A/N: Thanks for waiting for this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. Thanks as always for your wonderful reviews. You truly inspire me.
Chapter 8
"Lisbon, I give you, Plan B."
"You're enjoying this entirely too much," she replied.
"Strangely, yes."
Jane finished tying her to the dining room chair with the cords from two lamps, never imagining that this sort of thing would be such a turn-on. He squatted behind her, wrapping the plastic cord gently but firmly around her dainty wrists, inhaling the scent of her hair, the sable tips stirring with each breath. He moved in front of her, going down on his knees to tie her ankles to the chair legs, looking up at her adoringly. She blushed at his regard, knowing that the rest of the team were in the next room.
Finished, he put his hands on her feet. "Now," he said softly, "you are completely at my mercy."
"Jane," she admonished, though her breasts were rising and falling much more rapidly, their shape further emphasized with her hands tied behind her. It was all he could do not to cup them in his hands while ravaging her sexy mouth. He was leaning in to do just that when Rigsby emerged from the hall, carrying the remnants of the rest of Jane's traps.
Jane stood as casually as he could, putting his hands in his jacket pockets so he could better camouflage the uncomfortably full front of his slacks. Lisbon hadn't missed it, and she smirked at his predicament.
Serves him right, she thought, for sneaking little caresses and working me up when the others were in the next room.
Rigsby grinned, oblivious to the tension between Jane and Lisbon. "Hey, Boss. You think this might be a good time to ask for a promotion?"
Lisbon's green eyes narrowed in warning, and Rigsby's smile disappeared. Jane's grin widened in proportion.
"Quit being so grumpy, Lisbon. I can completely understand Rigsby's desire to blackmail you under the circumstances. This is the most vulnerable we've ever seen you."
Except when you were naked beneath me a few hours ago, he finished to himself, and winked at her wickedly.
She blushed further, obviously thinking about the same thing.
"Well, don't do anything you'll regret, because when I get out of this, revenge will be sweet."
Jane's eyes sparkled, but he said nothing more to tease her in front of her team. He wondered, however, what vengeance would feel like exacted from her soft hands. He swallowed hard and willed his body to settle down before he embarrassed himself.
"I think we got everything," said Van Pelt, joining them in the foyer, her hands full of the household items Jane had rigged up. She stopped short to smile at Lisbon in her awkward state.
Cho came in from the garage, having hidden the SUV as instructed. He regarded Lisbon with amused eyes, though the rest of his face remained expressionless.
"Remind me why this is really necessary," Lisbon said, annoyed with the lot of them.
Jane was happy to re-explain.
"When Red John and his crew come in, seeing you tied up and secure will keep everyone calm. If, however, they come in to find the team drawn and ready, it will inevitably lead to a shoot-out, and from a personal standpoint, I don't want to be caught in the crossfire. This way, I build up some trust and then you three can take them by surprise, come out from hiding to do your cop thing and arrest them peacefully."
Everyone looked skeptical at this whole plan, but they trusted Jane in these matters, having been skeptical before and everything turned out well. On the other hand, they still had reason to be skeptical, because sometimes things didn't go quite as he predicted, though usually they caught the bad guy in the end. Nothing was certain with Jane, but at least he was the devil they knew.
"What if Red John and his people come in, guns blazing, and decide to shoot you and Lisbon because you didn't go along with their plan?" asked Van Pelt. "We won't have time to save you if we're in another room."
"They won't do that," said Jane confidently. "Red John wants me to succeed. He wants me to kill Lisbon and join the Dark Side. Had he wanted me dead, he would have killed me long ago."
"But he doesn't care if Lisbon's dead," Rigsby pointed out. "No offense, Boss."
Jane didn't allow them to see how much this weakness in his plan worried him.
"You guys will be out here arresting them before that happens, I promise."
Jane's hand resting briefly on Lisbon's shoulder, offering what little reassurance he could do in front of the team. It was an unspoken agreement between them that they not show their new intimate involvement. It would certainly be the height of hypocrisy for Lisbon to be sleeping with another team member while Rigsby and Van Pelt had been forced to break up because of their relationship. He was sure they'd figure out how to deal with it later, but for now, they both were very careful to seem normal.
