Chapter 22: "A Gruesome Parallel"*
The afternoon sky was thick with ominous clouds as Marie pulled up to the latest crime scene. Another body had been found—this time, on the opposite side of town. Two in one day. A clear escalation.
Marie stepped out of her car and approached the crime scene tape where Officer Green was waiting on the side of the road. His face was drawn with tension as he gestured toward the body. "This one's different, Marie. You're going to want to take a look."
As Marie walked closer, her breath caught in her throat. The victim was a woman, late twenties, her body battered and bruised beyond recognition. But it wasn't just the violence that struck Marie. The woman had a sharp resemblance to her—same dark hair, same build, a single blue streak chalked onto her hair.
"Jesus," she muttered, crouching beside the body. "This is deliberate. They're sending me a message."
Green nodded grimly. "That's what I was thinking too. This one's too close to home."
The woman's face was a mess of contusions, her jaw likely broken, her body marked with violent bruises that spread across her arms and torso and unlike the others, she was naked. Marie's gut churned with a mixture of anger and dread. Whoever was behind these killings was escalating, and now they were making it personal.
"We need the medical examiner here," Marie said, her voice tight. "There's something about this that feels off."
The examiner arrived quickly, his brow furrowed in concentration as he examined the body. Marie stood back, trying to stay calm, but the image of the beaten woman—the unsettling resemblance to her—played over and over in her mind.
After several minutes, the medical examiner rose from the body and walked over to Marie. "I'll need to run full tests, but I can already tell you this wasn't random. There's more to this one."
Marie crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"I was able to compare some preliminary findings between this body and the man you found near Kevin's warehouse earlier today," he said. "At first glance, the bruises on the woman seemed like typical signs of a beating. But when I looked closer, I noticed something strange—the patterns match the fists of the man from earlier."
Marie's blood ran cold. "So, you're saying the man was the one who beat her?"
"Yes, and there's more," the examiner continued. "The man's toxicology report came back, and he had an astronomical dose of synthetic steroids in his system. More than enough to send him into a rage. But here's the kicker—he didn't just beat her. He likely overdosed and died around the same time."
Marie's mind raced as she processed the information. The man had been drugged up and used as a weapon, doped to the point of uncontrollable violence, and then discarded when he became a liability. But why? What kind of twisted operation would force people into this kind of brutality?
The examiner continued. "She fought back, Marie. We found traces of the man's skin under her nails. She scratched and clawed at him, trying to defend herself. But ultimately, she was no match for someone on that level of steroids. He would have been near impossible to stop."
Marie felt a wave of nausea wash over her. The scenario was brutal—this poor woman, likely caught up in something far darker than they had realized, had tried to fight back against a man who was drugged into a murderous rage. But why had the man overdosed? Was it part of the plan, or had it been an accident?
"Whoever did this," Marie said quietly, "they're using people like disposable weapons. Drugging them, pitting them against each other, and then dumping the bodies when things go wrong."
Green shook his head, his face pale. "This is getting worse by the minute. If they're using people like this, it's only a matter of time before more bodies show up."
The fight club theory had seemed like a long shot at first, but now, with every new body, the pieces were coming together. These weren't random killings. This was organized, brutal, and part of something much bigger.
The medical examiner packed up his equipment and turned to Marie once more. "I'll rush the rest of the toxicology reports, but this looks like part of a pattern. Whoever is behind this isn't just killing—they're orchestrating these fights and using steroids to push people past their limits."
Marie's jaw clenched. The evidence was piling up, but they still didn't have a clear lead on who was running this twisted operation. Kevin was a prime suspect, but he wasn't working alone. He had connections, resources, and most likely, a network of people covering for him.
As she watched the medical team prepare to move the woman's body, Marie felt a surge of determination. She couldn't let this go on. She couldn't let more people die.
"We need to keep digging," she said, her voice steady. "Find out who's behind this and shut it down. Kevin's involved, we need to prove it."
Green nodded, but his eyes were wary. "Be careful, Marie. They've already made it personal with you. This body… it's a warning."
"I know," Marie said, her gaze hardening. "But if they think they can scare me off, they've got another thing coming."
As she walked back to her car, the image of the woman's face stayed with her, burned into her mind. This was more than just an investigation now. It was a fight for survival—her survival, and the survival of the people these monsters were using and discarding like trash.
