Not Tonight

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

Chapter Three

When Jackson awoke the following morning, he leapt out of bed and dashed straight for the bathroom.

I can't let this happen. I can't let them kill Lisa. No matter what she does to me, she doesn't deserve to die like that. Even if the company puts a price on my head for disobeying, I'll do anything to keep her safe. I can't let this happen!

He showered and dressed faster than normal, grabbed his bags, and headed out to his rental car. He drove straight to the funeral, his hands gripping the steering wheel tight enough to force his knuckles to become bone-white. He parked with the other cars and moved into the crowd.

He hung just behind Lisa this time, instead of his usual distance of a hundred feet or more. When she stumbled, he was there to catch her and keep her from falling in a hole. The same hole she tripped in yesterday…

"Thank you," Lisa said gratefully.

"No problem."

"Have we met before?"

"I-I don't think so," he mumbled, quickly turning away and walking briskly towards his car.

Determinedly, she followed him, then grabbed him by his jacket sleeve in the middle of the street when she caught up to him. "Why are you running away from me?"

The sound of grinding gears and squealing tires cause Jackson to glance to their right and see a dark Lexus gunning its engine and aiming directly for them.

"Look out!" he cried out and grabbed Lisa tight against him as he pulled them out of the oncoming car's path. Lisa shrieked and fought against this grip until she noticed the car speeding past them—blowing right through were they had been standing only moments before.

Now that was too close for comfort!

"That's twice that you've helped me. Who are you? Superman?" she teased as she slowly moved to stand.

"No, just an ordinary person," he shrugged.

"Hmm, I don't believe you."

Thunderclouds rumbled overhead and the rain began to fall.

"Do you have a car?" he asked her.

"No. Why?"

"'Cause mine's right over there and I could give you a ride to wherever you need to go. This is going to be a storm and a half," he said knowingly.

"My mother told me to never except rides from strangers," she taunted, outstretching her hands and tilting her head back to enjoy the refreshing rain. She let out a girlish giggle that touched his heart.

I can't let you die… I promise that I'll do everything possible to save you.

"My name's Jackson Rippner," he offered, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Lisa Reisert. Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"I would have remembered you," Jackson said with a wide smile that caused her to blush. Thunder sounded and she jumped. "Now, what do you say we get out of the rain?"

She nodded and they ran to his rental car. Jackson opened the passenger side door for her and closed it after she had climbed in. He raced around to the other side and hopped in.

"Now, where to?" he asked politely.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in? There's a bathroom that you could clean up in," Lisa offered when they pulled up in front of her mother's house.

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'm on my way to the airport—I'll clean up there."

"Okay, well—"

"It was very nice to meet you, Lisa."

"You too, Jackson."

Before either could say anything else, her mother had appeared in the doorway of the house and was calling her name. Lisa sighed, "I'd better go…"

"Yeah."

She flashed him a sad half-smile and alighted from the car before dashing up the walkway and into the house he had sat in front of for several days and nights.

The smell of her perfume still lingered in the air and he inhaled the sweet scent as he drove to Dallas International Airport. I'll save you…

His cell phone rang soon after he entered the airport.

"Rippner," he answered.

"The Keefe job has been cancelled. You are not to get on that plane."

"What are you talking about? I've been planning this for months! I'm already at the airport!"

"You're to go back to your hotel and wait for further instructions. The plan is cancelled and you are to withdraw from Lisa Reisert immediately."

"Why?"

"You'll do as you are told, Rippner, or you won't have a job or a life. Remember the rules?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Good. Now go back to your hotel."

Something's not right… they changed something.

A few minutes later, Jackson knew exactly what when an explosion ripped through the airport and he was knocked into a cement wall and everything went black.

"Remember Rippner, every decision has a consequence," hissed the now-familiar voice as he slowly cracked his eyes open. Lisa…where's Lisa? Is she already dead?

"What did you do to her?"

"Oh, Miss Reisert? She was quite cooperative when my employees nearly slit her throat. She changed the room like a good little bitch and behaved while they had their fun—"

"You killed her—and all those people. You set off that bomb."

"Everyone needs a little excitement now and then."

Jackson groaned just before he felt the all-too recognizable prick of a needle in his neck and his eyelids grew heavy.

I'll save you tomorrow… I promise…

Author's Notes:

I actually updated in a semi-timely fashion. This was an interesting chapter to write, and hopefully I'll update at least once more this week now that I'm hitting my stride in this story. Thanks for reading/reviewing!