"Boss, do you really think that writer will listen to us, stay put, and cooperate with our mission?"
Inside the second-floor guest rooms of Castle's mansion, where he had personally arranged accommodations for the DG team, Jason was busy organizing his gear and weapons. Though each team member had been given their own room, all four had gathered in Jason's to discuss this rather unusual mission.
After all, when had B-Team ever been assigned a mission where they stayed inside the target's home?
And to make things even stranger, they had to wait for the target to coordinate with higher-ups before their mission could even begin. This meant that, despite being deployed on short notice by Special Operations Command, B-Team now had to stay at Castle's estate because even Castle himself wasn't sure when the mission would start.
Castle wasn't too happy about it either. He wanted things to move faster. The enemy forces—agents from Turkey, India, and Japan—were already in position, ready to make their move. But the U.S. government, wanting absolute certainty, was still making last-minute preparations in Oahu, Hawaii, and needed just a little more time to finish setting everything up.
This led to the awkward situation where the DG team had arrived, but they had to wait an extra day before heading out. So now, these elite operatives, fresh from their last mission near Beach City, just outside New York, found themselves spending the night at their target's home.
As he continued checking his gear, Jason responded to Sonny's question: "I think the writer is pretty easy to work with. The one you need to watch out for is his friend, John."
"Why?" Ray, the team's second-in-command, asked immediately.
"Because that guy is clearly skilled. But the more skilled a person is, the more they operate by their own rules. He might not fit into our formation, which could create unforeseen gaps in our protection if we get attacked. That's a serious risk."
Jason's concern was valid. As he pointed out, John was undoubtedly agile and an excellent marksman, but compared to the perfectly synchronized DG team, he wasn't on the same level. If John acted on instinct and started fighting back in his own way, it could disrupt the DG team's formations, leading to unpredictable complications.
So, while they still had time tonight, Jason made sure his men understood that if a battle broke out, they not only had to focus on the enemy but also ensure that John didn't accidentally move into their line of fire, causing unnecessary complications.
Hearing Jason's reasoning, the others nodded in agreement. They were top-tier U.S. military operators—among the mere hundred or so elite "Tier 1" combatants in the entire U.S. armed forces. They trained and fought as a tightly coordinated unit, so of course, they saw things that way.
At the same time, Castle was having a conversation of his own with John about the DG team.
Until now, John hadn't realized just how many divisions existed within the U.S. Navy SEALs—SEAL Team 3, SEAL Team 5, SEAL Team 6… and that former SEAL Team 6 members were now classified as "Tier 1 Operators"?
If Castle hadn't just given him a crash course, John wouldn't have believed it. Even at his peak, if he had been targeted by one of these highly trained, well-equipped teams, he would have had a hard time surviving.
It didn't matter if the fight was in the wild or inside a building—these elite soldiers, rare even within the U.S. military, were not to be trifled with.
"Rick, these SEALs are here just to protect us and capture the agents targeting you? That's it?"
John frowned slightly. "Earlier, in the supercomputer lab, you openly showed them just how powerful your private satellite is. Aren't you worried that they'll report it, and the military will come after your technology again?"
Castle nearly laughed out loud.
John was starting to sound more and more like him.
"Haha, buddy, did you forget about my contracts with Lockheed Martin, Hughes, and NASA?"
"The U.S. military and research institutions are already in the loop. Even if the government wants my tech, they won't come directly to me. Do you really think Lockheed and Hughes wouldn't notify the military the moment they got my satellite technology? The military is their biggest client, after all."
Meanwhile, Jason and his team continued discussing Castle and John.
Despite being seasoned veterans—soldiers in their forties with over a decade or two of military experience—they had never encountered a mission quite like this.
"Boss, was that John Wick guy really the world's number one assassin?"
Sonny, the loudmouth of the group, sprawled comfortably on Jason's couch, sipping from a bottle of Budweiser—DG Team's favorite beer—as he asked the question.
"He didn't seem that special, aside from being good-looking and kind of cold."
The other three were equally curious.
Before deployment, they had received a briefing from their intelligence officer, Mandy—an external asset from the CIA. They had learned the basic details of their mission, but two things had surprised them:
Richard Castle, a famous writer, was also a highly skilled tech developer. Castle had a retired "world's number one assassin" as his personal friend and bodyguard.
For soldiers who had spent most of their lives in military bases, this was downright bizarre.
Three of the five men were actually fans of Castle's books. The other two, Jason included, hadn't read them, but their wives and kids were fans. So, many of them had come on this mission with a bit of excitement—after all, it was a chance to meet a famous author.
But now they had learned that Castle was also combat-capable? And that he had a legendary assassin by his side? Their curiosity was through the roof.
And after Jason had a private conversation with Castle earlier, they were even more curious—what exactly had their boss discussed with the writer?
Yes, before assigning the DG team to their rooms, Castle had pulled Jason aside for a one-on-one talk.
It wasn't a secret meeting, just a simple discussion about his own combat skills and John's abilities. Castle knew that his plan to lure the enemy into a trap carried some risk. If the SEALs overprotected him, making him too difficult a target, their enemies might not take the bait. So, he wanted Jason to understand that he could defend himself—enough for the SEALs to focus on capturing their enemies alive.
Castle also had another, more personal reason for speaking with Jason.
Now that he knew Jason existed in this world, he wanted to establish a good relationship with him. If something ever came up in the future, having Jason as an ally could be useful.
More importantly, Castle was well aware of Jason's personal life.
Jason's wife had been urging him to retire for years. Their relationship had grown tense because of it. She wasn't against him—she just feared that one day, he'd go on a mission and come back in a flag-draped coffin.
Castle saw an opportunity here.
If Jason ever decided to leave the DG team, Castle had a private security firm ready to offer him a job. And since Castle already had a strong connection with Seeley Booth, recruiting Jason wouldn't be impossible.
And why did Castle want Jason on his side?
Come on—what's the value of a Tier 1 U.S. military operator?
Even if Jason never saw combat again, just having him as a consultant would be invaluable.
Castle wasn't interested in ruling the world, but the world wasn't exactly safe.
And with the inevitable "London Has Fallen" event looming on the horizon, having Jason and his team around could be a major advantage—not just for Castle, but for U.S. President Benjamin Asher, who was destined to be kidnapped by Amir Barkawi.
Speaking of which…
In the original "London Has Fallen," the U.S. National Security Advisor died when Marine One was shot down.
But in this version of events, Castle's friend Moz was in that position.
Castle suddenly realized—had his meddling changed things?
Would Moz be in danger now?
Meanwhile, Jason was also deep in thought.
There was something strange about Castle.
For some reason…
It felt like the writer knew him really well.
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