Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

Castle glanced at the surveillance footage showing the two sneaky individuals approaching his warehouse, then refocused on his work. He knew these guys just wanted to figure out why he had spent the entire previous night in the warehouse and weren't there to assassinate him like Larson had been. Confident in his safety, Castle ignored them and concentrated fully on replicating the drone control code.

Outside, Vincent's operatives cautiously approached the warehouse, preparing to infiltrate through a side window. After some probing, they confirmed Castle was inside, intently typing away at a computer. Believing he hadn't noticed them, one kept watch outside while the other carefully pried open the window and slipped inside while Castle's back was turned.

The intruder, though daring, wasn't reckless enough to peek over Castle's shoulder. Instead, influenced by Castle's identity as a successful author, he assumed Castle was writing a novel. This preconceived notion fell right into the trap Castle had set. Hearing tales of eccentric writers, the intruder reasoned that Castle might have a peculiar habit of writing in such an environment. This would also explain why they found nothing unusual in the warehouse during their earlier search—Castle was simply writing, not storing anything else there.

Castle's deceptive ploy succeeded. His habit of storing completed and incomplete items in his personal space had effectively misled Vincent's operatives. Seeing Castle typing furiously on a computer fit their expectations of a quirky author engrossed in his craft. They concluded Castle was in the warehouse to write a novel, and this assumption would lead Vincent to a misjudgment.

Now that Castle's goal was achieved, he continued focusing on his drone control code, confident the infiltrator was falling for his ruse. After fifteen minutes of observing Castle typing away, the intruder, satisfied he had discovered the truth, decided to leave before risking detection.

Unbeknownst to him, Castle had been aware of his every move through hidden cameras. Watching the operative sneak out, Castle smirked and resumed his work without concern. Outside, the intruder reported to his partner, "I finally figured out what that writer is up to. He's writing a novel in that strange environment."

His partner was surprised. "Really? He's writing a novel?"

"Yes, I watched him for at least fifteen minutes. He was constantly typing on his computer. Given his identity as a bestselling author, it makes sense. Maybe he has some quirky writing habit, like immersing himself in the setting of his novel."

His partner nodded in understanding. "That explains why we found nothing else in the warehouse last night. He was just there to work on his novel."

The infiltrator confirmed his partner's speculation. "So, should we report this to the boss?"

"Of course, the boss is waiting for our report. Now that we know what he's up to, let's inform him immediately."

Vincent Adler could hardly believe it when his operatives reported Castle was busy writing a novel. Did Castle really not know the music box he gave Vincent as a peace offering contained a monumental secret? If Castle knew, how could he be so composed as to write a novel?

Vincent's operatives monitoring Neal Caffrey also reported no unusual activity. Neal was diligently investigating white-collar crimes with his FBI partner Peter. Could it be Vincent was overthinking things, and neither Castle nor Neal knew the secrets of the music box and the submarine?

Despite his operatives' reports, Vincent, a seasoned schemer, wasn't easily convinced. He decided not to recall his teams, opting to maintain surveillance on Castle and Neal during this critical phase of his plan.

Castle didn't care what Vincent thought. He had already assigned the chubby guy to monitor Vincent's group, using himself as a decoy to divert Vincent's attention. No matter how much Vincent focused on him, it would be fruitless and would only distract Vincent, giving the chubby guy an opportunity.

Currently, Castle was engrossed in coding the drone control system. Once finished, he planned to test it with the chubby guy. A successful test would enable him to confront Simon, the so-called terrorist who was actually just a robber.

Simon had no idea his meticulously planned heist was being scrutinized by someone who knew every detail. Castle planned to use Simon as a pawn to impress Beckett. When Simon's fake bombs at Chester A. Arthur International School were easily defused by Beckett's team, Castle relished the thought of Simon's shocked expression.

Castle hoped Simon could handle the disappointment without losing his nerve. As he typed away, he mischievously anticipated the unfolding drama.

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