After making Beckett, who looked stern, and Esposito, who wore an amused expression, sit down, Castle half-jokingly began explaining to the three officers: "You've always wondered how I sometimes get information that even you don't know, right? This chubby kid passed out on the sofa is a friend of mine. He's a highly skilled hacker and a shut-in. Oh, and he has an impressive last name—Dominic."
Esposito was mildly surprised, but Ryan quickly caught on and interrupted, "Dominic? Is his name Harry Dominic? Is he related to Kevin Dominic, the world's top hacker?"
Beckett and Esposito, engrossed in Castle's explanation, glared at the astonished Ryan. Beckett snapped, "Be quiet and let Castle finish!"
Ryan, a bit embarrassed, nodded, and the three refocused on Castle.
Castle wasn't bothered by Ryan's interruption; it was part of what he intended to reveal. He continued, "Yes, he's Kevin Dominic's cousin. Maybe it's in their genes or something, but this chubby kid is also a formidable hacker and has provided me with a lot of intelligence."
Beckett, growing impatient with Castle's drawn-out explanation, cut in: "What's the deal? You didn't call me over just to tell me this kid is a hacker providing you with intel, did you?"
Seeing Beckett's impatience, Castle knew her patience was wearing thin, especially with her busy at the precinct. He got to the point: "Today's incident was first reported to me by this kid. He also provided intel on Simon and his gang. The reason he could get such secret information is because I helped him a lot. We co-developed two drones equipped with reconnaissance gear, which allowed him to track Simon's movements and plans. But tonight, these guys lying here sneaked into his house intending to kidnap him."
Beckett and her two detectives, being traditional cops, weren't very attuned to the latest technology. Beckett ignored the part about the drones and focused on the unconscious men on the floor, thinking they were Simon's accomplices. Castle had to clarify.
"Beckett, these men didn't come to retaliate because the kid provided intel on Simon. They came because they were interested in the drones we developed. These men are from General Atomics on the West Coast, and they're here for the drones."
Castle's repeated mention of the drones finally caught Beckett's attention, and she grew interested in the drones and the involvement of General Atomics.
"What's going on? Explain."
Castle sat up straight and explained, "The drones we developed are of a completely different technological path from the military ones. These guys, as I said, are from General Atomics, the company currently supplying the military with MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers. They noticed the drones during the surveillance of Simon, got interested, and tonight they came to kidnap the kid."
Castle's explanation stunned Beckett. She initially thought she was dealing with a small case of kidnapping orchestrated by some unknown assailants. She hadn't expected the culprits to be from a major military contractor supplying the US military.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Beckett understood why Castle had insisted she come over despite the precinct's chaos. If General Atomics was interested in their drones, it meant the technology had significant advantages. Now, Castle and the kid were on the radar of a powerful military contractor. Beckett was puzzled as to why General Atomics targeted the kid and ignored Castle, who admitted to co-developing the drones. Did they think Castle's role was insignificant, or were they unaware of his involvement?
Shaking off these thoughts, Beckett decided to focus on the immediate issue. She asked Castle how he managed to subdue the four unconscious men on the floor.
Castle straightforwardly picked up the tranquilizer gun he had prepared and showed it to the three officers: "This is a tranquilizer gun. I keep it in my car for self-defense. After I left the kid's house, I got his distress signal and rushed back. I encountered these guys trying to take him away. With no time to call the police, I used the tranquilizer gun to knock them out."
The three officers were incredulous. Esposito voiced his skepticism: "You? You took down four guys by yourself? Look at their gear and combat suits. They're clearly professionals. How did a writer like you manage that?"
Castle calmly replied, "I have many skills you don't know about. Would I go around bragging that my shooting instructor was once the world's top assassin?"
Beckett's eyes narrowed: "Your shooting instructor was the top assassin? Who? 'The Boogeyman' John Wick?"
"How do you know John's name?" Castle was surprised that Beckett not only knew about John Wick but also his name.
Beckett was nearly driven mad by Castle's wide network. Who would have thought this guy actually knew the infamous 'Boogeyman' John Wick and, more astonishingly, had him as a shooting instructor?
Esposito and Ryan, however, were now even more curious about Castle's connections. They knew Castle had a diverse network, but they hadn't expected him to know John Wick and have him as a shooting coach.
Castle, not wanting to delve into John's details, shrugged and said, "My shooting skills now are almost on par with John's, according to him. I have a knack for shooting, which is why I dared to take on these four guys with just a tranquilizer gun. And I won, didn't I?"
Beckett, rubbing her temples, asked, "You have a concealed carry permit from our precinct. Why not use a real gun? Don't tell me you didn't have one in your car. These guys were carrying lethal weapons."
Castle's response was practical: "Using a real gun would have caused a bloodbath. The tranquilizer gun allowed me to handle the situation quietly and effectively without unnecessary violence."
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