Post by stormy on Oct 26, 2005 20:26:51 GMT -5
This story is going to be a bit weird, I’ll warn you of that ahead of time. It's primarily a thriller with some mystery and romance as well. Since suspense is a big part of the story, certain things won't be fully explained until much later.
The story is now complete, but I'd like to make some changes to earlier chapters, and do a little more editing in places. I'm hoping to have that completed by the end of the year, then I can go on to other things I've been putting off for a long time. I started writing this in mid-October of 2005, after giving it quite a bit of thought before that.
The story is cross-universe, incorporating a number of movie characters and storylines, so beware of spoilers for many of Cillian's movies. It’s Alternate Universe, and some character background has been taken directly from the movie, and some has been altered slightly. In some cases, like with "Red Eye," it takes place after the end of that movie (18 months after) but with others, the story might veer off in another direction after the first 15 minutes or so of the movie. This means some people may seem out of character because they didn't go through certain events that changed them in the movie. I think there’s something here to please almost everyone.
Words in italics are sometimes someone's thoughts, sometimes just for emphasis. It should be fairly easy to tell them apart.
I'm adding the date to some of the chapters. Assume it's sometime on the same day in following chapters unless another day is listed. For instance, Chapter 1 takes place on Tuesday, 1/2/07 and Chapter 2 starts on Wednesday, 1/3/07. We don't hit Thursday, 1/4/07 until Chapter 6, so chapters 3, 4 and 5 don't have a date on them.
The following indicates a change in scene, and usually indicates a new viewpoint character:
<><><><><><><><>
This indicates a change in scene, but usually within a short time period and using the same "narrator":
<><><><>
Have fun reading.
I don't own any of the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a bit, then returning them, good as new. I'm also borrowing one character from "American Gothic", one from "Joan of Arcadia", one from "Nip/Tuck" and three from "Grey's Anatomy". Again, not mine, they belong to others, so they're just borrowed. You don't have to have seen those TV shows to know the characters, it just makes it slightly more amusing if you do know who they are.
GROUP THERAPY by Stormy
CHAPTER 1 (Tuesday night, January 2, 2007)
If he never got on another airplane again, Jackson Rippner could die a happy man. But not until he at least finished this one self-assigned job. It was time he made good on a promise. He deserved something for his pains. After everything he’d been through in the last 18 months, he needed it. Even his psychiatrist had agreed this would probably be very therapeutic.
Jackson’s eyes narrowed in concentration as he watched the passengers disembark. Yes, there she was. Lisa Reisert hadn’t changed much, though she must have just gotten her hair cut. The new style was nice, but he preferred it longer. Well, time would take care of that.
Before she had time to look in his direction, he strode over to her and pulled her out of the mob of passengers, enveloping her in a bear hug. He kissed her quickly, to stifle an impending scream. Barely moving his lips away from hers, he murmured, “Don’t even think about it. Just go along with it.”
She nodded, her eyes widening.
He spoke more loudly. “Lise! I’ve missed you so much, darling!” A few people smiled in their direction. Lisa awkwardly put her arms around him, and spoke loudly enough for the nearby passengers to hear. “It’s just such a surprise! I just wasn’t expecting you to be here.” The look she gave him was anything but loving. “I thought Dad was going to meet me.”
“He’s not feeling well, so he’s resting at home.”
Lisa gasped.
“Oh, I think it’s probably just a touch of food poisoning,” he soothed, “but he wasn’t in any shape to leave the house. I got out of work early so I could meet you. I figured we’d find something to do for the rest of the day.” He kissed her again, more thoroughly. She wasn’t happy about it, but she wasn’t biting him, either, so it was going well.
It was too bad he had to scare her, but he could have done a lot worse to Joe...like use a deadly poison. Better to let her wonder about that, for now.
Lisa’s laugh sounded forced. “Poor Dad. I hope he feels better soon.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine in a couple of days.” Under the pretext of kissing her on the cheek, he murmured, “Keep playing along and no one else will get hurt.”
She stiffened.
“No questions, Lise, not now.”
He grabbed her carry-on and the large tote bag she was using as a purse. Slinging it over one shoulder and pulling the bag behind him, he kept his other arm around her waist.
“Keep your arm around me, Lise,” he hissed, “you’re supposed to be happy to see your husband.”
“What the –“
”Shhhh. Language...there are kids nearby.” He smiled at the mother trying to lead three children.
Jackson could almost see the wheels turning in Lisa’s mind, looking for some type of escape. He’d have to make sure to explain to her, later, that it was completely out of her control. She’d accept it, eventually.
