Author's note: Hello dear readers! Once more, it took me a little while to write this chapter. Even though it is harder for me to write lately, rest assured that I haven't abandoned this story. I hope you will enjoy the following. Now place to the story!


Chapter 22

Hunters and Prey

It was already mid-morning when Chloe, Dan and Doom set foot at the new crime scene. The hound was trotting behind them excitedly, eager to show them his skills as a new police dog, but also trilled at the prospect of hunting something worthy of his hellish origins. Doom's first reaction, before even getting out of the car, as he'd growled deeply like a feral dog ready to tear its prey apart, had confirmed Chloe's suspicions that this case was demon related. It took her a moment to bring the Hellhound's excitement down a couple notches and his mind back into focus before she felt confident enough to let him loose.

The case had first landed on the desk of a Missing Person Unit's detective, but once the scene of what they first thought had been an abduction started being processed, the amount of blood discovered there soon had them suspect that they were more possibly facing a homicide. Hence the case finding its way to Chloe.

The detective who passed the case on to her was very reluctant to let her go through the other numerous cases of disappearance that had been piling up for the last week. Probably because he and his detective's buddies were getting nowhere with any of them and that they might be terrified that Chloe could find a lead where they'd failed to. It was fortunately not up to him anyway since the new Lieutenant, O'Connor, freshly arriving from Florida this morning, ordered them to share with her any information she might need to insure that this case would be resolved swiftly.

Chloe was shown a map of LA with markings indicating each and every last known positions of the missing persons reported over the last week or so. It was even worse than she thought. Dozens of marks were covering most areas of LA. Until now, no one had been able to find any sort of clear pattern to it. But they didn't know what Chloe did about hellish creatures having taken residence in the area. They didn't know that those disappearances could have many different origins to explain them. Chloe knew.

It didn't take her long to spot a small cluster of dots in the southern part of LA, right in the neighbourhood of her new victim. Most interesting was the fact that there was a big park with a forested zones and a golf club straight into the middle of that cluster; the perfect place for a hell beast to hide.

As her official partner, Dan was also put on the case to assist her, even though he still had to split his time between this one and the Armor Trucks Dismemberment Case, as they called it now, which he had started working on with Detective Murdock the week before. Unsurprisingly, due to the hellish perpetuator that they knew was responsible for the dead guards at both crime scenes and the fact that Michael had recently killed the winged beast in question, the case was getting quite stagnant at the moment.

Murdock was still working on the trail of the stolen cash though. It would most certainly lead nowhere, all the more since he didn't know where to look. Dan on the other hand was certain that Lilith wanted to acquire an estate with that money and he was still secretly working that angle, not that he was about to give that cue to Murdock.

Murdock had fortunately seen no problem this morning in letting Dan start on this new assignment with Chloe, as long has he could keep in touch with him at all time in case he came up with something new during his researches.

When Dan and Chloe reached the yellow tape blocking access to the crime scene, the agents in post eyed Doom suspiciously, if not downright anxiously. It was Doomy's first day after all, and not everyone had the chance to meet him yet. They were quickly let inside the perimeter after a small introduction.

Chloe noticed Dan's tensed posture and hard traits as they neared the house. Slowing her pace, she put a hand on his wrist in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Sure!" he answered quickly. Too quickly.

Chloe stopped completely and turned to face him, making it clear with her stare that she wasn't buying it. Doom followed her lead and sat beside her docilely while continuing to scan the area for danger.

Dan rolled his eyes in annoyance at her easiness to read him. Years of marriage could do that between two people. "I mean, this case is most certainly demon related." He kept his voice low and looked around to make sure that no one could hear them. "Besides the fact that there is an unknown number of demonic creatures still hunting around the city, there is also Lilith and her remaining three human-looking demons who could probably do even worse. How many humans still have to die because of my stupidity?"

"Dan, don't..." she started.

But he ignored her and continued on, lost in his self-loathing. "And now our little girl is out there, alone at school and vulnerable to any kind of threats." He passed a shaking hand through his hair in clear apprehension.

