Finally, juicy interaction! Just wanted to say that your reviews are the fuel to this fic; I didn't know it could be so encouraging. I just graduated from high school so I've had a lot of things to attend to (parties, ceremonies, big dinners blah blah) but I managed to get this in. OK ONWAAARD!!
Jackson glared down at Lisa's frantic face with amused eyes.
"W-why are you here?!" She stammered, trying to pry herself out of his grip with no luck. Her knees had gone out; if he lets go then she was sure she'd fall to the ground.
Jackson grinned. "You stood me up, remember?"
Lisa stared at him in horrid awe, mouth agape. This couldn't really be happening...why does everything bad happen in a parking lot?
"You see, here I was, trying to be the gentleman and buy you a drink and talk business, but instead you decided to ditch me. Seriously Leese, you sure know how to spoil a moment," His deceivingly humorous tone did not bring Lisa any comfort; she knew better that to respond in kind. "But don't act like you have a choice now, because you're going on a little drive with me. Now."
Lisa shook her head. "No no, don't hurt me. Just let me go..." She tried squeezing her way out, pleading freedom with watery eyes. He only stared back coldly.
"Jackson, let go!" Her voice had become shrill. "Don't hurt me! Just leave me alone!"
Cursing under his breathe, Jackson tightened his grip, hushing her.
"Dammit Leese, stop being so selfish. I'm not here for you," He emphasized the last word and allowed it to sink in, satisfied when her face had warped into confusion. "I'm after what you happen to own. I'm here simply to protect some goods for my company, so don't think I'm here for personal reasons; I have a job to do and you sure as hell aren't going to screw it up for me this time."
Suddenly angered at his assumption that she would just submit wordlessly, she rose her chin up defiantly, challenging his authority with stormy eyes. "And if I don't comply?"
Jackson laughed sharply. "It's not a matter of complying or not: you're going."
Lisa started backing up, but he yanked her closer to him, shaking his head. "No, not this time Leese. And contrary to popular belief, I'm not here to hurt you."
Lisa grimaced, looking down at her wrists which were tingling by the lack of blood flow from his unyielding bind. "You're hurting me right now."
He smirked. "You're hurting yourself. All right, fair enough. If you really are going to act that way..." He released her hand, his eyes still locked on hers. "...then you can walk in front of me to my car. It's a great deal Leese, because the other option is me pushing you there, none too gently, no matter what you try to pull."
Lisa stood still, her eyes searching for any flicker of deception or artifice in his eyes. Alas, he returned her inquiry with a blank gaze.
Just human.
"...where's your car?" She finally asked, her voice faltering despite her determined expression.
He gave a wolfish grin, taking from his pocket his car keys and pointed it to a black Audi A5 a mere ten yards away, its headlights flashing in recognition. "After you."
Lisa trudged carefully to the car, with Jackson more or less breathing down her neck, ready to pounce on her if she were to run off. The thought of sprinting away towards her own car tempted her, but her flip-flops were not made for a quick get-away and she worried of the consequences she would face.
"Nice car." She muttered, examining the slick paint job as Jackson opened the passenger door for her, the distinct new-car smell embracing her senses. The interior was impeccably clean, almost sterile.
"It's just the company car," Jackson said, leaning over to buckle her up. "My real car has been suspended and is in storage after our little incident, all thanks to you." Before he had even finished the sentence, he slammed the door harshly in evident ire. Lisa groaned, knowing that even if they really were discussing "business", it would all be interlaced with the bitter underlinings of the past.
After opening the door midway and standing outside to monitor his surroundings, Jackson plopped himself onto the driver's seat, pausing before abruptly pointing to the glove compartment.
"There is a gun in there Leese. If you seriously think I'm here to threaten your life then by all means, use it. Go ahead, put it in your purse. It's even loaded."
Lisa couldn't believe what he had just said. With jittery fingers, she opened the glove compartment to find a small hand gun on top of a pile of crinkled papers, just like he had promised. Gasping, she immediately slammed it shut, irritated as she heard Jackson chortle slightly.
"Don't act like you've never used a gun Leese. I have the scars to prove it," Jamming the key into the ignition and roaring the vehicle to life, he glanced at Lisa with unkempt humor. "But whatever you do, don't bother me with too many questions... I'd rather get shot." The way he sang that last sentence earned him a withering glare from Lisa, and she immediately jerked the glove compartment open and placed the gun inside her purse.
"Thatta girl."
The ride was quiet, with only the sound of the highway humming beneath them and the slow melody of a dismal piano droning away on the radio. Lisa watched the city lights fade behind her, the highway being replaced by a narrow two-lane road that danced next to the ocean side. Twenty long minutes passed, and soon only the white foam tops of waves and array of constellations were visible amongst the moonless night.
Lisa cooed slightly at the scenery, her fingers touching the window's cool glass as the lights of luminous stars winked at her, implanting small seeds of needed comfort. She felt Jackson's gaze shift towards her, examining her brief moment of sentiment, but she gave it no heed. What was there to say?
