Page 5 of Once I Find You

I click the link, and I’m met with a photo.

A fucking photo of me.

Granted, it’s grainy, clearly from someone’s shitty home security footage, so you can’t make out much. Luckily, I never miss a beat, so I keep my balaclava, gloves, and long sleeve on at all times. But with this, the police might be able to profile me. My approximate height and weight will be fucking released to the public.

God, I dropped the fucking ball. I should have surveyed the area better before I chose to go around the side of that house. This is going to get out fucking everywhere.

fuck.

Mason

ha. losing your touch, old man?

Fucker. I could sit here and remind him that this “old man” ran fucking laps around him and was in charge of his ass for years in the army, but I’m too annoyed to even get into it with him.

mind your manners.

Mason

yeah yeah. I’m still gonna be coming next week, so make sure I won’t be getting arrested with you if you can haha

Goddamnit, I almost forgot about that. I’ll have to set up my guest room this week. I’ll also have to move my next victim up so I can spend time with Mason while he’s in town.

I sigh as I open the article again, scrolling down through the stupid press release they wrote along with my photo. I get to the bottom of the page to read the community comments.

DanSmith84: Finally. Maybe now they can catch this lunatic.

JoJothe_C: wooooow I live like 3 blocks from here!!!!!!

MARYANGLIN1972: I’d climb him like a tree

stellatheangel4: okayyy daddy!

Daddy? What the fuck?

pennygirl99: sorry but im folding….they did NOT need to show me that the hangman was built like a linebacker

user726241: not me zooming in

juicyyyyj777: shiiiit, id let him choke me too

What the fuck is wrong with women these days? Have they gone mad?

Before I can even process the rest of these deranged comments, the little bell chimes and I look up as I see the old man, Frank, and who I can assume is his wife. I greet them and set my phone down as they walk over to the counter.

“Thank you again, this is half what they quoted me at the dealer to replace it,” Frank says with a relieved sigh as he hands over a few hundred-dollar bills.

“No problem, she should be running just fine now. You can come back whenever she acts up again.”

“This one too?” he jokes lovingly as he gently pats his wife’s arm. She clicks her tongue with a smile as she playfully swats him. She takes the keys and goes to wait in the car while we finish up here.

I can’t help the small smile that forms on my face. It must be nice…having someone like that for so long. “Your wife is beautiful.”

“Yeah…you should’ve seen her forty years ago! Don’t know how she picked me.”