(BOOK 2) MARK/HOFFMAN: A Saw Fanfiction

FIFTEEN

The next day, Mark is called to the crime scene of the pound of flesh trap.

Behind his stone cold demeanor, there was always a slight level of nerve that had become a part of him. Whenever the feds were crawling around the scenes he was guilty of setting up, he couldn't help but wonder if he had wiped all of his fingerprints away.

He was directed to the crime scene by a younger blond officer, where he was met with Special Agent Erickson.

"Erickson, I didn't know you ever made it out from behind the desk."

"I make exceptions when fingerprints are found at a Jigsaw murder scene," he replied, squatting down next to the victim. Mark followed suit.

"Have a look," Erickson said, shining the UV light over Eddie's eyelids. Two fingerprints were clearly there. "We also got a right index off the scale."

"Get it ID'd yet?" Mark asked, slightly nervous but not showing it.

"Yeah." Erickson looked up at Mark. "They're Agent Strahm's."

Phew. Thank god.

Mark stared at him in false shock.

"When I learned that he and Perez were being targeted by Jigsaw, I should've been more aware but uh, I didn't see this coming. Not from Peter Strahm."

"It was a shock to all of us," Mark replied, perhaps too quickly.

"Yeah, but we have something he doesn't know about."

Mark looked at him in confusion. What could that be? Was this gonna be yet another wrench in his plan?

"Follow me."

Mark walked a ways behind Erickson, so by the time he had made his way into the back room, he was met face to face with someone he did not expect to see.

Lindsay Perez.

He was good at hiding his emotion, but this time the shock had fully shown itself on his face.

"Detective Hoffman," she greeted him.

"Perez," he said, staring at her.

"It was my call detective," Erickson said. "I knew that jigsaw wasn't working alone but until I knew for certain who was helping, I couldn't guarantee her well being."

Mark was angry. This was most definitely a wrench. A big wrench.

"So you led me to believe she was dead." He walked slightly toward her.

"Well I wasn't sure who I could trust," Erickson replied.

Mark clenched his jaw as he watched Agent Perez for a moment, then said: "what else have you been keeping from me?"

"We knew that Agent Strahm knew the 5 people in the real estate scam," Perez started. "The victims in the traps that Erickson found."

"How did he know them?"

"Strahm and I investigated them after the house fire. It was arson and all five people were accountable. But after our lone witness went missing, no charges were ever filed."

How convenient. This is the only time I'll thank you John.

Erickson continued explaining. "Strahm couldn't let them get away, so he put them in a trap in which slaughtering each other was the only way out."

Yes yes, that makes sense.

"So what you're telling me is he's a vigilante?" Mark asked.

"Call him whatever you like, but he has to be found," Erickson said.