The dim lights illuminated Layla's frail figure, but her mind was elsewhere, tapping furiously at the table as she recalled the last intel she had collected. The walls were closing in on her and she was a step away from figuring what comes next. In her mind, the pieces of Kamal's empire were starting to make sense, but with every step she took in attempting to solve the puzzle, the journey became increasingly perilous. There were shadowy figures who lurked—people ready to do everything in their power to ensure that Kamal's secrets remained hidden.
It was clear what needed to be done: Shred every single piece of evidence, and Kamal's control on her would be revealed. But of course, Layla could not do this alone. There had to be people willing to collaborate with her for the sole purpose of getting Kamal down. And very few people were as trustworthy as they came. Mistakes weren't an option, and it was a harsh domain when it came to high stakes poker.
In a whisper, Layla said, "I think it's time we take the next step," while turning towards Irfan, who had been quietly watching her directly in front of her with intense focus.
Irfan nodded regarding the issue with concern. "Are you absolutely certain you are prepared for this? This will not be easy, Layla. Kamal has eyes on everything."
"I'm aware," was Layla's answer. The tension that was plaguing her thoughts did not show on her voice. "But if we don't act now, Kamal will have power beyond comprehension. We can't afford to sit idle anymore."
"Yeah, okay. So what's the plan?" asked Irfan, leaning back in his chair with arms folded.
Sighing, Layla began walking up and down while explaining the new phase of the plan. "We should concentrate on people who are good to Kamal but are ready to revolt against him. Those who can access the inner circle. If we manage to convince them that all of his subjects are boxchose in his empire, we might convince them."
"I'm not sure I follow," said Irfan curiously on his raised eyebrow. "But how can we accomplish that? Kamal isn't exactly the sort of fellow that people want to cross. You know how he deals with dissenters."
Approaching them directly isn't going to work. We need leverage. Something they can't refuse. Something that Kamal can't protect them from."
Irfan nodded in silence and processed everything that was being said. "So the plan is to collect intel and determine the weak links and make them pawns in our strategy?"
"Correct," Layla explained. "But we have to proceed with caution. A single mistake could jeopardize everything."
Ayham's expression was puzzled as she noted the new information. The motivation behind the change in the plan is arguably the most desperate group of people to have white scars or no empathy at all. They're the ones who are familiar with the most deprived truths: those whom the true kept secrets his lie in guarded."
This is why they want to kill the guards and Layla, because she's the only one capable of such artistic self-restraint, must want to properly disguise her actions.
She faced Irfan once more. "Let's begin by contacting someone I have in mind. A past colleague of Kamal's. She severed connections a few months back, but I'm not certain how completely she's out of his reach yet. I need to speak to her and find out if she's willing to assist."
Irfan's expression softened slightly, but still remained tense. "Are you positive that's a good idea? You can't trust anyone who has been close to Kamal. She may simply be trying to exploit your goodwill for her gain."
Layla's voice was steady as she spoke. "I don't have a choice, Irfan. I explored every possibility, but we are running out of time."
"Like I said, we cannot afford to waste time," Irfan interjected. "If she's as disillusioned as I think she is, then we do stand a chance, but I'll be careful. I'll ensure she's no attempting to pull the wool over my eyes."
Irfan continued to look uneasy despite appearing to accept the situation. "Kamal's inner circle will always be a danger zone for you, so proceed with caution. Once you go down that path, there's no turning back."
As she listened to her brother, she felt the weight of the family's struggles yet clearly knew there was only one option to embrace. After all, Kamal, a Kamal whom had single-handedly decimated everything she and her family held dear, was to be dealt with.
And if she didn't intervene, if she didn't act first, someone else would heroically succeed in exposing him- and he would continue his passive, bloodless slaughter of people's lives.
"I know, Irfan," she whispered. "But we have no option. Kamal's empire dies today. And I will be the one to destroy it."
She knew what the agenda was, and surely enough, it was awaiting her too, so as her associate for meeting with the last-minute prep, she thought of the explicit life-threatening risks that were coming forth. Releasing one's guard even for a moment would cost too much. They had turned over every single leaf to place Kamal at the apex, and were ready to battle anything for him. But Layla prepared for the worst, confident in her abilities to handle her challenges.
It was a whole hatred beside the suffocating precision bias of truth telling. Kamal was now an omnipresent threat, no longer a guy whose heinous deeds would be exposed. Rather head on violence filled him dizzyingly nightmarish with. And she would make sure that those ruling him, crazy ableists in evasive erasure under the masked floor—got freedom, balled closer to it as an outcome forcing him dead by her means.