He finally jerked the steering wheel to the right, pulling over onto an abandoned gravel parkway only twenty yards from the ocean. An ancient light post was the only light source in the entire area, its sickly yellow bulb flickering with years of neglect. Lisa held her breath, watching Jackson from her peripheral vision, hoping he wouldn't throw in one of his randomly callous remark. Instead, he turned off the lights of his car and emitted a tired breath before twisting the key to silence the vehicle. Lisa jerked out of her seat belt, more or less jumping out of the car, her thin flip-flops gritting against the small assortment of dusty rocks and pebbles.
The eerie tranquility of the obsidian ocean caused her to stumble onward as her footing adjusted from gravel to deep trenches of virgin white sand. The wind was merciless, making her shirt ripple across her body, and she had to fight her hair from consuming the entirety of her face, blockading her view of the endless black waters that laid before her. Realizing the absolute isolation of this patch of almost untouched beach, she knew that if Jackson blew a fuse and decided to harm her, he would have no problem doing so in irrevocable privacy. The thought sent a chill down her spine, and she looked longingly at the ocean, searching for a sign of freedom, hoping peace was still evident amongst all the darkness.
Turning around, she saw Jackson studying her with empty eyes, his face unreadable. His hands were nestled in his jean's pockets as he stood his ground on the edge of the gravel parkway, refusing to teeter along the sand. Biting her lower lip, she took one last glance at the stars above her, then turned around and paced back towards him, deciding it best to talk first.
"Well, lets talk business Jackson. What do you need from me? If it's another phone call then you're out of luck."
"No." His face remained impassive, his tone even more so.
"So what?"
"First of all, this isn't going to be an overnight venture, this project will take some time. You see, you happen to hold something that people of my kind need."
"What, a decent life?''
His face grew bitter. "No. Private schedules. Remember a long time ago, when little Miss Lisa Reisert had Keefe 's family agenda? That's the type of info I am talking about. Only since your little promotion, instead of having a few important files here and there, you have a whole case full."
"So you mean to tell me is that you want a few schedules?" Lisa could not comprehend what he meant. Why were schedules so important?
"The Hannigans, family of four who own Viacom. Michael Truman, also known as CEO of Intelgrat Inc. Ryan McGregor, congressman, those type of people. They email you their monthly schedules in order for you to book an appropriate room for them, to make sure they are your top priorities. Of course, you think nothing of it and do what's required, but that type of information has high value to some people. Even with our best hackers, sometimes we can't infiltrate everything, so we go to whoever manages the information, in this case, you."
Lisa rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps prickle down her back, aware that it wasn't due to the scourging wind. "You're giving me too general of an explanation, what do you need it for? It's someone in particular right? What does your little terrorist group want now?"
Jackson grunted. "It doesn't matter, because I no longer work for them. You see Leese, I'm working for a company that occasionally allies with some of your little political demigods. Remember Keefe? Back in the day, even he used to hire our services."
Lisa's eyes widened in utter surprise, disappointed that Keefe himself had held friendly ties to the underground world. Jackson was more than pleased at her reaction, and continued.
"But that's besides the point, because what matters is that now you have a few hunters out to get you and what you hold. I'm sent here to protect the information from getting into the wrong hands. I can't wrap all the details at once, but I don't want my old company to get their hands on the schedules of one of our customers. "
"Customers? You mean one of my clients that I deal with at the hotel?"
"That's right. One of your customers bought protection from my company. My former employees want to assassinate this person, so now I have to make sure his schedule remains confidential. It's a difficult task, considering that you are more than stubborn to comply."
Lisa snorted at the vitriolic tone he used, and decided to answer back with full force sarcasm. "What do you expect Jackson? You shove me around and belittle me and expect me to just go with it? Seriously, what makes you think that..."
She kept slurring borderline insults, but the sight of that scar inscribed on his neck, the one that she had lacerated so long ago from their fatal encounter on the airplane, captured her undivided attention. Jackson narrowed his eyes, slowly stepping closer, and Lisa suddenly realized that she had stopped speaking.
"Go on, have a look. I know you want to." He tried to compose his voice, but she recognized the intense edge it held.
Reluctantly, Lisa warily approached him, feeling danger gambol around her as Jackson stood awaiting, looking like a beautiful phantom with the untamed wind ruffling his tawny hair. He raised his neck slightly, inspecting her under heavy eye lids as her right hand slowly reached out and settled at the base of his neck, right beneath the scar. It was small but thick, a dull pink mutilation that reminded Lisa of her own scornful scar, one she thought she had almost forgotten. She drew closer, letting her index finger tap at it lightly, then slowly she stroked it. He inhaled sharply, his eyes still boring down, scrutinizing every slight moment of her face, searching for any trace of emotion. Her eyes were transfixed upon the mark of defeat that she had marred him with long ago, and the corners of her lips tugged into an unintentional smile.
