“He’ll come after me, regardless, LuAnn,” Riggs said quietly. “He’ll find me and he’ll kill me whether I go to the FBI or not.” She didn’t respond so he continued. “And to tell you the truth, I’m too old, too tired of running and hiding to start it up again. I’d rather go down the cobra’s hole and meet him head-on. I’ll take my chances with you next to me. I’d rather have you than every agent at the Bureau, than every cop in the country. We’re probably only going to have one shot at this, and I’ll take that shot with you.” He paused for a moment as she stared at him, her eyes wild, her long hair billowing in the wind, her strong hands balling up into fists and then uncurling. Then he said, “If you’ll take that shot with me.”
The wind was really picking up now. They each stood barely two feet apart from the other. The gap would either swell or diminish with LuAnn’s answer. Despite the chill, cold sweat clung to each of their faces. She finally broke the silence.
“Get in.”
The room was completely dark. Outside the rain was pouring down and had been for most of the day. Sitting in the very center of the space, her body bound tightly to a chair, Lisa was trying, without much success, to use her nose to inch up the mask that covered her eyes. The intense darkness—being totally and completely blind—was unnerving to her. She had the impression that perilous things were lurking very near her. In that regard she was completely right.
“Are you hungry?” The voice was right at her elbow and her heart nearly stopped.
“Who is it? Who are you?” Her voice quavered.
“I’m an old friend of your mother’s.” Jackson knelt beside her. “These bindings aren’t too tight, are they?”
“Where’s Uncle Charlie? What did you do to him?” Lisa’s courage suddenly resurfaced.
Jackson quietly chuckled. “Uncle, is it?” He stood back up. “That’s good, very good.”
“Where is he?”
“Not relevant,” Jackson snapped. “If you’re hungry, tell me so.”
“I’m not.”
“Something to drink then?”
Lisa hesitated. “Maybe some water.”
She heard some tinkling of glass in the background and then she felt a coldness against her lips and jerked back.
“It’s only water. I’m not going to poison you.” Jackson said this in such a commanding fashion that Lisa quickly opened her mouth and drank deeply. Jackson patiently held the cup until she was finished.
“If you need anything else, to use the bathroom for instance, then just say so. I’ll be right here.”
“Where are we?” When Jackson didn’t answer, she asked, “Why are you doing this?”
Standing there in the darkness, Jackson considered the question carefully before answering. “Your mother and I have some unfinished business. It has to do with things that occurred a long time ago, although there have been repercussions of a very recent vintage that are motivating me.”
“I bet my mom didn’t do anything to you.”
“On the contrary, while she owes her entire life to me, she has done everything in her power to hurt me.”
“I don’t believe that,” Lisa said hotly.
“I don’t expect you to,” Jackson said. “You’re loyal to your mother, as you should be. Family ties are very important.” He crossed his arms and thought for a moment on the status of his own family, of Alicia’s sweet, peaceful face. Sweet and peaceful in death. With an effort he shrugged the vision off.
“My mom will come and get me.”
“I certainly expect her to.”
Lisa blinked rapidly as his meaning suddenly dawned upon her. “You’re going to hurt her, aren’t you? You’re going to try and hurt my mom when she comes to get me.” Her voice had risen.
“Call if you need anything. I don’t intend to make you suffer unduly.”
“Don’t hurt my mom, please.” The tears materialized behind the mask.
Jackson did his best to ignore the pleas. Finally, the crying turned to bawling and then dissolved into exhausted whimpering. He had first seen Lisa as an eight-month-old infant. She had certainly grown up into a lovely child. Had LuAnn not accepted his offer, the orphaned Lisa would probably be in a foster home somewhere. He looked over at her, suffering terribly inside, her head slumped onto her chest in her private agony. A lot for a ten-year-old to handle. Maybe she would have been better off in that foster home, without ever really having known her mother. The woman Jackson was going to now eliminate from her life. He had no desire to cause pain to the daughter, but such was life. It wasn’t fair. He had told LuAnn that the very first day they had met: Life was not fair. If you wanted something you had to take it. Before someone else took from you. Neatly dissected down to its essence, life was one long series of lily pad hoppings. The quick and the resourceful were able to adapt and survive; all others were simply crushed as a more nimble creature landed on the lily pad they had occupied for too long.