CH55
It took Javi a little over 2 hours on the basketball court blowing off steam to get down to just shooting the ball with the intention of having it go thru the hoop. How the backboard and the walls held up to the pounding they were taking was a mystery. Lanie had just watched him blow off steam. If Javi had needed her for anything she would notice.
Javi was mad at his friend. He was mad at himself. He was mad that he had put his partner in danger. He was mad he had put Kate's future in danger. Javi was just plain mad. And after two hours of working it off he knew he was the only one at fault.
Javi had let all his training he had in the military fly right out the window. He had acted on pure emotion. In all his training he knew it was the one thing that could get you killed. Training was there so you reacted on instinct because of your training, not because the enemy had gotten under your skin and had gotten you to do something stupid and open yourself up to getting killed.
Javi was done and put what was left of the basketball away and went and got a water out of the mini fridge. Then came back out onto the court and sat down with his back against the glass separating it from the pool room.
Lanie came over and sat with him. "I screwed up Chica. Really screwed up. I could have gotten us both killed. And I know better. Thought I knew better."
"He was your friend Javi. How where you suppose to know?" Lanie tries comforting.
"I should have kept my eyes open. Castle could have been right. He could have been gotten to by Bracken. If he had been there could have been more of them." Not getting any comfort out of this talk so far.
"But he wasn't. He was just someone who needed help and went about it the wrong way. Maybe your friend never really came back from that war?"
Javi thinks it over. "There are a lot of guys who couldn't make the transition back to civilian life. They were just too messed up. Up here." As Javi points to his head.
"That doesn't make it your fault Javi."
"Maybe not. But it doesn't make it right either." Taking another swig of water.
"Come on. Let's get you showered and cleaned up. There are some REAL bad guys out there you can take your frustrations out on. Let's show those hired killers just what Javier Esposito is made of."
Standing up Lanie wraps her arms around her muscle man and kisses him. Javi instantly kisses her back. And together they take a shower that takes just a little longer than usual.
Finally out of the shower and still with wet hair they make it back up to the living room. "Where's Castle?" Javi asks.
"Lucile told him that his 'Space Suits' were ready, so he left to go get them."
Castle returns about half an hour later. "Hi guys. I've got the suits." As Castle holds up a small case for all to see.
"Castle that isn't even big enough to hold one suit. What have you go in there? An I.O.U.?"
"Funny Javi funny. Perhaps you should quit your day job. Actually there are 4 suits in here."
"FOUR! …. NO WAY!" Javi is sure he is pulling something over him.
"If we get a chance to use them I'll show you." Castle tells them.
"Lucile any change in the number of people at the processing plant?"
"No change detected." Lucile confirms.
"So any ideas on how we can get them out and blow it to the moon?" Castle asks.
Javi runs down a list out loud. "No grenades. No flash/bangs. No tear gas. No sonics." He lets out a sigh.
"Bomb scare?" Jenny offers. Getting funny looks from everyone. "What? Terrorists use it all the time." Jenny states defending herself.
Ryan has a stupid idea but can't resist. "If we had a B2 bomber we could send one and blow it to pieces."
"That doesn't get them out of the building Kev." Jenny shoots him down.
"Actually that isn't such a bad idea." Lucile tells them.
"What? Steal a B2 and blow the place to pieces?" Javi thinks she just blew a fuse somewhere.
"Not a real one no." Lucile corrects.
"I'm not following Lucile." Lanie states and get nods from everyone else. Even Rick is wondering what she is thinking.
"We combine the two ideas. A bomb scare about a B2 mission that has the wrong coordinates."
"Interesting. Now how do we get a hold of a B2 bomber?" Javi asks.
"We don't." Lucile tells him.
"How can we blow it up with a B2 if we don't have one?" Javi is sure she has blown a fuse somewhere.
"The B2 is fake, but they think it is real. The bomb threat of this fake B2 will get them out of the building. And without General Reed it may take them longer to figure out it isn't really there. Long enough for them to run and you to transmat in, plant the explosives and get out." Lucile explains.
"You can make a fake B2 bomber?" Javi is now getting impressed.
"Not a real duplicate or fake B2 bomber. But the radio traffic and radar, if they have one, will show one on the way." Lucile quantifies.
"OH I get it." Jenny is catching on. "Just like Worf did on that episode of Star Trek the Next Generation. He called it 'Klingon guile'. I think." Jenny tells them.
Suddenly everyone BUT Castle is catching on. "You're GENIUS Lucile." Javi states. Taking back his previous thoughts.
"You think this will work?" Ryan asks.
"Well, they are without General Reed. So the guy there may not have the same access he does. So they are less likely to figure out it is a fake. I hope." Castle tells them.
"We are going to try this?" Javi asks.
"Anyone see any holes in this idea?" Castle asks.
"Where are the B2 bombers based?" Jim asks.
"509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air force Base in Missouri." Lucile provides.
"So we need it to look like it came from there." Jim asks.
