trudes193- Hopefully this chapter will keep you on the edge of your seat as well. :P

EmpireAndAll- Oh God, I want those books! Although Caleb might object to your use of "amateur". :P As for your hipster comment...I love you. :D

Guest- Thanks! I've had people quote that to me, and it always makes me laugh.

breaktheradarr- Thanks so much! I hope you like this one as much.

pinky's creature feature- That's not weird. I added that to make things a little less black and white. That last part made me laugh. :D

Astrianne- Hopefully the wait was worth it!

Pirate Gyrl- She deserves everything she gets. Don't worry- little pieces will keep coming out. Jackson isn't the boss of Lisa, remember? :) She wants to know, and she will get it.

CharliRenee123- Wow. Thanks so much for this review. As for his mom, that's not weird at all. In fact, his mom just might come into play later on. We'll see. ;)

shygirl593- Thanks!

Mhairi- I have to disagree that Jackson is "consistently" a man. He has several moments in the movie where you can see the emotions trying to break out, but he does a decent job at controlling them. Also, the last 20 minutes or so have nothing to do with logic (Lisa even points this out). Jackson has developed in this story to the point where he's having a little more difficulty reigning in his emotions. But don't worry, he will get it together in this chapter. However, if Jackson were to be completely impassive and robotic, Lisa would have nothing to do with him. Hope you continue to enjoy the story. :)

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER GETS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. Also, there is a lot of POV bouncing.

Chapter 22: Psycho Killer

Jackson slid out of Jeff's car and approached another vehicle in the parking lot. He had texted Ben the new plan hours prior, and had received the plate number of the car that Robert would not be riding in. He opened the door and quickly sat in the back, lying down across the seat to keep out of sight. He stared at the roof of the car above him- the only sounds he could hear were the occasional passersby talking, and the beating of his own heart.

Jackson couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous about a job. He felt like their plan was solid, but he still couldn't get over the fact that he had potentially thrown his own brother to the wolves. What if something went wrong?

He had tried, and for the most part succeeded, to pretend that he was fine with the plan. As soon as Lisa had found out that Caleb was the one going into the club, however, she had tried to talk Jackson into changing his mind. She had made it clear more than once that she didn't trust the plan one bit, and seemed even more horrified at the idea that Caleb was directly involved.

Her reaction had slightly thrown off Jackson. She and Caleb had obviously formed some weird bond, and she seemed more worried about his safety than Jackson's. Jackson couldn't deny that he was jealous, but not for a normal reason. She apparently had it in her head that Caleb was some innocent man that Jackson was dragging back into his dark world.

Seeing her reaction had made him feel somewhat inferior and even a little ashamed of who he was. Lisa had expressed concern for his safety before- and he had abruptly rejected those concerns- but it was because of the details of his plan, not the plan itself. She seemed completely jaded when it came to the idea that he was going to kill people. Not Caleb, though- she regarded Caleb as a good person, and it was Jackson's wicked influence that led to him being part of the executions. Which was true in a way, but Caleb was no rookie.

Jackson half-smiled. Someday he would have to tell her some of the stories from when he and Caleb first started in the agency- his brother was a better killer than Jackson ever had been. When he thought that he was doing the right thing, he enjoyed it quite enthusiastically. Caleb was no angel, but he was also no match for a worst-case scenario of being unarmed against five men. And that was what nagged at the back of Jackson's mind, the only thing that could really ruin their plan- betrayal.

Lisa lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She vaguely recalled the technical name of the texture, but she knew it as a cottage cheese ceiling. So ugly. She stared at the little white lumps, trying to find constellation-like patterns in the layout. She glanced at the wall clock. 1:15- they had only been gone for fifteen minutes. They're not even at the club yet...Jesus.

