Page 42 of Burn For Me

As I watched them linger around like a flock of vultures, I realized that every human liked the smell of burning flesh on some level. However, these particular ‘vultures’ just decided that this smell was fine as long as it wasn’t human. Dr. Wallace tried to say that I was crazy because I liked to smell human flesh burn, but to me, it was as tantalizing as the beef steak on that shiny barbeque.

Switching my position inside my hiding place, I looked around the small tool shed and decided that if I had to wait for someone to go inside for the night, this space was a comfy place to hang out. Admittedly, I was trying to figure out why he had the shed at all. The dirt had been so thick here that it was obvious he hadn’t cracked the door open in months or maybe years.

Luckily the good Doctor liked to live the high life, and his home, along with the rest of the massive estate-style mansions on this road, all backed into an exclusive golf course. Sneaking onto the golf course had been easy, and for what I needed to do tonight, I didn’t have to bring anything more than a single duffel bag.

Not only was the shed a perfect distance away to not be seen or noticed, but it was the type with little glass windows, and Dr. Wallace had been nice enough to have spare benches inside for me to lounge. Dr. Wallace was turning out to be quite the host, except for the stifling heat and the occasional annoying spider. I chugged the last of the water I had brought with me and stood to take a piss in the corner, all too happy to spray this asshole’s walls with my golden shower.

When the man of the hour disappeared into his house, I paid close attention to the neighbors. Some seemed reluctant to leave and head back to their own homes. They kept staring longingly at the barbecue as if it would magically cook more meat.

I’d spent the better part of three days learning everything I could about the technology that was around these homes. Cameras were everywhere, and I quickly realized that I would need to find a way to evade them to get to my target. I’d found a few toys that would do the trick and still wasn’t a fan, but the tech was growing on me like a bad fungus.

A slow smile spread across my face as I studied the paper and the location of all the cameras on my map. I even wrote down how long it took to walk to the road and how many steps it would take to reach each house.

As the setting sun cast long shadows on my hiding location, I got to work. First, I pulled out the black box with all the antennas on it. I was assured it would fritz out all the cameras in the area. I didn’t know if I believed the sketchy guy I found selling this high-tech equipment, but I was willing to give it a shot.

Next, I pulled out the battery pack used to power the thing. It only took a few minutes to get it set up and turned on. Step two was to get inside the good Doctor’s home. As if fate was driving my destiny, a teenage girl opened the sliding glass door, yelled, ‘fuck off,’ and slammed it closed. I watched the girl march away and then noticed that the door she slammed had bounced open a crack. The girl continued until she was out of sight, and I acted quickly as this might be the only chance I got.

Glancing up, I noticed the sky had turned dark grey.

“Shit,” I muttered.

It was just after dusk and not nearly as dark as I would’ve liked, but I pulled my mask in place and grabbed my bag of tricks. I slipped out of the shed and jogged for the homes that no longer had anyone lingering outside. My head was on a swivel as I kept my eyes open for the girl, but she must have stormed off onto the golf course to vent her anger.

When I reached the door, it was easy to hear why she’d taken off. I understood her disgust as I heard Dr. Wallace and his wife fighting. The argument was loud, and I used the cover of their racket to slip inside.

Unlike the teen, I didn’t forget to lock the door. Having her find me before I was set up wouldn't do. I pulled the tiny camera from my pocket and looked around, trying to find the ideal location. There was a plant hanging in the corner with an ornate holder. It had a great aerial point of view, so I quickly placed the small piece of tech up there. It fit perfectly because it was no bigger than the end of my baby finger.

The yelling got louder, and then there was thumping as the two went up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Could they make this any easier?

The second camera I placed in the living room, attaching it to a picture frame. Then I slipped down to the basement. The loud argument was echoing through all the metal vents, their voices as clear as if they were in the same room. Asher and I used to stuff our vent with a sweater to try and block out the noise when our parents fought. It didn’t help, though. Nothing much helped the sound of a body slamming into the wall that was on the other side of where you laid your head.

Downstairs, I looked around the laundry room for a good spot to set up the booster for the signal of the camera scrambler. If this went well, then when the time was right, not one of the houses on this block would be safe. The thought made me as giddy as a kid in the candy store.

My eyes landed on the large mountain of laundry, and I wondered why people still built homes with the machines in the basement. I mean, I knew it was tradition to have the washer and dryer down here, but when you had this much money, why would you bother having to lug the shit up at least three flights of stairs.

Stupid if you asked me, but on the bright side, the place was a treasure trove of fun chemicals to play with if I wanted. A tingle started in the base of my spine as I thought about jumping the timeline and ending Dr. Wallace right now. I shook my head and clenched my fist to stop myself. I wanted to make sure that everything was in place first. I wanted Dr. Wallace’s death to be front-page news for weeks, not just days.

Jogging back up the stairs, I made my way out of the house the same way I arrived and then ran to the next house. Each house had either a light, satellite, or stupid-looking wall art that made good hiding spots for another small booster.

Finished with my chore, I stuck to the long shadows and made my way through the trees around the golf course to get back to the little white car that was becoming quite the getaway vehicle. Pulling out the tablet I purchased, I hit the on-button, and there it was, as clear as day, the living room and the downstairs sitting area.

Dr. Wallace marched into the scene and threw his hands up in the air in obvious frustration. I didn’t bother turning on the volume. It was a lot more entertaining making up the argument.

“But Alice, I can’t go to Wonderland with you. I have too many lives to ruin,” I mocked.

“I hate you, Wallace. You promised we’d go to the tea party.” I grinned wide, enjoying this moment more than I should.

Dr. Wallace was shaking his finger at who I assumed was his wife. I’d never seen the man this worked up, and I’d gotten him worked up real good on occasion. All the times I’d spent with him in his office pushing his buttons, this was the first time I saw him red-faced and pulling his glasses off and shaking them as he argued. Then again, it was difficult to yell at someone like that when you’re terrified of them. It took a level of guts that I knew this douchebag didn’t have.

“Well, Dr. Wallace, you and I are going to get more intimately acquainted very soon.”

Smirking, I turned off the tablet that made me want to sing with joy, but as I pulled away from the little hidden parking spot, I settled for whistling.

Soon Adalyn, very soon.

I watched my prey for a couple of days, but the excitement was wearing off as I struggled to figure out how to get inside each of the homes. No matter which way I cut it, I needed to get into the homes to set my trap. My issue was the security systems. I needed them to let me in since breaking into all of these homes was not a viable option.