Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Red Eye.
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Chapter 1
She was happy. Content, even.
The thought enraged Jackson.
As he watched Lisa from his vantage point at the restaurant bar, laughing and chatting animatedly with the lump that appeared to be her date, the injustice of it all burned him. Never mind that he killed people as a profession. What this girl had done was far worse.
She had stripped him of his hard-earned dignity. Physically mutilated him. Almost succeeded in killing him. And yet, his all-encompassing anger diminished slightly in the face of an unsettling reality. Seeing Lisa had an unpleasant effect on his most potent weapon: his confidence.
Always, Jackson wielded an unwavering certainty in himself and his abilities; conviction faithfully carryied him through even the most trying assignments. It had earned him promotions, fame, and respect. Without his customary complete self-assurance, he felt thrown into unfamiliar territory.
However, unfortunately for Lisa, Jackson's formidable temper flared at this newfound uncertainty. He had been careless enough to allow her to gain power over him, and hated her more because of it.
Get it together, you pussy, he told himself angrily, taking a slow drag from his cigarette in an effort to calm himself down. She would never exert her power, he decided, unless he was foolish enough to reveal it to her.
Glancing back at Lisa, he watched her excuse herself from the table and head for the restrooms. He quickly extinguished his cigarette in the glass ashtray in front of him and rose from his stool.
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Lisa weaved between the tables of the small Italian restaurant as she made her way to the bathroom. The light hum of conversation and the delicate tinkling of dishes provided the soundtrack for the pleasant atmosphere, and Lisa realized with some surprise that she was actually enjoying herself tonight.
Upon arriving at her destination, she noted that the restroom was for one person. She knocked politely on the door and, after receiving no answer, turned the small golden knob and entered.
The smell of perfumed liquid soap permeated the air, and Lisa placed her purse on the sink and glanced at her reflection. A small smile graced her lips as she noticed the change in her appearance which had gradually evolved over the past few months. She no longer appeared tired or burdened by stress, but looked fresh and well-rested. To her immense surprise, the time following the red eye flight had led not to paranoia or unrest, but to her recuperation. In overcoming Jackson, she had somehow begun the healing process of older, deeper wounds inflicted by her rape. While she still practiced more caution than was completely necessary and held a grave and permanent fear of her attackers, Lisa knew that her proximity to happiness would increase over time and she would make the desired return to normalcy.
Tonight was intended as a step in that direction. Her first date in…a long time. She hesitated to recall exactly how long- it was too pathetic to consider. Ted was a fantastic guy; he was sweet, charming, and had soulful chocolate eyes and a killer smile. But above all, he was normal. No hidden agenda or concealed weapons. Completely, one hundred percent normal. Lisa owed tonight to Cynthia, who had insisted on setting the two of them up. Lisa resisted at first, naturally wishing to be cautious when spending time with strange men, but relented upon Cynthia's assurance of Ted's all-encompassing wonderfulness.
And so here she was, having a great time, and slapping her ugly past in the face.
As she washed her hands, Lisa attempted to clear her mind of such thoughts. Reminders and ruminations over her frightening history often led to unwanted melancholy, and tonight was intended as a refreshing break from the daily grind. The rape/ red eye incidents had already eaten enough of her life, and she desired to spend the rest of her days living instead of merely existing in sadness and fear.
Straightening her curled auburn hair one final time in the mirror, Lisa turned and grasped the doorknob. As soon as her fingers brushed the metal, the knob twisted and the door flew open. Lisa jumped backwards to avoid being hit and she glared up in anger at the rude intrusion.
The biting words died in her throat.
Her lungs constricted, holding her breath captive; her heart lurched to a sudden halt before accelerating into a gallop.
"Miss me?" Jackson asked, adopting an earnest tone.
He slammed the door shut behind him. Lisa backed against the sink, its unyielding ceramic basin digging into her lower back as she struggled to find her voice. Jackson, his cerulean eyes never straying from her, reached behind and locked the door, the small click echoing in Lisa's ears.
"What, no warm greeting?" he asked, feigning hurt. "I've come a long way to see you. Where are your manners?"
Shock paralyzed her. This could not be happening again.
His voice was raspier than it had been, adding a fearsome element to his already frightening persona. Other than that, no other noticeable change had leapt to Lisa's attention. Still the same well-dressed, charismatic nightmare.
"You're…dead," she croaked, finally finding her voice.
Jackson chuckled, his hollow laughter filling the small bathroom.
"On paper, yes," he conceded, smirking. "Doesn't exactly make it true."
Lisa assessed her options as he spoke, endeavoring to devise an escape through the thick haze of fear that had settled in her mind. He was blocking the only exit, but she realized with relief that she still had her purse, waiting patiently on the sink behind her.