Lisa lifted her left hand and stared at the paper clutched in her grasp. Jackson had given it to her before he left, explaining that he had gotten her a seat on a flight to New York that morning. If she didn't hear from him by 2:30, things had gone very wrong. If that happened, she was supposed to call a phone number he had given her which would connect her with a "cleaner" that would "take care of Cheryl" and catch a cab to the airport. He had given her another phone number, one for a woman named Trudi who would pick her up at the airport and help her get settled into the new life that they had put together for her. Lisa had had a million questions for Jackson, but she kept them to herself. It wouldn't do any good to make either of them more nervous by elaborating on what a failure meant for anyone involved.

Lisa rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. It was becoming more and more of a reality that she might never see Jackson or Caleb again. She clenched her jaw, trying to hold back tears that were starting to sting her eyes. She thought about the last time she had seen Jackson. He had assured her that the paper was a formality, that everything would be fine, but then slipped another note into the pocket of her jeans.

"Only if you don't hear from me. Understand?" he had whispered, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. She had promised, and then they were gone.

Lisa could feel the corners of the note digging into her thigh. She fidgeted against the couch cushions, wanting so badly to read what he had given her, but at the same time, hoping that she never would.

The silence and lack of interesting designs on that stupid cottage cheese ceiling forced Lisa to obsess over her current situation. She was surprised at just how quickly she was falling for Jackson. In a way, it was sick- the more he broke down, the more she was drawn to him. She just knew there was a hidden persona trying to escape- there had to be.

At the same time, as he became more and more vulnerable, Lisa's guilt grew. Was she really helping, or just helping him lose his sanity? She had seen the small breaks in his mental armor before, but nothing like she had seen that day. Did she really have to tell him to get it together? Did that really happen?

"He's never coming back, you know." Lisa's limbs jerked involuntarily when Cheryl's voice permeated her brooding. She brought a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. The other woman was just trying to get under her skin, so Lisa did not reply.

"I mean it," Cheryl continued, her voice slurring lightly. When did she wake up? Lisa narrowed her eyes, studying the blonde. She made a mental note to never get hit in the face by Jackson, seeing the woman's left eye red with blood and her warped cheekbone. She wondered if she was supposed to get some kind of painkiller for Cheryl- Caleb hadn't said much about her before he had left.

Cheryl frowned, apparently not appreciating Lisa's lack of verbal response. "Robert isn't stupid," she insisted, frustrated. Lisa scoffed and rested her head on the arm of the couch again. She decided that she didn't care enough about Cheryl to share the pills that Caleb had given her.

"Not that it matters now," Cheryl taunted. "They're dead men. Four men don't stand a chance against ten." Lisa froze. Ten? She turned her head again, eyeing Cheryl suspiciously. "Now I have your attention," Cheryl said, smiling as best she could.

"Three," Lisa replied flatly. She forced herself to calm down. Cheryl would have no way of knowing if Robert had a surprise planned, and if his team was bigger than Jackson thought, Ben would have told him...unless Ben was in on it. Lisa shook her head slightly. If Ben were in on it, Cheryl wouldn't have said four. Jackson, Caleb, Ben, and this guy Mark made four. She recalled what Jackson had told her earlier about Jeff being legitimate, and knew that he wouldn't be counted- he refused to be part of any killing. No, Cheryl had to be full of it.

The other woman gave her a dark smile. "Ten at least," she replied. "Do you really think someone like Robert would attempt something like this with only a handful of men?"

Lisa scowled. She hated when people were vague. "Something like what?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady. She wouldn't let Cheryl see that she remotely believed what she was hearing.

"A take-over," Cheryl replied simply, as though it were obvious. Lisa raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"A take-over," she repeated incredulously. "That's bullshit. Why would you tell me?"

Cheryl shrugged, and tried to hide a wince. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked confidently. "I highly doubt you have anyone's number in your phone. Are you going to run to the club? Steal a car? You couldn't get there in time." She laughed coldly. "You're just useless, honey."

Lisa reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She didn't know if she believed Cheryl, but it wouldn't hurt to warn Jackson, would it? She plugged the phone into the wall and turned it on. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized right from the opening screen that the phone had never been turned on. Cheryl was right- she hadn't been given any numbers.

