Guilty As Charged

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

Chapter Two

Miami – Rippner Vacation Home – Lisa and Jackson's bedroom

"Dad, what did you do?" Kyra asked again as she watched her mother's still frame. "What did you do?"

Jackson Rippner stood numbly in the doorway as he stared at his wife. Lisa hadn't moved since they'd followed Myra's screams. The youngest Rippner was curled up in a ball beside Lisa, tears streaking down her cheeks, and she was trembling from head-to-toe.

Kyra shot her father a scathing look as she bent down to study her mother. She still wasn't breathing and she could see the semi-formed bruises where her father's hands had encircled her slender neck.

"Myra, call 911. Now!" she ordered as she repositioned Lisa's limp body. She'd taken a CPR course a few years ago and it was the only idea she had. She knew that if her mother wasn't already dead, she would be.

She was also acutely aware that her father was liable to be arrested for what had transpired in the bedroom. Calling 911 and having an ambulance come for her mother might save Lisa's life but her father could be arrested on domestic violence charges.

But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let her die…

She began the compressions and bent down to give her mother a breath. Breathe, breathe!

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… breathe, damn it!

Her energy was already failing. She'd forgotten how exhausting CPR was.

Screaming sirens broke her concentration as she fought to get her mother to breathe. They're here already…thank God.

"In here! Hurry!" Myra's frantic voice filled the air as she bent to give Lisa another breath.

"Miss, miss," a tap on her shoulder, "we'll take it from here."

Reluctantly, Kyra slipped away as the paramedics moved in and placed a mask over her mother's face and continued the resuscitation attempts.

She sniffled and stiff arms wrapped around her dazed body. Her father.

He hadn't said a word in the minutes since they'd rushed to Lisa's side. The paramedics didn't even seem to have noticed him.

Don't die… she begged her mother's still form. Don't you dare do that to us…

Miami – Emergency Room

Myra couldn't stop shaking. She'd heard every word exchanged by her feuding parents. The arguments had been increasing in intensity with each passing week and they were mainly concerning her unstable older sister.

It's not mum's fault that Kyra's insane. She tried to help her—it's all his fault. He did this.

It was no secret that she had, at best, a rocky relationship with her father. He'd been absent for the majority of her childhood—electing instead to spend his time fawning over Kyra. For as long as she could remember, Jackson had made his contempt for her known. He'd only had eyes for his 'Jack'.

Her mother had done her best to make it up. She showered love and affection on her and encouraged her creativity needs. Lisa had always been delighted over her accomplishments—even more so than she was of Kyra's.

But it was always a competition between her and Kyra. Neither had equal attention from both their parents. Kyra had Jackson wrapped around her little finger and would grudgingly take her along on some of their excursions, but he always made it clear that she was unwelcome and unwanted. Lisa tried to spend equal amounts of time on them both and tried to draw their small family together, but Kyra and Jackson were always at odds with her.

Lisa banned weapons in the house—Kyra wore a knife strapped to her ankle and Jackson wore one strapped to his hip.

If Lisa punished Kyra, she went racing to Jackson, who commuted the punishment and had her do more time at the firing range or more time in combat and weapons training. If Myra tried to speak to Lisa about a punishment given to her by Jackson, he'd only increase it.

The uneasy peace in the Rippner household had ended when her sister had seen fit to disobey Jackson and jet-set off to the United States, where she ended up with a psychopath bent on destroying their family. To add insult to injury, Jackson knocked out Lisa and left her in England as he went on a solo tracking mission. Then her brilliant sister ended up pregnant and threatened to kill both Myra and Lisa.

She'd never forget the emotionless, hate-filled stare of her sister's cold blue gaze as she grasped the gun. She'd never forget that her sister was a monster—just as twisted as their own father.

Their father who abused their mother.

Their father who deserved to die.

Their father who was going to be arrested thanks to the evidence log she'd been secretly helping her mother complied for the past two years.

Good-bye and good riddance… Myra thought bitterly. Jackson Rippner had been nothing but a thorn in her side. He'd have killed her if Lisa hadn't been protecting her. He never wanted her and she never wanted him. It served him right if he was imprisoned for what he'd done. Even if it meant Kyra going insane it was worth it.

Besides, once Jackson was out of the picture, there was nothing to stop Lisa from having Kyra committed. They'd be safe at last.

Hold on, mum. Just hold on. This nightmare's almost over…

"Mr. Rippner, may we have a word with you?"

Kyra's tired blue eyes popped open and she turned to look at her father. He straightened up in his seat as the two police officers flipped open their badges.

"What about?" Jackson questioned, glaring at them.

"It's about your wife—Lisa Rippner?"

Her lungs tightened. What's going on? Is she…?

"What about my wife?"

"I just spoke with the doctor—can you tell us what happened today?"

Her heart beat quickened. Where they going to arrest her father? They couldn't do that—she'd go insane without him. He was the only person who understood her. He was the only person who cared. Myra treated her as if she were a leaper.

"Lisa, she… slipped and hit her head on the wall," her father stated simply, meeting the inquisitive glances of the police.

"Mr. Rippner, we've documented the injuries. These aren't consistent with a fall."

They know, dad. They know what you did—they want you to admit it. They want to hear you say it…

"Now," the other officer spoke for the first time, "if you cooperate with us, we'll go easy on you. All we're asking is that you tell us what happened."

"I love my wife," he hissed quietly. "I'd never hurt her."

Kyra though her heart would break. But you did, dad. You hurt her. You almost killed her!

"I think we'd better continue this conversation downtown."

Jackson crossed his arms. "I'm not going anywhere until I see Lisa."

The first police officer laughed. "Listen to me, Mr. Rippner. You're not going to be seeing your wife for a long time. It's in your best interests if you speak with us and tell us the truth."

She couldn't take it anymore. Other people were beginning to stare at them.

She grabbed his arm and his dark-haired head snapped around to face her pleading gaze.

"Daddy…" her voice fell into a barely audible whisper, "tell them the truth. Tell them what happened to mum. Please…"

He looked at her and then the policemen and said plainly, "If you're going to arrest me, go ahead and do it."

"Now, why would we do that?"

"Because I did it," he snarled. "Don't you see? I'm guilty as charged. I did it. Now you're either going to cuff me or you're going to leave me and my family alone."

"In that case," Kyra caught a glint of metal, "you'd better stand up. You're under arrest, Mr. Rippner, for the attempted murder of your wife."

Author's Notes:

If you think things are complicated now, just wait until Lisa wakes up!

Enjoy and please leave a review and tell me what you think!