I spent the next few weeks gathering information about Mr. Armstrong and planning. He didn't appear to be a very interesting man from the outside looking in, but something about him still intrigued me. I did learn a few things about him though. He lives in a rather large house on the more affluent side of town, not too far from my neighborhood. He pays a visit to my department head once a week for a status report, and sometimes more often for reasons unknown. He eats copious amounts of pasta, so much so that I sort of worry about his health. He doesn't have many friends- he appears to be a loner.

I also know his schedule like the back of my hand. I know where he's going to be, when he's going to be there, and on what day. He keeps a very strict schedule, so I can always count on him to be where he's supposed to be. With all the information I've gathered, I think I'm ready.

-

A ding signaled the arrival of the elevator, and I watched as Mr. Armstrong emerged from the elevator. Right on schedule. He was wearing another black suit, maybe licorice, paired with a pastel green tie. His blond hair was tousled, but it looked like it was done purposely. His green eyes looked as if they sparkled in the light that shone through the windows. He made his way to Mr. Dowell's office as usual. The latter stood up and shook his hand, and they both sat down to commence the meeting.

A figure suddenly blocked my doorway. I rolled my eyes as I realized it was Adam. Why wouldn't he leave me alone?

"Go away," I got out quickly when I saw him open his mouth.

"Oh come on, I'm sure you're bored. Don't you want some company?" he punctuated with a smile.

"I'm at work. Doing work. If I ever want company from the likes of you, I'll gladly let you know." I heard the intense sarcasm in my voice.

He held up his arms in defense. "Fine, you win."

"Close the door on your way out, please."

Adam made a sound of agreement as he closed the door gently behind him. Sighing, I stood up and walked to the front of my office, closing the blinds so that nobody could see inside. I sar back down at my desk and let out a huge yawn that seemed to drain even more of my energy. I spent the night finalizing my plans so that hopefully the plan would be carried out without a problem. I'm used to having trouble sleeping, but being in bed trying to sleep somehow leaves me more energized than I am right now.

Maybe I should take a nap. I'm sure nobody would even notice. Adam is usually my only visitor on a regular day, and I'm pretty sure I'm rid of him. Plus, I would be a more effective and productive worker if I had more energy.

Closing my eyes, I soon lost consciousness.

"Stop crying Piper! You need something to help you with that little anger problem of yours, and this will help."

We were in the woods in the back of the house. It was a mild Autumn day, the leaves just beginning to change colors. The wind created a gentle rustling of the leaves, and birds twittered and chirped happily, creating a calming mood.

But I felt miserable and scared. I could feel the hot stream of tears down my cheeks, and I felt my little body trembling slightly.

"I don't want to kill any animals uncle," I cried out.

He sucked his teeth. "Stop whining. You're doing this."

I sniffled and wiped my tears, nodding reluctantly.

"Good. Now, you see that deer?" he pointed towards a young doe through the foliage that covered us. It was grazing lazily, probably enjoying the nice day like every other creature.

"Yes," I said softly.

My uncle handed me a rifle, and I grabbed it tentatively. He got down on his knees and helped me position the gun properly in my hands. It felt cold and foreign, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Square your shoulders up and keep your feet shoulder-width apart." I did as I was told. "Good, now find your point. Remember, keep your finger off of the trigger until you're ready to shoot."

I tried to focus on the doe, but my hands kept shaking. I couldn't keep a stable point. Seeing this, my uncle reinforced my grip with his own hands. Now, there was no excuse.

"Do it," he growled sternly in my ear.

I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger as I exhaled. I was greeted with a loud bang as my body jerked backwards into my uncle's rigid body.

I took more deep, shaky breaths as I watched the doe collapse. My uncle grunted contentedly and grabbed my wrist, pulling me behind him roughly. We stopped in front of the animal, its chest still heaving slowly. I watched, captivated, as it slowly died in front of me. Its eyes fluttered shut slowly, and the doe breathed its last breath before going limp.

My uncle squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

I smiled slowly. It did.

-

Knocking roused me from my sleep. I jumped up and checked my watch, cursing myself. How long had I been out?

The door opened.Unfortunately, on the other side of the door was Adam. His hair was slightly less perfect than usual.

"Jesus Mr. Dunn, do you have the slightest idea what the word privacy means?" I growled.

His eyes went wide for a moment before he faintly smirked. "I just wanted you to know that it's getting late. And since it's a Friday.." he trailed off in a suggestive tone.

Shit, I have to go. "Take your insinuation and shove it up your ass Dunn." I got up and started getting ready to go.

Adam made what I assumed was an attempt as a sexual sound. Sounded more like a wounded animal. "Mmm, I like it when you talk dirty to me baby."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "One of these days, I'm going to get you fired," I mumbled. Or fucking kill you.

He chuckled. "I look forward to it sweetheart. We both know you can't get enough of me." With a final wink, he was gone.

-

I changed in the car, feeling at home in my black bodysuit. I checked the time repeatedly. I had less than a half hour before Oliver would be pulling up to his home. Looking at myself in the rearview mirror, I smiled. I can pull this off. With that affirmation in mind, I left the parking lot and headed to my destination.

It was a nice evening. The sun was leaving the sky at a quick pace, and the breeze blew gently. Well past rush hour, traffic was moving along well, and the sidewalks were sparsely populated. It felt like the calm before the storm. A storm I hoped I would enjoy.

I didn't have to wait long for him. Cloaked in the quickly approaching darkness, I watched as he pulled into his driveway. Even with my lights and engine off, my car was probably at least mildly suspicious. Houses were spaced pretty far out around here, so even though I was a good distance from his house, I was still out of place.

Mr. Armstrong stepped out of his car, and I sprung into action. Pulling my hood over my head, I jumped out of my car and made my way quickly to him. As I got closer, I felt my heartbeat quicken its pace, the blood pumping through my veins. It just motivated me to move faster.

Honestly, I don't know how he didn't hear me coming up behind him. He remained completely oblivious as he locked his car and started making his way to his house. Closing the distance between us, I pulled out an ammonia soaked rag and pressed it against his face, preparing my other arm to hold up his soon to be dead weight. He struggled for a little bit before he went limp, slumping into my arms. I slowly led his body to the ground before repositioning myself. Squatting, I heaved his body into the air.

Given his height, it wasn't surprising that he was heavy, but it was nothing my well trained body couldn't handle. Still, I made it a point to walk briskly to my car. Again I felt my heartbeat quicken, the blood flowing through my body sounding like a beautiful song. I felt Oliver's heartbeat, slowed, against my body. I smirked.

Getting him into the car was the hard part. I placed him on the ground and opened the door before immediately picking him up again. Through some complicated process of heaving and wriggling, I finally got his body stretched out (somewhat) across the backseat.

On the way back home, I checked Oliver's unconscious form out in the rearview mirror and smiled widely.

I did it.