After dropping the chubby guy off at home, Castle helped him move the central control station for the drone into the chubby guy's house. Of course, it was mainly Castle doing the heavy lifting; the chubby guy was more of a hindrance than a help.
Once the central control station was properly set up in the chubby guy's workspace, and the drone was secured in the garage, Castle sat down on the messy sofa in the chubby guy's living room. He solemnly said, "Chubby, remember to keep a low profile and be cautious when using this drone. Since 9/11, Homeland Security and the military have been highly vigilant about any flying objects over Manhattan. Although this drone looks like a toy and might not attract much attention, if it flies too high, Homeland Security and the military will notice. While I'm not worried about myself, you are a different story. Understand?"
The chubby guy nodded seriously, "Don't worry, Uncle Rick, I understand the risks. I won't misuse the drone."
"I might just use it to peek at some beauties…" he thought to himself.
Castle smiled faintly, "It's fine to use it normally. Just keep its altitude low and be cautious when tracking Simon or Vincent. In a few days, I'll assemble a few more drones for you, aiming to have at least two drones available at all times. Be careful, and you'll be fine. Now, I'm heading home. You can spend time familiarizing yourself with the drone's control codes, but don't dismantle it."
With that, Castle left, paying no mind to what the chubby guy would do next.
Watching Castle drive off in the large van, the chubby guy let out a cheer, jumped off the sofa, and rushed to the garage. He filled the drone's tank with the fuel Castle had left and then quickly went back to his workspace. From the central control station, he controlled the drone to take off and explore New York's nightscape.
Castle didn't know, nor would he care, that the chubby guy was using the drone to peep around. He was driving the van back to the warehouse to park it before heading home. However, as he neared the warehouse, he noticed another car tailing him. It was evident that after he and the chubby guy set up Vincent's men in the police station, Vincent sent more people to watch him.
The two men from the morning were likely still tied up in the police station due to the planted evidence and their illegal weapons. The new tails must have been freshly assigned. Castle glanced at the rearview mirror and smirked, unfazed, as he drove into the warehouse.
Tonight, he didn't plan to stay in the warehouse. After spending two days there without a shower or change of clothes, Castle decided to go home for a good rest. He would consider making more drones tomorrow while Simon's heist plans were still in the works.
After parking the van, Castle called Bell to pick him up. He paid no attention to the new tailers sent by Vincent.
Back home, Martha and Alexis were still awake. Seeing their son/dad return after two days, they rushed over, concerned, asking where he had been.
Castle laughed off their concerns and sat down to chat with them before heading to the bathroom for a shower and then to bed.
The next few days were uneventful. Castle discreetly went to his rented warehouse, using parts ordered from Winston and Zeus to build another drone. This time, having already assembled one drone, he worked quickly, finishing in two days. He integrated the new drone with the first one, allowing the chubby guy to control both drones from a single central station.
Vincent's men stopped tailing Castle after two days, realizing he was either tinkering in the warehouse or wandering around New York. With his hands full preparing for his heist, Vincent decided to redirect his resources. Convinced Castle and Neil knew nothing about the secret in the music box, Vincent halted the surveillance.
However, Vincent didn't know he had been completely deceived by Castle and Neil. His oversight would cost him dearly.
A few days later, with two days left until the system's side mission began, Castle received a call from the chubby guy: "Uncle Rick, I saw an alert in the police reports about the stolen garbage trucks from Long Island you mentioned. Fourteen trucks were reported stolen this morning!"
Castle perked up, "Have you tracked the stolen trucks on surveillance?"
The chubby guy laughed proudly, "Of course. Since you warned me in advance, I've been watching Long Island closely with 'Peeping Tom No. 2.' The drone is currently tailing those fourteen garbage trucks. They're heading towards Hampton, probably to hide them somewhere secluded."
Castle was pleased, "Have you found Simon's hideout?"
"Absolutely. I tailed Simon a few days ago and even hacked his phone. He's been wandering around Wall Street, but I have no idea what he's up to."
Castle speculated, "He's probably scouting, calculating traffic and subway timings for the final reconnaissance before the heist. Chubby, I estimate they'll start the heist in the next couple of days. Have you identified where they'll place the bombs?"
The chubby guy laughed, "Haha, Uncle Rick, your intel is spot on. I found Simon's group stealing bomb-making materials and tracked their bomb assembly process. Simon plans to plant the first bomb in a department store on Fifth Avenue near Wall Street early on the heist day. This will divert the police's attention to the bomb. Simon will then call the police, admit to planting the bomb, and demand that John McClane handle it.
"He'll place a powerful bomb on the Wall Street subway, intending to collapse the station, allowing the garbage trucks to drive into Wall Street unimpeded. Then, Simon will claim he planted a massive bomb in one of New York's 1,446 schools, forcing the police to divert all their resources to find it. At this moment, he and his men will take over the Federal Reserve Bank, and with the help of the garbage trucks, they'll blast a tunnel from the subway to the gold vault and transfer the gold. I must admit, his plan is impressive. Diverting the NYPD's attention to the school bomb, they can act freely on Wall Street. Even I'm impressed by his strategy!"
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