p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""For real this time… What would happen to you if you turned yourself in, cut a deal?" Leese looked over at the pained expression on his face as he hobbled up beside her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson snorted. "You watch too much TV. I would be dead long before a trial."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She frowned. "But if you know that much then couldn't you use it as a bargaining tool. Get your employers to back off?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""That's what I'm trying to do. But I've been compromised. There will be those that won't want to take the chance. I have to reach out to someone I trust."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She gave him a sideways glance, "Trust, huh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He shrugged, "Trust might not be the right word. An alliance balanced by the possibility of mutually shared destruction. That's a better way of looking at it." He caught his toe and stumbled slightly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Without thinking about it, Leese reached out and resecured her hold, walking him around to the driver's side of the truck, not a whisper of air between their bodies. "Why don't you let me drive for a while?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He rolled his eyes and turned to her. Leese immediately became aware of their position. They now stood in an embrace, arms wrapped intimately around each other's waist. "Do I look delirious to you? Or maybe, you think your considerable charm has rendered me stupid?" He reached out and brushed a strand of hair that had slipped from the cap onto her face. Their eyes locked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He suddenly dropped his hand and pulled away from her as if she had slapped him. "Get in the truck," he pointed at the driver's door. "And slide over."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Leese looked at him a bit shell-shocked. Was that… did they just have a moment? Was that what happened? Holy Hell. She didn't even make a snarky comment about his authoritative command. She just opened the door and slid over. Wow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson started the truck without another word. As they pulled back onto the highway, he winced; the vibration agitated his injuries. His face twisted in pain. He started to take deep cleansing breaths./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She gave him a sideways glance. Whatever had just happened between them, she had allowed it. She had wanted it. There was a moment of … something other than loathing. A thrill raced down her spine. She knew they were fast approaching a crossroads but what direction would she take?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Look, I thought we were passed all this. Mutually assured destruction, remember? You need rest and those wounds will need to be re-bandaged. I don't want to die in an auto accident because you refused my help. Let me..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Fine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She stopped speaking with her mouth half open. She closed it with a click of teeth. "Did you just say, 'fine'?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson nodded once then pulled the truck to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and leaned forward against the wheel. She had never seen that expression on his face. She wasn't sure what to make of it and she wasn't sure she liked it one bit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He opened the door and slid out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She looked around frantically. Forest to one side, highway on the other. She stepped out and he headed around the rear. She walked around the front. "What now?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Using the truck as a crutch he made his way around to the passenger side and slid in, he leaned across the seat and dangled the keys, "You coming or not?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He was giving her an out. She couldn't believe it. She could make a break for it. This was her opportunity. She was poised to move. But was it, really? Maybe, he had just had enough and would kill her now. No, that made no sense. He wouldn't do that, if only because it would bring too much attention. He was working an angle, that had to be it. She just couldn't see it, yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You're putting too much thought into it, Leese."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She peered into the truck, locking eyes with Jackson. Damn mind reader./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""What does your gut tell you?" he offered in a smooth tone. "You have good instincts. Use them now."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"This might be her last chance for freedom... Her last chance to break whatever hold he seemed to exert over her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I will do everything I can to get us out of this, Leese. But at this point, I can't do it alone. You can continue to fight me. Maybe get away, maybe get me caught but you need to believe what I've told you. Without sanction, we're both dead. I need to finish this or there's no chance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He turned to her with those electric blue eyes and said the one thing that erased any doubt from her mind about his honesty. "Please."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She jumped in the driver's seat and grab the keys. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson snorted. "You watch too much TV. I would be dead long before a trial."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She frowned. "But if you know that much then couldn't you use it as a bargaining tool. Get your employers to back off?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""That's what I'm trying to do. But I've been compromised. There will be those that won't want to take the chance. I have to reach out to someone I trust."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She gave him a sideways glance, "Trust, huh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He shrugged, "Trust might not be the right word. An alliance balanced by the possibility of mutually shared destruction. That's a better way of looking at it." He caught his toe and stumbled slightly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Without thinking about it, Leese reached out and resecured her hold, walking him around to the driver's side of the truck, not a whisper of air between their bodies. "Why don't you let me drive for a while?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He rolled his eyes and turned to her. Leese immediately became aware of their position. They now stood in an embrace, arms wrapped intimately around each other's waist. "Do I look delirious to you? Or maybe, you think your considerable charm has rendered me stupid?" He reached out and brushed a strand of hair that had slipped from the cap onto her face. Their eyes locked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He suddenly dropped his hand and pulled away from her as if she had slapped him. "Get in the truck," he pointed at the driver's door. "And slide over."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Leese looked at him a bit shell-shocked. Was that… did they just have a moment? Was that what happened? Holy Hell. She didn't even make a snarky comment about his authoritative command. She just opened the door and slid over. Wow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson started the truck without another word. As they pulled back onto the highway, he winced; the vibration agitated his injuries. His face twisted in pain. He started to take deep cleansing breaths./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She gave him a sideways glance. Whatever had just happened between them, she had allowed it. She had wanted it. There was a moment of … something other than loathing. A thrill raced down her spine. She knew they were fast approaching a crossroads but what direction would she take?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Look, I thought we were passed all this. Mutually assured destruction, remember? You need rest and those wounds will need to be re-bandaged. I don't want to die in an auto accident because you refused my help. Let me..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Fine."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She stopped speaking with her mouth half open. She closed it with a click of teeth. "Did you just say, 'fine'?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jackson nodded once then pulled the truck to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and leaned forward against the wheel. She had never seen that expression on his face. She wasn't sure what to make of it and she wasn't sure she liked it one bit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He opened the door and slid out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She looked around frantically. Forest to one side, highway on the other. She stepped out and he headed around the rear. She walked around the front. "What now?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Using the truck as a crutch he made his way around to the passenger side and slid in, he leaned across the seat and dangled the keys, "You coming or not?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He was giving her an out. She couldn't believe it. She could make a break for it. This was her opportunity. She was poised to move. But was it, really? Maybe, he had just had enough and would kill her now. No, that made no sense. He wouldn't do that, if only because it would bring too much attention. He was working an angle, that had to be it. She just couldn't see it, yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You're putting too much thought into it, Leese."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She peered into the truck, locking eyes with Jackson. Damn mind reader./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""What does your gut tell you?" he offered in a smooth tone. "You have good instincts. Use them now."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"This might be her last chance for freedom... Her last chance to break whatever hold he seemed to exert over her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I will do everything I can to get us out of this, Leese. But at this point, I can't do it alone. You can continue to fight me. Maybe get away, maybe get me caught but you need to believe what I've told you. Without sanction, we're both dead. I need to finish this or there's no chance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He turned to her with those electric blue eyes and said the one thing that erased any doubt from her mind about his honesty. "Please."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; background: white;"span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She jumped in the driver's seat and grab the keys. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p