With all operatives and logistical personnel from the three-nation alliance in place, anticipation ran high. And, thanks to deliberate leniency on Castle's side, the Indian-arranged cargo ship—carrying a secret stash of weapons—slowly docked at the Hawaiian port.
The U.S. had executed its countermeasure flawlessly. For once, the famously leaky American intelligence community had managed to keep an operation completely under wraps. Whether it was due to the sheer number of agencies involved or some other factor, not a single leak had reached the ears of the Japanese-led alliance. Even the ever-cautious Kenichi Miura had failed to detect the elaborate trap laid before him.
This was no mere government operation—both the military and the far-reaching military-industrial complex had joined forces to ensure absolute secrecy. And with Japan, Turkey, and India all lacking solid intelligence sources within the highest echelons of American power, they had no way of knowing that they were walking straight into a meticulously crafted ambush.
Even Castle himself was somewhat surprised by how well the U.S. had contained the information. The plan had progressed to the point where the unsuspecting alliance operatives had successfully retrieved their weapons and secured an escape route.
Now, they were ready to execute their "kidnapping" of Castle, who was still lounging in Robin Masters' estate, "working" on his new novel.
Miura had initially suspected this could be a trap. But his informants—spread across local law enforcement, the military, and even the FBI—had reported nothing unusual. The external intelligence networks, feeding both him and Malatika, consistently returned normal readings. There were no signs that the target had prepared in advance.
With the weapons successfully smuggled in and distributed, the three field commanders from Japan, India, and Turkey finalized their assault schedule.
To avoid unnecessary risks, they decided to strike first thing in the morning.
Simultaneously, they instructed Suzuki Mitsuhiro in New York to initiate his own mission—sneaking into Castle's estate to steal his stored technological data.
Of course, every aspect of their planning had been meticulously monitored by Castle and his team. After five days of patient waiting, the moment had finally arrived.
Meanwhile, New York had already shifted into high alert. With both Castle and John away, only Gianna and Beckett remained at the estate, caring for the two children. Thus, increasing security measures at their residence was a natural and expected response.
Joe, along with Maggie and Omar Zidan, had completed all necessary preparations. Winston's men—who had been stationed around the estate—were discreetly withdrawn by Gianna to avoid spooking the infiltrators.
Yes, over the past few days, Beckett, Gianna, and Joe had, with the help of Little Fatty and Jarvis, fully decrypted Suzuki Mitsuhiro's plan.
While Miura launched his assault on Castle's Hawaiian estate, Suzuki Mitsuhiro and his team would infiltrate Castle's New York home via speedboat from the northern beachfront.
The infiltration team consisted of:
Suzuki Mitsuhiro (Japanese computer expert and primary data thief) Mustafa Oğlu (Turkish field agent) Ali (Indian DIA agent) "Dove" (Assassin Brotherhood defector; close-combat specialist) "Trigger" (Sniper; stationed on the speedboat for fire support)
Their mission was simple:
Mustafa Oğlu and Ali would clear the way and lead the infiltration. Dove would provide close protection for Suzuki Mitsuhiro, ensuring he successfully accessed and copied Castle's data. Trigger, from the boat, would provide covering fire in case of resistance.
The plan was timed with military precision.
Due to the five-hour time difference between Hawaii and New York, the Hawaiian assault would begin at 9 AM, aligning perfectly with 2 PM in New York—a time when, according to intelligence reports, the women and children in Castle's estate would be taking their afternoon nap.
The logic was simple: with Castle's fearsome dogs unlikely to be present at the northern beach, and with reduced security alertness during nap hours, the infiltration would be much easier.
To further neutralize the dogs, the team had prepared an ultrasonic dog deterrent device, ensuring the animals wouldn't interfere.
Unfortunately for them, every step of their supposedly flawless plan had been devised right under Castle's watchful eyes.
Gianna, Beckett, and Joe had even made minor modifications to the estate's northern gun bunkers—adjusting the firing angles and planting shrubbery to conceal the bunkers from view. This way, when Suzuki Mitsuhiro and his team landed, they wouldn't be immediately spooked by the ominous sight of defensive emplacements.
Likewise, they chose not to alert the Coast Guard or impose a security lockdown on the bay—avoiding any preemptive actions that might cause the infiltrators to abort their mission.
Instead, this time, they had drones armed with lethal capabilities. And knowing that Trigger, the sniper stationed on the boat, was a high-risk threat with no intelligence value, Gianna successfully convinced Beckett and Joe—who still held some lingering law enforcement ethics—to eliminate him outright rather than attempt a capture.
Though both Beckett and Joe instinctively preferred to take criminals alive, Gianna appealed to their maternal instincts, citing the safety of her daughter and Beckett's young son. That argument swiftly overrode any moral hesitation.
After all, their primary goal was capturing Suzuki Mitsuhiro, Mustafa Oğlu, and Ali alive to expose the involvement of Japan, Turkey, and India.
But the two assassins, Dove and Trigger, had no such value. Their presence only increased the risk of complications, making Gianna's firepower-first approach the safest option.
Castle and John, already fully aware of the plan, gave their full approval.
With everything in place, all sides moved forward with absolute confidence in their respective plans.
Thus, the world unknowingly edged toward one of the most explosive days in recent history.
—
As dawn broke over Hawaii, Castle and his six teammates were already awake.
After slipping on an ultra-thin yet highly effective bulletproof vest, Castle was only permitted to carry a single handgun for self-defense.
Since they had to sell the illusion of being caught off guard, he wasn't allowed access to his beloved heavy weaponry.
John, ever the professional, maintained his signature look: a sleek black suit and tie, despite Hawaii's tropical climate.
Castle, embracing his usual mischief, even suggested that John slick his hair back into the iconic villainous style from John Wick.
John could only shake his head at his friend's antics.
Meanwhile, Jason and the others were fully prepared—appearing relaxed on the surface but operating at peak combat readiness. Satellite feeds confirmed that the enemy was mobilizing.
The incoming twenty-man strike team was divided into five squads of four:
Two squads would approach via land. Three squads would advance from the sea.
Their goal was simple—overwhelm the "understaffed" seven-man estate defense, eliminate the "high-risk" John Wick, and extract Castle as quickly as possible before making a clean getaway.
—
Elsewhere on Oahu, other operatives from the three-nation alliance were stationed in Indian-provided safe houses, armed and awaiting their respective assignments.
Among their weapons were two portable surface-to-air missiles, provided by India.
One missile was assigned to a land-based squad, prepared to neutralize Honolulu PD helicopters or military UAVs upon detection. The second missile was with the maritime squad, ready to eliminate any unexpected airborne threats.
Castle had already relayed this intelligence to both the U.S. Air Force and Boeing.
As a result, the planned deployment of two A-10 Warthogs over Castle's estate was delayed to avoid detection by enemy spotters.
However, everything was primed. If anything went wrong, Hickam Air Force Base was on standby to scramble the heavily armed A-10s, ensuring a swift and overwhelming response against any foreign aggressors foolish enough to violate American soil.
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