"How do we know they'll come?" President Mark asked.
"They trust me," Ariella said. "I'll make sure they come."
"And you?" Mark asked. "Where will you be?"
"By your side," Ariella said. "To guide you."
"Good," Mark said. "We end this tonight."
"Tonight," Ariella said. "The final act."
"Arrest them!" Mark said, rage in his voice. "All of them! Justice!"
"Careful," Ariella said. "No mistakes. No martyrs."
"Right," Mark said, calmer. "What now?"
"Kael is bait," Ariella said. "We use him."
"Bait?" Mark asked.
"Yes," Ariella said. "He thinks we don't know. He leads us to the others."
"Risky," Mark said.
"Effective," Ariella said. "A trap. We catch them all."
"Fine," Mark said. "But tell me everything."
"Of course," Ariella said.
She then made Mark more alone. Hurt his allies. Made them look bad.
He got it. Why the secrets. Not ego. Not power. Real care for the nation. A better world. The Silent Influencer. Happy in the shadows. Her power unseen.
"You're amazing," Samuel said, in a hidden message.
"Just doing my job," Ariella sent back.
"More than that," Samuel sent. "You're saving us all."
"We're saving us all," Ariella sent. "Together."
"What's next?" Kan asked, looking at Samuel's screen.
"We wait," Samuel said. "For her signal."
"What signal?" Kan asked.
"The signal that Mark is trapped," Samuel said. "The signal to move."
"And when will that be?" Kan asked.
"Soon," Samuel said. "Very soon."
Back in Mark's office, Ariella smiled. "They're coming," she said to herself. "Right into the trap."
Sound of hushed whispers and hurried footsteps,
"They're on their way," Ariella said, her voice barely a whisper, the coded message flashing on Samuel's screen.
Samuel's eyes narrowed. "Confirmed?"
"Confirmed," came the reply. "Kael took the bait. They're all gathering at the old armory, just like we planned."
Kan leaned in, his face tense. "And Mark? Where is he?"
"He's moving now," Ariella sent. "He thinks he's in control, thinks he's walking into a trap of his design."
Sound of a distant siren, growing louder
Samuel Worried. "He's bringing in heavy security. This could get messy."
"Messy is good," Ariella sent. "Messy creates chaos. Chaos makes them vulnerable."
"He's paranoid," Kan muttered. "He'll shoot first, ask questions later."
"That's why we control the narrative," Samuel said, tapping at his tablet. "We make him see what we want him to see."
"General Kael to all units, we are in position. Awaiting the President's arrival."
Ariella's fingers danced across the keyboard. "He's taking the bait. Now we set the snare."
"What did you do?" Kan asked, his voice tight.
"I just sent Mark a little reminder," Ariella replied, her voice laced with a dangerous calm. "A coded message, disguised as a security alert. It suggests Kael is armed and ready to strike."
Sound of heavy boots marching, then a door slamming open
"He's here," Samuel said, his voice low.
"Then it begins," Ariella sent. "The final act."
Sound of shouting
"What was that?" Kan asked, his eyes wide.
"Sounds of loud news reports, angry voices, and far-off protests".
,Samuel answered, his voice grim.
"People are angry soldiers won't listen government leaders are quitting"
Kan spoke, his voice serious. "Things are changing fast. The soldiers are unsure. They saw what Mark did. It's too much."
A beep sound, a message coming in.
Samuel typed quickly. "Ariella says government people are leaving. They're saying Mark is wrong. The pressure is huge."
"Good," Kan said. "We need to keep going. The soldiers are key. If they say no, he's done."
Sounds of many people yelling together, far away.
"What's that?" Samuel asked, looking at his screen.
"People in the streets," Kan said. "They want answers. They want change."
A phone rings. Samuel answers.
Samuel spoke, his voice tight. "A soldier's leader is calling. They'll speak to the public. They want Mark to quit."
"Great," Kan said. "Things are falling apart for him. Ariella, what's happening there?"
Sounds of typing, then Ariella's voice.
"The government is breaking. Important people are saying Mark is wrong. They want an emergency meeting. They're ready to act."
Sounds of a helicopter landing nearby.
"Mark is moving," Samuel said, watching his screen. "He's trying to get people to help him. He's desperate."
"Too late," Kan said. "He's lost. We're in charge now."
Sounds of people talking quietly, quickly.
Ariella spoke, her voice low. "He's calling people who still like him. He's giving them jobs, promising to keep them safe."
"He's trying anything," Samuel said. "He doesn't know he's alone."
They're fighting," Ariella said.
"He's turning them against each other, just like we planned."
"But what about Kael?" Kan asked. "He was supposed to be our inside man."
"Kael is playing his part," Samuel said. "He's the catalyst. He's the reason Mark is acting so rashly."
Sounds of a news report, a shocked voice.
"Soldiers have surrounded the palace they want the President to give up"
Kan spoke, his voice angry. "He's trapped. He can't escape."
Sounds of quiet, then a security camera turning on.
Samuel spoke, his voice hard. "He's locked himself in the control room. He has guns. He's dangerous."
"He's trapped," Ariella said. "Trapped animals are dangerous."
Sounds of a voice, loud and upset.
"They're stealing my power, they're traitors all of them", President Mark shouted,
"He's crazy," Kan said. "He doesn't know what's real anymore."
Sounds of a gunshot, then silence.
"What was that?" Samuel asked.
"Ariella," Samuel said, his voice urgent. "Get Kael out of there. Now."
Sounds of someone talking quickly, scared.
Kan spoke, his voice strong. "We stop him now. Kael please take him down."
Sounds of big explosion, then silence.
"What happened?" Samuel asked, quiet.
"Samuel asked again, 'Kael, are you there?' Silence stretched, heavy and thick, before Kael finally answered, his voice strained, 'Yeah. I've stopped him. I've arrested President Mark.
Sounds of static, then Ariella's voice, calm.
"He's stopped. Mark is no longer a problem."
Sounds of people breathing in relief, then cheering far away.
"It's over," Kan said, tired but happy. "We did it."
Sounds of a slow countdown, from ten.
Samuel spoke, worried. "Ariella, what's that sound?"
Ariella spoke, her voice strange. "That is the start of what comes next."