As the chubby man stood before him, shoulders heaving in fury, Karl felt a flicker of real fear, not because of the man's size, but because of his sway. Physically, Karl could take him down without breaking a sweat. But this was a man whose power extended far beyond the reach of his fists. With a single phone call, the whole world could turn on Karl in an instant, and the fear of that was palpable.
"Run that by me, one more time."
Karl's heart skipped a beat. He knew better than to lose his cool, but the boss's words were a threat, loaded with the kind of casual menace that set his nerves on edge.
"We had three units on him and the asset. That should've been more than enough, given what we're working with. But the comms went dead, and we found mauled bodies in the forest. Both assets are missing. We've sent dozens of men out in the last few hours. No sign of them."
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The man's face was a stone mask, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath, like he was holding himself back from losing control.
Then, in a heartbeat, his voice shattered the calm, sharp and venomous.
"And how fucking hard is it to find a former alcoholic and a fucking dog?" His voice broke into a growl. "Find out where they went. They couldn't have gotten far. Get me my animal. NOW."
Karl's stomach twisted, his mind racing to keep pace with the sudden shift. The man was a live wire, one wrong word and he could snap. "Yes, sir," he forced out, feeling the weight of that threat settle heavy on his chest.