57Again; this chapter contains violence and sensitive material, you've been warned.
All disclaimers are still the same, don't own nothing, don't get paid and if you want to sue me all I have of value is a cat and I love my cat (even though she can be a pain).
Chapter 12
Jackson opened the door and pushed Lisa into the room; his Uncle was sitting behind the large mahogany desk looking rather perturbed. Once the door was closed behind them; he stood up and acted ever the gentleman.
"Rippner, why don't you take those handcuffs off of Ms. Reisert; they don't look all that comfortable."
Jackson took the keys out of his pocket and turned to face Lisa, standing between her and his Uncle. He looked into Lisa's eyes and saw that she was nervous but otherwise determined.
"Please sit down; may I offer you something to drink?" Matthew Henderson asked
"No thank you," Jackson said glaring at the man.
"That's enough pleasantries sir…why am I here?" Lisa asked
"Because Ms. Reisert…I need you still."
"Why; Keefe is already dead?"
"That is true, but my nephew here is not."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jackson said his defences beginning to kick in
The door opened and a big guy about 6'2" and 260 pounds walked in and stood behind Jackson holding him down.
"Allow me to explain…you see Jackson you wanted to retire. This job was to be your last, but you forgot one very important detail…you never retire from this job. The job retires you," he now turned his attention to Lisa, "When the Keefe assignment was given to me I did the initial work on the file deciding where the hit should take place and then I saw that Keefe was to be coming to Miami and staying at the Lux Atlantic Hotel with his lovely family. And guess who was the manager at the hotel and could get us all that we wanted…that's right dear you. Jackson's little high school sweetheart."
Both Jackson and Lisa were seething with anger; they had both been set-up. He had to know about Jaden also and that he was Jackson's child if he knew this much.
"I thought I had nipped your little romance in the bud years ago when I 'convinced' Jackson to leave you before something terrible happened; but then Lena called me from the plane and told me that you two had kissed and made up. Really I'm disappointed to have lost one of my best female operatives but I am quite impressed with you Lisa dear, I think you may have missed your calling."
"So what happens now, are you going to kill both of us and then dump our bodies in the swamp?" Lisa asked cheekily
"Watch your lip missy," the big guy behind Jackson said.
"Thank you Bobby; that's not a bad idea Ms. Reisert but I think perhaps first you might want to say goodbye to the other two men in your life. One of my men should be on his way here now with them" he said sadistically.
"Touch them and you won't leave this office alive," Jackson said to Matthew pulling out of Bobby's grasp and standing.
"No Jackson, it's you who isn't going to leave this office alive. Say goodbye to your sweetheart and welcome to your retirement party."
Another man came into the room and pulled Lisa up out of the chair pulling her out of the room kicking and screaming. Jackson turned to fight Bobby but he was tossed across the room hitting his head on the wall. The last thing he saw before everything went black was his Uncle's smirking face and Lisa struggling crying out his name as she was taken out of the room.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Jackson woke a while later in a cold dark room in the basement. He started to curse at himself for being so foolish and not protecting Lisa better; he should have known it was a trap. He started to wonder if Joe and Jaden were there with them or perhaps that had been a bluff to get a rise out of them. His question was answered when he heard a cry from down the hall.
"MOMMY! Where are you taking my MOMMY?"
"Shut up kid or I'll make you shut up," a man said as he hit Jaden across the face.
Jackson ran up to the door of his cell and shouted out the small window.
"I swear to God if you so much as hurt another hair on my son's head I'll kill you."
"Now that's no way to talk in front of your boy is it Jackson; you wouldn't want him to know what a bastard his father is would you?" Bobby said quietly as he pulled Lisa behind him.
"Where are you taking her?" he said looking at Lisa
"To nicer accommodations, Matthew wants to speak with her in private. After all; you can't have her all to yourself, though I can see why you would," he replied snickering.
Jackson knew exactly what that meant; Lisa was in a lot of trouble and she was beginning to look weary.
