Sarah hesitated. She had considered turning to the police, but was stopped by the fear of risking their safety and attracting unwanted attention.

Derrick, however, saw the bigger picture. "Think about it, Sarah," he said, his voice firm. "The evidence we have can expose Bobby's crimes, protect T&T, and maybe even clear your name. But if we go at it alone, and something goes wrong…"


His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken threats. Sarah knew he was right. The risk was too great.

Derrick sadly realized they couldn't afford to take any more risks. He moved to a quiet area of the lodge, tightly holding onto his phone. Inhaling deeply, he called a number he had committed to memory many years prior – a direct line to a detective he had befriended during his stint as an undercover operative.

A harsh voice replied on the opposite side "Detective Miller. It's Derrick Duke," Derrick replied, his voice low and cautious. "I need your help."


A beat of surprised silence followed, then a gruff chuckle. "Derrick Duke? The prodigal son finally returning? What kind of trouble are you in this time?"

"No trouble for me, Detective," Derrick clarified. "It's Bobby. He's… well, he's gone rogue."


He explained the situation in a rapid torrent, detailing the blackmail, the incriminating recording, and Bobby's descent into paranoia. He didn't mention their own part in the blackmail, keeping the operation as anonymous as possible.

"A blackmailing conspiracy and a potential meltdown from a corporate hotshot?" Detective Miller mused, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Sounds like I'm back in the good old days. Alright, Derrick, spill it. What kind of evidence do you have?"

Derrick explained the recording, the offshore accounts, the shady dealings. He also mentioned the chilling phone call Bobby made, requesting a meeting at an abandoned warehouse.

"A meeting at an abandoned warehouse? That sounds like a scene straight out of a B-movie," Miller chuckled. "But hey, I appreciate the heads-up, kid. This Bobby sounds like a ticking time bomb. Don't worry, I'll get my team on it."

"There's more," Derrick added, his voice tight. "Sarah's been sending the blackmail messages. Bobby might try to hurt her."

"Don't worry about Sarah," Miller reassured him. "We'll put a team on her too. You stay put, Derrick. This is police territory now."

Derrick hung up, a sliver of relief battling the gnawing worry in his gut. He knew the police involvement was necessary, but a part of him wished they could handle everything themselves. Still, Miller was a good cop, someone he could trust. They would just have to wait and see how things played out.

Sarah, meanwhile, was pacing the cabin room as her stomach flipped with increasing anxiety.The unexpected phone call from Bobby had thrown her off balance. It felt like a desperate gamble, a move fueled by his crumbling composure.

"Did you get anything?" Derrick asked, entering the room.

Sarah shook her head, her brow furrowed. "It was Bobby. He wants to meet me at an abandoned warehouse on Elm Street. Alone."

Derrick's face hardened. "That doesn't sound good. Did he say why?"

"No," Sarah admitted. "He just… sounded desperate."

"It's a trap, Sarah," Derrick said, his voice firm. "He's cornered, and he might lash out. You can't go."

"But what if it's the only chance we have to stop him?" Sarah argued, her voice laced with apprehension. "He wouldn't have called if he didn't have something to say."

"There's another way," Derrick countered. "I just called Detective Miller. The police are on to Bobby, and they're setting up a surveillance operation. If we meet him, we can do it under police observation."

Sarah hesitated, torn between the need to confront Bobby and the fear for her own safety. Finally, she nodded, a flicker of resolve in her eyes. "Alright. But if this is a trap, we need a backup plan."

"We do," Derrick agreed, his eyes gleaming with a fierce determination. "We'll play it by ear, but one thing's for sure – Bobby's game is coming to an end. Meaning, you're not going. He's coming to us."

********************

Meanwhile, at the T&T headquarters, Bobby was a ticking time bomb. There was a raw nerve of desperation behind his control mask, which had been damaged by the relentless assault of blackmail communications. His fist smashed onto his desk, strewing papers all over the shiny top.

His voice was tinged with threat as he yelled, "This has to stop!"

His baby mama, Betty, jumped at the sudden outburst. "Bobby? Is everything alright?"