Immediately Jackson snatched her hand, his nails biting her skin as he shoved her towards him, eyes ablaze. Lisa pulled back as she dropped her purse, yelping as his other hand gripped her shoulder, the seam line of her cotton shirt tearing slightly under his painful clutch. Jaws clenched, his voice had become ragged and deep.
"How does it feel Lisa? Good, doesn't it? Standing over someone in pure victory, reveling in their inferiority. You're not so different from me Leese than you think. You're not so different than any of us. Besides..." Jackson took a step forwards, his face closing in on hers with an ugly expression. "I am sure you know how it's like to be scarred by somebody else. You know more than most people, don't you?"
His eyes flickered to that spot, that spot that Lisa assumed had been healed, had been accepted and recognized with seeming indifference. It grew on fire at his words, and Jackson only continued to pour gasoline on it, fueling her anger. "You keep convincing yourself you're over it, but what I see is someone who numbed themselves up before truly resolving the issue. You can party, shop, and laugh all you want with your pals, but what are you really, Lisa? Happy? Or just making yourself appear happy?"
What was he trying to do?!
"I thought you said this wasn't personal. Why are you being so attentive of my own issues?" Lisa's voice had become fragile and raw, but her gaze was blazing in barely contained wrath.
"Did I hit a nerve Leese?"
"Did I hit a nerve Jack, to make you so concerned about my emotional well-being? If not, then just drop it."
Hating the way the spotlight was suddenly all on him, he released her all together, watching her almost tumble onto the bed of sand as he quickly diverted the topic. "There are people after you Leese, people who don't see what I see. I'm not a good guy granted, but I can name a few people out there who aren't as forgiving as I am. In fact, I had to chase one off your tail earlier this evening."
Lisa, still outraged at his rough handling of her, brushed the sand off her purse as she rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The name is irrelevant, but I found an impressive switch blade and gun in his jacket, along with some notes on how to "take-out-Reisert". Pretty self-explanatory, right?"
Lisa avoided eye contact with him, merely focusing her gaze at her now sand- pasted purse. Her shoulders longed to quake in a hybrid of fright and incense, but pride kept her composed. Jackson on the other hand, being the predator he was, smelled the fear a mile away.
"You're nothing but a means to an end Leese, a disposable tool that becomes worthless after use. Once your value hits rock bottom, chances are that they'll kill you."
"Why? Why me though? I haven't done anything!"
"Like I said Leese, it's not because of you, it's because of what you have. That's why I exploited you a year back: only in that head of yours did you have the passwords, the authority, and the knowledge to switch those rooms. Anyone else wouldn't have gotten the job done."
Her eyes shot up to meet his, glimmering in tears that burned. "But again?! I'm not some important political figure! I'm just a hotel manager! Keefe could probably..."
He snickered, languidly crossing his arms as he shook his head incredulously. "Keefe doesn't know shit Leese, he has more things to worry about like saving his own ass. Sure, you saved his family and opted him to take better precautions. Hooray. But Keefe is limited in his protection and can't guarantee you safety. My people aren't stupid Leese, and even if you change your name, move out, even enter into the Witness Security Program, they will find you. Repeat, they will find you."
Unable to look at him for another sane minute, Lisa spun around to take sight of the murky waters ahead, feeling her suppressed rage dismantle slowly as the sound of the waves crashing towards the shore seemed to wash away her internal chaos. She stayed silent for a few minutes, feeling an aura of impatience radiate from Jackson behind her, but she ignored it cheerfully. Finally, after feeling her heart rate return to normal, she hummed an approved note.
"So what do you propose I do?"
Jackson's entire composure relaxed, the feeling of possible success throwing him back into business. "This is where the exchange comes in: You give me the files and records of all the clients you have catered to in the past six-months, and I give you valid protection. Better than Keefe could ever do."
Lisa huffed. "You? Protection? Oh wait, didn't you try to kill me once?"" The thought of him guarding her made her want to laugh hysterically; it seemed more like a joke than anything else. "And hey, just a minute ago you nearly threw me on the sand, not to mention yanked me around when the mood strikes you. You really believe that I could just trust you?"
Her words irritated him to no end, not because of her tone, but because they held some truth in them. Still, a compromise could be made. "Here's another exchange then Leese: if you don't ask so many damn questions and do as I say instead of trying to play the heroine of the century, then I'll be a gentleman and refrain from tossing you around. It's entirely up to you, really."
Gentleman my ass.
Lisa cleared her throat, knowing that if she indeed was going to go forwards with this crazy fiasco, she would have to reap her own personal benefits as well."Only with an unconditional offer Jackson."
"And what's that?"
"Guarantee me that after all of this, I can go back to my normal life. No ifs, ands, or buts. And..." She lingered on that word, her lips pressed together tightly as she finally turned around to strike Jackson with a hateful glare.
"...and?"
"Never come back into my life again. Ever."
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Mas dialogue and a few other things...hehehe...coming up!!!!! Patiente, mi gente, patiente!