✔ᵉⁿᵍˡⁱˢʰ War Dogs [The Punisher | Frank Castle]✔

─⌖❖ 22

As Page was able to discover, it did not remain with just one resurrection. A second one had been added. Living Dead Month.

A former NSA hacker and analyst, David Lieberman, had died last year, which was a lie. Surprise, the man had merely faked his death and gone into hiding because he had information that put his family in danger. On top of that, the man was known by the pseudonym Micro and belonged to the group 'Rising Tide'.

Since when had dying become the trend and the solution to all problems? Running away doesn't change anything.

"Castle," with an index and middle finger, Page waved the man towards him at the edge, taking him far away from Madani and folding his arms in front of his chest, "So, what are you up to? And no, I'm not talking about the plan where Madani gives you and your hacker friend up for grabs, but the one that's been floating around in the back of your head."

"There is no second plan," Castle said, shaking his head dismissively, glancing sideways for a moment as he did so, "Where do you come up with this bullshit?"

"Don't know either, maybe because I know your file and it says that orders and you don't always go together, especially when you think you know a better plan," this attitude may have saved a life or two in the past, like Castle's former superior whom he had recently killed, but Page knew it could also cost lives quickly, "Yeah, I'm blonde. Sorry I don't live up to the stereotype and don't buy this 'I follow Madani's rules' tour. Who said anything about trusting him again?"

"I'll handle this my way," good, now Page at least had confirmation that Frank owned his own plans, "Not Madani's and not yours. Mine, and it would be too kind of you to stay out of it."

"Did I say anything?" just not, which Frank was surprised to hear, or rather not to hear from Page, "I don't care if you stick to the plan or not. I just care if you get killed in the process. How you're going to go about it is of zero interest to me. All I want to hear from you at this point is do you know what you're getting into?"

"I hope so," not what Page wanted to hear from Castle, but what did she expect to hear from him, "If it makes you feel any better, we were only on our second date. Do you have another question, Killian?"

No, because it was clear what was going to happen to Russo as soon as he and Frank were to meet.

─⌖❖⌖─

Without always wanting to be the pessimist, but the exchange, of which not a single word had been said at first, was likely to go wrong. A few hours when everything had long been planned, Page was told about it. True to the motto, 'Tit for tat'. Fine by me, Page had only thought, only Madani had not done the math with Castle.

Instead of assuming that everyone involved would stick to the plan, it was better to look at who they were actually working with. In school, when working in groups, it was never any different. If you knew ahead of time that someone wasn't the most random, you didn't give them the most important assignment.

Despite files that Madani owned, should have read about Castle and a deal with him, it did not occur to her that this man, would not do his own thing? How stupid, Page would have liked to ask, is Agent Madani, but this was not stupidity but pure credulity.