Lena and Hayes made their way back down to the basement level, where the hum of the snack machines and the faint flicker of fluorescent lights reminded them that this place was far from glamorous. Dolores’s desk was empty (it was her day off) but Colby was in the middle of pouring himself a cup of coffee when they arrived.

“Heya, Colbs!” Hayes said, surprisingly chipper despite having just been called into the Director’s office. He clapped a hand on Colby’s shoulder with a grin.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. 

Colby’s hand jerked, and a splash of coffee leapt out of the cup, staining his lab coat in a murky brown blotch. “Ah—oops… sorry about that, Colby,” Hayes said quickly, awkwardness flashing across his face.

Colby set his cup down quickly and yanked a stack of napkins from the counter. “A-are y-you serious? W-why would y-you d-do that?” His voice cracked as he dabbed furiously at his coat, frustration written all over him.

Deciding Hayes could suffer his fate alone, Lena slid quietly back to her desk. She set her bag down and pulled the case files toward her, steeling herself for another deep dive. There were five victims—five women whose lives had been cut short in brutal, senseless ways. The more Lena studied the reports, the more her chest ached.

Carolyn Myers, 22 —strangled with her own bedsheet.
Angela Ruiz, 27 —bludgeoned to death in a parking lot.
Theresa Walker, 30 —stabbed repeatedly in her kitchen after a break-in.
Diana Cole, 24 —attacked in an alley after a late-night movie.
Jennifer Henley, 19 —strangled in her car.

No connection. No pattern. Just opportunity and chaos. Sloppy, desperate. The mark of someone who only cared about the thrill of the kill. Lena’s jaw tightened. A twisted monster—that’s what she was hunting. 

Her hands balled into fists over the autopsy reports. Diana Cole’s file sat on top, and the word pregnant leapt off the page. Lena’s stomach turned, anger surging hot and sharp through her veins.

She picked up Diana’s photo, studying the young woman’s face. Long, wavy brown hair with soft highlights. Warm brown eyes. A smile that radiated kindness. Natural makeup with just a shimmer of eyeshadow and gloss. She had been beautiful, full of promise, with so much to look forward to.

“I’ll get justice for you if it’s the last thing I do,” Lena whispered, her voice trembling as she set the photo back down.

Then it began—the voices. At first, just faint echoes. Then all at once, a chorus of fear and begging filled her head.

NOOOO!

I want to live! 

Please don’t! 

I’ll do anything, just let me go!

Their cries wrapped around her heart like chains, squeezing until she could barely breathe. Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them. Across the room, Hayes had just finished fumbling through an apology to Colby when he caught sight of her. “You feeling okay, Lena?” Concern softened his voice.

Even Colby, who was typically too wrapped up in his own head to notice such things, glanced over with something close to worry. Lena sniffled, brushing at her cheeks with her sleeve before forcing a shaky smile. “Yeah, just… listening to their pleas is a bit tough.” Her gaze dropped to the photos again.

“Ah. Uh… yeah, I guess that would be a lot to handle,” Hayes said, scratching at the back of his neck. Before he could say more, Colby suddenly gasped, eyes going wide. Without a word, he bolted toward his lab. Lena and Hayes exchanged bewildered looks.

“What on earth…?” Lena murmured.

Hayes smirked faintly. “Guess he had a breakthrough. Or maybe just realized he lost something again.” A crash echoed from Colby’s lab, followed by a series of grunts and muttered curses. Metal clattered, glass rattled, and something thudded to the floor.

“Has he always been so… clumsy?” Lena asked, raising a brow.

“Not usually,” Hayes said with a chuckle. “He must’ve forgotten where he put whatever he’s looking for.” Minutes passed before Colby re-emerged, panting slightly and holding something in his hand.

“H-here,” he stammered, thrusting it toward Lena. She blinked down at it. “…A baseball cap?” It was plain black, nothing special at first glance.

“Um. Thanks?” she said uncertainly, slipping it on. With an uncharacteristic smirk, Colby blurted out, “I-it h-has a h-hidden c-camera in it.”

“Oh!” Lena’s face brightened. “So you’ll be able to see what I see? That’s cool!”

Colby’s lips twitched in the faintest smile. “E-exactly. I-I hope it w-works the w-way it s-should.”

Before anyone could respond, the air shifted. A dark portal began to form against the back wall, shadows twisting and pulling until the gateway yawned open.

“Well,” Lena said, exhaling slowly. “Guess that’s my cue. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Hayes straightened, worry flickering across his face, but Lena only gave him a quick nod before stepping forward. The portal swallowed her, and she emerged into a damp, musty basement on the other side. The air was heavy, tinged with smoke. A sudden warmth spread across her scalp.

“…No. Don’t tell me,” Lena muttered, pulling the cap off. Sure enough, the tiny camera inside was smoking.

“So much for that idea.” She gave the cap a few hard shakes until the smoke died down, sighing as she slipped it back on. “Sorry, Colby.”

If it caught fire on her head, she’d have words for him later. For now, she pulled out her notepad, her resolve firming.

“Time to get this investigation started.”

To be continued…