Chloe took him by the arms to steady him physically and emotionally. "Dan, listen to me. You are not responsible for what happened and for what is still going on. I believe that you fought your hardest to resist Vasariah's power of suggestion. He was just too powerful." Saying that aloud made her realise that she really believed it, even if she still felt a bit angry at him for having played a part in putting their daughter in danger and for Lucifer's disappearance.

He lifted hopeful eyes at her, as if unsure if he should believe that she really meant it.

"As for Trixie, she is far from vulnerable. Remember that she can recognise demons from a distance just by their aura, and can call either Michael or Amenadiel for help at any time. And that's without talking about Michael who will probably hover above her like a chicken protecting its egg."

Daniel closed his eyes and signed, shaking his head a little as if to shake his dark thoughts out of his mind.

Chloe had finally briefed him the day before about all of Trixie's supernatural abilities and the events of the last few days. It had been a lot to take in for him. He hadn't even known about their daughter's capacity to see auras ever since she was young, yet alone her new emergent abilities with Foretelling Dreams and Spirit Walking. He'd almost lost it when she told about the Soul Eater attacking Trixie and herself and about Lilith's demons almost killing Maze and she Friday night. At least she had managed to keep her pregnancy and her own new celestial powers out of the story. For now.

"I know, I know, it's just... I can't seem to stop worrying for Trixie."

Chloe smiled softly at him. "Believe me, I understand exactly how you feel. I also worry for her, but I try to remind myself that our little girl is not so little anymore, and that she is more resourceful than we ever imagined."

That finally brought a little smile up Dan's lips. "Yeah! She is something isn't she?"

Chloe returned his smile. "That, she is. Now let's go make this city safer for everyone by catching that hellish beast."

Chloe was relieved to see that Daniel was buying her strong front, but the truth was, she was eaten alive by anxiety.

In spite of the arguments she just voiced to Dan, Chloe could barely stop thinking of Trixie, back at school for the first time since the new demonic threat emerged a week ago, and of all the things that could go wrong. Still, Chloe tried to remind herself that Michael would never let anything happen to her daughter. The angel was taking very seriously his vow to Lucifer to protect them. So now that he couldn't follow Chloe everywhere while she was working – that was Doom's duty now –, he had resolutely set his sight on Trixie, guarding her as closely as a guardian angel.

Chloe was also a bit reassured to see how well her little girl was doing lately, how strong she was. She'd left home this morning with her head held high while holding hand with Michael, ready to face the hard supernatural world she now knew she lived in. Chloe had seen her daughter's confidence in herself grow over the last few days, ever since starting her training with Azrael and then with Maze. It was as if learning to control her mental and physical abilities was also giving her a sense of control over her life. A control that she'd probably felt she'd lost after being kidnapped. As a result, Trixie looked happier, a lot calmer, and had fewer nightmares. The Soul Eater hadn't even plagued her dreams anymore after Chloe destroyed it. All in all, Chloe was more and more confident that her little girl would get through it, all the more knowing that Linda would continue to help her and that Azrael was keeping her under her wing, so to speak.

Whatever her rational mind was telling her though, it couldn't completely keep Chloe from worrying for her daughter. As if it wasn't enough, she was a wreck of nervousness at waiting for news of Lucifer...

Maze had been gone for hours! Which meant days in Hell. What the bloody hell was going on down there?

What could be taking Maze so long to find him?

It was killing her!

"Still nothing?" Dan broke her out of her reverie, a sad frown indicating that he knew what she was thinking about.

Chloe realised that she'd been checking her cell phone again, for possible missed new messages, as she must have done a hundred times over the last hours.

She forced a smile on her face. "Not yet, but I'm sure it won't be long now before Lucifer resurfaces with Maze."

Dan nodded grimly. She didn't like the feeling that he might be keeping himself from voicing his mind for fear that she might not like what he was thinking.

She tried not to get deterred by Dan's pessimism. She had to keep faith in Lucifer's return or she would fall to pieces. She didn't even know how she was holding up right now. She missed him so much! And she so needed his strength at the moment. The ever present possibility of losing their unborn child at any time, at the whim of God, was too terrifying to be faced alone, all the more now that she had exhausted her ideas to make Him change his mind on the subject.

