I heard the footsteps long before I saw him, he was away back, but sharp echoes bounced between the tall brick walls of the industrial park alerting me to his presence. At eleven at night the place was deserted, lit only by harsh security lamps that left pockets of shadow between each warehouse. The route was well lit. I knew it well. I thought I had nothing to be afraid of. Was I wrong?
At five feet eight in stockings, I was quite lithe, but not overly slim. I had worked long and hard on my fitness, my work demanded it. Tonight, I was wearing heels, not the real high sort, I wasn’t able to walk far in those and I definitely couldn’t run. What was really impeding me was my dress, just above my knees, it was tight and restricted my movement. I tugged it up and quickened my pace, hoping the person behind would fall away. If it was a man I didn’t want him to be alerted to my concern. I hitched the hem up and lengthened my stride, pretending not to notice the rhythm behind me quickening. I didn’t dare look back, no time to show fear.
I had been in a local bar about a quarter of a mile from the estate, I was drinking alone, nobody had approached me, I’m not sure why, I look attractive, a reasonable looking figure, tight red dress, and long dark hair. My hair was a wig, underneath I was fair, and hair cut short, with fades, but men don’t like that in a woman. They prefer woman to look feminine, don’t they? Now though it seemed like someone could have been watching me.
As I walked, I listened. Whoever was behind had accelerated their pace, the footsteps grew closer. It was about two hundred yards to the main road where I would be safer. This person surely wouldn’t attack me once I got there. My senses were fully alert now, I hadn’t touched alcohol tonight, it was important to me that whilst I was working, I had control over my senses. I also kept a firm hand on my drinks, even taking them to the ladies, no one was spiking my drinks. It had always kept me safe.
A head, I had a decision to make, left would take me a long a longer route to the main road. If I turned right, it was not well lit but half the distance. I took a deep breath and turned right, hopefully my follower was well behind me. As I turned, I glanced behind, it was a man, tall around six feet, moving with purpose. My heart beats raised, I felt the pulse in my neck. Perhaps I should have turned the other way, but he was only fifty or so feet behind me. If I ran, he would see my vulnerability and chase. Of that, I was sure. If I maintained my pace, all be it hurried perhaps he would hesitate to take me on.
I reached the end of the warehouse, there was an alleyway that would lead me down to the High Street, that was where he grabbed me. My hair was the perfect decoy. He grabbed a handful and was left holding my wig. He was confused. It bought me thinking time. He snarled, and sped after me, he caught me again, snaked his arm around my neck, he dragged me backwards. I sagged letting him take my weight, as if I was giving in, feigning surrender, waiting for the opening I knew would come.
He spun me and pinned me against a fence.
“Scream bitch, and you’re dead,” he hissed.
I had no intention of screaming. No one would reach us in time anyway.
His face was inches from mine, cold eyes, sour breath, designer stubble. A younger man in his thirties. The kind of man who’d done this before. About the height and build I had thought. A beanie had covered his hair. I would recognise him again he knew that, scary. He thought I was a sex worker. He thought I was prey. He thought tonight would be easy.
“Tonight whore, I’m having a freebie, you’ll enjoy this, and if you tell anyone, I’ll come back and kill you”.
My heart pounded, I thought my brain would explode, this man thought I was a prostitute and was going to rape me. My breaths were short and quick. I started to hyperventilate. Deliberately, I slowed my breathing, calming my body, I needed to be calm, and I needed to be ready. Calm was my weapon. He loosened his belt and dropped his jeans.
He reached for me, his tongue licked my face, I felt repulsion. His hands around my neck started their downward journey. Pausing at my ample breasts. My breasts were not all mine, but I wondered if he could tell. Judging by his breathing I didn’t think he could.
Grabbing me between the legs, he suddenly stopped. Pulling back, he froze.
“What the fuck!” He looked me in the eyes, my erection was bigger than his, did he feel inferior? Confusion flickered across his face as he realised something about me didn’t match his assumptions. His grip faltered.
I pressed the spikes of the taser through my coast pocket and triggered it on his naked thigh. His drop to the floor was epic, sitting on his naked ass staring up at me, eyes wide and mouth open. By now his penis had shrivelled away. He wouldn’t be waving that around again, ever. The alley he’d chosen wasn’t a hunting ground it was a trap, my trap.
In my bag was a fillet knife. I took it out and carefully and slowly pushed it into the side of his neck, watching the horror in his eyes, I sliced through the carotid artery. I carefully stood back away from the blood spray. Pulling my red dress back down, it was red for a reason, I pushed my wig into the bag and walked to the end of the alleyway where my car was parked. There were no cameras in this area, I had walked it several times to check. As always, the plan had worked well.
The police had reports of quite a few working girls attacked in this area. They weren’t bothered, seemingly prostitutes were fair game. I had seen this many times before, if they did nothing, I would, this was my work. Three years ago, my sixteen-year-old daughter had been raped and killed coming home from a party.
For what was left of my life, I would rid the world of men like those who had attacked her. The system failed her. So, I became the system.