Stalking Taylor, vol. 4 of The Taylor Saga is almost complete! Below is a teaser.....

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Prologue

My name is David Spencer and I am not a nice guy. As a youth I was the geeky guy no one wished to be around, as a man, a dangerous military weapon. My worst enemy became my business partner and our profits soared. But my love for one woman interfered with the overall plan, sent our destinies into a whirlwind that blew to the four corners. My obsession with her began in high school when she stole my heart. My love for her grew in the years I spent away in the Marine’s and college, until finally she became mine in the least likely way.

Few truly know the real me and even she hasn’t tapped into it yet. I am a loner, a solitary soul seeking companionship on this journey called life. In her I finally found it, the match for my wits, my patience, my intellect, and even my passion. She can be the most frustrating person I have ever known at times, and yet the most compassionate as well. For nearly two decades she didn’t even realize I loved her, needed her, or loved her. For two decades I didn’t know I had broken her heart. Now, our paths have joined and our future is not defined, but we are happy.

This is my story, the story of how I came to be what I am, where I am and why. This tells of how I watched her, protected her and eventually brought her to me. You will see her through my eyes, see her beauty, her desires and her submission. This is something you need to know, need to understand, lest I be judged for crimes you perceive I have committed. Being called a monster no longer bothers me, it’s when that term is used without proper context, and thus you need these details, this history. You need to know how it all began, and why. How I fell in love with her and how she drove every aspect of my being.

And so begins my tale………….

Chapter 1

School was the only thing I enjoyed as a youth, my classes and the work, nothing else truly mattered until she walked into biology lab that day. As a junior, it was humiliating to be paired in a class with a freshman. Yet, here I sat, the over-achiever, waiting to be assigned to his freshman classmate. I had arrived early and sat playing with the microscope in front of me, trying to appear distracted when she walked in. She looked at a seating chart by the door and then she glanced my way. As our eyes met, we both flushed realizing she was to whom I had been assigned. I could not take my eyes from her as she strode across the room and took the stool next to me. Her shapely body, long hair and emerald eyes captivated me instantly. She mounted her stool as if it were a horse, with confidence, but slightly timid as well. The flush in her cheeks highlighted her perfect complexion when she smiled at me. In that moment she had stolen my heart, although I wouldn’t realize this for months.

“Hi, I’m Taylor,” she smiled as she sat down, laying her books on the table. A light lilac scent drifted around her and my senses went into overdrive.

“Michael,” I stammered as I looked away. My insides were tied up in knots, what was happening?

“Is this your first year coaching lab?” She asked as she flipped through the assignment book appearing bored. Her hands looked soft and her nails were painted a pretty pink.

“Yes,” I replied and began adjusting the microscope again.

I was in no way what girls would have termed cool, handsome or anything else of that nature. At over six feet tall, I tended to frighten them if anything. I was lean, lanky and my face covered with pimples that refused to clear up. I had no real expectation of meeting that special girl, unless she came from the geek squad. Frankly, none of them held a candle to the one sitting next to me in this moment. Taylor was the epitome of beautiful to me. Her hair not blond, but not brown either, a shade somewhere in between. Her sparkling eyes a perfect emerald green and her flawless skin peaches and cream. Although she wore light make up, she did not need it. Her beauty was quite visible and if anything the make up toned it down.

“You’re a junior?” She asked when the teacher began roll call.

Nodding to her we each raised our hands when our names were called and class began. As the hour progressed and each team had been paired off, we worked together quite well. Taylor would flush if our hands brushed when we reached for the microscope, my own face felt almost beet red. By the end of the hour we were both breathless and eager to leave the room. As it turned out, Taylor would be in four of my classes that year, so avoiding her was out of the question. At the end of the day I finally found some relief from her. As I walked home though my thoughts spun with Taylor, how beautiful she was, and could she possibly fall for a guy like me? Chastising myself for being infatuated by her charm I stormed home and finished the assignments for the day. What I didn’t realize is that by now she had stolen my heart and would hold it captive forever.

Waking up in a sweat night after night, dreaming of her in every way imaginable I finally chose to keep my passion for her a secret. Although she seemed nice enough I was too shy to admit to her my true feelings. Our conversations focused on our schoolwork, and when she would attempt to guide them in other directions I always reined them back in. She would seem let down when I refused to let her into my secret world, but I couldn’t help that. It was my space and felt as if she were trespassing in it. Besides, what could such a lovely young lady want with a geek like me anyway? I saw how other boys followed after her, and how she paid no mind to them. Until homecoming that is, until we won the game and she met him.

