Castle, feeling undecided, shared his dilemma with the curious young hacker, hoping the boy might have a bright idea to resolve the conflict in his mind—allowing him to enjoy the spectacle while ensuring Hobbs' men survived the impending ambush.
"Uncle Rick, is that what's bothering you?" the young hacker laughed. "It's pretty simple, really. You want Dominic and his crew to have a chance to escape after being captured by Hobbs, and you want to save Hobbs' men from the ambush by Hernan's men, right? We can give Hobbs a warning just a few minutes before the attack. From what I've observed, as long as they're not caught off guard, Hernan's men won't be much of a problem for them.
"But you also mentioned that Hernan's men have heavy weapons that could neutralize Hobbs' armored vehicle. Even if Hobbs knows about the ambush in advance, the fight will still be tough, giving Dominic and his crew a chance to escape. And if you think that's not enough, we can delay notifying Hobbs until just a couple of minutes before the attack. That way, the fight will be more intense, increasing Dominic's chances of getting away during the chaos."
Castle wasn't trying to be a saint. He just thought it was unfair for Hobbs' team to be taken down so easily by a bunch of thugs armed with RPGs and AK-47s. The young hacker's suggestion helped Castle make up his mind. "Alright, we'll do it your way. If Hobbs captures Dominic tomorrow, we'll warn him about the ambush two minutes before it happens."
The hacker then asked, "Should we also warn Dominic a bit earlier?"
Castle had almost forgotten about this part. Recently, the two demolition experts from the Dominican Republic had been scouting the police station, while Vanessa, Giselle, and Han were familiarizing themselves with the streets of Rio de Janeiro in their cars. Tej and Roman were trying to acquire a safe identical to the one in the police station, suggesting they planned to use the same switcheroo tactic from the original scenario. This meant that, in the villa, only Vince, Dominic, Brian, and the pregnant Mia were left, mirroring the original setup. Should they also give Dominic a heads-up a few minutes before Hobbs' team surrounded the villa? At least to maintain the hacker's character, right?
Castle decided that once Hobbs surrounded the villa, they would let the hacker call Dominic with a slightly panicked warning. According to Castle's estimation, Dominic would likely surrender just as he did in the original plot. However, it was crucial for Hobbs to capture Dominic and then face the ambush from Hernan's men. This sequence was vital for shifting Hobbs' animosity from Dominic to Hernan. This would influence whether Dominic could escape from Hobbs and continue with their plan to rob Hernan.
As for Hobbs' men surviving Mario's gang, that was up to fate. Castle and the hacker had agreed to warn them a few minutes beforehand, giving them some chance to prepare. After all, Castle's primary goal was to see Dominic and Brian dragging a safe through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Feeling a bit unscrupulous, Castle thought that dying on the battlefield was a soldier's destiny. If a few of Hobbs' men didn't die in the ambush, Hobbs wouldn't transfer his hatred to Hernan and let Dominic go on to rob him.
Hobbs' change of heart was crucial for the chaos Castle wanted to witness. Only if Hobbs sought revenge for his fallen comrades would he relent in his pursuit of Dominic and instead support him in the heist against Hernan. This would give Dominic's team, comparatively weaker than Hernan's forces, a better fighting chance.
After meticulously reviewing their plans with the hacker and ensuring no details were overlooked, Castle felt confident. They then indulged in a hearty meal at the hotel, preparing for the explosive events of the next day.
In the morning, brimming with anticipation, Castle and the hacker watched as the mighty U.S. intelligence apparatus pinpointed Dominic's location. To Castle's delight, all the team members except Dominic, Vince, Brian, and the pregnant Mia were out, busy with their tasks, meaning Castle's plan was still on track.
As Hobbs, brimming with confidence, led his team and the Brazilian cop Elena in their Knight XV armored SUV and two full-sized GMCs towards the villa, Castle, who had been lounging on the couch, sprang up. He shouted at the hacker to stream the surveillance footage and the drone's live feed onto the big screen in the hotel's living room.
Yes, this shameless man had brought a top-tier Chinese DJI drone to Brazil just to watch the action unfold live without being caught in the crossfire. (Note: DJI drones were actually launched in 2016, but for the sake of the story, let's say this is a bit of creative liberty!)
The hacker had been fiddling with the drone since morning. When Castle announced the impending action, he quickly connected the surveillance and drone feeds to the large screens in the hotel suite, then dashed to grab a bag of chips. He handed the drone controls to Castle, positioned the drone above the villa, and settled in to watch the drama unfold.
The villa, located in a wealthy district close to the beach, was within 1,500 meters of Castle's hotel. The sturdy DJI drone hovered effortlessly over the villa, blending in with the many other drones flying around, thanks to the area's numerous tourists. This meant that Dominic and his crew, on edge as they were, did not suspect anything unusual about the drone hovering above.
Once everything was in place and Hobbs' team had almost reached their positions around the villa, the hacker reluctantly put down his chips. He then dialed Dominic's special number with a touch of feigned panic in his voice: "Dom, run! I just found out that Hobbs used CIA intel. They know where you're hiding and are surrounding you right now! You have to get out!"
Dominic, who had been relaxed, was stunned. Looking out the window from the second floor, he saw fully armed agents approaching the villa from two directions. Panic set in.
Without wasting time, Dominic shouted to Mia, who was making breakfast downstairs, "Run! Hobbs is here!"
Mia, caught off guard in the kitchen, didn't react immediately. But when Brian dashed in, grabbing her hand, they bolted for the back door.
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