"Partially correct. The orders for the flight need to look like they come from this base. However the bomb site only needs to know just before the strike is to take place." Lucile tells Jim.
"Ok we have how. Now we need a plan on our real strike. Lucile can you provide us a 3D of the processing plant so we can map out how we want to approach and execute our little plan." Rick asks.
"Of course Richard." And the image of Lucile is replaced with a wire frame diagram of the site.
"Can you explain to us each section of the building?" Javi asks.
"The storage of the pure product is located here in this area." And Lucile colors in a block area of the building. "It is delivered by truck through these doors here and off loaded.
The Opium processing section is down this side of the long rectangular building. The Heroin processing section is down the opposite side of the building.
Each batch is initially stored on each end of the building for each product. When this fills up it is transported to a separate building for each product before loaded onto cargo planes. Typcially C130's. On occasion a C-17 Globemaster III is utilized for longer flights."
"Can we take away their ability to use these aircraft?" Jim asks.
"None of the transport aircraft are stored here for use. They are flown in from a neighboring base. The product is then loaded and flown to a location based partly on the type or aircraft used." Lucile explains.
"So striking to destroy the planes would not bring attention to this site?" Jim wonders.
"Not likely since they are based somewhere else." Lucile tells him.
"If we come in here." As Javi points to a central section. "We can then split up into teams of two, leaving our explosives behind as we work our way down to each end. Then trans thingy out using one of the doors that exit the building.
One can plant the explosives while the other provides cover and monitors all movement on the bracers." Javi finishes.
"That will require two men in each team. Who is the fourth?" Castle asks. Knowing Kate is on the Evergreen for her tests.
All three guys look at Jim. Who suddenly looks like a deer in headlights.
"ME?" Jim does not like this idea much. "I'm not likely to be able to cover anyone let alone me. And I know nothing about explosives."
"Hold that thought. I'll be right back." And Castle heads down the stairs to his office and is back later carrying a small case.
"This is the explosives we will be using." And Castle open the case to show what looks like Quartz Crystals set in a foam container.
Castle pulls one out and holds it between a finger and his thumb. "This is the explosive you will be using. You just drop it or throw it where you want and move on."
"How do you make it explode? And what is it?" Javi asks having never seen anything like it.
"It is a manufactured crystal. You can pound it with a hammer and it will not explode. You can run over it with a car and it will not explode. But, you send out a properly coded tune and it will explode.
Think of playing a tune like from that movie 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'." Castle explains.
"So all Jim needs to do is run or walk with us and drop these things along the way?" Javi asks.
"Correct. You go with Jim and are his cover and Ryan comes with me and acts as my cover." Castle suggests.
"The combatants cover and shoot as necessary using the bracer to keep track of everyone while the non-combatants drop these things." Ryan likes it.
"And we talk to each other the entire time. Even Lucile can talk to us while she scans the area for any potential trouble." Castle adds. "Think you're up for this Jim?"
"These things won't blow up in my hand or blow too early?" Jim wants to help his daughter. But this is asking a lot of a lawyer.
"You could have a welding torch on these things and nothing bad to you will happen. And you don't have the code. So yes, it's safe. I promise." And Castle draws an X on his chest.
"I think you guys are nuts, but I'll do it." Jim tells them.
"You don't have to do this Mr. Beckett." Jenny tells him.
"I think I do. You need a 4th and I want to help my daughter. So yes, I do."
"Ok, I've got 6 of these things. Here are your three. Put them in your pocket and try and drop them evenly spaced from where we start and where we end. And these three are mine." As Castle puts his three in his pocket.
"And just in case we are going to use the suits, let's all get suited up." And Castle goes over to the case he came back with and opens it.
"Wait. The B2 is a stealth bomber right. So no one will see it coming on radar." Jim suddenly comes up with a possible problem.
Seeing everyone deflated, "How about if we just use a good old fashioned B-52 instead. Carpet bomb the site instead of smart bomb the place?" Jim suggests.
Getting smiles from everyone. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you Mr. Beckett." Javi tells him.
"Ok guys here are the suits." And Castle pulls out a belt and hands one to Javi.
"Bro what is this?" Javi doesn't believe a word.
"And this is the breather that you have to activate first before turning on the suit." Castle ignores him.
"Like this." And Castle puts the device in his mouth and puts the plugs over his nose. Then he puts on the belt and pressed the center and there is a sudden flash all over his body. "It's a little difficult to talk but if you use it often enough you get used to it." Then he re-presses the center and there is another flash. And he takes the breather off.
"That is a suit?" Javi is not yet convinced.
"Yup it'll work great. Here you each need to put one on. Just around your waist. This part slips into here and there should be an audible click and you should feel it set into place.
And I need to put this back on your wrist. Do I need to remind you to try and keep your head in the game?" Castle questions with a mono tone voice.
Javi just shakes his head. He knows he screwed up, and is determined to not let it happen again.