He and I had previous run ins, but none would hold a candle to the run ins we would soon have over her. He was quite violent. His last girlfriend took out a protection order to keep him away from her, or so the grapevine said. Debbie even transferred to a high school across town. He was insanely jealous of anyone who glanced at his girlfriend, whomever she might be that particular day. He was the star quarterback of our undefeated football team, every girl in this school seemed to swoon over him. He could have chosen any one of the hundred or more girls to be his. Why did he choose the one that stole my heart? Why her?

After the game, I attended the bonfire with a few friends. Watching Taylor from across the field, I kept my distance. She seemed sad this evening and I didn’t wish to add to it. Her friend Jolene was chatting with everyone, tugging Taylor around like a puppy behind her. They both looked so cute in their cheerleader uniforms as they seemed to dance around the fire from one group to another. When they reached the football players the entire evening spun out of control. She followed a star and I faded in the background. Although I admired guys like that, I did not envy them. As difficult as my life was as a geek, theirs had to be worse being so popular. Silently I was angry as I watched her walk hand in hand with him to the goal post in the moonlight. Of all the guys at school, why did she warm up to him? Clenching my teeth as I watched I could only hope she would see through him, neither of us would be that lucky it seemed. I knew what he had done to previous girlfriends, I know how they all moved away soon after they had tried to end things with him. But tonight she was on his radar and he was reeling her into his warped world. That night our lives began a collision course that spiraled out of control until our futures crashed head first into each other.

Our assignments were light until after the holidays, then became more involved requiring us to spend a good deal of time together to complete them. He was not happy with this and had attempted to make her have the teacher assign her another partner. She seemed so nervous around me now, as if she wanted to tell me something but couldn’t. Her excitement when they had first begun dating had now waned into a hush that made her nervous around others. It was like him to control who she could talk to, hang out with or have as friends. With each passing day I watched as her close circle became more distant, until finally I was the only one left she could talk to. Her beautiful radiance faded into a tension whenever she was near others, and slowly her friends stopped asking her out. He never permitted her to go out with them and when she snuck away he always found out. Our assignments almost suffered, but I was not the type to permit such to happen and my persistence is the only thing that kept her from failing. It wasn’t because she couldn’t do the work; it was simply that he didn’t want her to do the work with me.

That school year Chris and I had more run ins than I kept count of. The arguments never got physical, at least not until after holidays and our homework had gotten more demanding. Taylor and I both were in the college prep classes. Although she was a freshman, her classes were all third year classes. She was brilliant, but whatever was going on between her and Chris began affecting all aspects of her life. Taylor had begun using heavier make up, she looked peaked all the time. It was obvious she wasn’t sleeping well but she refused to tell me why. Nearly every question I asked her she answered that Chris didn’t approve of it, or Chris wouldn’t allow her too. It was breaking my heart to watch the most beautiful girl I had ever met stop caring about herself.

Just weeks before class let out for the summer a terrible thing happened, something that thankfully she forgot quickly. For had she remembered it her life would have been drastically changed for the worse. Chris and I had our disagreements before, this particular night was different. He didn’t know I could see them, never knew I was there. He and Taylor had been going out for about six months now, her end of it seemed to reveal a not so pleasant relationship. From my place on the bank I heard people approaching and ducked behind some brush. The sky was too overcast to get any useful pictures of the stars tonight, so I positioned myself to watch the scene in front of me unfold. Once I was certain I could not be seen they came walking into the clearing where I could see them quite well. What occurred after that would change the course of my future, her future. It sent us on a collision course that would end with two of the participants tonight dead and her in my arms forever.

Listening carefully as the scene played out I was mortified at the group in front of me. Mortified at what was happening, and mortified because Taylor was being forced to witness it. This explained so much to me about Chris and why Taylor had been so distant lately. Pulling my camera up in front of me, I disabled the flash and switched on the video just in time to catch everything. As the scene in front of me unfolded, I watched silently from my position behind the brush. Chris, Ricky, Taylor and Debbie had stepped into view and I knew this would not work out very well. Chris had dated Debbie and now she clung on Ricky’s arm. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, something terrible was about to occur and my intervention might only cause the problem to get worse.

“Stop!” Debbie objected.

“Stop?” Ricky teased her. “You’ll give me this and more before this night is over.”

“Take me home,” she demanded as she began to walk away. Ricky grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground.

“Ricky!” Taylor shrieked and Chris put his hand over her mouth, pulling her closer to him to force her to watch.

“Shhhh. You see Taylor, this is what’ll happen if you try to leave me. Debbie here thought she could get rid of me, toss me away like a piece of trash. Ain’t that right Debbie?” Chris asked her as he held his hand over Taylor’s mouth.

