CD woke to the mother of all headaches. As her faculties
returned, she realized her hands were tied to the chair back behind
her. Both her gun and the knife in her pocket were gone.
As she raised her head, she scanned the room around her. "Gott
in Himmel," she breathed.
Sarah MacKenzie lay on the bed, gagged, her arms pulled over her
head and her hands tied to the headboard. At the sound of CD's voice,
she looked at her with terror in her eyes.
CD began pushing with her feet, scooting the chair closer.
"Mac," she whispered, "listen to me. We've got to stall this guy. I
left a message with Harm before I got here. "I know he'll--"
"Ah, so you've rejoined us, Miss Rabb," an all-too-pleasant
voice floated into the room. It was painfully familiar to Mercedes.
"Jackson," Mercedes spat. "Daniel Jackson. The South Street
Butcher. I thought they locked you up and threw away the key."
"And so they did. But I couldn't stay away from you, darling
Mercedes. And I knew there was only one way to truly get your
attention."
At Mac's surprised gasp, he turned back to her. "Why, Colonel,
did I fail to mention our previous acquaintance? It was Miss Mercedes
Rabb who tracked me down two years ago in Texas. She intrigued me so
that I simply had to see her again. Hence, my current visit," he
finished with a sickening smile.
"Why the ripper murders, Jackson?" CD asked, hoping to draw his
attention away from Mac. At the same time, she worked her hands
against the ropes binding them. They were tight, but if she could get
enough time...
"Why, Mercedes, have you forgotten your college years already?"
That made her pause momentarily, then realization hit her. "My
thesis. You read my senior thesis paper on the Ripper murders."
Jackson nodded. "A truly fascinating work, if I may say so.
Once I read it I knew the perfect way to get your attention."
Just then, the three men burst into the room, guns drawn. In
the same instant, Jackson drew both the Luger and a lethal looking
knife, pressing the blade to Mac's throat and pointing the gun at the
three men.
"Let them go," Harm ordered. The situation was worse than he'd
thought. One wrong move, and either Mac or CD, possibly both, were
dead.
Jackson seemed amused. "Any why should I do that?" In answer,
Harm cocked back the hammer of his gun as CD shouted, "Harm, don't!"
In the same instant, the knife at Mac's throat flashed, leaving
a small cut and a rapidly growing trickle of blood. "Not a wise
move," Jackson chided, swinging the gun around to point at Mercedes.
"Now drop the guns or I start on her."
They had no option but to comply, and Jackson watched them
carefully. But he wasn't watching Mercedes, and she took the
opportunity to push her thumb far into her palm and slip her hands free
of the ropes. She would have one chance....
As the trio in the doorway straightened from putting the guns on
the floor, Jackson relaxed, dropping the gun slightly. Mercedes saw
her chance.
She charged him, lunging forward with everything she had.
TBC....
returned, she realized her hands were tied to the chair back behind
her. Both her gun and the knife in her pocket were gone.
As she raised her head, she scanned the room around her. "Gott
in Himmel," she breathed.
Sarah MacKenzie lay on the bed, gagged, her arms pulled over her
head and her hands tied to the headboard. At the sound of CD's voice,
she looked at her with terror in her eyes.
CD began pushing with her feet, scooting the chair closer.
"Mac," she whispered, "listen to me. We've got to stall this guy. I
left a message with Harm before I got here. "I know he'll--"
"Ah, so you've rejoined us, Miss Rabb," an all-too-pleasant
voice floated into the room. It was painfully familiar to Mercedes.
"Jackson," Mercedes spat. "Daniel Jackson. The South Street
Butcher. I thought they locked you up and threw away the key."
"And so they did. But I couldn't stay away from you, darling
Mercedes. And I knew there was only one way to truly get your
attention."
At Mac's surprised gasp, he turned back to her. "Why, Colonel,
did I fail to mention our previous acquaintance? It was Miss Mercedes
Rabb who tracked me down two years ago in Texas. She intrigued me so
that I simply had to see her again. Hence, my current visit," he
finished with a sickening smile.
"Why the ripper murders, Jackson?" CD asked, hoping to draw his
attention away from Mac. At the same time, she worked her hands
against the ropes binding them. They were tight, but if she could get
enough time...
"Why, Mercedes, have you forgotten your college years already?"
That made her pause momentarily, then realization hit her. "My
thesis. You read my senior thesis paper on the Ripper murders."
Jackson nodded. "A truly fascinating work, if I may say so.
Once I read it I knew the perfect way to get your attention."
Just then, the three men burst into the room, guns drawn. In
the same instant, Jackson drew both the Luger and a lethal looking
knife, pressing the blade to Mac's throat and pointing the gun at the
three men.
"Let them go," Harm ordered. The situation was worse than he'd
thought. One wrong move, and either Mac or CD, possibly both, were
dead.
Jackson seemed amused. "Any why should I do that?" In answer,
Harm cocked back the hammer of his gun as CD shouted, "Harm, don't!"
In the same instant, the knife at Mac's throat flashed, leaving
a small cut and a rapidly growing trickle of blood. "Not a wise
move," Jackson chided, swinging the gun around to point at Mercedes.
"Now drop the guns or I start on her."
They had no option but to comply, and Jackson watched them
carefully. But he wasn't watching Mercedes, and she took the
opportunity to push her thumb far into her palm and slip her hands free
of the ropes. She would have one chance....
As the trio in the doorway straightened from putting the guns on
the floor, Jackson relaxed, dropping the gun slightly. Mercedes saw
her chance.
She charged him, lunging forward with everything she had.
TBC....