Whatever Lisa had been expecting, it wasn't this. The mere sight of her fathers black wallet with his initials in sliver stitching was enough to stop Lisa in her tracks. If Lisa had ever expected an interloper in her life she would have thought it would have been by force.
Yet the wallet that she now held limply in her hands was keeping Lisa fearful and silent. Whoever this Jackson Rippner was he was no ordinary man. He knew about Lisa and her father despite his earlier façade. His intentions were thus far intangible.
"J.R. Joe Reisert, your father yes?" Lisa looked up tears sparkling in her eyes as she fought to remain stolid in light of the man who stood next to her.
Softly she asked," Where did you get that?"
"Oh I didn't get it. My associate grabbed off your dad's desk apparently next to your graduation picture." Startled at the mention of an associate Lisa said nothing.
"His initials, but gee mine too." Looking around hazardously Lisa was in agony to discover she and Jackson were for the most part alone. As it was the early hours of the morning the airport was mostly empty, the other passengers of the cancelled Miami flight were busy. The lights were dim, the airport silent. Rippner could not have chosen a better place to catch Lisa without anyone catching him.
Lisa made a move to get away with him with the wallet but Jackson put up a hand to stop her. "Jack Rippner. Credit card. License." He put on a light charming voice, "For some reason this rather inebriated girl whom I've never met before suddenly went crazy when I took out of my pocket." Lisa stopped dead in her tracks. Who would believe her? The wallet would be of no significance to anyone but her and Jackson knew it. She could not prove anything.
Unable to accept this Lisa tried to sidestep Jackson as she held back tears. "You tell anyone and your dad dies." He told her in a hushed voice. Lisa stood still again as Jackson took his place beside her.
Holding out his hand for the wallet Lisa reluctantly gave it to him. "What do you want?" Asked Lisa.
Jackson made a motion toward the flight gates, "First I want to sit down then we can get to business." Tightening her grip on her suitcase and purse Lisa made a move back to the gates. Each step was ethereal to her, this was not real, it couldn't be. Treading several steps behind, Jackson watched her like a hawk. When they finally sat down together Lisa turned to face him but he spoke first.
"I need you to call your hotel." Lisa opened her mouth to demand just what he wanted her to do Jackson was very pertinent," It's very simple. Just use your managerial pull to move Charles Keefe from room 3825 to suite 4080."
Leaning back in her seat Lisa began to vehemently shake her head so that her auburn curls shook to and fro." I'll leave the details to you. You just sell it."
He'd left out what would happen once she switched Charles Keefe's room but Lisa was no fool and she couldn't, no wouldn't do it, "You've got the wrong person. I don't have the authority to do that."
Smirking slightly Jackson replied, "Well, I happen to know that you do. You're the only voice who can get this done by the time I need it done."
He stood, straightening his coat and looking down upon her. Lisa remained in her seat, her hands clenched in her lap, her face pallid.
Jackson took on a burlesque look of benevolence, "Do you need me to write the number down?"
"No," Lisa snapped refusing to look at him.
Pretending to be puzzled Jackson sat next to Lisa. A small throng of people passed by the pair not noticing the terror in Lisa's eyes. To create the illusion of togetherness, Jackson moved even closer to Lisa hissing, "Well, then what's the delay?"
Filled with sudden repulsion Lisa moved away "So by changing Keefe's room, does that make it easier?"
Jackson sighed as he shifted to get a good look at her, biting his lip he began," Lisa, whatever female-driven emotion based dilemma you're dealing with right now, you have my sympathy." His voice took on a crisp tone," But for the sake of time and sanity, let's break this down into a little male-driven fact based logic. One simple phone call saves your dad's life. And it has to be made soon."
He said it as if they were making a business transaction. For all his words he hadn't admitted what the real plan was. Trying to remain placid Lisa's forced herself to say out loud what he was asking her to really do.
"You're going to kill Keefe aren't you?"
Jackson looked up at the ceiling as though resisting the urge to throw his hands in the air, "You know you really ought to be worrying more about your dad Leese."
Refusing to be swayed Lisa held her ground.
"How am I suppose to know he's okay, how do I know haven't hurt him?"
