304 Plummeting
In a sprawling mansion overlooking the Mediterranean, a group of Black Hand executives convened in a hidden conference room.
The atmosphere in the room was extremely tensed, and the tension was palpable. Frowns and creases painted the faces of everyone in the room.
Screens displayed the chaos erupting worldwide, from stock market plummets to burning effigies of corporate CEOs.
A screen was displaying a news channel broadcasting the protest going on outside the headquarter building of a major company.
"This is unacceptable!" barked Cortez, one of the member of the organization's core circle, the Dark Council. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Whoever did this has access to classified data. We've been compromised at the highest level. Who is the person that betrayed us?!" He bellowed and studied the looks on their faces, but he saw nothing.
The truth is that he knew that whoever leaked the information that's circulating outside isn't among the individuals gathered in the conference room.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way it was possible. They have too much to lose by leaking out such sensitive information.
If this is so, then how did such closely guarded and highly confidential information get out to the public? This was w question that no matter how much Cortez thought about it, he couldn't find an answer to it.
"Cortez, this isn't the time for us to be suspecting each other and fighting amongst ourselves. We need damage control.
We can't allow this to continue or things are bound to get worse," another of the executive said, her voice tight with frustration.
She's the owner of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and she's one of those who were deeply impacted by the information circulating.
Her company's stock has plummeting by the seconds and if nothing is done about it soon enough, she would have nothing.
Cortez completely agreed with Selena just said. This wasn't the time for infighting, it was time to take action and fix everything that has gone wrong and will ever go wrong.
"Damian, contact the media outlets we control, they will know what to do. Also, contact the social media companies' heads and tell them to flood the internet with counter-narratives. Make it look like these leaks are fabricated. And why we are at that, I want the source of this leak to be investigated."
Back in the mansion, the Dark Council reconvened to assess the damage.
"The counter-narratives are holding, but barely. Too many independent outlets are running with the leaks. We can't silence them all." Damian spoke first, his tone grim
"My company has lost 40% of its market value in less than 24 hours. Do you have any idea what that means?" Selena's voice trembled with barely restrained anger.
Cortez slammed his fist on the table again, silencing her. "Do you think I don't understand the stakes? We're all bleeding right now. But panicking won't solve anything. We need to focus."
Damian hesitated before speaking again. "There's something else. Our sources in law enforcement have reported that several governments are launching investigations. They're being pressured by the public."
Cortez's eyes narrowed. "Which governments?"
"The usual suspects—France, Germany, and surprisingly, even the United States. It seems the leaks have given the opposition parties enough leverage to push for action."
"Don't worry about that. The president of these countries won't allow anything to happen. They won't want to lose the immunity they have right now. We all are in his together.
Even though Cortez said that, he felt very uneasy inside. The Black Hand had weathered countless storms over the years, but this felt different.
The sheer scale of the leak, the global outrage, and the relentless coverage. It was all spiraling out of control.
For the first time in his life, Cortez felt what could be called fear.
"How did this happen?" he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "How did someone penetrate our defenses?"
Selena leaned forward, her voice low. "Whoever they are, they're not just lucky. They're strategic. They knew exactly where to hit us."
Cortez straightened, his fear replaced by icy determination. "Then we'll find them," he said.
"And when we do, we'll make an example out of them. No one crosses the Black Hand and lives to tell the tale."