A/N: Hello everyone! I hope the beginnings of winter, or summer depending on location, is going well for you all. We've reach another milestone; 100+ followers of Dancing Girl. You know what that means: Holiday Specials! February will still get a standard story chapter, but will also have a special chapter posted on the 14th of February. Yep, that means Valentine's Day themed. Muhahahaha! Unless there is a different February holiday that would be of interest...
A special thank you to each and every one of my readers, and a wonderful New Year (when ever yours is celebrated)!
~Mint Tea and Skulls
Chapter 18: Rule #2 – Exit Strategy
It had been a week since Lucifer had been in Lux. The unusual nature of the ongoing case kept the detective and himself near constantly on the move. They only seemed to take breaks when Maze called on occasion to brag about profits, or to stop for food and a nap for the detective. There were just too many humans to question and leads to tie up. While tempted to visit Miss. Varquez's flat, the lack of time forced him to instead take comfort in seeing the blue car that shuffled the choreographer. When fortune favored him enough to be passing in front of Lux, when Evan dropped her off or picked her up, while he was with the detective on the way to another lead, that was.
The beach side killing had only been the first of nine. Each time, the body showed no signs of a struggle or being harm. Autopsy relieved nothing out of the normal either. No heart failure, or illness, each had been in prime health for their given ages and family histories. The station was working hard to keep it from the press to prevent a panic. Ella was working on a full set of obscure poison assays to try to find any trace amounts in any of the victims. In the mean time Lucifer had finally been released from duty after having sworn multiple times not to tell anyone about the case.
"I swear, I won't breathe a word of it to any living human." He said smugly before strolling out.
He had enough patience to wait to get out of the parking lot before calling Maze. It rang a few times before it was answered, Lucifer could immediately hear the tones of laughter in the background. He held his breathe to listen to the sound before Maze began talking.
"What is it Lucifer? You know it's Daiquiri time, which means 'No Lucifer Allowed' time."
"Yes, yes, I know. However, this is rather important."
"Thirty seconds, go."
"The case I'm on has been going on all week, and someone needs to be punished. However, they're using some strange poison to kill with no trace. Are you familiar with any such poisons?"
"That was longer than thirty seconds." She grumbled, "But, nothing that Ella couldn't test for. Why call me?"
"Miss. Lopez has done the initial testing and has moved on to more advanced tests. The results thus far are not promising. She suspects something truly strange and exotic."
A heavy sigh came from the line. "Fine. Come over and describe the dead people to our little informant and we'll see what she knows."
"Ah yes, the actual needed favor. I can't ask. I promised to not tell a single living human about this. Thus, I need you to act as a go between for me."
"For fuck's safe, Lucifer."
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Maze finally agreed to whatever nonsense Lucifer was up to, and Natalie snickered and listened to the given descriptions. As the conversation continued and Natalie asked probing questions, her smile became less genuine.
"He, and all his cop buddies, as sure there were no marks at all?"
"Nat asks are you sure about the no marks?" Maze muttered into the phone, painfully bored at this point.
"Yes, Miss Lopez said it was described as though they had lost the will to live mid-step."
"He says yes, they just rando dropped dead."
Natalie looked out the window for a moment. "I need to see the first of these corpses."
Maze tapped the red end call button, and looked at Natalie surprised. "What, seriously?"
"Yep, only way to know. Second hand information only goes so far. I can sneak in tonight."
"Sounds fun, I'm in."
Natalie sighed, "Not this again."
"Nope, you need me this time." Maze said confidently.
"For what?"
"I know the station, including where the dead bodies are."
Natalie didn't respond, but rolled her eyes as her head bobbed in agreement. The two proceeded to spend the rest of the day preparing for their sneak attack on the morgue. In truth it was rather simple because Maze had a spare key. She only smirked when Natalie asked if cop-girl knew about the key. After the sunset, and a quick errand by Maze, the two set-out from Natalie's apartment in Maze's car.
They stopped a few blocks down and approached the backdoor on foot. They slipped through and Maze lead the way through the labyrinth-like building. Once they made their way to the morgue, Natalie breezed through the paperwork to find the slab she was looking for. With a muttering of the number to Maze, they rolled out the first of the victims. Natalie looked over the corpse without touching it and a frown set into her face.
"We need to leave. Now." She said firmly, as she walked toward the door.
"The hell Nat?" Maze asked.
As Natalie turned to argue with Maze, a clock in the room chimed the hour. Natalie stopped to look, Maze's attention followed, to see it was midnight. As she turned her attention back to Natalie, a hand gripped Maze's arm. She gaze darted down. The corpse on the table had open eyes, radiating a soft glowing green light. Before she was finished examining the strange sight, the slab slid back into the locker, the grip on Maze's arm gone. Natalie quickly re-locked the door, and pulled Maze by the arm out of the room.
"The actual fuck Nat?!" Maze nearly yelled.
"Shut up, we're still in the station." Natalie whispered back harshly.
"No, the hell are those? You obviously know something, now spill."
"If it will shut you up, fine. Yes, I do. They're thrall-like creatures bound to something called a 'Pale One'. Now can we leave?" Natalie whispered while tugging on Maze's arm.
Maze had begun to go with Natalie, until she watched Ella come around the corner. A set of test tubes in one hand and a clipboard in the other as she made her way toward the morgue. Maze froze and pulled out of Natalie's grasp to sprint back to the room after the scientist. Ella gave a scream and dropped the clipboard and tubes as the locker door was forced open and the corpse crawled out.
Maze stepped in front of Ella, one of her hell-forged blades already in hand.
"Maze! I don't know how your here, but thank God!" Ella gushed.
"Don't talk, run!" Maze countered, with a push to the woman behind her.
"Right!" Ella cried as she took off the way she had came. Before the door closed, Natalie had reentered the room.
Maze threw the blade into the corpse with enough force to knock it backward. It stilled for a moment before twitching. It didn't seem dead, again, but it did appear unable to move a the moment.
"That won't hold forever, we need to go." Natalie insisted again.
"Then how do we kill it?" Maze asked, ignoring Natalie's repeated request.
"By killing the 'Pale One'. Which is not here. I'm going after it. You can try to fight that if you want, but I'm leaving."
Maze turned to face Natalie, only to find the room limited to her and the twitching corpse. She scoffed and locked the door as she left to find Ella.