Disclaimer in chapter 1. I skipped two days to make the story flow better…if anything important happened in those two days it will come up in later chapters.

Chapter 8

Have Mercy on Me

Jack shifted the wait of his backpack to his left shoulder, he lowered his gaze as he made his way into the school, he wondered if anybody knew. Nobody seemed to at least among the students, with one exception…Ruth Trivette. When she first saw him she didn't know how to react she was being tailed by two rangers who stared at him, but they couldn't do anything…not unless they wanted to risk Angela's life. The next time Ruth looked at him as if he were the scum of the earth, which is probably what she considered him, yet she didn't tell anybody, her dad probably told her not to. The next time it was clearly fear, and the third time it was pure hatred, but it wasn't until lunch that she gained the courage to approach him.

"Why." She hissed in a barely audible tone. Jack glanced up from his lunch that the cafeteria dared to call "food".

"Why what?" Jack asked nonchanlanty eyeing the rangers.

"Why'd you take Angela." She demanded her tone still barely audible.

"Were not going to hurt her, but her dad killed my mom, we just want to get him a little scared."

"Well its done are you satisfied?"

"It's not up to me." Ruth looked like she was either going to burst into tears, or punch him square in the face.

"Uncle Walker would never kill your mom." She defended.

"You do know that Ranger Walker's killed people before?" Ruth stood momentarily in silence, before proceeding.

"Yes."

"Then what makes you think he didn't kill my mom." Ruth grew even angrier.

"I hate you." She snarled.

"Never asked you to like me." Ruth was about to strangle him right there in front of hundreds of witness, but one of the rangers pulled her away and she went storming of hot tears trickling down her face. All eyes were on Jack who calmly returned to his meal as if nothing had happened.

"Two more hours." He reminded himself. "Two more hours and we get our first pay."

Two hours later

Jack slammed his locker shut, Ruth had sixth period off and she had already gone home.

"Have mercy on me, I know I'm doing the right thing." Jack mumbled as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, and made his way to the west wing exit where he could get easy access to the dumpster. Jack didn't even check to see if it was clear he just walked right up to the dumpster. A large red bag sat right beside the dumpster. Jack unzipped sure enough the money was there.

"Almost to good to be true." He said zipping up the bag, suddenly someone jumped him from behind, and pulled him up. Jack was staring right in the eyes of Ranger Walker. He struggled a little but the man holding him had a good hold, another ranger came running from behind the dumpster. Jack seized struggling, and stared hard and cold into Ranger Walker's eyes.

"What are you doing?" Jack demanded.

"Taking you hostage." Jack snorted.

"We have no money why else would we be demanding a ransom."

"I think we can negotiate." Walker remained monotone, after all it wasn't the kid he was after.

"I ain't afraid to die." Jack stated.

"We aren't going to kill you." The other ranger assured.

"You may not but my dad will kill Angela." All eyes were focused now on Jack. "You think my old man was bluffing, he isn't afraid to kill anyone." Jack boasted.

"Then you'll take us to him."

"I ain't going to trade in my old man, and as I said I ain't afraid to die and there's nothing you can say that'd convince me to trade my dad in." Jack held his ground. The rangers exchanged weak glance. Jack realized even if they let him go they'd follow him, so he couldn't go home, he'd just call his dad to make sure he didn't kill the girl, then lay low for awhile.

"So what are you going to do now Ranger Walker?" Jack intimidated, smiling knowing he had Ranger Walker cornered.

Sorry it took so long to update.