Chapter 4

The Mansion: 2:15 pm

Thank God for tinted windows, garage door openers, sunglasses and all of the other inventions of the 21st century. It was a great time to be alive. Once securely in the garage of his new digs, he lowered the ivy covered garage door. The garage went right into the basement. There were stairs up to the main floor of the house and a single door to a storage closet beside the stairs.

He touched a panel beside the stairs and the whole closet frame swung back to reveal a wide entrance into his lair. It was through this entrance that he carried his sleeping beauty. Once this door closed behind them, they were plunged into the dark. Lucky for him that he could see fine. Actually, it was fun to push his senses - wasn't that what they were there for?

The corridor that they were in continued on for almost a hundred feet ending in a large musty room. This room had a single dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling and an old cot over against the back wall. There were several old chairs and a faded rug too. It looked like a place where someone could hide if need be which was exactly the effect he was going for.

To his immediate right as the hall opened up, he touched a worn place on the wall and yet another door covered by old faded wallpaper slid back. He reached into this new space and switched the dimmer light on. It was exactly where he had ordered it when the contractors were here.

The place turned out well. Several good sized rooms and a huge bathroom. One wall in the first room contained all of the media equipment that you could ever hope for - including a good selection of DVD's and CD's and a computer. He was wired for phone, Internet and cable. If need be one could hide out here almost indefinitely. To this end, there were two refrigerators hidden in what looked like a huge wooden cabinet. One held a good-sized donation from the Red Cross. The other juice, soda, water, some beer. The shelves above held a good selection of wine and liqueur, mugs, glasses and a microwave. He had even remembered that she liked popcorn.

The remainder of the room was furnished with overstuffed furniture in dark fabrics; a thick brown rug was under his feet. He faced the fireplace, which ran directly below the fireplace on the main floor and settled Buffy down on a large velvet pillow on the floor. Man, she slept like the dead - or at least she soon would, he thought. With a whispered word, the logs on the fire sprang to life with a single thought. He strode over to the CD player and popped in some soft music. With the stage set, he kicked off his boots and knelt beside his catch.

He had considered his course of action several times during the drive over. Did he simply take her in her sleep? Did he tell her the truth and risk a nasty injury before it was all said and done? Did he bewitch her? Did he simply try to seduce her? Feeling confident, feeling lucky - he went with seduction - anyway, her stakes were in out in the SUV.