Reborn as an American Writer

Brian spotted the grenade out of the corner of his eye, just as Hobbs, firing relentlessly, was about to take down another of Hernan's men. Brian shouted, "Watch out for the grenade!" But the warning came too late. The grenade landed mere feet from Hobbs, exploding with a deafening roar.

The explosion, from an offensive grenade, lacked the shrapnel-filled casing of a defensive one, but the blast wave alone was enough to knock the wind out of Hobbs. Despite his combat instincts kicking in and his reflexive dive to the ground, the proximity of the blast left him gasping, his face pale and a stream of blood pouring from his mouth.

With Hobbs momentarily down, their already precarious situation worsened. While Dominic and his team had armed themselves, they were far from a coordinated military unit. Brian, despite wielding a 100-round AR rifle, had little experience with such weaponry. He lacked the knowledge to utilize its full capabilities for sustained suppressive fire. This left their side vulnerable, especially with Hobbs, their primary source of firepower, incapacitated.

The sudden absence of Hobbs' steady suppressive fire left a glaring gap. The only other consistent source of return fire was Hobbs' last standing teammate, armed with a SCAR rifle. But even his weapon, limited to 30 rounds per magazine, couldn't maintain the necessary firepower against the two dozen or so attackers. Without Hobbs to cover him, their defenses began to crumble.

In a desperate move, Dominic emptied his M1014 shotgun into the approaching enemies. Then, seeing Hobbs struggling on the ground, he ran over, hoisted the massive man up, and shoved him into the front passenger seat of the Knight XV.

With Hobbs secured, Dominic shouted to Brian and Vince, who were still laying down suppressive fire from the back, "Get in the car! Mia, start the engine! We're breaking out! You, Hobbs' guy, get in the car now!"

Hobbs' remaining teammate, confused but driven by survival instincts, obeyed Dominic's command. After firing a long burst to cover their retreat, he jumped into the Knight XV, now serving as their lifeline.

Brian and Vince, both aware of the narrow window they had, fired their weapons until empty, creating a brief but crucial lull in the enemy's assault. Seizing the moment, they dashed for the car, diving inside as Mia revved the engine.

Despite her delicate appearance, Mia's driving skills were formidable. Growing up alongside her brother Dominic had turned her into a master behind the wheel. As soon as Brian and Vince slammed the doors shut, Mia floored the accelerator, the powerful V10 engine roaring to life.

The Knight XV, a beast with 406 horsepower and a massive 6.8-liter engine, roared as Mia executed an improbable maneuver. Spinning the vehicle around in a tight arc, she narrowly avoided the heavy truck blocking their path and charged back down the street they had come from, scattering Hernan's men in her wake.

The attackers, who had been pressing their advantage, were stunned by the sight of the armored vehicle barreling towards them. Faced with the prospect of being crushed by the massive Knight XV, they scrambled to get out of the way, allowing Mia to smash through their perimeter and escape.

Inside, the sudden turn and acceleration threw everyone around. Yet, Mia's daring maneuver proved to be the key to their escape.

"Haha! I told you!" Castle exclaimed in the hotel room, elated by the escape unfolding on the drone's feed. "I knew they'd survive this! You didn't believe me, did you?" He turned to his companion, who watched in amazement.

The techie shook his head, still processing the scene. "Uncle Rick, I didn't think they'd make it. But you were right. I can't believe they pulled it off."

Castle's excitement was tinged with curiosity. Mario's ambush had been set up expertly, and his remote command to use grenades on the trapped vehicles showed a cold precision. So why did the assault falter when victory seemed assured?

After a moment's thought, Castle realized the flaw. Mario had underestimated the effectiveness of his men. While the initial rocket attack was devastating, his forces lacked the discipline and coordination to maintain their advantage. They had abandoned their superior positions on the rooftops and charged forward with no tactical coherence. This mistake allowed Hobbs, with his experience, to find and exploit a critical opportunity to fight back.

Reflecting on the sequence of events, Castle understood that Mario's men, despite their numbers, were no match for the desperate, battle-hardened Hobbs and the resourceful Dominic and his team.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, Hernan's men, who had just moments ago held the upper hand, now watched helplessly as the Knight XV tore through their ranks. They had been so focused on their attack that they had neglected to keep their rocket launchers ready. Now, without the high ground or sufficient firepower, they were powerless to stop the armored vehicle's escape.

Castle pondered the implications of this outcome. In the original narrative, Hobbs was the sole survivor of his team's ambush. But now, with another teammate surviving alongside him, the dynamic could shift. This could lead Hobbs to seek revenge against Hernan-Reyes, possibly aligning with Dominic's crew to do so.

However, Castle was concerned about the potential complications. If Hobbs joined forces with Dominic and his team, it could disrupt the delicate balance and make his tech-savvy companion's inside information less critical. Ideally, Castle hoped Dominic's group would maintain a cautious alliance with Hobbs, cooperating against their common enemy but not integrating too closely.

Unable to directly influence the situation from their current position, Castle decided to take a proactive step. He instructed his companion to contact Tej and the others, relaying the message that Dominic and his team had been ambushed by Hernan's men while being transported to the airport by Hobbs. He also assured them that Dominic's group had survived and speculated on a potential alliance with Hobbs.

Castle's immediate priority was to ensure Tej and the rest of Dominic's crew found a safe place to regroup. They needed to avoid further confrontations until they could re-establish contact with Dominic and plan their next move against Hernan-Reyes.

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