Ch.46 - Jackson
Jackson and Talia fell in step side by side as they made their way toward the water out back. Green ripples kicked up along the river, and Jackson took in a deep breath as a warm breeze swirled around them. In the distance, a crocodile ducked its head under water just as a Blue Herron called out overhead.
"Wait a second. I need this," Talia said suddenly. She took a few steps back and reached for an object propped against the house. "Just in case."
"A harpoon?" Jackson's eyebrows arched in surprise and he fought to keep his voice light. "What do you need that for? Are you planning to fish?"
Jackson followed her gaze to the water and they both watched as a dark figure maneuvered through the reeds.
"The crocodiles out here aren't shy," Talia explained with a wary expression. "Whenever I take the boat out on my own I always make sure the harpoon's within reach."
"Ah, yes." They continued walking toward the marsh, the air boat getting closer with every step. "I seem to recall a story your mother-in-law told at the cookout. Something about a run-in with a crocodile when you moved here."
He watched Talia cringe at the memory.
"When I first came to town, Charlie showed me the rental house at Enid's request. That's actually how we met." She flashed him a quick smile. "I wandered onto the dock even though he'd warned me about the loose boards and I fell through. It was really stupid of me," she said, shaking her head at the memory. "Charlie pulled me to safety just in time. Now I make sure I'm prepared whenever I come out here on my own."
Jackson studied her closely. "So, Charlie saved your life?"
"He did. In more ways than one." Talia pressed her lips together tightly then changed the subject. "You're going to get some great pictures today. I can feel it."
Jackson watched her for another long moment before turning away. "I hope so. My editor'll throw a fit if I don't meet that deadline."
Talia released a soft chuckle. "Well, we don't want to get you in trouble, do we?"
As they approached the dock, Jackson felt a growing anticipation with each step. The time had finally come for him to right all the wrongs. To avenge the death of his son who'd died so needlessly. Was Steven watching him now? Was he cheering him on as he carried out his plan...their plan? Jackson didn't believe in Heaven or Hell, but that didn't mean there wasn't something, right? Some sort of middle ground where people watched from the other side? A few weeks ago if you'd asked him if he believed in such a thing the answer would have been no. He'd just always assumed that when you died, you died. There was nothing left. But the longer he stayed inside that tiny rental, the stronger the presence became. He thought he was imaging it at first, but with each passing day he knew it was there, watching him from the corner of the bedroom, encouraging him to move forward. Every time he set foot in that room he was acutely aware of it staring. Could it be Steven watching over him, making sure he redeemed the Austin name?
Jackson looked over his shoulder at the house, barely visible through the mass of Cyprus trees. I'm going to fix this, Steven. I'm going to take care of the woman who had you killed once and for all. I promise you, son. She's about to take her last breath. And I'll make certain she knows I'm doing this for you.
"Did you forget something?" Talia asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He'd almost forgotten she was there.
"No, I'm good. Just enjoying the scenery." He turned back to her. "You've really got it good out here, you know that? You must love the seclusion. Or does it make you nervous? I suppose I could see how it might."
Talia shrugged. "At first, the seclusion was exactly what I was looking for. Then there came a point in time when it felt almost ominous. I spent the first couple of years here living in fear. If Charlie weren't with me, I'm not sure I'd stick around. Florida...yes, but hidden in the country...no. If I were to ever find myself in trouble, it'd be nice to know someone could hear me, you know? Out this way...no one would ever know."
Jackson hid a smile. "I guess I never thought of it that way. I'm sure motherhood has made you especially aware of your surrounds...the dangers that could be lurking out there. All it would take is one tiny accident and life could change in a heartbeat. Take Enid, for example." He watched her tense from the corner of his eye. "If she'd been alone, who knows where she'd be right now."
Talia turned and regarded him seriously, her blue eyes filled with emotion. "I hate to think about what would have happened if you hadn't been there. We're so grateful you showed up when you did. If you hadn't..." Her voice trailed off.
"I'm glad I was there, too. It was the least I could have done after all you and Charlie have done for me."
They stepped onto the dock and followed it to the bow of the boat.
"Why don't you hop in and I'll release the boat from the dock," Talia suggested as she reached for the rope looped around a pole.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks."
"Here," he said, reaching for the spear in her hand. "Why don't I at least take this for you?"
Talia released it from her grasp and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you." He set it down and watched as she unfastened the rope and hopped onto the boat.
Talia stood at the wheel and turned on the ignition, allowing the fuel pressure to build. She pumped the accelerated twice and the large propeller in the rear began to spin. It's funny. He hadn't realized how enormous those blades were the other day. Very carefully, she backed away from the dock and the boat began to glide across the shallow stretch of water.
"You look like an expert," Jackson observed.
Talia just nodded and for a few seconds neither one of them spoke. He watched her profile as she maneuvered the boat through the swamp, calm and precise.