Lisa was dismayed to realize they were actually going to another terminal. Everyone she saw was busy with their own situation. Not one person seemed to think it was odd that her ‘husband’ was practically dragging her along like a piece of luggage with errant wheels.
When they arrived at the terminal, no one else was waiting except a flight attendant who led them to a small but quite luxurious plane. She thought it might be a Lear jet, but hadn’t had a chance to see much of the outside. The flight attendant took her bags from Jackson, stowing them in an overhead bin, then went into the c[o]ckpit.
Jackson helped her buckle the seat belt, but made sure her right arm was trapped under it, between her thigh and the armrest. There was no way to reach the buckle. He settled himelf quickly into the other seat, on the aisle. To make it even more annoying, he held her left hand and wouldn’t let go.
She was about to start asking him what the hell was going on, when the c[o]ckpit door opened and the flight attendant stepped out again. “The Captain is ready for take-off, sir, if you’re ready. Please make sure your seatbelts are tightly fastened.”
Jackson made a show of checking the belt over Lisa’s lap. “Yep, we’re fine.”
If the man saw Lisa’s predicament, it didn’t seem to concern him. “Very good, sir. Will you be needing anything right after take-off?”
“I don’t think so, not yet. If we do, I’ll ring for you.”
“Yes, sir. Ma’am.” The flight attendant walked by them, to sit at the back of the plane, well out of hearing distance.
Lisa didn’t waste any more time. “Is my father really all right?”
“Yes, Lisa, he’s fine. Well, he will be in a couple of days. He was given something to mimic food poisoning, that’s all. It’s nothing lethal.”
“How do I know he’s safe?”
“You don’t. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Trust you?!?” How could she even consider it?
“He may worry about you for a while, but he’ll get over it. You’re a big girl, after all, and capable of taking care of yourself.”
She didn’t like his look of amusement. “Again, why should I trust you?”
He explained patiently. “Because you have no choice. I’ve told you the truth about everything. I won’t lie to you. I may not tell you everything, but that’s for your own safety.”
“Are you going to tell me anything about what’s going on? Do you need my help assassinating someone else?”
He grinned briefly, seeming quite relaxed.
“No, I’m actually in another line of business now. It was decided an early retirement would be for the best.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow at that. “I didn’t think they’d let you retire. And why aren’t you in jail?”
“I was sent to a psychiatric facility instead, after I got out of the hospital. Glad you’re almost as bad a shot as I am.”
Psychiatric? She bit her tongue. Don’t say it, don’t... She settled for, “So how’d you get out?”
“Family connections.” He laughter sounded bitter.
“So, you were just joking about killing your parents when you were a kid, right, for giving you such a...regrettable name?” Thank God.
“No, Lise, I don’t joke about things like that.”
She felt sick. “How did you get away with it?”
“Well, as you’ve seen, I can be a pretty good actor when it suits me. I’d planned it out carefully. You might call it early training.”
Or she might call it sociopathic.
“So your family paid someone off?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that. I’ve had to join the family business.”
“But if your parents died...”
“They were my adopted parents, Lise. I didn’t find out about that till recently.”
He clearly wanted to change the subject. He squeezed her hand lightly. “This should be a lot more relaxing for both of us than the last flight we took together, huh, Lise?”
She was seething with anger, and her mind was suffering from whiplash. She tried to stay calm.
“So how do I fit in?”
He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “Well, you’re sort of a reward. Officially, I need an assistant or secretary or some damn thing, someone to help me with one aspect of my job. And you, as an official problem-solving people-pleaser, just happen to fit the bill.”
Now she recalled his seemingly humorous comment about how he might have to steal her away.
“What if I don’t want the job?”
He sighed. “Well, see, here’s the thing. You don’t have any choice in the matter. It’s completely out of your control. Besides, if you don’t take the job, you’d be bored to death with nothing to do except wait for me to come home.”
“Wait for you – what makes you think –“
He patted her hand, as though trying to calm a fretful child.
“This can be really easy, or you can make it difficult for both of us. I know which one I’d prefer. How ‘bout you, Lise?”
“That depends on the options.”
“I should have known. Okay, option one is you cooperate with me, and I guarantee it will make your life much easier.”
“How? What’s in it for me? Why should I do anything you tell me?”
A broad grin crossed his face. “Like I said, things can be really easy for you. You’ll have an easy job, a nice place to stay, you’ll be safe...”
“From you?”