“Screw you asshole. Take me home!” Debbie demanded again and Ricky pinned her to the ground holding her arms down.

“Maybe when we finish you can find a ride,” Ricky taunted her as he pulled a rope from his back pocket. He rolled her over quickly and bound her hands behind her back

Taylor began begging Chris to let her go, she obviously did not wish to watch what was unfolding right in front of her. Chris refused to release her, tears streaked her pretty face as I listened to her begging both of them to stop before things got out of hand. Debbie seemed uncomfortable and when she began resisting the rape occurred. I could not turn away as it happened right before my eyes. My video camera recorded everything, even the smallest moan would be captured with the sensitive mic. I prayed I would never need this footage, but would keep it forever hidden away. Debbie struggled but Ricky was much larger and kept her pinned beneath him. The conversation changed to a more ominous one, one that threatened Taylor as well.

“Her lesson has only begun Taylor, and you will watch and learn,” Chris explained. Ricky was shoving a rag into Debbie’s mouth. With her hands bound tightly, Debbie was helpless to do anything to deter this from occurring.

“Please stop this!” Taylor begged tearfully.

“When we’re finished Taylor, then she’ll have learned her lesson and hopefully you will too,” Chris answered as he left Taylor standing there and approached Ricky. Moments later the boys traded places and Taylor darted off through the woods, trying to get away. Ricky went after her and brought her back, made her watch as Chris strangled Debbie. Her tears quite visible to me from my hidden spot, her whimpers seemed to echo around the lake.

“Debbie, you thought you’d be rid of me? Well, the only way to get rid of me is like this,” Chris told her with his hands wrapped tightly around her throat. The only noises she made were useless attempts to breathe, soon those stopped as well.

When Taylor finally broke free she went a few steps away and threw up. I couldn’t hear what Chris said to her at that point, but she nodded and they three of them left together. I remained hidden for some time before finally, cautiously stepping into the clearing to check on Debbie. The air seemed stale and stagnant as I approached Debbie. I knew before I touched her that there was nothing I could do, but I checked anyway. Her skin was all ready beginning to cool, she was dead. I made my way back to where I had left my bicycle, strange they never saw it. Speeding to the nearest phone I called it in anonymously then rushed home. Taylor was in danger and there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. Flicking on the television I watched for reports of what I had just phoned in. My thoughts played on ways to help Taylor as I drummed my fingers on my nightstand in anticipation of the breaking news. Hours later it came, a body had been found but they had no suspects yet. As I closed my eyes in relief, the scene replayed behind my eyelids and all I saw was Taylor in Debbie’s place.

Startling myself awake hours later, the news still had no leads in the death of the girl at the lake. I rolled over and phoned Taylor, but she never answered. I had to do the right thing; I had to make one more call. Rushing downstairs I hopped on my bicycle and rushed to a pay phone far from my home. Palms sweaty and very nervous I thought through what I would say, how I would report to them who had done this without them knowing I was there. Dialing the police, a dispatcher picked up immediately. In one quick breath I told them they needed to question Ricky about the incident and hung up. My heart hammering, I jumped back onto my bicycle and darted home. Locking myself back into my bedroom I stared at the television and waited for word of an arrest, but nothing came for several days.

Taylor did not attend class for a few days; I became concerned and finally went to her house to check on her. Her mom refused to permit me to speak to her, saying she was ill and not accepting visitors. Knowing this was a lie I simply nodded and asked if she would have Taylor call me soon, she said she would. As I pedaled away I saw the police cars rushing with their lights on and turned to follow them. I counted seven police cars fly past me and come to a stop in front of Ricky’s house. Stopping just up the block I watched as Ricky was arrested and taken away in cuffs. Oddly though, not one officer went to Chris’s door. Riding away in confusion I wondered what the two had told the police about what had happened that night. Why had they only taken Ricky and not Chris too? Stepping back into my room I flicked on the television only to be told the suspect had been arrested, acted alone and no further evidence was needed since he had confessed.

Shock filled me, I knew who had done it and Ricky had wrongly confessed. Knowing I could not reveal more without endangering Taylor frustrated me. How could Chris get away with this? Why would Ricky take the fall alone? Pacing the floor I grabbed the phone and dialed Taylor again, no answer. Throwing the phone across the room I cursed because I desired to know if she was all right. I went to my laptop and emailed her, only moments passed before I received her reply. With a sigh of relief I was finally able to rest and look forward to seeing her in school the next day. Her email didn’t touch on what had happened; only that she had been ill and needed the assignments she had missed. I emailed them to her and then headed to bed. I knew then that I had to protect her, keep her from suffering the same fate as Debbie had. I loved her too much to lose her to senseless violence.

