Thank you for the wonderful responses to the story. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
"Stay back."
Lucifer found himself back in the soul's hell loop. The scene that he would never be able to erase from his mind. He had no desire to see it unfold again, but he needed answers.
"Let me help you."
The Lord of Hell stood in front of his beautiful Detective. He a simple wave of his hand and stopped time. He could help but to brush her loose bangs behind her ear. His hand cupped her face, his thumb grazed her soft lips. "I've should have been there for you." He whispered before he turned around to face James Colbert.
"What the hell is happening?" The soul was confused as he looked around at the still statues around him. Lucifer walked menacingly towards his prey. He grabbed him by the shirt and raised him in the air.
"WHY?" He roared, eyes glowing red. "Why are you doing this?" Lucifer roared.
"I'm sorry, but I have too." The man trembled, his eyes closed tightly as he pressed the button on the remote. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked at the device in his hand, he gave it a good shake before he pushed again several times franticly. "I don't understand."
"You see Jimmy boy, it's quite simple, you're about to kill yourself and injured several others in the process." The Devil gave a brief explanation. "Now I need to know why? Who is making you do this?" The word seeped through his clenched jaw.
"Ww…w..who are you?" The man stuttered with fear.
"For dad sake." He let out a puff of air. "I'm the devil, James. You are in hell for your miss deeds. This is fuelled by your guilt. Your punishment for what you've done when you were on earth. Welcome to your hell. You will replay this event until the end of time. Now, tell me. Who made you kill yourself? Because I need to find him."
"Wait, I'm in hell?" James didn't seem to grasp what was happening.
"Yes." Lucifer let out a long sigh. "I know it is a lot to process. But I need you to tell me who did this to you." The devil gestured with his eyes to the bomb strapped around his chest. "Or else I will find other means to make you talk. The rack, perhaps. Electric shock. There are so many ways..."
"Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll talk." The man voice was filled with panic, as he cut the Devil off.
"Excellent course of action." Lucifer slowly lowered the man to the ground but kept a firm grip on his shirt.
"I never even met them." The man flinched, he knew that wasn't the answer the Devil was looking for. "They, whoever they are, sent me an email. Giving me instructions on what to do. That same hour, I received a package in the mail. It was the vest and a location."
"Right. What did the email say?" The Devil demanded.
"I've done some terrible things with my life. I've hurt people. I've lied, cheated, stole, you name it. I've caused so much pain." James struggled to get the words out because he didn't want to face the truth. "This person seemed to know a lot about my life, because he mentioned things that I didn't think anyone knew. But I guess word gets around."
"I don't need your back story, Jimmy. Get to the bloody point." Lucifer roared, growing impatient with the imbecile.
"The email gave me a choice. To kill myself in public or carry on with my life but my family, my parents and my siblings and their families would die a horrible death. I have hurt them so much already. I couldn't them let them die, not it if meant I would live without them. They are better off without me anyway."
"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Lucifer burst into manic laughter as he let go of the man. He glanced back at the frozen statue of his detective, just for a moment. "How could you be so foolish? What makes you think that they wouldn't get hurt after you done the deed. There is no way for you to know if that piece of garbage would keep their word or not. You kill yourself and they still could kill you family. You just took the easy way out."
"Well, I…I thought it was the ri…right thing to do." The man eyes began to water. "What...what would you do if you were me?"
Lucifer turned away and looked once more upon the woman he wanted, needed, to protect at all cost. But despite everything he did to keep her safe from harm, coming back to hell, it was all for nought. She still was in danger. She was still was fighting for her life.
"Yeah, not so easy is it?" The man scoffed, as he watched the Devil run his hands though his hair in frustration, unable to give him an answer.
"ENOUGH!" The devil shouted as he spun around. "Now, I need to think deep down in that pathetic soul of yours and tell me who would have done this. Because your miss deeds can't be the only reason why they wanted you to kill yourself in such a gruesome way." The devil pointed to the window, he could see the frozen shadow. "You see over there, a sniper. Most likely the human that wanted you dead. Now, he could have easily shot vest causing you to explode but no…" Lucifer pivoted on his heels towards Chloe. "He decides to shoot her. Now why is that?"
"I'm telling you, I don't know." James barked back, but instantly regretted it raising his voice to the devil.
"So, what you are saying is that you are completely useless to me." Lucifer turned back to the man, rage building up once more this time his devil face appeared. The man remained silent, his head coward as he looked down in fear of the monster before him. The devil let out a heavy sigh. His red face disappeared.
