Castle drove his car alone in the front, while Henry and Abel followed him at a distance. Even though the surveillance camera installed in Adam's office showed Adam was currently working in his office at the Seventh Psychiatric Hospital, Castle, being cautious, decided to have Henry and Abel wander around the city until he successfully subdued Adam. Only then would they come to his aid.
Castle's plan was straightforward and brutal. He was armed with a powerful tranquilizer gun and a Taser. He didn't believe that Adam, no matter how formidable, could withstand a 100,000-volt electric shock. Follow that with a potent tranquilizer dart, and Adam would definitely be subdued quickly.
As the saying goes, there's nothing a bullet can't solve. If one doesn't work, use two!
Castle was grateful to the system for giving him John's firearm skills and to John for maxing out his dual-wielding abilities. This way, he could easily hold and fire guns with both hands simultaneously, leaving Adam no time to react.
As Castle mentally refined his plan, he drove to the Seventh Psychiatric Hospital in New York.
According to the plan, he had scheduled an appointment with Adam for that morning while at Abel's shop. After parking, Castle checked his two specialized guns one last time to ensure they were in perfect condition. Satisfied, he stored the guns in his portable space, opened the car door, and headed to the front desk.
He informed the receptionist about his appointment with Dr. Adam. After confirming it with Adam, Castle casually walked up to the second floor, where Adam's office was located.
The hallway was nearly empty, but Castle politely knocked on the door. It wasn't time to reveal his intentions yet; after all, he wasn't some violent kidnapper, just an unconventional writer.
Just as Castle's thoughts began to wander, the door opened.
Adam, appearing genteel and scholarly, seemed nothing like a callous life-neglector. His disregard for life extended not only to others but also to himself.
Adam, looking slightly shy, smiled upon seeing Castle. "You must be Richard Castle, the bestselling author? Come in!"
Adam gestured for Castle to enter and closed the door behind him. At the Seventh Psychiatric Hospital, Adam's cover identity was a psychologist, and Castle's appointment was for a psychological consultation. Therefore, in adherence to confidentiality protocols, they were alone in the office.
"When I saw the appointment under your name this morning, I was curious about what psychological issues a bestselling author might have. I thought it might be a namesake, but it's really you!"
Living for over two thousand years, Adam had mastered the art of blending in. From the moment Castle entered, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of camaraderie emanating from Adam, making it easy to relax.
Perhaps this was why Adam chose to disguise himself as a psychologist. His extraordinary affinity, coupled with his extensive knowledge, allowed him to quickly resonate with patients. Realizing this, Castle immediately heightened his vigilance.
Adam, assuming Castle was just a patient seeking psychological help, sat unguardedly on one of the two sofas and encouraged Castle to relax and take a seat. As he looked up, he saw Castle suddenly produce a Taser from nowhere in one hand and a tranquilizer gun in the other, both aimed at him.
"You…"
Before the astonished Adam could react, Castle pulled the Taser's trigger without hesitation. Two yellow projectiles flew out, connected by high-voltage wires, and struck Adam's unprotected chest. The 100,000-volt shock made Adam convulse violently, rendering him speechless and collapsing onto the sofa.
Castle didn't lower his guard after this successful strike. He first turned off the Taser, stopping the electric output, then fired two potent tranquilizer darts into Adam's chest.
Still somewhat conscious after the shock, Adam weakly glanced at the darts in his chest. He tried to speak but couldn't resist the powerful tranquilizer mixed by Henry. Finally, he succumbed to deep anesthesia.
Castle smiled triumphantly. He then retrieved a large suitcase from his portable space, handcuffed the small, unconscious Adam, and began stuffing him into the suitcase. He called Abraham: "Abe, hurry and drive to the Seventh Psychiatric Hospital. I've subdued Adam. Bring the car to his office window; I'll hand him down to you in the suitcase!"
Yes, Castle's plan was to use Adam's unfamiliarity with him to catch him off guard, subdue him with the Taser and tranquilizer, then smuggle him out in a suitcase. This required the cooperation of Henry and Abel, who were waiting outside. Castle couldn't just stroll out of the hospital with a suitcase in front of everyone.
"You've subdued Adam? Great, we'll be there in five minutes tops!"
It was Henry, not Abraham, who answered, anxiously awaiting Castle's call.
"Make sure to park right under Adam's office window!"
Castle hung up after the reminder. He needed to not only handcuff and pack Adam into the suitcase but also search his office for any documents or notes that might reveal Henry's identity, leaving no loose ends.
After a thorough search, finding nothing that could threaten Henry, and retrieving the surveillance camera he installed yesterday, Castle turned on Adam's office computer. His final task was to erase all traces of his presence. He hacked into the hospital's server to delete his appointment records and surveillance footage from yesterday and today. This way, only the receptionist would know Castle was the last person to see Adam before his disappearance. But with his hacker skills erasing the appointment records and surveillance footage, her testimony would hardly pose a threat.
Besides, Castle didn't believe Adam's disappearance would be noticed quickly. According to Adam's schedule on his computer, he was supposed to leave the city later today. This made Castle's simple and brutal plan feasible.
Even if Adam's disappearance was discovered, it wouldn't be a big deal. In America, disappearances were too common to warrant extensive police resources unless there were blood or bodies involved. For Castle and Henry, who were undercover in the police force, the chances of suspicion falling on them were slim.
Just as Castle finished cleaning up, his phone rang: "Rick, we're here, right outside the window!"
Peeking out, Castle grinned. Henry, always mindful of his appearance, was dressed in work clothes and a hat, trying to blend in.
"Henry, catch this…"
Castle lifted the suitcase containing the unconscious Adam and handed it down to the two men below through the window.
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