Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

Now, filled with resentment and nowhere to vent, Simon was acutely aware of his life's end approaching. He knew he was doomed. Even if he could speak, John McClane, who stood before him, wouldn't heed his pleas for help. Moreover, he couldn't make a sound. If Simon had another chance, he swore he would never provoke the mad dog John McClane. But it was too late for regrets. Although Simon knew that a large contingent of New York police had arrived nearby, he had no chance of surviving.

Watching four helicopters frantically head towards the location where John McClane and Simon were situated, Castle, who had come downstairs and stood by the truck, gave a small, chubby man controlling a surveillance drone a gold brick as a gift. Smiling, Castle quietly disappeared from the scene where he had unleashed carnage, personally killing at least twenty-five people.

He wasn't worried about John exposing him because they had agreed earlier that John wouldn't reveal Castle's sniping assistance. Although he knew John would face relentless interrogation from the FBI and CIA, Castle believed the NYPD wouldn't just stand by and let these federal agencies bully John, who had once again restored the NYPD's honor. Therefore, Castle was confident he wouldn't be exposed to the FBI and CIA.

Of course, as the investigation deepened, his involvement in the incident would inevitably come to light. For example, Captain Montgomery of the 12th Precinct, who first received news of the attack, and Beckett, who arrived at the scene right after the explosion at the department store on Fifth Avenue, would face rigorous scrutiny. However, Castle wasn't worried at all. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? Without his intelligence, how could the NYPD have quelled the situation so quickly? Additionally, with his close ties to the NYPD and his personal relationship with the Police Commissioner, Castle was certain he would be fine.

Even though he had taken three gold bricks from the truck, and an additional one as a gift for the chubby man, totaling fifty kilograms, this loss was acceptable to the Federal Reserve compared to the hundred tons of gold bricks. So, Castle left the scene at ease, leaving the cleanup to John McClane. This was initially John's suggestion when Castle advised him against rash actions and John insisted on killing Simon. Castle not only agreed but also risked using a sniper rifle to support John, making John very grateful. Consequently, John decided to handle the aftermath, including facing the furious interrogations from the CIA. With so many ESU officers on the scene, John doubted the FBI or CIA would dare to do anything to him.

By this time, the four helicopters had begun to descend, and Simon had reached the end of his life. The last thing Simon saw was two men jumping off a helicopter marked 'CIA', shouting something and running towards him. Then, Simon fell into eternal darkness, taking his last breath.

"Damn... why didn't you call for backup earlier? Why did you shoot him directly? Don't you know we had many questions for this man?" The CIA supervisor stationed in New York was furious upon seeing the scene. John McClane looked battered but had no fatal wounds, whereas Simon, who the CIA hoped to capture for interrogation, lay dead like a broken rag doll, with an entire right arm missing. Clearly, Simon bled out from the missing arm and died in front of John, something the CIA couldn't accept.

The CIA agents yelled at the unflappable John McClane, venting their frustration, while the NYPD ESU team looked at John with admiration. Before they arrived, they were briefed that there were at least thirty well-trained, heavily armed robbers. Yet, upon arrival, they found a battlefield.

Strangely, most of the robbers, including their leader, hadn't been killed by John's small handgun. The experienced ESU team quickly deduced that most robbers had been taken down by a sniper rifle, leaving them puzzled. Did John first use a sniper rifle to kill most of the robbers before finishing off the rest with his handgun?

As NYPD colleagues, the ESU team had questions but refrained from asking in front of the FBI and CIA. However, the FBI agent in charge, who had planned to compete with the NYPD for credit, directly confronted John amidst the CIA supervisor's tirade: "Officer John McClane, why are most fatal wounds on the robbers caused by sniper bullets? Do you have help?"

The CIA, realizing the implication, couldn't remain silent. "What? These robbers weren't killed by this officer but by a sniper? Don't you know we needed Simon and his explosives expert, Ferris Tago, alive? Who's messing with us?"

The CIA supervisor, knowing their target Simon was now a corpse, unleashed his anger: "Kid, do you know you're in trouble? I suggest you quickly recount the entire incident, or I'll have you detained for endangering national security..."

John McClane, a seasoned veteran, didn't care about the CIA supervisor's threats. Leisurely smoking a cigarette, he replied to the black-suited CIA agent and the combat-attired FBI agent: "I have nothing to say to you. If you want to know what happened, wait until I write a report for my superior, Walter. Then, you can ask him if he'll share my report..."

The FBI agent hadn't spoken yet when the CIA agent erupted: "Damn it, don't you know we needed Simon and his bomb expert alive for critical intelligence? Your direct actions ruined our efforts..."

John, mocking the CIA agent, retorted: "Oh? You were tracking Simon and his bomb expert before today? Then why didn't you inform the NYPD and FBI earlier? You know the CIA has no jurisdiction to operate on U.S. soil. Or were you planning another 9/11 by letting these guys wreak havoc in New York?"

John's sharp words cornered the CIA agent, while the nearby FBI agent glared at him. Seeing the tide turn, John seized the moment: "So, you say you didn't know Simon would attack New York, yet you demanded I spare him. Does that mean Simon was a CIA asset?"

Caught off guard, the CIA agent stammered, "Damn it... we didn't know they'd attack New York. We had other intelligence to extract from Simon. This is top-secret, and you have no clearance..."

Everyone looked at the CIA agent as if he were a fool. John, seizing the upper hand, continued to press: "So, if you didn't know Simon would attack New York, why did you scream for me to spare him? Was Simon working for you?"

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