"And now Lust is here and they are responsible for the murders," Rob finished, watching Lindsey's reactions carefully.

Lindsey leaned back against the worn leather of her chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest. She spoke quietly, "You've lost me,"

"Ok, let's try something else then," Rob looked around the office, spotting a deck of cards tucked away on the shelf. "Perfect," He fanned the cards out on his desk with a flourish. "Ok, do you have some highlighters I can borrow?"

Her patience thinning, Lindsey pulled open the top drawer of her desk and laid out a handful in front of him, she watched as he carefully separated the cards before labelling them.

---

Elsewhere, Deb's phone buzzed with urgency. She glanced at the screen, her expression morphing into concern. "Jake couldn't get the vigil cancelled," She trailed off, her mind racing. "Zack says he wants us to meet so we can come up with a plan to stop Lust from killing someone else at the vigil,"

"Wait a minute," John tapped her arm, pointing to a spot on the photo of Jessica's map. Deb looked closely and noticed it too, the circle was a different colour from the others. "Do you think her other pen ran out of ink or something?"

"No, Jessica is meticulous, everything is planned. There is something about this spot that caught her attention." Deb eyed the map, noting the small unassuming church.

"Why do we have a quick look before we meet up with Zack," John looked up at Deb, eyebrows raised.

"I guess a quick look couldn't hurt," Deb quickly texted Zack back saying they would meet him asap. She tucked her phone away and the pair headed out into the night.

---

Back in Lindsey's office, labelled cards were fanned out on her desk; Each marked with pink, purple, yellow, or blue highlighter

"So Zack is a sin?" Lindsey asked, trying to keep up.

"No, Zack is Pink. Pink is for vessels. They are like half-demons," explained Rob, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

"I thought that was Boon?" Her voice held a hint of frustration, as she looked down at the cards.

"Right, well I mean Boon was originally a familiar but he is a vessel now," he said, eyeing her carefully. "So you get why it is so hard for you to solve these murders,"

Lindsey scoffed, rising to leave. "Rob, I don't know what this all is but clearly being around all this death has really gotten to you."

Rob shot up and positioned himself between her and the door. "I'm not crazy, all of this is real, I swear,"

Lindsey went to speak, but her radio crackled to life, "We've got a Jane Doe at the hospital, with clear signs of an assault requesting officers at the scene,"

"This is Officer Lindsey responding, I'll head right over," she spoke into the radio, she looked over to Rob. "Times up, I need to go do real work now, we can talk about where these fantasies of yours came from later,"

"They're not fantasies," Rob whispered, almost reverently, as Lindsey went to push past him.

---

The old church loomed before Deb and John, as they climbed the concrete steps. The stone faces of the saints seemed to weeping in the rain, as they pushed the front doors open.

"Creepy much?" Deb muttered, pulling a knife from her belt and holding it at the ready.

"This is why I never went to church," John took in the darkened interior and shivered. A faint creaking sound drew their attention to a stairwell next to the altar.

"I don't think we're alone in here," Deb looked over to John, they both inched closer to the top of the stairs.

"Maybe it's Jessica," John suggested, looking down into the darkness. "I mean she was the one who marked this place on the map,"

"There is only one way to find out," Deb lightly stepped down onto the first step, praying it wouldn't make a sound. She touched down harder but there was no sound, "See easy as pie," she turned to John motioning for him to follow.

"Oh sure, nothing is easier than walking down the steps to the creepy murder basement," John muttered to himself as they descended.

At the bottom of the stairs, Deb retrieved a small flashlight from her jacket pocket and swept it across the room. It caught a figure struggling pathetically against their rope bindings. And there, next to them, was a masked figure, their gaze locking onto Deb and John as they were caught in the spotlight.

"Shit," Deb hissed, taking an involuntary step back. "That's him, that's Lust,"

"Get down!" The command came from behind them, as Jessica strolled down the steps, silver revolver pistols glinting in each hand.

Deb dropped to the floor, the sound of gunfire echoing off the stone walls. Sparks erupted where bullets kissed the steel beams.