"Lisa, Lisa, Lisa," he tsked as Lisa stealthily rooted through her bag, never removing her eyes from him. "I think you might be cheating on me with that man out there."
Her hand locked around the desired object, and she tensed in preparation to strike.
"Don't even think about it," came Jackson's icy tone, all evidence of laughter erased from his features. He gestured to the purse that Lisa had hidden behind her back.
"Give it to me," he demanded, taking a step toward her.
At that moment, Lisa whipped a small bottle of mace from her purse and sprayed at his eyes as he advanced. Jackson swiftly dodged the onslaught and grabbed Lisa's arm, shoving her against the wall and causing the container to slip from her grasp and clatter to the floor.
"Ah!" Lisa gasped as her arm was painfully bent behind her back, caught in Jackson's unrelenting grip. His other hand moved around her neck and he pressed against her with his body, effectively immobilizing the struggling captive.
"You look good," Jackson commented, smirking as Lisa continued to wriggle and buck against him. "I'd be happy for you if I didn't hate you so fucking much."
Her eyes flew defiantly to his, anger simmering in their depths. Her mouth moved as she gasped for breath, and Jackson eased the pressure on her neck to allow her to speak.
"Th-then why did you come back?" she asked hoarsely, swallowing hard and trying to ignore the burning pain around her throat.
"Is this the part," he began in mocking amusement, "where I reveal all of my dastardly plans, then you do everything in your extremely limited power to stop me?"
He clenched her throat briefly to emphasize who currently held the power, and Lisa's eyes screwed tightly shut as she stifled her cries of pain. Jackson leaned in until their cheeks almost touched.
"Not this time," he whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.
Lisa recoiled at the sensation of his mouth and hot breath against her skin, an angry whimper escaping her lips. Her free hand clutched at the grip around her throat, attempting to free herself from his iron hold. Jackson pulled his head away and sighed with impatience.
"Lisa," he sing-songed, feigning disapproval. "Stop fighting me. I don't want to resort to more brutal tactics."
She ignored his warning, clawing at his hand and renewing her attempt to release her arm from behind her back. Jackson growled and shoved her roughly, knocking the back of her head hard against the wall. She blinked, slightly dazed.
"I said I didn't want to," he ground through clenched teeth. "Doesn't mean I won't. I have a knife that's practically begging to separate a finger from one of your pretty little hands."
Lisa immediately stilled, comprehending fully the utter seriousness in his tone. Her heart leapt against the confines of her chest in a staccato rhythm, and she felt positive that Jackson could easily feel her racing pulse.
"Good," he commended when her struggles ceased. "Now, go out there, bid a polite and convincing farewell to your boy, and quickly exit through the front door."
"And then?" she asked warily, keeping her distance from him as much as possible.
"Let me handle the details. And remember, the second, the second-" he said, shoving her as he repeated his phrase, "You drop a hint to anyone, I will not hesitate to kill him. Understand?"
At this, Jackson pulled aside his navy suit jacket to reveal a handgun tucked into a concealed shoulder holster. He took her stunned silence as affirmation and slowly relinquished his hold on her. Lisa's hands flew to her throat, rubbing the sore, red skin as she coughed. Jackson picked up the mace and pocketed it, then unlocked the door and swung it open to reveal two ladies waiting in line for the bathroom. They looked with widened eyes between Jackson and a flustered, slightly rumpled Lisa before quickly averting their curious gazes.
"Thanks for the quickie," Jackson threw over his shoulder to Lisa as he strode away, eliciting a gasp from one of the women.
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By the time Lisa had straightened herself out and exited the bathroom, a brief scan of the crowded restaurant yielded no sign of Jackson. However, she instinctively knew that he would never take his eyes off of her, especially in such an open situation where the possibilities of escape were practically endless.
Somewhat self-consciously, Lisa returned to the table where Ted sat, patiently sipping his glass of red wine as he awaited her return.
"Hey," Lisa said, coming up from behind Ted with a forced smile plastered on her face. "Sorry about that."
"Hey, no it's okay, really," Ted assured her, standing. "Is everything okay?"
"Um, yeah, but…I have to go," she said reluctantly, hoping that somehow he would pick up on her distress. "Something just came up at the hotel. Cynthia just called and asked for emergency help."
"Oh!" Ted remarked with regret. He thought for a moment before his features brightened.
"Well, I could go with you, and we could continue our evening when the issue is resolved?" he suggested earnestly.
Lisa bit her lip, desperate to tip Ted off to her dangerous situation.
I won't hesistate to kill him…
Jackson's words echoed in her ears and Lisa involuntarily glanced around the restaurant again him before returning her attention to Ted.
