4 The president's panic over his daughter

The atmosphere at the President's house was chaotic. The President sat and stared at the laptop screen in front of him, watching the video of the car carrying Paula exploding. Strangely, there was no trace of Paula's body, prompting the President to deploy all his personnel to find his daughter.

"Sir, the school's CCTV seems to have been hacked. We can't find any footage showing who Miss Paula left the school with," one of the President's IT team reported.

"Quickly deploy everyone to find her! Broadcast it across all media," the President ordered angrily.

All the President's guards were mobilized to search for Paula, combing through every small town in America. Even secret agents were sent to other countries in the search for Paula.

After several days of fruitless searching, the President did not give up and continued to deploy his secret agents to find his only daughter.

"Sir, we will do our best to find your daughter," said Xander, a secret government agent assigned directly by the President.

"Send your men to Russia. I suspect the mafia there has kidnapped her," the President said. He had many enemies due to his controversial policies.

"Sorry, Sir. So far, the kidnappers haven't demanded a ransom for your daughter. Are you sure the Russian mafia is behind this?" Xander asked to confirm. The trusted agent was hitting a dead end in the search for Paula.

"You're right, but... I'm sure my daughter was kidnapped by the mafia. But why would they kidnap Paula without demanding a ransom?" The President massaged his throbbing forehead, overwhelmed with useless information about his daughter.

Xander mobilized all his men to find Paula. Shortly after, he left the President's office to resume the search.

"I'll be going now, Sir. We will inform you immediately if we find any information about your daughter," Xander said, bowing slightly before leaving the room.

"Yes, I'll be waiting for your news!" The President hoped his men would bring Paula back safely.

Xander walked to the door, hiding his sly smile from the President and the two guards there. How could the President find his daughter when the person he commanded was a secret agent of the Camorra, one of Hunt's subordinates?

*

Candy was annoyed, driven mad by Paula's spoiled behavior. The President's daughter always gave orders around. Not just Candy, Gary was also frustrated.

"Uncle, I want European food! Serve it to me for dinner," Paula said, crossing her arms. Her face showed irritation from her hunger and desire for a specific meal.

"You're just a little girl, daring to raise your voice at me like that! You have no right to order me around. If you don't want to eat the dinner provided, then you won't eat until tomorrow morning!" Gary snapped, filled with anger at Paula's behavior.

Hearing Gary's harsh words, Paula just clicked her tongue in annoyance and locked herself in her room. Gary didn't care, but unfortunately, when he reported this to Hunt, he got a scolding from Hunt.

"I'm tired of taking care of that baby here! I'll take her to Sala Silvermine tonight after dinner!" Gary said on the phone, connected to Hunt on the other end.

"If she dies of starvation, you'll be the one I blame, and I'll make you pay for it," Hunt replied casually, knowing Gary wouldn't refuse his orders.

"If only you knew how that child behaves, you'd point your Barrett at her head yourself." Gary challenged Hunt to deal with Paula's spoiled behavior. This time, Hunt responded seriously.

"Get her here quickly, use a disguise. Have Candy do what she usually does!" Hunt sounded impatient with Gary's complaints about Paula being difficult to control.

"Fine, you jerk!" Gary gripped his phone tightly, resisting the urge to destroy something nearby.

The phone call ended, and Gary was even more annoyed with Hunt. He knocked on Paula's door, opening it slowly to see her reading a book inside.

"Dinner is ready, come down and eat your food!" Gary said without looking directly at Paula. If it weren't for Hunt, he wouldn't be doing this right now.

Paula didn't respond, but she moved towards the door. They headed to the dining room for dinner.

When they reached the dining room, Paula's eyes widened at the sight of European dishes on the table. She ran to the table and sat down. Candy and Xander were already seated, ready to enjoy the meal.

"Uncle, you're so kind. Thank you," Paula said, savoring the aroma of the delicious and appetizing food before her.

Paula's words made Xander laugh loudly. How could he not, Paula calling Gary 'uncle' was hilarious.

"Shut up, or I'll blow your brains out," Gary said, pointing his Barrett at Xander. The middle-aged man was struggling to contain himself in front of everyone, feeling foolish being ordered around by a girl.

"Calm down, Gary. You're scaring the girl." Xander knew Gary well, even though they had different tasks, they always met when summoned by Hunt.

