Chapter 136: The Plan

Neil had been waiting impatiently inside the house. Hearing voices outside the door, he rushed over, flung it open, and stood there, eyes brimming with tears, staring at his long-missing girlfriend, Kate Morrow.

In his desperation to find her, Neil Caffrey had even risked additional prison time by escaping, but he had still missed her by a moment. Even after making a deal with the FBI and getting released, he couldn't find Kate due to his movement restrictions and Kate being coerced and deceived by Agent Fuller. It was only with Castle's help that he could locate Kate, who believed meeting Neil would put him in danger. Now, Castle had also taken the risk of confronting Fuller to bring Kate back to him.

The long-separated couple embraced each other tightly, blocking Castle and Moz from entering. Moz interrupted just as Neil and Kate were about to kiss deeply, "Hey, you two will have plenty of time to catch up. How about letting Rick and me in first?"

Neil quickly let go of Kate, turning apologetically to Castle and Moz, "Sorry, my bad. Come in, guys. I can't thank you enough for your help!"

Castle, however, shook his head and declined Neil's invitation. "Neil, you and Kate have a lot to talk about. It's getting late, and Moz and I should head back. You need to inform Kate about the current situation outlined in the folder. Moz and I also need to plan our next steps against Agent Fuller and Vincent Adler's possible retaliation.

I'll come back tomorrow around noon. We can all sit down and discuss the plan then. Although we weren't followed while bringing Kate back, it doesn't mean they don't know where you live. So stay vigilant tonight."

Castle didn't want to be a third wheel now that Neil and Kate were together. Moz, having picked up on this, nodded in agreement with Castle's suggestion.

Neil, ever perceptive, realized that his emotional reunion with Kate made Castle and Moz uncomfortable staying. He took Castle's warning seriously, nodding firmly to show he understood the gravity of the situation. After bidding them farewell, he led Kate inside.

Watching the couple's eagerness to shut the door, Castle and Moz exchanged amused glances. Moz, teasing Castle, said, "Rick, I bet Neil is rushing Kate inside not to talk about their four-year separation, but to show his feelings through actions."

Castle rolled his eyes at Moz's remark, "Let's go. I'll take you home. You know our troubles are just beginning. According to Barry Street's intel, Vincent Adler always uses others to do his dirty work, but Agent Fuller might not hesitate to resort to violence. I'm worried Fuller might lash out at Neil."

Castle's concern stemmed from knowing the plot had changed significantly due to his involvement. In the original storyline, Kate was killed in a plane explosion orchestrated by Adler, with Neil narrowly missing her due to FBI Agent Peter Burke's pursuit. Now, Castle feared that Fuller, upon discovering Kate's return to Neil, might resort to violence in his rage, especially if Castle wasn't around to help.

That's why Castle emphasized the importance of vigilance to Neil. Tomorrow, once Neil and Kate had their emotional reunion, Castle planned to suggest informing Neil's FBI partner, Peter Burke, about the situation. Burke, head of the White Collar Crime Division in New York, had formed a strong bond with Neil. Castle intended to use Adler's pursuit of Neil as bait for the FBI, hoping they would eagerly go after Adler, a major criminal they had wanted for years.

Castle believed that with the FBI's involvement, they could safely navigate this dangerous game. His main worry was ensuring Neil stayed alert tonight. By tomorrow, after Neil and Kate had their reunion, Castle would propose involving Burke to leverage the FBI's resources against Adler, while guiding Neil and Moz to uncover the secret hidden in the music box's mechanism.

Castle didn't want to waste time and effort searching for the submarine hinted at in the original series. Instead, he planned to let Adler, with his wealth and power, do the heavy lifting. Once Adler found the submarine, Castle could strike at the right moment to capture him, using the element of surprise.

Moz, sensing something more in Castle's demeanor, asked, "Rick, I noticed you seem oddly calm about facing Vincent and Fuller. Is it just my imagination?"

Castle smiled, having intended to reveal his plan anyway. "Moz, I planned to discuss this with you and Neil tomorrow, but here it is. We should tell Neil to inform his FBI partner, Peter Burke, about Adler. Once Peter knows Adler's involved, he'll do everything to catch him. This way, we get free help from the FBI without getting too deeply involved ourselves."

Moz, amazed at Castle's strategic thinking, said, "You're suggesting we use the FBI to go after Adler? That's brilliant! Do you have any other plans?"

Driving, Castle glanced at Moz, "That's the basic idea. Tonight, I want you to think it over. We need to refine the plan to ensure we stay safe while leveraging the FBI's resources. You and Neil are better at planning the details. I just come up with the ideas; you two perfect them!"

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