“No, not from me. But I can keep you safe from anyone else there. Believe me, you’re better off with me.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, despite my best efforts, I can’t stop thinking about you. I care what happens to you. I’d rather not see you get hurt. If you cooperate, there’s no reason for me, or anyone else, to hurt you, and you’ll be well cared for. However, if you choose option two, which is to try to fight me, or run away...it will go badly for both of us, but you’re the one who will most likely die.”
Lisa closed her eyes, trying to remember to breathe.
Jackson continued, his voice low and intense. “I can take whatever punishment I might get, if I’m stupid enough to let you try to escape, but you won’t be able to survive there without me. There are people and various...safeguards in place to take care of intruders. So either you’re an employee and will be under my protection, or you’re a threat who’ll need to be terminated. Unfortunately, that would be my job, once you were caught and I’d really regret it. But I’d do it. There’s no way you can leave the compound. So, cooperate with me and you’ll be perfectly safe, but if you try to run away I won’t be able to protect you any more. You see how that works?”
Lisa nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn’t going to cry, no matter what, but if she opened her mouth she knew the tears would start. She was never going to let this man see her cry, or cower in fear, either. She didn’t doubt his warning; he might enjoy playing games with her mind, but she could tell he was deadly serious about this.
When she thought she could speak calmly, she phrased her words carefully. “I’d appreciate it if you’d clarify what you mean by ‘cooperate’ with you.”
His eyes lit up with mirth. “Ah, that should be easy enough to understand. You’re a bright girl, Lise. It means you go along with what I tell you, don’t argue, fight, or disobey. You behave, and you’ll have a job you’ll probably like. You’ll be very comfortable, too. In a small suite of rooms. With me.”
She started to speak, but he held his finger to his lips. “Shhhh. One bed,” he continued. “Come on, I know you’re attracted to me. It’ll be fun for both of us, I promise.”
“Not for me!”
He bit his lip, his eyes darkening. “I wish you’d stop lying to yourself, as well as me. I could see you were attracted to me when we first met. Things may have changed a bit, but every time I was close to you, I could tell you were turned on, in spite of your fear. Or maybe because of it.”
She glared at him while trying to keep from saying something that would really anger him. Yes, she hated him, and was terrified of him, but she knew he was quite capable of being charming and fun, when it suited him. He was more than good-looking, he was downright sexy now, with a slightly shorter, neater hair-style and no stubble. She felt a momentary pang of regret that they couldn’t go back to where they’d started, this time with no hidden agenda, no threats, no violence. Just two single people, both deeply involved with their jobs, who wanted to get to know each
other better.
She didn’t realize how much time she’d spent lost in thought till she saw him grinning at her, confident he’d won his argument.
“I’d be a lot more attracted to you if you hadn’t threatened to kill my father, repeatedly threatened and hurt me, and tried to kill me.”
“Aw, come on, Lise, be fair. You know I didn’t try to kill you till after you tried to kill me first.” He slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and revealed the angry-looking scar caused by the sudden insertion of a pen into his throat. “It took over six months of speech therapy to get my voice back to normal,” he chided her. “That was very annoying. Not to mention the gunshot, and the stiletto heel to the thigh. I’ll show you that scar later. In fact,” he continued, “almost every scar I have was inflicted by you.”
Was that admiration she heard? Couldn’t be. “I’d be glad to inflict a few more!”
“Ooh, sounds like fun, but maybe another time.”
She was pretty sure he was being sarcastic. To derail that particular train of thought, she pointed out that she had gotten a few scars from him.
“Sorry about that. Look, it’s going to be a long flight and I suspect we’ll both need to rest. Would you like a drink to help you relax? A Sea Breeze, perhaps?”
Lisa knew she’d never drink one again. “No, thank you,” she replied coolly. “I’m fine.”
Jackson sighed and held her hand down even more firmly. “I knew you were going to be stubborn.” With his left hand he reached under his seat and pulled something out from between the seat and armrest. He pulled the cap off the hypodermic with his teeth and spat it at the floor. She barely had time to protest before he stuck the pre-loaded syringe into her thigh. “Say good night, Lise.”
“You bastard! What is that?” She felt so light-headed she thought she was going to fall down, so it was a good things she was already sitting. And strapped in, too, or she’d keel over. She giggled quietly at the thought as her head fell forward.
Jackson went into the restroom and disposed of the hypodermic. Looking in the mirror, he ran a hand through his hair and straightened his clothes a bit. He got a couple of blankets and pillows from the flight attendant, then went back to make himself and Lisa more comfortable. He was more tired than he wanted to admit; it had been an extremely stressful day. Things were bound to improve now.
