chapter 3: ad undas
The hunters come out of the shadows
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Castle... that fuck was a loose end.
Rockton was angry. He had to take care of Castle. He couldn't leave witnesses, no matter how dangerous their reputation sounded.
Castle killed Galen. They dumped his body in the River and ditched the car in the Bronx. They'd just barely made it away from the cops.
The Captain would be pissed if Castle was left alive. Rockton had to find Castle, and fast, before the Captain discovered what had happened.
But Rockton was good at his job. He'd make sure that it'd be done. He could find people. And he could make them vanish just as well.
If there was one thing he learned from his day in the Corps, it was that he was good at killing. He liked it. Watching the blood splash around him, the cries of pain, the heat and smoke... it was heaven.
Castle was the most dangerous man in the country, according to the rumours.
He hadn't ever met the Captain. Then he would learn real fear.
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FBI Special Agent Sebastian Scott walks out of the LaGuardia Terminal and takes a cab into the city. He's to meet up with the New York office soon. It's been a long time since he was in New York.
Frank Castle... he always wanted to find him. The ultimate test. You could catch Castle, you're made for life.
If anyone could do it... it'd be him.
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By all rights, I should have left town right away. Laid low for a few weeks, then gone after the fucks responsible. My gut tells me that the police won't be able to find them.
Them. The buyers. Something seemed familiar about them. The way they moved, their speed, tactics.
It nagged at him. They'd taken the wounded man with them, even though he was probably dead within minutes. I had seen his jugular erupt in a geyser of blood. Other than the pool of blood and some spent shell casings, there was no evidence of them.
I had taken some of the brass with me. Didn't help though, not a single finger print on them.
They were sharp.
The cops were in an uproar. The DA's office was working in overdrive, building up their case. The mayor's office was screaming touger crime penalties and increased task force out for my blood. Cops were agreeing. In one fell swoop, I had the entire city of New York against me.
This was bad.
Several "witnesses" had come forward and placed me at the scene. Funny, considering I'd scouted the entire place before I set up. I always make sure there are no innocents around.
So definitely, there was something wrong here. Worst-case scenario, these fucks knew people high up.
The entire city is baying for my blood. When their beloved neighborhood vigilante murders a cop, they don't take it sitting down.
Of course, I didn't kill him.
Finding the buyers takes precedence over anything else.
I wonder if I should put in a call to Blackfield. Tell him my side of the story.
May as well. Got nothing else to lose.
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The entire FBI Field Office was in a frenzy by the time Scott reached there. He met up with his liason, Agent Richards. Richards was an emaciated, sweaty wreck of a man. Scott was there for 30 seconds before a secretary came up and told him that the press conference was underway. Scott headed outside where the DA, Jack Thompson, was already shouting with bravado into the mass of reporters.
"This has gone on long enough! There are dozens of bodies, all because of this murderous and psychotic "vigilante"! We will bring him in. The New York Police Department is working with the FBI and Homeland Security and we are using every resource at our disposal to bring this murderer in!"
Scott and Richards walked to the podium and stood behind Thompson. Thompson finished his tirade and gave the floor to Scott.
I'm on, he thought to himself.
"Thank you for joining us here today. I am FBI Special Agent Sebastian Scott. The Bureau is working with the NYPD and Homeland Security to bring Frank Castle AKA The Punisher in. We will have him face justice for his crimes. This has gone on long enough. Castle has finally snapped and murdered an officer of the law. It's time to end it. Now then..."
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I shut off the TV. I'm worried about the Fed that was just on the TV. I like to think of myself as an excellent judge of character. When you spend as much time as I do with the scum of humanity, it becomes a kind of sixth sense. This Scott... he's a smart one. Based on the press conference, he seems calm and collected. It's his eyes that give him away though.
I see a sort of excitement in them. He's gonna relish hunting me down.
Well then...
I thought to myself, what my next move should be.
Hmm...
Maybe I can use this guy to my advantage.