Chapter 2

It was then the cell phone began to ring.

Lisa grabbed it roughly and stared at the caller ID. It was a blocked number. What am I doing? What would I even say? She was tired. Tired of being scared. Tired of being a victim. It was time to take control of the situation again. She clicked the phone to life and sat n silence. Dead air greeted her back.

Pressing the phone against her ear, she heard soft, even breaths. A minute ticked by. Maybe even sixty minutes ticked by. She had lost all concept of time, and the anticipation was causing her palms to sweat. She wiped them on her pajama bottoms and concentrated on regulating her breaths. They were strained and shallow. She could only imagine what the person on the other line was hearing. Then he spoke, filling her ear with a familiar timbre that made her give a little gasp.

"Well, well."

She involuntarily closed her eyes as he chuckled low and throaty in her ear. Naturally, her vocal chords decided to seize up at that very moment. She gave a little cough.

"Cat got your tongue, Leese?"

Shit.

"No."

"Good," his voice hardened. "Then tell me what you're playing at."

"Playing at?"

"Ah, I see you've acquired a parrot," he mocked. "Tell me, what is this nonsense you've been doing, Lisa. I've been hearing things."

"Like what?" Her eyes darted around frantically. "Jackson, where are you right now?"

"I don't have time for games," he said impatiently. "This isn't a horror movie. I'm not hiding in your closet."

Lisa's head automatically swiveled towards the hallway closet. Grabbing her hockey stick from under the couch (she had taken to hiding weapons around her home these days) she pressed herself against the wall and braced herself.

"The movie," she spat. "I know you were in here."

"Did you like that?" he was amused. "I've been told I resemble Pierre Clementi."

"Psychopathic stalker? Sounds about right," Lisa said even though she secretly agreed.

He laughed then, an involuntary sound that surprised them both. Jackson was quick to collect himself.

"You turned my phone on," he said in an odd voice.

"I did," she acquiesced.

"Imagine my confusion when I realized the signal was coming from your house. Mind explaining this desperate ploy for attention?"

"Screw you."

"I'm sorry?" The amusement had returned to his voice. "An interesting proposition but a strange one considering the circumstances."

"It's not a proposition," she said through gritted teeth. "It's what I've been wanting to say to you since the incident."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Not any better," she admitted. "I hate you."

"That goes without saying."

"Shut up," she nearly shrieked. "Let me say what I need to say and then you can kindly fuck off."

"Oh, there won't be any of that," he assured. "You've seen to that. I'm not the only one who noticed a shiny beacon coming from your place. You've created a situation. One that I will have to clean up."

Lisa edged along the wall, her eyes trained on the closet again.

"You mean finish what you started?"

Jackson paused a beat.

"No. Believe it or not, I'm not trying to kill you."

"I don't believe it," she snarled. "Trust me, Jackson, I'd kill you if I had the chance."

"I'd like to see you try," he said smoothly. "In fact, maybe we could arrange something."

There was a faint rustling in the closet. Lisa tensed and gripped the stick harder.

"You said you weren't in the closet," she whispered.

"I'm not," he reassured. "But I never say my guy wasn't."

She was so enraged she couldn't speak. Stomping towards the closet, she jerked it open and a reedy-looking man looked at her in surprise. Before he could move or say anything, Lisa cracked the hockey stick against his head and kicked him in the groin.

The man yelped. She turned to run, but his hand flew out and grabbed her by the ankle. She fell hard, clipping her head against the corner of a console table. A burst of stars temporarily blurred her vision as she felt the man pinning her down. Though her mind said fighting was useless, she refused to go easy. She flailed her arms wildly and screamed in earnest while the man attempted to sedate her with what appeared to be a soaked cloth. Lisa thrashed uselessly against the chemically-laden rag until she was overcome and quieted into sleep. The man climbed off her and caught his breath. He picked up the fallen cell phone.

"It's done."

Jackson smiled broadly.

See you soon, Leese.