Chapter 93: Trap
The evidence was there, offshore accounts, encrypted messages, all pointing to Singh. But even with all that, it was still difficult to believe.
Neeraj walked in, quiet as always. "Sir, the surveillance is up and running. Rao's team is watching everything. If Amar Singh does anything suspicious, we'll know."
Rohan nodded. "Good. We can't let him know we're onto him until we have everything we need."
Neeraj took a seat. "Rao and Atma are ready to act as soon as we have enough proof. But we have to be careful. If we push too hard, Singh might catch on."
Rohan rubbed his forehead. "I know. That's what worries me. We can't afford any mistakes."
They sat silently for a moment. Then Rohan spoke again. "We need to set a trap. Feed him some false information and see how he reacts. If he bites, we'll know we're on the right track."
Neeraj nodded, thinking it over. "I'll have Rao create something believable something that will make him act. But it needs to be subtle, nothing obvious."
"Do it," Rohan said. "We're running out of time. If we wait too long, we might be dealing with a bigger problem."
Later that day, Rohan met with Rao and Atma to finalize the plan. The room was tense, everyone focused.
Rao spoke first. "We've created some fake intelligence. It suggests there's a new investigation into the coup, something that could implicate other officials. We'll leak it through a secure channel that only a few people have access to, including Amar Singh. If he reacts, we'll know."
Atma leaned forward. "This is risky, Prime Minister. If Singh figures out it's a trap, he could cover his tracks or disappear. We might lose him for good."
"I know it's risky," Rohan replied. "But we have to try. We can't just sit back and wait."
Neeraj added, "And what if he doesn't react? What if he's smarter than we think?"
"Then we keep digging," Rohan said. "But we have to move forward. We're too close to stop now."
With the plan in place, Rao and Atma left to get it started. Rohan and Neeraj stayed behind, knowing there was no turning back.
The next few days were filled with nervous anticipation. Rao's team kept a close watch, looking for any sign that Amar Singh would take the bait. Every time a report came in, Rohan hoped it would be the breakthrough they needed.
Finally, late one evening, Neeraj came into Rohan's office with news. "We've got something."
Rohan sat up. "What is it?"
Neeraj handed him a file. "Amar Singh accessed the fake intelligence. Not only that, but he sent it to an encrypted account we've been tracking for months. It's the same account linked to the offshore payments."
Rohan scanned the file quickly. "So he took the bait."
"He did," Neeraj confirmed. "And it looks like he's been in contact with at least two other officials. We're tracking those connections now."
Rohan felt a sense of urgency. "We need to move fast. If he realizes we're onto him, he'll try to vanish. We can't let that happen."
Neeraj nodded. "I'll get Rao and Atma moving. We'll bring in those officials for questioning, see what we can find out."
"Keep it quiet," Rohan warned. "We don't want anyone getting scared and running."
Neeraj left to set things in motion, and Rohan leaned back, feeling a bit of relief. They were closer than they had been. But there was still a lot to do.
----
The next morning, Rohan got a call from the President's office. President Naveen wanted to see him.
The timing made Rohan uneasy was it just a routine meeting, or did the President know something?
Rohan arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, his mind full of questions. As he entered the President's office, Naveen greeted him with a smile, but Rohan could sense something was up.
"Prime Minister, thanks for coming on short notice," President Naveen said, motioning for him to sit.
"Of course, Mr. President," Rohan replied, sitting down. "What can I do for you?"
Naveen leaned back, thinking. "There's been talk about renewed investigations into the coup. I wanted to hear from you if there's anything I should be concerned about."
Rohan chose his words carefully. "We've found some new leads we're following up on, but it's still early. We're being careful not to cause any unnecessary panic."
The President's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see. Sir as you know how important stability is right now. If there's something serious, I hope to be informed."
Rohan nodded. "I understand, Mr. President. If we uncover anything significant, you'll be the first to know."
Naveen looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. I trust your judgment, Prime Minister and as always your commitment towards the country's stability come first."
"Always," Rohan replied with a small smile.
As Rohan left the President's office, his mind was racing. The President's concern felt too coincidental.
Was he just being cautious, or did he know more than he was letting on? Rohan couldn't shake the feeling that the conversation was more than it seemed.
Back at his office, Rohan briefed Neeraj on his meeting with the President. "I'm not sure what to make of it," Rohan said. "He seemed worried, but there was something else. I can't figure it out."
Neeraj frowned. "Do you think he knows about the trap?"
"It's possible," Rohan said slowly. "Or maybe he's just trying to stay in control. Either way, we need to be extra careful. If word gets out, it could ruin everything."
Neeraj nodded. "We'll tighten security on the investigation. Only the people who need to know will be involved."
Rohan agreed. "Good. We can't afford any leaks now."
----
The operation to bring in the officials went smoothly, but the interrogations were tough. The officials refused to admit anything, sticking to their stories.
Rohan spent hours watching from behind the glass as Rao and Atma's teams questioned them, but they offered little more than denials and well-practiced answers.
Frustration was building, but Rohan knew he had to stay calm. They were dealing with people who knew how to protect themselves. But Rohan also knew that everyone slips up eventually. It was just a matter of time.
As the day went on, Neeraj entered the observation room where Rohan was watching the interrogations. "They're not going to crack easily," he said quietly.
"I know," Rohan replied, still watching the officials. "But we're not giving up. We'll keep them here, keep pushing. Sooner or later, they'll make a mistake."
Neeraj nodded, looking worried. "And what about Amar Singh? What do we do with him?"
Rohan sighed, leaning back. "We keep him under close watch, but we don't confront him yet. If he's involved, he might still lead us to the mastermind. But if he's innocent…"
"We need to clear his name," Neeraj finished.
"Exactly," Rohan said, tired but determined. "This isn't over yet."
As Neeraj left the room, Rohan turned back to the interrogations. The officials were still holding out, but Rohan could see the cracks starting to show. It was only a matter of time before one of them slipped up.
And when they did, Rohan would be ready.
The trap was set, and now it was a waiting game. But as Rohan watched the officials behind the glass, he couldn't shake the feeling that the real mastermind was still out there, watching them all and waiting for the right moment to strike.
And until they found that person, the danger wasn't over.
The next day, Rohan called a meeting with Neeraj, Rao, and Atma. They gathered in his office, everyone knew how high the stakes were.
"We need to keep pressing these officials," Rohan began. "They're holding out, but they can't keep it up forever. Sooner or later, they'll slip."
Rao nodded. "We're applying pressure, but we're doing it carefully. We don't want to push too hard and give them a reason to shut down completely."
"Agreed," Neeraj added. "We need to stay patient, but we also need to be ready to move when the time comes."
Rao nodded. "Understood. We'll keep the surveillance tight and see what Amar does next."
Neeraj added, "We'll keep the pressure on the others too. One of them is bound to crack."
Rohan glanced around the room, feeling the weight of the situation. "We're close, but we can't afford any mistakes. Stay focused, and keep me updated on every development."
The team agreed and left the room, leaving Rohan alone with his thoughts. The trap was set, and now, it was just a matter of waiting to see who would fall into it.
(Everything is coming together, The mastermind will finally show his tail)