Chapter 40: Offended God

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Henry and his team worked diligently to load all the cocoa powder into the car. Once everything was loaded, they departed quickly, leaving the dock dark and silent once more.

The only sounds were the constant crashing of ocean waves.

Back at the new base, everyone eagerly gathered around the coffee table, which held a suitcase full of brand-new hundred-dollar bills.

"Boss, I've counted it. There's a total of $300,000," Sean reported excitedly.

The others were thrilled. This haul meant a substantial profit.

Hardy wasted no time and immediately instructed the distribution of the money.

"Set aside $90,000 to pay the gang."

Sean quickly counted out ninety thousand dollars and set it aside. According to his arrangement with Siegel, the division was three to seven, with $90,000 going to Siegel.

Sean and Henry were unaware of Hardy's private agreement with Siegel. Hardy felt it was unnecessary to inform them of every detail; it was simpler and more satisfying to manage the money himself.

"Divide the remaining $210,000 among the rest. Each of you will get $13,000, and Sean will handle the distribution," Hardy directed.

In no time, each member of the team was holding a substantial amount of cash. The remaining $105,000 was Hardy's share.

Henry inquired, "What about the cocoa powder?"

The shipment was significant, totaling 500 kilograms, or 500 bags. 

Hardy calculated quickly: $300,000 for 500 kilograms means $0.60 per gram. However, on the street, a gram could sell for $4 or $5, especially if supplies were scarce.

Despite the high potential profits, Hardy was reluctant to enter the drug trade.

"Find a secure place to hide it. It might come in handy later," Hardy decided.

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Meanwhile, Dani sat in his office, a cigar in his mouth, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already 1:30 a.m. 

He frowned, concerned. Transactions usually took only half an hour. Where was Burstein?

Unable to remain idle, he instructed his bodyguards, "John, Walter, take some men to the dock and find out why Burstein hasn't returned."

"Understood, boss."

The two bodyguards drove to the pier and were shocked by the scene: the dock was littered with corpses and blood. All the Spanish gang members, including Burstein, were dead. There were also several dark-skinned men, presumed to be Colombians.

"Get back and inform the boss immediately."

The two hurried back and reported to Dani, "Boss, it's bad. Burstein is dead, and so are all the men who went to the transaction."

Dani stood up, alarmed. 

"What happened?!" Dani demanded.

"All we found were the bodies on the dock. Burstein was among them, and there seemed to be some Colombians involved."

"And the goods? The money?"

"We didn't find either."

"Is there a boat at the dock?"

"No."

Dani and his men rushed to the dock. They saw the same scene reported by the bodyguards: Burstein and his men were dead, $300,000 was missing, and the cocoa powder was gone.

Had the Colombians betrayed them?

They had done business with the Colombians for years without incident. What went wrong this time?

Dani roared in frustration, "What's going on? What happened?"

The only responses were the cold night wind and the sound of waves.

After some time, Dani composed himself and ordered, "Clear the dock immediately. We need to handle this quickly before others find the bodies and the police get involved."

His men moved swiftly, loading the bodies onto a truck, including those of the Colombians. They worked to hide the large bloodstains as best they could, with dawn approaching and fishermen arriving. Dani led his team away as quickly as possible.

Back in the office, Dani's frustration mounted. The loss was substantial—his most reliable subordinate, Burstein, was dead, along with $300,000. The Spanish gang had already suffered from a recent casino robbery, and this was a severe blow.

He wanted to make up for the loss with the cocoa powder, but now that was gone too. The next drug deal was jeopardized, and their other businesses were struggling.

Dani felt as though he had offended God and was being punished.

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As dawn broke, Dani was exhausted and anxious, unable to sleep. His irritation was compounded by the realization that Sanders, a manager of one of their model companies, had also disappeared with $13,000.

Dani roared into the phone, "Find that bastard Sanders, get the money back, and then bury him alive!"

After slamming the phone down, Dani took deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

John returned in the afternoon with disappointing news: "Sorry, boss. We searched thoroughly but found no clues, no Colombians, and no answers."

Dani clenched his fists. "Continue searching. I refuse to believe there are no leads!" he shouted.

John nodded and left to resume the search.

Dani slumped into his chair. Without Burstein, managing the gang's affairs would be challenging. Training a new strategist was no easy task. The failed drug transaction, the lost money, and the disrupted future drug business left the Spanish Gang in a precarious situation.

Was he truly cursed? 

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