"Hang on just a little longer Leese…I'LL COME FOR YOU SOON," he shouted as she was carried up the stairs. "JADEN, are you and your grandpa okay?" he asked his son two doors down from him
"I'm okay Jack, but my face hurts where the bad man hit me. They left grandpa at home, he was hurt though. Are you going to save us?"
"If it's the last thing I do kiddo; I promise."
Bobby carried Lisa upstairs and took her into one of the more spacious bedrooms. He tossed her onto the bed and took a really good look at her. Despite the bruises and cuts she had sustained throughout her ordeal he could see that she was a lovely young woman and really could understand why Jackson wanted her so badly. She looked up at him and saw the lust in his eyes; she slowly shuffled up to the head of the bed away from Bobby as he began to step toward her.
"I hope you aren't planning what I think you are Bobby?" Matthew said from a darkened corner. "Get out," he said sternly.
"Yes sir."
Matthew stepped out of the shadows and over to the bar pouring himself and Lisa each a glass of champagne.
"I am sorry that we didn't get to meet before Lisa; if I had known then what I know now you I would have seen your potential and we wouldn't be in this mess."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I believe the score sits at us 1 and you 2; that's very impressive for someone with no assassin training."
"I do what I have to do; after all as Jackson says it's all about survival right?"
"It certainly is Ms. Reisert," he said handing her the champagne and eyeing her from head to toe.
He took a sip of the champagne, Lisa did not; instead she put the glass down on the table beside her and shifted herself so she could try to make an escape. He observed her from the corner of his eye as he also put his glass down and as she made a run for the door grabbed her around the waist and threw her against the wall knocking the wind out of her. He stood in front of her trapping her where she stood.
"You know I was far too quick last time; but now we have all the time in the world," he said exposing the scar from the knife on her chest and fingering it. "Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy you properly this time as often as I want."
Realization dawned on Lisa; it was Matthew who had raped her. As he leaned in to kiss her neck she became filled with rage. She focused all her rage into a single head-butt causing him to stumble back; she ran to the bedroom door and tried to open it futilely. She then began to pound on the door hoping against hope that Jackson was coming and would hear her.
"JACKSON, SOMEBODY HELP!" she shouted.
Matthew rubbed his forehead and felt the trickle of blood just above his hairline; he spun around, momentarily losing his balance and grabbed Lisa from the door throwing her onto the floor. He then grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up pushing her onto the bed and pinning her beneath him.
"That was not smart Lisa, not smart at all. I was going to be gentle, but now…" his voice trailed off as he forced her skirt up and tore off her underwear. The sounds of fighting were heard in the hallway and then a gunshot; Matthew either didn't register the struggle going on in the hall or figured his men had the problem settled. He couldn't be more wrong. The door flew open as the lock was shot off and he was flung off of Lisa by a very angry Jackson.
"Get off her NOW!"
Matthew looked into his nephew's face and saw the gun he had taken from Bobby; he wasn't overly concerned because he knew Jackson was a lousy shot. Lisa got up and stood on the far side of the room; wiping the tear away.
"Put the gun down Jackson, you know you can't fire a gun worth shit."
"Tell that to the guy in the hall and tell that to Bobby. Even I can't miss at this range," he looked over to Lisa, "are you alright?"
It was a stupid question but she knew what he meant. He was really asking her if he had gotten there in time; she nodded her head.
"It was him, two years ago in the parking lot," she said quietly, "he admitted it," she said with an icy glare that could rival Jackson's in her emerald eyes.
Jackson looked back at Matthew as the words she said sunk in. With rage filling him he checked the barrel of the gun he held to make sure he still had bullets; he knew what he had to do, family ties be dammed. He knew that Lisa secretly wanted revenge for what had been done to her but she had already killed enough people today. Jackson turned to her,
"It's okay Leese, go wait for me with Jaden. He's waiting in a car outside; I'll take care of this."
