Author's note: Ha! How's that for a quick update? Special thanks to emptyvoices, Royalty09 and First Noelle for their neverending encouragement and good tips.

Chapter 28

With the fight and the accompanying adrenaline gone, only fear and disgust were left to fill her heart, making it beat in a rapid, heavy rhythm until Lisa worried it might burst her chest from the inside out. Tears of anger streaked her face and she cursed in frustration at her current state - away from everything she loved, in the company of cold blooded criminals. Curling up on her side and pressing her forehead against the cool wall, she imagined what she would be doing right now if she were at home. It was a Thursday afternoon, somewhere around 5 p.m., so she'd be working and later meet Cynthia and Jay at The Potato Drink, the best vodka bar in town and favored setting for their cherished weekly cocktail run.

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"So where do you wanna go on Saturday?" Cynthia was nibbling on the little cherry that had come with her drink and eyed one of the waiters with a lazy gaze.

Lisa looked down, fingers absentmindedly tracing the little droplets of perspiration down the chilled glass. "I don't know … The Village?"

"Again?" Jay tilted his head and viewed her intently. "I love gay clubs and I understand that … well … oh heck, I'll come right out and say it … I understand that they feel safe to you, but don't you think it's about time you ventured out a little?"

Lisa blushed. It was true, she did feel safe at gay clubs, surrounded by men she knew did not take any interest in her. The last time she had been persuaded to spend an evening at a regular club, she had left early and close to a panic, intimidated by the amount and intensity of the stares she had gotten from strangers.

Cynthia stroked her arm. "We don't want to force you into anything you're uncomfortable with, but Jay is right … you might want to at least consider trying to change things. Just a bit! You're not alone, you know?"

Lisa gave her a smile in return and squeezed her friend's hand. "I do know that and you have no idea how grateful I am."

The following Saturday the three went to a sport's bar where the average customer was about 50 and kept to themselves. They had a couple of beers and Jay put an evil gypsy curse ("My neighbor's from Bulgaria and she taught me how to do that.") on the aesthetically challenged woman who had picked five Celine Dion songs in a row on the jukebox. The weekend after that they went to the Village again to replenish and the weekend after that, to a regular club closer to their own age group.

Eventually, Lisa got better. Weeks later, she would say yes to the first date she had had in well over two years. Of course it didn't work out – there were still too many issues to work through – but it was nice to see not all men were predators.

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The animated discussion from the other side of the wall told her that Laritt hadn't left yet. Suddenly, Lisa realized something with no small amount of surprise. She realized that she couldn't stand for him to be here, in 'their' apartment. The base of operations for her abductor slash accomplice had, in a strange way, become her home and she felt a certain sense of protectiveness towards it. Lisa sighed and then flinched when the wall slid apart. Hesitantly, she turned around and faced the two men that were staring down on her, so alike and yet worlds apart.

Jackson seemed as cool as ever, his suit without a single wrinkle and he wore it casually, confidently. Laritt was obviously angry, the knot of his tie too far on one side and his hands were curled into fists. Lisa decided it was the difference in age and experience that was his main disadvantage. Laritt was as violently ambitious and menacing as Jackson, but unlike him, he had not completely mastered his emotions. Well, if you forgot about a minor slip or two from the latter. At the last moment, Lisa bit down hard on her lip, turning the faint smile that had threatened to escape into a grimace of what she hoped looked like irrational fear. Jackson frowned.

"Dear Lisa, I'm afraid our time for today has come to an end. It was a real pleasure to meet you." Laritt had regained his composure and once more, his voice radiated boredom. But then the smile he gave her was downright appalling. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon."

When she kept silent, Jackson nudged her with the tip of his foot. "Leese?"

God, how she hated this and Lisa was determined to let him know afterwards. "Good bye."

"Good bye, gorgeous. And be good!" Laritt snickered at Jackson and turned away.

The wall closed and Lisa fell back into her mattress with a sigh, eternally relieved her ordeal was over - for the day. She had been strong and she was proud of that, but she knew she wouldn't have been able to stomach another round of the pompous slime that was Laritt. The apartment door slammed shut with a bang and Lisa got up, waiting for Jackson to let her out.

It didn't happen.

She heard him rummage about in the room, heard furniture being moved and the faint rustle of papers, but she couldn't figure out what it meant. For a horrifying moment, Lisa feared that somehow Laritt had killed Jackson and was now sniffing around before he would come for her. It sent a chill up her spine and frantically, Lisa searched for something she might be able to use as a weapon, berating herself for the missed opportunity. Why the hell hadn't she thought about that before? Why the hell didn't she have a knife from the kitchen hidden underneath her mattress? In the back of her mind, an answer started to form, but she pushed it aside recklessly, very unwilling to think about its meaning at this point … or any other, for that matter. Suddenly, a muffled voice reached her ears through the wall and Lisa slid down, knees wobbly, burying her head in her hands. It was Jackson, he was talking on the phone to someone. Nothing left to do but wait.

At least an hour passed before he finally got her out.

"I needed to check for bugs and cameras first." No apology, of course not. Jackson helped her up and took off the cuffs. He examined the red welts that were already starting to form on her wrists, gently rubbing at them with his thumb. "Too tight. Does it hurt? Let's get some ice on it."

Without a word, Lisa walked past him. Her throat was dry; she was pent up with tension, her very soul longing for a release by exertion, exhaustion. Ignoring Jackson completely, she started to warm up with jerky, forceful moves and Lisa welcomed the pain from her protesting muscles like an old friend.

Jackson eyed her curiously. "Whenever you're ready we'll talk."

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Laritt leaned into the backseat of his black BMW with an irritated frown. His associate who was driving knew him too well to talk, so they spent the first thirty minutes in silence, each in their own thoughts.

His were dark and angry. Jackson Rippner was a rival and he had never liked him. In fact, he hated that guy who had snatched away the most lucrative assignments from right under his nose on multiple occasions. He just didn't get the appeal. Clients loved him for his ambition, confidence, discretion, ruthlessness and unwavering attentiveness to detail, but hell, that was a job prerequisite and didn't set him apart from all the others. From what he had gathered through the grapevine, Rippner had been a regular wunderkind at college, already working for several important people on the side when he had been his age … a real fucking prodigy. Laritt snorted and kicked the front seat in frustration. It was luck, nothing else. Meet the right people at the right time and everything unfolds to your advantage. His lips curled into a sneer.

Luck would only take you so far, though, and Rippner's had finally run out on his last assignment. While everybody else in their line of work was busy wondering what on earth had managed to throw off the mighty Jackson Rippner, Jeff Laritt had laughed and quietly taken over a large portion of the left-over business with the help of his trusted associate. It paid well and the fact that it was that bastard's money he was earning made it all the sweeter.

Life had been grand … up to the point where suddenly, out of the blue, Jackson Rippner had returned in a halo of glory. Escaped from the hospital, he had somehow wormed his way back in, stupefying the feds and whoever else by kidnapping a girl – what a girl! - and wanting to resume business as if nothing had happened. And the clients, short-sighted idiots, were tripping all over themselves to see whether he was still any good. Well, not if Jeff Laritt could help it.

He browsed through the beige folder that was lying on the seat next to him. "You know where they're at?"

"The Lux Washington down at Fifth."

"Let's pay them a little visit, shall we?"

Something was wrong about the whole thing, Laritt could feel it in his bones. That Lisa Reisert was still a bit of a puzzle to him, but even puzzles had their weak spots. Hers were her family and friends. An ugly smile parted his lips and he clenched his teeth. Torment the girl and he might just get an interesting reaction from Rippner, something he could use against him.

Now … how exactly to go about it … ?