"Cover me!" Jessica yelled, advancing on the scene as Lust retreated. Magazines clicked empty, but with a flick of her wrists, she reloaded in a seamless motion, her aim never wavering as she continued the chase.

"Come on!" Deb shouted at John, who was already on his feet and sprinting towards the captive man. They reached him just as Jessica's gunfire faded into the distance.

"Is he..." John began, but the answer was obvious the closer they got to the man.

"Mummified," Deb confirmed, her fingers trembling as she composed the text to Zack. "We're too late again,"

"Got it," Zack's response came swiftly, and within seconds Rob was looped into the grim discovery.

"They got away," Jessica returned looking more upset them normal. "What the hell were you two thinking?"

"We were thinking you were up to something shady," Deb murmured looking Jessica dead in the eye. "you made such a big deal about retiring as an exorcist and following the code, but you've been tracking Lust and you never told me,"

"Can you blame me?" Jessica crossed her arms. "You still run headfirst into every situation without thinking, and I know you get that from Zack. Here's the thing, you're not Zack, he will heal... you won't,"

Jessica's fingers worked deftly, plucking the spent shells from the ground as if they were seashells on a beach. Ensure not a single one was left behind.

"I race into things without thinking? What was your plan for tonight? Take on Lust yourself?" Deb's voice dripped with skepticism as she crossed her arms, watching Jessica's methodical collection.

"Of course not," Jessica snapped, not looking up. Her hands paused momentarily mid-motion. "I was going to observe, follow them back to wherever they are hiding and identify them,"

"You were just going to sit back while Lust killed a man?" Deb's accusation sliced through the tense air between them.

Jessica straightened, her gaze sharp as a knife. "He was as good as dead the moment Lust chose him. At least if things had gone my way, his death would have had some meaning,"

John stepped forward, his voice firm. "Enough, both of you. We all screwed up tonight, but Lust kills in threes so we need to stop whining and figure out the last one in the set,"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The two women locked eyes for a moment longer before relenting. They knew John was right. With a collective sigh, they gathered themselves and left the church.

---

At the hospital, Lindsey left Jane Doe's room only to bump right into Rob. "You followed me here?" She was more than unimpressed by him.

"Lindsey, please. You saw Zack being repelled by the barrier at the silo—you must've!" Rob's voice cracked with desperation.

Lindsey rolled her eyes and stepped away from him. "I don't know what I saw, okay? And just because something can't be explained doesn't stamp it as supernatural! I've had enough of this, go home and leave me alone!"

"Lindsey more people are going to get hurt," Rob's voice broke as he reached for her arm, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Stop, just stop!" Lindsey exploded, pulling away from him. She caught the nurses watching them, breathed deeply, and regained her composure.

As she turned to walk away, Rob's words halted her. "Ryan would've believed me."

Lindsey's steps faltered for a moment before she continued down the hallway.

---

Saturday arrived and the memorial was moments away from starting, Kenneth was meticulously adjusting Leona's necklace, its clasp clicking softly into place. His fingers lingered, smoothing her hair.

"You're going to be amazing up there, I can't wait to hear you sing," he whispered, giving her a small hug.

Brian observed from afar, his eyes narrowing at the intimate exchange.

Zack also watched the exchange while he scanned the crowd, he turned away spotting Ms. McLeod in the crowd, before finally finding Ahmed. Surprised.

"Are you ready for this?"

Ahmed shook his head, his eyes troubled. "I don't know, Zack. All I can think about is saving whoever is next, I'm so tired of showing up late,"

"We'll stop Lust, I promise, just let me know if you sense anything," Zack vowed. Their hands met in a brief, determined clasp of reassurance.

Music began to play as the memorial started, with grey clouds moving in overhead. Leona stepped up to the microphone, her voice carried on the wind, as the friends and family of the victims began to light the candles.

---

Ethel jogged through Grand River Hospital, she found the room of Jane Doe and slipped inside. The room was silent except for Ashley's ragged breathing as she slept. Ethel leaned over the bed, and Ashley's eyes fluttered open.

