They retreated to the car in silence driving from the motel parking lot with a sense of resolute determination to reach Dallas before the day was over. Lisa dug her nails into the palm of her hands as she contemplated the fact that she would be forced to say good-bye to her parents who had become a source of enduring strength for her since the time of her assault two years ago.

How can I possibly leave them like this? She thought despairingly. They won't understand. I don't understand how I am putting my trust into someone who has spent their formative years as a hired killer. She glanced at him surreptitiously feeling the previous conflict that consistently dwelled inside her mind. Two nights ago we were enemies and now...Her thoughts trailed off unable to reach a conclusion. How in one night have we come this far?

She had spent two years submerging her emotions, not allowing herself to feel the urge to engage in new friendships, relationships or interests merely dependent on the sole structure of her monotonous routine. In that time, despite the safety of her measures that she took to protect herself, she felt like a piece of her was dying inside. Lisa knew that her feelings towards Jackson weren't romantic but the bond they shared of a past spent pushing aside emotions that proved to be an unnecessary risk was a connection that she had often yearned for.

But he wants more. He'll always want more then I can give. Lisa told herself sadly. She was never sure that would be a part of her that she could give freely to anyone in the near future. Intimacy almost seemed loathsome to her, made dirty by her previous experience. Deep in her heart, she wondered if the damage was irreparable.

"Something on your mind?" Jackson asked as he reached out taking one of her hands firmly to prevent her from further digging her nails into the flesh of her palm.

"No, I'm just thinking..." She replied instinctively attempting to pull her hand back. His grip merely tightened preventing the futile effort.

"Anything in particular, Leese?"

She sighed not wishing to meet the intensity of his focused gaze as she resumed her preference of looking out the window watching the distant scenery of the passing swamp lands.

"Lisa, look at me." He demanded pulling on her wrist for encouragement. Hesitantly, her eyes met his as she felt her previous reluctance slowly drift away as she peered into the depths of his crystalline, blue eyes.

"Jackson, I'm..." She swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. "What if I'm broken?" Lisa whispered.

"Broken, how?" He inquired patiently.

"I'm damaged, Jackson. Intimacy is not just a slight fear for me. It absolutely terrifies me. I can never be whole after what was done. And then you came along...I just can't allow you to think that there is more between us then what there is."

"I've known that already, Leese." He replied. She looked at him with evident surprise on her face. "I've watched you for eight weeks and though I didn't know for sure about the rape, I suspected. Despite what you think, I'm not an amateur."

"I never made that assumption." She told him shakily.

He turned back to the wheel. "You're only broken because you want to be. It's something that you've allowed to become a barrier for yourself. When you want to move forward, you will."

"You sound like my grandmother." She said softly.

"Well, I hope one of us does. She was a dynamic woman."

"What, did you spy on her too?" Lisa asked.

"No, I didn't have too. I placed wire taps on your cell phone and land line." He replied. She scowled at him briefly. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Leese. It was part of the job, you know that. "

"So you remind me. Eight weeks of watching me full time. Doesn't sound like you had much of a life Jack."

He shrugged. "You have no idea."

She was quiet as she considered his ambiguous statement. "Do you believe in God, Jackson?"

Chuckling, he replied, "Why, do you?"

"Once. A long time ago it seems but for the past couple days, He's been on my mind again. Has He ever been on yours?"

The hand that clenched hers tightened once more and she winced in pain. "I don't know, Lisa. In the business I'm in, God often seems very far away."

"Do you think that is your fault or His?"

"Maybe both. Who knows, Leese? I can tell you this. If there is a God, then I'll certainly have hell to pay." Jackson muttered.

She looked down at her palm fully engulfed in his hand and she shivered as his thumb caressed her self inflicted injuries her nails left in their stead. "Perhaps we both will." She told him finally.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa was shaken awake from the light slumber she fell into as Jackson pulled into a parking lot of a nearby grocery store.

"Where are we?" She mumbled tiredly.

"Just outside of Dallas. I'm meeting my contact here for our passports and then we'll head to your mother's house. Just stay in the car until I say it's otherwise, okay Leese?"

"Sure, whatever you say." She muttered as she pressed her head against the window and watched him emerge from the car cautiously approaching a man in his mid forties. Initially, they shook hands, talking quietly at first until Lisa noticed the stranger reaching into his pocket secretively and she felt a pang of alarm. Something isn't right here.

Without any forethought about what she was doing, she opened the door and ran towards them. "Jackson, look out!" She started to cry out. "He has a..."

Instantly, the man pulled out his weapon and pointed it directly at her. She felt her blood run cold as her heart seemed to palpitate within her chest. He's going to kill me. I'm going to die right here. Lisa thought hollowly.

His finger was tightening on the trigger and all Lisa could do was stare. She was frozen in place gazing at the weapon that would ultimately lead to her destruction. Suddenly there was a surge of movement as Jackson tackled the man. The weapon fired and Lisa felt a bullet graze her cheek as she watched the deathly struggle taking place.

Jackson was trying to remove his weapon as he landed a brutal kick to the man's ribs. He reeled backwards as a result moving closer to Lisa while Jackson watched this in alarm raising his gun. "Lisa, get out of here! Run into the store!"

He fired at him however he was aiming at a moving target and the first bullet missed. I've always been a lousy shot. Jackson thought as he moved closer.

Lisa finally broke free from the momentary shock that had rooted her to the ground and attempted to run past the dueling pair. She got two steps before she was seized and pulled backwards into the assailants chest as she felt cold metal of his weapon being placed to her temple.

"Let her go, Mark. Your fight is with me, not with her."

"I beg to differ Jackson. I think she'll make for some lively entertainment, don't you? Isn't that why you wanted to take her with you in the first place?"

"She has nothing to do with this!"

"Well, that would be the case if you had done your job, Jack! We might have even let you have her as a consellation prize. But you had to go and fuck it up. Now she is part of this whether you like it or not." Lisa struggled desperately against the grip that was tightening around her waist as she frantically launched her elbow backwards into her assailant's chest. Her captor growled in response and suddenly pain exploded at the back of her temple as her attacker viciously brought the butt of the gun down on the side of her head.

Jackson could only watch as Lisa fell limply into Mark's arms as he swung her roughly over his shoulder still placing the gun to her head. Jackson started to rush forward but Mark shook his head and backed away slowly. "Yes, by all means, keep going if you really want your girlfriend here to have a bullet lodged into her brain. You're a terrible shot Rippner and well, it doesn't take much for me to finish her here...not at this range."

"What do you want?" Jackson demanded.

"To finish this. Meet us in fifteen minutes and don't be late. We wouldn't want to keep her and her family waiting, wouldn't we?" Mark asked maliciously as he backed away and shoved her into a car that pulled alongside him.

Jackson felt utter rage towards his former associate as he watched him drive off using Lisa as his shield against him. Mark had been one of his previous partners and from all appearances, he was unswervingly dedicated to Jackson despite his unconventional way of dealing with previous assignments.

He strode back to the car and picked up his cell phone, shaking his head in disbelief. He had been deceived for the last time. Jackson would make sure of that.

Well, almost coming to an end here. I should have the next couple chapters up shortly. Anyway, that's what I keep telling myself. As always, a big thanks to Royalty09 for her ideas and support and to all my reviewers out there!