The first thing Azrael had done when getting back to Heaven, as promised, had been to seek audience with her Father to talk on behalf of Chloe about letting her child live. Not so surprisingly, even if God listened to Rae's plea, He'd stayed unmoved by it and didn't even deigned give her an answer. It had been as fruitless as Michael's numerous attempts to pray to Him, or Chloe's own prayers. Her last and only hope now was for Lucifer to get back soon and find a way to make God see reason.

Always attuned to her feelings, Doom felt her growing turmoil and nuzzled her hand that was now hanging limply by her side. She patted him over the neck, almost gripping at his fur to steady her faltering emotions.

"It's alright, Doom. I'm alright," she said softly. Strangely, the hound's quiet presence did help her to come back into focus and recover her countenance. "Let's get going now."

The hound led the way inside the house and through the numerous agents searching for clues, unsurprisingly making his way straight to where the blood had been found, close to the rear door, and to Ella.

The forensic scientist squealed in joy when Doom surprised her by liking her cheek while she was still crouched down examining the splatters of blood.

She immediately attached herself around the dog's neck and showered him with kisses. "Doomy! My man! I was so looking forward to seeing you again."

Doom's eyes brighten at the warm greeting.

Chloe smirked at the show. "Humm... Ella? I'm not sure it's such a good idea to let him lick you like that and to show him so much affection. Who knows how he'll interpret it."

"Nonsense!" Ella replied in offense. "Doggies need love as much as we do, maybe even more."

With Ella's face still buried into his neck, Doom smirked smugly at Chloe.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Whatever! You're the one who'll have to live with the consequences."

Beside her, Dan seemed to have a lot of fun watching the petite woman hug what he knew to be one of the most dangerous creatures to have ever walked the earth. Chloe had to admit that it was a funny view.

After giving Doom a few more noisy kisses, Ella straighten herself up and started her verbal report with her usual excitement.

"Victim appears to be Vicky Taylor, thirty-five, a college teacher. Her husband found her missing this morning around 6h30 when he woke up for work. He discovered the back door wide open with all this blood on the floor and rushed outside to try and find his wife, but there was no trace of her. Except for the blood of course. There is plenty of that! He found his little dog though, still shaking as a leaf under a bush. Poor thing!"

"Was it hurt? Could the blood have come from the dog?" Chloe had to ask, even if the amount of blood she saw inside as well as just outside the open door seemed to be much more than what a little dog could contain.

"He is completely unharmed. Thank God! There wasn't even a drop of blood on his fur or paws. Which makes me think that he was already outside in the garden when the attack occurred. There is no way he would have missed that pool of blood while getting outside. In his deposition, the husband explained that Misky is still a young dog and can't make his nights yet. So M. Taylor or his wife have to get up twice a night to let him out unless he soils his cage. According to the husband, it was usually his wife who woke up when the dog started whining since she was a lighter sleeper than he is, which is probably what happened last night. See that splatter of blood?"

Ella walked carefully over the blood that had pooled on the wooden floor of the living room and stepped just outside on the stoop. She pointed at a spray of blood plastering a portion of concrete and went on with her deductions.

"I think that's where she was first attacked by surprise while waiting for her dog to do his thing. I'd say it was between four and six am by the blood's coagulation stage. Looks like the assailant came from behind those bushes on the side of the house and hit her from the left. He must have used a sharp object such as a knife to create that kind of splatter."

Ella feigned being slashed over her side and fell on her knees, exposing her theory theatrically. "She crawled back towards the house, terrified and praying to make it to safety, losing some more blood in the process." Ella showed other droplets of blood on the stoop that matched her scenario. "Then she grabbed the frame to steady herself, here. See the prints of blood? She made her way back inside with sheer force of will, where she was finally eviscerated!" she stated gloomily. "Well, if the amount of blood is any indication. That, or the assailant hit an important artery. Either ways, the victim probably died right here from a sudden massive blood loss. The killer picked her up from there and escaped by the garden. He left a few partial boot prints here in the blood and others on the ground outside. We also found blood in the neighbour's backyard just behind the house."

