Chapter 8: In Pursuit of Money
Once Maze returned to her car, she considered her stake out options. A few quick leaps up the fire escape and a quick window jimmy later, Maze made herself comfortable on the small couch in Natalie's apartment.
Shortly before sunrise, Natalie returned to her home. If she was surprised to see Maze it didn't show. "Well, I didn't think he had it in him to bag my boss, but hey, props to Evan. I take it he explained the rules to you right?"
Maze's thunder soften as confusion set in. "Bag... your... Oh. Oh, no. With the short one? Oh, no way." She laughed dismissively.
"Well, if you're here for me, I'm flattered, but I don't do work flings. Evan should have told you that rather than let you wait for me to get back."
"I'm not here for sex!" Maze half-shouted. "I want to know what you do for the mob."
Natalie's eyes narrowed, "The what now?" She asked passively.
"Oh don't try to be stupid. I heard you at the club a couple hours ago. So what's the story? Sick Aunt? Drug addiction? Sex Worker?"
Natalie's stare flickered to the back bedroom. When the sound of a soft snore assured her that Evan was still sleeping, she hung her jacket and went to the small kitchenette for a cup of coffee.
"I'm an independent contractor."
"A wha-?" Maze asked, a look of annoyance in her steel gaze.
"It's like a bounty hunter, but for anyone I want. Not just the cops."
Maze paused. She had never considered that she could just work for herself completely, taking any case she wanted. The possibilities were exciting. The expectant look from Natalie brought her attention back. In the woman's hand was a small wrapped joint, offered to Maze.
"Fuck yeah, you're not so bad, New Girl." She laughed as she exchanged the small herbal relaxant between them.
Natalie chuckled at the nick-name. "So, you're not going to fire me over this?"
"Nah, as long as you tell me who they want you to 'wipe out'." Maze responded with air quotes.
After a few passes back and forth, Natalie sighed and shock her head. "If I didn't already know your rep as a hunter, but I get the feeling you can handle yourself in a tight spot.
"There's a pack of new guys who think they can move in on actual mob turf. Guns, drugs, smuggling. These guys have gotten into the works. Bunch of trust-funders with too much free time really.
"This time, they pulled a hit on the cops and stole the case detective's kid as a hostage to force their investigation to stop. The feds have already been snooping this region more than normal because of these punks. The old-school locals are ready to feed the idiots to the wolves. The deal with the feds has already been made. I'm just the final axe."
Maze nodded along and then paused. "Wait. The detective on the case? Which case?"
"The actress that got splattered."
Trixie! Maze thought in a panic. "That kid is my roommate's daughter!" She shouted, standing to leave.
"Relax, I don't hurt kids. The munchkin's safe return is part of the job."
"I'm going with you."
Natalie's eyebrows reached toward her hair line. "This isn't some catch and release deal. This kid is gonna be the only survivor. Are you sure you want in on that?"
Maze licked her lips, "Oh yeah."
Lucifer sighed in frustration as he dialed Maze for the 16th time. He and the detective has just told off the lieutenant, grabbed Daniel and a few others, and taken off in search of the missing Trixie. Yesterday's investigation had gone well enough. Ella had more samples than she could possibly run at once, the tapes were to be processed today, and the detective had invited him to family dinner. Of course that was when they had found out that Trixie was missing, Berret was a double-agent, and Mr. Carter was dead.
The wear of not sleeping all night showed on the detective's face as she paced with her phone in hand. While they waited for the ransom call, Lucifer began to dial Maze one last time. To his delight, she was already calling him back.
"Maze! Wonderful, we have a problem!"
"I know, I'm already fixing it. Just keep Chloe away from where ever the hell they tell her to go. I'll get Trixie."
"But- How did you?"
"I made a new friend tonight with some crazy information connections. Oh, gotta go."
As Lucifer tried to edge one last question into the conversation, the call disconnected.
"Well, is she coming?" The detective asked.
"Apparently she's already there." He said quietly.
"What?"
"Oh, uh, Yes, she's going to help. Though I don't know if it will be what you have in mind, Detective."
"Don't play around with me, Lucifer. What's Maze planning?" She asked with a warning tone.
"Really, I don't know. But, she said you should stay away from where ever the kidnappers try to send you."
The detective scoffed and returned to her pacing. Only a few minutes passed before her phone rang.
"Hello?" She said softly. " … Fine."
"I take it we're going anyways?" Lucifer asked as she hung up the phone.
"Damn right we are."