A/N: This chapter contains sensitive material that you might not like…it contains Lisa's flashback to the day she was raped. I do not wish to offend anyone, you have been warned.

Chapter 11

Jackson studied Lisa out of the corner of his eye; this was not the same woman he had followed for 8 weeks prior. This woman was stronger, fiercer and determined to see things through to the end, no matter what that end was. He was concerned for her; though he smiled inwardly smugly thinking that maybe he had had something to do with this change in her. Perhaps coming back into her life the way he did had been a good thing for her…if only she would tell him what had changed her from the always happy, smiling Lisa he remembered to the woman she was now. He was sure it had something to do with that scar on her chest, and that infuriated him.

While Jackson drove to where she assumed his Uncle was based Lisa watched him out of the corner of her eye. She could see him studying her once again and she got nervous butterflies in her stomach as the tension in the car was so thick you could cut it with a knife. She cleared her throat and looked at him.

"What?" she asked him

"I was just thinking about us," he said focusing on the road ahead, "I was wondering what made you change?"

"Change?"

"Yeah, you used to be so full of life...what changed that Lisa?"

She looked at him for a moment before telling him.

"It happened two years ago,"

2003

It was a beautiful sunny day in Miami when Lisa Reisert walked out of the grocery store and was making her way to her car, bags in hand and fumbling for her keys. She got the trunk of her car open and put the bags inside and just as she closed the lid she felt someone grab her from behind and cover her mouth with a gloved hand; her purse and keys dropped to the ground.

"Don't make a sound girlie or this will be worse than you can imagine," he said as he dragged her into a dark corner of the underground parking lot nearby.

Lisa struggled against her attacker trying to get away but then felt something cold and metal against her neck. She froze and he took that opportunity to turn her around and force her onto the cold hard ground beneath them. She immediately came out of her shock and kicked at him to try and get away but he was able to dodge her misguided attempt and pinned her beneath him choking her as she tried to scream for help.

His lips were all over her, his breath smelled of alcohol; having choked her so much that her voice was no more than a whisper, and she was near unconsciousness, he let go of her neck and with his free hand began to hike up her skirt and tore her underwear off. The knife was again placed against her throat as he unzipped his pants; she struggled against him to try one last attempt to get away before the inevitable happened but the knife cut her deeply just above her right breast and she closed her eyes and winced at the pain unable to let out a scream; pain from both the knife digging into her flesh and as her assailant forced himself deeply within her.

Despite the blood beginning to flow from the knife wound he continued his assault on her for what seemed like hours to Lisa; finally it all ended. He gave her one last sloppy kiss on her cheek, stood up and zipped up his pants and ran away leaving a shell-shocked Lisa behind. After a few moments she managed to sit up and looked down at her blouse and over the rest of her body; finding her voice once more she released a blood curdling scream as she felt a wave of nausea come over her.

A teenage girl who was collecting shopping carts for the grocery store heard her scream and came running to her aid; all the training she had received could not have prepared her for the sight she was met with. She immediately tore a piece of her uniform and applied pressure to the cut and grabbing her cell phone from her back pocket called 911. Lisa, grateful that it was a woman who found her, clung to the young girl sobbing while they waited help to arrive.

2005

Jackson was clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white. He pulled the car over to the side of the road before they had an accident and turned to face Lisa. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she relived in great detail what she had gone through that day; he was completely enraged. He was angry at the man who did this, assuming from the way Lisa told it that this man had never been caught; and mostly angry that he had not been there to protect her. He took a deep breath and then slowly reached out to her placing his hand on her shoulder; she turned to face him and he thought he saw a flicker of something in her eyes.

"After that day I told myself one thing," she said looking directly at him.

"That it wasn't your fault," he stated.

"That; and it would never happen again," she said completely focused.

He knew what she meant with those simple words and nodded at her; turning his attention back to the road he pulled onto the pavement and drove the rest of the way to the building the main operations were carried out from. He was more determined now to get his retirement under way so he could be with Lisa and his son; so he could be there to protect Lisa, and perhaps one day find her rapist and make him pay.

Lisa hung up the cell phone and turned to Jackson as they stopped the car in front of a large mansion. It was almost dusk, they had been driving for hours and she had wanted to check on her father and Jaden.

"Dad is going to be alright; he and Jaden are staying at my apartment. Also, Keefe's wife and children pulled through alright, they are going to be okay."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So what happens now?"

"By now everyone here knows that I've messed up the Keefe job and is probably going to be gunning for me; however, this is where you could be useful getting us in."

"You mean to use me as bait?"

"In a manner of speaking yes; this is the first job I've ever botched and if I bring the person who caused it my Uncle may be more 'forgiving'. And before you ask, family ties mean nothing to him; just because I'm his nephew does not automatically give me points."

"Just promise me that we won't be separated; at least with you I know I'll be safe."

"I promise…you know after this is all over I may have to steal you," he said leaning in and giving her a gentle peck on the cheek.

"As long as we go somewhere far from here," she replied.

Jackson then took out a pair of handcuffs he had also stolen from the detective and stuffed into his jacket pocket and proceeded to place them on Lisa.

"Honestly, where do you keep getting this stuff from? I didn't even see you swipe those," she stated.

"I'm quick Leese, now give me the gun."

She handed it to him and he stepped out of the car stuffing it in the waistband of his pants. He closed the buttons on his suit jacket and sauntered to the passenger side of the car, opened the door and pulled Lisa out roughly to make it look real. She struggled against him groggily as he pulled her toward the mansion and into the dimly lit lobby; it took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

"RIPPNER; GET UP HERE NOW," his Uncle's voice bellowed from upstairs.

"How does he know we are here?" Lisa whispered to Jackson as he led her to the staircase

"Cameras," he whispered back.

People around them watched as Jackson pushed Lisa up the stairs smirking. This was the day they had waited for, the day Jackson Rippner failed and would be put down. Matthew Henderson was not a forgiving man and everyone knew he was especially hard on his nephew and would not accept failure. They arrived at the top of the stairs and now stood in front of a large cherry red door at the end of the hall; Jackson knocked.

"Come in," a voice said.

"Here we go Leese, just follow my lead okay?"

"Okay," she said quietly fear clearly evident on her face.

Please don't be too harsh with your review…I warned you that the rape would be remembered in this chapter in the beginning. That said, I'd still like your opinion so feel free to leave it.