Lisa Reisert was already feeling the fatigue of the day clinging to her mind as she sat in her office within the depths of the hotel. Where is my life? She asked herself wondering why she had accepted the promotion to Area Manager in the first place. Because you were blinded by the money, you idiot.

Shaking her head, she stared at the paperwork in front of her that needed to be filed with the corporate office. Lisa had just returned from Orlando where the new Lux Atlantic was being erected, no doubt another monument to Disney's monopoly on an ever growing media enterprise. Her fear of flying had not gotten any better despite the constant flights back and forth every month to Lux Atlantic's newest acquisition.

A distant thought occurred in the recesses of her mind. It's been almost a year. She thought. A year since Jackson Rippner had held her hostage aboard the Fresh Air flight which indirectly forced her to face the life she had been hiding from since the day of her rape. Before, she had hidden from others, leading a life of obscurity daunted by the mere prospect of dating. Carefully suppressing her emotions, she leaned heavily on routine and order.

Jackson had forced her to deal with the trauma of the past and in her triumph, she had a distinct rush of confidence that she would never allow herself to internally become a victim again.

Her schedule for the day haphazardly lay in front of her as she evaluated her list of appointments and conference calls. Once again looking at the paperwork in front of her, she hastily worked her way through the clutter on her desk when a knock sounded on her door.

"Yes?" Lisa answered and the door opened as Cynthia, the Front Office Manager, came walking in.

"Sorry to bug you, Leese but there is a lady here to see you." She told Lisa hesitantly.

"Does she have an appointment?" Lisa asked.

"No, but she's quite insistent. Her name is Tess Connolly and she says to tell you that she has important information about Jackson Rippner." Cynthia told her.

Lisa froze at the sound of Jackson's name staring at Cynthia momentarily. Only a select inner circle of her trusted friends and family knew that name. "Please show her in." Lisa murmured, clenching the arms rests tightly of her office chair. What could she possibly want with me? A thought had occurred to her that this woman was meant to finish what Jackson had not succeeded in doing. Maybe she's here to kill me…

Immediately, she knew she was mistaken at that assessment when a young woman entered the room dressed in a tailored grey pantsuit which accented her dirty blonde hair that was neatly pinned back by a matching barrette. Her dark blue eyes stood in stark contrast to her otherwise attractive face which seemed to lack any guile or malicious intent. Within the depths of her eyes, a despair mixed with an onset of rage clouded her otherwise appealing features. Something is haunting her. Lisa thought.

Standing up to greet the stranger, the woman started to speak. "Lisa Reisert?" She asked.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Lisa asked cautiously.

"I think the more appropriate question is how we can help each other. My name is Tess Connolly. My husband used to work for Henry Whitfield, an Ambassador of the United Nation," She said.

"Used too?" Lisa inquired.

"Mrs. Tess Connolly?"

He was slender in a trim black suit, clean cut and very professional. She looked up into piercing blue eyes. "Yes?"

She regretted indulging in a conversation with him. He was intriguing, talking animatedly about his days at Harvard – where both Tess and her husband attended. He knew affairs of the United Nations and politics around the world.

The impressiveness faded when he told her about his associate who was following her husband ready to kill him if she didn't comply with his demands. The codes to the private airport on the grounds of the South African United Nations were what he wanted.

"What are you planning?" Tess asked, her knuckles white as she clutched the door handle of Rippner's car. She stopped trying to open it several hours earlier. The locks were controlled by him and him only.

She heard the sound of his cell phone flipping open, and turned her head to see the dim light of the screen illuminate his face. Rippner sighed in a manner expressing boredom. "How many times have I answered that question, Tess? Henry Whitfield is going to die." He flicked his gaze toward her, the cell phone light reflecting an evil glint in his pale blue eyes. "Better him than your husband, huh?"

A wave of nausea twisted through Tess' stomach, and her fingernails dug indentions into the leather interior of the car. She had given him the codes to save her husband and ultimately herself. Now the shock was over and reality was slamming down on upon her shoulders.

She barely heard Rippner talking on the phone until he responded in raised tones to the caller, "Really? He was?" Tess jerked her head to look at him. A malicious yet satisfying grin curled Rippner's lips. "Well, isn't that an intriguing twist. This turned out better than I expected. Thanks for informing me."