My own emotions bothered me. I had never felt for a girl the way I did for Taylor. I felt this overpowering desire to protect her, keep her safe and happy forever. I couldn’t recall anything I had felt this passionate for in my entire life. She turned me upside down, causing me to be clumsy at times, stammer incoherently and tremble with excitement. I had never felt these emotions this strong individually and now they were flowing freely through my veins. I had to keep reminding myself that she is Chris’s girlfriend, not mine. But my heart said otherwise. I was in love for the first time in my life and I couldn’t act on that love. Doing so would have put Taylor at risk for the same thing to happen to her.

The next day, I hurried to school early and waited at our desk for her to arrive. As she walked in I knew the incident had marked her, she was pale and very tired in appearance. The beautiful Taylor had gone and had been replaced with a worried and scared one. She sat next to me quietly, her eyes seemed to beg me to help her, but what could I do? Placing my hand over hers I gave it a squeeze, hoping she would understand. She looked up at me with the tiniest smile as a tear formed in the corner of her eyes. Appraising her in this moment I knew I had to protect her, save her from the fate Chris would eventually impose on her. I vowed right there to myself that I would do whatever I had to in order to protect Taylor. It was a promise she never knew about. It was a promise that took nearly two decades to fulfill, one that caused us both grief and heartache.

My vow was not to happen anytime soon I learned as summer passed into fall of our senior year and Chris had a stronger rule over Taylor. It seemed as if one incident after another happened with Chris, especially after Ricky had been sentenced to a juvenile detention center. Taylor became more withdrawn, and tried to talk to me about things but never seemed to be able to voice her true concerns. My opinions stayed my own as I heard her heart cry out to me, reach to me for the only hope she had left. For her to leave Chris now would put her into the same fate as Debbie, we both knew this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Each time she snuck over to do homework Chris found out and made her pay for it. She had taken to wearing light scarves now. When I questioned her about this she just blamed it off as a fad. One day I finally took the scarf from her while we sat at my table finishing a project. Her gasp as it pulled away startled me. Seeing those bruises fueled my hatred toward Chris as her hands desperately tried to hide them.

“Let me see,” I demanded as I pulled her hands away from her throat and saw the marks he had left there.

“He didn’t mean it,” She began but I held a finger to her lips as I inspected her neck, seeing the dark purple marks and knowing just how close he had brought her to death.

“This must stop Taylor. You can’t keep covering for him this way,” I remarked as I placed the scarf gently around her neck to cover the evidence of Chris’s jealousy.

“He didn’t mean to,” she stammered again nervously as she looked away from me, knowing I knew she was lying.

“Taylor, you know you can tell me anything right?” I asked her as I tipped her chin up so she was looking directly at me. She nodded but said nothing further of the matter as we finished our project and she went home.

As the school year neared the end there was one final showdown with Chris, one in which Taylor actually stood up to him for the very first time. He had jumped me at the mall, security guards broke it up and she remained with me as he spat at her to leave with him. When she declined, Chris became even more furious than he already was. In that single moment a spark of her passion had reared its head. A passion she would spend half of her life never truly experiencing. I was so proud of her that day, but she never understood why. Having suffered some bruised ribs, a couple of stitches to my lip we went to my house together after leaving the hospital.

“Hi Taylor, fancy seeing you here,” I said, standing there sipping my milk shake and smiling.

“Hi Michael, how are you?” Taylor replied. The expression on her face told me Chris was upset and I should go.

“Hello,” Chris snipped back and began to walk away, but I touched his shoulder to stop him. Chris froze and turned slowly around, before I could react everything exploded.

“Hey Chris…” I began as he struck my jaw hard enough to split my lip. I was still wiping away the blood when Chris jumped me and together we fell to the floor.

“Stop!” Taylor cried loudly as people began to rush over to where we were. The two of us were rolling on the floor fighting and no one was able to separate us.

Chris shouted accusations at me as I tried to protect myself from his fists, but failed miserably. Someone pulled Taylor back when the security guards finally arrived and took charge, but the damage had been done. As one guard pulled Chris away, I was left lying in blood on the floor. The other guard was tending to me, as Chris mouthed off to the one holding him back. Taylor ran to me and knelt next to me. Tears ran down her face as she tried to make sure I was all right. I reached up and touched her cheek with a tiny smile on my face as Chris tried to pull her away.

“Don’t touch me!” Taylor snapped, refusing to leave my side. The fiery sparks flew from her when she refused to leave my side. I smiled as I watched her become what she truly was, a being of passion and spirit.

