As for the matter of Neil hating him because his girlfriend, Kate, was frightened into hiding due to Vincent using his mole in the FBI to obtain the music box that held secrets, Vincent couldn't care less. Neil, a small-time thief currently wearing a tracker, how could he possibly compete with a billionaire like Vincent? If he doesn't want to help, then it's simple—just kidnap him, bring him to the submarine, and point a gun at his head. Vincent didn't believe that someone as smart as Neil would go against his wishes.
As for the fact that Neil is currently cooperating with the FBI and wearing an ankle monitor, that's easy to deal with too. When kidnapping him, just remove the monitor. After Neil helps him open the submarine, Vincent plans to kill him to prevent this secret from being leaked to the FBI. If the U.S. government finds out that Vincent salvaged a submarine loaded with treasures looted by the Nazis during World War II off the coast of New York, they would pursue him relentlessly. Therefore, Neil, who knows Vincent's secret, must die. Vincent only needs Neil's expertise to help him remove the explosives on the submarine and open the hatch. Once that's done, Neil will be of no further use.
In fact, after Neil disarms the explosives, he'll become a significant liability. To keep his secret, Vincent has no choice but to kill him.
The only problem now is Peter Burke, the FBI agent from the New York office's White Collar Crime Division who has been inseparable from Neil lately. This has made it a bit tricky to kidnap Neil. It's one thing to kidnap Neil, who is technically just a consultant for the FBI, but kidnapping Peter, a current federal agent, would be a completely different matter. Kidnapping Neil might cause Peter to search for him frantically, but kidnapping Peter would result in the entire FBI hunting down Vincent like a rabid dog, which would be disastrous for his plans.
After a long period of contemplation, Vincent made up his mind to capture Neil Caffrey. He needed Neil's exceptional skills to disarm the explosives and open the submarine, and he also wanted to settle the grudge between them once and for all by killing Neil after he completes the task.
He also instructed his men to be extremely careful during the kidnapping process to ensure that Peter, Neil's constant companion, is not captured as well. If Peter is taken, it would draw the FBI's attention.
Having made up his mind, Vincent Adler temporarily set aside these calculations and instructed his men to prepare to leave for the warehouse he had rented near the New York harbor, where the submarine was being kept. Vincent was determined to stay by the submarine's side and never let it out of his sight.
Unfortunately for him, Vincent was unaware that Castle had already exploited the one loophole in his plan. Last night, Castle successfully executed his plan and cleaned out the submarine's contents while Vincent had temporarily stepped away to avoid getting too excited. This decision turned out to be his biggest mistake.
Unbeknownst to Vincent, who had spent a fortune and enormous effort to salvage the submarine from the depths of the Atlantic, the treasures it contained were stolen the very night it arrived in New York. Vincent had unknowingly become a good Samaritan by doing all the hard work for others.
Castle wasn't concerned with Vincent's schemes or plans. But as soon as Vincent and his men left the estate, a chubby figure who had been closely monitoring him via drone footage immediately notified Castle. Castle, eager to escape Mozzie's art lessons, quickly joined John in the small building where the chubby figure was located.
"Uncle Rick, I just intercepted Vincent's orders to his men. It's exactly as you predicted; he plans to kidnap Neil Caffrey to help him disarm the explosives and open the submarine's hatch. From the conversation, it's clear that Vincent sees the submarine as a massive safe, and Neil might be the best safecracker in the world.
Vincent also emphasized to his men not to kidnap the FBI agent who's always with Neil. He's worried that doing so would trigger a massive FBI search. This was the gist of Vincent Adler's phone call before he left the estate."
After listening to the chubby guy's report, Castle exchanged a knowing smile with John. The situation was unfolding exactly as Castle had anticipated, giving him confidence that he could turn Vincent's kidnapping plan into a disaster for him.
Castle had already advised Neil to stick close to Peter, even if it meant finding excuses to do so. This way, Vincent would be forced into a corner and might end up kidnapping Peter as well. This would effectively clear Neil of any suspicion in the FBI's eyes.
Now that Vincent had set off for the warehouse, and according to the chubby guy, he would likely stay by his precious submarine, Castle planned to let Vincent proceed with his kidnapping plan. When Vincent eventually opens the submarine to find it empty, he won't suspect Castle and his team.
Hopefully, Mr. Vincent Adler has had his annual health check-up; we wouldn't want him having a heart attack when he discovers the empty submarine.
Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, Castle considered slipping away. With Mozzie overseeing the inventory of the artifacts and the items stored safely in Gianna's estate basement, Castle figured it might be time to head home. After all, he still had to work with his girlfriend Beckett on investigating Nick Coonan and his backer, Senator William Bracken.
With this in mind, Castle went down to the basement and entrusted Mozzie with the task of inventorying the loot. Despite Gianna's frustrated looks, Castle explained that he really had to return to New York because he had pressing matters to attend to. With that, he leisurely left Gianna's estate, leaving all the affairs behind, and headed home to sort out the evidence he had on Bracken and hand it over to Beckett, preparing for the final push against Beckett's mother's killer.
Back home, Castle took out the evidence file Neil had stolen from Montgomery's house, which Montgomery had kept to blackmail corrupt cops and William Bracken to protect Beckett. He carefully removed all the evidence incriminating Montgomery, then packed up the remaining materials. He planned to deliver them to Beckett at the precinct the next morning, presenting them as the fruits of his recent absence. With this evidence, Beckett would be able to launch a formal investigation against the corrupt cops and their backer, Senator William Bracken.
Having completed these tasks, Castle finally felt at ease. He had been exhausted by the Vincent affair for quite some time, barely even seeing his daughter. Tonight, he decided to stay home, cook a lavish dinner for Alexis, and tell her about his relationship with Beckett. Castle was certain his daughter would be supportive.
Things went just as Castle expected. When Alexis returned from school and saw her dad preparing a grand meal, and later, during dinner, when she learned about the new development in her dad's relationship with Beckett, the mature-for-her-age Alexis didn't oppose her father's new romance. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief and told him, "You finally got together with Beckett. I was starting to worry if something was wrong with you or if you were sick. Dad, you haven't dated anyone in six months!"
Tears welled up in Castle's eyes as he listened to his daughter, restrained by his system from acting out.
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