So, that's the face Steven looked at during their three years of marriage. This is the woman he decided worthy enough to settle down with. This is the bitch he made love to every night. Jackson swallowed an ill-humored chuckle. Look where it got you, Stevey-boy! Look where loving this little tramp got you!
When his eyes came back into focus, he was startled to find Talia staring at him.
"Are you alright?" she asked with a friendly smile. "I think I lost you there for a second."
Jackson narrowed his eyes. "Why would you say that?"
Her smile fell away. "Because I was talking to you, but you didn't hear me...even though you were looking right at me."
Jackson looked back at the property and saw it lingering in the distance. They were not far enough away yet. He fought to regain his composure. "I'm sorry, Talia. I guess I was lost in thought. What is it you were saying?"
"I just wondered if you wanted to head back to the location we were at the other day?"
"Yes, that would be great." They drove a distance further and when he looked off to the side, he noticed another dark lump moving underneath the waves. "You weren't kidding about these crocodiles, were you?"
Talia followed his gaze and let the boat slow until it crept along the water. "They're pretty brave. I suppose it doesn't help that Charlie feeds them."
"He feeds them?"
Talia laughed. "Yes, he feeds them. Not all the time, but sometimes. I actually think they recognize the boat. When you see one crocodile around you can count on there being more."
Why the hell would that idiot feed them? "How does he feed them?"
Talia's eyes scanned the murky water and she nodded toward another dark figure wading closer. "Sometimes he'll fish out here then throw them what he's caught. I refuse to come out with him when he does it. I hate the sound of their teeth snapping together, tearing into the fish. It gives me the creeps. Especially since they don't need to be fed. They're perfectly capable of hunting on their own."
A gentle breeze blew the tendrils around her face and she tucked them behind her ear. "The crocodiles and alligators like to hunt in groups. It's easier for them to catch their prey that way. I've watched them circle around a school of fish getting them to all swarm together. Then they go in for the kill. It's both fascinating and terrifying to watch."
"I can imagine."
"Don't they have alligators in Louisiana?"
Jackson reached into the top pocket of his shirt and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He slid one out of the box and placed it between his lips. "I wouldn't know."
Talia gave him a funny look. He wasn't sure if it was because he was lighting the cigarette or because of what he'd said. Either way, he could tell he'd caught her off guard. Jackson held the flame of the lighter to the tip and inhaled deeply, enjoying the sizzle as the blaze ate up the paper.
"I guess you don't go to the swamp much, huh?" Talia asked, laughing uncomfortably. "There's probably a lot more to do in Baton Rouge than look at a bunch of over-sized reptiles."
"Honestly, I wouldn't know, Sarah. I haven't been to Baton Rouge in years."
He watched her eyes widen and her face pale. She parted her lips but no sound came from her mouth.
Jackson stood up and walked to her, blowing a steady stream of smoke into her face. A strand of brown hair escaped from behind her ear. With a steady hand, much steadier than he figured it would be, Jackson tucked it back where it came from.
"What did you call me?" Her voice shook, but she managed to get out every word.
"Sarah," he answered calmly. "That is your name, right? I'm really surprised you didn't feel you could confide in me. I thought we were friends."
Talia shifted uncomfortably and her eyes darted over his shoulder.
"Looking for Charlie? I wouldn't expect him if I were you. I made sure he'd be stuck at the hospital for a very long time."
He let his eyes leisurely travel over her body, noticing the way it now trembled. He smiled at her fear. "Turns out your mother-in-law had been good for something after all. Little did I know it would be to detain Charlie when you needed him most. I knew sparing her life would eventually come in handy, I just wasn't sure how until today."
Jackson watched the quickening rise and fall of her chest and he felt himself stir. He hadn't realized cornering her like this would be such a turn on. Another time, another place, maybe he would have had his way with her. Then remembrance set in and the muscle in his cheek twitched. "You don't know who I am, do you?"
Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "You're Jackson Levitt," she answered carefully.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Jackson Levitt," he repeated, as if thinking it over. "It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? But no, my name's not Jackson Levitt. I suppose if you'd done a proper background check before you'd rented out that house you may have discovered Jackson Levitt doesn't exist."
"We did do a background check--"
Jackson cut her off. "A sloppy one at best. You followed the leads I laid out for you, nothing more."
"I don't understand," she said breathlessly. "If you're not Jackson, then who are you? Why are you here?"
Jackson laughed callously. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here for you...Sarah."
Talia sucked in a shaky breath. "Are you a reporter?"
He laughed again. "Do I look like a reporter? It's funny. Everyone always said I looked just like my son...or rather, he looked like me. Maybe the older he got the more he looked like his own man. I wouldn't know. I hadn't seen him in several years before he died."
She stumbled backward in shock. Jackson took another long drag on his cigarette before tossing it into the water. He clenched his teeth and inhaled deeply, letting the familiar sting of smoke fill his lungs. Taking his time, he let the fumes creep out of his nose then finally blew the last of it into her face. This time she coughed.
