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brUNO

B runo makes his way to the elevator. It never ceases to amaze him how easy it is to get into places he isn’t supposed to be. The elevator trip up to the woman’s floor doesn’t take long. Exiting the elevator, he scans the hallway. All is quiet.

Most of the residents are either still sleeping or at work. He has been watching the woman for weeks, learning her habits, which has been more difficult than he’d anticipated. The woman is a freelance journalist which means she doesn’t keep banker’s hours.

Bruno had found himself nearly getting caught by her more than once. However, he is a professional. There’s no way he would ever allow a silly, insignificant female to get the best of him. Unlike the man who has asked him to make her go away.

Bruno stops outside her door, checking once more that the coast is clear. Kneeling he reaches into his pocket, extracting his kit, and selecting his tools. He sets to work to pick the lock on the knob first, but something isn’t right. His brows lower in concentration. He reaches out and tries the knob. It turns easily in his hand, the door swinging open.

“Well fuck me,” he whispers, losing his tight control for once. He stands, then slips inside the apartment, easing the door closed. That damn woman has surprised him again. She left her door unlocked?

Bruno pauses, scanning the space, listening intently. Is this a set-up? A trap? Nothing but silence greets him. He turns his head, looking around her space, gathering more information about his target. In the corner of the living space there’s a small desk. He stalks over to it. The space is cluttered with a bare spot in the center where normally her laptop would sit, he assumes.

A calendar lays open off to one side. He flips through the pages, stopping to read any notations she’s scribbled down. One appointment catches his eye.

Monday, 2 pm, Butch, Grant Hill Park

Bruno remembers that particular day. He’d followed the woman to the park. A lovely little place with a view of the Coronado Bridge. Tourists and locals alike flock to it. He’d watched as she’d met a man. The two had talked for several minutes before exchanging envelopes.

Bruno had gotten several photos of the man, Butch, then followed him after the meeting had broken up. Butch had gone straight to pick up his little sister from cheerleading practice.

The sister is beautiful. She’d make a nice addition to the rich man’s collection. Something to keep in mind, he muses. Then turns back to his original task.

Bruno looks around the apartment some more, going through the woman’s personal belongings, including her clothes. He gets distracted while rummaging through her underwear drawer. Images of the woman flash in his mind. His body responds. The urge to pleasure himself hits him hard, but there isn’t time for that.

Perhaps, the rich man will let him play with her before he has to kill her. A wicked smile forms on his face. Yes, that will be his payment for this little endeavor. Bruno has made plenty of money snatching young girls and boys from their lives to hand them over to men who want them for pleasure. Investing his money wisely has made him comfortably wealthy. He can well afford to take physical pleasure as payment for this gig.

Bruno moves to leave the apartment, when he notices a key hanging next to the door. ‘Spare’ is printed on the tag. He slips it off the hook, then opens the door. Looking left, then right, he checks that no one is around, before testing his theory, which turns out to be correct.

This key is a master for both the knob and the deadbolt. He closes the door, pocketing the key. The woman had a suitcase with her, but he doesn’t know how long she’ll be gone. It’s important he copies the key and returns it before she discovers it missing.

A couple of hours later, Bruno returns, replacing the spare and testing his copy. It works like a charm. Smiling, he places the copy on his keychain. This little key will come in handy in the future, of that he is certain. He leaves the apartment just the way he found it, unlocked. He strolls down the hall, whistling a little tune.

The day hadn’t started out great. He’d planned on taking the woman this morning, but she’d surprised him by leaving early. An Uber driver waiting for her by the curb prevented him from snatching her off the street. His hands curl into fists, and his teeth clench. He’d failed to monitor her internet activity as closely as he should’ve. Mistakes are unacceptable. He must always be the best.

A door opening down the hall pulls him from his thoughts. He slips into the stairwell realizing the day wasn’t a total loss. Discovering Butch’s name along with finding the spare key to the woman’s apartment has turned his bad day in the other direction. Now, he just has to find the best way to execute the next part of his plan. The suit won’t wait long before he begins to demand results and a resolution to his annoying problem.

Bruno had spent the time waiting on the key to do some research. He has gathered intel on Butch including his full name, address, and other important details. Butch is a low-level member of a local street gang, not a heavy hitter by any means. However, he does odd jobs and errands for the gang’s leader which puts him in a position to know things.

Bruno discovered Butch makes most of his income by selling information to the highest bidder. How he hasn’t been caught by the gang’s boss, Bruno doesn’t know. Unless he has a guardian angel?

Bruno shakes his head at the thought. He doesn’t believe in such things, not luck, fate, karma, nor destiny. Bruno has worked hard his whole life and made his own destiny. There’s nothing magical about it. Still, it’d been very advantageous finding Butch’s name on her calendar and finding the key.

Bruno has been formulating a plan all afternoon. He hopes Butch won’t comply with his demands; at least not at first. If Butch cooperates there’d be no reason to keep the sister. Bruno plans to use her as leverage for Butch’s cooperation. Bruno can’t take the risk of pissing off someone who potentially has the information and means to help him stop the woman from bringing down the rich man and even Bruno, himself.

Well Bruno isn’t going to worry about that now. He has everything he needs to get the woman where he wants her so that her abduction will go largely unnoticed. He is going to enjoy this job, more than the others he’s done in the past. He has never gotten off on the sick, twisted pleasures his boss does with young, underage children, but the woman? She gets his motor running. Yes, this will be a rewarding experience .