"He's fine." Jackson confirmed.
"Why should I believe that?" She asked intently. Jackson leaned forward again as though to whisper a forbidden secret.
"Well last call I got said he was sitting in the TV room eating leftover lasagna and watching the comedy marathon."
Lisa held up a hand to her mouth to muffle her screams, "Relax Leese by now my guy is probably back I silver Beemer, he's listening to a little smooth jazz while he sharpens his 12 inch k-bar." And just to make sure he'd gotten his point across, "That's a knife Leese."
Lisa looked straight ahead, but spoke clearly, "I want to talk to my father."
"Sure, after you make the call."
"No, I want to know he's ok right now or I don't call anyone." The pair locked eyes, and even though Lisa was literally shaking Jackson relented. He gestured to Lisa's purse with a hand.
Feeling silly that she even needed permission to call her father Lisa pulled out her cell phone with trembling fingers. Each number she pushed seemed to take an interminable amount of time but finally Lisa was placing the phone up to her ear. One ring, two, was he alive, what if he was bound and gagged while Jackson's associate held that twelve inch k-bar to his throat?
"Hello?" Joe had answered, her father was alive. Lisa looked back at Jackson with a kind of gasp of relief.
"Dad's it me." Lisa managed to choke out in a palpable gasp for breath.
"So did you get a new flight?" Her father asked casually.
Fully aware of Jackson beside her but unsure of how to alert her father to Jackson's machination Lisa struggled to find the right words, "No, um I just wanted to tell you it might take awhile so –"
"Honey I know you don't like it but are you okay?"
"I-" Caught up in a flood emotions, for no she was not okay, Lisa stifled back sobs when Jackson wrenched her cell from her grasp and turned it off placing it in his coat.
"I hope that satisfy's you because that's the best I can do, now here's my cell. We don't want your father calling back." Jackson said as he handed his small phone to Lisa
Why hadn't Lisa taken Jackson's stranger behavior before as a harbinger of things to come? Even before that why had she even allowed herself to talk to him at check-in? It slowly dawned on Lisa that he would have been an unwelcome intruder on her life even if she had discerned his flirtation as a danger to herself. But that meant all of this was meticulously planned, down to what someone could hold above Lisa's head to make her obey someone else's commands.
Because that notion was not one of solace Lisa did not notice when someone directly behind her spoke, she was too lost in misery," Hello."
It was Jackson who answered with an insipid smile, "May I help you miss?"
Lisa turned around in her seat, her eyes red from crying, to see a woman in white with a sun tanned skin and bleached hair standing behind them. "I'm trying to find a new flight but I need someone to help me with my luggage, "She gestured to several bags beside her.
Jackson who was staring at the woman did not say anything as she continued to smile blithely, "Did you want some help?" He asked at last when several moments had passed. Lisa who was sophomorically sniffling looked at Jackson with a jocular smile, "I'll wait if you like."
"I'd prefer you come with." Jackson said picking up one of the bags, to the woman he acridly asked, "How much carry on did you have?"
"This is it, but thank you so much, my nails you know, if we just go this…" As she led the way, backtracking so she could speak to Jackson he looked back at Lisa. Although Rippner's expression was intangible his eyes Lisa could read crystal clear; make the wrong move and your father dies.
Lisa looked down; dragging her own carry-on she shifted through her purse while Jackson was preoccupied. He'd taken her cell, but she must have something else to write on or send a message with.
Nothing came to her, closing the purse as she walked Lisa looked around. Maybe she could attract a security guard or traveler; surely someone would notice her suspicious situation. As she did her best to think things through Lisa trailed behind Jackson and his adoring companion.
When she finally stopped a good twenty feet away from them Lisa listened to the sounds of the storm outside, she shivered to think what would be happening on the plane now. She didn't doubt Jackson's charm: somehow they would have ended up sitting together. And on a plane she would have no where to run. Run: if Lisa could just find someone, tell them about Keefe, the man outside her house, and Jackson then this nightmare would be over.
Without fully considering what exactly she was doing, knowing only that her mind was screaming that if could not see danger it would not be there Lisa ran. She didn't notice Jackson look around in time to see her run