“Come on let’s go,” Chris ordered as he took her arm again, trying to pull her away. She pulled tried to pull it away but his grip sunk into the flesh making huge red areas that would likely bruise.

“No. I’m staying with Michael,” Taylor stated. Chris’s face turned a shade of grey that revealed an anger that would be released on her the first chance he got

“If you do not exit the mall you will be arrested,” one security guard instructed Chris while Taylor defied Chris and remained next to me.

“I’m going!” Chris spat released Taylor’s arm. “Find your own way home.”

“I will!” Taylor shouted at him as he stormed away, then she turned back to me as I managed to sit upright. Whether she saw my slight smile or not I never knew. What I did know is that I loved her with every ounce of my being. She had never been more beautiful than in the moment she defied Chris for the first time.

That night she confessed to me that she had not been with Chris sexually in weeks, and that she wished she could get away from him but could not see a way. She confessed everything Chris had ever done to her, even the times he had raped her. We drank several beers as she poured her heart out, and she released herself from the grip Chris had on her by confessing her most secret fears. She admitted she wished she had been my girl instead of his and before the night was over we had slept together, it was my first time and I relished every second of it. My heart ached though knowing I had to leave so early in the morning to begin basic training, wondering if she would understand why she would wake up alone.

Lying next to her this way was more than I had ever imagined. I loved her so fully that I knew the only way to rid her of Chris was to leave her. I couldn’t tell her why I was leaving, she would never accept it or understand it. I barely believed it myself. How could this work? All I knew for certain was that I had to try, I had to make more of myself. The Marine’s offered all of this to me. Becoming a Marine meant I could become physically capable of besting Chris, learn skills that would benefit Taylor in my quest to protect her. I didn’t sleep that night. I laid with Taylor, relishing her beauty, knowing somehow I had to save her from the road she was on with Chris.

As I prepared to leave without disturbing her, I watched her sleep. She looked like a perfect angel lying there. Her hair fell around her face softly. I brushed it back to reveal her face, to take every inch of her in before I had to leave her. She was obviously dreaming and from her actions it was not a pleasant one. Kissing her forehead I turned to go, her hand reached out and clasped mine as she sighed. As much as I wanted to remain with her, I knew leaving her was the only way I would ever be able to help her. Walking away was the hardest thing I ever did, but for the best. Little did I know what fate had in the works for us, what steps I would need to go through just to be with her again. Knowing deep down I had broken her heart, I couldn’t change what I needed to do for her. As I quietly closed my front door behind me, Jack startled me. He was just about to knock on the door.

“Hi Jack what’s up?” I asked, giving the knob a twist to make sure I locked it.

“Is Taylor here?” Jack asked. The look on his face was one of deep concern.

“Yes, but she’s sleeping,” I replied. I knew Jack cared deeply for her, but she needed her rest after the night we had.

“Chris has been out all night searching for her,” Jack explained. “What the hell happened yesterday? Why is he saying that if he finds her with you he’ll kill her?”

“It’s a long story Jack and I am due to catch a bus. Taylor is sound asleep and should be fine,” I said. “Simon’s home and he’ll see that she gets home safely.”

“Where are you going?” Jack asked.

“The Marine’s,” I replied and began walking away.

“Does Taylor know?” he inquired.

“Not yet,” I confessed. “But I do need to go I have to be at the bus in fifteen minutes.”

“Take care, I’ll let Taylor know,” Jack called to me as I walked down the street to my destiny.

As I boarded the bus that would take me away, my thoughts drifted to her, to her soft smile and sweet kiss and wondered if I would ever see it again. On the bus was where I began my first letter to her. Looking out at the sunrise and trying to explain to her why I had gone. It would be the first of hundreds of letters that I would write to her but never mail. It was far safer for her if she didn’t get these letters, yet. I brushed away a tear from my cheek. It hurt me deeply that I had likely broken her heart. When she woke up alone I might lose her forever. My plans were nowhere near finished, only this step. I hoped that one day she would understand and forgive me for leaving her alone and at the mercy of Chris Wilson. If I had suspected that he would really try to kill her I wouldn’t have left her alone. Thankfully Simon was there, he had saved her from certain death. Once Chris had gone off to college the danger was gone and I could focus on my training, my preparations.

