This Changes Everything

[hannah]

Thanks, I'm glad you're all enjoying this! I hope this part is good...hehe, I'm also planning on putting up a Crane fic maybe... so if you're interested, keep an eye out! I hope that one will be well liked like this one! ;D
Okay, I'll admit, this one is a tad bit shorter than the others. I'm just trying to keep up some suspense.

CHAPTER 7
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"So tell me, Jack," Keith spat, "why you decided to hand over your life on this assignment? What made you try to save the stupid girl's life? Hmm?"

Jackson swallowed, and inched his way closer to Keith. Unfortunately, Jackson finally had to come to terms with the fact that he was weaponless, while Keith held a twelve inch knife to Lisa's father.

"Stop moving Jack, you're not going to save him. It's my orders to kill all three of you. And, unlike you, I plan on carrying out my orders."

Thinking fast, Jackson grabbed a vase next to his hand and chucked it with precise aim at Keiths head. Immediately, he let go of Joe and he fell to the ground. Jackson raced over and pulled Joe off to the side.

"Bad move, boy." Keith growled, getting up from his knees.

Keith jumped at Jackson, knocking him to the ground, and was now ontop of him. He let out a smirk as he raised his fist back and punched Jackson squarely in the jaw, and then repeated this twice more.

A noise came from upstairs; something had been knocked over. Stopping with his fist pulled back in mid-swing, Keith looked up towards the ceiling. He chuckled deeply, grabbing Jackson by the throat and lifting him up.

Joe lay unconscious on the floor still, and Keith gave him a swift kick to the ribs as he passed by his motionless body, still choking Jackson on his trek to tie him up.

Jackson soon began to choke and squeal for air, grabbing at Keith's hands that were threatening his wind pipe.

"No, no. I'm going to find that stupid woman, and then you're going to take a lesson in how to 'get the job done'." Keith said, picking up the rope from off the floor and tying Jackson to a chair. "Or, maybe I'll just kill her in the kitchen, and you can listen to her pleads and screams."

Keith stalked around to the front of Jackson, who was now uncomfortably and tightly tied to the chair.

He smiled, "Come out, come out where ever you are Lisa."

He took to the stairs, Jackson's eyes burning into his skull.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


She hid in the shower, a hockey stick from her closet tightly grasped to her chest. She took deep breaths as she heard the footsteps stop at the top of the stairs.

"Your precious Jackson isn't able to help you right now, I'm afraid he's a little tied up." The man laughed as the footsteps picked up again.

Gasping, Lisa peered carefully around the shower curtain and through the mirror. She could see the man's back facing the mirror, obviously looking for her in the wrong direction.

One thought kept running through her head as the assasin searched the second floor for her:

She needed to untie Jackson.

[justanotherday]

Oooh. This was a good way to wake up this morning. To an amazing story like this. Can't wait for the next chapter!

[celticgrl]

Can't wait to see what happens next ! Hurry please! According to your profile you are 15. Very talented!!!

[hannah]

Yay, everyone is loving my story! ;D

According to your profile you are 15. Very talented!!!

Thanks, I've been told that by many of my teachers...and when I write and post stories for fun! ;D I'm hoping to get a scholarship with my writing, lol.

Alright, I'm going to eat and do homework, and then I will post a new chapter for everyone to enjoy!

[hannah]

Haha, I'm multi-tasking, writing this for y'all and also listening to my boys playin' their songs. It'd be more fun if I wasn't worried about writing the lyrics and then having to sing them out...eh.
Anyway, thanks for everyone whose been waiting patiently...for the few days (or was it just a day?) that I didn't have this updated!

CHAPTER 8
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Lisa could hear her heart beating, praying that the man, whom she overheard called Keith, wouldn't be able to hear it. She hoped he couldn't hear the edge in her breathing, which she was focusing on silencing, either.

She noticed the man slip out of the room and heard his footsteps heading off away from the stairs and the bathroom.

She waited just a bit before quickly stepping out of the shower and rushed on her tip toes to the top of the stairs. Looking in both directions like a child crossing the street alone for the first time, she sprinted down the set of stairs, turning sharply and going down the next set.

Panting at the bottom, she ducked out of the way just in time as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs after her.

"I know you're down here girl. I'll find you, don't you worry." Keith snarled.

Lisa's breath halted in her chest, anxiety was contorting her movements and rushing her thoughts.

Hardly thinking, she raced into the kitchen, and stopped at the sight. Her dad lay unconcious on the floor, a bleeding cut on his arm. She flew towards him, wrapping her dad in her arms as she cried.

"Wake up dad!" She whispered feverishly into his ear.

"There you are."

Lisa instantly jumped up and stood protectively in front of her dad.

"You know, you could make this easy if you'd just stop fighting the inevitable."

"Never." Lisa spat at him.

"Fine."

The older man flung himself forward, knocking Lisa down under him. She struggled out of his grip, but it wasn't working. This man was too strong for her.

"Give up yet?" Keith whispered into her ear, sending disgusting shivers through her spine.

