Reborn as an American Writer

Since his retirement from the military and subsequent enlistment with the FBI to chase down internationally wanted fugitives, Hobbs and his team had developed a reputation for being rather crude in their methods. Perhaps Hobbs believed that capturing Dominic and his crew was the primary objective, as he seemed unconcerned with the rest of the villa where they had been hiding.

Castle, engrossed in the unfolding drama, initially felt a pang of regret for not accounting for the weapons stored in the villa. In hindsight, he thought he should have allowed more time for Dominic's team to relocate the arsenal. He feared Hobbs and his crew would confiscate the weapons after capturing Dominic.

But to Castle's surprise, Hobbs, after securing Dominic and his team, simply loaded them into the vehicles and drove off without a second glance at the villa. Perhaps Hobbs was solely focused on apprehending the federally wanted criminals and paid no mind to the villa's contents. This unexpected oversight by Hobbs turned out to be a fortunate break for Castle.

"Damn, you've got to love American imperialism, so flashy and brazen… Such extravagance!" Castle muttered, relieved yet amazed at Hobbs' inadvertent assistance. Unaware of the close call he had narrowly avoided, Castle felt only admiration for Hobbs' apparent nonchalance. Hobbs had unknowingly saved Castle's precious stash of weapons hidden in the villa's basement, a stash that represented a significant part of Castle's arsenal.

Castle realized that if Hobbs had decided to search the villa, the cache of weapons and explosives would have been seized. Without these weapons, even if Dominic and his crew managed to escape later, they wouldn't have the firepower to pull off the heist against Hernan's stash at the police station. They'd be helpless against the fully armed police forces.

Grateful for Hobbs' lack of thoroughness, Castle quickly instructed his portly accomplice to notify Tej and his crew to rush back to the villa and relocate the arsenal in the basement. Considering that Hernan's lieutenant, Mario, was likely planning an ambush on Hobbs, there was a chance they might search the villa. If Mario's men found the weapon stash, it would be a disastrous loss for Castle.

Castle couldn't afford to gamble on Mario's next move. He feared that Mario, realizing Dominic had been captured, might send his men to the villa. Even if they didn't find the memory card Hernan desperately wanted, the weapons themselves would be a significant prize. Castle knew it would be nearly impossible to replace the arsenal quickly, especially in Brazil.

His immediate hope was that Tej's team could retrieve the weapons before Mario's men arrived. Reflecting on his own shortcomings, Castle acknowledged that he lacked the strategic foresight of someone like Neal or Mozzie. He was merely a disruptor, using his knowledge of events to stir chaos, but meticulous planning was not his forte. This realization made him anxious about the upcoming ambush on Hobbs, fearing any further lapses in his plan.

Despite projecting confidence to his portly accomplice, Castle was inwardly worried. What if Dominic and his crew couldn't escape from Hobbs? What if his warning to Hobbs led the FBI team to decimate Mario's forces and smoothly reach the airport? That would spell the end for Dominic and ruin Castle's plans for a thrilling spectacle.

Even now, Castle clung to the hope of witnessing Dominic and Brian tearing through the streets of Rio de Janeiro with Hernan Reyes' vault in tow. His obsession with watching the drama unfold from behind the scenes was unwavering, even as events seemed to spiral out of control.

While the portly accomplice coordinated with Tej to secure the weapons, Castle meticulously controlled the drone tracking Hobbs' convoy. He knew the exact location of Mario's ambush, thanks to his earlier eavesdropping on Mario's calls. Positioned less than two kilometers from his hotel, Castle was determined to witness the next stage of the unfolding chaos.

Mario, with his characteristic small mustache, had a talent for strategy. Despite losing the Ford GT40 to Mia during their previous confrontation, he had shown relentless pursuit in the subsequent chase, even though Castle and his accomplice's behind-the-scenes manipulation had allowed Dominic's crew to evade capture.

Now, Mario had set up an ambush for Hobbs on their route back to the airport. Unbeknownst to Hobbs, Mario's eyes had been on him since he drove his ostentatious Knight XV out that morning. Mario's men had tailed Hobbs from the moment he left, keeping him under constant surveillance.

Upon learning that Hobbs had captured Dominic, Mario did not immediately order his men to search the villa. Instead, he saw an opportunity to intercept Hobbs and reclaim Dominic or eliminate him if necessary. With Dominic holding knowledge of Hernan's smuggling routes, Mario couldn't let him leave Brazil alive. Adding to that, taking down Hobbs, who had been a constant threat to Hernan, would be an added bonus that could earn Mario further favor with his boss.

Positioning his ambush on Hobbs' return route to the airport, Mario was ready to make his move. And Castle, listening in on Mario's plans and now piloting his drone towards the site, was equally eager to see the showdown.

As the portly accomplice finished coordinating with Tej, he approached Castle to ask if it was time to hack into Hobbs' satellite phone and issue the warning.

Handing the control of the drone to his accomplice, Castle pondered briefly before deciding, "Yes, let's warn him now. Give me the voice modulator. I'll make the call."

Comfortably seated in his Knight XV, Hobbs was basking in his success, looking over his captives—Dominic and his dejected crew. He was preparing to have a few words with Dominic, the fugitive he had pursued halfway around the globe. But just then, the satellite phone in the armored vehicle rang unexpectedly.

Puzzled by the call, Hobbs answered, thinking it might be his superiors checking in on his progress. To his surprise, a distorted voice came through, "Captain Hobbs, don't ask who I am. I'm calling to warn you that Hernan Reyes has set up an ambush ahead, less than a kilometer from your current position. They aim to recapture Dominic or kill him. You need to stop your vehicle immediately. Goodbye."

"Stop the car!" Hobbs commanded, his combat instincts kicking in. Regardless of the mysterious caller's intentions, Hobbs knew that stopping short of the suspected ambush was the safest course of action. With just six men, including Elena, who was more of a bystander with her small handgun, Hobbs needed to assess the situation before potentially driving into a trap.

As the convoy came to a halt, Hobbs quickly started scanning the surroundings, considering his next move.

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