He wasn't nervous. He had everything worked out perfectly. He just wished he'd had more time to enjoy the moment.
Even though he knew he would be excited and full of tension, he'd need to appear calm.
There she was. He felt his heart pound as he saw her let herself out of the front door and head down the street.
It was light, and the sun was just up. She was walking fast in the morning's chill, with her gym bag slung over her shoulder, because this beautiful queen liked to go to the gym before school started on Mondays. He had to time this perfectly. Not too soon, that would be suspicious. But not too late, or there would be no point to it.
He had to wait for the right moment. There were already people on the street, in the distance. Far enough away for them not to be able to identify him. But he couldn't risk them coming any closer.
Wait, the teacher told himself. Wait, wait, be calm.
Now!
Smoothly, he drove forward, taking an earlier turn to join up with the main road, so it would look like he was just driving down it coincidentally.
There she was, his shy queen. Walking fast, her head bowed. So beautiful and she didn't even know it.
He drove up alongside her. She was so lovely. His heart was beating fast. This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
She glanced to the side as she saw his car. Her eyes widened in recognition. She saw him. She knew him.
He buzzed down his window.
"Good morning, Berenice," he said, savoring her name.
"Morning, sir," she said with a quick smile.
"You want a ride?" he offered. "I'm a little concerned to see you walking to school so early, especially after what's happened. It might not be safe."
She grimaced. "Yeah. I know. I was feeling anxious out here. Thanks. I'd love a ride."
She sounded relieved. He was glad of that. He wanted her to be comfortable with him.
He was glad she was smiling. She was so beautiful. He simply couldn't wait for the scenario ahead. He couldn't wait for the time when she would be his.
"Hop in," he said.
She opened the passenger door and slipped in, sitting down beside him.
He pulled out slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion. As if he was an ordinary person just helping out one of his students.
"How are you?" he asked her, casually, as he pulled back out into the street.
She shrugged. "Doing okay, I guess."
"I'm sorry you're having to go through all this," he said. "It's really been hard for everyone at the school."
"I hope the police solve it soon. I really appreciate the ride," she said.
He smiled again. He glanced at her, as he continued to drive. She was so pretty. She was his most valuable prize. And now, at last, he had her.
Discreetly, he pressed the central locking.
The other doors in the car all had child locks on them. That was part of his planning, and it had been so easy to do.
She was captured now. She was his.
He would need to gag her, tie her, and leave her somewhere where only he would know to come back to. He knew the forest trails well, and knew which ones were never used.