Chapter 138: No One Can Defeat Me in My Background Music
Ron had figured that with Hank's new obsession he'd developed—a paranoid fear of insufficient firepower—seeing such a devastating piece of hardware would at least get him to drop a few F-bombs to express his feelings. Instead, the first thing out of his mouth after he swallowed hard was:
"Boss, you're not actually planning to defect and drag us along as terrorists, are you? Like, conquer Brazil and set up your own government?"
"Even though the Brazilian government is basically a hollow shell, gutted by various cartels, there's still a delicate balance of power," Ron rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"To actually take this place, we'd need at least five thousand combat veterans, a full arsenal of light and heavy weapons, and millions of dollars to grease the wheels and buy off corrupt officials. Conservative estimate? We're talking hundreds of billions."
Hank was stunned. "Jesus Christ! Boss, you haven't actually thought about this, have you?!"
"Ha... haha, of course not! I'm just talking hypothetically! Get back to work! Keep chatting and I'll dock everyone's pay!" Ron tried to cover with an awkward laugh, but none of his three guys bought it.
The same thought crossed everyone's mind: he's definitely considered it! Carl was already imagining scenarios where his sister would become a princess after Ron founded his own nation.
Two days later, the team split into two groups led by Ron and Toretto. Toretto's crew conducted comprehensive reconnaissance of the police station. Roman even used O'Connor's federal credentials to get a camera-equipped RC car into the evidence room.
The gang then began modifying high-performance vehicles to avoid surveillance cameras and execute a flawless infiltration, timing their movements to the camera rotation schedules. To pull this off, they even boosted several police cruisers from the station itself.
Ron's operation was much more straightforward. He converted five pickup trucks into mobile multiple rocket launcher platforms, turning propane tanks into enough rockets for three salvos from each vehicle!
Meanwhile, Hobbs had been following leads from the warehouse robbery and had tracked down almost all of Toretto's crew through his network of contacts!
The only exception was Ron's team—they'd arrived via Orlov's smuggling operation and left no customs trail.
Just as Toretto, encouraged by O'Connor and Roman, was about to ditch Ron and go it alone, Hobbs finally located them.
"Hobbs is on the other side of the city! Perfect timing!" Mia exclaimed, tracking his position through a GPS bug planted on his vehicle.
Toretto folded the map and shouted to everyone, "Alright, people, showtime! Let's move out!"
"Dom, are we really not waiting for Ron?" Gisele grabbed Toretto's arm, looking concerned.
"No," Toretto said confidently. "I'll cut him in on his share when this is over, but right now, we've got enough firepower..."
"FEDERAL AGENTS!"
A massive SUV suddenly crashed through the warehouse wall. Tej barely had time to shout a warning before four tactical operators emerged with weapons drawn, forcing him to the ground.
As everyone tried to resist, second and third vehicles smashed through the gates. The highly trained operators quickly subdued the outgunned crew.
Hobbs went full throttle, ramming Toretto's getaway car and pinning it against a concrete pillar as Dom tried to escape.
"Took me a while to find your tracker, but locating the receiver was much easier," Hobbs said triumphantly, stepping out with his weapon trained on Toretto. "Dominic Toretto, you're done! You're under arrest by the authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation!"
All of this was captured by Ron's hidden surveillance cameras throughout the warehouse.
"Boss, should we extract them?" Carl, though academically challenged, picked up tactical terminology quickly. He'd only been hanging around the crew for a few days and was already talking like a operator.
"Of course. Since Dom's being so generous—offering to cut us in even when we're not on the job—I can't leave him hanging." Ron spoke with the tone of a seasoned criminal.
"But doesn't this mean the police station job is blown?" Hank asked, sounding frustrated.
"Not at all," Ron said with a mysterious smile. "Actually, the real operation is just beginning."
Ron traced his finger across a map of Rio de Janeiro, following Hobbs' route back to the police station, crossing each street systematically, finally stopping at Rocinha—the world's largest favela.
If the cartels planned to ambush Hobbs' convoy, this was the perfect chokepoint!
"Right here, gentlemen! Grab your gear and follow me!" Ron waved his hand. "Don't forget masks, voice modulators, and gloves. Zero evidence trail! I don't want that sharp-eyed federal agent getting his hands on anything."
"From this moment forward, we are the resistance against Brazil's cartel-corrupted government: Remember, remember the fifth of November."
"Hooah!" came three scattered responses from Hank and Arthur, who were completely speechless at this theatrical nonsense. Carl, who shouted loudest, just thought the codename and imagery were incredibly badass!
"Contact ahead!" Hobbs' convoy had just navigated a steep switchback when a cartel lookout radioed their position to the ambush team waiting ahead.
Directly in front of the convoy, a masked figure carrying an RPG emerged from the ruins of a bombed-out building.
"Whoosh!"
The rocket, trailing a bright flame tail, screamed toward them, striking the lead vehicle and instantly transforming it into a rolling fireball that sent bodies flying through the air.
"AMBUSH! AMBUSH!" Hobbs shouted into his radio, immediately executing a tactical turn, rolling out, and returning fire.
But the cartel fighters weren't amateurs—they'd already used the terrain to establish a complete kill zone.
"Unit Three, suppressive fire! Take them down!" Hobbs returned fire while calling for support.
But the RPG gunner already had his second rocket loaded. As the crew from the rear vehicle dismounted and engaged, the second rocket immediately sent them airborne!
Hobbs' eyes blazed with fury. Those were his people! Even if they were just temporary assignments.
Gradually, Hobbs' team was picked off one by one, leaving only Hobbs barely holding his position. But the situation was desperate, and concussion from the explosions had left him disoriented and struggling to stay conscious.
Suddenly, someone activated the street's PA system, and powerful orchestral music began blasting from the speakers. Even the tinny, low-quality sound couldn't diminish the epic passion the music conveyed.
"O Fortuna velut luna statu variabilis..."
If Ron hadn't been wearing his mask, everyone would have seen Hank's exasperated expression. "Boss, we're just taking out some bad guys. Why do you need entrance music every damn time?"
"You don't understand. This is my signature theme," Ron said, gesturing to crank up the volume. "With my background music playing, I'm unbeatable."
(End of chapter)
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