Jackson

Jim stepped up on the staircase of the Crystal Swan and hesitantly peered up. Selena shined her huge flashlight in front of them and Jackson dragged Lisa next to him.

"Jackson, you idiot," Lisa snapped. "They're not going to be there. Look around. The hotel is empty. Why would you think he'd be up there?"

"If he knew he couldn't get a flight back, he'd have barricaded himself in the room," Jackson said irritably. "Jesus, a moron could figure that out."

"Thanks, asshole."

Jackson smirked. Good Lord, he couldn't wait to bring Lisa back to the States and "civilize" her. It would be amusing.

They slowly ascended the stairs and when they reached the top Jackson began to swiftly kick open the hotel doors lining each wall. They hit against the walls with a resonating bang and with every loud clamor each member of the group winced. Selena ran up to Jackson with her machete drawn.

"Jackson," she whispered fiercely. "Stop. The infected will hear you!"

Jackson playfully pulled the knife from her hands. "Aw, poor Lena worried about the scary infected coming?"

"Give it back, Jack," Selena ordered. Jackson ignored her and slid it easily into his beltloop, beyond her reach.

"Nope."

Selena continued to chase after him and Lisa ran up too.

"Jackson, give her the goddamned knife!"

Jackson grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him better. "No, want to know why? Because know that I have her only leverage...I'm in control."

Lisa glared at him. "You'll never be in control."

"Is that so?" he was amused.

"Yeah."

"Well," he raised an eyebrow. "Look around sweetie...because I think I am."

"No, you're not," Jim's voice resonating behind him was the only thing he heard before everything went black.

Jim

Jim dropped the pipe with a clatter and grabbed Selena's machete from where it had fallen back from Jackson's waist.

"Come on," Lisa yelled. "Let's go before he wakes up!"

"No," Jim poised his shaking, knife-bearing wrist over Jackson's unconscious form.

Silence. Anxious, unsure breaths racked the air. Jim's anger surged over him and he shook. A few moments later he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Jim," Hannah said quietly. "Come on. Just leave it be."

Jim looked into her warm blue eyes and bit his lip. Finally he sighed and pocketed the knife.

"Okay."

Hannah

They quickly left the soon-to be-infected Crystal Swan hotel and ran to the cab.

"Shit," Selena cursed loudly. "It's out of gas!"

"What?" Lisa cried.

"IT'S OUT OF GAS!" Selena screamed, whipping her head around to face Lisa.

"Selena, calm down," Jim took a deep breath and guided the girls back out of the cab. The sky was rapidly turning dark and they needed to find a sanctuary for the night, at the very least. "What should we do, and think fast because we're in the open right now."

"Let's go to the airport," Hannah offered quietly. "We can bunk out in one of the lockdown utility closets or something and in the morning we can see if any of the planes have fuel."

Selena blinked and looked at Jim, who nodded. "See guys, just use our heads and we have a chance. Come on."

Lisa

Her thin arms began to form a new outcropping of goosebumps as the wind picked up. She shivered involuntarily and quickened her pace to match Jim's. He glanced at her and took her hand. It was what she'd been hoping for.

"Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you going to do...after...everything?"

He sighed and licked his lips. "I don't know...go to the States, obviously. Uninfected. Maybe..."

"What?"

"Maybe I can spend more time with you."

Lisa looked at him and slowly smiled. "I think I'd like that."

"Really?"

She nodded and blushed as they arrived outside of the airport. Hannah ran up next to them.

"Ready to go in? Selena's going to sweep it first."

"No, she's not," Jim said impatiently. "I am."

Selena tapped him on the shoulder. "Jim, stop being so young."

"Well, Selena, needless to say, I don't entirely trust you right now," Jim snapped. "You let yourself get manipulated by that sadistic little bastard and nearly got us all killed. So right now I'm not putting anything past you. I'll do the sweep, you'll stay out here with Lisa and Hannah."

"No. You can't go in by yourself."

Jim sighed. Lisa glanced quickly back and forth. Selena did have a point...not that she entirely wanted to remain outside by herself with Hannah.

He grumbled and irritably opened the airport door. "Fine. Come on, then."

Jackson

He rolled over and pulled himself to his feet, cursing profoundly. He felt a hot liquid at the base of his neck and wiped blood away, growling slightly. Jim had hit him with something...he spotted the broken pipe nearby and grabbed it, running to a window in one of the open hotel rooms.

They were out there, way down the street, he could see them. Lisa's bright pink skirt wasn't that difficult to spot, after all. At...the airport, was it? Yeah, he saw the wings in the background. But it looked like just her...and the younger girl, Hannah, or whatever. Where were Jim and Selena?

He thought. This could be an opportunity to get those two alone. But Keefe...Keefe was still in here, and so was Lisa's cousin. He sighed impatiently. Get the job done or get Lisa uninterrupted, away from the other people?

He knew what he should do, but what he did do was a different story entirely. Keefe and Chelsi could wait.

For now, it was time for a little R and R with his favorite Valentine.