Chaos erupted beneath the bridge. The two groups involved in the deal were already on edge, the Major Crimes Unit was hidden inside containers preparing to move, and the narcotics unit had shown up uninvited—because of course they did.
Up on the bridge, Luca watched the whole circus through a pair of binoculars. His expression showed a flicker of surprise, but not much more than that. This was a drug deal, after all—of course the narcotics guys would sniff it out somehow. Whether they came on their own… or were invited, that was another question entirely.
After all, Luca could team up with Major Crimes. Ramon could just as easily team up with Narcotics.
"Leon."
Luca called out softly, and a figure stepped out from the shadows behind him. Leon began reporting the intel he'd gathered recently—before Luca left Los Angeles, he'd tasked him, along with Beatrix and Elle, to keep tabs on certain people and dig up anything useful.
"It's confirmed now," Leon said calmly, "Ramon's official connection is with the LAPD's narcotics division. The reason he's been able to operate in Los Angeles for so many years—and grow this big—is directly tied to police support."
Luca nodded. That tracked.
Harris had already proven that point earlier—openly colluding with drug lords in Los Angeles. And there was no way a guy like Harris was acting completely on his own without someone higher up signing off on it.
Leon continued, "It's not just Ramon. The LAPD has ties with multiple gangs across the city. In a way… they're acting as a shield for them."
Now, in theory, that sounded like good news. A police force protecting gangsters? Most criminals would throw a party over that.
But there was a catch.
The police were too powerful.
The gangs didn't actually have a voice.
Take Harris as an example—he could kill a drug seller without hesitation, even one of his own informants, then casually stage the scene and pin it on someone else. If Luca hadn't stepped in that day, Jack would've been "honored" with a clean, official kill record.
That kind of protection? Luca didn't need it.
What he needed were people who followed rules—people who could be controlled. Like a well-trained federal agent… someone like McClane's type. Predictable. Useful.
Luca raised his binoculars again.
Down below, the narcotics officers had already locked down the scene. And the moment a leading officer stepped forward, a panel appeared in Luca's vision.
[Character Card Discovered: Jack Vincennes]
[Rank: B]
[Source: L.A. Confidential]
[Skill: Charismatic Police Star]
[Bond: Stranger]
Vincent—one of the DEA's rising stars in Los Angeles. A man who practically lived in front of cameras. He fed tips to the media, the media fed him headlines, and together they built a nice little fame machine. Arrest a suspect, snap a photo, boost the reputation.
Talk shows loved him. Variety programs invited him. He was less "cop" and more "celebrity with a badge."
Clever. Smooth. Dangerous in his own way.
In the original storyline, he stayed mostly neutral—hovering around Hollywood, enjoying the spotlight—until he got dragged into the war between gangs and cops… and paid for it with his life.
Luca narrowed his eyes.
Why not just stay a star?
Why walk into a battlefield?
Vincennes, meanwhile, looked like a man who deeply regretted his life choices.
Tonight, he was supposed to be at a Hollywood party—music, drinks, actresses, the works. Instead, one phone call from above, and suddenly he was here… tasked with bringing Ramon and a mountain of drugs back to the station.
After Harris's death, the DEA needed a new public face.
Guess who got volunteered.
"Congratulations," Vincennes muttered under his breath. "You're the shield now."
And being a shield? Not fun.
Take this case. A major trafficker. A massive shipment. Everyone knew those drugs wouldn't just sit in evidence forever. They'd "disappear" back into circulation through other channels.
Rotting in storage? Yeah, right.
With that cheerful thought weighing on him, Vincent pushed through the perimeter and stepped into the center of the scene.
At that moment, whether it was Brian, Toretto, or Ramon's crew—everyone had their hands up under the watchful aim of narcotics officers.
Ramon smiled.
"You showed up quick, Officer Vincennes. Smelled the drugs from miles away?"
He gestured casually.
"Look at this—I even helped you out. Big bust tonight. These two were trying to move sixty million dollars' worth of product. Not bad intel, huh?"
Brian and Toretto froze.
Wait—what?
Hold on—weren't they working with the police to arrest him?
How did this flip?
"Ramon, cut the crap!" Brian snapped. "Those drugs are yours!"
Ramon shrugged lazily.
"Are they in my hands? Is my name stamped on the packages? Be careful with accusations. Those are clearly your drugs—you were trying to dump them cheap. Me? I'm a law-abiding citizen. Of course I called the police."
Brian: "…"
Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
The audacity.
Vincent, who knew exactly how this game worked, smiled politely.
"Mr. Ramon, thank you for your cooperation. Your assistance has been… invaluable."
Then he turned, voice sharp.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest these two dealers."
Toretto's expression darkened instantly.
Drug dealer?
No.
He hadn't even shaken off the "truck robber" label yet, and now this?
"Brian!" he barked. "Where's the Dove? Call him now! The plan's blown—Ramon's working with Narcotics!"
"Wait, let me—"
Too late.
Toretto's hand was already moving behind his back.
He wasn't going down like this.
And just as everything was about to explode—
"Hold it!"
A voice cut through the chaos.
Vincent arrived with the Major Crimes Unit, stepping directly between the two sides.
The mood shifted instantly.
Vincennes from Narcotics frowned. "Vincent? What the hell are you doing here?"
Ramon's smile faded.
So… was this a setup from Narcotics?
Or had these two idiots teamed up with Major Crimes instead?
Either way… nobody here was clean.
"Vincennes," the narcotics officer snapped, "step aside. This is our case."
Vincennes didn't budge.
"Your case?" he shot back. "Since when?"
"This is a drug deal. That puts it under Narcotics jurisdiction!"
Vincent pointed at Brian and Toretto.
"These two are suspects in a truck robbery case."
The narcotics officer laughed coldly.
"Suspects? That's the best excuse you've got? You just slap a label on them and call it jurisdiction?"
Vincent's tone hardened.
"I'm taking them. Tonight. No discussion."
The drugs weren't even on-site yet—they were still with Brian and Toretto. As long as these two stayed free, the shipment wouldn't fall back into Ramon's hands.
And more importantly—
He needed to answer to Luca.
Because if Brian and Toretto got taken by Narcotics?
Los Angeles wouldn't just get messy.
It would burn.
"Not happening," the narcotics officer snapped. "You protecting dealers now? That's sixty million dollars' worth of product!"
Luca doesn't deal drugs.
That was something Vincent had already confirmed through McClane.
And he chose to believe it.
So he fired back:
"Let me ask you something—who's really protecting the dealers here? You… or me? Or maybe you've forgotten who Ramon actually is?"
The narcotics officer's expression tightened.
He couldn't back down.
Too many interests were tied to that shipment. Too many people were expecting their cut.
"Move," he growled. "This is a narcotics case. You don't have the authority."
Vincent stepped forward instead.
"Try me."
Behind him, Major Crimes closed ranks.
And just like that, the standoff changed.
This wasn't criminals vs. police anymore.
This was police vs. police.
Then—
A deep, commanding voice rang out from beyond the crowd.
[Disarmament] initiated.
"Put your weapons down."
At the edge of the scene, a lone figure stood in the darkness—calm, imposing, and completely in control.
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