The Tank (Edited on 27/10/2023)

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[Reye's Office]

Reyes couldn't believe his eyes. His hard-earned money had gone up in flames, and it was a direct challenge to him. He looked at the warehouse manager, a sense of anger and frustration boiling inside him.

"They didn't take a cent but burned all of my money?" Reyes asked, his voice seething with anger.

The warehouse manager, unable to meet Reyes' intense gaze, lowered his head. He knew that delivering this news was risky, but he had no choice.

"Yes," he mumbled, "that's what they did."

Reyes leaned back in his leather chair, a wry smile slowly spreading across his face.

"He also said... that this is just the beginning."

Reyes couldn't help but chuckle. This was a game to his adversaries, and he was ready to play.

"Haha, very funny, Toretto," he muttered under his breath.

With a determined stride, Reyes walked over to a desk, where an array of high-tech devices lay. He brushed his fingers over them, contemplating his next move.

"It's just the beginning, huh? Well, let's see how this unfolds."

Reyes' fingers traced a path on the desk until they stopped at a sharp alloy utensil. In a swift, unexpected motion, he grabbed it and whirled around, striking the warehouse manager's neck directly.

"This is my answer!" Reyes declared, his eyes cold and unyielding.

To Reyes, someone who allowed such a blatant challenge to his authority was not worth keeping around. He placed the blood-stained utensil on the table, ignoring the unconscious man who lay sprawled on the floor.

Turning to a security captain in the room, who had kept his head down throughout the ordeal, Reyes issued his orders.

"Clean up all the warehouses. Within an hour, I need to see that all the money is locked in a safe place. And after doing this, let everyone start looking for those bastards! I want to put them all on the wanted list. Understand?"

The security captain nodded vigorously. "Understood!"

With that, he led Reyes' men into action. They fanned out through the city streets, armed and unapologetic. No one dared to challenge their authority.

As Toretto and his crew had anticipated, Reyes' men began the process of collecting the cash stored in warehouses throughout the city and transporting it to their chosen "safe house."

"This is going according to plan," Toretto remarked, satisfaction in his voice.

Their original strategy was to lure Reyes into consolidating all the money in one location, making it easier to steal. However, there was a twist in the plot.

"Uh-oh, not good," Tej said as Reyes' men's vehicles headed towards their destination.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" O'Connor chimed in, his voice filled with concern.

"They're going to the police station," Mia noted, her brow furrowed.

Confusion and apprehension rippled through the team. Why on earth would Reyes, a notorious drug lord, store his money in a police station?

"Well, this just got a lot more complicated," Roman grumbled, shaking his head.

Toretto remained steadfast in his resolve. "We stick to the original plan," he announced.

Roman couldn't believe his ears. "Are you serious? Did I hear you correctly?"

Toretto nodded with determination. "Yes, you heard me correctly. We just need to tweak the plan a bit."

"But Dom, it's a suicide mission," Roman protested. "Unless you can get your hands on a tank, and a fast one at that."

Toretto chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "If you want to talk about tanks, I can't help. But if you want to talk about a sports car that can take on tanks... I know just the person to get them."

Roman was dumbfounded. "What? You're really going for it? And who can get us a sports car that can take on a tank?"

Soon enough, Roman learned of Toretto's plan to acquire this "tank-like sports car."

Meanwhile, at a car event with Gisele, Jack received a call from Toretto. His engine roared to life as he listened to his old friend.

"What's the matter?" Jack inquired, revving the engine.

"Jack, we're in trouble," Toretto said urgently. "I need your help."

Jack knew Dom well and was never one to back down from a challenge. He smoothly accelerated, leaving the event behind as Gisele joined him in the car.

"Let me guess," Jack began as the engine's power surged. "Where did Reyes store the money?"

Toretto was surprised by Jack's foresight. "How did you know?"

Jack replied with a sly smile, "I always like to gather info before making a move. So, before coming here, I checked Reyes's info. Such a well-known drug lord couldn't have been active in Rio for so many years without some form of official protection."

Toretto couldn't help but nod in agreement. "You're right."

Jack continued, "Reyes deposited all the money in the police station. If we're going to follow our usual plan, we're going to need some more powerful cars."

Toretto had an ace up his sleeve, but Jack had one too. "Don't worry, I anticipated this and came prepared," Jack assured him. He started the sports car and shared the warehouse address with Toretto.

"Come to the warehouse I rented, and I'll show you some good stuff."

This unexpected twist had brought them to a crossroads, but with allies like Jack on their side, Toretto's crew was always ready to take on the impossible.

▪▪▪▪

[Jack's Warehouse]

Toretto and his crew reached Jack's warehouse, where they found Jack just concluding a tour of the facility with Gisele. He welcomed them and led the group inside.

"A sports car like a tank?" Toretto quipped in response to Jack's earlier request.

"Follow me."

Jack guided them to two large, dark gray containers.

"Open it up and take a look."

As Toretto glimpsed the parts within the opened container in the warehouse, he couldn't help but be amazed. He now understood that the contents of this container were perhaps the most critical assets Jack had brought for this mission.

"How well did you prepare..." Toretto began to ask, but Jack cut him off.

"Being well-prepared means having the means and control to address challenges as they arise," Jack explained with a grin. "You know, I always like to be prepared."

Toretto's eyes widened in disbelief as he opened the container. What he saw left him astonished.

"Holy shit, you brought this thing too?"

"What? What is it?" Roman, still examining the parts in the box, hurried over to Toretto. He gasped when he saw the contents of the container.

"Are you kidding me?" Roman stammered in disbelief, momentarily stunned before regaining his composure. "Who's pranking me? Someone pinch me; I must be hallucinating."

Toretto, Jack, and the others raised their hands playfully, teasing Roman. While they had no ill intentions toward him, they couldn't resist having some fun at his expense.

"What are you planning to do?" Roman hesitated.

"Brian, come on, not you too!"

Brian, ignoring Roman's plea, focused on the container's contents. His reaction mirrored that of the rest – a mixture of astonishment and disbelief.

"You sly dog!" Brian couldn't help but mutter. "Are we going to war or what?"

Brian's response caught the attention of the group, who were equally astounded and bewildered by what they saw within the container.

"Let's not beat around the bush; I'm here for a vacation," Jack quipped with a grin. "And this... it's just a small modification. Guns, full-body bulletproof material, bulletproof tires, a beefier and more potent engine, boasting 10,000 horsepower... with a top speed of 200 mph and the ability to run non-stop for an hour or two."

"Why only an hour or two?" Roman inquired.

"Running at top speed for that long drains its fuel capacity," Jack replied, glancing at Roman.

Inside the container rested a sleek and menacing armored vehicle. It was equipped with an anti-collision device, robust armor, Vulcan cannons, and was painted a dazzling blue. The vehicle exuded an air of invincibility, making it clear that challenging it would be unwise.

Toretto grinned slyly, saying, "With this bad boy, we can make our move in an hour or two. We can swoop in, grab what we want, and minimize the chaos. We don't need to worry about Reyes' henchmen, but we also don't want innocent civilians or the police caught in the crossfire."

While Reyes' underlings were far from virtuous, Toretto and his team were not seeking a death wish. They were in it for the money and the thrill, not to court danger.

Jack, content to leave the dirty work to Toretto, was pleased to provide the equipment for the job. Afterward, he intended to head to Rio Beach to relax in the sunny, beachy paradise.

However, even though Jack was content to leave the action to Toretto, he still had his sights set on the promised reward, aiming to elevate his status and take on the next big challenge.