"You said boot marks?" asked Dan in surprise. He'd been so certain that they were chasing a creature. He exchanged a look with Chloe who seemed as surprise as he was.

Ella fortunately missed the silent exchange and nodded happily. "Good ones too. I'll be able to mold it for later identification." Though she grimaced at that in annoyance. "The thing is, I don't think I ever saw that kind of markings under a boot. It's kind of unique, possibly homemade. Either it will help me find the killer or it will doom my chances of success. We'll see..." She nodded pensively and then got lost in her analysis of the scene now that she had told them all she knew for the moment.

Dan took Chloe some distance away to talk to her discretely. "If that demon wears boots, it might be human looking. Do you think it could be one of Lilith's?"

Chloe smirked uncertainly. "Maybe, but somehow I don't think so. Lilith's men are too smart to keep hunting in only one area and risk being discovered. I still think this demon is hiding nearby, and that he might be alone. It's the seventh disappearance to occur inside a five streets radius of that park since the Hell's Gates was opened eight days ago. Some of the victims were last seen at their domicile, one disappeared while jogging in broad day light, a teenager never came back home at night after hanging out with his friends in the park, and a lone golfer never finished the course. It does seem that this demon might look sufficiently human to go around unnoticed, to a certain degree. Yet he doesn't look comfortable enough to completely blend in. We might be facing something completely different than what we've seen so far."

Dan considered her reasoning and nodded slowly. "Let's put that theory to the test." He turned to Doom who was still sniffing around the house frenetically, barely able to contain himself. "Hey Doomy! Feel like tracking something?"

The Hellhound's head snapped up instantly and he smirked with a demonic glint in his eyes. In that moment, Dan was very glad to be on Doom's good side. The hound gazed at Chloe for confirmation and sprang out the open back door as soon as she nodded her assent.

The tracking of a demon and of his fresh kill was an easy thing for a Hellhound. They had to walk fast to keep up with Doom even if he was doing his best to refrain himself from running. They crossed through a few backyards and streets and sure enough, the tracks and smell were leading straight to the huge forested park.

The trail they first followed was going alongside the golf course on its southern border. They came across a few people on the path who were either walking or jogging, and they could also see golfers through the trees on their right. Once they couldn't see the greens of the golf anymore, Doom left the main path to step into a barely visible trail that went northward into the thickest part of the woods. They walked through the trees for a moment until they came to a halt at the edge of a small clearing where they could see an old cabin on the other side. Doom's warning growls made it clear that danger was close.

"Is the demon in there at the moment?" asked Chloe, just to make sure. She could probably have felt it herself if she used her new powers, but she was afraid that doing so could alert the demon of her presence.

Doom nodded, never leaving the cabin out of his sight.

"We're still pretty close to the golf course that should be running northward a little farther on our right," noted Dan. "My best bet is that this cabin is or was used as storage by the Club. People might not be coming here very often. It's a perfect hiding place for a creature, right in the middle of a big buffet of food if I might add."

Crouched down behind a tree beside Dan, Chloe nodded her assent. "It certainly looks like it. Ok, let's move now, before this thing senses Doom's presence and gets nervous."

They were perfectly conscious that they couldn't arrest a demon and bring it to justice, hence the necessity to act as swiftly and silently as they could as not alert anyone in the area who could become witness to an operation that Chloe had no intention of reporting to her superiors. Which meant using their weapons only in last resort and relying almost exclusively on Doom's strength and skills to subdue the creature. Beside her gun, Chloe drew Lilim's demonic dagger to protect herself if it came to close combat.

At Chloe's signal, they walked rapidly across the little clearing towards the cabin. They couldn't hear anything coming from inside it, nor see through the two small dirty windows. Hopefully, the demon would never know what hit him when they kicked the door open and Doom jumped in.

Everything was going according to plan and they were only mere feet from the door, when suddenly a gunshot resounded through the clearing.

Training taking over, Chloe and Dan instantly went down on their knees to become smaller targets. Weapons at the ready, they started scanning the area to try and spot the source of the threat that sounded to have come from the woods on their right. They thought they could faintly hear someone moving in the woods over there. But it was hard to tell with all the noise now coming from inside the cabin. Whatever demon had been hiding in there, it was not oblivious to their presence anymore.

