Stealing Her

Chapter Two - Stolen

My heart was in my throat. Anticipation and anxiety making my stomach twist in knots. I had been waiting so long for this moment, but now that it was here, I was having doubts. I didn't doubt my feelings for Jamie but questioned if this was really the right way to go about it.

Two years ago, if someone had told me that I was going to break into someone's house, drug their daughter, and take her to a secluded place because I was obsessed with her, I'd be calling for them to be locked up in a looney bin. This was so far beyond anything I had ever done that it was astounding. I was a straight A student. I had never had any problems with authority before and I would have never continued to pursue a woman that didn't have any interest in me. It just wasn't who I was. But, here I am, 15 feet up an old oak tree that is way too familiar to be appropriate.

I brought my binoculars up to my eyes. "I'm such a fucking creep," I muttered under my breath. I was pretty sure that Jamie was asleep by now, but she often read late into the night and I didn't want to chance that she was awake when I entered her room. The last thing I needed was for her to scream loud enough alert the neighbors that something was wrong before I had the chance to cover her mouth.

It was nearly 3am and I was starting to lose my nerve. If I didn't go in, I wasn't going to have another chance for a few weeks. Mrs. Hager directly across the street was a night owl and would often sit in her dining room looking out at the street in the evenings. It wasn't a big deal when I was on foot. I could easily avoid being seen, but I had to load up a vehicle with some of Jamie's belongings and the star of the show herself without being seen.

The elderly Mrs. Hager was out of town for a wedding. She was only going to be gone for two days and she had left Saturday morning. One of the other neighbors had thrown a party last night though so tonight was my only chance. I had already done my rounds on the street to make sure no visitors were staying the night and that all lights were out. There hadn't been any movement for at least an hour and a half.

I let out a big breath. "It's now or never," I whispered, trying to give myself a pep talk. I started climbing down the tree, trying not to make any noise. I jogged down the street, praying that if anyone saw me that they assumed I was just going for an extremely early morning run.

I had purchased a hybrid for the sole intention of the almost silent motor and the fact that I wouldn't have to stop for gas on the way to our new home almost five hours away. As I turned the key, the car hummed to life. I smiled.

I pulled up to Jamie's house, parking on the street. I took one last look around before pulling the ski mask down over my face and my hood up over my head. I had dressed in all black to blend into the night. With one last deep breath, I grabbed the supplies I would need. I left the car running with the lights off in case a speedy get away was needed.

The back door was my preferred entrance to the house. It faced the woods, used the same key as the front door, and was quiet. I had made a copy of the spare key hidden under the stone frog in the front garden long ago. It was silent in the house except for the hum of the air-conditioning. I slipped my shoes off by the back door, not wanting my footsteps to make noise. My sock-clad feet padded silently across the hardwood floor.

Anxiety twisted my stomach. I had to go to her parents' bedroom first, and I prayed they were heavy sleepers. I made my way up the stairs, keeping to the edge of each step to keep them from creaking. Both Jamie's and her parents' doors were shut, so at least I didn't have to worry that Jamie would wake and see me entering her parents' room. With a shaking hand, I reached for the door knob before stopping.

I should probably get the rags ready first, I thought to myself. I pulled the dark bottle and rags out of my back pocket. I applied a generous amount of the chemical to each of the rags and returned the bottle to my pocket.