Chapter Three: Indication
The drive went on. It was another strange lapse in time, where she felt as if she had been sitting for slow hours, but when glancing at Jackson's watch (for she couldn't see her own), she saw that 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes had passed. Despite the early hour, she felt sleep pressing on her eyelids. She hadn't slept well since the incident, and the events of the morning had worn her to nothing. She watched Jackson's chest rise and fall in peaceful sleep with envy as his head rested by her modestly crossed legs.
It would have been so easy to simply take her long-heeled shoes and shove them through his neck. He might struggle for a moment or so, but his life would leave him with one more well-placed stomp. He had taken her, and he would feel remorse for it. He had suggested that she meant for him to kill those innocent people at the hospital, and he would feel her true meaning. She readied herself mentally, but she felt something holding her back.
The humanitarian in her felt that to kill a sleeping man would be no better than Jackson himself. She couldn't sink to being a murderess.
He hadn't tried to kill her yet, and that may have meant he didn't intend to harm her at all.
He might not even be asleep, simply waiting for her to try something as foolish as she was thinking. He'd have her then.
And that look in his eyes.
Do you think I'm that kind of person?
She honestly didn't know what to think. His words had been so vague, so quiet, she wasn't even sure if she had heard them. What could he have possibly have meant by them? What could he want with her now?
Her thoughts slowly spiraled downwards, sand from an hourglass. She needed sleep, but knew that if she dropped her guard, Jackson was free to do whatever he wished to her. Despite any thought in her mind spurring her to resist, her head fell forward until her chin rested on her chest and her eyes fluttered minutely. There was a stirring at her feet that she was aware of on the edges of her consciousness, but the soft rumbling of the engine under her and the warm air around her brought languidness to her limbs.
"You're not one of those girls that needs to be sung to, are you?" Jackson's words drifted from the floor, annoyance biting like frost on the edge of his voice. Lisa blinked once, twice, and her vision doubled, then righted itself. He was still lying on the floor at her feet, but his hands were behind his head, staring with closed eyes at the ceiling. She could hear his every breath.
"No," she said finally. It took her a long time to respond to her own prompt. "I'm not used to falling asleep with a murderer at my feet."
Jackson propped himself up on one elbow, peering lazily up at her. She averted her eyes to her own lap.
"I'd hunker down, if I were you. We have a long drive ahead of us." A grin. He could feel her uneasiness as if it hung in the air around them. "How's this? You resist the urge of trying to kill me, and I make sure not one hair on that beautiful head gets touched by me or anyone else. Sound fair? Do I need to draw up a contract? I'm sure I could get Jones to be a witness."
Lisa still could not look up. She knew that he was watching her and her wariness was satisfying to him. This steeled her, and her eyes shot to his.
"'Anyone else'? Just where are we going?"
"Tut, tut, Lisa," Jackson pushed himself to a sitting position, leaning his arm and head neatly on the seat beside her. "A magician never reveals his secrets, you know. But we will be having company. I'm so glad you've dressed accordingly." She looked away with a chill as his eyes swept up and down her figure. She felt his unsettling gaze rest on her neck. "So, how about our deal?" With as much nerve as she could collect, she turned to him again.
"I won't agree to anything until I know what's going on."
"Bold words coming from a woman at my mercy." He flicked the wrist lying near her on the seat, and her Swiss Army knife was suddenly before her. He watched the longest blade emerge from the innards, then flicked his eyes to Lisa's. "Information doesn't come without a price. That's the way things work here, Leese."
Lisa closed her eyes. God only knew what he'd ask for. There were only so many things in the back of the ambulance. She could feel the tears want to come. It was that day again: she could feel the scar on her chest throbbing under her shirt. Jackson's grin was faint and amused, flicking the blade in and out again and again.
"What-" She checked herself, opening her eyes, bringing strength back into her thin voice. "What do you want?"
The grin stayed on his lips, and he pulled himself to his knees, now eye-level with Lisa. She closed her eyes, her mind flying with fear, wishing she had never gotten that phone call from Dr. Lamb, wishing that she had stayed in bed that morning, praying to God. Tears again. Then a cold hand on her cheek. She gave a whimper, shutting her eyes tighter against the eyes she knew she'd see if she opened them.
"I want you," Jackson's voice began, pausing for effect with a smirk, "to go to sleep. You're no use to me exhausted." His hand was removed, and he stood from in front of her. The ambulance struck a pothole, and Jackson nearly toppled to the left, but he righted himself quickly.
Lisa allowed herself to open her weary eyes, looking at her feet. Her hands were shaking as they were tied behind her back. She let loose a shaking breath, letting her cheeks feel a few more tears that she had hoped to hide. Jackson was standing beside her again, something draped over his left arm.
