The Silent Vigilante

The Enigmatic

I sat back in my chair, my eyes fixed on the monitor in front of me. Cameras had been placed all over the guest room and right now, I was using them to watch her every move. She was completely unaware that I was watching her, and I couldn't help but admire her innocence in the situation. I watched as she went about her work, her focus unwavering. Every movement she made seemed to captivate me, and I found myself becoming more and more drawn to her. "My Girl looks so pretty when she thinks no one is watching her".As I continued to watch, my admiration grew. Her concentration and dedication to her work were admirable. Her innocence only served to make her more captivating in my eyes. I found myself unable to look away, hypnotized by her every move. Despite the fact that I was violating her privacy by secretly watching her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of fascination and intrigue..As I continued to sit back and watch Sophie, my phone rang suddenly. The caller ID showed that it was my assistant named Michael. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the monitor and answered the call.
"What is it, Michael?" I asked, my voice slightly irritated by the interruption.
"Sorry to bother you," Michael's voice came through the phone, "but I wanted to let you know that I just sent you a video that could potentially help us with the case."I had reluctantly torn my gaze away from watching Sophie to answer the phone and now, after hearing about the video that my assistant had sent me, I was focused on the screen in front of me. Jammers, trackers, buttons that set off explosives in a number of places should someone betray me, and so on. It's a video of a fucked up ritual. The person recording is
breathing heavily, more than likely from the risk of being caught. They surrounded the little girl on a slab and tied her, stabbed her and then drank her blood. The girl was still alive, screaming at the top of her lungs
as the men chanted around her. Even with the low-quality video and dim lighting, I am able to identify the one. He was also in the earlier video too. "Marcus Rudolf...." I muttered under . As I was watching the video, I was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. I closed my laptop, "Come in," I called out, The door opened, and Sophie stepped into the room.
"I need to go home," she said firmly, her eyes fixed on mine.
I let out a sigh. I had been watching her for two days, keeping her under my protection due to the danger she was in. But now she was asking to leave.
"You can't go home," I said, my voice firm. "It's too dangerous."
Sophie crossed her arms across her chest, a stubborn look on her face. "I have a life, you know," she retorted. "I can't just stay here forever."
I could feel my irritation growing. I knew she didn't understand the gravity of the situation, but I couldn't just let her leave.
"Look," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "I know you want to go home, but you're in danger. Someone is after you, and I can't protect you if you're out there on your own."
Sophie rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced. "I can take care of myself," she said stubbornly.
I let out another sigh. She was being stubborn, but I couldn't blame her. She was a college student, not used to being kept in one place against her will.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "I know that," I said, my voice strained. "But right now, your safety is paramount. You're in danger, and I'm not going to let you walk out of here and risk getting hurt or worse."
"But I have classes," she protested. "I can't just skip them. I have assignments and projects due and people relying on me!"
I could feel my irritation rising again. She was being incredibly stubborn.
"Sophie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "you have to understand. Your safety is more important than your classes. You can make up the work later, but I can't bring you back from the dead."
"But my attendance record," she protested, sounding almost petulant. "I've never missed a day of class, I can't just skip them now!"
I cut her off again. "Listen," I said, my tone taking on a more confident tone, "I have connections. I can take care of your attendance record and any assignments you're worried about. Your classes are not a problem. But your safety is."
Sophie looked skeptical, but I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She was beginning to see the futility of her argument."And," I added, in an attempt to sweeten the deal, "I'll make sure you get any materials you need to keep up with your studies. You won't be falling behind, I promise."
"But my family," she said, her voice pleading now. "They'll be worried sick about me if I'm not home. And my friends, we had plans to go out tonight. I can't just bail on them."
I could feel my patience start to slip again. She was being so stubborn and unreasonable.
"Your family and friends are going to have to wait," I said, my voice firm. "And your social life is going to have to take a backseat until this case is over. Your safety is more important than any of those things."
"But you can't just keep me here!" she protested again, her voice reaching a slightly higher pitch. "I need to have a life, I need to see people, I need to feel normal!"
"Sometimes, the safety of a person outweighs their rights. And right now, your safety trumps your desire to have a social life."
Sophie suddenly turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling frustrated and irritated. She was so stubborn and irrational!
As I heard the knock on the door, I called out to Sophie to stay back, knowing the risk of someone dangerous being on the other side. But she didn't listen, and quickly moved to open the door.
However, before she could even get to the door, I rose from my chair and strode over and opened the gate. Standing on the other side was a policeman, a look of confusion on his face.
"Is there a problem?" I asked, my voice calm but firm.
The policeman's expression changed from confusion to recognition as he saw me. "Oh, Mr. Lucas," he said, a trace of respect in his voice. "Sorry to disturb you. We had a call saying a girl had been kidnapped here."
I stifled a sigh, feeling a wave of frustration at having to explain myself. "There's no trouble," I said, trying to keep my tone even. "She's just staying with me for a little while. It's a precaution, for her own safety." He knows me, so he didn't question me.
As he turned and left, I let out a small sigh of relief. I closed the door and turned to face Sophie, feeling a pang of irritation at her defiance.