Lisa stared into Cheryl's smirking face, trying her best to stay calm. She knew it was irrational, but just the knowledge that she couldn't contact Jackson reinforced the idea that there was truth to Cheryl's story. She felt the panic in her chest expanding, and knew by Cheryl's grin widening that her worry was obvious. Lisa bit down hard on her lip. She had to do something, but what?

Caleb made his way through the dark club, nonchalantly observing his surroundings. The pounding bass of the music vibrated through his body, but he barely noticed. He had worked with Jackson often enough to know that his brother noticed pretty much everything and dismissed most of it without a second thought. If this plan was going to work, he had to maintain the delicate blend of observation and boredom.

His eye caught a familiar figure sitting a few tables to the left of where he walked. He gave a barely perceptible nod of acknowledgment to Ben, who sat with an unfamiliar man. Caleb deduced that the other two men were likely sitting somewhere to his right. Caleb had to tip his hat to Ben- Mark wasn't sitting with him, which meant that he was with Robert's other man. Ben had cleverly made sure that their allies were partnered up with their traitors, which made it easier to keep an eye on them.

Caleb's gaze finally fell on his target. Robert sat alone near the bar, staring intently at him. Caleb forced himself to shoot the other man a casual smirk, and took a seat across the small table.

"I heard an interesting rumor," Robert opened, lighting a cigarette. Apparently they were skipping the pleasantries. Caleb raised a lazy eyebrow, but said nothing. Robert laughed. "It's pretty ridiculous," he said, leaning forward. "Is Lisa Reisert really staying with your brother?"

Caleb shrugged, lighting a cigarette of his own. He leaned back in the chair. "Is that what Cheryl told you?" he asked, adopting a relaxed position. He drummed the fingers of his free hand on his thigh, fighting back an urge to press his cigarette to the other man's neck.

Robert laughed again, taking a drink from the half-full glass on the table. "I had you figured out all wrong, Jackie. I expected that bleeding heart to take in refugees, but you?" He shrugged, taking a drag of his cigarette. "But maybe she'll fuck you for it, so it's not all bad." He laughed. "Still. It's a little desperate." Caleb's jaw twitched, but he continued to appear disinterested.

"Fascinating observation," he remarked blandly, wondering why Robert was stalling like this. He narrowed his eyes, resting his free arm on the table. "But we're not here to talk about Lisa or Caleb, are we?"

Robert's eyes widened in mock-confusion. "Oh?" he asked brightly. "What do you want to talk about?" Caleb remained silent, trying to decide where to go next. Should he play Robert's game, or go for the throat? He wanted to find out Robert's motivations, but doubted that there was any point in asking.

"Let's talk about Cheryl," he replied, leaning on his arm. He noted with curiosity the quick change in Robert's facial expression before the other man reverted into a calm smugness. "Did I strike a nerve?" he asked.

"Where is she?" Robert asked seriously. Caleb leaned back again, suspicious. There was something odd about the manager's reaction, something almost familiar.

"Taken care of," he teased, well aware of the connotation of his response. When he saw the flash again, his eyes narrowed. He had seen almost that exact facial twitch before, back in Minnesota. He and Jackson had been sitting in the kitchen, and Caleb was reading the paper. Lisa had called and was on her way, and Caleb had been trying to figure out a way to break it to Jackson.

Caleb set down the paper stared at his brother out of the corner of his eye. Jackson studied the sandwich in front of him, apparently debating whether or not to eat it. "Looks like Lisa Reisert got herself into more trouble," Caleb remarked, trying to appear casual.

He watched Jackson's eyes widen slightly and his eyebrows raise as his jaw went slack. As quickly as the shock had come, Jackson replaced it with a hard expression, turning to face his brother. "What happened?" he asked, unable to mask his curiosity.

"The feds don't believe her story," Caleb replied, folding his paper. "She's on the run."

Jackson's jaw clenched tightly, and he blinked hard. His expression quickly dissipated again as he rose to his feet. "That's her problem," he replied with a forced coldness before returning to his room.

