In the Heart of Darkness

Chapter 61: Vengeance

The phone rang sharply in the dimly lit operations room of International Intelligence. Agent David picked up, his posture straightening at the distorted voice on the other end.

“There’s a man you’ve been hunting… Vincent Knight,” the voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. “He’s in Pakistan. Deserted warehouse, outskirts of Karachi. He won’t be there long.”

David’s pulse quickened. They’d been chasing Vincent across continents, his trail littered with victims of his trafficking network. “Who is this? How do you know—”

But the line went dead, the dial tone echoing ominously. David looked at his team. “Track the call.”

“Untraceable, sir. Bounced off multiple locations,” his technician replied, frustration evident.

David didn’t have time to ponder the source. He contacted headquarters. “I need a team in Karachi, now. We’ve got a lead on Knight.”

---

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Kardar stood by the window of his high-rise office, phone still in hand, gaze fixed on the city lights sprawling beneath him. His reflection stared back, cold and calculating. He knew the call would set things in motion. Exactly as he had planned.

He slipped the phone into his pocket, his expression hardening. Vincent thought he could hide, thought the world would protect him. But Ibrahim had learned patience through pain, through the nights he spent searching, never resting until he found the monster who shattered his life.

“Your end begins now,” he muttered, turning away from the window, his face devoid of any softness.

---

The Karachi night was eerily silent when black-clad intelligence officers surrounded the warehouse. David was on-site, leading the operation. His team moved swiftly, positioning themselves with military precision.

Thermal scans showed a single heat source inside. “He’s alone,” one officer whispered, his eyes glued to the monitor.

David gave the signal. “Move in. Caution—he’s dangerous.”

They breached the door, the old metal creaking under pressure. The room was dark, shadows stretching along the cracked concrete walls. A single figure stood in the center—Vincent Knight, unarmed, his hands raised.

“You finally found me,” Vincent’s voice was calm, a smug grin on his face. It didn’t sit right with David. Why wasn’t he resisting?

“On your knees! Hands behind your head!”

Vincent didn’t move, he was happy thinking they will save from Ibrahim and put him into dungeon from where he can escape later on. His eyes flicked to the corners of the room. David followed his gaze, spotting faint blinking lights—small, red, and rapidly blinking. His stomach dropped. “Bombs! Everyone out, now!”

The team scrambled for the exit as explosions ripped through the building, flames consuming the interior. The shockwave threw them to the ground outside, debris raining down. But none of them were harmed. David’s heart pounded as he realized—no casualties, no damage beyond the warehouse. It was trap.

“Sir, it is a trap. He is trying hard to save himself,” one officer murmured, dusting himself off.

David’s jaw tightened. “Maybe one of his man bailed on him and he knew we’d retaliate.” His radio buzzed, an urgent voice crackling through. “Orders from headquarters. Knight is hostile. Engage. Eliminate on sight.”

David didn’t hesitate. “Launch the grenade. Finish this.”

They fired, the missile soaring through the shattered window. It detonated inside, the explosion obliterating the warehouse, sending a fireball into the night sky. The ground shook, and the air grew heavy with smoke and ashes.