Page 3 of Dark Torment

JONATHAN

I wakeup early like I always do for my run. But rather than actually going for said run, I pack a bag full of mini cameras and audio devices so I can rig Olivia’s house and have eyes and ears on her without getting so close that I give myself away.

I want to make sure she’s protected from whoever wants to cause her harm, and that means never being far away.

Night will be the hardest. People will notice a strange man lurking outside her home in the middle of the night, even if it is a quiet neighbourhood where the houses aren’t overly close.

After doing my initial search into her, I know she lives alone in a neighbourhood filled with elderly residents. In a way, it works well for me to come and go from time to time in order to check in on her during the day, but it also works against me.

Elderly people are fucking gossips and as nosey as they come, so I’m going to have to dress down and cover my face as best I can when I’m coming and going.

By the time I have my bag ready to go and a solid plan in place, I make my way to her little grooming shop and wait.

I was hoping I could get in there and add some surveillance here as well, but the street has too many cameras, so I can’t take that chance. When it comes to her safety while working, I will just have to be here whenever she is. I will memorize her schedule and routines to assure she is never alone.

I’m only out here for about fifteen minutes before she arrives, and fuck. She’s more stunning in person than her picture gave away last night.

Once I see her safely inside the shop, it’s hard to take my eyes off her, but I know I need to move quickly. Putting my car in drive, I make the two-minute journey to her house, and scan the neighbourhood for cameras, never stopping my car to seem suspicious.

Driving down the street to a nearby park, I grab my bag of goodies before locking it and walking back toward her house. I’m not too concerned about anyone seeing me, but it will be harder to identify a man walking in dark clothes with a generic bag over his shoulder, than it would be for someone to describe my vehicle to the authorities on the off chance something goes wrong.

I’m going to need to be smart about this. Never parking my vehicle in the same place twice while I’m watching her at work, and always in places where there’s a lot of traffic so it doesn’t stand out.

Between my drive around and the walk to Olivia’s house, I can’t see any cameras that stand out. Doesn’t mean there aren’t any, but I’m confident that I’ve been cautious enough to not get caught. Especially since this is the only time I plan on breaking into her home.

I quickly look around when I come to her house before moving to the front door and pulling out the lock-picking kit I knew I’d need.

It’s come in handy a lot for other kills over the years, and I’m good enough to get in and out without leaving scratches unless I purposely leave marks for the police to think it was a break-in gone wrong.

It’s way too easy to get into her home, and that infuriates me more than it has a right to, but fuck. I need her protected, and now I feel like she doesn’t understand the kind of danger she’s subjecting herself to.

Anyone should have at least two locks on their doors, and one should always be a deadbolt that needs a separate key. It doesn’t matter what type of neighbourhood you live in, you’re always susceptible to creepy assholes like me.

If she knew she was mine, I would take her over my knee and spank her for putting her damned life at risk, but I can’t. Not yet anyway.

Locking the door behind me, I drop my bag to the floor. Crouching down to open it, I pull out one of the mini cameras and place it across from her door so I can see whoever comes in and out of the house.

Then I grab a motion sensor and set it up on the floor, hiding it behind a fake tree plant she has. This will send a notification to my phone whenever someone breeches the entryway, so I can make sure she’s safe.

I work my way through the house, placing cameras in every room while adding motion sensors near every window where I can hide them in plain sight.

As soon as I’ve finished setting those up, I move back through the house, adding audio devices in the most common areas. I don’t bother with the hallways, or even the bathroom, because those are the only places I know she won’t be attacked by anyone. Her bathroom doesn’t even have a fucking window.

Once everything is set up, and I know I can see and hear everything on my computer and/or phone, I pack up. Double checking that I’ve left nothing behind to show evidence I was here, I leave her house the way I came, locking the door from the inside before closing it.

I can’t believe how little she’s protected right now, but I won’t let anything happen to her. If someone wants to get to her, I will be watching and waiting.

The few minutes it takes for me to get back to the car do nothing for my anger and anxiety. I need to see her, so that’s where I head.

After I park at the grocery store, I lock up my car before heading back to the grooming shop.

Watching over my sweet Olivia seems to calm something inside of me, because the second I have her in my sights again, I feel my body releasing the tension it’s felt since I left her a little over an hour ago.

Now, I just have to watch and wait before making sure she gets home safely for the night, and that’s not a hardship.

---