Caleb took a deep drag of his cigarette. The only notable difference between the two men's reactions was that Robert didn't have the option of storming out. He shook his head in disbelief. So Robert had feelings for Cheryl. Could that have something to do with the big secret that Jackson and Lisa refused to tell him?

Caleb cursed to himself as he remembered where he was. Robert was eyeing him suspiciously. Thinking quickly, Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Fucking a member of your unit, Bobby?" he asked, throwing Robert's previous tone back in his face. "That's a little desperate." Even as he said the words, Caleb hoped that his confusion and hurt weren't betraying him. A small part of him also hoped that he was wrong, that Robert's feelings were unrequited.

Robert violently stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward. "Where is she?" he demanded harshly, losing his composure. Caleb allowed the Jackson in him a small moment of triumph at breaking the other manager before he leaned forward, putting out his own cigarette.

"Dead," he responded coldly. Now that his suspicions were verified, he wanted so badly to twist the knife. "Painful and drawn-out. She –"

Caleb was cut off when Robert's fist connected squarely with his jaw. The hit wasn't all that hard, but Caleb made a show of allowing himself to be knocked out of his chair, kicking the table leg as he hit the carpet to draw more attention. Despite how badly he wanted to fight Robert himself, he would stick to the plan at all costs. It was the only way to ensure that the man and his accomplices ended up dead.

Robert was on him within seconds, grabbing him by the shirt of the collar. Sure enough, just as he landed another punch, one of the bouncers yanked him away. Caleb was pulled roughly to his feet and the two were quickly escorted out of the establishment. He kept his narrowed focused on Robert, who occasionally turned back to lunge toward him. Caleb couldn't help but notice that Robert seemed to be putting on just as much a show that he was. Was it also his plan to get out of the club?

Robert and Caleb were shoved hard out of the front door. Caleb started toward the lines of cars, pretending that he was planning to leave. Robert grabbed his arm from behind and leaned forward. "Let's stop fucking around and finish this," he hissed in Caleb's ear, the proximity of his hot breath making him want to cringe in distaste. Caleb slightly pulled away from the other man's face in disgust, still staring ahead.

"Are you going to do it yourself?" he responded under his breath as he yanked his arm from Robert's grip, "Or are you going to have your dogs jump me?"

Robert scoffed. "Don't you worry, pretty boy," he mocked with such familiarity that Caleb wondered if it was a frequently used title. "They're insurance."

Caleb felt a hand grip his left arm and glanced over to see that Ben had caught up with them. He clenched his jaw. He knew the plan, but wished he could have a chance to take out Robert himself. "Insurance," he repeating, scoffing. "I think you just don't have the balls to face me without your boys."

Robert said nothing as the three men reached the car. Ben briefly fell back to the rest of Robert's men, as Robert shoved Caleb inside the vehicle. Robert quickly followed Caleb into the backseat, and Ben soon slid behind the steering wheel. "The other guys are going to follow us," he informed Robert. "I figured they would be a little too punchy with him here-" he nodded in Caleb's direction "-and get in the way of our plans." The manager nodded, not taking his eyes off of Caleb.

Caleb allowed himself to glance at the second car, noting that the remaining three men had entered. He quickly turned to face the front, not wanting to give Robert a reason to look behind them.

Jackson shifted closer to the door as Mark slid in the seat next to him. He had told Ben to inform Mark that he was in the car just before they actually got in, in case Mark was planning on betraying them. He didn't want to give Mark time to tell Robert, but didn't want his surprise to give away Jackson before the other men could get in the car. As he felt the vehicle begin to move, he kept sat up in his seat, his knife already in hand. He quickly pressed it to the throat of the driver.

"I don't have time for this!" Lisa yelled into the phone. It hadn't taken her long to realize that she could probably get Jackson's phone number from Trudi, the woman whose number was on the note Jackson had given her. Unfortunately, Trudi was more suspicious that anything else and was questioning her. "I told you. I'm Lisa Reisert, and I need Jackson's phone number- he's heading into a trap!"

