New Boss

After Ali's death, the man from the Organization simply turned and walked away, leaving behind a stunned silence. One by one, Ali and Rufi's men knelt before Diljeet, pledging their loyalty. "The Organization has chosen you as our new boss," one of them said. "Give us your orders, and we'll follow."

Diljeet, seizing the moment, spoke with authority, "First, I need those weapons I've been seeking."

Without hesitation, one of the men responded, "Then you shall have them." They led Diljeet, Kuljeet, and Anant to a convoy of trucks loaded with arms. As they prepared to leave, Diljeet turned to the men. "I need to return to Pakistan to supply these weapons in Punjab, India. That's our priority. Afterward, we'll establish a new base near the Indo-Pak border." He then pointed at one of the men, "Aslam, you were Rufi's right-hand man. Come with me and give me all the details of your syndicate."

"As you wish, boss," Aslam replied, his voice steady.

With that, they began their journey back to Pakistan, the cars and weapon-laden trucks moving in formation. Inside one of the cars, Anant couldn't contain his curiosity. "What is this Organization? How does it work? I mean, one man just stepped out of a helicopter, killed Ali in front of his own men, and then declared you our leader, and they all agreed without question."

Kuljeet, shocked by Anant's ignorance, retorted, "You're part of the Organization and you don't even know who they are? No wonder you're such a fool, you dumb fuck."

Diljeet laughed, amused by the tension between the two, as Anant lunged at Kuljeet, his frustration boiling over. Diljeet leaned back in his seat, his gaze distant as he began to speak. "No one knows when the Organization was founded, or how it all began. And honestly, I don't know much more than that. It's shrouded in secrecy. We don't know who gives us orders, who that man was who killed Ali, or who sits at the top."

Anant's brow furrowed with concern. "Then what do we know about them?"

Diljeet sighed, his voice lowering as he explained, "What we do know is that there are 31 members who rule the Organization. They're from different countries, and when one of them dies, they choose someone from below—someone like you or me—to take their place. But there's a catch: they test you. If you fail, you're dead. If you pass, you're at the top. But even those 31 don't know each other's identities. Each one runs their operations in their own country."

He paused, then continued, "There's a figure known as the Middle Man. The 31 send their orders to him—every decision, every vote on whether someone should live or die. The Middle Man communicates these decisions, and after each vote, he tells the 31 who voted for what. This way, he can't cheat. And it's the Middle Man who chooses the candidates to replace any of the 31 who fall. This role has been passed down within one family for over a century. When the Middle Man dies, his successor—be it a son, daughter, brother, or sister—takes over."

Anant, still trying to wrap his head around this, asked, "How do they recruit people like us?"

Diljeet replied, "They have recruiters who scout for potential members. In our case, it was Mother who brought us in. They recruit children or teenagers, train them, but give them very little information about the bigger picture. It's all based on behavior and loyalty. But make no mistake—the Organization controls all the black markets around the world. Anyone who dares to oppose them… they don't just kill them; they wipe out their entire bloodline."

Anant's face paled. "Why did they make you kill Rufi?"

Diljeet's voice grew colder. "The Organization wanted Rufi dead because he was starting to rebel, digging too deep into their secrets. He kidnapped and killed his own recruiter, thinking he could become bigger than the Organization. They offered me all of his business in exchange for his life. I was going to kill him whether he tried to kill you or not."

The car fell silent for a moment, the weight of Diljeet's words sinking in. Finally, Kuljeet spoke up, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Is there any way out of this?"

Diljeet nodded slowly. "You can apply for retirement through your recruiter at any time. Within three days, the Organization will decide if you're allowed to retire. If not, they'll give you a list of tasks you must complete first. After retirement, they'll provide you with a pension, armed protection if needed, and they promise never to harm your family. They give their word that your family will be safe, no matter what. So yeah… they've got pretty good retirement plans."

The gravity of the situation hung in the air, the car speeding through the night as they drove deeper into a world none of them could escape.