Around 5 p.m., Jo Martinez received an exceptionally detailed email from Castle. Already prepared for action, she stood in the main hall of the Joint Task Force headquarters, organizing her top strike team. Their objective was to apprehend a murder suspect from two weeks prior—a highly trained operative from Turkey.
Among those present, only Jabour fully understood what had just transpired. That morning, Castle had been briefed on the case. In less than six hours, not only had the suspect's precise location been identified, but even the layout of his apartment was mapped out in detail. Was there any doubt who had pulled the strings behind the scenes?
The intelligence Castle provided was so thorough it seemed almost supernatural. Concerned for Jo's safety during the operation, Castle had even considered offering a live video feed from his drone to the command center. However, he ultimately decided against it—revealing such capabilities in a facility staffed by personnel from agencies like the CIA and NSA could attract unwanted attention.
Castle preferred to remain hidden in the shadows. Jo wouldn't betray his trust by revealing her source. This way, Castle could stay completely out of the political aftermath. Once Jo captured the suspect, how the U.S. handled diplomatic disputes with Turkey and the U.K. was not his problem.
Castle had already notified Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors about the incident. Both Turkey and Britain, having targeted his technology, were now under scrutiny. Those companies would no doubt use their political influence to retaliate against the two countries for interfering with their interests.
Furthermore, Castle's cooperation with Jo sent a clear message to anyone else considering crossing him: don't even think about it. He was no longer an isolated target but a well-connected player with vast resources at his disposal.
The task force wasted no time. Led by Omar Zidan, the elite team swiftly raided the Turkish operative's safehouse, capturing him without incident.
It wasn't until the agent was taken to the task force's interrogation room that he realized the full extent of his predicament. He sat across from Jo Martinez, who smiled coolly as she read out his every move since his arrival in New York.
"Mr. Agent," Jo began, her tone calm and authoritative, "you should already know what's coming. Denial is pointless. We know why you came to New York. We know about the British operative you killed. We have your entire itinerary."
The Turkish operative remained silent, his face pale as Jo continued.
"You might also like to know," she added, "that MI6 is planning a massive retaliation against you and your team. By bringing you in today, we've likely saved your life. Now, think carefully. Do you want to cooperate?"
Jo knew she wasn't dealing with a common criminal. This was a hardened intelligence operative. She didn't expect him to confess immediately, but psychological pressure was a tactic she had mastered.
Unlike routine criminal investigations, Jo was under no obligation to follow standard procedures with a foreign operative. Such individuals typically faced indefinite detention in facilities like Guantanamo Bay or were used as bargaining chips in international negotiations. One way or another, the Turks wouldn't be walking away without consequences.
The Turkish agent began to crack as Jo calmly recited his movements, down to the smallest detail. He couldn't fathom how the Americans had pieced everything together, including the secretive murder of the MI6 operative. It defied his understanding of surveillance capabilities. The U.S. intelligence community, despite its vast resources, wasn't supposed to know this much.
Realizing there was no escape, the agent finally gave a full confession.
With the confession in hand, Jo immediately reported to her superior, Peter Burke, head of the FBI's New York division. Peter, already aware of the situation, was impressed by the speed and precision of Jo's operation. He also knew this success wasn't purely due to luck or skill—Castle's involvement was obvious.
Thanks to his close ties with Neal Caffrey and Mozzie, Peter understood that Castle had deep connections in both political and intelligence circles. Mozzie, now a presidential national security advisor, had likely influenced events from behind the scenes.
Peter quickly drafted a report summarizing the incident. It detailed the illegal activities of both British and Turkish intelligence operatives in New York. The report, along with the Turkish agent's confession, was sent to FBI headquarters and directly to the White House.
Meanwhile, Mozzie received his own copy of the report. Knowing Castle had prepped him with a heads-up call, Mozzie smiled. He was thrilled to see his friend finally mastering the art of leveraging power rather than personally taking risks. Castle's financial support of President Benjamin Arthur's campaign was paying off.
By that evening, the White House, with the backing of major defense contractors, initiated a full-blown public relations offensive. During a press conference, the White House spokesperson publicly condemned the United Kingdom and Turkey for sending operatives to New York to engage in criminal activities against an American citizen.
For Mozzie and President Arthur, this was a perfect opportunity. The combined influence of defense giants like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman ensured that no diplomatic niceties would be spared. The companies, motivated by their vested interests in Castle's technology, fully supported the administration's decision to publicly humiliate the two nations.
In London, M watched the live broadcast in disbelief. Her phone rang incessantly as government officials demanded explanations. Onscreen, the White House spokesperson laid everything bare: the failed British operation, the Turkish agent's assassination of an MI6 operative, and both countries' covert agendas.
M's face went pale as the full gravity of the situation sank in.
"How could those bloody Americans do this?" she muttered, almost in shock. "How dare they violate diplomatic protocol so blatantly?"
As the press conference continued, M realized the nightmare ahead. Britain was about to face severe backlash—both from the U.S. government and powerful corporate interests. There would be no easy way out of this scandal.
"This is bad," she thought grimly. "Very bad."
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