Freeman opened his laptop the moment he got back to his room. His head was spinning. He couldn’t believe that one of the crypto wallets got hacked. He had checked the code multiple times. He even created a test network so he could test it. Many would-be attackers tried, but no one could brute force their way into the wallet. There was another possibility that frightened him. The decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, that he had set up to allow members of the cabal to vote on targets and create assignments for the hunters. An icy sensation enveloped him and his face went slack as the realization of a bigger threat emerged.

I need to check that code.

Freeman carefully set up his VPN connections and secured his connection to the dark web. It was time to get a little help from his friends—if they would still talk to him. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, he recognized a familiar call sign. A pounding noise came from his door, and Freeman jumped in surprise. He opened the door; a mobster known as Gratzano gave him a cold stare.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Mr. Chen said I had an hour, I still have—”

Gratzano pushed Freeman, who stumbled and caught himself before he fell.

“Now listen to me, pencil neck. I want you to find out what happened to the cabal’s funds.” The mobster waved a silver gun in Freeman’s face. “And pronto, got it?”

Freeman nodded as the man pulled up a chair. Freeman didn’t move for a long moment.

“Go ahead. You have thirty-seven minutes by my count, so you better get a move on,” Gratzano said.

The mobster appeared to be settling in. He took a cigarette out and lit it, but the gun never wavered.