia, far from U.S. soil, and capture him in a surprise attack.
But no matter how much they calculated and plotted, the Japanese had failed to anticipate one key factor—Castle's sheer laziness.
After being tipped off by his stocky friend about the massive wave of reporters heading his way, Castle—who normally enjoyed dealing with the press—suddenly decided he couldn't be bothered. Without hesitation, he grabbed his wife, kid, and friends and boarded his private jet, which had been waiting at Colombo International Airport.
Before the journalists or the Japanese agents could even reach the Sri Lankan capital, he was already airborne—heading straight back to New York.
This absolutely infuriated the Japanese.
They had just gathered their team and were about to board their flight to Sri Lanka when they got the news:
Castle had already left.
Some of the more hot-headed officials even suggested taking advantage of his flight over the Pacific to ensure he "disappeared" permanently.
But who could have expected this?
The moment Castle's plane left Sri Lankan airspace, it was immediately met by fighter jets from a U.S. military base, providing full escort.
And that wasn't even the craziest part.
This escort wasn't just a one-time deal from Diego Garcia's base.
Once those fighters reached their range limit and turned back, a new set of jets from the U.S. airbase in Japan took over.
Then, when he entered the Pacific, planes from Guam picked up the escort.
Finally, once he reached Hawaii, U.S. Air Force jets stationed there took over and accompanied him all the way back to the mainland, where yet another set of fighters from the West Coast ensured his safe arrival.
The Japanese could only watch in stunned silence.
Castle had been under continuous U.S. military protection from the moment he left Sri Lanka until he landed in New York.
Any thoughts of taking him out mid-air? Gone.
What they didn't realize was that this entire operation had been personally arranged by General Peterson out of sheer gratitude for Castle making him very rich. The general had taken it upon himself to organize this absurdly over-the-top "training exercise" that just so happened to provide full protection for their "VIP investor."
So, once again, Castle unknowingly dodged a major assassination attempt.
Of course, even if the Japanese had managed to catch him, he wasn't afraid.
But with a newborn in his arms, avoiding these maniacs altogether was obviously the better outcome.
It wasn't until he landed at MacArthur Airport in Long Island that Castle finally heard the full story from his stocky friend.
Learning that he had once again narrowly escaped another Japanese plot, his vacation mood instantly soured, and his temper flared.
Meanwhile, while he was en route back home, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Moz, officially proposed military intervention against Turkey at the United Nations.
The justification?
To "rescue" the oppressed Workers' Party armed forces and support Greece, which had long suffered from Turkey's territorial aggression in the Aegean Sea.
Of course, every representative at the UN knew what was really going on.
The U.S. had been eyeing Turkey's strategic location for ages. Now, they finally had the perfect excuse to move in.
The tricky part was that this time, nobody could really defend Turkey.
After all, Turkey started this mess.
Even though everyone knew the U.S. had ulterior motives, the evidence presented was solid.
There was no way to spin it.
Turkey wasn't just caught sending operatives once—they had done it twice.
The first time, they had killed British agents in New York, leading to U.S. and British retaliation.
But at least back then, the U.S. and Britain had only provided funding and weapons to Greece and the Workers' Party.
Then, the Ottoman descendants decided to be even bolder.
They openly declared their withdrawal from NATO.
And if that wasn't enough, they teamed up with India and Japan and tried to kidnap Castle again.
That was it.
Now, the U.S. wasn't just supporting Turkey's enemies—they were going in themselves.
And the worst part?
Turkey wasn't even the only guilty party.
The UN representatives all knew that India and Japan had also been involved in the attempted kidnapping.
But the U.S. wasn't calling them out.
Why?
Because Japan was America's loyal lapdog. The U.S. could deal with them whenever they wanted.
As for India, they were America's "democratic ally." Publicly humiliating them would just be an embarrassment for Washington. At most, India would get a slap on the wrist.
That left only Turkey.
A country that was neither too big nor too small, already on bad terms with the U.S., and perfect for Washington's revenge.
And everyone at the UN knew it.
Turkey's geography made it an invaluable strategic asset.
Not only did it sit at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, but it also shared a border with Iran—one of America's biggest enemies.
If the U.S. could take control of Turkey, they could station military bases there and place direct pressure on Iran.
It was the perfect strategic move.
But no one could stop it.
Because Turkey had brought this on itself.
And to make matters worse, Britain—America's usual partner in crime—was enthusiastically cheering them on.
Greece, tired of being bullied by Turkey, was also fully on board.
So, on the second day after Castle returned to New York, Moz officially pushed through a U.N. resolution approving U.S. military action against Turkey.
For Moz—who had once been a petty street scammer in Detroit—this was probably the biggest moment of his life.
But Castle?
He couldn't care less about geopolitical maneuvering.
He had bigger problems.
Like the horde of reporters swarming outside his estate.
And his agent, Paula, plus his ex-wife, Gina, both calling him non-stop.
Why?
Because thanks to all this media attention, his old books—many of which had been underperforming—were now selling like crazy.
These two money-hungry women wanted him to do some carefully selected interviews to further capitalize on the hype.
Castle felt like tearing his hair out.
And if that wasn't enough, his other ex, Meredith—Alexis' mother—had started making the rounds in Los Angeles, doing interviews with every journalist who couldn't get to Castle himself.
Reporters, desperate for anything related to him, were trying to squeeze gossip out of her.
That's right.
Even though Castle had just caused a war, most Americans weren't actually interested in the politics.
Thanks to the U.S. government and the media moguls working behind the scenes, the public's attention had been redirected to something else:
Castle's love life.
Who cared about his scientific achievements?
Who gave a damn about his cutting-edge military technology?
The average American didn't care about any of that.
They were far more interested in Castle's past relationships, his baby with Beckett, and what juicy details his crazy ex-wife might spill.
After all, the number of people who genuinely cared about global politics was minuscule compared to those who loved celebrity gossip.
Even Castle had to admit—if he weren't the one being gossiped about, he'd probably be enjoying the drama himself.
But this time?
He was the one being gossiped about.
And it was pissing him off.
Watching the media circus unfold, he realized something horrible.
He had become the entertainment.
The spectator had become the spectacle.
The audience had turned him into the main event.
And that was not a position he enjoyed.
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