Author's note: Oh man, that was a hard chapter to write and I hope it doesn't show too much.. Please let me know what you think, (constructive) criticism is always, always welcome.Thanks for all the kind reviews so far, you guys are simply amazing!

Oh, and I must be the dumbest person on earth, but if someone could tell me how I can use the combination exclamation mark and question mark in a text (it gets deleted all the time), I'd be much obliged ...

Chapter 17

Lisa didn't know how many hours she had already spent alone in her new prison, but it must have been at least five or six. Pride kept her from calling for Jackson to let her out, but she wasn't sure how much more she could stomach - her back was itching and she was thirsty and miserable.

Soon after he had left her, she had taken off the mattress cover and wrapped it around her body before drifting into a restless slumber that was riddled with nightmares. Even awake she had tossed and turned, a million thoughts in her head.

Now, in the dark, Lisa made a few timid steps around the room just to keep her mind occupied and she flinched when her outstretched arms touched the cold chains. For about half an hour she fumbled around with growing frustration before sitting back down in her corner. Lisa was at her wit's end.

Sudden light blinded her and Jackson came in, carrying a tray with food and water. Standing in the door frame, he looked at her for a few seconds and his blue stare made her dig her fingers into her makeshift garment.

"Hungry?" His voice was icy and his eyes even more so.

"Yes."

"I'll be setting this down in front of you, but don't even think about kicking or punching me or whatever it is you're pondering in that stubborn head of yours. I swear there'll be hell to pay - don't test me, Leese."

"I'm not going to attack you, Jackson." Lisa grimaced when she put the tray on her lap and leaned back, the wall scraping her sore skin.

Cherry must have been waiting outside, because Lisa heard the lock turn.

Jackson took a seat on the mattress next to her. "When you're done, I'll check out the cuts."

They didn't speak any more while she ate. Lisa found herself chewing the last piece of meat over and over again, in a way too scared to swallow it down and finish her meal. It would ring in the next round in that awful game they seemed to play.

"I think you're done."

Lisa sighed - there was no getting away from him, was there? She set the tray aside.

"What am I going to do with you, Leese?" Jackson sounded distracted, which startled her. "So far you have shown nothing but resistance and an unwillingness to comply, which is ironic, because you have no clue about this whole thing and I am your safest bet."

"That's not the truth, Jackson, and you know it. I have complied with everything that was asked of me. The only problem we seem to have is that I feel my safest bet would be Whi-"

He cut her short impatiently. "Are you guys having an affair or something?"

"What!"

"Whitley this, Whitley that, yaddayaddayadda. I'd like to think that of all people, you would take offence to the way he treated you." He raised his brows.

"What do you mean?"

"If I remember correctly, requiring and ensuring your help in order to get stuff done is something you don't take well to. And I saw the way he made you stay in that corridor - I knew you didn't like it and so did he, believe me." The expression on his face was that of mock surprise that she appeared to have missed out on an important lesson. "Didn't stop him, though, did it?"

Lisa snorted in reply. "Are you trying to tell me that what you wanted on the plane and what he wants now is the same thing?"

"Not the ultimate goal, but the means."

"You forget that he threatened noone. Not me, not my family."

"He didn't have to. Keefe and Whitley knew exactly which buttons they had to push - but does that make it any better?"

"Are we having a philosophical discussion here or what's your point?"

"My point is," Jackson drew out the words, "that you can never trust anybody just because they work 'for the government'. The government merely happens to believe in different things, but they are equally reckless in protecting their interests as … other entities are. In the greater scheme of things, Leese, you are collateral damage. All you need to focus on is the immediate problem and what it means for you."

"My immediate problem is that I am held captive by the same person who tried to kill me a year ago. Who might very well try to kill me again once I have served my purpose, whatever that may be." Lisa's hands were curled into fists, knuckles white.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Turn around." Jackson rolled his eyes when Lisa didn't react and stared at him instead. "Turn around, let me have a look."

"Can't Cherry … ?"

"She has other things to do, so it's either me or nobody. Unless of course you are a contortionist and can do it yourself."

Hesitantly, Lisa did as told and loosened the covers she had wrapped around herself, twisting her head to see what he was up to.

"Cherry did a good job cleaning, nothing's inflamed. I'm just going to dab on this ointment which will calm your skin and stop the itching." Jackson exhaled slowly. "I got you pretty bad there."

"Yes, you did."

For a second, Lisa thought he might apologize, but he kept silent, fingers dancing swiftly and lightly across her back. She started to relax, enjoying the cool sensation that spread wherever Jackson touched her and she bent her knees, resting her head on them with half-closed eyes.

When she heard him chuckle, Lisa realized he must have stopped a while ago and sat up quickly, angry with herself for letting her guard down so easily.

Jackson looked at her with a faint smirk on his face, only this time it was almost friendly. "About your immediate problem … the reason I took you along without asking was that you would have never agreed to come." Lisa wanted to protest. "Don't argue, Leese. I am aware of the fact that Whitley's your golden boy, even though he did nothing but wave a badge around."

"It's not only that, Jackson, and you know it."

"That's the thing with you, you can never let go."

"Not as a rule, but when people try to kill me, I make sure and remember that next time I see them, yes."

"Be that as it may, Whitley kept screwing up and I don't understand why you can't at least admit that to yourself. You saw his monkeys loitering around the house and I think you were just as excited as I was about the microphones. Am I right?"

"Jackson, it's complicated, I -"

"No, you're making it complicated. Come on, it's a yes or no question."

Lisa just shook her head and he took her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. When she tried to yank free, Jackson held on tighter, eyes narrowed. "Don't."

"Y-yes." Lisa glared at him. "You know, Jackson, you're just pushing buttons, too."

"I never said it would be easy." He gave her a crooked smile and Lisa frowned when she felt his thumb run along her jaw. "Now that we've clarified that, let's continue with our pop quiz: would you really want Whitley to be the guy to have around once things get complicated? When the pressure's on?"

It was dangerous territory. Deep down in her heart Lisa knew she agreed with him, but saying it out loud might change things. She was not at all sure whether she would be able to cope with that.

Jackson seemed to sense her dilemma, because he leaned in, staring at her in strange solemnity. With one hand Lisa held on to the covers and tried to push him away with the other, but he seized her wrist and twisted it down carefully. "Answer me." It sounded patient, but she knew better.

It was barely a whisper. "No, I wouldn't." Lisa closed her eyes in defeat. When she opened them again a second or two later, Jackson was still looking at her, a light spark dancing in his baby blues.