Out of Your Life
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Two
Jacksonville, Florida – Bus Stop
Lisa stepped off the coach bus and uttered a loud yawn. She was exhausted despite having spent most of the trip asleep. Her nerves were getting the best of her and the day had yet to begin.
Every where she turned she could swear she saw Jackson or a possible associate. She had yet to find a place where she felt comfortable.
She slipped her hand into her purse and felt the reassuring cold metallic weapon. Her slim fingers silently stroked the gun that she carried and soothed her frazzled nerves. If she ever ran into him again, at least she could best him at his own game with less effort than before.
Jacksonville, Florida – Street
Jackson Rippner blended into the swiftly moving crowd. It felt refreshing to be able to go for a calm jaunt through the city. The majority of the past few months had been spent on recovery from his various wounds. He had finally gotten over his conspicuous limp and now walked normally.
At least as normally as someone packing a sharp knife on their hip could. He never went anywhere without the trusty blade anymore. He would not put it past the people after him to try and kill him in broad daylight. He was on his own and it was up to him to keep himself alive.
The name of his latest job was survival and he was going to succeed.
Jacksonville, Florida – Shopping Area
Two and a half hours of shopping had worn Lisa out even further. She gave up on walking and cursed her choice of shoes. The old adage, "no pain, no gain" was fresh in her mind but she also knew that with the pain came added protection. After all, she had wounded Jackson with a high-heel and bought herself extra time to retrieve a suitable weapon.
She ripped the high-heels from her feet and rested them against the cool concrete. She sighed and tried to relax her tense muscles. Her entire body ached and she knew it was because of all the tension that accompanied her. Lisa was always alert and with it came the pain of worn-out and tight muscles.
She closed her eyes for a moment and let heat from the sun fill her body with warmth. She drifted off as she softly repeated her therapist's relaxation technique and followed it. As always, the relaxation pulled her into a light sleep.
Jacksonville, Florida – Bus Stop
Lisa was the first person back on the bus. Even after her nap in the sun, she was still sleepy. After placing her bags in the overhead compartment, she relaxed in her seat and pulled her newly purchased jacket tighter around her body. The temperature was dropping and dusk had come.
With a content sigh, she curled up and closed her eyes once more.
Jacksonville, Florida – Street
Jackson picked up the pace. He could see the coach bus—his ticket to a quick and easy escape down South—and was eager to be on the road. He was still a few minutes early, but he preferred being early to being late. There were less people wandering around now and that meant that he was at a higher risk of being spotted.
He stepped onto the bus and handed his ticket to the driver before heading towards the back for a seat. There were a few other people on the bus already, and one of them was already asleep. He stopped for a moment, worried that it was a gunman lying in wait to shoot him, and peeled back the jacket.
Jackson jumped back, startled as the features of Lisa Reisert came into sharp focus even under the dim reading lights of the coach bus. After all these months, she was here—in the flesh—the woman of his dreams and subsequent nightmares.
He watched her chest rise and fall. It would be so easy to slice her throat right now, or twist her little neck. I could cover her back up with the jacket and no one would ever know the difference. She wouldn't feel a thing…
"Hey, do you mind getting out of the aisle?" asked a grumpy voice from behind him.
Jackson straightened up and pulled the jacket back over Lisa.
"Not at all," he said with a false smile and a cold stare before sliding into the seat in the row beside Lisa's.
The man glared at the ex-manager and continued down the aisle. He turned to face Lisa again.
She looked like an angel when she was asleep—a look he had almost forgotten. Most of his memories of Lisa contained her fierce attitude and her anger directed at him. He had forgotten that she looked helpless and vulnerable at times.
I'm just going to watch over her… make sure that no one takes advantage of her, he thought to himself.
But deep inside, he knew that he had other reasons and it had nothing to do with her safety.
Author's Notes:
So sorry about the insanely long wait. I got wrapped up in my other story and then my life ran away with my writing time and it all fell apart. I'm still picking up the pieces, but working is one of the best things I can do right now. Enjoy and thanks for reading/reviewing!