"Ethel?" she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What... what's happening to me?"

"Shh," Ethel soothed, taking her hand. "I don't know. But I am going to find out."

Across the hospital, Lindsey stood outside the archive, she spotted Kenzie making her way down the hall. "Kenzie, I need to take a look at some records. Old ones. Over a decade," she waved Kenzie over, looking over to the cameras pointed at the room.

"Ah, a court order would be nice," Kenzie teased. With a wink, she added, "But for a good cop? I might just bend the rules."

"Appreciate it," Lindsey replied with a nod as Kenzie unlocked the room.

"It's not a problem, is there a certain patient you are looking for?" Kenzie stepped into the room and flicked the lights on.

"It was a John Doe, Mark used to say it was the most brutal animal attack they had ever seen, It was back in the nineties,"

"Here we go—' John Doe', found in the woods." Kenzie pulled the file from a cabinet. The photo of the man was unrecognizable, his body covered in deep gashes.

"He made it to the hospital," Lindsey muttered, flipping through the file. "He died on the table. But somehow he was alive again by morning."

"Did they revive him?" Kenzie asked, her voice hopeful.

"No, they pronounced him dead after trying for over twenty minutes." Lindsey countered, her blue eyes darkening with the weight of her suspicions. "Mark said it was a miracle but I'm starting to think it was something else," she muttered.

"What else could it be?" Kenzie prodded, wondering just how much Lindsey knew.

"Not sure yet, but I'm starting to believe," Lindsey whispered, more to herself than Kenzie.

---

At the memorial, a curtain of fog crept across the grounds, as people spoke about their memories of the victims. Jessica, Deb, and John arrived and spread out through the crowd. Ahmed watched them go as his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Need to see you right now," read the first text from Brian, followed swiftly by "Meet me in Coach's officer. Life or Death!" Ahmed rolled his eyes and looked over to where Brian was sitting, “It better be,” he mumbled to himself as he made his way toward the coach's office.

"Nothing seems that off here," Jessica murmured, into her walkie as she looked over the crowd.

"My side seems fine too," John noted.

"Ahmed said something is going to happen here, so something is going to happen here," Deb added, scanning the crowd.

"Where is Ahmed?" Rob's came in on their channel. "I don't see him anymore."

"He was just here," Zack said, looking over to the place Ahmed had been standing. "Does anyone see him?"

"He's not on my end," Jessica replied, her hand hovering near the pistol concealed under her jacket.

"I don't see him either," Deb pushed her way through the crowd, scanning every face for Ahmed's.

"We need to find him," Zack looked up at the stage, the fog had begun to rise over it.

On stage, Mayor Heather cleared her throat, ready to speak about uniting against the violence. But the weather had other plans, with dark clouds spiralling above the stage. Ms. McLeod locked eyes with Deb, and mouthed the words "Now."

---

Tears streaked down Ahmed's cheeks as he slowly opened his eyes, seeing his shirt stained with blood. Jake sat casually at the desk, sharpening a knife as he watched Ahmed with careful eyes.

"Damn, you woke up," Jake murmured, almost to himself, eyes fixated on the glinting knife. "I was hoping to finish things before you came to, it would have been easier."

"Why?" Ahmed's voice was barely, he tried to clear his blurred vision.

Jake's gaze met Ahmed's, a flicker of regret passing through his features. "Because I need to finish what I started," he replied, rising. "You don't understand Greed like I do." His steps toward Ahmed were slow, "Don't worry, I'm not going to drain you like the others. You just know too much."

The cold steel touched Ahmed's neck, breaching the first layer of skin. Ahmed stiffened and his eyes fogged over, a melody escaped his lips.

At the memorial, Zack and Rob halted mid-search as the haunting tune reached them, "Ahmed," They said in unison, turning toward the source. John, Brian, and Kenneth heard it too, the song drawing them in and asking them to follow it. Even Ethel paused and looked up, hearing the song through the hospital.