Bobby glared at her, his eyes burning with a manic intensity. "No, Betty, everything is far from alright. There's a leak. Someone knows."

Betty's brow furrowed in concern. "A leak? About what?"

"Everything," Bobby spat, pacing the room like a caged animal. "The transfer, Briggs, the whole damn plan! Someone's trying to ruin me!"

He stopped abruptly, his gaze fixing on something unseen. "Get me a car," he barked, his voice tight. "I need to handle this… personally."

Betty hesitated, sensing the volatile energy swirling around her boss. "Mr. Duke, perhaps you should calm down—"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bobby roared, cutting her off. "Just do as I say!"

Betty, fearing for her own safety, scurried out of the office to fulfill his command. Unknown to Bobby, however, her worried gaze had lingered on him for a moment too long,– Bobby Duke was on the move, and he was a threat.

************************

Back in the main room, Sarah was pacing restlessly, worry etched on her face. Derrick filled her in on his conversation with Detective Miller.

"Police surveillance?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows raised. "Isn't that a bit… drastic?"

"Maybe," Derrick admitted, "but Bobby's getting desperate. His messages have become increasingly erratic, and who knows what he's capable of."

Sarah pondered this for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "You're right. Having the police on our side isn't a bad thing. At least we'll have some backup."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Derrick exchanged a cautious glance with Sarah before approaching the entrance. He peered through the peephole and saw a pair of sharp, uniformed eyes staring back.

He cracked the door open a few inches. "Can I help you?"

"Derrick Duke?" a woman's voice inquired. "We're here from the police department. Detective Miller sent us."

Relief flooded through Derrick as he stepped aside, allowing the two officers into the cabin. He and Sarah gave the officers a thorough explanation of the circumstances, giving them as much information as they could.

A undercover police vehicle parked far away outside the cabin, its personnel keeping a close check on the old cabin. Detective Miller sat in the car, his earphone planted firmly on the updates from his squad.

"We have eyes on the suspect's office," one officer reported. "Nothing suspicious yet, but we'll keep you posted."

"Good," Miller said, a grim satisfaction in his voice. "And the Duke residence?"

"Unit's in position," another officer confirmed. "Everything quiet on that front."

Miller took a deep breath. They were taking a calculated risk, but the evidence Derrick had provided painted a clear picture of Bobby's potential for violence. They wouldn't let Sarah or Derrick become victims of a desperate man's rage.

A uneasy quiet came over the cabin as darkness fell over the city. Under the police officers' vigilant gaze, Sarah and Derrick were aware that the game had reached its final moments.

Bobby's desperate call had thrown a wrench in their plans, forcing them to confront the possibility of a direct confrontation.

They had the evidence, the leverage, but they also had a growing sense of unease. They didn't know what to expect when they met Bobby, and the unknown gnawed at them.

One thing was certain – the fight for justice, for T&T, and for their own safety, was about to reach its boiling point.

***************************

The lavish office, which had once represented Bobby's dominance, now seemed like a golden cage. He smashed a crystal paperweight with his fist on the desk. The sound proved his increasing desperation as it echoed across the large room.

"Another message?" barked Bobby, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep.

"Yes, sir," his head of security, a hulking man named Bruno, replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Same veiled threats, same garbled voice."

Bobby snatched the phone from Bruno's hand and listened to the chilling message on repeat. Sarah's voice, distorted by the modulator, seemed to seep into his skull.

The voice said, "You have run out of time, Bobby." "Accept your crimes, or else the truth about you and your father's fraud will be exposed to the world."

He threw the phone across the room, breaking it as it struck the wall. He yelled, "Who is responsible for this?!" with utter dread in his voice.

Bruno remained impassive. "We've narrowed it down, sir. It can't be anyone from the company. The leaks are too specific. It has to be someone who knows you well, someone with intimate knowledge of your dealings."

Bobby's blood ran cold. The only people who fit that description were Sarah and Derrick. His supposed allies, the ones he'd manipulated, had become his tormentors.