Innocent People's Lives
Chapter Five
He glanced over to look at his sleeping passenger every so often. She'd protested at first, refusing to rest, but eventually she'd been lulled to sleep by the motion of the car and her injuries. He'd known it was a matter of time.
Jackson suspected she was still in shock. He had been expecting it. After all, he had just shattered her safe little life for the second time. He was surprised she wasn't catatonic.
He'd been waiting for ten years to face her again. Thinking of her is what got him through his long recovery. Little Lisa Reisert, the mousy hotel employee, who had proceeded to kick his ass. She was stronger than he'd ever imagined.
Even his boss hadn't expected it.
No one could've foreseen it simply because the rape wasn't in the file. That made her fight. She'd been hurt before and it gave her inner strength. Plus, she'd been protecting her father.
It had been a shit storm. The entire job had been fucked from the beginning. He hadn't like the plan from the start—there were too many unknowns and all it would take was one tiny mistake or miscalculation for it all to blow up in his face.
Which is exactly what happened.
What started it all was Grandma Henrietta's death. As soon as Lisa hopped a plane to Texas, he changed his plans. It threw a wrench into his plans and shortened the timeline. He had no choice but to fly out there as well. To make contact on the plane.
Which meant he needed leverage. Her father. So he arranged for Joe Reisert's babysitter.
Jackson didn't anticipate her reluctance. Or resourcefulness. Or for the storm that knocked out the air phone. He hadn't planned for any of it.
When the plan started to collapse, it was too late to call off the fishermen. They were already waiting with the missile. It was going to be launched whether Keefe was in the room or not.
Keefe knew what time the missile was set to launch. He knew exactly where it would be aimed. He knew how much time it would take to get out. No matter what, he wasn't in danger. Not really.
His staff were in on the plan. They had to make it look real. That's why he had the children with him. No one would ever suspect he'd planned the assassination if his children were in danger. It was the perfect cover.
It also made him sick.
Jackson didn't have a choice. Keefe was the boss. He called the shots. If he started to get cold feet, it would jeopardize everything. He had to do the best he could given the constraints of the plan. No matter how stupid the plan was.
Ten Years Ago
He slid into the backseat of the waiting car. The windows were darkly tinted which ensured their privacy almost as much as their back alley location.
He'd never met this man before. He probably never would again. At least not if everything went according to plan.
"You Rippner?" the other man in the backseat asked. He was dressed in a suit, tie still done up. His hair was graying and he was probably in his forties.
He nodded. "You have a job for me?"
"If you'll take it."
Jackson leaned back into the seat. "Enlighten me."
"I need you to pull off an assassination."
"Who's the target?"
"I am."
He paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "So a suicide?"
"No, it needs to look like an assassination, but needs to fail at the last moment. I need it to be precise in order to be a believable close call."
His brain was already kicking in and running through the options. He had to tailor it to the client and the more questions he asked in the initial interview, the less follow-up he'd have to do.
"I take it you don't plan to be shot at?"
The other man nodded. "I was thinking something flashy. Like a bomb."
"Depends on the location."
"There's a hotel I stay at often. It's in Miami, right off the water. It would be a good target."
"Could be lots of casualties."
"We can get the room changed to the top floor. Make it easy for you."
"Does your security team sweep the rooms?"
"How do you know I have a security team?"
Jackson looked at him. "This isn't my first time. Obviously a bomb would be found during a sweep. So we can't plant one. If you want a civilian location, the best plan would be a missile launched from the nearby water. If you're on the top floor, facing the water, we can figure out the range, move into position at the appropriate time, then launch the missile. Then on the inside, your guys can hustle you out just before it hits."
"Sounds good. I need it to play well in the media."
"Oh, trust me, it will. People love big, flashy high-profile assassinations. Even attempts."
"What will you need in order to make it happen?"
"Access to a missile, a crew, schematics for the hotel, and an inside man. I assume you have standing reservations?"
"Yes."
"Which means we will need a room change, once I figure out from the plans where to strike. That means I need someone to switch your room. It can't come from your team. I need a hotel employee to authorize it."
"I know just the person."
"Would they be in on it?"
"No. She would have the authority to change the room and wouldn't cause a fuss."
"What's the name?"
"Her name is Lisa Reisert. She's a manager."
"Good. Now, what's the time frame? When are you looking to get this done?"
"I'll be in Miami in ten weeks' time. Is that enough?"
"Should be. I'll get started right away." Jackson straightened his jacket and slid toward the door.
"When should we meet again?"
"I'll reach out to you as we get closer. Give you dates and times. If anything changes, you need to let me know immediately. I'll handle all the arrangements. Just make sure you've got guys you trust in the room with you. I need them to be in on it."
"Not a problem."
"Safe flight, Mr. Keefe." He climbed out of the car. As soon as he closed the door, it pulled away, disappearing into the night.
Present Day
Lisa opened her eyes slowly and focused on her savior. It was strange to think of Jackson Rippner as a good guy. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She still wasn't sure why he was helping her. It didn't make sense. Not after what she'd done to him in the past. How could he not want revenge?
And Keefe? Could he really be behind everything? Behind the flight and the bomb? Could he have hurt Sarah?
Did he want her dead?
Why? What did he think she knew?
Author's Notes:
I will be throwing a few flashbacks in now and then to help bridge the gap between the flight and now. There will also be some shorter jumps, too.
Hope you enjoyed the glimpse of Jackson's past with Keefe. There's still more surprises to come.