Among all the troubles going on around her, what ultimately drew Chloe's attention the most was a heartbreaking whine coming from a few feet on her left.

Her gaze fell on Doom who was lying down in a pool of blood.

"Shit, shit, shit! Don't do this to me Doomy! Hold on." How could this be happening, on their first day on the job as partners?

"Dan! Cover us!"

Chloe rushed to her hound's side to assess his injury. Doom was still conscious, but barely breathing. He had a gunshot wound over the right side of his torso from which a great quantity of blood was still pouring out. She took off her jacket and pressed it against the wound, hoping to gain some time until they could get help.

They heard a window being smashed into pieces on the other side of the cabin. The demon they were hunting was undoubtedly in the process of escaping. While most unfortunate, it was still better than to have the creature attack them out front in their current situation.

Dan had placed himself in front of Doom and Chloe to protect them with his body. After a few minutes of scanning the woods, he lowered his gun, yet was not entirely reassured.

"I still don't see anyone in the woods. I think the shooter might be gone, but I can't say in which direction. We might still be in danger though. Let's call back up and get out of here."

At that moment, they heard a voice calling their names coming from the little path they took to get here on the southern side of the clearing.

They soon saw Murdock coming at a run with his gun out and looking around himself wildly.

"There you are!" he burst out in relief. "I heard a gunshot and ran as fast as I could. I suspected it was the two of you who ran into trouble."

Murdock slowed to a quick pace to walk the rest of the way to them and lowered his gun while still checking around for danger.

Chloe was dumfounded to see him here and apparently Dan too, if his reaction was any indication. "How did you find us? Were you not supposed to be working on our case at the precinct?"

Murdock had reached them and was looking down at the poor Doom who was clearly having a hard time breathing. "I was getting nowhere with my researches, so I thought I could be of better use in assisting you two. When I got to your crime scene, an agent sent me this way after you. I would never have fond you if it wasn't for the gun shot. I'm glad to see you're ok, but it looks pretty bad for your dog. Do you think he's gonna make it?"

Chloe was still processing the events, and Murdock's arrival was confusing the hell out of her.

Something was not right.

Focusing back on Murdock's question, Chloe gazed down at Doom and wondered seriously if a Hellhound could recover from such a wound.

She came to a conclusion, as wishful thinking as it might be. "I think he has a chance. Doom is a lot stronger than he appears to be."

Murdock sighed loudly as if in defeat. "That's too bad!"

Chloe narrowed her eyes in confusion at Murdock's comment and lifted her gaze to him, only to come face to face with the barrel of his gun.

Chloe didn't even have time to react before she herd the noise of a point blank shot to her head...


In the blink of an eye, everything around Chloe had become blindingly white and silent. She could only hear the noise of her quickening breathing and the rush of blood hitting her temples as her heart was beating madly, pumping adrenaline through her veins. Her whole body was shaking under an intense fight or flight response.

She straightened up and looked around, her sight slowly adapting to the blinding light. Slowly, images of her surroundings came into focus.

What she saw had to be a dream! It just couldn't be real.

And yet, she knew things like this could actually happen. Amenadiel for one could still time. He could be the one responsible for what she was seeing. A quick visual survey of the place didn't reveal the presence of the angel though. So what? How could she be the only one moving here while everything and everyone around her was frozen into place? No, not everyone. She could still see Doom breathing lightly.

She reached out and took the bullet that should have killed her which was still hanging in the air at the mouth of Murdock's gun. This was real! Frighteningly real.

She felt an overwhelming presence mere seconds before an ethereal voice addressed to her.

"I am honored to meet you at last, Chloe Jane Decker."

Chloe took a deep breath and turned around slowly to gaze at whom she had the absolute certitude was God himself...


Author's note: As you may guess, next chapter is going to be quite interesting, but also packed with surprises, I can assure you. I hope you had fun reading this chapter, please let me know of your thoughts and comments. Thanks so much for reading.