Initially, Castle didn't realize that Amir Barkawi, the arms dealer with a deep-seated hatred for the United States, had arrived in New York. He'd only given Jarvis orders to keep an eye on Dominic's crew to prevent them from causing trouble in his city without him knowing.
Castle knew that someone like Dominic, with his complicated connections and endless run-ins with trouble, seemed to attract chaos wherever he went. That's why he'd told Jarvis to monitor their movements. It was this precaution that paid off, as Jarvis discreetly informed him of the situation just as Castle was hosting Northrup's senior vice president and their aerospace technology director at his estate to discuss his advanced engine optimization technology.
Busy negotiating the specifics of profit-sharing with Northrup's representatives, Castle didn't immediately pay much attention to why Dominic's crew had returned to New York after narrowly escaping police custody there, thanks to a rare moment of mercy from Hobbs and Beckett. Only after he had seen off his guests did Castle take the time to delve into the details—and he was intrigued by what he found.
He never expected that Hobbs would be seeking Dominic's help to capture none other than Amir Barkawi himself. But as Castle thought about it, something didn't add up. If Barkawi were captured now, how would he go on to orchestrate that infamous attack in London a few years down the line, an event that would hit Britain even harder than Dr. Bailey's bomb?
Could it be that Barkawi's future attack in London would be a direct result of Hobbs foiling his plans on U.S. soil now? Or was it possible that Castle's interference had somehow triggered a butterfly effect, bringing Barkawi to New York before he'd reached his "final form"?
At this point, Barkawi still believed he'd entered New York undetected. Little did he know he was under constant surveillance by Jarvis. Castle found himself in a dilemma. Should he stop this vengeful arms dealer from causing trouble in his wife's jurisdiction, or should he merely scare Barkawi off and wait to see Britain's reaction a few years down the line?
Taking Barkawi down was hardly a challenge for Castle. Jarvis had New York under a watchful eye, and Barkawi's hiding spot was practically laughable. Eliminating him would be easy. But Castle wasn't particularly eager to intervene. After all, Barkawi's grudge against the U.S. was understandable. A group of U.S. arms dealers, unable to compete with Barkawi, had manipulated the CIA into sending drones to eliminate him. Instead of killing him, however, the drones had taken out his entire family.
Strictly speaking, the blame fell more on the CIA, whose recent blunders had sparked international backlash, and those warmongering American arms dealers. From that perspective, it was only natural that Barkawi would want to make a statement on U.S. soil.
Castle also wanted to see Barkawi's "grand finale" in London. Why cut down a character bound to make global headlines before he reached his peak? If Barkawi didn't stir up trouble in Manhattan, Castle saw no reason to stop him.
And Hobbs was more than capable of tracking him down, especially with Dominic's crew assisting. Stepping in might only expose Castle unnecessarily and reveal the scope of his capabilities to Hobbs, who wasn't one to overlook such details.
So Castle decided on a subtle approach: a quiet warning to Barkawi, telling him to leave New York. As long as Barkawi didn't make trouble in his city, Castle could pretend he didn't know. He'd just struck a profitable deal with Northrup, and he needed his focus there, not on someone bent on revenge.
Why not let Barkawi stew in his hatred for a few more years and "evolve" into the mastermind he was destined to become? That way, Castle could enjoy the spectacle when Barkawi's plan came to fruition in London. As for his friend and investment, poor Benjamin Arthur, who would almost meet his end in that future attack—Castle wasn't too worried. By then, he could offer covert support, and besides, Benjamin had the indomitable Michael Banning by his side. They were main characters. They wouldn't die easily.
Castle smirked as he weighed his options. Should he sit back and watch Dominic's crew scramble to track down Barkawi in New York, or should he intervene and quietly chase Barkawi out of town? Deep in thought, Castle weighed the pros and cons.
Meanwhile, Amir Barkawi was hiding out in Queens, reaching out to contacts he'd built up over his years of smuggling arms. He urgently needed to procure explosives and heavy weaponry. The equipment he'd prepped in Los Angeles had been left behind, and after driving across the country, he was now desperate for supplies.
Barkawi had no idea that he was not only being hunted by Hobbs, who had tailed him all the way from Los Angeles, but was also being monitored by the FBI's New York field office. The Joint Task Force there, led by Joe Martinez, was keeping tabs on him due to a tip-off from one of their agents, Omar Zidan.
Zidan, a former U.S. Army captain, had completed his training at Quantico before joining the FBI's New York office. Partnered with an agent named Maggie, Zidan had developed a network of informants, particularly within the Muslim community. Shortly after Barkawi arrived in New York, Zidan received word of his presence.
Unaware of the FBI's involvement, Hobbs was strategizing with Dominic's crew at a Brooklyn warehouse, wondering how to find Barkawi in the vast city. Based on the weapons they'd intercepted in LA, Hobbs was convinced that Barkawi was planning an attack. He anxiously conferred with Dominic on how to locate him.
Tej, looking uneasy, caught Hobbs' eye. "Tej, just say what's on your mind," Hobbs prompted.
Dominic could tell what Tej was about to suggest and interrupted him. "Tej, no. Remember what happened the last time we reached out to that guy, Harry? We got into a ton of trouble. Harry's now a test pilot for Northrup's drones. Let's not drag him back into this."
"What are you talking about?" Hobbs asked, intrigued.
Dominic explained, "Remember in Brazil, that hacker who remotely controlled drones and set up a yacht for us? That was Harry."
Hobbs recalled the hacker. "Him? Could he help us track down Barkawi?"
Before Dominic could respond, Roman Pearce jumped in, exasperated, "Of course! The kid's a wicked hacker, and he's now teamed up with a writer who owns a private supercomputer. With access to that machine, we could locate Barkawi in no time. Plus, he supposedly has software similar to what Heidrich used last time. With that, finding Barkawi would be a breeze."
"Enough, Roman," Dominic snapped. "I said, leave Harry alone. Last time, we got played by that so-called 'Nameless One' who used us to get close to Harry's boss, that writer. He wanted us to exploit our friendship with Harry to get access to that writer. After we found out, I refused to work with Nameless again."
Hobbs was less sentimental. "Toretto, the sooner we find Barkawi, the better. He's planning a terrorist attack on home soil. This is serious."
Dominic wavered, knowing Hobbs was right. But the memory of being manipulated still stung. Fortunately, Brian O'Conner, his brother-in-law, spoke up to defuse the tension. "How about we let Tej reach out to Harry and tell him the truth? Then it'll be up to Harry to decide."
The group exchanged looks, considering the plan. After a moment, Dominic nodded, conceding.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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