She glanced at Cheryl, who was watching her with an odd expression of satisfaction. She didn't have time to think about it, because Trudi was responding. "What are you talking about?" she asked, obviously confused. Lisa kicked the armchair in frustration. Did Jackson really not tell her anything about what he was doing with Robert?

"He's with Robert," she explained through clenched teeth. "They're going to kill him." When the other woman hesitated, Lisa grabbed one of the empty beer bottles and threw it against the wall. "Please!" she begged.

"Dramatic," Cheryl noted, but Lisa ignored her. In the back of her mind, she knew that she was being irrational and she had no logical reason to be in such a panic. Cheryl was probably just successfully messing with her head, but Lisa had a nagging feeling that there was something very wrong, and this feeling increased with every second that she was prevented from communicating with Jackson. She also knew that Jackson would mock her mercilessly for this later, but she just didn't care.

She heard Trudi sigh. "212-549-2305," she said slowly, and hung up. Lisa rapidly repeated the number over and over as she entered it into her phone. She quickly fired off a message to Jackson and dropped back onto the couch, glancing at the clock. It was almost 2:00. A shudder ripped through Lisa's body. What if she was already too late?

Jackson glanced out the window. He saw only dark buildings- it looked like some kind of warehouse district. His face remained unaffected, but it was making him nervous. He knew that they wouldn't be going anywhere populated, but there were many dark spaces to hide. Robert would be an idiot if they weren't close to their destination.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp tone indicating that he had received a new message. He sighed in frustration and debated taking his eyes from the other men. Knowing how few people had his number, he figured that it must be important, and fished the phone from his pocket. He flipped open the phone and checked the number. Lisa? "It's a trap. C says 4 v 10 men. Ben OK. L."

Jackson glanced up and noticed that the car in front was starting to slow down, apparently ready to turn into a parking lot. Cheryl told Lisa there were more waiting? It didn't make sense. Jackson knew that he didn't have time to question this warning, and he also had no time to inform Caleb. He shoved the phone in his pocket and jumped forward in his seat, pressing his blade to the driver's neck again. "Hit the car," he ordered harshly. The driver hesitated, but jammed his foot on the accelerator. It never ceased to amaze Jackson how many people followed commands when their lives were under immediate threat, even though it was obvious that they were going to die anyway. Through the years, he had learned that where death was concerned, logic rarely followed.

Jackson caught out of the corner of his eye a glint of metal. Instinctively, he quickly turned toward Mark and caught his elbow on the other man's arm. This caused Mark's arm to drop and the tip of a knife to slice along Jackson's side. Jackson gritted his teeth and swung at his seatmate, driving his knife across his throat. He quickly turned away as the spray of blood flew at him, and while doing so, grabbed the back of the driver's head and pushed it forward. He had mere seconds, but it felt like all the time he could possible need.

Jackson braced himself on the back of the headrest with his right arm as their car collided with one in front. He could tell by the sound that the impact of the airbag snapped the driver's neck and released the dead man. He heard gurgling coming from Mark and swung again, severing the second artery. He saw movement from the passenger seat, but didn't have time to react before the man lunged at him.

Caleb quickly did an inventory of his body parts. Nothing seemed broken, but his foot was wedged under the driver's seat. One wrong move could easily sprain it. He turned to inspect the car behind them, and saw movement in the backseat, but couldn't make out who it was or what was happening. The driver was slumped over, at least unconscious. Something was obviously very wrong. He heard a groan from next to him, and whipped his head around to see Robert grabbing his head. He had apparently struck it on the internal frame, and Caleb could see blood between his fingers.

He looked straight forward. Ben was doubled over, gasping for breath. Must have hit his chest on the steering wheel, Caleb noted. If so, he would be fine. He turned his attention back to Robert. He knew that it was on him to finish this, and help Jackson if necessary. Caleb let his hand drop between the door and seat, fishing around until he felt the handle of a knife that Ben had previously hidden.

