Lisa walked cautiously out the employee elevator at the Lux Atlantic. She smiled at passing guests, but her insides were tightening into constricting knots. Her nerves were fragile at the thought if her and Jackson's plan, along with input from Bea, would work. Jackson was sure Ethan would show his face if Lisa reappeared at her job.
Her khaki trousers, covering the bandaged cuts on her legs, brushed together as Lisa approached the front desk. Cynthia was typing a reservation in the computer. Lisa watched her friend for a moment then said, "Hey."
Cynthia snapped up, startled, then a huge relieved smile broke on her face. "Lisa!" She came around the desk to hug her friend. "I was so worried when you didn't show up on Monday and you wouldn't take your calls and your father didn't know where you were."
"I'm sorry for worrying you," Lisa got out before Cynthia could say any more. "Things got a little rough with Ethan, and I had to get away. I wanted to call, but where I ended up, there was no way to."
"What happen with Ethan?" asked Cynthia, eyes wide in concern. Things seemed to be going great with him and Lisa, what could possibly go wrong?
"I really don't want to talk about it,." replied Lisa, hurriedly. "I just want to get back to work."
Cynthia nodded once, twice, before saying, "Okay. I'm just glad your back." Her and Lisa started to move behind the desk. "Everything has been all right here, except for this one..." Lisa tried to pay attention, but her mind was on the one who she knew would come after her soon.
The parking garage echoed with the sound of a car engine starting. Jackson leaned lazily against a concrete pillar with his hands in his pocket, and watched the tail lights of the car back out slowly then drive away. He had been through the bottom floor of the Lux several times through out the day waiting to spot Ethan. He'd been in the parking garage for an hour now, and Ethan hadn't showed yet.
Something caught Jackson's ear. It started out low but grew louder until it became a whooshing noise. Jackson peered around the garage for the source, alerted by the noise. Searing pain burned through his head like fire in a dry field. He fell to his knees, holding his head and growling angrily. The spot that was hit was already rising into a knot.
Jackson had no time to recover. A hand caught him around the neck, and he found himself being flung against the concrete wall. Ethan's scorched face was instantly in his. Hatred scaled Ethan's cold eyes as he squeezed his long fingers thoroughly around Jackson's neck. For a split second, he sympathized with Lisa for what he had done to her.
"You seem to enjoy screwing with my life, Rippner," spat Ethan ferociously between clinched teeth. Jackson gasped desperately for air, realizing why Ethan was known for not carrying weapons. His bare hands were weapons of their own.
"I want her back. You only took her because I had her and you won't stand in my way getting her back. I could kill you right here, Rippner." Ethan paused, a glimmer of evil in his eye. He loosened his grip letting Jackson drop like a full sack to the ground, gasping to regain his breathing. Ethan grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking Jackson's head back. "But I have a better plan for you."
I've enjoyed the plot of this fic, but I'm not enjoying how it's being written. I just can't get into the groove of writing it better, so I'm sorry it's not up to par. Never fear, there's only one more chapter left. Yay! Also, this last encounter with Ethan was adapted from a scene from Lost from the "Homecoming" episode.