I apologize that it has been so long since I last updated. I was ironing out some plot details and then my life got incredibly hectic and I never got a chance to get back to it. So hopefully some of you are still interested in reading this – please let me know what you think!

Kaylie stood at the living room window, looking down at the street. The apartment building appeared to be in a predominantly residential area and a mere handful of people moved along the sidewalk below. Kaylie pressed her nose to the glass and wondered where they were going. She glanced at her watch. It was Thursday, mid-morning. If she were still in D.C., she would be in math right now. I've been gone for three days, she thought. Three days of unexcused absence – the school will certainly have called home. Her father's body had probably been found, she realized, provided that Jackson and Leroy had left it there. Maybe everyone thinks that I'm dead too. Kaylie took a deep breath, determined not to give in to another flood of tears. She just wanted to be out of this mess and safely home with her family and friends. She glanced behind her at Ben, working at the kitchen table; Jackson and Leroy were undoubtedly planning something in the rooms beyond. Why me, she thought, turning back to face the Miami sunlight. Why my dad? What makes us so special?

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"All of the arrangements have been made." Jackson leaned back in his chair. "I leave for Texas in the morning."

"Excellent." Alex paused. "I trust you are not taking that girl with you?"

Jackson closed his eyes, trying to ignore his irritation at the ridiculousness of the question. "No, I am not taking her with me. She's staying with Ben."

"Jackson, Parker is going to want…"

"What Parker wants," Jackson interrupted sharply, "is for the Keefe operation to go as planned. Once that has occurred, anything "that girl" may or may not know will be, frankly, irrelevant."

"Fair enough," Alex conceded.

"Let me do my job, Alex. I'll contact you when it's finished."

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Friday evening, Kaylie was stretched out on her bed, flipping through a magazine. A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie, and she sat up just as the door swung open. Jackson entered, pulling the door shut behind him.

"How are you doing?" he asked, taking a seat on the bed. Kaylie shrugged. Jackson grinned, and then continued.

"I wanted to let you know that I will be going away for a couple of days. I'm leaving tomorrow and I should be back on Tuesday." Kaylie noticed the slight emphasis on should, but said nothing.

"Leroy and Ben will be here," he went on. "With the exception of Monday night into early Tuesday, when Leroy will also be otherwise engaged. Ben will be here the entire time, however, and has explicit instructions to take good care of you." He paused. "He also has instructions to do whatever is necessary to keep you in this apartment. I don't want to hear that you've caused him any trouble, is that clear?"

"Ok." Kaylie nodded. She hadn't known Ben for very long, but she did not feel that she needed to worry about being left in his care. From what she had gathered over the previous two days, he was the least to fear of the trio and would certainly follow orders from his boss. For now, those orders seemed to be for Kaylie's protection.

"So where are you going?" she asked, wondering how far straightforward questions would get her.

Jackson smirked. "Away," was the reply.

"Oh, come on," she pressed. "I know this has something to do with whatever secret plan you guys have going on."

"Oh, really?" Jackson's eyes met hers.

"Jackson," she retorted, holding his gaze. "You told me yourself that my father had a part in a larger scheme, the same scheme that this little vacation of yours is undoubtedly a part of. Given the circumstances, I think I have a right to know what's going on, particularly since I'm not much of a liability." Their eyes were locked, as if each were trying to stare the other down, and it seemed like an eternity before Jackson spoke.

"Well," he began. "You're right. You're not much of a liability, not in this apartment, at least. So I suppose it can't hurt to give you a little bit of information."

Kaylie didn't reply. She hadn't expected him to actually give in, and wasn't entirely sure if he was teasing her or not.

"Have you heard of Charles Keefe?"

Keefe… The name sounded familiar, but Kaylie was unable to place it. She shook her head and Jackson continued.

"He's a politician whose views are somewhat…controversial. There are a lot of people who disagree with his ideas, some enough that they would take a fairly extreme stand."

Kaylie's breath caught in her throat. She knew where this was going.

"They want to take him out, to make a point. That's where I come in. Ben, Leroy and I were hired, through an organization, to play certain roles in his assassination."

"A fairly extreme stand?" Kaylie repeated in disbelief. "This man is going to be killed, and you call it a 'fairly extreme stand'?"

