Infringement by Benjamin Westbrook

in one of the open spaces near the front. Stanton slowed down and pulled his SUV over to the side of the street where he could see Nikki getting out of her car. Declan drove past Stanton and past Nikki’s apartment building and, after seeing Nikki enter one of the first floor units in his rearview mirror, turned at the next intersection, which was less than a block away from the building.
    He quickly parked his car on the street and hurried on foot through an empty parking lot to a bushy shadowy spot where he could see both Stanton’s SUV, with Stanton still sitting inside, and Nikki’s first-floor apartment. A few seconds later, the lights in Nikki’s apartment came on.
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    Stanton sat in his SUV, in the dark, watching the lights in Nikki’s apartment come on. His eyes patiently followed her slim silhouette as she moved behind the drawn shades. He waited and focused on the apartment until he was relatively certain Nikki was alone inside, although he knew he couldn’t be absolutely sure of that until he’d committed himself by going in.
    When he was finally ready, Stanton turned on the ignition again, drove slowly into the driveway and parked in a space on the side of the apartment building, only ten feet or so from Nikki’s front door. He picked up his 9mm handgun and slid it into his jeans, where it would be concealed under his jacket. Opening the glove box, he took out a small bottle of chloroform and a white hand towel and stuffed them into one of his jacket pockets.
    “Abaddon, master, look upon your servant with favor and again bless my work,” Stanton whispered. “More blood will flow tonight in your name.”
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    When Declan had seen Stanton pull into the parking lot, he quietly moved from his position in the bushes, around the back of a neighboring building and crept along in the shadows until finally crouching low behind a parked car not far from Stanton’s. From that position, he was ready to intervene if necessary. When he saw Stanton step out of the SUV and approach Nikki’s front door, Declan’s pulse began to race faster.
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    Stanton slowly approached the first-floor apartment. It wasn’t evident from his blank expression, but he was teeming with energy and excitement. His mind ran through his plan again, which was to simply knock on Nikki’s door and quickly force his way inside when given the opportunity, however brief it may be. He’d subdue her with the chloroform, carry her to his SUV, and be out of there in under three minutes. The real fun could begin when he got her home.
    As he approached the front door, Stanton could hear music coming through a slightly open window to the left of the door. It wasn’t anything he recognized, something with a peppy pop sound, which wasn’t the kind of thing he liked. Just outside the door, Stanton stopped and readied himself. Deep slow breath in, long slow breath out, deep slow breath in, long slow breath out. Finally, he closed his eyes and envisioned one last walk through. In and out in under three minutes, he thought again. No problem. With that, Stanton knocked on the door, just as two headlights appeared in the parking lot heading in the direction of Nikki’s building.
    “It’s open, babe,” came Nikki’s voice from inside. “Just come in, I’m too tired to get up again.”
    The headlights drew closer and Stanton froze, not sure whether to go in or abort the mission. A second later, his decision made, Stanton bolted back down the walkway, jumped into his SUV and shot out of the parking lot, just as the headlights came to a stop in the open space next to Nikki’s car.

Chapter 13
    December 22 nd
    The morning sun rose and traces of its light slowly penetrated David Stanton’s apartment, each ray illuminating his utter shame and undeniable failure. Stanton stood naked in the growing light, staring at his wretched miserably inadequate face and body and watching the blood trickle