"I hate when women cry," he muttered.
He tossed her the bundle from his arm, and she let it hit her lap. It was a clean white sheet, probably stored in the ambulance for patients. It smelled fresh and clean, and helped to calm her shot nerves. The seat shook as Jackson plopped himself down next to her with a thump. She looked appallingly at him. He merely shrugged.
"My terms, Leese. You lay yourself down for a nice rest and I tell you whatever you want me to tell you." He held a pillow before her, then set it on his lap. Her head was throbbing, begging for sleep, but she managed to glare menacingly at him.
"You're a bastard."
"You know, a lot of people tell me that." He patted the pillow. "Nighty-night, Lisa."
She continued to glare. He raised his eyebrows. The engine grumbled for the both of them.
Grudgingly, revulsion in her eyes and hate red on her face, she lowered her head onto the pillow, the down incasing her ear and face staring away from her captor. He draped the sheet over her, the tips of her toes peeking out from underneath. Jackson tucked one curl behind her ear, then started talking.
"I am taking you to a facility," he began, speaking clearly into her exposed ear. "I can't disclose its location- just in case, Lisa- but what I can tell you is that Dr. Jones and I won't be the only people there to greet you. I've told all of my good friends about you." She was listening intently, eyes shut as if trying to forget her position. "They, like Dr. Jones, belong to the same organization I am involved with. Not all of them work for me, but a fair few will follow my orders if I give them. We will probably have to change vehicles somewhere down the road. No doubt someone will have noticed that you and I are missing by now."
"Dr. Lamb will know everything," Lisa muttered. "I told him everything about you. He knows who you are, and he'll-"
"Shh, shhh," Jackson whispered condescendingly, brushing his fingers over her shoulder. She jerked it away from his grasp. "Your dear Dr. Lamb won't be telling anyone much of anything, I think. However, there were a few more doctors in that room who will undoubtedly miss us. They, of course, would get the police, who would find that an ambulance has gone missing." There was a pause. She was slowly drifting off. "Don't worry, Leese. I've thought of everything."
She wanted to come back with a witty retort, but her mind was shutting down. The blanket was so warm, the pillow soft, and Jackson's voice droning in a strangely calm placidness. She wanted to shout at him for doing all of this to her. But she could hardly manage one simple sentence.
"I hate you," she mumbled.
Jackson was quiet, and the world darkened around her. His fingers were absently twirling her hair. His words were the last she heard before sleep dragged her from the world.
"I know."
The world jerked, and she lazily opened her eyes. What was happening? Her alarm didn't go off. Was she late for work? Cynthia would have tried to call her. With a short groan, she tried to grope for the covers.
It took her a full 30 seconds to grasp why she couldn't move her arms. Her breath came in short gasps, and she looked up to see the ghostly blue eyes hovering over her. The arms encompassed her, and she heard footsteps crunching on gravel. The eyes glanced down, and a grin spread almost from ear to ear.
"'Morning, star shine."
She broke down into sobs. A hand was placed over her mouth, and she felt an animal urge to bite it in her defense. But she decided against it, feeling the retribution for such an act would be worse. She had dealt with Jackson Rippner before, and had a feeling that he had learned as much from the experience as she had. She suddenly realized that she was shoeless.
The sound of car doors opening signified that they were indeed changing vehicles. Jackson relinquished her into the backseat, leaning across her, purposefully taking his time as he pulled her seatbelt across her chest.
"Buckle up for safety," he said through a grin.
She kneed him in the groin.
He fell to his knees outside of the car door, coughing and sucking in tight breaths. Jones was beside him, but he growled something low and harsh at the man. Lisa would have made a break for it if the belt hadn't already been pulled tightly across her and her hands were still secure behind her back. Jackson's hand was suddenly on the car door, levering himself to his feet. The look in his eyes was murderous. It was that same crazed look as he had chased her through the terminal.
A hot stinging slap fell across her cheek. She had been expecting worse. She looked glaringly up at Jackson as he heaved in her doorway, staring death at her.
"Whatever happened," she breathed through a misty voice, "to not a hair being touched?"
He didn't smile.
"One good turn deserves another," he growled. He slammed her door, then turned on heel to sit beside Jones, who was settling into the driver's seat. Before he attached his own seatbelt, he turned his head to continue their conversation. "Remember, so long as you refrain from bodily harm on my part, I keep up my side. I never go back on a promise, Lisa, as long as I don't get the short end of the deal." His eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Got that?"
Lisa made no effort to reply.
Jackson remained silent as well as leaned into the back seat to tie a blindfold around Lisa's eyes. She didn't struggle.
"That's right," he growled, close to her ear. "Everything will be so much easier in the end if you just do as you're told." Lisa waited for a long moment before speaking.
