8:00 AM

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Xx

Lisa yawned and rubbed her eyes as Jackson shut the door.

"What was that all about?"

He shrugged and moved to the stove to preheat the oven. "I have no idea. Hungry?"

"Very. Whatcha making, Aunt Jemima?"

Jackson cocked his head at the oven. "Muffins."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Lisa slid up to the table, rolling a napkin holder haphazardly between her thumbs.

At the familiar beeping of the ready stove, Jackson sat down across from Lisa and studied her. It was several minutes before she even noticed. When she did, she was extremely perturbed.

"What?" she grumbled, then, "take a picture, it lasts longer."

"Why did you give in?"

Lisa did a feigned double-take and laughed. Jackson did not, averting his eyes to the tablecloth. She paused with a weighted sigh. "I don't know what you mean."

"That's a pretty loaded sigh, Leese. Care to elaborate?"

"I told you, I don't know what you-"

Jackson snapped his head back up, his eyes flashing. "Cut the shit, Lisa. You know exactly what I mean and you're avoiding the question. I want to know why, so abruptly, you stopped being a bitch and started acting normal about the whole situation. It's far from normal and I hardly think that just because I kissed you things changed between us. You're not that type of person, and you know it."

Lisa thought. Why did I relent to him? He's right, I don't feel anything for him romantically, the kiss did nothing. It was somewhat interesting and mildly intriguing at the time, but I'm not incredibly keen on reliving the experience. So why haven't I tried to escape again?

"I'm not too sure of that myself, Jackson. Part of it is probably because part of me knows that there's no life for me outside of these walls. I may hate it here and this very well be the rest of my life, but if I did get out, either the legal system would jail me for the Keefe assassination, they'd kill me for the Keefe assassination, or one of your slack jawed cronies would do the deed for them."

"You didn't want to believe that a week ago," Jackson paused, smoothing his shirt. "What changed?"

"Let me continue," Lisa took a breath. "There's also…Rachel. She wasn't here the first few days I was."

"So because of a tough-ass highschool girl you decided to be a good dog and stay put for once?" His last jab insulted her, and she could tell he saw that as he cast his eyes downward. "Sorry."

She fixed him with a withering glare for a moment before continuing. "I don't want her to get hurt, and although I know that she's Alec's responsibility and not yours, I have a feeling that if I get under your skin, you'll find a way to hurt her."

Jackson smirked. "Well put. Maybe a little bit more of me is rubbing off on you than you think, Leese."

She stood in disgust and pushed in her chair. It rattled the table, causing Jackson's cup of coffee to spill over the side and into his lap. "I may not try to escape, Jack, but if you ever say anything like that ever again, I can guarantee you that spilled coffee will be the least of your worries."

He lept from the table and slammed her shoulders against the wall adjacent to the table. "Was that a threat?"

Her eyes twinkled as he hissed at her. "I don't know…Jack," she whispered coyly. "Why don't you be the judge? You seem to make enough of them to know the topic well enough."

He glared at her but released his grip, stalking back off to the oven and yanking open the door, peering furiously inside.

"The muffins are done."

Xx

8:34 AM

Sunday, December 24, 2006

"It meant nothing!" Rachel screamed at Alec, trying to wrestle the phone from his grip. "I swear to God, it meant nothing at all!"

"If that's true, Rachel, then why would you waste precious time spitting it into your sister's ear?" he yelled. "Don't even try to play the innocent card with me."

"It. Was. Nothing!"

Alec grabbed her wrist on her latest swing and twisted it sharply. It snapped beneath his grip and with a cry of shock and agony, Rachel crumpled to the floor. She hugged it to her body and started to cry.

"Your tears don't phase me, Rachel. Tell me, now. You have fifteen seconds. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twe-"

"It was a date," she hurried.

"Obviously. Of what?"

"A—a trip," she said slowly. "A memorable family vacation a long time ago."

Alec narrowed his eyes at her as he tossed the phone back into his pocket and zipped it up. "To where?"

Rachel hung her head and didn't reply. Alec slid to the floor next to her and tilted her chin skywards. "To where?" he repeated.

"Fl-Florida."

"Orlando?"

She nodded limply.

"I told you there would be consequences for misbehavior, Rachel."

"Please don't hurt him," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please. He has nothing to do with this."

"It's always about you. Isn't it?" his face contorted into a sneer as he watched her sob. She didn't anwer.

"Yes, it is. Right now, Rachel, I'm going to assume that your sister, dim-witted as she is, won't figure out your little clue. But she's not the problem. Who else was listening?"

"Nobody."

"That's a lie. How many people would have heard her scream your name when you called?"

"I don't know. I—I didn't call home. I called her cell. She's in college."

"I'm not sure I believe you, Rachel," Alec continued. "See, what if she came home when dear Daddy told her you'd been kidnapped? What if other people in your family or the police were listening?"

"I—I don't think they were."

"Would you bet your life on that, Rach?"

She paused, looking up at him. His jaw was set. "Excuse me?"

"Would you bet yourself?"

"Why-"

"I'll tell you the whole 100 truth. I have no idea if your sister is home or if she isn't. If she isn't, then that's great. I don't have to kill anybody, and you're safe. If she is, then you and your brother are screwed. I'm willing to make a bet with you. If I'm right, and I'll call my guy who's surveilling your house right now to find out, if Gina is home, you give yourself to me. You do what I tell you to when I tell you to, no more fighting, no more whining. If you're right, I'll leave you alone. I'll let you be by yourself until this job is done, no more of my telling you what to do. How does that sound?"

"Why would I even possibly risk my independence in a stupid bet like that?" Rachel snapped. Alec leveled his gaze.

"Because, Rach, I thought you were sure of the fact. If you are, there's nothing to lose. If you're lying, well, then you'd better just hope my guy's been drinking. And then there's this: either way, I promise not to kill your brother. For now."

She thought. I risk myself doing this—but it could work. I don't know where his guy is hiding, he might not have picked up my sister coming home. Alec's not lying.

He doesn't lie.

But either way, Chris is saved. That's the most important thing, right? Right.

"Fine."

Alec twirled his phone in his fingers and pulled it open, dialing a number.

Rachel saw the whole thing like it was in slow motion.

"….Gina home….?"

"….her sister…."

"….she is…..?"

"…ok, then…"

"…thank you…"

Alec turned to her, a triumphant grin invading his cheekbones.

"You've really got this lying business down pat, Rachel."

She looked away, her throat constricting as her eyes burned with tears. "Whatever. You win. I'm a good little girl now. Happy?"

"You made a bet, sweetie, and you being 'good' had little to do with it."

She looked up. Oh God. He didn't mean what I thought he meant. "Wh-what?"

"You know what."