"I want to eat in peace. If you want to shoot each other, leave my sight!" Candy snapped, annoyed by the two men before her.

Eventually, they sat down and started eating. The only sounds were the clinking of plates and spoons. Even Paula appeared calm as she ate.

After dinner, Gary told Paula to follow Candy to her room. Candy would disguise Paula so she wouldn't be recognized by the other secret agents sent by the President.

"Candy, why are you disguising me?" Paula asked curiously.

"Hunt wants to meet you soon. We're going to Redwood tonight," Candy explained as she applied makeup to Paula's face.

"Hmm, can you tell me about Hunt?" Paula seemed curious about the man who wanted her.

"Hmm, you'll see him soon. You can judge for yourself later." Candy couldn't explain much, as she always got annoyed discussing Hunt with newcomers. Hunt's demeanor differed significantly between new acquaintances and those close to him, which Candy didn't want to elaborate on.

After two hours of disguising Paula, they were ready to leave the luxurious house. Paula wore the clothes Candy had prepared, completely transforming her appearance.

Xander drove his car ahead to ensure the route was clear. Candy, Gary, and Paula followed in a black minibus. They set off ten minutes after Xander.

"Uncle," Paula called, smiling at Gary who stood by the car door.

"Stop calling me uncle!" Gary snapped, annoyed by the nickname.

"Then what should I call you?" Paula asked, looking scared but still trying to address Gary properly.

"Whatever!" Gary and Candy finally got into the car and sat quietly.

Paula clicked her tongue. During the drive, she chose to look out the window rather than pay attention to the stern man next to her.

The journey was long, and Paula seemed bored. Occasionally, she hummed or tried to talk to Gary or Candy, who ignored her completely.

"Do you want a mint?" Candy suddenly asked, offering a pack of mint-flavored candy.

"Yes," Paula replied briefly.

Candy gave Paula the mint. It didn't take long for Paula to put it in her mouth. After a few seconds, she felt dizzy and suddenly sleepy. She leaned against the car door and closed her eyes.

"Gary, they've been following us for a few blocks. What should we do?" Candy asked, pulling out her shotgun and Barrett.

"Aiden, open the sunroof. I'll give them a little play," Gary said with a grin.

The man emerged through the sunroof, only to be met with a barrage of gunfire. "Damn it! You really want to die," Gary cursed as a bullet nearly hit his head.

Gary aimed his Barrett at the mafioso driver and fired. The loud gunshot made Gary duck back into the car to check on Paula.

"Relax, the girl won't wake up. The drug I gave her will keep her asleep for the next two days," Candy explained with a grin.

"Damn it!" Gary sat back down after ensuring no one was following them. He pulled out his phone and called Hunt.

"What's up?" Hunt's voice sounded irritated as his activities were interrupted.

"Someone's following us!" Gary reported.

"Take another route! Where's Xander?" Hunt asked about Xander, responsible for the security of their journey.

"He's ahead, seems like the President's secret agents are slowing him down on the way to Sala Silvermine," Gary updated Hunt about their journey and Xander's delay.

"Where's my woman?" Hunt asked about Paula.

"She's asleep. Candy gave her a sleeping pill," Gary explained Paula's condition.

"Damn you all!" Hunt ended the call, leaving Gary frustrated.

"Damn old bachelor!" Gary muttered.

Candy chuckled, wanting to retort but refraining to avoid escalating the situation.

The car passed through Blank Forest, a forest owned by Hunt. As the name suggests, no one could track them through it. The forest also had a secret route leading to Redwood Forest, where Sala Silvermine was located.

They arrived at a garage hidden beneath an ancient tree, designed per Hunt's specifications. The sensor-equipped car triggered the tree to split, revealing a spacious garage.

"Where's my woman?" Hunt asked as Gary exited the car.

"Asleep," Gary replied curtly.

"I'll take her," Hunt said.

"Whatever, I need a rest." Gary walked away, ignoring Hunt's restrained anger. Candy offered to help Hunt.

"Leave! I'll take care of my woman myself!" Hunt snapped.

"Alright." Candy left with a scowl, muttering under her breath. She was nearly shot while bringing Paula, and Hunt, as usual, showed no concern beyond his desires.