He began paced back and forth between the man, who as afraid to move and inch, and the frozen detective. "There has to be more to it." The devil muttered to himself, his mind racing a million miles a minute. He stopped in front of Chloe, expecting her to have some meaningful insight. "What would she do?" He glanced up at the window for moment. "Right." The man smiled at his realization as he raced towards the cell door.
"Where are you going?" The man called out.
"I have some investigating to do. Thank you for nothing. Enjoy your Hell." The devil waved his hand to set everything in motion once more and exited the cell.
Lucifer found himself at the hospital once more. He saw the woman he was looking for chatting with another office. "Miss Lopez, may I have a word." Without giving her a chance to speak he grabbed her elbow and pulled her into a nearby corner.
"Hey dude, what's your deal?" The forensic scientist pulled herself out of his grip. "How could you just leave?" The woman shoved the man in frustration. She pulled off her shoe and started to hit him."You just left." Smack! "No warning." Smack! "Nothing." Smack! "How could you?" Smack! "How could do that to her?" Smack! "To me?"Smack! "You should have been there." Smack! Her voice could be heard by everyone in the waiting room.
"Easy, Miss Lopez." Lucifer tried to shush the woman as he noticed the awkward glances in their direction. He quickly grab the shoe out of her hand. "Please. Let me explain." In the corner of his eye her saw an angry Maze make her way in their direction.
"Fine. Explain." Ella folder her arms across her chest. Her socked foot tapping impatiently.
"Yeah, explain." Maze had reach them. Her posture matched the forensic scientist.
"Well, I…I had to go home." He glanced shifted between both women. He knew that Maze was aware of his true home, but Ella had no clue. He realized that he was still holding the woman's shoe, he gave it back to her. The woman snatched it from him and quickly put it on. "Look," He let out a sigh," I know you are both angry, but I will explain everything in time, but right now I could really use your help. Please."
"Ah, Buddy! All you had to do was ask." Ella had a hard time staying mad at anyone. Her anger faded and she immediately pulled him into a hug. Maze on the other had could hold a grudge better than anyone.
"No, not good enough." The demon spat as she pulled the two apart. "Ellen, don't you think it is strange that he is back now, after Chloe is hurt. How did he get here so quickly?" Maze scoffed as her glare remain on her former boss. She enjoyed watching him squirm.
"He must have his reasons. Right?" Ella defended, though she seemed really confused.
"I do. Of course, I do." Lucifer added.
"Yeah, right." Maze rolled her eyes.
"Just listen. I have a lead on who did this." Lucifer attempted to get the women to listen to him.
"We all do. His body parts are all over the street like confetti on New Years Eve." Ella pointed out the obvious.
"Not him. Though I won't be able to get rid of that vivid image. Ever." The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I talking about the one who shot the detective." Lucifer explained, he glanced to his demon, her face has calm down as she listened.
"Wait. Chloe was shot?" Ella asked, digesting this new information. "But she was in the range of the blast, she wasn't shot.
"Yes. She was. It happened just seconds before the bomb went off." Explained the Devil. He realized that in the mist of all the commotion that was happening no one noticed the sniper in the window.
"Wait. How do you know this? You just got here." the bubbly woman was even more confused.
"It's complicated, Miss Lopez. You just have to trust me." Lucifer hand met together as if he was praying.
"I believe him." Maze finally spoke up.
"Thank you, Maze." He let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm still mad at you, but we need to catch bastard that did this to Chloe." The demon finally agreed to help him.
"I wouldn't have it any other." Devil gave the demon weak smile.
"Okay, then. Craziness set aside. What lead do you have?" Ella asked.
"Well, we need to go to the scene of the crime, of course." Lucifer was thrilled that he finally got through to the women to help him find the son of bitch.
"Lead the way." The forensic Scientist was ready to solve the case.
"Right." Lucifer glanced over to the Chloe's room. "Just give me a moment."
Both Maze and Ella noticed a change in the man's face and knew who he was looking at. The both nodded their heads.
Lucifer made his way across the waiting room and just outside the door. His feet refused to go any further. His eyes scanned the room, everywhere but her bed. He saw a cot was brought in for the child and she was fast asleep next to her mother's bed. Dan was still on the other side sitting in the wheelchair. His head bobbing as he tried to stay awake. His hand holding hers. The devil looked down at the floor, a hand covered his mouth to stop him from screaming. His eyes closed and all he could picture was her. Only her.
"Lucifer." The devil was startled when her felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that match the sweet voice that spoke his name. He opened his eyes and turned to face Linda. "I'm so sorry, Lucifer. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked with sympathetic eyes, she could tell that he was tormented.
"No, Doctor. I don't." The man could barely look the woman in the eyes. "I'm sorry I have to go." The devil shrugged off his therapist and headed towards Maze and Ella who were waiting for him.