"No," she sighed heavily, fighting desperately against the tears that wanted to push their way out. "I think we better just call it a night. But, call me. Any time. On my cell. I always pick up unless something happens and I can't reach my phone."
Lisa emphasized these last words, keeping a smile on her face so as to not alert Jackson if he was indeed watching.
"Alright, I will. But let me at least keep you company for the cab ride," he insisted, seemingly oblivious to her hidden meanings.
"Ted, really, I'm fine. But thank you," she added, willing the shake to leave her voice. As much as she wanted Ted to help her, she also suspected that he would not stand a chance against Jackson. Stop gambling with his life.
"I had a really great time tonight," Ted said, rising and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Yeah, I hope we can do it again soon," Lisa responded, placing true feeling behind her words. Then, looking down at the table, an idea materialized. She deftly grabbed the dinner fork sitting near her hand and slid it into the deep pocket of her white sweater.
"Bye," she said, and then quickly headed to the door, leaving Ted to watch her hasty retreat with disappointment.
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As soon as Lisa exited the bustling restaurant and stepped into the cool evening air, an arm threw itself across her shoulders as an object simultaneously pressed almost painfully into her side.
"I think you broke the poor boy's heart," Jackson commented, walking briskly and pulling Lisa along with him, who had quickly identified the object jabbing into her as the handgun.
She attempted to put space between her and the weapon, but Jackson's strong hold kept her plastered to his side as they strode through the parking lot. An elderly couple walked by, and Lisa cast a pleading look in their direction, but they only smiled at the happy, embracing young couple.
"Lisa," he mock scolded. "I would kill them. You know that."
Lisa remained silent as Jackson steered them toward a black SUV with tinted windows. Removing a keychain from his pocket, he clicked a button to unlock the doors and threw open the passenger side door.
"Get in," he ordered, still keeping Lisa at gunpoint. She scanned the parking lot desperately for someone to call out to before Jackson sighed impatiently.
"Get in, or I'll throw you in," he hissed against her hair, squeezing her upper arm painfully with his free hand.
Feeling the reassuring weight of the dinner fork in her pocket, Lisa decided to comply with his wishes and bide her time until a better opportunity for escape presented itself. She could not, after all, outrun a bullet.
Lisa turned to face Jackson, glaring coldly at him as a lone tear slid down her cheek. He merely looked at her with cool indifference, though she detected with consternation that he took some pleasure in her pain.
"Fuck you," she spat.
He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down her spine.
"What, here? I don't think your date would be very appreciative," he remarked. "So just get. In. The fucking car."
Lisa reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat and Jackson slammed the door closed behind her. As he rounded the car to the driver's side, she recognized her chance for freedom. However, as soon as her fingers grazed the car door handle, Jackson threw open the driver side door.
"Don't even think about it," he warned. The sound of the gun cocking immediately caused Lisa to freeze. Slowly, she removed her hand from the door and turned around, eying the ready weapon.
"Are you gonna shoot me, Jackson?" she asked calmly, effectively masking her panic. Determined to discourage his threats and bravado by simply not reacting to them.
He looked at her over the pointed gun, seeming surprised by her steady tone.
"Not if you don't give me a reason to," he replied, his voice matching hers. Slowly, he uncocked the gun and lowered it, keeping his wary gaze on her. Lisa inhaled a subtle sigh of relief, allowing herself to breath.
Suddenly, Jackson leapt across the driver seat and grabbed Lisa's wrists, taking advantage of her momentary lapse of attention.
"No!" she shrieked, attempting to pull her hands from his grasp and flattening herself against the door behind her.
"Will you calm down?" Jackson asked through gritted teeth as he struggled with her. "This doesn't need to be difficult."
"And you don't need to be here," she countered through her exertion.
He muttered incoherently under his breath as he finally overcame her, his words sounding something like "yes, I do". Holding her small wrists in one hand, he searched around on the floor of the car with his free hand. After a moment, he appeared triumphant and held up a coil of rope.
"I got you a little something," he told Lisa, then bound her hands tightly together with his gift.
"You shouldn't have," she ground out, still fighting to free herself as he completed tying them.
After finishing, Jackson reached over to shut his door, then shoved a key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, and Lisa felt fear cloud her senses, remedied only by a single piece of invaluable knowledge: she had beaten Jackson once before. He was not invincible, nor did he understand her as intimately as he pretended to. Knowing a person's drink preference and social habits meant nothing.
Given time, she could best him again.
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A/N- Wow, long chapter. So, yes, I grabbed a line from Cruel Intentions. I'm totally original. And okay, reviews are fantastic. I seriously love them. My head has expanded to twice its normal size. Everyone says such wonderful things! Thanks to everyone who is reading this, and double thanks to reviewers. You are outstanding inspiration!