"In the meantime," Jane continued on a brighter note, "Rigsby, would you mind shooting a hole in the arm of the couch?"
"What? Why?"
"If you recall, I said I was given one bullet to kill Lisbon. My explanation for why she's tied to a chair hinges on my seemingly unfortunate discharge of said bullet."
"Why don't you do the shooting, then?" Rigsby asked.
"I might need that bullet to protect myself," he said, patting the gun in his suit coat pocket. "You guys get to have guns."
"We have more bullets," said Cho helpfully, a layer of suspicion in his voice that Jane tried hard to pretend he hadn't noticed.
"Just do it, Rigsby," Lisbon ordered, already tired of the entire back and forth about trying to explain Patrick Jane's reasoning. She could feel the tension headache that had started earlier verge on a full-blown migraine.
"But it's such a nice couch." At the multiple glares, he pulled out his sidearm. "All right, all right." While everyone covered their ears, Rigsby shot into the arm of the couch. Jane, however, risked his own hearing to cover Lisbon's with his two hands. He nodded in satisfaction at the smoking black hole that marred the white leather.
"Thanks, Wayne."
"Such a shame," murmured Rigsby.
Van Pelt stuffed the former booby trap items out of sight inside a few kitchen cabinets, while Jane retrieved a dish towel from one of the drawers. He rolled it carefully into a snakelike length before walking back to Lisbon.
"Now, the piece de resistance," he said almost gleefully. "Open your mouth, Teresa."
She looked up at him in warning. "No way."
"It will lend a touch of realism," he said, moving to stand behind her.
When she opened her mouth again in protest, he seized the moment to press the dish towel between her lips, tying it at the back of her head. It made an effective gag, though knowing her as he did, he could still understand what she was trying to say. Something along the lines of Goddammit Jane, and When I get out of this, I'm gonna kick your ass.
The team grinned at the murderous look she directed at Jane, until she bestowed it upon them as well. They immediately sobered.
"Don't worry about her," said Jane. "You'll thank me later."
"Someone's coming," said Cho from his station by a living room window blind. "It's a stretch limo."
Jane was sure that meant Red John was with them. His stomach did an anxious flip.
"Okay, guys, everyone to your hiding places," said Jane. "Give me a minute to get things under control, then I'm sure you'll know when to come out."
The trio scattered, and Jane waited impatiently near Lisbon, his hand briefly touching the top of her head. He felt her tension, saw the anxiety in her pleading green eyes.
"Everything will be all right," he told her calmly, though his own heart was pounding in fearful anticipation.
As planned, Lisbon closed her eyes and dropped her head forward, pretending to be out cold.
Much to Jane's disappointment, it was only Lorelei and Hulk at the door. She came in first, gun drawn, surprised to see Lisbon's captive state and Jane standing nearby, a cautious look on his face. He held the gun at his side.
Lorelei disarmed the alarm and moved further into the house, her security guy behind her with his own gun drawn.
"How did this alarm get turned back on?" asked Lorelei, befuddled. "We were alerted it had been turned off and on again."
"Your friend Earl paid us a visit," said Jane smoothly, though Cho had watched Earl enter the code earlier and had been the one to reset it to avoid suspicion.
Lorelei frowned. "That's interesting." Then she took on the elephant in the room.
"I see you both are still alive. What's with Agent Lisbon in full bondage here? Put down the gun, Patrick, by the way."
Jane pointed with his weapon to the nearby couch and the obvious bullet hole. "My gun is no longer loaded."
Lorelei's eyes widened. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."
"When I tried to shoot Lisbon, she wrestled me for the gun. It went off, hitting the couch. I managed to knock her out with the butt of the gun, but I tied her up in case she woke up and caused other problems."
"Why didn't you just beat her to death?" asked Lorelei. She moved to Lisbon, picking up her head from her chest by the hair, examined her blank face critically a moment before dropping her head roughly. Jane's empty hand curled reflexively into an angry fist.
