Chapter 77: Ending Adam

Just like before, the short sword slid effortlessly into Adam's chest, piercing his heart with precision.

At the moment the sword pierced his heart, perhaps sensing his impending true death, Adam mustered his last bit of strength. He moved suddenly, not to stop Castle, but to sit up from the bed. His eyes fixed on Castle, and his lips moved as if trying to say something. Unfortunately, with his heart pierced, he couldn't utter a single word. Finally, a serene smile spread across his face as he closed his eyes and fell back onto the bed.

Inside, Castle felt far from calm. After all, the notion that this sword could nullify Adam's resurrection ability was derived from the plot of his previous life's TV show. In reality, he was taking a gamble. Even if it failed, Castle wasn't afraid of Adam's retaliation. But of course, avoiding further complications was preferable.

With mixed emotions, Castle pulled the sword out of Adam's chest and watched the body intensely. If the sword truly nullified Adam's resurrection, his body should not disappear and reappear in a river somewhere. All Castle needed to do was wait a few minutes to see if the body remained.

An anxious Castle waited for nearly ten minutes. Adam's body showed no signs of disappearing or any other changes. It was almost certain now that the man who had tormented Henry in the original series was finally, irrevocably dead. Castle took out his phone and called Henry.

"Henry, he's not disappearing..."

That was all Castle said before hanging up, ensuring that even if overheard, no one would understand. Henry, however, would grasp the meaning immediately: Adam was dead for good.

Next, it was time to call the cleaners.

Castle dialed the Continental Hotel's switchboard and, using the protocol John had taught him, made his request: "I need to order a one-person dinner service at XX Private Hospital, Building 17, Room 1."

"Very well, sir. We will be there within twenty minutes."

"Thank you, I'll be waiting."

With that, Castle opened the door quietly to check the surroundings. The area was deserted, helping him to relax after the tense encounter.

The cleaners from the Continental Hotel were impressively efficient. Within fifteen minutes of Castle's call, a black van pulled up silently outside Building 17.

No longer concerned about Adam, Castle calmly watched as four large men emerged, carrying brooms, mops, and large rolls of plastic sheeting. Without exchanging a word with Castle, they went about their professional cleanup.

First, they tightly wrapped Adam's body in plastic, preventing any blood from seeping out. Then, they meticulously cleaned the bed and removed all items that had come into contact with blood—sheets, blankets, everything was sealed in a large bag and taken to the van. Finally, one of the cleaners sprayed a powerful cleaning solution throughout the room, scrubbing every surface thoroughly.

In less than ten minutes, the room was spotless, devoid of any trace of the previous events. Even an FBI forensic expert wouldn't find a single clue here.

Castle stood aside, hands in his pockets, silently observing the cleaners' work with satisfaction. When the last cleaner finished, Castle handed over the pre-prepared gold coins and the transfer receipt from Dr. Jack. No words were exchanged.

The cleaner glanced at the receipt, smiled slightly, and nodded before leaving with his team in the van.

With everything done, Castle didn't linger. He got into his car and drove away.

On the way, Castle called Mozzie, who had important news regarding Neal. This time, Mozzie suggested they meet at a container yard at the New York docks instead of Brooklyn.

Castle picked up Mozzie at the port entrance, and following his directions, they navigated through the maze of containers to one in particular.

Mozzie opened the container, revealing it to be a small, secure hideout. As he opened the door, he explained, "This is one of my safehouses. Come in; we need to talk about Neal."

Castle, impressed by Mozzie's resourcefulness, followed him inside, thinking it might be a good idea to set up a few safehouses of his own. After all, he'd just killed a man tonight and wasn't the innocent novelist he once was.

Inside, Mozzie switched on the lights and closed the door before inviting Castle to sit. He poured them both a glass of whiskey and began explaining the day's events.

"Rick, you were right. Neal broke out of prison for a very compelling reason. I visited him at the FBI detention center. Can you guess why he would escape with only four months left on his sentence?"

Mozzie teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Castle, knowing the plot, smiled knowingly. "Let me guess: it's about a girl, right? Did his girlfriend decide to marry someone else, so Neal broke out to stop her?"

Mozzie laughed heartily at Castle's mix of truth and jest.

"Rick, no wonder you're such a successful writer. Your intuition and imagination are incredible. Yes, it was about his girlfriend, Kate Moreau, but not because she's getting married. She broke up with him."

Castle, his acting skills on point, feigned confusion. "Oh? So Neal couldn't accept the breakup and broke out to win her back? Is Neal a romantic?"

Mozzie, unfazed by Castle's teasing, continued seriously, "No, Rick. Neal sensed something was wrong. He broke out to find out why Kate suddenly broke up with him after waiting nearly four years. Their relationship was solid, but during her last visit, Kate's behavior was unusual, making Neal suspect she was being coerced. He thinks she broke up with him under duress and wanted to confront her in person, knowing their conversations were monitored. Even if someone was threatening Kate, she couldn't tell Neal during a monitored visit."

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter