After convincing Steve, the three old friends finally had some time to catch up. However, Steve was more interested in the children of his two friends, feeling both envious and jealous: "Guys, how are your kids doing?"
John, the former hitman, rarely took the initiative to speak unless it was about his little one at home. He sighed, "Steve, don't even mention it. I used to think God gave me a little angel, but in reality, I was nearly driven to death by my own little girl..."
Steve looked puzzled, while Castle burst into laughter. "Steve, that's because John's little one is the type with boundless energy. Come on, let me tell you all about how a little girl under a meter tall has been driving her parents insane..."
"Hahaha..." The two troublemakers laughed heartily, while John, who had finally found some time to chat with these shameless fools, stood behind the bar with a dark expression, drinking his whiskey. Damn it, he shouldn't have let Rick talk to Steve. Did that bastard forget that he was in the same boat when it came to his own little son at home?
Castle actually understood why Steve, a hardened man, envied him and John. Wasn't it because this guy had recently gotten involved with a beautiful woman working in naval intelligence? And by coincidence, her name was also Catherine.
After finding his mother and confirming that she was living well, the former Navy SEAL officer had finally let go of his past burdens and was ready to enter the next phase of his life. That's why, after reconnecting with Catherine—whom he had shared a brief fling with years ago—he began considering settling down.
Moreover, Steve's partner, Danny, was a textbook example of a doting father and daughter-obsessed maniac. Being around him constantly, it was only natural that Steve would start thinking about starting a family and having his own child.
But happy moments never last long. As the three were engrossed in conversation—mostly Castle eagerly recounting how John was being tormented by his daughter—Jason arrived with the FBI agent in charge of this mission, a German-American named Heinz.
Due to past conflicts between Castle and the CIA, the operation, while involving the agency, was primarily led by the FBI, an organization with fewer conflicts of interest with Castle and even a seemingly decent working relationship. After all, in the U.S., the FBI has broad authority over counterterrorism and counterintelligence.
Jason and his team had just finished coordinating the mission outside. Their purpose in coming inside was twofold: first, to reemphasize the gravity of the situation to Castle. Thanks to intelligence he had helped the FBI obtain, they now knew that the operatives India had embedded in San Francisco were preparing heavy weaponry for the incoming Tri-Nation Alliance operatives heading to Hawaii. These weapons included, but were not limited to, RPGs and two portable anti-aircraft missiles—meant to counter potential U.S. military drone surveillance or strikes when they made their move against Castle.
Additionally, there were plenty of automatic rifles and offensive grenades. Though the FBI was already tracking the Indian agents supplying these weapons and planned to take them down after the operation, the fact remained that the weapons were likely to end up in the hands of the highly trained operatives arriving in Hawaii, posing a significant threat.
The second reason for their visit was to reconnect with Steve. Rumor had it that he commanded a task force directly under the governor with considerable authority on the island. Such a local powerhouse would be incredibly useful—especially after learning about his deep personal ties with Castle. Both Jason and Heinz agreed that Steve was an asset that needed to be secured.
In reality, Heinz hadn't originally planned to meet with Castle. It was only after greeting Jason outside and realizing that the man who had just entered was the commanding officer of an elite task force in Hawaii that he reconsidered his approach.
After all, despite the seemingly large deployment of personnel from the FBI and CIA, the number of actual field operatives was only around thirty. Meanwhile, the Tri-Nation Alliance had sent at least twenty operatives, not counting the logistics and technical support personnel accompanying them to the Pacific island. If they could leverage Steve's connections and get local law enforcement involved, their odds of success would significantly improve.
Thus, after receiving approval from his superiors, Heinz decided to join Jason and meet with Castle and the former Navy SEAL major in the pavilion with the bar.
Castle had already planned to involve Steve. The reason Heinz and his team hadn't reached out to Steve or the local police beforehand boiled down to jurisdictional issues in the U.S. Law enforcement agencies at the state level and federal level often operated independently, even though a Justice Department existed in theory. In practice, the Justice Department had no authority over the Hawaii State Police, let alone the governor-sanctioned Hawaii Task Force.
Strictly speaking, neither the police nor Steve's task force derived their authority from the federal government; their power came from the Hawaii state government. It was only when they arrested criminals and turned them over to the courts or when local prosecutors filed charges that federal authorities became involved.
In short, neither Steve's task force nor the Honolulu Police Department had any formal ties to the federal government. In fact, they often clashed over jurisdictional disputes.
This was why Heinz hadn't initially considered involving the local police.
However, when Steve casually greeted Jason while being led by Castle to the pavilion, Heinz grew curious. After a quick inquiry, he was shocked to learn that this former SEAL Team 3 officer—the only officer to have served in front-line combat units—was none other than the famous commander of Hawaii's elite FIVE-O task force.
Heinz immediately sprang into action.
His decision was reinforced by the latest intelligence update: the operatives from the Tri-Nation Alliance, currently waiting to board their flights in Bangalore, were far more numerous than previously expected. The total number of personnel, including logistics and technical support, would exceed forty. This meant Heinz's team was severely outnumbered.
As the front-line commander, Heinz didn't just want to intercept the operatives attacking Castle—he aimed to capture as many as possible. If he could also apprehend their support personnel, the mission would be even more successful.
But achieving this would require substantial assistance from local law enforcement.
Just as he was struggling to find a way to approach them—knowing that requesting help directly from the Honolulu Police Department would be tricky—Steve conveniently showed up.
The best part? Before Heinz even had to ask, Castle had already persuaded Steve to mobilize the Hawaiian police and the elite FIVE-O task force to support the FBI however necessary.
Overjoyed, Heinz exchanged contact information with Steve and tactfully excused himself. He had gotten exactly what he wanted.
Since none of the Tri-Nation Alliance operatives or their support teams had arrived in Hawaii yet—and their weapons shipment from San Francisco was still three days away—Heinz saw no reason to linger. He hurried off to report to his superiors that they now had the full backing of local law enforcement.
At the same time, he also informed his colleagues and CIA counterparts: this operation was as good as locked down.
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