Heart Pangs

Chapter 28 - Crumple

After he has what feels like the longest start to his day, Lux's work at the Facility goes on as usual. He heads into his first extraction job, mind far from the interrogation. But in this line of work, getting distracted never ends well.

Lux is working on a particularly rebellious prey man. In fact, he's been working on this prey all week and every day he's attempted to fight back. The man's efforts are usually flimsy at best. It's never been difficult to avoid a stray punch or kick, but Lux is so distracted today that he doesn't see the prey's fist until it connects rather forcibly with his cheekbone.

Lux pulls away, cursing. Of course, the prey receives a much larger and stronger fist in retaliation, but the damage has already been done. Lux can feel a bruise blossoming just below his eye. He seethes internally.

After his first mistake, Lux forces himself to concentrate better. He can't afford to become sloppy. But it's difficult. His mind continues drifting back to the Marottas. He wonders what sort of state Cecil's interrogations have left Camille in. He wonders what her reaction to seeing him will be. He pictures Benji waiting back at Camille's house, having no clue if his sister is even still alive. Lux hopes Benji is ready to care for Camille when she gets back. God knows she'll need it.

Lux has to talk himself down from checking in on Camille several times. He's paranoid Cecil will go against protocol and consume her just to spite him. He's paranoid that Cecil has gone too far and she'll succumb to her injuries before Lux can get to her. He also simply does not want his first interaction with Camille in ten years to be under close scrutiny by another Facility worker, least of all Cecil.

But the risks of visiting Camille early are too great. Not only will it look suspicious, but Lux doesn't know how she'll react. So, begrudgingly, he makes himself wait. He just wishes he didn't have to wait all day. He wants to get his plan carried out as soon as possible. Although, he reminds himself, it's not as if carrying out her disposal early will change anything. Lux would still have to finish out his shift, he'd just have to do it on an uncomfortably full stomach.

The hours tick by and the prey girl from the night before doesn't tide Lux over as well as he'd hoped. His shift finally reaches its conclusion late into the night. The insistent jabs of hunger are just beginning to prickle in his stomach, but they don't bother him as much as expected. He's more focused on how close he is to facing Camille. He keeps reminding himself that he has control, that no one has any reason to suspect he's up to anything out of the ordinary.

"What are you up to, Feuerbach?"

Lux stops dead mid-stride. He'd been so distracted with thoughts of Camille that he hadn't noticed he'd been walking right by Lenora Kavak, another Facility worker.

"What am I up to?" he repeats, voice high. He realizes as soon as he says the words that they make him sound guilty.

Lenora crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. Her hair, as always, is pulled back into a neat low bun.

"I'm not up to anything," Lux says, quickly lowering his voice into its usual register. "I'm just on my way to a disposal job and then I'm going home."

Lenora narrows her eyes. Lux feels oddly exposed under her gaze. He's not sure if it's because they had dated once upon a time that he always feels as though she can see right through him, or if it's simply because she's very good at looking like she knows more than she really does.

"Am I not allowed to do that?" he questions, doing his best to sound detached and a tad annoyed.

"Of course you are," she tells him. "It just looks like there's something more to it than that."