The story is now complete, but I'd like to make some changes to earlier chapters, and do a little more editing in places. I'm hoping to have that completed by the end of the year, then I can go on to other things I've been putting off for a long time. I started writing this in mid-October of 2005, after giving it quite a bit of thought before that.
The story is cross-universe, incorporating a number of movie characters and storylines, so beware of spoilers for many of Cillian's movies. It’s Alternate Universe, and some character background has been taken directly from the movie, and some has been altered slightly. In some cases, like with "Red Eye," it takes place after the end of that movie (18 months after) but with others, the story might veer off in another direction after the first 15 minutes or so of the movie. This means some people may seem out of character because they didn't go through certain events that changed them in the movie. I think there’s something here to please almost everyone.
Words in italics are sometimes someone's thoughts, sometimes just for emphasis. It should be fairly easy to tell them apart.
I'm adding the date to some of the chapters. Assume it's sometime on the same day in following chapters unless another day is listed. For instance, Chapter 1 takes place on Tuesday, 1/2/07 and Chapter 2 starts on Wednesday, 1/3/07. We don't hit Thursday, 1/4/07 until Chapter 6, so chapters 3, 4 and 5 don't have a date on them.
The following indicates a change in scene, and usually indicates a new viewpoint character:
<><><><><><><><>
This indicates a change in scene, but usually within a short time period and using the same "narrator":
<><><><>
Have fun reading.
I don't own any of the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a bit, then returning them, good as new. I'm also borrowing one character from "American Gothic", one from "Joan of Arcadia", one from "Nip/Tuck" and three from "Grey's Anatomy". Again, not mine, they belong to others, so they're just borrowed. You don't have to have seen those TV shows to know the characters, it just makes it slightly more amusing if you do know who they are.
GROUP THERAPY by Stormy
CHAPTER 1 (Tuesday night, January 2, 2007)
If he never got on another airplane again, Jackson Rippner could die a happy man. But not until he at least finished this one self-assigned job. It was time he made good on a promise. He deserved something for his pains. After everything he’d been through in the last 18 months, he needed it. Even his psychiatrist had agreed this would probably be very therapeutic.
Jackson’s eyes narrowed in concentration as he watched the passengers disembark. Yes, there she was. Lisa Reisert hadn’t changed much, though she must have just gotten her hair cut. The new style was nice, but he preferred it longer. Well, time would take care of that.
Before she had time to look in his direction, he strode over to her and pulled her out of the mob of passengers, enveloping her in a bear hug. He kissed her quickly, to stifle an impending scream. Barely moving his lips away from hers, he murmured, “Don’t even think about it. Just go along with it.”
She nodded, her eyes widening.
He spoke more loudly. “Lise! I’ve missed you so much, darling!” A few people smiled in their direction. Lisa awkwardly put her arms around him, and spoke loudly enough for the nearby passengers to hear. “It’s just such a surprise! I just wasn’t expecting you to be here.” The look she gave him was anything but loving. “I thought Dad was going to meet me.”
“He’s not feeling well, so he’s resting at home.”
Lisa gasped.
“Oh, I think it’s probably just a touch of food poisoning,” he soothed, “but he wasn’t in any shape to leave the house. I got out of work early so I could meet you. I figured we’d find something to do for the rest of the day.” He kissed her again, more thoroughly. She wasn’t happy about it, but she wasn’t biting him, either, so it was going well.
It was too bad he had to scare her, but he could have done a lot worse to Joe...like use a deadly poison. Better to let her wonder about that, for now.
Lisa’s laugh sounded forced. “Poor Dad. I hope he feels better soon.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine in a couple of days.” Under the pretext of kissing her on the cheek, he murmured, “Keep playing along and no one else will get hurt.”
She stiffened.
“No questions, Lise, not now.”
He grabbed her carry-on and the large tote bag she was using as a purse. Slinging it over one shoulder and pulling the bag behind him, he kept his other arm around her waist.
“Keep your arm around me, Lise,” he hissed, “you’re supposed to be happy to see your husband.”
“What the –“
”Shhhh. Language...there are kids nearby.” He smiled at the mother trying to lead three children.
Jackson could almost see the wheels turning in Lisa’s mind, looking for some type of escape. He’d have to make sure to explain to her, later, that it was completely out of her control. She’d accept it, eventually.