Jackson shrugged. "Call it what you want."

"So that's where you're going then, to take him out?"

Jackson looked offended. "Do you recall the conversation we had the other day, about how managers don't typically do the dirty work?" He looked at her reprovingly. "No, I have another part to play."

"Is Leroy…" Kaylie began, as an idea began to occur. "Is he going to…"

Jackson chuckled. "Wrong again, though that is his line of work. This is a complicated operation, Kaylie, which requires individuals with specialized skills. I've been informed that they will be ready to go when the Keefes arrive at the target location and I will hear from them when it's done."

Kaylie was about to ask what Jackson's part was, but something he said stuck in her mind.

"Keefes?" She looked at him questioningly. "There's more than one?"

"His family," he replied, almost offhand. "Wife and two kids, if I recall."

Kaylie's face went white. "They're targeting his family?" she choked out, praying that she had misunderstood.

"Yes." Jackson's face did not change. "That's always been a part of the plan."

"But…" Kaylie wanted to scream at him, but couldn't put words together. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come. "They're only children…" Her dazed eyes met his cold ones.

"You're going to let them kill his children?!" She was on her feet now, thoughts suddenly clear, and Jackson matched her. "And his wife?! That's not a political statement, that's cold-blooded murder!"

"Kaylie," he began, voice both calm and condescending. "You're upset, but try to understand…"

"Oh, look who's a genius," she snarled back, cutting him off. "I'm upset? What on earth would make you say that?!" She took a step towards him. "You told me that you didn't kill innocent people. Well, guess what? You're a liar. You're a liar and a murderer…"

"Kaylie," Jackson tried again, attempting to break through her screaming rant. "Kaylie, will you listen…"

He was interrupted again, more harshly this time, as she took a sudden step forward and slapped him across the face. They both froze in shock. Jackson's eyes flashed with anger and Kaylie took a step back, expecting retaliation. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, using his body weight to propel her into the wall behind. She tried to pull away and, finding herself trapped, aimed a knee upwards towards his groin. He blocked it with his leg and twisted his foot around hers to throw her off balance.

"Let me go," she growled, squirming in his grip.

"Kaylie, knock it off." She kept struggling. "Hey!" came the reprimand, as he tightened his hold. "What did I just say?"

"Let me go," she pleaded, more begging than demanding.

"I need you to calm down." Jackson continued. "Can you do that?"

Kaylie took a deep breath. "Yes," she managed.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No," she stated, more confident this time. "Just let me go."

He relinquished his hold and she inched further along the wall, eyeing him warily. After a moment, convinced that he wasn't on the attack, she slid to the floor and dropped her head into her arms, bursting into tears. Jackson simply watched her.

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After listening to her sobs for several minutes, Jackson took a seat on the floor next to her. She didn't acknowledge his presence and continued sobbing.

"Hey," he said quietly, in what resembled a soothing tone of voice. "It's going to be ok, you know."

"Maybe for you," she managed, and gave a dry laugh. "Not so much for Keefe."

Jackson sighed. "Kaylie," he began. "I know this is difficult…"

"How do you do it, Jackson?" she asked, looking up at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "How do you go out every day and take people's lives? How do you sleep at night?"

"It's my job," he replied. "It's what I do. Just business."

"But they're children," she cried, reburying her head in her arms. "They have nothing to do with his politics. Don't you feel any remorse?"

His tone was even and without emotion. "I learned long ago to view it strictly as business. I don't have anything personal against Keefe. I'm just doing my job."

Kaylie kept crying.

"Kaylie." Jackson nudged her gently. "Come on, pull yourself together. You're not doing anybody any good. Don't worry about the Keefes. You have enough to worry about as it is."

Kaylie took a deep breath. He's right, she told herself firmly. Getting hysterical isn't going to make him feel guilty, or me feel any better. I need to stay focused on getting myself through this. Kaylie profoundly wished that she could do something to help Keefe and his family, but knew that attempting anything would be foolish. Getting myself killed isn't going to help anybody.

Beside her, Jackson got to his feet and extended a hand.

"Come on."

Kaylie glanced up at him, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. It doesn't even faze him. He talks about killing people like most people talk about a trip to the supermarket.

With a sigh, Kaylie reached out and took the offered hand.