"Amazing," Jake whispered, lowering the knife and stepping back. "A Siren." He chuckled darkly. "I thought the exorcists got you all, yet here you are,"

By now the fog had completely taken over, swallowing the stage and obscuring Mayor Heather from view. Her words on unity dissipated into the fog as a scream shattered the eerie calm.

"The mayor!" Deb raced toward the stage, pushing through the panicked crowd, Jessica and John at her heels.

"I can't sense her aura" John shouted, as they finally reached the stage.

"I can't shoot through this, I could hit someone innocent," Jessica tried to peer through the mist.

The fog parted, revealing the horrific sight: Mayor Heather's lifeless body crumpled on the stage, her mummified eyes looking right at them.

"We're too late..." Deb whispered, kneeling beside the fallen mayor.

---

In the coach's office, Jake returned to the tied-up Ahmed, he retrieved his knife from the desk and moved toward Ahmed once again but froze when the door opened.

"Drop the knife, Jake," Lindsey commanded, levelling her gun at the man.

"Well, now this truly is a surprise," Jake turned to face the officer. With a swift, careful motion, he flung the dagger. It whistled through the air, slicing Lindsey's shoulder and embedding itself in the wall behind her.

"Nice throw," she gritted out, wincing as blood began to seep from her shoulder.

"Zack!" Ahmed called out as the vessel charged into the office, his eyes glowing as he did.

"Two against one, that hardly seems fair," Jake frowned, as he stepped closer to Ahmed.

Zack lunged at Jake to stop him. Jake didn't flinch, he batted Zack away, sending him reeling, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Oh, please. I am almost fully charged now," Jake mocked, brushing off his hands as if ridding them of dust. "You can't touch me,"

"Who said I was trying to touch you?" Zack managed, lifting himself off the ground.

"You forgot about me," Lindsey said, retrieving her weapon and firing a single shot, hitting Jake in the shoulder. Jake howled in rage, glided over to Lindsey and slammed her against the door, closing it just as Rob arrived.

Rob's fist hammered on the door, his shouts muffled by the heavy wood and Jake's inhuman strength as he thrust a desk against it. In the locker room, Rob’s breaths came out in white puffs of frustration; as he searched for something heavy enough to bring the door down.

Inside, Lindsey staggered to her feet, not willing to give up. She palmed her gun with her left hand, trying to prepare for another shot. Her eyes locked onto Jake's, who seemed amused by their efforts.

"You know my partner found a boy once," she said, her voice steady, "his face carved up, barely clinging to life in the woods." She aimed her gun right at Jake's heart. "That was you, wasn't it, Jake?"

His laugh was low and devoid of humour. "You truly have devoted yourself to your work officer, one might claim you are even addicted to it," he locked eyes with her, as if begging her to fire.

She pulled the trigger, and Rob heard the gunshot through the door. But as the bullet hit Jake's leg, it did nothing; the hole filling itself in in seconds, leaving no trace of injury. With a blur of motion, he was upon her, and his hands were iron bands around her wrist and waist.

"I'm not afraid of you," Lindsey muttered before he threw her, her back slamming into the bookshelves with a crack. leaving her winded on the ground.

Jake ripped her shield off, the metal crumpling like paper in his grip. It clinked hollowly against the floor, as he let slip from his fingers.

"Leave her alone," Zack spat out, "I'm not done with you"

The sound of shattering glass filled the air, as Rob used a weight to break through the door. Rob burst into the room, taking in the aftermath of the fight. Zack, bleeding from a deep stomach wound, pushed himself upright. Their eyes met in silent understanding, but realization dawned a moment too late; Jake had vanished into the night, and Lindsey was gone too.

"Non, no, no!" Rob's cries echoed in the space, as he collapsed to his knees. Zack moved to Ahmed, using his claws to cut him free.

"I'm sorry," he turned to Rob.

"He took her," Rob muttered, his hands balling into fists. He turned toward Zack, trying to hold back tears. "But we'll find her. We have to."

"We will," Zack replied, hugging his friend. Ahmed joined them, not sure what he could say to make it better, Jake had gone after him and Lindsey paid the price.