Act 2.1 Duke's Mansion

The police unit headed to the suspect's hideout, leaving the station noticeably emptier. The captain stood by the window, gazing at the vacant desks, a faint sadness reflected in his eyes. He stared for a long time at the nameplates sitting on his subordinates' desks.

Ring-ring.

The phone's ring interrupted his thoughts. Reluctantly, he walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Police Captain Jeff speaking," he answered.

"Yes, the unit is on its way," he confirmed, listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

"No one's been seen there since this morning," the captain responded again.

"Understood," he added, before hanging up the phone.

Weary, he sank into his chair, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He clipped one, lit it, and took a deep drag, trying to ease his stress.

But why would the police captain inform someone about the unit's approach? Could he be in cahoots with the criminal?

Unaware of any of this, the police team was possibly driving straight to an empty hideout.

Amber felt no satisfaction about the looming resolution to this string of incidents. She just wanted it to be over, to leave it all behind like a bad dream. The radio played a simple tune, the lyrics describing a place that traps people, never letting them escape.

The paved road gave way to rough terrain, a stretch of land full of potholes and uneven ground. The police vehicle bounced along the dirt path, jostling its passengers uncomfortably.

"Ugh, I hope we don't have to fix the suspension after this," Frank grumbled, doing his best to steer around the worst of the holes.

"That's a small price to pay for catching him," Amber replied.

"True enough. You're probably going to get promoted for this case," Frank remarked, attempting to steer the conversation away from darker thoughts.

"I don't want to move to another city or work for the feds," Amber said. This town meant a lot to her. She'd grown up here, spent her whole life here. She had many friends and acquaintances in the city.

"Listen, Amber, when I was younger, I made plenty of mistakes. The biggest lesson I learned was never to let opportunities slip by. If they offer you a job with prospects, take it without hesitation," Frank advised.

"And leave you all behind?" Amber asked with a slight smile.

"Don't worry about us, we'll keep the city safe," Frank replied confidently.

"I don't know… it's something I'll have to think about. But first, we need to catch him," Amber said.

She stared thoughtfully out the window as Frank navigated the rough section of the route. Her mind was filled with questions about the future, the present, and the past. As much as she loved the town, it felt like time had stopped here. Nothing changed, and nobody seemed to want change. She felt trapped, unable to move forward.

Even her apartment reminded her of the past.

Pushing away the negative thoughts, Amber decided to focus on the case to regain her composure. Almost unconsciously, she pulled out her gun and began checking it over.

The weapon was in excellent condition, all mechanisms functioning perfectly, and the magazine was fully loaded. "I hope I don't have to use this, but if it comes to it, I'm ready to put a few holes in that maniac," she thought.

"Can't wait to use your weapon?" Frank asked, noticing her actions.

"No, no, just wanted to make sure it's in good working order," Amber responded.

"Nervousness is normal," Frank said knowingly, aware that Amber had rarely been in shootouts. Most of her experience came from investigations, while the tactical response unit typically handled the dangerous confrontations. There hadn't been many instances where she had to use her weapon against a criminal.

"Everything's fine," Amber tried to assure him of her readiness.

"Alright," Frank muttered.

The car steadily made its way toward the mansion. They were almost there.

Nightfall had fully descended, with shadows now dancing through the streets. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the forest always seemed more menacing in the dark. The twisted branches created the illusion of lurking monsters, while the howls of wild animals sent chills down their spines.

The song playing on the radio began to break up, the words distorting, and the melody becoming choppy.

"Damn radio... looks like it's giving out," Frank grumbled, banging on the console in a futile attempt to get it working again.

"Looks like you won't be fixing that," Amber said with a small smile.

"I know," Frank replied gruffly.

The headlights illuminating the road and the car ahead of them began to flicker intermittently.

"Damn, what's going on?" Frank said, his tone uneasy.

"Seems like there's some magnetic anomaly here, causing electronics to malfunction," Amber suggested. Luckily, the car was an older model, not overly reliant on modern electronic systems.

"Just what we needed," Frank muttered under his breath.

He picked up the radio, trying to turn it on, but all they heard was static interference. Still, he made an effort to contact someone.

"Patrol car 01-16, do you copy?" he called out, but the only response was a hiss of static.

"Looks like we've lost communication," Amber realized.

The car ahead of them came to a stop, and after a few moments, the officers inside stepped out, heading toward them.

Frank rolled down his window as they approached.

"We've lost contact. Should we continue the mission?" Frank asked.

"I don't know… without comms, we can't call for backup, but there's enough of us here," John replied, weighing the risks.

"Protocol says we should fall back, but we might not have another chance. We need to decide," Frank said, turning to Amber for input.

"This could be our last chance to catch him. If we retreat now, he'll slip away, and we might never find him again. We have to press on," Amber said firmly.

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Story Fork:

Your decision affects the course of the game. Choose one of two options:

First Option:

Trait - Bravery:

Unlocks specialized weapons for taking down high-risk targets.

Alternative Option:

"We can't take that risk. We need to try and re-establish contact and warn them about the communications issues near the mansion. We should request backup," Amber suggested.

Trait - Caution:

Grants access to more hiding spots and defensive strategies.

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"You're right, we can't turn back now. Let's keep going," Frank decided.

The police convoy resumed its journey, nearly reaching the mansion.