<><><><><><><><>
Lisa was dismayed to realize they were actually going to another terminal. Everyone she saw was busy with their own situation. Not one person seemed to think it was odd that her ‘husband’ was practically dragging her along like a piece of luggage with errant wheels.
When they arrived at the terminal, no one else was waiting except a flight attendant who led them to a small but quite luxurious plane. She thought it might be a Lear jet, but hadn’t had a chance to see much of the outside. The flight attendant took her bags from Jackson, stowing them in an overhead bin, then went into the c[o]ckpit.
Jackson helped her buckle the seat belt, but made sure her right arm was trapped under it, between her thigh and the armrest. There was no way to reach the buckle. He settled himelf quickly into the other seat, on the aisle. To make it even more annoying, he held her left hand and wouldn’t let go.
She was about to start asking him what the hell was going on, when the c[o]ckpit door opened and the flight attendant stepped out again. “The Captain is ready for take-off, sir, if you’re ready. Please make sure your seatbelts are tightly fastened.”
Jackson made a show of checking the belt over Lisa’s lap. “Yep, we’re fine.”
If the man saw Lisa’s predicament, it didn’t seem to concern him. “Very good, sir. Will you be needing anything right after take-off?”
“I don’t think so, not yet. If we do, I’ll ring for you.”
“Yes, sir. Ma’am.” The flight attendant walked by them, to sit at the back of the plane, well out of hearing distance.
Lisa didn’t waste any more time. “Is my father really all right?”
“Yes, Lisa, he’s fine. Well, he will be in a couple of days. He was given something to mimic food poisoning, that’s all. It’s nothing lethal.”
“How do I know he’s safe?”
“You don’t. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Trust you?!?” How could she even consider it?
“He may worry about you for a while, but he’ll get over it. You’re a big girl, after all, and capable of taking care of yourself.”
She didn’t like his look of amusement. “Again, why should I trust you?”
He explained patiently. “Because you have no choice. I’ve told you the truth about everything. I won’t lie to you. I may not tell you everything, but that’s for your own safety.”
“Are you going to tell me anything about what’s going on? Do you need my help assassinating someone else?”
He grinned briefly, seeming quite relaxed.
“No, I’m actually in another line of business now. It was decided an early retirement would be for the best.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow at that. “I didn’t think they’d let you retire. And why aren’t you in jail?”
“I was sent to a psychiatric facility instead, after I got out of the hospital. Glad you’re almost as bad a shot as I am.”
Psychiatric? She bit her tongue. Don’t say it, don’t... She settled for, “So how’d you get out?”
“Family connections.” He laughter sounded bitter.
“So, you were just joking about killing your parents when you were a kid, right, for giving you such a...regrettable name?” Thank God.
“No, Lise, I don’t joke about things like that.”
She felt sick. “How did you get away with it?”
“Well, as you’ve seen, I can be a pretty good actor when it suits me. I’d planned it out carefully. You might call it early training.”
Or she might call it sociopathic.
“So your family paid someone off?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that. I’ve had to join the family business.”
“But if your parents died...”
“They were my adopted parents, Lise. I didn’t find out about that till recently.”
He clearly wanted to change the subject. He squeezed her hand lightly. “This should be a lot more relaxing for both of us than the last flight we took together, huh, Lise?”
She was seething with anger, and her mind was suffering from whiplash. She tried to stay calm.
“So how do I fit in?”
He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “Well, you’re sort of a reward. Officially, I need an assistant or secretary or some damn thing, someone to help me with one aspect of my job. And you, as an official problem-solving people-pleaser, just happen to fit the bill.”
Now she recalled his seemingly humorous comment about how he might have to steal her away.
“What if I don’t want the job?”
He sighed. “Well, see, here’s the thing. You don’t have any choice in the matter. It’s completely out of your control. Besides, if you don’t take the job, you’d be bored to death with nothing to do except wait for me to come home.”
“Wait for you – what makes you think –“
He patted her hand, as though trying to calm a fretful child.
“This can be really easy, or you can make it difficult for both of us. I know which one I’d prefer. How ‘bout you, Lise?”
“That depends on the options.”
“I should have known. Okay, option one is you cooperate with me, and I guarantee it will make your life much easier.”
“How? What’s in it for me? Why should I do anything you tell me?”
A broad grin crossed his face. “Like I said, things can be really easy for you. You’ll have an easy job, a nice place to stay, you’ll be safe...”
“From you?”