Chapter 2

Joining the Marine’s was the smartest thing I ever did. Once basic was over I transferred back to MIT for a semester while I waited to be permanently stationed. As I unpacked in the dorm room my roommate appeared, and I could not believe who it was. Chris walked in and I gasped loudly as he tossed his bag onto his bunk and greeted me with a handshake. Had I changed so much that he didn’t recognize me, I wondered as I introduced myself as David instead of my given name. We talked for hours as I made up stories to keep him from learning who I really was. He seemed easily fooled while we chatted and unpacked. When he put her picture on his desk I had to question him, had to know how she was doing. I kept my shock in check when he said she was pregnant and he was fairly sure he was the father. The more he talked of it the less I was convinced that the child was his. She was to be married any day now to a boy she had been close friends with for years. Their story was that the child was his and he was doing the right thing by stepping up and marrying her. Sighing, I knew this would keep Taylor out of Chris’s grasp at least for a while.

After Chris had gone, I finished unpacking. There was one small box I had to make sure Chris would never find. It held the memory card from my camera the night he had killed Debbie, and every letter I had written to Taylor but never sent. I tucked the small box in the closet behind my bag. I would need to put a lock on my closet just to be sure Chris could never see those items. Would Taylor understand why I never wrote to her? Why I put every letter in a box for safekeeping? I couldn’t send them, Chris would have found out about them and left me with no real hope of breaking the hold he had over her. One day I would give her these letters, all of them. For now they must remain tucked away. Sighing heavily I left the dorm and headed to the mall to purchase a lock for my closet. Chris never asked why I had put the lock up and for that I was grateful. He could never know what the little box held. Chris had been distracted lately, he never even tried to look at the current letters I wrote to Taylor while we sat on our bunks doing homework.

Chris had an abundance of energy the first semester at MIT and began some side work that he kept on the hush hush. Whatever it was though brought him some good money and he began investing it. I had asked Mom to crochet an afghan for Taylor’s child, and offered it to Chris to give to her but he declined saying he was waiting for her to come to him. When I learned she had delivered I stopped by the hospital and left the gift with a nurse who delivered it to her. I remained and rode the elevator to the third floor as I watched this happy moment bring a smile to her face. The child appeared healthy and I knew she would make a wonderful mother, but the idea that Chris knew about the baby bothered me. The dark hair and near olive complexion of the baby girl she held in her arms told me who the father was. Smiling, I knew I had to keep this to myself for some time yet. Seeing Jack with her I knew she would be safe for a while and I walked away, back to the dorm where Chris worked his secret business and I finished the semester before being stationed abroad.

Fate seemed to work hand in hand with destiny, I had been stationed with my older brother Simon. Together we served as a force to be reckoned with. I surpassed his rank quickly and I was appointed Lieutenant of our Recon troop. Simon held the Gunnery Sergeant position and together we performed many assignments successfully. I was no longer the geeky, acne faced kid from a few years ago. Now I was a well honed military weapon that led nearly a hundred men. My looks had changed so drastically that at times I didn’t even recognize myself in the mirror. Our assignments were always top secret, carried out under the cover of darkness and never failed. My abilities as a sniper were unmatched, and Simon’s for hand to hand combat were unstoppable. Until the day things went terribly wrong, until Simon was injured. His military career ended in one moment with a single mishap.

Our mission was to penetrate a compound in Columbia, kill a ring leader of a drug cartel and get out clean. Everything had gone according to plan until we made our exit. Simon had been spotted and detoured from our planned course. Bullets riddled the air around us, automatic weapons sounded loudly. I could see armed men heading in Simon’s direction, but knew they didn’t stand a chance if they caught up to him. When he led the enemy away he stepped on a land mine and his shout was all I heard as I ran to assist him. After neutralizing the enemy I found him covered in blood, but alive. The men brought him back to our camp where he was airlifted to the hospital. His injuries had been life threatening, his recovery long and intense. He was given an honorable discharge and was recognized for his bravery. I remained behind to serve my country while he returned home to heal. He kept tabs on Taylor and her family for me, keeping me up to date on everything as I reenlisted for another tour.

The Marine’s instilled a confidence within me, one I could not have learned anywhere else. The stealth training taught me not only how to sneak up on an enemy, but also to keep my emotions in check. Stealth training also taught me skills I would need once I returned home. Skills to observe Taylor and know when the time was right to bring her home to me. I became a security specialist, not only to set up security systems but also how to breech them undetected. I became what I had always hoped to, a well honed weapon that could protect Taylor the way she deserved to be protected. A man who could stand up to Chris when the time was right, and do whatever it took to rid Taylor of him forever. However, knowing that this is what I’ve become did not ease the fact that I feared she would hate me forever for leaving her in the first place. Would she ever forgive me?

