Due to Hunter's interference, FBI agent Brian O'Conner had failed his primary objective: to infiltrate Dom's inner circle by seducing his sister, Mia.
Consequently, Brian harbored zero goodwill toward Dom.
In fact, thanks to the earlier conflict with Dom's crew, Brian had been beaten up by a group of thugs. To make matters worse, the auto parts shop he was using as a cover—Harry's, The Racer's Edge—had been trashed by unknown assailants and forced to close indefinitely.
Brian couldn't prove that the men who vandalized the cooperating shop were Dom's people. But Brian was a man who despised evil, and he had suspected Dom's crew of being the California Highway Hijackers from day one.
Adding these recent personal grievances to his professional suspicion, Brian now deeply hated Dom and his crew.
Brian's insistence on Dom's guilt made the senior black FBI agent frown.
The officers from the LAPD standing nearby didn't even bother to hide their displeasure; their faces fell instantly.
"Officer O'Conner!"
A police captain from the LAPD addressed Brian rudely. "If the FBI has evidence, put it on the table right now."
"If you do, we won't hesitate to arrest them and throw away the key."
"But if you don't? American law doesn't allow us to just snatch people off the street because you have a hunch."
When the FBI had notified the LAPD about the joint operation recently, they had sold it hard.
They claimed that among the racers organizing the underground drag race were the hijackers responsible for dozens of highway robberies over the last few years.
Although the FBI offered no concrete proof at the time, the California police were desperate. They had been under immense pressure for years because the hijackers had eluded capture.
So, despite the usual friction and power struggles between the local police and the feds, the LAPD had agreed to cooperate.
The result?
They arrested dozens of street racers and confiscated a fleet of illegally modified cars.
The FBI had even taken the lead on the operation.
But the LAPD was furious with the outcome.
The reason was simple: The FBI couldn't back up their claims.
Dom and his three associates—the primary suspects—had been in custody for two days. The LAPD had subjected them to separate, intensive interrogations. They had raided their homes and properties.
Aside from finding some cars that bore a resemblance to the vehicles described in the hijacking reports, they found nothing.
No stolen goods. No electronics. Not a shred of evidence linking them to the crimes.
Without the loot, they couldn't prove Dom was the hijacker.
The LAPD felt used. They felt like the FBI had treated them as pawns.
As the second-largest police department in the country after the NYPD, the LAPD had significant power and resources. They resented the FBI's increasing encroachment on local criminal investigations.
If the FBI hadn't lied to them—promising solid evidence upon arrest and offering the LAPD credit for the bust—they never would have mobilized hundreds of officers, patrol cars, helicopters, and SWAT teams for a wild goose chase.
And now, here was Brian O'Conner, a rookie Fed, insisting Dom was guilty without a single piece of paper to prove it.
The LAPD brass wasn't having it.
Seeing the impatience of the LAPD captains, the senior FBI agents exchanged dark looks.
They knew this operation was a failure. Regardless of whether Dom was actually the hijacker, they had blown it.
Worse, their reckless raid had likely spooked the real targets. Catching them now would be infinitely harder.
Thinking about the wrath they would face from the higher-ups at the LA Field Office, the senior agents turned their gaze to Brian.
Their eyes were no longer friendly.
"He's too young. Too reckless."
"Maybe we should send the kid on a deep-cover assignment with the cartels."
"Let him 'sharpen his skills' for a few years."
Hunter and the others had no idea that Brian was about to be thrown to the wolves because of his failure.
Hunter drove Dom and the crew back to the Toretto house quickly.
Mia had been waiting anxiously for a long time.
"Dom!"
Hearing the car pull up, Mia ran out the door and threw herself into her brother's arms.
"You did good, Mia," Dom said softly, hugging her back.
Letty joined the hug a moment later. "Good job, girl."
Although Letty knew Hunter was the one who pulled the strings, she also knew that if Mia hadn't found the right person, they would still be rotting in a cell.
Jesse and Leon had already gone home. They had families too, and their sudden arrest had caused panic. Dom and Letty understood; they needed to reassure their own loved ones.
Hunter wasn't in a rush to return the rental van. He had rented it for the whole day.
He parked it in the Toretto driveway, pocketed the keys, and lingered.
This was a golden opportunity to solidify his relationship with Dom, and he intended to seize it. Plus, Mia was a good woman; he wanted to be there for her.
He followed them into the house.
Dom, Letty, and Mia were sitting in the living room, the atmosphere warm with reunion. But as Hunter entered, the chatter died down.
Mia opened her mouth, about to put in a good word for Hunter to ease the tension between him and her brother.
But before she could speak, Dom cut her off.
"Mia, can you and Letty go to the kitchen and fix us something to eat?"
"I want to have a word with the kid."
Hunter looked at Dom immediately.
Dom's signature stoic face revealed little emotion. But when their eyes met, Hunter saw no hostility. Instead, he saw a glimmer of appreciation.
So... have I finally earned the Family Man's seal of approval?
Hunter smiled, nodded reassuringly at a worried Mia, and accepted the invitation.
"Sure."
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