With that, he flipped the phone shut slipping it back in his pocket. When he brought his hand back up, Tess gasped and shrank back against the passenger side door as he aimed the barrel of a gun at her head.

Rippner smirked, his finger resting firmly on the trigger. "Looks like you're not needed anymore, Tess."

Tess' voice became quiet. "He was murdered along with the Ambassador recently." She muttered.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." Lisa told her softly.

"I'm not here for your sympathy, Miss Reisert or may I call you Lisa?" Tess asked and Lisa nodded, feeling puzzled.

"You see, we have a common enemy, Lisa. His name is Jackson Rippner and I had an encounter of my own with him. He…" She started to say.

"Wait, how is that possible? He's spending a life sentence in a federal prison. I was assured…" Lisa was saying as Tess cut her off.

"You were assured?" Tess asked, laughing bitterly. "Why don't you call up your friend Charles Keefe? Nothing is ever definite with Homeland Security."

"You're saying he's free and you know him." Lisa repeated in disbelief as she observed Tess who looked back at her stoically. "It's more then that isn't it? He was responsible for your husband's death."

"Yes, he used my husband's life as leverage in exchange for particular access codes that he needed to plant a bomb on the ambassador's plane. What he was unaware of was that my husband was asked to accompany the ambassador at the last moment." Tess informed her.

"It was accidental. Jackson didn't know…" Lisa murmured vividly recalling her entrapment.

I never lied to you, Leese. You know why? Because it doesn't serve me.

"He never lies…" Lisa reflected softly.

"Do you think I honestly give a shit of whether he meant to kill my husband or not, Lisa?" Tess asked, hitting her fist against her desk in anger. "The fact is that bastard is free and deserves to die. I want to be the one that makes sure he gets what's coming to him." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "You can help me."

Lisa backed away, feeling shock radiate through her at what Tess was suggesting. "You can't honestly mean…"

"Yes, I do. Together we can get the bastard, Lisa. You kicked his ass before but you left him alive. In a sense, you owe it to me to help me finish the job." She told her.

"No." Lisa said adamantly, shaking her head. "Even if he's free, I'm not going to put myself and my family at risk by going off on some crazy vendetta. Why me, Tess? Why not find another victim?" She asked.

"Do you really think your safe Lisa?" Tess asked pointedly. "While he tormented me to get the codes, he mentioned you quite often. Sometimes in anger and the other times, well, almost affectionately. He's obsessed with you, Lisa. That's why I need your help."

Lisa shivered feeling the distant remnants of disgust creep through her. "No, I'm sorry. I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?" Tess challenged. "Either way, he'll come back for you, Lisa. He'll destroy all those that get in his way just as he did to me. You really think you're safe and protected from that?"

Lisa immediately punched a button on her phone. "Cynthia, please escort Miss Connolly out of the hotel. Our conversation is over."

"Please don't bother, Lisa." Tess said. "I'll show myself out but if you change your mind, give me a call." Dropping a business card on Lisa's desk, Tess left the room as Lisa collapsed back in her chair.

Cynthia let her self in and her voice echoed with concern. "Lisa, are you all right?"

Lisa groaned, glancing at Cynthia. "I'm not feeling well. Could you please cancel my appointments for the day? I need to go home."

"Of course." Cynthia went back out to the front desk, picking up the phone as Lisa made her way out of the hotel. Neither of them noticed a silent figure in the rear of the lobby that watched both women carefully with a sense of satisfaction.

Reaching in his jacket, he dialed a number. "Everything's in place, Mr. Rippner." His dark brown eyes covertly watched Cynthia as she resumed her duties within the expansive lobby.

Authors Note from Emptyvoices:

I'm thrilled to be doing my first co-authored writing especially with Coneflower whose writing I have enjoyed so much in the past. Royalty09 will be collaborating with us momentarily in chapter 2 and writing a segment of it. Just as a forwarning, chapter 2 is rather intense and graphic for which this story is being given an M rating. Just want to say thank you to Royalty09 for her help in chapter 2.