A/N: Yay! I'm back you may rejoice! Sorry its been some days but I had to get myself back into the routine of getting up early. I'm trying to get this chapter uploaded before I have to go to work. If you're reading it, then I either was successful or I finished after I came back and was too lazy to change this. Have no fear.......Enjoy!

Ch. 27 How Sure

"Who are you talking to?" Ric questioned

"Nobody. Just myself." she lied.

"Really?" he asked suspiciously

"Do you think if someone were here I'd still be in this place?"

"Are you sure no one saw you?" he asked looking at Faith.

"Pretty sure."

"Pretty sure?" he repeated. "Get out. Wait for me in the living room." Without a word she obliged.

"Are you lying to me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"To protect whoever was or still is here. Maybe the only reason you're still here is because there wasn't enough time to get out. So they just climb out the window and wait until you're alone again."

"That's a great story. By the way what happened to your face? Piss off the wrong person?"

"That's none of your business."

A small smile made its way across her face.

"It was Jason wasn't it?"

He didn't answer instead he glanced over the room, looking for something that would prove that someone had been in there. Nothing seemed any different, but that didn't matter he knew that she was lying. If it were Jason, he was most likely still there waiting for his chance to play hero.

"Once more, and be honest with me: Who was here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." it was obvious by his face that he didn't believe her. It didn't matter she knew she couldn't let him find Carly.

"Don't be stubborn. Just tell me."

Courtney shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Tell you what?"

Ric responded by tightly grabbing a fistful of her hair and pulling back making her wince.

"Feel like telling me now?" Courtney spat in his face as a response.

"Go to hell."

Ric glared back and wiped his face before bringing his hand hard across hers.

"That wasn't nice."

'Great. Advice on manners from this sicko!' she thought bitterly. She could feel the mark forming on her face and it only made her angrier.

"Are they still here?"

"Who?" she spoke, gritting her teeth.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Well..." she started and stopped when he pulled back on the clump of blonde he still held in his hand.

"What's the plan? Hmm? Jason waiting until I leave, he comes running to the rescue and you go back to our brother telling him how evil I am so he'll give the kill order?" his voice was rising with each word.

"Do you think if Jason were here he'd wait for an order to kill you? Why not just kill you now instead of waiting?" Ric though about it and realized that she made a good point. He would probably be dead already if he was there.

"Just let me go. Take that psychopath out there and leave. You don't even have to let me go right now just call Jason and tell him where to come get me. Then you can leave before he gets here. It's the only chance you have of saving your pathetic existence!" Ric was surprised to notice that her voice was now matching his in volume.

"You really shouldn't talk to people like that. It's rude."

"Well I'm sorry I'm not more courteous to my KIDNAPPER! God, how do you expect me to talk to you? With 'please', 'thank you' and 'Mr. Lansing?' You're slime, and therefore I treat you with the same respect."

Carly stood watching the exchange from her hiding spot in the closet. Silently cheering Courtney for giving it to Ric. She was doing her best to not go out and give him what he had coming but she had to stay out of sight for now. Wanting to get a better sight, she leaned forward to the crack in the door. The floorboard creaked beneath her weight and her body froze.

'God I hope he didn't hear that.' to her dismay he turned his head in her direction. 'Damn.'

Ric wasn't the only one who heard it. Courtney had too, and she had to think fast to get his attention back before it was too late.

"Your own wife left when she saw what you really were."

"You don't know what you're talking about." he sneered and turned his attention curiously back in the direction of the noise.

"It's no wonder Elizabeth left you. You don't know how to be a husband. You don't even know how to be a man. What kind of father would you be?"

Registering the look on his face she knew she was treading into dangerous territory. By now, it wasn't just about keeping him distracted she was spilling all her anger out on him.

"I feel sorry for any kid who gets you as a father."

"Be quiet."

"How much of your father has rubbed off in you? You spent so much time complaining about how you were left alone with a horrible monster and look at you now. A spitting image."

"Stop."

"He'd be so proud. Trevor Lansing lives on through his son."

"SHUT UP!" he bellowed and she stopped. She had gotten under his skin and he seemed to have forgotten all about Carly. Faith came into the room and looked between the two of them.

"What happened?"

"Everything is fine." he said, regaining his composure.

"Yeah, I can see that." she answered sarcastically.

Ric walked over the desk drawer and pulled out the silver roll, stretching and ripping a piece he returned to where he had been standing.

"Really, it's fine. She has freedom of speech, but we have the right for some peace and quiet."

"I know what you deserve and it's not peace y-" he placed the strip of duct tape over her mouth and looked back to Faith.

"I need to talk to you." he opened the door and motioned for her to leave and he followed.

Once outside the room, Faith looked at him. Whatever words were said in there they had upset him. However she was more worried about her own neck right now then his feelings.

"Do you really think someone came here?" she asked him with just a hint of her worry showing.

"Shh." he whispered. "If someone's in there, they'd come out when we're not there. When they do, we'll catch whoever it is." he put his ear to the door and waited.

Inside, Carly peeked out and saw that they had left the room. Silently, she began to inch the door open.

A/N: In case you're wondering, I didn't finish before work. I had to go to the store and by the time I got back I had to leave. Oh well. It's here now so that's what's important right?