12-02-2017, 11:00 AM
All Dane needed to do now was sit back in his seat and wait. Annalise returned from the restroom to find they had switched tables while the remnants of the spill were mopped up. "It slipped through my fingers,"
he explained. She nodded, freshly glossed lips smiling.
"Let's eat."
He added and went about ordering a few finger foods. For one thing, he was hungry by then. And food in her belly would slow the absorption of the drug. Dane smiled in return as they toasted a cheer. He even took another sip of his own drink. He found cheap alcohol distasteful, preferring a deep French burgandy wine to anything based on liqueurs, but the anticipation of the impending evening electrified his senses. A couple of sips were warranted, but not too much. He needed to stay sharp. There was more than one way to be caught still. Being the last person seen in the company of a woman about to disappear did not bode well. He still needed to give himself an alibi, something yet to come.
They dined on simple finger foods of the sort to be found in any establishment. The changes in Annalise's behavior were subtle, the drug was fairly slow acting after all. Quite unlike the drug that once coursed Dane's own body. He barely remembered the event, even now, after all these years attempting to dissect the course of events. All he recalled was dining at a hotel lounge in the company of other travelers. Everything was clear until the second glass of wine, a bright chardonnay, and then things fell fuzzy. He found himself outside, alone, cold, in the dark. People were there. Hands ripped at his coat, yanking his Wallet, his money, his cufflinks. He remembered being deathly afraid. Hands transforming into fists. Then falling, hitting his head, the cold flushing his body. He'd curled into a ball, but it didn't help. They gripped his hair. Held down his arms. He was too weak to fight back. Too afraid to move. Overpowered. Shocked. So much touching, inescapable.
Of all the fuzzy memories, one became clear as day. The moment the power filled him with strength. In that moment he cast aside weakness and found the strength to fight back. They whimpered with fear afterward. A robbery turned attempted sexual assault transformed him. Dane was never afraid after that night. With this powerful weapon inside, nothing could intimidate him again. He became the predator instead of the prey. It took days to escape the full effects of the drug that rendered him an easy target. Quick to numb, slow to metabolize. But that was a long time ago. So different from the drugs of today. It would take more than an hour for the drug to dull Annalise's inhibitions. Of course, alcohol exacerbated the effects.
Dane checked the time and admitted he needed to depart. He paid the bill, but the drinks did their work and Annalise was going to use the restroom again. Dane bid her farewell and he walked out the front door in search of a subway station. The closest one was near the Market, but once outside in the darkness, he crossed the street and waited. At the very least, they didn't leave together. It was enough to cast reasonable doubt should a case ever be brought against him. Not that he intended on being anything more than a person of interest in these types of cases. It didn't happen, yet, but Annalise would be missed. Normally his prey were people like that whore in Mexico, nobody would investigate their absence. But a college girl had professors and friends at the very least, if not a family that would notice her sudden departure.
He followed her when she left the restaurant. She wrapped herself in a coat, the night air was a little chilly for a girl in a dress this time of year. By now her memory would begin to fade. In fact, out on the street, she looked both ways in search of the correct direction, only to fumble with her own Wallet as she progressed along the sidewalk, raising the map feature.
Hands in his pockets, collar upturned, Dane waited until she crossed a subway vent. From the immense grates wafted steam and exhaust. He smiled at himself, seized the power, and flicked at the Wallet with a couple licks of Air. She mistook the wobbly Wallet as her own fumbling. But when she dropped it, breaking the pieces on the iron grates, Dane's smile faded. Annalise was truly alone now. Nobody cared about her situation. In fact, someone cursed at the girl knelt down on the grate picking at the pieces of her Wallet, apparently in their way.
She rubbed her head, and Dane knew she was struggling to understand what happened, let alone how to get home. She searched, turning in a circle, frustration outlined on her face. She picked a random direction and Dane could not have chosen any better. There were other wolves around, Dane was aware. Other predators. Other men, or worse, sick and twisted of mind that could swoop in and take his hard-earned prize. He stayed close enough to intervene on any other wolves thinking to sniff around, but not so close as to alert her. Not that she would notice much in her state.
Twenty minutes later, Annalise was completely and utterly lost. She'd never been in this part of the city. That was exactly why he chose the Market as the site of their date so that she would get lost trying to find her way back. Indeed, that's exactly what happened. Sidewalks turned to fences surrounding abandoned buildings, and her mind slipped into pure motor function. She was a dead girl walking.
Only then did Dane rescue her. "Come with me Annalise,"
he spoke softly, cradling an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him with empty eyes.
The power was an easy cutting tool through a barbed-wire fence. It was also an easy welding gun, and he resealed the links behind him once they were inside. Lots of little melted blobs along the fence showed that this was not his first venture through it. Indeed, he knew exactly where they were.
The abandoned building appeared to once be some kind of grocery store. Wide windows at the front of the building the used to display fruits and vegetables were now boarded up. A rusty old cart was upturned in the dirt. Lettering hung broken above the entrance.
Annalise tripped on her own heels, only for Dane to literally catch her. She sunk into his arms, and he hefted her weight up with a grunt. She rested her head against his chest, and the scents of her shampoo wafted up. Her hair was soft against his chin. Her cheek rested lightly against his throat. She was utterly his. Or would be soon.
He carried her around the side of the building where a steel door was also welded shut. He had to put her body down in order to wedge it open, both with hands of the power and his own bare palms.
