Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

Captain Roy Montgomery, appointed as the on-site commander by the NYPD Commissioner, was stationed at the entrance of Chester A. Arthur International School, where Simon had planted a fake bomb. During this short period, Montgomery received numerous calls from high-ranking officials, celebrities, and wealthy individuals with children attending the school. He also personally greeted dozens of anxious, high-status parents and grandparents arriving at the school gate. Finally, he received Castle's final confirmation call.

Montgomery wasn't completely oblivious; he was swayed by Castle's insistence on a final confirmation of the bomb's authenticity. As a seasoned police officer, Montgomery agreed with Castle. If the bomb turned out to be real, its explosion could easily flatten the school, endangering everyone, including Montgomery himself. So, the final confirmation was essential.

In reality, there was no final confirmation—just Castle's mischievous delay to allow more high-ranking parents to arrive. Once Beckett and her team defused the bomb, they would receive immense gratitude from the parents. The students' families were influential, and successfully resolving the crisis, even with a fake bomb, would earn Montgomery and Beckett significant favor.

The time was ripe. Simon was retreating with his loot from the Federal Reserve, and John and Zeus were tailing him. Castle felt that delaying further might cause the anxious parents to become resentful towards the police. Therefore, he called Montgomery to signal the end of the act.

Assured by Castle that the bomb was indeed a fake, Montgomery had no doubts. Beckett, trusted by Castle, was on the front line with the bomb squad. He believed Castle wouldn't let Beckett be in danger, so if Castle assured him, it must be safe.

Montgomery then notified Beckett, who was with Esposito, Ryan, and the bomb squad outside the storage room. Hearing she could finally order the bomb squad to defuse the bomb, Beckett immediately led the team into the storage room.

Honest Beckett didn't put on a show as instructed by Montgomery and Castle. She directly told the skeptical officers that the bomb was a fake. However, following standard bomb disposal procedures, the bomb squad still politely asked Beckett, the on-site commander, to step out and retreat at least fifty meters.

Despite Beckett's claim, the bomb squad's officers cautiously began their work. They soon confirmed Beckett's words when they discovered the containers, supposed to hold explosive chemicals, were filled with syrup. Within five minutes, the bomb squad dismantled the fake bomb, now convinced it was a harmless decoy.

The bomb squad did not disclose this to the eager media outside the school but reported to Beckett, who then informed Captain Montgomery.

Captain Montgomery, who had been awaiting this confirmation, handled the situation maturely. He first reported to his superior, the NYPD Commissioner, assuring him before publicly announcing the successful defusal to the anxious high-ranking officials and parents at the school gate. Under the Commissioner's instruction, he concealed the fact that the bomb was fake to mitigate potential backlash and maintain public order. The Commissioner realized Simon's true intention and knew that Simon had successfully looted the Federal Reserve. To mitigate his own responsibility and shift the blame to the FBI and Homeland Security, the politically astute Commissioner suggested temporarily hiding the bomb's true nature until Simon and his men were captured.

Throughout the unfolding crisis, the FBI and Homeland Security had performed poorly despite their extensive resources. They failed to detect Simon's large-scale operation beforehand and even after the heist began, their response lagged behind the NYPD's. They were still dealing with the Fifth Avenue department store explosion, and the Wall Street subway station remained unclaimed because Beckett had evacuated it first.

When they learned of the bomb threat at a school, these agencies retreated, overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis. This gave the NYPD Commissioner the perfect opportunity to shift the blame for the security lapse. With Montgomery having successfully handled the bomb threat and John McClane tailing Simon's convoy, the Commissioner felt reassured. He also saw an opportunity to pin the responsibility for the mishandling of the situation on the FBI and Homeland Security.

However, the immediate priority was the stolen gold. If the NYPD could intercept the gold, the Commissioner knew he could turn public opinion in his favor, crediting the police for defusing the school bomb and recovering the stolen gold, possibly advancing his own career.

Thus, with the school crisis resolved, the Commissioner allowed Captain Montgomery to speak to the media while he commanded from NYPD headquarters. He coordinated with Walter, tracking John McClane's movements, aiming to intercept Simon and his men.

Castle, watching the drone feed and TV coverage, realized he couldn't stay idle at Fatty's house. NYPD support for John and Zeus was still not in place, and John wouldn't just watch Simon escape. Castle knew he had to step in, not only to help but also to fulfill his promise to Fatty and to secure some gold bars from the Federal Reserve for his collection. Moreover, Castle had his own side mission to complete, and it was time to take action.

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