Other Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen ❯ Caught ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 10 - Caught

Jackson pulled up to the small compound that comprised his home having just checked the tracking devise making certain that Lisa was indeed still in her room and quite alive. This was shaping up to be a very good few days. He parked and made his way to the door but the moment he stepped inside, he knew something was amiss as he spied the tell tale flashing red light that told him there had been a breach somewhere in the house. He didn't need to check the panel that showed Lisa's window flashing. He knew what she had done and now he would have an interesting time dealing with it.

He quietly made his way inside, setting down his case and then made his way to her door. He pressed his ear against it and heard her exclaiming with the word `shit' several times. He waited a moment longer and then quietly unlocked the door without giving his customary warning knock. His eyes widened slightly at the sight before him. The room was a disaster. There was crap everywhere but it was her that really made him open his eyes. She had herself connected to the bed by what looked like torn bed sheets tied together while she was perched precariously out the window. She was looking up while twirling what could only be perceived as a rather rudimentary but probably very serviceable grappling hook. It looked like it had been ingeniously constructed from various parts of the bathroom plumbing and different components of the refrigerator he'd provided her.

He walked as close to her as he dared without being seen by the very intently focused woman. When he was fairly close he decided to make his presence known.

“How's it coming?” He asked casually but he was not met with a similar casual response.

Lisa gave off a startled shriek and promptly lost her uncertain footing on the edge of the large bay window that she had all but removed. She fell. She didn't fall very far however as two things caught her. One was the makeshift lanyard she'd constructed around her waist and the other was the hand of the very man she'd been trying to escape.

Though his voice was strained with his physical effort, it continued to contain the same cool, collected tone. “Careful Leese, you could really hurt yourself.”

“Rippner.” She breathed out, still stunned at seeing him and to be now dangling from his grasp.

While still holding her with one hand and braced against the lower edge of the window frame, Rippner reached out with his free hand and grasped Lisa's second life line.

“How long did you think this would hold you?” He asked but wasn't surprised when he didn't receive an answer from the nearly frantic woman who was alternately looking at him and then at the jagged rocks far below.

“I don't think it would have lasted very long at all, with all the broken glass you left along the edge here.” To demonstrate his point, he started to drag the fabric back and forth across the sharp edges and it was only a moment before it tore, the second life line now useless and Jackson was now the only thing between Lisa and death. She screamed again when she felt the tension leave the fabric.

“Do you want to die Leese?” Her eyes shot up to his. She was terrified and he could see it clearly but he was positive that it would be nothing compared to the fall if he let her go. “It would be very easy to let you go and not have to put up with this kind of shit every time I left.” A small amount of menace had seeped into his voice. At that moment, he saw Lisa's eyes harden.

“Do it. I'm already dead, remember?”

Jackson laughed. “Only to the rest of the world Leese, not to me. Besides, if I let you go, I'm going to have to go after your dear old dad. Is that what you want?” He knew he had her the moment he saw her defiance melt before his eyes.

“No.” He heard her whisper barely loud enough to be heard over the ocean below.

With that said and with her decision made, he hoisted her up with considerable effort on his part. Once she was inside, he didn't let go of her arm and immediately proceeded to pull her into the kitchen right behind him.

Lisa had no idea what he was doing as he continued to drag her with him until he stopped and opened one of the many cabinet drawers only to pull out a first aid kit. She still had no idea what he was doing until she saw the large gash in her hand that was still bleeding steadily.

“Don't move.” He commanded as he finally let her go to stand next to him. He pulled out a small container that looked like a shaker for baby power and then proceeded to power her hand. She instinctively yelped in pain and pulled her hand back.

She was surprised at the quickness behind his move as he yanked her hand back and threw her a vicious look. “I said don't move. Do it again and you'll be sorry.”

The bleeding stooped immediately and the burning started to abate until he then placed her injured hand over the sink and poured a generous amount of iodine over the wound. Now that hurt like hell but she didn't move or make a sound but bore it silently with her eyes squeezed shut.

Jackson let the disinfecting qualities of the liquid do its job before pouring cool water over the wound in order to get a better look at the damage she had done to herself.

“This is going to need stitches.” He said matter of fact and he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a small vial of liquid.

By this point, Lisa had no idea what to think about everything that was going on. Just ten minutes ago, she had been desperately trying to escape only to meet with failure time and time again. Then suddenly, she'd fallen out of the window after Jackson purposely startled her. He'd then caught her only to rip apart the bed sheet that was holding her and then threatened to drop her. No sooner had that threat left his mouth when a second followed it and this time it was aimed at her father. Now, here he was, tending to her wound that she hadn't even realized she'd sustained like he was the family doctor but with terrible bedside manner. She watched as he filled a spare syringe with liquid and then stepped towards her, obviously intent on taking hold of her wrist yet again.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Don't you get just as tired of me repeating myself as I do? Now don't move or I'll break this off in your palm and stitch you up without the anesthetic.”

“But why go to all this trouble. You could get other women here willingly. Why me?” Even as she asked this, she allowed him to take her hand, pinch some of the skin near the jagged wound and insert the needle. She hissed in slight pain but stayed obediently still.

“Really Leese, I don't know how many more times I can say this in any different terms without actually saying the exact same phrase.” He set the syringe down after pulling it from her hand. He then swabbed the wound with rubbing alcohol and picked up the suture needle and a line of thread.

“I didn't want to kill you. You weren't the same lazy, terrified, easily controlled mark.” He pierced her skin, uncaring that the anesthetic hadn't fully numbed her hand yet but he felt it was justified after the huge mess that she had made of her room. “You see, you really gave me a run for my money. You didn't give up where most would have. I've dealt with marks that were docile and very attractive but you have something else that interests me. It's what made you tear that room apart but it's also what's keeping you glued to your spot right now. But don't get me wrong, that little stunt of yours is more than just a little annoying.” He continued to stitch her up with practiced ease. “You're actually lucky that I had a good couple of days or that might have actually pissed me off and I know that's exactly what you were trying to accomplish.”

“I was trying to get away.”

“No. You already knew you couldn't do that so the only other outcome of your little remodeling project would be to get me angry.”

“But that's...”

“No Leese, that's exactly what you were doing but you failed again just like you have for a month now. If you want to know what will get me angry Leese,” he stopped to look her in the eye before he started stitching again, “all you have to do is ask and I'll tell you exactly what buttons to push. A word of warning if you choose to ask, I won't guarantee my behavior if you do. I don't get angry often and for very, very good reason.” He finished suturing her palm and wrapped her hand in gauze. She said nothing. “Do you want to know Leese?” He looked directly at her now, daring her to say yes.

She looked away from the intensity of those frozen blue eyes. “No.”

“Then stop asking in these silly little nonverbal ways or I swear I'll tell you.” He secured it in place and took her arm again. She let him as he led her to a room she'd never seen. “This will be your room until I get the other one fixed. Enjoy it.” He pushed her inside once he opened the door and then immediately closed it behind her.