Chapter 3

Nearly four years had passed when I had a lapse in assignments and returned to MIT to finish up my degree. Once again I was unpacking in the dorm as Chris strolled through the door, once again my roommate. His memory seemed terribly flawed as I introduced myself and he seemed not to remember me. Letting it go we made friends and quickly became inseparable as the semester wore on. He told me of his secret business and it intrigued me. I began doing research online to learn all I could of it when he offered to take me to an auction. Watching in awe as the auction was held, I was aghast at the amount of money that could be made so easily. By the end of the semester Chris and I had gone into the business together and built up a small fortune. He had located and purchased a house in Arizona and together we outfitted it for our needs.

The Arizona house was more like a sprawling ranch. The house itself had several bedrooms, a living and family room, formal dining room and kitchen, and the location was better than I could have hoped for considering what would be occurring inside of that house. It took three hours by truck just to reach the house from the nearest town. It was over thirty miles to the nearest neighbors home. No chance any female would escape if they managed to get out of the house. Chris didn’t understand why I had insisted on designing one of the bedrooms for a special project I had in mind. He had no clue that this special room would house someone of great importance to us both, someone who would not be so apt to cooperate.

The special room was outfitted as much for comfort as it had been for restraint and restriction. It was the only female room that had a bed, a full sized bed. The headboard and footboard had multiple points to secure someone, and an eyebolt had been secured to the floor under the headboard. A secure point for a lead, if the particular project actually made it that far into her existence here. I screwed plywood over the outside of those windows, as well as on the inside. The furniture in the room was minimal, just a small dresser and the bed. In the top drawer of the dresser I stocked it in preparation of her arrival here. Unfortunately I could not refer to her by name, not until she was actually here. To talk about her with Chris would only serve to peak his interest in her and possibly place her in far more danger than she ever would be with me.

During this time I had eye surgery while I was on a six month tour. It turned out that after the surgery I no longer needed glasses, and my vision was so good that I could see things most others couldn’t. With my new vision I became a very valuable sniper for the Marine’s. My night vision had improved so greatly that most nights I did not need the night vision goggles. My targets were usually dead before they hit the ground and they never knew from what direction I struck. When I was away Simon kept tabs on Taylor for me. When I was home I kept Chris occupied so he didn’t go to her. My system worked nicely. And as it flowed without flaw I knew the endgame would be won.

Simon had kept me well informed about Taylor. Her marriage wasn’t doing very well but she and Jack were doing their best to work things out. She had just purchased a farmhouse in the country in anticipation of a break up with Jack. She took the children there every weekend to teach them to ride. The horses she had chosen were magnificent. Each of her children had their own horse that they had chosen. But I knew it was too soon to begin my work to drive her away from her family and make it possible for me to secretly become what I need to be to her. Simon had taken many pictures of Taylor, nearly every aspect of her day was covered in the pictures he took. I kept them all in digital form so Chris would never see them, never know who I was or why I had taken an interest in Taylor.

When I returned to duty Chris handled the business, making more money than I could have ever dreamed of. I took frequent leaves and assisted him as much as possible while I utilized my military training within our business. I did not know that in my times of absence Chris had murdered several women who failed to live up to his expectations, or that he had continued to watch Taylor from afar, collecting his photo trophies of her child while he held out hope that one day she would come to him with word the child was actually his. By this time I had figured out the child could not possibly have been his though. The math was wrong, Taylor had told everyone the baby was early but the nurse explained to me the baby had been right on time. The math put the child as being conceived the night she and I spent together, making it my child. I never corrected Chris on this matter because doing so would have put Taylor in danger and for the time being she was safely away from his grasp.

The pictures he kept of the child allowed me to watch her grow, be proud of her and eventually have Simon manage to get DNA and run the tests. They only confirmed what I had suspected, the child was indeed mine. This knowledge began shaping my plans for the future, my plans for Taylor. I knew she would never accept me for who I was, nor would she accept the fact that Chris was not the father of her child. Her marriage to Jack became strained as her family grew and she became more distant. With each woman I brought to Chris I imagined it was Taylor, imagined that one day she would be together with me. Each time I returned to duty I poured my entire being into becoming everything I was capable of. When her marriage finally ended, I decided it was time to re - inject myself back into her life. I decided to do this by treating her as one of the other women I collected, stalk her and see if she would catch on. As I put this plan into motion I said nothing to Chris about it, yet. I had to plan this to the last detail to rid him from her life forever, to rid myself of him as well.

While home on leave I decided to send her the first gift. The first note I had sent her had not bothered her. She read it and stuck it in a storage box in her closet. She had divorced Jack several months ago and moved to her farm outside the city limits. Dressing as a floral delivery man I brought her the single red rose with the simple note. Driving to her farm I felt anxious, as if I were back in high school, that timid boy once more. My military training masked this very well as I rung her doorbell and she opened the door, just a crack to accept the delivery. As I searched her eyes for any recognition I found none, she only held the door open for a moment. It was barely time enough to assess her, seek her fiery spirit that I knew was hidden deep within her. She had matured well, her figure quite sexy after birthing six children. She wore no make up and it was refreshing to see her as she truly was. She accepted the small package with a smile and closed the door quickly. I hurried back to my delivery van to watch her reaction. I had installed several cameras in her home and saw every move she made, even in the shower.