"You didn't tell me why you thought it might be a good idea to kidnap me."
"If I remember correctly," he said as his seatbelt clicked into place. "You fell asleep." If Lisa had been able to see, she would have seen Jones gave a short look, as if wondering 'what went on back there?' He then put the car into reverse, and they took off.
The ride was silent. No whispered conversations, no snarky remarks, and hardly any movement at all. Now that she couldn't see her watch, she had no concept of time. They could have driven all day and through the night for all she knew. At one point, she had tried to remove the blindfold by grazing it against her shoulder, but it was followed by a loud "ahem" from Jackson. After that, she ceased all activity.
It was only a matter of time before the car slowed to a halt. She heard Jackson whisper, "Make sure we're clear," to Jones, who quickly left the car. Jackson leaned through to unbuckle her seatbelt. He remained close, as if inspecting her.
"You've been awfully quiet back here," he muttered. "Plotting my demise over and over again in your mind?"
"I can't change anything by trying to talk to you," she murmured, more for herself than for him. She heard a soft sigh of a laugh.
"Smart girl."
"All right, we're clear." It was Jones. Jackson's door opened, then hers. She was pulled from the car by Jackson's hands- they were softer than Jones's, as if the younger man hadn't worked a day of hard labor in his life. He held her painfully close.
"Get the door," he ordered Jones.
She heard it open. It was metal, and it slid open, rumbling through her. The vague lights dimmed as Jackson guided her inside. Jones pulled the door shut again, and she heard a large locking mechanism click heavily into place. Jackson's hand began working at the knot on her blindfold. Light was slipping steadily into her vision.
"Lisa," he cooed into her ear, "welcome to my warehouse."
He whipped off the blindfold.
AN: Ah! I love everyone! Oh, there's a teeny-tiny reference in this chapter that is so esoteric it's almost an inside joke. My sister and I get it, and I'll give a real cookie to anyone who can guess what it is. God, I don't even know if anyone would think it's funny even if they knew what it was. But anyway... This is probably the best responce I've ever had for any story I've ever written ever! Ah! Love! Y'all deserve e-pizzas! Many thanks to everyone who reviewed my little project, I give a hug to every one of you. Now, for a few shout-outs:
Roony: I'm so glad you reviewed- and liked it!- even though you don't approve of Lisa/Jackson. Your review made me smile, to know I can cater to those who don't like the 'ship by just writing. -drinks Seabreeze-
A.R. Bellance: Yay! I manged to make sense! It's hard for me to do that in real life, let alone a serious story like this! I am so glad you enjoyed it, because (upon viewing your profile) I learned that you grade hard. It gives me great joy to know you like something I do. And Dr. Jones- I tried to write so little of him because I want to focuse on Jackson and Lisa. I basically used him for the Indiana Jones crack and left him as lackey for the rest. Thanks for the review! I love you!
SpadesJade: Damn! I knew I forgot something!That damnable scarf! Well, thank you for pointing out my mistakes. It keeps me from making bigger ones in the future. -grin- I hope I didn't slip up with the scarf or the blindfold in this chapter. Let me know. Also, I hope it was a little clearer that Lisa didn't want the people to be killed, it's just the way Jackson took her question. -shrug- Oh well. I'm not that great... Thanks for the review!
LadyTavington076: Ah! Thank you so muchly! I'm glad that one of my stories actually manages to get fans, and I'm glad that you enjoy it so much. Have an e-pizza: they come in many flavors! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the previous ones. Much love!
Asanji: I'm wearing the Pumpkin King... on my jammie pants. Don't worry- you made sense. I'm glad I managed to clear things up a little. It didn't make sense as I wrote it the first time, so I myself was confused a bit. Huzzah, another fave! I'm glad I can make your day, and I hope this chappie was up to expectations. Happy reading, and much thanks!
Chanel86: I loooove writing smug!Jackson. I don't know why it's so easy for me. He gets kinda snarky and evil in this chappie, but for good reason, I think. He can't be nice all the time... Bipolar! Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Every review warms my heart. -grin- Hope the new chappie brings some insight. But not all of it. Then where would I be? Love and e-pizza to you!
silentsister: I was hoping to make his intent a little ambiguous, so no one really knows what's going on in that little mind of his. This one, he was a little more straightforward, and facts come at a slower rate of speed. I'm trying to keep the readers on the same level as Lisa. Never knowing enough, wanting a little more. It's a little risky and might make people hate me. But I'm glad you've decided to hang around. Oh, and congrats on the first review for Ch.2! -throws party!- More e-pizza?
Stay tuned for Ch.4, which should be up during the 3-Day weekend. If not, I apologize. My love to all who reviewed, even those that didn't get shoutouts. Thanks to everyone!