“No, not from me. But I can keep you safe from anyone else there. Believe me, you’re better off with me.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, despite my best efforts, I can’t stop thinking about you. I care what happens to you. I’d rather not see you get hurt. If you cooperate, there’s no reason for me, or anyone else, to hurt you, and you’ll be well cared for. However, if you choose option two, which is to try to fight me, or run away...it will go badly for both of us, but you’re the one who will most likely die.”
Lisa closed her eyes, trying to remember to breathe.
Jackson continued, his voice low and intense. “I can take whatever punishment I might get, if I’m stupid enough to let you try to escape, but you won’t be able to survive there without me. There are people and various...safeguards in place to take care of intruders. So either you’re an employee and will be under my protection, or you’re a threat who’ll need to be terminated. Unfortunately, that would be my job, once you were caught and I’d really regret it. But I’d do it. There’s no way you can leave the compound. So, cooperate with me and you’ll be perfectly safe, but if you try to run away I won’t be able to protect you any more. You see how that works?”
Lisa nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn’t going to cry, no matter what, but if she opened her mouth she knew the tears would start. She was never going to let this man see her cry, or cower in fear, either. She didn’t doubt his warning; he might enjoy playing games with her mind, but she could tell he was deadly serious about this.
When she thought she could speak calmly, she phrased her words carefully. “I’d appreciate it if you’d clarify what you mean by ‘cooperate’ with you.”
His eyes lit up with mirth. “Ah, that should be easy enough to understand. You’re a bright girl, Lise. It means you go along with what I tell you, don’t argue, fight, or disobey. You behave, and you’ll have a job you’ll probably like. You’ll be very comfortable, too. In a small suite of rooms. With me.”
She started to speak, but he held his finger to his lips. “Shhhh. One bed,” he continued. “Come on, I know you’re attracted to me. It’ll be fun for both of us, I promise.”
“Not for me!”
He bit his lip, his eyes darkening. “I wish you’d stop lying to yourself, as well as me. I could see you were attracted to me when we first met. Things may have changed a bit, but every time I was close to you, I could tell you were turned on, in spite of your fear. Or maybe because of it.”
She glared at him while trying to keep from saying something that would really anger him. Yes, she hated him, and was terrified of him, but she knew he was quite capable of being charming and fun, when it suited him. He was more than good-looking, he was downright sexy now, with a slightly shorter, neater hair-style and no stubble. She felt a momentary pang of regret that they couldn’t go back to where they’d started, this time with no hidden agenda, no threats, no violence. Just two single people, both deeply involved with their jobs, who wanted to get to know each
other better.
She didn’t realize how much time she’d spent lost in thought till she saw him grinning at her, confident he’d won his argument.
“I’d be a lot more attracted to you if you hadn’t threatened to kill my father, repeatedly threatened and hurt me, and tried to kill me.”
“Aw, come on, Lise, be fair. You know I didn’t try to kill you till after you tried to kill me first.” He slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and revealed the angry-looking scar caused by the sudden insertion of a pen into his throat. “It took over six months of speech therapy to get my voice back to normal,” he chided her. “That was very annoying. Not to mention the gunshot, and the stiletto heel to the thigh. I’ll show you that scar later. In fact,” he continued, “almost every scar I have was inflicted by you.”
Was that admiration she heard? Couldn’t be. “I’d be glad to inflict a few more!”
“Ooh, sounds like fun, but maybe another time.”
She was pretty sure he was being sarcastic. To derail that particular train of thought, she pointed out that she had gotten a few scars from him.
“Sorry about that. Look, it’s going to be a long flight and I suspect we’ll both need to rest. Would you like a drink to help you relax? A Sea Breeze, perhaps?”
Lisa knew she’d never drink one again. “No, thank you,” she replied coolly. “I’m fine.”
Jackson sighed and held her hand down even more firmly. “I knew you were going to be stubborn.” With his left hand he reached under his seat and pulled something out from between the seat and armrest. He pulled the cap off the hypodermic with his teeth and spat it at the floor. She barely had time to protest before he stuck the pre-loaded syringe into her thigh. “Say good night, Lise.”
“You bastard! What is that?” She felt so light-headed she thought she was going to fall down, so it was a good things she was already sitting. And strapped in, too, or she’d keel over. She giggled quietly at the thought as her head fell forward.
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Jackson went into the restroom and disposed of the hypodermic. Looking in the mirror, he ran a hand through his hair and straightened his clothes a bit. He got a couple of blankets and pillows from the flight attendant, then went back to make himself and Lisa more comfortable. He was more tired than he wanted to admit; it had been an extremely stressful day. Things were bound to improve now.
I hope you update again soon. 
