Make the Call

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!

Chapter Seven: Emotional Dilemma

Lisa slipped out of the airport via a stolen car. She felt bad about stealing the car, but she would return it once she made it to her father's house. Time was still ticking away and she was praying that Jackson's associate had in fact left her father alone. She also hoped that Cynthia had gotten the Keefe family out alive.

As she drove, her mind kept flicking back to Jackson. Was he chasing her—hell-bent upon killing her? Or was he still on the tarmac, frozen in shock at what she had done to him? Was he thinking about her? Did he hate her for hurting him? Or had he forgiven her?

She wanted his forgiveness—she hated hurting him. With every passing second she regretted her choice more and more. The murderous rage she had seen in him had died the moment he realized that the hit man was dead and she was safe. Had that been love and concern for her that she had seen in his crystal blue eyes before she stabbed him? Or was it only wishful thinking?

No, Jackson would never have let emotions rule him. He was a professional. He had told her so in the bathroom.

"We're both professionals, if we have the will and means to follow through. If we don't, our customers aren't happy and when they're not, we suffer, and our lives go to shit," Jackson explained to her as she gasped for breath and he wiped away her attempted help message.

She was the emotional one. How long ago had she figured that out? How many times had Jackson himself reminded her of that small fact?

"Why can't you leave me alone?" she screamed at no one. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Lisa slowed the stolen vehicle as she approached her father's house located at, as Jackson had so clearly reminded her, 9321 Blossom Palms Lane. As he had also told her, a silver Beemer was parked across the street—his associate's car. Her stomach dropped and her heart began to race. There was no one in the car. That meant that the killer had to been in the house already. He was going to kill her father despite Jackson's orders.

But who was to stay that Jackson had not called him back and changed those orders?

Wait, she had stabbed him in the throat with a fucking pen. There was no way that he should be able to talk so soon—let alone clearly enough to be understood over a phone. No way was Jackson behind this new twist…

Lisa jumped out of the car and dashed to the front door and found it unlocked. She raced inside, feeling sick.

"Dad?" she called out, her voice echoing in the silent house. "Daddy?"

Unwilling feet carried her from the entrance hall to the living room. It was empty. Without thinking, she automatically headed towards the kitchen. Once again, no signs of anyone. Frowning, Lisa darted up the back stairs.

"Dad?" she called once more, her question turning into a scream as a pair of hands shoved her down the stairs.

Lisa flipped head-over-heels down the stairs, finally ending her tumble at the second landing, and two or three steps from the kitchen floor. She groaned and looked up to see a well-dressed stranger in a suit. He wore glasses and Lisa knew that this was the hit man.

"Well, well. Rippner lied. He said you were dead. I'll just have to 'take care' of you for him," sneered the hit man, closing in on the frightened and injured Lisa.

Her green eyes were wide in fright and she vaguely wondered if this was the end. Had she really come this far just to die at the mercy of a hit man in her father's house? Was she really this pitiful and helpless?

"Get away from me!" she cried, kicking out with her heels. One of the tiny heels became imbedded in the hit man's leg. He gasped in pain and shoe broke away from the heel when she pulled back, leaving the heel in his thigh.

She crawled backwards into the kitchen and ripped off her useless shoes before climbing to her feet and taking flight. She ran towards the front door, intent upon slipping upstairs again to search for her father. But, a distracted glance backward stopped her plans dead. She crashed into a soft body and tumbled to the ground.

Arms grabbed her protectively and she was pulled close to one man she had half-hoped to never see again and at the same time wanted to stay with her. Jackson Rippner cradled Lisa in his arms and his brilliant blue eyes held an icy tone to them as he glared towards his former associate.

"I told you to leave," rasped Jackson, anger apparent in his voice. "I had it under control."

"Then why is she still alive? You said she was dead."

"You're supposed to listen to your superior," snapped Jackson, slowly standing up and pulling Lisa with him. She huddled in closer to him, as if he would protect her from all evils. She knew that he probably would. If he wanted her dead, he would not be stopping the hit man right now. He would have mercilessly thrown her to proverbial wolves then stepped back to watch, or he would have asked for a weapon so that he could kill her himself.

Instead, he was holding her tightly, squaring off with a presumably armed man and protecting her.

Lisa's head was spinning. As a matter of fact, her whole world was spinning.

"Leese," his worried voice filled her ringing ears as she felt his strong hands shake her. "Lisa!"

His cries were useless as she slipped into unconsciousness. The fall down the stairs and the subsequent collision with Jackson had been too much for her weary body to take.

The dead weight of Lisa's sagging body hit him like a ton of bricks. She had passed out, but as to why, he had not a clue.

He shifted her body, picking her up in his arms. Her head lolled to the side, curly hair covering her closed eyes. Her left arm hung down towards the floor. She was light and easy to carry for him.

"What did you do to her?" hissed Jackson, glaring accusingly at the hit man. "What did you do to Lisa!"

"Threw her down some stairs—nothing close to what I had planned," said the hit man sadly.

"You're not to touch her!"

"You don't make the rules anymore, Rippner. You're not the boss. You're a wanted man."

Jackson gritted his teeth and turned to carefully lay Lisa's still body down on a nearby couch. He had not wanted it to come to this. But he had come too far to blow it now.

A quick glance at Lisa reminded him why he had disobeyed his orders in the first place. He was completely in head-over-heels love for Lisa. Even after she stabbed him in the throat, he could feel no ill feelings towards her, only love. He would protect her. He would end the nightmare that he had begun when he first approached her in the Texas airport.

Author's Notes:

Sorry again about the delay. Oh, a few quick questions to all the readers out there, I'm curious what you think about a few things. #1: Do you think Joe's alive (wounded or not), even in the house to begin with, or the hit man's already killed him? #2: Do you think that Jackson and Lisa will stay together (should they both survive the day)? #3: Does Lisa feel the same way about Jackson as he does about her? I'm just curious to see what everyone thinks! Enjoy! Next chapter coming soon!