CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Bomber waited in the trees, smiling to himself as he watched the gray-haired woman sail the well-equipped fishing boat over to the pier.
She loved to fish, and spent most weekday afternoons out on Eagle Lake. He'd gotten a good idea of her routine. He didn't plan on making mistakes, so observation was essential. He had observed her for a few afternoons now.
This was the time she wrapped up, as it was getting dark. And that suited him just fine. He had structured all his plans around her schedule.
She was a hard woman, that he saw. Her grim face gave evidence of her past. Even though she was retired now, she had a lot to answer for. He knew that better than anyone.
He knew she was the one to kill. She was the next one he would settle his scores with, because she had been a huge part of the problem.
He couldn't wait to set his plans into motion. Silently, he watched as she fastened the boat, tugging the ropes tight. She was very familiar with the boat, and so she should be. For the past few years, being retired, all she’d done was fish.
That was going to change soon, though, because she would soon be in his sights. He was pleased to be going ahead with this part of his plans. This particular part of his mission was something he had looked forward to for a long time. Not that he’d rushed into it though. He'd imagined the best course of action for many thoughtful hours as he watched from the trees, turning scenarios around in his mind and deciding what the most seamless way would be. This was all part of the thrill, he knew. Waiting, hidden, while considering possibilities in his mind.
It was essential to ensure the plan was foolproof. If it was not error-free, he would be caught. And he would be caught if he failed. There was no way out of this. Not for him.
"You deserve what's coming to you," he whispered softly in her direction. "You deserve nothing less, after what you've done. How I wish I could tell you what I really think of you."
He'd spoken to her a lot over the past days. She had no idea, of course. The ironic thing was that the way that he had to action these plans, she never would hear his voice. There would not be the chance for that. Which in a way was a pity, but efficiency came first.
He knew well that every scenario he created now would be riskier than the last. Now that the police had been alerted, there was going to be no safe place to hide. But he wasn’t worried, not when he knew he was smarter, faster, more agile, and more cunning than any of his adversaries. And he had so many surprises in store.
For this project, he would choose his time, and set his plan into action, and then he would be able to relax and enjoy watching the next step fall into place. But he had to keep things cool, to not allow his emotions to get in the way.
"It won't be long now. You could hurry up, and save me some time, though," he murmured, as she climbed onto the pier and began unpacking her boat. It was almost dark now. The lights glimmered off the calm waters. It was a beautiful evening. Especially for what he had in mind. He was going to light it up still further, once he had her. And he meant that in a very literal way. He drew in a satisfied breath as he thought about it.
Finally, she wrapped up her equipment and headed along the pier, turning in the direction of the parking lot.
He ducked back behind the tree and waited, keeping as still as possible, because she had to pass right by him in order to reach the car. That gave him a thrill, knowing she was walking so close to him. If she could sense his thoughts, she’d run a mile. Just as well she couldn’t.
But she strolled by him, unaware. She wasn't smiling, but that fact didn't surprise the Bomber. What reason did she have to smile? She was a true monster. Everyone knew that.
Quickly, he ran through the scenario in his mind once more, making sure he had everything he needed for this capture, because now it was time. Because of the logistics, he was going to do this one differently. He could not risk a struggle, or to have this woman alerting others.
He crept forward, waiting. She was on the phone now and that was not part of his plans. She was snapping out words angrily, as if she was in conflict with whoever she was speaking to. Not surprising. It showed her rotten character. Greedy, money-grasping woman.
That was who she was. She was full of anger. The only time she seemed to be at peace was when she was out on the lake, troubling the fish.
But he would need her phone, so it was good to see that he could easily grab it.
Now. This was the time. He watched as she reached the car, and bent over to open the trunk. There was nobody else around. In the evenings, at this part of the lake, there seldom was, but yesterday there had been, and so he’d postponed his plans. He had to be able to do what he needed with no witnesses.
Moving fast, he burst from his cover and sprang forward, grabbing her throat. This was the key part of the capture. Speed was vital. A scream now might ruin his plans, and then it would all be over.
He was stronger than she was and he was more than capable of handling her struggles. She tried to shout, but the stranglehold on her neck prevented her. And she tried to fight him, more violently than he'd expected, but he knew he was ready for it and could handle the physical toll it would take to subdue her.
He gripped her harder, and her struggles became weaker. Finally she went limp. She was out cold. In fact, she could be dead by now. That didn’t matter to him. The lawyer had been dead beforehand, too. It was the scenario that mattered.
And he had her. It had gone perfectly.
The car keys fell from her hand and landed on the ground with a jingle. He bent and picked them up. Now, it was time to move her. This was the easy part, or at any rate, it should be unless he'd been very unlucky.
He checked around. He hadn't been unlucky. He'd always believed, in any case, that you made your own luck in this life. He was pleased by how cleverly he had planned, and how well organized he had been.
It had all gone seamlessly. The struggle had been no more than a blip in the quiet evening. It had caused no excitement and had alerted nobody who might have been within earshot in the darkness. This was the only way to make it work. He had to have every detail perfect.
He opened the trunk of the car and pushed her inside, making sure she was well covered by a blanket.
He knew he had plenty of time. It was all part of the plan.
And he only had a short distance to travel.
He closed the trunk and opened the driver's door. He reached for the key and turned it in the ignition.
Then, he drove out of that parking lot, making sure to keep to the speed limit.
As he set off on the main road, his heart pounded with excitement. This was it. This was the moment he'd dreamed of. The final stage of this plan was ahead.
He felt filled with anticipation as he drove her car away from the pier, and away from Eagle Lake, toward the place where he was going to prepare for the dramatic climax to this capture.