"I thought about it," he said, maintaining his reasonable tone. "But I just couldn't do it. I'm not that kind of man, Lorelei. Using a gun is one thing. Killing someone with my bare hands—" he shook his head glumly. "Look, I did what I could. Can't this be enough for Red John? We can just leave her here, turn off the air conditioner. She'll die of heat stroke in a day or two."
"I don't know, Jane. This is a loose end Red John would not want to leave in the wind. I'll just have to take care of her myself, and you'd better pray he believes your story or you'll—" She advance toward Lisbon, pointing her gun at Lisbon's head.
"Drop your weapons!" said the team, emerging from their hiding places, guns trained on Red John's minions from three directions.
In complete surprise, Lorelei and Hulk turned toward the interlopers.
"Do it now!" said Van Pelt. "Kick them away from you and lay flat on the floor, arms out."
"I gotta hand it to you, Patrick," said Lorelei, slowly complying with their orders. "You told me you were a conman, but I didn't listen."
"You knew what I was when you picked me up," said Jane, paraphrasing the parable. "And I knew you."
By now Lisbon had opened her eyes and was waiting impatiently for her team to handcuff their prisoners, then push them onto the couch.
She made a noise to remind them to untie her now, but Jane ignored her, suddenly ordering everyone to be silent. He thought he'd heard something; the low, steady drone of an engine. Cho noticed at the same time and went to the window.
"The car is still running," Cho said, lifting one of the blind slats. If someone was still in the limo, they'd have the car idling so the air conditioner could stay on.
Jane nodded, then went to stand in front of Lorelei, pointing his gun at her forehead, just as she had to Lisbon. "Is he out there?" he demanded. "Is he armed?"
Lorelei smirked. "Why don't you go out there and find out yourself?"
"I'll go," volunteered Cho.
"No. He sees anyone but me or Lorelei, and he'll either start shooting or drive away and we'll lose him."
Lisbon strained against her restraints, grunting in angry demand. Jane pointedly ignored her, and it was then she knew why he'd bound and gagged her. This had been his plan all along. He wanted Red John for himself, didn't want to hear her order her team to hold him back.
Van Pelt moved to untie Lisbon.
"No," said Jane. "Please. This way, you can let me do this without having heard orders to stop me."
"But—"
"He's right," said Cho, avoiding Lisbon's eyes at his betrayal. "Let him go."
"Cho," said Rigsby, glancing nervously at their furious boss.
"Red John killed his family," said Cho softly. "He has a right to do this. He killed some of our people too. This might be our only chance to really get him."
"But we've got these two to help us find him if he gets away," reasoned Van Pelt.
"Ha," said Lorelei. "You'll get nothing from us. Unlike you are with your boss, we are completely loyal to ours."
"Oh, sweetheart," said Jane patronizingly. "I'll have you singing like a bird in no time, don't doubt me. But that might not be necessary if you guys let me go out there now," he said to his friends.
Jane met Cho's eyes, and a look of mutual understanding passed between them. Jane knew Cho could see how this could go if they merely went out there, shot up the vehicle and captured Red John. The serial killer was so adept at covering his tracks, that there would likely be no proof of who he really was. He could be back on the street within hours. And if they killed him, well, that would cheapen all that Jane had fought and suffered for in the past decade. Cho respected the law, but he respected honor more.
"Go," said Cho. "We'll cover you from here."
The other two looked from their captives to the struggling Lisbon, but they made no move to stop him. Jane strode over to Lisbon, then squatted before her and looked into her blazing green eyes. She shook her head violently at him, chomping at the bit, but he laid a cold hand on her knee, willing her to understand.
"I'm sorry Teresa," he whispered, so no one else could hear. "Love you."
Her muffled cries were desperate now, and she rocked the chair back and forth in a pitiful effort to get away. But without a backward glance, Jane went to the door. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the late afternoon heat, hands held high.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Lisbon sat in the chair she had willingly (mostly) sat in, the gag still firmly in place, she tried to calm herself down. It did no good to be mad at Jane or her team, mainly because fear was swiftly overtaking her anger. He was out there with Red John, and there was a pretty good possibility that Jane had used up the last of his nine lives.
