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“No,” Victor said, “but we’ve got security footage that’ll show him, I’m sure of it. You can’t miss him, with how many tats he has.”
Jake exchanged a glance with Fiona before nodding. "That's something we'd like to take a look at," he said, the edge of excitement flitting in his intense gaze.
Victor gestured towards the back office, a room dominated by monitors that showed various sections of the establishment. "The footage should be saved on the system," he explained, leading them towards a desk cluttered with papers and coffee cups.
Marcus followed them into the office, pulling up the footage from the past week. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he fast-forwarded through hours of customers coming and going from the smoothie bar.
"There," Victor pointed at one of the screens. A man covered in inked spiderwebs and spiders appeared in view, his cold eyes scanning the room before settling on a spot at the counter.
"Marcus, stop right there," Jake directed. He moved closer to the monitor, scrutinizing the man in question. He was tall, burly with a gruff demeanor that seemed out of place for such a vibrant establishment.
"Do you know anything else about this man?" Fiona asked Victor, her eyes locked on the screen as she took in every detail of their potential suspect.
"He ordered an unusual smoothie... beets, broccoli, and kelp or something," Victor shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "He came across as really tough. Sometimes, he just sits there and watches people."
Jake had a bad feeling about this. But without the man’s identity, they couldn’t do much. “Victor, we’re gonna need copies of this footage.”
CHAPTER SIX
He stood in the shadows, an observer invisible to the world. His gaze was fixed on Erica through the window of the kickboxing studio. She moved like a warrior, each pivot and kick a testament to her strength. Her students surrounded her, mirrors trying to reflect her precision, but none matched her vitality. He had learned her routines, the rhythm of her day-to-day life, noting it all with a predator's meticulous attention.
The sun had yet to reach its zenith when Erica began her midday class. He watched how the light played on her form, casting shadows that danced upon the floor as she moved. She exuded an aura of confidence, an unspoken challenge to anyone who dared underestimate her. This was what drew him to her—this resilience, this power. It was why she had become his target.
For weeks, he had been patient, cataloging her every habit. Dawn found her running along the riverfront, where the mist clung to her like a lover's caress. By midday, she would be here, at the gym, a queen among her subjects. Afternoons took her to a local coffee shop, a brief interlude of normalcy before she retreated to the solitude of her home. He knew the exact minute she'd lock her door behind her, shutting out the world for the day.
His heart thrummed in his chest as he watched her laugh, the sound muted by the barrier between them. The students laughed with her, oblivious to the shadow beyond the glass, to the eyes that dissected their every interaction. He saw the moments when her laughter reached her eyes and when it didn't, storing away each observation like a spider tucking insects into the silken threads of its web.
She paused, a momentary lapse in her constant motion, and those were the moments he cherished most. When her guard dropped, and she looked out the window, not seeing him, but looking at the world with a softness that belied her strength. In those seconds, he could imagine her as vulnerable, unaware of the danger that stalked her. But it was a fleeting vulnerability, one that vanished as quickly as it appeared, for Erica was never truly defenseless.
These glimpses into her unguarded self fed his dark obsession, nourished the plans that took root in the twisted garden of his mind. Each detail was a piece of the puzzle, a step towards the inevitable conclusion he had crafted for her. Erica represented a challenge, a worthy opponent for the hunt he relished so deeply. Taking her down would not be easy, but the difficulty only heightened the thrill.
He was the hunter, and she, unknowingly, had become his prey. Soon, he would make his move, but not yet. Patience was part of the game, and he was nothing if not patient. He shifted in the shadows, anticipation coiling within him like a spring, ready to unleash at the perfect moment. For now, he watched, waited, and planned. Erica continued her class, unaware of the eyes that followed her every step, of the predator who had marked her as his next prize.
He lingered in the penumbra of the alleyway, his gaze piercing through the fading light as it caressed the kickboxing studio's glass facade. Inside, Erica's silhouette danced a violent ballet of strikes and kicks, her body weaving an intricate tapestry of strength and precision. The killer's breath was a whisper lost in the hum of the city, his heart a metronome ticking towards the inevitable crescendo.
Within his twisted mind, thoughts scuttled like spiders across a web, each thread vibrating with anticipation. He envisioned himself the arachnid at the center, Erica unwittingly ensnared. Every moment he had observed her, every minute detail he had garnered, spun into the silk of his trap. He smiled, and it was the curve of a blade, hidden in shadow. She was strong, yes, but to him, that only sweetened the victory. His prey was not some fragile creature; she was a fortress to be besieged, a testament to his prowess when finally conquered.
The spiders were his acolytes, his silent partners in this macabre ritual. They were more than symbols; they were extensions of his will, left to watch over those he claimed. With their eight-legged grace, they stood guard, ensuring his presence lingered long after he retreated into the night. No trace of him would remain, save for these delicate sentinels. In them, he found kinship—an understanding of what it meant to be patient, to be perfect.
Tonight, he would not follow her. No, tonight he would invade the sanctuary of her home. As she expended her energy along the river, he would place his eight-legged sentinels within her walls. They were not mere insects to him; they were extensions of his will, silent watchers that would lie in wait for her return.
His anticipation swelled, a crescendo of dark excitement that threatened to overwhelm his usually impassive demeanor. He imagined her returning, fatigued from her run, unaware that she was crossing the threshold into his domain. The thought sent a thrill through him, the power of knowing that he controlled the outcome of this deadly game.
He pictured her movements, the casual way she would drop her keys on the table, kick off her shoes, and perhaps pour herself a glass of water. All the while, his silent predators would watch, their presence undetected until he decided it was time for the grand reveal.
The hunt was nearly complete. Soon, he would add another trophy to his collection, another testament to his prowess. With each step Erica took, she drew closer to the snare he had laid out for her. Unseen, he tracked her progress, a ghostly sentinel biding his time.
The spider was ready to claim its prey, and he, the master of this deadly game, was ready to savor the victory. The threads of destiny were pulled taut, and soon they would ensnare another victim. The killer waited, the darkness his ally, as the inevitable end drew near.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Fiona hovered over the grainy footage on her laptop, her fingers poised above the keyboard. She squinted behind her glasses, focusing on the man moving across the screen. He was there again, his bulky frame clad in a nondescript hoodie, but it was the spider tattoos crawling up his arms and neck that caught her attention every time. Fiona's heart thrummed with a mix of excitement and dread. With each appearance, he bought a smoothie, exchanged a few words with the cashier, and left. His presence felt like a shadow passing through, but shadows didn't have tattoos that matched murder scenes.
"Let's see what facial rec can pull up," Jake suggested, tapping the spacebar with a sense of urgency. The program whirred to life, slicing through the silence of the room.
They waited, the tension thickening around them like a cocoon. Fiona ran her thumb over her nail, a habit she had when nerves crept in. Images flickered across the screen, algorithms dissecting the man's face—eye width, nose length, jawline angle. Data streamed down the monitor as the software sifted through its vast criminal database, seeking a match.
Minutes crawled by, each one laden with the weight of potential breakthroughs and dead ends. Fiona's mind wandered to Joslyn, her sister's trauma always lurking in the backdrop of her thoughts. If only this software could've found her...
