Jackson continued to drive in utter silence as Lisa leaned back in her seat staring out the window, her eyes frozen on the darkness outside seemingly lost in thought. The remnants of her tears remained still on her face and she made no move to wipe them away.

He sighed as he glanced over at her and finally spoke. "We'll be stopping at a motel to rest for the night."

Still, she continued the same forlorn gaze out the window as she whispered. "I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"You. I don't understand who you are. How you can change so drastically and go from being gentle to one moment and a complete bastard at the next." She said listlessly.

"You know the answer to that."

"Oh yes. It's part of your job. That's a pretty shitty excuse to me."

"Really?" He asked. "I could say the same about you. You make excuses for not taking risks in life. For all the times you play it safe living by the same rigid structure you impose on yourself. Does that really make you feel safe, Leese? You forget how well I've gotten to know you and I imagine that deep down you've wanted someone like me to rip you away from that pedantic life no matter how much you deny it."

Her free hand flew across his face in a vicious slap and he seized her wrist instantly. "What's wrong, Lisa. Did I hit to close to home?"

"Despite what you think you know Jack after stalking me for eight weeks, don't ever presume you think you really know me." She retorted.

"That's where you're wrong. I do know you Lisa but just more then you'd ever like to admit." He said as he relinquished his grip on her wrist as he turned into the parking lot of a nearby motel.

Pulling into a parking space, he got out of the car and glanced down at her after surveying the nearly empty parking lot. Apparently satisfied that one would really notice her, he murmured, "Don't go anywhere, Leese." Sarcasm grated in his tone as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the lobby.

Lisa glanced down at the metal cuff around her wrist and she knew that the cuff offered her no opportunity for her to squeeze her wrist through it as Jackson had made certain it was snapped tightly around her skin. She leaned against the window feeling resigned momentarily as she pondered the events of the night. After the shock of her life being threatened by the two policemen, her mind could not process the fact that Jackson's efforts had in actuality saved her from whatever torment they had in store for her.

Oh God, I don't know what to do. What to feel. It was her previous inclination to feel nothing and allow the numbness to seep through her after the trauma of the rape. Rather then take a chance with any man; she'd push away any previous thought of attraction preferring to isolate herself behind a wall of indifference. Why was he any different? Why did I allow him inside? She had no answers for those questions that relentlessly tore through her mind.

Her door suddenly opened causing her to jump slightly as she was ripped away from her thoughts. Jackson knelt down without a word and unlocked the cuff around her wrist, immediately grabbing her elbow; he pulled her into standing position immediately guiding her into the room. Snapping the dead bolt into place behind them, he gestured to one of the beds. "Better get some sleep Lisa. Barring any further distractions we should get to your mother's house tomorrow. I have already arranged for my contact to meet us there with our documentation."

Hearing those words, Lisa shivered as she stared longingly at the door wanting more then anything to be with her father right now and feel his arms securely around her. Anything was better then this battle that raged on inside her. She retreated to the bathroom to shower and change into a clean pair of sweats that Jackson had picked up for her. Emerging from the restroom, she started to sit tentatively on the bed and he immediately came towards her removing the cuffs from his pocket.

She shook her head frantically. "Jackson, please, I promise I won't…"

"Save it Leese. You spent the whole day lying to me so forgive me if I don't take you at your word." He reached for her wrist and she immediately jerked backwards on the bed. "Don't push me, Lisa. I'm tired and I don't have time to put up with this shit. I need you secure while I get some sleep."

Moving forward on the bed he grabbed her arms and pulled her to the iron bed frame. Gripping her wrist, he cuffed her to the frame of the headboard. Putting the blanket on top of her, he retreated to his own bed. "Sleep tight, Lisa." He said as he turned off the lights leaving her in complete darkness.

Shock seemed to prevail as she lay trembling underneath the sheets seeing flashes of memory of the horrific images of the cops being shot right before her eyes. She remembered the malevolent look in their eyes as the officer described what he had planned for her. Eventually, her tremors finally subsided as she drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa felt herself being pressed against the cold pavement as her assailant pressed the knife against her throat. She begged with him to stop but he seemed to become deaf to her pleas as he aggressively pushed up her skirt, ripping through her nylons. The scream was caught in her throat as she finally looked up at the face of her attacker.

It was a face she had never seen before and suddenly day became night and she saw the face of the police officer hovering over her as his knife dug into her neck. She was in the backseat of the police car struggling against him as he whispered, "You'll be insane long before your dead, Lisa."

His knife dug into her shoulder and she cried out in pain struggling against him. His partner appeared behind him. "Hey, save some of her for me. I simply love to hear them scream."

She was lying on a bed soaked in blood, her hands cuffed to the frame as the officer approached her with a scalpel in his hand. "I always wondered how long it takes someone to die if organs are removed one by one. Have any guesses, Lisa?" She bucked against the restraints as he approached her, pushing her shirt upwards to reveal her abdomen. "I suppose we'll simply have to find out."

She let out a scream that finally broke free from her throat as the scalpel cut viciously into her stomach.

Her cries rented the air and she panicked to feel the cold metal of handcuffs against her sweaty skin. She felt hands shaking her as she finally opened her eyes choking on the air that flooded into her lungs. "No they're here!" She cried out as she saw Jackson's face in front of her and she pulled on the cuff causing it to cut into her skin as her eyes frantically surveyed the room.

"No, Leese. It was a dream. No one else is here." He said but she was beyond hearing as she leapt off the bed only to fall to the floor against the mattress, weeping in despair. "They're here. Hiding somewhere. I could see their faces." She murmured. Jackson circled the bed, removing a key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuff from her wrist. Tossing them aside, he wrapped his arms around her shivering figure pressing her to him despite her resistance. In panic she struggled against him but his grip remained firm and she slowly she relaxed against him desperate for the feeling of safety to return.

"He…they cut me. Oh God, Jackson, they would of…" She tried to say, gulping between the unencumbered sobs.

"Yes, they would have Lisa but they're dead. I got you." He said softly as he stroked her hair. She was cold, shivering uncontrollably and he carefully lifted her up in his arms. Settling himself on top of her mattress, he pulled her to him, allowing her head to rest against his chest as he placed his arms protectively around her into a comforting embrace. He wrapped the quilt blanket around her, watching her as her breathing finally slowed and her eyes fluttered closed. This time a look of peace stole across her face as sleep finally returned to her, this time unencumbered from the relentless nightmares of the past.

I'll never let you go. He thought as she sank deeper into the soft folds of his sweatshirt. As both of them lay together both fully clothed, his brushed aside her and whispered to her. "Goodnight Leese." Sleep came for him quickly as he relaxed against the frame of bed drifting into a mindless slumber.

I know this sounds a bit fast after their previous tension but this is not solely a romantic gesture as it is a comforting one. I want to thank Royalty09 for her suggestions in this scene.