She'd give up all of her own to be with him one last time, to feel his warm arms enfolding her, to feel his full lips on hers, his hands reverently sliding over her body.
His timing really sucked.
"What's happening?" she tried to say around the dishcloth, but her words came out garbled. Cho would have made a great dentist, however, for he seemed to understand her perfectly. He peered through the blind again, to give her a play-by-play.
"He's at the back window of the limo. He's knocking, but no one is answering. He's trying the door. It's locked. The windows are pretty dark. I doubt he can see if anyone is inside."
Lisbon glanced over at Lorelei, but her face was impassive, and she and the Hulk stared calmly into space, accepting of whatever their lot might be.
Rigsby and Van Pelt had gone out through the back door, gone round to the side of the house out of sight of the limo to lend cover.
"He's going to the driver's side," Cho continued. "It's unlocked. He's getting inside."
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Lisbon said to herself, fear gripping her heart like a vise. Then: Please, watch over Jane.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hello, Patrick," said Red John from the dark back seat of the limousine. His voice was unnaturally raspy and high-pitched, a successful ploy to disguise his actual voice.
"Hey," Jane managed over his racing pulse. "How're you doing?" He peered in the rearview mirror, but only saw the dark outline of a man, wearing what looked to be a baseball cap. He couldn't make out any of his facial features.
"I was fine until about ten minutes ago. I must inform you, my gun is pointed at your back, so it would be wise if you remained facing forward, and don't try anything rash. Oh, and keep your hands on the steering wheel where I can see them."
"All right," said Jane, his voice just on the verge of breaking. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Where are my people?" asked the killer.
"Taking care of Lisbon's body."
"Don't lie to me, Patrick," Red John replied mildly. "You've obviously done something to them, and you've failed the task I set for you to kill Agent Lisbon. It really saddens me. I had such high hopes for you. For us together. We could have been friends. Imagine the life you could have led…"
"I'd rather not. All I've ever imagined was killing you."
Red John chuckled, the sound tingling coldly down his spine. Jane remembered that laugh too well.
"Your determination never ceases to amaze me; even when you shot the wrong me, you still have these delusions of grandeur."
"Ah, but you must admit, I had you, at least at first."
"Perhaps. But it's all moot now, isn't it? The question now is, what to do with you. I can't have you eliminating my people, or trying to manipulate me, no matter that you didn't succeed. Sadly, Patrick, I can't let you get away with this. You must be punished somehow."
As Red John spoke, Jane's mind was racing. It would be a calculated risk to move one hand to the gun in his suit coat pocket, especially with only one bullet and a gun at his back. The trick would be to try to keep Red John distracted so he could move his right hand quickly.
"You've already punished me, on several occasions," said Jane. "No one would think less of you if you let this one pass."
"Nice try, but I'm afraid I can't do that."
Then Jane suddenly felt the cold metal of Red John's gun pressed into the back of his neck.
"Don't make any sudden moves. Nice and slow, turn the limo around in the cul de sac and start driving until I tell you to stop."
When Jane's hand moved to put the limo in drive, his hand was briefly out of Red John's sight. If he was going to go for his gun, now might be the best time. He thought of Lisbon, tied up in the house, no doubt equal parts worried and furious with him. He thought of the comfort of having the team watching him right now, their weapons backing him up. If he left with Red John in the limo, they might not have time to get to their SUV, wait for the garage door to open, and catch up with him before they reached the freeway. The team would not know which direction they turned. Any security Jane had would be gone once he drove away in this limo. He couldn't give that up, for he didn't want to die on the side of the road somewhere, alone, without saying goodbye to Lisbon.
Steeling himself against the possible pain of a bullet burning into his back, Jane quickly reached for his gun.
A/N: Sorry to those of you who aren't fans of cliffies, but I admit to a certain perverse enjoyment of them, lol. Forgive me. Also, it was difficult putting Lisbon in the position of being manipulated by Jane, but this is the kind of crap he does when he is blinded by his desire for vengeance (leaving her on the side of the road comes to mind). In this story, he is still partly that man, I'm afraid. Thanks for reading. I'll try to not to leave you hanging too long.