The small black and white screen displayed her shock as she opened the package and read the short note. Driving away with a smile I watched as the package fell to the floor and her face register the gift. Turning right to head downtown I shut the monitor off with a smile. I was inside her head now and there was nothing she would be able to do to prevent what would happen. The single red rose on her birthday told her someone cared, someone was keeping an eye on her. Patience, I reminded myself. She is nowhere near ready, not yet. She had to be conditioned, she had to have true fear before anything could happen. Fear is necessary for my plan to work. She may hate me, but this is a risk that must be taken. It’s the only way to get Chris out of her life forever.

Making my way into the slummy part of town, I pulled in next to homeless row and parked. I knew what I was after, knew she would be along very shortly and I waited quietly. Knowing no one would ever miss her, I snatched her as she came around the corner. The chloroform worked quickly, causing her to fall unconscious into my arms. I had her tucked into the van within seconds. As I drove away I knew this one would work out well since she had experience in what she was about to wake up to. I had spied on her, numerous times. I had watched her with the men she took to a secluded, run down motel. She seemed to love the restriction, the bondage. However, the men she chose for the pleasure always turned on her and beat her before untying only one wrist then leaving her.

Thankfully this leave time was an extended one. I had sixty days total to prepare this girl, sixty days to pretend she was Taylor. Sixty long days to convince myself Taylor could handle this, that Taylor’s memories would burst forth rather quickly. I never imagined it would have taken as long as it actually did though. Live a little, learn a lot I was once told. But to truly love makes one weak. How true that old saying had been. Numerous time on duty I had been daydreaming of Taylor and nearly missed an intruder at our camp, or someone shooting at us as the team rested. Although I loved Taylor with all of my being, I could no longer allow her to be a distraction. It was far too dangerous and risked others lives, not just my own. Reminding myself that I had joined the Marine’s to protect Taylor, kept me focused most of the time. Watching for the right time to intervene in her life, the time when she would be most vulnerable and alone. It was not near time yet. I pacified myself by taking women who resembled Taylor. Tonight’s young woman fit that bill to perfection. For anyone who didn’t know Taylor very well this woman could pass as her double, the likeness was so profound. I felt lucky to have found this one.

Pulling into my private hanger I stopped in the reserved spot and turned off the engine. Looking at this girl in the backseat was almost as good as seeing Taylor in her place. Sighing heavily I reminded myself this was not Taylor and I stepped from the car. Taking the girl over my shoulder I climbed aboard the private jet and laid her on a sofa in the passenger area. She was not restrained, but wouldn’t come around for several hours yet. The chloroform I made had the potential to keep her out for up to thirty six hours, she would not likely awaken until this time tomorrow. Leaving the door to the cockpit open, I entered it and began my preflight checks. Once those were out of the way I taxied the jet to the runway and took off. Guiding the jet into the flight path, I set the autopilot and returned to the passenger compartment.

Her breathing was normal and relaxed, a good sign there would be no lasting effects of the chloroform. Taking some bottled water from the service area I returned to the girl and sat across from her. She had no clue I was there, nor did she realize where she was. The chloroform should keep her out until she was secured on her furs in the training room. The room I have been preparing for Taylor was never to be used for any other girl. It would be well after midnight by the time I reached the Arizona house. I could land the jet close to the property, but it was still a few miles by quad runner. When my watch alarm sounded I knew it was time to get back into the cockpit and guide the jet in for landing. I had not realized the time had passed so quickly while I had watched her.

As soon as the jet had stopped I cut the engines off and hurried to where the girl was lying. Scooping her over my shoulder once more I mounted the quad runner and hurried to the house. All of the lights appeared to be on when I pulled up out front, removed the keys from the quad runner and went inside. Tossing the keys on the side table, I took the girl to the training room and laid her on her back. I gently removed her clothing, leaving her naked on the fur rug. Slowly putting the restraints on her I made sure they would be as comfortable as they could be under the circumstances. Placing the heavy, steel collar around her neck, it made an ominous click sound when I fastened the lock in place. She was now tethered to the wall by an unbreakable chain and a snug collar. Satisfied the restraints weren’t too tight I left the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

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I know there are goofs, and I know Chapter 2 is far too short. This is a rough draft but I thought readers would enjoy the sneak peek!