She shoved him off, but he only reacted before she could get up; leaving them in the same position again.

Suddenly, there was a thump from the living room. Keith grunted ontop of her, and he reached over to pick up his knife he had almost entirely forgotten. Grabbing her up by the hair, ignoring her whimpers and gasps of pain, he stood with the twelve inch ka-bar to her throat. Just waiting for Jackson Rippner to walk through that door.

Lisa cried, fighting back memories of those years back in the parking lot. It wasn't working as footsteps headed towards the kitchen and the knife was pushed closer to her throat. It was the same feeling as the knife that had cut her in that parking lot, by that devilish man.

He wouldn't rape me would he? No, he just wants to kill me....

Well...that thought didn't help. God I'm going to die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wrestling with the rope loosely tied on his wrists, he tugged and tugged at the knot. He was Jackson Rippner, he'd escaped from situations worse than this.

But then again, it was just his ass on the line all those times.

Hearing footsteps in the kitchen, he tugged harder, pulling his arms apart as far as they would go. He smiled as a snap could be heard.

Just one more...

Tugging harder, he listened to the small conversation and ruckus occuring only a room over. Another snap and he was a freeman. Rushing to stand up while rubbing his wrists, he made a move straight for the kitchen entrance.

Dumb idea, he'll expect you from that entrance.

A smirk planted on his lips, Jackson faked footsteps to the kitchen, and then quietly stepped to the second entrance.

Before he entered, he grabbed a gun that was sparkling under a piece of furniture.

Perfect.

"I hope you like bullets." Jackson's voice rang through the room.

Keith spun around quickly, revealing a crying Lisa with a knife held to her throat; a small cut was dripping blood down her neck.

"Go ahead Jack, shoot. We both know you're a lousy shot. You'll end up hitting your girl."

A warm feeling fluttered through his stomach at the last words of that sentence, but then it disappeared at the truth of his lousy shot.

If he shot the gun, he'd surely hit Lisa.

If he didn't, all three of them were dead.

"Well, whatcha waiting for, Jack?"

[fadetogether]

Woo! I'm really liking this story and all its updates--thanks!! ;D

[blue-eyed struck]

you're awesome and your writing is impressive. You're also a little too good with the cliffhangers. Hurry with the next one.

[celticgrl]

I was excited to find an update! It was fun to read with my morning cup of tea! Can't wait to see what happens next!

[hannah]

Thanks, I'm glad everyone is enjoying this so much!

Yeah, I happen to love cliffhangers, leaves suspense, and people come back for more.

[hannah]

Okay, so here's the next chapter! Hope y'all enjoy it!

CHAPTER 9
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Take the shot, just take the shot.

No, you'll surely hit Lisa.

I won't hit her, he's not expecting me to shoot, just take the damn shot!! Right now, GO!

NO! You'll hit her!

Jackson's hands began to sweat, his finger placed professionally on the trigger.

"Scared, Jackson?" Keith smirked, "Maybe this will help make up your mind."

Keith dug the knife in deeper, cause a deeper gash on Lisa's neck. Blood began to stream down her neck faster.

That's when something in Jackson snapped, he remembered the scar on her right breast. He remembered how just an hour ago she had spilled the haunting memory of what had happened to her in that parking lot.

And here she was, about to get another scar, from another knife.

"Go on, shoot me. Pull the trigger."

He had to do it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa's heart was beating in her chest rapidly. Jackson stood in the kitchen with a gun pointed at Keith.

Keith's attempts to make him shoot were working. He was aggravating him to no possible end.

But he's a lousy shot! He might hit me if he shoots that gun.

That, or Keith will just use me like a "shield" and throw me in front of it.

"Maybe this will help make up your mind." Keith spat at him.

Lisa snapped from her mind, hearing these words. A chill ran through her body.

That's when she felt the knife cut into her neck, blood trickling harder down her throat. She let out a soft whimper of pain, and was no longer in the kitchen.

She was back in that parking lot, knife to her throat and a pervert about to get his way.

In broad daylight.

"No...no..NO!" She screamed, starting to squirm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackson stared at Lisa, worried now more than before. She kept struggling and squirming, her eyes held a distant look, and she kept shouting out 'no' and whimpering.

It was his chance.

Jackson raised his arm back up again and took aim straight at Keith's chest.

He squeezed the trigger, but was too slow.

A shot from another gun had ricocheted through the room. Keith's face taunted Jackson now, a smirk playing along the lips.

At the sound of the gun, Lisa seemed to snap back to normal.

Keith fell forward to the floor.

"Lisa, are you alright?" A voice croaked out from on the floor.

Joe had just shot Keith down and saved his daughter's life, along with Jackson's.

[blue-eyed struck]

hannah said:

Yeah, I happen to love cliffhangers, leaves suspense, and people come back for more.

^ Very true. And I loved this chapter. It was suspenseful! *CB*

[§ilvercell]

more!

[justanotherday]

AAAAAHHHHH!! Not another cliffhanger!! But this is so worth it! :-)

[jen]

More please:)

[§ilvercell]

more!