EXTRACT FOR
The Darkest Secret
(Anna Mann)

David checked his watch again, it was almost the appointed time. 

Three in the morning. The garden was barely lit by street lamps out on the avenue to the front, deep shadows broke the faint silver moonlight. Dogs had stopped barking over an hour before, even the local randy tomcat had shagged enough and was curled up somewhere dreaming of past conquests. This was the time that those with dangerous or dirty deeds to perform loved the most, when the population were at their most vulnerable, deep in sleep and without a care in the world.

"Are we all still up for this?" David's voice was lower than a whisper yet still sounded loud in his ears.

Four heads nodded in the faint moonlight. He had felt obliged to ask the question even though he knew deep down that all but one of his accomplices felt as eager as himself. The fifth was a conundrum, he didn't know what their motivation was?

But I know that we are safe because we all have perfect alibis, just as long as the masks stay on and we don't say a word. Each of the five wore a black woollen balaclava mask, the mouth hole stitched up because none of them was going to speak. Only the eye holes remained.

The alibis had been set up by Christopher himself, allegedly the small group were away on a training course, and the trainer owed him a series of massive favours. In a convoluted way he had tied everything up so tightly that no trail could lead back to himself of any of his colleagues, the only weak link was the trainer... but the prospect of serious jail time loomed should he crumble. In Christopher's mind they were all safe, it was a plan that couldn't fail.

But Christopher hadn't factored in the fifth member of the group waiting in his garden, if he had known he would have hit the abort button fast, after all, talking about doing something was a far cry from actually doing it. Planning could be passed off as a team building exercise, a very twisted exercise to be sure, but still not a crime. But with an unknown variable in the mix his careful planning counted for nothing. 

And that variable is my insurance, David smiled inside his mask and knew that even if the crap hit the fan... he would walk away; stainless.

Another glance at the watch and he nodded, they had all decided as they took their position in the bushes they were going early. Every one of them had seen Angie's naked display, and every erection urged them to hurry, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and patience was being severely tested.