He pulled the knife from its sheath, not taking his eyes off Robert. The manager stared at him, a look of panic in his eyes. Caleb saw him glance at Ben and figured that their weapons must be in the front seat. He took a deep breath and lunged forward, grabbing the other man by the hair and staring into his eyes.

"I just want you to know," he said, his voice steady, "I'm not Jackson. I'm the other one- the bleeding heart. She betrayed you, too." He let his eyes scan Robert's torso, briefly debating his next move. Without another thought, he drove his knife into Robert's chest, gritting his teeth as he felt the knife grind between the ribs and into his lung. He twisted the knife in the lung and pulled it out with effort, knowing immediately that he had his his target perfectly.

As the knife exited the wound, a spray of blood from the pulmonary artery followed. Caleb barely turned his head to avoid getting blood in his eyes and turned back to Robert, watching him fight for air with terrifying satisfaction. He cupped his hand in the area over the wound, and applied a hard pressure, knowing that Robert's lung was rapidly filling with blood. He continued to push down as Robert's struggles became weaker and weaker. He wanted to make Robert suffer, but he knew that he had to get to Jackson- a quick glance at the other car made it obvious that his brother was still inside. He looked into Robert's unfocused eyes one more time before bringing the knife down viciously, sinking the blade into his heart and tearing it across his flesh.

Caleb pulled the knife back, satisfied with the knowledge that there was less than a minute left in Robert's life. He looked over at Ben, who was staring at him from the front seat in shock and what almost looked like fear. Caleb quickly reached over and opened the door, shoving Robert out into the street and pulling the door shut again. He jumped out and rushed to the crumpled car behind, seeing an unfamiliar man inside swinging at who had to be Jackson.

Caleb ripped open the door and grabbed the man by the shirt collar, yanking him out and onto the street. As Jackson fished for his dropped knife, Caleb lifted one foot and brought it down hard on the man's throat, hearing the sickening crack of his trachea being crushed. He pulled his foot back and was about to bring it down again when Jackson pulled him away from the rasping man.

"It's done," Jackson insisted, tugging on Caleb's arm. Caleb glanced back at the man, whose eyes were rolling back in his head as his body convulsed on the pavement. His concentration was finally broken by another tug from Jackson, and he realized what he had done.

Jackson rushed toward the first car and hoisted Robert over his shoulder. If what Lisa had said was correct, there could be more men waiting nearby, and they didn't have time to lose. He tossed the body into the front seat of the second car, motioning for Caleb to throw the other man in the backseat. Ben pulled a gas can from the trunk of the first car and hurried over to the twins. He doused the bodies and car interior as Jackson pulled a matchbook from his pocket.

Making sure that other two men were clear of the vehicle, Jackson lit a match and tossed it through the open window. They briefly watched as the flames spread over the interior of the vehicle before hurrying to the first. Ben took his place behind the steering wheel and the brothers jumped in the back seat as Ben took off down the street.

Lisa poured rum into a plastic cup and filled the rest with Coke. She hated rum and Coke, but it was all Jeff had, and she needed it. She glanced at the clock- 2:10. Lisa fidgeted with the strings on her hoodie as she took a long swallow of the disgusting drink. Cheryl was being oddly quiet, and Lisa couldn't read her expression. She seemed to be deep in thought, maybe sad.

Lisa sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions. She found it strange, but she did care about Cheryl. She was a horrible person, but if it wasn't for her inexplicably-given information- which may or may not have been true- Jackson would be dead. Or he could be dead anyway. Lisa didn't know, but she still felt an odd sense of gratitude.

"Is it true?" She asked meekly, taking another sip. "Was there really a trap?" Cheryl raised her chin to meet Lisa's eyes and nodded slowly. "Why did you tell me?" There was no response. Lisa walked over to Cheryl and set the drink on the floor. She leaned over and loosened the restraints on Cheryl's hands. She gave the confused woman a small smile and handed her the glass in silent thanks.

