The night is late and Layla can feel the weight of the hour upon her. Her heartbeat quickened with every step. As deep as the night was, everything had changed. She arranged a meeting with a person that could help her dismantle Kamal for good. All of this was in motion, but things had changed, and the poker table had all chips at stake.
Months of painstaking work gathering intel, cracking Kamal's network, and meticulously mapping out a strategy were about to pay off. The only thing remaining was a single game-defining blunder. The last unchecked module was Kamal's empire called the Raven Project, and the final pieces were already in motion.She had made arrangements to meet someone she deemed safe—someone who belonged to Kamal's inner circles, but had since become estranged from the man's philosophies. This person was capable of obtaining information that could single-handedly dismantle everything Kamal had painstakingly built over the years. While Layla was unsure of how much information would be willingly disclosed, she had risked too much to obtain it. There was no way back to where she had started.
With every step taken, her anxiety levels were bound to rise. With the looming city lights, the alley where she awaited her meeting had turned increasingly dark. Unlike her previous encounters, fear was not the core instigator. Instead, this new type of anxiety stemmed from the immense possibility that everything she fought so diligently for was on the brink of coming to fruition - or utterly failing. The single moment where goals are either achieved or abandoned completely, was all set to be decided by her actions now.
The soft hum from the dim lights enabled her to spot the silhouette of the figure waiting at the designated meeting point, right around her corner. The outline was too recognizable, even from afar.
The figure crouched in the shadow remarked, "You're late," adding with a still but cautious tone.
Bizarrely, now it is clear that Layla is driven by intuition. "I have arrived and I am prepared," she stated, ready to continue the conversation. "Do you have the documents?"
The individual approached, carefully scanning the area. "I possess all the information you require, but first you must listen to me carefully," they spoke in a whisper. "It is no longer solely about Kamal. It is much more complex than that. The entities behind him – there's a whole network. You must tread wisely."
A shiver ran down Layla's spine. "What is it that you intend to communicate?" her question was raspy and born out of excitement.
The individual paused before approaching Layla. "Kamal's empire is built on manipulation, but even more lies beneath. The Raven Project is not only a corporate asset; it is also a weapon, and it is not only Kamal who seeks it."
"It can't be other people who," Layla did not think straight. "Ah, who else is after the Raven Project? Who is collaborating with Kamal?"
"The details are blurry," the individual said while cautiously looking side to side. "What I do know is that the Project is bigger than anything you've conceptualized. Kamal has been using it to control whole industries, even some governments. And now… a new group. Those that hold far greater power than Kamal are now beginning to intervene. If you expose him, then you step into a battlefield for whic \substring{381}$}{8}$h you cannot prepare."
Kamal has clearly been working on this for far longer than most people have attached themselves to, she thought. People are ready to do anything to defend the work that lay under in the shadows. With the information, Layla was more ready than she had ever been. Everything has changed for me and it was not just revenge that was the goal. Now the situation is fundamentally different this happens to be a question of survival. She realized that she had been tangled into an existential game, a lose-lose one, and the worst part being that the stakes have grown ten-fold.
"Doesn't matter how large it is, Kamal has annihilated every single thing and I won't stop until he suffers payback for what he's done," said Layla with a chilling voice.
The person heaved a nod. "Look, I get it but there is a need for heads up." The شخص paused. "What do you mean 'heads up'? Leaving Kamal to fall is not something you accomplish alone. Let me explain. You will need people with appropriate resources, hands that can actually fight back, and no, not the like allies you've been depending on."
Layla started to shake her fists by the side of her waist. "I can do this without anyone else. I will do this myself."
"The person analyzing her expression said after a prolonged period of studying her intently. Searching for what, mantis? Laughs. Layla listen to me, do you actually think, sincerely think, you could take down a web of deep routed bureaucracy all on your lonesome? It's Kamal. You might think you know the distance his connections reach, but you are utterly deluded. He has people to cover borders you won't even fathom."
"I am not concerned with any repercussions," said Layla unwaveringly. "Before announcing the amount of damage I intend to expose him as someone who has no worth and will never be able to hurt individuals again."
"Dammit, it is your decision Shaw," the figure sounded a bit annoyed while receding back into the blackness, don't let them know everything. But this isn't a one sided story. A deviation from words spoken at the start will leave more impact than one from the plans discussed later."
"And if you're not careful, you'll be walking right into it."
"Kamal is not going to get this from me, this step towards him as a victor. I would do anything to kill that man," Zain laughed aloud to the point it brought tears to his eyes.
While he was wheezing with laughter, I gave him a barrage of counterarguments through my mind. The curses I had in reserve for the man never fell short.
Wipe away the teary eyes, take a deep breath, breathe out slowly and calm the heart rate. I focused on calming myself since the outcome of this scenario was my focus.
Certainly Zain, a man rich enough to undergo a custodian's future, laughs knowing that I'll have a chronic illness that's together the usual treatment taking out what little is left in my pockets.