Midnight plan

Hickett paced around the house, his movements betraying his anger, while Arcado sat silently on the sofa. The ticking of the wall clock punctuated the stillness of the room, adding an eerie undertone to the otherwise quiet night. The atmosphere was tense, thick with anticipation and the weight of the night's events.

Approximately an hour earlier, the Defense Force had dispatched three companies of troops to covertly apprehend the only three secretaries in the president's office. The first secretary was rudely awakened from his sleep and arrested before he could even put on his pants. Clad only in his white underwear, he was hauled onto a truck by IDF soldiers. The second secretary, having spent the evening drinking at a bar and humming tunes on his way home, was shocked to find his house surrounded by IDF forces. As he was pressed against the wall and searched by the stern soldiers, he protested loudly, "I am the Secretary of the President! I demand to see Mr. President! You will regret this!"

The third secretary's luck was no better. He was caught in his lover's house, where IDF forces had tracked him down through a friend. Both he and his mistress were bound tightly with ropes, as the soldiers only had a pair of handcuffs, and taken back to IDF headquarters.

Meanwhile, back at the headquarters, the first secretary, who had been playing mahjong with seven gamblers earlier that day, claimed he had been too preoccupied to commit any crimes. He even mentioned that he had been scolded by his wife for losing money. His tearful demeanor suggested that he would confess to anything, even petty thefts from his youth, under questioning.

The second secretary was still being held in the interrogation department, largely due to his inebriated state. It was well-known that he was a heavy drinker, a fact that had likely led to his placement in the president's office by his uncle Albert, who saw him as nothing more than a figurehead.

Seekert and Arcado awaited the results of the interrogations, though they felt they already knew the outcome. The only individuals who could have accessed the office of the presidential secretary in the dead of night were the three secretaries or Mr. President himself.

"Ebert has no reason to betray us! At that time, we were merely his subordinates, dependent on the funds he allocated for our survival. What would he gain by betraying the National Defense Force?" Seekert voiced his confusion to Arcado, his question as much for himself as for his companion.

Arcado stood, his expression troubled. "I don't understand why he would betray Germany either, so I'm going to ask directly. I'm heading to the interrogation room to hear what the drunkard has to say. Care to join me?"

Without waiting for a response, Seekert grunted, grabbed his military cap, and strode out the door ahead of Arcado. They made their way to the interrogation section of the National Defense Forces, a facility separate from the main office building and guarded by a camp.

As they approached, they noticed 103 newly transferred soldiers disembarking from a truck and lining up, ready to defend the headquarters in case of a coup.

Upon entering the interrogation room, they found an officer dousing the second secretary, who was suspended from the ceiling, with cold water. The frigid November air made the water especially chilling, and the secretary's loud cries filled the room.

The officers and soldiers snapped to attention as Seekert and Arcado entered. The hanging man, recognizing them, pleaded, "General! Save me! General! I am the president's secretary, Seaman! You know me!"

Seekert, seeing Secretary Seaman's pitiful state, closed his eyes in discomfort and remained silent. Arcado, removing his gloves, coldly instructed, "Mr. Seaman, please tell us what you know."

"But you haven't asked me anything yet!" Seaman protested.

Arcado turned to the officer in charge, perplexed. "Haven't you started the interrogation?"

"Sir, in this room, we typically apply some physical persuasion before questioning. It helps the subjects recall their actions more clearly," the officer explained.

"No need for that," Arcado interrupted, seeing Seaman's frightened state. "Just ask him directly."

The officer complied, consulting his documents before asking, "You made two calls to the Coalition Arms Control Committee from your office. What were those about?"

Stammering, Seaman's response was fraught with panic, which did not go unnoticed by the room full of interrogation experts. Without hesitation, two officers began to physically assault him, prompting screams that echoed through the space.

Seekert, somewhat relieved, found a stool and sat down to observe as Seaman was beaten. After enduring the pain for a short while, Seaman capitulated, "Please... I beg you... stop... I'll talk!"

He confessed that the calls were about the "Pluto Project," revealing that the president wanted the National Defense Forces to scale back but not completely halt the project. He saw Arcado as a threat and wanted him removed from power.

Seaman looked desperately at General Seekert, defending himself and the president, "Ebert and I are not traitors! We never intended to betray the country! We just wanted the military to be more frugal to save money for Germany's revival. We are patriots."

"Your so-called patriotism has brought the Ruhr Industrial Zone to its knees, embarrassed the National Defense Force, and caused suffering to the German people!" Arcado retorted angrily. "General Seekert, are you really going to defend Ebert now?"

"We cannot act solely on a secretary's testimony and move against the president without proper evidence," Seekert responded, his tone weary.

"General, he's undermining the foundation of the National Defense Force and endangering Germany. We must act to prevent a disaster!" Arcado insisted, his frustration evident.

"We should arrest Ebert and sentence him to death," he added resolutely.

"We are not policemen, Colonel Arcado!" Seekert shot back, his glare intense. "Nor are we judges."

"Yes, we are not. But we are the National Defense Force!" Arcado affirmed, his resolve unwavering.

"This kind of action against the president will lead to chaos. We aren't prepared to control such a situation," Seekert cautioned, his brow furrowed in concern.

"We have contingencies, don't we?" Arcado replied with a slight smile. "I prepared an emergency plan for the National Defense Force last year at a secret meeting. We can initiate plan A."

"So, we apprehend Albert first, and ensure he is unharmed," Seekert conceded, his demeanor softening slightly, reassured by the control the IDF had over the government compared to Albert's influence.

Arcado nodded in agreement and exited the interrogation room. Addressing the head of the guard, he commanded, "Prepare your men. Load your weapons and be on high alert!"

As they prepared to depart, Hulk, one of the officers, expressed his concern to Arcado, "Are you sure about letting President Ebert go? If we do, he'll seek revenge. It might be too late to act by dawn."

"Of course, I've considered that. Hence, he will resist arrest. The IDF doesn't need a living president, don't you think?" Arcado responded cryptically before stepping into the car.

"General Seekert will have you court-martialed, Arcado. Shooting the president will get you hanged," Hulk warned through the car window.

"Perhaps, but the new president will be very grateful to me. Remember what I said during General Walter von Lutwitz's coup? The circumstances are different now," Arcado replied, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"The new president? Who will that be?" Hulk asked, puzzled yet intrigued by Arcado's foresight and planning, which seemed far more calculated than Lutwitz's impulsive actions.

"As we drive to confront our current president, Mr. Ebert, I will soon be meeting the new President of Germany, Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg," Arcado revealed, signaling to the driver.

With that, the car pulled away, leaving the headquarters behind as they moved to execute their bold, yet perilous plan.