One More

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!

Chapter Two: Vanished

Lisa did not stop driving until she had reached her apartment. Once there, she parked Jackson's car and hurried inside to gather her belongings. Rushing into the bedroom, she pulled a pair of expensive suitcases (a gift from Jackson) from the closet and began to fill them.

"What am I doing? What am I thinking?" she groaned, midway through the packing of her belongings.

Lisa sighed and fell backwards onto the soft bed. As she stared at the textured ceiling, memories of Jackson filled her mind. Many nights when she had woken screaming from the nightmares that plagued her, Jackson had lain awake with her, comforting and reassuring her. He had never pushed her in their relationship.

It was always the same nightmare…

'Dad! Dad!' she called out loudly; rushing up the main stairs to the second floor.

'Lisa,' his voice croaked, the blood rapidly pooling around his dying body.

'Daddy!'

She tried to stop the blood flow. She could not let him die!

The crimson blood drips onto her skin and seeps through her white sweater. She sobs without a thought as she glances down at his lifeless body. It should have been her lying on the floor…

A knife turns and stabs her through the heart. A slight whimper escapes her lips as pain floods her body. 'Jackson,' she whispers, the betrayal stabbing deeper than the knife as she looks into the cold, crystal blue depths of her killer's eyes.

Lisa woke up screaming.

"Leese, Leese," his patient, soothing voice broke into her head.

Strong arms wrapped around her trembling form and Jackson pulled her tightly against his warm chest. Lisa clung to him as a drowning swimmer in the ocean might cling to a buoy to remain afloat.

"Ssh, you're okay. I'm here. No one can hurt you," Jackson spoke softly.

"The blood, all that blood," she moaned; her green eyes wide.

"I know sweetheart, I know. But it's over. It was only a nightmare. No one can hurt you when I'm around. I won't let them."

"Jackson…"

"Ssh. Go back to sleep, Leese."

He lay down on the bed and held her close to him. Her tremors stopped and she finally began to relax.

"I love you," she whispered before her heavy eyelids closed and she drifted off with happier thoughts.

Her green eyes flickered closed for a single movement as she reveled in the pleasant memories. These walls held the truth of their romance. Sure, it was far from a fairy tale, but it was theirs. They truly loved each other.

Her eyes suddenly shot open at the touch of cool steel pressed into her temple. Someone was holding a gun to her head.

"Hello, Miss Reisert. If I were you, I wouldn't move. Somehow, I doubt Rippner would be pleased to come home and see your brains splattered everywhere in this clean apartment," an unfamiliar voice taunted.

"What do you want?"

Will I ever escape this nightmare?

"A little cooperation… Or else I will pull the trigger without a second thought."

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"That's for me to know and Rippner to guess."

"I don't respond well to threats."

"I don't give a damn. If you want to keep your life, you will listen to me. Understand?"

Before she could think of a smart reply, he jerked the barrel away from her head for a moment and squeezed the trigger. The smoking barrel returned to her head as she began to shake uncontrollably.

When Jackson had menaced her before, he had used words and his charm to manipulate her. Never before had anyone threatened bodily harm except for the man in the parking lot. Neither option had been a choice. Nowadays she knew that she would choose death over repeating the degradation.

If it ever comes to that…

Author's Notes:

Just a quick chapter. Some of the others are longer. It's probably only fair to mention that this is a fairly short story. According to my current outline and written parts, it should be no longer than five chapters. Enjoy and thanks for reading/reviewing!