She lost consciousness then, but rather than drag her along, he used arms of the power this time to flat out carry her inside. He didn't want her getting dirty.
Work done, he twitched with anticipation.
he explained. She nodded, freshly glossed lips smiling.
"Let's eat."
He added and went about ordering a few finger foods. For one thing, he was hungry by then. And food in her belly would slow the absorption of the drug. Dane smiled in return as they toasted a cheer. He even took another sip of his own drink. He found cheap alcohol distasteful, preferring a deep French burgandy wine to anything based on liqueurs, but the anticipation of the impending evening electrified his senses. A couple of sips were warranted, but not too much. He needed to stay sharp. There was more than one way to be caught still. Being the last person seen in the company of a woman about to disappear did not bode well. He still needed to give himself an alibi, something yet to come.
They dined on simple finger foods of the sort to be found in any establishment. The changes in Annalise's behavior were subtle, the drug was fairly slow acting after all. Quite unlike the drug that once coursed Dane's own body. He barely remembered the event, even now, after all these years attempting to dissect the course of events. All he recalled was dining at a hotel lounge in the company of other travelers. Everything was clear until the second glass of wine, a bright chardonnay, and then things fell fuzzy. He found himself outside, alone, cold, in the dark. People were there. Hands ripped at his coat, yanking his Wallet, his money, his cufflinks. He remembered being deathly afraid. Hands transforming into fists. Then falling, hitting his head, the cold flushing his body. He'd curled into a ball, but it didn't help. They gripped his hair. Held down his arms. He was too weak to fight back. Too afraid to move. Overpowered. Shocked. So much touching, inescapable.
Of all the fuzzy memories, one became clear as day. The moment the power filled him with strength. In that moment he cast aside weakness and found the strength to fight back. They whimpered with fear afterward. A robbery turned attempted sexual assault transformed him. Dane was never afraid after that night. With this powerful weapon inside, nothing could intimidate him again. He became the predator instead of the prey. It took days to escape the full effects of the drug that rendered him an easy target. Quick to numb, slow to metabolize. But that was a long time ago. So different from the drugs of today. It would take more than an hour for the drug to dull Annalise's inhibitions. Of course, alcohol exacerbated the effects.
Dane checked the time and admitted he needed to depart. He paid the bill, but the drinks did their work and Annalise was going to use the restroom again. Dane bid her farewell and he walked out the front door in search of a subway station. The closest one was near the Market, but once outside in the darkness, he crossed the street and waited. At the very least, they didn't leave together. It was enough to cast reasonable doubt should a case ever be brought against him. Not that he intended on being anything more than a person of interest in these types of cases. It didn't happen, yet, but Annalise would be missed. Normally his prey were people like that whore in Mexico, nobody would investigate their absence. But a college girl had professors and friends at the very least, if not a family that would notice her sudden departure.
He followed her when she left the restaurant. She wrapped herself in a coat, the night air was a little chilly for a girl in a dress this time of year. By now her memory would begin to fade. In fact, out on the street, she looked both ways in search of the correct direction, only to fumble with her own Wallet as she progressed along the sidewalk, raising the map feature.
Hands in his pockets, collar upturned, Dane waited until she crossed a subway vent. From the immense grates wafted steam and exhaust. He smiled at himself, seized the power, and flicked at the Wallet with a couple licks of Air. She mistook the wobbly Wallet as her own fumbling. But when she dropped it, breaking the pieces on the iron grates, Dane's smile faded. Annalise was truly alone now. Nobody cared about her situation. In fact, someone cursed at the girl knelt down on the grate picking at the pieces of her Wallet, apparently in their way.
She rubbed her head, and Dane knew she was struggling to understand what happened, let alone how to get home. She searched, turning in a circle, frustration outlined on her face. She picked a random direction and Dane could not have chosen any better. There were other wolves around, Dane was aware. Other predators. Other men, or worse, sick and twisted of mind that could swoop in and take his hard-earned prize. He stayed close enough to intervene on any other wolves thinking to sniff around, but not so close as to alert her. Not that she would notice much in her state.
Twenty minutes later, Annalise was completely and utterly lost. She'd never been in this part of the city. That was exactly why he chose the Market as the site of their date so that she would get lost trying to find her way back. Indeed, that's exactly what happened. Sidewalks turned to fences surrounding abandoned buildings, and her mind slipped into pure motor function. She was a dead girl walking.
Only then did Dane rescue her. "Come with me Annalise,"
he spoke softly, cradling an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him with empty eyes.
The power was an easy cutting tool through a barbed-wire fence. It was also an easy welding gun, and he resealed the links behind him once they were inside. Lots of little melted blobs along the fence showed that this was not his first venture through it. Indeed, he knew exactly where they were.
The abandoned building appeared to once be some kind of grocery store. Wide windows at the front of the building the used to display fruits and vegetables were now boarded up. A rusty old cart was upturned in the dirt. Lettering hung broken above the entrance.
Annalise tripped on her own heels, only for Dane to literally catch her. She sunk into his arms, and he hefted her weight up with a grunt. She rested her head against his chest, and the scents of her shampoo wafted up. Her hair was soft against his chin. Her cheek rested lightly against his throat. She was utterly his. Or would be soon.
He carried her around the side of the building where a steel door was also welded shut. He had to put her body down in order to wedge it open, both with hands of the power and his own bare palms.
She lost consciousness then, but rather than drag her along, he used arms of the power this time to flat out carry her inside. He didn't want her getting dirty.
Work done, he twitched with anticipation.