Chapter 132: Reactions from All Sides
Ron hung up the phone and immediately called Toretto. Dom had just escaped from Reyes' men with O'Connor and was relieved to learn they were safe for now.
Ron hadn't been overly worried. Dom was already extremely capable, and this time he wasn't running alone—he had his sister and O'Connor with him. With help from a local contact, Vince, he was living relatively comfortably.
His only frustration was that, thanks to O'Connor's recklessness, Dom and his crew, who had previously dropped off the FBI's radar, were once again in their crosshairs, along with the cars they'd stolen.
Although Hobbs hadn't said it explicitly, with his experience, he'd surely noticed something unusual about Dom's heist and had probably already started gathering intel.
Helping Hobbs capture Dom was absolutely out of the question, but going with Dom to cause some chaos sounded like a hell of a lot of fun.
Even more enticing was the hundred million dollars sitting in that vault! This money was definitely dirty cash. Ron would only have to pay minimal federal and state taxes to pocket it as a "recovery fee."
Needless to say, this was one of the perks of working with federal agencies.
The only thing that annoyed him was that O'Connor, that persistent fool, hadn't given up on chasing after Mia and kept following Dom around like a lost puppy.
Thinking about this, Ron started planning when to head down to Brazil.
Meanwhile, in a run-down warehouse in Rio de Janeiro, Dom hung up the phone and called out to the empty space.
"Mia?"
"I'm here," Mia, who had been sitting in the corner, finally relaxed when she heard her brother's voice. She rushed into Dom's arms. "Are you guys all okay? I was so worried."
Dom casually took a wrench from Mia's hand that she'd grabbed for self-defense. "That's my girl—a true Toretto."
"Where's Vince?" Mia smiled, noticing someone was missing from their group.
O'Connor couldn't help but voice his suspicion. "Yeah, that's a damn good question."
"He'll be back soon." Dom, not wanting to get into it, headed into the warehouse first.
"Guys, your faces are plastered all over the news right now, and everyone's saying we killed those DEA agents." Mia rolled her eyes behind Dom's back.
If he had turned around at that moment, he would have noticed that Mia's gesture was remarkably similar to someone he knew.
"Which means we're now their most wanted fugitives," O'Connor analyzed the situation grimly. "Local cops will be hunting us everywhere, plus the FBI—their agents are crawling all over this city."
"They'll deploy their tactical teams, and we need to get the hell out of here ASAP."
And that wasn't even the worst part.
They were also wanted by Rio's criminal underworld. It was safe to say they were now being hunted by both law enforcement and organized crime.
Dom picked up a screwdriver from the workbench and started preparing to strip down the car. "The only thing we know for sure is that they want this vehicle. There's got to be something inside that's making them crazy. We need to figure out what we're really dealing with."
Ron had just called him, hinting that their desperation seemed connected to the two stolen cars. With Dom's street smarts, it wasn't hard to figure out that this car must be hiding something extremely valuable!
...
Back in Los Angeles, after being turned down by Ron, Hobbs immediately dialed another number on his phone.
"Hobbs, how are your personnel preparations coming along? When can we deploy?" An gravelly voice answered the phone.
"Terrible, sir." Hobbs was in a foul mood. "Almost everyone Jack left behind are rookies. I'd be better off taking a pack of hunting dogs to catch these guys than dragging a bunch of green agents across international borders. At least dogs know how to track."
The voice paused for a moment. "Alright, I can arrange for a Blackwater tactical team to assist you. Blackwater contractors work under my authority, but remember—catching these fugitives is just a side mission. Your real objective is..."
"Make Reyes disappear permanently. I know, you've told me a dozen times already." Hobbs said impatiently. "You don't need to spell out your political games for me. I don't want any part of that bureaucratic bullshit! Just get me the personnel, and I'll complete the mission. But you better guarantee that when I get back, you'll get me fully staffed immediately!"
"Don't worry, those are minor details. I can also arrange for your police academy buddy to finish his federal training and get assigned to your division. Go get 'em, big guy."
"Roger that. When do I get my team?"
"Right now," the voice said, sending a text from another phone. "In one hour, a C-130 transport will be waiting for you at the military airfield north of LA. Everything you need is on board."
"And by everything, I mean personnel and firepower. Have a safe flight. Click"
As the line went dead, Hobbs heard the dial tone. "That old bastard always hangs up too fast!"
Ping!
His phone lit up with the airfield coordinates. Hobbs made a sharp U-turn and headed for the airport.
Meanwhile, Ron had already locked his doors and windows (to prevent Penny from sneaking in at night) and gone to sleep.
Five hours later, while Ron was still sound asleep, Hobbs' plane touched down in Rio de Janeiro.
CLANG!
The aircraft's rear cargo door dropped open, and Hobbs emerged first. Turning with authority, he addressed the operators behind him.
"Listen up! We're hunting professional drivers. These guys live for speed and aren't afraid to take risks. So make sure you're locked and loaded, and give them everything you've got. We're bringing them all back!"
Hobbs' gaze swept over the faces of his new team members, and he was thoroughly impressed. These men had seen real combat and would definitely prove useful. Besides being shooters, they also brought a wide range of specialized skills. He had to admit, his anonymous contact's arrangements were spot-on.
"Most importantly—and I cannot stress this enough—under no circumstances can we let them get behind the wheel of any vehicle," Hobbs said seriously, emphasizing each word.
He didn't know Dom personally, but according to his file, Dom was the best driver in all of Los Angeles. However, he'd witnessed Ron's skills firsthand. When they were partners, Ron had repeatedly saved their asses with his incredible driving, leaving a lasting impression on Hobbs.
In his mind, if the driver they were hunting had even half of Ron's ability, this capture mission would become a nightmare.
Although this was technically a secondary objective, simply eliminating Reyes and returning empty-handed was completely unacceptable to the perfectionist Hobbs.
(End of chapter)
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