Lisa pulled her skirt the rest of the way down and ran out of the room; she did not want to stay and watch what Jackson would do to him. Matthew cleared his throat and Jackson once again focused on him.
"So what now, what are you going to do to me?"
"Kill you of course, but before I do I have to ask why you did it? Why would you rape a young woman when you had Aunt Carol and your many girlfriends? I've done some very questionable stuff over the years but I would never resort to rape."
"It's simple my boy, you had her; I wanted her so I took her."
"Well I know for a fact that you will never hurt anyone again, especially my family."
BANG! Jackson saw a flicker of fear in Matthew's eyes as he fired the gun; the bullet killed Matthew instantly entering between the eyes. It was quicker than Jackson would have preferred but Lisa and Jaden were waiting for him outside. He wiped the gun down and dropped it beside the body; he then walked down the stairs and looked at anyone still there with an unspoken threat. It was understood by all that Jackson Rippner was now retired and was completely off limits unless they wanted to end up the same way. He strolled outside and to the car which Lisa had already started; she sat in the back seat holding Jaden and he got in behind the steering wheel.
"Is it done?" she asked quietly
"Yes, no one will bother us anymore," he said pulling away from the mansion and stealing a glance at her in the mirror. "Is he alright?"
"He's got a nice shiner but he'll be okay; he plays hockey, soccer, rugby, a lot of sports; this is nothing."
"Jack, are you going to stay with mommy and me now?"
"If that's alright with you I would like to?"
"I suppose, I've been the man of the house long enough now so if you want the job it's yours."
Both Jackson and Lisa laughed; the kid was certainly more mature than other kids his age and definitely had Lisa's quirky sense of humour.
"What are we going to tell grandpa; we all look terrible?"
"Ask your mother, she's much better at telling stories than I am," he said winking at Lisa.
"Did you call your dad? Jaden said they left him behind."
"I called my neighbour who said he was taken to the hospital so we'd better go by there first so he doesn't worry too much."
"At least he'll know you both are safe…me he'll probably want arrested."
"I think I can convince him otherwise…I still have him wrapped around my little finger," she said smirking at him.
For the first time since Jackson had left Lisa 9 years ago he finally felt complete again. He was free of a life he hadn't really even wanted in the first place. As they stopped at an intersection Jaden leaned forward and turned on the radio.
"Yay, I like this group…this song is one of their best," he commented as he sat back down.
"Which group is that honey?" Lisa asked
"They're called Reliant K, they're cool."
Jackson chuckled softly as he saw Lisa roll her eyes; to an eight year old, pretty much everything was cool, she heard it everyday. He focused on the road keeping to the speed limit as they made their way back to Miami and listened to the lyrics of the song. It was as if it were speaking about him.
I watched the proverbial sunrise,
Coming up over the Pacific and,
You might think I'm losing my mind,
But I will shy away from the specifics.
'Cause I don't want you to know where I am,
'Cause then you'll see my heart,
In the saddest state it's ever been.
This is no place to try and live my life.
Stop right there, that's exactly where I lost it.
See that line; well I never should have crossed it.
Stop right there, well I never should have said,
That it's the very moment that
I wish I could take back.
I'm sorry for the person I became,
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change.
I'm ready to try and never become that way again
'Cause who I am hates who I've been.
Who I am hates who I've been
He stole one last glance in the mirror and saw Lisa glancing up at him also. They both smiled; they knew that the road ahead wasn't going to be an easy one but they would face it together.
A/N I know lyrics are wrong...but they fit so well :) I think this might be the end for this story, it feels like the end of this portion. I hope you've enjoyed it (I enjoyed writing it)…I know it might have ended too quickly but I'm beginning to run out of ideas. I do have some thoughts for a sequel though that I hope to start writing right away. Review and let me know if you all think that's a good idea. Thanks for reading and Happy belated Thanksgiving to all the American readers out there.