The Baited Trap - Trade Wars, Secrets, and Monsters

CHAPTER ONE: I stumbled into a perilous game of espionage. Will I survive the mysterious puppeteer’s game?

Apr 25, 2025

Surrounded by strange faces, I sign my fate in ink, staring down death as my lungs absorb the mold in this damp bunker. I want to run, but the content of an envelope I stare at compels me to see it through. How does an expandable pawn survive a tangled web of deception way above his pay grade?

The background

The world faces an enemy torching our economies, futures, and pride. America, with Donald J. Trump at its helm, has declared a vicious trade war against the rest of the world. Will eight billion people spread their cheeks and take it, or will they fight back?

The following is a story of my experience at the frontline of the resistance, on a mission so secret that I dare not name names, out of concern for both your safety and mine.

Chapter One: The Baited Trap

The favor

In a routine meeting this morning, my boss asked if I would do him a favor. Who am I to deny the President? Instead of some mundane administrative task within my skillset, he sent me on a clandestine mission in a blacked-out car, with guards I’ve never seen before, to a meeting I know nothing about.

“Thank you for doing this. What you are doing is considered Top Secret, with a penalty of treason if you break that trust. Do you understand?” the President instructed. He trusted me. I felt seen.

“Yes, sir?” I understood nothing, but who cares? I was on a mission from the President! Look, mommy, your boy’s gone and made it!

The secrecy twisted a knot in my gut, but I burned with excitement. It’s been hours, and my designated driver won’t even look at me. He won’t answer my questions. He even took my phone.

Hours passed, and more haunting thoughts crept in with every car change. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear I was kidnapped. Why did I have to raise my hand? Fuck, Michael! You always do this. You have to stop trying to impress people.

We drove all day, maybe even all night. I don’t know. I dozed off. If I had to guess, we’re somewhere near the Middle East or maybe in the south of Russia. The rotting hotel smelled of decay and a bygone era. The guards outside my door ensured I couldn’t leave my room—no sightseeing for me. As I heard the clunk of the lock, unease screamed ‘danger’ in my chest. I wondered: Are they here to protect me, or am I a prisoner?

The meeting

The oversized ape with an empty stare knocked on the door, shaking me out of my nap. “It’s time,” he growled. The fucker doesn’t even have an accent, for me to place him. They covered their tracks well. Too well.

As we traversed the hallways, I noticed they were empty. No staff. No guests. Not even pictures on the walls, only a bright spot where you’d expect some. Even the antiquated cameras were covered up. What’s up with that?

We walked past the elevators, through a creaky door, down a stairway illuminated by a flickering light, humming like a dying insect. The depressing stairway ended in damp concrete walls and a bulkhead door. Judging by the smell, no one’s been here for a while. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Michael!

The guard led me to a hall resembling an abandoned classroom. Unknown faces stared at me as I took my seat. I sensed they were just as confused as I. The expendables, I thought.

We were all grasping for a familiar face, but no one said a word. After the last guest arrived, the mute giants closed the doors and locked the hatch. My throat turned into a fiery desert.

A thin man in an unassuming grey suit took center stage as he emerged from the adjacent room like a shadow. Silent, elegant, and oddly transparent, he moved like a phantom. It took me a while to realize he locked his gaze on me.

Frozen in our seats, we sat silently, as if hypnotized. The man never removed his gaze, and I couldn’t look away. I felt violated by him probing my thoughts, crawling under my skin, no secret safe from his prying eyes.

Finally, he broke the silence: “Thank you for coming. I apologize for the secrecy, but it was necessary. Before we begin, you must understand the severity of your situation. You will find envelopes under your desk. Study the content carefully. Refrain from asking questions, or the guards will remove you. Begin, please.”

This is electrifying, I thought as I opened the envelope. I finally get to learn what all this is about. I tore open the envelope, and a photo of my parents cut my heart like a knife. I have never experienced such terror! I forgot to exhale, drowning in my thoughts. I sifted through other pictures in the envelope, shaking like a wet dog on a cold morning. They know everything about everyone I love.

Emotions overcame some of my counterparts as they burst out in rage and panic. The coldness of a rifle’s barrel on their foreheads ended that uprising before it even began. In that moment, I knew we didn’t have a choice. Whatever these people wanted, we were going to deliver—Checkmate.

I felt the mystery man’s presence as he judged our reactions. I would have preferred a bullet to the head, to his ice-cold stare devouring my soul, like a vampire gorging after a century of thirst. I met unfathomable evil that day, as it was staring me down in that rusty bunker, trapping my body and soul.

The pitch

“I trust you now understand the consequences of betraying our trust. Good. Listen carefully, and memorize every word I say. Your job is simple - inform your superiors of what we discuss here today, word for word,” he said as if he didn’t just tear our hearts from our chests. I could barely hear his words over the deafening sound of the manic drummer trapped in my ribcage.

“We are entering a new age. One man has taken it upon himself to wage war on the world. He believes himself to be an untouchable king. He believes we will bend the knee and growl for his mercy, begging for scraps falling from his table. It’s time our common enemy realizes that a nation of three hundred million cannot humiliate eight billion people,” the mysterious man said, looking at each of us in turn.

“Make no mistake. He is strong. He is fierce. But only if we meet him alone. We either stand together and win the war, or lose divided, suffering consequences for generations to come.”

What is this bastard on about? The audacity to preach right now!

“Ensure your leaders understand they cannot stand on the sidelines of the coming war. This is the invitation to the rebellion. Join us, and together we will triumph! Ignore us, and become the enemy!”

He proceeded to list various terms and conditions, but all I could think of was how to keep my family safe from these monsters.

He then instructed us: “Present our case to your leaders, word for word. Act in complete secrecy. Remember the content of your envelopes. Speak of it to no one. That is all.” He faked a smile, his lips stretching too wide, as if his skin didn’t fit. Something was off!

The shadow of doubt

As he turned to walk away, it was like a part of him lingered on - an icy shadow lagging, a glitch in reality. I could have sworn I saw something crawling under his skin, like a snake sliding under the sheets. I was screaming on the inside, panicking that I saw something I wasn’t supposed to.

Who is this man, or maybe - what is he? I believed his threats. I could see him murder everyone in this room without a second thought, and he would find pleasure in skinning us alive. His aura reeked of an insatiable darkness.

The guard was cold and sterile. It burned like ice when they grabbed my hands. There was something non-human about his presence. Was he hiding behind a mask, or was it something more sinister?

I saw everyone in the room was thinking the same thing. We were pawns on a board, trapped as puppets on a string. Our fate was no longer our own. With the gut-wrenching images of these creatures visiting my parents, I dreaded meeting the President.

I must warn him. We cannot get involved with these people. But what will I say? What dare I reveal? They could be everywhere! They could be everyone. One wrong word could summon unimaginable darkness upon my family. I must find a way!

I now understood this nightmare wasn’t ending. It had only just begun.

To be continued... (expect the next chapter in 7 days)

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