Walking By.
Chapter 1:
He scanned the nearly empty room. He saw roadies dumping guitar cases and wheeling amps onto the stage. One worked on the heavy cases holding the drum kit and the sound engineer was setting up his soundboard.
It won't be long now, he thought to himself. If he knew her as well as he thought he did, she would show up for the sound check. So predictable…So in need of control. He smiled and took a seat at the bar. Won't be long now…
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She sipped at her coffee, relishing the hot liquid. "Still my best friend," she muttered. She curled up on the small couch, waiting for her queue for the sound check.
A head peered into the bus. "Jude, they're all set up!"
She untangled her legs and stood up. She pulled her shoulder length, blond hair into a messy ponytail. Having woken up only 15 minutes prior, she had not run a brush through it. She tipped back the rest of her drink and left the bus.
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He glanced toward the stage. His pulse raced when he saw her make her way to the stage. He stood up and moved farther away, not wanting his presence known.
"Check one, two…Check one, two…Check, check."
He heard her voice fill the club. He watched her as she signaled to the sound guy.
Always the perfectionist…
It was almost time to make his move…just a few more minutes. He knew exactly what she did…he watched her enough times, and she was a creature of habit.
Like clockwork, she hopped down from the stage and made her way over the sound engineer. They spoke for a few minutes, and he watched her leave out the emergency exit at the back of the club.
He had only a small window. He had to move fast. He stood up and walked as naturally as possible towards the back of the club. The door was propped open by a door jam, as it locks automatically from the outside.
Can't be too careful. He smiled to himself as he saw her standing outside her bus, basking in the warmth of the mid day sun. Slowly he crept up behind her.
Oh Jude, he grinned devilishly. A lamb to the slaughter…
He closed in on his prey…