Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

Castle didn't know that his plans had been completely deciphered and explained to Beckett by Montgomery right after he left the precinct. At the moment, he was on his way to Harry's house, the chubby hacker, because he realized that apart from asking Harry to temporarily ease off on monitoring Vincent and instead keep an eye on Simon and his crew, he had no one else to help track their movements.

Fortunately, Castle was well aware of the signs of Simon and his group's actions. For example, before they made a move, they would first go to Long Island to steal fourteen garbage trucks to transport the gold bricks after blowing up the Federal Reserve's vault. So, as long as Harry paid attention to the Long Island police reports, they could accurately determine Simon's timeline. This task could only be entrusted to Harry, who stayed at home all day.

When Castle arrived at Harry's apartment, he was shocked by the overwhelming number of computer parts and packaging scattered around. It seemed Harry had indeed decided to upgrade his computer after the Brazil heist. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Harry smiled awkwardly at Castle, realizing how chaotic his apartment looked to a visitor.

Castle didn't mind the mess. He knew that aside from being a computer genius, Harry was practically helpless in everyday life. He was there to ask for Harry's help, not to critique his living conditions. Seeing Harry's embarrassed expression, Castle laughed: "Come on, Harry, no need to feel bad. I know what you're like."

As he spoke, Castle moved some of the boxes off the couch and sat down: "Has there been any unusual activity from Vincent recently?"

Harry snapped out of his embarrassment: "No, based on my surveillance of his calls and emails, Vincent is still preparing to locate the exact position of the submarine. At their current pace, I think it will take at least a month before they can head out to sea. Plus, it's almost winter, and the New York coastline isn't ideal for submarine salvage in winter. I believe they won't start their salvage operations for at least another six months."

Castle nodded in agreement. Salvaging a submarine, even one with a displacement of a few thousand tons, isn't something that can be done on a whim. With winter approaching, the Atlantic Ocean wouldn't be a forgiving place. Castle concurred with Harry's assessment that Vincent's plans would be delayed for at least six months.

This made Castle's current mission seem easier to accomplish. Since the Brazil incident, Harry had evolved from a reclusive nerd into someone eager for excitement, much like Castle himself. Castle was confident that once he explained his current mission, Harry would enthusiastically join in without much persuasion.

"Harry, I've got another good thing for you, something that'll let you witness a huge event. Want to join?"

Castle, like a mischievous uncle tempting a child with candy, coaxed the already eager Harry.

As expected, Harry's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? What is it, Uncle Rick? I have time now, I want to join!"

Harry was so eager that he didn't even ask what it was about before jumping in.

Castle chuckled: "This time it's bank robbers planting a massive bomb to threaten the police. The target is the Federal Reserve's vault in Manhattan! My information suggests that these robbers will hit the Federal Reserve on Wall Street within ten days. Before that, they'll plant a fake bomb in Manhattan to distract the police. You know, compared to the bank vault being robbed, the fake bomb is a bigger concern. The police can't risk a bomb going off in central Manhattan!

"So, this gang is likely to succeed, and our plan is to sabotage their escape after they get the gold, leaving them with nothing. What do you think?"

Harry's eyes gleamed with excitement: "Uncle Rick, what do you need me to do? I'm in!"

Pleased with Harry's enthusiasm, Castle said: "Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything dangerous. Your job is simple. First, monitor the Long Island police for reports of stolen garbage trucks. My intel indicates the robbers will use these trucks to transport the gold after blasting a tunnel into the Federal Reserve's vault and then driving the trucks through the sewers.

"So, when you see a report of stolen garbage trucks, it'll mean the robbers are about to make their move. Got it?"

Harry nodded: "What else do you need?"

Castle was satisfied with Harry's understanding and continued: "I'll send you some names later, including Simon, the mastermind of this heist. His brother tried a similar heist years ago, using a terrorist attack as a cover to rob a building in Los Angeles, but he was thwarted by NYPD officer John McClane, who threw him off a skyscraper.

"Simon will use the same tactic—fake terror attacks to distract the NYPD while he robs the Federal Reserve. I'll send you his name, and I need you to use your surveillance skills to track him down. Keep an eye on his movements, as he plans to plant a fake bomb to threaten the police, which we can use to give my partner a chance to shine."

Harry smiled knowingly: "Haha, Uncle Rick, you want Nikki Heat to stand out in this fake terror attack, right?"

Castle shamelessly admitted: "Yes, since this is happening, why not use it to benefit my partner?"

Harry nodded: "Got it, anything else?"

Castle continued: "Yes, Simon's brother was killed by Officer John McClane, and Simon will use this as an excuse to plant bombs around NYC, claiming it's for revenge. This will distract the police, giving him a chance to rob the Federal Reserve.

"So, I need you to also keep an eye on John McClane. This way, we can stay updated on the situation. Understand?"

Harry nodded: "Got it. First, monitor Long Island police reports for stolen garbage trucks. Then, find Simon's real identity and track him. Lastly, keep an eye on Officer John McClane, as Simon will use him in his plan, right?"

"Exactly. This heist could be as big as the one we saw in Brazil. Simon plans to steal around a hundred tons of gold from the Federal Reserve. Imagine how big this case will be!"

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