"You really have no idea, do you?" He took a step closer. "Let's see if I can give you a hint. Long ago, I was married, but sadly my wife took her own life. I believe my son blamed me for that--he was ridiculously close to his mother--and he picked a fight with me at her funeral. You should have seen the way everyone stared." The muscle in his cheek twitched again, this time more violently. "He blamed me for ruining their lives. He said my wife was so desperate to leave me that she felt no other way out than to take her own life. But would you believe that bastard had a secret he was keeping from me? That he and my loyal wife were both keeping from me?"
Talia inched away until she teetered close to the edge of the boat, the muddy water lapping around the sides.
"The things they did together were disgusting. They should have been committed! And it happened right under my nose, as I worked my ass off making a good life for them. That's how they thanked me."
Jackson felt his stomach stir with the memory. "Do you know how many times I got sick after he told me about their indiscretion? How many times I threw up just thinking about what they did behind my back? But then I never saw him again, like it was my fault, or something. Like I was the bad guy! Then he went off and got married and never told me about it. Never once invited me over to meet his new wife. Things could have been different, Sarah. If Steven had just--"
"Steven?" she interrupted. Her face drained the last of its color. "Steven?"
He was breathing rapidly now. "Yes, Steven!" he snapped. "Who the hell did you think I was talking about?"
Talia's eyes darted around the boat. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to pay," he said slowly, enunciating every last word. "You killed my son. And even though he did me wrong, he was still my flesh and blood. What you and Charlie did to him--"
"He hurt me!" she screamed loudly, taking him by surprise. "From the very first day we were married he hurt me. I tried to leave him before, I tried to do it the right way, but he found me and he beat me even more." Her breath caught as she struggled to inhale. "I tried to be a good wife to him, I tried to love him--but he wouldn't let me. I had no choice but to escape."
"But you didn't have to kill him," he countered through gritted teeth. "You didn't have to kill my last blood relative. Steven was supposed to carry on the Austin name. You took that away from him. You took that away from me. Now, you must pay."
Jackson stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and all the while the boat continued its slow progression. He reached for her, but she manged to dodge his grasp.
"What do you want from me?" she whimpered. He didn't miss the sight of her eyes surveying the water.
"I want you dead. Just like my son. You don't deserve to be alive."
He could see her thoughts racing.
"Isn't there some way we could work this out?" she asked as she moved around the inside of the boat.
With each step he managed to keep her contained to one side. "And how exactly do you think we could work this out? You can't bring Steven back, can you? Can you somehow have him rise from the grave?"
"No," she stammered, still stepping around him desperately. "I can't bring Steven back, but--"
"Then there's no way to work this out, is there? There's no way for you to fix what you've done."
He lunged forward again and missed.
"But maybe Charlie can think of something!" she exclaimed, jumping to the side. "Can we please just talk to Charlie first?"
Jackson laughed. "Talk to Charlie? And what's that pathetic loser going to do? How's he going to fix this situation we have?" He paused. "You know, he's actually the one who pulled the trigger. Maybe we should talk to Charlie first?"
"No," Talia called out in a panic. "Please, Jackson! There must be something I can do!"
His hands flew to his ears. "Stop calling me Jackson! My name's Conrad. Conrad Austin." His stomach tighten into a knot. Stay clam. You need to stay calm, you're almost done here.
"Conrad," Talia tried again, her voice calmer than before. "Please. Let's talk about this back at the house. I'm sure we can come to an agreement of some kind. There must be some way I can make this up to you."
"There's nothing you can do. You can't make this better."
Without warning, Talia jumped toward the steering wheel and stepped on the gas. The boat lunged forward and Conrad lost his footing and stumbled to the ground. Before he could stand, he found the tip of the harpoon pointed at his chest.
"You stay there...just stay right there," Talia said, her voice so shaky he could barely understand her. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding the spear, she began to turn the boat counterclockwise. "I'm taking us back."
"The hell you are!" Conrad jumped up and knocked the spear from her grasp. It fell to the edge of the boat with a clang.
Talia dove toward the weapon but Conrad stopped her with one solid kick to the stomach. She dropped to the floor.
"My baby," Talia gasped, the breath knocked out of her. He kicked her again until she curled into a ball, arms covering her stomach protectively.
Baby? Had he heard her correctly? "Don't worry, Sarah. I'll tell Charlie you fought hard for your life and that of your unborn child. I'll tell him I tried to pull you to safety, but the crocodiles were just too quick." His lips began to tremble. "I'll tell him you put up a real good fight."
Conrad stared in disgust as she convulsed in front of him. He positioned himself behind her and with the toe of his boot, shoved her over the edge. He watched with satisfaction as she disappeared below the water's surface.
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Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you liked this chapter, please leave a vote/comment.
Don't go anywhere, Charlie's POV is up next! I'll have it ready for you by this weekend. :)