(BOOK 2) MARK/HOFFMAN: A Saw Fanfiction

TWELVE

Hoffman rounded up all of the test subjects at around ten at night. It wasn't early enough for a lot of people to be out on a Tuesday night, but not late enough for everything to bleed into the morning. The game, and Strahm's death, would all happen around one in the morning.

Call it luck, but no one spotted Hoffman as he kidnapped each of the victims. John had left instructions to use an underground catacomb area for the next game. He made sure no one was outside, then quickly dragged each of them into the first trap.

He had to plan everything perfectly.

Setting up Strahm was going to be easy enough, and Jill Tuck had agreed to go to Erickson and tell him she believed Strahm was following her.

The part that had him the most worried was the glass coffin.

What if he wasn't like John? What if Strahm gets in the coffin and survives? It would just be so much easier if Strahm was killed by a trap then by Hoffman's own hand.

He didn't want to murder Strahm, but Strahm living wasn't really an option.

Hoffman put the collars around everyone's neck and walked through the rest of the games, making sure the nail bombs were set up. He had been nervous making them, scared they would blow up while he was handling them and take him out, but luckily he was okay.

Everything seemed to be in good shape.

Hoffman told Abby he was working the night shift, so he wouldn't be home till morning. For the past week, she had been a bit less touchy with him. He supposed they had been all over each other for a while, so maybe she just needed a break, but the little voice in the back of his head wondered if she knew what was happening.

He wanted to ask her why they hadn't been as physical, but he didn't want to upset her. He also knew that with her past, she was sensitive to the topic.

After double and triple checking everything, Hoffman left the scene, mentally preparing for the next few hours.

____________

Abby laid in bed alone that night, staring at the ceiling.

As much as she was confused by Mark right now, she wanted him beside her. He would be gone all night and would most likely sleep all day. She missed him. Lately it seemed like all he did was work and sleep.

She could tell Mark was also trying his best to make sure she wasn't in a bad place, which was just confusing her more. On one hand, Strahm thinks he's the bad guy, but how could someone who treated her like a Queen be a murderer on the side? It didn't make sense to her, but then again maybe she was just blind to the signs because she was in love with him.

Abby checked the time and sighed. Two in the morning. She just wasn't tired.

Her phone began buzzing from its place on the bedside table. Abby looked at it in confusion for a moment, then read Mark's name and answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just got into a big domestic chase though. Got shoved through a window so my back is all sliced up. I'm okay though, the cuts aren't bad-"

Abby sat up in bed, wide eyed.

"How did that happen? I didn't think your job had anything to do with chasing people down. Are you okay?" She realized she probably should have said that first, but it was too late.

"It's the night shift. Only me and a few others were working so we were short on men. I had to go."

Abby didn't push it.