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16 Reasons Why Facts Are For Losers – Reason #13 The Ethical Dilemma

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Photo by Andres Ayrton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-faceless-woman-demonstrating-ripe-green-apple-and-sweet-doughnut-6550793/
The Ethical Dilemma. Photo by Andres Ayrton

Sharp and Justice needed to regroup, and by late afternoon, they were back at Noble Headquarters.

The dim light filtered through the blinds, casting shadows across the room as Jane and Leo sat across from each other.

It was the kind of light that screamed, “Make a tough decision, or at least pretend you know what you’re doing.”

Jane sighed, rubbing her temples as she leaned back in her chair. “This isn’t just about taking out some thug or low-level crook, Leo. Victor Van Spin is a different breed. We can’t just—”

“—Send in Lady Three Fingers and let her do her thing?” Leo interrupted, raising an eyebrow with a grin that suggested he’d be happy to outsource their problems. “I know. But we’re running out of time, Jane.”

The two detectives found themselves at a crossroads, deliberating over the morally fraught options before them.

Jane, ever the pragmatist, voiced her concerns first. “If we have Lady Fuchsia take him out, what’s to stop him from becoming a martyr? His followers would turn him into a legend, a symbol of resistance against…whatever it is he’s selling.”

“True,” Leo admitted, “and it’s not just that. There’s a very real chance Victor isn’t working alone. If we take him out, we might trigger something bigger, something more dangerous within his network. We’d be cutting off the head, sure, but what if the body is still moving? You know, like one of those creepy zombie flicks where the headless monster still chases you.”

In a moment of frustrated brainstorming, Leo leaned back and stared at the ceiling, as if the answer might be hiding up there with the cobwebs. “Why don’t we just hit his house with a drone strike and call it another ‘unfortunate accident’? Boeing seems to have plenty of those lately.”

Jane let out a short, dry laugh. “As tempting as that sounds, I think we’d end up on every watchlist imaginable. Plus, I’m not too keen on giving Boeing any more excuses. They’re running out of things to blame.”

They both chuckled, but the humor was fleeting, the gravity of their situation quickly pulling them back to reality.

As the laughter faded, the sound of footsteps echoed nearby—the same ones they’d heard before in the office. Jane’s expression turned serious. “Leo, do you ever get the feeling we’re being watched? That someone’s keeping tabs on us, even here?”

Leo nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought. “I’ve had that feeling for a while now. Especially after the investigation was abruptly shut down when we got too close. Someone at Noble is protecting Victor, or at least covering for him. It’s like being in a spy movie, except no one’s offering us a cool car or a martini.”

Jane’s eyes narrowed. “Which means whatever we decide to do, we need to be careful. We’re playing a dangerous game here, and I’m not exactly keen on losing.”

Their conversation shifted gears as they began to consider a more sophisticated approach. “Killing Victor isn’t the answer,” Jane said firmly. “We need to undermine him, expose him in a way that destroys his credibility without turning him into a martyr. Like popping a balloon just before it floats too high.”

Leo leaned forward, his mind already racing with possibilities. “We could use Izzy-O’s journalistic talents. She’s got the reach and the reputation to start poking holes in his narrative. But we’d need something more… something that can really sway the influenceables.”

“The what?” Jane asked, half-wondering if Leo was making up words again.

“Influenceables,” Leo repeated, his eyes lighting up as if he’d just invented the wheel. “The people on the outer edges of his base. They’re not die-hard loyalists, but they’re not exactly skeptical either. If we can sway them, we might be able to start eroding his support from the inside. Think of it as planting doubts in a garden full of weeds.”

Jane nodded, the beginnings of a plan taking shape in her mind. “We’ll need to move fast and stay one step ahead. And if Victor really is onto us, we’re going to have to outsmart him at every turn. No pressure, right?”

Leo leaned in, his voice low. “And maybe have these brainstorming sessions in a location other than this building? Somewhere less likely to be bugged by everyone from Victor’s cronies to the janitor with suspiciously good hearing?”

They agreed on their new course: to play Victor’s game using a blend of manipulation and strategy. The details were still unfolding, but one thing was certain—this was only the beginning. And with any luck, they’d end it with fewer bruises and more clever one-liners.