Lisa pushed out her internal voice that screamed at her that it was insane to trust this woman and took a seat on the arm of the chair. Cheryl took a drink and passed the glass back to Lisa. "It was such a stupid plan," she admitted bitterly. "Take over the agency with about ten men?" Cheryl shook her head. "He should have been smarter than that."

Lisa nodded. "Maybe you hoped I would be able to contact Jackson? It's kind of...useless for him to get killed if the plan wasn't going to work anyway." She took another drink. "I mean, when I was trying to get the number from Trudi, you almost looked...happy."

Cheryl shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know why," she responded. "But I don't want Robert to die." Lisa watched as Cheryl absently touched her stomach and frowned.

"You love him?" she asked, but it was more of an observation. Cheryl gave a small nod. Lisa finished the drink and walked over to fill it up again. What a pair they made- both waiting to find out the fate of two men who were on opposite sides of the fight. But Cheryl loved Robert, whereas Lisa wasn't so sure that she loved Jackson.

She took her seat on the arm again, handing Cheryl the full cup. It didn't escape her that technically, Cheryl shouldn't be drinking, but it was a moot point, wasn't it? Lisa bit down on her lip. She was starting to feel guilty, knowing that while she was waiting for a message from Jackson, Cheryl was facing losing her life, the life of the man she loved, and her own child. But she deserved it, didn't she?

A generic tone snapped Lisa out of her brooding. She pulled her phone from her pocket, knowing that it had to be Jackson. Sure enough, the message read: "It's finished. We're heading back." Lisa jumped in surprise when she felt the other woman lean against her. She was even more surprised to find herself putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry," Lisa whispered, a lump in her throat. She knew she was being stupid, but she refused to believe that people were just evil. She might disagree with Cheryl's actions, but she was still a person. Lisa squeezed Cheryl's shoulder tightly as she felt the other woman's body begin to tremble with silent tears, feeling like a hypocrite. Here she was trying to soothe Cheryl and at the same time, she knew that the blonde was going to be dead within the week, and in her own place. She slid off the arm of the chair to share the seat with Cheryl, closing her eyes tightly as she felt hot tears streaming down her own cheeks.

Jackson drummed his fingertips on the door frame as Jeff pulled away from the burning car behind them. They had met with him and changed vehicles, destroying the old one in the process.

"Can you just drop me off at home?" Ben asked from the backseat. Jackson shook his head.

"I got a call from my guy," he replied without turning around. "Keefe is in Miami." He pursed his lips, thinking about the phone call he had received from Jonathan. Keefe's men had traced his phone to the dumpster where Caleb had abandoned it. Neither of them had any idea how the men had gotten ahold of the number.

"They here for me," he continued vaguely, "and they won't be here for long. We're going for him the day after tomorrow, well, tomorrow, so we need to plan right away." He furrowed his eyebrows, knowing that he would have to call Trudi later to have her get some of his guys down to Miami. As they were now, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"It's gonna be crowded," Jeff remarked, getting onto the freeway.

Ben clapped his hands in mock excitement. "A sleepover?" he cried sarcastically. "We can make s'mores and play truth or dare! But I don't have my jammies..."

"You can borrow mine," Jeff replied, playing Ben's game. "And we can tell scary stories!"

Jackson glanced at Jeff with amusement. "Have fun, girls," he commented flatly, and stared out the window again. He winced as the car drove over a pothole, pressing Caleb's t-shirt firmly against his side. They hadn't had the time to really look at his injury, but it seemed superficial.

Jeff had insisted that both Caleb and Jackson take off their bloody shirts and at least attempt to wipe the blood from their faces and hands before getting in his car. They had done their best, but blood never did come off skin very easily. As Jeff and Ben discussed Disney princess sleeping bags, Caleb remained silent in the backseat. He stared at his right hand, trying to rub off Robert's blood with his left thumb. He didn't know if it would ever really come off.

So Caleb is little...intense.

R&R!