Chapter 

Chapter 114: Leader of the Dark Hands 

Daniel saw his friend Jerry approach with a video playing on his tablet. There were frantic shouts and a telling string of muffled detonations coming from the video. 

“Cover the bunker! Water! Water! Where is the boss? Someone find the boss! The boss was in the bunker! Fire!” 

“My God… I’ve never seen anything like this level of slaughter. Not even from your father’s work.” Jerry said, but a voice on his comm responded. 

“That wasn’t an assault; it was a goddamn extermination! Smoke’s already visible from ten miles out; this whole sector is going to be a blast radius! Everyone is going to say I gave away this information.” Jon said. 

Daniel had torn the receiver from Jerry’s hand, his voice laced with pure venom as he addressed the rambling Jon. 

“You would have preferred to be on the burning side then? You should have said something. I am an ever–giving person; the least I could have done was touch you home a bit. Daniel said, and the comm went dead. 

“Such little courage and still complaining,” Daniel snorted as he continued walking 

“It is not a matter of courage in the presence of a mad person,” Jerry said, and Daniel raised a 

brow at him. 

“You have to admit, this was all kinds of mad. This is going to bring all kinds of trouble, ‘he said, and Daniel looked away. 

He was tired and, honestly, still in a bad mood. Jerry knew this. 

“But your father has painted a new masterpiece this night, Daniel,” he murmured in a daze. ” The underworld will have a filled day for weeks,” Jerry said and walked aw 

In the SUV, Jerry hurriedly passed a tablet to Daniel. 

“What?” Daniel asked as he looked at the news. The president of the country was caught in a gas explosion, the news read. 

“President? The actual president? Where did they rescue him from?” Daniel asked. 

“I don’t know, but it was a gas explosion in Angelo City,” Jerry said. 

Daniel took out his phone and called Justin. 

“I guess you have seen the news,” Justin said. 

“Is it him?” Daniel asked, “You have met their leader, right? Is the president the leader of the Dark Hand?” 

“Yes,” Justin answered. 

Suddenly, everything fell into place. He became even more determined to get what was in that safe. 

Unlike the calm in the car, Angelo City was in turmoil. 

Just a few hours earlier, 

Changer 

# Deaper of me Dark Handy. 

The old warehouse district was quiet in the pre–dawn hours, the silence broken only by the occasional distant rumble of early morning traffic. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the peace, sending a shockwave through the surrounding buildings. 

Agent Sarah Collins of the Secret Service was jolted awake by the urgent ringing of her phone. She fumbled for it in the darkness of her bedroom. 

“Collins,” she answered, her voice rough with sleep. 

“Agent Collins, we have a Code Black. Repeat, Code Black,” came the terse voice of her superior, Director Thompson. 

Sarah sat bolt upright, fully awake now. Code Black meant only one thing: the President was in danger. 

“What’s the situation, sir?” She asked, already moving to get dressed. 

“Gas explosion at the old Harley warehouse. The president was in a meeting at the basement level. We’ve lost contact.” 

Sarah’s mind raced. The president wasn’t supposed to be in Angelo City. What was going on? 

“I’m on my way, sir. ETA 10 minutes.” 

As Sarah sped through the empty streets, her radio crackled to life. 

“All units, be advised. This is a covert operation. The president’s presence is not to be disclosed under any circumstances. Maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary.” 

Sarah’s brow furrowed. The secrecy was unusual, even for a presidential visit. Something wasn’t adding up. 

She arrived at the scene to find it in chaos. Fire trucks were dousing the flames, while police held back a growing crowd of onlookers, Sarah flched her badgy and was immediately 

ushered through. 

Director Thompson was waiting for her, his face grim. “Collins, glad you’re here. We need our best on this.” 

“What’s the latest, sir?” Sarah asked as they hurned towards the command center. 

“We’ve managed to establish brief radio contact with the basement. The president is alive but trapped. We’re working on a rescue plan now.” 

They entered the makeshift command center, where a team of agents and rescue workers were huddled around blueprints of the building. 

“Listen up, people,” Thompson addressed the group. “We have a narrow window here. The structural integrity of the building is compromised. We need to get the president out ASAP.” 

A firefighter spoke up, “Sir, the main stairwell is blocked by debris. We’re looking at going in through the old service tunnel.” 

“Too risky,” another agent argued. “That tunnel hasn’t been used in years. It could collapse at any moment.” 

“It’s our best shot,” Sarah interjected, studying the blueprints. “If we can clear the entrance, a small team could make it through.” 

This mission was getting more complicated as time went on. But the tension on Agent Thompson’s face told her this was a big mission. 

The Dark Han 1 

Thompson nodded. “Alright, Collins. You’re leading the rescue team. Choose your people and. gear up. You have 5 minutes.” 

As Sarah assembled her team, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Why was the president meeting in an abandoned warehouse? And why all the secrecy? 

Five minutes later, Sarah and her team were at the entrance to the service tunnel. The air was thick with smoke and dust. 

“Alright, listen up,” Sarah addressed her team. “We go in fast and quiet. Our priority is extracting the president. No unnecessary risks. Clear?” 

A chorus of “Yes, ma’am” answered her. 

They entered the tunnel, their headlamps cutting through the darkness. The air grew thicker as they descended, and Sarah could hear the ominous creaking of stressed metal above them, 

Suddenly, their radios cracked to life. “This is Eagle. Can anyone hear me?” 

Sarah’s heart leapt. Eagle was the president’s code name. “This is Agent Collins, Secret Service. We hear you, Eagle. What’s your status?” 

“Trapped… can’t move…. air getting thin….” The president’s voice was weak, punctuated by coughing. 

“Hang on, sir. We’re almost there. Can you describe your surroundings?” 

“Dark… lots of debris… I think I’m under a desk. 

Sarah relayed the information to her team. They pushed forward, ignoring the increasing heat and the groaning of the building around them. 

Finally, they reached a partially collapsed door. Through the gap, Sarah could make out a figure huddled under a heavy wooden desk. 

“Mr. President!” she called out. “We’re here to get you out.” 

The figure stirred. “About damn time,” came a gruff voice that didn’t sound anything like the President Sarah knew. 

As her team worked to clear the debris, Sarah’s confusion grew. Something was very wrong here. 

Finally, they managed to create an opening large enough to reach the trapped man. As Sarah helped him out, she got her first clear look at his face. 

It wasn’t the President. 

The man was older, with a weathered face and cold, calculating eyes. He had burns on his skin but was otherwise okay. 

Sarah knew this building from classified briefings. This was the room of the suspected leader of the Dark Hand, one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the country. 

From the demeanor of the Dark Hand men who were protecting the president, he was their leader. 

“What the hell is going on?” Sarah demanded, her hand instinctively moving to her weapon. 

The man coughed, a wry smile on his face despite the circumstances. “Now, now, Agent. Is that any way to speak to your Commander in Chief?” 

Before Sarah could respond, Thompson’s voice came through on the radio. “Collins, report. Do you have the president?” 

Sarah hesitated, looking at the man who was decidedly not the President of the United States.” Sir, I… there’s been a mistake. This man isn’t-”