Disclaimer: None of this (except for OCs) belongs to me.
Author's note: I am so happy that people continue to read and review this story. You guys are fantastic! However, don't be shy - if there's anything in there that you find needs improving, just let me know. I promise I won't bite.
Chapter 25
Forbish was laughing, still pressing down on her with all his might and Lisa felt the world shake. She let out an agonized scream and struggled against him.
"Leese!"
Jackson! Jackson had finally come to help her.
"Leese!"
Lisa snapped back to her senses with a start and instinctively scrambled backwards. She was in her room, free of the cuffs, and in front of her knelt Jackson with a look of clear alarm. Lisa stared at him wild-eyed and he held up his hands.
"He's gone, Leese, Forbish is gone."
She slumped down, breath coming in short gasps. "How … what …"
"Breathe. Just breathe."
Jackson reached out, but Lisa flinched away feeling incredibly filthy. She was sticky with sweat, blood, vomit and tears and the sight of her own clothes made her sick all over again. He didn't seem to mind as he took her by the arm and for the first time, Lisa noticed that even Jackson had been marked by the meeting with his ex trainer. An ugly bruise shimmered on his cheekbone all the way down to his jaw and there were fresh cuts on his neck.
Jackson slowly walked her into the bathroom and let her drop to the floor next to the small tub. He turned on the tap and left, returning with her vanity bag and fresh clothes which he laid out on a little stool. Jackson helped her to her feet and steadied her with outstretched arms, regarding her questioningly.
"I'm okay." Lisa could barely muster the strength to whisper.
He merely nodded in reply and closed the door firmly behind him. Lisa undressed, gingerly checking out her bruises in the mirror, and winced at the pain. She slid into the warm water with a content sigh and blinked in confusion when she realized that Jackson had brought her the TC shirt. If actions did indeed speak louder than words, he had just been pretty nice to her.
She completely lost track of time and it was dark when Lisa finally emerged from her bath. The main room had been tidied up, her dirty sheets were gone and the distinctive smell of detergent filled the air. The mattress was leaning against the wall, having obviously been cleaned.
Jackson sat in front of his laptop and the shimmer of the screen cast a strange light onto his face, turning his skin pale and transforming the brilliant blue of his eyes into almost eerie lucidity.
He looked up and they exchanged a glance. Jackson's gaze wandered down to her shirt and he grinned briefly before his features settled into a more neutral expression. After a moment's hesitation, Lisa stepped forward.
"Whitley has answered your mail." Jackson paused, apparently pondering something. "Your dad and friends are in town and they want you to come home."
Lisa hung her head with a little shake and moved over to the window. The blinds were shut as always, but she could hear the sounds of the city traveling through the wind. The mental image of her family out there, no doubt worried beyond all reason, weighed her down with sadness and longing. "We're not done here, are we?"
His footsteps approached. "No." Jackson's voice was low and betrayed no emotion.
Lisa rested her forehead against the glass, savoring the cool sensation. "I'll tell them we need more time." The few precious minutes alone in that interrogation room, right before she had agreed to participate in this mission, seemed years away, but she remembered her determination all too clearly. Back then, she had decided to go through with it come hell or high water - and she would not shy away now.
Suddenly Lisa felt Jackson's hand close around the back of her neck, but it was almost gentle, his fingertips connecting with her skin rather than digging into it. He pressed down his palm in a faintly awkward motion and slowly, he pulled her away from the window. The warmth of his touch offered a fleeting hint of reserved comfort that passed into oblivion when Lisa turned around and broke the contact.
His lips curved into the all too familiar smirk and Jackson went over to the table, pulling out the second chair. "There's work to do."
Lisa shrugged off the remains of the moment and followed. "I take it we have passed the interview?"
"Yes, we had him completely fooled."
"You sound surprised." Even though the mere mention made her shudder, it also filled her with immense pride and an innate sense of accomplishment.
Jackson chuckled. "Don't get cocky." He cleared his throat and grew serious once more, knuckles rapping against the table. "It's just the beginning."
Lisa just had to ask. "Forbish … he said -"
"Forbish is all about the person, Leese, he judges by how believable he finds you as a character, especially under pressure. That's the reason for all the weird questions and the violence. Whatever he said, it was supposed to throw you for a loop. We'll get to that later, now check your message."
Lisa read through Whitley's mail, which basically served as an introduction to what her family had to say. Her father, mother, Jay and Cynthia had each written a few paragraphs and their tension was palpable. God, how she missed them.
All intentions for a reassuring and calm message pulverized while Lisa phrased her reply. She nearly rambled, posing question after question about their well-being and the life they used to share, interspersed with little anecdotes and stories of past adventures together. Lisa did not go into detail about her own, but gave a very general account and tried to make them understand that she couldn't return just yet. It almost broke her heart when the last sentences poured out of her and she finished her mail with I love you always, Lisa.
"You done?" Jackson waited for her signal before he took the laptop.
"Yes."
He added a few lines of his own and hit 'send'.
Lisa got up and walked into the kitchenette, rifling through the cabinets until she had collected enough comfort food to last an army and settled on the couch.
"We could order something, you know." He was standing in the doorframe.
"No, I'm good."
"Suit yourself." Jackson strolled over casually, but Lisa could have sworn his swagger lacked a bit of his usual coolly dispassionate luster. He plopped down beside her, close enough to stir a quick ripple of discomfort in her gut, and reached for the nachos. "We still need to talk about what exactly went down between you and Forbish, Leese."
She had intended it to come out smoothly, but her tone was faltering despite her best efforts. "Tonight?"
"No, we can do it tomorrow morning if you insist." He handed her the jar with the dip, eyes probing hers deeply. "We have another meeting at 2 p.m.."
Lisa dropped the jar and cursed in frustration while she fumbled around for it. She would never be any good at this, just look, her nerves were fleeing her already!
Jackson ran a hand through his hair and pursed his lips in annoyance, but it seemed as if she wasn't the sole reason for his irritation. "Leave it." He grabbed the dip and smacked it back onto the table with a bang.
Lisa crossed her legs and regarded him with a weary smile. "Let's do this now, I won't be able to sleep either way."
"Remember the sedative? There's more where that came from."
She bolted upright and glared at him. "You wouldn't!"
Jackson clenched his teeth for a moment before he went on, firmly neutral. "It was meant to be an offer, Leese, not an order."
It was too late, though, Lisa had lost her appetite and threw aside the pack of nachos with a shaky sigh. Massaging her temples at the thought of the ghosts that might haunt her in her sleep tonight, she got up.
"Your loss." Jackson raised one brow and the unspoken challenge was written all across his face in bright red letters. When she didn't react to it, he turned his back on her. Lisa was already halfway out the door when his voice, soft to the point of being almost too soft to hear, reached her ears. "Oh for fuck's sake, Leese, I'm not exactly reveling in your pain here."
Lisa opened her mouth, shut it with a snap and opened it again. Jackson cut her off with an impatient wave of the hand. "Fresh sheets are on your suitcase."