THE OFFICE camera alerted him that someone had been there on a Saturday. He figured it was Phillip. Sitting down in the comfortable chair in the living room, feet on the footstool, he settled in for a view. Phillip always worked weekends with his door open, and the cameras were positioned so that he could easily watch him in his office. It was one of the things he enjoyed the most. Phillip had no idea he was being observed, and he did the cutest things sometimes. Mostly he worked, but he had this habit of scratching behind his ear whenever he was thinking.
Phillip’s closed office door shone in the image, and he waited. No one else went into that area of the office on a Saturday. He brought up the other camera to get a better view, but all he got was static. Resetting it didn’t do anything, and neither did the steady stream of expletives he released afterward, along with a nearly overwhelming sense of loss. This was something he looked forward to on Saturdays, and now, part of it was gone. Switching back to the other camera, he noticed the image was no longer in focus, but he could still make out the door area. “Fucking hell….” He screamed and tried resetting the camera, sending commands for it to refocus. It did a little, though the image was still blurry, but it was enough that he should be able to make out Phillip when he entered his office.
At least he would know where he was. Trying to find him for the last few days had been impossible, and the one chance he’d had had been taken up by seeing to the last of Phillip’s interests. Shit. He shook and leaned closer to the screen, waiting for his reward—the moment when Phillip would come into the picture—but nothing happened. The door stayed closed, and his hand quivered as he sat on pins and needles, waiting for a glimpse.
“Come on in,” he whispered as though he were playing host. The office might have been Phillip’s, but with the camera, he had made it his.
A figure flashed into the picture for a second, and he rewound it to get the best image he could. “Fucking hell!” He gritted his teeth. He’d been right—after all, he was always right. Phillip was seeing someone else, and he’d let the guy into the office with him.
Clenching his fists, he shook with rage before returning to the live feed, which was empty. That settled it. He knew who this guy was—he’d seen him already, more than once. The Marine was getting too close, and he was going to have to take care of him, just like he had the rest. He rubbed his hands together, waiting to catch another glimpse of him or of Phillip.
The camera showed nothing for nearly half an hour, and then the focus got worse. He tried once more to adjust it, but the camera flicked out. Resetting did nothing at all.
No Signal. A black screen with those words in the center flashed. He threw the remote control across the room, and it shattered against the wall, leaving a dent and a black spot, with broken plastic on the floor. He took one deep breath and then another. He needed to figure out what his next move was.
He got up, pacing the room like the predator he knew he was. This was going to be beautiful, and when he was done, Phillip would clearly know what was expected of him. And this was sure to be the last time. Phillip would finally be ready for him, his forever….
He stopped. Now there were things to do and preparations to be made. The Marine had to go! And this time, the end would be spectacular. He would see to that. And finally, Phillip would know who he belonged to.