Five Years Gone

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye.

Chapter Seven

He didn't want to hurt her. That wasn't part of his plan. He'd forgotten how stubborn she was. He just hoped she'd forgive him later.

Whoa, what? Forgiveness? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm just trying to help her. Stop being ridiculous, Rippner…

He brushed the hair out of her eyes gently as he laid her still body on the couch. To cover up his actions, he would have to destroy her clean, little apartment. It would buy them time if Greene thought she'd been abducted or murdered.

Sorry again…

Jackson slipped on a pair of gloves. With one vicious swipe, the photographs of Lisa and Greene went flying off the coffee table. Several of the frames shattered in the fall. The rest he stepped on, cracking the glass soundly.

He rifled through the rest of her belongings, tossing breakable objects around and tucking others into his pockets. He even slashed a few cushions with one of her kitchen knives.

The bedroom received the worst treatment. He tore the sheets off the bed, making it appear he'd attacked her in her bed, possibly even raping her.

He tossed a few outfits into a plastic store bag, knowing Lisa would be furious that he'd been through her clothes at first, but grateful later. He deposited the spare clothes and his precious sleeping Lisa into his car. He strapped her into the front passenger seat, using his jacket to cushion her head against the window.

A few pieces of jewelry, ones that were likely gifts from her family, went into his pockets as he made a final sweep of the apartment. Satisfied with his job, he dumped out her purse and pocketed her wallet. He also took the bright pink bag on the kitchen counter.

Smiling, Jackson tossed a bottle of liquor into the bedroom. The glass bottle broke on impact, soaking the room. As the stench of alcohol filled the apartment, he tossed a bottle of oil into the living room.

He struck a match, tossed into the pool of liquid near her front door, and walked out.


Once again the authorities had beaten him.

Tony Greene shifted his sedan into park behind a fire truck. He approached the burning building without much caution. Sure enough, the block of apartments on fire contained Lisa's. Her cell phone had gone unanswered and Joseph Reisert hadn't seen her.

Why would you come back here?

"You can't be here!" a firefighter dressed in yellow shouted, blocking his path.

Tony flipped out his badge. "Agent Greene, FBI. Where's Lisa Reisert?"

"Who?"

"Lisa Reisert! Where is she?"

"I don't know. We're trying to clear the building—"

"That's her apartment!" he said, pointing out a room filled with flame. "Where is she?"

"Sorry, but I don't know."

"Who's in charge?" Greene demanded.

The firefighter shrugged.

With a scowl, Greene stalked closer to the building just as the fire reached a tank of either oxygen or some type of fuel. The resulting blast blew out several windows and threw him backward from the force.


Lisa woke up with her head throbbing, much like it had five years before on a hellish airplane flight. Had the last five years been a dream caused by a concussion? She considered it when her eyes rested on her captor.

Please let me be dreaming… Let me wake up anywhere else. Anywhere but here…

"How's the head?" he asked, almost too cheery to be believe.

"What did you hit me with?"

"A gun. Sorry for that little… welt," he muttered, touching a spot on her head. Lisa jumped, crying out in pain.

"Sorry. It's still tender, huh?"

She glared at him. "Did you eat a canary?"

"What?"

"Did… you… eat… a… canary…?" she asked slowly, as if she were talking to a little child.

"Why would you ask that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Then get that shit-eating grin off your face!"

"Language, Leese."

"Oh, so now you're giving me a lesson in manners? How sweet, considering that you're a fucking killer!"
The car rolled to a stop. Jackson shifted the gearstick into Park before turning to face her. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a cold-blooded killer. I know you don't believe me, but it's the truth. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Yes!"

He shook his head, almost, was that disappointment on his face?

"Not intentionally. I never meant to mislead you. I honestly was attracted to you back then. Anything I did to you it was because of the job. How many asses have you kissed at your job, Leese? How many times did you pretend that you were in the wrong to deal with a customer?"

"I never lied about my job."

"But you lied," he insisted. "To everyone. All the time. You're still lying now. Only this time you're trying to cover for someone else's mistakes—someone who doesn't deserve it. If anyone is the villain here, it's Greene."

"You don't even know him!"

He snorted. "What did I tell you before?"

"Lies. You told me stories so that I'd turn my back on my fiancé."

"Tell the damn truth for once in your pathetic existence, Leese. You had doubts before I said anything. Something always seemed off, didn't it? That's why you went to your apartment…"

"Stop it."

"You don't trust him. Has he hurt you?"

"Did someone do that to you?" echoed in her mind.

"No!"

"You can tell me, Leese. There shouldn't be any secrets between us. Let's put all the cards out on the table, so to speak, shall we?"

"I love Tony."

"Then why haven't you run?" he pointed out.

Lisa frowned. "What?"

He gestured to the car door. "You never tried it. We've been sitting for several minutes. You never once tried that handle."

"I…I assumed it was locked."

"No, you didn't. I know you, Lisa Henrietta Reisert. I know more about you than Greene ever will. You don't want to run. You don't want to leave without the answers."

"I—"

He smirked, that awful, smug look she always associated with him. She wanted to smack him. She did. But with her head still spinning, she wasn't going to even try.

"I know that secret side you keep hidden. I've seen the real you. Where's my feisty Lisa? Where's daddy's little girl? Where did you go, hmm?"

He touched her cheek. She jerked back, slipping further into the seat and in turn, his jacket. It smelled good—a touch of cologne and…fabric softener?—much like the man sitting beside her.

"Let me go."

"If you really want to leave, I'm not going to stop you. Go ahead. Run back to him."

She didn't even twitch this time. "You're not going to let me go."

"If you really want to die, I won't stop you."

Lisa eyed him and then the door beside her. The handle was just out of reach.

Could I make it? Or will he shoot me in the back or run me over?

"Four… three…" he counted.

Her hand grasped the handle, her arm still tangled in his jacket.

"Two…"

What if he's right? What if Tony's upset the wrong people? What if…?

"One. Time's up, Leese. What will it be?"

With a heavy heart, Lisa dropped her hand back into her lap. "Where are we going?"

"That's my girl," he said with a smile, patting her leg before putting the car back in gear. They eased off the shoulder and back onto the road as Lisa settled back down in her seat, his jacket over her arms.


Over two hundred miles away, Tony Greene walked through the charred remains of his fiancée's apartment. So far, only two bodies had been recovered. However, given the heat of the fire and the damage to the apartment, the firefighters did say there was a chance she perished in the fire and was either trapped under rubble and debris or partially incinerated.

He didn't buy their explanations. This was no accident. He knew that the moment he picked his way through her apartment. The damage didn't fit with the fire. Her belongings were scattered about in pieces. Nothing was where it was supposed to be.

Someone did this on purpose. The only question was—did they set the fire to kill Lisa or to destroy evidence?

Author's Notes:

Seriously, I couldn't resist. Jackson had a little too much fun with the apartment and Lisa is starting to admit a bit that she trusts him—or at least she doesn't want to run just yet. I'm enjoying my mind games. Are you?

I've got midterms all week, so don't be too shocked if it takes a while to see a new chapter. I sometimes write more during exams week, but sometimes I sleep more, so we'll see! Thanks for all the reviews!